At MacroFactor, we encourage enjoying your vacation or travel time by trying new things, taking a break from daily challenges, and having a pleasant experience. However, we understand that some people find breaks from their routine or the thought of losing progress stressful. This stress, along with the challenges of navigating nutrition away from home, can diminish the joy of traveling. So, we’ve put together this article to help you decide if you want to keep a closer eye on nutrition while traveling, and if so, we offer a few tips to take with you.
Let’s explore!
Track or relax? Deciding your vacation strategy
Before discussing the pros and cons, consider the length and frequency of your trips. If you vacation infrequently or for short stints at a time, you likely don’t need to worry about trips interrupting your progress. However, if you’re planning a month-long trip or if you frequently travel for work, travel is more likely to impact your progress.
Also, consider the amount of time and Calories you might consume or workouts you might miss during your vacation. Ask yourself, “How much damage could I really do in a few days versus a few weeks?” If the answer is “Quite a lot,” then it may be wise to keep an eye on things.
With that consideration in mind, here are a few pros and cons when deciding whether any level of tracking is right for you on vacation.
Pros and cons of tracking food intake on vacation
Pros:
- Helps you stay on top of your eating habits and remain mindful of your consumption.
- Reduces anxiety if you’re worried about travel or vacation disrupting your progress.
- Can maintain the routines you’ve established, which can make things easier when you return home.
- It’s good practice for life’s unexpected weeks where routines are thrown off. If you can maintain or keep things reasonable during vacation, you have a good shot during other times.
Cons:
- You might want a break from tracking and keeping an eye on intake, and that’s okay.
- A downside to tracking food during a vacation is that it can interfere with the benefits you’re trying to gain from the vacation itself. Vacations have a fade-in-out relationship with stress, and since de-stressing is a primary reason for vacation, make sure the tracking is helping rather than hindering.
- It’s important to consider how tracking impacts your ability to maintain a healthy mindset around food. Make sure your desire to track is coming from a healthy place.
In the end, you can try tracking as a test to see what works best for you. Remember, there are no wrong choices — only what supports your well-being and enhances your experience. Moving forward, I’ll assume you want to monitor your eating to some extent while on vacation.
Tips for tracking with the app
Depending on your typical tracking habits, tracking when traveling could be similar or very different from your home tracking experiences. If you primarily eat at home, eating out more frequently on vacation might pose a learning curve. Conversely, if you’re accustomed to dining out, you can leverage those experiences to navigate your choices while traveling.
Most of your tracking will rely on educated guesses about intake. While some people pack small food scales when traveling, it’s uncommon and has limitations. If you prepare your own food with a scale when traveling, it’s similar to at home — just in a different setting. However, much of your logging will likely involve estimating intake and using nutritional information from restaurants or mixed meals. Here are some tracking tips for those situations.
AI Describe
MacroFactor’s AI Describe feature allows users to input meal details through speech or text using a general description instead of detailed nutritional information. For example, if you order Chicken Pesto Pasta with a side of bread at a restaurant, you don’t need to search for each food item individually or figure out the ingredients. You can simply describe your meal as “Chicken Pesto Pasta with bread,” and the app will estimate the Calories and macronutrients.
From there, you log as normal and will have a decent estimation of your meal.
For more tips on how to use AI Describe, check out this article.
Quick Add
The more you track, the better you get at estimating your food. Over time, you’ll remember the Calories in a 4-ounce steak or recognize what roughly 50 grams of blueberries looks like. The goal is to look at your meals or individual food items and improve your ability to make rough caloric estimates. This method is the easiest way to track food at restaurants, though it requires an initial learning curve.
Once you have a rough estimate for each item or meal, use the quick add feature to log it. You can track and add everything at the end of the day or after each meal. Vacation tracking should be straightforward, so don’t stress if your macro counts or exact breakdowns aren’t precise.
For more tips on how to use Quick Add, check out this article.
Barcode and Label Scanner
If you’re at a grocery store and pick up a protein bar, or you’re curious to try a local snack, you can use the barcode and label scanner to quickly log that item without searching. This works for any item with a barcode. And what’s great is if the barcode isn’t found, MacroFactor will automatically switch to the label scanner and take the data directly from the product.
For more tips on how to use the label scanner, check out this article.
A few more tips for estimating
- Use past logging as a reference to simplify caloric decision-making. Think, “This looks similar to what I weighed before, so I’ll use that as my guide.”
- Create a cheat sheet. Before your vacation, make note of the Calories or macros of similar items you might eat out.
- Use common objects to help visualize comparisons. For instance, it’s often said a deck of cards is similar to 3 ounces of meat. A baseball can be roughly a cup of an item. Look at the items around your house and ask yourself, “What looks similar in size?”
- Take pictures of your meals to log later. You don’t have to log your meals at the restaurant; you can do it later when you’re winding down for the evening.
