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Vacation out of the Country

teacher_transformation
teacher_transformation Posts: 45
edited February 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi! I am leaving to go out of the country (Ireland/ Europe) for 14 days and I am sonworried I will binge or fall off the wagon. I won't have a scale with me which will be the the first time in four years I have gone without a scale longer than two weeks. I know it may be a good thing, but my fear of gaining weight scares me, especially because I won't be working out like normal. I will be walking some, but still, any suggestions? How can I stay on track when I am unable to the count the calories. Any suggestions or words of wisdom?

Replies

  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    It's two weeks...It's a vacation! Diet would be the last thing on my mind. Even if you ate over your maintenance by 1000 every single day you'd only gain 4 lbs of fat. I would venture a guess that unless you go HAM every single day, you won't come anywhere near going over 1000 calories each day.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Enjoy your vacation!

    I spent 2 weeks in France and the UK in March. It was mostly for work, but similar to your situation in that I didn't have a scale, I didn't have much time for exercise, and I was eating out a lot.

    My advice: 1. Enjoy your vacation! (I already said that, but it bears repeating.) Don't worry too much.

    2. Drink a glass of water shortly before each meal.

    3. At meals, eat slowly, and stop when you're no longer hungry. If you have any buffets, take a plate with moderate portions of the things that are most interesting, eat it slowly, and go back only if you are truly still hungry.

    4. Indulge yourself a bit. As vismal said, even if you go over maintenance, you're not going to gain much in 2 weeks, and if you do gain something, you have the skills you need to take off again.

    I maintained my weight during my trip - if I put anything on, it was less than a pound, which is hard to assess given daily weight fluctuations. In any case, if I did gain, I've lost it (and more) since then. You can do the same!

    (Oh, and one more thing: Enjoy your vacation!)
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    what vismal said
    not enough reason to stress yourself, just enjoy the 2 weeks. i went on vacation in mexico at the end of december for a week and managed not to gain any weight despite drinking all day every day and buffets for almost every meal. just be sensible when youre eating and you should be fine, make sure to keep drinking lots of water if your drinking. thats one thing alot of people mess up on while vacationing, they drink a glass in the morning and then only beer all day after
  • teacher_transformation
    teacher_transformation Posts: 45
    These are great suggestions! THANK YOU ALL! :) Any more thoughts?
  • dancinqueen91
    dancinqueen91 Posts: 20 Member
    I am looking for the same advice, but mine is for a 2-week cruise! Worried about the "all you can eat" environment :)
  • teacher_transformation
    teacher_transformation Posts: 45
    I am looking for the same advice, but mine is for a 2-week cruise! Worried about the "all you can eat" environment :)

    Yikes! That would worry me too :)
  • pteryndactyl
    pteryndactyl Posts: 303 Member
    I spent 5 weeks in Southeast Asia last summer and gained about 2 lbs from that trip, and I'm not the best example, but I didn't try to eat reasonably at all (i.e. ate ice cream everyday because it was so stinkin' hot). I was able to counteract most of the extra food with a ton of walking (and no dedicated exercise), so try to walk as much as possible. Ireland is beautiful so that shouldn't be a problem! Just make wise choices with food, and try to limit yourself to one dessert/treat per day.

    Also, I wouldn't recommend weighing yourself until a few days after you get home. I always get bloated on long flights so it's scary to step on the scale when you're holding excess water that'll be gone in a few days.
  • JossFit
    JossFit Posts: 588 Member
    In addition to the other great tips, I would recommend that if you are REALLY worried, pack some snacks to have in case of emergencies. Your favorite protein powder or bar, packets of instant oatmeal, tuna in pouches, 100-calorie packs of nuts, etc. You can always find a salad or fresh fruit, and remember that being a bit hungry won't kill you if you have to wait a bit to find a meal that works for you.

    Stay active; walk, explore, find fun non-food related activities to keep you entertained, and try not to stress it too much.
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