Hey, everyone! I’m sure we all have incidents where we’ve had a wonderful vacation and all is right with the world, until we come back home and decide to weigh ourselves. Oops! :S That’s exactly what happened to me; I gained a pound. True story, people! And I know it might not sound all that drastic to some people, but it is for me because I just HATE working out, and it just gets that much more difficult for me to lose weight. So, in my interest and in the interest of other people who have similar tragedies to share, I’ve asked our go-to fitness girl Tanvi to share with us some tips on how to keep the weight off while on a vacation. Take notes, everyone!
And special thanks to Tanvi for not only agreeing to do this, but also for doing so in the blink of an eye! Isn’t she just darling?!? 🙂
Kisses,
SK
When Splurgerina asked me to do a Guest Post on How to Avoid Gaining Weight On Vacations, I thought to myself, “You are asking me? That has been the story of my life forever!” But then I thought hard and realized, “Wait a second! There are certain ‘guidelines’ that I do set for myself.” Now I am not saying it’s a 100% foolproof plan but it has a 90% success rate [in my experience] if followed diligently.
Carry healthy snacks along with you – If luggage weight allows, pack a few healthy snacks in your bag [protein bars, vegetable chips, etc] to fulfill that mid-night craving which somehow attacks in double force when there is a mini-bar involved! [or is it just me?]. If you have luggage-weight issues, then try and pick up some imperishable groceries from a local store at your earliest convenience.
Walk! You heard me, WALK! – Well if you are a tourist then you might as well use your two legs and eyes to explore the city and for sightseeing [instead of taking cabs]. However, if you are out on business, you could hit the hotel gym or head out for a run at your convenience. Don’t be mistaken, it will take every ounce of ‘motivation’ […and more] in your body to do that when away from home.
Make sure you eat your Breakfast – If you thought it was imperative that you ate your breakfast in your daily life, it is even more crucial that you eat breakfast while on a holiday! While away from home, it is more likely that you would reach for the ‘unhealthy’ choices before the ‘healthier’ ones. Therefore, you must satisfy your hunger first thing in the morning. At least then you will have a chance to say no to that ‘bagel/muffin/fruit cake’, whichever your eyes land on first.
Split the dessert – This rules applies even in daily life. Share your dessert with anyone you can find – colleague, spouse, parents, sibling etc. If you’re single – then even with a stranger. Well, anyone-would-do! This way you would be able to have desserts everyday but only half the calories, at least while you are on a holiday!
Drink Water – Well, a lot of times we are actually thirsty while our brain is listening to our heart [which is ‘always hungry’] and thus, it confuses us. Therefore, if you have had a meal within the last hour and then suddenly you smell/see french fries and feel hungry again, do yourself a favor – Have a big glass of water. It will only take few minutes and you will get a chance to re-analyze your decision on stomach filled with water.
Now my great advices, in no way imply that I am always bang-on, and/or that I never gain a pound on vacation. But I promise you that I try with everything I have got and I am successful 8 out of 10 times [unless I am visiting my Indian relatives/family who can only express their love via feeding me!]
Aren’t you a darling! Thanks for asking me to do this and for posting it pronto! 🙂 I am blushing with my new title “Go-To-FItness-Girl!” … but loving it. Hope it helps the ones who need it! :o)
@Tanvi: I know..awesome title isn’t it?? Just randomly thought of it and loved it!!
Very well put. Absolutely vouch for all of these! Very true 🙂 We already split desserts (and these days many a times our dinner).
Tanvi is so awesomely fit and it’s great to get some advice from her!
These are really nice tips!!I have two rules when it comes to vacation – (i) the money u spend doesnt come from ur bank balance (ii) the food u eat aka calories dont stick to ur body:-)
@Sonali: But the exact opposite happens with me at least…I end up spending more than expected and eating more than expected!! sIGH..I have no sense of self control!!
I absolutely liked “Water” point.! I strictly obey this whenever I am on tour. Very nice post by Tanvi. Thank you Splurja for sharing this.
what a fun post to read.
luckily i never put on weight on holidays even though i gorge more than my usual intake of food. i guess its the walking that tanvi has rightly suggested here.
@Persis: You lucky girl!!!
Hey, thats good advice Tanvi… i agree abot the water and breakfast part!
Excellent post! Great tips! 🙂
Oh no! I had no breakfasts, way too little water, always desserts and moved quasi not at all (apart from puddling in the pool a bit). No wonder I gained more than 1 pound 🙁
But I’ll make up for it now!
Congrats Tanvi-great post and i agree with all your tips!!!
and you have a new follower here 🙂
naina
All great tips Tanvi! It’s a constant struggle for me too but I do try to watch myself as much as possible 🙂
Great tips Tanvi! Just because your on vacay doesn’t mean you have to let your figure go!
Thanks Ms. SK! and everyone else who appreciated this post! :o) I hope we all stay in shape and get to travel a lot!!! 🙂
I gain weight all time, holiday or no holiday. Tell me how to lose it, I will give you a party promise
You can use these tips in your daily life too!!
hey what’s up? i guess i have missed quite a few of ur posts recently.will catch up soon..i am in india these days and it is crazy here..i don’t know where my day goes..i have to reply back to ur email also..so sorry fo that too..anyways..regarding the post..much appreciated and much wanted..it will take me atleast 2-3 months to shed off the extra pounds that i put here everytime 🙂
great post and who better to talk about fitness than Tanvi 🙂
I know what you mean..I’ll be in India soon as well, which is why I asked Tanvi to do this post before I left!! 😛 Don’t worry about the email..have fun while you’re there!! 🙂
I so needed this before my mini road trip ; /