How can I solve what time to have dinner on holiday?

[beachbeth]

In a few weeks we are going to Majorca, all inclusive. Its a hotel we've been to before and you can drink and eat all you like all day and most of the night!

Now, Im not a pig and don't tend to snack inbetween meals but, of course, all that lying around by the pool and doing nothing but eat and drink just piles the pounds on.

My OH likes to stay by the pool/beach as late as possible in the day and to eat dinner about 8.00. I would love to do this too but my problem is that by 5.00pm Im starting to get hungry and by 6.00pm Im starving and just have to eat. I wish I could wait until 8.00pm like he can. Im one of those people who gets agitated when hungry.

If I was going to have dinner at 8.00 I would start snacking at 6.00pm to keep me going and this would pile even more pounds on.

We will have a large fridge in our room and I am taking a toaster and kettle (OH and daughter like toast! and I like a cuppa on the balcony before brekky). Theres a big supermarket opposite the hotel but it seems silly buying food when we're all inclusive!

[goanmad]

Have a little walk over to the nearby supermarket each evening and buy some fresh fruit to keep you going. Don't forget to drink plenty of mineral water to stave off hunger pangs. You might even find you loose a bit of weight!

Have a great holiday!

[missm29]

I'd go with the evening meal, have breakfast and lunch as late as you can, have a small snack at 5 if you can't hold on til dinner. I always eat little and often, otherwise i start to feel ill and then when i do eat i feel sick. Otherhalf will have breakfast very late and then eat a huge meal in the evening. Don't worry about piling on the weight, you're on holiday, perhaps you could make some meals healthier than others? I always take cereal bars and crackers when we go away.

[beachbeth]

I don't mind buying the odd item from the supermarket and we are getting a bowl of free fruit in our room too. I always drink lots of water when Im hot. I didn't think of just eating fruit - I was thinking of snack type food or a sandwich. Fruit is a good idea and thirst quenching too.

[Sazbo]

If you're getting some fruit provided you could perhaps make up a bowl of fruit salad and keep it in the fridge?

I love Mallorca, wish I was going this year:) Have a lovely time.

Sazzy x

[Bronnie]

Box of crispbread and a tub of lite cream cheese in the room. I love the holiday ritual, in from the beach at 6ish, shower, open a bottle of wine and have a few nibbles while doing my beautifying and getting ready for going down for the evening , relax on the balcony, listen to music etc

There are usually so many healthy fruit/ salad / veggie options at dinner, I fill up with those and just have small portions of the more fattening stuff. Always match every glass of booze with a larger glass of water. (Does mean sometimes I drink an awful lot of water!!)

The thought of baring my tummy by the pool is enough to stop me wanting to stuff myself anyway!

I love lying on the beach too, but also love to swim and do lots of walking...great for getting an even all-round tan!

I usually manage to lose a little weight on holiday and come back feeling fab and energised...if only the feeling lasted!!

Relax and have fun!

[beachbeth]

I love the holiday ritual, in from the beach at 6ish, shower, open a bottle of wine and have a few nibbles while doing my beautifying and getting ready for going down for the evening , relax on the balcony, listen to music etc

I love it too! It'll be so nice not having to decide what to cook for dinner, no cleaning up and you don't even have to make the bed in the morning!

[suki1964]

Our regime is up early and swim - breakfast around 10am - big enough to not need lunch. Then around 4pm after a siesta - cup of tea and a sandwich or a bun - then Dinner at 7.30 and dessert around 10pm.

I stick to the cereals and fruits (fresh and dried) for breakfast with toast, yougurt and perhaps if they have them grilled tomatoes and scrambled eggs - avoid the pancakes and breads as much as possible.

Dinner - well Im not a veggie lover so tend to do a full plate of salads to start and then choose a piece of grilled meat or fish or take the stew option for main. Desserts - well Im on holiday after all but do show restraint and only take a small portion and only the one but will often take icecream later on in the night when out and about.

