I sinned, and I sinned again. The next day, I kept at it. The best part: This Badass Fitness CEO enjoyed every minute!
I was on vacation in London, bloody hell, and I was reveling in the gluttony!
Being a Badass is about health and fitness, but it's also about enjoying life. Moderation is the rule of thumb for everyday eating, but on a vacation abroad? Pffft! Pour me another pint, mate!
So I'm going to use this week's Friday Confessional to lay out all my London indulgences. Maybe mine will make yours seem like a week of carrots and hummus by comparison. Maybe you had an "off week," too, and it will remind you that you're not alone.
Above all, I hope it drives away any notion that we must always be perfect on the road to Badass. We do not have to stick at all times to egg whites, grilled chicken and oatmeal. That's just existing. It's not living.
We are real people. We have social events, mood swings, and wicked cravings. We are allowed to treat ourselves and sometimes let the cravings have their moment. (There's me, below right, providing cover to this sculpture of "Victorian Athlete," 50 A.D., housed in the British Museum.)
Which I did this week, in full force. See for yourselves:
Forgive me, Badass Blokes, for I have eaten and imbibed a bloody lot! Every day was more calories than usual, and far less exercise beyond the walking about the city. I ate buttered toast and eggs for breakfast most mornings from Sunday through Wednesday, which would prove to be the cleanest and healthiest meal each day. Then: deliciously downhill!
For lunch one day after seeing the Tower of London I ate a big burger and "chips," fries doused with vinegar and salt. Then chocolates and shortbread cookies in the afternoon, and a big Thai meal for dinner (in my defense, there was a papaya salad as part of the meal). And chocolate and cookies again after.
The previous day? Well, I was in the Harrod's "food hall," a Harry Potter-esque dining hall where you can buy everything from cupcakes, gourmet truffles and gelato to pizza, falafels, sushi, cheeses, and huge sandwiches filled with all sorts of Confessional-worthy ingredients.
I did not stop at the moist banana cream cupcake from Lulu's. Nope. I just moved onto a few chocolates and then a cup of gelato during our hours in the luxury megastore. That was AFTER the lunch of a meat kafta and lamb from the Lebanese counter. I did at least get a blood orange salad with manchego cheese - my daily fruit??? Sorta??? Ok, not really.
Dinner that night was Indian, one of the best little holes in the wall I've ever found in the U.S. or abroad. I fully engaged the taste buds and stomach here -- lots of naan bread with raita sauce, and papadom with chutney and this other spicy eggplant spread.
Then I cleaned my plate, a chicken tikka-like dish that came on a sizzling plate with onions and peppers and tomatoes -- and a whole lotta cooking fat/oil. It was so so good. Dessert? Hard cider at a nearby pub. Roll me back to the hotel, please!
Sooooo do I regret any of this? NOT. AT. ALL. It was a great time, and why go to London and eat like a frugal spinster!? Boooriing.
Speaking of, I did at least go to one Spin class in London (just to say I've done Spinning in London!) and walked everywhere. Fave destinations: The Tower of London (top picture) and St. Paul's Cathedral (at left) where I walked up nearly 600 stairs to the top and back down. Amazing view of the city! And yes, all those Spinning classes and stadium workouts helped!
Now I;m back, and vacation and play time is over. Like all of you Badasses, I know how to get back on the right eating track even after veering so far off.
I'll start this morning with a protein fruit smoothie made with almond milk. And yes, there will be many salads and lean fish and poultry meals this coming week. Oh well! The gluttony of London is worth a few days of eating strictly green and clean.
Remember the formula, Badasses: Moderation and balance. Clean eating most of the time "balanced" with the indulgences that give us great memories and put smiles on our tastebuds.
Now, I know you all think you've escaped the Friday Confessional. Not so fast. I still want to know yours. I was simply away from my computer until last night, so there wasn't time for me to beg you Badasses for your confessionals earlier in the week.
Don't leave me hanging and feeling like a total solo glutton! Write your confessions, thoughts, and comments in the comment section below. Or e-mail me at [email protected] and I'll include it in the Monday Mailbag.
Tell me about this week's eating and exercise, tell me about your best past vacation "sin." Beignets in New Orleans? Biscuits and gravy in Savannah? Six pints a night in Ireland?
Coming next week: A Badass indoor cycling routine, with one of my class mixes; how exercise grows your brain; a 10k training regimen; and another treat from the Badass Foodie!