Nervous for my vacation this year!

lml852014

Every year in around january (for the past 3 years) I get back on the MFP train and lose the weight I want to lose but I always take a vacation gain maybe 1-2 lbs but when I get back I have fallen off the MFP wagon and its like I forget what I worked so hard for! It drives me insane bc I DO NOT want this to happen again this year. I have worked my butt off weighing everything, logging consistently (150 days now!) and working out/strength training. Ive finally seen defintion in my legs and stomach and I've got more muscle on my arms. I really cannot let myself fall off when we go to Aruba for our vacation. I dont want to neccessarily log bc I want to enjoy my time with my husband on our vacation but I dont want to go back into old habits either. Any good tips?? I'm not even worried about gaining a couple of lbs really. I just want to come back from vacation and be consistent!

Francl27

IMO what's going on with a lot of people is that they restrict too much before their vacation, then indulge on everything they've missed when there, then it's just too hard to get back into it... If you don't deprive yourself before going, it will be easier to make better choices there, and it will be easier to get back on track when you come back.

Don't know if it's your problem, but it's something to think about. And yeah... you have got to be mindful in vacations too. If I let myself eat whatever I wanted at every vacation, I'd come back 10 pounds heavier with no desire to go back to my moderately restrictive (because calories) diet when I come back.

It's all about learning moderation.

monica_823

A good way to stay in check and be held accountable is to have someone - a human being - to report. I tried online diets and workouts with some celebrity fitness trainers: you send them photos to show them your status, you tell them your goal and they send you a diet and workout every 3-4 weeks. Then you send them updated pictures after 3-4weeks and same thing over again.
It helped me a lot to keep myself in check over the past 2 years because you know you have to report to someone every 3-4 weeks and it's very cheap.

Download the LokaTrain app from the App or Google Play Store and go to the " Online Diet/Workout" section: you have many celebrity trainers to choose from. I chose one from there and it has been very helpful.

Asher_Ethan

I use to be the same way with vacations. Recently, any time I go on a vacation, tweekhe after my vacation i set my diary to maintain so i can get use to logging again without feeling like I'm starving. After that week i set up my deficit and I'm good to go.
Hope this helps.

middlehaitch

Ooh I love Aruba, and vacations.
If it is the stop, vacation, start again that is a problem why not just log on to MFP every morning, log your morning coffee, breakfast, or whatever and your exercise of the day estimate. If you are off for a hike, enter 1.5 hr, down to the beach, swimming 30 min.
Nothing needs to be too accurate, just a quick visit to keep in the habit while you are away. It may make the transition back to logging easier once you get home.
Heck you could start (or carry this one on) an accountability thread where you do a 2 sentence check in every day on the forum if it would help.

Cheers, h.
Edit. There is a scenery thread somewhere you could post a picture a day.

WinoGelato

monica_823 wrote: »

A good way to stay in check and be held accountable is to have someone - a human being - to report. I tried online diets and workouts with some celebrity fitness trainers: you send them photos to show them your status, you tell them your goal and they send you a diet and workout every 3-4 weeks. Then you send them updated pictures after 3-4weeks and same thing over again.
It helped me a lot to keep myself in check over the past 2 years because you know you have to report to someone every 3-4 weeks and it's very cheap.

Download the LokaTrain app from the App or Google Play Store and go to the " Online Diet/Workout" section: you have many celebrity trainers to choose from. I chose one from there and it has been very helpful.

Why do you need to change your diet every 3-4 weeks? Why not just set a reasonable calorie deficit, eat foods you enjoy, log everything, and hold yourself accountable?

cwolfman13

I just like being healthy and fit...I usually miss my bike a lot when I'm on vacation, so I'm dying for a ride when I get back.

I personally don't eat a lot differently on vacation either...and in Aruba I would think you'd be eating a lot of fresh fish and fruit.

I leave for Colombia, South America tomorrow...we have 5 nights on the beach before going inland...I'm stoked for some fresh fish and fruit.

middlehaitch

@cwolfman13, drool. Do you have room in your suitcase for a stowaway?

Cheers, h.

I agree with what you posted, but as neither you nor I find the need to log in maintenance, getting back to the rhythm of logging after a vacation isn't something we worry about.

Mmm fresh off the boat wahoo in a water front shack in Curaçao was delicious.

