Chicago: My Kind of Town

Friday afternoon when I boarded the plane to Chicago, I honestly thought "How am I going to survive this weekend?"  Having had a BUSY and HARD work week, I was exhausted.  


I took a serious AIRnap on the plane, and thankfully felt really refreshed by the time I got to Chi-town. I always say that I get some of my best sleep at 30,000 feet, and Friday was no exception.  Thank goodness!


My trip to Chicago was to reconnect with my dear friend Jennifer from college and to see the fabulous windy city!  We had a FANTASTIC time.  Love this lady!

With Jenn at Wrigley Field - Cubs WIN!

EATING THIS TRIP
I'd like to say that it was all salads and fruits this trip, but lying to you guys just doesn't seem appropriate.  I didn't even take any JC food at all with me this trip.  Instead, I relied on eating out and making good choices. 

We met up with Melanie too - - Another KD sister that lives in Chicago.
Hadn't seen her since 1999!

All that being said, I didn't make many good choices (aside from not drinking at the Cubs game.)  Otherwise, there was some delicious pizza at Piece (with veggie toppings), boneless buffalo wings at Mullens in Wrigleyville, truffle fries at LuxBar and late night post-drinking food at the JW Marriott (1/2 a Marriott burger for this girl) and, well, there were some cocktails.

The BEAN in all its glory!

I had to repeatedly remind myself that this was vacation.  AND, to tell myself to be conscious of portions.  For example:  1/2 a Marriott burger is not nearly as bad as a whole.  Pizza with spinach, tomatoes, and chicken is a much better choice than pepperoni, and eating a just a few slices v. the whole pie is also a good decision.  

LET'S PAUSE TO DISCUSS THE TRUFFLE FRIES

I'm pretty sure that the ONLY fries I ever want to eat again in my life are Truffle Fries.  All others are just not worth it.  I had my VERY first this weekend, and I'm hooked.  In my defense, I didn't order them, but I definitely had a few.  Wow.  Like answers to all my little potato prayers. Yum-Yum.

Bottom Line:  We all face challenges every day.  You do what you can, and get back on track.  I wouldn't be disappointed in myself if this is what I did during maintenance, as long as I returned to healthy eating directly following the trip.  I also would be pleased to see myself signing up for spin/yoga this week and another yoga class in SLC, which I have done.  What great practice this trip has offered!



Saying Goodbye to the JW Marriott - - Such a great place to stay!

 WALKING, DANCING, and SWEATING
I've never spent this much time in a city this big!  Chicago is a city where people WALK everywhere.  We cabbed a bit, rode the El, and rode other trains, but we did a lot of walking too.  I am ALSO not a big dancer at all, and actually most people who know me personally would be surprised to hear this, but there WAS some dancing at the 80s bar we went to on Saturday night.  Dancing = CARDIO, right??  

I also worked to keep myself hydrated... drinking lots of water.  I always like to think adding water in curbs the appetite and flushes out all of the naughty bites. 

Me, posing at the Bean!

FEELING YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL

This trip was also one of my first nights debuting the new bod and my new look.  Jenn and Marie (pictured with me below) were so supportive as I shared my weight-loss story.  I even told them about NTTC, so maybe they'll become followers too. :)

It was nice to get dressed up, to go out, and to get a little male attention while we were out.  It's all part of the journey and it felt great!  I really feel like my days of sitting at home are over.  Too much to do, too much to see, and I'm getting out there!


Below you can see which dress I picked to wear out, which we discussed last week.  I also decided to keep the 2nd dress, after much urging by the girls in the pic below.



Before our night out on the town.  SUCH a fun night.

If you've never been to Chicago, I HIGHLY recommend it.  I was there less than 48 hours and saw a ton, had a blast.  I am excited to go back!