Logging when out of town

rachgarm
rachgarm Posts: 39 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So far I have logged every day and I measure everything when I make my meals. But thanksgiving is coming up and we will be with family from Wednesday - Sunday. When you are out of town for an extended period of time how do you do it? Do you still measure everything, do you eye ball it, or do you just estimate and try to make healthy choices and see what the scale says when you get home?

I am trying to figure out if I should bring measuring materials and scales with me and go shopping when I get there, if I should bring a cooler with premade meals, or if I should just trust that by now I know what I am doing and just make whatever they cook work by estimating and adapting.

Replies

  • wildapril
    wildapril Posts: 97 Member
    You don't need Internet access to achieve a healthy diet. Eyeball your food, make healthy choices, and don't sweat it. Try to go for a walk during the day to work off some of the calories.

    When you get back, start logging again. I don't think a few days off will do much harm.

    Edit: thinking back to your post, if you being your own food you might really offend the cooks! Just ask for a healthy choice at dinner, and eat that for the most part. It's Thanksgiving dinner - many people don't get one for financial reasons. So have a slice of turkey and some cranberry sauce, then scoop up on the salad.
  • GoatBoat66
    GoatBoat66 Posts: 56
    I eat and drink to excess and avoid mfp for the three days i'm on holiday.
  • mensasu
    mensasu Posts: 355 Member
    If you have the iPhone app, you can log without internet access (It just has a smaller database). It will sync next time you do have internet.

    And I would estimate as best you can, but maybe estimate a bit higher than you think. You can log just "Calories" if you want to rather than all the individual foods. As you say you probably have enough experience now to do a reasonable job at estimating.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    When I moved, I didn't have internet access at first. What I did was write everything down in a notebook. Then when I was able to access the internet, I entered all the info.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    You don't need Internet access to achieve a healthy diet. Eyeball your food, make healthy choices, and don't sweat it. Try to go for a walk during the day to work off some of the calories.

    When you get back, start logging again. I don't think a few days off will do much harm.

    Edit: thinking back to your post, if you being your own food you might really offend the cooks! Just ask for a healthy choice at dinner, and eat that for the most part. It's Thanksgiving dinner - many people don't get one for financial reasons. So have a slice of turkey and some cranberry sauce, then scoop up on the salad.

    Who has salad on Thanksgiving? Do people really do that?
  • Dragonfleyes
    Dragonfleyes Posts: 4
    I think you should go easy on the diet while out of town. Traveling for one, is very hard (for me) to eat healthy. Being out of town and off your normally scheduled days and routines, messes with everything. It's the holidays. Try and enjoy them. That doesn't mean two slices of pumpkin pie. That means, have reasonable quantities of what you like to eat. Maybe snack up on the fresh fruits and veggies, an hour before dinner? And for dessert, offer to make one or two items that have healthy alternatives, (substituting apple sauce for oil, egg whites and omitting egg yolks, and using a sugar substitute). I think your family/friends wouldn't mind SUPPORTING YOUR EFFORTS to maintain if not lose weight that week. Make sure you run by the closest grocery store to pick up some of your favorite fresh foods to snack on, prepare them (wash, peel, chop) etc, so they're on hand and ready to eat when you want them. Also, don't forget to go on a nice after dinner walk through the neighborhood. Grab the kids and the dogs, and make a nature walk (see who can find the biggest pine cone, or prettiest fall leaf, etc).
  • wildapril
    wildapril Posts: 97 Member
    You don't need Internet access to achieve a healthy diet. Eyeball your food, make healthy choices, and don't sweat it. Try to go for a walk during the day to work off some of the calories.

    When you get back, start logging again. I don't think a few days off will do much harm.

    Edit: thinking back to your post, if you being your own food you might really offend the cooks! Just ask for a healthy choice at dinner, and eat that for the most part. It's Thanksgiving dinner - many people don't get one for financial reasons. So have a slice of turkey and some cranberry sauce, then scoop up on the salad.

    Who has salad on Thanksgiving? Do people really do that?

