How do you handle vacations?

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:51 pm

It's been awhile since I went on vacation for longer than a few days but next week we're going to Hawaii for a whole week and I'm not sure how to handle my N days.

Just wondering if anyone had some suggestions or advice on what's worked for them. I think I'll allow some fruity cocktails but not sure what else if anything.

Thanks in advance!

Linda

mrwhy · Post by **mrwhy** » Tue Mar 08, 2016 5:31 am

lpearlmom wrote:It's been awhile since I went on vacation for longer than a few days but next week we're going to Hawaii for a whole week and I'm not sure how to handle my N days.

Just wondering if anyone had some suggestions or advice on what's worked for them. I think I'll allow some fruity cocktails but not sure what else if anything.

Thanks in advance!

Linda

Hello -

Here is my thought....do you go on week long vacations multiple times a year? It doesn't sound like it...in fact, it sounds like this vacation is a rare and special occurrence.....

So just enjoy yourself. If you have the opportunity to be at a Luau on Tuesday night...have seconds! If on Thursday you run across an excellent shaved ice....enjoy it!

One week out of your life is not going to wreck you. But just make sure you are enjoying the vacation...having foods you enjoy...really living it up.

When you get back you will be happy...there will be no residual regrets about what you didn't do/eat/experience...and you will be able to get right back to good eating habits.

Those are just my two cents.

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Tue Mar 08, 2016 6:06 am

I've been thinking about the same thing! Only our upcoming vacation is going to visit family where there is definite all-day eating...hard to avoid! I haven't decided how I'll handle things yet. I almost always gain 5 lbs. there, and it takes a few weeks for me to take it off again. (Or sometimes I haven't taken it off). So part of me is wondering, do I try to stick closer to meals and not snacking, or do I just not worry about derailing overall progress for 3-4 weeks? I don't think I'd have trouble coming back to NoS...but I do think I'd find it discouraging to derail the progress (and as it's an issue any time I'm with family, several times a year, I'm thinking about it more than something really special like a trip to Hawaii...)

Anyway, no clear thoughts yet, but I'm interested in hearing what others do!

ironchef · Post by **ironchef** » Wed Mar 09, 2016 1:53 am

Hi Linda, Wow, that's awesome, I am envious!!

I got some great advice on this thread about vacations a while back.

Above all, when you get back, no matter what happened on the vacation, just get back home and get back on the horse. One week won't be enough to sabotage you, but bringing home a bunch of guilt / WTH feelings might!

mrwhy · Post by **mrwhy** » Wed Mar 09, 2016 5:03 am

Merry wrote:I've been thinking about the same thing! Only our upcoming vacation is going to visit family where there is definite all-day eating...hard to avoid! I haven't decided how I'll handle things yet. I almost always gain 5 lbs. there, and it takes a few weeks for me to take it off again. (Or sometimes I haven't taken it off). So part of me is wondering, do I try to stick closer to meals and not snacking, or do I just not worry about derailing overall progress for 3-4 weeks? I don't think I'd have trouble coming back to NoS...but I do think I'd find it discouraging to derail the progress (and as it's an issue any time I'm with family, several times a year, I'm thinking about it more than something really special like a trip to Hawaii...)

Anyway, no clear thoughts yet, but I'm interested in hearing what others do!

Hello Merry!

Please do not take what I say as a critique - but I think you may want to explore what "progress" might mean to you.

I used to strictly define progress by a number on a scale, until I decided that this was ludicrous. What does the number on the scale even mean? All it is is a synthesis of a lot of things I want...I want to look good...I want to fit into a certain size clothing...I want to feel good about myself......I want to be happy.

I took all of those things and combined them into a number that if it went up I felt bad and if it went down I felt good.

But you are going to visit family. ENJOY! This is an honest to goodness blessing. Enjoy every second of something that should be a highlight of your year, and enjoy it without guilt.

I do not think you should "scrap" your eating habits. I do not think you should eat chips just because....but if there are situations where a second course is there (because you only get to eat Uncle Ed's secret fried chicken once a year) then do it! And if Aunt Claire brings her famous pie on Thursday...have a slice!

If this is something that happens three, four, five times a year, then you might need to think about it. But if it is once a year....who cares!

A few things to MAYBE do.....are you going somewhere to visit familly? Schedule some extra walks. Take some time to enjoy the air......

When you get back? Just start eating right again.

Life is short. Enjoy your family. Do not turn that time into a "diet conflict."

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Wed Mar 09, 2016 5:18 am

Thank you Merry, iron & mrwhy for your input!

Merry: I'll let you know how the week goes!!

Iron: good to see you! I should be more excited but having pre-travel stress! Thank you for the link.

Mrwhy: I love your response and think you have the right attitude. Enjoy the special moments of my vacation in which food is an integral part but do not use it as an excuse to permasnack. I think that's the attitude I will take.

We plan to do a lot of active stuff- hiking, swimming etc and a lot of relaxing so I think I won't be prone to overeating as my stress and boredom will be minimal. I'm sure it'll be fine.

osoniye · Post by **osoniye** » Wed Mar 09, 2016 5:38 am

I usually handle vacations... poorly. Hope you are able to be more moderate than I usually am! Sounds like you have your head on straight.
Hope you have a wonderful time!!

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Wed Mar 09, 2016 6:40 am

mrwhy wrote: If this is something that happens three, four, five times a year, then you might need to think about it.

Yes, sometimes 5-6, that's why I'm thinking about it. As I said before--not the same as a special trip to Hawaii--I probably shouldn't have piggy-backed on this post, it has just been on my mind. I don't think it will raise conflict among family at all if I do decide to stick to NoS--though I'm sure that even if I stick closer to NoS when I'm there, I'll still either have extra NWS days or NWS events. I can stare down potato chips and ice cream and homemade treats etc... for a day or two, but likely not for 5 or so days straight, LOL! I'm just not there yet. But a normal NWS day for me now is still pretty binge-y, and maybe somewhat of a plan can help me be a bit more moderate.

