Weeks 10-15 at Home & Visit from Laila

October 3-November 13, 2011: Well, to be perfectly honest, can't say I have had a whole lot to talk about with the progress.  I have actually gone up and down since week 10 at home.  I think I just got sick of everything (food, exercise, you name it) and took a little emotional hiatus from it all!  :)  But I am back on track now, back in an exercise routine and back on track with food.  Found a great quote in a magazine I read:  "A set back is only a set up for a comeback."  Speaks for itself really...  And despite my set back of sorts, I am happier right now than I have ever been and feel ready to push forward with my goals!

Laila from the fitness camp came in from New York for a visit this past weekend.  She arrived on Saturday night around 7:30 p.m. in Lynchburg.  She took the train for a new experience!  We picked her up and took her to the Depot Grill for dinner.  It is a coverted train station and has wonderful food.  Even some healthy choices!  :)  Saturday we went sightseeing and to Cracker Barrell for lunch.  Took her to see several places, like the leaves on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Mill Mountain Star, Downtown Roanoke and my office.  Nothing like what she sees everyday walking around in New York, but never-the-less nice for her to see!  Ha!  Check out our pics below.  You really do forget how beautiful our city is until you show it to someone else and really take it in.  Later Saturday night we made the stuffed peppers from our camp recipe book and I tried edamame for the first time.  Not in love with it, but I could learn to like it.  It is full of protein.  They look like tiny lima beans.  One tip though: don't buy the ones that are not pre-shelled.  The pods are inedible and it takes quite a bit of time to shell them: as Laila found out!  Ha!  After dinner, Dad started up the fire pit out on the deck and we roasted these gigantic marshmallows!  Yum!  Took Laila to the train station in Lynchburg this morning and headed to work.  We had a great time!

Weeks 8 & 9 at Home

September 19th-25th, 2011: This week was a little of a struggle for me with food.  I think I was getting sick of some things and just needed to play around a little to get back on track!  That's what I'm goin with anyway!  Ha!  Had my hard boiled egg and whole grain blueberry muffin for breakfast each day.  Then I had my turkey chili with crackers and fruit for lunches.  And various "clean out the freezer" items for dinner like tenderloin, etc. with veggies.  Snacks were applesauce and cheese, fruit and yogurt and triscuits with hummus.  I did a lot of walking this week, and not so much in the gym.  Needed a break from that.  Didn't do weigh in this week...

September 26th-October 2nd, 2011: This week was much better as far as the food went.  Tried some new things, etc.  Had turkey bacon with fried egg in Pam and a whole grain blueberry muffin for breakfasts.  Then had salad with chicken chunks, whole wheat crackers and fruit for lunches.  Dinner was turkey chili with sourdough bread and fruit.  Snacks were cheese stick and fruit, almonds and fruit and pop chips.  Did more gym this week, along with some walking and house cleaning.  Lost 2 more pounds!  Woo-Hoo!

Weeks 6 & 7 at Home

September 5th-September 18th, 2011:  Ok, so the last 2 weeks haven't been the smoothest in my life, but coming out of them both, I guess I have survived without too much of a pounding to my health!  My breakasts week 6 consisted of eggs with peppers and onions in a whole wheat tortilla and some baby tomatoes.  Lunches were my favorite: peanut butter & jelly tortilla wraps with some raw veggies and Dinners were mainly turkey chili wtih multi-grain croutons I made from some hard bread (easy: just cut them into small pieces, mixed them with a little olive oil and parmesean cheese and baked on 350 degrees till brown).  Snacks were my old stand-bys of fruit and cheese, 1/2 protein bar and fruit, and triscuits with a cheese wedge. 

Week 7, I tried to do something new for breakfast, so I tried Kellogg's Special K MultiGrain Oats & Honey cereal with skim milk, a hard boiled egg and fruit.  That was a nice change.  Lunch was mainly tuna with whole wheat crackers and raw veggies.  And dinners consisted of Turkey Chili (that last batch I doubled made a LOT if you couldn't tell) with a multi-grain roll.  Tried some new things for snacks too: did applesauce with a cheesestick, fruit and yogurt, and triscuits with hummus (finally able to eat it again after all those days of it in Utah)! 

I got in a few alternative types of exercise this last week besides just the days at the gym:  helped my dad and brother carry yard sale leftovers to the basement at his house which was 3 sets of steps each load!  Also walked the roanoke city greenway with my aunt for an hour and a half on Sunday!  Nice to do something besides the gym for a change.  I also did 2 at home "outdoor workouts" that I brought back from the camp.  Mixing it up is key for me to keep from getting bored or burnt out!

