I’m going on vacation! Tomorrow! That is if I don’t die from the over-excitement of thinking about my vacation between now and then.
Because, seriously, who doesn’t love taking a vacation?
You work hard, juggling all that life throws at you: your job, family, health & wellness. When it’s finally time to take a break, of course you want to just kick back, relax and enjoy yourself. And, why not? You’ve earned it!
That’s right girl, it will be so nice!
But, does kicking back, relaxing and enjoying yourself have to mean being a Miss-Lazy-Pants and eating like an unsupervised toddler?
That was a rhetorical question.
Why undo all your good work (i.e. healthy eating and regular exercise) by going to extremes with too much (bad) food and too little physical movement while you’re on vacation?
Some of it is mindset. For most of us, taking a break from everything that feels like work is the very definition of vacation. Unfortunately, for some, eating well and exercising is considered ‘work’, so they take a break from those things too. If you fall into this category, feel free to stop reading now.
For those who want to have a great vacation, but not at a cost of adding 10 lbs in 5 days, read on!
I wrote about how significant a mindset shift I’ve had about vacations. It started small, with just making a concerted effort to incorporate physical activity into my vacation life.
When you have a home in Las Vegas, thereby making it a regular staycation, things can get a little tricky. Las Vegas is a dichotomy. A double-edged sword, if you will.
On the one hand you have debauchery of the greatest volume and variety at your disposal. From world-famous chef-run restaurants, to all-you-can-eat buffets, to fast food options galore.
Don’t even get me started on the giant cocktails available at every turn.

They don’t call it Fat Tuesday for nothing. [photo credit: yelp]
- Walking. Yes, getting a workout in can be as simple as walking. Anyone who has walked from one end of The Strip to the other knows what I’m talking about. It is a workout, folks (and deceptively farther than it looks)! The bonus is that you get to pick up a (non-giant) beverage along the way – you’ve earned it! Extra-added-bonus: people watching. You will have stories to share for days. Trust.
- Swimming. You’re staying in a super awesome hotel, right? Get to that pool and use it! Swimming is a fantastic full body workout and one helluva calorie-burner. Bonus: it’s a great way to cool off in the Vegas heat.
- Dancing: Staying at that posh hotel? Guess what, it’s probably got a funky fresh club (or 5) where you can shake your groove thing and work off that amazing Michelin-starred meal.
- and last but not least, Hiking. Y’all know how much I heart hiking. There is no shortage of trails, from easy to very challenging, in and around Vegas. Try Red Rock Canyon if you’re looking for something close by, or Mount Charleston if you’re willing to drive 45 minutes (the payoff is 10,000′ elevation and snow-capped mountains!). Or head farther afield with a road trip to Valley of Fire State Park, or Zion or Bryce in southern Utah. Let’s not forget the Grand Canyon.
You can learn more about your hiking options using a couple of websites and/or apps:
- All Trails App
- Red Rock Canyon trails
- Mt. Charleston trails
- Afoot and Afield: Las Vegas (my favorite hiking book for the area)
See that? I shared a bunch of suggestions on how you can stay fit in Las Vegas, and not once did I mention a gym (although, yes, your hotel will have one of those, too).
One of the members of my staff is in Vegas on vacation, right now. As a first-time visitor, he requested a list of fun things to see and do, which I was happy to provide. In addition to the Nancy-must-see-and-do list, I also made sure to direct him to Vegas.com where he could get deals on a list of fun things to see and do a list of fun things to see and do. Why spend more on hotel, shows and other activities than you have to, am I right?
As a recent immigrant to the U.S., his head started spinning when he saw all Vegas had to offer. I told him that by the end of the week, he would understand why I have a home there.
Enjoy your vacations, friends – and remember that vacation doesn’t need to involve giving the finger to your healthy habits.
Keep moving,
xoxo nancy
Enough of this! Still waiting for benefits of the corsage. 2 years! In the meantime I will accept grapes from you and the Russian princess. But do enjoy your vacation.
Oh Robbie, I’ve missed you. 😋
I’ve missed you, too, Nancy. Honestly. I hope life is treating you well, my friend.
My life is utter madness! But, hey, it keeps things interesting! Hope you’re well!
Doing well! I hope we get time to catch up. Please feel free to email, as always.
Glad to hear you’re doing well. I swear I will try to find some downtime to go check out your blog. Is it still the free-for-all that it was many months ago, with the unwashed masses adding blog posts at a rate of 5-a-day??? J/K xoxo
No, but I do have two blogs. 😀
ahh, that explains it. well, I prefer the non-chaotic one with just one author.
