All-inclusive vacation, strategies for not gaining?

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  • yaseyuku
    yaseyuku Posts: 871 Member
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    Enjoy your vacation! Try to choose the healthier options at meals, but really I'd just eat what you wanted but not when you're not hungry and try to keep the extra calories minimal while still treating yourself.

    Any weight you gain (a pound? two?), you can lose pretty quickly after by switching back to your regular eating habits.

    Sometimes even higher calorie days will help me lose weight; right after my birthday, I ended up gaining but then losing it all and more about two days later.

    If there's a gym, try to go to it - even if it's just 30-45 minutes a day. You'll also be walking a lot and more active than you would be at home.
  • kiku76
    kiku76 Posts: 352 Member
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    awesome topic! we're going on a family vacation at the end of the month to Disneyland. I'm a little worried about the eating out but I plan to make good choices. well, at least I hope to. I probably won't avoid all bad foods. This is a vacation after all, and one that we don't get to take often.
  • Isakizza
    Isakizza Posts: 754 Member
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    I too went on an all-inclusive resort vacay to Mexico.

    What helped keep me in check was staying active. We did so much swimming, snorkel, walk, dance, hike all kinds of daily activities, and yes including the lay by the pool and swim up bars.

    I did my best to eat all the yummy fresh fruit they put out with every meal, lots of water, and veggies with each serving. I still ate what I desired and drank way too much. It was nice that they also provided a very nice well equipped gym for my use.

    All in all, I lost an extra quick 5-10 lbs before going. And when I got back, I gained about 5 or so lbs back. Broken even, pretty much started where I left off.

    HAVE FUN & STAY ACTIVE!

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  • QuHeCTiC24
    QuHeCTiC24 Posts: 32 Member
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    I'm going to Mexico in 2 weeks and I plan on enjoying every minute of it. Bacon for breakfast every morning, deserts after dinner, drinks all day!

    When I come back I will be back on the grind. A vacation is a vacation
  • KristiLeighS
    KristiLeighS Posts: 112
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    with the all inclusive it can be a bit hard but see if you can get menus from the restaurants you will have to choose from ahead of time and make a game plan about where you should and shouldn't be eating. do keep the drinking to a minimum. I mean, if you need to have that much alcohol to have fun then you really aren't having fun, if you get my point. do exercise. swimming is great! and just relax and have fun. try not to worry so much about it. like i said if you kind of make a game plan ahead of time it won't be as stressful.
  • pobalita
    pobalita Posts: 741 Member
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    I go to all-inclusives in Mexico at least once per year (twice this year already). In general, I just forget about dieting for a few days but I do a few things to reduce the damage.

    I limit sugary drinks. Alcohol with club soda, martinis, bloody Mary's, champagne, beer, etc.have way less calories than margaritas, coco locos, and mudslides.

    I eat at the ala cartes as much as possible for dinner and avoid the buffets.

    I try to walk instead of take the carts. I always say I'm going to exerscise and bring my gym clothes, but I never actually go.

    You will be so busy walking, swimming, etc, that you will likely burn more calories than normal. I gained no weight after 9 days in January (but I had BAD food poisoning). I gained 2 pounds after 11 days in April.
  • sz8soon
    sz8soon Posts: 816 Member
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    you did not get fat in 5 days- you aren't going to this time either. Stay active, move and enjoy the food!
  • MayaSPapaya
    MayaSPapaya Posts: 735 Member
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    I'm going to California in a little over a month, and I plan on ordering whatever I want. Now, that doesn't mean I'm going to go overboard and have a ton of fried stuff and stuff like that, but it's a vacation, enjoy yourself! Try not to eat the whole portion restaurants serve you and watch the buffet. Little things like that can make a huge difference. Also keep in mind that you will be walking/swimming a lot, and that does burn calories.
    The most weight you'll gain is maybe like a pound or two, which will drop right off when you come home and go back to your routine. I've been on vacations when I wasn't dieting, and I still didn't gain any weight.

