Vacations should leave you feeling refreshed—not weighed down by guilt, food rules, or the pressure to "make up for it" when you get home.
If you've ever found yourself worrying about what you'll eat before the trip even begins, promising you'll "be good," or feeling like vacation is one big cheat week, this episode is for you.
Today we're talking about why intuitive eaters actually enjoy vacation more—and it has nothing to do with eating perfectly. It's because they know how to trust their bodies, savor special moments, and return home without shame or the need to "start over."
We'll explore how to:
🛫Leave diet mentality at home.
🦐Enjoy vacation foods without guilt or fear.
🏖️Listen to your body's hunger and fullness cues while traveling.
📸Create memories that aren't centered around food anxiety.
😌😌 Come home feeling physically and spiritually refreshed instead of defeated.
Whether you're headed to the beach, the mountains, Disney, or simply taking a weekend away, this conversation will help you approach vacation with more freedom, more peace, and more joy.
Because the best souvenir isn't weight loss—it's the memories you make with the people you love.
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00:00:02
Picture this. You're a few weeks away from your long awaited vacation.
00:00:06
Amidst all the excitement, there's a flurry of activity. You're busy
00:00:10
booking flights, packing bags, finalizing itineraries. You
00:00:13
have been looking forward to this for so long.
00:00:18
But for many women, and maybe you are included,
00:00:21
there's this added layer of stress, the pressure to lose
00:00:25
weight before the trip. You find yourself caught in this
00:00:29
chaos of crash diets, intense workout routines and
00:00:33
just a constant noise of self criticism.
00:00:37
And instead of looking forward to your vacation, you're preoccupied
00:00:41
with fitting into a smaller size or meeting a certain number on the
00:00:44
scale. Because you think the only way that this trip is going to be good
00:00:48
is if you achieve one of those two things. And the scenario
00:00:52
is all too common. The desire to look perfect in
00:00:55
vacation photos, to feel confident in a swimsuit, or to
00:00:59
simply conform to those never ending societal
00:01:03
expectations can really overshadow the joy
00:01:07
and the anticipation of the trip itself. Many
00:01:10
women spend weeks, even months, depriving themselves
00:01:14
and following a set of rigid rules or a fad diet
00:01:18
and attempt to achieve this fleeting
00:01:22
sense of acceptance and confidence.
00:01:25
But what if there was another way? Like what if you could
00:01:29
break free from this cycle and truly enjoy and
00:01:32
have so much fun on your vacation without
00:01:36
this burden of diet culture? That's where intuitive
00:01:40
eating comes in. That lifestyle that encourage you to listen
00:01:44
to your body's natural hunger and fullness cues, to choose foods
00:01:48
that are nourishing and satisfying to you and your body, and
00:01:51
to cultivate a positive relationship with your body.
00:01:55
Embracing intuitive eating can really change the way that you
00:01:59
experience vacations. It shifts the focus
00:02:02
from weight and appearance to genuine and
00:02:06
authentic enjoyment and well being. So in this
00:02:10
episode I'm going to show you how vacations are wildly different
00:02:14
as an intuitive eater versus a dieter. So if you've ever
00:02:17
felt the pressure to diet before a trip, or stress about
00:02:21
food choices, what you're going to eat while you you're away, then this
00:02:24
episode is for you. Welcome to
00:02:28
the Nourish to Bloom podcast where your faith meets your health.
00:02:32
I'm your host, Kara Trachta, a registered dietitian and certified
00:02:35
Catholic coach, and I'm here to help you cultivate a deeper connection with your
00:02:39
body, your spirit, and the nourishment that sustains them both.
00:02:43
In a world filled with noise and confusion about food,
00:02:47
health and body image, this podcast offers truth and healing from
00:02:51
a Christ centered perspective. Together we'll untangle the deep
00:02:55
roots of diet culture and discover what it means to truly
00:02:58
care for ourselves through Joyful nourishment of mind,
00:03:02
body and soul. We're here to dive into the transformative power of
00:03:06
intuitive eating coupled with the rich teachings of our Christian faith.
