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Showing Up Anyway is a podcast about unlearning diet culture, redefining health, and making peace with food, movement, and your body -- without needing to have it all together. Hosted by Coach Adam Wright, an anti diet-culture personal trainer and body-trust educator, each episode dives into the imperfect side of wellness and how to navigate motivation burnout, body image struggles, emotional eating and the pressure to be "healthy". This is your reminder that progress doesn't need to be perfect, and you'll still see progress as long as you show up anyway.
Welcome to Showing Up Anyway,
the podcast for people
who are not perfect.
On this show, we talk
about intuitive eating,
fitness without obsession,
and healing your relationship
with food and your body.
Hey, everybody. Welcome back
to Showing Up Anyway.
If you didn't notice,
I took a little break,
a little two-week
hiatus from the show,
um, because I took
a little vacation.
I went to New York City
for a few days,
and then I spent about
five days in Atlanta,
and being gone so long
really got me thinking
about how tough it can be
to keep the same healthy habits
that you've built
at home on the road.
I think vacationing and travel
is one of the best parts of life,
but you also don't want to come home
feeling like total garbage.
And when you're out
of your routine
and you're surrounded
by fun, new restaurants
and your schedule's
all over the place,
sometimes that little diet
culture voice creeps back in.
So, in this episode,
I want to talk to you about
how to find that balance
between enjoying your vacation
and not throwing away
all the habits
that you've worked so hard to build.
This episode is called
Memories Over Macros,
because that's the phrase
that I use with my clients,
and I never want you to
have to sacrifice your once
or twice a year vacation for
the false idea of perfect health,
but I also don't want you to go
to the other extreme either
and just throw everything away.
So, we're going to talk about
some of the obstacles
that you often face
while traveling,
the challenges
around your mindset,
and some strategies that
might help you enjoy your trip
and feel good about your
choices at the same time.
And, most importantly,
as the title says,
I'm gonna remind you
that making memories
will always matter more
than making your macros.
The hardest part of
traveling is that it throws
a wrench into all the little
routines that you've set up.
You might be stuck in a car for
a few hours or catching flights,
sitting in airports, you move
to different time zones,
you don't have your
usual grocery items,
and, suddenly, your normal meal
times are just all over the place.
You might find yourself
eating when you're not hungry
just cos it's, you know, time to
eat, or just because it's there.
Like, those free little
Biscoff cookies
that they give you in the airplane,
or maybe you're ordering
extra at a good restaurant,
or even skipping meals altogether
because you're busy sightseeing
and you find yourself distracted.
It's hard when the food
options you do have
aren't the same ones
that you have at home, right?
You don't have your kitchen,
your usual grocery store,
or the meals that you normally
would make.
Um, airports and hotels
might just have,
like, fast food available
or ultra processed choices.
And if you're traveling
with a group of people,
then you kind of get stuck
with pre-planned meals,
so you don't always get what,
you don't always get a say
in what you're eating,
so it can be really challenging.
And if you're flying to
a different part of the country
or the world, timezones can
completely throw off
your hunger and fullness signals,
then you find yourself
starving at 3am,
or sitting down to dinner
and realizing you're
not even hungry yet.
I remember on this trip
I woke up at, like, 5:30am
to get to the airport,
I flew out of LA
and when I landed in New York City,
it was like 5:30pm -
that's kind of jarring.
And then, like I said, when
you're with friends or family,
it gets even trickier, right?
If the group decides to
sleep in and skip breakfast
and you wake up hungry,
you might feel awkward
being the only one eating.
Or if they're all ordering something
and you're not hungry,
you might not want to be
the only one not eating.
Peer pressure is really
hard to deal with,
and boundaries are hard to set.
So, your eating patterns,
it's not going to be a surprise
if they start to adjust to theirs,
whether or not that works for you.
And exercise routines
can get disrupted too.
Maybe you've got a regular gym
time that you go every week,
or you have a yoga class
you never miss.
But when you're on the road,
long stretches of sitting,
or laying at the beach,
or days packed with
different activities
make it really hard to move
the way that you're used to.
I was gone for my vacation,
I think, like - what? - nine days.
I didn't work out a single time -
I wanted to, I planned to.
But even if you want to,
it might not fit in
and that can bring up
some really negative feelings
and leave you feeling pretty guilty.