Good News/Bad News: Started keeping track of my inches again.  So in the last week I lost a little over 2 more inches total with all the different location measurements I do, but gained 1 pound!  What an unfair trade off!  But I have to remember that they told us at the camp this might happen from time to time due to lean muscle being built, etc.  Blah, blah, blah though when you actually experience it!  Ha!  Wish me luck! 

Week 5 at Home

August 29-September 4, 2011:  I was determined to lose more than a 1/2 pound this week!  Breakfasts consisted of 2 slices of Turkey Bacon, 1 Egg fried in Pam spray and mustard on a Thin Bagle with some baby tomatoes on the side.  For Lunches I had peanut butter and jelly multi-grain tortilla roll-ups with veggies on the side.  Then for Dinners I had freezer clean out foods!  One night was a piece of Filet Mignon with veggies and multi-grain bread.  The others were chicken, weight watcher's soup and multi-grain bread.  Snacks were cheese and fruit, 1/2 protein bar and fruit & those Kellogg's Cracker Chips with my Laughing Cow cheese wedges.  Thought I'd see how the Kellogg's version tasted against my Pop Chips.  They have less sodium and you get more of them for the calorie count, but don't like them as much.  Pop Chips still win out!  I hit the gym Wednesday and Thursday mornings this week doing alternating arms and legs.  Then on Friday morning I tried the Outdoor Workout our trainer Elena had given us.  Just went outside here at the house & did it.  That was a nice change.  Then cleaned Mom's house on Saturday for a good workout!  Time for the weigh in on Monday: lost another 2 pounds this week!  Yippee! 

Week 4 at Home

August 22-28, 2011:  I was able to get my notebook from the fitness camp all scanned and saved into PDF versions for anyone who wants them.  Went to the gym 3 times this week in the morning before work and did water aerobics one afternoon in Mom's pool.  Then cleaned a huge house on Saturday for 2 1/2 hours, so that was a real workout!  Great exercise!  Tried one of our camp recipes from my notebook for Dave's birthday lunch at work.  It was a crock pot meal with chicken breasts, tons of veggies like peppers, onions, carrots, zucchini, squash, couscous, low-sodium chicken stock, salt (actually I used "No Salt Substitute") & pepper.  Yum!  Then we had whole grain rolls with it and a Weight Watcher's version of Plain Yellow Cake.  The cake is so easy: just open a box of cake mix and pour in 12 ounces of diet drink, mix and bake!  Super moist and super easy.  The calories will vary based on the brand, but the Kroger brand I used was 12 slices at 120 calories each.  I do chocolate ones sometimes with a dark colored diet drink too.  My meals this week were pretty simple.  For each breakfast I had 2 slices of turkey bacon (key is to get a good one like Butterball brand and to cook it till crispy), a fried egg in Pam on a slice of Wheat Sourdough Toast from Cracker Barrel with tomatoe.  For lunches I had my old standby of peanut butter & banana whole wheat tortillas with cucumber slices on the side.  For dinners I had Chicken Tacos (from my recipes at camp) on a whole wheat tortilla with 2% shredded mozzarella cheese & a little taco sauce with a side of veggies I just cut up and through in a tiny bit of olive oil with Mrs. Dash seasoning.  My snacks were cheese & fruit, almonds & fruit & of course pop chips dipped in a Laughing Cow french onion cheese wedge.  Tastes just like chips & dip!  Yum!  Time for the weigh in for the past 2 weeks: Lost 1/2 pound!  Boo-Hiss!  But to look at it in a positive light, at least I LOST!   

Week 3 at Home

August 15-21, 2011:  Well, this past week has been a little less stressful, but still crazy busy!  With all the nice humid free morning weather, I decided to walk this week for my exercise.  I did that before work each morning all but Friday, when I walked in the mall after work.  Then on Sunday hit the pool at mom's for water aerobics.  Tried some new things in restaurants that I like.  Had the Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad at McDonalds that I love, but took off the fritoe like things on it and only ate 1/2 the dressing.  Yum!  Then I had grilled chicken strips at Cracker Barrel, with a baked potatoe and a tiny bit of butter and a side salad, no croutons and dipped in ranch dressing.  Yum again!  Also tried Harbor Inn scallops and steamed shrimp with a sweet ptotate with cinnamon only and the side salad dipped in ranch.  Also yum! 

Weekly food plan consisted of breakfast each day with a fried egg in spray Pam on a whole wheat thin bun with a tomatoe and some fruit.  Then for lunch each day I had weight watcher's soup (basically low sodium chicken broth, low-sodium tomatoes and tomatoe paste, then about every veggie under the sun  that I like (cabbage, onions, carrots, limas, corn, green beans) and black beans.  Love it!  And it freezes really well.  I had that with 5 whole wheat saltine crackers and fruit.  For dinner most nights I had a Morning Star Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burger on a thin bun with mustard and veggies, and some fruit or pop chips.  My snacks were cheese & fruit in the morning, almonds & fruit in the afternoon and of course, pop chips before bed!

