The Real Baggage: The Food Rules We Bring On Vacation

Spring break is supposed to feel like a break, yet for so many of us it turns into a countdown of food rules, body checking, and “vacation ready” pressure. We’re talking about travel nutrition and body image in a way that’s realistic, compassionate, and grounded in what actually helps. If you’ve ever tried to restrict before a trip and ended up more bloated, more constipated, more anxious, and more distracted by food, you’re not alone and you’re not broken.

We walk through our go-to travel framework: adequacy, consistency, and variety. Adequacy and consistency keep your energy, digestion, and mood steadier while you’re away, and variety lets you enjoy the whole point of traveling: new foods, cultural experiences, and memories you’ll actually want to keep. We also unpack why eating totally differently on weekends or vacations can be a sign of diet culture and an undernourish-overnourish cycle that makes Mondays feel like punishment.

Then we get practical with body image. We share a simple packing tool we love using with clients: a “fashion show” where you choose outfits for good body image days, in-between days, and hard days, so you’re not problem-solving in a hotel mirror. We also talk planning that supports recovery without turning into control, like looking at menus ahead of time or practicing foods before you go. If you need one takeaway, let it be this: your body is worth the vacation. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s traveling, and leave a review telling us what helps you feel more present on trips.

Show notes:

Trigger warning: this show is not medical, nutrition, or mental health treatment and is not a replacement for meeting with a Registered Dietitian, Licensed Mental Health Provider, or any other medical provider. You can find resources for how to find a provider, as well as crisis resources, in the show notes. Listener discretion is advised.

Resource links:

Alliance for Eating Disorders: https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/ 

ANAD: https://anad.org/

NEDA: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

NAMI: https://nami.org/home

Action Alliance: https://theactionalliance.org/

NIH: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/

How to find a provider: 

https://map.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us

https://www.healthprofs.com/us/nutritionists-dietitians?tr=Hdr_Brand

Suicide & crisis awareness hotline: call 988 (available 24/7)

Eating Disorder hotline: call or text 800-931-2237 (Phone line is available Monday-Thursday 11 am-9 pm ET and Friday 11 am-5 pm ET; text line is available Monday-Thursday 3-6 pm ET and Friday 1-5 pm ET)

If you are experiencing a psychiatric or medical emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Transcript

Show Mission And Sponsor

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Join us as we redefine, reclaim, and restore the true meaning of health.

SPEAKER_03 0:04

Let's dive into the tough conversations about mental health, nutrition, eating disorders, diet culture, and body image. This is Nourish and Empower. This episode is brought to you by Hilltop Behavioral Health, specializing in eating disorder treatment. Hilltop offers integrated therapy and nutrition care in one compassionate setting.

Spring Break Travel Topic Setup

SPEAKER_00 0:38

Visit www.hilltopbehavioralhealth.com because healing happens here. Hi, everybody. Welcome to this week's episode of the Nourish and Empower Podcast. Today we are going to be talking about traveling since it's spring break time. So, trigger warning, we are identifying the following triggers that will be discussed but are not limited to eating disorders and body image. Listener discretion is advised. This show is not medical nutrition or mental health treatment and is not a replacement for meeting with a registered dietitian, licensed mental health provider, or any other medical provider. You can find resources for how to provide how to find a provider, as well as crisis resources in the show notes. Hello. Hey!

SPEAKER_03 1:28

How are we? We are good. I mean, Christopher just fell on his face, so you know, they're screaming, but we're fine.

SPEAKER_00 1:35

We're fine. But he's okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:37

Yes, he is fine. He is fine. You know, just little baby tumbles, but mother is like baby fell.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

But we're good. Guess what? What? This is our 75th episode.

