Calorie Change During Vacation?

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jreeves628
jreeves628 Posts: 123 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone tried changing their calories deficit for vacation? I am going home, to NY, for three weeks. Moms cooking is going to be hard to resist. Right now I'm at 1200 calories, which is 1.6 lbs per week. I was thinking of switching to the 1/2 pound loss setting for those 3 weeks. Has anyone done this before and still lost weight? I just want to make sure this plan doesn't backfire on me. I will still be doing insanity while I'm over there. So, my excervise shouldn't change.

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  • jreeves628
    jreeves628 Posts: 123 Member
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    bump - I'd really love some advice about this.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    Honestly, it's vacation. Go for maintenance instead! Enjoy the time with the family and such.

    Sure, won't be losing weight, but won't be gaining it either. Gotta have some down time sometimes!

    Maybe go for some extra walks around the neighborhood or something. Maybe try to get mom out of the house with you etc.

    ENJOY THE VACATION! :-D
  • iLose2Gain
    iLose2Gain Posts: 138 Member
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    No, when I'm on vaca I eat what I eat & that's just that! lol I do try to keep it health especially @ breakfast! But I normally eat 1600 calories a day so on my vaca I don't have as much of a problem. However, you are only eating 1200 a day so a big increase will make you gain weight! I would just try to balance as much as you can. Go for the healthy alternatives & log before you eat so you know ahead of time! Nothing worse than realizing you ate 450 calories worth of trail mix!! (That was me!! lol)

    You should check out the group, Eat More 2 Weigh Less! Increasing your calories & adding weight & strength training will eliminate yoyo dieting. Their website is www.eatmore2weighless.com & they have a group on MFP.

    Have fun on your vaca!!
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
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    I didn't bother to change my deficit but I didn't let the red numbers keep me from eating what I wanted.
  • yeremeyeva
    yeremeyeva Posts: 46
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    I came back from my vacation and i gained a few pounds. Then I didn't have time to get back on track because I was gone for a business trip for a week and worked a lot of OT. As soon as I got back from my tripI had two very busy weeks. and now I am 5 lbs heavier and having a very hard time getting back on track. So it's up to you - if you feel that you want to put on several pounds and it's worth it to you, then yes, eat whatever you want. That's what I did. But now looking back and feeling bloated and fat I am not sure it was worth it :)
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I don't track during vacations. But I don't go hog wild either. I just try to get in some exercise and eat as healthy as possible while still enjoying local cuisine.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,986 Member
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    Three weeks is a long time. I don't usually log food or exercise when on vacation.

    I'd do like Dana suggested. If you are actually going to try to log Mom's food, then just shoot for maintenance. I suspect you are going to have all kinds of fun just trying to log it :laugh:

    Get back to business when you get back to your normal life. Whatever weight you gain (if you even gain) can easily be lost again.
  • spikefoot
    spikefoot Posts: 419
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    You will experience a bit of a set set back if you over do it. Sometimes it is hard due to circumstances to stay on top of our diet. I would try to limit the extent of "over eating" and keep things at an enjoyable amount that keeps your conscience clear.

    While possible to re-lose the weight I do not agree with this mentality at all personally.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    When I''m on vacation I don't worry about calories!!! I enjoy family, fun, friends AND FOOD!! Life is short and I don't get that much vacation time!! This is a lifestyle for me so a handful of days without calorie counting and cupcakes in the grand scheme of things is not going to ruin all the days of sweat and hard work I've already put in.
  • doneatfour
    doneatfour Posts: 120 Member
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    Just finished a two week diet vacation because we had relatives visiting. Although I had prepared myself for gaining 3-4 lbs while they were here, I ended up losing the first week and gaining 1.6 pounds the second week, ending up only 1 pound heavier by the time they left from the first day they got here. I'm hoping some of that is water weight. I gained that pound the last three days they were here. What did I do differently? I didn't log. Even though logging most of my meals were a pain because I had to make my best guesses, it did keep me aware of what I was eating. Most days I was above my 1200 standard calories, but still kept to near or below my TDEE without too much effort. I indulged and participated, but I thought of it as practice for maintenance. If I knew it was going to be a big "indulge day" (we hit a couple of theme parks) I kept breakfast light and let my hunger and calories determine how much I had for dinner. Now I'm trying to get back on track from my lack of logging the last couple of days.

    Anyway, my advice is to treat this vacation like maintenance practice and log your food to the best of your ability. In the beginning of maintenance, I plan to still log until I am comfortable with estimating my caloric intake. I learned that lesson this week :). Also, keeping up with some exercise is also a great idea. I didn't do it as frequently as I was before, but I did do some.

