Help! Going on a "foodie" vacation

blahblah0099

Headed to New Orleans for 5 days next week. While I am very excited and I know we will be doing a lot of walking around etc, I know we will be doing a lot of eating! We have many dinner and brunch reservations.

How do you guys deal with this? I definitely want to enjoy what the city has to offer but I don't want to gain 10 lbs in the process!

msf74

blahblah0099 wrote: »

Headed to New Orleans for 5 days next week. While I am very excited and I know we will be doing a lot of walking around etc, I know we will be doing a lot of eating! We have many dinner and brunch reservations.

How do you guys deal with this? I definitely want to enjoy what the city has to offer but I don't want to gain 10 lbs in the process!

I would go, have what I want but not use it as a reason to over indulge for the sake of over indulging, and then go back to normal dieting thereafter.

5 days over the long term isn't much.

Susieq_1994

Enjoy a bit of everything! Don't waste calories on anything you'd normally eat, splurge on the really special things in small amounts and fill up on veggies And most of all, ENJOY yourself! Vacations are special

Wiseandcurious

There are a lot of things you could do - a few that come to mind:

Leave half the food on your plate

Share the more calorie-dense portions and deserts with a companion

Research food options before hand so you know which ones are healthier/lower calorie

Limit alcohol

Have only one reservation per day (i.e. dinner) and make the other meal i.e. lunch a light picnic in the park with food bought fresh from a local supermarket/market

Skip the hotel breakfast if it's included or pre-plan it to make your daily calorie intake lighter

Eat half the food, have the rest wrapped and not take it home but give it to someone in need along the way...

Or just enjoy it while it lasts sans guilt and get right back to your routine the day you return

Enjoy your holiday!

---

ETA: I have may be 20 trips to different countries behind me and can remember at least a couple of memorable meals from each one, and I notice in retrospect I never came back much heavier. Foodie food is to cherish, so usually you are quite conscious what you eat... It was bad habits at home that got me 90+ lb overweight, not the black rice and squid in Barcelona or the Saltimboca in Rome but the nasty miserable chips and cookies and general laziness and unawareness at home... Really, enjoy your holiday, it will probably be what you do after that will really make a difference!

melimomTARDIS

Id just enjoy my holiday and get back to it when I got home. Try not to eat yourself sick, and enjoy things.

girlviernes

You could practice eating slowly and intuitive eating (listening to your hunger/satiety signals).

Please keep in mind if you eat out a lot you'll be getting a lot of sodium which can cause water retention, so you can expect a jump in the scale, but it should come back down once you are back to normal.

Remember, to gain a pound of fat you need to overeat by 3500 Calories, so to gain 10 pounds you would need to eat an excess 7000 Calories each day of your trip.

zoeysasha37

Go and Have fun. Enjoy yourself, but just don't go Buck wild crazy eating. Order foods that you love, and just keep portions on your mind. vacations are supposed to be fun, so enjoy yourself

lucys1225

My daughter goes to school in New Orleans, undergrad and now med school. The food there is, in my opinion, the best there is. When I go visit (which is pretty often) I eat anything I want then just get back on track the day I come home. The food is too good to miss out on! Have a great time! It's an amazing city!!

Liftng4Lis

Go and have fun. Try to make conscientious decisions when possible.

BodyByButter

Do the tasting menu.

JustinAnimal

While in New Orleans, you've got a great excuse to eat lots of seafood! Shrimp and oyster it up! Lean Protein, oh yeah!

ksmi141

I agree with everything above. Besides! One of the best things about New Orleans is the food! I lived there for two years, gained 15 pounds, regret nothing.

softblondechick

I always decided on where to splurge on calories, appetizer, dinner or dessert. And save money and calories by limiting your alcohol.

Pack fitness clothes and workout in the morning. Do light breakfast.

dcglobalgirl

I would totally up your exercise as much as possible. You might be able to get some really long runs in to counteract the higher calorie intake.

Refrigerator1

OMG Cafe Dumonde. Beignets and chickory coffee!!! Ya gotta go!!
Okay, now that I have wiped the drool off my chin, I second the advise on only splurging for the food you really love. Keep a check on your stomach and stop eating when your are satisfied. Walk as much as possible or use the hotel gym. Most importantly, enjoy yourself!!!

katherine_startrek_fan

I think the key is trying to limit excess drinks and sweets.

Also, lots of walking will help to burn those extra calories, especially if you normally work a desk job. For example, I'm going to a theme park for vacation in a few months' time. While there, I anticipate walking upwards of ten hours per day, which would be a burn of over 1,800 calories per day for me. Even eating at my typical maintenance calories, I would not be gaining weight during my vacation.

