Staying on Track While Travelling (Without Obsessing) + Our Recent Family Holiday to Fiji
Ever wondered how to enjoy a holiday without completely derailing your health goals?
It’s a question we get asked all the time.
And since we’ve just come back from a sun-soaked family trip to Fiji, we thought it was the perfect time to share what that actually looks like — how we travelled, relaxed, indulged, and returned home still feeling in control of our health and energy.
Here’s how we did it.
Our Recent 6-Day Family Escape to Fiji - April 2025
We stayed at the Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa in Denarau, and honestly — we loved it. Highly recommend for a beautiful, relaxing family getaway. Gorgeous pools, spacious rooms, and really family-friendly.
As a health-conscious family (who also run a health and fitness business), we didn’t want to come home from our trip feeling sluggish or regretful.
At the same time, we didn’t want to obsess over calories or say no to the buffet, ice cream, or cocktails.
So what did we do?
👉 No MyFitnessPal
👉 No workouts
👉 No guilt
And guess what? When we got home and stepped on the scale:
✔️ No dramatic weight gain
✔️ No “blowout”
✔️ Just a refreshed, recharged version of us — ready to return to our normal routine
How? Because Our Healthy Habits Travel With Us!
This is what we live and what we teach:
Sustainable, real-life health.
We’ve built a lifestyle where our nutrition, movement, and mindset habits come with us — whether we’re at home, on holiday, in a fat loss phase, or just maintaining.
And even if we had gained a kilo or two — who cares?
It’s one week.
What matters most is what you do consistently over time — not what happens on a short trip.
Our Fiji Game Plan: Staying on Track Without Obsessing
So, how did we do it in Fiji? Here’s a peek behind the curtain at the strategies we used to stay on track without letting healthy habits consume our holiday:
1. Book Accommodation with Kitchen Facilities
This is our #1 travel hack for a reason!!
Having access to a kitchen gives you the freedom to control at least some of your meals, which can make a huge difference. We always look for hotels or rentals with a kitchenette or full kitchen, so we have the option to cook some of our own food.
At the Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa, we booked a 2 bedroom penthouse apartment with a full kitchen _ large fridge.
This meant we could have the option to cook our own meals, saving us money and helping us avoid relying solely on restaurant meals which can be also both calorie dense but include inflammatory foods too - causing bloating and other types of temporary gut discomfort.
Resorts are often big and beautiful complexes, and Hilton Fiji was no exception - the resort was HUGEEEE. Instead of waiting for the free buggy rides every time we wanted to head down to breakfast or the pools, we made a point of walking as much as possible - yep even though our 9 and 6 yr old would often whine "my legs are sore" and/or we had our cute but heavy 8 month old strapped to our chest in the dripping humid heat.
Not only was it a great way to see the resort and soak in the beautiful scenery, but it also helped us naturally get our steps up without feeling like we were exercising.
More steps = higher NEAT levels = more calorie expenditure = more flexibility with food!
3. Prioritise High-Protein Breakfasts + Meals
We all know the importance of starting the day with a good source of protein, and holidays are no exception.
At the breakfast buffet included in our stay, Nick and I made a beeline for the omelette station, loading up on a freshly cooked egg white omelette, ham, cheese, and veggies every single morning (I had mine with a side of sourdough toast, fresh tomato and onion relish - YUM!!!)
After our protein rich meal, we allowed ourselves to enjoy some pastries cause #balance.
Eating a high protein meal first kept us feeling full and satisfied for the day ahead AND helped us make better food choices throughout the day too!
More healthier food choices below:
A chicken + salad wrap from resort cafe.
A protein bar (bought from home for a snack in between meals + on the airplane)
Ham & cheese toastie + coffee at the airport on the way there
Holidays are a time to indulge a little, and we’re not about to deprive ourselves of all the delicious treats on offer. The key is to practice mindful eating. For example, we allowed ourselves to enjoy pastries after our omelettes or treat ourselves to hot chips, ice cream and poolside drinks alongside lunch, but we did it without going overboard.
