ALASKA - Fitness Lessons Learned

Maybe I didn't need to travel all the way to Alaska to discover that if I eat brownies smothered in ice cream, whipped cream, hot fudge and a cherry, I am going to gain weight. Maybe it wasn't even the brownies that tipped the scale, maybe it was the all you can eat buffet, or the endless supply of candy, I mean "energy" bars that did me in. I went to Alaska on a biking, kayaking, hiking adventure. I really was in constant motion, but it appears that as much as I moved my body, I moved my mouth more! I gained 3 pounds in one week even as I cycled 6 miles uphill to breathtaking Thompson Pass.

Of course I know better. And one could argue that I was on vacation, after all. But truth be told, I allowed myself to believe that I could eat whatever I wanted because I was exercising. And it wasn't just me. The others on the tour also seemed to have a total disconnect between how much energy they were taking in versus how much they were expending. Before starting a relatively flat 12 mile stretch of the bike trip, (that actually linked lunch to dinner) I asked the guide if he thought I needed a snack. He gave me a look of disbelief as he assured me that I did not.

I fell into the exact trap that I am always cautioning people to avoid. By overestimating how many calories they burn exercising and underestimating how many calories are in their replacement snack many people actually gain weight when they begin an exercise program. Of course they often console themselves with the factoid that muscle weighs more than fat. Believe me, I did not gain 3 pounds of muscle on my trip and I'm fairly certain no one else did either!

Fitness is not a steady-state. Usually the first thing a new client will tell me about is their glory days. All I say to that is, 'What have you done for me lately?" Keeping fit is constant work. If you let your guard down, even for a weeks vacation, you are taking a risk. Eating right and exercising should be as obvious as brushing your teeth. Would you go on vacation and not pack your toothbrush?

I often tell my clients, lets trade habits for 6 months and see what happens. All I needed was 1 week to remind me that if I don't treat my body right it is going to change and not for the better!