I did a search for vacation eating, but didn't find anything, so forgive me if this subject has been done recently.
I leave for a week of vacationing this coming Friday, and of course I'm nervous about eating. I've only been back on a clean eating and exercise plan in the last month and really don't want to blow the small progress I've already made.
I will be in three North Carolina cities in a 7 day span. I will be staying in hotels, not able to exercise but on my feet most of the days doing lots of strolling, and eating my meals out. I did buy some healthy snacks and bottled water to help the situation.
My question is what sort of foods and restaurants would you recommend? I like all foods, which sort of explains my current weight issue.
I would go online to see what resturants are near your hotels. Check out their menus and nutritional information. That way if you are asked where you want to eat you already have a plan. Another suggestion is to keep things simple, eat breakfast at the hotel (if available) and only one adventurous meal and keep the other meal simple (chicken, loads of veggies, fruit, no dessert).
Vacations have always been a problem for me to. I am planning one for September and making sure that I bring my exercise things with me so that I can exercise in my room every morning before starting the day. I also made sure my room had a microwave/frig so that I could stock it with my foods (fresh fruit, small pkgs of veggies, oatmeal, a few frozen meals) so I can eat well without giving up going out to eat at least once a day.
I was just thinking about making a vacation post here since I will be leaving Friday the 12th for 8 days.
I think searching ahead of time for the menus is a great idea. Most hotels nowadays have exercise rooms, so you will most likely be able to get some exercise in if you have time.
I have a book called "The Exercise Bible." There is a routine with an excercise band in it--to be done in a hotel room! Try a google search for resistence band exercise and see what comes up. In an ideal world, would also have a fridge and microwave in my room and go grocery shopping. We actually do this the one weekend a year we spend in a hotel--but we do it because we're cheap!
I have searched a few options where we can eat, but since so much of the vacation is planned we really don't want to have to plan every place we eat. I agree with trying to keep things as simple as possible when it comes to my food choices.
I am a Starbucks fanatic and today I bought a thermos where I will travel with my fat free half and half. This is going to save me TONS of calories and fat grams.
I just know how I often in the past I will treat eating out as an excuse to eat what I want. I really can't do that this time!
No suggestions, just joining in the determination. I set off on 14th for 8 days in Spain. I don't know much about Spanish food and no research (and I've done a lot) has been able to give me an idea of the calories therein.
My friends are giving me, 'Relax, you're on holiday', which I refuse to heed.
The person I'm travelling with is likely to get very snitty with me if I don't eat the big puds that he'll be ordering. Tough.
I'm a bit sad that I'm getting anxious but this will be the first time in 54 years that I try throughout the vacation, and I want to get it right.
Ooooh, that's a challenge. Can you try to see it as such? As a potentially difficult situation that you will meet again, so this is a great time to try to work out a way to stay on plan through it.
I generally maintain on long holidays, though not always conciously, and when I'm home I eat out a lot. Here are some strategies I would try, see if any resonate with you.
- Calculate my calories (or review how well I stayed on plan) every night. Don't ignore it if it goes off track.
- Plan when I can, but if I can't or things change, then the aim is to maintain. Maintaining is good.
- Take safe snacks, snacks that don't trigger me and I can fit in my handbag. (Sounds like you've already got this sorted) Take herbal tea and breakfast too if possible.
- When eating out, I expect to leave something on the plate. Restaurant meals are big, and I can't finish them without pushing myself. Avoid restaurants that have meal deals or combos. You want to eat places where quality is more important than quantity.
- Order a meal that includes lean protein and vegetables. I eat the lean protein and veg first, then stop, drink some water, and consider if I'm still hungry before eating the bread or carbs. Don't order anything fried.
- Drink lots of water, particularly with meals.
- Incidental exercise whenever possible. Walk everywhere. Take the stairs. Walk to a Starbucks that is a couple of blocks away. Explore the hotel. Play in the exercise room if at all possible. Stand instead of sit, pace instead of standing still.
- Don't drink (many) calories. Your Starbucks plan sounds good.
It's only seven days, so there's a limit to how much damage you can do. Plan for reentry though. (I'm not very good at this). Stock the freezer and pantry with healthy food for when you get back, so that it is easier to stay in an eat on plan than go out for takeaway, and plan exercise and shopping times for the first few days.
I try to make sure I have healthy snacks on hand, because vacation means dealing with other people's schedules... and I need food when I need food! I can't let my blood sugar crash too low.
So I usually have a box of protein bars, some beef jerky, and a container of almonds in my luggage. Even just eleven almonds (half an ounce) will keep me going for another hour when schedules are changed at the last moment, with only about 100 calories.
A lot of hotels these days do have exercise rooms where you can go any time of the day. Keeping snacks is a good idea, too.
The person that said there's only so much damage you can do in 7 days, I'm not so sure about that. In my 4 day trip to the in laws over Memorial Day, I did a number on myself and I was on plan the first two days and did a lot of walking, swimming and other things that involved moving around. But then again, I chose to eat what I normally do at a Mexican restaurant.
Be mindful of your choices. When given the option of pastry or fruit, think about the impact. You can still enjoy your vacation and the food around you if you are aware of it. You can also see if anyone wants to split a meal with you so that you're eating smaller portions. It's hard on vacation to have food left over since you're not going to eat it later. You could also ask some places if you can get half portions or double up on veggies instead of having something heavy or fatty.
Vacation eating
