How to Use “Lifestyle Balance on Vacation.”

The attached optional participant handouts, Lifestyle Balance on Vacation and Lifestyle Balance on Vacation: Problem Solving, and the following instructions for Coaches, were developed by Dr. Albert Marston, behavioral consultant to the DPP center in Los Angeles.  The handouts may be given to participants during an individual In-Person visit or may be used to support a group discussion during an after-core class. 

Note:  The following instructions assume the handout will be used with a group but can be adapted for use with an individual participant as well.

1.	Ask the participants to close their eyes for a few moments and think about being on vacation.  “Try to imagine the scenes you remember from previous vacations.”  After a few minutes, ask them to share their images.  If there’s a chalkboard, write down the themes.  Notice aloud how many of them have to do with eating and drinking or being inactive.							

2.	Ask the participants why there are special difficulties about eating and inactivity on vacation. Get their ideas, and then summarize the following points:
1.	For most of us, the word “vacation” means escape and freedom from our everyday work and family responsibilities to a more pleasurable, even selfish experience.
2.	Eating is a form of pleasure, so we may mis-eat as a way to find pleasure if we don’t have other sources of pleasure available on our vacation.  
3.	We associate eating (and often inactivity) with pleasure, so when we are having pleasure, we believe that eating or being inactive will make that pleasurable time even better.  On vacation, this can get out of hand if we relax and let down control (“after all, I’m on vacation”).
4.	If things go wrong on a vacation (and most vacations don’t live up to our fantasies), or if we are workaholics and have great difficulty relaxing when not at work, we might get tense and eat to relieve the added tension on vacation.
5.	Eating and drinking are “social lubricants,” helping us to feel at ease, giving us something to talk about, even giving us an escape excuse (“Excuse me, I’m going to get more food”).  These factors may be especially important if our vacation is with a group of friends or family that we haven’t seen in a while.
6.	Vacations happen infrequently so we may be more willing to “excuse” overeating or being inactive.  

3.	Ask participants to think about what will be or could be easier about eating healthy and being active on vacation.  Get their ideas and then summarize (e.g., lots of time to exercise, nice location for exercise, may be warmer weather than at home this time of year, can swim, meals are served or lots of time to prepare healthy meals, lots of fruit available, etc.).

4.	Distribute the handout, Lifestyle Balance on Vacation.  Review the following strategies (summarized on the handout) for handling vacations.  As you review each strategy, ask participants for examples and allow time for discussion:

1.	Plan pleasures other than food and drink.  
a.	Plan the kind of vacation you want.  One way to think about this is to ask yourself, What about your daily routine do you want to escape from?  (For example, if your routine is a hectic, crammed schedule, it’s vital that you not repeat this pattern on your vacation.  If you do a lot of driving on the job, you might not want to spend your vacation driving.)  What kinds of pleasures and freedom do you want to escape to?  (What do you like to do most?  Go to a faraway, scenic spot?  Or stay at home and enjoy some free time?  Make lots of time for a favorite hobby or sport?  Spend time with old friends?)  
b.	Think about what you like to do for physical activity.  Can you find a way to make that part of your vacation?
c.	Be prepared to be assertive with others about what you want to do on vacation if you are going on vacation with family or friends.  Negotiate a compromise if necessary.   
2.	Some of us vacation alone but most of have some arranging to do with family and friends.  Have a family talk well before the vacation to discuss such issues as:
a.	What did we like about our last vacation?  What were the problems?  Make a specific plan for what you will do on this vacation, including pleasures other than food and drink. 
b.	Discuss how you will handle food and eating out.  How often will we eat out? What types of restaurants will we choose?  Are there low-fat/calorie options for you?  Can we split entrees or desserts?  If eating in (e.g., if renting a beach house), will we have tempting high-fat/calorie foods like cookies, candy and cake in the house?  If so, can they be stored out of sight and separate from other foods?   Can family members agree to eat these foods only when eating out?
		c.	Can we find a fun way to all be physically active this vacation?  Examples: bike riding, mountain climbing, hiking, walking on the beach, bird watching, golfing (walking the course), etc. 
d.	Get the family to agree not to nag you about what you eat or your activity plan.
e.	Talk about positive ways your family can help (for example, praising you when you are sticking to your low fat food plan, going on walks with you, helping you out so that you don’t get too tired or stressed).

