I'm Still Here

I'm still here, folks.  It takes several days for me to get my legs back under me at work when I'm out.    Even though it seems a little far removed now, I thought I'd share some NSV's I had at the beach.  First, I need to explain my vacation mindset.  It is something along the lines of "nothing counts on vacation"  or "there are no rules on vacation."  I relish not having a set schedule since my day to day life is quite schedule driven.  I like going to bed when I feel like it an getting up when I wake up, rather than when I have to. 

In years past, that mindset bled over into the food world.  I felt like not only did the rules for healthy nutrition didn't apply, but also I should eat as much as possible while it was 'free' so to speak.  I've tamed that beast a bit over the years.  I still think it is important to allow indulgences on special occasions and in special situations.  Denial of those treats, for me, leads do a resentment of sorts, which blows up in to making even worse choices down the road.

So, the first NSV is that I really considered what indulgences I wanted and were worth it on this trip.  I had two in particular, one was resurrecting an old tradition of ours, which was to get a frozen apple pie and vanilla ice cream to have in the room one night.  When we went to the store to get healthy snacks for the week, we picked up a pie & some ice cream.  I got the smallest one of both so as to avoid leftovers.  I had a nice slice with some ice cream and enjoyed every bite.

That leads me to my next NSV.  It made me sick.  I've thought a time or two that when I've allowed myself a lot of sugar, it upsets my stomach.  This time just confirmed that idea.  I'm glad that my body is now so used to the good stuff that it rejects the bad stuff.

I still have one huge area for improvement however, and that is portion control.  We ate out a lot.  Restaurants just serve too large of portions.  65MD and I often split entrees, or I order the appetizer portion.  When it is feasible I get a to go box.  But there were times when none of those things is an option.  I have a very hard time leaving food on my plate.  Most of this stems from the idea that it is wasteful (remember those starving children in China?), not necessarily from a desire to eat beyond saitey.  Luckily, this does not happen very often.  Most of the time we eat at home, or I exercise one of my other options.  I have started by trying to leave just a bite or two on my plate just to do it.  Maybe in time, I'll be able to leave larger portions once I'm full.  I have a feeling this is like any other sort of exercise and I'll have to just work up to it.

All in all, I think it was a very successful trip eating wise.  In my next post, I'll share one more story about the trip.  A very pleasant surprise that still makes me smile when I think of it.