There is No Weight on Vacation

There is something very liberating about being away from a scale for a week. Somehow when there is no scale, there seems to be no weight. After all, when you are on vacation the world is different. Freedom reigns throughout each day with no time, no boundaries, and no constraints. It is like living in another dimension in space.
And everyone knows you weigh less in space.

Vacation always means socializing with good food and drink. My recent week at the beach was no exception. Lots of fun, sun, food, and fruity drinks. I enjoyed one week of vacation from dieting too.

Some people might say I was in denial about the consequences of my eating habits while on vacation. My philosophy is that vacation is a time to escape from the real world of jobs, schedules, and rules. You are supposed to do whatever suits your fancy. The biggest decision I had to make each day was: pool or beach?

After a glorious week of pretending vacation was my reality, I returned home. The scale loomed big, teasing and taunting me to step aboard. I knew my fate awaited me. When I stepped up onto the scale, reality revealed itself: 3 more pounds showed up. Not terrible, but not good either.
Time to admit: I gained weight on vacation.

I haven’t quite figured out how to get back into real life mode yet. It is taking me a little longer than expected to adjust to living back on planet Earth. But I plan to get back on track and on the road to Thinville again very soon.

However, I have figured out how not to gain weight after vacation-
Simply stay on vacation.

To Tan or Not to Tan

I know too much sun is bad for your skin. I know too much sun can be dangerous. I know I can't afford any more unnecessary wrinkles.

But I couldn't escape the fact that I always seem to look better with sunkissed skin.

Such was my dilemma while on vacation this past week. Sunburn is bad, but suntan is good.

So, I went for for one more opportunity to enjoy the bronzed look that always makes me feel a little thinner. The first day of vacation, I climbed into my new bathing suit and swallowed up as much sun and vitamin D as I thought my skin could handle.
The results were as I expected- very red.

The next day, I cautiously covered up in hopes that the red would slowly turn to beautiful brown. As the week progressed, my skin did slowly take on a much tanner tone. Even the stretch marks and flaws in my legs were less noticeable. And I liked it.

Now I know I am getting older and that every time I soak in the sun I am adding age lines and unnecessary exposure to ultraviolet rays. But I can't help feeling that for the next week or two- wrinkles and skin care just don't matter. I'm going to enjoy the effects of my short-lived week of being a sun goddess.

...then when my tan fades, I'll go back to losing those extra pounds I gained during vacation.