HOW I MAINTAINED MY WEIGHT LOSS PROGRESS ON VACATION AND STILL ENJOYED MYSELF

Written By Molly Kieland

Vacation weight gain is a common concern for many. It’s always one for me especially when I am headed to visit my family in Arizona. But this trip was different. I went in with a plan and a very different mindset that kept me on track and happy all while still enjoying adult beverages with the clan.

As we have experienced, various types of trips and holidays easily encourage overeating, sedentary behavior, and consumption of calorie-rich foods. In fact, between mid-November and mid-January, adults in Western societies gain an average of 1 pound (0.5 kg) (PubMed).

This may not seem like a lot, but most people don’t lose this extra baggage. Therefore, vacations and holidays — no matter the time of year — may be one of the biggest contributors to your total annual weight gain.

On this trip my goal was to not gain but to maintain. I was happy to see that the scale showed about a 1lb loss when I got home and that was a bonus!

That said, weight gain on vacation is NOT inevitable.

Here are tips to help you avoid weight gain on vacation along with my 6 Day Vacation journal!

  1. Move daily. Be active with family and friends first thing in the morning. Hike, bike, walk, play pickle ball, swim, etc. Wake up early, get some steps in to get the blood flowing, and start your day off already feeling great about maintaining.

  2. Order right. On vacation, you can take advantage of dining out and exploring new dishes while having someone else prepare them for you. This doesn’t mean they need to be unhealthy. Use dining out as a time to try a new fish or a veggie side dish. Not only may you lose weight, but you’ll be inspired to start creating some of these dishes at home, too. The best dining out formula to follow: Lean protein and double veggies.

  3. Snack wisely. Opt for real foods and avoid dips. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are filling snacks that don’t contain added sugars or unhealthy fats — both of which can lead to weight gain.

  4. Watch your portion sizes. Those who eat larger portions tend to gain weight more easily than those who don’t (PubMed). The best way to overcome this is to control portion sizes or use smaller plates.

  5. Practice mindful eating. Try to chew slowly and thoroughly (20-30 chews per bite or chew to applesauce consistency to aid in proper digestion), which will allow you to better recognize your body’s fullness signals and consume fewer calories (PubMed) Also- Put your fork down between every bite!

  6. Pick your poison. If you’re hellbent on maintaining your weight loss, be selective on how you choose to indulge on vacation. Maybe it means forgoing breakfast pastries because you plan on doing dessert with dinner, or you know you’ll be sipping lots of Vodka Sodas when you’re poolside so you’re going to skip desserts and processed sugar altogether. Choose your vacation vices wisely and make it that much easier to maintain a healthy balance.

  7. Get plenty of sleep. Naps are epic! Sleep restriction may increase your hunger hormone levels, ultimately leading to higher calorie intake. Additionally, inadequate sleep has been linked to lower metabolism. This may be caused by alterations in your circadian rhythm — a biological clock that regulates many of your bodily functions (PubMed)

  8. Keep meals balanced with protein. Vacation and holiday meals are typically rich in carbs but low in protein. However, it’s important to include some protein with every meal, as it promotes fullness and may be useful for weight maintenance (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source). In fact, eating protein with meals may automatically reduce calorie intake by reducing hunger and appetite (20Trusted Source). Protein is also beneficial for weight control because it increases your metabolism and levels of appetite-reducing hormones (PubMed)

  9. Focus on fiber. Do your best to eat fiber-rich foods, such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

  10. Use a smaller plate and stick to one helping. People tend to consume larger portions from big plates, which may lead to overeating. Thus, a smaller plate is an easy way to control portions.

  11. Avoid processed foods. To prevent weight gain, opt for whole foods and cook your meals from scratch. That way, you can monitor your diet and stay on top of your weight.

  12. HYDRATE! Continue to hydrate throughout your vacation. It is easy to confuse thirst with hunger signals, which can compromise your healthy eating plan. Pack a water bottle then top it off every chance you get. Start every meal and snack with a glass of water. A great target is to drink half your BW in ounces/day! Make your water sexy by adding cucumber/mint/pineapple to your water bottle! Try sparkling water to make your hydration break vacation worthy.

MY 6 DAY VACATION EXERCISE AND MEAL RECAP

My food philosophy: Commit to a daily 16:8 intermittent fast which has a long list of health benefits (Healthline). Generally speaking, intermittent fasting will make you eat fewer meals. And, unless you compensate by eating much more during the other meals, you’ll end up taking in fewer calories and enhance hormone function to facilitate weight loss. Lower insulin levels, higher HGH levels, and increased amounts of norepinephrine (noradrenaline) all increase the breakdown of body fat and facilitate its use for energy. For this reason, short-term fasting actually increases your metabolic rate, helping you burn even more calories (Annual Reviews). In other words, intermittent fasting works on both sides of the calorie equation. It boosts your metabolic rate (increases calories out) and reduces the amount of food you eat (reduces calories in). According to a 2014 review of the scientific literature, intermittent fasting can cause weight loss of 3–8% over 3–24 weeks. This is a huge amount (ScienceDirect).

