6 – It’s so hard to keep on track

So now I have to practice what I preach. After a very good start to my new fitness plan, things gradually fell apart over the summer. I felt so motivated to keep on track: eating healthily, drinking less alcohol and exercising more, but as we all know – it is so, so hard to maintain.

When we are on holiday, we lose all sense of routine. I know exactly what I was supposed to be doing but each day it got harder and harder. This year I did a UK road trip holiday over three weeks; visiting numerous friends from Manchester to Falmouth. It was fantastic in so many ways – catching up where I had left off with friends from school, university and work. Some friends I had not seen for decades. But near the start of my holiday was a visit to my dear friend from school, Tanvia, who had cooked sticky toffee pudding. This was certainly a turning point. Armed with a glass of wine, two portions of sticky toffee pudding disappeared into my mouth. Disaster had struck.

I know I should have woken up in the morning and put it all behind me and started again – remember the analogy to another take of a film. But it was as if something had snapped. I did not even go for a run that morning as I had planned, and things went from bad to worst. As my trip continued, every friend I visited wanted me to drink a few glasses of wine and of course I had to be civil and oblige. As I drank more, I ate more. No matter how hard I tried, as the holiday continued I lost my health bug. I did notch up a few runs, some body boarding and lots of walking but the alcohol and sugar intake rocketed. I drank alcohol every day except one, for three weeks.

So how did it make me feel – simple answer – not good. I had a wonderful holiday, one of the best for years, but my body felt very worse for wear when I got home. I have not dared weigh myself but I know I have put on a few pounds. That is normal after a holiday I hear you cry!! I agree but even my 9 year old explained to me that once it goes on, it is very difficult to get it back off.

So now the kids are back at school, I am back at work and I need to get myself back on track. I am still seriously questioning why I keep eating the wrong foods. My sugar addiction is so strong and I know I need help. So I am going to see my counselor again for moral support, going to start using My Fitness Pal again and am getting back into exercising every day. I used My Fitness Pal for three weeks at the start of the summer and it helped me realize how important exercise is and how many calories certain foods contain. I was incredibly shocked that my Wagamama lunch was over 1000 calories!!

Another thing I am going to do is to give up alcohol for a month. Drinking alcohol has certainly not helped my eating plan as I lose all control when I have had a drink and start to eat all the wrong things. I am doing the Cancer Research UK Dryathlon. No alcohol for September. I am happy it will give me an excuse to say NO.

How did you get on this holiday? Did you keep on track or did you fall by the wayside like me?