I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas break.
We just returned home from a wonderful week of skiing in Whistler B.C. over the Christmas holiday.
The weather was quite spectacular-it snowed four out of the seven days we were there, so the scenery was magical.
Skiing is one of my favorite winter activities for a variety of reasons; sure, it's great exercise, but I love it because it allows you to connect with nature and something greater than yourself. There's no stress or distractions. There's no opportunity for self destructive behavior like binge eating or drinking. It's truly amazing how being outdoors really does nurture the soul.
That said, it also allowed me the opportunity to deviate from my normal daily routine as well without any guilt. I realized that I had enough trust in myself and my lifestyle that if I deviated from my normal day, I'd be able to bounce right back in as soon as I returned home....and I did.
An ironclad, healthy lifestyle is meant to be broken.
When you have a solid lifestyle in place, the smallest deviation doesn't turn into an avalanche. While I was away, my morning routine stayed the same. Hot lemon water in the morning, coffee and a solid breakfast was my staple. The rest of my day, I happily deviated and it felt good. It's hard to imagine, but I burned about 2,400 calories a day skiing!
The terrain is unbelievable and you work every single muscle in the body, and it felt great! We'd stop for lunch on the mountain and I'd have a delicious soup or stew and pita bread! Yes, I ate pita bread;-) Maddie actually asked me if I was "feeling ok" because she never sees me eat processed bread! Haha!
You know what, I did feel good and I needed the energy because I was having a hard time keeping up with the calorie deficit I was creating. That said, let's be clear here-I don't eat pita because it's a carbohydrate; I don't eat it because it's a processed grain that causes inflammation and in many cases, in the joints, skin, muscles etc. That, along with gluten is like setting a forest fire off in your body and let me tell you, my wrists were killing me. I didn't fall and I didn't do one single burpee while I was away. My body knows when I eat something foreign and she gets mad at me..really mad...but I didn't care because it was just a speed bump.
My favorite part of my vacation routine was ending the day after 6 hours of hard skiing with a hot tub and an IPA (I'm not even a beer drinker).....yes, and it was amazing!
So, vacations are meant to be enjoyed. If your lifestyle is solid, little deviations are not only necessary, they are welcomed with open arms. Life is all about experiences and creating memories that will last a lifetime, and this vacation memory vault and love buckets are spilling over.
Now it's time to get back to the grind and my body is screaming for some kale...really, it is!
Have a great day!
Love, kale and squats,
Christine xo
