Escaping From the Pit of Weight Gain

My plan for this biweekly update of my battle of the pounds was to get my gym-fearing self to one of those fancy machine-laden spots. Instead, I wedged myself into a deep backslide.

It's not that I didn't have every intention of upping the cardio. I made plans with a friend to check out her Bikram yoga studio, and I asked another to book me a bike at her Soul Cycle class while I was visiting Los Angeles. But neither happened. I suppose could blame the shift into reverse on the fact that I was traveling, but I was actually quite active the week I was away.

I spent every morning and evening swimming and went on numerous walking tours throughout the day. And although most people tend to indulge while away, I always have a fruit plate for breakfast and make sure that I have a piece that's peelable for the in-between times. So with all the positive and healthy traveling moves, how did I get into a downward spiral? Well, it came in the form of a bulge.

One afternoon, as I was looking for a towel after an evening dip, I saw it. There, just on the right side of my back was a big, gnarly, under-the-bra-line hunk of flab that I've never had before in my life. And it devastated me. So what did I do? Well, I went straight for the chocolate. There were some truffles in my hotel room, and in one, serious swoop they were gone. And just so you know, I don't even like chocolate. I mean, it is something I very rarely eat.

From that fall from grace it was a glorious downhill escape. I had pasta for dinner accompanied by a few rolls. I drank a beer at lunch the next day with some fries. And did the same the next day. And all the while I was feeling defeated, deflated and self-loathing, but I just couldn't stop. There was even one point where I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a window and realized that my body has become older. In a lot of ways, it's true.

According to a host of research, our metabolism slows down as we age. That alone can rack up to a two-pound gain yearly. And I don't need to tell you what gravity can do to a girl's body. I guess that is what is happening with me. My knees are a bit saggier that I remember them being. And I'm not alone in that thinking: A recent study in the journal Physiology found that aging, coupled with limited mobility, can cause general muscle loss. Great, that's enough to send me to the pint of soy ice cream because maybe I'm just destined to be a bit bigger.

But then I remembered this blog and the community that I'd be letting down if I gave into my indulgences. So now, when I'm feeling blue about my body, I've started reaching for tangerines. The peeling process keeps my hands busy, and the slivers let me shovel without feeling guilty. I also took some anti-bloat advice and started adding lemon to my water. That seems to curb my shock and awe at my growing muffin top, and maybe it's psychosomatic, but I swear my pants fit better.

Tell me, how do you keep your fitness and diet on track?