Going on vacation without my food scale

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turtlefan137
turtlefan137 Posts: 9
in Food and Nutrition
I'm going to HI for about 2.5 weeks. I'm currently a the beginning of this weight-loss cycle, with 20 pounds to go. There's one dish I know I love there that is literally drenched in mayo but that is absolutely amazing. The rest of the time it's fruit and...well, whatever is around. Burgers, muffins, fish of any sort, chicken. I'll be walking and swimming more but I don't have a fitbit. How do I keep myself on track?

For reference, I just do calorie counting and don't exclude things, though I end up getting rid of most carbs because they're not a good use of scant calories.

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  • TiberiusClaudis
    TiberiusClaudis Posts: 423 Member
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    Funny...as I'm also going to HI, but in just over 6 weeks. I've tied my goal weight/BF% to going on holiday. Want to look AWESOME on the beach...well...atleast AWESOME for me.

    I was playing with the idea of bringing a food scale and my laptop so I can track my macros, but then I kind of wonder if I'm going a bit zealous especially while on vacation.

    My mentor said that a good rule of thumb is simply to keep portions small, the size of one's fist. Also, be leery of drinks, as they are normally filled with calories...the umbrella has zero calories by the way, I double checked.

    Enjoy! :happy:
  • turtlefan137
    turtlefan137 Posts: 9
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    I'm pretty good at not drinking my calories. I'm also in a place where .5 or .75 pounds a week is really the healthiest and most doable for me. In theory I'll be down a few pounds by then, but I'm trying not to panic. It took a while to put on, etc.

    It's settled, though. I will sneak my food scale into restaurants!
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    One thing that I feel that helps while on vacation is to skip meals and focus on the "good" ones. We spend a week at a lake and I cold easily gain alot of weight as there is always food around, but instead I just eat a very light lunch and save up for dinner and the visit to the Scoops Dairy QUeen in the evening.
    I end up losing weight on that vacation because I am constantly doing something. I still eat the big evening spread and dessert, but bypass the breakfast and grazing.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Practice for real life...in "real life" you don't log and throw every single thing on the scale...these things are just tools that you should be using so that you can eventually take these training wheels off and roll on your own. Practice portion control and moderation and intuitive eating...make overall solid nutritional decisions...enjoy your walks and swimming...have a good time and stop obsessing, after all...what is a handful of days in the grand scheme of the rest of your life.

    Get out of the minutia and start looking at the bigger picture.
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    It's settled, though. I will sneak my food scale into restaurants!

    Why?

    So you weigh a chicken breast, but you'll still have no idea how many calories it has. What kind of oil did they cook it in, and how much? Any other seasonings?

    Weigh pasta, but how will you account for the butter that's put on it after it's cooked?

    This is how I would stay on track for a vacation this length:

    Eat healthy and reasonable meals twice a day; log them if you have access to MFP and feel like it. For the third meal, eat what you choose. Log it or don't.

    Be active - walk, hike, swim. Play outside.

    Enjoy your vacation.

    When you get back, stay off the scale for a week while you return to your logged calorie deficit. Don't starve, don't overexercise; just return to normal.

    This, to me, is how you create a sustainable, healthier life that will last forever instead of just until the end of your diet. But that's just my opinion; feel free to be the killjoy with a food scale while on vacation in a warm, beach paradise :)
  • turtlefan137
    turtlefan137 Posts: 9
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    Edit: Not worth the polite response. To be honest, I was hoping for a tone that wasn't downright insulting. Silly me. Back to another site.

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