Feeling "fluffy" this week, so I am going to wait to weigh in next Sunday night!  Wish me luck!

Day 28 & The First 2 Weeks Home

Day 28: HOME SWEET HOME!  I was so glad to be home.  I have no regrets from my trip, but I sure did miss everyone!  I left for the airport on the shuttle with Laila at 5:00 a.m. and flew out at 7:05 a.m.  Laila and I had taken our breakfast to the airport from all our buffet provisions.  Then I made sure to pack good snacks and a lunch too, so I wasn't tempted at the airport.  My flight home from Atlanta arrived right on tme at 4:41 p.m. and my family was there waiting.  It was so nice to hug everyone!  Then we left for Red Lobster, my first solo meal out!  I had one of the specials with seafood, corn and redskin potatoes.  And I even resisted the cheddar biscuits!  Wow, didn't even kill me to pass!  And for the first time ever after a nice meal, I didn't crave a dessert!  This feels awesome...

August 1-7, 2011: My first day home had me leaving for Richmond at 5:50 a.m., so thankfully Mom and Dad had gone to the grocery store for me with a list I sent them of all kinds of healthy fare for the week.  I do have a good mommy and daddy!  Anyway, I got up early enough to put the turkey chili recipe in the crock pot.  Packed my lunch and snacks and hit the road.  The hotel had a good lunch for us with chicken breast, white rice and veggies.  So I snuck my whole wheat tortilla out and swapped that out for the white rice.  Perfect!  And of course passed on the apple pie.  After getting home 12 hours later, I hit the bed to get ready for 3 more days of 10 hour work schedules!  I decided that since eating the same thing multiple times in a week doesn't bother me, I would try to stick with simplicity for the first month or so.  So each day that first week, I had oatmeal with almond milk instead of water, blueberries and a hard boiled egg for breakfast.  For lunch I had peanut butter and bananas on whole wheat tortillas with carrots each day.  And for dinner, the turkey chili withg a slice of whole wheat bread.  Snacks consisted of Laughing Cow cheese wedge with fruit for morning one and 1/2 a protein bar with fruit for the afternoon one.  And of course, big surprise, Pop Chips for the evening snack.  Friday was wonderful.  I slept till 8:40 and it felt great!  Then went to Cracker Barrel for lunch with family.  I had the grilled chicken salad and dipped in the ranch dressing on the side.  Perfect!  Slept in Saturday and Sunday too.  Heaven...  I tried some other places like Smoky Bones (had the BBQ chicken with sweet potato fries and broccoli.  Also tried Logans and had the salad with grilled chicken.  Very good too.  As for exercise, I needed a break from the gym, so I did water aerobics in mom's pool 3 times that week in the evenings.  Then on Saturday, I went to join Planet Fitness at Tower's Mall.  It's only $10 a month!  It has everything I need and is cheap.  Love it. 

August 8-14, 2011: During the 2nd week I switched up my lunch and dinner, but kept breakfast the same.  Lunch switched to whole wheat tortillas with chicken and swiss cheese from the deli at Kroger and cucumbers.  Dinner was stuffed peppers with turkey and veggies.  Had a few different things at Mom's house 1 night: flank steak with veggies and my whole wheat tortilla.  Olive Garden 1 night with the whole wheat pasta and marinara (Cappelini Pomodora), salad and NO breadstick!  Famous Anthony's 1 night for the low-carb chicken with a baked potato and veggies.  Had Harbor Inn 1 night with scallops and a salad with 1 of my whole wheat tortillas.  Seems to be an eating out theme going on here...  :)  I know it's just b/c I am seeing everyone after my time away and naturally it's over dinner.  Just need to keep on track and eating out won't throw me off.  That is something I have learned over this past month too.  You can eat anywhere you want, as long as you make healthy choices...  Even went to friend's house 1 night and made turkey burgers on whole grain thin buns and veggies for everyone.  I'm getting there!  Kept snacks the same as last week.  We had filet mignon, veggies and whole wheat bread for Dad's birthday Sunday.  Yum!

So I weighed for the first time since I've been home Monday morning and I have lost another 6 1/2 pounds!  Woo-Hoo!  Didn't have my tape measure handy to check my inches, but I'm quite happy with this.  Wish me luck! 

Here are some other random pics that I took on the trip...

Saying Goodbye to Serena...



Hangin Out at Target with Rae, Laila & Barbara Waiting on the Shuttle...

One of Our Many Drives Back  from the Gym...

After My Last Hike with Rae...



Shot Just Before I Left...



Shot Just After I Arrived Home...



