Summer Vacation!  

If you're like me, you've been waiting all year for your summer vacation, eager to head to the beach for some fun in the sun or maybe to hang out by the pool.  It really doesn't matter what you do because the wait is over and it's summertime!  But hold on! Ugh!  You forgot!!  Vacations generally spell weight gain.  In addition, vacation planning generally sees us going into denial, and thinking that this will be the year we don't gain an ounce; this year we're on top of it! Inevitably, when one of my clients leaves for vacation, she will say, "This time, I'll lose a pound or two. If not, I'll at least stay the same."  This is almost always the kiss of death because when you're overconfident, you go away without a plan.

Years ago, vacationing was a big problem for me.  Since I was always fighting my weight and starving myself to maintain, it was nearly impossible to go anywhere and enjoy myself and still eat properly.  I most often traveled to Spain to visit my family, and I remember one such trip when I was finally only eight pounds from my goal weight. I was feeling pretty good about myself and thought the three-week vacation would pose no problems; after all, I knew the routine, and knew I could adapt to any situation. As was my habit when planning a trip to Spain, I dismissed any thoughts about what might become of my food plan when I got there. I mean, everyone in Spain is thin: they eat small portions of mostly fish and veggies. What's there to worry about?

That year, I went to visit my grandparents. On the first day, my grandmother, BaBa, commented on how thin I was. I could clearly see that in comparison with everyone else, I was definitely the chubbier one; nevertheless, I figured that if BaBa thought I was too thin, then I must look better than I thought. And so, I ate accordingly!  By the time I was ready to go home, I had outgrown my own clothes and was borrowing my aunt's skirts!  On the last day, I went to say goodbye to BaBa. "Ah," she said, "that's better. Now you look nice and healthy." I felt huge and wondered how this had happened!  It had only been three weeks. The food was so healthy. I ate what everyone else ate. Why didn't they gain weight? What is wrong with me?  Don't I deserve to eat whatever I want while I'm on vacation? 

What I really deserved was to be the weight that I really wanted to be. What I deserved was to be able to wear my own clothes during my vacation.  And truthfully, it might have looked like everyone was eating a lot, but they weren't.  I was the one thinking about where we were going to eat at every corner. I was the one always thinking  about food.  So, my days started with hearty American breakfasts, rather than with a light cappuccino and a small pastry like my relatives.  At lunchtime, Spaniards enjoy the largest meal of the day. Shops close and everyone spends a few hours with family, eating and reconnecting.  Dinner, then, was a much lighter meal consisting of a small tapas, usually at a bar. Now, one tiny tapas was hardly going to do it for me. Not even after a huge lunch! So, night after night, I indulged, turning the traditional tapas into the equivalent of a hors d'oeuvres dinner. The result of all this was that my BaBa could happily send her granddaughter back home a little "healthier" than she was when she arrived.

Eventually, I became intolerant of my excuses for gaining between four and eight pounds on every vacation, and I stopped the nonsense. How did I do it? I made a plan. Simple. And, I can honestly say that you, too, can go on vacation, have a great time, and enjoy your food without gaining weight! You simply have to think it through! It's all about balance and choices. So let's get planning, shall we?

First of all, everyone loves to exercise when they're on vacation. I don't know why; maybe we feel less constrained by schedules, but for whatever reason, the sneakers come out for the first time all year and we start walking, jogging or hiking.  So, that's the good news! Bring your cardio game with you and do it religiously!  Second, don't think that a little cardio will compensate for all the fried foods and pancakes that you're dreaming of having, because it won't.  When you're on vacation, your basic rules still apply. 

Have a healthy breakfast. If you're at a diner, make sure you ask for something safe, and remember to tell them to hold the toast!  Everyone serves oatmeal, or cereals, or even an omelet (with some spinach perhaps?), so this is an easy meal for most. Just don't blow your whole day on a big breakfast-if you need help with self-control, remember that you might be in a bathing suit in a few hours, and who wants that extra bloat to strut on the beach?  Third, make sure your water intake is up, very, very up!  This will help you get through even the hardest moments of your vacation.  It keeps you busy, limits water retention and makes you feel good, knowing that you're still on track! 

Okay, on to lunch. This is an easy meal if you're at a resort, or by a pool because vanity can help you, once again! Just picture yourself poolside. You're in your bathing suit, nice and sweaty and greased up with suntan oil. Now picture yourself diving into some big sloppy burger when a blob of mayo plops onto your stomach.  If you're like me, the thought of eating, basically naked, tends to gross me out enough to stop me in my tracks.  Just don't do it! It doesn't look good!  Instead think about how you feel. You probably had a late breakfast, and you're probably going to have an earlier dinner, so avoiding a sloppy naked lunch shouldn't be so terribly difficult. Why not go for a light fruit salad, or a small green salad to tide you over until dinner?  As for you pina colada drinkers, rest assured that having a small fruit salad and a few of those means that the last thing you need is a full meal!

Please, please, please stay away from salty and fried foods! You're on vacation to enjoy yourself; leaving six pounds heavier, wearing your aunt's clothes, is not a vacation memory you want to create. Keep pumping the water all afternoon and by the time dinner comes along, you can easily order a nice fish dish with a side of veggies.  This is not as hard as you think; just hang in there and remember that you're walking around wearing next to nothing!  So, stop eating so much!  And lastly, if your family enjoys a little ice cream while on vacation, you can opt for one of the Italian ices: it will satisfy your craving, refresh you, and allow you to participate in the fun of the moment without compromising a single thing.

It's worth the effort to feel and look great at the end of the trip, knowing you have been victorious. Staying committed to yourself and your plan has either allowed you to drop a few pounds, or to maintain the work you did all winter and spring! Yea you!