Great news! You’re going on vacation! I’m sure you will walk a lot, go on long hikes and not get tempted to try those tasty cocktails 🍹 in that famous chef restaurant 😉 I have to confess I’m not that disciplined when on vacation …only just now worked off the pounds from my August vacation. Have loads of fun!
The place(s) I’m going aren’t generally associated with great food, so I *should* be safe. 😊
I am SO ready for vacation, Tiny. 17 days of no conference calls, no meetings, no forecasting, no budgets!!! Also, the fact that I’m traveling to the other side of the planet……… I’m SO stinkin’ excited!!!!
Can’t wait to hear ALL of it !!
At my current blogging pace, I should be writing about it in approx six months time. 😉
How DID you end up with a home in Vegas???
Four words: U.S. subprime mortgage crisis.
I don’t mean to make light of it, but when the whole thing came crashing down, the deals to be had were unbelievable. I have given more thought to buying a car than I did to buying our condo, it was that easy a decision.
Makes sense. Property in the states is ridiculously cheap! Sooooo much cheaper than what we see in AUS, even the not so nice areas!
And compared to Toronto, where the AVERAGE home price hit $1,000,000 in January 2015… it kind of felt like I was buying a good pair of shoes. 🙂
Have a great vacation!
Thanks gorgeous! I will be very close to you!
Where????
Well, not close enough to visit, but on the same hemisphere!
Dang it. I got excited for a minute! We are thinking of doing 2 months in the states, based in Colorado, next year. We will rent a house, take the kids etc. if that happens we really must work out how a way to meet once and for all.
For sure! My bestie lives in Denver, so any excuse to get there, I’m on it. With the added bonus of meeting you – no brainer!
Have a wonderful time, NT. And Happy 50th!!! Keep on moving.
This trip will keep me moving and then some, NH! Looking forward to sharing my adventures soon!
Enjoy 🙂
Thanks Simone! My husband is still trying to figure out how to bring the cat. 😺
He’ll have grown into a big boy by now 🙂
He is. A giant brat.
That’s his job 🙂
Have a great time in Sin City. You deserve a vacation, Nancy! I thought for sure, as I started reading and sensing sarcasm, that you and the Russian Princess were headed to Hotel Hell for a week of physical and mental abuse. Hiking the Las Vegas area is still on my vacation planning list…I just need to save up some vacation time.
I’m not headed to Vegas, Pat. I’m about to embark on a 25 hour journey (3 flights) in about an hour or so. Wish me luck!
25 hour flight time is not my idea to start a vacation. Godspeed.
Hahahaha! Not ideal but the necessary evil I must endure to get to those parts!
Figured it was some place far away. Hopefully you will be there for a long vacation.
17 days of awesomeness!
Yes!!! That is worth the flight time.
And I SO need this break from work and real life!
I just KNOW you’re going to have a fabulous time! Looking forward to the stories 🙂
Sooooooooo excited! Just touched down in L.A. First leg done! Onward!
What fun! Sounds like you need it and super smart to snag a place like that! 🙂
Funny though, you just made me realise I’m weird😂. In recent years I’ve looked forward to vacation because there is more time to excersize then! Hope you enjoy your time off!
Me too, Vilma! Finally nothing to do but stay active.
I hope it’s wonderful Nancy, whether you stay uber healthy, or not!
The first two days were pretty inactive, trying to recover from the 30 hr journey, but today I made up for lost time. Brilliant alpine hiking!
Saw the pics…stunning scenery!
for goodness sake!! how can I have only just seen this!!
I know you are on holiday now, I have seen the awesome pictures!! but I really hope you have an amazing adventure!!!
xxx
We’ve had to deal with a couple of curve balls: Ed’s luggage lost for 36 hours, a day of non-stop torrential rain and waking up to snow! But all in all, it’s been AWESOME!!
Curveballs aside…
I am so envious!!!
This place is simply magical!
I can well believe it!!
Work hard, play hard, you deserve it.
Yep, balance is key.
I hope you allow yourself just a tiny bit of sloth and gluttony. My favored combination is the gluttony without the sloth 🙂 But seriously if you want a vacation place where all the beverages are tiny, I recommend Holland. They don’t supersize anything. To an American, the beverages feel miniaturized. And, the best way to get around is to ride a bike!