- Consider the meal’s ingredients. Is it a fattier cut of meat? Is it cream sauce? Do you see oil? Small observations can give hints regarding overall Calories.
- Consider the cooking method of the items. Was the item fried? Steamed? Breaded? Depending on these factors, there will be different Calorie counts and search keywords. Often, the menu will give you clues. For example, “sautéed vegetables” will likely have some level of oil or butter on them, but “steamed fresh vegetables” will likely have minimal to no oil at all.
Travel tracking take-home?
The overall takeaway from this tracking section is that a little effort goes a long way. Don’t be afraid to estimate your intake or log on days when your intake differs from the norm. Tracking doesn’t require perfect accuracy or capturing every single morsel. The act and intention of trying to log, even imperfectly, will put you in a much better position than not logging at all. There’s also nothing wrong with taking a short break from logging if needed. However, if attempting to stay within a certain intake range is important to you, these tips make a difference.
Staying on top of your nutrition without tracking
If you’ve decided you want to be mindful of your calorie intake without tracking, here are some tips to help you stay aware of your overall intake. And to be clear, these are also good tips even if you are tracking with the app.
Eat mindfully
Mindful eating involves fully engaging with your eating experience while focusing on the sensory details of your food. Try being present in the moment and enjoying your food without judgment. For example, you might eat a single raisin, slowly, noting its texture, size, taste, and the feelings it evokes. The goal is to build a deeper connection with your food and engage with the eating process. The goal of this is to eat smaller portions naturally and easier.
Eat slowly
Related to mindful eating is the practice of eating slower. Eating slower not only enhances our food experience but it is also associated with lower energy intake compared to eating faster. This meta-analysis from Robinson et al found that eating at a slower rate reduced energy intake compared to eating at a faster rate.
Generally, eating slower means you’re likely to chew more thoroughly and savor your food while giving time for better satiation signals. Just by eating slower, you can positively affect your daily intake without feeling too restricted.
Eat until you feel about 80% full
Eating until you’re about 80% full is a common but helpful tip to manage your energy intake. This process requires you to take your time and be aware of cues that signal fullness. Each person will have their own “tells” indicating they are getting fuller, such as a more distended stomach or a decreased desire to eat quickly.
In this study, men who consistently ate until they were 80% full consumed significantly less energy (about 1997.3 kcal) compared to those who didn’t follow this practice (about 2448.9 kcal).
Mindful eating take-home?
Incorporating mindful eating practices — eating slowly, stopping when you’re about 80% full, and engaging with your food — you can help you stay closer to your energy maintenance. This approach can prevent weight gain during vacations and minimize the chances of undoing your progress.
General tips for eating on vacation or traveling
Hit your protein first
When traveling, getting enough fats and carbohydrates is usually not difficult. However, protein can be more challenging, especially for those who prefer plant-based eating. When planning your meals, start by focusing on your protein. For example, if you’re choosing a restaurant, quickly check the online menu for protein options. Do they offer lean cuts of meat? Do they have a side menu with plenty of vegetables? Do their salads come with a protein option? Can you substitute a meat patty for a plant-based patty? By considering your protein targets while reviewing menus, you can quickly decide if a restaurant meets your needs.
Dive into food knowledge
Tracking your macro- and micronutrients over time will help you learn a lot. However, being intentional rather than passive can speed up the process. Reading articles like this can help you make decisions that support your goals. To take it to the next level, note the size of your home meals. How big is your chicken breast compared to the restaurant’s? Is their chicken breaded? How do your vegetables look when you add a little oil? Do their plate sizes compared to your own at home?
You can use every eating experience to inform the next, giving you a better idea of your meal content if you want to tighten things up.
If possible, book rooms with refrigerators and microwaves
If possible, book rooms that help you keep food fresh or heat it up. This can be useful not only for your Calorie intake, but it can also save a little money. If you receive large restaurant portions, you can take some back to your room for another meal instead of eating it all at once. This can be especially true if you feel guilty about not finishing your meal.
If your room has a refrigerator but no microwave, most hotels have microwaves in the lobby areas.
Go to a grocery store
Grocery stores are fantastic resources when traveling. They have food for easy preparation and ready-to-eat items; some even have salad or hot-food bars. This is where the rule of sticking to the outer sections of the grocery store typically pays off.
Here are a few ideas of easier travel or quick meal items:
| Food Ideas | |
|---|---|
| Overnight oats | Protein bar & drinks |
| High nutrient cereals | High protein milks |
| Hard-boiled eggs | Shredded chicken |
| Bread | Nuts and seeds |
| Fruits | Snack vegetables |
| Jerky | Soups |
| Tuna | Bag salad |
| Hummus | Greek yogurt |
| String cheese | Cottage cheese |
| Microwavable edamame | Rice cakes |
| Rotisserie chicken | Prepped fruit (berries, mixed fruit cups) |
| Fresh deli meats (turkey, ham, chicken) | Fresh sushi rolls |
| Fresh sandwiches | Salad bars |
| Egg, potato, or chicken salad | Soups |
| Fresh spring rolls | Fresh wraps or tortillas |
Pack protein snacks
If I know I’m traveling and will have limited shopping options, I always toss a few non-perishable protein items in my bag (e.g., bars, non-refrigerated drinks, jerky). This way, if I end up in a situation with limited options, I can ensure I won’t be too far from hitting my protein intake.
