Eating for pleasure vs results

I typically weigh myself every morning for the sole purpose of staying accountable, not to punish myself. With that said, I don’t like to step on the scale until a few days after I get back from vacation or a long weekend away from home. This is because I like to enjoy myself on trips and eat foods that I normally try to limit without feeling guilty about the repercussions.

I was out of town this past weekend for my bff's wedding (congrats Heather!), so not only did I miss 5 days in the gym but I ate like it was my job; I'm talking pizza, pasta, donuts - all the carbs. It's hard keeping up with your daily routines while away from home, especially if those around don't make health a top priority. When I weighed myself this morning I was unsurprised to be up a few pounds from before I left although I could have sworn I gained a lot more.

I always enjoy splurging, but after a couple days I get to a point where I actually crave vegetables. When I visited Portugal last year, I quickly realized they like to serve every meal with either rice or fries. By the end of the week I wanted nothing more than a bowl of lettuce.  

It's important to indulge once in awhile for the sake of sanity. What I've learned is that when you get back to your usual daily routine after letting loose a couple days, your body readjusts to normal. I aim to workout 5-7 days a week, walk daily, and eat roughly 70-80% clean. If I were to continue my vacation mentality of not exercising and carb-loading from here on out, you can see how more and more weight would slowly accumulate until one day jeans no longer fit and I’m questioning where those 10 pounds came from.

So yes, I had a great time visiting friends and family this weekend, but I'm glad to be home and back on my normal routine. The first thing I did when I got home was pack my lunch for work - salmon, asparagus and a sweet potato - damn my coworker for bringing in chocolate cake... but like I said, 80% clean, 20% not so much.

Balance is the overall goal. Enjoy time with loved ones and indulge in your favorite guilty pleasures. Just know the difference between eating for pleasure and eating for weight loss/maintenance. The former will be satisfying only while eating and possibly lead to guilt, the latter will be satisfying long term when you reach your goals.

-Mallory