After Whole30 I'm Going on Vacation...Help!

[Whole30BabeDMM]

So I am on Day 21 (Yay!) of my whole30 and I wasn't aware of the 14 day reintroduction plan so I planned Day 31 to be the first day of a 7 day road trip to Colorado! I'm starting to get really nervous about being away from home and trying to do the reintroduction plan. Also, I will be attending a wedding on Day 35 and would like to drink alcohol. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to eat and reintroduction alcohol so I don't end up feeling sick and miserable on my trip? Right now, my plan is to try to stay whole30 compliant but I know that can be very hard on the road and eating out. I plan to bring snacks but again, I'm going to be hiking and we are checking out some breweries and do want to indulge! I REALLY didn't plan this right and now I'm trying to figure out a realistic plan as I'm loving how I'm feeling and my results so far but also know I'll want to reintroduce some things while on trip.  Thanks for advice!! 

[peak]

If you can keep on the diet plan during the trip and for a week or two longer after returning from your trip I think is a good idea.  Depending on how much you digress on the trip it might require a restart.  What are the "snacks" that you plan to bring?  I found that my snacks were more of the fresh fruit category and I learned that I was perhaps eating too much of that category... my snack now consist more of protein based items:  I plan my week by grilling and planing for leftovers such as chicken, pork or steak.  I am eating more of those between meals if I feel a pang coming on.  Perhaps that concept might work for you, albeit tough to do when not cooking on your own.

I am on the eighth week of W30 (sort of...)  I was faithfully and completely compliant for the first 30 days.   I have, however, enjoyed about a half-dozen adult beverages since that time.  I am not reintroducing alcohol per se, because it is significantly reduced.  I used to probably have 2 or 3 drinks a day before I started.  Now I enjoy a glass or two of wine or a good Scotch only on one weekend day.

Perhaps you might try similar by not going overboard.  Instead of consuming many full 12oz or pint,s share a flight with friends so that you can sample the different beer flavors.  Perhaps try to only consume a total of 16 ounces but spread out among the many flavors. 

Depending on how much you digress on the trip it might require a restart.  How are you doing now that you are on 22 day?  Are you finding the plan difficult?  Do you long for day 30 just so you can have one of the forbidden fruits?  If you are doing OK then let your body tell you how it is feeling to guide you into the correct answer for you.  For me, I saw no reason for me to start full reintroduction because eating better according to the plan is retentively easy for me.   At some point I will try the reintroduction process, but I am OK with continuing because eating good foods is not that hard. 

You will need to decide what is best for you, but I will toss this out there:  be careful of altitude sickness!  i do not from where you will start your travels, but  if you are from a lower setting please be aware of altitude sickness as it can be a real issue for tourists who visit us... and alcohol does not help that matter.  Drink plenty of water,

[LuluBee28]

@Whole30BabeDMM Hi! The good news is, you are planning ahead already! So rather than going into a trip AND wedding without a plan, you can now figure it all out ahead of time.

Many would argue that the reintroduction is even more important than the 30 days you are completing right now... That is the time you truly learn and find out what works for you. So if you can, do the reintroduction to whatever capacity you have. Even if this means that you only pick 1 or 2 food groups. I would stick to the groups that you suspect are the least impactful for you (e.g. non-gluten grains, or legumes) so you don't end up feeling miserable on your entire trip! And you definitely CAN reintroduce alcohol, but maybe go for gluten-free varieties if you want to test gluten independently. But if you go to breweries, and gluten-free is not an option, either limit your intake or make sure that the drink is the only off plan food/drink you have that day so you can at least test its effect on you and learn from that. 

Another option would be to JUST introduce alcohol and keep the rest of the trip compliant and do the formal reintroduction after you get back?! Or, if you do decide to reintroduce on your trip, leave at least one day in between each food group so your body can reset. Make a plan for this and bring some 'test' items with you - this will help stick to your plan and schedule. For example, bring some gluten-free oats for breakfast on non-gluten grain intro day etc...

Also, a few on the road foods that are easy to pack and/or easy to come by: pack some compliant meat sticks/meat bars such as epic bars or other jerky type snacks, dried fruit (good carbs for hikes!), and nuts. Hard-boiled eggs and single serve guacamole are my absolute GO TO snack on the road, and you can buy them already boiled at most grocery stores, and even some gas stations! Also, if you have a fridge or cooler where you are going, bring your own compliant salad dressing or if you have no fridge bring some oil and vinegar! This gives you so many more options when eating out since you can order most salads (just without the dressing) this way. 

Lastly, if you introduce, don't forget to track your symptoms consciously... when you are out of your element and away from home you might not notice things as clearly as you might at home, or you might be too distracted with everything going on. I always journal my re-intros so I can learn the most from them.

And remember, your trip is not about the food/drinks you are having but the company and the experiences on your trip! Mindset is everything

I hope this was helpful! Good luck!!!