Along with warmer weather, kids off from school, and lots of baseball, summer brings with it the desire to get away from the daily grind by heading away to various vacation destinations.

And regardless of whether this means a family trip to Disney World or something more intimate like Exotic Island hopping,

…most fitness fanatics do not wish to undo all of their hard work over the last year by gaining 8-15 lbs of fat and water in just a week or two.

However, on the other side of the coin, we are talking about “vacations,” which by its very nature should allow one to indulge in a few tasty meals (and/or a bit of alcohol) that are not on the everyday menu.

The question is, how do we vacation diet and balance some much-needed enjoyment with the desire to keep one’s physique on point? Read on for coach’s tips on how to achieve just that!

1. If possible, try and get your workout in, whether it is cardio or weights, first thing in the morning.
2. Perform your workout on an empty stomach so that the main source of fuel is stored body fat.
3. When it comes to the weights, utilize a circuit type workout, which will keep your muscles pumped while also providing a cardio boost.
4. When it comes to cardio use HIIT rather than steady state, which will allow you to burn the same number of calories, but in far less time.

1. Use AMINOCORE both before and during your morning workout so as to protect muscle tissue from being broken down while in a fasted state.
2. Use either IMPACT, A:CUTS or RAPIDCUTS before your morning workout to boost focus, energy, strength, endurance and metabolism.
3. Use ISOFLEX and CARBION immediately after your workout to quickly shuttle amino acids and carbohydrates into depleted muscle cells.
4. Use VITASTACK with meal one to make sure your micronutrient needs are met when diet may not be optimal.
5. Use HYDRADRY as directed on the bottle to help shed subcutaneous water that may be accumulated from cheats meals and/or more highly salted foods.
6. Use LIVER DTOX if planning on consuming alcohol to assist in cleaning out the system. (Note: I recommend utilizing this product for 1 week before vacation and also for the week following for optimal effects).

1. Bring easy to carry/eat foods along with you such as protein powders (ISOFLEX, HEXAPRO, CASEINFX), rice cakes, nuts, and whole grain breads so that meals can be both quick and efficient.
2. When eating in restaurants you can easily stay on track by ordering clean proteins, carbs, and vegetables by requesting they be made without muscle salt, oil or butter.
3. The best time for cheat meals would be in the morning, after your workout when possible. If you are planning on a cheat dinner, you may wish to perform your cardio in the morning and weight training right before indulging in all sorts of high-calorie foods.
4. To stay on track, try to eat no more than one cheat meal per day while making the remainder of your daily diet relatively similar to what you would do at home.
5. Some “damage” from cheat meals can be offset by keeping fats and carbs extra low for all other meals.

Upon Awakening:

• 2 scoops AMINOCORE (drink ½ before workout and other ½ during)
• 1 serving IMPACT or A:CUTS (or 1-2 caps RAPIDCUTS)

Workout

Immediately Post Workout:

• 1-2 scoops ISOFLEX
• 1-2 scoops CARBION

Meal #1:

• Cheat Breakfast (Note: try to get in a solid serving of protein from eggs, turkey bacon, and/or steak along with all the “fun stuff”)
• 1 packet VITASTACK
• 2 capsules HYDRADRY
• 1 capsule LIVER DTOX

Meal #2

• 1-2 scoops HEXAPRO
• Whole Grain Bread or Rice Cakes.

Meal #3

• Chicken Breast
• Sweet Potato, Rice or Quinoa
• Salad or Vegetables
• 2 capsules HYDRADRY

Meal #4

• Steak
• Sweet Potato, Rice or Quinoa
• Salad or Vegetables

Meal #5

• 1-2 scoops CASEINFX
• Handful of Nuts
• 2 capsules HYDRADRY
• 1 capsule LIVER DTOX