While school was in the bookkeeper at the school I work at and I would walk 3 to 4 days per week until things just became overwhelming with it being the end of the year. We walked 3.5 miles each of the days. It had been a month since our last walk when my 13 year old motivated me to ride bikes with him. This is our 2nd week of riding 2 to 3 days at roughly 6 miles each trip. My problem vacation: We are leaving for two weeks to California and I am afraid I wont stay motivated the food in San Fran., the smells as you walk by and the heat that prevents much activity. Anybody who has an idea that will keep me motivated please help. I am tired of being over weight and I have been doing very good with calorie intake for over a month now I consume no more than 1800 per day and no less than 1500. How can I continue without a fight.

I'm going on vacation too in a couple of weeks. I'm pretty apprehensive about it - I'm going to visit family who are excellent cooks, so you're not alone

You didn't say what the purpose of the trip was - is it tourism? family? a little of everything? Is there a way you can plan for a walk every couple of days, say from the hotel to the museum? I've never been to San Fran., but is there a bike rental near a park where you could spend an afternoon going around the bike paths? Just some thoughts... there are lots of healthy things to do while on vacation

As for food, try to make healthy choices, but don't beat yourself up too hard if you eat a little more than you should. The important thing is to get right back ON the wagon as soon as you get home, and the vacation will only be a tiny blip in your overall weight loss plan

Whatever you do, bring a cooler if you are driving there. Because otherwise, the chances of eating fast food even on the way there will be leaning towards high.

I am going by train to vist family. My family has no weight problems that is my problem. they enjoy food, can eat all they want and not put on a pound. Needless to say I put it on for all of them.

Plan as much as you possibly can. Figure out what day you're going where, and plan accordingly. Plan what foods you just won't be able to live without, and eat them. Schedule a time each day when you'll go for a walk. Make it early in the morning or late in the evening, so heat won't be an excuse. See if someone would like to walk with you, that way you can catch up with your family while being active. Choose activities to do that include walking, like museums or the zoo or similar things. You could also report here every day, so you feel some extra sense of responsibility too.

Make sure your vacation is still a vacation. Don't try to totally deprive yourself, but don't go all-out and vacation from health completely either. Share food with others, especially if you want extra fatty food or desserts. You still get to indulge, but you're not eating the whole thing.

Vacations are always really hard for me, so I sympathize greatly. The more you do to stay on track, the better you'll feel about yourself when you get home. Nothing ever goes exactly as you plan, but if you have a plan, you are much more likely to do something rather than sit around chatting and eating.

Thank you, for your thoughts and ideas. They will be very helpful as after I read this I contacted an old friend from high school and set up a time that she and I could get together and go to a park to catch up. Then my mom called and told me that my sister just put in a pool and I will be staying with her for about a week so look out water activities here I come. With my son, I have no doubt that the pool will be a motivator that he uses to get me moving.

I love this site as people are so helpful.
thank you,
Robin
Junction City, OR

Hey, if nothing else, do strength training things at home in the evening, or whenever. Sit ups, crunches, leg lifts, etc, etc. (Jazzercise has some silly looking but reasonably helpful podcasts available- free- just search in itunes online.)

Play to your strenghts- are you a morning person? Get up a little early for a walk. Or a night person? Walk then. Either way, you'll avoid the worst heat.

As for restaurant food- you're alive, you should enjoy what you eat (within reason ). Enjoy some local specialties- hey, fish can be really great for you! If all else fails, avoid anything friend or in a cream sauce.

Oooh- and drink lots and lots of water before/as you are out and about- will help you feel more full, and of course if fabulous for your body anyway.

Good luck!!!!

Whoops! That's "avoid anything fried..."

Don't avoid your friends! Unless they're enablers... heh heh

My own philosophy is that I stop counting calories when I travel. It's just too hard to try to restrict and count calories when 1.) you're not involved in the preparation of the food and thus have no real way of even coming close to a somewhat accurate estimate; 2.) you're surrounded by temptation everywhere and people eating freely because they're on vacation too; and 3.) it's a vacation and you're supposed to live a little and experience new things.

The approach I take above is not a license to eat like a wild dog - just not to worry about everything you put in your mouth and feel resentful because other people are eating things you want to try, but aren't because you're "on a diet". This means I eat a bite of everything that looks good, but that I don't eat the whole thing (I usually try to stick with 50%-75% of whatever it is, if it's a main dish I've ordered, and then my companions and I usually share bites of our orders so that everyone gets a taste of everything). I also track my food - not calculating the calories (because how would I know, anyways?), but keeping a record of what I ate (this is serves as a nice remembrance of the trip as well).

The most important thing is that you get right back into your routine of tracking your food and calculating your calories as soon as you get back. I can't stress this enough. Every time I've done this, I haven't had any problems. If I procrastinate on getting back into the routine, it becomes a real pain. Don't let the vacation become a license to abandon your diet (which you shouldn't be thinking of as a diet in any case - it's a new way of living).

I'm on vacation for a second time right now. I gained 4 pounds in less than a week, last week from my first vacation. This time, rather than counting calories, I'm drinking SlimFast Optima for 2 meals since I'll usually end up eating out for the remaining meal. I figure if only 500 cals are spent on 2 meals that'll each keep you full for 4 hours, you can eat what you want when you go out to a restaurant w/ whoever you are vacationing with. P.S. Remember to exercise everyday! Even if you don't have time for long bouts, any little bit will help.

Ha! You are going to san francisco in july? it won't be hot!

pack a sweater.

Also, San Francisco is one hellishly hilly city. If you just walk everywhere you want to go you should have no problem offsetting the food you are likely to eat. Besides, I believe there are actually only two (2) cabs in all of the bay area.

Enjoy yourself and don't worry, the bike will be there when you get back.

Thank you everyone, I will take all these ideas and put a plan together that fits best with what I am doing. All the ideas are great I am sure I can create a plan and stick with it. And yes, the bike will be here when I get back and the biggest motivator is my hubby is going to buy me a new bike once I have put in 50 hours on the old one. My 13 year old son the main motivator for me is logging all the time we spend riding on the computer. Once again Thanx to everybody.

Hi Robin,

Have a great vacation and don't spend tootoo much time thinking, and instead trust yourself that you have developed some great habits. Maybe try the 2/3rds trick when it comes to plating food or when eating out -- draw a line in the plate and eat to that line and no more. If you're worried it won't fill you up, drink an extra glass of water while you're at it. It'll fill you.

Sometimes when I'm away, I feel like I have to eat everything on my plate (so, so easy for me to do, even after losing 30 lbs in the last year and a half) because I'm not taking home leftovers. But keep in mind that you're paying for the taste, not to fatten yourself up. And you can always take the doggie bag for a passing person who may be outside and hoping for some generosity (I do that in NY too).

Also, remember one last thing: the faster you put on weight, the faster you can take it off (same as faster you take it off, the faster it comes back on). So if you have a bad week or two on vacation, it'll just take you slightly longer than your vacation to take it back off. So you will be able to recover from it.

Have fun!

-Sandra

A few years ago I went to San Francisco and I was afraid of the same thing... but I ended up losing like 6 lbs because I walked everywhere - and there are TONS of hills. Plus, if you like seafood, there is no place better..... and its a healthy splurge.

Have fun!!!