I know I said before that I didn't care about staying OP while on vacation, but that's before I experienced what a battle each pound is to lose!

We're going to the hard Rock Hotel in vegas and intend to eat all our meals there too since there's enough restaurants that we could eat at a different one every day and wandering around the strip trying to decide will take us HOURS since we're both the "what do you want to do?" type

There's only one breakfast place and they offer low-cal stuff like spinach omelettes or egg white breakfast burritos. But dinner and in betweens will be the problem!

We plan on spending most of our days in the pools since it will be blisteringly hot out and then hitting the strip at night. Sounds ok, right? Plenty o' swimming is good for you. But they have cocktail service...and one of the things they do is spiked milkshakes! Like a chocolate one with Kahlua and a Banana one with spiced rum! I cannot, CANNOT not try at least one of them.

Suppers will differ each night - steak, burgers, japanese food, and a cool californian fusion mexican place (they have taquitos! This is how I feel about taquitos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X23FmmOQBLM)

Naturally, this is all rich, indulgent and very awesome food. I think I can survive the japanese place and the steak night just fine (I LOOOOVE salmon so I'm gonna opt for that and veggies both nights). The burgers...well....I'll only eat half the bun and take it easy on fries, there's some lamb sliders or a turkey burger I could go for, but chances are the siren call of the blue cheese burger with smoked pancetta will win. The Mexican place is going to RUIN me, I love spicy and I love mexican and I cannot pass up a gourmet mexican experience since our mexi places here are....lack luster.

Then there's always the strip itself. I'll be damned if I don't get a giant cup of rum and (diet) coke and run around the strip with it....

Anyway...now that my food rant is over, the plan is to more or less "guess" the caloric content of this stuff and stay at maintenance. Only day I won't try to count cals will be the Mexican night. We're staying off strip and walking to the strip and swimming so I should get a decent amount of exercise in....

Any other tips for a worried vacationer?

If you can, order a salad before every meal with the dressing on the side, and then limit the portion of the meal itself. Order roasted/grilled veggies for your side if you can instead of fries, rice, etc. If you hit a buffet (which we're famous for over here!), there's always the salad bar, lean proteins, and no-sugar-added desserts available. Also remember that you don't need to have a huge portion in order to enjoy the flavor of your meals.

I don't think it will hurt you to indulge a little, it's a vacation after all! Enjoy one of those spiked milkshakes, and enjoy your time at the different restaurants. If you're looking for someplace where you can sample small amounts of amazing food, try Firefly on Paradise (it's not too far off the strip). They serve "tapas," which are fancy little Spanish-influenced appetizers. Portions are small, they encourage sharing plates, and they even include some healthy options on their menu. You can check them out online to get an idea of what they serve and if it might be something you'd enjoy trying. I just like to bring up the place since it's one of my favorite restaurants.

Take some comfy walking shoes (I had my crocs thank goodness)
You will definately be doing lots of walking which will help, even to get from one casino to the next is a good walk. One night we had veggie subs and just ate in our room which was a nice break from the restaurants and theres a Dennys with some light options (across from Treasure Island)
I was worried about staying on plan, but actually lost 3# which I think was from walking and lack of sleep. Also, really try and get your water in
Have a fabulous trip!

You've been at this a while, eat what you like but just don't get stuffed on it. Lots of water. Also keep in mind you don't NEED three full meals a day...if you're not hungry don't make yourself have a meal "because it's lunch time" or whatever.

Aaaand even if it all goes to heck, remember it only takes a few days to deficit off vacation gains :P

Also there are tons of healthy options even at buffets in Vegas, I love it!! I'm jealous, have a good vacation.

i'm definitely with krampus on the "don't eat if you're not hungry" advice. it seems so simple, but it's one i usually forget on vacation. i think it's because you're surrounded by amazing food and you just want to eat no matter what! on vacation i also try to practice my best "food snobbery." i'm pretty easy to please when it comes to food and will most likely eat anything you put in front of me, but i figure when i'm in a food situation like you're in, why not be a food snob?! if it's not FANTASTIC don't eat a ton of it, because it'll take up room for something else.

have a fabulous time in vegas and please, please, please enjoy one of those spiked milkshakes for me!!! (banana rum or chocolate kahlua...how are you ever going to decidE?!?!?!?! ;-) )

I agree with the "don't eat if you're not hungry" strategy.

