It’s A Holiday and I’m On Vacation (part 1)

The holidays have now come and gone, as well as the many vacations we all took. I always find it hard to get thru the holidays, and vacations without splurging on the snacks, sweets, and  really great food.  It was easier than I thought at work, in lieu of the many great food baskets that came in. I just stayed out of the kitchen, which seems to be the best solution. I also continued to bring my regular snacks; gala apple & greek yogurt with fresh blueberries, as well as drinking as much water as possible. We did have a potluck and there was alot of dips, meatballs, chips, etc. I tried just about everything but in very small portions. I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything, having tasted everything. The key was portion size. Once again, Everything In Moderation!!  My biggest indulgence was at night when there were too many sweets around and I was constantly feeling like making cakes and cookies for the holidays. I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread for all my gifts, and to keep at home. It worked out great but I couldn’t stop eating it everytime I made it. I LOVE pumpkin. I know I didn’t lose any weight those few weeks but I did maintain, and kept up with my exercise as much as possible. I am playing racquetball again and really enjoying it. My body seems to be holding up as long as I don’t overdo it.

Just remember that if you continue to exercise while you are falling off the wagon, so to speak, with your food choices, you can still maintain your weight,  and get all the benefits of indulging in your holiday favorites. Please read on to Part 2

It’s A Holiday and I’m On Vacation (part 2)

Vacations can be a bit harder, depending on where you travel to.  I just got back from a few days in Puerto Rico with my son. We started with a big breakfast everyday, as the resort where we stayed: Wyhdham Rio Mar, had a great buffet; made to order fresh omelets, homemade waffles, Nova Lox & bagels, breads, pastries, juices, fruit including fresh mango and papaya, great chorizo sausage, etc. Needless to say, it was a feast worth feasting on. We sort of snacked during the day as we usually ate breakfast late, and just hung out on the beach. Drinks, of course were on the menu, but we were pretty calm about that as well. The resort had alot of food everywhere; Tiki grill on the beach, Asian Fusion restaurant, snack bar by the casino, the big dining room, etc. We had some great snacks at the snack bar such as,  pizza, tuna and egg salad sandwiches. We usually split the sandwiches. The best thing at the snack bar was the Quesitos, which are long danish like pastries with a cheesecake filling. OMG!! Need I say more!! Dinner was always an adventure. The first night we went to a restaurant on a horse farm where I had been for my birthday back in April when I was there. They were known for their skirt steak as they marinate it for 2-4 days, or something like that. Anyway it was so tasty and tender, it melted in my mouth. My son had a whole stuffed snapper, and when I say WHOLE, I mean WHOLE; head, tail, everything. We thought it was just stuffed with scallops, shrimp, and fish, but when the seafood inside was gone, all the meat from the fish was still on the fish, and easy to eat. It was quite the specimen.  That was our most memorable dinner of the three nights. We ate in a Mexican restaurant in Old San Juan the second night, and I had great Puerto Rican food; white meat chicken with rice and vegetables, fresh cut avocado, and fried plantains. I am a sucker for the local favorites. I eat Caribbean food with my friends at their house alot and it is very similar. I love it. I ate all the chicken and veggies and left about half of the rice, even though it had a great flavor. The last night we were exhausted from hiking at the rainforest (El Yunque) all day. For all of you Puerto Rico lovers, we went to kiosk #2 La Parilla in Luquillo. I had pork stuffed with homemade ground beef,and plantains, and my son had mofungo (mashed plantains) stuffed with seafood. I forgot to mention my son is a vegetarian, hence all the seafood.

I know this sounds like a food fest of a vacation but we got quite a bit of exercise as well. Everyday we walked on the beach for about an hour, as well as walking in Old San Juan, and hiking trails in the rainforest.  I felt totally justified to eat whatever I wanted knowing I was getting the exercise I needed to maintain it. It was a great balance in a wonderfully warm and beautiful location.

Vacationing For Life