How to not un-do success while on 2 week trip?
arussell134
Posts: 463 Member
Hi all! I've made some really great progress since the spring losing about 15 pounds and developing good workout habits. Thanks to MFP, I've started making good progress on eating too.
I'm getting ready to leave for a 2-week trip starting next week and I'm getting really nervous. I'm telling myself that I probably won't lose any weight on this trip and that's OK, but I'd love to come back not feeling totally derailed or gained a bunch of weight back. In looking at our itinerary, I may not be able to squeeze in a workout until about 6 days into our trip.
My question: looking for some general tips about traveling. How can I make sure all my hard work is not all un-done? If I only have time to squeeze in a few workouts on this trip, what could I do that's most effective? Any other ideas for how to make sure I can jump right back in when I get home?
TIA!!
I'm getting ready to leave for a 2-week trip starting next week and I'm getting really nervous. I'm telling myself that I probably won't lose any weight on this trip and that's OK, but I'd love to come back not feeling totally derailed or gained a bunch of weight back. In looking at our itinerary, I may not be able to squeeze in a workout until about 6 days into our trip.
My question: looking for some general tips about traveling. How can I make sure all my hard work is not all un-done? If I only have time to squeeze in a few workouts on this trip, what could I do that's most effective? Any other ideas for how to make sure I can jump right back in when I get home?
TIA!!
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Replies
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bring some resistance bands with you - they can be surprisingly effective, especially when stacked. and remember portion control. not using it was always my downfall.
and have fun!!!0 -
Stay home (snark! :laugh: )0
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Stay home (snark! :laugh: )
LOL I actually thought about that!
We're visiting family for a good chunk of this trip, so yeah... we can't really cancel. 
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bring some resistance bands with you - they can be surprisingly effective, especially when stacked. and remember portion control. not using it was always my downfall.
and have fun!!!
That's a good idea. My husband might have some... I'll see! Those would be super easy to pack. I *am* making room for my running shoes and hoping for some treadmills at some of the hotels we'll be staying at too. 0 -
You are already on the track to failure, you shouldn't be thinking about 'not gaining any weight', you should be thinking about how to maintain your current weight loss and keep to your goals.
You are effectively 'asking for permission' to blow past your goals, which tells me you already know this isn't a good thing, but want some kind of reassurance from the other users that you can ignore the goals for 2 weeks. The problem is that it isn't the other users who will be dealing with this lack of progress once you come back.
How to stick to the goals? Do this by sticking to correct food choices even if you're on holiday. Avoid bad foods, and find good foods Depending on where you are staying, you might be able to shop locally for groceries and use a kitchen.
If you go into your holiday in a "I'm just gonna try to keep to where I am now" you've wasted 2 weeks, and will more than likely end up just blowing past that minimum through "oh, it's just a chocolate bar", or "it's just a massive breakfast of bacon, eggs & sausages" followed by "oh, it's just fried chicken for dinner", and you will rationalise it with "because I'm on holiday". You'll also more than likely stop logging as well, because you'll mentally know you've blown past your goals and don't want to see the results of having eaten your daily weight loss goal by lunchtime, as you are about to eat a big dinner meal with dessert.
You'll come back from your holiday having put on weight and now having to go through the mental torture of having to repeat the weight loss you ruined on the holiday, looking down at the scale and going "I was at this weight 2 months ago", knowing that your now in the past trip was the reason for it, and you have no-one to blame but yourself.
You can be on holiday, working 7 days a week, or sitting at home doing nothing. Everything still counts.
Your holiday should be a holiday from mental stress of your daily routine and having fun at the places you visit, not a holiday from your long-term weight loss goals.0 -
That's not how I read the op Macau.
Arussel - just remember weight loss comes from the food you eat not how hard you exercise. Exercise for health. Just try to make good/better food choices, and if you can log your food. I went on a family trip to NYC 5 weeks into my journey. For me two things worked, a) I didn't have lunches to save my calories for tea, and b) I tried to log everything as best I could. That made me accountable. I still ate "bad" food like fried shrimp and chips, but instead of eating it all I'd leave some chips. Also when I logged it I realised on most days I'd only eaten at maintenance, not completely blown it. This gave me more motivation to carry on being mindful instead of saying screw it and gorging on everything.
