Let’s be honest; we don’t go on vacations just to end up watching all the new dishes without taking a bite, or ten. The problem is; once you get back home and stand on your scale to assess the damage, the displayed number can be frustrating. What did you expect? You get a free pass just because you spent some nights drinking margaritas on the beach in Bali?

Do not panic, though, as no damage is permanent, and you can definitely recover after a few days off the wagon if you implement the right changes in your diet and lifestyle.

So, grab a cup of coffee and read on as we reveal the blueprint towards a successful recovery from a vacation gain weight.

First, How Can Your Calculate the Weight Gain?

The first thing you need to determine, even before hitting the road to your destination, is how much weight you’re going to put on. If you add an extra 1000 calories to your daily intake, you’ll gain around two pounds in one week. If you add an additional 500, you’ll put on one pound per week. Easy peasy, isn’t it?

Besides your pre-vacation calorie intake, you also need to consider how you were eating previously. If you’ve been over-restricting calories for some time, you’re probably going to gain significant weight as soon as you start tasting those finger-licking Chilaquiles in the morning. Under-eating can wreak havoc on  our metabolism, which may results in an unproportioned weight gain after having a vacation or changing your diet.

Does Weight Gain Always Correlate with Eating More Food?

Not quite. Studies show that that overfeeding, which is the nerdy name for overeating, for a few days triggers a bodily response that includes increasing the number of calories burned. Quite convenient, right?

Overfeeding, which is the nerdy name for overeating, can lead to an important spike in your metabolic rate, raising it anywhere from four to twelve percent. Does that mean that you won’t suffer from any weight gain?

Nope, it doesn’t. The consumed calories will probably outweigh (pun intended) the burned ones, which will eventually result in a weight gain.

So, what does that mean for you, the vacation boy/girl?

It means that you need to stop posting those beach pics and start working towards getting back in track, if you want to hit your next vacation with a six-pack, that is.

How to Recover from Post-Vacation Weight Gain?

It’s about time we got to the sweet part, isn’t it? So, how can you get back on track after a long vacation filled with enchilada and shrimp parties if your metabolism couldn’t do it on its own?

Unlike what most people believe, the process is fairly simple. It all starts with you going back to your regular clean-eating habits and active lifestyle. Should you do that, any weight you’ve gained in Brazil will come off eventually. You know what they say; what happens in Brazil stays in Brazil. Or was that France?

Also, as opposed to what many folks believe, you shouldn’t start an aggressive, calorie-restricting diet as soon as you hit your home soil. That’s a shortcut to a “binge and restrict pattern,” a phenomenon that can yield negative results in the long run and destroy your healthy relationship with food, which may or may not be evident in the short term.

Is There a More Direct Approach to Losing Weight After a Vacation

If you’re interested in a more proactive approach to losing weight after going on a vacation, consider these tips:

Try Calorie/Carb Cycling

The calorie/carb cycling is an approach that was first introduced in the British Journal of Nutrition back in 2013, and it proved to be twice as effective as calorie-restricting. The plan followed by the researchers went as follows:

  • Follow a slightly restricted Mediterranean diet, with 1500 calories per day, for five days per week.
  • Follow a restricted diet, with 650 calories, for two days per week.

Although you can pick whichever days you want for alternating the diets, it’s highly recommended to avoid the calorie-restricted diet on training days.

Should you follow this nutrition plan for 12 consecutive weeks, you’re bound to notice some significant improvements in both your overall weight and metabolic health.

Start Consuming More Veggies

Besides providing you with the necessary vitamins and minerals, vegetables are the primary source of fibers, which not only help in digesting your food, but also facilitates the protein transportation through the intestine walls, which leads to greater muscle gain and fat loss over time.

Workout Regularly

If you’ve been away from the gym throughout your vacation, it’s essential to start hitting the iron again as soon as you’re back home. Besides building muscles, working out can also help you to burn fat faster, especially if you pair your bench presses with cardio exercises.

Pump Your Workouts with the Right Energy Drinks

Let’s face it; there’s no way you’re going back to the gym in full-beast mode after a food-filled vacation, especially if it was a long one. To get the most out of your workouts and ensure that you’re getting back in track as soon as you can, consider consuming a good pre-workout to pump up your training sessions.

Pre-workouts are products or blends you use to get enough energy for a full training session, making them an ideal choice for someone looking to get in shape quickly and fix the damage that Georgia’s Khachapuri dinners have caused.

When it comes to pre-workouts, there’s only a handful of products that would suit any need when it comes to taste, design, and quality, including sugar-free energy drinks. A can of sugar-free Red Bull, Monster, or Rockstar can really take your workout to the next level and give you enough energy for as long as you need it, making this energy drink a go-to solution for those suffering from post-vacation weight gain.

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