Staying On Track On Your Summer Vacation
IntoFit | July 30th, 2009 | General Health Tips, Tips for Eating Out | 2 Comments »
| It’s the summer. And with summer time comes cottage time for many people (If not a cottage then some form of family vacation)! It’s really hard to stay on track when you change your schedule, when you’re in someone’s kitchen or don’t have a kitchen at all!
Every year – I too am faced with these challenges. We go to my relatives cottage for a week and I don’t have my own kitchen and I’m not on a normal schedule at all. Not to mention all the wine, chips & dip and pies I am tempted with.
This is the way I try to face the challenge head on without allowing it to ruin my vacation.
I drink a lot of water. Keeps me hydrated, keeps me full.
As soon as we arrive, I make my husband take me to the grocery store. I find this the most helpful thing to do while we are away. I make a list of all sorts of healthy snacks, breakfast ideas and possible lunches for the week ahead and then we do a huge shop.
I don’t know if you find this or not, but for some reason when I’m away, lunch seems to vanish into thin air. It’s often skipped completely (maybe so that people can claim appetizer time as lunch time
 ). I make sure I always have lunch. Even something small. This just helps me prepare for all the tempting salty and sweet treats at dinner.
Around four or five o’clock it seems that the wine and appetizers always find a way onto the table. And most of the time, you eat so many appetizers that you actually don’t even need to eat dinner (but you do because it’s dinner and you don’t skip dinner!).
This is tough, but I try to stay clear of appetizers. I do not, however, make them off limits. If there is something that is really worth having – I have a sample. If it’s crackers and dip or something I can get anywhere, anytime – I try to stay away. There are so many treats on vacation why waste them on something you can eat at home!
I have a glass a night, or none at all. Sometimes, you have wine just because everyone around you is having it- but you actually could do without the glass. If this is the case (a lot of the time it is for me) I pass on the wine and save it for another night. I’m not perfect! There may be one ( or two) nights where I have 2 glasses.
This is less of a challenge because normally it’s barbecue. I stick to the lean protein, veggies and salad. I stay clear of starches while I’m away because I get them in other forms (a treat here or there). If you are not so lucky as to have barbecue every night and you frequent restaurants, just try to stick to the same rules : protein, vegetables, salads.
Another tough challenge. Here is the thing, I can not go to the cottage for 7 days and have dessert and appetizers every day without expecting to come home upset with how I feel afterward. If I want to go home and still fit into my jeans I have to learn to say no to things that are just not worth it.
Even if I’m not perfect on my vacation, if I can follow my own rules 80 or 90 % of the time, it’s way better then throwing caution to the wind and overindulging for 7 days straight. I try not to focus on it, I just try to keep it in the back of my mind. When the appetizers or desserts come out (my biggest challenges) I try to stay conscious of what I am eating. If I can keep my brain from shutting off, I can keep myself from over-eating.
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I have a random question and don't know where to ask it
Do you buy canned tuna in water or oil? What brand? The tuna I prefer is in oil but is it still very bad for you, even after draining the oil it and everything? I just had clover leaf and it was NOT good, whereas this Italian brand I buy (Rona maybe? in a pink can) is SO good but packed in oil.
Would love to know your thoughts!
Hi!
So, this is really your call. I buy tuna in water and drain the water. For a whole can I am looking at about 140 calories and 4 grams of fat. For a no- name general tuna in oil – DRAINED – your looking at approximately 230 calories and 9.3 grams of fat. I would definitely drain the oil form your can. But if not eating your favorite brand is going to prevent you from eating tuna then stick with it. Tuna is high in protein and low in calories and fat. I would also not add any extra mayo or anything to the tuna drained from oil.
When I have a can of tuna I usually add non fat greek yogurt to it to make it rich and creamy, 1/4 of a chopped red apple, a splash of balsamic vinegar and a squirt of dijon honey mustard. It's delicious!