Sugar Detox Day 13: My Sugar-Free Coastal Vacation

I've been on vacation for the last six days in sunny, beautiful San Diego.  My older two girls attended a Christian theater camp all week, while the twins and I hit up our favorite tourist destinations.  So while kicking up our heels at the beach, Balboa Park, the zoo, and spending lots of time in the swimming pool, yes, I was able to stay completely sugar-free and on plan.  Woo-hoo!!

I need to back-track just a little.  Last Sunday was my first weight-in, and boy was I nervous.  But after one week of sugar-free eating, I HAD LOST 5.2 POUNDS!  I cannot tell you how thrilled I was with that number!

Week 2 of Sarah Wilson's plan started on Monday of this week.  Week 2 is called "Operation Eat Fat."  This is an interim phase of cutting sugar and the purpose is simple:  eat plenty of fats so that (1) "we don't get depressed and frustrated from the deprivation," and (2) "so our bodies don't go into famine mode."  So I did.  I ate fats and protein, but good fat, wholesome and unprocessed.

Good Fats:

1. Olive oil & coconut oil
2. Full-fat dairy, i.e. cheese!
3. Butter
4. Animal fat (not in excess) - bacon, chicken skin
5. Nuts & seeds
6. Avocado

In her book that I'm following, Sarah Wilson says, "fat fills us up - so we can't gorge on it."  And it's so incredibly true!  Full fat cheese is incredibly filling.  I bought the big loaf of Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese before leaving for our trip.  The kids love it, but prior to the sugar detox, I've mostly stayed away from it since I considered it too high calorie.  But since I have been ordered to eat fat, I did!  I ate a small slice for a mid-afternoon snack or half a slice with turkey for lunch. And it tasted so delicious and satisfying!  Have you ever noticed how good, fatty cheese almost melts on your tongue?  Light cheese just doesn't do that.  My sugar cravings are definitely still there, but this "treat" made it much easier to get through those moments of temptation.  

Speaking of temptation, it can be a challenge to go on vacation and stay on any kind of diet, especially a sugar, and carb-free diet.  So I went on the offensive before we'd even left the house.  And this, is why I think I had such a successful trip.  

Here are my TOP 10 TIPS to achieving sugar-free success while on vacation:

1. Prepare sugar/carb-free breakfast items before leaving home.   I made a huge batch of Biggest Loser Pancakes, Bacon Egg Cups, and a Crustless Spinach Quiche before leaving home.
   
   
   Biggest Loser Pancakes
   
   
   
   
   
   Bacon Egg Cups
   
   
   
   
   
   Crustless Spinach Quiche (I did reduce the cheese and double the onion on this recipe, so good!)
2. Pack your portable water bottle.  I have given up all drinks except iced tea and water.  So after drinking a whole jug in the morning, I just fill it right up again.  My Camelback bottle holds 25 ounces, so I drink a little over four bottles per day.  
   
3. Bring a cool chest or cooler bag.  Most of the food I am eating on this new lifestyle is fresh.  And most fresh food needs to be chilled, think meats, cheeses, and other dairy.  Bringing the bag makes sure I have a way to haul around my snacks and meals on the go.  
4. Pack your tennis shoes.  Because, well, duh.  It's good to get out and move.  And as my health coach, Autumn says, "You're one workout away from a good mood."  Isn't that the truth?!
5. Go to a grocery store right after arriving at your vacation destination.  I love Trader Joe's.  They have great pre-packaged food, tons of beautiful veggies and fruits, really good dairy and the kids love their snacks and cereals. 
6. Pack a lunch.  This is kind of an obvious one, but this is so key!  Packing my lunch saved money and kept me from over-indulging in unhealthy treats.  
7. Keep a small bag of nuts in the car or purse.  I can't tell you how many times I would be out somewhere, and my 3:00 "snack-ey" feeling would sneak up on me, begging for sustenance.  I told it to grab some calories from my chubby thighs, they're not hard to find.  But the nagging for a snack wouldn't quit. Anyway, a few nuts always did the trick.  I love cashews and almonds, and right now, I'm buying the salted kind.  I'm cutting sugar slowly, and I know all the salt isn't totally healthy, but I'm doing this "getting healthy bit" one step at a time!  The important thing to remember with nuts is that they are super high calorie, and they fill you up really fast.  It's not like popcorn, where you can keep popping them in, they're filling!  
8. Buy pre-packaged salads.  I love ready-to-pack salads for vacation lunches.  Just check the label for added sugars, especially in the dressings.  I bought one delicious salad from Trader Joe's but the dressing was full of sugar, so I ate it without dressing. It was really good!  The nuts, cheese and meats in the salad made up for the lack of dressing.  
   
9. Buy interesting snacks to give yourself variety.  This week I tried Kale Chips, people.  And you know what?  After almost two weeks of simple, redundant food, they tasted amazing.  And it helps that I'm pretty sure they are fried.  But hey, it's "eat your fat" week, so I'm just trying to be faithful to the program!  
   
   10.  Find other things to bring you joy while on vacation other than food.  I found myself sitting outside in the morning and listening to the birds chirping while doing my devotions.  I took a walk on the beach with my sister.  I listened and watched the kids in the rearview mirror singing their camp songs.  I looked outside of myself and found joy.  
   
   
   At the end of Chapter 2, Sarah Wilson closes the chapter with this fantastic quote:
   
   
   "My aim when I set out to quit sugar was to get my body back to a balanced state. 
   So I could rediscover my natural mechanisms.  Instead of reacting craving to craving.  
   And to find my happy weight."  
   
   
   Week 2 for me has been an absolute success.  I will find out tomorrow if I've lost any weight, but I kind of doubt it.  All these fats have been keeping me, well, fat and happy!  I haven't been hungry at all.  And that was the goal of this week: reduce the cravings and not feeling deprived.  Weight loss would be nice, but that's not the goal this week.  On to my last day of week 2!