Food Plan-Exercise Plan-Peaceful Spirit
July 24, 2018: weight 227 (-13)
Vacation. Will it be a nightmare for My Fitness Triangle? My wife and I headed off to Lake Tahoe for a family gathering last week. The event was my youngest daughters’ 40th birthday. This event makes me officially old. Most all the clan was there except my younger son who is in the Navy and was not allowed to take time off for a birthday party. The Navy still needs good men. I knew I wanted to stick with my fitness triangle while on this trip and I knew I should cut myself some slack so that I would not miss the enjoyment of the event. There were 7 girls there; 3 daughters, 2 granddaughters, an ex, and a wife. Someone was sure to be dieting and my wife is a known smart eater. Those two facts would and did create a safe space for me.
Food Plan. Most of the travel eating was pre-planned. As we rushed out in the early morning, we went straight to the McDonald’s. It’s on the Don’t List, no fast food. Egg McMuffin is only 300 calories and very filling so I skipped the ugly stuff and moved on. A full Mcdonald’s nutrition chart is in the store and online. There is not much there I should eat and it is an unhealthy addiction for me. Car snacks were cherries and nectarines for me. My wife added whole grain crackers and peanuts. Away we went. We split a Mahogany Smoked Meats sandwich in Bishop (yummy) and enjoyed the drive.
Our first night was at The Tahoe Valley Lodge. My Tahoe daughter had arranged a nights stay while others occupied her house room that was to be ours. It is a really lovely place and we ate next door at a Mediterranean restaurant. I had a greek salad and a lamb wrap, both were good and on the Do List, veggie or fruit with any meal. It was easy to stay in the plan. The big family spreads also were Food Plan friendly as they all included fruits and veggies. I just had to pick the right products. The choice was mine.
Exercise Plan. There is a lot of sitting and talking at these gatherings as we catch up on each other’s activities. Opportunely, my wife and I go a little stir crazy without some activity. As the troop drove to a nearby lake to sit and talk, we walked the 20 minutes to get there and fed our activity need. That worked for everyone as there were fewer bodies to haul. My activities during our four-day stay included 2 hikes/walks of 30 minutes or more, a 10-mile bike ride (beautiful), and 2 swims of 20 minutes. My wife did all those things but 1 of her swims was noteworthy as it was about a mile. It was too far for me. At this altitude, exercise can be taxing. It is over 7000 feet. I found myself sucking a couple of times for lack of air, but what a great place to suck.
Peaceful Spirit. Being at peace can be an issue at our family gathering, All the different personalities are bumping heads. I found my breathing and higher power gathering space in my daughters’ backyard. It worked fine for everyone except the dogs. When I can keep myself in order, the other issues seem to line up better. Each morning I went off to the backyard, coffee on an outside table and followed my breath for a few minutes. It always helps me. As we loaded the car to come home, as we said our goodbyes, the dog finally snapped. It bit my wife. We were now headed for the ER, vacation over. She needed a stitch and meds. She was a trooper on our 500-mile drive home which included long roadwork delays and a couple of thunderstorm down pores. Find your breath and focus there.
We are back home and we have made visits to our local stores to restock our favorite fruits and veggies. My wife is healing but still traumatized as is my daughter, the dog owner. We are grateful for all the hospitality and compassion we received.
Do you need a food plan? Review my Do’s and Don’ts in the June 24th blog, “Food for Thought”. Also, check out the “Pegan Diet” in Woman’s Health Magazine. Dr. Oz is talking about it too. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a19983443/pegan-diet/
Have a question? Send it in.
In the Spirit, Dave
HEALTHY AT 120 