What To Do On Vacation?

cthakkar1985

So, I've never learned how to hit my calories and be healthy while on vacation. There's always new restaurants I want to try, alcohol, relaxing, etc. and it tends to derail fitness goals. For a vacation that is 5 days long or so, it's very possible to gain 3 pounds of fat or so for me (not water weight). In addition, it's tough to get back on track even after the vacation is over. What do you all do when on vacation? Any tips to stay on track?

Safetysuitgirl

When I order my food I always ask the waiter to bring a box so that when the food comes I automatically put half in it! You eat less and save $ if wherever you're staying has a microwave!

bendyourkneekatie

I like doing lots of activity through the day, sightseeing, activities, etc. which both burns calories and keeps me distracted from food. Then I can indulge in the evening
Running is also an awesome way to see more scenery than you'd get in a walk. I don't think I'll ever forget my first beach run

I definitely get the appeal of switching off for a week and worrying about it later, but on the other hand, I just don't think I'd enjoy it. I prefer to just relax my logging a bit, relax my exercise a bit, do a bit of 'inter-restaurant fasting' (my holiday-specific version of IF where I lost the restaurants/bars/Cafes I want to try, and *only* eat there). Ymmv of course

bellabonbons

When I go on vacation I don't worry about what I eat. For me it adds stress. Especially Paris! The beautiful and scrumptious desserts!

Orphia

Set your goal to maintenance.

Keep logging.

Guesstimate using old favourite diary entries if necessary.

Have a lovely holiday!

Go home and log accurately at a deficit.

Win!

middlehaitch

I eat what I like. My body is pretty good at not letting me over eat, and I am pretty good at portion control.

I will have 1 maybe 2 froo froo cocktails a day. The rest of the time it is wine, gin and 0 tonic or light beer and lots and lots of water.

I tend to do 3 week vacations, 2 of which are on a cruise.

My activity level tends to be quite high.
Swimming, snorkelling, hiking mountain trails, pony, camel, elephant riding, rappelling, sightseeing on foot, beach walking, zip lining, kayaking etc.
All that counteracts any overages I may have, and once I have lost the water weight usually see less than a 2 lb gain.

Be aware of what you are eating, if it isn't worth the calories; don't finish it, but don't deprive yourself of local specialties.

Keep active when possible.

Cheers, h.

lemonlionheart

Whatever you want. You have a few choices here:

1. Eat whatever, don't worry about logging, and accept that you may gain it may take a bit longer to reach your goal.
2. Don't log, but try to practice moderation (make lower-calorie choices, eat mindfully) and try to get in some activity where possible.
3. Set your calories to maintenance and log as best as you can, maybe give yourself one or two cheat days.
4. Keep your deficit, avoid restaurants where you don't know the calorie count of meals, use the gym at the hotel, and stick you your plan.

I think option 4 is pretty miserable personally, and even 3 can be a struggle for me. Full disclosure, When I went travelling for 3 months a few years back I mostly did a combination of 1 and 2. I gained 6kg and it was worth every bite.

KateTii

I am a big believer in logging breaks, however if you cannot/struggle to "get back into it" once the holiday is over, I think you should aim for moderation, get some exercise in and make healthy choices.

Below is my weight record before/after a 2 week holiday (cruise - ate ALLL the calories)

Francl27

You pick what you really want to splurge on and try to make better choices the rest of the time.

I don't even drink, and I typically gain 2 pounds on vacations anyway (without counting the extra water weight that is gone in a week)... even though I restrict myself 90% of the time. It sucks! But I have little kids who hate walking so we're never as active as I'd like, sadly.

Sabine_Stroehm

It depends where I'm going. Usually, we walk more, so that helps. If I am in the U.S. and have a fridge, I take lots of leftovers.
If I'm abroad, I try to focus on protein and fiber. I usually DON'T gain on trips.

mean_and_lean

Honestly I don't do anything different than what I normally would. I don't eat any more or less than I normally would. If I'm going to indulge in a dessert I make sure that I adjust the rest of my meal accordingly. I also try to exercise. Sometimes I exercise the entire week, sometimes a couple days, other times not at all.

MelaniaTrump

For snacks you could take protein and fiber bars.
Beef jerky always in my bag.

Sabine_Stroehm

JanetYellen wrote: »

For snacks you could take protein and fiber bars.
Beef jerky always in my bag.

I definitely pack lots of quest bars when I travel.

cthakkar1985

Love the idea of carrying high-protein/high-fiber snacks around. I always have trouble hitting my protein goals when on vacation and it's difficult to find healthy snacks when on the go. I'll definitely do this on my next vacation! I find it impossible to actually go to a gym when on vacation, but I'll try and opt for more active excursions e.g. hikes, biking, etc. when I can. I don't think I can go to the gym while on vacation because the whole idea of the vacation for me is getting away from the everyday routines and enjoy yourself. I feel like it would kind of defeat the purpose. Also, I definitely can't afford to gain a few pounds on vacation because I am planning 5-6 vacations this year and that could add up to 15-20 lbs gained, and that just isn't feasible to reach my goals. I think moderation will be key here. Thanks all for the tips.