Vacation Time!

It's almost "that" time. 

Diet Time

And the very, very odd thing is, I am looking forward to it! Can you believe it? Seriously! 


What I am looking forward to are the changes I will see in my body, this is the time when all of the hard work starts to show and become evident. I will start to lose the extra body fat that I have been carrying and the muscle will really start to pop! But of course, that won't be for several weeks will it?


I am in one of my favorite bikinis, that are made by Pin-Up Stars, an Italian company. I just tried it on today (Friday), before training with Roy to be sure I could still wear it on vacation, I think it looks fine don't you? I own 15. I know it's a bit overboard, but they make the most amazing suits. Each is unique, in limited editions every year;  covered in Swarovski crystals, sequins, feathers, beads, tufts, you name it. I have "Nemo" "rainbow", "hot pink", "targets"......This one has polka dots all over the string bottom, and then small cloth petals sewn all over the triangle top, they flutter in the wind.


They aren't cheap, but worth every penny in my mind. If you have been reading a while you know the story of one year during my annual trip to Mexico, many many years ago, my one Pin-Up Stars bikini was stolen during the night!  I was shocked and so upset. The hotel owner very kindly offered to give me one from the shop (I mean it certainly wasn't her fault was it?). As I waived my arms furiously in the air I was telling her that "it must be a very tiny, very small, very nice swimsuit because I don't bust my butt in the gym every single day to wear some old frumpy granny suit on vacation. 

It was plain brown, size large. hmph!

It has been an ongoing joke with the regulars, they all ask if I have locked my suits up in the safe deposit box every evening now. 


So when I returned home I started collecting them in every beautiful pattern and color I could find, hence the "15 Pin-Up Stars", and I am still collecting but only when I see a super hot one!


Here I am last year at this time, I like to compare my physique year to year. I think my shoulders are broader and my back wider now!

Every year at this time I go on vacation, I spend the week lounging on the beach in Troncones, Mexico at the same hotel, Hacienda Eden. Take a look at the link, yes it is right on the beach as the picture shows. I can see the ocean from my ground floor room, lounging in the hammock on the 14 foot patio (room #4).

I will lay on my chaise in the sand, (under a palapa, I am no fool!), drinking margaritas, wine or rum, eating whole red snapper, lobster, shrimp, taco's, and I will wander down the beach to The Inn at Manzanillo Bay for a couple pina coladas. 

I will try to eat healthy most of the time, but I will also enjoy myself, and not fret too much because I know as soon as I return home, the diet starts for the next 9 1/2 weeks.

When I return I will look a bit puffy since I don't typically drink alcohol everyday for a week, but getting right back on track will soon clear all that up.

One of the great things about Mexico is you really can make some good choices and still enjoy the food, but you can make some bad choices too. Like when we go to to Dona Nica's restaurant (no website, in fact, no floor, it's dirt), I will have her fantastic breaded and fried jumbo shrimp. And they are dipped in mayonnaise...and a beer or two. I sit with my feet in the dirt (hard packed), looking at the beach and just eat and sit. She makes great chile rellenos stuffed with mashed potatoes too.

I can also walk down to Marta's in La Majahua, a neighboring town and have fresh caught lobster- it takes a while because the divers go in search of the lobster after we order and start in on the beer!

I can drive to Cafe Sol to see Christain and have some fancy taco's (his are about $2.50 each whereas the stands sell 3 for $1.50). 


Mostly I will lay around and read though, I have a few good books and my new Kindle Fire loaded with all sorts of nutrition, diet, strength training and Milo journals. 


I have scheduled my massage with Anne, she lives in the U.S. half of the year and in La Majahua the other half, she sets up her table on my patio and I have a fantastic massage with the hot ocean breeze caressing my body. Did I say hot? Yes I did. The lows will be 71 degrees and the highs 88 degrees, perfect in my book!


My son is staying behind this time, it will be the first time in almost 18 years that he hasn't gone with us, but there really isn't anything to do so I can understand why he doesn't want to go. 


I will exercise, every single morning though. I wake up before everyone, well, not really, there is usually one or two surfers out at the point when I am there. I run along the beach and do plyometrics. I will actually be able to do my conditioning in the hard packed sand, it is low tide when I get up. After about an hour, coffee is ready, guests start to stir and I grab my spot and start reading until it's time to eat.


Then it is read, eat, rest, repeat. All day long.


I will see you all in a week!