Make It Worth It

I took my youngest son to Mom and Me Boy Scout Camp for an overnight stay this weekend.  First off, I will say we had so much fun.  I am a very novice camper and wasn't expecting to have much fun with a couple hundred boys, but we really did have a great time.  BONUS:  Rare one-on-one time with my baby!

I was concerned about being tempted by camp food, but was going to put an effort into just enjoying this time and not worrying too much about calories.  Even so, just in case, I brought my own breakfast, a Lara Bar and an orange, and for lunch I brought crackers, cheese, peanut butter, an apple, and an orange.  Turns out camp food isn't at all tempting, NOVICE camper.  I enjoyed my own breakfast.  I mindlessly ate way too much Chex mix before I asked myself what I was doing.  I was long past the point of the snack being enjoyable, and was just eating it because I had an open bag in my hand.  I guiltlessly enjoyed a smore.  But the real problem wasn't camp food at all, but stopping for dinner both on the way to camp and on the way home.  It was my son's choice, a rare treat to be able to pick and so it was Big Boy and McD.  Both restaurants are at the absolute bottom of my list if it were my choice.  I didn't make healthy choices at either restaurant.  I am so bad when faced with a menu full of high calorie food.  In fact, I even ordered a piece of chocolate silk pie.  To my credit, I left some of the pie on the plate.  Then I said to hell with it when I got home and added a PB egg, one serving of chips, one cheese stick, and 4 thin mints.

Ugghhh.  That all or nothing attitude gets me every time.  But when I thought about the foods that I ate, the fried fish and onion rings, fried chicken sandwich and fries, the pie, cookies, chips, PB egg, Chex mix......none of those foods were "worth it".  None of them tasted better than the healthy foods I make myself at home.  Not a single one of the foods were delicious.  If they were irresistibly yummy, I would feel better about it.  But truth is, they were just okay.  Lesson learned, I hope.  I will think of this moment next time I feel the urge to eat too much of something that is mediocre in taste but high in calories.  If I am going to eat something high in calories, okay, but for goodness sake I better make it worth it and order something devine!

It was back on track today.  When asked if I wanted to go to Five Guys Burgers and Fries, I said no thanks.  When asked if I wanted a grilled burger or a ribeye steak, I said no thanks.  I made myself BBQ chicken breast, brown rice, and broccoli, and it was delicious.  Then I went for a run.  This was the first warm weekend and I wasn't sure if I could run in 80+ degree heat, but of course I can and I did.  Getting back on track is what matters.

You know what food was worth it this weekend???  That S'more my little Boy Scout made me.