These last few days back in Maryland have been hard. H.A.R.D! I miss the sunshine and laid-back feel of New Orleans. Back home, it's been a lot of work and trying to get back on track. Last week, I was slightly dismayed that my five-pound weight loss had plummeted to only three after a week and a half in the Big Easy. I figured it was probably a fluke, but when I weighed myself again the scale read the same. Bummer.

I really wanted to jump back into my diet and exercise routine with a...