Will She or Won't She?

Third Creek Greenway - Knoxville, Tennessee

April 30, 2012

Will she or won't she?   Reach goal, that is!   Of course she will - this time around, she has no doubt.  

The question, as always, is WHEN? 

I left home bright and early yesterday morning (Sunday) on the first leg of our summer trip.  I will not be returning home until June 27.  That is just over seven weeks.   But this post is not about the trip and is only indirectly related to travel at all.  It's about reaching a goal that's been within my sight for several weeks now.  And then settling there permanently.  

As of yesterday morning, I am exactly eight pounds from goal.  And I would like very much to be at goal weight when I return home.  That's just a tad over a one pound loss each week I am away.  Some would say I'm crazy!  Eating strategies while traveling or on vacation are frequent subjects floating about in BlogLand especially at this time of year.  They usually include some form of one of the following:

A)  Throw it all to the wind with the idea of "getting right back on plan" and correcting any damage once the trip is over.

B)  Attempting to stay on plan, but allowing some extra treats or eating certain foods not generally consumed when not on vacation.  

C)  Forcing total adherence to a strict plan and feeling deprived.  Especially when the family is enjoying meals/treats not normally had when at home.  

I've written about my philosophy many times and nothing has changed this year.  For me, if anything changes when I'm traveling as opposed to when I'm at home, then it's not a healthy eating plan, it's a "diet!"  I have a certain way of eating every day at home and that way of eating doesn't change when we are traveling.  

But what changes when we travel is the amount of physical activity.  Yes, I walk daily when at home and try to hike at least once weekly, but our travel plans always center around outdoor activities and the level of exercise just naturally increases.  So, for me, travel usually results in weight LOSS rather than weight gain.  Last year, I lost seven pounds while were in Colorado and technically, I wasn't even trying.  

So yes, losing eight pounds over the next seven weeks is totally doable for me.   And I'm asking you to hold me accountable.  Nothing would make me happier than to return home at goal weight.  We've got a cooler full of the same type of foods we normally eat and every single place we are staying over the next seven weeks has a full kitchen.  We enjoy preparing our own meals from items we find at local farmer's markets and grocery stores.  And don't think for one minute, that this is about deprivation or doing without.  I don't do that at home and I won't be doing it here.  Mr. B's ice cream stops are pretty much a daily thing - sometimes, I enjoy one with him.  Sometimes, I don't.  Since I am sugar-free this year, the temptation there is even less.  We traditionally seek out one locally owned restaurant to try in each area we visit and we also try to discover at least one locally owned business to tour and purchase their product.  We are still enjoying coffee (Durango Coffee Company) and honey (Honeyville) that were our prize finds last year.  No, there is no deprivation on our trips! 

Will she or won't she?   What do you think?   Time will tell, but I'm betting on success!

I had a lovely drive of 478 miles yesterday and am enjoying the peace and quiet of a very nice hotel near Dulles airport in Virginia.  Today,  Tish and I are riding the remainder of the W and OD Rail Trail that we began in 2010.  I can't wait to see her again and am excited about completing the trail.  If I'm not completely exhausted (I'm not exactly in bike shape!), I will report about yesterday's journey and the bike ride.

What's Your Vacation/Travel Eating Strategy?

P.S.  While Mr. B and I are traveling, I will be posting much more frequently.   So if you don't use a reader and normally check only on Monday, I hope you'll come back more often!