When vacations come around, many people give up their weight management efforts. A lot of people feel that food restriction means depriving themselves during their break. Instead of giving up, aim for maintaining your progress. Meaning, maybe you won’t lose weight, but you can try not to gain any either. This will provide you some satisfaction and make it easier for you to restart your program when vacation is over.

In order to do this, try to maintain your exercise program and eat moderately. You can walk, jog, or stay at a facility with a workout room or swimming pool. Set a date after your vacation for when you will resume your program. Try to maintain one or two behaviors that will help you maintain your weight. For example, you can eat slowly, drink eight glasses of water daily, or limit your alcohol. Allow yourself treats, but consume them in moderation. This way you won’t feel deprived and you’ll avoid eating excess. Mentally review your successes daily, and avoid any negative thoughts. What is important is that you enjoy yourself, you’re prepared to cope with the interruption, and you know how to get started again.

In general, increasing your physical activity will help you burn calories and keep your metabolism up. However, if you want to maximize your efforts so that you’re burning fat and calories as much as possible, you can take a few simple steps. First, incorporate cardiovascular exercise into your routine at least 3 times a week. Try to make your sessions last at least 30 minutes, because it can take up to 20 minutes before your body starts burning fat (versus carbohydrate) for energy. If you can’t fit in a 30-minute session, the next best goal would be to aim for at least three 10-minute sessions.

Another step you can take is to incorporate weight-bearing exercises (i.e. hand weights, squats, lunges, etc.). Maintaining and building muscle will help you burn more calories, even at rest. A good goal would be to include two 30-minute, weight-bearing exercise sessions twice a week.

Other simple steps to take include standing instead of sitting, whenever possible. Also, getting ample sleep is important to maintaining your energy levels for daily activity. Finally, look for support to help you stay motivated and on track with your goals.

Try applying these steps to your exercise efforts. It can maximize your fat and calorie burning potential, so you can see improved weight loss results!