It seems like everyone is worried about gaining weight during the annual holiday season, but what about summer vacation? We spend most of the new year trying to shed the weight gained from an excess of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pastries, and various other sweets so we can throw on that new bikini or eliminate the tummy tuck before taking our shirt off on the beach. What happens when you arrive at your destination of summer fun? Throw your diet out the window and overreward yourself? Staying true to your eating and exercise plan? Somehow they manage to find a happy medium? I was faced with these questions when I embarked on a joyous weeklong excursion to Kona Village on the Big Island of Hawaii.
My parents wanted to take the family on vacation to celebrate their 40th anniversary, as well as my nephew’s (10) and myself’s (36, ahem) birthdays. They decided on Kona Village because we had celebrated Christmas there in 2002 and had a great time (although I had experienced periods of boredom due to the fact that the accommodations do not have a television, computer or telephone). If you want somewhere to get away from it all and be pampered in the quintessential place of relaxation, this is the place to go.
Over the holidays I fell victim to the two-headed monster known as Sloth and Gluttony, so I worked really hard to get back into shape. As a competitive open water swimmer, I was more focused on preparing for the spring/summer racing season than on achieving the perfect beach body, but I won’t scoff at the cosmetic results. After months of training, respectable success in my runs, and the loss of 15 pounds, I was a little apprehensive about stepping aside for a week of hedonism.
Determined to take as few steps back as possible, I forged a plan to exercise and eat before leaving the mainland. My training partner in California (thanks to Lisa) connected me with a friend of his who lives in Kona-Kailua so that I would have a motivating force on the island. We exchanged communications and planned a few swims, including a run the day after I arrived!
The 11th annual King Swim was held at the Kailua Pier, which is the start and finish point for the Ironman World Championship Triathlon. Before you start to wow (yet), the race was just 1.2 miles, instead of the 2.4 miles swum in the opening leg of the Ironman. I didn’t go through the ubiquitous pre-race jitters because I didn’t have high expectations for this event. Since I was in the land of stud triathletes and had only been in Kona for 15 hours (not to mention the effect the time change had on me), I went into the race just wanting to have fun and swim in the ocean below me. belt. Despite swimming crookedly, due to my limited attention span to wander around and look at all the pretty fish, I actually had a pretty good run. I finished first in my age group (got a sweet trophy), fifth in the men’s, and seventh overall. Of the six people who came before me, five were 18 or younger, and the other was a 43-year-old woman who holds numerous world records in Masters Swimming (my training partner on the island). Not bad for an old man on the last day of his 35-year life!
Aside from this race, I tried to swim every day in the ocean, which included another 1.2 mile at the same racetrack (for fun) and completing the entire 2.4 mile Ironman course (also for fun). Add in a couple of pool workouts and a (mostly) daily trip to the resort’s exercise room for weights and cardio, and I got more than my fair share of vacation exercise. I’ve found that the key to sweating it out while you’re out and about is to do it first thing in the morning, get it out of the way, and leave the rest of the day open for real fun (or nap time, if you prefer). ).
As for eating, the hardest part was resisting the temptation of the huge buffet breakfasts and lunches. I remained steadfast in my goal to keep the blinders off the spreadable food and shed caution at dinner. Every day he was a good boy and ate eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt and berries for breakfast and a big salad for lunch (with a few hash browns on the side). The dinners were a different story, though I didn’t completely overdo it. There were plenty of four-course meals (with delicious lobster most nights), but I knew I could eat it knowing I’d be burning (most of it) the next morning. As for desserts, I swore to myself that I would avoid them unless I was offered cheesecake (my Kryptonite). I was successful in this mission until the last dinner of the trip when cheesecake finally made it onto the menu (wow!).
Overall, I had a fabulous trip and came home the same weight as when I left. I’m not suggesting you’re crazy psychopaths like me when you take time off in the summer, but it’s possible to avoid all the pitfalls that await you by stepping outside the safe confines of your home regimen. Also, the more disciplined you are during the holidays, the easier it will be to return to the daily routine when you return. Just a little food for thought.