Kelly Brown Says: Take it Off | Week 31: Vacation hangover

Oh vacation. You were so glorious yet so awful. I will miss your carefree days but I am glad to get back to a routine. Last week we took a road trip to Niagara Falls, Canada. I was nervous about this trip. Temptation abounds when I am out of my routine: fast food, Starbucks, drinks with dinner and oh my goodness Tim Horton's (SO glad these are not prevalent in the US).

Thankfully, Medifast travels really well! I packed bars aplenty, I pre-made muffins from oatmeal, I made chips from the soup and I pre-cooked brownies. I had indulged in a drink (just one!) at dinner two nights last week but overall I did really well. I ate salads with dressings on the side, avoided snacking and drank lots and lots of water (though probably not enough). I did really well staying on plan until about day four.

Day four. *sigh* Four days of minimal amounts of sleep from sharing hotel rooms with a toddler that doesn't like to sleep. And when she does sleep, it's like that scene from the 3 Stooges where Curly is spinning around on his side on the floor. Oh and she talks in her sleep. Fun times. She also woke up pre-dawn every day.

Here comes the word vomit.

So we have:

- Lack of sleep

- vacation bloat making me feel like crap - pun intended (omg to be regular again!)
- limited bathroom access = being cautious about water intake
- watching husband and kid chow down on whatever they want
- being trapped in a car with a 3yo that won't nap or zip her lip (oh yeah, constant talking in waking AND sleeping hours. Lucky me!)

By day four, I was done. I had lost all hope for maintaining any kind of routine or normalcy. Whatever chemical it is in your brain that makes you crave bad food when you are tired, it kicked into overdrive for me. Y'all, on day four and part of day five, I totally fell off the wagon. I had full fat, full sugar coffee drinks, fried everything, and there was a really big margarita in there somewhere.

I am trying to not beat myself up about it because we all have these times, right? But I've got my tail between my legs big time. I was doing so well. Before the trip my nutritionist said to me 'Eat to live, don't live to eat.' And that had been my mantra and I woke up Wednesday morning (day 4) and it all fell apart. I wanted to be home. I wanted to be away from continental breakfasts, every meal at a restaurant, coffee joints on every corner, snacks, snacks and more snacks.

Really there are no excuses. I just caved. By Friday I thought that my good habits were back in order. I was feeling good, I was maintaining my weight. Then Saturday night came and I had a few drinks while working on a project. So...vacation was fun but staying on plan...I wouldn't call it a complete wash but I certainly would not dare utter the word success in regard to this week. I managed to lose a half pound, exceeding my goal to maintain. But I am bummed that I didn't stick to things better.

It's a new week though. I am excited because I am finally going to get back into my exercise routine. I am starting the Couch to 5k tonight. I struggle to find the time to exercise and I really can't spend the money on a gym right now. Especially since I know I won't get there most days to make it worth the money. So C25k it is. I can hang with a half hour a day and a 2.99 download. Since I haven't really rewarded myself with any mini-goal gifts, I've decided to splurge on something to encourage me in my exercise routine. I'm going to get myself a FitBit. I've been eyeing this for a while but stuck with a watch-style monitor that I don't love. Time to upgrade and treat myself!

I'm also excited because my in-laws are coming to town. My husband has told them about my Medifast journey but (as far as I know) they don't read this blog. I'm not sure they've even seen photos of me yet and its been quite a while since they've seen me. The last time they saw me, I looked like this:

I was totally cute but holy unhealthy! I get tired just looking at those photos. So much weight to lug around every day!

And this is what they will see this weekend (minus a few more pounds!)

Yes. I'm wearing the green shirt again. My wardrobe is a tad limited these days.

So here's to a new week and getting back on track! If you see me passed out on the side of the road, please stop and pause my C25k app. I don't want to miss any of it! :)

Month One: -16 lbs

Month Two: -5 lbs

Month Three: -6 lbs

Month Four: -6 lbs

Month Five: -6 lbs

Month Six: -8.5 lbs
Month Seven: -7.5 lbs

Week twenty nine: -1 lbs

Week thirty: -2 lbs
Week thirty one: -0.5 lbs

Total: 58.5 lbs gone forever!
Current weight: 181.5 lbs
Distance from goal: 41.5 lbs!!

If you're interested in trying Medifast, I have a great deal for you! Use the code TURNIP50 to get $50 off an order of $275.

*FTC Disclosure: Medifast provides their products for my personal use for free. I am not paid or compensated in any other way for mentioning their products. All thoughts written here are mine. I love complaining so I would tell you if I didn't like something in the program. :)