Sharpen your ordering skills
Generally, I’m not a fan of aggressive substitutions unless there are allergy or illness issues. However, there are many ways to work with the menu you’re given. Here are a few tips to help you hit your protein targets or keep your fat intake lower:
- Select baked, grilled, or steamed dishes.
- Choose pre-meal salads with very light dressing.
- Split the meal with someone you’re dining with.
- Ask for dressings or sauces on the side.
- Opt for leaner protein choices like chicken, fish, and tofu.
- Be aware that creamy sauces or soups are usually higher in calories than broth or red-based sauces.
- Consider kids’ menus for smaller portions.
- Salad substitutions or additions are generally easy to request.
- Use the side menu to add vegetables to your meal.
- Order double protein.
Should I track my weight?
Tracking your weight can be a bit trickier and less convenient than tracking your food intake. The biggest reason? You’d have to pack your scale.
While you can bring your scale with you when traveling, it’s probably not necessary unless you have a specific deadline (i.e., making weight for a competition). If you do decide to bring it, make sure to re-zero it before use and place it on a flat, hard surface for accurate measurements.
Should you use a scale at the hotel or gym?
Ideally, you should use the same scale consistently to ensure accurate readings. Gym and hotel scales might be poorly calibrated, leading to significantly different readings than what you’re used to. This can throw off the app’s suggestions and potentially leave you feeling overly confident or dejected, and we wouldn’t want that.
What should you expect (weight wise) when you return home?
If you continue consistently tracking your food while traveling, your expenditure will begin updating as soon as you log your weight again. However, you might prefer to wait a few days to settle back into your routine before resuming regular weigh-ins. Don’t be surprised if your weight is up or down more than expected after vacation. Food intake is not the only factor that alters scale weight. Lifestyle disruptions can cause unexpected changes in body weight, such as fluid retention or loss. So, feel free to either start logging your weight again as soon as you get home or wait for 3-4 days for your weight to stabilize after returning to your usual schedule and lifestyle.
What should I do for exercise?
First, don’t be too concerned about losing gains or dramatically decreasing conditioning if your normal training is interrupted for a short time. While it takes a lot of effort to increase your fitness levels, you can maintain your current levels of fitness with a considerably smaller investment of time and effort. However, just like with nutrition, some people feel better when they can maintain their exercise routine.
For cardio, your trip likely includes some natural activity unless it’s strictly a relax-and-loaf vacation. You’re likely to be walking around, exploring new places, and doing heart-raising activities, which can cover a significant portion of your cardio needs. If it’s not happening naturally, try to go for extra walks or jogs. For runners, a morning run can be a great way to see new areas and keep up with your routine.
For resistance training, many hotels have decent gyms with basics like dumbbells, benches, and some machines. If you’re traveling for a long time, consider a short-term membership to a local gym. Many gyms offer day passes or week-long memberships, so you can keep up with your workouts without a long-term commitment.
Lastly, don’t forget about bodyweight training. It’s incredibly effective and requires no equipment. Push-ups, squats, lunges, planks, and other bodyweight exercises can be done in your room.
When will my expenditure begin updating again in MacroFactor?
If you decide not to track during your vacation, MacroFactor’s expenditure algorithm will hold to preserve an accurate estimate of your energy needs. When you start tracking again, the algorithm can pick up right where you left off. If you’ve been logging your nutrition but missed weight entries, the algorithm will update immediately once you log your weight again. Even if you skip weighing in for a month, the expenditure calculation resumes with just one new weight entry. So, it’s completely fine to log your weight as soon as you return or wait a few days until your weight stabilizes
If you didn’t track your food while on vacation, MacroFactor’s algorithms require four days of nutrition data (plus one weight entry) to start updating again. This helps ensure the accuracy of your energy expenditure and dietary recommendations. Essentially, you don’t need to do anything special — just get back to your normal routine and follow MacroFactor’s recommendations to hit your goals.
Conclusion
Remember, vacation is a time to relax and recharge, so don’t stress too much about maintaining your usual routines. Experiment with what works best for you, whether that’s tracking your intake or taking a break from it. The key is to find a sustainable approach that fits your lifestyle and ultimately decreases your stress and increases enjoyment.
Enjoy your trip, stay mindful of your choices, and remember that the occasional break won’t derail your long-term progress. Happy travels!
