I was going to ask this weeks question in a much different way and then I caught myself. My original question, the way it popped into my head, was “How do you Handle Vacation?”, and I though, wait, who handles a vacation?!? Vacations are suppose to be fun and worry free not something you have to deal with on your weight loss journey.
So I changed my perspective and my verb. ;~)
Me? well I really do ENJOY myself, especially at the beach!! My strategies…
- Nothing is off limits as long as it’s in moderation
- Account for the extra treats by eating lighter meals
- WALK WALK WALK – We don’t move the car for the week when we go to the beach.
- Expect the scale not to be my friend upon return, it’s O-K.
- Get right back to my old routine THE DAY I get home. Not tomorrow, not “Sunday” Not next week.
That philosophy has worked for me the last 3 years and I suspect this year I will be fine as well. I just remember this is my lifestyle now, one week at the beach can’t change that. :~)
So how about you? How do you enjoy your vacations?
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I do the light meals (esp. during the day) to handle night time treats. I also try and do a lot of stretching, crunches, pushups in the morning to suppliment legit workouts.
Other than that, I always try to enjoy myself to the fullness and then get started back again as soon as the car hits the garage…cause food on the road back from the vacation is still vacation!
Traveling to and from in the car tends to be the worse time for me, because I am usually alone, and that is how I amuse myself…but I also tend to pack my own favorite nutritious foods like cottage cheese, yogurt, fruits, walnuts, lite microwave popcorn, etc, so I have those choices at least. Lots of times I would rather have my own stuff than something higher cal that I would buy. I bring plastic silverware and throw-away containers so I don’t have to deal with doing the wash.
I tend to stay very active on vacation, so eating treats is really low piority. Even if I indulge, the added activity usually accounts for it. I gravitate toward leaner cuts of meat, seafood, lots of salds.
Traveling by plane is a challenge, since bringing a homemade sandwich with cheese doesn’t hold up well. I usually stick to peanut butter sandwiches and energy bars without any type of chocolate (the chocolate coating will melt). All Bran bars work well.
Finally, when traveling by car, I either pack my lunch or head for the nearest Subway. You can almost always find a Subway, and customizing your sandwich is a great way to be satisfied.
i try to be as healthy as i can but also know that it’s not worth being mad at myself, if i chose to have one-to-many beers or s’mores… if i’m being active and doing the best i can – then i’m okay with that… and if i happen to gain a few pounds, so be it – it will come off again eventually… :o)
1. Walk everywhere during the day.
2. One or two big meals out, maybe a light snack for the third meal and no in-between meal munching.
3. Order something fresh and eat to the point of fullness.
4. Don’t stress. Have fun.
Thank you so much, Roni, and everyone else for all of these great ideas! I tend to do great before vacation because I know I’m working towards something, but once we hit the road all bets are off and I eat whatever whenever with no holding back. I always think to myself, “Hey, I’m on vacation, I should enjoy what I eat and not deprive myself.” I don’t realize how much damage I do by getting so far off track until it’s way too late. While I’m vacationing I always think that I’ll get right back on track when I get home, but then I’ve been so bad that’s it’s hard for me to go back to eating right again and it keeps getting pushed off. For me, vacations ruin my routine. I thrive on routine, and when things disrupt it, I have trouble dealing and adapting.
The week long vaca is easier than the mini ones because I can exercise run or walk every day, before the activities begin. And because we rent a home at a resort and prepare our own food. I usually try to keep it to one day of splurging, and than keep to my plan as much as possible although in the past that has not always worked but I plan on working it this summer to the T !!
I love your philosophy for vacations.
I usually try to do some fun activites that really burn calories (hiking, biking, swimming, etc) and try not to over-eat on the stuff that’s not that great for my figure. I try not to limit myself too much and only indulge in the things that I *really* want. If it’s just something small (like bread that comes out before dinner) I skip it, but if it’s something that I’ve been dreaming about having again since the last time I came, then I have some and don’t feel badly about it.
I haven’t yet taken a vacation since adopting a healthier lifestyle, but all of the ideas above are great ones. We almost always camp, so making healthy meals is a snap, I buy all the groceries. Snacks are easy too…and like many others, we are so active during a vacation that the AP earned is usually enough to make up the difference that may exist.
