Eating While on Vacation

Whew, that was a whirl-wind trip we took. But we're back.  I'll post Rome pictures later, but before then, let's get back to the reason for this blog...weight loss (or the hope for weight loss at least).  My goal was to NOT gain weight over the vacation.  And I didn't..I actually lost a pound.  And from the looks of my ankles after 16 hours of flying, lay-overs, several time changes and daylight savings...I might lose a couple more in the next day or two if I'm good about pounding my water.

I really wanted to load myself up on the yummy pastas and desserts...I mean I was in ITALY after all.  But really, I was in ITALY and it wasn't really about the food, it was about experiencing the city itself. About being with my family (even the whiney ones) and visiting with my brother and his lovely family.  This is a new mindset for me....I'm sure there are plenty of people who would look at me like I had an extra arm when I say how much I miss food, how much I enjoy food, I mean I enjoy cooking it, I enjoy thinking about it, I enjoy planning the menus etc..It's more than just eating the food (and trust me, LOVE that) it's about enjoying all parts of food. Part of traveling for me is enjoying the food of the countries, states, areas we go to.  Well, with VSG, this looks differently (well, if you're working your VSG that is).

Here's what I did, and I think it worked really well.

I only had a piece of pizza once, it was a choice between the pizza or a plate of pasta, I figured I could 'control' it better with the pizza.  I promised myself one, not only off-plan, but derailed and a chuck-it kind of meal....just one.

I didn't worry about fat, salt, or calorie content with anything else, I just made sure I had protein and veggies choices for almost every other meal. And everything tasted so darn good, it wasn't deprivation at all.  One meal was prosciutto and melon -- the melon was sweeter than any dessert and combined with the saltiness of the prosciutto --way yum! It helped that we stayed with my brother and his family and so for breakfasts I had a boiled egg and of course a cappuccino.

Now, I got my 'fixes' along the way, with a bite of Jason's or the kid's pasta. A bite of pizza here and there, a sip of wine, a sip of limoncello, or a little lick of the kids Gelato (and believe me there was NO chance those kiddos were going to let me have more than a lick).

Not once did I feel deprived.

Or even sorry for myself.

The trip was wonderful.

I don't feel guilty about my eating.

I didn't gain weight, I may have actually lost some (we'll find out on Wednesday :D)

I feel great on so many levels about our vacation and it's nice to say that not having overindulged is another way I feel good.

Do any of you have good tips for your eating plans when you travel?