    Also, when my family goes on vacation, we eat breakfast in the room. My mom packs stuff like cereal, pancake mix, etc. Once we get to our destination, we go to the nearest supermarket and pick up milk, coffee, whatever else we might want. Usually I have cereal for breakfast. We do this to save money, and I know your resort is all-inclusive, but I'm pretty sure it helps out with not gaining weight too
  • sz8soon
    sz8soon Posts: 816 Member
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    you did not get fat in 5 days- you aren't going to this time either. Stay active, move and enjoy the food!

    eta: I'm not calling the OP fat- just simply stating that weight gain didn't happen overnight.
  • Babeskeez
    Babeskeez Posts: 606 Member
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    My answer is this. Screw it. Screw worrying about eating, exercising and whatnot. YOURE ON VACATION!
  • UrbanLotus
    UrbanLotus Posts: 1,163 Member
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    Also, when my family goes on vacation, we eat breakfast in the room. My mom packs stuff like cereal, pancake mix, etc. Once we get to our destination, we go to the nearest supermarket and pick up milk, coffee, whatever else we might want. Usually I have cereal for breakfast. We do this to save money, and I know your resort is all-inclusive, but I'm pretty sure it helps out with not gaining weight too

    Yeah this is my strategy for US trips, I've been packing a bunch of healthy snacks for road trips and stuff...but Mexico, no car, doubtful there is a supermarket walking distance, all inclusive...doesn't really seem feasible, though I'm sure I can go light on breakfast with fruit and stuff at the resort.

    So I think thats my plan - light healthy breakfast, no day drinking, try to watch calories for lunch, and kind of eat whatever i want at dinner, and drink when we got out at night. I'm not a big drinker so I usually like fruity/girly drinks, but I'll try to stay away from those completely (ok maybe ONE coco loco lol). And I will walk a lot/not take the cart, swim a ton etc. Fingers crossed for no gain!!
  • hungrywhodat
    hungrywhodat Posts: 40 Member
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    It's 5 days. Enjoy it. If you eat 1500 calories over your maintenance number each day you'll gain 2 pounds. And then you'll have still lost 21.

    Have fun. Eat. It's a vacation.
  • thistimesucess
    thistimesucess Posts: 169 Member
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    I agree with all those who say enjoy yourself - its only a short bit of time. When I last went on vacation I found I went all out for a day or two then realised that my body and mind had changed and I didn't actually want to eat everything in sight anymore. I knew when I had over eaten and would skip the next meal because I just couldn't face it. If this is a lifestyle change you will notice natural differences even when you're on holiday!
  • UrbanLotus
    UrbanLotus Posts: 1,163 Member
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    I agree with all those who say enjoy yourself - its only a short bit of time. When I last went on vacation I found I went all out for a day or two then realised that my body and mind had changed and I didn't actually want to eat everything in sight anymore. I knew when I had over eaten and would skip the next meal because I just couldn't face it. If this is a lifestyle change you will notice natural differences even when you're on holiday!

    Ooo good point, I hope I notice this difference as well!
  • bobbijodmb
    bobbijodmb Posts: 463 Member
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    I have traveled a lot throught my weightloss journey. I love to travel and just because I am losing weight doesn't mean I can't have fun.

    So here are my suggestions: Decide if you want to maintain while you are gone or lose weight while you are gone. I have done both of these. On a cruise I was on recently, they said the average person gains 7-10 lbs on a 7 day cruise. I was like oh not me.

    the nice part is that I am really really active on vacation- I go dancing, swimming, a ton of walking, more dancing, etc. So I am burning more calories than sitting at my desk at work.

    I think have fun but just be mindful of little things- do you need dessert after every meal or just 1 meal? This right here is a major factor-- I went on a cruise last year with friends- most of them are tiny and they had 3 deserts a day. I had one a day- didn't feel deprived, but didn't want to gain weight. I came home weighing 2 lbs less and they each weighed 5+ lbs.

    Also-- when I drink on vacation (because I am drinking more than I do here) I try to find fun low calories drinks so I can drink more. Seltzer water and vodka with lemon and limes vs a daquari =)

    enjoy and have fun!

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