H3 SUMMER WELLNESS WEEKENDS SALE

Here at Hilton Head Health, we're committed to helping individuals create a personalized experience to reach weight loss and wellness goals both here at the facililty and back at home. Summer is in full effect and we understand your schedule is as busy as ever. Meetings, pick up the kids, dinner and a hundred other items on your to-do list. Before the summer passes you by, take advantage of an H3 Summer Wellness Weekend Sale, between now and July 31st and save 20%!  Our Wellness Program includes a stay in a private villa, unlimited access to fitness classes, healthy meals, health education and so much more! A Wellness Weekend is just what you need to kick start a healthy lifestyle and reboot your body.

Come and learn why Hilton Head Health has been chosen as the nation's premiere weight loss resort, and wellness retreat.



Learn more about the pricing and details of our wellness program that will help you kick start your weight loss and/or healthy lifestyle here!

BOOK BY JULY 31, 2014 TO SAVE 20% and BRING A FRIEND TO SAVE MORE!

My Hawaiian Vacation Continues...

Aloha, from Maui. I didn't think there was any way to top last week but I think we did. Once again it is tough to pick the highlight of the week. We took a helicopter ride over an active volcano and  several waterfalls, hiked down to and walked around a steaming volcano crater, took a submarine ride and went to an authentic Luau. But my wife, Marianne, and I  agreed there was tie between the whale watching trip and the "Road to Hana". It was truly impressive seeing humpback whales in pods with as many eleven of these massive creatures swimming and diving together; and the road to Hana, with its incredible views, is a road you must take if you ever make it to Maui.

Last week I gave myself a pretty good grade as far as eating and exercise, and implied that Robert was not making the best choices, truth be told he probably made better choices than I. In restaurants, more often than not, he went for seafood. On both the Big Island and Maui we stopped at a Whole Foods store and loaded up on healthy options for some home cooked meals and lunches on the road. We also went to a vegetarian only grocery store named Down to Earth, to get the fixings for a delicious vegetarian meal. One of the phrases I use often at H3 is that there are "degrees of on," and while we didn't always make the best choices, we were able to "stay on" and make this a healthy, as well as fun, trip.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Robert Moore, H3’s President and CEO, for all he did in planning this unforgettable trip; John Schmitz, H3's owner, for supporting this trip and me over the past 15 years that he has owned the facility; as well the entire H3 staff and all the Guests I have met over the past 30 years. It has been my pleasure to work with all of you.

As you can imagine, it will be hard to leave this amazing place on Thursday night but knowing that I am coming home to beautiful Hilton Head and back to H3 makes it easier.

Aloha!

It's In The Bag: How to Avoid Gaining Weight while Traveling

Worried about gaining weight when you travel?  Try packing your luggage a bit differently.

 

We’d all deem it a whopping success if we could return from travel weighing the same amount we did before we left.  But when you’re on the road, you’re under more stress than other times.  So much so that we lose sight of our plan and give ourselves an excuse to go wild.  Could keeping the pounds off be as simple as how we pack our luggage?  I think so…

One of my favorite authors Malcolm Gladwell, author of the Tipping Point, coined a phrase called “The Power of Context.”  It simply states that human behavior is sensitive to and strongly influenced by its environment.  If you can create an atmosphere while traveling that reverberates your passion for health and fitness you’d be more likely to succeed. 

So, here’s what I suggest.  Create a checklist of items you’ll pack into your luggage (or use mine from below).  From now on when you pack your luggage start by packing all your leisure and/or business items and toiletries.  Finally, you’ll use your checklist to pack all the health and fitness items at the top. 

Healthy Vacation Planning

Having just returned from vacation - a cruise with over 30 family members - I was reminded how much vacation planning can affect your normal routine.  It's not just the days you are away - it starts prior to traveling - long days at work trying to "get ahead" so that you don't come back to a mess; packing; arrangements for flowers to be watered or pets to be fed; bills paid up, etc. 

Then comes the sacred vacation days that you fill with as much as possible so that you "get the most of your vacation" (not to mention half the time is spent behind the lens of a camera capturing the memories), followed by a return home to reality with mounds of laundry and if your email inbox wasn't virtual, a similar heaping commitment. 

If the laundry and emails weren't a big enough burden on your shoulders, you've also got the guilt that comes with completely obliterating any ounce of willpower during your time away, with the fear of weight gained and fitness lost in such a short time span.  If this sounds like a typical vacation routine in your world, I hope you will find the following tips helpful in planning for your next healthy, relaxing vacation:

 

Wiggle room.  Determine what kind of "wiggle room" you are going to allow yourself on your vacation, in regards to your nutrition and fitness plan.  For example, if you're going to allow yourself desserts, set some type of limitation to it (i.e., allow yourself dessert after dinner... not at breakfast, lunch, nor in between).  On my cruise, there was a "spa" option every night at dinner - and I must say, they were delicious!  I did not feel that I was making any sacrifice by choosing that option.

 

Fun.  Brainstorm some fun activities you'd like to include in your vacation (for example: walking tours, jet skis, snorkeling), as well as a few last resort options (resistance bands, crunches, etc.) in case a day does not allow for an exciting activity. Doing something at least helps maintain your commitment level.

 

Appointment.  Sign up with your personal trainer or make plans with a friend for the week you return home - this appointment will help ensure you will get back to your fitness routine quickly.  Don't allow the stress of returning from vacation prolong you from getting back to your routine - have faith that everything will get done.

 

Plan ahead.  Prior to leaving, prepare a meal plan for the week you return.  This will allow you to get your grocery shopping done quickly and successfully without unnecessary cravings from vacation appearing on the list.

 

Express yourself.  Communicate effectively with fellow vacationer(s) so that you are not dealing with unnecessary temptations nor the food police.  You do not need the nightly temptation for a glass of wine, or the nagging of why you chose to have that piece of chocolate cake.  Remember, often the other person is trying to make your vacation enjoyable or be supportive, but it is up to you to communicate whether or not they are being successful at that. 

 

I hope you find these tips helpful before embarking on your next journey!  I wish you a vacation filled with the perfect balance of adventure, relaxation, and rejuvenation - that's what VACATION is all about!