Planning Gone Awry

“If I’m really going to make a lifestyle change, then I have to figure out how to vacation without going berserk.”

—Me, July 9, 2010

I should really listen to myself because I’ve got great ideas. I plan ahead for almost everything. I plan my weekly meals. I plan my workouts. I plan my escape route on a plane, being careful to look behind me for the nearest exit. I’m always planning. What I need help with is executing the plan. That’s my downfall.

Our stop in Texas was paradise. Friendship, wine, and food were in abundance. We lounged poolside, toured the new Dallas Cowboy stadium, left the kids to fend for themselves and enjoyed some adult-time at local restaurants. Life was definitely good.

And I had planned to splurge while visiting my friends, but maybe, just maybe, I went a little berserk.

After four days of “splurging” I awoke Monday morning feeling a bit off. Probably just the early hour, I thought. It was 5:30 AM for God’s sake. We were leaving for Arkansas that day and wanted an early start. But as the day progressed, my condition worsened.

Eight hours later, arriving in Petit Jean State Park, I raced in to the cabin and threw myself under the covers. While Michael took the kids to explore the park, I writhed under the sheets holding my belly and reflected on the source of my ailment.

Could it be the 400 pounds of homemade guacamole I ate? The chips accompanying said guacamole? The pineapple cobbler? The spaghetti with plain old unsanctioned flour pasta? The gourmet pizza from Fireside Pies? The spicy salsa and chips at Uncle Julios? Or perhaps the margaritas I drank poolside? Maybe the vodka tonic at the rooftop bar in downtown Fort Worth? Or, (gasp), the wine. Of course it would be hard to figure out exactly which bottle could have made me ill, we had several.

Had I really trained my body to be intolerant of anything other than healthy eating? Does this mean I can never go back? Go back to boozing and eating processed food, even for a weekend?

Naaaaaa, I thought. I bet it’s just a stomach virus. But for the sake of the In8 program, for other participants, I should give my system another test. Go berserk and see what happens so everyone’s informed about the repercussions. Right?

Maybe this weekend would be a good time, while I’m at my friend’s house at Smith Mountain Lake. Did I mention he’s a wine collector?

Yeah, I think that’s the prudent thing to do, you know, for the sake of science.