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Post Vacation Detox: 7 Easy Tips to Lose Weight After Vacation

By Jackie Gately
(First published )
(Reading Time: 8 minutes)
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A post vacation detox is one of the hot topics these days, especially when you have a vacation ahead.

Let’s face it, we all overindulge on vacation – and why not? It’s not worth skipping delicious food and drink while traveling.

So, it is a matter of some importance to lose vacation weigh and get your body detoxed after a great vacation.

Take care of your health and feel good about yourself after splurging with a post vacation detox.

Continue reading below for detailed insights on how to go about doing so.

post vacation detox smoothies | Enjoy Travel Life
A post vacation detox can be a healthy way to lose weight after vacation.

CONTENTS – In this article, you will learn how to do post vacation detox, including:

How to Lose Vacation Weight

When you’re setting out on a vacation trip, all caution just kind of goes out the window. That obsession with food starts kicking in, making every treat irresistible

I mean c’mon, we all know how tempting those tasty treats can get. 

And when else will you have the change to try regional cuisines – especially if you’re a foodie?

Oftentimes, you will give in at some point along the way and take in one too many.

It’s not really a bad thing.

It’s the results that you might need to be leery of, more so if you are trying to lose weight. 

Well, if you just came from vacation, and the scales are depressing you, don’t worry.

You’re about to learn what vacation weight is all about.

More importantly, find out how to shed those extra pounds safely. 

So, tag along.

How Much Weight Do You Gain Over Vacation?

Let’s start with a rather tough question among most health-conscious individuals.

It is a broad and open-ended one, though. 

The thing is, there’s no telling exactly how much weight you are likely to gain during vacation.

But the good news is, it’s hardly anything significant.

In one study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, participants gained around .37 kgs, which is almost a pound on average.

Some, however, get a little carried away and tip the scales at as high as 5-7 pounds!

Still, you have no cause to worry yet. 

Let’s look at how vacation weight gain happens.

You might be surprised to find there’s more than overeating at play.

Why Did I Gain Weight on Vacation?

Mostly, when you come from vacation with those few extra pounds, it’s not necessarily fat (which is the weight you should be worried about).

It’s largely water weight. 

So, where does this water weight come from?

Sodium Adds Water Weight

Sodium is one of the electrolytes responsible for conducting electricity in the form of ions. Other electrolytes include phosphate, chloride, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

They enables your body cells to communicate.

This communication makes it possible for your muscles to contract, for instance, thus giving your body the energy it needs to carry out day-to-day tasks.

But there’s a catch.

Without the right balance between these electrolytes, your body’s functioning can go out of whack quickly.

For example, if you take in more sodium (in table salt and foods), you are likely to retain more water in the body than normal.

This causes water weight.

weight gain vacation | Enjoy Travel Life
It’s easy to overeat on vacation.

You Have Been Binging

Sometimes, we think of vacation as that time to kick back, give no care in the world, and just have fun. 

This increased eating means more energy is needed to digest the food.

It can temporarily boost your metabolism, also known as a thermic effect.

But it can also add pounds.

Glycogen and Water Retention

On your vacation escapades, you are likely to get derailed and take in more carbs than you have been ingesting previously.

We’re talking about pizza, cookies, cakes, bread… all such a pleasurable experiences while on vacation!

These carbs are stored as glycogen in the body.

It’s here where the water retention comes in.

And, for every gram of this stored glycogen, your body retains several grams of water. 

Ever felt a little bloated after a salty meal?

Now you know what was going on in your body. 

Inflammation: The Good and The Bad

While diet changes can result in increased water retention in your body, other factors can cause this same effect, too.

Inflammation is one such culprit that often gets away with it as people often overlook it. 

Well, you don’t have to cringe at the mention of the name.

Inflammation isn’t a deadly force hell-bent on your destruction.

It is, in fact, one of the ways the body begins its healing process. 

Once you dance around, take a long walk on the trail, or exercise on your vacation, you could experience a little bit of inflammation.

You could also end up with some level of inflammation if you have an injury or fall seek during your vacation.

The bottom line is that with inflammation comes fluid retention by the body.

This can be the cause a sudden spike on the scale.

Does Vacation Weight Come off Fast? – How to Lose Weight After Vacation

Now you know how weight during vacation comes about, but is there anything you can do about it? 

Turns out, there is an easy way out – several, actually.

You just need to know what to do and be strategic about it. 

Let’s jump right into some easy fixes that you can turn to for those looking to lose vacation weight.

Take a Diet Break

A diet break is a great way to balance out your sudden weight fluctuation.

But even here, you need to strike just the right balance.

If you restrict your food intake too much, you might end up in a “binge-and-starve” cycle.

That will probably only cause even worse weight gain,

Or even more frustrating, it can cause your weight to go on an uncontrollable roller coaster. Ugh!

Exercise is also good.

