Sunday, May 8, 2011

Vacation Variances

This little weekend getaway is different in many ways from the week in Mexico in February. Obviously duration ... but there are other differences, too and I'm anxious to see what they mean on my scale when I get home.

1. I thought a lot about the eating for the week in Mexico ... knowing there would be endless buffet food and all that. We also made sure to eat dinner early and stay on a fairly regular schedule, not eating too late. This trip brought "normal" food issues ... and bags of chips for salsa! I was lucky that my darling hostess kept "healthy" in mind and recommended places that would accommodate me. I'm probably most worried about the late-night eating you tend to do on vacation when your days are full of fun.

2. In Mexico, I had access to a fitness center with a treadmill ...which allowed me to maintain my baseline exercise. And we also piled on lots of additional activity in the form of excursions. Those two things helped me not gain a single pound in a week in spite of all the eating and drinking. For this trip, I packed workout clothes and some handweights and asked my girlfriends to support me with a walk or some kind of activity each day. We got a walk in the first day, a hike in yesterday and it was nice to be outside. I'm not sure they were "far enough" or "fast enough" ... though the switch-up in venue (outside in the uneven terrain and gorgeous sunlight) may compensate. I do know they were much more entertaining than my solo treadmill constitutionals!

In the end, it doesn't matter. I will know what my scale says tomorrow morning and know what I have to do on Monday to make it right. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with some of the people I love most in the world ... and that's what's really important. There's a real sense of empowerment and deep satisfaction that comes with knowing I can control whatever "the number" is, while living life in a fairly normal way.

Learning to be the new me will take time.

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