Vacation Weight Gain is not Cause for Despair — Try These 10 Steps to Getting your Weight Back to Normal
Okay, so it happened. You went on vacation, you ate, and you ate some more. Now your scale says you have gained a few extra pounds. Five? Ten? Fifteen? Maybe even twenty? Don’t despair! Your weight gain doesn’t have to be a permanent thing, if you don’t want it to be a permanent thing. The good news is that you can take off those extra pounds as easily as you put them, and in about the same amount of time, too.
Remember your body is only doing what it has been programmed to do. Vacationing usually takes us into warmer temperatures, where there is certainly no shortage of food. Warm weather plus and abundance of food? Hmm, our body thinks, it must be summer. So, like a big old grizzly bear, our body begins storing the extra calories. But unlike a grizzly bear, we don’t need to wait for hibernation to get the pounds off – just a wee bit of discipline will obtain the desired results.
(Always follow medical advice first.
This weight control advice is for the average moderately healthy person.)
There is a method whereby you can rid yourself of that temporary weight gain quickly, and relatively easily. It’s not so much a weight loss technique, but rather a weight control technique.
Here’s what to do:
- Weigh yourself. Be brutally honest. Mark that weight on a calendar.
- Decide you are going to lose the extra pounds. DECIDE. This won’t work if you treat your decision as a passing fancy.
- Stop all foods. For the next 2-3 days you are going to drink water, and water only. (Okay, I cheat a bit and have a morning coffee – but that’s not a great idea. Try to stick to water.)Squeeze fresh lemon juice into your water (the lemon juice as a detoxifier).
- Herbal teas have also been acceptable on this plan. And, if you really want to be a purist, drink your water…warm. Experts believe this is a more effective way to fast, and to detox your system.But whatever you do, DRINK water.
- Drink as much water as you can handle. When hunger pains hit, do NOT eat; drink water. The pains will subside and will lessen in occurrences. Your body is trainable.
- Weigh yourself daily, every morning is best. The weight loss will act as wonderful encouragement for you to continue limiting your diet. Mark your calendar. You will smile during the first few days because your weight will drop quickly. But it will slow down, too. That’s normal. Just stick to the plan.
- Be prepared to come slowly off your fast. After 2-3 days of just water, introduce soups. Avoid heavily processed soups full of sodium. Make your own soup, or use a higher quality soup, like Knorr, and add your own seasonings.
- After soup, begin adding solids to your diet (in small portions). Start with proteins and whole grains (fiber reduces appetite). AVOID all carbohydrates that aren’t naturally-occurring; choose to eat the carbohydrates that come in whole grain breads and cereals, fresh vegetables and fruits. But only in small quantities.Eat only one meal or three very small meals a day until your weight is back to normal.
- Advisory: You must continue to monitor your weight, keeping your food intake controlled for at least a month, or your body will think you were just kidding. As soon as you begin stuffing your face again, the weight will pile back on. Quickly. That’s “yo-yo” dieting. Stay in control until your body stabilizes itself.
- Above all, deal with your vacation weight gain IMMEDIATELY. Do not wait for a week, or even a day to pass by before addressing the problem. You will be most successful if you lose your extra weight in the week to 2 weeks following your vacation.
Cheers,
Sheree Zielke