SPEAKER_03 1:52

There was a lot of guess what's and big things today. So I was like, what are you about to tell me on this recording right now? I was like, do you have a life event too happening? Wow, that's wild. Yeah. 75. Wow, I didn't realize we did so many. Because when you're doing these, like it's actually one of those things where I'm just putting my phone on to not disturb. Where like I feel like we've done so many, but I feel like we haven't at the same time. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 2:26

Yeah. Yeah. I feel like if you had me guess, I should have had you guess how many episodes. Should we try again? Let me guess, let me guess. I don't think I would have said 75, but I don't know what I would have said.

SPEAKER_03 2:41

Yeah, I don't know either. Cause we did, I mean, if we think about it, right? We did one a week in 2023.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

Yeah, we had like 50 plus episodes.

SPEAKER_03 2:55

Yeah. So we have, yeah, we had like Yeah, yeah, yeah. We had at least 50 that year. So that's why I feel like we couldn't have gone that much over 50, but I also feel like we have like a thousand episodes out. Because when you record once or twice a week, you feel like you just have like so many. Wow, that's so exciting.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

I know. Happy anniversary. 75. Happy anniversary, Megs.

SPEAKER_03 3:24

I wish I knew when we met because then I would actually make us an anniversary.

SPEAKER_00 3:28

Oh yeah. It was definitely it was in 2019. But I don't know more details on that. But it was definitely in 2019.

SPEAKER_02 3:41

What date you want to make our anniversary? You you think about it and you let me know. We'll celebrate every year.

SPEAKER_03 3:46

Okay. All right, perfect. I'll think about it. Done. Can I ask you a favor? Yes. When we hit 100, can you make us a cake?

SPEAKER_00 3:55

Oh, yeah. That's a great idea. How fun would that be? Yeah. I had like number these like cake pan, silicone cake pan things that are all numbers too. So I could like literally make a 100.

SPEAKER_02 4:08

Oh, that would be so fun.

SPEAKER_00 4:10

Yeah. Like I could do when it's like people's birthdays. I I can make cakes like that. So I could literally make a hundred.

SPEAKER_02 4:15

Do you do it for Ollie's birthdays?

SPEAKER_00 4:17

Oh, good question. No, we don't know when Ollie's birthday is. So yeah, we've just like picked a day, but we don't actually we don't know how old he is.

SPEAKER_02 4:27

Sweet boy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:30

We don't know. Maybe that's why he's grumpy.

SPEAKER_00 4:34

Yeah, maybe that's that would finally explain it. That's so funny.

SPEAKER_03 4:43

Oh my god. Okay, done. So when we get to 100, we're gonna do a cake.

SPEAKER_00 4:50

Done. Yeah. We will post about a cake.

SPEAKER_03 4:53

I'm so excited. Because every time you post something of like your sweet treats, I'm like, God, I wish we were neighbors.

SPEAKER_00 5:00

Did you see what I made? I just made an reel on the Instagram page yesterday about the cupcakes I just made.

SPEAKER_03 5:08

I think I did. I saw I saw the cupcakes, but I can't remember if it was that or if it was the happy birthday.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

Yeah, no, they were like pink and purple.

SPEAKER_03 5:19

No, I was because they were for someone's 30th. That's what I saw.

SPEAKER_02 5:25

Oh my gosh, no, I am obsessed with them.

SPEAKER_03 5:30

Because you're just so talented. Thank you. I would look like it was not.

Vacation Body Image And Anonymity

SPEAKER_02 5:40

No. Oh my god, they're so pretty. Now I'm just staring at them. Thank you. Oh my god, I love. Yeah. Alright, done. Done, done, done, done.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

Yeah. So episode 75. So we're gonna talk about traveling, like nutrition and body image, because it is spring break time for a lot of people, plus like not too far away from like summer, early summer vacations, but mainly that it's like spring break time for some people.

SPEAKER_03 6:10

And even thinking about two, like I remember college when the dinosaurs roamed this world. When I was in college, right? Like Gettysburg was known for more of like their like spring fest weekend or having, you know, day parties all the time. And even going from wearing winter clothes to then wearing summer clothes around college campuses, like I can also imagine like the body image and things like that that's popping up too, just for like the weather change. So I feel like there's I know this is mainly on like vacations, but I also that like that just came to mind too of like the topic.