   

Days 24, 25, 26 & 27

Day 24: Very tired day for some reason.  Felt a little rough.  Did my 2 cardios at the gym, then on to weights with Courtney.  Lunch was yummy: whole wheat pasta with marinara and turkey meatballs.  The doctor they contract with, Dr. Deleplante, did our lecture today.  She talked about all the diseases and ailments that are either caused by or aggravated by being overweight.  And of course stressed that exercise and a healthy diet are the best treatments.  Then Austan talked about not making excuses so you will have a positive outcome from the exercise and the eating.  Then we were off to the gym for weights.  Back for stretching and flexibility class, then the usual dinner buffet.  Went to my final Zumba with Camillo and the group!  Lots of fun.  Pop chips and bed!  Burned 2,025 calories...

Day 25: Crossed several things off my "to accomplish" list I made when I came here thus far.  I can no do the elliptical and other cardio machines with no hands holding on.  This works your core more, but makes balance much more difficult.  That is something that has really improved for me: balance!  Also, I finally ran on the treadmill: 4 mph!  Whew!  Watching too much Biggest Loser made me paranoid of falling off while running.  Serena ran it with me.  It was awesome!  She has been such a wonderful support here for me.  The other trainers were great too.  Here's some pics of them...

Austan (owner of this camp), Courtney, Jamyn & Desiree

Brenna & Jacque

Meagan

Elena

Becca (our chef) & Serena



After lunch (egg salad sandwiches on rye bread, a first for me, quinoa salad and fruit: good), we headed out to the Super Target for our grocery store lesson on sugar this time.  We looked at how many things that you wouldn't imagine have sugar: breads, etc.  We should only have 40 grams or less of added sugars (not including natural sugars from fruit, etc.) per day.  I asked about my addiction to caffeine free tea sweetened with Splenda.  Of course those sweeteners are a no-no.  But the new all natural version of Stevia (Truvia, etc.) is perfectly fine.  So hopefully I can get used to that and keep my morning tea fix!  Later we had water aerobics with Serena, then some of us met with Elena to go over some outside things we can do without needing a gym or equipment.  Then I had my last one-on-one with Jacque.  We just went over being realistic when we get home with our exercise routine and dietary plan.  We can't say we'll never have something again, or we'll fall of the wagon so to speak eventually.  We just need to find balance and eat those things in moderation and only at times.  He also reminded me to mix it up with exercise, being sure to include some days of just leisurely things like a nice walk with someone, etc...  Then we had foam roll with Desiree and our dinner buffet (won't miss that!).  I did my evening workout here at the hotel gym (cardio & abs) to have plenty of time to get ready for my massage with Ana.  Wonderful as usual!  Pop chips & bed.  Burned 2,866 calories...

Day 26: After our breakfast buffet, we headed off for our big Friday weight's day!  This time we did arms first with Desiree and then the next round with Austan and legs.  Whew!  Gonna be sore tonight!  We were late getting back, so went right into our BBQ.  This time we had salmon (tried for the 1st time: little too fishy for me) and chicken, with a barley pasta salad and fruit.  Very good, as usual.  Then Austan wanted to meet for a final talk about my exercise plan (hope to exercise at least 1 & 1/2 hours per day, 5 days per week, in some fashion, till get to goal total loss of 68 pounds) and to see if I had any final questions.  Then straight to the hike to end the day (my last workout here).  We ended up going back to the same one I did my very first time!  Took a different route though.  Still beautiful!  Dinner was one of the best yet: Barley stuffed bell peppers, carrot/potatoe mash and fruit with a yogurt glaze.  Later went to the mall with the girls to look for souveniers for the nieces and then home for pop chips and bed!  Burned 2,578 calories...

Day 27: It is finally here!  Final assessment: I lost another 3 lbs. and about 5 more inches.  So my grand totals after 4 weeks are 13 pounds and 21.5 inches gone!  My last day, so I decided to make it my reward day.  I went to Blush Spa to have my hair done by Courtney's girlfriend Susan.  She did a great job!  I missed Rumbi's for lunch, which was my favorite place we ate out, so Laila brought my chicken and shrimp dish back for me.  Yum!  Now it's time to pack.  I'm a little sad knowing tonight will be my last dinner and chat with all the girls together.  I hope we are all able to keep in touch and keep inspiring each other like we have done here.  I don't know that I would have made it without them constantly being there to cheer each other on, share and little "complaining" when needed, etc.  Being away from family and friends is hard, but having them all made things a little easier.  So a big shout out to Laila, Rae, Barbara, Charlotte, Teresa and Alicia for everything, and of course to all the trainers!  But I am SUPER EXCITED about getting home tomorrow!  I can't wait to see everyone.  My flight gets into the Roanoke airport at 4:41 p.m. if all goes well.  Let's hope so!  Since I have to be in Richmond Monday morning at 8:30 a.m. for a VDOE licensure meeting!  I'm going to continue my blog till I reach my goal, whenever that may be, for those who are interested in continuing to read.  But I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to those of you who have been supporting me in so many ways with your blog replies, calls, texts, emails, word of mouth messages through my family & friends, etc.  As I couldn't have made it without my new friends here, I wouldn't have made it without you all as well!  And fortunately for me, there are way too many of you to name!  I also feel truly blessed to have had this opportunity to learn and condition and try new things and ...  you name it!  I'll keep you all posted...  55 pounds to go...

