Meat marathons; not condusive to weight loss... go figure!

Every year around June 22nd to Jun 26th there is a festival in Ottawa.  It's not your typical festival, there are no carnival rides, there are no clowns or performers, there is no cotton candy and other type fairground foods, but there is meat.  Ribfest is all about pork ribs, beef ribs, pulled beef brisket, pulled pork sandwiches, whole chickens and even a few chicken wings.  They don't sell beverages, some of the kiosks don't even bother with side dishes and there is no seating because all the room is needed for standing in line to get to the carnivorous nirvhana of meat.  There are kiosks from all over Canada and the US, some boasting orange juice in their sauce (Go Gators!) some have honey, some from texas taste more like traditional BBQ sauce, but they all slop it on with a small mop and they chop up the cooked pieces with huge cleavers all whilst singing, clagning cow bells and some kiosks will even squeal like piggies when you put money in the tip jar. *SQUEEEEE*

Bottom line is this... I've expanded my bottom line.  I didn't need to go everyday, I would have been good with going once but since we went everyday I went in the spirit of living the WW lifestyle and I tracked it all, but going to the Meatfest 5 days in a row is just too much for a body to handle.  The real killer was the decimation of my workout schedule to no movement at all.  All the time spent in line for the meat, eating the meat and socializing while digesting the meat just took up all the non work time of the day. 

I gained 2 pounds, I also gained a few good ideas on how to deal with next year's meat bonanza.  I know the obvious answer should be "don't go!" but you just can't live that way... WW is supposed to be a lifestyle, not a diet and if I stop myself from going at all, then that's just not living!  The 2 pound gain sucks because it looks like the month of June was a waste of time, but I know that it could be waaaay worse like the 8 pound gain during vacation this spring... EEEEK! *searches for silver lining*

Some good ideas for next year:

• Reduce the amount of visits if possible
• Bring veggies or eat some in advance (while standing in line) to help fill up
• Split a typical serving of whatever with whomever else is willing to share (good luck on that one)
• If these other suggestions can't be applied, then find time in the early morning to work out in anticipation

This coming weekend I have the 5 mile/ 8 km Perth kilt run, which I'll be walking with Alex and her friends.  I'm excited to finally get my official kilt... wouldn't it be cool if it was too big??? 

*mental note to bring big safety pins*