Pressure to eat on vacation :(

[rose45]

I agreed to go on a trip with a friend and some of their family. While I am excited i have been trying VERY hard to lose weight. I know i can afford to lose another 10-15lbs and i have made some progress. I really tried to make different types of changes such as alot more protein, cardio, eating small healthy snacks throughout the day, cut out alot of alcohol when it comes to outings. I have a long way to go still.

 

I am very nervous about gaining the weight back while on a vacation. It's in another country and i think alot of the food tends to be fried such as chicken cutlets, meat, potatoes etc. My friend isn't as concerned with her weight and i know she will definitely be eating dessert every night, drinking heavy beer with her meals. She is already settled with the one she is with. I on the other hand want to lose weight to feel more confident in general along with dating and finding someone. The summer is coming and I don't want to be uncomfortable.

 

We will be hiking throughout the day but i also won't be doing the same workouts my body is probably used to and i also don't want to ruin all my hard work b/c of other people and a vacation.

 

I just feel alot of people subconsciously don't support other people's diets. I ran into her and she made a random comment how she is going there to eat and will worry about the weight when she gets back. She knows i have been working out so that comment made me nervous and i already feel like i will be pressured to drink the beer, try all the desserts and eat unhealthy dinners. They also speak the language and i don't and i may have a hard time choosing something on the menu for myself.

 

I am quite stubborn in some ways but i also do in general love food..it is hard to say no but comments like that make me mad in a way and want to make me say no even more.

 

I am just really worried and don't want to gain any weight back. A lb or two can be reasonable but this isn't a cruise; i don't think it's necessary for me to gain 10lbs back...

 

any tips, advice? looking for support and seeing if anyone understands the pressure

[FitChick]

You can try everything, including beer and desserts, but the key is small portions. Try everything so they can't say, "But you didn't even try it!" If it's very different food than you are used to eating, you can claim you have an upset stomach. If you are going to a different time zone, say you are jet lagged and not hungry. Then shove it toward her, "Here you can have the rest of it." Your friend sounds like she'd gobble it down!

 

How long are you going to be gone? If it's only a week, you won't gain that much weight anyway. You have to eat 3500 calories in addition to what you normally eat to gain one pound. That's a lot of food.

 

Before I go on vacation, I lose two or three extra pounds because I know I will be eating more. I don't like depriving myself when I am away.

[threebyfate]

Most decent hotels have exercise facilities. Why not work out while you're there so you can enjoy the food?

[johan]

It's just a vacation. You aren't moving there. I do understand though, once you get a trend going, you don't want something to break it up. That happened to me several times last year with business trips.

 

I think your best bet is to keep portions small. Don't overeat when you can't control the portions. Limit alcohol. And try to keep the workout routine going.

 

But regardless, it's going to disrupt your routine. Resign yourself to slipping a bit. It will be a good time and worth it. And you can re-focus afterwards.

 

Don't stress about this and let it affect the trip. You're going to have fun.

[Els]

You can always enjoy yourself in moderation. Enjoying desserts is fine if you're not going to be pigging out on huge mountains of them every single day. It's fairly unlikely that you'll gain 10-15 lbs, especially if you're going to be hiking at the same time. Chill.

 

OTOH, don't be pressured to do what you don't want to do. If you don't WANT the desserts, just say no. But really, my advice is that a vacation should be about having fun, and you should consider relaxing a little there. The decision should be entirely up to you though.

[Eternal Sunshine]

How long is your vacation OP?

 

I was in the similar position earlier this year. Went on a vacation to a tropical island. We ate out all the time. The food was mostly fried, there were deserts and cocktails every day. Basically, your worst nightmare when trying to lose weight. I got around it by ordering salads or the smallest portions available (even then I left some food on my plate). I would ask if someone wants to share desserts. There is no shame in saying something like "I am full, thanks, I will pass". I didn't skimp on cocktails though :S

 

My rule for keeping on track with weight is to simply eat ONLY when you are hungry and stop when you feel you are full enough, even if there is food left on your plate. Even if eating fried foods etc, if you only eat a little bit, it won't hurt you.

 

There was no gym where we were staying but the whole area had lots of hills. I walked everywhere (even when everybody else drove), and did some hikes, alternating with swimming laps in the pool.

 

I dreaded stepping on the scales when I got back, but it turns out I even lost a few lbs