I don’t understand these people.

They are foreign and strange.

But I admire them.

If you gain weight on vacation you are not alone you can see why I do here or check out all the other people that do here.

But if you are one of the crazies who lose weight on vacation, you are joining this tribe.

Photo credit: Dylan

But first, Deb from The Planet D. Deb has been travelling for a very long time, so sometimes her weight is up and sometimes it’s down. She features here and then again on our We Gain Weight On Vacation article. Perhaps you feel you do both as well?

Deb

The Planet D

I lose weight when I travel because I have a lot of balance in my travels. My husband and I are very active on vacation. We do a lot of adventure travel. We go kayaking, cycling and trekking nearly every vacation or set of travels. We take many long multi-day treks as well. We’ve done several weeks or two kayaking trips, mountain and jungle treks and several days or extended cycling trips. Because we are so active it allows me to maintain my weight. But recently I have taken notice of the food I eat to go along with the adventure and by simple eating responsibly and drinking moderately, I have lost weight. It doesn’t mean I still don’t order the richest most delicious food or have that perfect beverage to accompany my meal, I just do it less often.

Deb cycling the world. Photo Credit: The Planet D

Caz

yTravel blog

I lose weight on vacation because I travel slowly and spend a lot of time exploring the great outdoors through hiking, biking, kayaking and many more activities that get my body moving. I also cook my own food, preferably over a campfire.

Lisa Niver

We Said Go Travel

On vacation, I work hard to maintain my weight. I lost weight while traveling for a year in South East Asia, and was worried when I returned to America that I would gain it all back. I walked to the school where I was teaching about 2 miles each way each day to stay in shape. Then I went on the road again for 18 months and bought a hula-hoop. I used to hoop for 30min a day in addition to all the walking with a backpack. Then life changed again and I was back in the USA. Now I am traveling and writing and being offered giant meals with so many desserts. I think about what I am eating and what I am going to skip. I also make time to exercise. Sometimes I wake up early to go to the fitness center or hula-hoop while listening to meditation tapes by Oprah and Deepak Chopra and sometimes my exercise is part of my days like scuba diving or skiing.

BONUS! Further reading on Lisa’s amazing transformation:
http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/07/lisa-niver-rajna-lost-58-pounds-while-traveling-the-globe/

Sarah Pittard

Solo Mom Takes Flight

I lose weight on vacation because I’m on my feet all day with two kids. While I love to eat and drink, each morning we kick up the activity level by hiking or heading out on some sort of outdoor adventure. When it’s raining or I’m stuck inside, I use an online workout to help me stay fit. The workout I use is beachbodyondemand.com

Bret Love

Green Global Travel

On vacation, I often lose weight because we tend to stay much more active than we are when we’re at home. Like most people, we only travel occasionally, so there’s this desire to squeeze every ounce of experience we can from every trip. We’re usually going hard all day, trying to see and explore as much as possible, wanting to squeeze every experience we can out of our time. And since our adventures are often active– hiking, climbing, Scuba diving, etc– we tend to come home in better shape than we were when we left.

Nicole

Travelgal
On vacation, I lose weight because I spend the day walking around and exploring instead of sitting at my desk all day. There are times I’ve left my hotel at 8 am and not return till midnight. Exploring is the best exercise, even if done with gelato in hand.

Claire

Zig Zag On Earth
I lose weight on vacation because of all the walking I do to always see more and more. How is the view at the next turn? And, even though I eat a lot more on vacations (especially in countries like Morocco and Kyrgyzstan), I lose weight because meals are prepared with fresh products and cooked right before being served… no additional chemicals included!

Heather Cole

Conversant Traveller

On vacation, I lose weight because we usually visit hot countries which means tucking into salads and light bites rather than big hearty meals. Snacks and chocolate are rarely available so we often go for weeks without eating anything unhealthy. We also walk around a lot to save money and to avoid having to use public transport wherever possible. And sometimes we’re ill whilst away, which invariably means not eating for a few days. Not the best diet, but certainly one of the realities of travel.

Dawn Nicholson

5 Lost Together

Stay the same or lose weight. I think this is a combination of being way more active and walking everywhere and being so busy that I don’t snack. One of the things we love most about traveling is trying new foods, which you would think would lead to weight gain. However, since we travel a lot in Asia, I find portion sizes to be a lot more reasonable than developed countries.

Amber Schmida Greene

Roaming The Gnome

Balance the scales usually but if anything lose weight. Luckily, our daily walking adventures counterbalance the ‘snacks’ I can’t help but devour when in new countries. We just got back from Tokyo and I was sure I’d have put on weight with all the rice balls, mochi sweets, green tea ice cream, crepes, and treats we ate, but no, just a few hundred grams under what I was when we left. Woo hoo!

Lisa

Flip Flop Globetrotters

On vacation, I lose weight because we are much more active and outside all day every day. When our little one didn’t walk too well yet, carrying him on my back in the carrier was good exercise too 🙂 We mostly travel in South East Asia. There we usually don’t eat three big meals like we do at home, but lots of (healthy) street food snacks spread out over the day. On the other hand, when I’m at home I gain weight because I’m an emotional eater and am unhappy when I can’t travel!

Tamason Gamble

Travelling Book Junkie

On vacation, I tend to lose weight because not only are we a lot more active, – walking, hiking, swimming, sightseeing – but we tend to eat better. We like to try local cuisines especially fish dishes and whilst at home we tend to eat more carb-laden dishes when away we stick to sides of fresh vegetables and salads. We also drink a lot more water when out and about which helps to not only flush out your system but also takes away the urge to snack.

Leave me a comment below. Do you lose weight while on vacation?

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