Guest Post – 5 Tips on Conquering Weight Gain While on Vacation
Last month I came back from my Hawaii vacation and didn’t gain a pound. Strangely, I lost a pound. I’m not on any diet and I don’t need to lose weight, but I strive to eat well and live healthy.
If you have been working on losing weight, it’s easy to fall off the wagon when you’re on vacation. Yes, you’re going on vacation, but your diet doesn’t have to.
Here are five helpful tips to avoid weight gain while on vacation.
Planning
Research your vacation spot and look for accommodations that have a kitchen or kitchenette so you can prepare your own meals. Knowing a bit about your vacation destination will help greatly. I visited Hawaii and it’s an expensive place to live and visit. It was an easy decision for us to make our own evening meals and dine out about three or four times during the 10 days we were there. Lunch time was a bit different, but we found quaint eateries that were inexpensive. You can certainly pack lunches and snacks before you set out for your days of adventure.
Groceries
If you can find a farmer’s market around your vacation spot, buy some fresh fruits and vegetables as they are cheaper than going to a supermarket. They are great snacks while you’re on the go or relaxing in your hotel room.
If there’s a Costco in your area, buy nuts and dried fruits, but be careful of the sugar content. Depending on how long you’re staying and if you have a kitchen, you can buy your meats and other food items. What we did was plan what meals we could have. If you think buying bulk is too much, it’s not considering you can make different meals out of one item. For example, we bought hamburger patties for burgers and for spaghetti. We didn’t, but you could also make tacos or sloppy joes.
Beverages
When you’re on vacation, it’s nice to indulge in some alcoholic or non-alcoholic tropical drinks or foreign beer and wine, but they all have calories and some have more than others. You’ve heard it before all in moderation. Drinking alcohol or iced coffees causes dehydration so water is absolutely the best drink and it has 0 calories. We bought bottled water after we went through airport security and kept the bottles so we could refill them whenever we went out. It also saved us money from buying bottled water each time. Plus, water helps you lose weight by making you feel full.
Exercise
Activities such as swimming, snorkeling, wave jumping, boogie boarding, body surfing, walking, golfing, tennis, dancing, and hiking are all calorie burners. If you want to bring up your heart rate, go for a run, or use the hotel’s amenities like the exercise room or drop in a Zumba class.
Dining Out
If you’re eating out the whole trip, then you’ll have to make a conscious effort and make wise decisions on what you’re eating. Don’t starve yourself on vacation by missing meals because this will lead to overindulging and overeating on your next meal. Healthy snacks are important for in-between meals so when you actually sit down for a meal, you’re not going to end up ordering the fattest and juiciest burger with the bottomless fries.
Start with a garden salad and choose a vinaigrette dressing or if you prefer a creamy dressing order it on the side. You can choose a salad entree and add chicken to it. I’ve noticed in the States, the food portions are bigger than in Canada so you can share meals.
Choose baked, steamed or grilled instead of deep fried. Don’t be afraid to make requests or ask for substitutes for your meal. You just have to ask your server and if they can’t substitute, then you can tell them not to put it on your plate.
You don’t have to blow your diet out of the water on vacation. Don’t change your mindset and make excuses because you’re on vacation. You can eat right, make good decisions and come home the same weight as when you left or maybe even lose a pound or two.
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Sophia McIntyre is an Internet Marketer and Ghostwriter. She’s passionate about leading and living a healthy life. Her health blog, Healthy Perspectives is where you can learn more about making healthier choices, living, and maintaining a well-balanced lifestyle.
