Holidays and weight loss

Jinxy23
Jinxy23 Posts: 33 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Afternoon guys,

So I'm finally planning an overdue holiday to Spain but have hit a small problem. I always gain weight on holiday but recently I've done so well with my eating that I'm terrified of sabotaging it. My question is simply this, any tips to avoid piling on the pounds while away? If anything I'd really like to keep losing. And yes I know its just a case of eating less calories but the people I'm going with are going to eat out a LOT, which makes calorie counting a little tricky. So if anyone knows any healthy choices and options I can make, that would be amazing :-)

Fingers crossed the weather is good so I can try to swim daily too.

(PS. My current idea is to aim for fish dishes as they should hopefully be fairly heathy)

Replies

  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    90% of the people I know are overweight and eat a lot... I don't see how it's tricky. Do what you do, let them do what they do. Enjoy the food on your vacation. Life's short. You could get hit by a bus the first day your back, who knows.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    Go for a run in the morning.

    Depends on where in Spain you are going. If you are hoping for healthy fish dishes, you'd better hope you are going to proper Spain and not Costa Del East End
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,346 Member
    Activity! Swim if you can, walk everywhere, take the stairs (jog up them, even), find a beautiful track to take a morning run... If you can't keep your calories low, earn the extra you need :)
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    I have found that holidays/business trips are actually quite a good opportunity to make healthy changes, or do something which I just haven't had time to figure out, so I don't look at it as a minefield any more.

    Go for a (fast) walk on the beach, focus on more mindful eating when you eat out, eating fruit every morning or rent bicycles.. It depends on where you're going and who you're going with.

    I usually go for the fish options when I eat out as well. Works for me.
  • nj303
    nj303 Posts: 11 Member
    The internet is a great invention. This kind of homework will save you lots of angst : Look at the cities you will be visiting and review their menus AHEAD OF YOUR TRIP. Look up the most acceptable meals (in Calories) and make a list. Suggest to others the most acceptable on your list. They won't go along with all your suggestions, but, hopefully, most of them. I do this when I am traveling to new cities and it really becomes an adventure to look forward too instead of an unsolvable problem.
  • Jinxy23
    Jinxy23 Posts: 33 Member
    Thanks for the advice guys. It looks like we might be going to majorca now but not the Palma side. With the exception of a couple of people in my group most seem to like more traditional foods, so hopefully I can eat mainly grilled chicken or fish (being careful of sauces though).

    I am also surpringly tempted with the idea of a morning jog, despite not being much of a runner
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,708 Member
    Go for a run in the morning.

    Depends on where in Spain you are going. If you are hoping for healthy fish dishes, you'd better hope you are going to proper Spain and not Costa Del East End

    With a little bit of planning and forethought that is not true at all.
    People always forget that this area is not only full of tourists, but also full of local Spanish people who live and work there and who do not eat like German or Brish tourists.
    When I am in that area I stay away from tourist restaurants, which is easy to do, because I am neither interested in German tourist food ( I cook my own if I want food from my home country, which is not very often ) and bangers & mash are also not exactly what I am looking for in Spain. There are many fish dishes to be had. I avoid the sauced ones and eat the fish plain, broiled with veggies or a salad.
    Often at night I make several tapas my dinner and have never gained weight.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Generally speaking, when I've gained weight traveling it is all water weight. I spent a long weekend traveling to Colorado a couple of weeks ago...I left on a Thursday and weighed in at 183.5 Lbs...I weighed in again on Monday morning after arriving home Sunday evening and I weighed 186.7 Lbs....by Wednesday morning I was down to 182.3 Lbs. That's all water weight.

    I really don't worry about it...life is short and I'd prefer to enjoy my vacation without thinking about every little calories. I generally try to make a conscious effort to make good decisions (I do this in life anyway) and practice portion control and moderation just as I do at home. I also tend to be out and about walking and doing whatever there is to be doing when I'm traveling so I'm usually more generally active than I would be at home. I also usually bring my running shoes and try to squeeze in a good jog here and there...I really enjoy jogging in new places.
  • alisonmarytuck
    alisonmarytuck Posts: 68 Member
    Things that have helped me when on vacation:

    White wine spritzers made with a small white wine in a long glass topped up with soda water. Lower calories than most other alcoholic drinks!

