Clean diet while on vacation

If you don't REALLY want to break your rules, then don't do it. It is up to you. You can still enjoy your vacation without stuffing yourself with heavy meals, desert and drinks. Use your will power and common sense and take it from there. You are the only one that can decide what is the best approach for YOU.

I personally never understood the thinking that enjoying a vacation means to eat and drink everything on site and came back home with 5 or 10lbs extra weight with the hope to lose it later. That is like yo-yo dieting.

You have a month before you go. Really home in on your portion sizes so you can carry those images with you. You won't have to go without a y of the treats, you can just chose a portion size that suits your calorie goal.
You can also decide which meal on a day is your high cal meal and make the other meals fit around that.
Big waffle breakfast =salad and grilled protein for lunch, and a light-ish dinner.

Wonderful fru-fru drinks are calorie laden. Try to limit them to one a day. If it is hot and you are out a very light beer or a gin and 0 tonic can be refreshing.

It is surprising how many extra calories you can burn just walking around all day when on holiday especially if you have a sedentary job. Take advantage of that and allow a few treats.
Maybe work out how many cals you burn per hr walking then keep a running tally for a cushion.

I rarely gain more than 2 lbs on a 14 night cruise because I am active on port days. It goes in days once I am back home in my usual routine.

Eat and drink within reason and have fun.

Cheers, h.

I'd say do Jillian Michaels 30 day shred level 1 or 2 (free in YouTube) religiously till you go. You may not lose 8 lbs but you might see a bit of a difference in tone.
Also, it's a frickin vacation, take a vacation from trying to lose weight too. When you get back to routine, so will you're eating.

I went on vacation last year and are normally (not crazy by any means) but didn't work out the whole week and didn't watch my calories religiously. I came back and my whole routine was lost! I didn't remember to work out and I stopped eating less...

lorrpb wrote: »

What rules are you following that you wish to follow during vacation?

Yes, @AmandaJuneFit for us to best help you we need to know what a clean diet means to you.

Actually, last time I went to Noah's Ark (3 yrs ago now) I ate a cheesesteak sandwich and got food poisoning. Missed kayaking the next day, and I was not happy. That was one vacation that I did not gain weight though!

Your experiences may vary.

Anyway, are you staying in a hotel or in a rental home? Every other year or so we'll rent out a large house up there for the extended family on the lake. We buy up some groceries and cook for ourselves & pack lunches. Oh and plenty of beer. We end up only going out to eat 2-3 times during the week. Even if you're in a hotel/motel, you can probably fix yourself a breakfast/morning meal to help with the calorie counting and your preferred foods.

Try not to worry too much if it will detract from a relaxing vacation. You can still log, maybe set yourself at maintenance for your stay, and get back to business with a rested body, mind, and soul.

Oh, and not sure if you've ever been to the Dells, but I don't think I'd term anything I ate there "fancy" as many of the eateries cater to families. Lots of buffets, places with huge portions, and delicious frozen custard. After living here for 10 years (and marrying one; my family is from Maryland), i've found Wisconsinites are rather wonderfully laid back and as unfancy as you can get!

Ok, the more I think about it, the only reason we ever go to the Dells is to have an excuse to sit out on the lake and drink beer. Why do we go there? There are thousands of lakes in this darn state! I've got one a mile away from me!

Gisel2015 wrote: »

If you don't REALLY want to break your rules, then don't do it. It is up to you. You can still enjoy your vacation without stuffing yourself with heavy meals, desert and drinks. Use your will power and common sense and take it from there. You are the only one that can decide what is the best approach for YOU.

I personally never understood the thinking that enjoying a vacation means to eat and drink everything on site and came back home with 5 or 10lbs extra weight with the hope to lose it later. That is like yo-yo dieting.

Yeah, but vacation is meant to be enjoyed. There's a difference between relaxing a little, and "eating and drinking everything on site." It doesnt have to be that extreme, nor has anyone suggested that.

OP: Nothing wrong with enjoying yourself in moderation, plus you dont want to be "that person" in the group who constantly says "We can't eat that because I'm on a diet!". Go, have fun! I'm so jealous of everyone going on these wonderful vacations!

What did you weigh in your profile pic? Doesn't look like 178 to me!!

I think the earlier suggestion about setting MFP to maintenance is a good one. Don't aim to lose while you're away, but maintaining should enable you to have a good time without feeling like you're missing out.

lorrpb wrote: »

RGv2 wrote: »

Don't worry about it, it's vacation. Enjoy your vacation and when you get home pick up wherever you left off. I always gain about 8 lbs on vacation and lose it after being home a couple days.

It's a lifestyle...except for vacations, weekends, cheat days...????

Yep, it's a vacation. I work out and eat well all year round, but when I'm on vacation I don't really worry about it....because it's vacation. I gain 8lbs of water weight and lose it in a matter of days after.

That's my lifestyle, and doesn't put any dent in my weight and fitness goals.

I never said anything about weekend and cheat days, those are your words, not mine but can be part of a healthy lifestyle as well.