staying on track on vacation - need advice

slh2501

I'm going on vacation in 2 weeks and am worried about staying on track with my new fitness outlook. My boyfriend and I will be staying with his mother in rural Michigan. I won't have a gym, but I know I'll be able to do some walking and we will be doing yard work and house repairs. But for food, we'll be eating a lot of his mom's home cooking or fast food. I'm now used to looking up and logging in MFP everything I eat. Not only will I not know all of the ingredients in a meal, but I won't have computer access either for the whole week.

Any advice on maintaining my fitness program while enjoying my vacation and not worrying about everything I eat would be appreciated.

gingabebe

Be gracious and eat his mom's food, just try to eat more of the healthier stuff. It is a challenge to get healthier fast food. I was in Michigan and they have these meat pie like things, pasties (PA-sties is I think is how they pronounce it) oh my goodness they are good. If you are doing house repairs and yard work you probably burn it all off anyway- have fun!

hoekseel

Focus on portions. We rural Michiganders like to eat and eat a lot. :] So just make sure you don't overflow your plate. And make sure you take nice long walks through the beautiful countryside. But most importantly, enjoy yourself!

dwalt15110

You can always connect to MFP through an app on your phone. The only things restricted are forums and blogs. You can also say "Oooo this is so good. What's in it?" or "Would you mind sharing the recipe with me for this?" As for fast food. Go on the websites and access the nutrition info. That way you can plan ahead to see what you can eat. Most have salads, fruit, and grilled chicken of some sort. The key to salads is to either choose the right dressing or not use any. Most of those places have a fruit alternative to fries. Sometimes it's an upcharge, but it's not that much. You can also choose bottled water or unsweetened tea instead of soda. Oh and if you get a sandwich and see a multigrain bun for another item, ask for it to be put on that if you eat the bun. I have a really small notebook with restaurant names and offerings that I choose when I go there. It helps a great deal to know what you want before you go, then you are not tempted by the offerings on the menu. (Sorry, I do tend to babble)

Athena53

My first piece of advice was going to be "stay active", but you've got that covered.

Write down what you eat. Not the same as getting the calorie count, but it keeps you aware of what you're eating. (BTW, they used to sell calorie-counting books in paperback. You may be able to find one.)

Fast food- if you know what chains are nearby, get on-line now and check their nutritional info so you can be prepared with good choices going in.

If MIL tends towards meat, potatoes and fried stuff, see if you can find a local farmer's market and pick up fresh fruits and veggies. That way you can add a salad and other healthy things to the meals.

amandatapar

Do you have a smart phone? I use MFP on my phone mostly. I rarely get on the computer for it. I drink protein shakes as well with my diet. I will take some on vacation next month and plan to focus on eating clean. I also have a app called mapmyfitness and it will track my route, calories, miles etc. So maybe try that too. I would probably just explain to your husbands family that you are really trying to eat healthier and that you appreciate their kindness in making meals for you but if you don't eat some of it that it isn't because you don't like it, it is because of eating differently. I don't hesitate to tell people I can't have something. I would buy some of my own fresh fruit and vegetables and things like that. I personally am not going to veer off course even for family right now. I have lost 31.8 pounds and have 51.2 to go. I am dedicated to losing it. I am also going to bring cut up vegetables and such in the cooler and cheese sticks, boiled eggs, etc so I have healthier snacks on the trip up and back.

slh2501

Thanks for all of the good advice. I will have my iPhone, but last year I even had trouble getting a good connection. And his sister has a computer, so I may ask to log in to MFP when we go to her house. I'm really looking forward to doing some outside walking. My neighborhood where I live isn't all that great for walking - especially for a single female. And it was already in the upper 80s when I went to the gym at 8am.

PilatesConvert

If they have wifi at the house you don't need a cell connection.

but more importantly, you have learned a lot of skills about healthy eating. Portion control. LOTS of vegetables. Avoiding processed foods/added sugars/etc. If you follow those guidelines you'll be fine. In some ways this could be a great chance to prove to yourself how much you've learned! Encourage the family to take walks together or play in the park. You can be an example without making a big deal out of it.

Good luck.