Reflections on my First (Fake) Weekend

I'm pretending like I'm not really starting until another week and a half or so--for now I am just getting used to my meal plan and trying to get to the gym for swimming and eliptical as much as possible (this week I made it twice-- thirty mins total swimming laps and 60 on the eliptical-- and did another balance ball workout at home on Saturday when I was otherwise too swamped to leave my house). August 1st will be my official start but I have to say, my meal plan is working out great so far. I've just about followed it since I was given it on Monday with an exception of yesterday evening.

I have a feeling weekends will be the hardest because a. I like to eat brunch and b. I like to have cocktails with friends. Here's how I managed this weekend:

On friday night I met up with a group of grad school colleagues for happy hour. I rocked it Ramona-style with two glasses of pinot grigio and prepared by taking out two of my three fruit servings for the day. My feeling is I can miss a couple of fruits if I only have drinks once or twice a week. It's also a good excuse not to drink as much--who wants to miss out on the fiber and vitamins of fresh summer berries or chilled clementines?

On Saturday night, I went to a bbq with a mixed group of people I knew from school and several new people I met there. I tagged along with two of my besties who don't drink which made it easier for me to decide not to drink. I have to admit, though, because it was a group I didn't know super well, my go-to strategy for socializing would have been a couple mixed drinks or a bottle of wine. I found I was a little more reserved because I didn't drink but I also found that I really enjoyed absorbing the conversations around me without feeling the pressing need to contribute. I ended up staying longer than I anticipated which meant that while I had prepared my meal plan for dinner at the party, I ended up with a little late-night snacking. Something to work on in the future.

Frankly, I was tired and relieved to get home and go to bed rested and not tipsy. There was a time when I would have been so rigid about following my meal plan that a night like last would have sent me completely off the wagon, so to speak, but today I am patting myself on the back for a job well done.

This is just my quick update for now because I have a Spanish final to begin preparing for and a house to clean since my partner comes home from visiting her family tomorrow afternoon.

This entry feels a little boring but I wanted to work toward making this blog a combination of some of my strategizing and some self-reflection. I'll do a bit more reflection next time. :)

Thanks for reading!