How to Enjoy Eating While on Vacation

When I set out to plan our vacation this year, I vowed not to stress over food by making a plan ahead of time. Meal planning has become a part of our wellness life and therefore several weeks out, I planned what we were going to eat during our vacation. It included foods that needed to be prepped ahead of time, a packing list, and a list of acceptable restaurants, for a few occasions of eating out.

Before the trip, I had to make a few decisions in order to align with my current goals. Did I want to lose weight, maintain, or was I ok with gaining a few pounds? Newsflash, a week of vacation, and a bit of naughty eating will not typically pack on pounds. What does pack on pounds is coming back from vacation and continuing the indulgences. I decided to enjoy a few treats and be ok with a pound or two extra at the end.

When I came home, I found I had not gained a single pound! Amazing! I was able to get back into our normal routine without skipping a beat. The key was looking at vacation eating as exceptions, nothing more.

Vacation was not a time to throw out all the hard work and progress I had made, While I enjoyed my treats, I did experience some indigestion while eating out, due to what we call "chem-food", food that is not organic and cooked in inflammatory oils. While tasty, I did not enjoy the associated indigestion. The same goes for sweets. I ordered a salted caramel cold brew that was undrinkable due to the high level of sweetness.

I felt in control of my food for the first time in my life. I felt like I did not need to overeat or overindulge. I have to credit listening to one of Corrine's podcasts prior to vacation, which helped me set the expectation on what my goal was going to be and that enjoying a few treats during vacation is ok so long as they are the exception. This strategy worked for me!