Going on holiday and I have decided NOT to log / count calor

CARNAT22

I have debated this for a while now and have finally decided that I will take my chances whilst on holiday.

The idea of logging everything and watching what I eat whilst on I am on holiday is just too depressing! Plus I know how this all works now? Don't I?

I have been here since 2nd Feb, have lost 22lbs and am at my initial GW of 112lbs. I have also stopped smoking and got through a 3 month plateau :noway:

I am not wanting to go "off plan" as such - I will stick to food's that I know are good for me. But I am not going to forgo dessert if I want it , I am not going to restrict myself in any way. I will also swim every day and we are a good 30 minute walk from the town centre so that's an hours walk every day !

How do other people cope with vacations? Do you stick to logging? Or just have a total break?

CharlieJuliette

I allowed myself a total break and proved to myself that I just can't be trusted to make the right choices! I'd reached my goal weight before I went on holiday and wanted to enjoy myself. But the temptations of all the lovely French food and wine was just too much, and I put on 9 pounds!!! If you think you have sufficient discipline then go for it. On my next vacation I will be logging

littlemili

Holidays are no problem for weight loss - you'll be no doubt doing a lot of walking and recreational exercise. Just keep on your feet, if you're swimming most days and making the smartest choices that are reasonable then I'm sure you wont gain Besides you have hit your GW - if you do make a small gain, you know how to reverse it in no time!

seal57

I'm going to visit a friend in a few weeks...I will probably use the app on my phone to keep logging.....But I will just wait and see as I will be staying with my friend and her family.............

Vhovell

I'm off on holiday tonight and well i'm camping so will have no scales or MFP as it doesn't seem to let me sign in on my phone (haven't got an app as its Samsung).

I'm hoping to try and keep calories to my limit but i know it will be hard (sounds like you're going somewhere warm unlike me in a rainy cold field in a tent!).

i'm sure you'll do fine though and if you do gain a few pounds they'll fall straight off once you're back home )

Have a lovely holiday!

Mamoonie

For me it's just the opposite from the previous poster :-)

I went to a 2 week beach holiday, in a hotel with breakfast and dinner buffet. I wanted to completely free my mind from weight loss, logging food, working out, all those things that ran through my mind during an entire year.

I did it, and I was successful on every aspect!
I intended to do some workout, as the hotel had a gym.... but when I saw their gym... it was just ridiculous, 4 out of 5 machines were broken :-(. So all I did was swim in the sea (once or twice a day for about 15 minutes), and walk all those stairs from hotel dinner room to my sleeping room (they were 69 which I did at least twice downstairs.. and back upstairs).
I ate loads... for 10 days. Then I finally was able to slow down for the last 4 days. I drank my alcoholic cocktail each night.. I never drink as much alc as on holidays ;-).

When I came back home, first thing I did was walk on the scale, and it showed 3 lbs more than my last official MFP weigh in, with the differences: first thing in the morning - right after the flight in the evening; naked - wearing all clothes. My next official weigh in was 0.5 lb more than the last one... for me it was actually "nothing at all".

And what was best about this!!!!! The first workout after holidays was a session with my personal trainer, and I was fit as never before strength-wise. I have lost some of my cardio though and need a little bit to get back to the level I had been before holidays.

So, I do NOT regret this 2-week-break from all this weight-stuff, it only did me GOOD!
It did not throw me back and I'm motivated more than before.

MM

Pebble321

Sure, take a break and enjoy your holiday. If you put on a few pounds you know how to lose them again

happy_jax

Last year when I went to Singapore for nearly 3 weeks, I did not log at all.

I do not believe that is what a holiday is about! I am OBSESSIVE at home, I think 24/7 about calories and fat content and exercise - I need a break from that for my own sanity.

I ate like a complete pig (I mean come on...the food was sensational!!) but I also walked about a million miles every day in the baking heat... I came back having only put on 0.4kg - so was pretty happy.

At the end of this month, I will be going to Cuba for 2 weeks. I am not worried when we are in Havana...I figure that will be like Singapore...lots of food but lots of walking...but we finish up at a beach resort for a bit of an all-inclusive veg-out. This is not normally my sort of holiday at all, but after a stressful year at work I needed the chill out! I have to say, I am a little concerned about my weight in this section of my trip... I guess it will be lots of swimming and tennis to try and balance out the cocktails and crepes....

So I guess what I'm saying is that I 100% agree with your choice not to log - you need that mental break as well as a little indulgence. As for how much damage you will do...it will depend on the holiday!! :laugh:

CARNAT22

Thanks guys - I don't intend to go back to old eating habits but I do feel happy with my choice to ease up a little bit.

I love wine, I love eating out but I do also love swimming / walking around [exploring new surroundings] so hopefully I can find a good balance.

I expect to see a gain but have also decided not to weigh-in until 5 days after I get back - that way I will know what the true damage is!

