Rolling with the Punches (and the Pancakes)

Rolling with the Punches (and the Pancakes)

Let me paint you a picture.

Three weeks ago, I weighed in at a respectable 232.8 lbs, feeling decently strong, reasonably motivated, and somewhat in rhythm. Then… well, life showed up in the form of a trifecta:

• 🎸 Barefoot Music Festival in Wildwood, NJ

• 🚢 A 7-day Royal Caribbean cruise

• 🔥 Camping with friends for the Fourth

Let’s just say I didn’t log a single macro, didn’t touch a dumbbell, and may have consumed enough Bloody Marys to open a small brunch cafe.

When I finally stepped back on the scale this morning, I was greeted with a friendly reminder that “Hey Fred, this might not be the same guy who left!” — My scale literally paused, as if to say, “Are you sure it’s you?”

239.2 lbs. That’s nearly 7 pounds up since vacation started — or for my fellow metric fans, over 3kg gained in about 20 days.

But here’s the thing:

I’m not beating myself up. I’m just getting back to work.

Vacation was worth it. Life is meant to be lived. I danced, I laughed, I relaxed. But now it’s time to pivot — no shame, no guilt, no “starting over.” Just continuing forward, because that’s what imperfect consistency is all about.