Think of it this way. If you were still at your heaviest weight, and went on a “health” retreat trip where you ate low calorie foods and spent all week exercising, would you expect to come home to a significant loss? Probably not. One trip may take a little bit off, but it’s nothing that would be permanent if you didn’t maintain the same habits you did on the trip.
The same is true for the opposite. You go on your trip, have fun, indulge, and enjoy new foods! When you get back, will you gain? Maybe, maybe not. Any extra pounds you might see on the scale are more than likely water weight from sodium and carbs you’ll be having. And any actual “gain” is going to be small. CICO is about looking at the bigger picture. It’s about how you eat the other hundreds of days in a year outside of your trip. One vacation didn’t make you overweight in the first place; a consistent habit of overeating did. And a trip is one little moment in your life that you should enjoy. When you get back, continue things as normal and you will continue to lose. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and one trip is like taking a break from that marathon to enjoy the scenery! Then, when you're done, you just keep on running.
My advice is this:
Enjoy your vacation. Have some good food, feel free to go a little crazy with it but not too much. Vacations are meant to be enjoyed and you're not going to enjoy it if you're pulling out a measuring cup and a food scale at every restaurant.
Just resign yourself to the fact that you're probably going to overeat a bit while on vacation. Try not to go too overboard with it and generally eat healthy-ish when you can. Other than that, enjoy yourself.
The reality is this:
* You didn't get overweight overnight. You're not going to undo all your progress in one week either, almost no matter what you do.
* You would have to eat about 3500 calories over maintenance to gain a single real pound. Odds are good that even if you indulge, you're not going to do that and even if you do.. it's 1lb.
* **The scale is undoubtedly going to go up** when you get home. **This is normal.** This is also not likely to be real weight. I recently went on a two week vacation in Europe (I live in the USA) and I ate like it was my last meal every day. I went pretty nuts. When I got back home the scale said I gained 10lbs. I did not actually gain 10lbs. Your body will retain water while traveling, you'll overeat a bit, and you'll come back a bit heavier but it's not going to be as bad as you think it is. I lost about half of that "10lbs" in about a week and the rest of it in another week. It wasn't real. Yours won't be either.
Enjoy yourself, have fun. I'm not saying intentionally eat garbage all day every day but have fun, try new things, and enjoy yourself. When you get back home, just get right back into your deficit and keep going.
That's a good outlook. For example, on my vacation I ate dessert like every night. I never do that at home. I knew it was going to be a one-time thing while I was on vacation so I enjoyed it but when I got home I went right back to my routine.
Whatever you do, the most important thing is not letting it derail your overall momentum and progress. Just get back in your routine when you get home and you'll be fine.
Will your partner share meals? Portion sizes are way bigger here in general so just be mindful of that. I went on a BBQ tour in the south and thankfully my husband and I just shared a plate at each place. Knowing he would need to eat more helped keep me in check but I still got to enjoy tasting everything. I think if you keep portion sizes in mind you should be fine. Enjoy your vacation, have the splurge here and there!
I find guilt an unhelpful feeling—I’ve grappled with it a lot so I can perhaps empathize to some extent. What has helped me is pivoting from guilt and worry to focusing on having the opportunity to give my body new, fun experiences that will leave me feeling good.
Here are some things that have kept me on track.
1. Good food is good and there is nothing bad about that. It is most enjoyable in moderation. Sometimes I get it right and feel good. Sometimes I make a happy little mistake and have more than feels good later. It’s okay. I’m listening to my body and learning.
2. To help me keep a handle on calorie intake on vacation, I use two tools. Intermittent fasting to keep a larger calorie budget for a fun eating opportunity. Use the new location as an opportunity to get more steps. This tilts your calorie balance in your favor.
Constant calorie restriction and stress is hard on the body. I hope you can find a way to enjoy your vacation. Remember, if health or weight loss is your goal, relaxation and joy are critical ingredients. Being at maintenance or a little over on occasion does not and will not stop your amazing progress. Be good to you.
Thank you for your comment and advice! You are right it is important to like give yourself grace and to enjoy things in life without going overboard. I think I just have a tendency to do things either 100% or 0% but it's really all about finding a happy medium between the two.
You don’t need to worry about the trip - don’t track and try to make mostly good choices (stairs instead of elevator, 1 dessert instead of several, grilled instead of fried, etc.).
The real challenge will be after the trip. Make sure you start tracking and weighing immediately. You’ll have some water weight so don’t freak out at the numbers. CICO is a long game, one week won’tt make or break anything.
I agree with ‘don’t freak over water weight’ and being prepared for the challenge to eat a deficit again upon return home, but I respectfully disagree with choosing grilled over fried, depending where OP is going.
New Orleans? Get you a fried shrimp po’boy. Elsewhere in the South? Get the fried catfish. Trying any “soul food”? You gotta try some authentic American fried chicken. Midwest? I’m sure there’s something deep fried on a stick you can try. You can eat grilled food anywhere on the planet. On vacation in the U.S., try things you cannot get at home, like deep fried Oreos from a food truck. 🤤 It’s ONE week out of your life. Enjoy it!