Also, the hotel does have a gym and most LV hotels charges their guests a facilities fee on top of their rate, regardless whether you use it or not. So, might as well use it. I find that even if you're not 100% perfect in terms of your eating, you're not gonna fall off the wagon too badly if you maintain your fitness regime.

In terms of Vegas, I found that you walk everywhere all the time. Even something simple like going to the pool, they structure the hotel in the way that going to the pool from your room involves you having to walk the entire length of the hotel, to compel you to spend money on food, gambling, drinks, souvenirs, etc.

I just got back from Vegas last night, and I did fine! I got up every morning and hit the gym, we did a TON of walking, and honestly we were so busy I was forgetting to eat at times!

I know it seems like Vegas is nothing but food at times, but that also makes it really easy to get a bit "picky" with your orders when you dine out. Trust me, the staff has seen and heard it all. You can totally control yourself if you just give it a bit of effort.

Enjoy some rare treats you can only find there, and do your best with the rest of your meals.

You CAN do it, so good luck!

The hotel DOES have gym facilities. Even a 20 minute jog will give me an extra 500 calories to play with....for, let's say, a milkshake~

Also, we're not lunch people. Terrible as it is we're eat in the morning and then at night people. SO lunch time won't be a problem.

And yeah, lots of walking.

Maybe I'll be ok...thanks for your advice, ladies!

On a side note: nobody enjoyed the Invader Zim reference, you people need to geek it up more!

http://www.hardrockhotel.com/relax/fitness-center

It says no other hotel gym compares! So bring your sneakers - one hour or even 30 minutes out of your vacation each day or every other day wont kill you & it might even help you stay on point w/ your eating!

Hi there!

I totally understand where you're coming from. I started my weight loss journey in January 2011 - in May 2011 we went on a 2-week to Europe (SO much great food & drink), followed up a month and a half later by a week-log trip in the Virgin Islands celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday.

I was so incredibly stressed out because I had been so successful up to that point and I didn't want to "ruin" it.

I've learned more and more strategies as I've traveled more. I do allow myself the splurges, and I've gained weight on vacations, but I am definitely much better now than I've been in the past!

Keys for me:

1. Be as active as possible. I take advantage of fitness rooms whenever I can and we walk lots!
2. Only eat it if it is AWESOME. If someone puts a dessert down in front of me and I take a bite and think, "This is okay." then I stop eating it. There is going to be so much other food that is fantastic, why waste the calories on "okay" food?
3. I take a small travel scale with me and I weigh in every morning. At home, I weigh in weekly, but on vacation, I like to give myself a daily dose of reality. I allow myself the splurges, I enjoy them, but I have to own up to it, too. I have definitely seen the weight go up and it makes me more mentally conscious all day of what I am eating. DH laughed when he first saw my travel scale, but he was actually using it on our vacation this past May and I think it helped him, too!
4. Try to track your food. I don't try and lose weight on vacation. Like I said, I let myself splurge - but I still try and write it all down. It does help at the end of the day when I see, on paper, all I've eaten already that day.
5. Commit to getting back on track the second you get home. I always say, "Austerity measures are back in place!" - I always go to the gym the next day and I make sure I don't pig out at the airport or when I get home.

Have fun in Vegas!

I live in Las Vegas and near the Hard Rock there is a CVS drugstore for healthier snacks if you need them and a Subway across the street (I'm pretty sure about that-- the shopping center has undergone some changes including adding a KISS mini golf!), so there are always other options close by other than the Hard Rock hotel.

It's a fairly long walk from the Hard Rock to the Strip though and it will be very hot even at night-- certainly 90 degrees or more, so just be careful.

Have fun!! Those adult milkshakes are sooooo good.