00:03:10
With every episode, I'll be cheering you on, offering insights,
00:03:13
inspiration, and practical tools to help you heal your
00:03:17
relationship with food and embrace the beauty of your body as
00:03:20
a temple of the Holy Spirit with confidence and
00:03:24
courage that can only be found in Christ.
00:03:27
Join me as we journey together towards a more holistic approach to wellness,
00:03:31
one that honors the wisdom of your body as God's creation,
00:03:35
the teachings of our faith, and the unique purpose you're called to
00:03:38
fulfill. You were made to bloom,
00:03:42
to come into full beauty and health in order to bear good fruit
00:03:46
for the Lord with your life. So if you're ready to nourish your body,
00:03:50
feed your soul, and bloom into the best version of yourself, then
00:03:53
you're in the right place. And I'm so happy you're here.
00:03:57
Welcome to Nourish to Bloom, where every day is a sacred
00:04:01
invitation to thrive.
00:04:05
Hey there. Welcome back to another episode of Nourish to
00:04:08
Bloom. I'm really excited about this one. It kind of came to me spur the
00:04:12
moment. I'm getting ready to go on a trip.
00:04:15
We're taking the kids to Florida for a couple of days
00:04:19
and have some pretty fun things planned. We're going to go down to
00:04:23
Cape Canaveral and do NASA. So really
00:04:26
looking forward to that. And so this idea really came to
00:04:30
me for this episode in the sense of the fact that I was going on
00:04:34
vacation. And that coupled with the fact that I'm really
00:04:38
often asked, like, how is life different after you've gone through
00:04:41
intuitive eating? Like, what is going to be different? What can I expect?
00:04:45
People are always curious about, you know, how it feels when you've healed, your
00:04:49
relationship with food and your body. Like, how are things different?
00:04:53
How does this transformation come to fruition in
00:04:56
everyday life as well as, like, some of these big moments and how
00:05:00
you approach these big moments, like vacations or milestone
00:05:05
anniversaries or birthdays or anything like that. And so
00:05:08
I really thought it'd be fun to bring these two things together
00:05:12
because I. I think it lends itself to really see
00:05:16
one area that the most striking difference between
00:05:20
intuitive eating and that dieting mindset can be,
00:05:24
can be seen and can be experienced or through vacations.
00:05:27
So I want you to kind of sit and imagine this contrast.
00:05:31
Like, as an intuitive eater, vacations are all about
00:05:34
relaxation and re energizing. Re energizing.
00:05:38
It's about joy and new experiences
00:05:41
100% free from that constant worry about food
00:05:45
and body image that often plagues dieters and
00:05:48
those that are, you know, after weight loss, instead
00:05:52
of being preoccupied with restrictive eating plans
00:05:56
and guilt over, you know, indulgences, intuitive
00:05:59
eaters really embrace the full spectrum of their
00:06:03
vacation. They savor both the moments and the
00:06:06
experiences as well as the meals with, like, this
00:06:11
complete sense of freedom and peace. And
00:06:15
I really think the primary reason why intuitive, intuitive eaters
00:06:19
have more fun on vacation really centers around
00:06:23
this sense of freedom, freedom from diet culture and those
00:06:26
societal pressures and those expectations that
00:06:30
we are trying to live up to. It was interesting. I was reading the
00:06:34
book the other day, and they were talking about expectations, and it's about this
00:06:37
mom, and she was just kind of looking at her life and she's like, as
00:06:41
soon as I became a mom, I put on these expectations without really paying
00:06:44
attention to whether, like, the style or the color or the fit
00:06:48
was really, for me. And I
00:06:52
think that lends itself to a lot to a lot to how we approach our
00:06:56
life. And I think it's a really interesting way to visualize
00:07:00
how we as women try to conform to these diet culture
00:07:04
expectations. It's like we put on these expectations
00:07:07
and we haven't even given any thought to, like, is this my style? Do I
00:07:11
like the way this color looks on me? Does this fit my body? And so
00:07:14
anyway, just thought it was kind of cool. And so I really
00:07:18
believe, like I said, that the reason why intuitive eaters have more fun on
00:07:22
vacation is around this, because of this sense of freedom. And so today I
00:07:26
want to share a couple of these ideas of. Of
00:07:29
these freedoms I'm talking about to really help to paint a
00:07:33
picture, one picture of how life is different
00:07:37
after you have healed your relationship with food and your body,
00:07:41
and how this really lends itself to you having, like, the most
00:07:45
fun on vacation. Like, how does that sound?