Which leads me to maybe
the hardest part,
it's not always the food
or the movement,
it's what's going on
inside your head, right?
Travel can really trigger
those old perfectionist thoughts
and you tell yourself,
"Well, everything is just
way too different,
"I might as well not even try."
Or you'll have a dessert
and you feel guilty,
or you start to worry
about weight gain
and losing progress
that you made at home.
Those thoughts really
can creep in fast,
and, before you know it,
there's just this dark
shadow that's cast over
what's supposed to be
a really joyful trip.
Challenges like these
are completely normal.
I mean, you're out
of your routine,
so of course things are
going to feel different,
but that doesn't mean
that you've failed, okay?
There's no way to
mess up intuitive eating.
It's not a test. There's
no passing, no failing, okay?
Travel is a part of life and the
more you learn how to navigate it,
the more trust you'll be able
to build with your body.
Every new situation is a chance
to practice listening to
what you actually need.
So, there you go.
There's your justification to
travel a little bit more often.
So, now, let's talk
a little bit about
what to actually do
when you're on the road.
Because here's the thing, okay?
Eating intuitively does not
stop when you leave home.
Actually, that's
the coolest thing about it.
The greatest thing
about all the things
that I teach you here
as a content creator,
as a podcast, as a personal trainer,
is that there are things
you can absolutely keep doing
when you're elsewhere,
when you're outside
of your normal routine,
some parts just look
a little bit different,
and they might require some
planning and some flexibility.
One thing that you must do is to
continue to honor your hunger, okay?
Try not to ignore it. Even if your
schedule is all over the place,
do your best to give yourself
regular meals and snacks.
If you wake up hungry,
but the people you're with
don't want to eat breakfast,
that doesn't mean you
should skip it too, okay?
Honor your body. Grab
something simple for yourself.
You're allowed to take
care of your needs,
even if that doesn't line
up with the entire group.
And, you know what? Chances are
you're not the only one too,
so maybe somebody will join you
and you guys can do it together
and, that way, you're both
listening to your hunger.
That's awesome, right?
I think one of the easiest
ways to do this
is to bring snacks with you.
And it doesn't need to
be carrots and celery, okay?
If that just means grabbing a
granola bar or a small bag of nuts
or jerky from a
little airport store,
or bringing something
like dried fruit
or crackers that travel well...
Maybe crackers don't travel well,
but you get what I'm saying!
And whatever you choose,
having a snack when you're hungry
is better than going without
and being too hungry later,
which is when it's hardest to make
decisions that really feel good.
Little snacks like that have saved
me on more than one occasion.
You know when you get stuck on
an airplane taxi, you know,
and they just they
won't bring you back in,
but you're also not flying?
Or you get halfway through,
like, a walking tour.
They can really
make a big difference.
Hydration is another one, okay?
Flying especially can dehydrate you
and dehydration often shows up as
fatigue or what feels like hunger.
So, keep a reliable
water bottle, okay?
I have one around here somewhere.
Um, and keep it with you and sip
on it throughout the day, okay?
Sometimes what your
body really needs is water,
and keeping hydrated really helps
digestion and energy too.
Something else that I feel like
I do have to remind you of,
especially when
you are traveling,
is that honoring your
hunger and fullness
does not mean you have
to do it perfectly, okay?
This is not the hunger
and fullness diet, okay?
Think of it as having gentle
structure rather than rigid rules.
You might eat when you're not hungry
because the timing is convenient,
or you might eat past your fullness
because that gelato was amazing
and you didn't want to stop.
That's okay. It happens,
it just means that you are human.
It doesn't mean you failed, okay?
What matters is paying
attention overall and
making the next choice from
a place of care and not guilt.
And while we're on
the subject of food choices,
another factor that you
need to be thinking about
while you're on the road
is energy and satisfaction, okay?
If you're in New York City
and, like me,
you had a bagel every morning
for breakfast - which truly,
truly, how could you not? -
try and aim for some protein
and or, and/or veggies
at your next meal.
Not because the bagel was bad,
but because your body
will feel better
if you balance things
out over the day.
At the same time, if you are
craving something salty,
sweet, crunchy - listen to that too.
Satisfaction is part of nourishment.
And it turns out
when I'm in New York City,
I crave bagels!
(ADAM LAUGHS)
And, finally, release
the need to get it right, okay?
Travel is sometimes uncertain.
