I hate how supportive I can be of the other members of this site on their endeavors, however I can't even stay on track with my OWN weight loss!

I went on vacation last weekend. And don't get my wrong: it was great!

.....minus the food choices.

I mean, I didn't eat too badly (I used to eat worse on vacation)....but I didn't eat the right foods. We walked everywhere along the beach and the boardwalk so I guess I got SOME exercise.

But I still feel like I overdid it. I gained 2-3 pounds in 3-4 days! I should have stayed on track! I am close to my TOM (about a week away) but I don't want to rely on the idea that THAT is the cause of the gain.....

Needless to say, I came home and my habits haven't changed much. I have this issue where I eat very well for breakfast and lunch, but I just binge on dinner. I don't know what to do! I used to do this before I started losing weight and exercising. I eat an afternoon snack so I shouldn't be starving! WHAT GIVES?!

Not only that, but I have this hideous sunburn on my face and my lips are blistering from the burn (I know, I know....there is an invention called sunscreen). So I only have myself to blame....but it's still annoying.


*big sigh*


I'm sorry guys. I just feel so bloated and gross for my habits this last week. I need some ideas on how to fix this issue.

Thanks for listening.

Well, look at the positive; you didn't just sit and shovel it in while you were on vacation, you went for walks along the boardwalk and beach, etc. So that's a good thing.

Even better, you recognize that you may have overdid it in the eating department. A lot of people think that calories don't count while on holiday! ^_^

Everyone backslides. The important thing is to keep calm and carry on, instead of losing your head and going the "what's the use" route into the nearest pint of Ben and Jerry's. Tomorrow's a new day. Clean slate.

Part of it (not that I'm justifying it, mind you) could easily be salt weight. I find that even when I'm OP when eating out, I'll gain weight.

That being said, are you giving yourself enough calories for dinner. I know some people swear by 6 mini-meals, but I find if I don't eat a large dinner, I'm just inclined to each more in the hours before I go to bed. Dinner is always my biggest meal and this works for me. Or just make your dinners more filling...so even if you're eating large volumes, its 80% spinach (which is my favorite filler).

Or try drinking lots of water or hot tea instead of more food.

Get back on plan. Now.

Plan your meals and snacks for the next three days and stick to it like glue.

I went on vacation twice this summer and ate horribly both times. Waaaay too much food. I kept up my exercise -- lots of running -- but as it says here on someone's sig, you can't out-exercise poor eating habits. I came home a couple pounds up as well. Most of it went away quickly -- it's really hard to gain actual pounds in just a couple days. But poor food choices will cause you to bloat. (For me, too many carbs, too much salt, too much alcohol all do this)

Vacation can be just that -- a few days of a different routine -- or it can be the beginning of your unraveling. Make a commitment right now to get back on plan for the next three days. If my experience is at all representative, you will feel so much better after a few days of clean eating, you will feel relieved and reinvigorated.

^^ditto

Whenever I go of plan for whatever reason, vacation, special occasion, etc. I ALWAYS get back on plan immediately. I've found that as long as I do this any gain is pretty temporary and comes off quickly. Once that's over with I continue losing.

There are TONS of tips and advice on how to handle off plan situations, but in the end you can only do your best and the most important thing is that you return to proper eating habits. As long as you do that the weight will come off eventually.

You learned a valuable lesson on what the lack of planning does. Write these horrible feelings and physical repercussions in your food journal and refer back to them. Use this as a learning opportunity.

For today, tomorrow, etc. plan out what you will eat in advance. Write then bite it, NOT, the other way around. Do your planning while your emotions are in check and there is easy access to food information with a calendar in hand. Plan out a weeks worth of meals, then do what is necessary to make them. Get rid of the bad off plan foods so there is no opportunity to eat them. Measue and weigh your food and yourself. If you do this, the weight will come off. If you don't, it won't. It is your choice.

Vacations are so tough! I came back from vacation with a gain this summer. Then I took a quick trip over Labor Day and another gain. I, too, had a lot of trouble getting back on track after the vacation. It's like, I was sad the vacation was over and so I just kept on eating. Not good! I've found it's hard to get back on track once you go off for a few days. All those cravings for the bad stuff seem to come back. But just do it, and you will definitely start to feel better. Get the scale moving back in the right direction ASAP!

Life goes on, you're back on track, and most importantly, you enjoyed yourself.

I went straight from TOM to a weekend out with a friend. I'm at 282 today instead of the 279 showing in my ticker. I had a great time. I don't go out often. I also don't regret it.

Life's too short to let a vacation ruin your motivation.

One thing that helped me last vacation was we just ate one meal out. We had a little efficiency and had cereal for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch or dinner. Three meals out is just way too much for me. I also find out that eating out in general makes me gain, I seem to be very sensitive to sodium.
And of course I did some running on the beach.So my weight stayed about the same.