Vacation Success

Usually, when I go on vacation, I worry about going off my diet.  With this particular program, I was double worried - both because of the restrictive nature of my eating and all my Florida food triggers.  So, like a prize fighter before a big match, about two weeks ago, I started thinking seriously about how to do this "vacation thing" without gaining a ton of weight.  And, as with all successes in life, it was all about the planning.


Planning happens for every vacation - flights, cars, hotels - but my planning went further.  I had to get enough product for two weeks, and make sure I knew where I'd be at those mealtimes.  I had to buy clothes for the trip - I had NOTHING that fit me for warm weather.  I shopped for a swimsuit (less painful than I remember!) and shorts, and some lightweight cotton dresses.  Every one of those things was found in the regular clothes section - size XL, 16 or 18. (WOOT!)


Before we arrived, Mom was planning for food, too.  She asked about foods for me and the guys - she wanted to have all our standard fare in the house, especially since the kiddo is still rather limited in what he eats.  I emailed her a list, and she stocked the house with their favorites.  She made sure I had what I needed, too - which was mainly just Crystal Light and lots of water.


On the plane, we slid into our seats and buckled up.  Click!  No extender needed.  I even had to tighten it significantly.  (Can this really be me?)  Then, something truly miraculous happened - I CROSSED MY LEGS.  ON AN AIRPLANE.  Right there - in that moment - I knew vacation would be different this time.  I grinned for 2 hours.


As we drove in from the airport to my parent's house, I was pointing out the window at places I love.  At least 8 times, I heard myself say to my sweet husband, "Oh, I love the food there - it's so good!" or "They have the best salad bar ever!"  Only then did I realize that far too much of my Florida happiness involved food - Five Guys, Sweet Tomatoes, Publix Subs, Mickey Mouse ice cream bars - the list goes on and on.  This was a major realization for me, and I made a mental note to hold onto this the entire time we were there.  My eating life has really changed.


The first two days were easy - we mostly stayed at the house and swam in the pool.  I had three products a day, and felt good about all the water I was drinking.  Max and I played for hours in the water, with me treading water in the deep end for extended amounts of time while throwing a football.  I was in a bathing suit and cotton dresses practically the whole time, which kept me aware of my success - and helped me stay on track.

Mom, Max, Me (and my fanny pack),
Kyle and Rachel.

Monday, we went to Islands of Adventure, to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  I put on my t-shirt and shorts, and felt better in these clothes than I had in YEARS.  I literally have no memories of living in Florida that aren't accompanied by feeling huge and out of shape, so this was a very big deal.  I knew I would sweat (it IS Florida, after all...) but I also knew that I'd be sweating because of the humidity and pummeling heat - not because I was morbidly obese anymore.  I asked my parents for a fanny pack to borrow for the day, since I was always too fat to have one of my own.  When they brought me one, not only did it fit, but I had to TIGHTEN it.  Amazing.


That day, I had two packets of product with me, and was ready to stay on track - which I totally did.  I drank gallons of water (thanks to the brutal heat), and at lunchtime while everyone else had burgers and chicken sandwiches in Jurassic Park, I had a shake.  The diet didn't prevent me from trying a sip of Pumpkin Juice and Butterbeer, but I only needed a taste - not a whole, sugary cup.  (After all, I don't get into Hogsmeade that often.)  I learned a great trick that day, too - I didn't carry my plastic cup for mixing my shakes with me (they get smelly in the heat if they're not washed right away).  I got an empty paper cup and lid, and bottle of cold water, and I made my shakes with ease.  By dinner, we were home and I had successfully stayed on track with all three products that day.  

I have never allowed a photo of
me in a bathing suit before. I
know it's far away and fuzzy, but
it's proof that I wore one.

Tuesday and Thursday were beach days - first at Cocoa Beach, and second at Siesta Beach.  On these days, it was also very easy to stay on track with my products.  I drank lots of water, and felt pretty satisfied.  It also felt GREAT to lay on the beach in my swimsuit, which is something I have NEVER experienced before.  I no longer felt embarrassed, or like I should hide under a long t-shirt - I felt like a totally regular person.  For many fat people, just feeling regular is a big, big deal - including me.  


On Tuesday night, we went to our family's favorite restaurant, La Forchetta, and I had eggplant.  The food there is phenomenal, so I was not going to miss it!  The owners of the restaurant are like family to us, and it was wonderful to see them, and share this place with my hubby and kiddo.  I resisted their bread and pasta like a champ, and enjoyed the meal immensely.  This has become one of my unspoken rules of dieting - if you are faced with food that's amazing, but that you don't get to eat often, you need to eat some of it and enjoy it.  I haven't had La Forchetta's delicious food in years, and it will likely be years before I get it again - so I went for it.  I'm thrilled that I did.


Wednesday we were at the Magic Kingdom, and got soaked!  It rained from Wednesday through the end of the week, but that didn't stop us from venturing out and doing things - nor did it stop me from staying on track.  My only variance: a hot dog on Main Street.  There's one thing I know - in the heat, you have to make sure you have fuel, or your body gets achy and you get crabby-face.  (Ever seen those folks?  Not attractive.)  I had already consumed all my products, but was feeling hungry and a bit weak, so I ate a hot dog.  It kept my crabby-face at bay, and we had a great time.


Friday we traveled home, relaxed, tired and with a little pink in our cheeks.  Again, I had all three products and lots of water.  Sitting in the airport waiting to board our plane, I felt particularly great as the boys had a burger and I had my pudding - I had actually done it.  I had dieted my way through vacation, and it was still awesome.


Before we left, my last weigh in had me at 191 lbs.  Yesterday morning, I got on my scale at home, and it said 188 lbs.  This may be the first time in the history of humankind that someone actually lost weight on vacation.  I don't officially weigh in until this coming Friday, but for now, I am feeling pretty invincible.


This was also the jump start I needed to get through the last leg of the reducing phase on my diet.  Originally, I had hoped to be at my goal weight by June 1, but I'm not quite there yet.  This kind of triumph just means there is absolutely no reason I can't shed these last 20-ish pounds and arrive at my goal weight.  That's kind of a big deal for me, too - because even though I've lost a whole bunch of weight already, actually reaching my goal is still not something I am taking for granted.  I still sometimes wonder if I'll make it all the way to 100 pounds.  But, after this week, I have renewed hope.


If we had chosen to vacation somewhere else - somewhere that didn't involve tons of walking, lots of sweating, gallons of water-drinking, and multiple days in bathing suits and shorts - this may have been a very different blog entry.  If we had gone to a place where there were no friends or family members telling me how great I look, and being so encouraging about my diet, I may have gained a few pounds.  Thanks to the planning, support, and climate, the vacation was a success, from beginning to end.