Does anyone have any tips about staying in control during trips? I know I shouldn't restrict myself 100% and that it's meant to be a fun time, but I don't just want to let everything go, either. (Especially considering the fact that I gained recently.)

So far, we've planned to buy groceries from local markets and try to eat better food at home. However, we can't really cook, so I don't know how great our options will be or what to look out for.
Any other tips for the summer travelers?

You've made some great choices already.

All 3 meals during the day don't have to be healthy but they also don't have to be rich and decadent. I'd say decide which meals you're going to splurge on and which ones you're going to eat healthy for each day. Like if you know you guys are going to a nicer restaurant one night then plan on a healthier and lighter breakfast and lunch. Don't skip these meals though, they'll make portion control a little harder when you get to the rich food.

You said you were picking up groceries but wouldn't be able to actually do much cooking so I would suggest sandwiches and salads. They're simple, don't take much time to make, cheap ingredients, satisfying and most of all you can make them healthy.

Also stay active. I'm not sure what you vacation plans actually entail but things like swimming, hiking, walking a farmer's/flea market or sight-seeing are great ways to have fun while slipping in some exercise.

What kind of a trip? How are you travelling?

If its a road trip then its pretty easy. You can take a cooler and fill it with foods you can eat. Also, take lots of healthy snacks that you can munch on, like nuts, fruits, etc. Hard boil some eggs for the cooler so you have some protein. Maybe cook some lean meats and cut them up and put in ziploc bags.

Instead of soda make a jug of green tea & honey. I like brewing green tea and pomegranite and add a little honey instead of drinking soda. Honey is easier to digest and is healthy for you. Takes lots of water so you don't get dehydrated.

If you are taking a plane bring snacks. Maybe pack a meal if its a long flight. Try to buy foods locally and do a picnic type lunch and dinner. If you have a hot plate pack that so you can warm healthy food choices like vegetable soups.

Hi there!

We travel a lot for leisure - normally two "big" trips per year, and almost always one of them is a cruise. So, I've worked for years trying to stay in control while on vacation (and on business trips).

Couple of things that help me, especially on vacations where it's all about the food:

1. The one-bite rule: if the first bite isn't amazing, I don't eat the rest. With so much food in front of you on a cruise, you could (literally) spend all day just eating. So, if I'm going to eat it/splurge on it - it's going to be awesome. So, if you have food readily available - this is a great rule to follow!
2. Travel scale: not to weigh your food, to weigh yourself! I have one that maybe weighs 5-lbs and is easy to pack. I weigh myself at home with it (it's a little off from my normal scale) the day we leave, and I weigh myself every morning of vacation. My goal has never been to lose on vacation, but when I see that number every morning, it honestly helps me stay in control.
3. Find a way to work out: the first thing we do on a cruise or in a hotel is find the fitness room and we use it! If we're doing land travel, we walk everywhere. We find active things to do - kayak, hike, bike, etc. We always do bike tours in new cities, great way to see the sights and much healthier than just sitting on a bus or in a car.
4. Journal your food: it's no fun to do it, but again, it's just a reminder to yourself how much you're actually consuming. Sometimes, it doesn't stop me from over-indulging, but sometimes it does - and that can mean the difference between a 5-lb weight gain, or a 10-lb weight gain.
5. Ask for help: my husband is my #1 ally in my weight-loss journey and we keep each other in check. We do not police each other by any means, but I tend to over-indulge much more easily when he does it - so we both try and remain strong for the other one whenever we can. It really helps.
6. Set a goal weight: again, I've never tried to lose weight on vacation, as food and drink are huge parts of, say, an Italian vacation! While I will "allow" myself a few pounds, I don't want to fall into a pattern that will have me gaining a pound a day or something crazy. So, if I'm on a 2-week vacation, I'll typically allow myself a 5-lb weight gain. Much easier to stay in line when coupled with my travel scale, but even without it, having that number in your head will help.

I've had very little success in bringing my own snacks or cooking, as I normally don't want to bother. We just both try and make sensible choices, stay strong when we can and hit up the fitness rooms when we aren't. The only time we really cook is on dive vacations, as we normally rent condos that have full kitchens - but on a "normal" trip, we just want others to make our food for us.

Good luck!

I wish I had a good answer to this. I'm taking a similar trip soon - won't be able to cook at all (not even a microwave). It's always been a challenge for me to stay on plan and not make a big deal about it - it's tough to balance.

We will likely stick to sandwiches and prepackaged snacks. Not my favorite.

I almost never actually want to indulge in decadent foods on a trip (I often don't like the food or feel the urge to overeat afterward), but my group will often eat one thing together and that leaves me with little choice. I hate rocking the boat with my weight loss needs, so I often do the things I need to do quietly. I weight myself everyday to help keep on track, I keep snacks in my purse, I track my food and I order as healthy as I can. I never enjoy a trip much when I lose control of my eating (I feel sluggish and less enthusiastic, which is a shame).

