Avoid Vacation Amnesia

Avoid Vacation Amnesia

Don't let a week-long vacation turn into a six-month-long vacation from weight-loss.


Article By: Melissa Sperl

Watch out! There's a threat that can wreak havoc on your weight-loss plans. It's called Vacation Amnesia, and strikes when you take a break from work and forget about your weight-loss plans. The symptoms — abandonment of efforts, loss of motivation — can be contracted during any part of life, not just during vacation. They can creep into periods of stress, happiness, or even boredom. But they don't have to be fatal. Follow our 4-step "Avoid Vacation Amnesia" plan, and you'll come away from the scare still feeling good about the progress you're making toward your weight goals.

STEP 1: Choose Your Option
Setting a Winning Outcome — a powerful tool from Weight Watchers Tools For Living — is like setting a goal, and it's important to do it before any potential loss of motivation.

When you know that a difficult weight-loss situation (like a vacation) is approaching, choose whether you want to come out of it having lost weight, maintained the weight you've already lost, or having relaxed a little bit and maybe even gained. Knowing ahead of time what you want the outcome of your efforts to be will help you set up a plan of attack.

STEP 2: Determine Strategies
Consider what aspects of your upcoming vacation might make it difficult for you to stick with the Winning Outcome you set during Step 1? How will you manage offers of food and snacks? How will you eat out in restaurants? Will you be able to get online where you're going? How will you exercise?

STEP 3: Gather the Necessary Tools
Before you go away, you may find it easier to make a list of the things you'll need to pack; things that will make it easier for you to stay on track.

For example, what things will you need for your work-out? Do you have favorite healthy snacks that might be difficult to find where you're going? Are you prepared to track your PointsPlus™ values even while you're away from home, by logging in to Weight Watchers mobile, using our app, or a paper tracker?

STEP 4: Make a Post-Vacation Commitment
Vacation Amnesia can often linger for days or weeks after the actual vacation. Some people can feel like they fell so far off track while they were away, they might as well just keep eating a lot and start up again later. Decide before you go that no matter what happens, you'll pick up your efforts again the day you get back.