Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Day 45: I totally blame the shoes. Yup... it's the shoes' fault. (and a SUMMER GIVEAWAY)

You don't really want to hear about my vacation, do you? Okay... I'll give you the Readers Digest version:

My darling husband, the fantastic Dr. Eric Hempel, never takes time off from work. Unless the "time off" includes going to a CME course somewhere so that he can vacation while learning about metabolic syndrome/nutrition/doctor stuff. (yawn.) So I decided a couple of months ago to BLOCK him off of the schedule. No CME courses... no work obligations... just a week off with the family doing family stuff.

Last year I convinced Eric that we needed to buy a boat. He wanted a camper/trailer but I wanted a boat so we ended up with the boat. This year we bought the camper trailer. We took our maiden voyage and headed to the Oregon coast. I thought we had reserved a place that had wi-fi but I was wrong... Sorry, Internet. And you'd think that time without distractions would be a good thing for the Hempels however we wilt, wither, and fade if we can't have our stock reports or people.com websites. (I'll let you decided who looks at what.)


I am married to a man who is almost always correct. I used to argue with him and try to prove my point but in the end, I'd find out that his idea/opinion/thought was right and I was wrong. It's the price I pay for being married to the smartest person I know. I accept it. And after being married 13 years, I've learned to (this is hard to say) listen to him. As we were packing for our trip, he asked me what shoes I was taking. Well, my FitFlops , of course, because they were comfortable and matched all of my outfits. ONE pair. Minimal packing. Easy. Eric said "you're not going to be able to hike or bike in those" and I said "I'll be FINE." Should have listened...

When we got to the coast and I started climbing around on the rocks, I quickly realized that my FitFlops weren't very stable. They shifted and were hard to maneuver in. I lost my confidence and my drive to be...

active.

This is where the trouble began.

See, when my shoes weren't working for me... I had an excuse. I couldn't go hiking because I didn't have the right shoes. I couldn't ride my bike because my shoes were too loose and it would be too cumbersome. And when you go to the Oregon coast, there's a lot of clam chowder. And the fish and chips... WOW. And while we're out to dinner, let's have a dessert because WE'RE ON VACATION AND ALL, right???

Do you see where I'm going with this...?

And being married to the man I am married to... he offered to buy me a new pair of shoes. (I believe he could see how badly I was tanking.) We went to the Nike store and as I stood in the aisle with hundreds of pairs of Nike tennis shoes staring at me from floor to ceiling I said "I just can't justify buying another pair of athletic shoes. I have three pairs at home. Now, where did you want to get lunch?" Yes... yes, it was that bad.

Now we're home. And I have not gotten on the scale but I can tell that I gained a couple few pounds. Dang it. I bought and paid for those pounds. And I ate my way right to them. And really... they didn't bring me that much joy. Each meal made me feel guilty because I knew I was making bad choices. And then I was down on myself and my confidence was gone and I would see my reflection in the shop windows and I didn't see myself as a work in progress but more as a chubby chick with a hot husband. And I began to dig myself deeper... and deeper... and deeper... (I know none of you can relate, right?)

But listen, I forgive myself. I'm wearing my naughtiness around my waist and I've seen the light. It's all about being prepared. I didn't think things through. When we know better we do better. This weekend we're heading to Lake Shasta to meet up with some med school friends and we're taking a lot of protein drinks, water, healthy foods, and tennis shoes. Maybe 2 pairs.


One thing I've found that I like to eat in the summer (and really all year round) is shish kabobs. You can load them up with all kinds of healthy/yummy meats, fruits, and vegetables. They look fancy and they taste GREAT. When you cook on the grill, you don't heat up the house which is a TOTAL bonus. I want you to eat shish kabobs, too. And since I can't come over to your place to make them for you, I'm going to have to give you the proper tools to make your own. Today I'm giving away one Weber 1520 Propane Gas Grill. I chose this giftie because it's something you can use at home OR at the Oregon coast. (and if you take it to the coast, let me know & I'll meet you over there.)

