[SeventeenTheStar]

Hey, everybody! So, I'm off on a three-week vacation to visit my dad down south and then my friend up north. I was wondering if anybody had any tips on how to keep weight loss in mind on trips like these? I find that I tend to go crazy eating out when I'm away on vacation, and even though keeping a food journal helps a little, I'm not exercising in the way I'm used to and can't anticipate as well when I'll be hungry, so I just eat a TON and suffer for it on the scale. How do you keep yourself on track away from home?

[healthyliving]

If I were you, I would just go ahead and enjoy the vacation without thinking of weight and food not to eat. You can always do that once you are back.
After all after so much dieting and binging phases that we go through, we know how to get off those few pounds. Don't we ?

[Frigg]

Maybe try bringing resistance bands (very light and portable) and doing them in your hotel or wherever you're staying. At the very least it should remind you not to go crazy when eating.

[Ilene]

When I vacay I walk a LOT and try to stick to basics for breakfast and lunch and have a nice supper, but try to fill up on salads and rarely have deserts. And even with being cautious I gain weight. So not being careful at all is not an option for me because after 3 weeks I could come back with a 15 lbs weight gain, 5 lbs per week, I kid you not!! So be careful out there

You could come here and post and we could encourage you

[Julietta]

It depends on your attitude
If you mean that on vacation you don't mind about eating and you happily enjoy it... well, keep on not worrying enjoy your vacation and when you come back, IF you will have gained weight (it's not for sure!) take it as a challenge... you know how to lose weight, and I see you are also quite thin too

If, instead, you mean that you can't control the food-situation... well, don't put too much pressure on you ... just try to, step by step, little by little, to choose everytime the healthiest option, with some treat here and there! I know that sometime there will NOT be a healthy choice at all... but after all, you are on holidays

Just try to limit the damage!

[SeventeenTheStar]

Thanks, everybody! Yeah, it's more that I'm not entirely in control of what food I can eat, but making sure to choose the healthiest option seems like a good goal. I also might bring along some exercise dvds and try to get them done during some down time... Dad's in Texas, gets really hot to walk/explore in the day.

[kellost]

This is tough! I went to DisneyWorld with my family this summer and what I did was this: I brought protein bars in my luggage and ate them for breakfast before heading to the parks. I ate a healthy lunch.....usually grilled chicken with fruit on the side or something similar. When my kids got "Mickey Bars" (ice cream), I did a frozen fruit bar instead. Then at dinner, I splurged and basically enjoyed myself. I walked a lot, and I did not gain. I was okay with gaining, but I actually didn't.

For your situation, maybe try to do good during the day and enjoy dinners with your family. Good luck!

[misskimothy]

This is a great thread, because I just came back from vaycay. I went with the best of intentions, then kind of ate everything awesome that came my way, and got back with a 12lb gain! I had the best of intentions to portion control and I did tons and tons of walking but I did some significant damage. Thankfully the bulk of this is now off (it took 18 days to pack it on, and I have 10 lbs of it off 18 days after my return), but I still don't know HOW to go away and not gain.

I have another trip coming up (10 days), so I'm bracing myself. I too need to learn this skill.