Debrief with Deb: Beach Walks, Bloated Bellies & Airport Shenanigans

Dear Diary

I’m currently writing to you from Mexico.  Yes, I heard about the “craziness” in the news. And yes, I also know the media loves to amplify things. I have friends who were recently in Puerto Vallarta and were totally safe. I’m in a place called Puerto Escondido, which literally means Hidden Port. The name fits perfectly.  It’s quiet here.  Right now I’m sitting in a palapa.  Basically a rooftop patio covered with beautiful palm leaves. There’s a warm breeze, the sun is shining, and I’m soaking up all the vitamin D I’ve been missing.  Hello, warmth! Oh how I’ve missed you so. I’m here with my aunt and uncle, Rui of course, and two of my cousins. My aunt and uncle bought a home here about four years ago. They Airbnb it most of the year and then live here for two months.  March and November.  So here we are.  Rui and I are staying in their RV which gives us our own little cozy setup. I could get used to this life.  Very quickly. It’s simple.  The biggest decisions of the day are things like:

What should we do today?

What should we eat?

What should we drink?

Beach or pool?

Not bad problems to have.

The Beach Walk That Destroyed My Calves

There’s a beach within walking distance, so Rui and I went for a walk this morning.  Beautiful.  The water though.  INSANE.  Totally non-swimmable. There are signs everywhere that say “Prohibido nadar.” (swimming prohibited). The waves are massive and crash all day long and all night. You can hear them constantly, which is actually pretty mesmerizing once you get used to it.  The first night I woke up during the night to go to the bathroom and I thought it was thundering but it was just the waves.  The sand walking though, way harder than expected.  About ten minutes in I turned to Rui and said,  “Not to be a baby … but are you finding this walk hard or is it just me? My calves are on fire.”  He  said,  “Oh my God my love, thank you for saying that. I thought it was just me.”  So apparently beach walking is our new fitness program.  Last blog I wrote about starting to jog.  Have I jogged here?  No.  Am I walking daily?  Yes.  We’ll start our official “running era” when we get home.

The Body Image Plot Twist

Remember my little body-image meltdown last week after we took photos for the studio manual?  The photos came in.  Drumroll please …  They actually turned out well.  Even in yoga tights and a sports bra.  I looked strong. My form looked good. I didn’t look like a size 2 because that’s not who I am and that’s not my lifelong goal.  And yes, my stomach isn’t a six-pack situation.  But I actually looked … good.  Which made me ask myself:  Why was I so surprised?  I’m strong.  I move well.  My body does a lot for me.  Most instructors (and most humans) don’t have a perfectly sculpted “fitness industry” body and that’s more than ok. 

Hormones Enter the Chat

The day before we left for the trip I had one of those classic moments.  Nothing looked good.  Everything felt tight.  My stomach felt bloated and I kept saying, “Ugh I feel fat.  I feel like I look pregnant in everything.”  Rui looked at me and said very calmly: “You’re not fat my love, you’re beautiful. Nobody talks about my wife like that.  Ok?  Maybe you’re feeling bloated and sensitive because your period is coming soon?”  Does this guy know me … or does this guy know me?  I went to the bathroom.  And yes.  He was right.  Soon = now.  Did everything make more sense all of a sudden and did I feel a little less crazy?  Yes.  Was I annoyed that Aunt Flo had booked the same flight to Mexico as me? Also yes.  My jean shorts felt tight yesterday. That annoyed me.  But then I reminded myself:  It’s ok.  I’m bloated.  And I always pack stretchy yoga shorts.  I’m also aware that I’ve gained a bit of weight over the past few months. About 7 lbs.  

I’m not blaming hormones or age but I definitely notice that if I make a few not-so-great food choices (hello vacation bread and Coronitas), the weight comes on easier than it used to.  And it’s not quite as easy to lose it.  But it is possible.  And also…  is it the biggest deal in the world?  No.  Is it maybe to do with the fact that I quit smoking 5 months ago and my body is healing and my metabolism is adjusting?  Yes, I believe that’s part of it.  Would I rather gain a few extra pounds than go back to smoking cigarettes?  Yes. 100%!  (If you didn’t know that I’ve fallen into the nicotine trap in the past, now you know).  The last time I fell was April 12, 2023.  The day my dad passed away.  Not to make excuses.  But to make sense of myself, especially after not smoking for many years prior.  

