vacation | The Healthy Houdat

So my break pretty much went as expected. I ate foods I rarely do (mmm Twizzlers!). I enjoyed my share of adult beverages. I rested and did some light workouts (probably good for my injury). And I gained 5 lbs.

BUT…I enjoyed myself. And I remember why I’ve classified such things as “treats”…if enjoyed regularly, they will get in the way of my healthy lifestyle. Vacations are special occasions, and now I’ve associated these things that way. I’m happy with that 🙂

It also renewed my craving for the structure I’ve created for myself the past 3+ months. So what am I doing to get back on track?

1. Sunday, I started tracking what I eat again. It wasn’t perfect…still a few too many calories as I was still in vacation mindset. But it was a start.

2. I’m making sure I get active again. I did a walk/run Sunday, hit the gym for weights yesterday, and plan to bike tonight. I’m still not 100% on intensity yet since I’m still healing, but getting moving again feels good.

3. Once I started tracking what I was eating again, it was easier on Monday to get back to a more reasonable calorie intake. That means getting active if eating something a little indulgent. And with my Fitbit back online (yeah, another bump…my Fitbit died Saturday. But now I have a pretty new violet one!), I can see how active (or not) I am during the day at work.

4. Next up will be keeping my sleep schedule on track. I fully caught up on any sleep debt on vacation, but I fudged that a little last night with chores and having to be up today for jury duty (meaning, a longer commute). I’ll get my arms back around that tonight.

5. I’m also paying more attention to my hydration. Got 68 oz. of water yesterday! I did a decent job on vacation, but I know this is key to success moving forward (and maybe why I only gained 5 instead of 7 or 10 pounds).

Overall, I’m still glad I took the break. After being so mindful for so long (nearly 100 days straight), I needed a pause. But I wouldn’t recommend doing the same without a plan to get back to it soon after!

I’ll keep you posted as I reboot.

Thanks Elizabeth for snapping this fun photo at our reunion 🙂

I’ve pretty much stuck to my healthy lifestyle plan for 13 weeks. That’s a quarter of the year, y’all! In that time, I’ve dropped about 10 pounds, my clothes are fitting better (including some I haven’t worn in 10 years!) and overall, I feel just plain better on a day to day basis. Maybe that’s because the conscious eating, exercising and supplements are allowing me to rest better, too.

So in the spirit of rest, I’m on an official “break” from my plan. I just wrapped up one trip (see the photo above from my 20th reunion…how did we get that old already?!?) and I am in the middle of a week off from work, which I’ll spend relaxing and retreating. After tracking what I eat for nearly 100 days straight, I’ve decided to put that on pause.

This article sums up why I’m doing this. Basically, it’s good to have an off-season, mentally and physically. Athletes do it, so why not me? After all, I’ll be officially starting training for the half marathon soon (at today’s therapy session, I got clearance to try some very light running this week!).

I believe that this time off will allow me to get back to my healthy ways with an renewed enthusiasm and appreciation. And I’ll have a chance to enjoy some foods that are squarely in the “occasional treat” category now.

This is a lifestyle for me, not just a quick diet to follow until I reach a weight goal. I need to learn how to make it livable, and for me, that includes short, scheduled breaks. With a plan to get back to it afterwards (which I will do with another 24 Day Challenge in about 10 days).

I’ll keep you posted on the progress. Until then, you’ll probably be seeing a few photos like the one above of me enjoying my break!