Habits are notoriously difficult things to create, but once they’re in place, the task becomes second nature to you. Once something becomes routine for you, you no longer have to spend time and energy making sure you follow through; it just happens. This week on The Obesity Guide, I spend time uncovering how habit creation is your secret tool to taking a vacation and maintaining mindful eating practices. I give practical advice on making smart decisions for your health, and I get to share some of the habits I’ve created over time that help me stay on track when traveling. I’ve learned that habits developed through time and effort are the difference between returning from a vacation feeling great or playing catch up with your health and energy levels. You need to tune in this week if you want to enter this holiday season full of confidence and empowered with the habits you need to feel great, even as you travel!Quotes“When I say routine, I mean looking at what is gonna ground and center me, and still focus me.” - Dr. Rentea “When I take long drives between homes in separate states, good planning for me is thinking, ‘okay when I leave, how many meals or snacks am I actually logistically going to need for everyone during that period?’ I can’t just aimlessly pack snacks and food and things. I want you to think about what is actually reasonable during a trip.” - Dr. Rentea“I want to open you up to the fact that planning is in a very loving vein; so that you can end up getting what you want long term. It's not restrictive, it's not punitive, it's not you controlling every moment.” - Dr. Rentea“Planning is not controlling every single moment. Planning takes time. Planning is about getting realistic. Planning is about thinking ‘what supports me?’ Planning is not about panic.” - Dr. Rentea“As humans, we like routine because of what it does for us. It makes us feel stable, it makes us feel secure, and it helps us out.” - Dr. Rentea“You do not need to end the holidays feeling crappy. It's not about your weight, it’s about avoiding that blood sugar yo-yo. So maybe one of your routines is that you say, ‘I'm going to balance things, even if I'm eating cakes and cookies, I will first have a bite of protein and veggie.’” - Dr. Rentea Audio Stamps00:29 - Dr. Rentea introduces this week’s topic of maintaining healthy habits while traveling/vacationing 03:16 - We learn the first of Dr. Rentea’s top three pieces of advice for taking a healthier vacation08:35 - We hear more about Dr. Rentea’s top three tips to maintain a healthy lifestyle while still enjoying traveling and the holidays19:45 - Dr. Rentea empowers her listeners to make decisions that benefit them and their metabolic journey on trips and vacations 21:12 - We get one final tip from Dr. Rentea on how to plan for success when eating mindfully on vacationAll of the information on this podcast is for general informational purposes only. Please talk to your physician and medical team about what is right for you. No medical advice is being on this podcast. If you live in Indiana or Illinois and want to work with doctor Matthea Rentea, you can find out more on www.RenteaClinic.com