You're going to eat at odd times,
you're going to try new foods,
and sometimes you're going
to have days where
your nutrition is not ideal.
You'll be lazy or busy,
you might have plans one moment
and they're going to
change ten minutes later -
sometimes that's
what makes travel fun.
Flexibility is what makes
intuitive eating so sustainable.
So, if you miss a snack because
you're wandering through a museum
or you end up eating two dinners
because you just had to try the late
night tapas, that's okay, all right?
Use the tools
that you have learned so far
and trust in yourself
and trust in your body.
So, now that we've talked
about the process of eating,
let's talk more about food,
food itself,
because food is one of
the best parts of traveling.
Trying new dishes,
exploring little markets,
eating things you
can't get back at home -
that's what makes a trip memorable.
Eating tapas in Spain
is about more than just enjoying
small dishes, okay?
It's about sharing food
around a crowded table
and having conversation
late into the night.
Sitting down for a bowl of ramen
in Japan
is not just cos you're a
big fan of noodles, okay?
You're experiencing the flavors
that come from generations of craft.
Even something simple, like buying
fruit at a street market in Mexico,
will connect you to
the people who grew it,
who sold it and made it
part of their daily life.
But you might catch
yourself thinking,
"Well, should I
really have this croissant?
"You know, it's too many carbs."
Or, "I had gelato yesterday.
"I really shouldn't have
dessert again."
Or, "This pasta just looks amazing,
"but I probably should just have
something healthier", okay?
Please, please, please remember -
food is more than just fuel.
Food is culture. Food is connection.
Food is joy.
It's how people celebrate,
how family and friends gather,
how stories get passed down
and how memories are made.
And when you let
diet culture stop you,
you miss out on more
than just the food,
you miss out on the
whole experience
and you shouldn't have to.
You are allowed to
experience life
without feeling guilty about it.
I always encourage
a "when in Rome" mindset, okay?
If you're in New York,
get the pizza.
If you're in Chicago,
get their pizza.
If you go to Italy,
get their pizza, okay?
You can just never go wrong
with pizza. Um... (ADAM LAUGHS)
But, no, if you're, you know,
if you're walking past
a bakery in Paris
and you smell
the fresh croissants,
don't tell yourself
that you shouldn't.
You're not throwing away
your health, okay?
Remember our mantra -
memories over macros.
These foods are part
of the experience,
and you may never get another
chance to try them again
in that exact moment.
Ten years from now,
you're going to be thinking
about how good that French croissant
was and how cool it was
that you got to eat it in
front of the Eiffel Tower.
You're not going to be thinking,
"Wow, I'm so glad I had
that bowl of oatmeal,
"you know, it really, it really
helped me hit my fiber that day."
Come on. You need to truly,
truly give yourself
unconditional permission
to eat the things
that your body is asking for, okay?
Nothing is off limits.
And when you know
you can have something,
the urgency around it fades.
You can stop and ask yourself,
"Well, what do I
actually want right now?
"What sounds delicious
and satisfying?"
Sometimes that's going
to be the salad,
sometimes it's the local curry,
sometimes it's dessert,
and all those things
are valid choices.
And when you do choose,
try to slow down, okay?
Really savor it. This is
where the mindful eating comes in
as a way to get more joy
out of the experience, okay?
You're not just scarfing
down the Belgian waffles.
Notice the flavors,
the textures, the smells.
Eating that way really helps
you enjoy the food more,
but it also helps you
tune in to your body
and realize when you're
satisfied and content,
without having to count
or measure anything,
and without having
to give anything up.
And here's a really important
point, because a lot of times,
the reason that you might
feel out of control
when you're on vacation is
because you're still restricting
when you're at home.
If you don't let yourself have
certain foods in your everyday life,
then, suddenly, when you're
faced with them on a trip
or at a party or whatever,
of course you're going
to feel out of control, okay?
The solution is not
to clamp down even harder.
It's to give yourself
permission all the time
so that those foods don't have
as much power when you're away.
I also want you to remember
that you don't have to
make up for meals, okay?
If you have a big,
rich dinner one night,
don't give in to the urge
to skip breakfast the next day
or punish yourself
with extra exercise.
This cycle of earning and
burning is just diet culture
trying to wriggle its stupid
little worm back into your brain.
Your body can handle variety,
it knows how to do that.
Some days are going to be heavier
and some days are going to
be lighter, and that's okay.