SPEAKER_00 6:48

Yeah. I almost feel like that could be a whole other episode of like body image with the season changing.

SPEAKER_03 6:53

Yeah, I like that. We can pin it.

SPEAKER_00 6:56

Yeah, because I think the one thing I think of with body image on vacation doesn't apply to the body image example you just gave.

SPEAKER_03 7:02

Not so different.

SPEAKER_00 7:04

Yeah, I always feel like with body image on vacation, there's like I hate saying this word, there's an anonymity, like like a feeling of being anonymous, which I think a lot of people really find helpful.

SPEAKER_03 7:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:18

Because when you go on vacation, you know, you're traveling, like, who else do you know besides the people that you're going with? If it's family, friends, it's usually people that you're super close to. Yeah. Like, besides that, like, you know, of course, like there could still be other body and miss challenges that come up, but I always think, like, yeah, it's super hard to maybe be on the beach, but also like nobody else knows you there, you don't know anybody else there, and that can take a lot of the pressure off.

SPEAKER_03 7:43

A hundred percent. And it is uncomfortable, right? Like, I can understand how people might feel the discomfort of like these people don't know me, you know, are it sometimes I'm having so many different thoughts, I'm trying to get my words out. Because yes to everything you said, and I can understand the flip side of like are these people that I don't know going to judge me? Whereas if the people I around me judge me, I know what they're judging me on. So it's also like the fear of the unknown of like what people around you are going to say or like what they could be thinking. And I know that always bothers people too. So, like, I do get the discomfort, but I always love to tell clients, you're never gonna see these people again. So, what are we going to be in our heads about? What are we going to feel uncomfortable about? Like, you deserve to be and enjoy, like, be present and enjoy the vacation that you're going on. Because how sad would it be that you go to like a beautiful island, or you're going to like, if you're more of a mountains than a beach girly or family, and like let's say you go to Wyoming or Montana, would you rather remember what it was like being on a horseback and like looking at the mountains, or like being on a beach with in the sand, or thinking about like how anxious you were the whole time and like in your head?

SPEAKER_00 9:05

Yeah, exactly. Like being present, focusing on the experience, and also too, right? We spend so much time looking forward to vacations and anticipating it and being excited of like people get time off of school, time off of work, like maybe get to see people they don't always get to see or spend as much time with.

SPEAKER_02 9:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:22

And then, right, we don't want to be in our heads the entire time. And then you get back and you're like, what even was the point of being there?

SPEAKER_03 9:29

Yeah, like I don't eat, like you want to remember your vacation. Right. And it's always sad when you know clients don't have the memory of what it was that they were experiencing because of everything that their eating disorder or their body image or their insecurities were triggering for them. Which listen, so like that happens, right? We're all gonna have an insecurity, uh, you know, a fear of something. However, knowing what to do with it and how to challenge it is going to be your biggest ally because once again, you want to enjoy that, which is why, you know, Maggie and I really wanted to record this episode today, because I know there's so many opinions on how to nourish your body before you go on vacation or how to nourish your body during vacation instead of just eat and then like just have the food. So we, you know, it was a multi-layered reason for this, but I'm like very excited too to get your, you know, science isn't or nutrition isn't an opinion, it's a science, it's a science. Like, I I can't wait to pick your brain.

SPEAKER_00 10:41

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Do you have any specific questions, or do you want me to just kind of give a little overview?

SPEAKER_03 10:47

I don't really know how to ask this in a question, but one thing that I always love to like think about, and I hope that you're always very good at taking my mosh posh of thoughts and like turning it into something coherent. So here we go. So one of the things I always think about is how people will say, I have to have a certain relationship with food, right? Like I have to not as much because I want to look a certain type of way on vacation, right? And what they don't realize is that they constipate themselves before vacation and then how uncomfortable it is to then be constipated on vacation. I don't know why I always think of that, but I always think of like you're ruining your body and you're making yourself more uncomfortable, and you're going to make yourself because right, people are so uncomfortable with being bloated. Constipation has like can cause a very big feeling of bloating. So I always just think of like not eating before vacation is going to create probably more of the experience you don't want to have than nourishing your body before you go on vacation would.