    If you really want to stay on track, and you can't measure everything, yeah you do that. Do I do that? No .. I pig out :)
  • Colleen118
    Colleen118 Posts: 491 Member
    Be consciencious but not ocd like at home. If you've been doing this for more than 30 days, you should have a general idea of what portion sizes should look like. When we went to AZ to help friends move in August it was 41 hours on the road and 3 days enjoying the vacation end of the deal. There was LOTS of bad food on the road and LOTS more drinking the 3 days of vacation. I was carefully careless. I didn't go overboard but I took a "dietcation" and ate foods that were not part of my new lifestyle. When I got home I weighed 3lbs less and it all shattered a 5 week plateau :D

    Just be cautious. Don't tell yourself "DIETCATION!!! FOOD FREE-FOR-ALL!!!" Instead it should be "Dietcation, I'm not going to stress about eating half the burger because I'm leaving the bun on and a (very) few fries won't kill me".

    It is important to keep in mind that starchy foods fill you fast but leave you really hungry much faster. Don't fall into a "carb approved" pit... you could toss caution to the wind if you do.
  • thingeringer
    thingeringer Posts: 241 Member
    You've lost 78 pounds - I think you have this down! Wow. What great progress. When I travel, I try to make healthy, appropriate serving-size choices and get as much exercise as possible. That said, I'm a little fearful of the holidays in general. Our family is all about food.
  • dougii
    dougii Posts: 679 Member
    Eyeball and enjoy. On a 9 day motorcycle trip along the east coast (NY - FL and back) I eyeballed everything, ate some things I would never eat at home and some that I knew were really good options, drank to much on a couple of days when we weren't driving, and didn't log at all. Told my wife that I expected the worst when we were heading back home, got on the scale and found I had lost another pound - must be driving a Honda Gold Wing burns a lot more calories than I ever imagined! Just have fun. BTW - I would not dream of bringing my own meals to my relative's homes - they all are very supportive of my efforts and go out of their way to insure there are plenty of vegetable dishes and well balanced meal choices available.
  • rachgarm
    rachgarm Posts: 39 Member
    Thanks all! I will just take it easy and enjoy then, just don't want to break the habits I already have in place. My family is supportive so they won't mind me adapting my meals as long as they don't have to adapt their meals too ;) lol. Typical southern family with lots of cream, butter, sugar, bacon grease, gravy, dessert, and sodas and extra sweet tea. I'll avoid e beer and stick to the wine and just do my best :)
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    You don't need Internet access to achieve a healthy diet. Eyeball your food, make healthy choices, and don't sweat it. Try to go for a walk during the day to work off some of the calories.

    When you get back, start logging again. I don't think a few days off will do much harm.

    Edit: thinking back to your post, if you being your own food you might really offend the cooks! Just ask for a healthy choice at dinner, and eat that for the most part. It's Thanksgiving dinner - many people don't get one for financial reasons. So have a slice of turkey and some cranberry sauce, then scoop up on the salad.

    Who has salad on Thanksgiving? Do people really do that?

    If you really want to stay on track, and you can't measure everything, yeah you do that. Do I do that? No .. I pig out :)

    :laugh: :laugh:

    I don't think I have ever seen a salad at a Thanksgiving meal. I plan to pig out as well. One day won't put me off track!
  • fitatfiftyfive
    fitatfiftyfive Posts: 46
    Start a new tradition and bring a big green salad for your part. A few years ago my mom was diagnosed with Type I diabetes so we now have a green salad on the table at every meal. You might be surprised at how many people will (maybe quietly) be glad that you did!
  • natalie2355
    natalie2355 Posts: 93 Member
    On vacations I usually just TRY to make good decisions and not track. As for thanksgiving itself, one thing I learned in weight watchers was "Remember, it's a holiDAY- not a holiWEEK. It's ok to enjoy a holiday meal, but just dont do it 3 days before and 3 days after.

    Good luck :)
  • jnn0409
    jnn0409 Posts: 171 Member
    I had the same stress about going home during the Christmas holiday, my husband is in the military and were going on leave for possibly 2 weeks. Decided that for me the best option would be to bring my Total Lean shakes with me to have for breakfast and lunches when possible and other then that try to eat healthier options or at least smaller portions. Good luck :)

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