Every vacation knocks me off my diet

I_am_the_Cosmos

I'm getting back on the wagon today, but I notice that when I have to go away on vacation (or even when I travel for work, thinking about it) I definitely stop dieting, or even attempting any semblance there of. The worse part is the first day or two after, where I'm still in vacation mode and find excuses to go and eat.

I hate that I can fall out of the diet mindset so fast. It gets discouraging, and creates a vicious circle of over eating which gets hard to break. Even though I didn't eat healthy enough last night, I made sure to make meals for today at work and schedule my lunch hour for the gym. I'm hoping that starting to get back on schedule at work will carry through moving forward.

Sorry to vent/mope: just discouraged today I guess.

LearningToFly13

I wouldn't give myself such a hard time about it. If I'm going on holiday I'm there to relax and do as I please. When I get back I'll get back to business. There's no need for all the guilt and shame. Unless you're going on 2 month long vacations then in the great scheme of things... it's probably not gonna make a major difference.

I_am_the_Cosmos

LearningToFly13 wrote: »

I wouldn't give myself such a hard time about it. If I'm going on holiday I'm there to relax and do as I please. When I get back I'll get back to business. There's no need for all the guilt and shame. Unless you're going on 2 month long vacations then in the great scheme of things... it's probably not gonna make a major difference.

Thanks. I think the issue is I don't jump right back on to the diet the next day, and the ensuing guilt. But you're right: I'm probably just over thinking this, and just need to get back on track. The important thing is to get back on the wagon again, even if you fall off.

beaglady

I find it helpful to log while I'm on vacation, even if what I'm logging is over my allotted calories. I helps me make better food choices while still having some indulgent local foods. When I got back, since I haven't broken the logging habit, I didn't have a real hard time weaning myself off of indulgences.

dani_1977

Planning is key! Depending on the type of vacation Im going on. I pack for working out and try to take walks around town, and also plan whatever meals I can. This last time I went away was for a BBQ fest, I knew that the evening would be lots of walking but also lots of fatty food with alcohol. So, I planned & tracked up until that point there was a grocery store around the corner, and we had a fridge in my room. I grabbed preboiled eggs, yogurts, and fruit. Got a workout in daily & drank plenty of water.

Planning is what will get you through. My husband thinks I'm crazy but I didn't want to lose momentum while away.

lorrpb

What can you learn from these experiences to apply in the future? Are you being too restrictive on your "diet" rather than adopting an eating plan you can stick with long term? When I eat out I try to limit (not forbid) bread, pasta, alcohol, and dessert. I try to have only one portion, or split a dessert when possible, and not have all of these items every meal or every day. Portion control is your friend! Pack or buy healthy snacks for in between meals or when a meal gets delayed. There are tons of threads here on MFP with great tips on how others handle these situations successfully. I would encourage you to take a look at some of them and maybe you'll find something that helps you.

Need2Exerc1se

I think this sounds perfectly normal. Even people who have never been overweight usually pack on a few pounds during vacation and take a few days to get back to normal habits when they get home.

Pamshebamm181

Unless you're vacationing or traveling for work a lot, I wouldn't sweat it too much.

skuggerud

Vacation is vacation.

If that's a problem, you're not working hard enough for the rest of the year.

I_am_the_Cosmos

Thanks everyone. To answer lorrpb i'm not too restrictive: I just try to adhere to calories in/calories out every day, although I do try to limit the amount of junk I eat.

I guess I just needed a kick in the butt.

nursebravo14

You know the answers. That's the foundation. You'll do fine...calories in calories out....

nursebravo14

Laugh a lot...sressing will raise your cortisol levels. Enjoy.

ladyhusker39

Sounds like whatever you're doing on regular days isn't sustainable for you, otherwise travel wouldn't affect your plan. You might not think you're being too restrictive but what happens as soon as you travel would indicate different. Otherwise why the post about "back on the wagon"? If it's so easy to fall off then something's not right. Also you site a "viscous circle of overeating". Another indication that you're too restrictive in some way.

Something I did from the beginning is I knew I would continue to eat out quite frequently especially during the hot summer months when I don't like to cook at home. So from the start I figured out how to eat out a lot and still meet my goals. I've become an expert at estimating calories from dishes I didn't prepare and I keep an eye on my weight trend to ensure I'm on track over time. That's just my thing; your's will be different. But if you figure out why you're not able to stick to your plan when you travel, you'll be able to figure out a solution.