Vacation is supposed to be a time when we let loose, forget about our busy, hectic lives, and just enjoy the moment.  For the health minded, vacation can also trigger an anxious response. Why? The fear of gaining weight on vacation. Some might think that sounds silly, but when we are off our normal routine, meal prep, and gym-time, it feels like the inevitable will occur – we gain weight.  But that’s not necessary the case. You see, there are things you can do to avoid the gain and instead lose weight while on vacation.  

I recently went to Hawaii (Kauai and Oahu) for 10 days, I came back and realized I’d actually lost a couple pounds (about 2-3lbs) which is NOT typical.  In this post I’ll break down what I did, why I think I lost vs. gained, and some tips for you on how to lose weight on your next vacation.  

Firstly, I’d like to note that this experience (losing weight on vacation) was new for me.  Typically, I gain weight when I travel. I tend to enjoy the moment, drink the drinks, and eat all the food.  Since this trip we had planned was so long (10 days) I wanted to find a balance between enjoying myself to the fullest and staying on track with my diet and activity levels.  

I’ve certainly had the vacations where we sip drinks poolside and beachside all day every day.  Taking it easy and just checking out of #reallife. For this trip, I wanted to get out and explore the island more than just revolving our lives around eating and drinking. This simple shift, I believe, was instrumental in my success of losing weight while on vacation.

The best decision we made, without a doubt was to…

Get a rental with a kitchen.

Having a place with a kitchen was extremely helpful for meal planning, prepping, and eating real, whole foods.  Additionally, we saved a TON of money eating our own food, versus going out to eat for every meal.  

For our last Hawaii trip we stayed in a resort, because honeymoon, but it ended up costing us so much more just because we always had to eat out.  Something I didn’t really think through before.  

Having your own kitchen allows for eating like you normally would for most of your meals.  For example, I normally eat 1 egg, ¾ cup egg whites, handful of spinach with my eggs, every single morning for my breakfast.  In Kauai, I ate this almost every day, unless we had planned to eat out at a special place.  

Bonus if there’s a grill.  We had access to a grill to bulk cook a bunch of chicken, sausage, and veggies so during the day we had lunch or dinner on hand instead of having to go out.  These simple healthy, money-saving swaps were a huge win and I do believe a big reason why I was able to lose weight on vacation.

But that’s far from the only reason…

Eat real food 80% of the time.

If it’s not obvious yet, cooking means you cook and consume real, whole foods. What does that mean?  For the most part, food with one ingredient.  An apple is an apple, a potato is a potato, chicken, is chicken.  The alternative is processed food. Consider just about anything that comes in a box/bag to be processed.  If looks different in the form of how it grew to the form it is in your hand, it’s processed.  

I say 80% of the time because, hello? you’re on vacation, it’s usually not possible to do this 100%.  When you are going from place to place or seeking adventure you are going to need some snacks. If you are able to pack whole foods more power to you!  Sometimes that’s not reality though, I understand that.  

Opting for the closest snacks you can find to real, whole food is the best you can do.  Look at the ingredients, make sure you can pronounce or recognize them at least, and be at peace with that.  

Another reason for 80%?  In one word, dessert. There’s a time and place for yummy indulgences like dessert, vacation definitely being one of them.  If you do the rest of the recommendations on this list, you won’t be regretting any of it.  

Walk as much as possible.

Walking to dinner, the beach, the grocery store, drug store, you name it, walk there.  When you’re on vacation, you don’t have anywhere to be, so why not enjoy the scenery, get some good conversation going with your partner, and maybe even take a detour to a nearby neighborhood.  You can explore and see so much more on foot than on wheels.  

I walked everywhere in these sandals. They held up and didn’t hurt my feet!

Set a daily step goal for yourself.  My goal was 15,000 steps every day but a minimum of 10,000.  If I hadn’t hit my minimum we’d take an after dinner walk around the neighborhood (with natural bug spray, my best companion) to get the last of our steps in.  This was actually a great way to get our movement in for the day as well as connect and have some fun conversations together.  

Plan adventurous activities.

When you’re on vacation, spend some time on TripAdvisor exploring some fun, adventurous activities.  Dining and drinks have their place, but they don’t always need to be the staple of a fun social gathering.  On vacation we are usually in unfamiliar territory so shouldn’t exploring the location you’re visiting be top of the list?

Hiking to a lookout with epic views, kayaking to waterfall, boating in rough waters to a desolate location, and snorkeling in the ocean are all ways we kept active in Kauai.  You’d be surprised how much energy these types of activities take, quite the calorie burn. Bring snacks!

Get in a quick workout, if that’s your thing.

If you’re one of those people (and yes, I am, as you’ll see if you follow me on Instagram) try a quick workout if you’re up for it.  I love doing a quick interval post plane ride or jog in the morning to break a sweat and get my heart pumping.  You’ll feel great after and have energy for all the activities you have planned for the day.  

Finally, track your food in an app if you aren’t sure.

On vacation, I like to practice intuitive eating.  Eating whole food and consuming only until you are full while being mindful to what your body is craving.  When in doubt, however, and we all have those moments, pull out your handy food tracker to ensure you aren’t over-indulging or underestimating your intake.

The one time I tracked my food was on the trip to Kauai in the plane.  I knew I had eaten a lot that morning, especially since I gained another 3 hours once we landed and my morning seemed to last forever.  I pulled out MyNetDiary and logged my estimated intake. Sure enough, I had eaten half my allotted calories for the day but wayyyy low on protein.  The rest of the day I was mindful to prioritize protein intake, eat one meal instead of 2-3 for the rest of the day, and become mindful of what I really needed.  

Sometimes our bodies signal us for hunger when in reality we are just thirsty or simply tired.  Upping my water intake and going to bed early helped me stay within my calorie range.

Conclusion

Vacation can and should be a time to be free from worry, don’t let the fear of gaining weight put a cloud over your travel plans.  Stay active, eat nutritious foods, and when in doubt, walk it out.