Hope that helps.0 -
I just took a 2 week trip away, when I came home the scale said Id gained 6 pounds, within 3 days was back to just a gain of 2, within another week Ill probably be back to normal. What did I do?
Nothing,
I relaxed and enjoyed my hoiliday, ate and drank what I pleased because I know time will go on and I'll get back on top of it, now go have some fun :flowerforyou:0 -
You are already on the track to failure, you shouldn't be thinking about 'not gaining any weight', you should be thinking about how to maintain your current weight loss and keep to your goals.
You are effectively 'asking for permission' to blow past your goals, which tells me you already know this isn't a good thing, but want some kind of reassurance from the other users that you can ignore the goals for 2 weeks. The problem is that it isn't the other users who will be dealing with this lack of progress once you come back.
How to stick to the goals? Do this by sticking to correct food choices even if you're on holiday. Avoid bad foods, and find good foods Depending on where you are staying, you might be able to shop locally for groceries and use a kitchen.
If you go into your holiday in a "I'm just gonna try to keep to where I am now" you've wasted 2 weeks, and will more than likely end up just blowing past that minimum through "oh, it's just a chocolate bar", or "it's just a massive breakfast of bacon, eggs & sausages" followed by "oh, it's just fried chicken for dinner", and you will rationalise it with "because I'm on holiday". You'll also more than likely stop logging as well, because you'll mentally know you've blown past your goals and don't want to see the results of having eaten your daily weight loss goal by lunchtime, as you are about to eat a big dinner meal with dessert.
You'll come back from your holiday having put on weight and now having to go through the mental torture of having to repeat the weight loss you ruined on the holiday, looking down at the scale and going "I was at this weight 2 months ago", knowing that your now in the past trip was the reason for it, and you have no-one to blame but yourself.
You can be on holiday, working 7 days a week, or sitting at home doing nothing. Everything still counts.
Your holiday should be a holiday from mental stress of your daily routine and having fun at the places you visit, not a holiday from your long-term weight loss goals.
I'm kind of surprised it came off like I might be looking for permission from folks to blow off my long-term goals - not what I was hoping for. Just tips for getting through a trip where keeping my routine may not be 100% doable given the shift of environment (We'll be traveling through 9 US states in two weeks). I do know that I will be able to shop for my own foods for the first part of the trip (talked this plan over with my spouse today).
I'd like to think I'm not setting myself up for failure; in fact I think quite the opposite giving I'm trying to plan NOW for how I can make the best choices possible with what I've got for this trip. At any rate, thanks for "weighing in." (Bad pun, I know.) 0 -
I used to go on 5-week business trips every few months with my old job, so this was always a big issue for me. Are you staying at a hotel? If so, utilize the fitness center if they have one. If not, find exercises you can do in your room on your own. FitnessBlender's YouTube channel may be a good resource. They have several workout routines that you can do that don't take a lot of time. They even have an 'apartment' or 'quiet cardio' routine for people who are living/staying in a space where they can't jump around and make a lot of noise. Or go for a walk or a jog around the area (as long as it's a safe area, of course).
With food, planning ahead and portion control are key. If you'll be ordering food at your hotel or eating out every day, just scan menus ahead of time and try to know what your options are so you can make healthy choices. Nowadays, even a lot of fast food chains have healthier options -- you can make a pretty healthy meal at McDonald's if you stick to side salads and grilled chicken sandwiches without many or any condiments and/or without the bun. Or, if you'll be staying somewhere that has a kitchen, hit the grocery store as soon as you get in and stock up on healthy foods that you can prepare yourself.
Best of luck, and safe travels!0 -
That's not how I read the op Macau.
Arussel - just remember weight loss comes from the food you eat not how hard you exercise. Exercise for health. Just try to make good/better food choices, and if you can log your food. I went on a family trip to NYC 5 weeks into my journey. For me two things worked, a) I didn't have lunches to save my calories for tea, and b) I tried to log everything as best I could. That made me accountable. I still ate "bad" food like fried shrimp and chips, but instead of eating it all I'd leave some chips. Also when I logged it I realised on most days I'd only eaten at maintenance, not completely blown it. This gave me more motivation to carry on being mindful instead of saying screw it and gorging on everything.
