The Healthy Camping Report

Back from a great camping trip. We had so much fun and were able to eat healthy the whole time. I did have a small piece of ice cream cake for my hubby’s birthday but I was still within my points. I have to report that the lite margaritas were fantastic! I used the Master of Mixes Lite Margarita mix which has only 10 calories per 4 oz serving. There is no sugar added so I added one-two packets of Splenda to each drink and it was party time!! Even my hubby and one of my girlfriends liked them. Thank you Master of Mixes!

Another idea that was a hit was the frozen fruit. Everyone loved it and it was the perfect treat on a hot day. The frozen fruit satisfied my sweet tooth (well, mostly…I mean, come on. It wasn’t chocolate..LOL). And it was so refreshing on such a hot, hot, hot day. Have I mentioned it was hot?...LOL

I noticed a few really cool things while camping that are going to encourage me to stick with my new healthy lifestyle. My hubby and I sleep on a full-size bed in our trailer. You read that right. A full-size…not a queen. We’ve always been comfortable even though we are large-sized people (gosh, you gotta love all the different ways I can come up with to say “fat”…LOL). But this time we noticed a difference. Between the two of us, we have lost 44 lbs! That is the same amount as my 4 year old son! It definitely made a difference in bed. Well, mostly for him since I still sleep on the edge of the bed. (I’ve always slept on the edge of the bed no matter how small or large I am. It’s just an old habit.) But the smaller “us” gave him more room to spread out. It was great for us and I’m sure the bed frame was loving it too…LOL

Oh, have you ever seen the size of a bathroom in an 18 ft trailer? We are talking small, small, small. Those bathrooms are made for stick figures...LOL Getting in and out has been a problem for me since we bought the thing. Always had to shimmy a little to get in but not anymore. I can slide past the door frame just a little easier.

I also noticed a difference when I had to get off the boat to go swimming. It was still a little awkward for me but definitely easier than last time. I felt such a huge sense of accomplishment when I realized that getting on and off the boat wasn’t as difficult. And as always, I spent tons of time in the water. Great cardio workout when you have to swim with a 35 lb weight attached to your back or chest. By the way, that weight goes by the name of “Lili”…LOL

And my energy level was through the roof! I didn’t get as tired as usual. Walking around the campgrounds, going to my friend’s campsite or down to the little beach wasn’t a big deal. I never thought about it or found myself dreading it. It was normal. I was normal!!! Yippee!! And to top it off, I think I was the person who was the least tired when we got back from the lake. Pretty great when you take into consideration that I was the heaviest person there (gosh, that still hurts to write..LOL). And I didn’t sit around the whole time. I was constantly swimming and moving. Once again, I credit the exercising with that as much as the lost pounds. I know that I'm building those muscles located under all this fat and that is making all the difference.

I’m also happy to report that I wore denim capris everyday. Yep, denim all day long. This is huge for a girl who used to only wear jeans when she had to leave the house. The best part is that not only were they comfortable but also a little baggy. I loved it!!

Some of these little things may seem silly or not that big of a deal especially if you have never been overweight. But for me, they are huge. I think it is important to not only acknowledge these little milestones but to revel in them. As a fat person, you spend so much time being down on yourself that it becomes second nature. Now it’s time to learn to love my accomplishments no matter how small. Each one makes it a little easier to keep on the straight and narrow. To keep changing and growing…growing smaller that is.