NorthCascades

I lose weight every time I go on vacation. Have one coming up next month, we're staying in a hotel that's the only building on a 30 mile finger lake. We have five days, which we'll spend hiking and swimming. The hotel isn't on the road system, so we hike in, and our room has a kitchen but there's no grocery store or restaurant, so when we hike in, we carry all our food for the next week.

WinoGelato wrote: »

Why do you need to change your diet every 3-4 weeks? Why not just set a reasonable calorie deficit, eat foods you enjoy, log everything, and hold yourself accountable?

There's no money in what you're selling...

lorrpb

If you don't want to go back to old habits, then don't! Eat what you're used to eating & practice portion control on all foods.

hamstertango

Francl27 wrote: »

IMO what's going on with a lot of people is that they restrict too much before their vacation, then indulge on everything they've missed when there, then it's just too hard to get back into it... If you don't deprive yourself before going, it will be easier to make better choices there, and it will be easier to get back on track when you come back.

Don't know if it's your problem, but it's something to think about. And yeah... you have got to be mindful in vacations too. If I let myself eat whatever I wanted at every vacation, I'd come back 10 pounds heavier with no desire to go back to my moderately restrictive (because calories) diet when I come back.

It's all about learning moderation.

This is good advice

DanaDark

Honestly... who cares?

It is your vacation. If any time to "let go" and "go for it" would be then. I say go and expect to gain a pound or two.

If you lose 20 pounds a year but gain 1 or 2 a year during a vacation, heck, lets take 3 vacations a year and gain 2 pounds each one... 20 - 6 = 14 pounds still lost a year.

Yes, its great to lose weight, especially if we feel we have some extra to lose. But we still should have our fun too and not judge our whole progress based on a vacation.

lml852014

Asher_Ethan wrote: »

I use to be the same way with vacations. Recently, any time I go on a vacation, tweekhe after my vacation i set my diary to maintain so i can get use to logging again without feeling like I'm starving. After that week i set up my deficit and I'm good to go.
Hope this helps.

That is a great idea! I will probably do this Thanks so much to everyone for the advice!

lml852014

DanaDark wrote: »

Honestly... who cares?

It is your vacation. If any time to "let go" and "go for it" would be then. I say go and expect to gain a pound or two.

If you lose 20 pounds a year but gain 1 or 2 a year during a vacation, heck, lets take 3 vacations a year and gain 2 pounds each one... 20 - 6 = 14 pounds still lost a year.

Yes, its great to lose weight, especially if we feel we have some extra to lose. But we still should have our fun too and not judge our whole progress based on a vacation.

Its not that I'm worried about gaining the weight during my vacation (which I did say above). I'm more worred about falling off the MFP logging bandwagon.

TrishB1470

I second changing your settings to maintain! I went to Florida for spring break, stayed with my parents (enjoying my mom's wonderful cooking) for half the time and half the time at a resort. The maintenance settings gave me more calories to work with so I still felt like I was treating myself and I didn't lose my good habit of logging every day. I was surprised that I still lost half a pound! This summer I'm going to do the same on our two week trip to Italy. I'll do my best, but still enjoy. There's no way I'm saying no to Italian wine and gelato!

WinoGelato

TrishB1470 wrote: »

I second changing your settings to maintain! I went to Florida for spring break, stayed with my parents (enjoying my mom's wonderful cooking) for half the time and half the time at a resort. The maintenance settings gave me more calories to work with so I still felt like I was treating myself and I didn't lose my good habit of logging every day. I was surprised that I still lost half a pound! This summer I'm going to do the same on our two week trip to Italy. I'll do my best, but still enjoy. There's no way I'm saying no to Italian wine and gelato!

I was in Italy for a month about two years ago. We ate gelato every day, pizza, pasta, and lots of wine top. We were walking so much that when I came back, I was about 2 lbs over the top of my maintenance range. Well worth it, enjoy!!!

DanaDark

lml852014 wrote: »

Its not that I'm worried about gaining the weight during my vacation (which I did say above). I'm more worred about falling off the MFP logging bandwagon.

While on vacation, don't worry about it.

If it is that you'll get used to not logging, then bring your phone and log as you go via the phone app, knowing you'll be over. Heck, fill in your pals on your vacation details as you go on here!