00:07:48
Okay, so first I want to talk about
00:07:52
the freedom from diet culture and food rules.
00:07:55
Like, we've all been there spending weeks and even months trying to
00:07:59
lose weight before a vacation. We have this idea that we need to look
00:08:03
a certain way to be able to enjoy ourselves. And that
00:08:07
can be incredibly stressful and draining. But
00:08:10
intuitive eaters know that fun isn't contingent
00:08:14
on weight or what their body looks like. They
00:08:17
completely understand and embrace that their worth and their
00:08:21
ability to have a good time are not tied to
00:08:24
a number on the scale or the size of their
00:08:28
clothes or what they look like in a swimsuit. This means
00:08:31
that they are not spending their vacation or the time leading
00:08:35
up to it obsessing over food and body image, or spending
00:08:39
all their time counting calories or following a restrictive diet
00:08:43
or going through punishing workout routines. Why? Because
00:08:47
they're not anxious about getting back on track when they
00:08:51
get home. Instead, they enjoy their trips
00:08:54
without a constant worry of what they can eat and
00:08:58
gaining weight. Like so imagine for a moment stepping
00:09:02
into a vacation without that burden of rigid food rules
00:09:05
or the constant pressure to look a certain way. Like, what if you could
00:09:09
approach your vacations with a sense of anticipation and
00:09:12
excitement, knowing that your worth and
00:09:16
the enjoyment of this vacation are not tied to how you look
00:09:20
or what you eat while on vacation. Okay.
00:09:24
Next, I want you to consider the freedom
00:09:28
to choose satisfaction and nourishment as a component to
00:09:31
why intuitive eaters have more fun on vacation.
00:09:35
Often people try to be quote, unquote good before their
00:09:39
trip, only to be quote, unquote bad during
00:09:43
it. But this cycle of deprivation and
00:09:46
overindulgence is really unhealthy and it's
00:09:50
exhausting. Intuitive eaters, on the other hand, don't live in
00:09:54
these extremes. They're not, I'm going to be good
00:09:58
leading up to the trip, so I can be bad when I'm on the trip.
00:10:00
That's not the way they work. They nourish their bodies
00:10:04
consistently, whether they're on vacation or not. They
00:10:07
choose foods that bring them both satisfaction, foods that they enjoy
00:10:11
and that tastes good and are pleasurable, as well as choosing
00:10:15
foods based off of the energy and the fuel and the way that it's going
00:10:18
to make their body feel or allow them to do whatever it
00:10:22
is they want to do on vacation. And ultimately, this
00:10:25
freedom translates into a more relaxed and enjoyable
00:10:29
vacation experience because intuitive eaters are free
00:10:32
to savor any culinary delights on their destination
00:10:36
without guilt or anxiety. They can indulge in
00:10:40
local delicacies, enjoy spontaneous treats or
00:10:44
not, and fully immerse themselves in the
00:10:48
sensory pleasures of what is around them. There's not
00:10:51
this internal battle over whether or not they can have dessert
00:10:55
or how to compensate for a cheat meal. Instead, they trust
00:10:59
their bodies to guide them towards food that brings them both that
00:11:03
satisfaction piece and that nourishment. And this
00:11:06
balanced approach means that they're less likely to end up overeating
00:11:10
or ending up with an upset stomach from trying to, quote,
00:11:14
unquote, get it while they can, meaning they're going to
00:11:17
go home. And so when they're home, they have to follow this strict and rigid
00:11:21
rules. And so since they're on vacation. The rules don't matter,
00:11:24
calories don't count. I'm going to, I'm going to get all this food while I
00:11:27
can because when I get home, I can't have that. I know
00:11:31
for me, a personal experience I had was for a really, really long
00:11:35
time I would, when we would go on vacation, I would
00:11:39
100% overdo it on food and alcohol the first night
00:11:43
and I would wake up, I'm being brutally honest
00:11:47
here, in a vulnerable moment. I would wake up with a hangover
00:11:50
and like the worst stomach and not be able to do anything on my
00:11:54
vacation the next day because I had overdone it the first day. And
00:11:58
why did I overdo it the first day? It's because it was like,
00:12:01
again, the rules were thrown out the window. I wasn't on a diet anymore.