I always lose weight on holiday as well, its the only time I do eat and exercise healthily everyday. Too often at home I dont eat all day - and then pig out late at night on carbs

[Bronnie]

Definitely agree suki1964, if you can avoid the breads (sigh!) and other processed white carbs as much as possible on hols and eat loads of the other healthy stuff, it definitely helps keep the munchies under control.

My brekkie is usually platter of melon, pineapple grapefruit or whatever (which is quite bulky and starts to fill me up!) eggs in all their holiday guises and grilled tomatoes, occasional slice of bacon or little sausage, then finish off with blob of yogurt, little sprinkling of seeds/nuts, couple of dried figs or prunes or apricots, lots of coffee!

When you've paid for AI there is a definite tendency to want to feel you're getting your moneysworth. I try to take TINY amounts/tastes of a variety of things, and get up and down to the buffet between each course.

[suki1964]

Definitely agree suki1964, if you can avoid the breads (sigh!) and other processed white carbs as much as possible on hols and eat loads of the other healthy stuff, it definitely helps keep the munchies under control.

My brekkie is usually platter of melon, pineapple grapefruit or whatever (which is quite bulky and starts to fill me up!) eggs in all their holiday guises and grilled tomatoes, occasional slice of bacon or little sausage, then finish off with blob of yogurt, little sprinkling of seeds/nuts, couple of dried figs or prunes or apricots, lots of coffee!

When you've paid for AI there is a definite tendency to want to feel you're getting your moneysworth. I try to take TINY amounts/tastes of a variety of things, and get up and down to the buffet between each course.

Thats MY breakfast you are discribing - to a tee :))

I just love breakfast on holiday, esp in Tunisia - so much choice of fruits - fresh, dried and hell sometimes even tinned, Nuts and seeds as well and oats etc. And then the juices - all so scrummy. All washed down with a pot or two of coffee - thats me sorted for the day

Here I have to content myself with a bowel of jordans and a yoghurt. I never eat fruit at home as its like chewing cold cotton wool.

And thats how I do my evening meal as well - small portions, take my time and drink plenty of water between courses (might even spoil myself and add a tiny splash of wine) We arent big drinkers or party animals so for us the evening meal is a big part of the evening, to be enjoyed and not rushed

[leo2moss]

You could check the All Inclusive options - many of these include an afternoon snack/tea and cake, etc - not healthy but definitely included in your costs!

[beachbeth]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I do love the melon in the morning with yoghurt. The only trouble is that the yoghurt is usually in a big open dish and Im not sure how long its been sitting there. I have had stomach ache after eating brekky on holiday and haven't been sure whether its the yoghurt or not. Im hoping they have some yoghurts in pots too. I will do as you all suggest and have plenty of eggs (I love scrambled!) and tomatoes and occasionally bacon as a treat.

They usually have tea/coffee in the afternoons with cake but I always try to avoid the cake!

Im 44 and when I was younger I used to lose weight on holiday and also at Christmas and this was quite annoying for some people!:D Now Im older though I think I eat more and exercise less and find it hard to diet because if Im hungry I start to feel sick, agitated and I also get a headache!

I will definitely try to fill up on crispbreads and fruit though during the day if Im hungry.

[Swinstie73]

Why don't you and OH compromise and try and eat dinner about 7pm? And try and fill up on fruit, as already suggested. I bought crispbreads to have with cheese spread on holiday in Cyprus last year, they were just opened and ended up crawling with tiny ants - keep them in the fridge, ha!

[Any]

They might have a salad option on the snack menu.
I always have the same problem - if I don't eat a little every 4-5 hours, I am starving and very very snapy!
I find that a little salad (leaves, tomato, cucumber) or plate of mango or melon helps me to get over it.
I can eat as much of that as I want without worrying about my figure.
Failing that I order fries and make my OH eat them with me, me eating only as much as necessary and OH the rest.
Last year he didn't want any and when he got out of me why I don't want whole portion he said "it's all inclusive love, you can leave the rest". But I hate wasting food!

[PolishBigSpender]

Just swim a lot and go for long walks... you'll burn what you've eaten and it will make your holiday even more interesting ;)