Hope that helps.
Yup - you got what where I am coming from exactly. The confusion might have come from my statement that I might not lose weight on this trip - that doesn't mean I don't want to make an effort to stay within my calories and even working out some. I just don't want to put the pressure on myself to keep with the current routine I'm doing now (I'm working out about an hour a day, 6 days a week, for instance). I also know that there might be some normal fluctuations due to travel and I don't want to be upset if I don't note a loss on the scale the day I return home.
Thank you so much for your tips & encouragement! I think that's it - I want to be able to have a few carefully planned special meals, but not entirely blow it. Sounds like logging my meals will really help with that. Thanks!!!0 -
You're welcome, hope you have a great holiday.
Thank you so much for your tips & encouragement! I think that's it - I want to be able to have a few carefully planned special meals, but not entirely blow it. Sounds like logging my meals will really help with that. Thanks!!! 0 -
Hi all! I've made some really great progress since the spring losing about 15 pounds and developing good workout habits. Thanks to MFP, I've started making good progress on eating too.
I'm getting ready to leave for a 2-week trip starting next week and I'm getting really nervous. I'm telling myself that I probably won't lose any weight on this trip and that's OK, but I'd love to come back not feeling totally derailed or gained a bunch of weight back. In looking at our itinerary, I may not be able to squeeze in a workout until about 6 days into our trip.
My question: looking for some general tips about traveling. How can I make sure all my hard work is not all un-done? If I only have time to squeeze in a few workouts on this trip, what could I do that's most effective? Any other ideas for how to make sure I can jump right back in when I get home?
TIA!!
I just got home from spending 2 weeks in Texas (well, 11 days in TX and 3 more days away as pre/post travel days.) I stayed out with my brother, but we ate out on a daily basis. I made sensible choices when we ate out, and had some treats too. I made sure his fridge had items I usually eat and fresh fruits too!
I tried to walk frequently, but didn't stress about it.
I really enjoyed myself, and pretty much ate what I wanted. The second I felt satisfied I stopped eating. My brother ate any leftovers, with the exception of the tiramisu I did not eat (but did eat a few hours later!) We even went to a friends wedding and I ate BBQ and cake... and another day I ate more than my share of cookies, lol!
I came home weighing 3.5 lbs less than I did when I left. I didn't binge or go crazy except for the cookies, and that's ok. I did great while I was gone and really didn't log either. Was rewarding to see that not only I lived through it, but I was able to apply the restraint, concepts and portion control I have practiced for the past 9 months!
Most important, enjoy your time with your family!!0 -
Use walking and exploring your new locale as a way of boosting your burn if you can. Could drop to 2 meals a day instead of 3 if that'll help. Otherwise, try not to sweat it, do the best you can under the circumstances, you know you can reverse the damage when you get back and most of all ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY!0
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walk whenever you can, do active things.
make sure you know what your tdee is and dont go over that, even if you go over your goal.
make the best choices you can with what is available.
choose one meal a day to eat in a restaurant. try to eat simply for the others.
limit treats to one a day and dont binge.
i find vacation isnt THAT hard because i tend to spend days on my feet and moving constantly.
its the coming back that is hard... getting back in routine.. .so dont get too far off plan.
and dont go over TDEE
that would be my advice. i am not expert but thats what i would do
continue tracking,... this is vital.
and if you are going to drink, dance!0 -
Keep Logging and be honest!
Take a bite, is it worth it? If not, go to something else. EVEN if you're wasteful and even if someone looks at you funny.
Realize that you're probably going to go over and forgive yourself for it. But only go over a 200-300 calories and not 2000-3000 calories. The point is to have a good vacation, which food is a part of, but don't set yourself back. I went to Key West with the expressed goal of finding the best Key Lime pie on the island (Blue Heaven). I had 1-2 pieces a day, took it into account in my other eating and never went more than 200 calories over my normal daily goal.
