Going away this summer? Start these 5 things now and thank yourself later

If your holiday is coming up, it’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to do everything at once and all at the last minute!

Do you go mad with training everyday and severely reducing your calorie intake. It’s not healthy and it could make you ill.

If you want to actually feel and look your best on holiday, here are the five things I’d focus on and I’d start today to give yourself a good 6-8 weeks to see and feel the benefits.

1. Build your week around 3 to 4 strength sessions

Strength training should be the foundation of your routine. It’s what helps shape your body, maintain muscle, and actually change how you look.

You don’t need to train every day, but you do need structure. 

Simple strategy:
Pick 3 to 4 days in your week and commit to them. Treat them like appointments or work meetings, not “if I have time” sessions.

Focus on:

• Lower body (glutes, legs)
• Upper body (back, shoulders)
• 12 reps X 3 sets – the last 2 reps should feel hard

You’ll get far more from a few consistent sessions than constantly changing things.

2. Anchor every meal around protein

One of the biggest reasons people struggle with fat loss is that their meals don’t keep them full.

Protein helps with:

• Satiety
• Muscle maintenance
• Recovery from training

You don’t need to track everything. Just make protein the starting point of your meals.

Simple strategy:
At each meal, ask: “Where is the protein?!”

Easy options:

• Eggs or Greek yogurt at breakfast
• Chicken, fish, or tofu at lunch/dinner
• Protein yoghurt or shake if needed

This one change alone often reduces snacking without trying.

3. Increase your daily movement (without overdoing cardio)

You don’t need to punish yourself with endless cardio.

What matters more is how much you move across the day.

Walking, being on your feet, and staying active consistently has a huge impact over time, especially when paired with strength training.

Simple strategy:
Set a step target of 7,000 to 10,000 per day

Ways to make it easier:

• 10 minute walk after meals
• Walking phone calls
• Parking slightly further away

It’s low effort, sustainable, and very effective.

4. Keep your food routine simple and repeatable

Most people don’t need a better diet. They need a more consistent one.

Trying to eat perfectly usually leads to all or nothing behaviour. A simple, repeatable structure works far better and my most successful clients implement this…

Simple strategy:
Build a “default day” of eating you can repeat most of the week:

• 3 main meals
• Balanced portions
• Minimal constant snacking

You can still be flexible, but having a baseline removes decision fatigue and keeps things steady.

5. Train with intent, but recover properly

More is not always better.

Trying to train hard every day, add extra cardio, and push through fatigue often leads to burnout, illness or injury.

You need a balance of effort AND recovery.

Simple strategy:

• Train 3 to 4 times per week with focus and effort
• Keep other days lighter (walking, mobility)
• Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep where possible

When you recover well, your training actually works.

So, forget about doing a last minute panic a week before your holiday – just use the above 5 things as your blueprint and I promise it will work.