A long awaited summer holiday may be on the horizon at this time of year. Whatever your ideal holiday is, it will usually bring a change of pace, a change of routine, and a complete change of environment. All these changes pose a real challenge to maintaining your weight and eating in line with your goals and preferences. I appreciate, that for some, weight gain on holiday is a sign they enjoyed themselves, or it accepted that it is temporary. But, for many, weight gain on holiday can bring feelings of guilt, anxiety, low self esteem, and body image concerns or feelings of being less confident. For that reason, there might be some value in making a bit of a plan for your holidays, so that you can come home and not feel that pressure of needing to reboot another diet.
There are a number of challenges, and it can help to separate them out, as I have done below. As you read them - think which challenge usually comes up for you.
1. Food Temptations: Holidays often involve indulgent meals, buffet style restaurants, and special treats. The abundance of delicious food and desserts can make it difficult to resist eating more than you planned, or making choices you later regret.
2. Social Pressure: Social gatherings and celebrations during holidays often revolve around food. There can be pressure to eat more or try everything offered, even if you're not hungry. It can be challenging to navigate social situations without feeling obligated to indulge in food you might not usually choose.
3. Others control portions and choices: While at home, you may have control over your food choices and portions. However, during holidays, you may be a guest at someone else's home or dining out frequently. In such situations, you have limited control over the ingredients, cooking methods, and portion sizes, making it harder to stick to your usual eating habits.
4. Disruption of Routine: Holidays often disrupt your regular routine, including meal timings, exercise habits, and sleep patterns. These changes can affect your metabolism, hunger cues, and overall energy balance.
5. Emotional Factors: Holidays can be emotionally charged, and people may turn to food for comfort or to cope with stress. Emotional eating, whether due to joy, sadness, or anxiety, can hinder weight management efforts.
6. Availability of Alcohol: Alcoholic beverages are commonly consumed during holidays. They are often high in calories and can lower inhibitions, leading to increased food consumption or poor food choices.
Spend some time thinking which of these is the most influential for you. By picking the top one or two things that you find most tricky, you are starting to be more aware, and that is the first part of making a positive change.
To address this challenge, it's important to plan ahead, be realistic, and consider how you can make mindful choices in challenging situations. For example, you might look towards your feelings of hunger and fullness to manage portion control. Make a plan that will fit in with your holiday, and write it down. Check in with yourself whilst you are away to see if you are on track, and visualise returning from your holiday without the stress of rebooting a diet. Seek support from the people you are travelling with. Most importantly - remember that one indulgence does not have to derail your overall weight management efforts or ruin your holiday.
My e-book Holiday Survival Guide, is now available for £9.99. The guide will walk you the three ingredients to successful weight management, give practical psychological strategies on typical holiday eating dilemmas, and scientifically proven hacks which will trick your brain into eating less.
If you are already on a programme with me, you will get the guide for FREE - just look in your app!
Personal 1:1 Coaching with Wendy from £75
If you’d like a personalised approach to planning your eating on holiday, then book a one off focussed coaching session, where we put in place strategies and proven techniques to help you approach your holiday eating with confidence.
About Dr Wendy Nicholls
My approach at NeverDiet is based on the psychology of eating. I have been researching eating for over ten years and published over 20 papers and book chapters on weight management, emotional eating, cravings, mindful eating, and obesity. I am a registered coaching psychologist and Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society, and an accredited Practitioner Executive Coach with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.
You can book a free 15 minute consultation to find out more about the practical and simple steps you can take to make some big changes to your eating and health.
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