What I did on my Winter Vacation...

(subtitled) How to blow two months progress in just two weeks

MARDI GRAS!

If you've never been to New Orleans during Carnival Season you really have to do so just once. There's nothing like it -- a city wide party that lasts over a month: legal drinking in the streets, you see people do just about anything and everything... There's a feeling in the air that resembles the 'yule tide' season in regards to general additude--but in a risque' sort of way!

This was our third concecutive year, but only the first time we spent two weeks. I had made the decision, long before we left, that I was going to completely abandon any sort of reasonable diet and promised myself that I wouldn't work-out. I was true to my word. I ate, drank and was merry!

A typical day started out at 5:30 am, late for me, when I would get up and head out for many cups of Cafe Au Lait (strong coffee that's about 1/2 warm 100% whole milk), I guess I'd go through 4 or 6 cups before it was time to wake up my lovely wife and have a couple more. I'd guess I averaged about 200 calories worth each morning.

After coffee we'd head out, normally stopping for a big breakfast. Eggs, meat (they have great sausage in NO), bread, pastries, butter. No vacation would be without copious quantities of everything -- maybe an average of 1200 Calories give or take. We did manage a breakfast at Brennans, apples in double cream, Eggs Hussarde and Bananas Foster (bananas cooked in brown sugar, rum and banana liquor served over icecream) .

Just about that time things would start opening up and we wandered the streets of the French Quarter or some other touristy type activity. Normally it involved walking for several hours and stopping at least once for a snack (in the 800 calorie of pure sugar and fat category) - a couple of beignet's (‘Ben-yayz’, french donuts) at cafe du' monde perhaps some pralines or good chocolate (we found a Mom&Pop candy shop that puts Godiva to shame).

After some walking around we'd have a late lunch. Mothers for a 'dressed' po-boy (a HUGE sub smothered with mayo), or Central Grocery for some muffalatta [muhf-fuh-LEHT-tuh] (italian cold-cuts and cheese smothered with olive oil). Sumetimes some fries or onion rings to go with it. Easily another 1500 calories.

All that eating and walking would wear us out, so there'd be a little siesta before heading out for the evening activities. Usually starting with a couple of drinks and an appetizer. Probably another 500 calories. For the evening activities we would attend a parade, do some more walking around it normally involved having a couple more drinks or something to snack on (King Cake , Boudin). Say another 500 cals , probably more.....

Not that we were particularly hungry, but we'd try to find a late dinner. Not normally anything too huge, a ceasar salad or pizza, maybe some soup or oysters. There were a few memorable (large) dinners, but I personally wanted to save the room for desert. Bread pudding, King Cake, more chocolate etc. On average I'd say dinner and desert averaged 1500 calories.

This, of course, was a full day. By compairing my weight gain to my known caloric requirements I can assume an average daily intake of ~ 5,000 calories.

Summary Table
Meal	Calories
Coffee	200
Breakfast	1,200
Snack	800
Lunch	1,500
Snack	500
Drinks	500
Dinner/Desert	1,500

Total	6,200

After two weeks of solid abuse I returned weak, fat and to top it off had a nasty cold. I thought I would take advantage of the situation and try out a Ketogenic diet. I grabbed a copy of Atkins' and Eades' books, read them, bought the required food and spent a couple of days at the ZERO carbohyrate level. After four days, still not in Ketosis, I was dehydrated in addition to being weak and fat. Good bye Atkins, hello carbs!

I did learn some interesting things about sugars and fats from reading the books and now, more than ever, intend to focus on eating food that do not cause a drastic insulin responses.

My 5 week plan is to restrict calories about 500 per day below normal, maintain a protien level of 1.4 grams per pound, eat only low glycemic carbs and keep the fat intake under 20%. This should yeild a fat loss in the pound a week neighborhood. With regard to workouts, I've dropped back 20% and am focusing on form as I work back up to my pre-vacation lifts.

What about next year? What will I do differently? Well, depending on how quickly I recover from this latest round I may be a bit more careful for 1/2 of the vacation. Use the gym at the hotel a couple times a week, get more rest and water. Then again if I recover as planned within the allocated 5 weeks I may just do it again!

As they say in The Crescent City - Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler (Let the good times roll)