A little extra something

First, some exciting news: Hal and I booked our honeymoon! We’re going on a 12 Night Mediterranean Greek Isles cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, which begins its voyage in Barcelona and goes to Provence, Florence, Rome, Athens, Ephesus, Santorini and Naples/Capri before heading back to Spain. I’m so excited!! The booking agent and I shared a woohoo once we finalized the down payment. We have a room with a balcony on the left side of the ship which will hug the coast as we travel from Barcelona to Rome. We haven’t taken an extended vacation since the summer of 2008 so I absolutely cannot wait!

Now the actual post...
I’ve come to the realization that in the past month I’ve put on the dreaded comfort weight. It’s the weight you put on when you’re feeling all nestled into a relationship and you feel comfortable enough to eat your way through a Costco bag of pita chips while he holds the container of hummus out for you. At some point in the relationship it’s inevitable, like the freshman 15. I’m kind of surprised it came 3 ½ years into our relationship.

It may also be a result of a stressful March. I don’t generally turn to food when I’m stressed (I turn to coffee), but I do take a lot of shortcuts when it comes to choosing meals. The faster the better, which generally results in the less healthy option. Or, you end up dining out more frequently in the name of convenience. Currently, I have only put on a few extra pounds but when you’re 4’10”, it feels like the freshman 15. It’s a reality no woman loves to face or really talk about, but I did, with Hal…poor Hal.

I refrained from asking him, “do you think I’m getting fat?”, and instead gave him options.

Jenn: Do you think the weight I’ve put on is due to gaining muscle or fat?

My question is met with silence. Shocking.

Jenn: I want your honest answer. It’s okay, really. I won’t be upset.

Is there an honest answer?

Hal: I think you look beautiful.

His answer does not help either of us.

After we talked about it (and Hal handled it rather sensitively and diplomatically), we chalked it up to what most weight gain is a result of: unhealthy eating and lack of exercise. In my mind, I considered more specific things that I could credit.

My love of:

• Carbs
• Dark chocolate covered pomegranates
• My couch
• Cheese
• Sleep (in lieu of exercise)
• Did I mention carbs, and I think they’re usually the complex kind

And I hate: Running on the elliptical

For me to feel better about myself and be healthy, the weight needs to go. So beginning in April, Hal and I started this new exercise regiment: P90X. The “X” is for EXTREME!!!! We’ve done a series of exercise sessions already and they range from manageable to sheer torture.

More to come on just how extreme we can get before it renders us immobile. More importantly, we'll see how much, if any, of the extra pounds it sheds in hopes of feeling less like one of those marshmallow snowballs...which sounds delicious right about now.