We savoured each bite and stopped when we were satisfied, not stuffed, and no regret or YOLO energy attached.
5. Choose Lower-Calorie Drinks
Speaking of poolside drinks, we made a conscious effort to choose lower-calorie options when possible. Instead of sugary cocktails loaded with syrups and mixers, we opted for the cocktails with like soda water or juice as the base (instead of coconut cream) or for me (breastfeeding mama) just light mocktails with fresh fruit.
This allowed us both to enjoy a few drinks without blowing our calorie budget for the day.
A family poolside favourite drink included a "Island Lemonade" which was like a freshly squeeze lemonade slushie. Yum!!
6. Cook High-Protein Meals on the BBQ
One of our favourite dinner meals in Fiji was a BBQ feast we cooked right in our room (we did this for 3 of the 5 nights).We could order a “BBQ meat pack” from one of the local cafes at the resort, which included fresh steak, sausages, and chicken skewers, and grilled it up on the BBQ in our room. We paired it with some beautiful side salads (greek & garden), and it was absolutely delicious! The whole family enjoy it.
See Menu below (we chose "THE BIG BARBIE" plus 1 x greek salad & hotdogs buns & condiments and that comfortably fed our family of 5 who are big protein eaters)
Having the ability to cook our own meals not only saved us money but also allowed us to control the ingredients and portion sizes, ensuring we were getting a healthy, balanced meal amongst all the other meals and snacks.
7. Stay Hydrated and Pack Supplements
Staying hydrated is always important, but especially so when you’re in a hot, tropical climate like Fiji. We made sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day. We also packed our supplements (electrolytes, magnesium, gut health supplements etc) to ensure we were getting all the nutrients we needed and our guts stayed happy with the different foods.
We packed the following supplements with us:
Foraged For You Powder (for Rachel) taken in the AM (for daily vitamins + energy)
SB probioticstaken in the AM on empity stomach (to help keep gut happy)
Digestive Enzymes taken with all main meals (to help keep gut happy)
We apply the same eating principles to our kids as we do to ourselves: prioritise protein and mindful treats. In Fiji, we encouraged our older kids (ages 9 and 6) to choose high-protein options for main meals and then let themselves mindfully enjoy snacks and “treats” with us. It’s all about balance and teaching them healthy habits that will last a lifetime.
Travelling with an 8-month-old baby who is exclusively breastfed can be a little tricky, but we made it work. We gave her things like boiled eggs and fresh fruit at breakfast (I asked the bar to cut up some pineapple core strips) and we also packed some fruit purees and organic biscuits from home to get by in between meals.
She was usually asleep at dinner time, so that made things a little easier but if she was awake she usually had a bit of protein from our plates!
🚫 What We Didn’t Do:
Instead, we leaned into our routine of sustainable habits — the same ones we live by at home.
✨ The Outcome?
We came home:
✅ Feeling energised
✅ Still in alignment with our goals
✅ Ready to return to our normal meals and training
✅ With beautiful family memories, not food guilt
The Strong Fams Lifestyle: It's All About Balance
There’s a massive difference between going full YOLO when you’re not tracking… and living a mindful, flexible lifestyle that lets you enjoy life without guilt or extremes. That's the Strong Fams way!
This is exactly what we teach our clients: sustainable habits that fit into real life — holidays, busy weeks, and everything in between. You can go on holiday and stay aligned with your goals. Even while in a fat loss phase. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being intentional.
We live it. We lead it. And we’d love to help you build it too.
Ready to Build Your Own Sustainable Lifestyle?
If you’re tired of the yo-yo dieting and the constant guilt and stress around food, it’s time to break free and build a lifestyle that truly works for you. A lifestyle that allows you to enjoy holidays, special occasions, and everything in between without sacrificing your health and fitness goals.
Take the Next Step
Ready to build a lifestyle that lets you enjoy holidays without the guilt?
Contact us today for a free consultation!Let’s chat about your goals and how we can help you create a sustainable, enjoyable, and healthy life for you and your family.