A lot of times you're going
to naturally crave something
that's fresher or lighter
after a rich meal.
And that's your body
balancing things out
without you having to force it.
And, obviously,
as I've already alluded to,
enjoy the treats of the world, okay?
Have gelato in Italy,
have churros in Spain,
have a slice of cheesecake
when you're in New York.
Not as a cheat, okay?
I absolutely hate that word.
Not as something you have
to repent for or atone for later,
but as a memory that you're making.
Guilt around food does not
belong in your heart.
Those foods do not
erase your health,
and they don't define your worth.
They are simply part of living
and, in this case,
part of exploring the world.
Travel becomes a lot more
freeing and enjoyable
when you make peace with food.
Instead of thinking about
what you shouldn't eat,
try and be present in the experience
and make the most of it,
whether that's walking
through a farmer's market
or trying street food
on the corner,
or sitting down for a
Michelin star restaurant, okay?
Those are things
you're never gonna forget.
Now, I do want to talk a
little more about movement,
I kind of touched on it
a little bit earlier,
but this is an area that travel
can really throw you off, okay?
At home, like I said,
you got your rhythm, okay?
You're going to the gym, you're
going to a favorite Zumba class,
you've got a morning walk
with your dogs.
But when you're traveling,
that routine is flipped
upside down, right?
And a lot of people really
start to feel guilty,
like, "I should be doing more.
I'm being lazy."
But movement on vacation
does not need to look
like your workouts at home.
In fact, it shouldn't.
It should not.
Travel is an opportunity
to move in different,
joyful ways that fit
the trip that you're on, okay?
We can start with the
fact that you're already
probably moving more
than you realize, okay?
You're walking through airports,
you're hauling luggage,
you're exploring a new city on foot,
probably,
or maybe on bicycle.
Um, you're climbing stairs
at historic sites.
All that stuff is great
exercise, and it adds up.
It adds up fast. Oftentimes
when I go on vacation,
I finish my days
with a lot more steps
than I ever would
in my normal routine.
And you also have a
really cool opportunity
to do things that
you normally wouldn't do, okay?
Like if you're near the water,
if you're near the ocean or
something, go swim or snorkel
or paddleboard or just
splash around the ocean.
If you're walking around
somewhere with hiking trails
or mountains,
take advantage of that.
Dance at a local nightclub.
Wander through a theme park.
Rent a bike and
ride around the city -
I did that in New York,
it's amazing, okay?
Movement does not have to be
structured, it can be playful.
But on the flip side,
sometimes the best thing to do
for your body is to rest, okay?
You're gonna face
jet lag and long flights,
packed schedules and
all that stuff that takes a toll
and giving yourself permission
to nap or lounge by the pool
or whatever, have a slow day,
get a massage
is a great form of probably
much needed self-care.
Tune into your body
and ask yourself,
"What would feel really
good right now?"
Sometimes that's walking,
sometimes that's stretching
in your hotel room,
sometimes that means lying down.
We haven't spent an entire episode
talking about movement yet, okay?
But, suffice to say, it's best
used as a way to feel better,
more energized, less stiff,
less stressed,
stronger, more connected
to your body, okay?
If it helps you feel good, do it.
If it doesn't, find something else.
You're not obligated
to go to the hotel gym
just because it's there.
So, instead of trying to
burn a bunch of calories,
think about how you can weave
movement into the adventures
that you're already going on.
Walk because it helps you
take in the city,
swim because the water
is crystal clear,
or rest because your
body's asking for it.
That's what joyful movement
looks like,
and my hope is that
that leaves you feeling refreshed
instead of feeling like
you need another vacation
when you get home.
Now, this might be
pointing out the obvious,
but when you travel,
your body's gonna change, okay?
Because of the different foods,
the movement that you're
doing in different ways,
you might be holding on to water
cos of the temperature changes,
or you might feel
a little bloated
because you're eating saltier meals
or extra carbs - that's all normal.
A week of vacation is not
gonna undo all the work you've done
over the past few months at home.
You're not failing. And, in fact,
I would argue you're succeeding
at really enjoying your vacation!
The bigger challenge
is your mindset.
It's that voice telling you
that dessert was too much.
You know, you might as well
just eat everything
and start over next week
when you get home.
The voice convincing you that you
have to be 100% disciplined
every second of your vacation
or you've blown it.
But that's not true.
