You’re ready to begin your new, healthier life – just in time for the summer swimsuit season. Now that weight loss is a priority, you’ve resigned to tackle this change full-time. Even though you have your mind set on sticking to your weight loss plan, a summer vacation can quickly get in the way.
Vacations take you out of your normal routine, including how and what you eat and what types of physical activity you do. Between eating three meals a day in restaurants and the addition of special vacation treats (such as ice cream or cotton candy at an amusement park), it’s easy for anyone to find weight loss challenging.
Choose a Rental With a Kitchen
Eating every meal at a restaurant can make judging portions, calculating calories, or finding your preferred weight loss foods tricky. Instead of choosing a hotel that doesn’t have a kitchen option, pick a vacation rental that comes equipped with a fridge and stove/oven. This gives you the ability to bring your own food and cook your own meals.
Not only will bringing and preparing your own food save you calories, but it also adds options you might not otherwise find. If your weight loss plan includes specific types of foods or specific quantities of food groups, eating at a restaurant may mean reviewing menu after menu to find the just-right option.
If you don’t want to – or can’t – book a rental, you can still make your own food. Ask your potential hotel if they have a suite or other type of room that comes with a kitchenette – or at the very least, a mini fridge.
Select a Splurge Meal
Vacationing on a weight-loss plan isn’t always easy. Temptations abound everywhere. No one wants to watch their family eating a delicious – and calorie-packed – meal and have to choose a salad for themselves.
Instead of avoiding all calorie and fat traps, pick a splurge meal. This isn’t a once-a-day splurge – it’s a once-a-vacation cheat meal. To make it count, pick something that you know you’ll truly enjoy.
After the meal, remember that you’ve already used your splurge. This means you can’t cheat and sneak in little extras here and there.
Bring Several Snacks Along
An ice cream cone at the boardwalk, a soft pretzel at the park, or an order of fries at a carnival can all lay waste to your weight-loss plans. Take the temptation to snack on high-calorie or high-fat foods away by bringing your own snacks.
Pack a plastic bag or small container of healthy treats that you enjoy eating. But them in your purse, bag, or carry-on to munch on during your traveling day. This strategy also has a hidden bonus. Along with saving calories, you’ll save money too.
Prepare a Vacation Plan
You don’t have to go it alone when it comes to vacation-time weight loss. Before you leave on your trip, talk to your doctor or a weight-loss expert. The professional can provide you with an individualized strategy that works for your body and your needs.
The most important part of pre-vacation strategizing is sticking to the plan on your trip. If you have doubts that the plan will work for your vacation reality, talk to the expert and come up with a new idea that will.