As someone who has a penchant for constantly being on the go, I can vouch for the fact that not gaining weight on a holiday, no matter how long, is a definite possibility. It seems hard, I agree - you can only resist the dulcet tones of the delicious looking local cuisine calling out you for so long. While many of us may proceed to saying "no" to a lot of (fun) things as a prophylactic measure, sooner or later, you are going to succumb to the pressure of simply having a good time. Unless you're someone who really doesn't associate having fun on a holiday with food and drinks, you'd be likely to face two options on your holiday - A) Be a party pooper for yourself by not eating or drinking anything you actually really, really want to, or B) Practice a little bit of self restraint while still allowing yourself the freedom to experience new cuisines. The second option sounds way more attractive, if you ask me. Executed with a little bit of planning and some additional steps while on your holiday, option B will not lead to weight gain.
Here are a few things you can do on your holiday to have fun and still stay in shape.
1. Walk as much as you can
An obvious measure if you want to burn some extra calories, which, by the way, so many of us forgo. Beat the laziness and skip ordering an uber and opt instead to walk as much as you possibly can. Not only is it a great way to build your appetite and ultimately feel less guilty about eating a delicious meal, but walking is also a great way to explore a new place. No subway or taxi service will allow you to experience a city like walking will. So unless your feet are killing you or you have endless kilometers between you and the place you're heading to, just walk.
Also Read: 3 Things You're Doing That Could Be Causing Weight Gain
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2. Limit the drinking
Limit, not omit. Drinking responsibly doesn't just mean not falling into a ditch on your way back from a party - it also means controlling your portions simply because you don't want to overshoot your macros for the day. If you have a specific calorie limit that you stick to in your everyday life, try sticking as close to it as possible even on your holiday. Instead of downing 10 shots (because you can), stick to having two full drinks that you can sip on for a while. Try opting for a sugarless drink or simply just water as a mixer.
3. Stay somewhere you feel comfortable
Which essentially means, stay somewhere you can sleep peacefully. While picking a hotel or apartment, it's essential to think of the kind of holiday you want to have. Unless you want to be woken up with loud noises, pick a location that you know is on the quiet side. In short, don't pick a party hostel. Why the emphasis on sleep? Physiologic studies have suggested that sleep restriction has metabolic effects that predispose to weight gain. Besides, those puffy eyes because of lack of sleep won't look too great in your holiday pictures, either. Just saying.
