I saw a patient several days ago that succeeded in lost over 5 pounds while on vacation. I marveled at this feat, as most people that go on vacation wind up gaining a few pounds some stay even but very rare is the person that turns vacation into a successful weight loss week. Personally, I build in about 3 pounds of leeway before going on a vacation because historically, I always seem to gain about 3 pounds, as part of the “vacation” is “vacating” from strictly adhering to a high protein/low carb dietary approach.
I queried the patient as to what her game plan was to achieve this great result and this is what she told me:. The vacation was a beach destination and the rental of a house right on the beach. She went with family members and aside from packing and bringing the usual assortment of beach clothes, water games and other “usuals” they also went grocery shopping before they left and brought those groceries with them. They did not rely on going shopping to the beach area food stores, but rather, went to their local supermarket here and stocked up on those foods conducive to the SP Plan.
Even when not going to a hotel where there is a reliance on the restaurants for all meals, renting a home with a kitchen will still present challenges if we do not have the right types of foods. Many stores near these beach destinations are glorified convenience stores that really do not have the assortment of SP-compatible foods/snacks that we rely on at home. Bringing those groceries with us can help lots in ensuring that the “right” types of foods are available.
The long-term weight control journey is not easy, sometimes not very fun and requires lots of planning. However, the improved happiness and health that eventually occur are very much worth those efforts.
By the way, the patient told me she had a GREAT time on vacation and now even more thrilled because while having this fun, her weight came down.
