This week has been a bit of a culinary catastrophe, to say the least. My kids were off for half-term, so we decided to shake things up and spend some time in the beautiful, historic city of Edinburgh. And wow—what a place! Castles, museums, endless cobblestone streets, and history everywhere. But while we soaked up the sights, I simultaneously managed to eat my way through the week with a level of dedication that even my past self would envy.

Despite walking miles every day, it turns out that endless steps aren’t quite enough to offset the indulgent week I had. Let’s start with the fact that I ate my way through not one, not two, but five roast dinners over the last eight days. Now, these weren’t all in Edinburgh (I’m not a complete lunatic!), but the city definitely didn’t help me hold back. I don’t even want to think about the gallons of gravy involved. If I see one more roasted potato this week, I might need to lie down. My stomach has officially transformed into some kind of Yorkshire pudding-and-gravy shrine. I’m 90% sure I’ve started sweating gravy.

#Full English Feasting

As if the roast dinners weren’t enough, I also went all-in on the classic full English breakfasts—four of them to be exact. Let’s be real: when you’re on holiday, something about a mountain of sausages, eggs, bacon, beans, toast, and more just feels right. Each morning I told myself, “You deserve this,” and boy, did I deliver. By the end of it, I was starting to feel like I’d morphed into a full English breakfast myself. I’m fairly certain I’ll be carrying around those sausages and beans with me for weeks.

#A McDonald's Marathon

And then there were the obligatory McDonald’s stops. Ah, the siren call of the golden arches. There’s something magical about being on the road, seeing those arches in the distance, and convincing yourself you need nuggets to survive. We hit up McDonald's three times over the week, with fries, burgers, shakes, the works. Each visit might as well have been an Olympic event in its own right.

#Snackapalooza on the Road

Oh, and I can’t forget the road snacks. Long drives mean endless junk food—crisps, chocolate bars, pastries, the occasional fizzy drink. By the end of it, our car looked like it had hosted a snack convention. I don’t think I could survive a car journey without these trusty companions, but good grief, they have a way of adding up.

Two Steps Forward... and Possibly Eaten in the Process So here I am, feeling like I’ve not only taken two steps forward in my weight loss journey but eaten those steps along the way. Let’s just say I’ve got my work cut out for me now that I’m back. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Will my jeans agree? Unlikely. But hey, what’s life without the occasional indulgent week?