You stick to healthy habits on a regular basis, and now it’s time for vacation…what’s a gal to do???Whether you are at your goal weight or not, there is no need to restrict yourself so much that it takes away from all your fun – what you want to do is to indulge selectively so that you maintain, not gain. From my multiple vacation experiences over the years, here is a basic ‘formula’ that seems to be working:

1 – Be careful with the cocktails. If you enjoy day drinking, night drinking, or perhaps both, choose your drinks wisely and drink lots of water in between. I usually drink tequila or a vodka/soda with lime…long gone are the days of mudslides and pina coladas! And although wine calories can add up, it is another reasonable alternative. Read the ingredients on cocktail menus and avoid drinks with syrup, juices, and/or liqueurs…lime juice, club soda, ‘splash’ of juice – these are much better choices.

2 – Make at least one meal per day ‘healthy’. If you are dying for a doughnut for breakfast, plan to have a low-carb lunch…if you want that juicy burger on the beach for lunch, go for a lighter breakfast, perhaps a veggie omelet…as for dinner, I find that my choices are generally healthy because it’s what I’m accustomed to, what I actually prefer – fish or steak and a salad…oysters, shrimp, etc…and unless the bread is ‘over the top’, I pass.

3 – Share an entree. So many calories can be saved with portion control! Whether with your hubby or a friend, share and entree and an appetizer, or entree, app and salad too. Restaurants expect that many will do this. On the occasions when Peter and I opted not to share, we almost always say, “We should have shared!”

4 – Stay active. For a long weekend away, I skip my gym clothes, but for more than that I will bring them, even if I only hit the gym once or twice…hubby and I are trying to get more in the habit of working out on vacation because you feel better and it sets the tone for the choices you make all day…if not hitting the gym, find another way to be active: paddleball, jogging, or something else that you like, even if it’s a brisk walk on the beach.

5 – Allow yourself some sweets. What’s a vacay without enjoying an occasional dessert, right? The key word here is occasional – not every day – and I will also add small portion. Share a dessert with others or get yourself a ‘kiddy cone’, if ice cream is your weakness (like me)…if you keep your splurges to a minimum and you keep them small, you should have no problem maintaining your weight…as my grandmother used to say (regarding tiny portions): if it was poison it wouldn’t kill you! 😉

The bottom line is that it’s all about balance on vacation…indulge selectively so that you don’t gain that annoying and hard-to lose- 2-3 pounds…and as soon as you are back home, it means back to healthy habits, even on the weekends!

Hope that this was helpful! Glad to answer any questions…

Work hard. Play hard. Enjoy every day.

Candy