Dieting on Vacation?

Hey guys!

I'm pretty new here, I just started two days ago, although I've been on a weight loss plan for about three weeks. I've lost five pounds in that amount of time, before I cam here. That being said, my mom and I are taking our annual, week-long trip to Disney World next week, and while I'm super excited (who wouldn't be?), I'm also really nervous that I'm going to ruin my weight loss program.

We try to eat sensibly while we're there. We usually have a breakfast bar for breakfast, a couple scoops of ice cream for lunch (a habit I may break this year), and then a grilled chicken wrap at our favorite quick-service food place for dinner. We're also walking pretty much constantly, so I know I'll be getting good exercise.

Should I allow myself to splurge a little while Im on vacation? Do you track calories when you go on vacation, or do you just try to eat sensibly? We don't snack in between meals, and we aren't going for greasy foods. Would you guys cut out the ice cream, no matter how "traditional" it is?

What do you think?

On vacation I tend to track calories, but not macros. Your plan doesn't sound like you'll be eating excessively.

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Maybe track calories but go up to your maintenance level so you allow yourself a bit more.

If I'm on vacation, I go all out and don't worry about it until I get back. Once I'm back it's 'balls to the walls' time and kick back into shape ASAP!! no messing about. Total dedication.

if you can do that. Then let yourself go, but know it's only for one week and once you return, you'll have work to do!!

If you're not like that though, I guess you could just eat healthy every other day and eat what you like in between!! That way is win-win.

I wouldn't worry too much about logging, unless you want to, but just make sure you are watching your portion sizes. Have fun!

I totally agree...the trip costs too much to be grumpy. I kept some hand-eatable snacks in a fanny pack like starbursts or skittles so my blood sugar would't drop too much between expensive meals. One of us carry a fanny pack with a water bottle on it to keep from getting dehydrated. The rush of all the rides and such can really wear you out. Have fun!

I've been to WDW 5 times in the last year since I started on MFP. I still track my food while I am there. I also bring my gear so I can run while I am there in addition to the official Disney races that I do while there. I don't limit what I can eat (oooohhh those cupcakes at Starring Rolls at Disney Hollywook Studios I will never totally skip those!), but I do find that I am not as eager to clean everything off my plate as I once was. So go and enjoy! But DO NOT step on the scale as soon as you get home if you aren't prepared for the increase. It will be mostly water weight gain from eating out all the time, but the number can at times be scary.

And the ice cream....are you talking about a Dole Whip? I don't pass that up on a trip to The World either! LOL!

I'm going away myself to Magaluf on a girls holiday in 129 days, and for me the alcohol is going to take up my daily allowance so I think whilst I'm on holiday I'm just going to go for it.
Not stupidly on food, where that's concerned I'll have small portions and just be as good as I can with that but I'm not going to restrict myself to 3 glasses of sex on the beach a night to fit in with my calories.
I rule the calories, the calories don't rule me.

Have a brilliant time at Disney and don't let this get you down, even if you do gain a few pounds you will get it off again! x

I went to Disney while on a diet as well.
What I found was that I was spending SO much time walking around that I could eat basically anything and I didn't really lose weight. A lot of the time I got really irritable because I was trying too hard to stay in my calorie goals. Log your walking and you'll have plenty of wiggle room for ice cream. Or don't log. I really doubt you'll gain weight.
Disney is also chock-full of fresh fruit stands and such. You said you don't often snack throughout the day but seriously consider buying some fruit.

I'm going to Canada soon on vacation... I'm not going to mind what I eat. I'm probably going to subsist on poutine, maple syrup and beer. A vacation is a vacation!

^ This... You never stop at disney....

I've heard before that the average person walks ~16 miles/day while at Disney World. I wouldn't worry too much about what you're eating at meals if you plan on walking all day around the parks and not snacking in between. It sounds like you've got this covered, ice cream lunch & all!

Oh no I dont diet on holiday............!!! Before maybe.... Enjoy yourself and have fun....Lifes too short to be counting calories all the time!!!

I wouldn't stress about logging---you're on vacation! You're already in a healthy mindset, so you'll most likely eat reasonably & won't get too far off track, anyway.

NO...it's vacation. I don't count calories on vacation. I find vacations and the like to be good practice for real life...the one I will lead when I get to maintenance...intuitive consumption and portion control. I've been doing this long enough to know what a portion of something looks like and what my daily caloric intake looks like. Sometimes you just have to take the safety net away and practice real world eating.

To boot, when I'm on vacation, I'm generally a lot more active than I am day to day at home. I'm pretty much always out and about walking around...doing some activity, etc. Whereas at home, I'm pretty sedentary outside of my exercise and a little yard work and house work. A few years ago, my wife and I went to Belize for a couple of weeks. I didn't at all watch what I was eating and drank like a fish...I lost 5 Lbs in those two weeks. I think largely because we walked pretty much everywhere and I was scuba diving and snorkeling daily and we were out dancing in the evenings. Plus...eating a lot of fish and fresh fruit...so probably less calories in general than I would consume at home on average back then.

Vacations tend to derail me. Since I am fortunate to be at a point in my life where I take five or six nice trips a year, that really matters if I let it derail me. So I've started looking at vacations as an opportunity to get lots more exercise, and walking at WDW would definitely fit that. I also find that if I stick to my plan and come through a vacation, holidays, or special event feeling virtuous, I am reenergized and motivated to keep going. After all, it is not as if I'm trying to just lose weight and then gain it back. I'm shooting for a total lifestyle makeover here, which includes severely limiting pigging out, or at least redefining it!

But it is important that I keep it in perspective and forgive myself if I go over - and do the math. Like, it would be mathematically improbable to have gained so much real weight!