Weekly weigh-in: Surviving the great outdoors

Last week's weight: I didn't weigh in because I was on vacation. My weight the week before was 171.6.
This week's weight: 172.6
Difference: +1
Total weight lost since January 2010: 99.2 pounds

A few days before heading to Virginia for a five-day vacation at the river with my mom and stepdad, I blogged about being prepared to gain. On my previous vacation to Asheville, I gained nearly 5 pounds. I knew I didn't want to stress too much about what I ate or drank while in Virginia, so I set my mind on the 5-pound number.

I expected to gain that much. I ate s'mores (twice) and ice cream (twice) and all sorts of other foods I don't usually eat. I drank more alcohol than normal. But I also drank a lot of water and ate a lot of fruit and vegetables. Combine that with not eating heaping amounts of the bad foods and somehow I managed to gain only 1 pound.

I'm in disbelief. But, once again, happy to realize that I can indulge from time to time without completing losing control. While I still stress about food more than I probably should, I'm more hopeful than ever that I can maintain the progress I've made.

Speaking of progress, my trip to Virginia fits into that category in a different way. As many of you know, my journey isn't just about losing weight. It's about finding happiness and self-confidence and being more adventurous.

My Fourth of July vacation felt a little like being in the movie "The Great Outdoors." My mom and stepdad own a camper in a campground along the Rappahannock River. The camper is small, but it has a giant screened-in porch, which even has air conditioning. It's a good thing because that's where I had to sleep. This was actually my second time visiting, but last year's trip is kind of a blur because it was right after my dad died.

Anyway, most people would probably say I'm not exactly the outdoorsy type. That's odd because I grew up boating, fishing and always being around the water. While I may have spent a lot more time outside as a kid, I've always liked the comforts of home. I like my stuff and I'm definitely a creature of habit.

So visiting my parents was somewhat of an adventure. The shower was smaller than a phone booth and the water didn't work right the first day, so I don't even think I got the soap out of my hair. Yuck! I own mixing bowls bigger than the toilet. (Too much information?) I had to sleep on a lumpy futon on the porch. It was weird thinking that people might be able to see me walking around in my pajamas. Oh, and there's no oven. The porch has a stovetop, but you have to turn off the air conditioning to use it. So we grilled a lot. Yeah, I know I'd never make it if I really had to camp ... in a tent.

All that said, I had a delightfully relaxing few days. It might not have been fancy, but it was fun. On one of our boat rides, we were surrounded by dolphins near the Chesapeake Bay. They were beautiful. I barely thought about, much less talked about, work the entire time. That alone is a major sign of progress in my life. I've finally become the kind of person who completely trusts the people who work for me, which means I don't have to worry while on vacation.

The real lesson I've learned in the past few weeks is that I know how to manage stress without gaining weight. Sure, I still eat to sooth my emotions occasionally. But I don't do it all the time. In fact, most of the time when something's bothering me, I'm now able to put it aside and refocus on something positive. That's the kind of life I want to lead.