Post Vacation Reality Check

Last week we went on a family vacation.  It was a lot of fun relaxing and spending time with my extended family.  I tried to make healthy choices for my meals and get outside and play often.  Still when I stepped on the scale the morning after getting home I was greeted with a higher number than when I left.  AARRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!  I stomped out of the bathroom, grumbling as I unpacked my suitcase but then I stopped.  Here again is a moment to get stuck or keep moving forward.  So I gained weight.  Part of it was due to eating more salt than I am used to so a few days of rehydrating should help.  I also had allowed myself to get a killer sunburn on my legs and they were very swollen while my body recovered from the abuse.  I had some additional swelling from a killer fall (while jogging on a hiking trail) resulting in a very large and colorful bruise on my hip.  That on top of drinking more alcohol than usual, sampling an array of sweets, and yes I gained some weight.  So it is what it is.  I tried deconstructing my week to see where I fell off the rails but I really feel like I did quite well over all.  My husband and I made sure to supply the house with colorful fruits and veggies for snacking and most days I had as close to my normal breakfast as possible.  In the evenings I tried to eat lightly and have a small amount of dessert if not skip it all together.  I really feel comfortable with the choices I made. 


The first morning of the trip a group of us went outlet shopping.  I had the best time popping in and out of the clothing stores.  My family has been taking this trip every other year for about 18 years.  During that time I have spent many a shopping day picking through the slim selection of double and triple extra large items.  This year I combed the racks for bargains not sizes.  I scored cute clothes left and right and not only were the sizes lacking X's quite a few of them were mediums!  I still have to pinch myself when I think that there are medium sized clothes in my closet.  I almost get a little teary eyed.


The day of the hike was another highlight of the week.  Growing up my parents tried to take us kids hiking several times during the summer.  I would always feel nervous anticipating being winded, tired, hot and generally uncomfortable.  Now when I set out on a hike I feel excited to see new scenery, breath fresh air, and feel my body move the way it is supposed to.  This hike did not disappoint.  The trail was easy and the views were so pretty.  I hiked the first half with my son on my back and didn't even notice the extra weight.  At the turn around point I knew that I could have gone on much further but we were not prepared for more than a few miles.  It is such a liberating feeling to get out in nature and work my body only to finish and feel good instead of pain and discomfort.  


(Well that is actually a little bit of a fib: see at the end of the hike we were on a wide flat dirt path and I asked my sister if she wanted to jog back to the car with me.  We started down the trail and after a short distance I caught my toe on a rock and went down in a spectacular fashion. My shirt and pants were coated in fine dust and my hands and arms were a bit skinned.  I also smacked my left hip really good and could feel it stiffen up right away.  I shook it off and was mostly okay but it was a little jarring and the bruise to my hip was pretty stunning two days later.  I also found out that from a couple hundred feet behind us my dad saw me go down and immediately asked "where are that boy's parents, you shouldn't run on a hiking trail."  Thanks Dad.)


This week my goal is to recover from my vacation injuries and get my body back to normal.  I have no desire to erase my vacation, just to use it as a way to celebrate my success and continue to learn as I move forward.  At the end of the day getting away from it all and being with people I love will always be the most important part of the trip.




Photo Gallery:

Delicious whole grain waffles my dad made.
He asked if they were good enough to make it into the blog.
Yep they sure were!

The craziest, most painful sunburn ever!

A view from the trail along the Deshutes River in central Oregon.