We got home late Sunday night after our long weekend/mini beach vacation in Uruguay, and this week has been all about getting back on track for me.
Uruguay was amazing. We stayed in a little beachy surfer town called La Barra, which is about a 10-minute drive from the main town of Punta Del Este. Uruguay is quite close to Buenos Aires so it’s a popular summer destination for the portenos (people of the port/people who live in Buenos Aires).
We arrived at the Kala Boutique Hotel on Thursday afternoon, and I felt like I had arrived at a friend’s giant house in the Hamptons. There were only 15 rooms, and the atmosphere in the hotel was so serene – everything was white with wicker furniture & light accent colors. Big pine trees surrounded the hotel, Adele was playing in the background 24/7, and you could always hear the calm trickling of the pool’s waterfall.
Breakfast was included at the hotel, and we were expecting the standard hotel breakfast buffet. We wandered into the breakfast room on Friday morning, and I felt like the owners of the house had gone out for the day and instructed their hired help to leave breakfast out for us – the spread was incredible.
Tired, no make-up, but really happy
I helped myself to some delicious coffee & fruit and surveyed the spread. Yogurt with bran flakes seemed like a healthy choice, so I went for that. After we sat down, a lovely lady came out of the kitchen and brought us 4 fresh croissants with a plate of spreads in little ramekins – blueberry jam, marmalade, crème fraiche & dulce de leche. For a brief moment I thought: those look amazing, but just stick to what you know is healthy. Than I thought: when am I going to be back in Uruguay, sitting in this beautiful breakfast room being served fresh croissants with Adele playing in the background? It was one of those “pinch yourself” moments where it’s just too good to pass up. So I didn’t. I enjoyed every single bite of that croissant, and I didn’t regret it.
That being said, I find starting your day with something unhealthy is a slippery slope. You may be more likely to give into other unhealthy choices throughout the day thinking it was a write-off from the start. It doesn’t have to be like that though. You’re on vacation, and it’s important to enjoy treats, but that doesn’t mean you have to forget everything you know about living a healthy lifestyle. Stay active during the days, and say no to other treats throughout the day. You can indulge, but still feel good about yourself on the beach.
Our hotel was about a 15-minute walk to the beach, and a 10-minute walk into the little town. We took bikes out one day, and I took a long walk on the beach one afternoon, and when no one was looking did a few sets of push-ups & lunges.
The balcony off our room faced the pool, and after a long day at the beach it was the perfect spot for happy hour. The thing with happy hour is there are usually delicious, bad-for-you snacks that come along with it (aka Doritos). Keeping in mind the delicious croissants that I knew would be waiting for me the next day I stayed away from the chips. You can tell yourself that you’ll just have one, but we all know that’s not true. I opted for a few olives & whole grain crackers with light cream cheese.
Happy Hour & proud moment for me: rolled a Yahtzee in ONE role
Vacations & long weekends are always going to come up, and it’s important that you relax & enjoy, which usually means giving in to some of life’s pleasures (aka fresh croissants w/ blueberry jam). That being said, you don’t have to go completely off the rails. Keep active, make healthy choices when you can, and don’t eat unhealthy all day. You probably won’t feel in tip-top shape after the vacation, but if you remember the rules of living a healthy lifestyle; it won’t take as long to get back on track.
Salmon: healthy choice when eating out
For me getting back on track this week means starting my day with lemon water (cleans out toxins), and a workout, no alcohol, no sugar, vegetarian meals with whole grains & legumes, and lots of fresh veggies & fruit.
Cheers to your next vacation – relax & enjoy.
That looks so fun! What an amazing place. A yahtzee in one roll – that’s crazy!
Uruguay is fantastic. I know! That doesn’t happen very often so it had to be captured. Looking forward to playing some Yahtzee in Jamaica with you & Ian!
The “Hamptons” in Urguguay- Looks Lovely!!!!