Hell I have not had a beach holiday for 2 years so I am going to enjoy it my way

TavistockToad

You're on holiday!! enjoy it!! if you feel like u wanna do a bit of exercise while you're there then great, but i wouldnt worry too much, i have found that (apart from loads of extra alcohol) i still tend to chose some better options, so you might suprise yourself!!

the main thing for me is to enjoy it, and dont feel bad for eating pudding every day if thats what you wanna do!! good plan about not weighing straight after you get back as well! x

stuffinmuffin

Good for you hun!!!! With me, quite a lot of joining this MFP programme was to learn how to eat and stay skinny and I think since joining I have really learnt so many good habits that I think I could probably cope away from the diary. Holidays, are exactly that - a good break from normality to recuperate and relax so YES I agree go enjoy yourself and pick up from where you left off on your return! xxxxxxxx

Mairgheal

I don't log when I'm on holidays either. In fact, most weekends I don't log anymore either.
Been logging since January and it does get a bit boring after a while doesn't it? Anyway, I found that I didn't gain during those days/weeks. The mindset is still there, I know my portion sizes now and I know to fit in exercise. As long as you don't let go completely and revert back to your old habits, you should be just fine. Sure you can't be logging for the rest of your life can you!

lexgem

When I went to London last year I wasn't on a diet but I didn't watch what I ate at all -- in fact I ate as much "junk" as possible since France doesn't have as many options for fast food. However I walked everywhere, sometimes 5+ hours per day total with few stops, and in the end I didn't gain at all during that week.
I really think the extra activity, plus being a bit careful not to eat junk like I did and you'll be fine

mowu

When I'm on vacation I don't weigh in or log anything.

I watch what I eat somewhat, but I'm not depriving myself of anything (but in general I think I can actually not fit as much food into my stomach as I once could so it's easy).

I don't necessarily exercise if I don't feel like it


- and I enjoy every minute of it


I try to remember that I didn't get to be overweight by letting myself go when on vacations - I got to be overweight by letting myself go while NOT on vacation. When I come home I go back to every-day life, log and weigh in. It might take me a week or two to lose what I gained (if I gained), but at least I had fun.

Stormyyy

I had a total break and it felt really good not logging everything and counting calories in my head, i really did have a great holiday away from it all. I actually hadnt even realized i felt like this until now typing it.

I, like you swam every day but didnt beat myself up if a family member wanted to play rather than swim, i was happy if i got 10 lengths in a day which is 6 times less than here at home...Also like you, we had alot to walk to get to town which we did daily so with all my walking i figured i could drink lots and even eat a couple of cheeky fatty meals like 2 fried brekkies while away and it didn't harm me and i didnt put on a pound but actually lost 2 pounds (still in shock over that lol)

Go away, have fun and enjoy yourself and eat what you want, what's the worst that can happen? You put on a pound? Come bk, and in a week it's bk off again xx

Coltsman4ever

It's funny to me how we associate holidays and good times with food.
Where food should only be a physical attribute of our well-being we have made it mental as well. So many people look to food for comfort.

I'm guilty as well.

MrsBlobs

I went for a short weekend breaks last weekend and didn't log and didn't count. I even had a full english breakfast one morning, pizza for a dinner and was dreading getting back on the scales but wanted to just chill out more.

However, I also walked an awful lot, dragged hubby and the kids up a rather steep hill right to the top one day...and up a cliff the next day :bigsmile:
Got back and weighed less. Result!!

SaddyPants

I went on a 10 day vacation last month and I didn't log at all. We went out to eat at least once a day but we were also very active. We went hiking, swimming and walking every day so I felt a little better about ordering what I really wanted at restaurants, instead of what I thought was the lowest calorie option.

When I got home I was so scared to weigh in! But when I finally did I was happily surprised because I lost nearly a pound. I know that's not a great loss for a regular 10 day period, but if you had seen what I was eating you would have been surprised too. lol

Have a great time on your trip!!

scapez

I went away for a week in June, and I was terrified of gaining...didn't know whether to log or not, but I knew I didn't WANT to have to worry about counting and logging while on vacation.

So I didn't.

I watched what I ate as much as I 'could', had plenty of adult beverages. :drinker: Of course, I was more active everyday than I normally would be, sitting on my butt at work for 8 hours.

Result? No gain, and about a week after I got home I dropped 3 lbs. almost all at once - biggest loss ever at one time!

Take the break. I'm sure you'll be fine. :flowerforyou:

charmainecurrie

enjoy!!
with no guilt
well done with you journey

bethdris

I think I have logging OCD. I went to see my mom for 5 days and made sure my app was updated, and evertyhing got on my log. I know part of is that Im scared to PIECES of gaining the weight back. I am at maintaince goal, and still log like its day one. Everyone is different...try not logging and see what happens..enjoy!