I'm not leaving for my USA/Canada holiday until 19th March, so I have quite a bit of time up my sleeve to get organised and guess what's first on the list? You guessed it, weight loss! Well, not so much weight loss, as getting fitter but I hope weight loss will be a happy consequence on this.
Some of my most cringe worthy memories involve travelling while being overweight. There is so much you want to do and see, but your body won't participate because it just can't carry all that extra weight around all day. I remember arriving at the Imperial Palace in Japan a few years ago and seeing how far I would have to walk to even get close and wondering if I could just wait on the tour bus because I couldn't be bothered. I really don't want to feel like that ever again.
I want to be able to walk all day, spend hours in museums, trek to see natural beauties, learn to ski, swim at the beach and just feel energised about everything I am doing and seeing. So I am increasing my exercise and really pushing myself at the gym to get myself feeling fitter. I also want to do some long walks, but so far the heat of summer has made that difficult and I have been restricted to the air conditioned comfort of the gym.
I really want to have an active holiday because I don't want to come back with an extra 15 kilos 'excess baggage' on my hips. Maybe I could even come back slightly lighter, OK, now I might be kidding myself!
P.S. If you know a town, shop, cafe, museum or sight that I just have to see in the US or Canada please leave me a comment or drop me an email, I would to hear your travel tips.
Make sure you go see Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.niagarafallstourism.com/
Lots of lovely places to visit in Canada.
I LOVED CANADA! I lived in Canada for 12 months....if you are interested in reading all about it, pop over to my travelblog at www.travelpod.com/members/raniroo, my blog is listed there (with photos). I would highly recommend doing Vancouver, Vancouver Island, The Rockies and the other side...Quebec and the East Coast (Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island etc) however the season to go is July-August (as everything is closed and blocked at every other time due to weather!)
ReplyDeleteIf you have any questions or need any advice you can send me an email at ranismith@hotmail.com. I would be happy to help out...I am excited for you...
Your post really resonates with me, as I just went through my own the "traveling while fat" experience and I don't want to EVER feel that way again. We took the kids on a much-anticipated vacation to Disneyworld, Epcot, etc in Florida. These theme parks required so much walking and standing (and they have few benches or places for the public to rest) that even thin people are exhausted by the end of the day. But for me...at my top, all-time high weight of 114 kgs...it was horrible! My legs, feet and back ached. There was nowhere to sit to take the pressure off (Disney wants people to keep moving, not relax, so even in the restaurants there isn't enough seating for everyone). It made me cranky and irritable and ruined things for everybody.
ReplyDeleteToday I'm going back to Weight Watchers. I'm tired of letting my weight influence every single aspect of my life. Our next trip, to Guadeloupe, is not going to be the same thing. I guarantee it.
You are so right to get yourself in the best possible shape before you leave...so you can do everything you dream of doing and not sit on the sidelines.
Your post made me think of my friend's mum. She was off to Central Aus last year and really worried about not being fit enough to enjoy it. She was training on the treadie. I saw her over Xmas and asked her about it and she'd got into shape and had a ball!
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely worth training for... and a great motivation when you don't feel like working out :)
Btw I recommend the Liberace museum in Vegas. I missed out on seeing it but I really want to.
Traveling has always been very stressful for me. I am looking forward to traveling again myself!
ReplyDeleteI'm in Arizona so I've gotta throw out the Grand Canyon but personally, I'd say travel a little south and hit Sedona. It's breathtaking...lots of good hikes (so it can be a fitness day. LOL) and can truly bring you at peace (vortexes all over the place). Here's a website http://www.visitsedona.com/ . Also, I'm in Phoenix so if you want a personal tour, email me sometime and I'll be more than happy to meet you there and show you around.
ReplyDeleteYou are going to have a freaking awesome trip! As active as you want it, and you are going to have heaps of fun!
ReplyDeleteYou have no idea how jealous I am of you. If it was me? I'd spend the three months just in the States... maybe a day trip to Canada to see some friends, but mainly the U.S.A. :D
I'd suggest the places I want to go, but I mainly want to go there for food, haha. Like BBQ!!!!!! And that may be counter productive to your goal :D
Hi Tully,
ReplyDeleteI spent around eight months travelling through Canada, US and Central America (Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Costa Rica). Central America is an absolute must. I've got photo's from a daily blog we wrote at the time www.danandtanblog.blogspot.com if you want to have nosy.
I feel like a stalker--so NOT a good first impression. But hey, I've been following your blog for a while now, just in secret. Shhh...don't tell! :)
ReplyDeleteGOOD FOR YOU! I'm so excited about your travels. I need some change in my life, so I've deemed 2010 the year of travel. There are just too many beautiful places to see in the world.
Where in the US will you be traveling? I life in Southern California. Not sure if you're making your way out here or not, but I could give you pointers about where to go.
(BTW, I once had a blog called "Pride and Poundage" in case that might ring a bell. I fell so hard off the weight loss wagon that I dumped the blog. But I'm back at it!)
Hope you can reach some of your desired goals... being able to get the most out of your trip will be great!
ReplyDeleteK :)
OMG!!! You are a legend!!! I am in shock.. well done on having the balls to up and quit and do something that makes you feel amazing!!! Woohooo....
ReplyDeletebabe i spent years travelling in the us and canada.
ReplyDeletevancouver was my home for a year - it's beautiful! go to grouse mountain and victoria island.
stanley park in vancouver city is beautiful too. the whole place is awesome and canadians are so friendly and welcoming.
as for the us - it's so big and vast and has so many options. there is not a single place i went that i didn't love and i've been to most states.
it is my belief that las vegas and nyc are absolute 'must see' destinations.
loved, loved, LOVED IT.
xoxoxo
I'm not sure where I could suggest that hasn't been said a hundred times already, but I far preferred west coast USA to the east -- San Francisco and Santa Monica especially. I lived in Utah for a while, too, so I recommend Arches National Park (and the book Desert Solitaire) but really I think these places are mainly at their best in the "wilderness". But when you're in NYC, I can recommend a good jazz club in an underground meat locker in Greenwich village, if you want to be "beat".
ReplyDeleteVancouver is pretty-- UBC has the prettiest university campus anywhere. Vancouver Island is cool-- you could go whale watching if its the season (Uclulet-- teeny town). Banff National Park (in Alberta) is just gorgeous and March shouldn't be too cold-- the skiing is fantastic and the scenery breathtaking. Quebec City is wonderful and the food amazing. Haven't been to Montreal in 15 years so no comment there, same for Toronto.
ReplyDeleteAs for the US-- New York of course, New Orleans, skip Houston at all costs, LA is overrated (plastic, bewilderingly huge, nasty), San Francisco is nice but would be cold and damp in March (not sure so check). If it were me I'd be going to Chaco Canyon or Folsom, but I'm into that archaeology stuff.
Have a blast, it sounds like the trip of a lifetime.
Barb
How exciting - having so many weeks to focus on your fitness AND having an overseas holiday to look forward to - you deserve it! And i'm sure you'll notice a big difference with your fitness while sight seeing.
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