The Vegas Diet
VEGAS! What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? Maybe not when it comes to your health. Sin City comes with late nights, heavy drinking, and lots of poor food options. Just because you have a trip to Vegas, doesn’t mean you have to stop working towards living a healthy life. It also doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on all of the fun either! We want you to enjoy your time, not live your life on a “diet”, and help you find ways to make the best out of hard situations. Vegas is one of those situations where many of our clients say, “all bets are off” when it comes to their health and fitness. They don’t have to be! Here are a few tips on how to survive Vegas, without feeling like you wrecked all progress and momentum with your health and fitness.
1. Prepare!
Have healthy snacks (almonds, protein bar, beef jerky, fruit etc…) stashed in your car, carry on bag, and hotel room. This will not only save you money, it will also lead you to make a healthier choice before and after you go out. By having healthier snack options available, there will be less of a chance of going to grab the “quick” option (IN-N-OUT, Del Taco, Jack-In-The-Box etc…), which is usually not the healthiest.
2. Have a snack before you start drinking alcohol
You are in Vegas, and you are there to have fun! Eating a snack before you go out and have fun may help you from feeling overly sick from alcohol consumption. It is always very important to get something into your stomach before you start drinking. Try to have something of nutrient value (light sandwich or wrap on wheat bread or a wheat tortilla). Your body will need all the nutrients it can get leading to a long night out….
3. Pick the restaurant
Vegas is known for their extravagant buffets and amazing restaurant. If you decide to go the buffet route, then you are in luck! You will have a ton of healthy options. Fill your plate with a big salad, lean protein (chicken, fish, steak), and some healthy carbs like baked potato or some brown rice. It is also a good time to drink water.
4. Make smart alcohol choice
Vegas is known for the extremely large, sugary alcohol drinks. Save yourself the aggressive hangover and keep it simple. Try to stick with one alcohol group and keep the ingredients simple. For example a good option would be to get a vodka + soda water. You can even spice it up by adding a lime or even a splash of cran!! I know exciting, but in all seriousness if you can be smarter about what you drink, then it can have a major impact on the calories going in and recovery time your body has the next day.
5. WATER
For every drink you have, match it with a glass of water. This will help keep you hydrated, and may prevent hangovers. This will also help flush out the toxins. Prepare by buying a few cases of water, and have them stashed in your room.
You can still have a blast in Vegas by taking some of the above points into consideration. A few more options while you are in Vegas would be to try to get into the gym and get as much sleep as possible. We understand that may be unlikely, so just do what you can! If you can do the 5 things above, you are already coming out of the Vegas trip healthier. As you can see it is still possible to enjoy your time in Vegas without entirely ruining your health and fitness goals.