Vacation stress - needing support
aubiefan122013
Posts: 21 Member
So, I've been REALLY good about sticking to my calorie/exercise goals and have been losing weight steadily. Next weekend, I'm supposed to go away for vacation for a couple of days, and I know the lodge we'll be at will have buffet for every meal. When I booked the trip, I was SO looking forward to having a couple of "off days" eating nice food as a morale booster. But right now I'm getting anxious and almost regretting the vacation (we're going to a beautiful lodge inside a national park in the tropics) just because I'm stressed about setting back my weight loss progress. Can anyone else provide a little bit of support to help me believe that two days of reasonable indulgence (not binge days, of course, just more calories than on my weight loss plan) won't ruin my progress? Rationally, I know this, but it's still stressing me out.
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if just a couple of days you should be fine, I know a day of overeating doesn't hurt me. Buffets are hard, pick healthy stuff (hope there is some) maybe take healthy snacks with you.
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aubiefan122013 wrote: »So, I've been REALLY good about sticking to my calorie/exercise goals and have been losing weight steadily. Next weekend, I'm supposed to go away for vacation for a couple of days, and I know the lodge we'll be at will have buffet for every meal. When I booked the trip, I was SO looking forward to having a couple of "off days" eating nice food as a morale booster. But right now I'm getting anxious and almost regretting the vacation (we're going to a beautiful lodge inside a national park in the tropics) just because I'm stressed about setting back my weight loss progress. Can anyone else provide a little bit of support to help me believe that two days of reasonable indulgence (not binge days, of course, just more calories than on my weight loss plan) won't ruin my progress? Rationally, I know this, but it's still stressing me out.
Eat reasonable portions, but do not put anything off limits. Try to remain active - swimming, walking, sight seeing etc. It's only a few days, and you've have to eat substantially above your maintenance intake to actually gain weight back.0 -
Honestly, two days of ridiculous indulgence would not set you back very far, unless you continued with the indulgence when you got home.
You'd have to eat about 3500 extra calories during the trip to even gain a single pound.
More than likely you'll see the scale go up when you return home due to water retention from eating extra carbs, sodium, etc... but the water weight will quickly go away when you resume your regular eating habits.
Just enjoy your vacation, try to get some activity in (walking, swimming, etc...) and enjoy the buffet with reasonable indulgences. Vacations don't happen every day, relax and enjoy yours!0 -
I really encourage you not to stress about this. Look at it as a learning experience. You're going to face buffets in your lifetime so now you get to learn how to handle them and balance your meals. Let yourself splurge and have a few things that you normally wouldn't eat and then fill the rest of your plate/meals with lower-cal foods if that is what you'd like.
We went to Disney last fall and even though I definitely splurged, I found myself naturally choosing to only do it once a day rather than at every meal. So I might have had beignets for breakfast but I tended to choose something lighter for lunch or maybe I knew I was going to have a fantastic/heavy dinner so I naturally veered toward lighter meals earlier in the day. I came home a few pounds heavier but lost it within 2 days so it all evened out.
Enjoy your trip. Don't let the food rule the day. You can do this
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How lucky we are to have the opportunity to worry about having too much to eat on a vacation.
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My favorite thing about vacation is walking and walking and walking (to see everything). Find a way to get in lots of steps - maybe use a pedometer. Log your exercise and eat accordingly. Enjoy!0
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It will be ok. OK so if you don't hold back you may gain 3 pounds back like i did on Easter from visiting family but I mean since then I lost it. If you can walk for an hour each day that your there or more even I mean c'mon your in the tropics am i right? then take advantage and eat whats been offered as its payed for. Don't over eat but if the food is (as I expect) going to be a lot richer and denser in calories just enjoy yourself because life is too short and your not living this way so if you do what others said swim and just get some intense heart pumping walks/runs/swimming for at least-at least an hour for both days and even more then eat what you like. you do need some fat to lose weight and eating may boost your energy as well as your metabolism and your experiance. Food connects us in ways other things do not and when you can allow yourself to go there-your getting a lot more in return then what you pay for. experience is unmeasurable and priceless. have fun0
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Completely irrelevant I know but I read the title as "Vatican stress"
I did wonder why the Pope was giving you weight loss stress! 0 -
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snickerscharlie wrote: »
I was raised Catholic, and the "Vatican stress" made me laugh out loud.
