You'd be really surprised at all the healthy snacks they have in Mexico.  I know when I went there was always lots of fresh fruit plates you can choose from.  Some favorite Mexican snacks in my old neighborhood included cucumber slices with fresh limes squeezed on it and some hot sauce.  You can eat that all day long and it'd only add up to a minute amount of calories.  Another is sliced cantaloupe and honeydew.  These are just off the top of my head!!

Mexican food in Mexico is totally different than here in the states. 

The meat portions (except for steak entrees) are a lot smaller, the chicken was almost always tiny amounts of dark meat.  A lot of places even served chicken pieces with bone intact. 

Lots of refried beans which didn't seem as rich or fatty as Americanized refried beans.  Small portions of either cotija or goat cheese (they are fresh) sprinkled on the food.  No Americanized (cheddar or monterrey jack) cheeses covering anything. 

Veggies in the rice. 

I wouldn't say no to tortillas.  They were always uncooked, never fried. 

I went to Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo where it was both a planned resort and a fishing community.  I would stay as far away from hotel food as possible.  That's where the Americanized junk food was. 

First off, CONGRATS on an awesome vaca coming up!  You're so smart to plan ahead.  I'm trying to do the same right now.  I leave for the Caribbean in two days and I'm dealing with the same issue (but I'm not as close to my goal weight as you are).

Determined to stick to my daily deficit, I'm bringing a little calorie counter with me and a small journal so that I can write down everything I'm having each day.  That way I can look up anything I'm not sure about, and writing it all down will keep me honest.  Maybe this will help?

As for food, are you going to the west or east coast?  They have different cuisines. You'll do well if you avoid the stuff on your list and go light on the cheese and sour cream in/on your food. If you're on the east coast you can get grilled lobster and enjoy that with some veggies (my favorite thing to eat on Cozumel).   Shrimp cocktail is also fantastic!

I like to order fresh veggies to dip in the guac, and that salsa and pico de gallo is great over shrimp (or any lean meat, for that matter).  Also, if you like fish, try some ceviche.  It's absolutely delicious, has great citrus and spicy flavors and is very satisfying.  Good for you, too!

It's hard to find the refried beans and rice that aren't a bit lardy, so it's probably best to avoid those.  If you can find some nice black beans with a little cotija cheese in there that can be tasty when paired with some lean grilled chicken or beef.

Also, if you like tequila but want to avoid the sugar you can always buy a shot of an upscale tequilia as a 'sipper' and enjoy that flavor without all the sugar.

Sorry to go on and on.  'Mexico' and 'Food' are two of my favorite subjects.  I hope you have the best time and enjoy the heck out of your vacation!

Thank you all for your responses!!!

I am going to Acapulco. My friend's parents have a timeshare so we are staying at this place called the Mayan Palace. Our room is a condo and comes with a full kitchen - which is great. I love to cook and apparently there is a local market that the resort has shuttle service to. So I should be able to go there and find plenty of fruits and veggies to eat.

After reading all your suggestions - it helped me realize that I can try to keep on track while there.

Foods ----

Cucumber slices with fresh lime and hot sauce - sounds delicious! I usually eat 1 sliced cucumber every other day - I just find them so refreshing and yummy. I eat them with laughing cow cheese or hummus. If this sliced cucumber and lime dish is common, I will be fine for snacking!

And I LOVE fruit - especially freshly sliced fruit. So eating that shouldn't be difficult at all. At buffets, that is usually the first thing I fill up on, then I look at my other options.

Shrimp cocktail and seafood - another one of my favorites! I have heard of ceviche... but I thought that was something made with eggs and baked in the oven.

Tequila - another one of my favorites. I definitely can enjoy it over ice and a squeeze of lemon.

Flyte - that is pretty smart of you to bring a calorie counter!! Unfortunately I don't have one - but I do plan on keeping a journal while there. Where did you get your calorie counter from?

For the most part I know the calories in fruits and veggies pretty well, same with grilled or roasted chicken. So I am fine estimating those items... but it would be nice to have a calorie counter in-hand. (I am not bringing my laptop because I have a feeling internet prices will be high and I can't access CC from my cell phone.)

Ratinhat88 - you are right about having a good idea of calories, but still - I don't eat Mexican food or similar foods on a daily basis so for me, it is unknown. On the other hand - pasta, salad, stir frys, ect - I eat those more frequently and from looking them up - it is all ingrained in my mind.

Exercise ----

The resort also has a gym and a 1.5 mile beach - so #1 priority in packing: sneakers and workout clothes! I know, I know... its vacation so I should relax, but if I can get up and go running on the beach early in the morning, that would be fantastic.

If this vacation is like our vacation to Myrtle Beach - we didnt do a lot of walking at all. When I am with my girlfriends, we all tend to get super lazy and just lay around relaxing. It is nice - especially since I am usually the hyperactive one who wants to go here, do this and run over there to do that. So they manage to get me to relax - and I have a very strong feeling we will be laying by the pool/on the beach all day, every day.