You can work some exercise into your routine, whether it’s resistance training or some low-impact workout – say using a recumbent bike, or a rowing machine

…more on exercise in a jiffy.

For those of you who are unsure of how to go about the diet part, here’s a breakdown of the right approach to take.

weight gain on vacation | Enjoy Travel Life
Post-vacation bloating can be a real problem – but easy enough to solve with a post vacation detox!

Calorie/Carb Cycling

A calorie and carb cycling diet is ideal for those who want to take a proactive approach to shed the extra weight.

And yes, research has shown it to be a very effective one.

It’s probably even more effective than restricting calorie intake.

The research published in the British Journal of Nutrition used the following approach:

5 days per week: Follow a Mediterranean-inspired diet (slightly restricted) made up of 40/30/30 calorie percent ratios from carbs/protein/fat, respectively, for a total of 1500 calories per day.

2 days a week: A carbohydrate & calorie-restricted diet comprising 650 calories per day and less than 50g carbs per day. 

If this doesn’t fit perfectly into your schedule, there’s yet another approach that you can try and see how well it works for you. 

Dump The Junk

Backtrack your way to your previous/normal eating routine after your vacation.

That means getting rid of any fatty foods you might have in your kitchen, especially if you spend the vacation in your home like during the festival season. 

This is an important step in your post vacation detox.

You’ve got to eliminate the junk!

Eat Healthy

With any lingering junk out of the picture, you can now go grocery shopping and focus on eating healthy.

Such foods as fresh fruits, whole grains, legumes, veggies, and lean proteins are your friends at this stage.

By all means, steer clear of salty and/or sugary snacks, artificially sweetened drinks, and alcohol.

Swap those for healthy snacks and drinks like cottage cheese, apple slices, and post vacation detox smoothies. 

Simply blend together high-nutrient ingredients that will nourish and cleanse your body.

Hydration, Hydration, and More Hydration

I know, I know. You already feel like punching me right in the face.

If we are talking water weight here, how come you tell us to add even more water? 

Well, the science is a bit confusing.

As much as you’re trying to shake off the new water weight, staying hydrated will help counter the effect of water retention. 

For instance, drinking two glasses of water before your meals could help shake off up to 5 pounds more quickly.

However, note that we’re talking about water here, not soft drinks – not even juices. 

stay hydrated post vacation detox | Enjoy Travel Life
It seems counter-intuitive, but drinking more water can help reduce water weight.

Time to Get in Gear With a Workout

I am talking about serious exercise here.

And pretty much everything goes, really.

This includes everything from running to swimming, resistance training, daily walks, or enjoying the morning sun riding around the neighborhood on a low-impact outdoor exercise bike.

If you had an exercise routine before vacation, and skimped on training during your trip, it’s time to resume.

For those who haven’t been exercising though, this can be a good time to get your feet wet. 

low impact exercise bike | Enjoy Travel Life
Vigorous exercise will help you lose weight after vacation.

The good thing about working out is that you not only get to flush the water weight out as part of your post vacation detox, but you can also maintain your fitness through continuous exercise.

And yes, training is also good for your cardio, mental, and overall psychological health as well as physical fitness.

Keep Tab on Your Progress

Once it’s “all systems go” with your diet and exercise, the next thing to take care of is the monitoring part of it.

Take for instance, if you make sure to create a deficit of 500 calories each day, you can lose a pound of fat in a week. 

It’s up to you to decide whether you want to limit your calorie intake or give no care in the world.

But ante up the intensity in your workout to burn up the extra calories. 

However, I wouldn’t recommend taking in too many calories and expecting to shake them off with a workout.

We all know how sometimes life just gets in the way and you end up not getting enough time for the gym, right?

Final Thoughts on Post Vacation Detox

You may gain a bit more adamant weight, or load up on a few pounds of water weight, depending on how long you have been on vacation. 

It doesn’t matter what sort or amount of weight you have put on.

A post vacation detox will set things right.

Any or several of the ways we have discussed above will help you get back on track.

The best way to go about this is to combine diet and exercise for the best results.

But the best thing to do is to avoid gaining weight altogether during vacation. 

There are simple ways to keep your weight in check when on vacation…I will be back to get you in on those in another post so stay tuned.

Jackie Gately at the beach


About Jackie Gately, editor-IN-CHIEF

I'm Jackie Gately, your travel confidante and the creative force behind Enjoy Travel Life, awarded the "Best Casual-Luxury Lifestyle Blog (USA)" in Travel and Tourism by LUXlife Magazine for four consecutive years.

With 25 years of published expertise, I'm a seasoned writer, editor, and photographer curating inspiring travel guides and lifestyle tips for empty nesters. I hope to kindle your spirit of exploration, encouraging you to overcome obstacles and turn your dreams into reality.

Learn to minimize your pre-travel angst and maximize the joy of exploration with insights from my experiences. Let's make every adventure a celebration of this exciting phase of life! 

Follow my social channels for more inspiration.

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