    Best of luck! And enjoy yourself. Even if you do gain, it just a little stumble on the path to a healthier you.
  • Lidenbrock
    Lidenbrock Posts: 47
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    Go for maintenance.
  • Chetanpayne
    Chetanpayne Posts: 32
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    I have done a few vacations this summer. I do not even bother going on MFP at all. I give myself PERMISSION and am truly ok with that, have a good time and do not worry about it. ALBEIT, I make sensible choices. OK, I have the extra glass of wine......ummm or two, I have the odd potato chip or peanuts, but I do not gorge on those things. My experience is I come back, weigh myself and once I was a pound more and the other two times I was the same as when I left. And that pound or even two was gone in 4 days. Most of it is water weight from not being as attentive as I am when I am home.
    Honey, you only live once. ENJOY your vacation and when you get back, get right back to it. Your mind, body and soul will thank you for just giving yourself permission. SCREW guilt and the horse it came in on! HAVE FUN!!!!!
  • jreeves628
    jreeves628 Posts: 123 Member
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    Thanks everyone! I think I'm going to compromise and just switch to the 1 lb/week calculation. I don't want to risk re-gaining the weight I worked so hard to lose. Thank you all for the advice.
  • amysuespears
    amysuespears Posts: 127
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    Honestly, it's vacation. Go for maintenance instead! Enjoy the time with the family and such.

    Sure, won't be losing weight, but won't be gaining it either. Gotta have some down time sometimes!

    Maybe go for some extra walks around the neighborhood or something. Maybe try to get mom out of the house with you etc.

    ENJOY THE VACATION! :-D

    ^ this :)
  • Jalare
    Jalare Posts: 103
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    I'm going to NY next month and my plan is to change my calorie goal to maintenance until I return home. I hope this works too, but if not life goes on and adjustments will be made to get back on track.

    I wish you the best and have fun!
  • _stephanie0
    _stephanie0 Posts: 708 Member
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    i just spent 5 days in Vegas, spending an average of $100 on food per day...that would have to be some expensive broccoli ;) ahhaha throw in some alcohol (a lot) and thats a recipe for disaster!! i let loose....VERY loose. cheesecake after chips after potatoes...and you know what? i regret NOTHING!!! i dont weigh myself so i dont know if i gained but my clothes still fit the same ;) enjoy!!
  • skinnyfithealthyme
    skinnyfithealthyme Posts: 213
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    I actually lost weight on vacation by following these rules I made for myself...
    1. no snacking. You'll be dining out and eating enough food that you just won't need it. Easiest way to do this is to simply not buy snacks for the trip or only bring fruits/veggies if you must.
    2.Allow yourself at least one meal where you don't worry about calories. It's vacation after all. (mine was a filet mignon with peach cobbler for dessert)
    3. Order sensibly. Every other meal I had was some kind of fish or a lean cut of meat. I ordered salads without cheese (well because i'm intolerant but it's a great way to save calories too), pass up dinner rolls with butter, and don't be afraid to make special requests. I always ordered my potatoes without butter and such.
    4. Leave some food on your plate at dinner. It's not just cutting calories but a very powerful mental tool.
    5. Try to exercise at least half of the days on vacation. If your hotel doesn't have an exercise room you can get out and walk. I even laid down a towel in the room and did some pilates (I also brought dumbells)
    6. Remember to relax it's your vacation. If you remain calm it'll be a lot easier to make good choices :)

    edit: Of course there's nothing wrong with just trying to maintain either - i just thought i'd share how I lost some weight. For me I just had to because I had already gained a couple pounds BEFORE vacation...so there was no slacking for me.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I don't track during vacations. But I don't go hog wild either. I just try to get in some exercise and eat as healthy as possible while still enjoying local cuisine.

    THIS! Plus I bring lots of snacks with me wherever I go so I can stay on track easier (protein bars, fruit). I'm used to eating every 2-3 hours so I have to keep that routine up or I'll be starved and end up overeating.

    Since you're newer at this, it might be tougher. I like the idea of giving yourself a little wiggle room by changing your goals. Once you're been doing this for a while and have learned how to control yourself better, you can try not logging on your next vacation and see how you do.

    P.S. If you haven't already told Mom about your weight loss goals, have a little chat with her and come up with some healthier meals that you two can cook together. Make it as fun and enjoyable as you can.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    I always set myself to maintenance when I visit my mother.

    1) I figure it's a 'reset' week.

    2) Her food is too damn good.

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