Advice for vacation - help!

sunshinestate

So my kids are I are getting out of school in two days for Spring Break (I'm a teacher), and the entire family is heading to Chattanooga for a vacation. I have about 8 more pounds I'd like to lose before summer. I'm trying to get from 150 to 140 - no big deal, right?

My question is, do you think I should attempt to stick to my diet on vacation? What is good diet advice for when you're going on a trip? Please help! I've definitely lost 2 pounds since I started this diet about 3 weeks ago and I don't want to throw in the towel because I overindulged.

mommy2js

Yikes. That's hard. I know that you SHOULD stay on your diet, but that is way easier said than done on vacation. I guess I would say drink 16 oz. of cold water every 2 hours (this will make you pig out less when you do eat) and eat as much fiber and as little processed foods as possible. I know that's practically impossible when eating out 3 times a day but maybe you can visit a market and eat fruit for breakfast and make a healthy lunch when possible? Good luck and just don't stress about it too much - enjoy your vacation!!! I wish I was going!

CharityD

I'm in the same boat! (Literally! I'm going on a week long cruise next week). My plan is to keep moving so I stay in the habit of exercising. As far as food goes I'm going to eat lots of veggies and try to limit the booze. Even thought I can't log in to MFP, I plan on keeping a log so I don't lose track. Good luck but most of all have fun!

RegisteredNurse

I'm going on my first really big vacation in a month (Disneyland and a cruise to Alaska!)... not sure how I'm going to keep up my current low-calorie diet! and suggestions for how to enjoy the wonderful array of food (especially on the cruise) without feeling like I'm depriving myself on my holiday?

sjcply

I just got back from our spring break vaction with 2 other families in a cabin. I had the best intentions the first two days I done really well, I even got up in the morning and ran, BUT that didnt last long. I totally gave in the last 3 days and ate what I wanted within reason, I was so sick!! The bad news I gained a few pounds, but the good news is I was totally back on when we got back and returned to my routine of exercising daily and lost that 3 lbs within a few days. My suggestion is eat as healthy as you can and try to get some exercise in there when you can....and DRINK WATER!
Good luck!

emilyfh

you can do this, bring some healthy snacks; yogurt, fruit, protein bars, 100 calorie bags popcorn, ect. bring egg whites or egg beaters works for the whole family, turkey bacon or sausage, a crock pot is always good, if you have electricty, or grill chicken, fish, pork chops, some sweet potatoes, grill or steam some veggies, but most important, bring some treats, low cal something new you havent tryed before, and just have fun, burn them calories.

emilyfh

cruises are awsome, I went to the Bahamas, there is 4 areas of food, plus a table of salads, a table or dessert, a table of breads, and so on , there is plenty of food, so as long as you stay away from the dessert table, your doing good, the main think is not to be self concious, but to enjoy you trip of a life time, the alcohol is what got me Ikes, but enjoyed my first cruise. Have fun

minnesota

I just got back from vacation and we packed all of our food and only ate out twice. Not only did we eat healthy, but we also saved A LOT of money. We also when site seeing on bikes and hiking through the red woods so i was lucky to have an active vacation.

I will suggest you pack scacks such as fresh fruit, vegetables, yogurt, kashi cereal, light string cheese and when you go out to dinner don't order a large burger order a chicken sandwhich or something. If you must have the burger then just split it.

I wouldn't go off of this as this website is teaching you a lifestyle change and you are suppose to learn how to eat whether you are at home, work or on vacation.

00trayn

I just got back from a Caribbean cruise for a week. The end result was that I only gained about a pound, possibly less since I'm still going down from resuming my exercise and water drinking habits.

My tips are try and stay active. Pick adventurous things to do like hiking through the jungle or take long walks on the beach to explore (both things I did and LOVED). Also, there are some options on the menu that are definitely healthier. While I didn't skip any courses (the food was just too darn good!) I did try and pick a salad appetizer over a calorie-heavy one. There should be a gym on the ship/hotel and it's worth using (even though I got lazy and didn't). I also tried to keep my drinking to one a day. Or when I was drinking with my friends (since it was our Spring Break), I had rum and diet cokes... only 65 calories! It's definitely possible to return from a cruise or vacation and be no worse off than when you started. You just have to have a little restraint, but do indulge a bit... it's vacation after all!

sonnacchio

I had to do this when I went to my in-laws for a week in February. What worked for me was giving myself permission to indulge once a day. You can't avoid it on vacation and it was just easier to admit I was going to have 1 "gimmee" for each day. Because I knew I had that one indulgence, it made it a heck of a lot easier to say no to the temptations I would have normally fell for.

Make a point of brining what food you can. For example, I brought my own box of cereal, some fruit, some low-cal popcorn, and I made sandwiches for the car ride. I also brought along my own case of water. There is nothing worse than wanting a bottle of water and hating to take one from someone else's pantry.

Lastly, I would make sure I did some for of activity once a day. Good luck! Have a good trip!

tdh302

I went to China for two weeks a couple of months ago and just returned from a cruise. Both trips I ate as close to what I normally eat on any given day with an occasional desert or extra serving of meat or fruit. I came back 3 pounds under my maintenance weight after China and came back at my maintenance weight after the cruise. Vacation doesn't have to ruin your eating plan unless you let it. I wasn't able to workout in China and the air quality was so horrific that I really couldn't even walk for very long. My weight loss was the result of less available food and less appetite. The cruise ship had a fantastic gym, outdoor track, and great fresh fruit and vegetable selections at each meal. As far as calorie counting on the cruise...I didn't even bother- I just stuck to eating healthy foods 90% of the time and enjoyed deserts or particular foods 10% of the time.

My long winded experience to say that you don't have to ruin your plan simply because you are on vacation, but you also don't have to restrict yourself from some enjoyable foods. Do the best that you can, stay focused on your long term goals, and enjoy your vacation !!