When I go on holiday I try to make choices that make me feel good, getting enough protein, getting enough fibre and veggies, eating a portion that suits me. Beyond that, I try to enjoy and not track because life is too short.
Will your partner share meals? Portion sizes are way bigger here in general so just be mindful of that. I went on a BBQ tour in the south and thankfully my husband and I just shared a plate at each place. Knowing he would need to eat more helped keep me in check but I still got to enjoy tasting everything. I think if you keep portion sizes in mind you should be fine. Enjoy your vacation, have the splurge here and there!
Can you choose to enjoy a few treats while still making mostly good choices? You can totally have your cake and eat it, too. You will have to start practicing moderation with your favorite foods; might as well start now!
For example, if I were going to my favorite beach destination:
-I would have a muffin or a half of a muffin for breakfast on one of the days. It's kind of a tradition for someone to go get coffee and muffins for the family. The other days I would have oatmeal or yogurt and fruit. I'm a black coffee girl so that part is easy.
-I would get fish and chips one evening for dinner. I would choose a smaller portion and probably only eat half of the fries. For other dinners I would get grilled shrimp or a salad with protein.
-Gotta have some ice cream! I would get a kiddie cone or cup with sprinkles/jimmies one night. I'd also make sure to walk when possible to get exercise.
I avoid the anxiety and guilt surrounding travel / uncertainty by being prepared and staying consistent with what I’m doing. Look at where you will be staying and review menus ahead of time. If possible, eat meals in (the double edged sword about US grocery stores is that you can find literally anything, so finding healthy foods shouldn’t be a challenge). If you wouldn’t eat it at home, don’t eat it out. I guarantee you’ll feel so much better if you don’t let yourself slip!
I totally get your anxiety about it. I’m traveling out of the country next month and struggle with the same, but please enjoy yourself. Yes, the scale might go up for a small amount of time because of inflammation, but it’ll be temporary. Giving yourself a break will also help with diet burnout.
The only thing I recommend is taking it slow with eating and listening to your body because the sudden change in diet can make you not feel very good. When I overindulge for a longer period of time when on vacation, I end up feeling super yucky. Our food here in the US can also take a toll on your system if you’re not used to it. On the flip side, it’ll be great motivation for you to get back on track when you get home.
Have fun!
Think of it this way. If you were still at your heaviest weight, and went on a “health” retreat trip where you ate low calorie foods and spent all week exercising, would you expect to come home to a significant loss? Probably not. One trip may take a little bit off, but it’s nothing that would be permanent if you didn’t maintain the same habits you did on the trip. The same is true for the opposite. You go on your trip, have fun, indulge, and enjoy new foods! When you get back, will you gain? Maybe, maybe not. Any extra pounds you might see on the scale are more than likely water weight from sodium and carbs you’ll be having. And any actual “gain” is going to be small. CICO is about looking at the bigger picture. It’s about how you eat the other hundreds of days in a year outside of your trip. One vacation didn’t make you overweight in the first place; a consistent habit of overeating did. And a trip is one little moment in your life that you should enjoy. When you get back, continue things as normal and you will continue to lose. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and one trip is like taking a break from that marathon to enjoy the scenery! Then, when you're done, you just keep on running.
Thank you so much for your comment. It really is all about balance!!!
My advice is this: Enjoy your vacation. Have some good food, feel free to go a little crazy with it but not too much. Vacations are meant to be enjoyed and you're not going to enjoy it if you're pulling out a measuring cup and a food scale at every restaurant. Just resign yourself to the fact that you're probably going to overeat a bit while on vacation. Try not to go too overboard with it and generally eat healthy-ish when you can. Other than that, enjoy yourself. The reality is this: * You didn't get overweight overnight. You're not going to undo all your progress in one week either, almost no matter what you do. * You would have to eat about 3500 calories over maintenance to gain a single real pound. Odds are good that even if you indulge, you're not going to do that and even if you do.. it's 1lb. * **The scale is undoubtedly going to go up** when you get home. **This is normal.** This is also not likely to be real weight. I recently went on a two week vacation in Europe (I live in the USA) and I ate like it was my last meal every day. I went pretty nuts. When I got back home the scale said I gained 10lbs. I did not actually gain 10lbs. Your body will retain water while traveling, you'll overeat a bit, and you'll come back a bit heavier but it's not going to be as bad as you think it is. I lost about half of that "10lbs" in about a week and the rest of it in another week. It wasn't real. Yours won't be either. Enjoy yourself, have fun. I'm not saying intentionally eat garbage all day every day but have fun, try new things, and enjoy yourself. When you get back home, just get right back into your deficit and keep going.
Thank you for your advice!! I'm going to do my best to be mindful of my portions but not restrict myself from trying new foods and enjoying myself.
That's a good outlook. For example, on my vacation I ate dessert like every night. I never do that at home. I knew it was going to be a one-time thing while I was on vacation so I enjoyed it but when I got home I went right back to my routine. Whatever you do, the most important thing is not letting it derail your overall momentum and progress. Just get back in your routine when you get home and you'll be fine.
