One of my clients is currently on holiday and messaged me feeling guilty. He’d had a burger. He’d had paella. In his mind, he’d “blown it.”
But when we actually looked at it properly, something interesting happened.
Calorie-wise, it wasn’t that bad.
This is where people often go wrong. We attach emotion to food instead of facts. A burger sounds indulgent. Paella feels like a treat. But neither automatically equals excessive calories. In reality, many holiday meals are perfectly reasonable when you take a step back and look at them objectively.
The real issue isn’t the food—it’s what happens next.
When people think they’ve “gone off track,” they often stop logging what they’re eating. They avoid writing it down, avoid thinking about it, and tell themselves they’ll “start again on Monday.”
That’s the mistake.
Because the moment you stop tracking—whether you’re calorie counting or just being mindful—you remove accountability. And when accountability disappears, it becomes very easy to overindulge without realising just how much.
Logging isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness.
Even if you’re over your usual intake, even if you’re eating foods you wouldn’t normally have, keeping a record keeps you grounded. It stops one meal turning into a full week of chaos. It gives you a sense of control, even in a relaxed environment like a holiday.
Think of it this way: writing it down doesn’t make the food “bad”—it just keeps you honest.
Holidays are meant to be enjoyed. You should absolutely experience local food, eat out, and have meals you wouldn’t normally have at home. That’s part of life.
But enjoyment doesn’t have to mean abandoning all structure.
You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to stay aware.
So if you have the burger, log it. If you have the paella, log it. If you go over your usual intake, fine—log that too.
Because the people who stay consistent, even imperfectly, are the ones who maintain progress long term.
It’s not about restriction. It’s about responsibility.
Enjoy your holiday—but don’t switch off completely.
