Getting Out Of My Comfort Zone

If three years ago someone had asked me to go swimming off a catamaran in the ocean off a St. Thomas beach, down 157 feet in a submarine in Barbados, or zip-lining in the rain forest of St. Lucia I would have laughed and deflected.  And as soon as I was alone I would have sobbed.  At my highest weight. thoughts of going on such a trip and engaging in physical, public activities like these did not seem at all possible.  And frankly I didn’t even think I had any desire to do such things.

Fast forward to October 2016 when not only did I enjoy going on a 7-day Caribbean cruise,  I felt confident and strong enough to do all three of these shore excursions not to mention walking 22,000 steps around the beautiful but hot and humid San Juan before embarking on the cruise.

That's me waving on the return catamaran trip

Weeks before the cruise I had already registered and paid for the submarine trip and the catamaran excursion.  I was concerned about the ocean swim in particular because based on the trip promotional overview I knew I would need to pull myself up a steep ladder when getting out of the water.  For weeks I worked my legs on stairs, doing squats and telling my personal trainer about my concern.  But when the horn sounded that day signaling it was time to return to the catamaran, I took off swimming against the waves all the way out to it and easily climbed up the ladder.  I felt terrific, like I had really taken a big step in coming out of a shell. My face wasn't big enough for my smile on the trip back in the breeze, spray, music and sunshine.

Going down in a submarine was something I had always wanted to do, and I was very excited about it while at the same time being concerned about boarding down a small ladder and being in cramped quarters once inside.  Neither of those proved to be problems at all now, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  I did, however, realize that had I been 300+lbs it would have been a very different story. Even crossing an unsteady plank between the boat that took us out into the ocean and the raised sub would have been harrowing and likely embarrassing because previously I wasn’t very steady on my feet under normal conditions let alone in a boat rolling in ocean waves. And I doubt I could have fit down the portal and ladder to descend into the sub.

The zip-lining in the rainforest came about as a spur of the moment whim.  During the “at sea” day on the ship I went to hear about the upcoming ports and activities in them, and the cruise director Marcelo (in his sexy accent) told the audience that when we got home we probably wouldn’t remember what we ate, the onboard entertainment or how we were being pampered by the crew.  But he said what would be remembered for a lifetime was doing something exciting that out of our comfort zone, that pushed our limits a little.  Then he offered a 20% discount on shore excursions, and I signed myself and my son for the zip-lining trip in St. Lucia.

 Needless to say I was very nervous as the hour grew near for this trip.  We left the port on a small open-air “bus” that wound for 30 minutes along narrow and winding roads to the base of the rainforest.  When we arrived we were suited up in a harness with clips and a handle that weighed 10lbs as well as a helmet.  It was at some point during this prep time that I asked the guide whether and how I would be able to come down if I ultimately decided I couldn’t do it, and I was politely but firmly told that was not an option, that there was no other way down.  Yikes. Lots of deep breaths and faking confidence.

After a 30+ minute informative trip up the mountain in a gondola, touring through the many layers of the rainforest we were dropped back off at the base of a hiking trail. First order of business was instructions on how to zip and stay safe, and we did a practice zip.  I found it much easier than I was expecting, and although I doubt my landing on the opposite platform was very graceful, I did it without losing my footing or getting injured in any way. 

Next we hiked up the trail a ways with two guides, both women, to the first of eight different zip-lines.  At this point I understood how there was no alternative to going ahead with the zip lines. My second zip-line trip across the beautiful sights below me was downright fun, and by the third zip I felt compelled to let out my inner Tarzan yell!  

There was one surprise I had not expected as we climbed up to a platform where a rope dangled over a ravine instead of zip line wires.  My heard started pounding rapidly, and I suddenly felt very hot as the guides explained we would be grabbing the rope to swing across to the other platform!  I did not believe I was strong enough to do it and pictured how I would be dangling there awkwardly between the two platforms thirty feet above the ground.  My son went first, easily making it to the other side, and the guides teased him about his “sexy landing.”  A few of the others in our group went next, and two of them struggled a little bit when they reached the opposite platform; I realized that if I didn’t go then I might go into panic mode.  What a leap of faith that was!  But in mere seconds I got to the other side and landed where I was supposed to be!

 I'm in the middle with sunglasses.

Later that afternoon when I got back to the ship in a hot and sweaty mess I was smiling big time.  What a wild and exciting experience!  It sounds hokey, but I now believe that saying about how really begin to feel alive when you fight through fear like I did that day.  I’m so very thankful that I was now living in a smaller body with the strength and confidence to allow me to not only do these activities but to have so much fun doing them!   

Marcelo was right; I’ll always remember these onshore excursions and the milestones they represented for me. I hope I’ll continue to be open to new experiences in the future, even if they’re out of my comfort zone.

SAY NO TO VACATION WEIGHT GAIN

For as long as I can remember taking vacations I’ve always dreaded stepping on the scale when I got home.  Not anymore!  I’ve now proven to myself that it’s very possible to go on vacation, and a cruise no less, without post-trip weight gain and that “blah” feeling. My cruise in October was 7-nights to the Caribbean with Carnival Cruise Line with five ports of call.  This was my first cruise vacation and after all the weight I had been successful at shedding, I was nervous about how I could stay true to my food plan and avoid gaining.

Perhaps what I learned can help others maneuver through a cruise and travel without suffering when they return home.

