The Struggle with “Vacation Eating”

I flew from Seattle to Salt Lake three days ago.  I sat next to a man who was very heavy.  He over flowed his seat as I did when I was heavy.  It did not take long for me to see why he had a weight problem.  After we took off, he pulled out a big bag of dried fruit and mixed nuts.  Next came the Coke Zero.  While he read a book, it was may guess that he consumed over one thousand calories and drank a big Coke Zero.  It was not long ago that I ate the same way.  Jackie Keller, my coach calls it mindless eating.

Turning the Page: My 125-Lb Weight Loss Journey

Now that I have turned the page and lost 125 lbs, I must work everyday to keep the weight off.  One of the biggest challenges for me is to keep my weight down as I travel.  When I travelled before, I always took on what I call a “vacation” attitude.  I would see something that looked really good and say, “Oh well it is OK to eat, I am on vacation.”  Every trip I would gain a few more pounds.  I also played the yo yo game.  Eat on a trip and diet when I got home.  All of the above took a toll on my health and well being.

The Importance of Planning, Preparation, and Commitment

Now when I go on a trip, I know the key is planning, preparation and commitment.  Today I will fly to Thailand and I have packed a lunch and have extra snacks, so I do not have to worry about eating road food.  For lunch I will have whole-wheat toast with small can of salmon and no fat miracle whip.  I also have ½ cup of no fat cottage cheese and ½ of drained pineapple.  A slice pepper will finish off my meal.

I will be gone 10 days, so I have packaged 30 snacks three per day.  The biggest challenge for me in Thailand is the wonderful food.  The Thai food is often made with coconut milk, which is almost the same as cooking with cream.  Here are a few ideas I will do to keep my weight in check.

  1. When I am served soup with coconut milk, I will take a medium portion.  Use the dipping spoon method of eating the soup.  Dip my spoon and taste and repeat until soup is gone.  Do not have seconds.
  2. Dish onto my plate one portion of the food and do not go back for seconds unless it is safe vegetables.
  3. Walk 12,000 steps a day.
  4. Take fruit for dessert.
  5. Write down my plan for the day before leaving my room. Then write down each meal what I eat.  At the end of the day share my success or challenges with my support person though the email.

When I have followed my plan reward myself by having a Thai message. Never let myself slip into “vacation” thinking.

Tip The Scales In Your Favor

Learn about the small steps that make a big difference in your health, weight, and happiness.