Now that the summer travel season is upon us, there are so many magazine articles out there that tell us that our ultimate goal should be to lose weight before our big trip.

But is this really necessary if you’re already a healthy weight? Will I find true travel happiness by going from a  size 6 to a size 2?

Being a size 2 might look nice on the covers of all the fitness and fashion magazines, but the reality is that when you’ve become a member of the over-40 travel crowd-whom I like to call the “Golden Travelers“, your metabolism isn’t generally what it used to be. So for me to “lose 10 pounds in two weeks!” or “go down two dress sizes in 10 days!”, I would probably have to live on celery and work out 5 hours a day. This could be tough or impossible even if you didn’t have a full time job and have a family to take care of-which I do.

So before I even think of subjecting myself to that rigorous kind of treatment, I have to ask myself  what, except for a couple of pictures, am I’m really getting out of it? :

Will the food taste any better on the trip? (Well, ok,  probably yes because I’ll be starving!)

Will I really enjoy the attractions at my destination any more? I don’t think so-I don’t think that the weight change will make a big difference, and I’ll be too busy getting over my post-diet headaches.

Will my family love me more or treat me any differently on the trip? I strongly doubt it.

So my advice is that, if you’re already a healthy weight, give yourself a break. If you want to lose some weight-fine, but stop stressing over it. Enjoy!