This past week I traveled to Hartford, CT and Gainesville, VA for Team Women and I was very impressed with how well I prepared.  In my suitcase, I had protein shakes and bars, healthy snacks, some packaged microwavable meals and even a portable blender.  I was all set.  Because it was inauguration week, there was some challenge in getting tickets and for the two cities I was visiting I had a total of nine different planes and lots of layovers.  The first leg started in OC, then Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, and ended at Hartford’s Bradley airport.  It really all went well except my suitcase only made it as far as Las Vegas.

I arrived in Hartford around 9 pm for a 10 am Team Women meeting the following morning.  And my bag could not get there until 5 pm the next day.  I have no makeup, no clean clothes, no nothing…. I tried to be a good sport since I was flying US Airways.  I said it could have been worse,  at least I landed on the runway and not the Hudson River.  So the next morning at 7:30 am I am in a cab trying to find a store where I can buy replacements for everything I was missing.   Thankfully, I was able to get almost everything.  I did forget Mousse so I am sure I had frizzy hair at the meeting.  And remember this is January in CT.

BUT I did not have any of my food!!!  The night I arrived it was after 9 by the time I got to my hotel, it was snowing, and I did not have a car.  The hotel had a restaurant across the parking lot which did have room service.  So I ended up making the best choices I could and eating dinner at 10:30 pm.  This was not the way I had planned my eating to go on this trip.  When I was clothes shopping, I did pick up several large bottles of water.

Next stop was Dulles Airport in Washington, DC.  What was fun was I went from CT to VA via Orlando, Florida!  Don’t even ask.  So nine hours later when I arrived in DC, guess what – no bags again and they had no idea where they were.  Not to mention I had to pay an additional $90 for my bag in CT because it was overweight due to the shopping I had to do.   FYI – Southwest will immediately give you $50 to shop; US Airways just gave me a hard time.   Again my bag was not going to be delivered until the following day!  I was staying at a friend’s house and she had shopped for me and had lots of healthy stuff on hand.  So it was better than the stop in CT food wise.

Coming home was DC to Charlotte, NC to Phoenix and then on to OC.   And I have to admit, I was running out of my good attitude by this point.  US Airways charges $1.oo for coffee and $2.00 for juice and have no healthy food to buy at all.  When I was hassled by an airline person in AZ about not being able to take on both my purse and my laptop, I had reached my limit and was not very pleasant.  Suffice to say, I had my choice to board with only my purse or be escorted out of the airport by TSA.  I chose to come  home.

Why am I sharing all of this?  Because sometimes no matter how well you plan and all the good intentions you have, Life Happens!  I worked hard and made at least 80% of the right choices throughout all of this disarray, until Phoenix…  By the time I got to my seat, I was ready to cry and totally frustrated.  When I landed in OC, my phone was not working, so could not call for my car.  My bag was the last one to come off (should have been satisfied it was there) and it took forever to get my car.   My attitude was toast.

I chose at the beginning of the year to give up one food and that was french fries.  That was a commitment I made to myself.  Immediately after driving out of the airport, I drove through Del Taco and ordered fries.  Did it make me feel better – NO – it made me feel worse.  Was I getting back at the airlines for all of my hassles – No – I was only hurting myself.  Upon reflection, I think I just wanted to take control of something, anything in my life.  The lesson learned is to always do the best you can and not let the outside world make me turn against myself.

Do you have to be perfect to achieve a healthy weight?  No, you just have to keep on keeping on.   I am giving up French Fries again right now, right here and allowing myself to be at peace with making a mistake.  How can I support you in making more right choices?

Judi

P.S.  Don’t fly US Airways, if you can avoid it…