Since I began the Energy Diet at the start of the year, I knew there was one big roadblock on the horizon. Every year for the past seven, a group of friends have headed to Las Vegas for the first week of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The question wasn’t whether I’d keep up the routine, because I knew I wouldn’t. It was a matter of how far I’d stray.
Now that I’m back, I can admit to falling off the diet wagon. On the menu: Buffalo wings, cheese soaked tater tots, multiple fried chicken meals at the buffet (and mashed potatoes, gravy, mac and cheese, etc), chili cheese dogs, regular hot dogs, and the coup de grace, a 50-piece chicken McNuggets I saw advertised and simply had to order.
The only good thing I can say about my eating over the week was that I couldn’t even make a dent in the 50-piece.
While I can beat myself up for indulging during the trip, I will pat myself on the back for getting right back into the routine upon my return. It was actually tougher to eat right that first day back than the first few days of January, but the familiarity eased the pain. Now that I’ve been home for a week (with an out-of-town wedding, and all the eating that goes along with it) and the damage has been less than I’d expected. Today’s weigh in was 206, just a couple pounds higher than I’d clocked in before leaving for Vegas.
Suddenly, sub-200 feels like an achievable goal again. I hit a bump in the road, but it was nothing catastrophic. With the arrival of April, and with my better eating habits back under control and maybe even ingrained, it’s time to add a fitness routine.
Stay tuned.
