Staying On Track at Mom & Dad's

A "petite" scoop of toasted almond ice cream with a side of caramel
at Fenton's Creamery in Oakland, CA

I have the best parents! I admit that being the baby of five I have always been, and continue to be, spoiled. But they are not selective about who they spoil, they do it to anyone who comes to visit. They are stellar hosts! But with that comes challenges when you are trying to be healthy.

My mom is an amazing cook and shows her love through cooking. I prepared them ahead of time saying that I am trying to be good so I don't need any extra special meals. I also made a plan about what to fill up on and what to take very, very small portions of. I was very careful about not hurting her, or anyone else's feelings.

Now that my two weeks have ended, bags are packed and heading to the airport early in the morning, I can reflect about what worked and what did not work. Overall, I am very happy about my progress. This was one of the biggest challenges I have had to face and I stayed focused and feel great about it! 

It has been nice to tell myself, "I am not blowing it now! I don't want to undo any of the great choices I've made here at home."

• I ate salads with dressing on the side (rarely touching it) every single time I ate out. I did not get tired of them because good salads are something that are hard to find in Beijing. 
• I exercised every single day except Sundays. When I had an early morning meeting I would go for an evening run.
• I didn't deprive myself of special treats every now and then. (a scoop of Fenton's ice cream, a sliver of my mom's strawberry pie, a piece of See's candy here and there).
• I counted every calorie I ate.
• We went to a Chinese restaurant for my niece's birthday (her choice, not mine) and I chose hot and sour soup, sautéed broccoli and shrimp and no rice.
• My brother took me out to a steakhouse for dinner. I had a 6 oz filet with double veggies, no dessert.
• My parents chose In N' Out for lunch one day. I chose a hamburger with grilled onions, protein style (wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun) and no fries.
• Morning donuts have always been a HUGE part of staying at mom and dad's. I kindly refused each time they were brought home.
• Being without a scale was a great thing for me. I still am anxious to see if the scale validates my hard work. I really wish I could break up with that dysfunctional relationship!

The point is...you do not have to offend or impose your diet on others. By being mindful and conscience I was able to enjoy my time with friends and family and still reach my goals. 

I was not perfect though. I succumbed to one temptation! The Cool Ranch Locos taco at Taco Bell. . . just one. (I counted it)

This trip home was a huge a-ha for me! If I could be focused there, I can be focused anywhere. You can too!