Days 21, 22 & 23

Day 21: Sunday is always a relief to make it to!  Ha!  It was a beautiful morning, so I sat on the patio working on some things after breakfast.  I've had to switch to greek yogurt with fruit in it and oatmeal to get my protein.  Can't take eggs anymore, even with mustard!  Later on we had lunch that was pretty good.  It was chicken strips on a bed of feta cheese & veggies with baby squash, zucchini & carrotts.  We had cherries for dessert: yum!  After talking with all the girls for a while, I actually went up and took a nap.  Nice!  Dinner was good too: pistachio chicken salad.  But some awful dessert that was like a little cheesecake cup, but it was nasty!  We had 2 new girls come in today who will be here for 2 weeks each.  Rae and I decided to do our 60 minutes in the pool, then we sat out at the pool with the others and relaxed.  And of course, pop chips and bed!  No watch today, so not sure on calories...

Day 22: Assessment Day!  Lost another 2 pounds and 2 more inches roughly (1 inch off thighs & 1 off waist).  So grand total so far of 10 pounds and 15 inches all around.  After breakfast, off to the gym for a cardio and then 2 sets of weights (1 for upper body and 1 for lower).  Lunch was chicken curry wraps with carrotts and fruit.  Pretty good.  Jacque gave a lecture on "How Exercise Heals" in many ways: cures cardio ills, rebuilds bone & muscle, maximizes mental acuity, dials down inflammation, helps your hormones, boosts immunity, & supports mental/spiritual/sexual health.  He also talked about what to do if you get an injury at the gym, etc.  R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression & elevate).  And the best part was to remind us to schedule a "Nurture/Reward Day" for ourselves.  He asked us to plan 1 for ourselves that would encompass a whole day and to really try to do it.  Of course the spender in me would say a day at Zee's Spa getting the works: a full body massage, facial, manicure and pedicure.  But the girl trying to pay off her bills says a nice relaxing day at mom's pool doing absolutely nothing!  Ha!  Later we went back to the gym for a really tough workout with core and cardio moves combined.  Those are always killers!  Then before dinner, we had our flexibility and stretching class.  Love that one!  Then it was on to the park for a workout with Elena.  She is tough.  We did lots of warm up for cardio to get our heart rate up, then those crazy switchbacks (concrete winding path of torture)!  Whew!  It was good to come fall into bed with my pop chips of course and I was out!  Burned 3,263 calories...

Day 23: Wow.  Can't believe it's almost time to go home!  It's hard to imagine that I have been here for over 3 weeks.  I am sad to be leaving all these wonderful people, but I am VERY excited about getting home and seeing everyone and getting started on my own.  It was crunch day again, so I had to do my 700 again with 20 minutes on the stair master.  Crazy!  And of course lots of other cardio.  Lunch was good.  We went to Paradise Bakery again.  Stuck with my usual ham & swiss, no sauces but mustard, but tried the Multi-Grain Bread this time.  Even better!  Afternoon workout was outside with a circuit similar to last week, but with bands, hand weights and mats.  Pretty much core/abs/cardio again.  Good one.  Went down for foam roll class and then on to dinner.  Headed out to the gym early for water aerobics, so was a nice end to the day.  Pop chips and bed.  Burned 2,969 calories...

