Long vacation (snowbird) advice

So now I want everyone to feel real sorry for me--it is getting colder and soon we will join the annual grey migration to Florida. Technically we are snow flakes --only stay a bit over two months instead of three or four but I have will have reached goal and will be just tip toeing into maintenance. I know our rental doesn't have a scale but there is a scale in PUBLIX.
How does anyone cope with the change after being so accountable for months. I weigh much of my food now and weigh myself daily. Exercise won't be a problem-we are much more active down south walking and biking everywhere but I am mainly concerned with accountability. We drive a Mustang (red convertible--don't hate me) so packing my scale is really not an option.
I'm thinking of just weighing in PUBLIX and watching that scale for a trend. We don't eat out much and the huge advantage is that fresh veggies are to be had twice a week at the beach produce market.
Just looking for tips.
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Replies

  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,668 Member
    Just log your food as much as you can. I never weigh myself when we're travelling. I use logging mostly to rein myself in, so I don't use the vacation as an excuse to overeat. If it makes you anxious not to know, then use the publix scale, but it may not be accurate. Maybe a gym or health clinic?
  • amy19355
    amy19355 Posts: 805 Member
    You could buy a scale for $10 at the thrift store. Even brand new they're what, $30?

    Donate it when you leave, or shove it under that black leather bucket seat. :win:

    ^^ this!
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Do you stay in the same rental every year? Buy an inexpensive scale at Target--as someone said above, don't assume that it will be exactly like you home scale, but use it to note trends--and leave it there when you come back north.
  • FL_Hiker
    FL_Hiker Posts: 919 Member
    I’ll let you barrow a scale if I can stay at your winter home 😉
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,846 Member
    I moved to Florida in a Saturn, so there's room in your Mustang for your food scale ;)

    Sure, you could use the Publix scale or some well fitting jeans for your body weight.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    Order one from amazon for $12 and leave it for the next folks. Sounds like a lovely few months.
  • mountainmare
    mountainmare Posts: 294 Member
    Thank you all-- There might be a scale in the house (i never looked). If not I think I'll join the line of geezers who use the Publix scale. I never could figure out why there was always someone stepping on the scale--now I know. Since I'm not trying to lose, just maintain I just need to keep an idea that I'm not trending up I like the idea of packing something non-stretchy, I have some "test clothes capris" that usually stay home that I can pack. I've started to wean myself away from weighing my food, doing well (not gaining) so the food scale will stay home. I usually come home a bit lighter, but in the past have been about 20 pounds heavier for the trip.
    Now my only concern will be hoping the red tide is gone.
    Trust me--the trunk space in a Mustang convertible (again--get out the violins) is TINY!! And we usually put the top down by Georgia so back seat packing needs to be wind proof (more violins please).
    Again--many thanks
  • Phoebe5164
    Phoebe5164 Posts: 79 Member
    I’d throw in my kitchen scale and a measuring tape ... enjoy your holiday ! Enjoy the seasonal fruits too! 🌼
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    If you are watching your calorie intake as accurately as you can most of the time your weight should stay pretty close to where you want it to whether you weigh yourself regularly or not. Take a food scale if you usually use one.
    Since you say you don't plan to eat out much and will be active it doesn't seem like it would be that hard to go on as normal for a couple of months in a different location.


  • mountainmare
    mountainmare Posts: 294 Member
    It usually is going along like normal (except we look out the window and see the water..wish that was normal). It has been years since I was aware that my weight had crept up and many many years since I made an effort to lose weight and now keep it off so that is the new normal. I guess like so many of the "I'm at goal" people I am now afraid of undoing the hard work of the last six months. I have time to tweek some maintaining strategies ... had not really counted on trying to enter mainenance just hitting both the holidays and Florida, thought I wouldn't be here--but that is not a bad problem to have. I am "prepacked" but will look again and take some non stretchy shorts and use the Publix scale once a week to check trends. I'll log as best I can...way back in the day I used a paper calorie counter book and a calculator, if I could do that estimating here will be a snap!
    So looking forward to when the Plant City strawberries and the honeybells come in, and the Ruskin tomatoes and fresh baby beets!!! (and local CORN!!)
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,394 Member
    edited November 2018
    Gas for Mustang to drive packed food and body scales vs Amazon price of same delivered = too close to call.

    Plus they make a lovely gift for the next tenant.

    No reason to risk line ups. You are agonizing over a US$20 purchase if you pick carefully.

    The new scale won't necessarily match the numbers of your old one... but it will allow you to continue to monitor your general weight trend.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,907 Member
    Or there's always:

    measuring-tape-isolated-on-white-260nw-120088090.jpg
  • alexialmann
    alexialmann Posts: 36 Member
    Just curious OP, where in FL?
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,572 Member
    RodaRose wrote: »

    Ok, I totally thought the red tide was her period.