I do have a plan this next beach vacation…climb to the top of a lighthouse! Been wanting to but not able to, til now!
I take the same approach really. Nothing is off limits, I’m on vacation, and when the scale is up, I don’t get upset about it. I know I ate more than normal, it’s part of maintain a healthy weight, enjoying stuff and then getting back to your healthy eating ASAP upon return.
I walked a lot before going on my last vacation (last week!) so I felt fit to the challenge. We did a lot of walking there and I tried to stick to my healthy eating habits. When staying with friends I accepted what they had to offer in moderation and today I’m back to my own routine. Food wasn’t the focus of the vacation, that was great as well.
I haven’t really taken a vacation since my WW habits really kicked in, but I have one coming up. Roni’s ideas sound like the way to go. The last time I took vacation, I met my brother in Vegas, and despite walking up and down the Strip, I pigged out and returned 6 pounds heavier at my next WI.
I agree that just walking your tail off everywhere you go is great. I seem to eat less on vacation, maybe it is because I am so busy taking in the sites, so when I do I make them as healthy as I can while trying to enjoy the regional cuisine. I also try to plan one mini vacation maybe a 3day weekend that is a fitness vacation of sorts. It maybe centered around beach volleyball, hiking, rock climbing, there are SO many things to do, and everyone, no matter where you live can find a way to add fun activities to your vacation. The main thing you have to do is commit to living that healthy lifestyle whether you are at home, on vacation or wherever. If you have never tried a mini fitness vacation, try fitting one in, you maybe very surprised at how wonderful they can be.
great point on the last one….Id never really thought about it so precisely but that is exactly what I do as well.
whenever my clients go on vacation (which seems to be all the time, those punks) we always give them pedometer because vacation is the perfect opportunity to walk everywhere.
i know im late, but i love the new blog!
I;ve been busy- dont yell at me.
http://www.groundedfitness.com
the whole purpose of vacation is to have fun and being carefree. the problem with me is that i act like everyday is a vacation! :-)
walking seems to be so much more enjoyable when you are on vacation!
http://www.baconismyenemy.com
I always try to take a step back and make sure I enjoy the moment that I am in. I am on a vacation (which obviously was purchased with some hard earned $$) and I am with someone I love. If the weather is nice and the food is great, that is just a bonus. I really try to make sure I relax and enjoy myself in the moment. Being good about food and working out will only help me enjoy the moment more….and because I try to recognize that fact, then I typically am pretty good about working out and eating. (For vacations that include wearing a bathing suit every day I always keep that in the back of my mind that I do have to put the suit on again the next day–so hello gym here I come!) But I also want to make sure I enjoy, I just limit my splurges.
We went camping last week. I packed mostly healthy foods, some fruits and veggies, pretzels and granola bars. We had sandwiches for lunch and cooked healthy meals over the fire or ff hot dogs at night. We did splurge by making beer batter pancakes one morning with sugar free syrup of course and some yummy smores and a few beers in the evening. We did make up for it with hiking and swimming. I accepted the fact that the scale was up a little when we got home and thought about using my no weigh in pass…but ended up losing 1 lb. for the week!
I was so nervous last week hitting the cottage for a mini family reunion for a few days. It was the first time in this recent weight loss journey for me to travel to the cottage. I was so afriad that I would just fall in to my same behaviours, over eat and over indulge. I actually did much better than I ever though I would! I stayed as active as possible. I brought up my running stuff but never made it out – I was a bit disappointed that I did this but we were only away for a few days so I got over it. I didn’t over eat. I made sure that I drank tons of water during the day. I brought a huge WW mug to the beach full of ice water and drank as many as I could all day long. I also tried to stay as active as I could with the kids playing on the beach, in the water, etc. I enjoyed smores each afternoon but only two of them. I didn’t eat my usual! On the road, we stopped at places where I could chose something on the healthier side…MacDonalds if you can believe that – Chicken Snack Wrap and Yogurt and Berries. I weighed in yesterday and stayed the same! I was so proud of myself! I did it and did not feel deprived over my holidays at all! So this week when we head out, I will do the same as I did on my first trip…but I will get out for a run a few times!