McFatty Monday: A Return from Mommycation

251, even. A three pound gain.

I have no idea what happened. Last week, I was on what I have dubbed "Mommycation". After months of spending time working, taking care of Angelica pretty much solo, taking care of the house solo, and not getting a break pretty much ever, I took advantage of the fact that my PTO is about to expire and took a mommycation. Scott worked. Angelica went to daycare. I spent four days doing nothing but what I wanted to do. It was every bit as wonderful as you might imagine it was, too.

I started the mommycation with a very long to-do list, comprised of responsibilities that got neglected because I was so busy for so long, as well as fun things that I wanted to do just for me. (See Eclipse in the theater? Alone? Yes!) I'm happy to say that I got almost everything on that list crossed off, so it's certainly not like I spent those four days sitting around eating junk food and watching television.

One of the things on my to-do list was to figure out what to do as far as exercise. I had pursued the 30 Day Shred for awhile, and while I loved it at first, I grew to hate it. HATE it. Not because I wasn't able to do it, not because it was too hard, but because it was boring. So as part of the soul-searching I did, I realized that one thing I have always wanted to do is become a runner. I have a very good friend who always inspired me with her running ability (and I'm so sorry I never told you, I'm so bad at that!). I had always believed (thanks to negative self-talk) that I couldn't run. Well, a workshop I attended while on mommycation (more on that in another post) changed the way I think about things, and so I cast aside that self doubt.

So, last Tuesday, I started the Couch to 5K program.

I may have alluded to this once before, but in my pre-mommy days, I tried to do this program but I over-did it. Instead of following the 3 day a week routine prescribed by the program, I tried to do it every single day and wound up getting hurt...and then trying to "run" a 5K while hurt and coming in last place (and taking almost two hours to complete it). This time around, I'm older and wiser and abiding by the program (which says to not over-do it!) and while it's ridiculously challenging, I am loving every minute of it...and hoping to get a second chance at running a 5k in September (and not taking two hours to complete it).

But that's why I'm so shocked about the gain. For the most part, over the vacation I ate healthy and worked out and still somehow managed to gain three pounds. How does that even happen? It's not premenstrual bloat. I feel like I've been drinking enough water, so it's not water retention.

I guess we'll see how things turn out on the scale next week.

About mommycation, by the way -- if you have a chance do to it, do it and do not feel guilty about it even for a second. I feel like I'm back at the top of my game and able to be effective in all of the various roles I have to play (especially the mommy role).