2,900 miles and not a single pound gained

By Annette Herrick

I recently flew down to the southern most tip of Arizona and RV-ed home with mom and dad (I'm in my mid thirties and own my own home with my husband in case some of you are wondering). I new I had a difficult task ahead - not to put on a single pound.

For me, it was a game of strategy as I zig-zagged my way down and then back up the country. I was to look for places where I would find the least sugar, mayonnaise and the most veggies.

Here's how it turned out. On the plane, honey glazed peanuts and soda were offered. No thank you. Can I have some water? And then I opened my own bag of lightly salted cashews. As I waited in Phoenix for my next flight, I did a walk-through past all of the restaurants. After some deliberation I decided it would be acceptable to order a BK Whopper with no mayonnaise. As I reached the front, all of the hamburgers were pre-made. Hmm, now what? Not wanting to make a scene I decided the mayonnaise would be okay. Paid, sat down, took a bite. Just couldn't do it. My taste buds have changed. Stood up, got a knife and fork and ate the meat and the lettuce, tomato. Threw away the bun and mayonnaise. Still hungry, I asked a lady with a salad where she found it. Back down the hall I went, ordered a steak salad, it was nasty but I ate it anyway.

Down in the dumps I looked forward to my next meal with mom and dad. They took me to an authentic Mexican stand. Fajitas, no tortillas or rice, black beans instead. Satisfied. Fared well my first day.

Next day, we were off to see some petroglyphs and heading for the Grand Canyon. But first we had to stop for date and prickly pear shakes. You see, I will have ice cream on a special occasion.

As we made our way back home in the RV I made note of the grocery stores and how they shelved some of my favorite brands. Weaving through the aisles looking for Kettle Chips, Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips, Muir Glenn canned tomatoes, and Goya black beans I found them all. But never until I reached the health food section. In Seattle I don't have to single myself out like a health food nut. I just have to walk through the aisles. One of the many reasons I love this town.

After a stop in all of the Starbucks I could find, three actually, I was back home in what some consider to be the most fit in the nation. End result - not a single pound gained.

Annette Herrick is a West Seattle resident and a certified physical trainer who writes regularly in these newspapers and can be reached at annette@fitnessforvitality.com