Adequacy Consistency Variety While Traveling

Weekend And Vacation Food Rule Cycles

SPEAKER_00 12:04

Mm-hmm. This is so not where I thought you were going with this, but I love this topic. I don't know where I thought you were going, but I was not expecting to talk about that. But yes, yeah. So, no, because you're you're spot on. It's like when we eat in a regular, consistent, adequate pattern, then we have regularity with our bowel movements more consistently for people obviously without, you know, significant GI diagnoses and all of that. Like, you know, there's obviously like little specific niches here too. But like for the general person, right? Like eating regularly means you'll go to the bathroom regularly, means like, you know, your body, our bodies love consistency. And so I always think about like before, during, and after vacation, eating consistently, eating adequately. The main place I think people see changes in nutrition with vacation is variety in a good way, right? That like part of going and experiencing a new culture is getting to experience more variety when it comes to food. So I always think because like those are my three words with nutrition, always, right? It's like adequacy, consistency, and variety. Yeah. We want to keep the adequacy and the consistency there. You're just changing the location. You're not home anymore, but you're still keeping the adequacy, you're still keeping the consistency. The variety is where we want to see those main kind of shifts happen. Yeah. So that way you're fully attuned, you're fully experiencing like all the different foods there. Yeah, exactly. And I think, you know, we want to eat in this really adequate, consistent way. Because to me, honestly, a really big, like interesting point of reflection for somebody's relationship with food is if they eat super different while on vacation from the way that they eat normally, or if they eat super different on the weekends from the way that they eat on the weekdays, to me, those are like red flags in somebody's relationship with food, right? Why do we have this like constant, you know, kind of change in cycle? In a lot of ways for people, it's sort of an elongated, restrict binge cycle. Maybe using that language is a little bit challenging to hear, but it's kind of an undernourishing, overnourishing cycle. A lot of people fall into, which is like, I eat, you know, quote unquote good during the week, and then like whatever on the weekends. And a lot of people do that with vacation, where they restrict leading up to it. Like you said, that impacts our, you know, our GI system, right? Like it's a big part of our regularity. And then we get on vacation, we eat in this totally different way than we're used to eating at home. And then the thought comes in, like, okay, now I'm back. It's the Monday after vacation, or it's the day after vacation, or whatever it is. And like I have to quote unquote be good again. So a lot of people fall into that cycle, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_03 14:54

And that's where I wanted to go next. I love this so much, because that the irregularity of your intake. And I don't know why I'm very much on the constipation vowel movement movement right about now, but like all of it coincides, right? So, like, whether it is you do that like on a weekly basis of you are, you know, and again, you know, trigger with the language, but like when you are restrictive during the week and then you have that like binge like or that more open fluidity during the weekend, right? Like you're not giving your body consistency, just like you say, right? And vacations fall into that category. And it then places, and I agree with you that it's such a red flag because it places, once again, these food rules, and people don't recognize it as a rule, they don't recognize it as, oh, this is like an unhealthy relationship because they're still in my air quotes, I'm still allowing myself to eat them, so I'm fine. But if you wanted that during the week and you said no to yourself because it's not the weekend yet, and then you would force yourself to wait, or like, oh, I'm going on vacation in three months, so I'm gonna wait to do this then because that is gonna be fine because I'm on vacation doing not see the mental gymnastics we're doing just to have like something to eat. If we're having the meant the moments of mental gymnastics, then there is something disordered in the way that we are viewing the food. And then when we view food that way and we try to lead up to right, this is like the whole like interconnectedness of you know, eating disorders when it comes to the mental nutrition. When we act a certain way nutritionally because we're having something mental, this is then how you're taking those food rules, and then you have the rituals of we're restricting, and then we're having whatever we want on vacations, and then it messes with you mentally, and then it's messing with you with your GI and then your relationship with food, and then it messes with your body image. Is anyone else tired? Or is it just me? It's a lot. Instead of just now, listen, I understand that it is not as easy as just being like, just eat, you'll be fine, right? Like when I'm having anxiety and someone's like, just don't be anxious. I'm like, oh my God, why did I think of that? Like, hello. Like, I don't, like, I don't want it to seem like I'm being that person right now with this, because obviously, if it was that easy, we would all just do it. But like, if we can use that as a reminder that we don't have to act in a certain way, and that we can challenge it and be more the way we want, like, we can start to separate those neurotransmitters and the synapses that are causing us to think so negatively and attach them to the positive ones because what you feed your brain, you will think. So if we feed our brain something different, we will start to think differently.

