weight gain when travelling

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January 11, 2023

The Math Behind Vacation Weight Gain

You come home from your vacation declaring a 10 pound weight gain. But a week later you feel back to normal. Diving into the math behind vacation weight gain (or holiday weight gain) will help you realize it’s not as dramatic as you think. Enjoy your trip knowing that your regular healthy eating patterns matter much more than a few days of indulging.

I still dream about that amazing 10′ sprinkle cake from the Nest County Fair!

More than a decade ago when I had just finished losing my college weight, I used to weigh myself daily. But the scale started to control my emotions and I knew it was no longer serving me. 

I gave up the scale years ago.

These days, the only time I hop on a scale is at the doctor’s office. My goal is to feel good in my body and in my clothes. A scale tells me my force against the earth, but it can’t tell me how I feel. 

Using a scale

A scale can be a useful tool to track long-term trends and motivate someone to lose weight if they have received medical advice they need to.

I don’t think that all scales need to be banished from society, as they serve a purpose for those whose health would benefit from weight loss.

But if you’re healthy and happy at your current weight, a scale will likely cause more frustration than cheer.

As I have made peace with my body over time, I realized that the number on the scale discouraged me more than it helped.

Stepping on a scale after a vacation was one of those times. I have overheard folks report back from a week-long vacation, “I gained 10 vacation pounds on my trip to Italy!” I want to tell them to weight it out. Extra water, food in your system, and alcohol consumption can all be contributed to weight gain that isn’t necessarily going to stay with you. 

It takes two days for me to lose some water weight

I’ve learned that it takes about two days into a vacation of eating more than I usually do, in both portion size and richer foods and alcohol, to notice that my body feels different.

And upon my return it takes me about 4 to 5 days of regular meals and my exercise routine to feel normal again. Most of this extra weight is in the form of water.

Remember that to gain a pound of fat you have to eat 3,500 calories more than your body needs to burn to function .  (Just like you need a calorie deficit of 3,500 to lose a pound of body fat.)

Consider a vacation to a big city where you might walk five miles a day sightseeing, visit a hip new fitness studio once during the week, and go for one run while you’re there.

You are likely burning 2,200+ calories per day. 

That means you’d have to eat 2,200 PLUS 500 calories more every day to average a single one-pound weight gain on your trip. 

If you came home from your vacation 5 or 10 pounds heavier on the scale, you likely didn’t eat 17,500 calories above your needs in a week – that would be an average of about 4,850 calories per day!

Now I know I’ve probably come close to eating that number in one day before, but not seven days in a row.

I find that my body usually wants to eat less the day after I eat a lot. #balance

You are thinking: How did I gain 10 pounds on a vacation?!

All those pounds are mostly water weight.  The reason for the five-pound “gain” is water retention.

Not only do certain rich foods leave you retaining water, but you also have the physical weight of the excess food traveling through your system for at least 48 hours or so. Kind of gross, but it’s in there!

Once you’re home, just slip back into your healthy routine (you’ll probably want to!), stock the fridge with fresh produce, and wait it out.

The squiggly line effect will take care of the rest. 

Do not weigh yourself right after a vacation. 

Wear your stretchy pants (so as not to get discouraged by tight jeans) and see how you feel a few days later.

I bet the jeans fit perfectly.

I used to feel more self-conscious about my post-vacation bloat, but then I realized that no one else can tell . It’s more about how you feel than how you look.

Tips to FEEL Your Best on Your Vacation

Aim for three meals per day..

If you’re like me, you tend to eat more at each meal while traveling than when at home. But I find that because I’ve had a bigger lunch, I don’t really need a snack! My body is smarter than I think.

Curb the booze.

I know, I know. Drinking beer all day at the lake might be the best part of your summer! But at least for me, nothing makes me feel worse than dehydration or a hangover.

Definitely enjoy some drinks, but just don’t get hammered, ok?! You can probably easily drink a lot more calories than you can eat. Over-drinking is the number-one way to feel terrible. 

Bring just one part of your workout routine with you.

That could be just a run along a new city’s river or a power walk on the beach. Or yoga via podcast in your cozy cabin one morning. Or a trail hike in a new part of the world.

Breaking a sweat will help you feel your best. And walking totally counts! 

I find after the first day or so I actually want to go for a run or visit the resort fitness room for a little sweat session. 

Focus on foods that you can’t get at home.

When we were in Anguilla I was all over the tropical fruit! Green juices, fresh pineapple, mango, kiwi, papaya. I had their delicious chia pudding and some eggs for protein. I chose to skip the waffles, pastries, and french toast that I can easily get at any American buffet.

For lunch I chose Caribbean fish tacos and opted out of the burgers and french fries I can get at any restaurant anywhere. 

Add in a little mindfulness.

I am ALL FOR enjoying your trip and indulging in the most delicious foods you come across. But just make sure they are good ones.

Don’t gobble down a gas station donut on your car trip. Visit that local ice cream shop that is known for their birthday cake ice cream and use your five senses to devour it.

How To Have A Healthy and Happy Vacation: Don’t Worry So Much About Weight Gain!

As a Registered Dietitian, I’m telling you to relax during your vacation. Knowing the math and how my body operates helps me truly embrace the trip.

Remember that just a few days of healthy eating is all it takes to counteract a few days of overeating.

Your long-term eating habits in your regular daily life are way more important than those you adopt for a few days away.

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Reader Interactions

January 29, 2020 at 8:20 am

“A scale tells me my force against the earth, but it can’t tell me how I feel” – Thats one of the best lines I’ve ever read!! So true – Thank you!

Kath Younger says

January 29, 2020 at 9:04 am

Jill D says

January 29, 2020 at 9:42 am

I needed this today. it is my weigh-in day and I have been dreading it because I had an indulgent weekend. I lost 60 pounds 2 years ago but I re-gained 10 pounds over the course of a year. I was okay with that because my clothes fit and I exercise consistently. Unfortunately, after getting on the scale in early January that 10 pounds had turned into 20 and my clothes are not fitting. Time to do something before the 20 turns into the 60 plus.

However I need to keep it in perspective and know that whatever the scale says tonight that a weekend is not going to destroy all of the effort of the previous 3 weeks or 2 years.

Thanks for the reminder.

January 30, 2020 at 8:30 am

Great job losing the 60 pounds! That’s so hard! I’m on a mission to lose 40 (It was 60 but I lost 20 almost two years ago, but then put 10 back on..then lost 10 … so now just the 40 to go). It’s so hard! Kudos to you! It’s always comforting to hear from others in the same boat. (And for the reminder that a few bad eating days won’t mess up the progress we’ve made).

January 30, 2020 at 4:28 pm

Good job to you as well. The mission to be healthy is much easier with the support of people who understand the struggle and the pitfalls. Be kind to yourself!

The Many Thoughts of a Reader says

January 29, 2020 at 11:04 am

In the same thought process, do not weigh yourself on a Monday morning! Give yourself a day of back to the regular week day grind before you torture yourself if you are weighing weekly!

Brigid says

January 29, 2020 at 1:03 pm

I’m dreaming about that cake now!!!

January 29, 2020 at 1:42 pm

Ugh me too!!!! This was from a big real estate party that we went to two years ago. I went this year with very high hopes there would be a 2.0 cake but alas there was not one. I asked a friend in the know and she said that there were so many SPRINKLES to clean up the year before that the venue said they couldn’t do it again!! Isn’t that sad!!?

February 4, 2020 at 12:10 pm

That cake is what dreams are made of.

Stacey M. says

January 29, 2020 at 1:11 pm

Thank you so much for this post. I think this is something so many women need to better understand … and maybe it’s not something that can be taught but rather something that comes with age. I know it took me a long time to *really* pay attention to my body (instead of what some fitness professional, or magazine, or weight-loss guru on TV was telling me) and realize that our bodies are smart and they will tell us what they need. If you want to kick back and enjoy your vacation, go ahead and do so. Eat and drink what you like, but pay attention to how your body feels after you eat/drink various things. It’s almost a given that if you do this, you’ll notice the things that don’t make you feel so great vs. the things that energize you and give you the energy to go about your activities. There’s no need to fear any food, or a week’s full of indulgences if you follow these rules. Like you said, after a day or two of heavier, more indulgent foods, you’ll likely find that you crave something lighter (like a salad or fruit) instead of steak and potatoes. I am so glad so many more RDs are coming around to this way of thinking … spreading this kind of thought will serve so many more women in the long run than messages like “lose those last pesky 10 pounds” or “tighten that bum with this 7-day meal plan” or “don’t eat more than X amount of calories if you want to lose weight”. Sorry that was so long-winded but this is something I’m pretty passionate about after having fallen victim to diet/weight loss messages when I was younger and losing myself to an eating disorder for a few years. <3

January 29, 2020 at 1:39 pm

Thanks for your thoughtful comment! Couldn’t agree more.

January 29, 2020 at 1:59 pm

My biggest suggestion for vacation weight gain is to walk everywhere (when possible). I’m usually the same weight or less after vacation because we walk so much (and I don’t put much thought or stress into what I eat). We often choose the hotel based on location and walk everywhere within a few miles. We’ve found we see more of the city walking rather than driving or riding and have found so many unexpected restaurants and entertainment walking. An added perk is we avoid the cost of renting a car. For traveling longer distances, most cities have great public transportation and/or shuttles between the hotel and airport.

January 29, 2020 at 2:13 pm

Agree! Great tip.

March 29, 2023 at 1:03 pm

Walk in Uber out! Is my motto!

January 30, 2020 at 12:39 am

Just a small one, you write 3,500 kcal to gain a pound of fat. Guess the 3, is a typo 😉 just to eliminate any confusion.

Leatitia Samson says

January 31, 2020 at 1:20 pm

The 3 is correst. It takes 3500 kcal to gain a pound of fat (three thousand five hundred).

January 30, 2020 at 12:42 am

Unless you mean for 7 days – which I caught now 🙂

January 30, 2020 at 5:21 am

Amanda says

January 30, 2020 at 12:08 pm

I like how you said to gain a pound of fat, you have to eat 3,500 calories more……Usually we hear about how you have to burn off that 3500 to lose a pound of fat. When I think of it the way you said it, I’m like “Oh, that’s a lot extra to have to eat and I’m not even sure I can do that for days in a row”.

Lzabel Goulart says

January 31, 2020 at 5:19 am

I am lucky. I do not gain weight after vocation…I love your amazing 10? sprinkle cake.

Ruthie says

January 31, 2020 at 10:22 am

This is great information. Thanks so much. Have a good weekend!

February 3, 2020 at 8:35 am

You can swap out vacation and sub in “holidays”, “birthday weeks”, “too many happy hours”, etc! LOL! It will all work out in the end.

February 5, 2020 at 7:23 pm

I find this so interesting! When. I work a desk job, so my vacations are super active by comparison! I find that I’ve often lost weight upon returning – I love going to major cities like New York, Paris, Prague – where it’s likely I’ll get 15-20K steps a day – in addition to any bicycle tour or whatever else. Even in Hawaii, where I did a LOT of relaxing, we still kayaked, did SUP, hikes etc. I’m not even a particularly athletic person – but I like moving on vacay!! Stimulates body and brain!

Melissa says

February 23, 2021 at 10:29 am

I gained 10 pounds (119 to 129) in 5 days at an all inclusive, been back 2 days and only lost 3…! I know at least 5 of this is fat, I can see it. It’s amazing how QUICKLY we can gain fat after we had been dieting. I am back to my routine and guess it will take about 2 weeks to lose. This article is a bit deceiving as yes SOME of vacation gain is water and inflammation but unfortunately not all or even most of it. When you are a short girl it’s VERY easy to gain as our TDEE is so low. My hubby on other hand eat way more than me gained 6 pounds and already lost 4lbs in 2 days. The point is to get your head out of sand (literally lol) and get back to calorie deficit to lose that weight before it becomes a permanent feature. Enjoy vacation yes but understand you will have some work to do when you get back.

