I have been a WW for 5 weeks. The first four I lost about 4# total. I ate really well and wrote and journaled everything. This week is not good. I went to a reunion and overindulged. It looks like I am up 2 #. I have to leave again tomorrow for a trip and will be eating out for all meals for another 3 days. I find that the hardest, eating out. It is so difficult to calculate points since we don't know what is in stuff. I will really need to get back on track when I get back or this will be another lost attempt. Need lots of help on how others have handled these temptations. Thanks.
But, for me? I find that, even though I don't try real hard, I usually end up doing "ok" while on vacation - even if I splurge a little!
I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I'm "moving" more on vacation than I typically am during the day at work.
I'm also careful to continue to get in all my water.
I'm a Disney fan, and I'm always surpised how well I do after "those" trips - since we usually enjoy a lot of the restaurants - but I'm sure it has to do with all the walking and the fact that we're active from dusk 'til dawn!
I appreciate your support. The trip was to Yosemite and we did do lots of walking. I splurged one day and was kinda sick the next so I hardly ate at all. Maybe it will even out. Thanks.
I am the poster child of travel , well mostly air travel.
I travel a lot (~125K a year) and have definitely seen a slow down in my weight loss with travel. I have been on a 16 mo. plateau - about 10 lbs from goal. While this is frustrating, some of the travel I can't get away with - work and family. The rest, well, I need to reevaluate.
One thing, try and stay on some kind of morning routine you like. Bring your favorite dry cereal, luna bars, oatmeal. Those things really help. You can at least say that you were in control of your morning meal.
I always try and stay at a hotel with a gym- that helps, especially if you are in a city you are not familiar with and may not be pedestrian friendly. My gym just joined forces with Gold's so, now I can use their network throughout the world. I'm pretty happy about that. Pack the gym stuff, you won't be sorry.
Try new foods, enjoy yourself, but is the cheesecake factory in phoenix any different from the cheesecake factory in seattle? Hmm, no. Try to enjoy regional cuisine, you may be surprised.
Fast food options are sometimes a lifesaver- I love subway. I can watch my partner enjoy a donut while I am consuming the same amount of points in a turkey sub. BK broilers with no mayo aren't too bad either.
Water, water, water.
Airline food- well, what is left sort of sucks. Try and pack your own food if you know what kind of flight you'll be on. Seattle has some of the worst airport grub, so I now pack a light meal to take with me on the plane. Dallas has a subway, I wish we did.
I know you can get a low-fat or low-cal meal choice on the plane, I'm not sure its worth it. One of my frequent flying pals who flies United says their vegetarian meal is so bad, its good for weight loss.
If I am lucky enough to get an upgrade, I have definitely started passing on those nuts and desserts. It seems that I was not doing a good job of remembering those things as I journaled.
lalala - I agree wholeheartedly with you. My travel is usually international, so I often find myself in strange countries, trying to find my way through strange cuisine, plied with strange restaurants (other than the staple - McDonalds) and usually in strange languages. Consequently, planning in advance is critical to my travel weight loss program.
Some of my tips include:
1. Pack some meal replacement bars so that they are accessible if you find yourself in a food choice predicament. I usually use Slim Fast meal on the go bars. These have saved me many, many, many times.
2. Be sure to drink lots of water. I always travel with at least 1 bottle of water in my carry-on, also. I learned this the hard way. Two years ago, I left North America on Good Friday, arrived in Poland at 3:15 pm on the Sat. between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. By the time I collected luggage, found a cab, checked in to the hotel, etc., it was after 5:00 pm. Guess what - they close Saturday eveniing, and don't open until Monday morning. In this case Tues. morning because of the Easter weekend. (I vaguely remember times like these from my youth.) I couldn't buy a bottle of water until Tues. morning when the stores opened. It was not a very pleasant weekend.
3. lalala says it right when she says to stay on a morning routine. The hotels that I stay at usually serve fabulous buffet breakfasts that are not only very tempting, but are included in the price of the room. However tempting, I usually opt for 2 pieces of toast, a glass of juice or piece of fruit and a coffee (can't start the day off without). I keep that routine, rather than trying to find something different that will fit into the weight loss plan. Sounds boring, but if I make that plan before I go, it is easier to stay on the program when I get there.
4. I usually plan my travel eating splurge for the evening meal because it is the meal I most enjoy during the day. I must emphasize, though, the word "plan." Yes, this is the key to maintaining a weight loss program while travelling. Plan, in advance, what you are going to eat, what you are not going to eat and deciding if it is worth it. If you choose to eat something that does not fit in your weight loss program, make sure that you have no regrets afterward.
5. As far as airline travel goes, I usually order vegetarian meals when I arrange my airline tickets. Although airline food is not the greatest, in fact downright sad, the vegetarian meals offer me more to fit a weight loss program than the normal meals. Remember, in a pinch, you have your meal replacement bars to fall back on. Same thing in airport terminals. I usually look for a place to get a good coffee, and supplement it with a meal on the go bar.
Have fun in your travels. Good luck on eating well.
Dear lalala and Sweet Tooth,
I can tell you both are pros and have really committed to "no excuses". I have spent my life finding excuses for my poor eating habits and the day has come to "**** or get off the pot!" Your suggestions show me that where there is a will there is a way. This is all a "head" game isn't it? By the way did anyone see that guy on Oprah the other day that wrote the book on emotional eating. His ideas fit right into WW. Thanks again. Sweet Adeline
sweet adeline- Your weight loss and weight loss success will come with your click and your resolve.
Good for you for coming here and posting your struggle and concern about travel. I would hate to see someone feel like they couldn't leave their "safe" environment during their wl journey.
sweettooth- Yikes and thanks for your great suggestions! You just reminded me that we arrive in Rome on May Day and this is a big time holiday in Italy. We're coming in from London, so we'll be sure to bring some kind of snack food (luna and clif bars, yoghurt and fruit ) if our favorite bar and pizzerias are closed.
Yup, foreign travel can be a bear. McDonald's (the american consulate) can serve as a safe haven, but no grilled foods in germany, italy or france that I have seen.
Ah, another thing, if you travel at all and alot by air and have an affinity with a certain airline, it may behoove you to join the airline club. These places are great for clean bathrooms, checking in, getting bottled water and soft drinks for free, small healthy snacks, taking showers and getting onto computers and 3fatchicks.com while travelling. They have saved our butts a couple of times recently.
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