“Baltimore Here We Come”

With the weight loss challenge came a weigh in once every 2 weeks and accountability for eating via a food journal turned in weekly. In the beginning weeks of the weight loss challenge a major point that Luka drilled into us was planning our meals for the week, shopping and preparing our meals ahead so that it was easy to grab that snack or meal when hungry.  2 ½ weeks into the challenge I was going to have to miss the next 2 ½ half weeks of boot camp while taking my mother to visit my oldest daughter and her family in Baltimore. This could be a major bump in the road for me in maintaining the eating and exercise I had just started getting into!

Mom and Me at Easter 2010



Again, the need for planning that Luka had drilled into me took over!  I was determined to keep with the program while away. The “odds” were against me as I’d just barely embarked on this journey. I was just learning the protocol, but I remembered Rebekah’s word, “Just do what you can do!”  That actually included a whole lot. Luka let me audio tape on my OLD portable cassette recorder a few of the boot camps. I also wrote down the exercises for each tape. I barely knew what these exercises were let alone do them on my own. I packed my work out clothes, some equipment I could use, ordered my protein powder and vitamins shipped to Baltimore, packed my snacks and meals for the 7 hr trip, bought a big bottle of water at the airport and embarked with my 96 year old mother on this leg of my journey! 





My Baltimore support group!



We arrived in Baltimore early evening and were whisked home by my daughter Deborah. She was immediately on board with my plan and very encouraging of my exercising as well as understanding of my eating situation. Basically I planned to eat whatever I could of the meals she prepared for the family and do my own as needed. My protein and vitamins had already arrived. She showed me in the basement where I could set up my “gym”.  She provided a yoga mat and I found some full cans of paint to help for “weights” along with the bands I had packed. Early the next day we headed for the grocery store so I could pick up the foods I needed. I even had my own drawer in her refrigerator!   Since I was just ending the first 21 day phase of what was called “green faces”--- eating every 2 ½ to 3 hrs with 3 meals and 2-3 snacks including some protein each time I ate, I majored on protein and green vegetables, ignoring the carbohydrate foods. until I completed the first 21 days. Then I added a couple small servings of healthy carbs.

So how did it work for me? I used the chocolate protein shake with added spinach, flax meal and psyllium husks as one of the snacks and a second one if needed. Plus I used a thickened version (more ice/less water) as a delightful dessert in the evening. Mom decided the shakes I shared with her were a great way to ‘enjoy’ spinach—not her favorite vegetable!  Along with this I started the day with 4 cups of filtered water and 2 more cups before each meal, trying to drink at least 10 cups a day. My meat/frish/poultry/eggs protein source  along with 2 cups of green vegetables at each meal kept me very satisfied. I was soon able to add in 2 small carb servings of yellow sweet potato. YUM!! Carbs never tasted so good!

I include all this to stress the point that I planned for success while away. I weighed in at Deborah’s, emailed my food diary and sent after work out cell phone pictures to Luka and Rebekah for accountability. Luka told me he could tell by a picture if I’d really worked out enough!  I did consider splashing water on my face once in a while, but with his voice encouraging me on those tape and the familiarity of boot camps I had already done,  I was plenty sweaty without any theatrics!  Daily I headed for the basement first thing in the morning to do my 5 minute warm ups and 25 minute “boot camp”. In the 17 days I was away I only missed exercising the two travel days. I must admit that I was in the basement doing boot camp a couple of evenings at 11:00 pm because I didn’t get down there before the day took over!

The good and encouraging news is that I continued to lose weight taking off nearly 8 pounds during that time. I planned for success, had an attitude of success and proved that I could be successful in a challenging set of circumstances. It also told me that if I could   "DO IT"   away from home on vacation, I could do it anywhere!

 To be continue. . . . Thanks for visiting with this babyboomergrandma and until next time may God richly bless YOU!