Days 19 & 20

Day 19: It was finally Friday, so even the same breakfast buffet was ok!  Ha!  Then we were off to the gym for a new thing.  No 5K this week.  We did a circuit 3 separate times that day with 3 different trainers for an hour each.  They kicked our butts!  First I started with my group of Alicia, Rae and Lance with Desiree.  She was legs.  She kept sneaking up and adding weight on me!  :)  We were using the "big boy weights" upstairs at the gym where all the muscle guys and girls work out.  They want us to not be afraid of those machines when we get back home.  I have to admit, I would never have used them if we hadn't seen how simple they are to change, etc. by doing this.  Once we finished with Desiree and legs, we moved on to did an arm circuit with Courtney.  That was upstairs too with the free weights.  Killer!  Then we came back for our outdoor healthy BBQ.  We had beef (extra lean of course) burgers.  Yum!  There was a bulgar wheat dish with them that I didn't care too much for, but it was ok.  The watermelon was yum and so were the veggies.  I had my one-on-one with Desiree right after lunch.  We talked about a realistic plan for exercise when I get home.  I am shooting for 5 days out of 7 with at least 1 1/2 hours of work each time to keep losing.  So basically I'll shoot for M-F mornings at from 5:30-7 a.m., with 1 hour of cardio and 1/2 hour of other things like strength training, weights, endurance, etc.  Of course I'll have mom's pool in the evenings till it gets too cool.  (Can't wait to get some of the pool weights: they are amazing at working your arms.  To look at them with their styrofoam base, you would laugh, but use them and you won't laugh anymore!  Ha!)  So that will help a little too!  Then we went back to the gym for the 3rd leg of our circuit with Jamyn and cardio/abs.  This one was the hardest for me, b/c cardio wears me out much faster than weight training.  We did jumping jacks, step ups, etc. all mixed with core things like sit ups, ab crunches, etc.  Dinner wasn't too yummy tonight: it was a Spanish style Whole Wheat Pita with olives that I still don't like-and yes, I tried them again., but I liked the white beans and tuna inside.  We also had cinnamon apples raw and cauliflower/butternut squash mix that was good & a sugar free tempatations chocolate mousse cup.  We all sat out on the patio and talked for a while as usual, then came in for my pop chips and bed!  Burned 2,300 calories...

Day 20: After breakfast we headed to a more advanced hike at Bell's Canyon, where we used walking sticks to help out!  Check it out below in pics.  This one was tough, with more uphill and lots of rocks to navigate.  The stick really helped a lot!  I made it to the lake, which was beautiful (see below) with Teresa and Rae.  Then we walked on to the bridge.  Only a small group made it to the waterfall at the top due to time constraints.  But I was quite proud of making it to where I did!  :)  Who would have ever thought I would be hiking around rocks and stuff!  It certainly wasn't me!  Now I guess I don't have any excuses for not hiking at home when I get invited like in the past!  :)  Eve (Austan's wife) is in labor, so since she cooks for us on the weekends when their chef, Rebecca, is off, we were off to Rumbi's for lunch (our favorite)!  I had my chicken and shrimp with brown rice & a caesar salad with the dressing on the side again like last time.  It was delicious again of course.  What a nice extra treat!  Then we returned for Serena and Jamyn with water aerobics in the pool.  Felt much nicer today than the last time I did it!  Hung out at the pool to get a little bit more sun on my legs.  Later we found out Eve and Austan had their baby girl and all are doing well.  So Desiree picked up dinner for us from the Super Target: build your own sandwiches with deli chicken that was very good, veggies and fruit.  We all lounged on the patio and talked, then headed off to my pop chips and early bedtime!  Burned 1,778 calories...

This one above was looking over the edge from the picture above it!  Steep!

Days 17 & 18

So the end of last Tuesday was pretty uneventful.  Just did water aerobics with the girl we had the first time when we arrived.  She was much better this time!  Then it was home for my usual pop chips and bed!  Burned 2,852 calories...

Day 17:  Usual buffet breakfast, then off to the gym for a cardio, then did an intense ab workout with Jacque.  Holy Cow: I did 700 crunches in various styles (some on a machine but most on an ab bench)!  No, it is not a typo.  I really mean 700!  I was going to do part abs, part stair master again, but 1 of them was broken and the other was taken, so it was all abs!  I doubt I have done that many in my whole life total!  Then we went to a muscle works class, but it had been totally altered and it was terrible, so most people ended up leaving early and I power walked the gym for the last few minutes.  I even pulled a glute muscle doing these up and down style lunges, so that was fun to ice that night!  Lunch was very good: whole wheat pasta with baked chicken chunks, mixed with lots of veggies and then some fruit.  Austan talked about creating a workout plan for when we get home.  He reminded us about mixing all the different types of things like classes, cardio machines, weight lifting/machines, free weights, etc. to keep our muscles confused and to keep from getting bored!  Then Jacque talked about opening our "funtake valve" when we are focusing on our end goal with weight loss/fitness.  We have to be sure to enjoy what we are doing to be able to sustain it when we get home.  I never really thought of healthy eating and exercising as "fun" until now.  I am actually excited to get home and go to the grocery store for the first time (which should take hours: ha) and start a normal workout routine.  I feel great (tired of course right now), even though they work us to death, so I know I will really feel the benefits when I get home.  One other thing we talked about was developing our "Life Intelligence" that I thought was well worth sharing.  The basic steps are to allow experiences to unfold, trusting in your decisions and not needing approval from the crowd, seeking out the unfamiliar, practicing playfullness, surrendering control instead of micromanaging, and becoming a praticipant rather than a spectator.  I feel like this experience has truly helped me kick start my "life intelligence" development in all these ways.  He left us with this quote: "Tomorrow is too late.  Get out and live now, because you never know if you'll be here tomorrow."  Austan then took us to the gym to get us to try out every single machine in the gym for 10 reps each!  That way we could ask questions, read the muscle groups trained on the stickers, etc. so we could begin to formulate a plan for them at home.  Next we had flexibility and stretching class and then off to the dinner buffet.  And then came Zumba: where all the girls drool over Camillo.  Here's a pic of him and some of the girls after the class.   Anyway, back to the room for my pop chips and bed.  Burned 2,544 calories...