Today’s introspection:  I’m proud of my health journey.  I still have work to do.  I’m proud that I don’t think about smoking anymore and when I smell it anywhere, my first thought is “gross” instead of “I’d love to have a smoke.”  It’s a great reminder that I’m out of the trap and back in control.  Yes, I could use that self-control to make better food choices and move more (and I will).  Giving myself grace is something I’m acknowledging I can definitely be better at. Let’s enjoy this vacation Debb (without entering your food intake into My Fitness Pal app and without feeling bad about it).  Deal? Deal. I’m human, I have my faults (like every human) and I also have awareness.  Awareness that I’m a work in progress.  Awareness that I trust in myself.  I trust that when I get back from vacation, I’ll map out a fitness and nutrition routine that includes tracking my macros (more on that later), scheduled exercise/movement goals and a better sleep routine.  These always great resets and allow me to feel my best, no matter what my hormones are doing. 

Here I am in a country where many people are grateful for what they have and their main worry is “Will we have enough money for food?”  Meanwhile my big crisis is: "My stomach feels bloated in my shorts.”  First world problems, Deb. 

The Cost of Things

A thing that surprised me here is that groceries are super expensive.  Example: a bunch of asparagus at the supermarket was about $17 Canadian when converted.  No thank you.  Some things are normal prices, but others are wild.  It makes you wonder how people make it work.  Travel always does this to me (and probably you).  It makes me think about life.  What do I want to do with it?

Palapa Philosophy

We only get a certain number of years on this planet.  Do I want to teach yoga and Pilates forever?  Probably not.  Will I practice yoga and Pilates forever?  Probably yes. Do I want to be a team lead forever?  No.  Is it helping me grow and refine my leadership skills right now?  Yes.  Could I see myself sitting in a palapa getting paid to write?  One hundred percent yes.  Travel writer Deb … that has a nice ring to it.  Jus sayin’ ;)

Airport Shenanigans

Rui and I have a travel tradition.  Whenever we’re at the airport, we grab a Belgian Moon beer with an orange slice and sit down to people-watch.  Highly entertaining activity.  This time we watched a young couple travelling with two kids under the age of three.  They were calm. Organized. Peaceful.  To those parents I say, respect.  Then on the plane there was a child that said to his mom, “we are so close to each other in these seats mommy, ugh, am I going to have to smell your bad breath so close to me for 5 hours?”  Oh snap!  Disrespect (but kinda funny).  Something I always find interesting is what happens when the plane lands.  The seatbelt sign turns off, and everyone unbuckles and stands up right away.  Why?  No one is stretching.  No one is moving.  Everyone is just standing there looking annoyed and confused.  Guys … we all have to wait.  And also, the people in front of you have the right of way.  When people start squeezing past others to get off the plane faster, I always think, relax dude.  We’re all getting off this plane.

The Slightly Sarcastic Flight Attendant

Our flight attendant was … entertaining.  Very sarcastic.  Example one:  She was helping people fit luggage into the overhead bins and said, “Oh wow, look at that. You placed the luggage sideways and suddenly there’s more room. Wow. Incredible.”  Example two:  She asked the lady beside me, “Red or white?”  The woman said, “Red or white what?”  The flight attendant rolled her eyes and said, “Wine.”  Then added: "Maybe you’d prefer cranberry juice instead?”  Rude.

Simple Vacation Things

The food here is amazing.  Fresh tomatoes.  Fresh bread from the bakery.  Simple ingredients.  Does the bread maybe make me a little bloated?  Possibly.  But it’s vacation bread.  And vacation bread doesn’t count.  Remember Deb?  Grace.  Practice giving yourself grace.  Yes, right. Deal.

Real Life Still Texts You

This morning I received a message: “Deb, can you teach today at 7:15?”  Probably not.  But thanks for thinking of me.  We’re here until Wednesday, which means next Friday’s blog will be written back in Canada.  And there will likely be more airport people-watching and probably a Corona somewhere in the story.  Stay tuned.

Final Thoughts from the Palapa

Life is short.  Go on the trip.  Hang out with family. Sit in the sun.  Walk on the beach even if your calves hurt.  Speak kindly to yourself, especially on bloated days.  Hormones are real.  But so are healthy habits, good systems, movement, and nourishing food.  Balance is the goal. Now, if you’ll excuse me …  I have a beach to walk, a cousin’s birthday dinner coming up, and a Tuk Tuk on the road selling coconuts!  See ya!

Yoga Debb

Building strength, mindset, and real-life consistency, one breath at a time :)