We have all set out on vacation all excited with the promise of not having to go to work, taking off our watches and experiencing new places and things. Vacation planning also comes with that little voice in our head telling us “you are not going to eat like a cow whilst on vacation”, “you are going to eat salads and love them” and the ever popular “fast food is bad and makes you fat. Don’t do it.”
So we set out in the car for our fun and fabulous journey with the best health conscious thoughts. That is until we have been driving for hours and your stomach starts to rumble. It is at this point the diligently packed rice cakes begin to taste like cardboard and you start obsessing about the burger. With a side of salty fries.
This is my friend’s painful vacation journey with the Health Conscious Food Fairy on one shoulder and the Just Eat The Burger, You Know You Want To Devil on the other shoulder:
Before I left on holiday, I already had in my mind that I wanted to start Weight Watchers but, NOT while on holiday, of course. My intention was to keep a food journal to see where I go wrong and to fix it from there. While on holidays, "where I went wrong" was blatantly obvious (Cheesecake Factory twice, McDonalds 3 or more times, In N Out Burger, Denny's, TGI Friday's, couple of hot dogs here and there.......need I say more). Anyway, I didn't get far in my so called journal but here is what I wrote.
Titled: Diary of a Food Obsessed, Trying To Watch What I Eat Woman - On Vacation.
Day One
Breakfast Day 1 - bowl of Mini-Wheats with skim milk - I tried not to be excessive with those scrumptious little devils - probably ended up with more than I should have anyway - that was at 7:30 am.
My stomach's been a little nervous as I get this way before travelling. Good news is I usually don't feel like eating much.
12:30 - We've been on the road for 5 hours. Just had 1/2 of granola bar. Stomach still a little "not right" but hungry too. We passed a McDonald's about an hour ago but if you thought the kids were hungry then, you should see them now. We're in the middle of Nowheresville with not a building, restaurant (person!) in sight.
BTW - I almost started my vacation last night with a Teen Burger & onion rings. I went for a jog and swore I was going to get home, jump in my car @ head on down to A&W. Thankfully I did not.
1:32 pm - Oh. My. God. (Jen Lancaster style). THAT WAS THE BEST BIG MAC EVER!!!
7:30 pm - Arrive in Cottage Cove, Oregon for our sleep over before driving to San Francisco in the morning. We head over to a lovely little diner and I order salad and soup (given the days earlier burger fiasco).
DAY TWO
I'm a day late writing so all I can remember is dinner at the Rainforest Cafe - Veggie burger minus the bun - but - I had it with potato chips. The rest of yesterday is a blur (or I blocked it out).
DAY THREE
Before I begin - we did a bit of walking today so chop some calories off the following:
Breakfast buffet @ the hotel (Hyatt). I truly only had 2 slices of bacon, small scramble of eggs, slice of canteloupe, decaf coffee, 1/2 blueberry muffin. Not so bad right?
We ate lunch at what is basically a sourdough factory (yum). I ate maybe 2 bites of my sandwich then a slice of the boy's thin crust cheese pizza (I'd like to emphasize the thin crust part), water to drink. I wasn't overly hungry. Possibly full on Jelly Belly's.....or I was saving room for the Cheesecake Factory later that night (best restaurant ever btw).
Our day carries on after lunch - Alcatraz, walking lots, trolley bus and public transit to Golden Gate Bridge and then the cab to the Cheesecake Factory - 2 words my friend - FETTUCINE ALFREDO. I also ordered the Strawberry Shortcake, took it back to the room but never ate it. Did I mention they serve warm, yummy bread?
UM…. THE REST OF THE TRIP
The rest of the 2 weeks went to hell in a handbasket. If I could draw a hill and me going down it....well, you know how it is. Ironically, I did come home weighing 1 pound lighter than before I left. Maybe I didn't eat as often? Maybe it was the walking? Hellooo Weight Watchers!
