Perseverance

Day 121,

I'm finally home from my 5 day trek north and I couldn't be happier except that it took me pretty much all day today to recover. I'm proud of how I fared in Maine. I ate fairly well and I exercised each day.  I won't miss the cold or the bed of nails at the Caribou Inn. But, I will miss the gym at the hotel. I suppose I can live with my treadmill and free weights. :)

Tonight I'm thinking about a friend of mine "T". She will be traveling the entire month of May and is a bit worried about how she'll manage to eat well and exercise. To me, I feel like the exercise is almost the easy part. What's not easy is eating out at every single meal. Even the best laid plans can be thwarted when you're lonely and bored or with a bunch of people who want to cut loose after a long day. The temptations of the vending machine and the hotel bar can be a bit overwhelming at times.

For me, perfection would be impossible. I'm a hedonist from way back and temptation seems to be my middle name at times. Moderation is my mantra. I don't tell myself that I "can't" have any thing. But, I do tell myself that I have to set limits. It's so easy to get off track and head down familiar paths. And, once you stray it can be difficult to get back on track. There's a tendency to beat yourself up and throw in the towel. I've been there more times than I can count.

Looking back over the past couple of weeks, I've stumbled a few times. I haven't lost any weight in several weeks and I can point to poor eating habits as a result. I've been exercising harder than ever before. But, I seem to be struggling with the whole nutrition thing. But, I press on because this is a marathon and not a race.

I'm listening to my own advice and I'm not going to beat myself up for (or dwell on) my mistakes. It hasn't all been time wasted. I'm stronger than ever before and I'm getting stronger every day. I am however re-committing myself to laying off the processed stuff and sugar. They really are the devil. The more of it you eat, the more of it you want.

I can't wait to plan and prepare my meals for the week. I've already been culling through my recipe books for some yummy recipes to kickstart my week.

Cheers!
Margaret