Vacation!

Csauskojus

I am super excited to go on vacation next week. We are traveling 3 days (by car with 3 kids) spending a week and then traveling 3 days home again. I am nervous though. This is the most consistent I have ever been with a "diet" I am down almost 16 pounds, and I'm afraid to mess it up. I am able to make breakfast/lunch at the condo, and I am thinking I will bring my food scale for that, but I need advice! Should I let myself up my calories to maintenance level for the vacation? How do I even know what maintenance level is? How to track when traveling? Dealing with breakfast/lunch/dinner while on the road? any tips or tricks that work for you?

emdeesea

I would just go to maintenance, if you want to do that, but to be honest, when I go on vacation I just don't bother to watch what I eat (within reason, I mean). I went away for 3 weeks last year overseas and when I got back I had gained about 8 pounds. The first 5 of that was water weight and went away fairly quickly, but I had gained about 3 pounds of fat - one for each week - and it did take about a month to take it back off again. But I look at it this way - I work my rear end off on a daily basis and taking 3 weeks off isn't going derail me THAT much in the scheme of things, because for me, this is a lifetime thing that doesn't have an end date, and life happens. So I don't worry too much about getting detailed for 3 weeks (or whatever). I just come right back to it and get back up on the horse. Life is too short to not have some fun once in a while.

ama312

Hi C. I'm facing the same thing in a few weeks. My plan is this: continue tracking, keep up with exercise to offset splurges, and eat consciously. Allow yourself a splurge a day, so be thoughtful about what you really are in the mood for and then have the remaining meals be as normal to your usual plan as possible.

meritage4

and bring some healthy choices to have during car ride. (If you want to know maintenance change your settings in MFP to maintenance)

Csauskojus

Thanks for the tips! I will let myself relax a bit, but I think planning will be key for the car ride for sure, otherwise I will make myself sick on junk food