Keeping fit on a tropical vacay!

One of the greatest things about being a military spouse is meeting other amazing, strong women in your same position. I was lucky enough to meet an incredible group of these women when we were stationed in Virginia for 6 months for The Basic School (or The Big Suck, The Baby Supplier, or The Bull Shit). We all came together about halfway though the training and by the end we were the best of friends. It was an amazing experience to be in such a big group of women, be able to plan events and all be together without getting catty, cliquey, or rude. But, all things must come to an end, as our time together in Virginia did. Some of us are still there, but others are in Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma... just to name a few. We decided that for one of our friend's 21st birthday, we would all come visit her (and a few other girls) in Florida for a weekend. Unfortunately, due to some factors such as pregnancy, jobs, and money situations, not everyone could make it. But 6 of us were reunited for this short time and it was so refreshing to remember what it was like when we were all together, to have some girl time, and to just forget about how crappy military life can be sometimes. We spent 4 days hanging out on the beach, boozin it up, staying up late and chatting, and we even went parasailing!

While on vacation, Kara suggested to me that I blog about keeping healthy on vacation. What a brilliant idea! So I thought I would gather together a few tips to keep yourself healthy while enjoying yourself. Keep in mind that I never follow ALL of these rules at once while on vacation. It's your vacation, so pick and choose which ones to follow!

My number one rule is the only one I always follow: INDULGE YOURSELF! If you have been sticking to a healthy diet, working out, and taking care of the environment, you deserve it! So go for it! Just don't overdo it.

The first thing Kara and I did when we got through security at the airport at 8 AM was grab an alcoholic beverage with our breakfast. I don't know about you, but drinking is always a big part of my vacations, and it's always an easy way to gain unneeded calories. A way to minimize this is to stick with liquor-based drinks. We all know that beer contains a lot of calories. I can even feel it after I drink one! So try and stick with liquor mixed with juice. Vodka tonics, and gin and tonics, are great low-calorie drinks. If you are making mixed drinks at home, try using fresh ingredients. Strawberry daiquiris are just rum, strawberries, lime juice, sugar, and ice. Pina coladas are just pineapple juice, coconut milk, and ice. Dole makes a really good pina colada juice; you can just add some rum and ice to it for a quick pina colada! To make the drinks more creamy, add a scoop of yogurt! My summer favorite, which has a little more sugar but still keeps your calorie intake low, is what I call a vodka soda. Mix your favorite flavored vodka (I like raspberry or watermelon) with either club soda or mineral water. It's really yummy and fruity, and it cools you down on a hot day! Not that I'm opposed to an ice cold Corona and lime on the beach, which I definitely did on my vacation. And what drink did I get at the airport? Why, a bloody mary of course!

Now, I know if you are vegging on the beach you are going to want to snack. Let's keep it healthy here! If you want something sweet, bring fresh fruit. We brought strawberries to the beach, and they were super yummy. We also brought various sandwiches, including turkey with pepperjack, PB&J, and tuna. If you are craving something salty, my dear friend Kaylie introduced all of us to Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips that come in a fully compostable bag! The bag is really noisy but the chips are great and it's good for the environment! Double whammy. All this food was enough to sustain us at the beach!

It's also easier than you think to exercise on your vacation. I am definitely guilty of slacking on this one, but it can be easily incorporated into your day. You can always go for a jog on the beach; that doesn't even require shoes. Kara even woke up a half hour earlier than the rest of us and went on a run! I was so excited for her. Then, there are the exercises that you can do while vacationing. First, dancing. I know, it's so perfectly obvious, right?! I'm not exactly sure how long we were dancing on our first night out, but we all worked up a sweat and I'm sure we burned off all the calories we consumed in our drinks! It's also a great way to get the toxins out, and with proper hydration, prevent a hangover the next day! The last great exercise is laughter. Laughter burns calories and works out your abs! I'm definitely positive that I got enough exercise from laughter over the weekend.

My last rule is one that I always follow if I can help it. That is, don't eat fast food. Even at the airport, you have the option to grab a sandwich or a fruit plate. Fast food is terrible for you, and it's responsible for the cheap, artificial, mass-produced foods that they now sell at the grocery store. Try and avoid it!

So those are my tips for you. The best thing to do for yourself is have fun and indulge a little bit, but when you get home, get right back into your routine! We gave ourselves one day to recoop, and then this morning we went to the farmers market and to the gym! Don't let yourself slide out of your routine; it will only take longer to get yourself back to where you were.

All in all, I had a great vacation. To our hostesses, thank you SO much for your hospitality. This was the most fun I have had in a while (I know, means a lot coming from the girl who lives in Lawton!) and it will be a weekend that I'll never forget! To all of my Quantico girls, especially those who couldn't come this weekend, I miss you all SO much! You are all truly like my family away from home, and each of you have inspired me in some way to be a better person. I love you all!