00:12:05
I was going to have fun while I can, but it really set me up
00:12:09
to not be able to maximize the enjoyment that I could have
00:12:13
on any of those vacations. And the difference now is
00:12:17
after being an intuitive eater and living this lifestyle for so long, it's
00:12:20
like, yeah, I'm on vacation, this is great. I can, you know, have
00:12:24
these few extra things if I want them. I might not want them. I not,
00:12:28
might not be up to them, they might not taste the way that I want
00:12:30
them to, but I'm not going to overdo it that first night and end up
00:12:34
miserable and like, really ruining the rest of my
00:12:37
vacation because I'm trying to make up for, quote, unquote, lost
00:12:41
time when it comes to food. Right? And
00:12:45
so, like, what would it be like for you to experience different
00:12:48
flavors or different, you know, cultural dishes
00:12:52
or be able to be immersed in, like, local cuisine or
00:12:56
even if it's not this exotic vacation, like, just go out to eat
00:13:00
wherever you are on vacation without having to agonize over
00:13:03
every calorie or ingredient, wondering and worrying
00:13:07
how to either burn it off or if this is going to
00:13:11
make you gain weight. Like, this sense of freedom is
00:13:15
amazing and it extends way beyond food when
00:13:18
it comes to enjoyment on vacation
00:13:22
because intuitive eaters feel comfortable and confident in their bodies
00:13:26
and this allows them to participate fully in vacation activities,
00:13:31
whether it's lounging by the pool, hiking, scenic
00:13:34
trails, or, you know, going to different markets or
00:13:38
bodegas or shopping experiences. Like intuitive
00:13:41
eaters get to be fully present and fully engaged
00:13:45
because they are free from that constant worry of how they look or
00:13:48
how others might be judging them. And this confidence
00:13:52
really stems from that deep seated belief through the
00:13:56
mindset work that we do, that their inherent
00:13:59
worth is not because they are meeting up
00:14:03
to any society's narrow standards of beauty
00:14:07
and or quote, unquote, health. Like, when you have a healthy
00:14:10
relationship with your body, you're not constantly worried about what you're
00:14:14
wearing or how you look. And I think one of the most amazing
00:14:18
things about being an intuitive eater is that you get to dress
00:14:21
in a way that makes you feel both confident and
00:14:25
comfortable. And you get to choose. It's not saying, okay, well, this
00:14:29
is what the latest fashion trend is. I need to make sure that I'm fitting
00:14:32
into that. No, it's, hey, clothes are made to
00:14:35
fit my body, not the other way around. And I'm going to choose things
00:14:39
that make me feel comfy, confident and comfortable while
00:14:43
I'm on this trip. Because, like, in the worst thing, like having
00:14:46
to, you know, you're not, I mean,
00:14:50
embarrassed, right? But you're just not confident. You're uncomfortable. You're
00:14:54
wearing something that's uncomfortable. So you're constantly, like, tugging and pulling and
00:14:58
like, maybe trying to pull something up or you have like, something digging into
00:15:02
you because it just doesn't quite fit, right? And like, you just spend all this
00:15:05
time, like, being miserable because you're not comfortable in what
00:15:09
you're wearing. And that just preoccupies all of your time and energy that you don't
00:15:13
actually get to really experience what's going on. Or
00:15:16
as moms, we are missing out on
00:15:19
experiencing pool time or beach time or whatever it is with
00:15:23
our kids because we're worried about how we look in a swimsuit. But
00:15:27
as an intuitive eater, you're not bogged down by
00:15:31
this self consciousness or the fear of being judged,
00:15:35
because instead you've embraced your body as it is,
00:15:39
focusing on the joy and excitement that that moment
00:15:43
offers. Guys, you don't get to. You
00:15:46
don't get a redo, right? So this allows you to focus
00:15:50
on the joy and the excitement that that moment offers.
