Body Baggage

We only took carry on luggage on the trip to Colorado last week. Our family only owns two roller suitcases that fit in the overhead compartment, so I had to take a duffle bag. It was missing the shoulder strap, so I was carrying it in my hands. The aircraft we were supposed to take hit a bird landing in Seattle, so we were moved to a new plane in a new concourse. By the time we arrived at our new gate, my hand was throbbing, stuck in the position it had formed around the handle straps. 

I over pack a little and do things like take my electric toothbrush on the road. All told, my bag weighed about 40 pounds. And I had an epiphany that I was carrying the amount I had lost since my highest weight.* How could I have carried this much weight every moment of every day? Michele had a similar experience this week, too.

I've been on vacation for the past two weeks, with trips to Idaho, Colorado, and, for the past three days, in Moses Lake, Washington for my nine year old's tournament. Tomorrow life returns to normal. And I'll be back on my FUELS plan, going after my next 40 pounds.

* I'm going to start to count from my all-time high weight, which was ten pounds higher than when I started the P.O.P. I lost ten pounds the year before the P.O.P. started, and I'm about 40 pounds below my top weight right now.