It’s only a month of being healthy
I had made a decision that in September I would be adopting a mantra of ‘its only’. Basically I can hold steady and stay on track because ‘it’s only a month’. When I made that decision and challenge for September I was unaware that we would be going on a mini vacation. It should have been smooth sailing! But life isn’t about smooth sailing. Life is about curveballs. Life is about adapting. I am not going to say that I restricted 100% and stayed true to being absolutely perfect on my mini vacation. I honestly can’t say that! However I am going to be totally honest and say that for the most part I feel like I made some really good choices! I never went overboard. I never went crazy. I kept telling myself ‘it’s only a trip to the beach....next trip I can go crazy’. But did it work?
Eating on vacation
Let me say that I tracked my eating each and every step of the way! Every bite of food was tracked!!! I did enjoy some Thrashers Fries (boardwalk style French Fries). These were not eaten as an extra high calorie snack, they were part of my dinner and I did not eat all of them...we shared the order!
I also did indulge at the chocolate store! Even then, I chose three small half inch squares of chocolate to enjoy after dinner. Nothing more! And tracked!! I kept a tight reign on my choices and desires!
So I did have some indulgences. My goal is to keep my calories between 1200 ad 1300 calories. So how did I do???
You can see that Saturday, Sunday and Monday my intake of calories was much higher than normal! Sunday was quite high (for me) at 2200 calories. I saw that number and cringed!
Now it is time to add in my movement. Because we were on the move a LOT. Especially on Sunday, that really high caloric intake day. On Sunday we started walking at 9:45 and we did not sit down until we hit our hotel at 6:45 with our takeout dinner. (We ate lunch on the go!). We also spent time frolicking in the ocean...fighting waves and whatnot! So let’s look at my net calories to see where I was with adding in some of my movement (I didn’t even count all the hours...I underestimated the hours of movement)
Oh yeah...I pretty much ate higher calories on Sunday but I apparently should have burnt most of them!
It all wasn’t happy though. I lost control one time! Yes, I had a snack fiasco!
The Snack Fiasco
We were driving home. Traffic as we headed toward the bay bridge was horrible (as it always is after a holiday weekend) and we got stopped dead behind an accident. When we got moving again we knew we needed to stop for gas, bathrooms and lunch as it was already 2pm! Everyone else was in the same boat apparently. I waited for 10-15 minutes in line for the bathroom. It was then time to grab something to eat. I honestly tried! I really did! I marched myself over to the area for made to order sandwiches! But that line was just as long as the line for the bathroom No thank you....I wanted to get moving and on the way home again! I tried to look at the ready made foods! But it was picked over and nothing was left! I defaulted to an individual sized bag of cheese ritz crackers. While we waited in line to pay (another long line) I saw the chips! I was hungry...I was discombobulated due to my original plans for food not panning out. I grabbed a bag of chips also! And that is the snack fiasco. Because I did not nibble daintily a few pieces from each bag. I scarfed down both packages and practically licked the inside of the bag clean!
Weigh in after a vacation
The day we left for vacation I was sitting at 242.6 pounds. The day after we got back I was at 245.8! I had gained 3.4 pounds in three days! I had gained even with all that walking and movement!!! I was so mad and upset but I didn’t let it get to me!!!
I turned it around. I didn’t let vacation make me forget my ‘it’s only a month’ mantra. I turned it around immediately and made sure I was doing what was good and right for a healthy life! And today...Friday I stepped on the scales. I weighed in at 242.6. I somehow managed a straight up maintain!
Moving forward with my weight loss
Our mini vacation is behind me. I have the rest of September to rock out my it’s only a month mantra! It really works! It even got me through a vacation. My mantra kept my vacation food indulgences at a minimum and that mantra brought me right back to my healthy eating when we got home. I may have only maintained my weight this week, but it is a HUGE victory! Vacations usually elicit a weight gain! But not this time!!! I was victorious!
