UNintentional Weight Loss on Vacation and the Reasons WHY
Hello! I'm back from my incredible New York honeymoon and couldn't wait to share some of the highlights with you. Plus, there's something interesting that often happens when women go on vacation, leaving them feeling a bit confused...
...Yes, I'm talking about unexpected and unintentional weight loss.
Do you ever wonder why, during your vacation, you lose weight or at the very least, maintain your weight?
I've personally found this to be true, and it's something many of my clients have experienced and commented on.
It's a bit of a head-scratcher because we often expect to gain weight when we travel – with all the incredible food, drinks, and relaxation. But surprisingly, the opposite can happen – weight loss.
Here are 4 less obvious reasons why this can occur:👇🏼
1️⃣ LESS stress, which sets off a chain of positive ripple effects:
Regulated appetite
Less self-soothing with food
Less emotional eating
Better sleep = less cravings
Improved mindfulness
2️⃣ MORE walking: you'll probably walk more than 10,000 steps/day when you're exploring a new place compared to how little you usually move when you’re at home.
Moving more—outside of your structured workout—makes a BIG difference.
3️⃣ LESS access to comfort snacks: It’s not that you're intentionally trying to eat less, but, when you have less access to your go-to snacks, you’ll probably be eating less overall (calorie deficit = weight loss).
EVEN THOUGH, you’re still trying new foods, eating without restriction, and dining out more often than you would back home🤯.
✨4️⃣ A HEALTHY relationship with food✨: When your relationship with food is intact, you no longer feel like you have to go balls to the wall with food when you’re on vacation because you haven’t deprived yourself leading up to it 👌🏼.
You still eat when you're hungry, stop when you're comfortably full, eat mostly nutritious foods, do your best to stay hydrated, and indulge when it's worth it to you.
5️⃣ More Non-food related dopamine hits: When your brain is flooded with dopamine from non-food-related sources of enjoyment, like experiencing new things and seeing new things, you naturally find yourself less reliant on food to provide those dopamine hits.
This means you're less likely to turn to food for emotional comfort or pleasure, leading to less emotional eating and mindless snacking.
Have you experienced weight loss on vacation without intentionally dieting?? Let me know in the comments!
Click HERE to apply for 1-1 Health Coaching if you want to lean out--for good--without obsessing over food or fitness.
Okay, here's some of my NYC highlights:
🗽 The weather was incredible.
🗽 The fall colours throughout Central Park were straight out of a Hallmark holiday movie.
🗽 Walking the High Line and exploring the Chelsea Market.
🗽 Levain's GF/Vegan Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie—absolutely wow.
🗽 Culture Espresso's Americano and Peanut Butter Cookie—unbelievably good.
🗽 Vinegar Hill House for a farm-to-table dinner.
🗽 Fette Sau for legit BBQ and a wide variety of whisky.
🗽 Seeing the exterior of Taylor Swift's apartment building.
🗽 The Comedy Cellar.
🗽 Hawksmoor for a legit steak dinner and unreal cocktails.
🗽 The Book of Mormon on Broadway—hilarious!
🗽 Riding bikes through Central Park.
🗽 Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge at night.
🗽 The Tenement Museum.
🗽 Views from Top of the Rock.
🗽 Making unforgettable memories with my husband :)
Sending strength, encouragement, and new experiences,
Alicia
PS. If you want help reaching--and crushing--your goals as we move into the fall and winter months, you can APPLY HERE.