Share the yummiest stuff. Cut large portions in half before you begin eating and put half in a to go container so you won't eat it.
Remember that if you're more active (walked all day every day in Key West) the 200-300 additional calories may actually be needed for fuel anyway.
Keep sugar free hard candies (my way of cutting a sweet craving) and 100 calorie snacks with you. The snacks will prevent you from getttng quick high cal snacks when you're starving and will get you through to meal time when you'd rather spend your calories. Just be smart!0 -
You're taking 2 deload weeks, those are good to do
Just try to fit in many walks and such, maybe some hiking if you're in that kind of area.
Play around with the kids and have fun, you will not lose your progress.0 -
Hi all! I've made some really great progress since the spring losing about 15 pounds and developing good workout habits. Thanks to MFP, I've started making good progress on eating too.
I'm getting ready to leave for a 2-week trip starting next week and I'm getting really nervous. I'm telling myself that I probably won't lose any weight on this trip and that's OK, but I'd love to come back not feeling totally derailed or gained a bunch of weight back. In looking at our itinerary, I may not be able to squeeze in a workout until about 6 days into our trip.
My question: looking for some general tips about traveling. How can I make sure all my hard work is not all un-done? If I only have time to squeeze in a few workouts on this trip, what could I do that's most effective? Any other ideas for how to make sure I can jump right back in when I get home?
TIA!!
I just got home from spending 2 weeks in Texas (well, 11 days in TX and 3 more days away as pre/post travel days.) I stayed out with my brother, but we ate out on a daily basis. I made sensible choices when we ate out, and had some treats too. I made sure his fridge had items I usually eat and fresh fruits too!
I tried to walk frequently, but didn't stress about it.
I really enjoyed myself, and pretty much ate what I wanted. The second I felt satisfied I stopped eating. My brother ate any leftovers, with the exception of the tiramisu I did not eat (but did eat a few hours later!) We even went to a friends wedding and I ate BBQ and cake... and another day I ate more than my share of cookies, lol!
I came home weighing 3.5 lbs less than I did when I left. I didn't binge or go crazy except for the cookies, and that's ok. I did great while I was gone and really didn't log either. Was rewarding to see that not only I lived through it, but I was able to apply the restraint, concepts and portion control I have practiced for the past 9 months!
Most important, enjoy your time with your family!!
WOW!! That is super inspiring. Thank you for sharing your success story! 0 -
Thanks everyone for your encouragement and tips. This morning, I'm feeling much better that I can do this and have some fun in the process too. I need to determine my TDEE (?) calories - I'm assuming that's sort of acronym for my maintenance calories? I'm also planning on logging as best I can. As this is going to be a strange mix of family visits and a LONG roadtrip, I'm only going to have targeted times to workout. I'm going to take a look at our itinerary today and our hotels to see which days I can reasonably sneak in a workout.
I'll make sure to report back on this thread when we get back and share how things went. 0 -
For better or worse, whatever happens, view it in the perspective that 2 weeks is just a small fraction of our entire year and the good habits we have the months prior and months afterwards.
Do the best you can, be sensible, but don't stress about it. I had about 3 trips this year where I wasn't as diligent about logging food and working out because it just wasn't all that possible.
It didn't really make a difference in the context of the entire year because I didn't treat it as a free for all, and I was right back to logging and training every time I got back. Have a good time. 0 -
For better or worse, whatever happens, view it in the perspective that 2 weeks is just a small fraction of our entire year and the good habits we have the months prior and months afterwards.
Do the best you can, be sensible, but don't stress about it. I had about 3 trips this year where I wasn't as diligent about logging food and working out because it just wasn't all that possible.
It didn't really make a difference in the context of the entire year because I didn't treat it as a free for all, and I was right back to logging and training every time I got back. Have a good time.
This is great encouragement, thank you!! I am training for a half marathon starting in around October, so I know that I will need to launch back into the longer workout sessions just as soon as I get back. (I am hoping to drop a few more pounds before I start training.) Thank you for chiming in with your experience. Appreciate it!0
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