First is figuring out how to get food close to your plan and meal times when traveling by air and avoid resorting to snacks and vending machine style foods. The first leg of my trip included long flights from the Midwest to Newark, and then on to San Juan.  My plans included eating my normal breakfast, and then having a modest salad lunch with protein at the airport before boarding. Then during the lay-over I had a marvelous seafood stew which set me up well for the night even though we didn’t arrive at our hotel until 2am.   A great mantra in these situations is to remember that hunger is not an emergency!

On the day I had to return home I again had my normal breakfast, but the food choices at the San Juan airport were more limited.  My solution was to share an entrée with my travel companion and eat the portions of it that were appropriate for my food plan. A bigger challenge was getting an evening meal in when my layover was just a few minutes, but I there was a little convenience store that sold packaged salads and fruit so I chose a bean salad that had a few greens in it and an apple.  I ate these after boarding the plane, and I was able to stay satisfied with that until I got home about 10pm.  Obviously a good strategy might be to pack a meal or two to take along, but I wanted to avoid this for a few reasons. First is that I don’t like eating in an airplane seat as it just doesn’t feel like I’m having a meal. Second is I want to keep the stuff I need to keep track of and worry about dragging onto the plane at a minimum. 

Unique salad of beets, grapefruit, radishes and a sprinkle of blue cheese did not need the creamy dressing 

On the cruise I’d advise you eat most of your meals in the formal dining room rather than at the plentiful buffets.  I even ate most of my breakfasts in the formal dining room where it was easy to navigate the mostly al-a-carte menu to put together just the right combination of protein, a half-bowl of oatmeal for a grain and a great selection of fresh fruits. The dinner menu in the formal dining room was a little different each night but always included at least one appetizer, or “starter” item, that was compliant with my food plan including some totally amazing salads of unique combinations. The wait staff was generally versed in how the salads were dressed so I could avoid sugar and too much oil; balsamic dressing was always an option, and some salads didn’t actually need any dressing at all.  

The entrée portions were generally reasonable or even a little small which worked perfectly for me. I had a different meal every evening.  I ate lot of seafood and fish including salmon, sea bass, scallops and large shrimp, and I would estimate the portions to weigh in between 4-6oz of protein. Most entrees included at least a nod to vegetables but often the portions were comically small so I almost always had to ask for an additional portion plus order a side vegetable such as green beans off the menu.  If the entrée had potatoes or rice I asked the staff to leave it off, and if they failed to I just pushed it aside. Desserts?  Of course the menu included some interesting and decadent choices!  Yes, I did look at the menu and twice on the trip I did order fresh fruit as a dessert, but most nights I just sat back and enjoyed another glass of iced tea. Overall my dinners were fabulous, and it was very enjoyable to have someone else prepare, serve and clean up afterwards!

While there are healthy options at the buffets such as the “build your own omelet” bar at breakfast and the Mongolian stir-fry at lunch, you do need to pay attention to quantities and cooking methods.  Watching other omelets being made I realized that the chefs were using the equivalent of three eggs and sizeable portions of cheese, but they just coated the pan with cooking spray rather than using added oil. When it was my turn I asked to have less eggs and two pinches of cheese (which gave the chef a chuckle after he understood what I meant).  At the stir-fry bar I was able to fill a bowl with a combination of vegetables I liked and avoided the dollops of sauces that most always are laden with both oil and sugar.  But when I ate the finished meal I was surprised how greasy it was. Later I learned they cooked the stir-fry in oil unless you ask them to use broth instead.

I also tend to avoid buffets because it’s way too easy to end up with more than you need on your plate and to over-eat.  Even if I’m able to scope out the offerings at the buffet ahead of grabbing and filling a plate, I run into trouble, ending up with too much veggies or choosing a side dish that looked compliant with my food plan only to find it tasted sweet, included hidden items like raisins, or was very oily. And having to wait in a line and having so many people behind you grabbing and reaching seems to fuel my angst at getting through the buffet smartly.  A few tips for the buffet are to stick to the one-plate rule and one trip only, realize that you might pick up something that ultimately you won’t eat so it’s best to fill the bulk of your plate with known items such as salad or steamed veggies, and go up to the buffet to check out all the options so you can plan what you’re going to take to form your meal.

When on a cruise you can make a call to the kitchen to ask a few questions.  This is how I learned how the stir-fries were being made and what accommodations I could ask for. Even when I had to ask a lot of questions of the waitstaff I felt they were always patient and accommodating.

Mufungo in San Juan at a local cafe

I was always successful at not snacking, even when it meant passing up an opportunity to try a sample of something such as traditional sugar cake on the island of St. Kitt’s.  But I did eat a few lunches in the ports and was anxious to try the local cuisine like this Shrimp Mufungo made with mashed plantains that I shared with my travel companion.  Did I feel I was missing out sometimes?  Sure, a little, but I kept reminding myself how far I’ve come to screw up now!

If you have strategies to be successful sticking to a healthy eating plan on vacation please share them since I plan on going on many more trips now that I know I can do it and avoid suffering weight set-backs.

I Won $2,565 By Losing Weight

Look at that check!  

I found a way to make real money by doing something I should and need to do anyway.

I'm busy spending this on a special event for myself, but soon I'll provide more details about how I ended up getting this really sweet paycheck of $2,565 for losing 65lbs in 8 months in 2016.

And most importantly, how you can get a paycheck of your own!