3.	Have reasonable expectations for vacation.
a.	Keep track of your eating and activity as much as possible.  
b.	Weigh yourself often, but remember that scales differ.
c.	Plan to maintain your weight; don’t expect weight loss.  Figure fat and calorie goals for maintenance.
d.	Let go a little.  For example, eat something special.  Choose the best and leave the rest.  That is, when you decide to eat a special high fat food, choose quality, not quantity.  Choose the best thing available, take a small portion, eat slowly, and enjoy every mouthful.
e.	Get extra activity.  If you slip with eating a little, this will often compensate.

4.	If you tend to be tense on vacation, ask why and what you can do about it.
a.	Avoid extended periods when you are doing what others want and not what you want.  Be assertive about what you want to do.
b.	Plan daily times to relax.  Try not to get overtired (e.g., by doing too much sightseeing in a short period of time).
c.	Plan regular breaks while driving.  Carry low-calorie snacks and take breaks to get out of the car and walk.

5.	Decide what you want to do about alcohol.  Alcohol may lower self-control.  If you drink, are you aware of the calories involved?

6.	Try to balance rest with activity.  Look for ways to be active that you enjoy.

7.	Prepare for old friends or relatives you haven’t seen in a while.  Decide how and when you will want to be assertive with them about eating and activity.  Consider talking with them in advance.

8.	Plan for pleasures after your vacation.  Coming back from a vacation is often a let-down.  Try to get back to regular activities gradually and plan some extra pleasures to offset post-vacation blues.  Consider allowing an easy day at home before getting back to work full-steam.	

5.	(Note:  The next handout, Lifestyle Balance on Vacation: Problem Solving, is for problem solving issues related to a specific vacation plan, whereas the previous one provides general guidelines.  So this handout may or may not be appropriate for participants at this point, depending on whether or not they know their vacation plans.)  
Distribute the handout, Lifestyle Balance on Vacation: Problem Solving.  First review a general problem solving strategy for vacations (analyze, write, plan, reward) and provide examples:
1.	Take time to think about the problems in advance.  For example, you normally walk every morning before work, but you plan to sleep in on vacation.  
2.	Write out the problem and list some possible solutions.  Could you walk every afternoon to a scenic area (such as along the beach)?  
3.	Decide on your best solution and write it out.  
4.	Agree with yourself in advance that if you are able to carry out the plan, you will somehow reward yourself afterwards.  Be specific about the goal and the reward.
Ask the participant(s) for some examples of problems and work together on a couple of specific plans to be recorded on the handout.

6.	Summarize main points, answer questions, and wish participants a happy vacation.   

Lifestyle Balance on Vacation 
Ways to Handle Vacations	
1.	Plan pleasures other than food or drink.
C	Plan the kind of vacation you want.  
C		Think about what you like to do for physical activity.  Can you make that a part of your vacation?   	
2.	Hold a family meeting ahead of time.  
C	What did we like or dislike about our last vacation?  What will we do this time?
C	How will we handle food and eating out?
C	Can we find a fun way to all be physically active this vacation?
C	Get the family to agree not to nag you about your eating or activity.
C	Talk about ways your family can help.	
3.	Have reasonable expectations for your vacation.
C	Keep track of your eating and activity.  
C	Weigh yourself often.  But remember, scales differ.
C	Plan to maintain your weight.
C	Let go a little.  Eat something special.  (Choose the best.  Have a small portion.)
C	Get extra activity.  	
4.	If you tend to be tense on vacation:
C	Avoid long periods when you’re doing what others want and not what you want.
C	Plan daily times to relax. 
C	Plan regular breaks while driving.	
5.	Decide what you want to do about alcohol.  
Alcohol may lower self-control.  
If you drink, be aware of the calories.  	
6.	Balance rest with activity.  
Look for ways to be active that you enjoy.	
7.	Prepare for friends or relatives you haven’t seen in a while.	
8.	Plan for pleasures after your vacation.	

Lifestyle Balance on Vacation:			
Problem Solving 

Healthy eating and being active are possible on vacation.  
The key is to plan ahead:

1.	What problems might come up?  

                                                                                                 
                                                                                                  
2.	Choose one problem.  List some possible solutions.  

                                                                                                 
                                                                                                 
3.	Choose the best solution.  What will you need to do to make that happen?  How will you handle things that might get in the way?

                                                                                                 

                                                                                                 
4.	Plan to reward yourself.  What will the reward be?  What will you need to do to earn that reward?