So I had a plan. I packed a cool chest full of portable veggie packs, the ones with a small ranch dressing container in the center. I added Babybel cheese, almond butter, and plenty of turkey jerky and my new favorite Bacon Jerky. I was set. Camp was not going to destroy my focus or hinder my goals…so there!
Needless to say, I had no reason to worry. The food was amazing. Each morning they served scrambled eggs (real eggs, not powdered), and another breakfast protein. Plus, they always set out a hot oatmeal bar. Complete with brown sugar, and dried fruits. I avoided these of course. My typical breakfast included a scoop of eggs, a few pieces of sausage or bacon, and a small bowl of oatmeal with whole milk poured over it. And it was perfect.
But I felt nervous again at lunchtime. Camp lunches usually meant sandwiches. Sometimes even just peanut butter and jelly! Then what? But let's just say peanut butter and jelly is never on the menu at this camp. They served build your own sandwiches ones day, but I just avoided the bread. The next day they served chicken legs and the next meatballs. Sure, they always included some delicious looking carbohydrate option that was super hard to pass up, but I did it. Each and every time, I stuck to my guns and avoided the carbs. At lunch, a huge salad bar, surrounded by delicious toppings greeted us. I indulged in ranch dressing every time. I was pleasantly surprised that I hadn't had to crack open my cool chest yet.
The dinners were simply delicious. Some appeared basic, like meatloaf. But the meatloaf tasted really good!! Ok, it wasn't Pioneer Woman delicious, but still, super tasty! I avoided the ketchup and it tasted great. One night we had fajitas, and the meat and sautéed veggies were amazing. Another night we had a greek style meal, with chicken breasts wrapped in prosciutto and smothered in pesto sauce. The meats were always amazing, but the vegetable choices were even better. This is what floored me! What camp serves delicious vegetables? I mean, it's kind of easy to throw out a salad bar that's half-way decent, but truly tasty fresh vegetables? No way, right?! Wrong! Almost every night, we had beautiful combinations of squash, broccoli, carrots, onions, and cauliflower. My kids, especially James the veggie lover, would ask for more veggies!!
Two nights out of the week, Forest Home had organized special adult-only dinners. All the adults semi-dress up, think casual cotton dresses, and the guys maybe have on an ironed shirt and shorts. The younger kids happily join up with their CCA's while the older kids attend their evening sessions. And the adults are served a gorgeous gourmet meal. Now I have to admit that when I read this on the information guide at home, I had a terrible attitude about it. I mean, what are they going to do? It's still camp. Are they just going to have us tuck cloth napkins into our necks while we gnaw on ribs? I mean, come on. Boy was I wrong….again! Once a year, on our anniversary, Danny and I go out to a fancy restaurant and have an amazing dinner. You know, one of those dinners where the food comes out looking more like art? One where the meat is perfectly cooked and lays on a pile of beautiful vegetables, and the sauce swirls in a gorgeous design around the edge of the plate? Yeah, that's what we had at camp. And it was fantastic.
So, no. I never opened my cool chest. Not once. The cool chest sat, and was eventually used as a "chair" for the dirty clothes bag.
Camp was a complete success, spiritually and diet-wise.
But I have a few confessions to make.
On Wednesday, Danny had to come home to the Valley for work. I felt so sad when he left, so disappointed. As the kids munched on their 3:00 ice creams, I yearned for a bite. Just one bite. But I stayed strong. Well, let's just say I didn't carry that resolve with me to the campfire later that night when everyone made s'mores. Yep. I had a s'more. That was my first cheat in 2 1/2 weeks. And you know what's crazy? I'm ok with it. I ate one single s'more. Not five. Not even two. I gave myself permission to enjoy that sweet moment with my little family. And I allowed myself to feel a little sad about Danny not being with us. Because I was disappointed and missing him in that moment. I don't like the fact that the cheat was based on an emotion, but I'm not perfect, and I accepted it. Right there, in that moment, I accepted my weakness, and went on.
The next day, after an amazing mexican dinner, they served warm churros, drizzled with caramel sauce. I didn't say no. And it tasted like warm crispy caramel heaven. And the day after that, I drank an entire Chai blended drink. Because, yep, camp has an amazing little coffee house on site. And that was it for my cheats. I felt no guilt, and I still don't. Do you know what a huge breakthrough that is for me? That I could knowingly "cheat" on my detox and not feel guilt? Normally the guilt would turn into a crazy feeling of oh-well-I-already-messed-up-I-guess-the-day-is-ruined-so-I'll-have-ice-cream. But it didn't. At the next meal, I was equally aware of eating meats, veggies and salad, and was able to avoid carbohydrates and sugar.
When I told my health coach yesterday that I indulged a little but felt fine about it, I was beaming from ear to ear, and so was she! She said I had reached a mini-milestone! Knowing how hard it has been for me to get to this point, she urged me onward to enjoy life (including a s'more once in a while), but to stay true to my goals.
Before I reveal my weight loss (or gain) while at camp, one other small note. Forest Home camp is exremely hilly. Meaning everywhere I walked, I was climbing or descending a hill. And we walked everywhere. To the dining hall multiple times a day, I had to hike up a steep hill, steeper than Cattle Call hill! My legs burned all the way up. And boy did that start to feel good. To the pool, walk up a hill. To the craft cabin, go up that hill. To the main session, hike up that hill! So I burned a lot of calories all week long, just getting where I needed to go!
Soooo…. drumroll please….In a week at camp, never feeling deprived, enjoying delicious meals and 3 cheats, I lost 1.6 pounds!! Yeeeee!! Making my total weight loss to date: 8.6 pounds total! My original goal was to lose 30 pounds, so I have 21.4 to go. This seems doable now. Thirty is a big number. But 21 pounds? That's achievable. I know that.
My next weigh-in is in just three more days. I haven't cheated this week even once! I guess a s'more in the 110 degree desert just doesn't sound as delightful as the one baked to perfection over the campfire at camp. Until next year, then!
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