[NSV] Sticking to Diet on Vacation

I've been off-and-on a weight loss journey for years, but I started taking my weight loss goals really seriously just over a month ago. For reference, I've been on Tim Ferriss' Slow Carb diet, so for 6 days a week, every meal consists of beans, veggies, and meat, and then I get 1 cheat day a week to eat forbidden foods.

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For the last week, I've been on a family vacation with about 50 relatives who I'm not particularly close with. Last week, my initial rapid weight loss was starting to slow up a bit and I was losing steam, so going into this week, I was really worried.

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Today's the last day of vacation, and tomorrow is my cheat day, so at the risk of jinxing myself, I think it's safe to say that I made it through the thick of it. After tonight, this will be the first time in my life that I've ever taken a vacation without throwing healthy eating to the wind.

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I feel really proud of myself for not letting external circumstances break my determination. I can't wait for some carbs tomorrow, but it will feel better because I think this is the first cheat day that I had to work so hard for that I've earned it :)

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A few things that I noticed over the last week:

1. Vacations are for self care. Part of taking care of yourself is eating right. Coming back from vacation having eaten right for the past week, I'm going to feel much more refreshed than if I'd eaten poorly.
2. I was worried that my relatives would take offense or be skeptical. I was pleasantly surprised to find that everyone was intrigued, supportive, or impressed.
3. It wasn't a big deal. Everyone tends to overestimate the extent to which other people think about them, and I'm no exception. Half of everyone didn't notice, and it was an amusing tidbit for everyone else. Everyone was thinking about what's on their plate, not what's on mine.

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If I could offer one piece of advice for future dieting vacationers:

1. BRING AND COOK YOUR OWN FOOD. I cannot stress this enough. Have zero expectations of group dinners / meals other people are making. There were plenty of times where I could eat a group meal made for everyone, but that was a pleasant surprise, not the general rule. If you're eating different from everyone else, make sure to take the work that comes with that on yourself - don't expect your friends and family to accommodate different eating styles.

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Go forth on your summer vacations, and keep your eye on your goals! :)

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