February 23, 2021 at 10:33 am

I challenge you to weigh yourself again in a few days! I bet it’s still water weight coming off.

MARISOL COLL says

April 14, 2023 at 3:28 pm

I am with you. I just got back from Hawaii gained 5 ..lost 2 and its been a week still feel heavy

April 29, 2022 at 1:13 pm

But it’s now been a week and a half since coming home from vacation and the extra vacation weight gain is still very much present…. I thought it was water weight too but the scale hasn’t budged back to my pre-vacation regular weight 🙁

August 27, 2022 at 10:00 am

The problem for me is not how much I weigh when we get back in town but how I feel 2 days into the trip…My skin feels distended, my clothes are tighter – especially around the waist – and I feel grouchier and more on-edge as a result. And this is not due to what I eat or don’t eat but the simple fact that my body knows I’m in a strange place and “battens down the hatches” as it were, in response. Everything may relax after a few days but this initial bloat is hard to recover from if we’re traveling around by car (i.e., sitting) or eating out a lot. Our trips generally center around national parks with lots of hiking so this helps, but meals can be at odd hours including later at night than I normally eat (which does make a difference for me) so I have to choose between skipping dinner and more weight gain. I was able to take the edge off during a recent trip to the beach, by doing my workout before breakfast and then eating a late breakfast and a late lunch/early dinner so that we just ate 2 meals per day – and we brought a lot of our own food which I prepared myself. But this is atypical of most of our trips. Now we’re planning a trip to Hawaii and while I’m beyond the age of wearing anything skimpy (if I ever did) I’m still dreading the disappearance of my waistline and how I’ll feel for most of the trip. Lots of walking, lots of water, low-density foods, limited sodium…anything else?

March 29, 2023 at 5:28 pm

Another thing I’ve thought of for mid-trip bloat is a natural diuretic like dandelion tea. Has anyone tried this?

January 11, 2023 at 10:56 am

Ooh that cake in the first photo looks delicious (and now I want cake!) I don’t think I’ve ever come home from a vacation with a significant weight gain – am I vacationing wrong? (Lol) Well, with Covid and work, I’ve only been able to afford long weekends away over the past two years versus an entire week. My last vacation was a college reunion weekend this summer, and I came home happy and dehydrated 🙂

January 11, 2023 at 12:54 pm

Sounds like you’re doing it right!

January 11, 2023 at 8:15 pm

I agree; my experience has been similar as well!

TeriLyn Adams says

January 14, 2023 at 12:40 pm

Such a good post! I just got back from a trip and my jeans are definitely tighter – the math was a great reminder that I did not likely gain 10 lbs!

January 14, 2023 at 2:31 pm

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7 Dietitian-approved strategies to avoid vacation weight gain

• 3 Minutes Read

Vacation weight gain gets the "worst souvenir" award, and you don't want to bring it home from your trip. Learn how to avoid it while still enjoying every moment of your travels.

How can I prevent vacation weight gain?

Vacation weight gain is not inevitable. Follow simple strategies to keep the calories in check and add physical activity while having fun. You may be pleasantly surprised that you don't gain weight during your vacation.

7 strategies to keep vacation calories in check

1. set a goal to maintain, not gain.

Put your weight-loss goal on pause during vacation. When the goal is to maintain your weight (rather than lose) during a trip, it removes pressure and tension about eating in new food environments or cultures. Plus, keeping your current weight during vacation instead of gaining sets you up to resume your progress when you return-no drastic measures needed.

You may take a break from tracking during vacation or track only exercise, not food. You could simply practice portion control and other skills you've acquired to hold the calories in check. Logging exercise could keep you more mindful of food intake and portion sizes by keeping the "night light on" in terms of calorie awareness.

2. Don't drink your calories

Smart beverage choices make a huge calorie difference. Passing over a caloric drink leaves room for more of the local dining you really want to savor. Instead, choose low-calorie beverages or simply use a smaller glass.

Examples of calorie savings:

• Water (0 calories) vs. 32-ounce lemonade (400 calories)
• Flavored herbal tea (10 calories) vs. 32-ounce soda (400 calories)
• 4-ounce orange juice (55 calories) vs. 12-ounce orange juice (165 calories)
• 8-ounce 2% milk (125 calories) vs. 16-ounce 2% milk (250 calories)
• 1.5-ounce bourbon on the rocks (97 calories) vs. 12-ounce can of regular beer (140 calories)
• 6-ounce glass of wine (150 calories) vs. 12-ounce frozen margarita (300 calories)

Pack a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated when traveling. It saves you money and keeps you going strong, so you can make the most of your vacation.

3. Plan ahead

Eat something nutritious before heading to the airport. Bring healthy snacks for the plane and car. Those "snack" bags of trail mix in the airport or convenience stores often contain three servings per bag. The 150 calories on the nutrition label don't sound so bad until you realize the bag contains multiple servings.

Pack a healthy snack or meal to eat for the plane. Although you can't go through airport security with liquids and gels (e.g., yogurt), solids are allowed. Consider prepping these healthy eating noshes for traveling: sandwiches, salad, raw veggies, cheese, fruit, nuts, seeds, or protein bars.

Check whether your hotel room includes a small refrigerator and microwave and what options (if any) exist for breakfast. Research local grocery stores and markets to grab some healthy food when you arrive.

4. Practice portion control

Excessive restaurant portions, all-you-can-eat buffets, and enticing local cuisine make it tricky to limit vacation calories. If you have access to a refrigerator, plan for leftovers. When possible, serve yourself using a smaller plate, glass, or bowl.

Portion control means you don't have to deny yourself local treats. Studies have shown that we get the most enjoyment from the first few bites of anything we eat. After that, our enjoyment goes downhill fast. So, by taking only a few bites instead of finishing that yummy cheesecake or cookie, you get to enjoy the treat, and also save on calories. Splitting a treat is a fun way to sample something new while limiting calories.

5. Seek out veggies

Fill half your plate with veggies. If the menu is strictly a la carte, add veggies to your order or at another meal that day.

Choose a restaurant that offers more veggies than just pickles, lettuce, and tomato on a fried sandwich. Seek out local farmers' markets for fresh and seasonal local produce.

Fill your dinner plate with fresh salad and use the smaller salad bowl or plate for the entree. This easy dish switch can save hundreds of calories, leaving room for a small treat later.

6. Focus on non-food activities

Vacation is more than just about the food-it's about relaxing, exploring, and spending time with loved ones. Throw Frisbee with the kids, catch lightning bugs, challenge everyone to a hula hoop contest, or go on a walking tour when sightseeing. You may have so much fun it doesn't feel like exercise.

7. Plan an active vacation

Many activities are available to enjoy, whether you enjoy hiking, walking, bicycling, kayaking, or swimming. Find guided active vacation options. You can search the name of the area you are visiting and the type of exercise you enjoy. For example, search "London walking tour" or "Michigan bicycle vacation." Rather than a bus tour, look for a walking tour of the city-research local options before you go. Find the best hiking or bike trails, walking tours, or hotels with the best pools or fitness centers.

Check your steps each day to validate all the walking you are doing on vacation. It can keep you in a healthy mode. And don't forget to pack your active wear, including supportive shoes!

Enjoy your special getaway, and if you follow these simple strategies, you may discover the scale dips in your favor with no vacation weight gain.

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Travel Tips

How Not to Gain Weight on Vacation

By Shivani Vora

• Aug. 5, 2016

Are extra pounds an inevitable consequence of a fun-filled vacation? They don’t have to be, according to Harley Pasternak, an exercise physiologist, nutritionist and personal trainer in Los Angeles. “Gaining weight on vacation is common, but it’s possible to go away, enjoy yourself and not come home heavier,” he said. Here, he shares his tips on how to do just that.

Travel With an Activity Monitor

You don’t have to bother with a gym on your getaway but it is important to stay active, and a wearable fitness tracker like a Fitbit or a pedometer is an easy way to quantify your efforts, Mr. Pasternak said. “In fact, you should be moving much more when you’re on vacation than at home because you aren’t bound to your desk,” he said. On urban getaways, walking to see the sights instead of using public transportation and taxis counts as activity. On beachcentric trips surfing, snorkeling and hiking are great ways to stay fit and get a sense of your destination. To keep pounds at bay, Mr. Pasternak suggested hitting at least 12,000 steps a day, about six miles.

Indulge Wisely

A vacation isn’t a pass to eat high-calorie foods all day, every day and may even be an opportunity to make healthier choices. “People tend to mindlessly eat when they’re working because they are so time-pressed, but on vacation, when you’re rejuvenating yourself, you have the chance to choose your meals with more thought and really savor them,” Mr. Pasternak said. That said, sampling local specialties is a pleasurable part of any trip, so feel free to indulge in them but in moderation. Choose foods the area is known for, such as gelato in Italy, croissants in France and steaks in Argentina.

Go Easy on the Alcohol

Too much alcohol is an all too familiar vacation pitfall, and if you have even two drinks a day, a weeklong trip adds up to 14 drinks and thousands of extra calories, especially if you’re sipping sugary cocktails such as margaritas. If you want to imbibe, Mr. Pasternak said, count the drink as your one daily indulgence, and choose lower calorie drinks such as a vodka soda with a wedge of lemon.

Unplug From Technology

Yes, minimizing the time you spend on your cellphone, tablet and computer when you are vacationing will really help prevent weight gain, Mr. Pasternak said. “The artificial light from these devices plays havoc on our brain and triggers stress, which increases the hormone cortisol, which, in turn, causes us to gain weight,” he said. Instead of turning to technology, he suggested reading lighthearted books and magazines; they’ll help you decompress and lower your stress levels.

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How to avoid weight gain during frequent travel

Whether it's for work or pleasure, erratic travel may affect your health negatively and also lead to weight gain. Here are tips for how to stay healthy and beat jet lag too

Are you a frequent flyer who collects airline points and piles on weight during your travel? In this current day and age, we travel for work, we travel for pleasure, we travel to meet family, we travel to take time off…the list goes on. Whether or not you are a travel enthusiast, the impact of travel on your body is the same. It is often also an excuse for most people to avoid making a lifestyle change. Indeed, travel is cited as a major obstacle by many who want to lose weight.

The key reasons why we tend to put on weight while travelling are: disruption of the Circadian rhythm, imbalance of our gut bacteria and of course, unplanned meals and junk food.

Circadian clock

Circadian clock or circadian rhythm is more often called our “body clock.” This internal clock, which is present in almost all living organisms, is responsible for regulating sleep and wake cycles, hunger and satiety, hormone balance, and behaviour. It is driven by a master clock located in our brain which is connected to other “peripheral” clocks located in different organs like the liver, the gut and so on. This master clock runs on a 24-hour schedule by receiving cues from our environment, such as light, darkness and food.

Gut bacteria

Gut bacteria are the trillions of bacteria that reside in our intestine/gut. They have their own clock which sends signals to the master clock in the brain. These bacteria play a critical role in our metabolism, mood, health of our brain and heart and how our body absorbs nutrients from food.

When the gut bacteria and our circadian clock are not in sync, our health starts spiralling downward. Travel, even if it’s domestic travel and does not involve different time zones, could send our body rhythm out of balance.