I'm also including a set of four Outset Stainless Steel skewers to the winner because I only have the bamboo sticks. And I forget to soak them in water so they catch on fire while I'm grilling & I get all mad at myself. If I had the stainless steel ones, I wouldn't have that problem now, would I?

If you would like to be entered to win the Weber gas grill along with the Outset skewers, please answer the following question in this post's comments section:

How do YOU stay motivated towards your weight loss/fitness goals while you're on vacation? 

I will accept entries for this contest through midnight, July 25th, 2010. The winner will be announced on Monday, July 26th, 2010. Only one entry per person... The winner is responsible for claiming their prize by emailing me at rebuildingamy@gmail.com. Meaning: I won't come hunt you down unless you have a bowl of clam chowder and some fish and chips tied around your neck. Wait... I gave that bad stuff up. Just email me if you win. Is that so hard?

I'll be posting tomorrow (Thursday) and then I'm off to Shasta. I'll probably post Friday, too, since I ditched you last week. See? I really DO care!

20 comments:

Unknown said...

I have to say that I don't stay very motivated on vacation. I eat whatever I want because I am on vacation.
I am heading to Montana soon to visit my parents and this time I will be motivated to stay on track. Why??? Because my Dad weights less then I do. If that is not motivation I don't know what else is.
I should win because I am brave enough to admit I weigh more then my Dad.

Michelle said...

On my most recent vacation the only motivation I needed was that the bathing suit I couldn't fit into 3 months prior was the one I was wearing. Granted I did indulge, but I knew I was going to have to weigh in and own up at the end of vacation and I didn't want to spoil my memory of my trip by being angry about the amount of weight I gained.

Suz said...

I stay motivated by being in the camper...we have limited space and limited food storage and we are usually in the middle of the mountains somewhere, meaning I can't just browse the cupboards and graze when I can't find something else to do. And, we have limited clothing, so if I over indulge with something gut busting I'll only fit in my elastic waist pajama pants. Lack of options = Staying on track.

Jennifer said...

Most of our vacations revolve around very active extreme sports. Yeah. See we are extreme sports enthusiasts trapped in chubby bodies. Not a good combination. Less than a month and I'll be hiking 3 trails in the mountains around Tahoe and I haven't had any serious exercise since March when I hiked in Moab.

So I tend to have the opposite problem - vacation exercise and motivation good to go. Home exercise and motivation severely lacking.

I can see it now - huffing and puffing my way along trying to keep up with the 4x4s so I can take photos. All the while arguing with myself as to why I didn't just keep on working out after Moab.

Its an annual struggle that I need to resolve :)

Kinder said...

I'm in, and if I win I will totally bring it to the coast next summer with me! I love the Oregon Coast! YOu must live close (how lucky are you?!).

Vacations are hard, but also need to be enjoyed, so all you can do is get back on the wagon! That's what I am doing this week! Happy Thursday, Amy!

Jodi said...

Hey, a vacation is a vacation. You should be able to enjoy it. I do, however, try to choose an activity that I wouldn't normally do at home. As for eating, hmmmm, hard when you are at restaurants that offer much more and different yummy things compared to KF! No worries, don't slash the other 3 tires and pick up where you left off when you get home. Have fun at Shasta!

natioam said...

Usually wherever we go on vacation is freakin hot and I can't eat big meals when I'm freakin hot. Love summer time tomatoes...cold. Now, when it is freakin hot it is hard to get myself to go outside, but my husband drags me along and that is my motivation.

Kimberly said...

I try to pack the protein and watch my portions when we eat out. I like the buffets for that reason, so that I can choose my portions and NOT have the leftovers to think about (I paid for that, I better eat it). I also make sure that I eat or drink some protein 15 mins. before we eat. Makes me more full for longer.

Probst Pride said...

