Vacation = Fear of Impending Doom

holleysings

Find a gym or make a point of exercising every morning. Eat at maintenance and allow yourself to have fun without going overboard. You can surround yourself with great food anytime, not just on vacation, so don't let that be an excuse to go crazy.

binabee2wechanged

Enjoy your vacation!!! Just if opportunities arise to walk instead of driving than do that to help burn some calories from the dining out. If you are going by a beach, that is great exercise to walk along the water. Take the steps at the hotel versus the elevator.

genuinelyfrans

This summer I am headed to the beach for a week and am already worried about "falling off the wagon" so to speak. I will be away from my routine, my gym, etc. There will be lots of restaurants and many chances to say "aww heck, I'm on vacation". How do you all deal with this temptation? What is the best way to not be so far (physically & weight) from where I left off that when I get back that I don't even want to start again?

Hey, I just got back from a week long vacation from Florida and I was able to stay on the wagon. It is all about working with what you have to deal with. For instance, we ate at fast food places or restaurants for most of the trip. What I did was try and eat the healthiest options they had (deli sandwiches, salads, grilled chicken, vegetables, etc...). I also do P90X but I could not do it in Florida but we did do many hours of walking which burned a lot of calories. Just try to do your best given the vacation and you will be fine!

mayerel

I always lose on vacation pretty much no matter what I eat because I think I'm much more physically active during the day. We generally walk everywhere, if it's a warm or sunny location we're swimming, snorkeling, playing in the water, sometimes we hike, etc.

Good luck!

ConnieB1979

I just went through this last week...It was just a four day trip but I was terrified I would fall back into my old ways. Here is what happened....I took tons of healthy snacks, (9hr car ride) upped my calories to maintenance for the week, drank water with all of my meals, made healthier choices when dining out, made sure the hotel had a fitness center (which turned out crappy so I jogged laps around the parking lot in the evenings) AND was amazed that I didnt miss the JUNK I used to consume, even on vacation... It truely is a life style change not a 'diet"

Oh & even when a few of the people that were in our group made snide comments like "one day isnt going to kill you" I smiled and thought your right it isnt and stuck with my choices!

GOOD LUCK TO YOU, YOU CAN DO IT!

Sister_Someone

I'd say, make the best of what you have and be ready to compromise.

It's to expect that you won't be able to stick to your gym routine most of the time, so compensate with loads of walking, swimming since you're going to be on a beach, run outside if that's your thing and if it isn't too hot... Do body weight exercises such as push-ups, burpees... I'm new at the workout thing, so I can't suggest many, but I'm sure you can think of some others.

Same goes for food. Since you won't be able to cook at least most of the time, pick the best option you have available. Drink mostly water, go for grilled meat or fish, fresh salad with dressing on the side, pick whole-grain if it's there, enjoy the high-calorie goodness but always order the "small", fresh fruit is always there. Fill up on whatever healthy you can find and enjoy a small treat of whatever you feel like. Have an ice-cream or an iced tea if you want it, just don't have both in the same day.

And most important of all, don't forget to have fun!

river868

Hi Everyone. So glad to see everyone encouraging each other. I've been bouncing around SO close to my goal (and training for a marathon which surprisingly makes dropping lbs HARDER).

I'm so close to the goal but I'm going away on Vaca for the long weekend. Push me!

xoxoxox

Pspetal

I went on a Caribbean vacation last week for 6 days. I think I look better AFTER the vacation although I did eat way more than usual and drank way more alcohol than usual.
I stuck to eating fish, eggs and other seafood, lots of coconut water, lots of fresh veggies and fruits, about 8-10 mangoes per day (I love love love mangoes) no cheese/bread/potato/milk/milk products/added sugar.
Coconut water is amazing! It fills you up like solid food, not like water. My hunger doesn't go away after lots of water.
The choice of food was amazing! Hardly any processed foods and an amazing number of fruits and veggies. I also swam for 1-2 hours every morning and evening, went hiking, ziplining, street partying and long walks on the beach. We also walked everywhere since taxis were too expensive. So that helped.
The best part is, I'm craving fresh fruits and fish since I got back. Not once since I got back have I had a craving for chips, cheese, noodles, and the other unhealthy stuff I'm always craving for 24/7!

Today I'm back to calorie counting and gymming

Pspetal

.

pat6250

We went to Spain and Czech Republic last summer, and I knew I would eat and drink my way to bliss every day. Since beer is one of the main products in C.R., the government supports its price, and it is cheaper than water at restaurants! However, we walked everywhere. By my husbands pedometer, we averaged 10 miles per day. We rented an apartment in the downtown area of each city we stayed in, and walked to almost all of the sights. If you walk a lot, you can even walk off delicious Czech beer! :drinker:

skcornett

You've had lots of good advice, so there's not much I can add. If you're at the beach, you can certainly walk. Depending on the beach, the sand may be a tougher workout than just walking down the street. Get a boogie board or body surf with the kiddos - that will burn some serious calories.

