Friday, October 19, 2012

The aftermath and a giveaway

Now that I've updated you on vacation, I'll update you on the aftermath and getting back to it.  The upswing in sugar, sodium coupled with the lack of water "blessed" me with a 12 lb gain upon my return.  I wasn't excited but I've been here before and I knew what to do.  The next day we got right back to it.  We drank a ton of water, went to the grocery store and stocked up on lean meats, fruits and veggies and such and got right back to exercise.  Well I got back to normal exercise and Mr "I'mma hurl my ass down a wet sand dune and pull my pectoral muscle and pop my breastbone" is doing modification exercise which mainly consists of the treadmill.  I can tell he's frustrated but it's working.

The first two workouts I did coming back were hard and seemed to stretch out forever.  Thankfully the rest of the week got easier but there is nothing to slap the sense of a little time off from your regular routine than those first two workouts.  You feel so much heavier and not just the weight you put on but like 50-70 lbs heavier.  Everything flops harder, hangs lower and even the weights feel heavier.  That week was the best my sprained thumb has felt in months and I'll be danged if it isn't all screwed up again after 2 1/2 pretty minimal strength sessions this week.  I've been keeping all of my meals on the low end of my calorie range instead of calorie cycling so I could hopefully get more off quicker.

I've got 11 lbs off so far and hoping to have the rest of that particular gain off soon!  I say that particular gain because like an idiot we went ahead and had our high cal day the day before we left so I had my usual "you're up 5 pounds even though you barely ate enough calories to warrant a one pound gain."  So yeah, I guess you could call it a 17 lb gain from my "lowest weight" of 279 (5 from high cal day then the 12 from the trip) but with the 11 off I've got 6 more to go and given it's coming off 2-3 lbs per day, I'm hoping Sunday morning will show me a little love.  (Since Sunday is the Mr's party, we're flip flopping high cal day to Sunday so we can enjoy without worrying about it)  Man, wouldn't it be nice if it came off 2 lbs per day all the time.  *sinking back in my chair and dreaming of a world where that's possible.*  But still 11 lbs over the course of 4 days is a good start and I usually say if I can come back from a trip like that with about a 4-5 lb gain after a week back on the plan, I'm okay with it.

It amazes me that when we would be in this situation years ago that we'd look at the scale, get depressed about the gain, eat because we were depressed, not exercise because "why bother?" and let it roll out of control.  All it took was to get right back to the routine and things would've gotten back on track.  It just sucks it takes so long to learn an easy lesson.  *Sigh*

For those who don't know, northern Michigan is considered the cherry capital so of course I had to spread the cherry love.


We got hooked on these dried cherries covered in milk chocolate (SO good!) from this great place called Cherry Stop and on the Mr's birthday picked up a jar of sweet cherry jam from The Cherry Hut.  My mother in law likes to do this appetizer when you soften a block of cream cheese then pour the cherry jam over the top and scoop crackers in it.  Might be fun for the upcoming holidays...if it makes it that long.

====================
Like this post? Don't miss another one...subscribe via email or RSS feed. Prefer social media? I'm also on Facebook and Twitter

50 comments:

  1. So glad to hear you are right back on it with less than half left to lose! Woot! I hope the Mr. Is recovering quickly! I applaud him for going all for it and rolling down those dunes, even though it ended in a less than desirable way. But it is now yet another memory on those dunes with two people he loves that he will never forget!! Mm cherries, mm chocolate, sounds like a little slice of heaven, CHERRY ME!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love cherries,so, please, CHERRY ME!!!! Good job getting back at it, you'll be back down in no time.

    ReplyDelete
  3. yup getting right back to it, is a good thing. Good job.

    Love those chocolate covered cherries. so yes CHERRY ME!

    have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  4. CHERRY ME please lol

    That's so awesome that you've gotten back down so quickly! Wanna come kick my butt in gear? Haha
    My friend does the block of cream cheese thing too but she put this jalapeno jelly stuff on it and I've seen others use other jams/jellies

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am in awe of your ability to take off the vacation weight so quickly. Of course, if I worked as hard as you at it, maybe I could too, who knows?

    Moi, I'm the cherry girl--they're my FAVE! Some people think that's even my name (Cheri)! We won't tell them it's actually pronounced like sherry. So, please CHERRY ME!

    ReplyDelete
  6. CHERRY ME!

    I do that same trick with raspberry over cream cheese and a little jalapeno jelly...just in case you every visit the raspberry capital of the world and Texas all in the same trip. I wonder where the raspberry capital is??? Hmmm. In America, it apparently is Hopkins, Minnesota. But there is one in Canada too. Just had to find out since I mentioned it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Of course I follow you on Facebook, doesn't everyone?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Aren't we all dreaming of a world where we could lose 2 lbs a day? I think the shady people of the world have actually created an empire based on this, haha.

    CHERRY ME! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Cherry me please! I love reading about your journey..... You help me with mine. Congrats on getting right back to it...... That's a big win :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh. And I love that your on Facebook :) and I follow you there too!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Cherry me!!
    Cherries and chocolate are my favorite thing ever! Haha.

    I just got back from a mini vacation to the mountains, and I gained about 6lbs, not *too* distressing, I just forgot how long it can take sometimes to get back to what I was before I left (vacation was 2 weeks ago). No wonder people give up diets when it can take a better part of a month to "recover" from vacation weight!

    Great blog by the way :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, I'm amazed how fast you can get back on track!!
    CHERRY ME!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Fantastic!! I have enjoyed all the travel posts. I hope you have a great time with the Mr's birthday. CHERRY ME!