Brain Gut Connection And Anxiety

SPEAKER_00 17:44

Exactly. And I think too, I mean, I appreciate you saying that, right? Like it's not as easy done as it is said. And also, I find with a lot of people, when I talk about eating regularly before vacation or after vacation, that is a very novel concept because of the diet culture mentality. For years and years and years growing up, people have seen other people in their life do this, right? It's like where we gotta get vacation ready, you know, quote unquote. And so I also think like this isn't something that oftentimes people have experienced, like in their thought process. And I love that you brought up like the brain-gut connection too, because I think a big piece of it that can play a role as well is when we are feeling so anxious and overwhelmed when it comes to our relationship with food and we're engaging in conditional permission and food rules, like that does have a physical impact on the way that your body then is able to digest and absorb those nutrients. And like, I don't know if people always realize that, right? Like, we call our gut our second brain for a reason. There's this constant kind of communication that happens, which makes sense. Like, think about if you know, if somebody is a nervous traveler, for example, right? Like they're probably waking up that morning and their stomach is, you know, it feels like there's butterflies in their stomach, and maybe they don't have much of an appetite, and you know, they're not feeling super well. And so we see how like our gut and our brain are connected, but we also want to see it too, in terms of the nutritional standpoint of like we want, you know, when we think about like the chemical relationship we have with food, it's like we eat food to get those nutrients, and now if we're not able to digest and absorb those nutrients as well, like we're missing that big piece of nourishing our brain. And then a brain that isn't well nourished is going to be anxious.

Food Memories Culture And Joy

SPEAKER_03 19:37

100% because you're not right, like regulating your emotions is so crucial, but it's you I don't want to say you can't, because you can, it's just exponentially more difficult to regulate your emotions when you're not nourished. Because you're feeling so many different things at once at such a larger uh experience, I guess you can call it because your body doesn't know what to do with it because there isn't anything to help it ground, which is why I say to clients if food is your coping skill, that's fine. Like food can be something that is helpful, right? Like if I'm sad, I will have ice cream. I mean, I'll have ice cream anytime, but like I definitely love a bowl of ice cream when I'm sad. But like there's a difference between like nourishing because like emotionally nourishing versus like using a behavior and with food. And I don't think people realize that like food can be a grounding skill, and that's okay. And so then, you know, if we're nourished and we're grounding, then our mind-gut connection is going to be much better.

SPEAKER_00 20:54

Exactly. And we have emotional relationships with food, yeah. It's such a big pet peeve of mine when when that isn't identified or like that's that's being ignored. It's like we we have emotional relationships with food. Like a vacation, honestly, is a great, this is a great time where we can see how like an emotional relationship with food is not a negative thing, the way people assume that it is, right? Like when we're traveling, for example, like we said earlier, okay, you're probably gonna try new foods. There's gonna be more variety. Maybe there's foods that, because it's a different climate than you're typically in, or you know, or again, you're experiencing the culture, you're trying new foods. Now you come home and you have a memory associated with that food, right? Like, you know, for example, like I I've been to Guatemala before I went when I was in college. And anytime I see Orchada, I think about my time in Guatemala and like have that connection come in. And I'm like, oh my gosh, I love Orchada, it's so delicious, you know. Like, is it something I have all the time? No, but when I see it on a menu, Or see it somewhere, like that flavor profile, I get super excited because I think back to that memory.