Three things that affect gut bacteria

• What we eat
• When we eat
• Our sleep-wake cycle

Apart from this, the geographical location also makes a difference, though studies in this area are at early stages.

The reason why we feel tired and sluggish at the end of a road or rail trip [even if we just read or slept during the travel] is because we spend our time doing something that is out of our normal pattern. This also disrupts the body clock and gut bacteria.

The travel fatigue that we feel after a long day of travel within the same timezone should go away with one night of sound sleep, hydration, nourishing food and a warm shower. The recovery is not so smooth and quick if you are travelling international or across more than two time zones and that’s what we call a jetlag. Jetlag doesn’t go away with one night’s sleep and hydration because the circadian clock is not synchronised with the location and external environment.

It takes time to realign our biological clock . Our body needs approximately 2/3 rd the number of days as the time zones we have crossed to adjust itself.

Tips to avoid weight gain during travel

Whether it’s a fun domestic trip or an international trip for work, if we plan the travel carefully, we can avoid putting on weight, feeling bloated or having water retention at the end of the travel. Some of the things that we could do are:

• Carry your own food. This ensures that you are in better control of what you eat [and what you don’t end up eating]. People tend to give in to temptation when they are hungry and don’t have much choice
• Avoid alcohol, packaged juices, refined foods and desserts during the journey. Travel by itself is dehydrating, especially flight travel. Sugar , alcohol and juices [which are a concentrated source of sugar with almost no fibre] will only worsen it
• Avoid refined, fried, salty and ultra processed food
• Carry fruits, nuts, cooked rice, beans, nut balls, sandwiches etc. These will make it through most security systems and are less messy to pack and carry
• Keep sipping water through the journey. This will keep you hydrated
• Move around more, walk as much as you can
• Use ginger to your fatigue rescue. Have ginger tea, or dry sweetened ginger or ginger chews once you reach the destination to help you get rid of bloating and get back your appetite and digestion.

How to adjust your body clock quickly after travel

• Use light and dark to set your biological clock. If it’s morning when you reach your destination, get exposed to sunlight often through the day and that will keep you awake too. If you reach your destination at nighttime, reduce the lighting indoors and any light emitting devices [including phones, tablets and TV]
• Change your meal and sleeptime according to the destination timezone from the moment you start your travel, through the journey
• If it’s nighttime at your destination and you are not sleepy, have a glass of warm milk with a pinch of turmeric powder and nutmeg powder. That will help you fall asleep and improve your immunity that’s disturbed by the travel
• Workout first thing in the morning once you reach your destination. A few rounds of suryanamaskar or a light jog or run in the fresh crisp morning air for 20-25 minutes is enough to awaken your senses and make you feel fresh and ready for the day.

With the current lifestyle it is not possible to avoid travel. Following these tips will help you enjoy the travel and reduce the impact of travel on your waistline, mood and overall health.

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8 Ways To Stay Healthy And Prevent Weight Gain While Traveling

• December 30, 2021

When you’re on vacation or traveling for work, it’s hard not to let loose and indulge in everything that the destination has to offer. But when you get back home, all those indulgences will catch up with you – especially if you didn’t take care of yourself while away. You might feel tired or sluggish because of jetlag or just from being out in the sun too long. Or maybe your clothes are feeling a little tight around the waistline because of all that delicious food and drink.  Either way, it’s never fun coming home afterwards and facing the consequences of your actions. Here are some tips that will help you stay healthy during your travels!  

1: Meal Kit Boxes

It’s great to explore a new place and try all the different foods that you can. But sometimes, it’s difficult to find healthy or nutritious foods that are easy to make or prepare. Meal kit boxes help with this because they give you everything that you need for a complete meal in one box! These pre-prepared meals have been carefully selected, prepared and packaged to make them ultra-convenient. You can find meal kit boxes for almost any cuisine or theme – it’s the best way to eat healthy when you don’t have time to choose what to cook and prepare a full meal from scratch. You can take a look at a Fresh and Easy Review to find out more about why meal kit boxes are the best. They really are a game changer that will have you cooking the tastiest meals in no time.

2: Drink Lots Of Water

Dehydration is a major problem when you’re traveling, especially when you’re in a hot and/or humid climate. The weather itself can be dehydrating, but many people let themselves get dehydrated because they don’t drink enough water or other fluids such as natural juices and herbal teas.

It’s important to stay hydrated – your body needs the extra water to keep your body temperature down and also to help with digestion. If you’re not used to drinking a lot of water, then it might be difficult for you at first. Drinking water also cleans your mouth and prevents plaque build-up. If you notice a sticky yellow film on your teeth, you should increase your fluid intake and make your teeth feel good at a dentist in Cordova by booking an appointment. Start by adding more water into your diet and drink it regularly throughout the day so that your body gets used to it. Just remember – you need extra fluid when you travel because you might be more active and in a different climate. Keep in mind that you should drink even more water when the weather is particularly hot or humid because it’s easy to become dehydrated when you’re outside for long periods of time.

3: Take Supplements For Nutrients And Electrolytes

When you’re away, it can be difficult to keep your intake of important nutrients such as vitamin C, calcium and magnesium up. These nutrients are essential for everything from maintaining healthy skin and hair to supporting brain function and good digestion.

If you can’t get enough of these nutrients through your diet or food supplements, then consider taking third-party supplements before, during and after your trip. Check out a post about multivitamin pills for more information.

4: Avoid The Main Source Of Infections

Food is often the main source of illness while you’re traveling, so be careful about what you eat or drink. It’s easier to get sick from food because it isn’t always prepared in sanitary conditions. Staying away from raw foods such as salads and uncooked fruit will reduce your risk of getting ill from food poisoning. Also avoid tap water – even if you have a filter on your faucet or bottle, there are some cultures that use unfiltered tap water to prepare their food! If you can’t avoid drinking unfiltered tap water, try to ingest only the liquid part without mixing it with other ingredients.

5: Try To Get Some Exercise

You might be sitting down for long periods of time while you’re traveling, but there’s always the option to take your mind off the food by taking some exercise . You don’t have to go to a gym or go on a strenuous run – just get out and about to explore the surroundings every chance you get! Even if it’s just going for a walk around town before dinner, getting some exercise will help keep your blood flowing and boost your mood so that you feel more energetic during the day.

6: Eat Breakfast Every Day

Another tip is to eat breakfast every day. It doesn’t matter if it’s complex carbohydrates or protein shakes – what matters is that you start your day with something substantial provides energy throughout the entire day. This will also help you avoid overeating at lunch time or picking up snacks along the way. When you’re famished, it’s so easy to eat whatever is available without thinking about whether it’s actually good for you!

7:  Carry Healthy Snacks With You

Carry some healthy snacks such as nuts, fruit and granola bars with you at all times to avoid overindulging if you get hungry. This will keep your blood sugar stable so that you won’t be craving something unhealthy. Also, traveling can take a lot out of your schedule so it’s important to keep yourself energized so that you can stay active without feeling fatigued all the time.

8:  Make Sure You Get Enough Sleep

Finally, make sure that you get enough sleep. Travelling can be stressful and exhausting and it’s even more difficult to relax when you’re in a new environment. It isn’t always easy to fall asleep when there are so many things going on around you, but your body needs the rest in order to reset itself.

The tips we’ve provided should help you stay healthy and prevent weight gain while traveling. The first step is to drink enough water, take supplements for nutrients and electrolytes, avoid the main source of infections (food), carry some healthy snacks with you at all times, make sure that you get enough sleep as well as eat breakfast every day.

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Carolyn Scott-Hamilton

The Healthy Voyager, aka Carolyn Scott-Hamilton, is the creator and host of The Healthy Voyager web series, site, and overall brand. An award winning healthy, special diet and green living and travel expert, holistic nutritionist, plant based vegan chef, best-selling cookbook author, media spokesperson, sought after speaker, consultant and television personality, Carolyn Scott-Hamilton is a respected figure in the world of healthy lifestyle and travel as well as special diet cooking and nutrition. The Healthy Voyager aims to help people live well, one veggie at a time!

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Weight gained after a vacation or indulgent weekend doesn't mean you've put on fat. It's probably just water retention, experts say.

• Rebel Wilson said she gained almost seven pounds while on vacation at an all-inclusive resort.
• Eating more salt and carbs can make us gain water weight, not fat, a dietitian said.
• Wilson has said she lost 77 pounds since the start of 2020 and has been open about her journey.

Weight gained after a vacation or indulgent weekend is likely caused by water retention not fat, experts told Insider after actor Rebel Wilson said she put on three kilograms (almost seven pounds) while at an all-inclusive resort. 

The Australian actor previously said she lost  77 pounds since the start of 2020, after declaring it her "year of health." Personal trainer Jono Castano said he trained Wilson, and she told Today she did lots of walking to maintain her weight . Wilson has also been open about her relationship with food, saying  she used to overeat to numb her emotions .

In an  Instagram post shared on July 2, she wrote in the caption, "I've lost all self control. But you know what? I can get up tomorrow and go to the gym, and hydrate and eat healthy and love myself."

A post shared by Rebel Wilson (@rebelwilson)

Wilson went on to write that she knows what it's like to experience food guilt or feel bad after overeating, but being hard on herself doesn't help.

"If you're like me just know YOU are more than just your weight, your weight doesn't define you, just try your best to be healthy and don't be so hard on yourself," she wrote. "Be the best version of you."

Experts told Insider that weight gained after an indulgent few days is unlikely to be fat, and usually falls away when a person's normal diet is resumed. Taking a break from a diet while on vacation can even be beneficial in the long run, according to research .

Vacation weight gain is often largely water

After an indulgent weekend or a vacation, it's normal to see a higher number on the scale . This can be worrying if you're trying to lose weight, but it's normal after eating more and isn't anything to stress about, Kara Mockler, registered dietitian and coach at RP Strength, told Insider.

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Celebrations and vacations can involve eating foods higher in carbs and salt than your normal diet, and both of these lead to water retention , she said.

"We store carbs as glycogen in our body, and for each gram of glycogen we retain several grams of water right along with it," Mockler said. "Same with salt."

This is why some people feel more bloated or swollen after a salty meal.

"So the uptick on the scale after a short period of higher calorie intake is mostly water," Mockler said.

Personal trainer and fat-loss coach Jordan Syatt estimated that not even one pound of Wilson's holiday weight gain is actually fat, telling Insider that as well as water weight, the physical weight of the extra food in her stomach likely plays a role.

"When you go on vacation for a weekend, a week, or even two weeks, it's physiologically impossible to gain that much fat," he said.

A diet break can be beneficial 

Eating more food for a short period can give your metabolism a temporary boost due to the energy required to digest it, which is known as the thermic effect of food , according to research. 

Taking a diet break can also relieve the mental and physical fatigue that can come with prolonged periods in a calorie deficit and lead to greater weight loss .

The key is to get back on track afterwards , Mockler said, and this will see the scale go back down.

"There's no need to restrict your food or over-exercise, just get back to normal and drink some extra water," she said. "The excess fluid will come off over the next few days and you'll be right back on track."

By getting back to healthy eating afterwards, Wilson has exactly the right approach, Syatt said.

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How to avoid weight gain on holiday – and still have a great time

6 travel exercise tips for your next vacation by a physical therapist

There are many reasons people go on holiday, but usually, they try to get away from the daily grind, relax and indulge themselves. It's almost impossible to avoid weight gain on holiday, or is it? Do your future self a favour and follow the below exercise tips to stay lean while you're away – or at least not put on any more weight.

