Mark's Cafe Moi: About those all-you-can-eat vacations

Back in the office, strapped in a cubicle. Not really strapped, but it often feels that way. And now, after a 5-day vacation of non-stop eating, that strap feels a little tighter. Given that Frank and I intend to actually get married in the near future, I want to look my best. I’ve been saying this for the last two years: I wanted to look my best for the cruise, I wanted to look my best for the trip to Delaware a year ago, I wanted to look my best every other day. Not that we ever don’t look our bests, but damnit, I wanted to fit into something I could wear three years ago. I’m not going to blame being in a relationship, that’s too easy. But I do think it’s harder every year to get weight off that I’d put on without much thought since we met. Weight that creeps up has a way of creeping away even more slowly, and I want to be as healthy as I can. Given the slowing of our metabolism with age, we should take in 10 percent fewer daily calories every decade after 40. Why am I now in the obese category, according to government statistics? Maybe eating as if I were 20 has something to do with it. The excuses have to end, including the very handy one, “I’m on vacation.” I hear this as often as I’ve told it to myself. Some of it is stress: travelling can be stressful despite the pleasure of it. I can control what I eat much more easily at home, and when I’m on vacation eating just seems like the thing to do. Especially when we’re visiting people. Going out to eat is part of the picture, and watching what I eat in restaurants is never something I’ve been very controlled at. So here went another all-you-can-eat vacation, because, well, we were on vacation. Another 5 days on holiday, another 5 pounds. Okay, maybe 2, but the effort to get that off will be considerable, especially spending my days strapped in an ever-tightening cubicle.]]>