We will be doing a lot of walking and standing (nearly all day everyday), so hopefully that helps sneak in a bit more exercise. If I can, I'll do some extra exercise.

If anyone else has good tips, I'd love to hear them.

Great topic, OP!

I just got back from a week-long vacation last week. We drove out to the Black Hills in South Dakota. If you have a smartphone and are counting calories, then a good calorie counting app is a must. I used the My Fitness Pal app to track my calories every day. I allowed myself one day where I didn't count calories at all. That day, we went to a highly recommended steakhouse, had fudge at the candy shop in downtown Keystone and had ice cream cones at the historic ice cream parlor in Hill City. Otherwise, we brought stuff to eat with us - granola bars, sandwich makings, dried fruits, etc. I didn't feel deprived at all and I thoroughly enjoyed the vacation. I did gain weight but it was all water weight and I lost it and more within 2 days after we got back. I am now down over 5 pounds from where I was when I left for vacation.

I am so getting a travel scale. That is AWESOME! I brought my full size scale last week - not worth risking damaging it.

And I totally was able to handle the 4 day conference. So, I feel more confident in handling vacation this year too.

I have a travel scale and travel with canned fish as a backup.

But you can mostly stay OP anywhere either by finding a good supermarket or making good restaurant choices.

The only exception is when someone else is feeding you. That's when I use my canned fish. So if I am at a conference/party where food is provided and I am not comfortable with it, I skip the provided meals and eat my supplies instead (back at my room ofcourse!).

Since you'll be able to shop at local markets, maybe some rotisserie chicken and bags of pre-cut/washed veggies to make a salad. Fruit that won't spoil quickly or doesn't need refrigeration might be nice to have on hand as well.

Also, check out the local restaurants for choices that might work. I live in a coastal resort town and the fish places are very popular.

I love Lunula's suggestion of the one bite rule! I notice for me that often the first few bites of an item I rarely indulge in taste the best. After that, it doesn't seem to have as much flavor.

Hope you have a wonderful trip!

LovelyLeah Thanks so much for the tips! We've found some fitness centers at the hotels that I'm already planning for. I'll be on the lookout for salads or salad ingredients, though! Should be a great lunch or dinner option for when we're staying in. (:

applevalleygirl Oh, regular plane trip! Nuts would be great to carry around in a bag. I'll look around to see if there are any fruits that won't bruise too much if they're thrown around, though :P

Lunula Oh, my, so many awesome tips!! The one bite rule sounds like a life saver, really. I've never even heard of travel scales, to be honest! We found some fitness centers at the hotels, and hopefully my parents will help me keep on track. ^^

Penny105 I know, right? But the fact that you're making good choices despite the occasional time with friends should already make quite a difference! Good luck to both of us!

AllyG47 Sounds like a plan! Maybe I could also make sure to carry around a water bottle since I've been wanting to buy a new one, anyway!

berryblondeboys Right? I'd never even heard of it! But I'm so happy for you!! Gives me hope to hold out on my trips, too (;

IanG I don't think we'll go to any events of the sort, but I'm glad to hear good market choices can be enough. I'm always afraid I won't find any good choices without having to cook them :P

Tai Ooh pre-cut veggies are a good option! If they have them here, I'm sure they'll have something of the sort at my travel destination. Would those be like apples and bananas and such?
And thanks so much! ^^

I travel a great deal all over the world for business. I endorse the 1-bite rule mentioned by Lunula. No point wasting calories on anything that isn't delicious.

I stay away from hotel breakfast buffets. I love breads, pastries and sausages too much. Most hotels have coffee or a kettle to make tea in the room. If they don't, I have an immersion heater and a mug that I bring with me so that I can get my dose of wake-up caffeine. And I usually have a protein bar for breakfast which keeps me going until lunch. On my business trips, I am usually presented with a fairly wonderful catered meal at lunch. Since I'm a guest, I feel I need to eat what is provided, in moderation.

For dinner I try to eat moderately at a decent restaurant. On a long trip, I get tired of eating restaurant food and, especially if there is a fridge in the room, I will pick up food from local markets. I find it's interesting to explore supermarkets and, if possible, farmers markets in other countries. Fruit plus cheese and bread makes a nice dinner. Especially in Europe there are wonderful cheeses and breads readily available.

For a plane trip last year, I packed baggies of celery, carrots, and sugar snap peas in my purse. They lasted for a full day of travel (12+ hours) in my bag without getting mushy or even very warm. Great for munching on the plane and he car ride to our final destination.

The one-bite idea is so very genius. How often do we scarf something down because it is there, even if it isn't that good? I've read several times that our enjoyment of any food declines after about 4 bites. So even if something passes the one-bite test, reconsider it at the 5-bite mark. Is it still as good?

I had never heard of travel scales! How cool! Do they do okay in checked luggage on a plane?