10 tips to enjoy vacation without packing on the pounds

Exercise first thing in the morning. People are more successful in maintaining their exercise routine when they get it out of the way. Plus, it sets the tone for the day.
Work additional physical activity into your day. Walk on the beach, rent bikes for transportation, play with the kids in the pool, and walk to restaurants. Take the stairs at the hotel. If your floor is too high to walk up, take the stairs down. Exercise is cumulative.
If dining out, and not taking leftovers back, split appetizers and entrees, or order an appetizer instead of an entrée, with a vegetable or side salad. Substitute starchy sides for a non-starchy vegetable. Get dressings on the side with salads. Just 2 Tbsp ranch dressing is 150 calories.
For buffets or brunches, survey the whole table first before filling your plate so you can pick your favorite foods, and figure out what’s really “worth it.” Use small plates and make sure to get fruit and veggies first.
For desserts (if you must), opt for fruit based, and split it with someone. A piece of carrot cake from Cheesecake Factory is 1550 calories, more than some people need for an entire day.
If you order steak, stick with leaner cuts that come in smaller portions like filet mignon.
Get sauces on the side for your entrees. Ask the server to omit cream, use olive oil instead of butter, and ask questions about method of preparation. You may order something that appears healthy on the menu, and find it comes swimming in some rich sauce, or has been breaded and fried.
If you eat at a chain restaurant, check out nutrition information online first. Go to their website or try calorieking.com
If you imbibe, drink with meals only, not before. Alcohol is an appetite stimulant and my cause you to overeat. Skip the frozen cocktails. A piña colada has about 700 calories, more than a Double Whopper with Cheese and Fries.
Stop eating when you are full. It probably sounds simple enough, but many of us are not tuned into our satiety cues. If you use a hunger scale of 1-10, with 1 being ravenous, and 10 being stuffed so you feel like you just ate Thanksgiving dinner, stop eating when you are at a 7 or an 8. Remember, it takes about 20 minutes for the message to get to the brain that you are full, so wait a bit before reaching for something else.

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