Most of my life I wanted to surf.  But, there was always a reason or excuse not to rent a board and try it out.  Then, that last summer before I knew I was  going to be a Mom, I took my youngest Sister with me and took a surfing lesson.  The school that we went to isn’t there anymore, we got before they had to close the doors.  They were a ‘camp’ and they bunk house didn’t fit in with the lifestyle of the other cottagers so they were quietly asked to leave.

My Sister and I were up at 6am and in the water by 6:30am, some big storms were on the way so we had a small window for beginners to try out these boards. I always thought it would be easy to get up onto the board and start surfing away.  It isn’t, let me tell you.  It took me two hours of push ups to actually catch a wave and ride it in.  My Sister caught two that morning.  It was tough, but we loved it and had a great time. My Sister went on to North Carolina for school and I came home to Ottawa to become a Mom, she got to surf with her buddies who all had boards down in Charleston, but not me.  This year I think I will rent a board again and show J that Mommy still has it and can get up on that board.  Now… I wonder if that pink Body Glove swim suit still fits??

Sorry that I missed the last two Wednesdays, but vacation just got in the way.

About two and a half weeks before I left for vacation I realized that although I was working out regularly and getting lots of exercise I just wasn’t dropping any weight.  It was time to get tough on me.  I gave up everything I love.  I severely cut back on all form of carbs, snacks and treats. I ate extra protein, lots of vegetables and plenty of fruit.  In two and a half weeks I dropped twelve pounds.  TWELVE! 12!  I was very impressed with myself as I had been trying to drop the weight since January.

However, I was also going to the Beach.  Land of cotton candy, salt water taffy, pizza, lemon ice, candy and all things delicious and not good for you.  First thing we do when we arrive is head to Grotto’s Pizza, it was delicious and decadent.  I was full after two pieces and did not feel well later that night.  Serves me right to over do it on the first day.  After Grotto’s we get our groceries.  We bought healthy choices for breakfast and lunch, which we were eating in, and tried our best to eat well at night.

The biggest thing we did that made a difference was walk.  We were farther from the beach this year, so we had a two and a half block walk to the beach and back every morning, twice, once for coffee and then for swimming.  Then we would head out for an afternoon stroll, back to the cottage, then out for supper, then walking the boardwalk every night.  The boardwalk is a mile long so we would go to one end and back and up and down many of the streets.  Hubby and I figured we burned at least an extra 1000 calories a day walking, at least.  This does not take into account the walks up and down the beach, running after Apple and the dips in the Ocean.

Upon our return, I was nervous.  Despite buying two pairs of pants a size smaller, I thought I might have gained it all back, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was only up a couple of pounds which came right back off after a day at home.  So, I blame those pounds on the drive home and the salty snacks we had for the last couple of hours of the ride.

Now that we are home, I will need to get back into my routine of working out.  So far, we have had three days of walking, but I fear it is not enough.  Hubby (who joined me in the cutting back) has already hit the gym, hopefully I will join him tomorrow.

And for now, my best recommendation to keep it off while on vacation is to walk, walk everywhere you can to take in the sights, sounds and tastes of your vacation adventure.

**disclaimer: I am in no way a Doctor or Physical Trainer. I am going to share with you my thoughts and ideas about how to get into shape again. I strongly advise consulting a medical professional prior to starting any workout routine as well as a professional trainer. I am in no way responsible for any injury you may sustain from trying any of my suggestions.