Is it better to really cut down and then go on holiday and eat anything (everything) or is it better to eat the same post-holiday and on holiday?

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Well the subject says it all really I am off on holiday in 2 weeks and have (past tense) been doing really well with no sugar and low carbs and I noticed the difference straight away and felt much better too. All good.

But then it was a birthday weekend and I eat and drank and eat and...you get the picture and I just feel enormous now! Almost that because I have not been eating carbs/sugar etc that how I have that it is worst than if I had been eating them all along!

It's just on holiday there is no way I am going to be able to stick to grilled lean meat and salads and not have ice cream or pie. What to do?

Oh God I know! By the time I go on holiday I'll have been watching what I eat for 3 months but haven't actually thought about what I'll be like ON holiday. I'm going to the med so will hopefully be able to stick to fairly healthy meals (fish/veg/salad) and the amount of swimming & walking will mitigate the plonk. I'm going to limit the amount of ice cream though.

That said, I'm on holiday and I'll have saved up all year round to have a damn good time and I will not beat myself up over an ice cream. I will try and show restraint.

I'm not doing a set diet plan though so appreciate I haven't got to get my body used to any different routines but I don't want to skip backwards. Ive also virtually stopped drinking alcohol so I'll have to see how my body reacts.

I always aim to get about 4 to 6 lbs lower than my usual comfort zone so I've got room to gain without being depressed on my return home. Otherwise not only am I back to work I'm half a stone heavier than I want to be!

I agree with the plans mentioned above - create a zone to "eat in to", be prepared for some bloat and/or water retention that will quickly go, and enjoy yourself whilst you are there.

I am a greedy pig, but only allow myself to be so on holiday and at Christmas. So I always try to drop a few pounds before, and take off any excess immediately afterwards. Funny how a few pounds gained very quickly seem to be lost equally quickly

I managed to lose weight after five nights in NYC last year, which is totally unheard of! The time before I gained 5lbs in five days

Last time I didn't go without at all but I made sure to only eat the part of the meal I really wanted. So we'd go for BBQ and I'd get a huge brisket sandwich but I wouldn't get chips because that wasn't what I ordered that dish for and I would eat them for eating's sake. I'd have a glass of coke with my meal but only after I drank a glass of water. I'd have dessert, pancakes for breakfast, pizza, burgers, ribs, wings, mac and cheese... whatever I wanted at mealtimes but no mindless snacking on things that I could get back home like crisps or chocolate bars. Between that mindset and all the walking, I came home 1lb lighter than I went!

I managed to lose weight after five nights in NYC last year, which is totally unheard of! The time before I gained 5lbs in five days

Last time I didn't go without at all but I made sure to only eat the part of the meal I really wanted. So we'd go for BBQ and I'd get a huge brisket sandwich but I wouldn't get chips because that wasn't what I ordered that dish for and I would eat them for eating's sake. I'd have a glass of coke with my meal but only after I drank a glass of water. I'd have dessert, pancakes for breakfast, pizza, burgers, ribs, wings, mac and cheese... whatever I wanted at mealtimes but no mindless snacking on things that I could get back home like crisps or chocolate bars. Between that mindset and all the walking, I came home 1lb lighter than I went!

Whoops, sorry for the double post! New York, New York, so good they named it twice and all that...