How to Eat on Vacation without Weight Gain

My clients often worry about gaining weight while on vacation. Enjoy your summer vacation without worrying about your waistline.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• snacks from home
• watch with alarms

1. Pack snacks--It is important to continue the pattern of eating frequently throughout the day even while on vacation. Since it is not practical to stop every time you need to eat, you need to plan ahead. Pack snacks from home that you enjoy--snack bars, nuts, peanut butter crackers, and other packaged foods can often be the most convenient. Remember to carry them with you while you are out and about during the day. It does little good if they are back in the hotel room.

2. Follow a schedule--Many people struggle with eating frequently throughout the day. This can happen because there are many distractions and you get busy enjoying yourself. If you go too long, though, you will get ravenous. This will lead to overeating. It can be helpful to use a watch with several alarms. You can set the alarms for snack times since meals are easier to remember.
   
   This pattern of frequent eating is very important to avoid overeating while on vacation. You will be able to stop when you are comfortably full much easier if you are not starving when you start your meal. The frequent eating also helps keep your metabolism up, which can be an important component to maintaining your weight.

3. Eat according to your cues--This is the most important step. You must eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. The only exception to this is the snacks--you may not feel hungry if you are distracted. This doesn't mean you don't need to eat--you are just not paying attention to your cues and may miss your hunger signals.
   
   Do not let yourself get too hungry--you will overeat. Getting too hungry equals getting too full. Since all of your meals will be out, you don't want to be too hungry with those larger portions available to you.

4. Choose foods you enjoy--Don't make the mistake of trying to eat 'healthy' while you are on vacation. First, this creates way too much focus on food. You want to be engaged in the enjoyment of the trip--not calculating calories in your head.
   
   Second, if you do not let yourself have what you really want, you tend to overeat--either on the 'healthy' food or later on something you really like. Either way, it results in consuming more food than you would have if you would've just ordered what you wanted in the first place.
   
   Remember that sometimes your weight fluctuates just from traveling. Fluid shifts and unusual foods can cause your body to feel a little 'off'. Once you return home, you will resume your normal eating pattern. Any fluid changes, etc., will readjust and your weight will go back to normal. Try to relax and enjoy yourself (which doesn't mean binge), and let your body take care of itself.

Tips & Warnings

• Continue 'intuitive eating' even while on vacation
• Use your hunger and fullness cues (see link to the tool)
• Do eat the foods you enjoy--you will be more satisfied and eat less overall
• Do not use vacation as an excuse to binge. If you are normally restrictive, you may see this as a time to let loose. You should not be restrictive in any situation--use intuitive eating, or normal eating, to guide your behaviors at home or when on vacation.

Resources

• Hunger Fullness Scale
• Normal Eating or Intuitive Eating

[texasparky]

on 6/16/2009 Five stars for How to Eat on Vacation without Weight Gain. Good work!