Vacation! Vacation! Vacation!

Kenyon and I have our annual visit to see the in-laws (mine, not his) coming up.  While this isn’t always considered a vacation it is really nice to visit with them and see how much more grown up the nieces and nephews look each year.

Vacations can be tough to navigate while on a weight loss and maintenance journey.  I know I am not giving up my vacations and I don’t expect you to either.  So we must learn some tips to helps us navigate.

One of the hardest parts of vacation is just being out of your normal routine.  At home I weigh and measure all my foods.  Most days I pack my meals for work and we eat at home.  It is a lot easier to control your calories/points when we know how your food is prepared and portioned out correctly.  With that being said, learning to eyeball your portion sizes can come in handy.  Do you all know that a 3 oz portion of meat is about the size of a deck of cards or also the palm of your hand?  I know what you are thinking and no, not the palm of your husband’s much larger hand but the palm of your own hand.  I have been weighing my food for so long that I am pretty good at a general idea of things.  Really, all we can do is our best and try to stay honest.  You are only hurting yourself if you count that heaping bowl of cereal at the hotel breakfast as one serving.

Eating Power Foods whenever possible on vacation is also a good idea.  If you aren’t sure of the PPVs and you don’t want to mess with portion sizes, you can use the Simply Filling Technique.  This is where you focus mostly on Power Foods and also eat until satisfied.  It can be tricky to listen to your hunger singles but knowing when you are satisfied is important.  I know when I am on vacation I tend to eat the foods I don’t have every day and stopping when I am satisfied is tough.  I like to remember that if it is really good I can always have it again tomorrow.

You can consider sharing a meal with your spouse or family member.  I try to use this technique when it comes to dessert.  I also have to remind myself I don’t need dessert after EVERY meal.  I have also ordered off the ala carte menu and also ordered a smaller appetizer when I am not really hungry.

The best thing you can do for you and your weight loss and maintenance program is to NOT go into “vacation mode” sooner than your actual vacation and to make sure you do NOT say in “vacation mode” when you come back home.  I think this one causes the most trouble for WW members.  I am guilty of trying to use up the food in the fridge and/or not feeling like cooking on the days leading up to vacation.  This can cause extra calories/points sooner than necessary.  It is also a good idea to get to the store as soon as you get home or have some sort of healthy food option available for your return.  At the very least, get back on track the following day….not week or month!

Try to get in some activity if you can.  It will make you feel good and you can explore the sights while you log some mileage.

If you are driving, pack some PPV friendly snacks and meals.

Above all…..have fun!!!!  Vacation weight is only temporary and will usually come off as soon as you get back to your usual routine.  We need to have fun in life.  Sometimes fun comes with extra pounds.  It isn’t the end of the world.  Usually when I come back from vacation I am eager to get back to my healthy eating.

Bon Voyge!