    ReplyDelete
  14. CHERRY ME
    I just gained about 10 lbs from being positioned in a wheelchair for 6 weeks while healing from ankle surgery.
    I am looking to you for motivation in losing it.
    Thanks for your persistence!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Good for you for getting right back on top of things! I got on the scale yesterday and saw that I have somehow gained like 7 lbs in 3 days, and I about had a heart attack! I am on my fluffy time though (as I like to call it) so I'm hoping it's just water weight. It did, however, jump start me getting back into calorie counting and I'm guzzling a giant glass of water as I type this. Oh yeah, with that being said, CHERRY ME!:/

    ReplyDelete
  16. You are truly an inspiration and such a source of motivation to me! I'm so glad that you had a good time on your trip, and you're "back on track" now. I've never heard of cream cheese with the cherry jam n top, but I'd sure love to try it! CHERRY ME!

    ReplyDelete
  17. It is tough getting back on track but you are doing a heck of a job. CHERRY ME!

    ReplyDelete
  18. CHERRY ME!! I had my first chocolate covered cherry (not the kind with the goo in the middle)last winter and I am hooked.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Cherry me!

    You are doing such a great job of getting right back on track!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I just found your blog and love it! CHERRY ME!! (please ;) )

    ReplyDelete
  21. Cherry Me!!!

    (And yes, so sad how long it takes to learn the easiest lessons sometimes...but ohhhhhhh how I understand!)

    ReplyDelete
  22. And oh hellllll yeaaaahhhhhhhh I follow you on Facebook...and Pinterest...and - Okay, now I just sound like a stalker. *sheepishly backing out of door before you realize how creepy it is*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kristen, you are not the only one who stalks her, don't feel bad or creepy, I think most of here are all a little creepy! the Mrs. Is just that awesome. A while back (quite a while ago now) I actually had a dream that I met her and Mr. They owned a shop that sold flying motorcycle handlebars and dressed in leather biker gear. And even in my dream I never saw their faces, so like a creep I hopped on sparkpeople and told them all about it! Lol
      P.s. Im still waiting for that shop to open you 2! Hahaha :D

      Delete
  23. Two pounds per day? Oh, man... I wish. I'd hit my goal weight on my birthday (January 9). How cool would THAT be? :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Cherry me!

    You are such an inspiration! 2 lbs per day would be nice :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Cherry me all the way! And to think, we had a bad cherry season this year with that warm March.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I love your blog and have been reading for a while! CHERRY ME!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I also have follow you on facebook!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Ooooo CHERRY ME! Please!

    PS You are an inspiration, and no I'm no kissing up (lol), its true:)

    ReplyDelete
  29. Cherry me! Yum those look awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  30. CHERRY ME!

    Please please PLEASE cherry me! :D

    Awesome job getting back to it right away; it really is a matter of keeping those events to an 'occasional' occurrence to be enjoyed instead of an all the time, why-do-I-bother-trying lifestyle. Yeah, it took me a long time to get that through my head, too. Hope I never forget it!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Cherry me, please!

    Knowing we get right back on track after a vacation or holiday makes the break all the more enjoyable. Control is a beautiful thing. :)

    ReplyDelete
  32. CHERRY ME so I can dive face first into that jam and swim in it!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Ok Anele--CHERRY ME! I am so envious of your ability to go completely off for a week, then get right back on your path of exercising and eating right. Not sure that I would trust myself to be able to do that. I'm afraid I would be more like the old you, and say, "Oh well, I've gained ??? lbs., already, what difference does it make?" and just keep eating and eating and eating.

    Sounds like the weight is coming off FAST. I know what you mean about gaining 3-5 lbs. which should mean an extra calorie intake of like over 10,000 cals., and you KNOW you did NOT eat THAT much. Yet there are those excess pounds, saying "YES YOU DID!" I can argue with the scale until I'm blue in the face, and it does NO GOOD. It doesn't budge.

    After I hit my goal weight in April 2011, I just kept whittling away, and got down an additional 20 pounds. Since then I've put back on 15 of those pounds, so I'm up, even though still technically below my goal. I can't seem to do what I KNOW I need to do to get at least 10 of those pounds back off. I've noticed I just can't eat much either, if I hit 2,000 calories in a day, I gain. I really try to keep it about 1,500 calories/day, but I know if I want to lose, I need to drop it to around 1,200, which I just can't make myself adhere to for more than a couple days in a row. I get too hungry! I heard that once you lose weight, you never again can eat as much as, for instance, a person who is the same weight as you, but was never obese. Doesn't seem fair, but I guess it's how it is.

    ReplyDelete
  34. CHERRY ME!
    Please.

    I have a friend who takes the cherry jam and puts it on chicken breasts - very yummy with a side of mixed vegetables that have cranberries in them. Of course the stuff she uses has jalapenos in them so it has that spicy thing to counter the sweetness of the jam - but I imagine you could add some spice if you desired.

    Great job getting right back into the swing of things. I met a mini goal last week and I have been struggling this week not to just jump off the wagon head first into a big bowl of chips (but it is most likely "that time" again... maybe...?)

    Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  35. CHERRY ME.

    Oh man, I love chocolate covered dried cherries. Probably my favorite thing ever.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Cherry Me! ( do so love cherries and chocolate. :D)

    ReplyDelete
  37. I'm a fan on facebook! *Tracy D-K*

    ReplyDelete
  38. CHERRY ME, girl!! Great blog updates - loved the scenery pictures and LOVED the foodie pictures! For some reason, the deep-dish pizza has hit home!
    Congrats to getting back on it and losing all the trip weight! That is so inspiring! I am struggling, gaining and need to get a GRIP! And a CHERRY! ;)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to comment! I appreciate your time! (Heads up though...disrespectful or spam comments will be deleted.)