00:15:54
And this level of comfort and confidence is
00:15:58
really incredibly freeing and makes for a much more
00:16:01
enjoyable vacation experience. Okay?
00:16:05
Lastly, the freedom that
00:16:09
comes with being an intuitive eater also fosters a deeper
00:16:12
ability be. Ability to be present.
00:16:17
I think as moms, that's what we long for. So much of the time, it's
00:16:21
just, I wish I could be more present. Well, here's
00:16:24
your key, right? Let's get this diet culture
00:16:28
thing, like, thrown out the window. Let's work on healing your
00:16:32
relationship with food in your body so you have the ability to be
00:16:35
more present, not just on vacation, but in your everyday life.
00:16:39
But on vacation, you get to be more present as an
00:16:43
intuitive eater because you do not deal with the
00:16:46
distractions of diet culture. Because intuitive
00:16:50
eaters are able to focus on building memories and sharing
00:16:53
experiences, they're engaged in meaningful
00:16:57
conversations. There's the ability to explore and
00:17:00
appreciate new places with curiosity and
00:17:04
wonder. Talk about the ability to be so connected with God
00:17:08
and his creation, right? Just being able to
00:17:11
appreciate and enjoy the beauty of what he
00:17:15
created around us and to be able to soak up, like,
00:17:19
the unique characteristics of wherever it is that you're visiting.
00:17:24
Intuitive eaters vacations are characterized by a sense of
00:17:27
adventure and spontaneity and authentic and
00:17:31
genuine enjoyment. They are truly able
00:17:35
to be present in the moment, enjoying their trips without that constant
00:17:38
background noise of what they can or can't eat or man, I'm
00:17:42
going to have to really, you know, shed these pounds when I get home. They're
00:17:46
free from that emotional roller coaster of worry and guilt
00:17:49
and shame that often accompanies our food choices.
00:17:54
This presence allows them to fully immerse themselves
00:17:58
in their vacation, to be able to savor sights and
00:18:01
sounds and taste without distraction. Whether it's
00:18:05
trying new foods or exploring new places, or
00:18:08
simply being able to soak up the sun, building a sand castle with your
00:18:12
kids, intuitive eaters are there, living
00:18:15
each moment to its fullness.
00:18:19
The freedom that intuitive eating brings just opens the door
00:18:23
to richer, more fulfilling and fun
00:18:27
vacation experiences. It allows you to
00:18:31
break free from that constraint of diet culture and to
00:18:35
really embrace your true self and fully enjoy
00:18:39
the journey. And this is why intuitive eaters ultimately
00:18:43
have more fun on vacations, because they are free and liberated
00:18:47
to experience this life, this life that
00:18:51
God has given us, this life that God has called for us to
00:18:55
be a part of in its fullest, most
00:18:58
joyful expression. So
00:19:02
I want to challenge you to reflect back on any of your past
00:19:05
vacation experiences. Were you caught up in the diet
00:19:09
culture mentality, trying to lose weight beforehand
00:19:13
and worried about gaining weight while you were there? Were you too
00:19:17
preoccupied with these concerns to really enjoy the moment?
00:19:21
Y' all, like, now is the time to free yourself from the
00:19:24
constraints of diet culture and food rules. Now is the time
00:19:28
to heal your relationship with food and your body.
00:19:33
Now is the time to nourish your body with satisfaction and energy and
00:19:37
allow yourself to be fully present in every moment.
00:19:41
So it's so not just while you're on vacation, but really to be
00:19:45
fully present in every moment of every day of your life.