To everyone else, thanks for the support. I'm trying not to get TOO restrictive (below my established plan) in the week leading up to the trip so that my body isn't too desperate when faced with the buffet. We'll be inside a national park in Africa, so no running, but there is a pool that I definitely plan to utilize.
Thanks everyone! The anecdotes about holiday/vacations when you indulged but didn't destroy all your recent progress are especially helpful.0 -
Do what I do..........................continue your program as much as you can on vacation. I work out regardless if I'm on vacation or not and still count calories. Some think is overkill, but there's a reason I've maintained for about the last 20 years now.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Vacations give me the chance to be more active than normal. Normally, I sit at a desk 8 hours a day, but when I'm on vacation, I'm outside being active.
So yes ... swim, walk if you can, go for bicycle rides if possible. Walk up and down stairs several times if that's an option.
A few times I have brought light-ish weights or a stretchy band with me on long weekends, and I'll do a short upper body workout once in the morning and once in the evening.0 -
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Just try to choose the things that you don't get to eat all the time and really enjoy them in moderation. Plus try to book some fun activities that will help burn some calories. Most of all, enjoy!0
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Be conscientious when making your choices, but its a vacation. GO, HAVE FUN!0
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snickerscharlie wrote: »
It's not just Catholic's. Jews have plenty of guilt also.
I;m a Jew, i know about this
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I spent 3 days in Mexico eating everything in sight and drinking alcohol. The only exercise I got was hiking in the Mayan ruins and doing some snorkling. And walking to the buffet table....I'm talking dessert with every meal here. I put on 5 pounds in those 3 days. Went RIGHT back to my calorie counting, and the pounds dropped off in a week. Honest truth.
Trying to limit yourself is great...but also make sure you enjoy yourself. Stressing over it will only ruin your vacation. Life is too short to stress out that much and to not enjoy a piece of cake here or there. If you are in this for the long haul and don't go on vacation once a month like this - I would definitely recommend just cutting yourself some slack and enjoying.0 -
Meh. Don't worry about it. As long as you come back and immediately go right back to your normal thing you'll be fine.
I just got back myself from one week off where I basically ate crap food every day, and I'm about 4 pounds up. But I know from experience that about 3 of that is water, from the extra sodium, the travel itself (sitting in a car for 13 hours each way) and also from my upcoming TOM. Only one is actual fat gain. But I've done this before and it just comes back off. I just have to be patient. Because this is how I handle life from now on. I enjoy myself, but in moderation.
Don't worry about it. Enjoy your trip.0 -
I love vactions because they usually mean easy weight loss! It sounds like you are going somewhere that will allow you plenty of physical activity. Get out, enjoy yourself and eat what you like. You will probably not do as much damage as you think. Don't gorge yourself just because, but if there is good food that you like, enjoy it. Worst case scenario over a couple of days is probably a pound or so, but it probably won't even come to that.0
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We are going out to dinner tonight. I'm ordering whatever I want! However, I'm eating half of the portion I used to eat. This is a lifestyle change its unrealistic for me to never eat mac and cheese again or ravioli. If we have pizza I eat my entire salad first and finish my water with it then I am usually full after I have a slice of pizza.0
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Big pictures...a couple of days or a week vacation or whatever is pretty irrelevant to the bigger picture that is your whole life....0
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Agree with the others on here - also don't even weigh yourself for a week or so when you return to give your body a chance to flush the excess sodium.0
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Can I just say, thank you to everyone who has replied OP, I have a 2 week holiday to the Canary Islands in July and I'm already panicking about sabotaging my efforts!
All of you are absolutely fabulous! and have put my mind somewhat to rest too 0 -
pixie_mills wrote: »Can I just say, thank you to everyone who has replied OP, I have a 2 week holiday to the Canary Islands in July and I'm already panicking about sabotaging my efforts!
All of you are absolutely fabulous! and have put my mind somewhat to rest too
Enjoy your trip too, pixie_mills! Maybe I'll post an update later to testify that some fun "breaks" don't have to undo months of work. 0
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