How to plan for vacations with no computer access?

stongue

Would love some advice from others who have gone on vacations where they did not have access to a computer. I won't be able to log into MFP or access my journals so I need to come up with an alternative plan. What seems to work the best for you?

xonophone

I have a book called "Food Counts." I bought it many years ago but I'm sure it has been republished with updated information since then. It is my default, when I have no other means I get out the calculator (cell phone calculator works just fine) and look things up in the book. It's a lot more time consuming that way but it will keep you accountable. Enjoy your holiday!

knittygirl52

Yeah, that's tricky. I just got back from mine and I wasn't terrible but I did gain 1 pound over two weeks.

Next time I plan to buy a calorie book right before I leave (so it has the most recent updates of restaurant calories). I don't know what else to do. Of course, keeping active while you're gone is good, too.

hesse_v

Keep a journal of what you ate. It will be harder to count calories, so just try your very best to eat everything in moderation. Im sure you know what foods to stay away from! Just dont change your eatting habits, and Best of luck!!!

4lafz

I go on a cruise in August and I am pretty good at knowing what is good and what is bad. I am gonna wing it, order healthy and use the gym. I will keep paper and pencil to log what I eat and enter when I get home (or log on in the computer lab if I have any time). I am hoping that all the excusions will give me plenty of walking!

xonophone

I go on a cruise in August and I am pretty good at knowing what is good and what is bad. I am gonna wing it, order healthy and use the gym. I will keep paper and pencil to log what I eat and enter when I get home (or log on in the computer lab if I have any time). I am hoping that all the excusions will give me plenty of walking!

Are you serious?? You're going on a CRUISE and you're going to WING IT???:noway: I've never been but I heard that those trips are just food orgies!!! You are a stronger woman than I if you can pull that off

ssmom

Writing things down helps me see what I've had and I can estimate. When I don't write it down I'll forget those little things I had along the way. Also I try to make healthier choices and keep moving.

sheltieroger

I went on a 4 month cruise last year and lost 30 pounds....you just have to have a plan. For me, I ate the same breakfast and lunch as I would at home....fruit and yogurt...and a salad with protein. Then at supper I would eat what I wanted (within reason) and stay away from the bread basket. I would order carefully in that I wouldn't have a high calorie appy, soup, salad, main course and dessert. I would pick which I wanted most and order lower calorie for everything else. At buffets I always take the smallest plate they have.

My goal on holidays is to maintain...and I have been successful so far!

Good luck and enjoy!!
Beth

needamulligan

I went on a 4 month cruise last year and lost 30 pounds....you just have to have a plan. For me, I ate the same breakfast and lunch as I would at home....fruit and yogurt...and a salad with protein. Then at supper I would eat what I wanted (within reason) and stay away from the bread basket. I would order carefully in that I wouldn't have a high calorie appy, soup, salad, main course and dessert. I would pick which I wanted most and order lower calorie for everything else. At buffets I always take the smallest plate they have.

My goal on holidays is to maintain...and I have been successful so far!

Good luck and enjoy!!
Beth

Trying to eat what you eat at home is a good strategy! Having unsuccessfully navigated (get it? cruise pun!) this same situation, I can tell you that not writing things down with a best estimate made me think that I had more wiggle room than I actually did.

Good luck and good vacation!

Gorgeous1

Keep a journal. Take a pocket cal count book. Try to limit what you eat to those things you already know the counts for and can control. For example you probably know the count for an egg. But you can't control how much cheese they'd put in it , so no cheese. You couldn't control the amount of oil used on the grill so maybe you have it poached or microwaved with no oil. Not fried or scrambled. You know how many calories in an ounce of filet mignon, so that's good. Same with a glass of wine. The mashed garlic potatoes would be off limits since you couldn't know what they added to it (Broth? Heavy cream? Butter?). Otoh a large bagel would be allowed provided you know the counts for it.

In short, try limiting yourself to only what you know the counts for and you'll avoid a ton of really bad for you stuff (like that triple chocolate peanut butter caramel disaster dessert containing an unknown quantity of calories but probably more than ought to be eaten by a working lumberjack in two days).

Good luck!

stongue

Thank you so much for all of your advice. I do have a pocket calorie counting book that I'll take with me and an old journal that I used to use. I loved the advice to only choose foods that I already know the calorie count for and not combination foods where the calorie count is an unspecified number. Also I think it will be very wise to try and eat my normal breakfast and lunch as suggested. Hopefully I will be able to stay on track while I am gone. Again thank you everyone.