SPEAKER_03 22:07

We're allowed to have emotional connections with food. 100%. And I agree with you. I always find it so frustrating because, like, even when you think about holidays, you're like, oh my God, I remember like Nana used to always make this during the holiday season. Like it's always my favorite. Like you can look forward to things and it can be food related. Like it doesn't have to be negative. And if you think about it too, like we just had this conversation with Johanna, you know, when we were talking about Italy and she was like, I was so excited. And I was like, oh, give me Italian food, right? Like, yeah, you can go to any Italian restaurant in the States and you can be like, I had Italian, but you have not had Italian food until you go to the motherland. Okay, thank you very much. And I, and that's coming from someone who grew up with an off-the-boat Italian grandmother who cooked like she was in the old country, okay? But you don't, like, it's okay for the reason you're excited to go and travel is for the food. Because it's a different experience. Like, you don't get what it really is. Like, yes, obviously you're like, oh my God, you have to go to this hole-in-the-wall place because it's so authentic, or you have to go to this place because, like, that's the best Chinese you'll ever have, or the best Korean barbecue, or whatever, you know, like, yes, you can have them here, but you get the culture, you get the vibes, right? It is immaculate, electric, whatever the kids say these days. Like, it's such an experience. Why would you not want to have that? Like, why would you want to, interestingly enough, why would you not only like why would you want to restrict yourself from an emotional and like a life experience, right? Like a lot of times in recovery, it's not just restriction with food that we might have, but you're restricting yourself of life. And identifying where that restriction lies outside of your relationship with food is also important because it's happening. I've said a lot. I'm gonna take a sit, but yeah.

Plan Ahead With Menus And Practice

SPEAKER_00 24:02

No, no, you're right. I mean, so often I talk about with clients how like the eating disorder can be the life thief, right? And like stealing these moments away from you. And that was such a little telepathy moment. Because I was also going to bring up Johanna, who we've spoken to recently, because I feel like there was something in Johanna's book that stood out to me so much, and I don't think people always realize that, where she talked about going to Italy and she talked about the pizza Fridays with her family, and like the months that she spent having pizza, having that exposure with her family. Like some days it was really rough, and other days it, you know, it felt a little bit easier, but like she had that support and she like had that planning going into it. And I think that's such a big part when it comes to nutrition or even body image with vacation as well, right? Like there's also like there's planning, there's structure that we can give to this. So there's, you know, there's so often there's times with clients where like we will go on the resort's website and look at the menus ahead of time and take a look at the options or talk about what foods to commonly expect there. Maybe it's a place I've been to before and I can say, like, hey, you know, these are the foods that you're going to experience. Like, how does that make you feel? Is there anything you want to practice at home first? Right? Maybe you don't want your first exposure of pizza in years and years and years to be in Italy. Like, you want to have that build-up of it. And I also think, too, for our clients with RFID, there's also a lot of planning that can go into this as well of seeing again, like, what foods might I be exposed to? Are there safer foods for me? So that way I can still eat adequately and consistently. And are there new things that I'm going to experience? And again, if so, do I want my first experience to be while I'm away? For some people, yes, right. They they actually feel like they're, you know, going to have that full, like you said, that full immersive experience trying it. For other people, no, I don't want to be so anxious on vacation. I want to practice this ahead of time going into it. So there's also planning that can go into this that isn't us like over-analyzing and overthinking and planning in an anxious way, but is planning in a way to help you be present and fully live an experience.