Day 18:  I couldn't take egg whites anymore!  So for breakfast I had 1/2 a whole wheat english muffin with some peanut butter, greek yogurt with fruit and turkey sausage.  Much better for a change.  Off to the gym for 2 cardio workouts.  1 was on the arc trainer, on which I used to feel like gumbie flailing around like I don't know what!  But now I love it.  However, cranking it up to 100 on the resistance is a little taxing!  Then we went upstairs for an ab workout: which went along perfectly with my 700 crunches I already did yesterday!  Ha!  Actually I wasn't nearly as sore as I expected: although quite sore enough.  The trainers said that was because my abs are already so strong from the last 1 1/2 weeks.  Thank goodness!  Lunch was delicious: one of my favorites that I already make at home, but with lots of extra veggies thrown in- turkey chili.  They even made homemade whole grain bread that was yummy with it.  And of course, fruit.  We went to Super Target again for a talk on carbs and the difference between the good and bad ones.  We need 6 servings of good carbs (whole grain breads, potatoes, corn, beans, air popped popcorn, etc.) in addition to our fruits and veggies which are also good carbs.  Didn't know that either: the 6 servings or that fruits & veggies are considered good carbs.  That's why we always have cheese and fruit (protein and a good carb) or protein bar and fruit (protein & a good carb again), etc. for snacks.  By this time my stomach was hurting for some odd reason.  So I chose water aerobics for my afternoon workout and it seemed to feel better.  But after that, I felt nauseated from the heat and sun of a 90 minute pool workout!  So I guess my body was just not happy with me.  I made myself eat dinner, even though it was not pleasant.  However, the coolest thing in the dining room: there was a group of NFL football players in there watching the annoucements about their strike on the big tv!  They said they were from different teams just vacationing till they get the word to come back to work.  HUGE guys!  I wanted to ask who they were and what teams, but they seemed a little too involved in watching the announcements to bug them.  Can't wait for my massage with Anna tonight!  Yippee!  Burned 2,786 calories...

Days 14, 15 & 16

First here's some pics from the hot tub & one of Rae & Barb from my 3rd hike!

Day 14: Made it to Sunday!  Who would have thought that day could have any more meaning!  :)  So had the usual breakfast buffet.  Really sick of egg whites.  Have to find some new way to eat them...  Out to the patio to catch up on things like paying bills, etc.  Nice to do something normal, although not so sure how fun paying bills was.  Ha!  Carl Malone (The Mail Man) from the Utah Jazz just walked past us on the patio to his Tundra.  He is really tall!  Had lunch with the girls: cole slaw (OMG: that was definitely a first for me.  smell of the slaw dressing still makes me want to gag, but at least after I got past that and tried it, I liked it.  it's a miracle!) with pineapples on top, whole wheat tortilla with chicken.  Went in the pool with Barbara later to get my 60 minutes of non-strenuous exercise.  That was nice, but man it was HOT!  When in to shower and watch a little tv to relax, etc.  Dinner was later with a quinoa salad and dried cherries we have had before: like that, lots of veggies in some type of italian like marinade and watermelon.  Pretty good overall.  Out to the patio with the girls for a while, then off to bed with my Pop Chips!  No watch on today, so don't know calorie burn...

