Worried I am going to fall off the wagon.

Hi all,
So glad I have this resource to talk about health and fitness. I am going on a field trip for my class on Wednesday morning.

We will be camping for 5 days and traveling a lot. I just finished my 30 day challenge and lost 5 lbs! I'm so stoked about that, but I am nervous that this field trip is going to send me in a downward spiral.

We will not have access to a shower, so I can't get that sweaty and work out. When ever I travel and camp I eat terrible. Usually start off great and then give in to the chips and hot dogs.

I really don't want to screw my system up and I'm so nervous this is going to completely derail my health train. Halp.

Replies

  • Phil413Strong
    Phil413Strong Posts: 12 Member
    You can do this! Stay focused... bring healthier snacks if you can. However, don't be hard on yourself enjoy this trip and make memories.
  • rbiss
    rbiss Posts: 422 Member
    Planning is your best tool. Plan everything, bring your own food, and indulge but monitor your portions.
  • Kathryn247
    Kathryn247 Posts: 570 Member
    Hi Mar! It's okay, 5 days of camping won't ruin you! We're all in this long-term, so go ahead and have a hot dog and chips if you want. You'll probably be pretty active and you'll get hungry, so go ahead and eat.

    If you can still track while on your trip, and if you want to track, you could try switching to a maintenance calorie goal instead of a deficit. It will give you an extra few hundred calories a day. Then you can still feel responsible while having some extra room for camping food.

    When you get back, don't freak out if the scale tells you you've gained 5 pounds. You will probably put on water weight due to the different foods and travel. Just pick back up with a reasonable calorie goal and keep going.

    Congrats on your 5 pound loss, and have a great time on your trip!
  • cwilber1
    cwilber1 Posts: 30 Member
    Jenni O makes lower calorie hot dogs, low cal bread instead of buns (80 cals for 2 slices), minimal ketchup. Popped potato chips are great and have way fewer calories. This is the way I go when the family has hot dogs & chips.
    Most of all, have fun - it will work out!
  • notreallychris
    notreallychris Posts: 501 Member
    Good thing about falling off the wagon, is that it's still there when you are ready. The problem is not getting back on.

    Make the changes that put you in a calorie deficit, a HABIT. Think in broader terms. Lifestyle change, not diet. 30 day challenges end after 30 days, and unless the challenge teaches you better habits long term, then you may have wasted them.

    Unless you eat consistently over your maintenance calories over the camping trip, then you'll do fine.

    AND! You can eat chips and hot dogs and still lose weight. You can eat what you'd like and still lose weight. Recommend you get a food scale and eat at your number MFP has set for you.
  • timtam163
    timtam163 Posts: 500 Member
    It's only 5 days, so you'll probably be alright, just enjoy the trip! If you're feeling really antsy and want to work out, just bring a towel or a bandana and wipe down with water, then rinse out your clothes. Maybe pack some healthy snacks. Eating junk is also fine, just be mindful of portions.
  • pinkgumdrop123
    pinkgumdrop123 Posts: 262 Member
    I would try super hard not to stress! Try and drink a lot of water and bring some healthier snacks and food if you can. Like everyone else has said even if you do indulge your progress won't be ruined. You are allowed to indulge and have fun!
  • corgarian
    corgarian Posts: 366 Member
    You can do this! I totally understand, I recently had back to back work trips and my schedule got thrown off for 2 weeks, and now I'm struggling to get my daily gym motivation back! We just gotta keep at it and force ourselves back on track! Once we are back on our schedules the pounds will keep dropping!
  • sendtoharvey
    sendtoharvey Posts: 135 Member
    5 days will be fine.. might feel a little sluggish coming back to your normal workouts but it'll be a quick bounce back to normal. at least that's what I feel like when I'm stuck somewhere for a week without my normal gym time/activities.
  • mar_pow
    mar_pow Posts: 37 Member
    Thanks for the kind words. The trip was fun and I'm ready to get right back to it :)