by Patricia S. Church RN, BSN

Good news, it's summer vacation time! We all look forward to these well-deserved times of relaxation, and we're entitled to let loose and enjoy ourselves after working so hard all year long. But what happens to our new, healthy eating and daily exercise routines when we're removed from our usual environment? Large quantities of exotic foods, fruity drinks, and delicious desserts run rampant through the days and nights of a vacation get away. Cruises, for example, may be the ultimate example of temptation. After you've paid good money to have wonderful food available non-stop, you've certainly got to do your best to get your money's worth, right? But what you may not realize is that it's entirely possible to gain five pounds on a 10-day vacation, if you're not careful.

Figuring out how to avoid gaining weight on a vacation is a challenge, but with a little planning you'll sail right through without blowing all your efforts, while still being able to enjoy yourself. Here are my suggestions to help with your weight loss goals while on your well-deserved vacation.

1. First, don't panic and try to starve yourself into a bathing suit before you leave. Placing time-pressure on yourself to hurry up and lose weight only sets up a deprivation mind-set that always leads to failure. Instead, find the most flattering and comfortable outfits for the person you are, and concentrate on planning for an enjoyable vacation.

2. To make sure you are as ready as possible for a vacation, try to follow your personalized Weight Loss Calorie Plan TO THE LETTER for a three-week period prior to the date you are scheduled to leave. Make sure to do your strength-training exercises with your full effort. Also, increase your LIFB minutes as much as you can. Exercising for as long as you have the energy and time for is always a way you can speed up the loss of fat weight. Just don't go overboard and injure yourself, risking being unable to enjoy your vacation. Another thing, make sure your TGIW meals absolutely do not exceed your calorie allotment. No cheating allowed!

3. Maintaining many of your new Tortoise Diet good health habits on your vacation will actually be possible with some prior planning and some vigilance. Advance planning and some simple preparation will help you avoid the pitfalls of poor-food-choice snacking. Many of the snacks you rely on every day at home can be tucked into your car or your luggage. Most anywhere you go, there will be a grocery store and you'll be able to stock up on these and other nutritious and filling foods.

Use some of these foods to replace a restaurant meal whenever possible. Eating breakfast, lunch and dinner out in a restaurant while on vacation is not only expensive in terms of money, but also in terms of calories! During the day, consider continuing your habit of eating small, frequent meals, just like you do at home. Many hotels now have small refrigerators. Ignore any tempting fattening foods found in them and place a few healthy food snacks of your own inside. If you'd like to go one step further, bring along a few kitchen items from home that will make it possible to more easily follow your usual eating plan.

4. Bring along comfortable shoes and clothing that will allow you to continue your exercise program, or at least to keep active. Make every attempt to continue your healthy habit of performing LIFB exercise by trying to walk as much as you can each day. Perhaps this would be the time to plan on an evening of dancing or a walk on the beach? Many hotels provide a gym with exercise equipment and weights or a swimming pool, which you could utilize to keep up your usual exercise routine for 40-60 minutes each day. The more exercise you can fit in each day, the more you'll be able to add some calories and splurge a little.

5. Use this vacation time to recharge, regroup, and reconsider your goals. Relaxation is an important component of a healthy life. Bring along some self-indulgent items ... some new bath salts, a mud masque, a juicy novel, a journal that you never seem to have time to write your short stories in, or a digital camera you've always wanted to learn how to use. Be sure to spend some quiet and reflective time during your vacation, pausing to breathe, to smell the air, to give and receive long foot-rubs, and to take long and relaxing walks. Allowing yourself to focus on things outside of your usual daily responsibilities is what a vacation is all about. Recharge those batteries. You've been working hard! Use the time away to get some perspective on your life and your achievements. Spend a lot of time laughing and paying attention to your loved ones. Dream a little bit and plan an exciting goal for yourself when you get home. Last, but not least, do a little bit more snoozin' than you're used to.

The key to limiting weight gain on vacations is continuing as best you can to practice your new healthy habits. If you're going to visit family and friends on vacation, know that family gatherings are notorious for encouraging that HARA HACHI BOO BOO tendency in all of us. To counteract this, remember to sample the wonderful, traditional, homemade treats first, savoring each bite, and try to stop eating before you've gone overboard. Always keep in mind while on vacations that pounds go on a lot easier than they come off.

About the Author

Patricia Church RN, BSN worked as an ICU nurse for twelve years. At one point she weighed 248 pounds, but she has lost 120 pounds and is now healthier, stronger and MUCH lighter! Her book, THE TORTOISE DIET - WIN THE RACE TO LOSE! teaches everything she learned during her weight-loss journey.
Learn the essential 25 habits for improved health and PERMANENT weight loss at http://www.wintheracetolose.com, Write to