Tips for continuing new eating lifestyle during vacation

Just make smart decisions when going out and don't go off the rails...at the same time, enjoy yourself...it's vacation...vacations are occasions and in the grand scheme of things not particularly material to the whole of what you're doing.

ETA: when I'm on vacation I'm typically more active than when I'm home...like way more active. At home I sit behind a desk most days for 8-10 hours and what activity I do have is deliberate exercise or a bit of recreational activity. On vacation I'm almost always going somewhere to see this or that or do this or that. Any weight I've ever put on during vacation has been water weight, usually from airplane bloat. It's actually not uncommon for me to get home and have lost a couple of pounds with so much more activity going on.

Usually on vacation I take a much more laid back approach. if you want to take your scale and measure then go for it. otherwise, remember portion control but enjoy yourself! it won't throw you back up 50 lbs or anything.

Along with everyone else’s get advice, diet breaks are a good idea too. Get back to logging when you get back. Have a great time on your vacation!

I find that even when I am eating everything in sight as long as I have rules I feel like I am still following my overall plan.

Here are mine:

1) Dampen hunger with lower calorie food first.
2) Do not eat anything that does not seem worth the calories.
3) As much as possible move more.

I am okay regaining a little weight but since I never mind starting a meal with a salad, fruit, or vegetable there is no reason to fill up on only caloric food and put more on than necessary. I also just want to be pickier. If I am not enjoying the pastry for some reason I stop eating it.

Try to stay active, drink water, focus on produce and protein. Have fun!

I’m the kind of person who does not agree with “it is a holiday, just enjoy” attitude. Especially two weeks is a long time. Also nothing feels better than going back home and feeling good about your holiday. Tips that I personally follow in my travels. Book an airbnb instead of a hotel. This way you don’t feel like going to a resturant/cafe for every single meal. You can at least make a healthy quick breakfast like eggs or eat a quick snack instead of starving till you find a resturant and go for unhealthy options. My fav quick snack to make is just an avocado cut into halves with salt, pepper, chili, and lemon. You can even take some spices from home. If you are going to a country with good produce, then nothing beats exploring local veggis and fruits. Also in any country there are always healthy options. Bbqs, seafood, salad shops. So you can still enjoy going out at resturants. When you want to try out some not so healthy dishes you can always share one portion. One important thing, is that yo keep encouraging each other to stick to healthy food. I travel a lot with my friend and when one of us say NO it is easier to not go for unhealthy options than when we both become weak. Also try to stay active mainly by exploring things walking and maybe doing few active stuff depends where you are but for example paddle boarding, salsa dancing, yoga classes, etc. When it comes to alcohol, if you are planning on drinking, try to stick to pure alcholo and avoid beer and cocktails. Some healtheir options are gib&tonic, tequilla, vodca etc. Don’t forget to take comfortable walking shoes so that you don’t feel like taking a cab. Memory foam shoes are the best. Try to google resturants ahead so that you know what options you have.

I’ve been following these stuff in all my latest travel and I actually end up losing more weight than back home. It feels really good when you are back and it gets you ore excited to keep up the good work. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your holiday.

I agree with katijjaa, and find it works best for me to think of vacations as a time to *relax* my best practices a bit, but not to go off my planning entirely. After all, it is a lifestyle change, and vacations are part of life. Also, overindulging in unhealthy choices isn’t something I want to think of as a “treat.” What that means for me is ordering grilled options, soups, and veg-heavy meals; splitting deserts and sometimes even entrees; and keeping an eye on portion sizes and wine consumption. I also try to keep breakfast and lunch pretty simple and on-plan, and save any indulgences for dinner. I keep up with logging, while also recognizing it will be a bit less accurate and accepting that I’ll go over goal - by a little! - most days.

chdier wrote: »

Hi,
My wife and I have been trying to eat better since the beginning of May. She has lost about 20 lbs I am down about 85. I have been tracking my calories using MFP and staying under what it has said and we weigh all our food.

We are going on a 2 week vacation coming up at the end of September and we are both scared that it will derail our weight loss journey. Any ideas/tips to stay on track during vacations?

Thanks
Chris

Am I getting it right that you have lost 85 pounds in only 4 months? That is a little over 20 pounds a month, or around 5 pounds a week. That is way too much and you need to slow down for the sake of your health. The amount of muscle you are losing with that fat would be considerable. Remember with this that your heart and other organs are also muscles and these too can be significantly damaged by undereating which can result in long term complications.

My advice is to enjoy your holiday and for the most part make sensible food choices while allowing for some indulgences. Aim to eat close to maintenance with loose logging. When you return, get back on the weight loss cart, with the goal of losing no more than 2 pounds a week (or no greater than 1% of your body weight).

If you want to keep using mfp maybe set your goal to maintain for the two weeks and make sure to log your exercise? I wldnt be logging accurately on holiday that's for sure but Id like to be aware still so that's what I'd do. Have fun!

chdier wrote: »

thanks for all the helpful advice. To answer a WinoGelato's question. I don't know specifically how much I weighed when I started but I have been morbidly obese for the last 18 years. Out of college I got down to 275 and throughout the years have lost and gained more. Then this past year when the scale we have that only goes up to 400 kept saying error I knew I had to lose a lot of weight or I wasn't going to be around for much longer. So I put in my stats in MFP and when I started it said to keep calories at 2500 I have been trying to stick to between 1500 and 2000 usually more to 1500. My ultimate goal is to get to 200 lbs. so almost half way to my goal. My trick will be keeping it off this time.

Still pretty fast, but I can understand why you would want to have some good successes up front. Have you seen your doctor to be monitored during this time? Malnourishment is a real thing. I know some people don't think it can happen when you are considerably overweight, but it can. With this amount of weight loss, it would be worth considering a 2 week diet break. Diet breaks aren't a free for all, just eating at maintenance for those two weeks.

I'm not sure what your vacation will look like, but for me, I tend to do a lot of walking. More than I do at home. I don't track while on vacation, but I do my best when picking foods. I will hit local markets to pick up fruits and veggies. Maybe some stuff for sandwiches, breakfast foods, etc. And then only eat in restaurants for one meal/day (I usually do lunch, since I'm "home" for breakfast and supper). I'm not sure if that's an option for you.

If you are flying, keep in mind that it is very common to retain water afterward. I have been known to hold up to 15 lbs and slowly lose it over the week after I come back.

It's vacation, enjoy yourself