7 Days of Struggle

I did it! I knocked out the first 7 days of my goal to be fit by 40. It was kind of a trial run. Kind of because I spent the week on vacation. The first thing I learned is that I am not very smart. Who starts such an ambitious, lifestyle change while on vacation? This girl. Not just any vacation but one that involved staying in town over a holiday weekend. And not just any holiday, 4th of July holiday. You know, the one that involves eating lots of BBQ washed down with empty calorie beverages and little cupcakes with patriotic sprinkles. So, it wasn't an ideal time to start but is there really a perfect time to exercise more, eat less and change old habits??? So, I jumped right in.

It all started so....poorly. Well, it didn't start poorly; Monday went well. I ate within reason and made it a point to go for a walk. Yay me. Tuesday started off good. Then, something horrible happened.

Horrible might be a slight overstatement. Tuesday means a weigh-in and a new weekly allowance on Weight Watchers. The weigh in went splendid - down 2.4 lbs. There is nothing like a good weigh in to fuel the fire in your belly. I was ready to Chuck Norris the heck out of the week. To celebrate, we spent a kidless afternoon watching the World Cup. The day was filled with laughter, patriotism and delicious food and drink. And that is where the week took a disastrous turn. 

Let's just say it is possible to make multiple bad choices when you spend the afternoon watching a sporting event at a local pub. Buffalo Chicken Dip? Yes please. Corona Light? Nothing says USA better than a Mexican beer. 1 lb of Fried Chicken Wings? With Extra Ranch? If you insist. You get the point! 

Speaking of points....I used all of my daily points for Tuesday and then some. And by some, I mean a lot. Wow. Did that just happen? Yes. Was it worth it? YES! I had a glorious afternoon with my husband watching a great game. On the downside, I knew I had to spend the rest of the week repenting for my excessive eating spree. Which leads me to Wednesday.

The best part about overeating with someone else is that they totally let you sweep it under the rug and move on. No guilt trips, no public shaming, no lectures. They just let it go. Sure, they witnessed you gnawing on tiny chicken bones and licking the remnants of greasy hot sauce off your fingers. But, they have your back. They know it was all innocent fun never to be discussed again. 

Apparently, not Kirt. On Wednesday, he proposed we walk 5 miles together. Worst proposal ever. 5 miles? I was barely doing 2. 5? That's more than half. Didn't he love me? Why was he intent on killing me? What about the children? Surely, he had lost his mind. After several excuses on my end, he called me out. If I wanted to be Fit by 40, I had to get going. Well...he was right. I admit it. I waived the white flag and off we went to conquer 5 miles. 

10,200 steps, 5.22 miles and 7 Weight Watcher activity points later, I felt AMAZING. Partly because I did it but mainly because I enjoyed it. So much so that I spent the rest of the week walking. I walked 2 miles to pick up my car. I went on two family walks and then continued on my own to get in additional miles. 21 activity points of walking total in 4 days.

Why is this important? Because I spent the rest of the week eating foods I love including pork steaks smothered in sauce, my mom's potato salad, pizza and a few more Corona's. I needed every bit of my weekly allowance and activity points this week. I still have two more days to go until weigh in and a fresh set of weekly points but I know I can make it. Did I gain weight this week? We'll see.

Here we are celebrating the holiday. My raisin gut is bulging out but full. My face is round but smiling. My spirit is recharged after a week away from work. My heart is happy.