A very common issue with weight loss is not being consistent over the weekend. First, be honest about the issue. Then you can really problem solve the solutions. One of the reasons why may be going out of town. Consider giving yourself a chance to be successful, with less stress, while you are in a controlled environment. Making new habits, and getting rid of old ones, is part of the solution to weight loss and long term maintenance. Make it a little easier for yourself to build these habits by setting yourself up for success, even if for a short time until you get a handle on it.

• Weekends at home can mean allowing yourself time to shop, plan and prepare meals for the week. Weekends out of town mean every meal is eating out. It may mean ‘vacation’ mode.

• Weekends at home may allow you the opportunity to rest and recharge.
• Weekends at home allow you to practice all the habits you are working on. When you are out of town, all your triggers change and you don’t have the same tools.
• It means having the same workout gym or at home resource rather than having to find an alternate option.

This is the difference between consistently practicing the same triggers x weeks in a row versus having a weekend break.

When you travel, all of the tools change. When you are traveling you may be still using the same trigger as your water bottle, but your source of water changed. You have to be prepared for that. Your kitchen changed. You are either eating out or are staying in an option that has that available. If you workout at a gym, that is going to change. If you workout at home, you may just need a little space and the right equipment to fit it in. Either way, it is another step. Consider how much you want to lose weight and your expectations of time.

The higher your expectation of yourself is to meet your goal, the more time and strategy you can expect to put into it.

If you do find yourself traveling on a weekend, just keep going the next meal and do your best. Don’t wait until Monday or what you think is the perfect day.

Maintaining weight while traveling is generally more challenging but it is possible. It just takes some skill to navigate. You are adding a lot of factors in. It can help solidify habits to practice in a more controlled environment.