However, if you're after an extra burn, why not bring a bathing suit and go for a swim at your hotel? It's not only easy on the joints and a great way to burn extra calories, but can also feel refreshing after a long day.

nam985

I love New Orleans!! My advice would be to go, enjoy yourself, eat all the things, and then get back to a normal routine when you get home. You will likely surprise yourself at how much walking you do in a day. When I was there I easily walked an average of 20-30 km each day without even realizing it or going out of my way to do so. Even with eating (and let's face it, drinking) everything in sight for 10 days straight I came home 3 lbs lighter!

Have the beignets & coffee at Cafe Du Monde, have the fried chicken and catfish from Mother's, eat the buffalo-style alligator with mac & cheese at Cochon, enjoy the phenomenal ice cream at the Creole Creamery and grilled oysters at Casamentos, drink hurricanes and mint juleps all day long. New Orleans is an amazing city, relaxed, laid-back and super friendly! Don't spend your time counting kcal/carbs/protein, spend it soaking up all that the city has to offer.

spzjlb

Keep logging your calorie intake, even if it is just a "worst case estimate" to keep you aware of what you are eating. Even better, try to pre-log into those calories before your eat them so that you are somewhat informed - that might help you from overeating and being regretful later, which is not fun. I find that logging in those calories makes it so much easier for me to pass the bread and butter or choose something a little more weight-friendly without sacrificing a lovely meal.

Agreed: Try and get in as many veg as possible. I have not done this (yet), but I have often thought about asking for a couple of cups of raw spinach as a side dish as restaurants. At home, I plunk my main course on a bed of spinach or other green veg as often as possible, to increase fibre and (hopefully) help me eat less.

Agreed: Try to get in as much exercise as possible to help compensate for the treats and give you that virtuous feeling

Conclusion: Like the others have posted, enjoy without fretting but not overdo it. One week will not add a pile of pounds, but I honestly understand that if you have been REALLY TRYING, you don't want to backtrack. Think "maintenance".

Zedeff

I disagree with almost everybody above.

You are going on vacation. This is (for most of us) a once per year, or once every few years, kind of thing. I would forget about tasting menus, adding exercise, logging etc. For me personally I would quick add 3000 calories all 5 days, eat whatever I want, and get back to logging when I get home. How often do you go to NOLA? On your death bed (hopefully many, many years in the future) do you want to look back through family photos of your vacation and remember enjoying po'boys with your family, or do you want to look back at your family having fun and you being jealous and unhappy?

Remember, this is a lifestyle change. A healthy lifestyle INCLUDES indulging on vacation!

randomtai

Zedeff wrote: »

I disagree with almost everybody above.

You are going on vacation. This is (for most of us) a once per year, or once every few years, kind of thing. I would forget about tasting menus, adding exercise, logging etc. For me personally I would quick add 3000 calories all 5 days, eat whatever I want, and get back to logging when I get home. How often do you go to NOLA? On your death bed (hopefully many, many years in the future) do you want to look back through family photos of your vacation and remember enjoying po'boys with your family, or do you want to look back at your family having fun and you being jealous and unhappy?

Remember, this is a lifestyle change. A healthy lifestyle INCLUDES indulging on vacation!

This would be me too!

segacs

Zedeff wrote: »

Remember, this is a lifestyle change. A healthy lifestyle INCLUDES indulging on vacation!

YES TO THIS!

I went on vacation to Mexico for two weeks in December. I loosely logged (wild guesstimates only) and ate whatever I felt like, within reason. I was very active compared to my usual desk-job slothness at home. I enjoyed the food, the drinks, the tequila, and lost 4 pounds in 2 weeks.

Live a little.

acmanna

Only 17 days until I head back home to Louisiana for a nice 3 week visit. Generally, the food is very heavy. Try things like crawfish, boiled potatoes and corn, boiled shrimp, blackened chicken or fish. They are still very flavorful but might not have as many calories. Walk a lot and enjoy yourself!
Things to try (without thinking of calories): fried alligator, fried oysters, jambalaya, gumbo, crawfish fettuccine, crawfish etouffee, beignets, stuffed fish, bread pudding, and fried pickles
I'm sure there are about 100 more things I could list but that is what comes to the top of my mind. Have a great time!

