Vacation Success

SingRunTing · August 2014

I just wanted add another post to the vacation success stories for anyone going on vacation. I just got back from a 2 week vacation in Hawaii. I was soooo worried about gaining a lot of weight while we were gone, especially since it was for a significant amount of time. I waivered back and forth on whether I should try to count calories while we were away. Should I count every other day? Should I count every day and just eat up to maintenance? Should I not count, but only allow treats on x number of days? I really hit the whole spectrum of possibilities while worrying about the trip.

I ended up deciding that we had spent so much money to go and may never go again that I was going to eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and not worry. I also decided to be as active as possible during the vacation. I realized that I may gain weight, but a lot of it would be water weight and even the real pounds would come off again anyway.

I really did eat whatever and whenever, but since starting this new "lifestyle" I noticed that my definition of whatever, whenever had changed without me thinking about it. Some days I only ate two meals. I didn't naturally go toward all the fried food (though I did eat enough of that too), but chose more unique and savory options. When I got something sweet, I ordered smaller sizes and was satisfied with that. Even when others offered more of what they had, I didn't want it because my tummy felt full and happy. All of this was done subconsciously, which means that new habits stuck and I didn't feel at all deprived.

As far as activity level goes, I went for a run once the whole time. And I did that because I wanted the memory of running in such a beautiful environment. The rest of the time, I didn't feel like it, so I didn't go. But, we walked to everywhere possible. If our destination was under 2 miles away, we walked instead of driving. When we were at the beach, I stayed in the water as much as possible. Basically, I tried to be active as much as I could, which I felt added to my enjoyment of the trip.

Now, I was completely expecting to have gained weight while we were gone. I accepted it and got on the scale to see how much. To my surprise, I had lost .2 lbs (which really means I maintained while on vacation). Wow! I was so shocked. In the past few days, I've lost a few additional pounds, which would be due to water weight.

Moral of the story:
Go on vacation and have fun! This lifestyle change is for life, even a 2 week vacation isn't going to do much damage if any. Try to be active and make some good food choices, but life is too short to not enjoy your vacation.

rbailey614 · August 2014

I just wanted add another post to the vacation success stories for anyone going on vacation. I just got back from a 2 week vacation in Hawaii. I was soooo worried about gaining a lot of weight while we were gone, especially since it was for a significant amount of time. I waivered back and forth on whether I should try to count calories while we were away. Should I count every other day? Should I count every day and just eat up to maintenance? Should I not count, but only allow treats on x number of days? I really hit the whole spectrum of possibilities while worrying about the trip.

I ended up deciding that we had spent so much money to go and may never go again that I was going to eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and not worry. I also decided to be as active as possible during the vacation. I realized that I may gain weight, but a lot of it would be water weight and even the real pounds would come off again anyway.

I really did eat whatever and whenever, but since starting this new "lifestyle" I noticed that my definition of whatever, whenever had changed without me thinking about it. Some days I only ate two meals. I didn't naturally go toward all the fried food (though I did eat enough of that too), but chose more unique and savory options. When I got something sweet, I ordered smaller sizes and was satisfied with that. Even when others offered more of what they had, I didn't want it because my tummy felt full and happy. All of this was done subconsciously, which means that new habits stuck and I didn't feel at all deprived.

As far as activity level goes, I went for a run once the whole time. And I did that because I wanted the memory of running in such a beautiful environment. The rest of the time, I didn't feel like it, so I didn't go. But, we walked to everywhere possible. If our destination was under 2 miles away, we walked instead of driving. When we were at the beach, I stayed in the water as much as possible. Basically, I tried to be active as much as I could, which I felt added to my enjoyment of the trip.

Now, I was completely expecting to have gained weight while we were gone. I accepted it and got on the scale to see how much. To my surprise, I had lost .2 lbs (which really means I maintained while on vacation). Wow! I was so shocked. In the past few days, I've lost a few additional pounds, which would be due to water weight.

Moral of the story:
Go on vacation and have fun! This lifestyle change is for life, even a 2 week vacation isn't going to do much damage if any. Try to be active and make some good food choices, but life is too short to not enjoy your vacation.

Thanks for the info. I recently went on vaca and did very well too. I cooked tho because we were at the beach and there was a kitchen in the room. My next vaca is November and I will keep all this in mind cause I too am in it for the long haul!!! I look forward to going to Hawaii in the near future...

06cindy · May 2015

I know its been almost a year since you wrote this, but if OP sees this - Thank You for sharing! I'm about to embark on a 10 day trip, 8 of which is a cruise. Cruises are notorious for constantly feeding the guests. LOL. I am SO worried that my months of counting calories are going to be ruined by such a long break. Your story gives me hope that it will turn out just fine, and I should enjoy myself and not stress over it. Thank You!

SeriouslySta · May 2015

06cindy wrote: »

I know its been almost a year since you wrote this, but if OP sees this - Thank You for sharing! I'm about to embark on a 10 day trip, 8 of which is a cruise. Cruises are notorious for constantly feeding the guests. LOL. I am SO worried that my months of counting calories are going to be ruined by such a long break. Your story gives me hope that it will turn out just fine, and I should enjoy myself and not stress over it. Thank You!

We have done a couple of family cruises, and, while I ate like a Queen, I still lost weight.

I'm not sure, obviously, if you've done a billion cruises before, or whether this is your first - So, here goes:

The wonderful thing about cruises is that the dining room servers really want to make you happy!
They generally can combine the protein from one dish with the sides from another, if that is what you want. Or, you can order two appetizers, and skip the entrée -- whatever works best for you.

We have tried 2 different cruise lines, but on both, the wait staff quickly figured out how much I love my veggies - and that I was looking for healthier, tasty options. They answered preparation questions, made recommendations, brought extra veggies (unasked), and even brought me dishes that weren't on the evening's menu, just because they figured I would like them!

(The evening menu is usually posted in the morning, so you can arm yourself in advance.)

There were more caloric pitfalls in the casual buffet deck dining options (except Yay! fresh fruit!), but I was blown away by the formal dining room.
Oh! and the dining room does do custom-cook breakfasts (at least they did on ours), and there could also be a café option that does eggs and omelettes (also a possibility in the buffet?).

As far as the rest:
I loved exploring every nook and cranny of the ship, and took full advantage of the walking 'path' on deck. We also took the stairs as much as possible, rather than the lifts. Even without factoring in excursions (snorkeling? hiking? kayaking?), there is a lot of opportunity to get your steps in! Or, of course, you could just dance all your calories off...

Bon Voyage!

Vacation Success

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