A definite perk to the condo is you can buy/bring groceries so you still have some control over what you are eating. But remember that it is vacation and you should enjoy it. This is a lifetime of changes, and there will be days when you want something you don't normally have - so get it, satisfy the craving, and move on.

Don't stress so much about food/exercise that you forget to notice the sunsets!

mrmanmeat

This summer I am headed to the beach for a week and am already worried about "falling off the wagon" so to speak. I will be away from my routine, my gym, etc. There will be lots of restaurants and many chances to say "aww heck, I'm on vacation". How do you all deal with this temptation? What is the best way to not be so far (physically & weight) from where I left off that when I get back that I don't even want to start again?

I don't get why people don't think they can't eat right at any restaurant. Order chicken and veggies if you need too. Plain chicken.

Exercise while you're there.

It's self control, find some before your trip. Best of luck.

seebeachrun

Check to see if your hotel has a gym. I'm going to Savannah and HIlton Head Island for a week in June and I made sure both hotels I booked had gyms. I plan to get up on time (no sleeping in) and exercise in the gym from an hour every day before starting my day. That way, even if I am bad for the rest of the day, I at least got in my exercise.

However, I also heavily researched local restaurants in both cities near my hotels and the historic district where we'll be during the day. I used urbanspoon and yelp to narrow down my choices according to diet and budget. I have planned out my meals for lunch and dinner every day with a little flexibility as far as which restaurants on which days. I have plotted all of the "approved" restaurants on a map that I plan to carry so if I get hungry I have a few choices already narrowed down so that I can find them fast. Although time consuming and a pain in the butt, planning ahead like this helps me avoid being lazy and making bad food decisions.

Enigmatica

I just came back from 5 days of vacation and lost a pound. Yes I ate more, and ate fun things I usually wouldn't, but I was also VERY active. I hiked as much as 12 miles per day. I couldn't log my food because internet was so slow and spotty. And I didn't bother stressing about it. My approach was to still eat healthy foods, have a few fun treats, and take advantage of the opportunities to get out and exercise. Vacation doesn't have to be a diet disaster

hunter624

Just come back from one weeks holiday in devon and cornwall, cream teas,cornish pasties and pub grub.
Now I'm starting to loose again, nothing in food diary for the weeks holiday, thats what it is, a holiday, a rest, time to chill out and enjoy yourself good luck to you.

gauchogirl

Personally, I don't worry about it. I try to make reasonable choices (I don't generally drink alcohol or pop, so liquid calories aren't usually a problem.) I will have a lot more desserts because I AM on vacation. It doesn't bother me though because, say the worst that could happen does happen. Say I gained like TEN LBS in the week I was gone. Or even 15. Over the course of my life, no big deal. 10 lbs could take me a month or even two or three to lose, but so what? If you live a healthy LIFESTYLE and aren't on a DIET (short term) the fluctuations of life aren't the end of the world. Most of us unfortunately live a lifestyle that includes working full time and vacationing rarely. I say enjoy it. It is a bit self-limiting anyway. You can't physically gorge yourself so much that you gain like 30 lbs. If you did, you'd feel sick the whole trip anyway. Try to get in a fair amount of movement, try not to drink a bazillion calories and make conscious decisions about what foods you REALLY want...not just what are easily available (junk foods.)

Have fun!

TriumphNow

Kudos to all those that eat very well and lose weight on vacation. That is really great. Unfortunately, I gain every time I go on vacation. I walk a lot and go to the gym but good food is still part of a good vacation for me. BUT I always get right back on track with eating healthy, exercise, and drinking lots and lots of water when I get home. I know this is not the way for everyone but it works for me. I still enjoy my vacation and keep moving forward on my journey. Whatever you do, don't let it take you completely off track if you gain weight on vacation or any other time for that matter. Enjoy you trip! Vacation is always wonderful and I think we all need it from time to time

bradXdale

The beach can be one of the BEST places to workout. Especially early morning runs / walks on the beach, can't beat the breeze or the views. I live 45 minutes from Daytona so I usually go to the beach quite often during the summer time.

Last Spring Break my buddies & I walked from Daytona Beach into Ormond Beach...

Almost 15 miles - http://mapq.st/LsVejK
Took us about 2 to 3 hours, but we got there!

lovesweetlove

I have no advice, but recently went on a weekend cruise and stayed in a hotel for a few days after. I gained ten pounds, it was devastating! I brought my workout clothes, but only worked-out one day. Between the lack of exercise and the buffets/restaurant eating, it was very hard.
The only good thing is that when I got back, I hit it hard and was able to drop those 10lbs within a week, which makes me think a lot may be water retention, ect.

Good luck, hopefully you're getting some good advice AND you're strong enough to carry it out!

jamiem1102

What everyone has suggested is so great! I don't think people should be so scared to go out and have a great time. Just make sure you utilize portion control, healthy decisions, and most of all: have fun!