Now for night time excursions - if there are places near us to go out - then I am sure we will be dancing at bars.... but there still isn't anything quite like going for a run on the beach.

Original Post by leiann:

(I take my own packets of light dressing on vacation, I'm picky about my dressing and want to make sure it isn't the full fat/cal stuff)

Where do you purchase packets of salad dressing from? I've seen them at Wawa... but no where else. And there is no Wawa near my house.

girl, how many times in your life do you get to go to mexico and eat real mexican food? if it's fairly often, then you might as well stick with the tips everyone else has posted. but if it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing (as it would be for me - i've never been out of the country!), i would suggest you just go and enjoy yourself. eat refried beans, tortillas, taco shells, chips and salsa, a margarita or two, and whatever else you want! obviously don't make yourself sick, but do enjoy yourself. it's a vacation. you're not supposed to worry about anything on a vacation. it's only five days, and i doubt you could build up a calorie excess of more than two pounds.

but if you really cannot stand the thought of getting away from your goal weight, more power to you. just telling you what i'd do! :)

The place you're going is south of Colima, where the traditional food is great!  You will get the opportunity to get lots of fresh fish--don't just go to the market where the shuttle goes, but find the regular one.  Buy your fish just as the boat comes in, and be sure to try all the fruits you've never seen before.

You might want to take some staples with you, particularly olive oil and stuff like peanut butter, which might be expensive or unobtainable.

ratinhat88 - that's a great idea - thanks for the suggestion! Hopefully I will have the time to pull together a list. Though I am  worried I won't... At this point, I haven't packed yet, won't be able to tonight and have to work Friday/run last minute errands when I get home. I hope I still have the "all nighter" in me - because it seems that will be my Friday night - Saturday morning.

samesofam - good point. No,  I don't get to go often. The last time I was in Mexico was 7 years ago (Playa del Carmen, 1 hr. south of Cancun). I went with my family and stayed at an all-inclusive resort. We also rented a car, so it was much easier to get around.

The reason I am so concerned about getting off track in Mexico is because as soon as I get back from Mexico - within 2 days I will be going on another vacation!

For 1 week I will be staying at a beach house in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. There will be 16 of us staying there (all friends) and of the 16 - only 5 girls (we will be severely outnumbered). AHH! Which means: lots of beer, lots of junk food and of course - lots of fun. That is all fine and dandy - and I will be better able to control my meals and go food shopping for what I want to eat - but still.... 2 vacations back-to-back ----- its a recipe for disaster.

Also, I have been fighting these last 4 pesky pounds for what seems forever. I am the type of person that gets frustrated, discouraged and tends to give up after not seeing results or hitting a wall (aka plateau). I am right at that point now...

dinarly - glad you know the area!! My mom and I were looking at a map last night and trying to figure out where we could go to the markets, restaurants, bars, ect. (She and my dad went there for their honey moon 30 years ago... so doubtful things are the same.)

We are 5 minutes from the Acapulco airport... on the Pacific coast. Do you know if it will be easy to get around? Will we be able to get a taxi to the fresh fish markets? Or other places?

Here is the link to where we will be (letter B): http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q =Mayan+Palace+Acapulco+Resort&sll=16.774302,-99.787102&a mp;sspn=0.073468,0.11673&ie=UTF8&filter=0&ll=16. 798954,-99.814224&spn=0.073458,0.11673&z=13

Silly as it sounds Funkymunky one reason I started running ten years ago was because I am such an exercise junkie.

I knew I couldn't take a bunch of equipment with me and running is something you can do anywhere all you really need is some good shoes and shorts and those fit well in a suit case. Don't even think twice about exercising on vacation and the whole I should relax thing, some folks (like me) find that exercise is something that helps them relax and enjoy the world around them more.

Have a Great vacation and congrats on nearing your goal weight!

Original Post by belladonna1026:

I knew I couldn't take a bunch of equipment with me and running is something you can do anywhere all you really need is some good shoes and shorts and those fit well in a suit case. Don't even think twice about exercising on vacation and the whole I should relax thing, some folks (like me) find that exercise is something that helps them relax and enjoy the world around them more.

 

Perfect explanation belladonna - that is how I feel.

For me, when I am anxious, upset, angry or stressed out --- a good run helps me relax. It helps me clear my mind and forces me to focus on me: my running, my breathing, my form.

Listening to my feet hit the ground helps me escape. And there is nothing more that I would love than waking up in the morning to run along the beach (Mexico or anywhere else in the world). That is the only way anyone will ever get me up early. Put me near a beach, hand me my sneakers and MP3 player and I will be gone for hours.

ratinhat88 - you are WONDERFUL! Thank you again X a million!