SPEAKER_03 26:22

Yeah, because you also don't know what it is that you're going to experience or how different cultures are. Like I remember the first time I went to Italy, I went on a people-to-people trip. So we were touring four different countries. And I just remember being so excited, because you know me, I'm like obsessed with being Italian, probably to an unhealthy degree. And I remember being so excited. And one of the hotels we were at didn't have eggs for breakfast. Like it was like a fruit and yogurt bar with like croissants and things like that. And I remember, because you know me, I have an aversion to fruits unless they're blended. I literally was like, what am I supposed to eat now? And I was 16, 17 at the time. And like I even was having them, like, it's normal to have those moments of like, I know what I like to eat, I know like what my foods are, like, I know what you know, what your breakfast might look like over here in the States. And then at this one specific hotel, it was a traditional, like Ital not I don't want to say like a traditional Italian breakfast, but like more European style, I would say, of more of like pastries and fruits and yogurts than it was of having like eggs and bacon and whatever have you, right? So just very different. But then we went to another hotel in Italy and it had all of the things. So you also don't know what it is you're going to get. And so, to your point, preparing in the sense of your relationship with food can be great. And you know, you have options and we can practice at this time and we can do whatever. And it doesn't have to be something that you dread, or you're like overly like restrictive of like that joy before you even go.

Body Image Packing Fashion Show Exercise

SPEAKER_00 28:14

Yeah, and since we're talking about like redefining, reframing preparation, right? Or like planning going into a trip for people when it comes to body image, is there any planning that you feel like specifically for body image that you could do ahead of time before a trip that isn't like we said earlier, like the diet culture of like I have to change my body, you know, before this trip. But what are some things that maybe you talk about with clients when it comes to body image plans?

SPEAKER_03 28:44

So one of my favorite things, and I actively do this with clients, is when they're going on a trip, we'll have a fashion show. And I literally, like clients will say, like, okay, I've picked out my outfits when my body is feeling at its best, my outfits in the middle, and my outfits when my body is feeling at its worst. And we'll go through and we'll say, Okay, where's your body today? Because we might get you on a great body image day. You might be feeling like a sack of potatoes in that session. And so, like, and either of them are a really good experience for the session because I'm like, if you're feeling at your worst and we're going through this, you already have the experience of trying clothes on when you're at your worst. So then it's not going to be this brand new thing where you have all of your clothes out and you're like, well, I feel like poo. We already did this in session. You know that you can handle it. So we've got this. So I actually really enjoy like helping clients actively in the moment of them packing and then being like, all right, I'm gonna go put on this outfit. We're gonna talk about it. And I just process through with them how do things feel? How is your body? Like, what are the like all of the who, what, where, why, when, and how, all the feelings, all the things. And sometimes they'll even bring up an emotion wheel and be like, okay, where are we? What's going on? Because obviously in the moment, you might not be able to really like identify and describe what it is that you're feeling. So I'll help them out. And clients really enjoy that. They like it does help them a lot. And then we pick if they because I literally have had clients that are like, okay, I can fit 10 outfits in my suitcase. What am I picking? So then we'll like go through and then I'll say, Okay, these are your 10. We've hit our quota. And then we'll have to like either reconfigure and say, like, okay, well, I actually really wanted this one as like a safe or as a this or as a that, whatever. So I don't know, I really enjoy it. I also love clothes, so I'm always so I like get my fill. But I would say packing clothes for all of and even ask your therapist to do that too with you during the session. If you know that you're prepping, if you know that you're planning. In a I use the word safe, but like in a safe amount of time in between the session and you going on vacation. Because you might not necessarily want to do that a month ahead, because then are you sitting on, okay, my suitcase is packed, and then are you constantly thinking about it? You know what I mean? Like you want to do it to where it makes sense for the brain, but you're also taking it, you know, the pressure off of yourself with the appropriate time frame. So I would say ask your clinician if she'll do that with you, he or she. And then you could also, you know, I always say to clients, your body is experiencing the vacation just like your brain is. Like everything is happening for the first time, and your body isn't making or breaking it. Like when you were so excited to book the vacation, your body was more than likely the same. So that body that you decided was worth a vacation, that body is worth being on vacation. So enjoy the vacation. And just thinking, and I always just like to like, you know, give clients things to think about and identify what they're excited for. So that's what they are looking forward to. And if you're feeling really icky one night, totally fair. Everybody has body image, like ugh, days on vacation. That's normal. That's okay. What's an outfit you're picking for a moment like that? Like prep for these things. Because even as women, sometimes you have to think about when am I getting my period and what is that going to look like? And do I have to pack for that on vacation? Like sometimes, and you can feel all the things period-wise as a woman that you would just having like an icky body image day. So you know how to plan for it, anyways, whether there's a physical medical reason or a mental reason. So that's what I do.

