6 Tricks to Avoid Vacation Weight Gain

Summary: Learn how to enjoy your vacation without expanding your waistline.
 

Summer is a time for sun, fun and, of course, vacation! But no one wants all of the hard work they put into getting ready for the summer to go to the waste. So how do you enjoy your hard-earned vacation without ruining your waistline? Here are six simple tricks to avoid weight gain during your vacation:

 
1. Make your own breakfast. Eating breakfast at a restaurant or resort can result in enticing choices and unwanted calories. You can save yourself quite a lot of calories and fat by making your own breakfast with things like oatmeal packets, nuts or nut butter, yogurt (if you have a fridge), fruit, or granola bars.
 
2. Pack healthy snacks. If your vacation includes a full day of walking or activities, you’ll find yourself starving at dinner, which can result in overeating and poor choices. Be sure to have healthy snacks on hand throughout your trip, much like the ones mentioned above as breakfast items.
 
3. Walk as much as you can. Although many people enjoy lying in the sun, exploring the area you’re visiting is a great way to get in some exercise. Skip the Segway tour and check out the town on your own two feet! You can also take a swim or sign up for fun activities like horseback riding or rock climbing.
 
4. Be smart at the buffet (or avoid it!). Many people have a love/hate relationship with the buffet. While it can offer an array of choices that you’d never have at home, it can also result in quite a bit of overeating since there is no end and no portion sizes. Try avoiding the buffet by ordering from the menu, or if you have to eat from it, be mindful of portion size and choose plenty of veggies and protein.
 
5. Order cocktails wisely. Part of the fun in a good vacation is enjoying a cocktail while you relax with your friends or family, just be sure to order wisely and don’t go too crazy. The more you drink, the more you’re likely to make poor choices with food as well. Go for clear liquors like vodka or gin, and steer clear of anything too sugary.
 
6. Choose one or the other. When it comes to dining out, we’re presented with a lot of options and we often take them all when on vacation: cocktail, bread, and dessert. However, if you want to avoid unwanted pounds, try the method of choosing just one or two things to indulge in, so go with just dessert, or skip dessert and have a roll and a glass of wine.