As travel restrictions loosen worldwide, travel agents and operators are  reporting  a significant increase in bookings, with travel expected to reach pre-pandemic levels soon. As many move away from a more sedentary lifestyle they may have become accustomed to over the past two years and return to their regular routines, fitness is as important as ever.

Here are some tips from Hila Glick, VP of Physical Therapy & Patient Experience at Virtual Physical Therapy Platform  OneStep ,  about maintaining your exercise routine during your next vacation.

Even if you take some of the tips on board, remember you are on holiday – so don't be too hard on yourself. If you are used to exercising regularly, a vacation is an excellent time to introduce some changes, including your exercise regimen. There are some great ways to do so even during your holiday that don't require special equipment or planning, as explained by Hila below.

1. Walk more

"Brisk walks are wonderful for your health", Hila suggests, "They reduce stress and tension, improve muscle endurance, help you lose or maintain weight and walking while travelling has the added benefit of allowing you to see and experience a new surrounding – be it a city or nature."

She suggests packing and wearing comfortable shoes for walking. Hila's pro travel trip: if you have a backpack, wear both shoulder straps to avoid shoulder and neck pain.

No need to run – walking up steps are equally as good keeping your fitness in check when on holiday

2. Use the stairs

"The hotel elevator may seem enticing but try to use the stairs any time you have a chance", hila says, "Walking up steps uses different muscles from walking on the street, and you should be able to feel those muscles working, and your heart will enjoy a different type of aerobic exercise."

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Not to mention, stair workouts use the biggest muscle in your body, the gluteus maximus – a.k.a. your bum muscles – so working it will burn loads of calories. Instant weight loss results!

3. Visit the hotel gym

If you stay at a hotel, they probably have a gym for you to use. Go and visit, won't you?

"If you use the gym back at home, try switching things up with different equipment or exercises", Hila recommends, "Starting your day at the gym will give you more energy, focus and optimism for the rest of your day."

If this is your first time at the gym, remember to go safe: "Usually, there is no instructor, and the equipment can be confusing. Start with something easy like the treadmill and some free weights", Hila adds.

As long as you have access to a fitness app on your phone or watch, you can work out easily, even on holiday 

4. Short routines

You may have a jam-packed itinerary of site-seeing and activities, so look for a short exercise and stretching routine on your phone or TV.

"Fitness or physical therapy apps with personal instructors or physicians can also be utilised to personalise your workouts and adjust them to your travelling schedule," Hila says, "In any case, it is best to keep your workouts short and consistent. You can start your day with some strength exercises and end it with stretches, or vice versa. Ten minutes a day will do the job."

5. Try local fitness classes

"If classes are what you are looking for, finding a class you like – be it Yoga, Pilates or Boot Camp – is a fun way to meet new locals and experience something you and your body may or may not be familiar with", Hila suggests, "Some hotels have classes for guests, but if not, many classes have flexible drop-in policies. If you are travelling to a seaside location, a class on the waterfront is always soothing and energising."

Walking on holiday will make you look as cool as the gentleman on this picture

6. Don’t sit around for too long

One final holiday fitness tip from Hila: "If your trip includes time waiting at an airport, make sure you walk while waiting for your flight instead of sitting at the gate. Get creative with other workouts like rolling your suitcase with alternating hands or curling a water bottle."

"If you plan to spend long periods sitting in a car or a plane, plan periodic breaks for some stretching and short walks, either at a rest stop or in the aisles", she says.

It is important to keep your body active, but it's also important to enjoy your vacation. These are just a few ways to utilize downtime when travelling to keep yourself moving without using up precious luggage space or too much of your vacation time. 

Matt Kollat is a journalist and content creator who works for T3.com and its magazine counterpart as an Active Editor. His areas of expertise include wearables, drones, fitness equipment, nutrition and outdoor gear. He joined T3 in 2019. His byline appears in several publications, including Techradar and Fit&Well , and more. Matt also collaborated with other content creators (e.g. Garage Gym Reviews ) and judged many awards, such as the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance's ESSNawards. When he isn't working out, running or cycling, you'll find him roaming the countryside and trying out new podcasting and content creation equipment.

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13 Common Causes Of Sudden, Unexplained Weight Gain, According To Doctors

Are you also totally exhausted?

In some cases, there may be a connection between your weight gain and insulin. “Weight gain around the waistline in adults—outside of pregnancy—is often a sign of insulin resistance or insulin hypersecretion,” says Naomi Parrella, MD, a family physician and obesity medicine specialist at Rush University Medical Group. Although it’s less common, Parrella adds that weight gain may also be a sign of excess cortisol, a condition like Cushing’s syndrome, or in more serious cases, an illness like ovarian cancer.

If a few extra pounds are starting to impact your mental health or way of life, it may be time to consider an appointment with your dietitian or doctor—especially if you're noticing joint pain in the hips and knees, reduced daily activities and movement because of pain, or a worsening mood.

Before you decide to book a visit to your doctor’s office, keep a log of everything you eat as well as your exercise habits (including activity outside of your workouts) for at least a few days if not a week or two, says Melina Jampolis, MD, an internist based in Los Angeles. Perhaps you are eating more calories throughout the day or you’re sitting at your desk more often than usual due to a heavier workload. Even a busy schedule involving being away from home with lots of travel can impact unexplained weight gain.

As for a general benchmark, Dr. Parrella says it is common to see a weight increase of one to two pounds per year from the age of 20 to 65. However, if your weight gain is greater than that and you can't seem to pinpoint the underlying reason, here are some potential conditions that may be at play.

Meet the experts: Naomi Parrella, MD, is a family physician and obesity medicine specialist at Rush University Medical Group. She is also the medical director for Rush University’s Center for Weight Loss and Lifestyle Medicine. Melina Jampolis , MD, is an internist based in Los Angeles and the host of the Practically Healthy podcast. Rocío Salas-Whalen , MD, is an endocrinologist at the Medical Offices of Manhattan.

1. You have hypothyroidism.

When a young woman walks into a doc’s office with unexplained weight gain, the thyroid is the first place most physicians will investigate, says Dr. Jampolis. And for good reason: A whopping one in eight women will develop a thyroid disorder in her life, according to the American Thyroid Association .

That butterfly-shaped gland in the neck is responsible for secreting a hormone that regulates your metabolism, and if you’ve got an underactive thyroid (called hypothyroidism), your metabolism may slow down, triggering weight gain.

Women with hypothyroidism may also suffer from low energy levels or fatigue , dry skin, hair loss, muscle cramps, or constipation , says Dr. Jampolis. Notice any of these signs and you should book a chat with your doc, who can check on your thyroid with a simple blood test if necessary.

2. You have polycystic ovary syndrome.

Research shows that as many as one in five women have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), an endocrine disorder that throws off the balance of reproductive hormones estrogen and testosterone and can trigger a number of unpleasant symptoms like wacky periods , facial hair growth, and migraines .

PCOS can also muck up the way your body uses insulin (the hormone that helps turn sugars and starches into energy), which means (womp, womp) unexplained weight gain around the mid-section is common, says Dr. Jampolis.

If your menstrual cycles are off, a gyno will likely take a peek at your hormones to diagnose this one.

3. You are dealing with depression or anxiety .

When you're stressed, you're thrown into fight-or-flight mode and get a surge of adrenaline, along with a heavy dose of the hormone cortisol, which is supposed to help you restore energy reserves and store fat. Because, hello, you just sprinted three miles from a tiger (okay, dramatic example)—you're starving.

The problem? Lots of us get chronically stressed sitting at our desk all day or just living a crazed life, says Dr. Jampolis. When your cortisol levels stay elevated for a prolonged period, then your body continues storing fat, which can lead to weight gain.

If you’ve persistently felt down in the dumps or anxious, have trouble sleeping, feel fatigued, or you’ve lost interest in the stuff that used to make you tick, talk with an MD or mental health pro who can make suggestions for getting back on track if stress seems to be the culprit behind your sudden weight gain.

4. You're not sleeping well or enough.

There’s nothing like a busted night of sleep to make a girl crave sugar and fat (anything to survive at work the next day, right?). That's because missed shuteye does a number on your hunger hormones and metabolism: Sleeping too little raises ghrelin, the hormone that signals it’s time to eat, while lowering your levels of leptin, the hormone that conveys the “I’m full” feeling, says Dr. Jampolis. The result: a totally unsatisfying chow-fest the next day.

Putting off sleep to watch just one more episode? That hour could be contributing to sudden weight gain. People who slept just one hour more per week lost more fat than those who slept an hour less, a 2018 study in the journal Sleep found. The people who slept less lost less—even though everyone in the study ate the same number of calories, proportionate to their weight at the start of the study.

5. You have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

The gut relies on good bacteria to function well ( probiotics , anyone?), but there’s also bad bacteria chilling in your digestive tract. When that balance of good to bad gets thrown off, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO, for short) can take place, triggering extra gas in your GI tract along with bloating, abdominal pain , diarrhea, and—you guessed it—sudden weight gain.

Docs aren’t entirely sure how SIBO may trigger those extra pounds, says Dr. Jampolis, but treatment for SIBO typically includes antibiotics to treat the bacterial overgrowth, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine . Making changes to your diet can also help.

6. You're going through perimenopause.

The transition period to menopause (a.k.a. perimenopause, which can start in women as early as their mid-30s, but usually starts in your 40s) triggers hormones like estrogen to rise and fall unevenly, which can cue weight gain in some women, says Dr. Jampolis. Other signs of perimenopause include irregular periods, hot flashes, mood swings, and a change in your libido—symptoms your doc can usually suss out with her eyes closed.

Compound perimenopause with the other inevitable body changes that happen with age (like a loss of muscle mass and increase in body fat), and it may feel like the scale’s tipping fast. Talk to your doctor to manage "the change" in stride.

7. You're taking certain medications.

There's a laundry list of both prescription and over-the-counter meds that can trigger sudden weight gain or water retention that shows up on the scale as extra pounds. “Antidepressants—most commonly the selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Paxil, Lexapro, and Prozac—may affect the appetite center in the brain,” says Rocío Salas-Whalen , MD, an endocrinologist at the Medical Offices of Manhattan .

Meanwhile, beta-blockers (meds that reduce blood pressure) can slow your metabolism, and certain steroids (like prednisone—an anti-inflammatory that causes water retention and an increase appetite) can add on pounds. Even OTC antihistamines like Benadryl, which can disrupt an enzyme in the brain that helps regulate food consumption, can trigger noticeable weight gain, says Dr. Salas-Whalen.

A word to the wise: Don’t stop taking any pills cold-turkey—chat with your doctor, who may be able to find a more waist-friendly substitute.

8. You have Cushing's disease.

A super-rare condition called Cushing’s disease (only 10 to 15 people per million are affected, but 70 percent of those diagnosed are women) causes excess cortisol production and can trigger excessive weight gain just around the abdominal area (the legs and arms usually stay lean) and the back of the neck, says Reshmi Srinath , MD, an assistant professor of diabetes, endocrinology, and bone disease at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

It can sometimes be caused by certain medications like steroids used to treat asthma and autoimmune disorders.

“Cushing’s typically presents with significantly low energy and complications like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. But the telltale sign is very large, red stretch marks on their belly,” she says. If this sounds eerily familiar, talk to your doctor ASAP.

Cushing’s disease can be managed with medication, radiation, or surgery, adds Dr. Parrella. You'll also want to tamp down your stress levels, which means taking really good care of yourself and finding ways to recharge on a regular basis.

9. You're dehydrated.

There’s a reason behind the bloat, and it may have just as much to do with the water you forgot to drink as the food that you ate.

