I have had several patients that have come back from their vacations and the scales were a stark reminder of how quickly weight can go back on easily when "focus" is lost. A large % of the patients who gained significant weight while gone had something in common: They all stayed at "all inclusive" resorts, i.e. places where all the food and alcohol was included in the price of the vacation.
"All You Can Eat/Drink" mantras test the very fabric of human nature. We are paying one price, whether we eat a small amount of food and drink water, or eat large portions of foods and consume enough alcohol until we find ourselves singing Barry Manilow karioke. Often, at these all inclusive spots, buffets are offered with the quality of food being marginal at best. The dessert bars are laden with a tempting array of choices that ulitmately taste no better than a twinkie.
A few thoughts: NO ONE at our clinics, especially me (Dr. Las Vegas Mirage Buffet) expects people to go on their well earned vacations and not partake of the food and other dietary choices that make us smile and feel good. We all work very hard and part of the fun of any vacation is living life a bit more hedonistically. However, if you are in a weight loss mode, perhaps when you consider a vacation spot, you may want to steer away from places that test your resolve. If you are at a nice beach resort with a fine restaurant that will make you pay more $$$ for a second plate of food or a great dessert, you may be more apt to pass it by than if those came at no additional cost on a buffet spread. Especially the alcohol consumption, which more than anything, will derail weight loss efforts.
If you have been recently successful at going on a vacation and NOT gaining weight, please e-mail me your "secret to success". Serotab@aol.com
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3 comments:
One way our family keeps from going completely crazy on vacation is to add some sort of daily fun "activity" to our trip. On our last cruise we took the morning water aerobic class and took the stairs often throughout the day instead of the elevator. We walked slow and often had a sweet in hand but hey it helped keep off pounds as we made not so great food and beverage choices.
nn
With 3 weeks of vacation coming up in July, I am mentally preparing to make good choices. My goal is to maintain my weight loss. I do not want to convince myself that I will inevitably gain weight just because I am on vacation. That would be a recipe for disaster for me. I do want to enjoy vacation, but I will enjoy not gaining weight even more!
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