… Is that even possible???
For most of us, vacation means a time to let go of all responsibilities, relax, and just enjoy life.
And, for most of us, that includes what we eat as well. We let go of any mindfulness of what we eat or how much.
Some of us just let go of self-control altogether when it comes to food (for example: I should try every type of pizza they serve on the buffet since I’m on vacation… my only chance at freedom).
We end up gaining weight on vacation and then are miserable when we return home and get on the scale. (O.M.G. How can I gain 10 lbs in 5 days?)
Sound familiar?
But, what if you could actually lose weight on vacation without feeling deprived and restricted?
You can. You simply have to decide ahead of time that weight loss is what you want (I really want the scale to be lower – or at least the same when I get home. I’m tired of self sabotaging my efforts). Here is how:
#1 You commit to yourself that you will lose weight over the vacation (I can do this. It isn’t hard).
- Write down your goals and be realistic.
- Nothing is worse than telling yourself you will eat nothing but kale on vacation and then letting yourself down when you eat the fried shrimp over and over again.
#2 You must come from a place of positive emotion.
- Coming from self judgment will not serve you and will only cause a struggle in your brain the entire week (Yuck, I hate this. I wish I could just eat whatever I want like those skinny people).
- Coming from feeling of curiosity and abundance will set the stage of success (I wonder what choices I will make instead of “the usual” pigging out).
#3 You will be mindful of what you eat.
- You will create a plan – even if you don’t know the specifics of where or when you will eat that day. (I know we will eat at a seafood restaurant tonight. I will choose shrimp and only eat half the portions they serve.)
- You will write down everything you actually eat as usual (12:00 Buccee’s brisket sandwich, french fries, rice krispie treat, 6:00 Pizzeria buffett: 10 slices of pizza, 2 ice cream cones).
- You will do your thought downloads (well, I ate way more than I wanted to eat. I’ll use the 10 min. rule next time*.).
- You will focus on the experiences of the vacation and the people that surround you – instead of the food (we went kayaking, boogie boarding, built sand castles, read a book, flew a kite, and hung out together as a family).
- If all else fails, stick to the *10 minute rule. If you really want the dessert, set a timer for 10 minutes. If you still want it at the end of the 10 minutes, eat it – without the self judgment and self beat down.
Try it.
You might be surprised how much better you will feel on vacation when all of your happy thoughts are about the people and the experiences – and not about how many desserts that you should hurry up and eat (since I have been depriving myself back in my “real” life trying to lose the weight).
Have a wonderful vacation!