Most of us aren’t drinking nearly enough water, says Kristen Neilan , RD, of University of Florida Health. That’s because many of us mistake the feeling of thirst for the feeling of hunger. “Confusion, tiredness, and lightheadedness are all signs of even mild dehydration,” she says. Sounds a lot like how we feel when we’re hankering for a snack.

Mixed signals aren’t the only only possible culprits behind your unexplained weight gain. “Adequate hydration increases mitochondrial function—what that basically means is that it increases your metabolism,” says Neilan. Without enough water, your cells can’t do their thing (namely, convert your food into energy) quickly and efficiently.

Make sure to drink plenty of water, especially at higher altitudes (like air travel), on hot days, with fevers and infections, or with extra physical exertion. Choose options with the least amount of sugar—coconut water, clear broth, and of course pure H2O are all fair game.

If your pee looks darker than usual or you're not using the bathroom as often, that's a sign to begin drinking more fluids, notes Dr. Parrella. Other warning signs include fatigue, muscle cramps, and lightheadedness when standing up.

10. You have ovarian cancer.

In rare cases, an expanding belly is the result of an ovarian tumor and the fluid buildup associated with it, says Sanaz Memarzadeh , MD, PhD, a gynecologic cancer surgeon at UCLA Health. “Patients come in with abdominal bloating, and their usual pants are not fitting,” she says. “Sometimes the tumor is so large it can cause distention of the abdomen."

Women are more likely to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer after menopause. But it’s important for women at every age to look out for this symptom, as well as feeling full too quickly, pain in the lower stomach area, and extra pressure on the bladder. See your doc if the bloating persists, especially if your family has a history of ovarian cancer.

11. You quit smoking.

Smoking can often act as an appetite suppressant, so when you quit, the cravings can hit you hard. Smoking can lead to a rise in dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for instant pleasure, says Pouya Shafipour, MD, a weight-loss specialist at Paloma Health . It's the same kind of pleasure you get when you eat a sweet snack, like ice cream.

Quitting smoking causes that dopamine level drop, but your craving for it still remains, and this craving for a dopamine hit can sometimes lead you to eat something satisfying, and more than usual. "When one quits smoking, the body still has cravings for dopamine and often people get this craving from excess intake of refined sugar and starch (i.e., candy and other starchy snacks) and gain weight," says Dr. Shafipour.

To counteract the lower levels of dopamine once you quit smoking, it's important to engage in other behaviors, like exercise or meditation , that help release feel-good endorphins and also provide a nice distraction and healthy new habit.

12. You have diabetes.

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes both require insulin management in order to keep blood sugar levels regulated. In people with type 1, the pancreas essentially isn't producing enough insulin, so those that have it need to regularly insert themselves with the hormone. Insulin allows the body to absorb glucose (or sugar) and use it for energy.

Generally, Type 2 diabetes is associated with insulin resistance from a poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, and unhealthy eating behaviors. That can usually contribute to weight gain in itself, explains Dr. Shafipour. Type 2 diabetics have a higher baseline insulin level which by itself causes more weight gain, typically around the belly," he says.

But an increase in insulin from external hormone treatments can also lead to weight gain. Insulin lets glucose into your blood cells so that it can be stored for energy, but if you're eating more calories than your body needs, your cells will take what they need leaving the remaining glucose to be stored as fat.

To counteract the weight gain, it's important to closely monitor your diet and avoid eating too much fast food or foods high in refined sugar, Dr. Shafipour says.

13. You have other types of cancers.

Most cancers in their early stages will result in weight loss instead of weight gain—unless it's a cancer that causes the release of cortisol, like a tumor in the adrenal gland.

However, as cancer progresses, it can cause weight gain. "This weight gain can be due to growth of the size of the tumor itself or [if it spreads] to other organs like the liver, which can cause fluid buildup in the stomach or the stomach cavity," says Dr. Shafipour.

But don't be too alarmed, as this is usually a worst-case scenario. Most cancers will cause other symptoms that may cause you to see a doctor while it's still in an early stage.

When should I see a doctor for unexplained weight gain?

First, you should take a look at what your lifestyle's like. If your diet is poor, it's normal to gain between a half a pound to a pound of weight a week. Your menstrual cycle can also cause your weight to fluctuate between four and five pounds depending on what stage of your cycle you are.

But when is weight gain a cause for concern? If you're gaining one to two pounds or more a week, and you don't see the numbers going down, then it might be time to see a doctor. "If one notices that they're gaining weight rapidly, one to two pounds a week, and it's not related to menstrual cycle, poor sleep, anxiety or depression, or snacking or overeating, then they should probably see their primary care physician, who will do a thorough history and physical as well as some appropriate laboratory work-up to find the causes of weight gain," says Dr. Shafipour.

A doctor can work with you to determine whether an underlying condition is contributing to your weight gain, and find appropriate remedies to help you maintain a weight that makes you feel good.

Common Questions About Unexplained Weight Gain

Here are some of the most common questions doctors get asked about unexplained weight gain, according to Dr. Parrella—and what she typically advises her patients to do.

Why am I gaining weight even though I'm eating healthy and working out?

“There are many reasons this could be happening and the only way to understand it is to systematically investigate what is going on, like a detective solving a mystery,” says Dr. Parrella. “Weight gain as an adult, outside of pregnancy, is (most of the time) about the hormone balance.”

For many people, this means examining thyroid function. “Thyroid disorders and untreated sleep apnea can cause unexplained weight gain,” she says. “A few cancers can cause unexplained weight gain, but those are less common.” The most common cause of unexplained weight gain is insulin resistance, she says, which is associated with weight gain (especially around the waistline). However, this can be treated and managed in multiple ways, and you should always consult your doc to see what’s best for you.

Some commonly used medications may also cause weight gain, but there may be alternatives that won't bring unwanted side effects. “If you are taking chronic medications, it is worth asking a pharmacist or your doctor if this applies to you,” says Dr. Parrella.

Apart from these reasons, your weight gain may be a sign to evaluate your nutrition, stress levels , physical activity, and sleep habits in detail. There may be certain behaviors (including those you believe are "healthy") that are contributing to your weight gain without you realizing it.

What is unexpected weight gain a symptom of? Could it be menopause, aging, or genetics?

Your weight can certainly be impacted by menopause, aging, genetics, and hormones like insulin, Dr. Parrella says. “How you eat, how you move, and how regularly you get rest can affect your hormones and the genes that are activated,” she explains.

But the good news is, you can help influence how these changes occur in your body, and seeing a provider can be a great first step. Dr. Parrella recommends working with a specialist who can help you uncover your body’s “signaling pattern” and learn how it may be impacting your weight gain. This ongoing process may involve ongoing investigation, self-tracking, and trying different options, she adds.

Weight gain can also be a sign that your body is experiencing chronic stress, Dr. Parella adds—especially if you’re a caregiver for a small child, someone with a chronic disability, or an aging parent, for example. “[If] your work demands interfere with your ability to relax and recharge regularly or to sleep well, you may gain weight even if your daily food intake is low,” she explains.

Can I just use medication to manage my weight, then stop meds later?

The short answer: It’s complicated. “If you use medications to lower your weight, with the medications currently available, you will likely need to stay on those medications to keep the weight down,” says Dr. Parrella. Everyone’s body is different, so always consult your doctor about starting and stopping meds, and what dosage and frequency is right for you.

You may find that medication is helpful for a while, but everyday lifestyle changes might benefit your body just as much. “If your doctor has ruled out obvious and less common medical issues like thyroid disorder or cancer, [the reason] could be the timing of when you eat, how often you eat, if you are drinking alcohol, what you are eating, medications, sleep, or chronic stress," Dr. Parrella says.

I'm barely eating, but I'm still gaining weight. Am I not getting enough calories? Should I eat breakfast?

“[Unexplained weight gain] is rarely about not eating enough calories or whether or not you eat breakfast,” says Dr. Parrella. Weight gain can occur if you’re not “eating the right nutrients, are eating the wrong nutrients for your body physiology, are not getting adequate sleep, or you have chronic stress with high cortisol,” she adds. It’s entirely possible to eat little and still have unexplained weight gain, and it can also happen if you eat or snack frequently throughout the night, she says.

The key, Dr. Parrella explains, is to eat the right nutrients for you and your body. For example, if you deal with insulin resistance, protein and fibrous vegetables can help keep your insulin at a lower level so that you can get health-promoting nutrients that allow your body to burn fat.

Rather than undereating, Dr. Parrella suggests that every 24 hours, you allow your body at least 12 continuous hours (usually overnight including your sleep hours) of not eating or drinking anything other than water, black coffee, or unsweetened tea. “It is good for your health to let your gut rest on a regular basis,” she says.

Moderating alcohol use may also help, she adds. Try eliminating alcohol for one month and seeing what happens with your weight, or alternatively, explore a sugar detox month without any sweets or sweetened beverages.

How can I stay motivated to eat less and exercise more?

You may have heard that “eating less and exercising more” is the solution for weight loss, but according to Dr. Parrella, weight gain is usually way more complicated than that.

“Motivation is not the problem for most people, and trying to eat less and exercise more is not the answer for most people,” she says. For many, weight gain is a sign of a hormonal imbalance. “Based on what you eat, how you move, how you socialize, sleep, and recharge, your hormones will vary,” she adds. “If your hormones are set up to cause you to grow, that is what you will do. If your hormones are set to burn, then you can burn fat [more easily].”

That said, if you are struggling with motivation to make lifestyle changes, consider your intentions behind wanting to manage your weight. Is it that you want to feel more energized during the day? Make it through your fun workout classes? Feel more confident taking cute selfies? Whatever your reason is, tapping into your internal motivation (and not just rushing to crash diet) can help you make sustainable, long-term changes.

Jasmine Gomez is the Commerce Editor at Women’s Health, where she cover the best product recommendations across beauty, health, lifestyle, fitness, and more. When she's not shopping for a living, she enjoys karaoke and dining out more than she cares to admit. Follow her @JazzeGomez .  

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Stay Fit and Avoid Weight Gain While Traveling

Six ways to avoid having your next business trip ruin your fitness routine.

Nov. 13, 2013&#151; -- intro: We hear a lot of pleas for help at this magazine, and not all of them come from the interns we occasionally dangle out the window by their ankles. In fact, the most common cry we hear goes something like this: Hey, Men's Health! I have no problem eating right and working out when I'm home. But whenever I travel, I turn into Camryn Manheim. Anything I can do?

To which we'd like to answer: Heck, yeah.

There's a boatload of reasons traveling sabotages even the most disciplined man's eating and fitness habits. Your schedule is disrupted. You're surrounded by gobs of unhealthy food. Your barbells are replaced by a dorky suitcase on wheels. But here's the thing: If you learn to recognize these potholes—and avoid them—you can actually return from your next trip leaner and healthier than when you left. So grab your bags. It's time to learn the new rules of the road.

8 Ways to Cut Fat Without Realizing It

quicklist: 1 category:Avoid Weight Gain While Travelingtitle:The Airport Expands Your Guturl:text:Today, traveling means waiting. And waiting? That means eating. Not only are you within striking distance of the airport food court, but also the normal aggravation you endure when traveling fires up your body's stress hormones—actually making you crave those sugary, high-calorie foods you find at the airport.

The result: A couple of hours in an airport terminal can easily turn into a couple of thousand extra calories in your diet. For instance, munch a Classic Cinnabon while you're waiting at the gate and you've ingested 700 calories. A Starbucks blueberry crumb cake? Another 800 calories. Worst of all, those high-sugar, high-carbohydrate foods are the least satisfying when it comes to reducing your hunger—and the best at spiking blood levels of insulin, a hormone that stimulates fat storage.

