Fishing + Food + Hiking + Beer + Biking + Cookies = woah

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Hiking the Harding Ice Trail - Seward, AK

Oh my gosh!  I can't believe my vacation is already over.  Before I start babbling about things let me thank my guest posters: Abby, Mercedes and Stephanie.  I hope that you enjoyed their posts as much as I did when I read them not to mention that they are each amazing women who have been an inspiration as well as friends.  Now... let's talk about vacation and eating and working out....

Fat Bikes Mountain Biking - Cooper Landing, AK

Our vacation was two weeks long driving lots of miles (nearly 1800) through Alaska and it was the most amazing vacation.  While we weren't always active we were always busy!  Some days we spent 8-10 hours fishing, we biked a few days and hiked a few days but some days were just spent in transit.  Seriously, the drive from Homer to Healy takes FOREVER.  Add this to the fact that early on in the trip I decided it was vacation and I was going to eat what I wanted while on vacation but when we got home that I'd get back into my routine.  I still tried to make healthier choices, grilled or broiled fish vs. batter fried, but I definitely treated myself.  Knowing everything I ate and drank I wasn't surprised yesterday when the scale said I gained and it's just a little more motivation to get back on track before training for my half marathon starts.

What do you do when you go on vacation?  How do you stay active or on plan?

My thoughts pre-vacation ...

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Dan - AK circa 2007

I've wanted to take this trip for five years.  Literally ever since we were in Alaska the last time.  We've been planning this trip for so long and I know that we will have an amazing time but I'll be very honest with you.  I'm scared shitless.  I know that Alaska has practically an endless supply of seafood (which I love) but I am wondering whether the changes I've made over the past two years will stay with me or fall out of the airplane as soon as we begin our ascent.

Sockeye Trip - 2007

The bears were too cool not to show you! - 2007

I am really hoping that the amount of activity that we have planned for the trip will balance out the eating but I don't know.  I'm trying to figure out what my "goal" for vacation should be.  Maintain?  Gain no more than 5 pounds?  I don't know.  Given the level of activity I've been hitting lately it seems difficult to maintain but knowing that training for the half marathon will begin just 2 short weeks after I return really makes me want to maintain or lose weight.  I'm trying to be realistic though - who loses weight on vacation?  


While I'm gone I've got some fabulous guest bloggers filling in for me.  Abby, Mercedes and Stephanie are amazing friends who have so graciously volunteered to entertain and educate you.  I hope that you'll tune in for those posts and show them lots of love in the comments section.


The other thing you can do while I'm gone (because I knew you were hoping I'd add something to your to-do list!) is to donate to my fundraising campaign for Team Challenge.  Don't know what I'm talking about?  Well, let me tell you why less guts means more glory.  If you don't care and just want to donate, then you can go here.

Vacation + Weight Watchers = ????

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When I know I'm going to be out of internet service area (really, there is such a thing) one of my first thoughts is that I need to grab a PointsPlus tracker from my next WW meeting.  This weekend was no exception.  We were planning on being in Wisconsin for several days and we have spotty and slow internet service up there.  The paper tracker is a must for me when I'm away and it kept me on plan again this weekend.  It has those great check boxes to remind me to get in my good health guidelines.  The best part was that throughout the entire weekend I never really felt like I was depriving myself of anything.  We went out to dinner with family on Saturday night and I had a beer (seriously, I love the Pudgy Possum Porter) and a sandwich with sweet potato fries.  We went out to dinner on Sunday and I had broiled walleye with a baked potato.  The best part was that I felt really satisfied and I think for the first time I didn't freak out about how many points I was using or what I'd order that would be the healthiest/lowest PointsPlus choice.  (I just realized that as I was typing that sentence.  How cool is that?)

In addition to tracking we were able to get in some good activity.  We took the dogs on a 3 mile walk/hike but wow, Wisconsin is a lot hillier than I remember!!  We also did some kayaking which was awesome but left me a little sore the next day.  We even got in a little bit of fishing.  All in all, it was a successful trip.  Plus, I lost a half a pound this week. 

I lost! I lost BIG!

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I know that when you start a new weight loss or weight management plan that the first week, or maybe even two are big weeks.  I've been told it is because of the water weight you lose.  I also think it's because you do change how you eat.  Instead of hitting SONIC and getting a corn dog, large tots, large cherry limeade you opt for a salad and diet cherry limeade.  Ok, maybe that's just me.  :)

Making changes even as small as cutting out soda completely is a huge change.  One that definitely shows up on the scale.  My first week was a little different only because I wasn't able to go to my regular meeting because i was on vacation.  My first weigh in after being on the plan didn't count because it hadn't been a week since my previous weigh in.  I was a little worried about the weigh-in because as I said, I had been on vacation to Seattle and Portland.  We walked a lot but given that we also visited a number of craft breweries and the Oregon Brewers Festival I was still worried.

I really wanted a good loss so that I wouldn't get discouraged.  I was shocked at the actual number.

FOURTEEN POUNDS.

I was about ready to kiss the meeting leader I was so excited.  I've never lost weight like this before.  I thought this kind of loss was the kind of weight loss you see on TV shows.  The ones where the people end up working out about 16 hours a day.

But this wasn't TV.  This was real life.  This is my life.  I have the weigh-in sticker to prove it.

The big question, how the hell do you keep this up?