Unpacking

Coming back from vacation is always a challenge: lots of laundry, a house devoid of all things edible, the realization that you've forgotten a few things but brought home a few extra pounds. We got home on Saturday night, I did laundry all day Sunday, and went to the grocery store this morning with the resolve to get back into our "normal eating habits" which consists mostly of fruit, vegetables, lean meats, nuts and nut butters with oatmeal and All Bran as our only grains, and hardly ever any alcohol. On vacation my diet consisted of pancakes, Klondike bars, slice and bake cookies, s'mores, cheese and crackers, peanut M&M's and of course my nighty-after-putting-Sophia-to-bed Margarita (or two…or, ahem, three).

Despite the fact that I ran or worked out everyday (three miles on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday; a 1.5 mile run Wednesday with a little Crossfit; a three mile walk on Thursday and a 6.5 mile run on Friday) it didn't completely counteract the consumption of "junk," and so I packed on a few pounds. Which I expected and almost gave myself permission to do. I knew I was going to be around foods I don't typically eat; I decided it was better to allow myself a week of indulgence than fight myself all week long and feel guilty and discouraged every time I didn't have the self control I wish I had. It would have been a discouraging and losing battle, one that I've been all-to familiar with in the past. What I find interesting is that my more "relaxed" outlook meant that my running was more about simply running for the enjoyment of running in a beautiful place, and less about running for the sake of burning calories.

Not everything I ate was "bad" though, we had Cobb salad and grilled chicken, grilled pork chops, sauteed veggies, corn on the cob and more salad--so it wasn't a total Junk-Food-Fest. And while being indulgent for a week is fun, I certainly didn't feel that great. It is amazingly true that what you put in your body can definitely affect the way you feel. So I'm looking forward to getting back to my oatmeal and veggies and water and hopefully unpacking a few of those extra pounds.