Solve the problem: Pack more than your clothes "These days, the food you put in your carry-on bag is every bit as vital as the clothes you put in your suitcase," says Pamela Peeke, M.D., Ph.D., author of Fight Fat after Forty.

So pack travel-friendly foods like snack packs of StarKist Tuna Salad and Crackers, beef jerky, and low-calorie meal-replacement bars, powders, and ready-to-drink shakes like Meso-Tech (muscletech.com). But don't buy just any energy bar. "Instead of your typical carbohydrate-heavy endurance bar or snack, look for one that provides a minimum of 20 grams (g) of protein. It'll be more satisfying," says Dr. Peeke.

quicklist: 2 category:Avoid Weight Gain While Travelingtitle:The Flight Makes You a Blimpurl:text:It's no secret that airplane air is drier than George Hamilton's skin. (With a relative humidity of less than 10 percent, the cabin is twice as arid as the Sahara Desert.) But most travelers don't realize that breathing dry air can turn you into a blimp. "Dehydration due to airline air is a major cause of fatigue, and fatigue gives you a reason to eat," says Dr. Peeke.

Solve the problem: Start drinking and flying Keep your appetite in check with a solid liquidation plan. Drink 8 ounces of water before your flight. More important, bring one 16-ounce bottle of water for every 2 hours you'll be in the air, and down it all before you land.

As for airline food, follow this three-step process when you can: Pass on any food with "pas" in its name—pasta and pastries, for instance; make sure a protein dish (chicken, beef, or fish) is your main entree; and request seconds of any fresh vegetables they serve.

Snacks? Ask for nuts or fruit instead of pretzels and chips. And choose 1 percent milk as your beverage of choice (other than water). Its perfect combination of protein (8 g), carbohydrates (11 g), and fat (2 g) will fill you up and keep you that way better than nearly any other snack.

quicklist: 3category:Avoid Weight Gain While Travelingtitle:Working Out is Hard Workurl:text:At home, fitting in your workout is simple—it's a regular part of that monotonous, my-soul-is-dying rut you call a life. But things are less predictable on the road, and missing a workout can make your belt feel tighter. A review board for the American College of Sports and Medicine found that, on average, men need to exercise at least 200 minutes a week just to maintain their weight.

Solve the problem: Schedule your workout times in advance. That way, the time slot will already be filled when you're invited to an impromptu dinner. Just politely decline, guilt-free, citing a prior engagement.Or try this strategy: "Hire a personal trainer," suggests Ron Rosell, owner of Fit for Business, an online firm specializing in athletic services for business travelers. Not only will you be less likely to blow off the workout, but chances are you'll learn a new workout technique, training philosophy, or cool abs exercise.

If you're staying in an upscale hotel, call the concierge and ask him to contact a trainer for you. Or you can use Sweatime, a service provided by Fit for Business (fitforbusiness.com) that takes care of the scheduling and billing arrangements for you.

quicklist: 4category:Avoid Weight Gain While Travelingtitle:The Hotel "Gym" Is a Jokeurl:text:Many business travelers say it's nearly impossible to find a hotel with a decent gym. Too often, the "state-of-the-art exercise facility" the brochure crows about is a supply closet with a 15-year-old NordicTrack.

Solve the problem: Make reservations without reservation Lack of decent workout space might be the most common travel problem, but it's one of the easiest to solve. Try these tips:

Book the right hotel. Visit fitforbusiness.com. The site rates the top hotel workout facilities in 280 cities around the world and provides a list of hotels that offer free access to local health clubs.

Try this Hotel Room Workout you can do with your carry-on luggage!

Find a gym nearby. Use the Men's Health Gym Finder to locate fitness clubs, health centers, gyms, and sports groups wherever you are traveling.

If all else fails, swim. Even if the hotel pool isn't big enough for laps, just tread water for 14 minutes. Research shows that's enough activity for a 180-pound man to burn 200 calories.

quicklist:5category:Avoid Weight Gain While Travelingtitle:Booze? You Loseurl:text:Frequent business travel can drive a man to drink—especially if he's on an expense account. That's okay occasionally, but if you make heavy drinking a nightly habit, you'll max out your pants faster than you do the company credit card. "Besides being packed with extra calories, alcohol compromises your willpower. So you're less likely to stick to your eating plan," says Althea Zancosky, R.D., an American Dietetic Association spokeswoman in Philadelphia.

Indeed, toss down four or five drinks and you're logging the caloric equivalent of a slice of cheesecake and an 8-ounce sirloin. Worse, you'll be more likely to order the cheesecake.

Solve the problem: Put a governor on your alcohol intake—and your appetite Remember, you're on business, not vacation, so drink as you would at home. When you're out with clients or business associates, make friends with Tom Collins and Bloody Mary. Each has fewer than 130 calories.

Take control of your food intake by ordering lean meats—chicken, fish, steaks with "loin" in the name. They're rich in protein, which makes you feel full while you're eating. And they're not easily upsized. Round out your meal with a house salad and a side of vegetables.

quicklist:6category:Avoid Weight Gain While Travelingtitle:Minibars Create a Mega-Youurl:text:Hotels may be the worst diet trap since Thomas Jefferson introduced french fries to the American colonies in the late 1700s. Room service offers high-calorie, restaurant-quality food delivered straight to your door and charged to your room, no cash needed. And the minibar isn't an amenity, or a "bar" at all.

It's an evil little fat-making refrigerator with prices that make the $1.25-per-local-call charge seem cheap. Solve the problem: Sabotage the system. Make room service and that damnable fridge work for you, instead of against you.

Don't open the room-service menu. "You're more likely to eat what you should if you're not sidetracked by a slew of exotic choices," says Elizabeth Somer, R.D., author of Food and Mood. Instead, simply order a grilled chicken breast, salmon steak, or sirloin with a side of steamed vegetables. "They'll be happy to make it for you."

Make a preemptive order. Once you've settled in, place an order for a plain turkey sandwich, no chips, with the mayonnaise on the side. Then tuck it away in the refrigerator in case you feel the need to feed later that night (or don't have time to stop for breakfast the next morning).

Create your own minibar. Ask the concierge for directions to the nearest convenience store and pick up easy-to-eat-foods like yogurt, fruit, and lunchmeat. When you shop for your own snacks, you'll be more likely to choose them over the ones supplied by the hotel.

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The Online Home for Strength Sports

6 Tips for How to Eat Healthy While Traveling to Maintain Your Fitness Goals

Traveling doesn't have to spell the end of your nutrition plan and fitness gains..

When you’re working towards a fitness goal, traveling can throw a wrench into your progress and habit of eating healthy. You might have less control over what food you have access to and less time to train. If you’ve got long days on transportation, you’re more sedentary than usual. Enter new and different foods in different locations, and traveling can be a recipe for stress.

Zoom out and look at your overall lifestyle before your trip. Because your fitness goals may be as different as maintaining muscle, building muscle , or fat loss, eating “healthy” looks different for everyone. When traveling, think of healthy eating as roughly sticking to your nutrition goals. Go in with a plan for substitutions, but stay flexible to help maintain your long-term habits. 

Editor’s Note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice . When starting a new training regimen and/or diet, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional.

Preparations to Eat Healthy While Traveling

Tools to eat healthy while traveling, how to eat for hypertrophy while traveling, how to eat for maintaining muscle mass while traveling, how to eat for losing body fat while traveling.

Before you head out on your trip, gather as much information as you can about what you’ll be able to control so you can go in with a plan.

Hotel Room Hacks

Are you going to have access to a kitchen , or even a small refrigerator? Find out the situation in advance. You can bring protein-rich snacks , fresh fruits and veggies, or even pre-made smoothies to store in the fridge. 

No fridge? No problem. You can bring non-perishable items (think: protein bars and nuts) to supplement the rest of your day when you may have less control over what you’re eating. 

In the case that it’s not feasible to pack these things with you, check if there are any grocery stores near where you’re staying . If accessible, you can plan to buy your own goodies when you get there. 

Bringing a refillable water bottle is a great way to stay hydrated on your travels . If you have access to safely drinking tap water, you can refill it throughout your day for free. If you’re going somewhere that you’ll need bottled water, add “buy water” to your daily to-do list on your trip . Stock up on water bottles to have in the place you’re staying, or buy a gallon and refill your reusable bottle.

Research Restaurants

Sometimes part of the fun of traveling is trying new restaurants and food. Allow yourself the flexibility to enjoy and be present, but a little planning in advance may help ease your stress . If you’ve chosen some places you’d like to try, you can be intentional with your nutrition during the rest of the day.

Think about the 80/20 rule , where 80 percent of the time you’ll fill up on foods like fruits, veggies, and protein , whereas 20 percent of the time you’re more flexible. If you’re in Italy and you’re going to have pasta, wine , and tiramisu for dinner, consider loading up on veggies and protein earlier in the day. 

This way, your body still gets what it needs. You can then relax for your delicious meal at night. 

Following the 80/20 rule — sticking closely to the plan 80 percent of the time — can help you stay flexible and enjoy unexpected changes to your regular eating habits . ( 1 ) Here, you’ll get the tools you need for that 80 percent.

Count Calories, Or Don’t

For people with a history of disordered eating , there are resources to keep track of what you’re eating without getting into the numbers . One helpful way is to use the size of your palm, fist, and fingers to measure your portions .

For example, portion out your plate with half fruits and vegetables . Then go for a fistful of starches, a palm-sized portion of protein, and one or two thumb-sizes of fats. This can give you a visual guide for eating what you need without dipping into any numbers.

If it’s safe for you to count calories , check out BarBend ’s calorie calculator to get specific about your goals. 

Calorie Calculator

Your daily calorie needs: calories per day.

Exercise: 15-30 minutes of elevated heart rate activity. Intense exercise: 45-120 minutes of elevated heart rate activity. Very intense exercise: 2+ hours of elevated heart rate activity.

With this tool, you can adjust the amount of activity you’re doing — so if you’re going to be a little less active while traveling, you can account for that here.

Remember that your body still needs energy from food , even if you’re not training as hard as usual. Use your calories as a rough guideline when you’re able to control what you’re eating, and stay flexible when you’re not.

Macronutrient Calculator

Macronutrients : protein, carbs, and fats . When traveling, if you’re going to be eating out more, you can assume you’ll be getting some more fats than usual from the oil and butter used to prepare foods. Here’s a rule of thumb for how many macronutrients athletes may need per day:

• 1.5-2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight 
• 5-8 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight
• 0.5-1 gram of fat per kilogram of body weight

BarBend has a macronutrient calculator you can use to check out your body’s needs based on your goals.

Total Calories: Per Day

You can adjust your activity level if you’re going to be moving a little less, so take advantage of that feature when you’re on the road.

Protein Calculator

When it comes to macronutrients, carbs and fats are readily available when traveling. You may need to get a little more intentional about getting adequate protein while you’re away from your kitchen . 

Check out BarBend ’s protein intake calculator below to get a good estimate of what works best for your body and goals.

Protein Intake Calculator

Total calories: 1699 per day.

Prioritizing protein while traveling can have a positive impact on how you feel . Getting plenty of it at breakfast can keep you full longer. If you’re having a meal that’s focusing on carbs and fats, enjoy and try to get your protein needs in, as well. If you can’t, remember the 80/20 rule and try to get back to it tomorrow.

Hydration Needs

Staying hydrated while traveling and away from your normal routine can help you eat healthier (i.e., stick to your nutrition goals), as well. Being hydrated basically means getting enough fluids to replace the water you’re losing. ( 2 )

If you’re drinking less water than usual, you may mistake your hunger for thirst . Or, you might be both hungry and thirsty — not a great combination for your mood or your goals.