None of those things are true.
And if you catch yourself
spiraling into thoughts like that,
I want you to pause
and get curious, okay?
Ask yourself,
"Why am I feeling guilty?"
Usually it's because of
those old diet rules
that are lingering in your mind
that categorize food and behaviors
as good and bad, okay?
But just as those thoughts are
learned, they can be unlearned too.
Go back and listen to my episode
on food rules again, okay?
That'll help. And if you do overeat
and you feel uncomfortable
at your next meal,
just use that as information.
Maybe you went too long without
eating and you got overly hungry.
Maybe you put this certain
food on a pedestal
because you rarely
let yourself have it.
Whatever it is, it's
a learning moment, okay?
It is not a reason
to punish yourself.
Let's shift your perspective
a little bit.
Your vacation is short.
Even if it's two weeks,
that's a handful of days
in the whole year
and if you're lucky enough
to do that yearly,
it's probably 1% of your life.
You don't have to micromanage
your entire life,
and, in fact, truly relaxing
and enjoying your meals
and letting go of guilt
really reduces your stress,
and that's a huge benefit
to your health.
Your health is an
accumulation of what you do
most of the time,
not some of the time.
And this is where
mindset really matters,
because you can pack all
the snacks you want,
you can plan all the walking
routes and scope out
the menus ahead of time,
but if you are stuck in that guilt
and perfectionist mindset,
you are still going
to feel miserable.
Travel is supposed to feel
freeing, not stressful.
So, I actually have
a few mindset tweaks
that I think are going to help you.
Number one, I want you
to let go of the rigid plan, okay?
Sometimes vacations
are unpredictable.
Schedules are going to look weird.
Food is going to look different.
Sleep is not always great, okay?
Grant yourself a little flexibility.
Number two, focus on the experience
instead of your appearance.
Don't let worries about what you
look like in your photos
or how your body compares
to other people steal your joy.
Your body is the reason
you're even able to experience
these things in the first place -
carried you through those airports,
up the mountains,
through the museums,
onto the dance floors.
It deserves gratitude
and not criticism.
You deserve to feel
comfortable in the body
that you're traveling in today.
Number three, I want you
to protect your peace.
If you are traveling with people who
love to make diet comments like,
"Oh, I shouldn't be eating this",
or, "I'm gonna need
to really work this off later."
You don't have to
take that on, okay?
Change the subject. Set a boundary.
Maybe all you need to do
is remind yourself
that their guilt is
not your guilt, okay?
You're allowed to approach food
differently than other people do.
And number four, cultivate
some self-compassion.
You are not going to get it
right all the time.
There's going to be
moments where you overeat,
where you feel a little
uncomfortable,
where your old, nasty
thoughts start to sneak back in.
Instead of beating
yourself up over it,
I want you to talk to yourself the
way you would talk to a friend.
Tell yourself, "I've got
to trust myself in my body.
"I'm doing the best that I can,"
and then move forward.
At the end of the day,
traveling is about living
and tasting things
and laughing
and resting and moving
and being present
and making memories.
The food, the movement, the mindset
- those are just tools
to help support you,
not to control you.
When you look back
at your trip years from now,
you're not going to remember
how many steps you took
or how many calories
were in your meals, okay?
But you will remember
the seafood boil
that you had with your
friends on the beach.
You're gonna remember the s'mores
you had over the campfire,
sipping hot chocolate
before skiing in the Swiss Alps,
trying, you know, jerk chicken,
um, fresh off the grill in Jamaica.
Those are the moments
that stay with you,
the ones where you allowed
yourself to be fully there.
I'm gonna leave you
today with a message
that I give all my clients
before they go on vacation.
Enjoy your trip. Really enjoy it.
Feed yourself, move your body
in ways that feels good,
rest when you need to
and forget the guilt.
You're gonna come home
with amazing memories
and with proof that you can
trust yourself wherever you are,
and that is what this
journey is all about.
Thank you for tuning in to this
episode of Showing Up Anyway.
You can find it for free on Spotify
or wherever you get your podcasts.
And wherever you're listening,
if you like the show,
I'd love it if you gave
me a five-star review,
because that does help
other people find the show,
and hopefully it'll
help change their life,
just like you're looking
to change yours.
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you can follow me
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when new episodes come out.
I'm Coach Adam. Remember,
when things get challenging,
keep showing up anyway.