What happens in Vegas makes me bloated.

I'm back from Vegas! I had an amazing weekend with seven girlfriends as we relaxed, ate fabulous food (maybe it was Zoleo; maybe it wasn't...), laughed a ton and even did a variation of Tabata Something Else in our hallway at Paris. It was such a blast and made me even more thankful for my friends. Special shout-out to my girl Nicole for hooking us up!

After a weekend away, it's sometimes tough to get back into the swing of things, specifically good eating habits. I absolutely love seeing and feeling the benefits of a good Paleo/Zone diet, but I'm also not one to deny myself the culinary treats of a weekend in Vegas. So, I indulged in margaritas from El Segundo Sol where I discovered my new favorite margarita of all time (mango), breakfast and dinner at Mon Ami Gabi and of course, a waffle cone from Ben & Jerry's (not gonna link that one; it will do more harm than good for your appetite!). Of course everything was delicious, but I'd be lying if I sad I was happy about the approx. 2 lbs. of extra weight I'm now carrying around in addition to an overall feeling of puffiness. Blehhh.

Do you ever feel that way after vacation? Do you feel like the indulgence is worth the feeling of "two steps back" you have when you return to your normal routine? I don't... So here are a few tips (to be used on or off vacation) for allowing yourself to indulge without feeling like a total failure.*

Be prepared. Plan the places you'll go and check out the menu in advance. Find items that are good choices so that you aren't forced to make a last-minute, un-researched decision when you place your order at the table.

Limit yourself. One margarita is okay. Five is not. Yes, food is good, but is it that good? We work hard, but hard work can be quickly erased by what we put in our body. Sorry, but I'd rather keep my external obliques and lower back dimples than have another margarita. It's hard to remember that when you have a menu full of mouth-watering food and drinks, but try to ask yourself: "is it worth it?" Usually, the answer is no.

Practice self-control. This one is extremely difficult for me. I can't just have a bite of a piece of cake because I'll want to eat the whole thing (then have a second piece, and a third...). If you know what your triggers are, don't indulge them. For me, it's my sweet tooth. Jen, you remember that time we went to Bull & Bear and I didn't take a bite of the skillet cookie?? This is why.

If you have to cheat, cheat "in the Zone." If you know you're going to want a cupcake from Sweet Mandy B's after having lunch while shopping in Lincoln Park, skip the carbs and fat during lunch and just have protein. I'm not about totally depriving myself of the things I love for the rest of my life, but again, I like my back dimples, so I'm going to be a smart cheater.

Be easy on yourself. So you might have eaten an entire plate of Nutella Crepes at Yolk, plus the blueberry waffles that were meant to be shared by the table. Don't beat yourself up over it and continue to eat poorly throughout the day because you've already screwed up. Get over it, and move on.

Hopefully those help those of you who struggle (like myself) with food temptations! Feel free to comment on other tips that you've found successful.


*Dear Readers: I'm talking to myself here too. By no means am I 100% Zone 100% of the time, but I do try my hardest to be good to my body and not totally wipe out all the work I do in the box by eating like a bottomless pit. I fail too, and I absolutely will tell you about it. I'm all about transparency.