So I'm heading to Hawaii on Sunday for a two-week vacation. Vacations are tough for me--it's like a license to eat. This time I'm setting some ground rules for myself. We're staying in a condo so we've decided to eat out only three times while we're in Maui, but we're eating out both days we're in Honolulu. We've also decided that if we want wine, we'll drink it at home, not at restaurants. Two reasons for this--money and alcohol relaxes me so much that I eat more.

My trainer came up with some tips she uses when she eats out that I thought would be useful. Some most of us know, some might be new to many of us:

1. Look for a protein main dish and get a palm-sized portion. Order a box to take the rest home, which is easy to do at the condo. In Honolulu, I thought that if my DH doesn't want to eat my leftover (which really he shouldn't), I'd get the box, then toss it out. For some reason, that's psychologically easier for me to do that than leaving something on my plate.

2. When getting soup, make sure it's broth-based and ask if it's pasta or rice dominant. Unless lots of white pasta and white rice are on your eating plan, avoid that soup--choose soups that have more vegetables than starches.

3. Ask for a double serving of vegetables. Make sure, of course, they're not drowned in cream sauce and butter.

4. Wait for the meal to come before you eat the bread, and eat the bread only if it's a really good bread. I like this one because too many times I've filled up on so-so bread because I'm hungry and it's there. If I wait, then I'll eat less bread, and only eat it if it's really good bread.

5. Share dessert. You know, the taste really is in the first three or four bites and after that it's not necessarily eating because I enjoy it, but eating because I think I may never get it again or some other psychological reason.

6. Always order dressing on the side, even if it's a Caesar salad, and skip the croutons. I do the fork dip thing with dressing, by the way, which really works for me.

I'm putting this list on an index card and tucking it in my purse along with the bag of carrots, nuts and jerky she wants me to have at hand every time I leave the house. I try to eat every three hours, and if I'm away from my normal routine, I will let myself get too hungry and then eat anything that's put in front of me.

Aloha! I'm really going to try to make this a vacation where I at least maintain.

I'm jealous! The closest I've ever come to Hawaii is when I browsed the produce aisle at the supermarket and checked out the pineapples! Your trainer gave some great tips for you. I had heard of all of them before, but if you hadn't posted them I probably wouldn't have been able to remember half of them. I'm sure you will maintain or actually lose because any extra calories you might eat will be offset by all the sightseeing and walking you will be doing.

Have a great time!



Melissa

another thing that works for me is to think about where I'm going and pick a healthy choice before I even get there... If I don't know the restaurant, sometimes you can find a menu on line... but if you must look at the menu, look at the healthy things, choose and then close it! For me, I know that if I keep looking at it, I'll change my mind and the mindset of "it's just this one time" "it's a special occasion" etc come in and I'll chose something more fattening...but if I chose and plan then I do better.... for example, if I'm going to chili's, I know to look at the on the light side part, choose my meal and close the menu! If I do choose something that has big servings, I try to ask for the to go box as soon as it comes- then I put 1/2 of it in the box before I start. If I say, i'll get the box later, then I tend to eat more....

Reba

I love vacations, I always lose weight during them. Mostly because I do a lot of walking and such. I was highly disappointed with the food when I went to hawaii. I guess I thought it would be a little less regular but oh well.

Another thing to remember is that there is no shame with splitting your dish with someone else. I do that a lot with DH.

14 years ago. I love it! I think you have a spectacular plan in place. My mom and I were just talking tonight because she just got back from a ten day vacation and gained 8lbs. She said she knows it comes from drinking to much wine--both because of the calories of the wine itself and that it lowers her inhibitions for eating. One other thing that I read this week is to ask them not to bring out the bread until your salad is out. That way if you choose not to eat the bread or to limit it you still have something to munch on. Have a terrific vacation, Sheila.

Great suggestions! I'm sure planning ahead will help you overcome any obstacles and you'll come home relaxed...and maybe a couple pounds lighter from all of the sightseeing!
Hubby and I went out on a date tonight. We decided to eat out at the last minute and I was a bit nervous about staying on plan, but we did it! The minute my order arrived, I cut the meat in half and put it in a togo box. This really helped because it is so easy to get caught up in conversation and mindlessly eat the entire plate..and that's usually a ton of food! I did order a double portion of vegetable to replace the mashed potatoes and drank water instead of the fountain coke that I've always loved. The food was delicious and I was full but not stuffed. Most importantly, I can relax tonight and not feel guilty and depressed for falling off of my plan.

Thanks for the great tips Shiela. Have a FANTASTIC time!!!!!

THanks so much for sharing those tips, Sheila! Have a wonderful time in Hawaii and please send a nice, lengthy, very detailed update our way when you get back!

Ooh - you have probably already left but my favorite place to eat is Sansei

http://www.bestofmauiguide.com/SanseiVino.html

It is soooo yummy! And you canbe good there! If you like sushi and seafood though. If not then I guess it wouldn't be that good of a place for you.

I should have read those tips last night, I could have used them But I still did good. I'll make sure to reread those before I plan on eating out just to get my mind in gear.

Have fun! Maui is beautiful - enjoy yourself.

I tend to lose weight or maintain as well on vacations. One because I do a lot of walking that I don't normally do and as of recently I have been going to countrie where I am not sure of the food. (China, Bali, this spring Cambodia) When I am not sure of the food or MSG content I tend to lean towards only veggies, noodle and rice...sometimes a little fish. I know for sure when we go to Cambodia I will be careful with what I eat. (I have had my Hep series of shots but you never know about food poisoning....been there done that.)