Tag: vacation

Vacation! ATV Padding, Sugar Overload, & Fun

I haven’t officially weighed-in after coming back from our week-long vacation to the Moosehead Lake area of Maine, but I’m confident I haven’t gained anything permanent.

We had a really great time, the campground was on the ATV trail, so we could ride directly from the campground. Because of my weight loss, my back is a lot more “boney” than in years past. The seat on the ATV has a seam that digs/rubs into my back, and causes some pain. So, my funny story is I had to ride with a beach towel stuffed down the back of my pants for cushion! I love it!

We ate a lot of sugary foods like ice cream with hot fudge, and pastries from the local bakery. Oh lord, they make what’s called a “Persian” danish, which is a honey glazed danish loaded with maple frosting, then topped with crunchies. It’s probably about 700+ calories, but oh so delicious.

Now I’m back on track, but still coming off my sugar overload. I know how easily I can slip back into poor eating habits, and during times like this, I am humbled. It’s difficult. I know I use “vacation” as an excuse to eat foods that I normally don’t at home. The compulsive behavior is a lot harder to control. Even now, I would love to sit back, forget about cooking, and get some take-out for dinner!

I’ll be okay, I know I will. I do not want to be 200 pounds again. I will not go back!

Time to Do Better

Well, our last summer vacation is over! We had a really great summer, but truthfully, part of me is glad that we’re done with vacations for now. I didn’t revert all the way back to old ways, but with each week on vacation, I got more and more comfortable with eating bad unhealthy foods.

Yes, I worked out every day on vacation, but I feel so icky and unhealthy inside. I feel bloated, gross, and fat. I know I’m not fat, but I don’t feel “right”. I hate that I’ve come this close again to poor choices.

I hate that I feel helpless.

Helpless because I know what’s right, but I can’t stop myself from making the wrong decision. Example. We got ice cream close to every day last week. Not that bad because we were walking almost a mile (up/down hills) to the ice cream stand, and I was only getting kiddie portions. But one day, while out driving, we stopped for ice cream, and I got a kiddie cup and couldn’t stop myself from also ordering a piece of chocolate cake as well. I knew it was wrong, I knew the ice cream was enough of a treat, but my compulsion took over and won the fight. Ugh. It was not a good feeling, and it’s shameful looking back on it now.

And that’s why I am glad vacations are over. I can hopefully get back to healthy eating, and get back to feeling fantastic inside and out. I don’t want to beat myself up too much over this, because that is not a healthy attitude either. I know that an occasional treat can be beneficial and I can’t obsess over it! There has to be a balance between good and evil. But for the most of the month of August, the evil was tipping the scales!

Weighed myself this AM, and thankfully, I’m 147.6 – Saturday when we got home (mid afternoon), I was 149+ so it’s a relief that I haven’t gained as much weight as I feel like I have on the inside.

Today is Monday, new day, new week! I am going to do better! Not going to obsess over my bad choices. Just get over it, and move on.

I have to remember to take each experience as a lesson to learn more about myself! The more I realize about myself, the more powerful I become, and the less power the compulsion will have!

Back from Week Long Vacation – 148 lbs

Came back yesterday from a week long RV/ATV vacation. It was lovely. Lots of nature! Lots of time to just relax and have fun! Taking my mind off everything at home. I didn’t even bring my laptop with me. I did bring the dSLR camera, but I rarely took any photos. My iPhone camera worked for capturing a few memories.

So how did our healthy lifestyle do? We were on vacation, so of course, that means tempting treats. I was bad! Lots of sugary fatty foods like these fabulous “Persian danish roll” things. Honey glazed pastries, with a layer of maple icing, then topped with crumbly sugary crunchies. I had THREE of them during the week. The bakery in town was a quick drive by car or ATV so we gave ourselves a few treats!

This photo doesn’t do it justice! That’s the Persian on the bottom left.

persian danish roll

There was also ice cream sundae (kid’s), fried clams, lobster roll (no mayo), seafood chowder, poutine fries, carrot cake, macaroon cookie, ice cream cookie sandwich, lasagna, 2 slices of pizza, and a fried egg & bacon sandwich.

To make up for some of our indiscretions, we took long walks once, twice or more daily, and actually ATVing works your muscles fairly well. Even on the back of the ATV, I was keeping my balance and holding on!

So, it’s back to reality and back to eating right. I weighed in this AM and I was about 148. Not too bad. I’ve decided not to fight the overwhelming urge to cheat on vacation. I just have to keep in mind that in order to cheat, I need to work out and STOP the cheating when I get home! So far it’s been working out well!

UPDATE August 9, 2010: 147.0 on the scale this AM! yay!

Weekend Hunger Pains

Driving north for the first RV/camping trip of the season, I’m feeling vulnerable. Feeling like I could fall backward into my old ways of eating eating eating.

I don’t want to gain but there’s a part of me that’s feeling like who cares? Just eat. Reward yourself, you’re on vacation!

My confidence appears to be fading. I am trying to hold on. If I can get through this weekend then I will feel so much better!

UPDATE #1: ate dinner at Wendy’s. Think I’m doing better! I might have just been hungry!

UPDATE #2 MONDAY May 24, 2010: Well I got through the weekend. I don’t know why, but I was hungry most of the time. Could it be that we were more active? We burned a lot of calories biking and walking. I don’t know what came over me. It was like a psychological curtain was lowered, and I was famished. It started with the drive up north and continued through the whole weekend until driving home. Once home, it’s like the curtain went back up, and I was normal.

Thankfully, I didn’t eat anything regretful. Lots of fruits and whole foods.

We ate dinner at a restaurant on Saturday night, and I ordered broiled haddock (no butter), rice, zucchini w/ stewed tomatoes and also a wonderful salad. I dipped my fork in the dressing instead of pouring it on top. It was delicious. My only downfall was that I ate about 4 slices of their homemade whole grain bread, but it was soo good.

I am wondering if I should weigh myself this AM.

Input Vacation Food into Diary

I finally took the time to input all my food intake into the myfitnesspal food diary. I am glad this is the last vacation for awhile. There are just too many bad food choices, but all in all, I didn’t do so bad. I think one day I went over 500 calories, and other days were 200 or so over.

Just glad to have all my data input now! I also saved the pdf of all my data for August.

I’ve been at this since Tuesday, July 21, so it’s been almost 8 weeks; with 10 pounds lost, I am feeling great. I do still have a nagging fear that I will either hit a wall very soon, and just stop losing, or I will go back to my old ways. I guess that is everyone’s fear when they make difficult life changes.

Back from Vacation

I feel good, back from a wonderful vacation. As usual, made good and bad choices, but all in all, I feel pretty good. We walked a lot, as well as ATV riding, which believe it or not, is good for muscles and balance.

Desserts and fatty foods were occasionally on the menu, but so were broiled fish, brown rice, fruit, salads, and portion control.

Won’t be weighing myself for at least a week, waiting until I get back on track. I don’t think I gained, but I don’t want to know if I did. It would be too discouraging!