As for reasons--sure, I'd love a better appearance, but a lot of it for me is more health-oriented and that I need to make overall changes in how I approach various eating situations. I want to do what I can to be as healthy as I reasonably can as long as I can because I have a disabled husband. So one of my first goals is to get out of obese numbers, which lowers a number of health risks. (I hope to eventually not be in overweight numbers, but be in a range of normal, though I don't ever expect to be really skinny, nor am I aiming for that.)

One of the reasons I failed NoS the first time around was because I wasn't willing to change how I ate around the many church and family-related functions in my life. I kept making concessions for this and that, and the result was that I just wasn't "on" NoS enough of the time for it to make a difference in my life. In looking to make long-term, life-altering habits, I want to consider what's "livable but enjoyable" in all kinds of areas in my life. I do get what you're saying about not being so strict that I don't enjoy family--but on the other hand, if I can't enjoy them without pigging out, then I think that should be examined as well.

Queenie · Post by **Queenie** » Wed Mar 09, 2016 12:56 pm

Merry,

I had the great good fortune to start No-S a week before Christmas. I started on a Friday (Dec 18th) then out-of-town relatives arrived on the weekend.

Since it was the weekend, I enjoyed treats with them.

Come Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, I had green N-Days.

Then I had a 4-day weekend (four S days) for Christmas Eve, Christmas, Saturday and Sunday.

Because of eating treats with my family before and after the S-days, it came across on my N-days that I was declining a piece of cake right now, or I was passing on candy right now -- not that I was resisting or avoiding.

Anyway, I noticed that mixing it up -- eating sweets one day then declining the next day -- made it less noticeable to my family.

The other thing I did on N-days was, I ate very slowly during our family meals. That way I still was eating food on my plate when everyone was having seconds. It wasn't noticeable that I wasn't having seconds, too.

I didn't lose weight but I didn't gain. That was the first time in decades that I didn't put on weight during the holidays.

You could probably alternate N- and S-days. That way, on any N-Day you could reasonably say, "I'm so full but that [treat] looks good. I think I'll save it for tomorrow" and then actually eat it the next day. If there are witnesses, you'll look normal. If there aren't, you could have a bite and honestly say that you ate [some of] it.

These feel like diet strategies but it was marvelously effective for me at Christmas.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Wed Mar 09, 2016 2:15 pm

Will other people pressure you to eat more or eat foods you'd rather not? That may not be an issue.

I tend to let my conception of thin cultures influence me. I may be wrong about them, but I think they don't look at vacations as times to way overeat day after day. It's not as if they are holding back the rest of the time and have to bust loose on vacation. They enjoy their meals all the time. They don't snack all day long or get really full at meals because it's not a way to fully enjoy food.

The hardest part is trying not to use too much mental energy deciding if I'm really going to enjoy my time now and later if I eat "that". For me, that means pretty much sticking to Vanilla and two extra S days a month. But I don't socialize as much as others, so have fewer pressures.

I tend to look at vacations and holidays as times to fill up on atmosphere and other people as well as food.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Wed Mar 09, 2016 4:03 pm

I agree Merry you will need a different kind of plan. I would just keep to normal N & S days with special days such as holidays as exception. In other words vanilla NoS even with family. Otherwise it's just a slippery slope. Easier said than done I know!

Oolala, no my family nor dhs family will pressure me to eat so that's a plus. (Drinking may be another story). I think you're right about using too much mental energy though to decide what's worth it and what's not. Dh & I are big foodies and enjoy exploring foods from different cultures as much as the sights so I've decided to allow one treat a day the size of saucer.

Also going to allow drinking on all days but no more than 3/day. Fruity drinks are fine. Hopefully I won't reach the max each day but ya know I'm here to relax!

Red · Post by **Red** » Thu Mar 10, 2016 9:09 pm

I'm a cruiser... in other words, I go on 1-2 week vacations on a cruise ship regularly. Here's what keeps the weight off of me, on my last vacation - I lost a lb!

- Drink LOTS of water.
- Drink more water.
- Only eat protein at breakfast. Don't even look at breads, cereals even if you LOVE them. Like the book says - eat as much as you'll need to be satiated for the morning.
- Did I say drink water??
- Eat protein at lunch -> my goto lunch was a big wedge of lettuce, and a burger or slice of whatever meat they were serving along with some dressing, and occasional piece of fruit (who can pass up the fresh pineapple in Hawaii!?)
- DINNER: ENJOY the culinary joy of a wonderful chef cooking at your decree. Have some wine. Savour dessert.
- Water. No really. Water.

Hope some of it's helpful to you!? Good luck!!!

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 1:01 am

Not sure this will work for a mostly-vegan. But is that part of being on vacation, too?

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 3:19 pm

Thanks red! I'm a little jealous of all your cruising. My DH will not do the cruise thing. I don't drink enough water normally so this is good advice for me in general.

And yeah oolala no burgers for me but I may eat some fish at dinner time. Otherwise will try to stick to the vegan thing as much as possible. It's getting harder and harder for me to break from my vegan way of eating but I think my options will be limited in Hawaii so will just do my best. We're going to Molokai which is a small island and not a lot of restaurants.

I think we'll be doing a lot of cooking at home (we rented a house) which technically should be easier but I don't want to appear too fussy so I'll just play it by ear at this point. Of course, they're from Los Angeles so should be used to high maintenance eaters, right?

Oh that reminds me, I should probably pack some food for me and my vegetarian daughter for plane ride. I forget to request a vegetarian meal!

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How do you handle vacations?

How do you handle vacations?

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