    Always having salad with whatever I eating

    Generally avoiding things in rich sauces and going for grilled dishes

    Restaurants that have small and large servings - going for the small!

    Only having a dessert or starter if there is something I really fancy eating ; if there isn't salad for a starter and just coffee /tea when others have dessert

    Filling my plate with vegetables if self service

    Small portions of everything I fancy if self service

    Keeping active; walking as much as possible, runs if possible

    Having said all of that, I do think it is important to enjoy every minute of your vacation, so not stressing too much and make sure when you get back that you up the activity, get back to the logging and don't eat back the exercise calories for a while. Last ti.e I went away for a week , doing all of above, I put on 2lbs (I inevitable ate/drank more than normal) but I lost it and started losing again within a week once back. Enjoy your break ????
  • Calamitycazza
    Calamitycazza Posts: 87 Member
    I'm off to Majorca in two weeks! And not the Palma side either, we're staying in Cala'Dor. I'm having the same trouble as you so I'm going to make sure I eat well! I'm also going to plan morning runs and swimming and do plenty of walking :)
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    When I went on holiday I had a plan...

    the plan was to enjoy myself,

    eat food when I was hungry and not over eat (I was at a resort with a buffet), the only time I went back for 2nds was when it tasted so good I couldn't help myself and I wasn't stuffed. I drank the drinks too and had sweets...

    I stayed as active as I wanted...

    main thing was I enjoyed myself...did I gain...a bit but it wasn't there for long...4lbs up in 12 days...it was gone in 2 weeks...
  • Eoghann
    Eoghann Posts: 130 Member
    It's a holiday... the idea is to relax, get away from your regular routine and enjoy yourself.

    Personally I would ease up on the diet a bit. You can still be mindful of portion sizes while allowing yourself to enjoy restaurants.

    And I find that on vacation it's usually fairly easy to stay active. It might not be the more rigid exercise routines you do at home, but all movement counts.

    But mainly, don't stress and enjoy.
  • Foodiethinking
    Foodiethinking Posts: 240 Member
    Don't think anyone has mentioned it, but watch out for tapas if you're concerned. Delicious and authentic but dishes like calamari are deep fried and come with heaps of garlic mayo. Watch alcohol calories, keep yourself hydrated with bottled water instead. Take long walks on beach and swim if you have access to a pool- a few lengths of the pool in the morning and some at night will do wonders. Have fun! :)
  • fitgirlandfoodie
    fitgirlandfoodie Posts: 1,014 Member
    I was in Spain last summer for a wedding (so basically a week of pre wedding and post wedding drinking and eating) my tips..walk everywhere, don't take taxis. Go swimming early morning if your accomidation has a pool (early morning before it's crazy busy and the heat isn't over powering) Do try to avoid tapas every day, even though it is amazing, I found that it was very filling and when I was eating again later on, it was extra food that I really didn't need.
    Try not to drink during the day, stick with water until evening (or late afternoon - it is a holiday afterall) . Grillled fish and chicken is always a good option (but if you're in and around Malaga I'd recommend finding a good restaurant and get a traditional pork dish..amazing!)
    Mainly just try to stick to you're normal habits with breakfast and lunch, get a bit of exercise and exercise portion control at dinner (easier said than done) but ENJOY yourself - I was there like I said for a week of serious indulgence and only gained 3 lbs - gone within a month of being back :-)
  • Nanskinny
    Nanskinny Posts: 4
    When ever I traveled, I took something to eat with me, such as almonds and beef jerky. That way no matter how long it took to eat a regular meal, I was not starved. You don't know where or when you may get stuck (airport) and a meal is out of sight for a prolonged period of time and the options that are available to you are too high in calories/carbohydrates. Have fun on your vacation.

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