Vacation Planning

I love to go on vacations. I vacation more than anyone I know. My husband accuses me of going on vacation just to eat and drink as much as I want. In the past my pattern has been lose weight, eat well, exercise, do my 5 things and then go on vacation and it all went out the window. No more. I am 184.2 this morning, my lowest weight in forever, and it is just after a mini vacation.

Here's how to do it. How to keep on your plan even when going on vacation.

1. Plan- Plan everything in advance and prepare for the tough choices.
2. Bring your bathroom scale with you on on vacation. My new vacation must have accessory, I don't leave home without it.
3. We stay at a lot of condos/ house rentals/ time shares which makes it easy to control the food. If you do this plan the meals in advance and bring the food scale, measuring cups and measuring spoons. If others want to go out to eat or make the food, have a healthy low cal alternative like a TV dinner.
4. In a hotel it is a bit more challenging, but most have a fridge and microwave so you can at least have 2 meals a day and healthy snacks. Try to only go out to eat once per day. (Twice including breakfast, if breakfast is provided and you can choose something that is not over the top in calories.
5. Going to amusement parks is tough or other places where the food choices are pretty much junk. Bring a back pack with water, a sandwich, fruit, granola bar, 100-150 calorie chips/ crackers/ goldfish etc. You will know how many calories you are having and chances are you are eating more filling food for less calories. You will not be starving without any good choices.
6. It is hard for me to eat vegetables on vacation. Make salads in the room or get a salad out and bring your own spray on dressing. You can cook/ steam cabbage in a microwave. You need to bring a cutting board and knife for this option.
7. When going out to eat, only go to places you know you have good alternatives. Check out the menu in advance either in a tourist magazine, online or go walking around where the restaurants area and check out the menus.
8. If you are in a foreign country and have no fridge/ microwave in the room, go to local markets and have picnics for lunch. Buy a yogurt and fruit for breakfast if breakfast is not included with your room.
9. Exercise more than normal. I find I can walk twice as much on vacations. I get in close to 2 hours of walking for exercise or site-seeing a day, plus additional steps for shopping.
10. Write down your calorie plan for the day first thing in the morning. If you want a glass of wine or two in the evening as a part of the whole vacation experience then plan for it. Make other choices earlier in the day.

It is all about planning for the choices. Anticipating and having good solutions. It is not easy. It sure is a lot more fun to go on vacation and be unconscious of how much you are eating and drinking. But that is what got me up to 234, and keep me around that number. I think this is better all around for me - physically and mentally. I don't have the vacation hangover, literally or figuratively. No guilt about over doing it and the slippery slope that follows when I make the vacation slip. Instead there is pride and joy at continued success and staying off the slope.