terar21

I enjoy looking at vacation as a time to let yourself have fun and enjoy what you want. The approach others have mentioned of enjoying what you want within reason is great, but I really like to indulge in a meal without thinking of holding myself back. So sometimes I take the approach of focusing on one meal as my "indulge meal" for the day. For example, in New Orleans, on day 1 I may want to indulge in a few beignets and some chocolate-y drink and have a healthier lunch. Day 2 I might want to have a healthier breakfast but have a poboy and too many fries. Day 3 might be a day to indulge in dinner on jambalaya, gumbo, etc. so I keep it relatively "good" on breakfast and lunch. This is just my preference because I don't like to have just a taste of a good meal, I like to have all of it, unless I get full...I don't like stuffing myself silly. I also like to think of vacation and maintenance. It's nice to just have a maintenance week every now and then.

kristen6350

Go. Eat. Drink. Then come back and get right back into it. 5 days really isn't enough time to do enough damage. Just know that when you get back and get on the scale you'll more than likely have gained "water weight". A week later it will come off. No big deal.

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Francl27

Zedeff wrote: »

I disagree with almost everybody above.

You are going on vacation. This is (for most of us) a once per year, or once every few years, kind of thing. I would forget about tasting menus, adding exercise, logging etc. For me personally I would quick add 3000 calories all 5 days, eat whatever I want, and get back to logging when I get home. How often do you go to NOLA? On your death bed (hopefully many, many years in the future) do you want to look back through family photos of your vacation and remember enjoying po'boys with your family, or do you want to look back at your family having fun and you being jealous and unhappy?

Remember, this is a lifestyle change. A healthy lifestyle INCLUDES indulging on vacation!

+1.

Obviously though, still try to make good choices, eating fries when you don't really want any that much just because 'you're on vacations' is probably not the best idea.

Personally, what I do is figure out what I really want, and indulge on that, and make better choices elsewhere. Remember that often, the lower calorie options are quite tasty too.

But all the specialties and things I never get to eat? You bet I'm indulging on those.

blahblah0099

Thanks everyone! It was interesting to get everyone's perspectives on this. I think I will probably end up indulging on my vacation but I will stick to things hat I can't get at home. Then when I'm back it will be like a fresh start.

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Kenda2427

I have a vacation in Mexico coming up and I think I will just do the quick add as well. Eat what I want without over indulging unless its truly to die for and my activity level will be high as we have excursions planned that are all physical activities. Plus using the fitness centre daily, swimming, walking etc., I figure I may gain a few pounds but I will lose them once I get back. I have never been to Mexico and I plan to enjoy it not fret over little stuff.

Francl27

BFDeal wrote: »

Meh, I'm split. I want to like the "have fun, eat what you want" answers but every single time I follow that I gain weight and get demoralized. After a birthday party and the Super Bowl this weekend I literally weigh more then when I started back up a couple weeks ago after a short break which was meant to get me losing again after I plateaued. I'd take the "it's just one day/week" advice with a grain of salt if I were you. Many of the people throwing that around are probably at or close to their goals.

It's math. You'd have to eat 3500 calories over maintenance to gain one pound. So, let's say you do eat 5000 calories in one day (which I can't do anymore, lol, but for me alcohol isn't worth the calories either), and gain one pound of fat (most of the weight you gain from overeating is water weight). If you have a 500 calorie deficit, set to lose one pound a week... You'll lose that pound in a week.

So yes, if it's once in a while, it's really not a huge deal.

For vacations, you are typically more active, so it helps. But even if you gain 2 pounds of fat (from eating 1000 over maintenance for a week), you can still lose that in 2 weeks when you come back. Obviously that's where making good choices matter, to make sure that losing 3 weeks of progress is worth it. I mean, you can indulge without going way overboard.

rosebette

I think it's dependent on the person's size and stats. My husband and I have been on a few "foodie" vacations. He is a big guy, overweight, and completely sedentary (glued to a computer all day) except during baseball season (he plays in an over-30 league). I'm petite, normal weight, and at home, fairly active, already doing a lot of walking as part of my daily routine, teaching on a big campus, as well as working out. When we go on vacation, he actually loses weight because we are doing a lot of walking and we use the hotel gym. However, because even my maintenance calories are so low, I always gain because I'm eating more than I do when I home, but I'm not any more active than I am at home. I gained 6 lbs. between the holidays and 3 days in Portland Maine. If your maintenance is around 1500, all it takes is eating 2000 a day to put on 1 lb. a week, 2500, 2 lb. It adds up like you wouldn't believe. I've been back on track for a month and so far have lost only 3 of what it took me less than a month to gain. I would side with lightening up at least one meal, maybe just having a bowl of oatmeal rather than the breakfast buffet, for instance, or skipping lunch and eating fresh fruit for a snack if you're going to have a gourmet dinner.