SPEAKER_00 32:40

I love that so much. Oh, thanks. Mm-hmm. Because I also feel like one, it's helpful because you're coming at it where like you're you have the skills, and like you have, you know, like you're helping clients with the skills.

SPEAKER_01 32:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:53

And I also feel like there's kind of a like fun nostalgia piece a little bit to that of like like a fashion show when you were younger, and like you'd get home from the mall and you'd try on all these new clothes, and like, you know, show your family, or like it was something I feel like with friends that you would do. Like, I feel like there's just this makes it feel more fun to not like I need to pack. It's sort of like, oh, I get to pack. And then again, you're coming at it with like all the skills and the ways to cope, too.

Vacation Reminders Listener Tips And Closing

SPEAKER_03 33:17

Exactly. And you and you're doing it in real time. And that's what I always like to point out to clients like, how do you feel right now? Because if you're feeling good and your body feels this way over in vacation wherever you are, and you're how do I say this? If your body feels the way trying it on in session and it feels the exact same way when you're putting it on at vacation, but something feels different, you know your brain is doing the work. You know it's a mental shift, you know you're starting to feel anxious, this, that, and the third, because your body hasn't changed. So then you have to figure out, okay, well, if I know this actually was safe and maybe you felt good trying it on, that doesn't have to change. So it's then you then have to go, okay, how do I go from physical to mental? And how do I then do the really tough work there while we're on vacation instead of being like, it's my body's fault. Now I'm feeling this, I'm feeling that. No, no, no. Let's take a deep breath, let's calm ourselves down. We are safe, we are okay, we're just having a moment, and then you you know, you snap it as much as you can. So I always like giving them like that real life experience because then they can because especially when you're doing it in therapy, you're making it therapeutic, right? You're not just like putting on an outfit and being like, all right, this fits, throw it in. Oh, this works, throw it in. Oh, I hate this, throw that. Like you're forcing yourself to actually think about it, which I think inevitably somehow does help when someone is then on vacation. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:55

100%.

SPEAKER_02 34:56

Oh, excuse me.

SPEAKER_00 34:57

Yeah. So those are our tips. If you listening have any tips of things that have worked really well for you on vacation, we'd love to hear it. So please let us know. But anybody who's traveling, we hope that this is helpful for spring break trips, summer trips. If you don't have a trip plan, it's always something you can come back and listen to. But for everybody traveling, we're jealous and we hope you have a great time.

SPEAKER_03 35:23

Oh, have the most fun, guys, and take us with you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:28

Yeah. Great listen while you're traveling in the airport, you're driving, you need a little extra support while you're lounging on the beach, you know, and you can find us anywhere.

SPEAKER_03 35:38

Just remember, your body is worth it to have a vacation. Your body is worth to be on vacation. You are worth it. So enjoy it. And that is all I say to them.

SPEAKER_00 35:56

Love it. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 35:57

Thank you. Alrighty, guys. Well, have a good one, and we'll catch you on the next one. Bye. Bye. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Nourish and Empower Podcast.

SPEAKER_00 36:11

We hope this episode helped you redefine, reclaim, and restore what health means to you.

SPEAKER_03 36:18

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a rating, and comment and share with anyone else you may feel will benefit.