Day 15: Monday/Assessment Day!!!  Good news.  I lost another 5 lbs. for a total of 8 now, along with 7.75 more inches.  Think my total on inches is around 11 or 12 now overall.  Some of the main inches this time were 2 inches on the chest, 1 more inch on the thighs, and another 1.25 inches each on the waist and hips.  Woo Hoo!  Very happy about all that!  Then it's off to the gym for the Stair Master from H-E-Double Toothpicks!  30 minutes worth of it!  Then Power Flex class with a great sub instructor.  Then a final fat blaster workout that was tough, but good.  Lunch was good with a multi-grain sandwich thin with turkey, veggies and a dill mustard (liked that: never had it) and a peach.  Jacque did a lecture on having a "Fitness Mantra" that summarizes your ideas/feelings about your fitness.  Mine is "Live Strong", since that pretty much covers it all.  I have always felt strong in everything in my life (my job, my family, etc.) other than fitness, till now!  Then we talked about the 4 R's of personal energy management: Regular activities that you have to do on a daily basis, Relating in your relationships with others that are a positive influence & being sure to be a positive influence over them as well, Reaching in pushing past your comfort zone (like coming here for me) to break out of old bad habits, etc., and Rejuventating yourself with things like the massages we get here, mani/pedis, rest, etc.  You have to be sure to balance all that so that not just 1 area like the regular activities take over!  Next we headed to the gym again for another 90 minute crazy cardio/strength training workout.  Crazy one like last week that pushed me over the edge that next day!  So I made sure to pace myself better and we were able to do the intermediate one this time, which is where we really are!  Then came flexibility and stretching class.  Elena used these bands she made at her husband's work.  They just helped us get good stretches that felt great!  Then we had our usual dinner buffet and off to the park for those horrible grassy hill climbs!  I wore my pants this time so I wouldn't break out!  We did all kinds of crazy things like walking up it backwards, doing bear crawls (which I couldn't do b/c my hands would break out, so I just did another backwards walk), etc.  Time for Pop Chips and bed: thank goodness!

Day 16: Usual breakfast buffet, but brought down my mustard that we can have and put in on my eggs and made a little sandwich.  Yum!  Much better!  Headed to the gym for a cardio, then Power Flex class which had an awesome sub instructor.  Then a final weight training with Meagan on abs and back.  Felt good on my back b/c it has been hurting a little lately!  Had lunch out again today to Einstein's Bagels for lunch.  Pretty good.  They toasted a wheat bagel thin and I had turkey with veggies and a "shmear" which is a veggie cream cheese, avocado (which I had tried at home and liked) and a fruit cup.  Then we had an outdoor (yuck: 98 degrees today and sunny: not happy about that) circuit with Courtney and Meagan which was pure 90 minutes of torture too!  The heat was awful!  But we got to do boxing and the ropes which I like.  Time for Foam Roll class now, so have to go!

Days 12 & 13

Day 12: Had the usual buffet breakfast then on to the 5K, which I managed to keep at a true 5K this time!  Hee!  Came in around 55 minutes, including hills, etc.  Yeah!  Even jogged (yes, for those of you who know me well, you did hear that correctly) the last little bit after Serena harrassed me into it!  Ha!  Little break then jumped into an indoor/outdoor group circuit with cardio, weights, strength, etc.  Torture as usual!  Lunch was our typical Health Grilling BBQ but we had turkey burgers, veggies and fruit for this one.  Very good as well.  I have gotten used to those already at home!  Desiree talked about the best way to set goals by using this acronym:
S for specific goals instead of just general ones
M for measurable goals like when you weigh, measure hips, etc.
A for attainable goals like doing things you can actually get to in your area, etc.
R for realistic goals like losing 5 pounds instead of 40 at once, etc.
T for time frame & tangible goals that you can do in a certain time and see the results
"SMART" Goal Setting is the only way to go!
Then we moved on to a hike that was the most beautiful of all so far!  It was up to a ski resort (there was still snow up there in patches: unbelievable) and it looked like the Swiss Alps!  Crazy beautiful!  Check out the pics.  The air was crazy: It was sunny & that felt hot on your skin, but then the breeze was almost chilly (if we hand't been hiking and sweating of course) at times coming off the snow!  Dinner was a peanut butter & banana on whole wheat tortilla with carrotts with 2 new kinds of hummus (one was ok, but one was awesome: it was spicy!) & a yogurt parfait with granola on top and cinnamon.  We had our dinner on the patio and sat and talked for hours.  There are some great people here in our group.  Then it was time to go up for my favorite: Pop Chips-check out the pic below!  Then off to bed!  Burned 3,469 calories today...

I also have pics from my last 2 hikes below too!  Check out the heart shaped lake and the snow in some of them!

Day 13: Made it to Saturday!  Yippee!  Had the usual breakfast buffet, then off to the park for our 1 hour walk, then on to the mats for an ab workout.  Our lunch was awesome today: Austan ordered from a fresh Mexican restaurant for us.  We had chicken & steak fajita salad with a lime cilantro dressing, black beans, pinto beans, 3 kinds of salsa: pico, pineapple & mango, and strawberries.  Delicious!  On to water aerobics in our hotel pool and then picked up some board games for later on tonight with the girls after dinner.  Sitting outside on the patio right now typing this blog entry!  Dinner was yummy too.  Salad with fruit, nuts & cheese, 2 hard boiled eggs & a Temptations French Silk Pie Pudding Cup. Very good!  Now we are gonna play board games and hang out.  Then I'm sure it will be off to bed later with my Pop Chips!  Burned 2,012 calories today...