Vacation Fever

And another dimension of The New Normal


In a couple of weeks The Hubs and the dog and I will be getting ready to leave for our first vacation in 20 months.  That may not sound like a big deal, and it may not sound like all that long a time since we took a vacation.  But for a long time, we have been able to take at least 1 trip a year to a beachy location, and the occasional weekend trip to a cabin in the mountains near our home.  I'll admit, I've gotten spoiled.  But we work hard and those trips have been wonderful rewards for our work, as well as a way to recover from life's stresses and recharge our physical and emotional batteries.

Our last vacation was in September 2011, just about a month before our first consultation with my weight loss surgeon.  We had been to an informational seminar the month before, just to get some basic information about the process.  Our vacation was a bit of a belated 25th wedding anniversary gift to ourselves and each other, a 2 week trip to a favorite vacation spot, St. Simons Island, Georgia.  Never in our history had we been able to take 2 weeks off, and it was a glorious time of relaxation, a little sightseeing, reconnecting and, for me, hours upon hours of uninterrupted reading and crafting.  I read 3 books, completed 2 baby scrapbooks, worked on my ongoing family scrapbook project, and made I-don't-know-how-many photo note cards on that trip, as well as writing a bunch of letters.  Actual, handwritten, snail-mail letters.

Vacations for us have traditionally been a "sleep-all-we-want-eat-what-we-want-and-when-we-want-it" proposition.  A big indulgence for me on trips has been junk cereal.  Prior to surgery I was a big cereal eater, but for years my cereal of choice was low-fat granola.  Not a bad choice, but all carbs, and not part of my food plan any longer.  Vacations were the time when I allowed myself the treat of what I call Kooky Poofs (my generic name for sweetened wheat puffs like Sugar Smacks, Super Golden Crisps and the like).  Oh, how I loved me some Kooky Poofs!  Of course, there were other treats as well...cookies and crackers that we didn't usually keep around the house, Little Debbie snacks for the road trip down and back, all manner of unhealthy foods.

So, I am naturally feeling a little...not afraid, exactly, but a bit nervous, about how to integrate The New Normal into our vacation fun.  The Hubs has been on his own journey of shrinking, without surgical intervention (and he's doing great at it, by the way), so he may be wondering about our new food and fitness routines as well.  The only thing I've mentioned to him so far is that I want to climb the lighthouse this trip.  He climbed it once on an earlier trip during another period of weight loss for him, and did great.  I've never done it and I look forward to accomplishing this goal.  The house we have reserved for the week has a pool and I am praying that it's hotter than blazes while we're there so we can really enjoy using it.  Fun and joint friendly exercise.  A little exercise is built in when the dog joins us on a trip as well, because he needs walks a few times a day, and our little guy is going with us this trip.  He seems to enjoy the change of scenery as much as we do!

Our last trip was also 121 pounds ago for me, and at least 50 pounds ago for The Hubs.  I am thinking that has got to make a difference in our enjoyment of the trip.  Quality of life is a big part of why people decide they want to lose weight, and since my everyday quality of life is better, vacation may well be more enjoyable too.

I have always enjoyed trips with The Hubs and taking a break from the routine.  But honestly, there have been humiliations along the way in some of the places we've stayed over the years...bathtubs I couldn't fit into, steep staircases that hurt my ankles and hips, having to make sure our restaurant choices had tables and not just booths.  I am a lot more comfortable and confident in approaching new environments now because I can fit my body into smaller spaces.  The house we've reserved is the one we stayed in the last time we went there in 2011, so it isn't a truly new environment, but other places on the island may be as we may wish to do more exploring than we have in the past.  There are many places I want to see and photograph, and now that I have more energy, I may actually go and do that!

Our food choices will need to be healthier ones, while not feeling like we're totally depriving ourselves.  Moderation in these things is very important, including knowing when a little splurge is permissible.  I am learning along the way that I can allow myself the occasional small treat without wrecking my stomach and my program completely.  It just needs to indeed be occasional and small.  So...

Maybe a very small box of Kooky Poofs?

I'll let you know what I decide!