Back to Reality

Whew!  It's July already...where is the summer going?

We have been off on a whirlwind three week vacation.  And it not only ended up being a vacation from housework, children's activities, work, insane Arizona heat, and everyday life, it ended up being a vacation from working out too.

Oh sure.  I threw my running shoes and some workout clothes into my suitcase.  But I was simply too lazy busy to pull them out and put them to good use.

We started our vacation with a couple of days in New York City, hitting as many sights as we could: Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Empire State Building, and Rockefeller Center just to name a few.

The kids in Times Square

We walked a TON.  And since I had completed the Rock 'n Roll San Diego 1/2 just two days before we left, I didn't feel guilty taking a break from working out.  

Next we boarded the luxurious Queen Mary 2 and set sail on the last remaining transatlantic ocean liner, bound for Southampton England.

Ready to set sail!  

Sure, there was a fitness center on board.  Sure, you could run around the ship on the observation deck (ummm...cold North Atlantic temps and very windy, no thanks!).  But I choose to spend my time exploring the ship, taking part in on-board activities, spending time reading (uninterrupted time...what a treat!), and enjoying the fabulous food (four course gourmet dinners every night!)  I still did quite a bit of walking and we always took the stairs, even if we were going from deck 2 to deck 14.  

After a week on the ship, we had two weeks in England, visiting my husband's family as well as quite a bit of sightseeing.  

We took the kids sightseeing in London for the first time (they've been to England before, just not into London). 

Along the Thames, with the Tower Bridge in the background

We took the Eurostar train to Paris for a couple of days (first time to Paris for the kids and I):

 On a cruise along the Seine

In front of the Arc de Triomphe

I enjoyed myself.  I ate what I wanted (and drank more cider, beer, and wine than I usually would)...fish and chips, desserts, crepes, cornish pastys, sausages, breads, cheese, British bacon (so much better than the bacon we get here) etc.  But I didn't gorge myself.

Needless to say, I was scared to get home and step on the scale.

But to my surprise and delight, I only gained 1/2 a pound, which is nothing in the scheme of things.  Why?  Honestly, I think it was because of the lifestyle.  Lots of walking (including always taking stairs) and fresher (not processed) foods.  Not that I eat all that badly on a normal basis.  But there wasn't any fast food and very little soda (diet Pepsi has been my weakness), and no mindless snacking.

This is a trend I'm going to try to keep going at home.  It might mean more trips to the store than normal and more pre-planning on my part, but I think it's worth it.

Now that I've had a chance to recharge my batteries, it's time to get back onto the workout wagon....

Hope you are having a FANTASTIC summer!