I'm not at all motivated while on vacay - thats what vacays are for! we just got back from shasta on Monday... loved it!!! was sooo much fun... heads up... there is a speed trap just outside of Dorris til you get to the ranger station. I learned the hard way. Also, I will be stopping by tonight to drop off your complementary fire hat so that when you do catch the bamboo sticks on fire, you'll fit right in with my firefighters and then no body will have to know you're the one that caught them on fire... btw, it's a pink fire hat, so you might stick out a little bit.
xoxox

Unknown said...

My motivation for eating right and staying active is simple, I don't want to come back from my vacation, with too many souvenirs. Don't get me wrong I love to eat and try to eat often,... I just try to choose the whole food choices. Real food without to much prep. Like grilled foods,mmmmmm. As for excerise; adventures are a great way to explore and get excersise too. Our kids like to bike race around the campground as well as walking our dog. Our last trip was to the Oregon coast, a run/Chase along the beach is fun and yet a great work out for the butt and legs.

Alison West said...

You are right vactioning and healthly is hard!!!!! but planning is the key. We too have a camper so I buy my favorite "healthy" granola bars, suger free ice creams etc and load them in camper. For eating out I get the "speciality" I want like fish and chips but box up 1/2 before I start to eat (out of sight out of mind) and that works for me. I will be going to the coast for Alexis' 13th birhtday my youngest and she is bringing 3 girlfriends to share her birthday. We will be camping hubby and I and 4 teenage girls so wish me luck and send the grill my way so we can have healthy dinners !!!!!!!!!!!! Oh yeah and feel free to come join us Harris beach State Park in Brookings August 24-28th !!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I stay motivated by making sure to incorporate physical activity into our vacation activities! Biking, going on a hike, going window shopping, and going swimming are some of my families favorite activities. :)

happy_haylee_3(at)hotmail(dot)com

Kristin S said...

I sure hope that your wise readers have some helpful hints, my family is going on vacation in less than two weeks, to the land of beer, cheese, and brats...I'm going to need help.

When we are away from home the one thing that keeps me motivated is all of my thin family and friends. While shopping during our last vacation my older skinnier sister asked me "Do you know how hard it is to find a size 2 petite?" Definitely not someone I'm going to eat a slab of cheesecake in front of.

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Cupboard Love said...

I let myself splurge a little on vacation - I pick one restaurant that I really, really want to indulge at, and then I stick with my diet strictly for the rest by packing meals and scoping out menus ahead of time.

Allison Juarez said...

Love ur blog! So much fun to read.

I stay motivated when I am on vacation because of the weather. Las vegas heat is so unbearable, I hate leaving the house during the summer here. So when we go on vacation to cali or Utah, I make sure that we all take long walks/hikes enjoying the cooler weather. I also get sick of fast food really fast, so we'll start eating healthy again after a meal or two. Plus, california has better veggies and fruits than vegas does, so we take advantage of that. :)

Unknown said...

You'll get it! I'm quite proud of myself b/c I just went on a long weekend and ate mostly heathly, and that let me enjoy the not so healthy choices!

Rachel Garcia said...

I cannot believe your husband offered to buy you shoes and you said "NO" Are you crazy woman? I just try to remeber that even on vaca it still goes right to your butt!!!

The Duckworth Family said...

Lol, I used to soak my sticks too until I got to lazy and realized that i didn't need to! We got this new grill and it doesn't seem to burn the sticks, I can't explain it, I love it and I LOVE shrimp on them. Like really IN love...I could have them ever night! Although the contest is over during my trip to Illinois I was able to exercise every day. I would get up early, stick baby in stroller and go. My motivation? To do it early before the it was 90 degrees outside! It was still about 80 the last day I went out at 6:00 am! I ate really good too, crazy usually I have a hard time on vacay, but I had gone with a plan, stuck to it pretty good, but it helped that I was with my family who eats pretty healthy! Hope you guys had fun this weekend!