In The Clear and Off The Wagon

Tuesday was the final day of the Your Fountain of Health detox program.

I stepped on the scales that morning... 241lbs.

Since I started writing this blog, I've lost 7 lbs. Since I started the detox, I've lost 11lbs. Not only that, but I went from 43 inches around both hips and waist to 41 inches around for my hips and 39 inches around for my waist. A total of 6 INCHES.

To celebrate, the Mister and I went out to dinner. We went to Applebees, where he got the chicken fajita roll up with a big ol' crispy side of fries. I ordered a grilled chicken breast with creamy parmesean sauce served over a bed of brown rice and sauteed spinach. I won't lie, I am a sucker for french fries and anything that vaguely resembles a burrito, so when Danny's dinner came out I was a little jealous. However, due to my healthy choice, I allowed myself to polish off the rest of my chocolate Almond Dream ice cream when we got back home.

I went to bed that night feeling accomplished. I woke up the next three mornings, drank my elixir, mixed my smoothies, stayed on track. I continued to feel good about myself, my progress, my health.

Until this weekend.

Friday morning I woke up, slugged my elixir, made myself a Cranberry Bliss smoothie and went off to work with my packed lunch and healthy snacks. About halfway through the day, one of my best friends from college, Bernice (yes, that's her real name) and her girlfriend arrived in Burlington for a previously planned weekend stay at our place. When I returned home from work, I made myself some delicious, healthy dinner, sat down with my lemon water and my Mister and waited for Bee and her lady, Ashley (and their ADORABLE boxer, Dexter) to make their entrance. Which they did a few hours later... with wine and beer.

I restrained myself to only one glass of Merlot, since it is my favorite, and continued with my standard lemon water throughout the evening. The next morning was elixir, Green Smoothie Madness, and then brunch with the girls while the Mister toiled away at work. I got a decaf cup of coffee - black - and a special chedder and feta hash with red potatoes, peppers, onions and kale. It was delicious, perfectly portioned, and I had a hard time finishing it.

Shortly afterwards, it went downhill.

If you didn't know, Vermont is kind of a micro-brew mecca. Switchback, Longtrail, Otter Creek, just to name a few. The one that most everyone has at least heard of is Magic Hat, located in beautiful South Burlington. If you're 21 and in Northern Vermont for any amount of time, it is almost a rite of passage to attend a tour and fill up a growler with one of their hundreds of rotating beers on tap. (More information can be found here , for those of you who are interested - and 21!)

Being the amazing man that he is, the Mister hooked us all up with a VIP tour, courtesy of his beer guy at work. We got to go behind the scenes and see where the "Magic" (pun intended) is created, as well as the GAZILLION boxes of beer that are in storage. It. Was. Amazing. And, of course, ended with a tasting.

Long story short, we went from Magic Hat, where we had four one-ounce taster beers each, to Big Fatty's BBQ, where the Mister prepared a GIGANTIC southern feast complete with pulled pork, brisket, smoked chicken and macaroni and cheese. Then, downtown, where much alcohol was had by all, finished off with a big, greasy slice of cheese pizza at my old college haunt, Mr. Mikes.

Did I enjoy myself? You bet I did. Was I seriously hurting the next morning? Absolutely. Am I still feeling the effects of my little binge? Yes, yes I am. To the point where I had to pull into a Dunkin Donuts while on the road between home visits today for an emergency restroom break. Do I regret it?

Not a chance.

The one thing I have learned in my short 24 years on this earth is exactly that; it's short. My days are so filled with mundane tasks, stress, bills, rules, regulations, headaches, do's and dont's - times are few and far between where I am allowed to let loose and get wild, especially with those I really love and care about. That doesn't mean I will gorge myself at every given opportunity, but I will make sure not to completely deprive myself either. It's a balance I will constantly fight, more than likely for the rest of my life. And honestly, I'm okay with it.

So this morning, I got right back on the clean eating wagon. Elixir, smoothie for breakfast, salad with chicken and sweet potato for lunch, healthy snacks, and THIS 

A Chef Hoyt original: butterflied chicken, sauteed veggies, brown rice pilaf. All completely clean. To quote the classically French trained Mister himself "and you told me I couldn't cook without butter and cream!"

Well, baby, you are more than welcome to keep proving me wrong.