Wondering how to avoid vacation weight gain without giving up the food you love? You don’t have to miss out on anything.
It is possible to enjoy the ice cream, the wine, the local delicacies and feel great when you get home.
Without missing out AND without significant weight gain.
Story Behind This Article
One of my clients posted in our group while she was on holiday in a quaint seaside town in southern England.
Fish and chips. Ice cream. Full English breakfast. Coffee and cake.
She said: “I deserve to enjoy my holiday, but…”
That “but” is where so many of us get stuck.
We feel like we have to choose.
Enjoy the trip OR feel good when we get home.
But the good news is you don’t have to choose.
Here’s how you can have both.
7 Fun Ways to Avoid Vacation Weight Gain
1. Decide how you want the trip to go
This one sounds almost too simple. But most of us never actually make a decision before we travel.
Do you want to come home the same weight? Decide that. Upfront.
And that thought of “I deserve to enjoy my holiday” is true.
AND you also deserve to feel good in your body.
Those two things aren’t in conflict. You can have both when you choose.
2. Create food abundance in your mind
There are two things that create a scarcity mindset around food on vacation. And scarcity drives overeating.
The first is local food you “can’t get at home.” That “now or never” feeling is a trap.
Remind yourself: “there is plenty of amazing food in my future”. This won’t be the last delicious thing I eat.
The second is planning to diet when you get home.
When your brain thinks restriction is coming, it drives the desire to overeat now.
So instead, promise yourself you won’t diet or force yourself to go crazy at the gym when you return to your normal routine.
That promise alone reduces the urge to go overboard on the trip.
3. Remember there are no bad foods
Fish and chips won’t make you gain weight. Ice cream won’t either.
What matters is how much you eat, not what you eat.
You can have all the holiday foods. Just be intentional about the amount.
That’s how you get the enjoyment without the weight gain.
4. Prioritise proper meals over grazing
Some of my clients actually come home lighter from vacation. Why? Because they’re not near their fridge and pantry all day.
Restaurant meals create natural structure. You eat, then you stop.
Random grazing doesn’t have that built-in end point.
Where it makes sense for you, choose sit-down meals over grabbing snacks. The enjoyment is higher and the portions are easier to manage.
And if you really love your car snacks, a particular snack, or hitting the fast food drive thru, nothing wrong with that. Just be intentional about those choices and remind yourself it’s how much you eat that causes the problems.
5. Set intentions before you start eating or drinking
This is a small habit with a big payoff.
Before the meal, before the first drink, decide how much you’re going to have.
A whole bottle of champagne or just one or two glasses? One small scoop of ice cream or the triple? The whole plate of chips or just a handful?
This is especially important with alcohol consumption and sugar.
Once you start without a plan, it’s very easy to get carried away.
Even if you go past your intention, you’ll still generally eat far less than if you go into the situation on without any thought.
6. Leave bites behind
Restaurants are generous. That’s their job. But they have no idea how hungry you are.
So give yourself permission to leave food on the plate. Let go of the idea that wasting food is a moral failing or that the chef will be offended.
How you feel in your body matters more than an empty plate.
7. Do a daily body check-in
I don’t travel with scales. But every morning I do a quick check-in.
How do I feel? Do my clothes feel comfortable? Is there a bit of extra fluid retention or inflammation around my middle?
It takes 30 seconds. And it keeps you connected to what’s happening so you can course-correct before things get out of hand.
And you don’t have to do this perfectly.
Some days on vacation you’ll overindulge completely. That’s fine. That’s part of it. Just notice it, and ease back a little the next day.
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Questions?
How do I get rid of vacation weight gain?
If you’re reading this after the holiday season and the damage feels done, it’s okay. Once you’re back in your normal routine, the water retention from extra sodium and carbs tends to go away quickly.
How do I lose vacation weight gain fast?
The thing I like to do to speed up the process to lose the extra pounds is to be really intentional once I’m home. I check in with myself, minimize random grazing, and pay attention to my portion sizes. I listen to my body and leave bites behind the moment I notice I’m satisfied.
I keep asking myself, ‘do I really need this, given I want to lose this weight?’ Reminding myself of that intention makes it so much easier to move the weight quickly.
Will vacation make me gain weight?
It really depends on you and your choices but it’s doesn’t need to take weeks post-vacation. Following the steps above, I can’t remember the last time I gained weight on vacation, and so many of my clients have told me it’s been their experience too.
How long does vacation bloat take to go away?
That’s up to you as well. When I’m feeling bloated and I check in with my body, I notice my appetite is smaller, so I don’t need as much food as normal to feel satisfied. When I pay attention to that and adjust my portions accordingly, the bloat usually subsides within a day or two.
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Key Takeaway:
Putting This Into Practice
Before your trip, make one decision: I want to come home feeling good.
Then on the trip:
- Decide how you want the vacation to go.
- Remind yourself there is plenty of amazing food in your future.
- Set intentions before meals and drinks — champagne, ice cream, chips, all of it.
- Do a quick daily body check-in. Clothes feeling comfortable? Good. A bit snug? Ease back today.
Be prepared to feel so proud of yourself when you avoid that vacation weight gain.
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Want help putting this into practice?
Then my Joyful Weight Loss course can help!
Lose weight with ease. Eating food you love. Without counting, missing out, going hungry or thinking about it all the time.
Learn more about
Joyful Weight Loss
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My Best Bite
My maple pecan cheesecake! [Recipe here]
It’s a 10-minute cheesecake. No baking. Just cream cheese, cream and maple syrup blended together with a stick blender, then topped with roasted crushed pecans. Into the fridge and done.
The maple and pecan combination is just so good. I love cheesecake at the best of times, but this one feels effortless and a little bit fancy at the same time.
I’m Excited About
My Uniqlo cashmere turtlenecks. Uniqlo is a Japanese brand I first discovered in Paris, and now they’ve opened a store here in Canberra.
Their cashmere jumpers are soft, beautiful, and genuinely inexpensive. It’s winter here in Australia and I am very happy about it. Cosy season is officially on.
In your corner,
Jules from Stonesoup xx
(Your favourite Australian Food Scientist)
See my bio
ps. Can I ask a favour?
If you’ve found this helpful please forward the link to a friend who also loves food. Thank you!
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