Either way, it’s helpful to drink water when you feel thirsty, even if you’re going to be having other drinks while traveling.

If you’re on a muscle-building journey , your nutrition calls for a surplus of calories (in combination with hypertrophy training ). If you’re looking to keep making gains while traveling, plan ahead on how you’ll be training while you’re away.

High Calorie, Low Volume

When you’re really into bulking season , you can feel like you’re eating a ton of food all day. If you need to condense that while you’re away, opt for foods with higher calories that create less volume . If you want to grab a protein shake after a workout , choose one with a variety of nutritious ingredients.

• Aim for high-calorie protein smoothies with filling ingredients (think nut butters or avocados ) to get macros and calories efficiently.
• Prepare your own mix of nuts and fruits to get healthy fats and satiating calories between meals .
• Restaurant meals often have high-carb and low-protein meals, so plan ahead and order extra protein if you need to modify your meal.

Pack Extra Protein (Literally)

When you’re on the go, you might not have the same kind of access to food prep that you have at home. Helpful snacks like protein bars or high-quality jerky can come in handy to supplement the rest of what you’re eating while traveling. Your body may react differently if you’re not used to eating processed foods, so stay aware of how you feel , and keep up your water intake when you feel thirsty.

• Choose high-quality protein bars, jerkies, or canned tuna to have in your room or wherever you’re staying.
• If you have access to a refrigerator, stock up on more protein-rich foods like pre-made protein shakes , full-fat Greek yogurt (dairy or non-dairy), hard-boiled eggs , and sliced turkey and cheese.
• Be sure to hit your training goals while you continue eating for gains . Depending on what equipment you have access to, opt for different hypertrophy workouts on the go, from muscle-building workouts with dumbbells and bodyweight-only hypertrophy sessions .

When your goal is maintaining muscle mass , you’re looking to eat around your maintenance level to preserve your muscle while potentially avoiding body fat gain. The 80/20 rule can apply here. While traveling, stick to your usual food choices as much as possible for 80 percent of your day, and allow 20 percent of room for flexibility . 

Consider getting a to-go box to have some goodies for your next meal instead of eating past the point of being full in one sitting.

While you have plenty of options to keep weight training while you’re traveling, you can also take this as a chance to try some different movement practices . Adding more movement to your days can also give you more flexibility with what you’re eating. You don’t need to burn extra calories if you’re eating differently, but it can be something to play with. 

Prioritize Protein

If you’re eating a lot of meals out, you can use your hand to measure portions and stay roughly within your normal macros and calorie goals . Be sure your meals include a good source of protein to help you hang onto your muscle.

• Practice the 80/20 rule — maybe lunch is a big salad with a good protein source, and dinner is something heavier. 
• Look for on-the-go protein options if you’re on a long road trip. Convenience stores often have protein packs with different sources or even pre-made protein shakes . 
• If you’re training, try to time your pre- and post-workout meals roughly the same as you would in your everyday life. Stick with your macros as best as you can, but be flexible with your food choices and work with what’s available.

Vary Your Movement

Depending on what kind of trip it is, maybe you’re going to be hiking, surfing, or swimming . If it’s a business trip to a new city, you can spend some more time walking to explore. And if you’re relaxing at a home with family for the holidays , try out a virtual yoga class , or take a jog around the neighborhood.

• Try to aim to get your 10,000 steps in per day. ( 3 ) If you’re sitting a lot while traveling, your body will thank you for getting a walk or run in when you arrive at your destination.
• If you’re taking a break from training , traveling is a great time to do some mobility work. 
• When you do try out some more cardio-heavy activities, be sure to drink your water to replace all that you lost in your sweat session .

[RELATED: Best Mobility Workouts ]

Losing body fat requires using more energy than what you take in each day . If you’ve been following a balanced eating plan, getting away from your kitchen may be a little worrisome. You can keep losing body fat while traveling, or you can take a little break to give your mind and body a chance to reset. ( 4 )

Balance Your Day

Unless you have a medical reason, you may want to avoid restricting foods or food groups for fat loss, since inflexible restriction strategies generally lead to long-term weight gain . ( 5 ) If you’re tracking calories, stick with roughly the same intake you’ve been tracking at home. 

Say that you normally eat three balanced meals and two snacks per day. Aiming to do something similar while traveling may be difficult, especially if you need to get all of your food from somewhere other than your own kitchen . Think of your usual habits as a total amount of food for the day, and split it up as you see fit. 

• Eat a protein-rich breakfast to keep you full during the day. If you know you’re going to have a big meal and dessert after dinner, consider having something light for lunch. But, even if you set up a perfectly balanced plan, if you end up hungry in the middle of the day, it’s often most sustainable to grab something to satiate yourself. 
• Stay as active as you can, if you have the energy. Get your steps in, take walks, or do a quick bodyweight workout in your room before your day starts. Maybe you want to try a new workout class in a new place. Or, rest , if that’s what your body or training program is calling for.
• No need to stress if you go over your calorie targets — you can get back on track at the next meal.

Choose Liquids Wisely

If you’re going into your travels with fat loss in mind and are going to be watching your calorie intake, liquids are a great place to cut back without losing out on trying a new experience. 

• If you’re a coffee drinker , try out a black coffee or use a little non-dairy milk in the morning. This will keep your beverage calories low, setting you up for a flexible day, but also give you a chance to try something delicious in a new place.
• Go for green juices or smoothies without any added sugars to keep your veggie intake high. Green smoothies are a great way to quickly pack protein and vegetables in a convenient drink, and you can keep the calories moderate.
• When ordering food at a restaurant, you can ask for your meal to be prepared with less oil, butter, dressing, or sauce — if you want to. It’s also perfectly fine to enjoy it the way it comes. But, this is another spot where you may be able to cut some calories while maintaining the flavor and experience.

When losing body fat, it’s easy to get wrapped up in how much you can cut out of your diet. While traveling , take this chance to see what you can add in to stick to your goals and enjoy your food. Get local salads and fish, enjoy smoothies from local shops, and sip the greatest local coffee you can find.

Travel Safely, Eat Well

Healthy is not a one-size-fits-all term. Eating healthily for someone who’s trying to bulk means something much different than eating healthily for someone trying to lose weight sustainably. 

When you’re specific about your goals and habits, you can take those things with you on your travels. Try to roughly stick to your unique nutritional goals and needs while traveling. Allow for flexibility, stay active if you want to, and drink plenty of water. You’ll be back in your gym and your kitchen before you know it.

• Skerrett PJ, Willett WC. Essentials of healthy eating: a guide. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2010 Nov-Dec;55(6):492-501.
• Cheuvront SN, Kenefick RW. Am I Drinking Enough? Yes, No, and Maybe. J Am Coll Nutr. 2016;35(2):185-92.
• Choi BC, Pak AW, Choi JC, Choi EC. Daily step goal of 10,000 steps: a literature review. Clin Invest Med. 2007;30(3):E146-51.
• Peos JJ, Helms ER, Fournier PA, Krieger J, Sainsbury A. A 1-week diet break improves muscle endurance during an intermittent dieting regime in adult athletes: A pre-specified secondary analysis of the ICECAP trial. PLoS One. 2021 Feb 25;16(2):e0247292.
• Palascha A, van Kleef E, van Trijp HC. How does thinking in Black and White terms relate to eating behavior and weight regain? J Health Psychol. 2015 May;20(5):638-48.

Featured Image: PintoArt / Shutterstock

About Jesse Zucker

Jesse Zucker (they/them) is a National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF) Certified Personal Trainer, 200 Hour Certified Yoga Instructor, and Precision Nutrition Certified Coach. Jesse trained at Equinox in NYC and now trains private clients virtually and in the Washington, DC area. Jesse specializes in teaching clients to build body awareness, strength, mobility, and sustainable healthy habits. Jesse is also a freelance writer and an actor with a B.A. in Creative Writing and Film Studies from New York University.

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BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

3 Reasons You Gain Weight on Vacation (And You’re Gonna Be Fine!)

• Mark Fisher
• Health , Nutrition , Science Nerd Alert

If you come home as happy as you leave, you have had a good vacation. – Unknown

We all need time to relax and reinvigorate ourselves. Usually that can be accomplished on the weekend. But sometimes, it can’t. And that’s why we have vacation. Some people need sun and sand to unwind from their daily grind. Others find the tranquility they seek in the warble of mountain streams.

Realizing you have to come home from vacation is never fun. But coming home from vacation and noticing that you’ve gained weight while away can send you into an emotional tailspin.

Is it possible that you gained “ that ” much weight while in Cabo? What kind of reckless idiot possessed me while I was in the Finger Lakes? Oh God, should I never take a vacation again? Am I going to have to start all over on my #weightlossjourney? The answer to all of those is, no.

No: You didn’t gain “all that.” No: You are not a reckless fool. No: You can take a vacation again.

And no, you won’t have to start your journey over again. Weight gain on vacation isn’t necessarily a big deal. If it happens to you, don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. You haven’t turned into Thanos and snapped away all your hard work. The majority of weight gain on vacation can be attributed to three factors.

1. Sodium, Sodium, Sodium

Alright Ninjas, are you ready for some science? Don’t worry, there won’t be a test or anything. And this isn’t gonna end up like high school biology where I tell you to rummage through an owl’s poop to see what it’s eaten, nor are we touching the whole dissecting a frog thing. Frogs are gross and slimy and… yuck!

Anywho, biology (and chemistry) are happening every second of the day inside your body. The food you eat influences how your body carries out its biological and chemical processes. Ever get gassy after you eat a bunch of beans? That my friend is science happening in your intestines.

There are dozens of nutrients that are crucial to your biology. For instance, your muscles and neurons are electric tissues within your body. And minerals like sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, calcium, and phosphate, aka electrolytes, have the ability to conduct electricity (via ions) which allows your cells to communicate.

For instance, without sodium, your muscles won’t be able to contract. And without contraction, you’d never be able to walk, dance, ride a bike, swing a kettlebell, and your intestines couldn’t digest your food.

Of course, there’s a delicate balance with these electrolytes. And your body secretes hormones that help maintain electrolyte homeostasis. But my focus here is on the interaction between sodium and potassium; these two electrolytes are the main “communicators” or drivers of muscle contraction.

If your body were to operate optimally, it would maintain a higher concentration of potassium ions to a low amount of sodium ions. So if you increase your sodium intake you’d offset the intra-cellular balance of your cells. And one way to increase your sodium intake is to eat meals at restaurants.

Salty Science

The American Heart Association, in their journal Circulation , reported that restaurants and processed foods in groceries accounted for 70% of dietary sodium intake. When at home, they found that people used far less salt overall. So if you’ve been eating more home cooked meals before you go on vacation and then chow down at restaurants, you could be taking in anywhere from 3-4x (maybe more?) the amount of sodium you normally consume.

Yea, that’s gonna muck up your sodium/potassium balance for sure. Sodium causes your body to hold onto more water. Hello, bloat. But if you’ve offset the sodium/potassium balance, and let’s be honest, you’re probably not eating that many potassium-rich veggies on vacation, your body is gonna take a while to bring your sodium levels back in line.

Water weight is the most common cause of the scale increasing. And if you’ve eaten out a lot on vacation, then you can blame the extra salty foods you ordered. But sodium isn’t the only nutrient that can increase water retention. There’s a major macronutrient you eat every day that causes excess water gain: carbs.

2. Glycogen Plus Water = Thirsty Carbs

Mmmm, carbs. What do you think of when you think of carbs? Pizza, pasta, bread, cookies, cake — have I made you salivate yet?