00:19:50
The freedom that comes from this intuitive eating lifestyle is
00:19:54
really, like, the best vacation you could
00:19:57
ever imagine. It's
00:20:01
a journey towards a more joyful, relaxed, and
00:20:04
fulfilling way of living where you can embrace each day
00:20:09
and each vacation with fun and
00:20:13
confidence and peace. So, y', all, if you are
00:20:16
ready to have more fun on vacation
00:20:20
and just more fun in life in general, if you are
00:20:24
really visualizing this picture that I'm
00:20:27
painting of what vacation life could look like,
00:20:31
that's just, like, a small part of what your actual, really
00:20:35
everyday life looks like. The peace and the contentment and the
00:20:39
joy that can come from this. So I know that some of you
00:20:43
are ready to take that next step. And I just want to remind you that
00:20:47
I'm going to be starting that group coaching program this fall, and
00:20:50
it's going to guide you step by step on this healing journey so you can
00:20:54
have more fun on vacation and you can have more fun in your everyday life.
00:20:57
I hope y' all had fun with this episode as much as I did.
00:21:01
I'm looking forward to my vacation. And I mean,
00:21:04
yeah, fun is just a tip of the iceberg way to describe
00:21:08
how life is now. And I mean, we fly out really early
00:21:12
tomorrow morning, and it's just been interesting as I've been getting ready today. Like,
00:21:16
I was able to clean my house and got kids packed and got myself
00:21:20
packed, probably the fastest I've ever been able to get myself packed.
00:21:23
And just really looking forward to being able to get
00:21:27
away for a few days and reconnect with family and share some new
00:21:31
experiences. But I've been able to just get ready for this
00:21:34
without, like, this added layer of stress or without having to
00:21:38
worry or spend, like, like I said, the weeks leading up to it just
00:21:42
trying to. To lose weight so I'd look good in a swimsuit. And
00:21:45
just, gosh, life is, like, so much more than
00:21:49
that. And so, again, I hope that this episode just kind
00:21:53
of helps to start to paint that picture of what life could possibly
00:21:57
look like when you embrace this lifestyle. And I just want
00:22:00
to share kind of a story from a client that I had. And so I
00:22:04
was kind of reading her, her messages today, and I started working with her
00:22:08
back in 2020, and I think we worked together for almost two years
00:22:12
now. That's not everybody's journey. We got through the coursework in the
00:22:15
curriculum in less time than that, but she chose
00:22:19
to continue on with coaching after that. And so we worked together
00:22:23
for about two years. And I can remember the very first session that we
00:22:26
had. She was on vacation actually, right
00:22:30
she signed up to. To start her intuitive eating journey.
00:22:34
And our very first session, she was on vacation at Cape Cod.
00:22:38
And I just remember seeing her and I
00:22:41
could feel just how frazzled she was and how just, like,
00:22:45
she wanted to stop this. This
00:22:49
vicious cycle that she was on. She was on vacation and she's like,
00:22:53
man, all I want is to be able to go to the ice cream shop
00:22:56
with my girls and just be able to enjoy ice cream,
00:22:59
but not lead to this, like, full out binge or not have to, like, say,
00:23:03
oh, no, I'm not gonna have any, because that'll make me gain weight, but then
00:23:06
end up, you know, binging off of something else later, you know, in the
00:23:10
night. And, you know, we work
00:23:14
together. And then, gosh, she sent me a message two years ago, and
00:23:17
she's like, hey, I'm sitting in Cape Cod, and
00:23:21
I'm just reminiscing about the very first zoom session I had with you and
00:23:25
just everything that I was feeling. And I just want you to know, like, how
00:23:28
far I've come. Like, and it's just awesome because I can
00:23:32
enjoy ice cream with my girls in the summer while we are on vacation and
00:23:35
not have to worry or overanalyze or obsess about
00:23:39
this. And she's like, I'm sitting here just literally bawling tears of
00:23:43
joy because of how far you've helped me come.
00:23:47
And so, guys, ladies, women,
00:23:51
I. I know that that's possible for you too. And I know that,
00:23:55
that. That vision of what you have it. You have that vision of,
00:23:59
like, what would life look like if I didn't worry about this all the time?
00:24:03
And that's what I want to help you achieve and hope you have a
00:24:06
wonderful and blessed week. I will be praying for you, y'. All.
00:24:10
Please pray for me for safe travels, and I will catch you
00:24:14
on next week's episode. We'll talk soon. Bye.