The reason why I say take it easy is because as a normie, you aren't exactly super-dedicated to fitness - you are merely trying to live a slightly healthier life and not become a fat ass again. At least, that is the way that I live my life. I do not have 6 pack abs or explosive arm muscles. I suppose I would like to have those things but I am unwilling to put in the time to accomplish it. I am, a normie, and I am perfectly ok with that.

_{I'm just trying to avoid becoming the guy in the middle again}

So I don't get to go on vacation very often but when I do so my diet, like most people and certainly other normies, goes right out the window when I am traveling. A lot of this has to do with the fact that I am normally pretty unfamiliar with the area I am visiting, and in cases of me visiting other countries, I am unfamiliar with the cuisine.

Basically, a bit part of me going on vacation is the food and drinks. I want to have a good time, right?

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If I am visiting a wonderful beach, I am not going to stress too much about what I am consuming. That is what being at home is for. However, that doesn't mean that I need to go completely nuts.

Try to stay on low carb drinks

Unless the area you are visiting is famous for a particular cocktail or beverage, I would say that this one crucial part of your diet should remain intact if at all possible. I'm a beer drinker, it is what I like. Therefore, even when I travel I still prefer to stay off the full-carb beers if possible. Most countries have some level of low carb beer as a lot of the world is now aware of the fact that beer is a primary ingredient in the famous "beer gut" that so many men (and women) acquire in their late 30's / early 40's.

If they don't have a low carb option... do whatever you want, you are only going to be able to do so much damage on a 1-week vacation anyway.

Try to incorporate activities into your vacation

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I suppose it seems a bit obvious; but most travel destinations have a bunch of activities that can be built into your trip and you should try to take advantage of this opportunity to get your heart-rate up and see some amazing scenery.

For example, on a recent trip to the Dominican Republic, there were of course beaches all over the place and all of these had the opportunity to rent snorkeling gear and I took advantage of this. There were also these hiking tours to some waterfall and while this was simply walking, it was kind of up to me how much of a workout it became so there was another hour and a half of light exercise on another day.

Although snorkeling and a hill walk aren't exactly high-intensity workouts, it is definitely going to raise your pulse a bit more than sitting in a chair and drinking beer. If you are like me you are probably going to do plenty of that later anyway.

Don't worry about it so much

The whole idea behind the normie life is having a bit of discipline but not really overdoing it. You still need to be able to enjoy things in life and I know a few people that wont even cut loose a little bit during a beach vacation and maintain a strict diet despite being somewhere lovely that they will likely never be able to return to. These people are boring to hang around with as a consequence.

You gotta enjoy life, and I think that if you have an opportunity to be somewhere exotic, that you live a little while you are there. When you return home you can serve your penance and by returning to a high-protein / low carb diet when you get back home, any weight you gain during your excess in paradise will quickly fall off....even as a normie.

I gained more than 2kg on my 8 day trip to the Dominican Republic, and by returning to my somewhat disciplined diet back home, it was back off in less than a week. I think this is because my body has achieved a new "start point" and I am always going to gravitate towards 80kg as long as I follow that path.

The point of all this is that when you are on vacation, it is time to live a little bit. Get out there and do some activities, but also live a little and indulge in things that once you are back home you are not going to get to have anymore. It really is important to find balance in life and I think that having a system at home can and should entitle you to do whatever you want when you are on vacation.

_{I am not a professional trainer nor a dietitian. I am merely recounting what I did in order to lose over 50 lbs while still living a fun life and I think it can work for other people as well}