There are a few basics that I must maintain while traveling in order to stay healthy. For this trip in particular, I knew I would be partaking in adult beverages with my pops and our family as we came together for birthdays and a mini family reunion. There are always a ton of chip and dip platters and sugary food items around so I committed to pick my poison. I avoided all processed foods, breads, dairy, cheese, dips and sugars but allowed myself to have cocktails (Tito’s + LaCroix and beer in moderation). I made a point to intermittent fast until noon everyday and make sure to drink around 80-100 oz of water/day. Each day started with lemon water followed by coffee + 1 scoop Primal Kitchen Coconut-Chocolate Collagen.

My exercise philosophy: Get breathless and sweat for a minimum of 1 hour daily! My plan was to power walk for 1 hour or 4 miles/day and anything else would be a bonus. We keep some kettlebells (12kg, 16kg, 24kg) at my parents house in AZ which gives us more to work with!

MONDAY, MAY 4: FLY TO TUCSON, AZ

Food:

  • Intermittent Fast until 12 noon and have Alaska Airlines Harvest Grain Bowl, mixed greens, nuts

  • 4:30pm Chicken Nachos + 2 micro brews

Exercise: 6am 45 minute Peloton ride + 30 minute sunset walk with pup

TUESDAY, MAY 5

Food:

  • Wake with lemon water and coffee + 1 scoop Primal Kitchen Coconut Chocolate collagen.

  • 12 noon: Break fast with Smoothie (coconut water, 1 cup mixed berries, 1/4 banana, Athletic Greens powder, 1 scoop fiber, 1/4 avocado)

  • 3 pm: Big ASS Chicken Caprese Salad (mixed Greens, Chicken breast, tomatoes, burrata, EVOO and fig balsalmic vinegar) and 2 micro brews.

  • 7pm: Leftover Big ASS Chicken Caprese Salad (mixed Greens, Chicken breast, tomatoes, burrata, EVOO and fig balsalmic vinegar) and 2 vodka sodas.

Exercise: 4 mile walk + KB Simple and Sinister with 16kg + 30 min sunset walk with pup.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6

Food:

Exercise: 10 minute morning mobility + 4 mile walk + KB Simple and Sinister with 16kg + 30 min sunset walk with pup.

THURSDAY, MAY 7

Food:

  • Wake with lemon water and coffee + 1 scoop Primal Kitchen Coconut Chocolate collagen.

  • 12 noon: Break fast with Smoothie (coconut water, 1 cup mixed berries, 1/4 banana, Athletic Greens powder, 1 scoop fiber, 1/4 avocado)

  • 3 pm: Big ASS Spinach Salad (spinach, 1/2 can garbanzos, tomatoes, carrots, 1/2 red pepper, dressing= 2 TBS Hummus + 2 TBS lemon juice)

  • 7pm: Ground bison burger with homemade potato salad on spinach and 2 vodka sodas.

Exercise: 10 minute morning mobility + 4 mile walk + 4 rounds of KB Kickstand DL, Half kneel pressing + KB Simple and Sinister with 24kg and 16kg (2 Hand Swings with 24kg and TGU with 16kg) + 20 min sunset walk with pup.

FRIDAY, MAY 8

Food:

  • Wake with lemon water and coffee + 1 scoop Primal Kitchen Coconut Chocolate collagen.

  • 12 noon: Break fast with Smoothie (coconut water, 1 cup mixed berries, 1/4 banana, Athletic Greens powder, 1 scoop fiber, 1/4 avocado)

  • 7pm: Two Chicken Thighs over wild rice with asparagus and 2 vodka sodas.

  • 8pm: 1 slice of apple pie

Exercise: 10 minute morning mobility + 1 hour hike

SATURDAY, MAY 9

Food:

  • Wake with lemon water and coffee + 1 scoop Primal Kitchen Coconut Chocolate collagen.

  • 12 noon: Break fast with Smoothie (coconut water, 1 cup mixed berries, 1/4 banana, Athletic Greens powder, 1 scoop fiber, 1/4 avocado)

  • 3 pm: pear

  • 4pm: Alaska Airlines Lemon grass chicken breast over wild rice + bok choy and mixed nuts

Exercise: 10 minute morning mobility + 4 mile walk + 10 min walk with pup and Pops before flight.

THE BOTTOM LINE

While staying on top of your weight goals can feel daunting during vacation or over the holidays, multiple tips and tricks can help keep you healthy, happy, and weight-conscious.

Beyond general diet tips, it’s best to make sure you’re getting plenty of exercise and crowding out processed foods with whole foods.

If you’re diligent, you may find that you’ve not only prevented weight gain but even lost weight during your next vacation or holiday season. This is just a recap of what worked for me. Remember everyone is different and responds differently to all foods and forms of exercise but in general we should all strive to move a minimum of 30 min/day and eat whole foods to live a long healthy life (read more Dr. Mark Hyman).

XO- Coach Mol

Molly Kieland
Previous

Plan ahead before your flight