For far too long, carbs have been demonized as the culprit of obesity. But carbs aren’t some demonic force hellbent on increasing your waist size. You need carbohydrates for your body to function. And even though your body can create ketones for energy, ketosis isn’t an optimal biological process.

Your body would much rather use glucose as fuel. In fact, your brain consumes roughly 120g of glucose every day (that roughly equates to about 420 calories). When you eat carbohydrates, your body converts those carbs into glucose to fuel your brain and your muscles when you’re working out.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Are the light bulbs going off yet? If you’ve been in a calorie deficit for awhile, you might have noticed that your workouts sometimes feel sluggish. This is something that happens when anyone is on a low-carb diet. But besides giving your body more glucose, increased carb intake will increase the water you store, along with refilling your muscles glycogen stores.

Your body stores excess glucose as glycogen in your muscles (about three-quarters of all your body’s glycogen stores are in your muscle) and liver. And guess what holds that glycogen there? Mother freaking water.

Decreasing your carb intake means you’ll not only lose the fuel stored in your muscles, but you’ll also lose water. So if you drastically increase the carbs you’ve been eating, you’ll see the scale tick up. But that tick up is due to refilling your muscle glycogen along with holding onto extra water.

So that French toast you ordered at brunch on vacation and then covered in maple syrup didn’t go straight to your butt or belly. But it did store some extra water and refill glycogen stores.

There is one final thing that can cause you hold onto extra fluids and tick the scale up. And it’s something that few of us ever consider.

3. Inflammation

Changes to your normal diet can cause you to hold onto extra water. But there are other factors that can cause weight gain via fluid retention. And one that is common but often overlooked is inflammation.

Inflammation isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it’s how our bodies begin the healing process. And you experience “some” inflammation every time you workout — you lift weights, break down muscle(s), and your body has to repair your muscle(s) so you can come back stronger or better the next time. Outside of getting sick or an injury that causes inflammation, there are other ways your body might get inflamed and thus hold onto more fluids.

Alright, don’t hate me, but one common cause of inflammation can come from alcohol. A 2017 review of multiple studies on alcohol and gut-inflammation found that there’s significant evidence that higher intake of booze can lead to massive disruptions of your gut biome.

This review showed that moderate drinking, which the US Department of Health and Human Services defines as one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men, showed no signs of deleterious effect on gut health.

But higher alcohol consumption, and this was especially true with those who had an alcohol use disorder, can lead to intestinal permeability. This increase in permeability can allow larger molecules through your intestine and into your bloodstream, and kicks your immune system into “fight mode.”

There’s a lot in that study about how alcohol affects your gut over time. They cover a ton of information about how alcohol can change your gut flora, how it can affect those with IBD, and may have some effect on whole body inflammation as well. So if that intrigues you and you wanna know more, and don’t mind reading a few studies, check it out here.

But alcohol isn’t the only thing that can cause inflammation and subsequent storage of extra fluids.

Lather Up to Reduce Inflammation

If you’re heading to somewhere warm and sunny, make sure to lather up with plenty of sunscreen. Especially if you’re a ginger like me. Sunburns, especially extreme ones, can cause inflammation. But the sun is just one aspect of the environment that can cause your body to react and kickstart inflammation.

Have you ever traveled and while on your trip or when coming back gotten sick? Sure, being in a tube 30,000 feet in the air filled with people who could have germs you don’t know about can be a cause of getting sick. But wherever you are heading on vacation, it’s possible too that there are toxins you’re breathing in every day that can lead to getting sick or that can cause inflammation elsewhere in your body.

Mold, dust mites, smoke or smog, all of these things can affect your lungs and could cause your immune system to kick in. Even the food you eat while you’re away could affect your stomach and introduce toxins or substances you don’t normally consume that could be an irritant to your system.

Of course, some mild inflammation due to your immune system may not cause massive amounts of weight to spike, but if it’s combined with extra carbs and sodium, then you know there’s a three-prong attack happening inside your body.

A couple final things that many of us may have noticed on long trips is swelling of your ankles or hands. Some climates can cause you to swell. Ever been to somewhere super hot and noticed your hands swell up?

Yea, heat can do that to you. You can also experience swelling and fluid retention after sitting in a plane for hours on end. Compression clothing can alleviate or prevent that, as can walking about the cabin or stretching in the toilet. But just be aware that if you hop on a scale in a hotter climate or after getting off a long plane ride, you might notice a tick up.

Take a Break: Vacay is GOOD!

Vacation should be a time to recharge and refill your cup. You can always choose to take a “break” from your healthy habits and enjoy yourself on vacation in regards to food. But know that by making that choice, you may see the scale go up a bit.

It’ll come down once you get back to your normal routine. So you don’t need to do a cleanse or anything drastic. Get back to your normal. Maybe that normal means eating plenty of veggies and lean protein for a week. Or maybe it means taking those extra carbs and using them to get back in the swing of things at MFF. Breaking vacation mode can be hard.

But remember: you’re always one meal, or one class, away from being back on track.

And if you haven’t found the right track for you to get on, there’s a magical place you can visit. It’s kind of like a vacation from everyday life (at least for an hour). Getting there is simple. All you have to do is come by the Mark Fisher Fitness Enchanted Ninja Clubhouse of Glory and Dreams.

Ready to get back in the swing of things with your fitness after some much-deserved time off? Your first 5 classes at Mark Fisher Fitness are only $49!

SIGN UP NOW

Robbie Farlow is the King of the Gingers, Protector of the North, and an uber nerd who loves all things Star Wars, video games, Marvel, and 90s music. Oh, and tacos and whiskey. He’s an online fitness coach who helps men and women make their 30s better than their 20s. And he writes about all things nerd, lifting weights, emo music, and more at  Side Quest Fitness . When he isn’t writing, you’ll find him playing video games, deadlifting, munching on tacos, snuggling on the couch with his wife, and drinking good whiskey.

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7 Ways to Avoid Gaining Weight While Traveling

Traveling can be stressful, especially if you’re already on a weight loss journey. But gaining weight doesn’t have to be a given while you travel, you can try now the best fat burner .

I spent five months living in Australia and somehow – despite not being able to afford the healthiest of foods and indulging in more than my fair share of beer tastings – I managed to come back to the States at least one pant size smaller than when I had left.

If keeping lean as you travel is important to you, here are some helpful suggestions to avoid gaining weight while traveling, visit here to find out more about the best fat burner out there in the market.

1) Drink a ton of water

You’ve been hearing it for years, but it’s still just as true. A lot of the time when you think you’re hungry, you’re actually just thirsty! So grab those Nalgenes and Camelbaks, keep them filled for the trek and stay hydrated! Water will keep you feeling fuller, more energized and ready to tackle whatever adventures your trip involves. Go ahead and Enhance your weight loss efforts with leptoconnect supplements.

2) Walk it out

Or hike, bike and kayak it out. Basically, work exercise into your itinerary! If you’re already going to be in areas with beautiful scenery, why not work in a sightseeing run ? Spending some time in Switzerland? Take a hike in the Alps to burn off the calories from all that cheese and chocolate! If you’re near a lake, rent a kayak or canoe for the afternoon and get a killer arm workout in while you are enjoying the sights.

If you are somewhere more long-term, consider investing in a bike to get around the city that is your new home. It’s more flexible than public transportation, it’s environmentally friendly and it’s fantastic exercise! If you don’t want to get a bike though, definitely walk as much as you can. I always walked the 25 minutes to the grocery store while I lived in Australia. If I had too much to carry on the way back, I might catch the bus (or steal a shopping cart) for the commute, but any bit of walking you can get in will be a huge help.

3) Don’t blame it on the alcohol

Don’t let alcohol be your excuse for why you gained weight. Avoid gaining weight abroad by watching what calories you’re drinking.

That being said, if you want to indulge, by all means, do! Life is too short to not have fun. But there are ways to keep it in check. Remember that the more sugar there is in a particular alcohol, the more calories you are going to be consuming.

Wine is often the “friendliest” of alcohol choices for those watching their caloric intake, with many varieties being just about 100 calories per glass. Liquor can be a killer, especially if mixed with the additional calories in soda, so be selective in your mixed drink orders. And of course in the world of beer, lighter is better in terms of calories, but I think most people would encourage you to have that Guinness while you’re in Ireland.

If you do indulge, just be sure to counteract the caloric intake the best you can. My usual go-to? Dance it out!

4) Get your five-a-day

It may be a little more difficult to find, or keep, your fruits and veggies while on the go, but it can be done. How much space does an apple or an orange take up in your pack? Not that much. Or if you really want to conserve space (and not have to worry about whether it stays fresh), grab some dried fruit to take with you. Instead of buying a bag of chips or a cookie to satisfy a snack craving at the airport, opt for a banana or a veggie tray if you can find one. You’ll thank yourself later.

I always found that the fresh markets are where you will find some of the best fruits and vegetables when you’re traveling and they’re a great way to avoid gaining weight. They are local, inexpensive and usually more delicious than those found in any old grocery store.

5) Have dinner parties

If you have access to a kitchen in your accommodations, make an effort to cook rather than go out to eat all the time. Hit up the grocery store or the local markets to get the freshest ingredients and whip up something delicious!

Cooking for yourself puts you in control of the fat content and serving size far more than going out to eat does.

To make it more fun, invite friends and make a tradition out of it. Assign each person a course to prepare, open a bottle of wine, put on some music and have a good time. If you don’t have a kitchen where you are staying, make some friends who do and have some “family dinner” nights with them.

6) Track what you eat

If you want to be really strict about it, you can do as you would on a diet any other time: keep a food log.

It’s more difficult while on the go, but it can be done with any number of online apps that exist these days. We use My Fitness Pal, and also have friends who swear by Weight Watchers , which is international.

According to Thecannabisradar.com , you can also use cbd oils to help you control the weight. CBD oil should be taken every day to start conditioning the appetite and mitochondria back to healthy levels. Most users report about 2 weeks of regular use before they start to really see and feel the benefits of the CBD oil on their obesity.

You don’t have to implement all of these steps into your traveling plan, but making one or two changes in the areas where you need the most work can go a long way!

7) Above all else, have fun

You might gain a little weight while you travel, but you can always take it off again. Ultimately, make sure you’re enjoying your trip and embracing the culture around you. Sample those local offerings and indulge here and there. These tips are just for those of us who are on a weight loss journey.

What are some of your techniques for fighting weight gain on the go?

Best Fat Burner for Women: Not all ingredients of fat burners are created equal, either. Some ingredients, like capsaicin, have reams of studies supporting their role in thermogenesis whereas hordenine has a couple of promising studies, but it needs more research. That doesn’t mean it’s useless for fat burning or that we don’t like seeing it in fat burners for women, but it’s awesome to have a balance of fat burning ingredients that are well supported. This is what makes best fat burners for women different from others, these are the best products , these products can impact women’s body fat and they can be direct or indirect.

About Author

Lindsay spent the first 18 years of her life in Baltimore, then moved on to North Carolina for college. Spending a semester studying in Perth, Western Australia changed her life and gave her an incurable case of the travel bug. After a year and a half of cubicles and admin work, she decided it was time to go after her dreams. She is now working as a freelance writer and editor in Annapolis, Md. and taking whatever trips she can manage to fulfill that wanderlust and hopefully fuel her soon-to-be travel writing career.

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What wine is the healthiest to consume?

I’m all for the water and the walking. I eat all the things I’d never eat on a normal basis, like fried foods or carbs. Though I always lose weight when I travel, I definitely use walking and activity as an extra excuse to burn off calories!

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