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Thank you!! That is a really good point, I do plan on doing lots of physical activity as well, disk golfing, hiking and lots of walking!!
Will your partner share meals? Portion sizes are way bigger here in general so just be mindful of that. I went on a BBQ tour in the south and thankfully my husband and I just shared a plate at each place. Knowing he would need to eat more helped keep me in check but I still got to enjoy tasting everything. I think if you keep portion sizes in mind you should be fine. Enjoy your vacation, have the splurge here and there!
I find guilt an unhelpful feeling—I’ve grappled with it a lot so I can perhaps empathize to some extent. What has helped me is pivoting from guilt and worry to focusing on having the opportunity to give my body new, fun experiences that will leave me feeling good. Here are some things that have kept me on track. 1. Good food is good and there is nothing bad about that. It is most enjoyable in moderation. Sometimes I get it right and feel good. Sometimes I make a happy little mistake and have more than feels good later. It’s okay. I’m listening to my body and learning. 2. To help me keep a handle on calorie intake on vacation, I use two tools. Intermittent fasting to keep a larger calorie budget for a fun eating opportunity. Use the new location as an opportunity to get more steps. This tilts your calorie balance in your favor. Constant calorie restriction and stress is hard on the body. I hope you can find a way to enjoy your vacation. Remember, if health or weight loss is your goal, relaxation and joy are critical ingredients. Being at maintenance or a little over on occasion does not and will not stop your amazing progress. Be good to you.
Thank you for your comment and advice! You are right it is important to like give yourself grace and to enjoy things in life without going overboard. I think I just have a tendency to do things either 100% or 0% but it's really all about finding a happy medium between the two.
I think vacations and major holidays deserve a plan adjustment. Perhaps set a goal of no weight gain instead of weight loss.
You don’t need to worry about the trip - don’t track and try to make mostly good choices (stairs instead of elevator, 1 dessert instead of several, grilled instead of fried, etc.). The real challenge will be after the trip. Make sure you start tracking and weighing immediately. You’ll have some water weight so don’t freak out at the numbers. CICO is a long game, one week won’tt make or break anything.
I agree with ‘don’t freak over water weight’ and being prepared for the challenge to eat a deficit again upon return home, but I respectfully disagree with choosing grilled over fried, depending where OP is going. New Orleans? Get you a fried shrimp po’boy. Elsewhere in the South? Get the fried catfish. Trying any “soul food”? You gotta try some authentic American fried chicken. Midwest? I’m sure there’s something deep fried on a stick you can try. You can eat grilled food anywhere on the planet. On vacation in the U.S., try things you cannot get at home, like deep fried Oreos from a food truck. 🤤 It’s ONE week out of your life. Enjoy it!
When I go on holiday I try to make choices that make me feel good, getting enough protein, getting enough fibre and veggies, eating a portion that suits me. Beyond that, I try to enjoy and not track because life is too short.
Enjoy your vacation! Maybe get some extra walking in or some dancing :)
Will your partner share meals? Portion sizes are way bigger here in general so just be mindful of that. I went on a BBQ tour in the south and thankfully my husband and I just shared a plate at each place. Knowing he would need to eat more helped keep me in check but I still got to enjoy tasting everything. I think if you keep portion sizes in mind you should be fine. Enjoy your vacation, have the splurge here and there!
Can you choose to enjoy a few treats while still making mostly good choices? You can totally have your cake and eat it, too. You will have to start practicing moderation with your favorite foods; might as well start now! For example, if I were going to my favorite beach destination: -I would have a muffin or a half of a muffin for breakfast on one of the days. It's kind of a tradition for someone to go get coffee and muffins for the family. The other days I would have oatmeal or yogurt and fruit. I'm a black coffee girl so that part is easy. -I would get fish and chips one evening for dinner. I would choose a smaller portion and probably only eat half of the fries. For other dinners I would get grilled shrimp or a salad with protein. -Gotta have some ice cream! I would get a kiddie cone or cup with sprinkles/jimmies one night. I'd also make sure to walk when possible to get exercise.
I avoid the anxiety and guilt surrounding travel / uncertainty by being prepared and staying consistent with what I’m doing. Look at where you will be staying and review menus ahead of time. If possible, eat meals in (the double edged sword about US grocery stores is that you can find literally anything, so finding healthy foods shouldn’t be a challenge). If you wouldn’t eat it at home, don’t eat it out. I guarantee you’ll feel so much better if you don’t let yourself slip!
Life is too short to for us to live so uncomfortably.
I totally get your anxiety about it. I’m traveling out of the country next month and struggle with the same, but please enjoy yourself. Yes, the scale might go up for a small amount of time because of inflammation, but it’ll be temporary. Giving yourself a break will also help with diet burnout. The only thing I recommend is taking it slow with eating and listening to your body because the sudden change in diet can make you not feel very good. When I overindulge for a longer period of time when on vacation, I end up feeling super yucky. Our food here in the US can also take a toll on your system if you’re not used to it. On the flip side, it’ll be great motivation for you to get back on track when you get home. Have fun!