Day 38: Survival Strategies...Vacation Vexation

So you're going on a trip. You want to enjoy your time away, have some fun in the sun, relax and take a break. But you're afraid of being away from your routine and eating a week's worth of junk food, fried food, and any kind of food that isn't good for you.

Vacation should be a time where your worries go away, but if you're a dieter, you know that trying to stay on plan during vacation can be a cumbersome task, and one that causes a great deal of stress and can potentially ruin what is supposed to be a wonderful experience.

After coming home from a successful vacation getaway, here are some of the strategies I employed to help me make it through:

1. Ease up a little. Be realistic in your expectations. Chances are you are not going to be able to eat as healthy or be as active as you are in your everyday life. Go into your vacation knowing that you're going to try your best, but you are not going to be your own drill sergeant. You're going to have a crumby vacation if you make yourself miserable about every little thing you do.
2. Follow the One-Treat-A-Day Rule. In the spirit of easing up on the diet plan, go into each day knowing that you will allow yourself one special treat. Maybe you want a doughnut for breakfast. That's fine. Enjoy that doughnut, but then try to be reasonable in your food choices for the rest of the day. Or if you know you're going to a fish fry for dinner, eat light for breakfast and lunch and then really allow yourself to enjoy your special treat for that day. If you allow yourself a little extra, you will be able to enjoy yourself without giving up on your goal entirely and then paying for it on the scale.
3. Don't impose on others. Maybe your travel companion doesn't care if that cheeseburger he just ordered has 17,000 calories. It makes a vacation miserable for everyone involved if you're constantly scrutinizing everything that everyone is eating. Stick to your own foods and activities and let everyone else enjoy their food. This also goes for choosing restaurants. Don't make it a requirement to eat at a health-food place every time you go out. You can find something reasonable on any restaurant menu. Your travel buddies want to enjoy their vacation, too. And you'll start to feel guilty if you're constantly making everyone heed to you and your diet rules.
4. Remember portion control. No matter what you've been told in the past, vacation calories still count. If you don't believe me, your scale will be honest with you when you return. Portion control is particularly important when you're loosening up the diet reins and allowing yourself to eat things you wouldn't normally have. Remember that restaurant portions are usually more than double what you need. So don't strive for the Clean Plate Award. Try to slow down, enjoy each bite, and eat only a small amount of each item you order.
5. Get back on track ASAP! It's easy to continue with the vacation laziness when you get back to the daily grind. Remember that it's important to reestablish your routine so you can get back on track with your eating and exercise. Don't allow yourself to get caught up in the lethargy of returning home and going back to work. Get up and go! You've had your vacation, and now it's time to invite that drill sergeant back into your life.

Those are a few of the tips I picked up while I was away last week. What strategies do you use when you're away from home?