After our 5-mile joy ride was over, (sad face) swimming in the river was next on the outdoor agenda. The water was the perfect degree of cold, and the current was strong enough to give the legs a good workout. This was my first time to exercise the gams since my foot went in a boot almost two weeks ago, and while I did pretty good, my ankle was ready for an ice bath when I got home. Thursday, I have the go-ahead to ease myself back in to my fitness regime, and I have to say I’m a little nervous that the tibia will revert to its “grumpy” itself. I really miss the EA Active, but the Sarg may have to wait another week or so to enlist me back into boot camp. I don’t think a lot of running and jumping would do anything but put me back in a brace…for good. I have a great elliptical machine that is very lonely in our exercise room, so I may do that for a week or so and see the leg’s reaction…hopefully it will be a good one.

As for the food plan, I haven’t been the strictest of sorts the past few days. I’m disappointed in myself, actually. But like riding a bike, I’ve got to pick myself up and start peddling again. I guess successes and setbacks are all part of the process, but I’d rather not have so much of the latter. I’m making my grocery list after I finish this post to include, but not limited to, eggs, cottage cheese, veggies, fruit and lean meats. I think I eat too many carbs, so my plan is to make better, protein-packed choices and skip the prepackaged aisles.

Here’s to a fresh, healthy week!

Day 1 of canoeing actually started out pretty well. The morning sun was already baking us, but luckily, the water was cold to perfection so we could take a dip anytime it got too hot. (Including our dog – he got his first swimming lesson!) The trees provided ample shade as well in patches along the way, and a welcome breeze whisked by from time to time. I have to say the hubs did a lot of the paddling the first leg of the trip, since I was soaking in all of the nature around us. After about six hours of serenity and a moment of drama (our friends’ boat tipped, and one of their dogs was under water for a few minutes. But after a brave rescue from his mom, he’s ok), we picked out a place to park the canoes and set up our tents. This was my first time sleeping in one, and I can’t say that I would want to do it again. It was hot…the bugs were knocking down the nylon…and every time a grasshopper would chirp, our dog would start barking his head off. Not fun!

So after a sleepless night, we got up at dawn to begin Day 2 of canoeing. The hubs and I had a rough go of it, since our boat seemed to have a magnet on it for tree stumps. We slammed into at least three of them along the way, almost capsizing our vessel and spilling all our belongings into the murky water. But, we kept going, in tact, for another five hours before our entire group was done with the bugs, heat and fervent rowing. We stopped at a bridge and called the canoe rental company to come pick us up, but they wanted to charge us an extra $60 to do that, so we decided to suck it up and finish the hour we had left. Seeing the flat rock bed piled with canoes and a guy from the company waiting to pull our boats in was better than the smores we polished off the night before. (And that was some good eatin’! Ha Ha!)

Even though I am sunburned, bruised and shaken from almost falling in the river countless times, I am really proud of myself and the rest of our crew for making it to the 23-mile finish line. Hoorah! I hopefully lost a boat load of calories, although I was Weight Watcher free on this adventure. We tried to find some healthy fare – including apples and 100-cal canned fruit and granola bars – but I did indulge in some campout favorites, like hot dogs and M&M-filled trail mix. (Not to mention the celebratory meal at Outback that evening. Mmmm)

But, I’m back on the food plan starting today, and am actually looking forward to tonight’s workout with Sassy Sarg. Just as long as it has nothing to do with a canoe and paddle, I’m up for it!

Now don’t get me wrong, I love spending time outside. When I was younger, I rode my bike all over the place and played hide-and-seek with the neighborhood kids until our moms called us in (for the third and fourth times) for dinner. In middle and high school, the big thing to do was ride four wheelers through the muddiest parts of the river, to which, I ruined my friend, Sara’s, mom’s leather jacket. (Sorry about that, Tammy.) But, as I’ve gotten older, I have to admit I’ve become more of a lady of leisure on the weekends. I love pedicures, lunching with my family, antiquing and getting together with friends for a little din and drinks. So to trade all that for a pair of water shoes and a two-person tent is slightly daunting for me. But, in the spirit of being a supportive wife and trying new things, I’m going to hang up my heels, put fresh batteries in the ‘ol flashlight and jump on the boat. Not to mention burn some serious fat cells! Thirty little minutes paddling down the river burns around 120 cals, so 23 hours comes to a grand total of 5,520…oh yeah! Maybe all that rowing will keep my mind off bears, snakes, no bathrooms or showers, and mad men with chainsaws stalking us through the woods…wish me luck!

So a new week begins today, and I don’t know if my body is just pooped or what, because it definitely wasn’t pumped for another workout. I had two sessions of long laps and “kick ups” (basically kicking your own butt with your heels while running), and no lie, I was breathing so hard, the very-laid-back hubs was like, “oh my gosh, are you ok? Lift your arms over your head! Sip water!” If that wasn’t enough hilarity for Sassy Sarg, she continued the brutality with lunges, bicep curls, basketball, inline skating and boxing. Workin’ it!

Now on to the big reveal. I gave a few clues in yesterday’s post about something I’m going to add this week to my food and fitness plan. It’s called ACV — apple…cider…vinegar. I first heard about this supposed slim-down secret from my sister, Sarah, who loves all things natural. She buys organic fruits and veggies, travels to Tennessee for raw milk and researches the vast array of vitamins, enzymes and other good-for-the-bod products that stock the shelves of health food stores. So, I thought I’d take her advice with a teaspoon of ACV and give it a swirl. I did a little research of my own, and while some studies say there is no conclusive evidence that the sweet-sounding tonic can lessen your lovehandles, others say it does have medicinal qualities that can support weight loss, like stabilizing blood sugar levels. (Both sides of the debate are discussed in this article on naturalnews.com)

So I went and bought a bottle of the stuff this evening, and abiding by my Internet teacher, looked for the words organic, raw, unfiltered and mother (scratching my head on this one) on the label. I guess I’ll be the lab mouse and down a spoonful or two with water before meals for a week or so starting tomorrow. Who knows…maybe it will be everything it claims. Let’s just hope I don’t start growing limbs and have someone come read a book under me. (Wink)

I’ve also been doing excellent on my food plan. But there’s really not much to feel deprived about…cereal with skim milk, fresh berries, turkey wraps loaded with veggies and cilantro, taco salad….mmm hmm! That’s what I like so much about Weight Watchers. It doesn’t really limit the types of foods you eat, but rather, the quanity of it. I’ve tried other plans that cut out the carbs, or said no to fruit, etc. and whatever I couldn’t have, that’s what I craved (and cried over. HA!)

With all my healthy efforts, I hope that the white-and-silver monster that lurks in my bathroom (is that called a scale?) will show me some unconditional love tomorrow when I (gulp) step on it one timid foot at a time for my weekly weigh-in. I just hope like a video tape, the scale monster will please be kind and rewind!

And in the interest of keeping things fun and light, (literally) I’ve decided to try a little something new this week, along with my food and fitness plan. It’s slightly controversial…it sounds sweet, but yet it’s bitter…and can be found at any local grocery store. Any guesses? Stay tuned!