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...

Day 11

So after lunch (a salad with poppy seed dressing and walnuts, tomatoes, etc. and Italian whole wheat flatbread, yogur parfait with blueberries & oats) on Day 10, we had a lecture with our Life Coach, Jacque.  He talked about overcoming immunity to change, emphasizing that we will change physically, but must also change mentally with food and exercise options and decisions.  We turned off the lights and actually meditated with music and his "singing bowl".  Very interested.  Never done that before.  Then came the outdoor workout in the park of climbing up a big grassy hill: torture!  We had to do it 5 x up and down!  The grass was breaking out my ankles and making them itch at 2x, so I had to switch to the concrete hill we had done the first week!  Whew!  Then we did some balance exercises that I really needed!  On to Flexibility & Stretching later, then our dinner which was on the patio for some reason: black bean salad with veggies & another black bean salad with coconut and mango and an ear of corn: yum!  Then off to Zumba with Camillo (all the ladies love him).  I still don't have the moves down, but I'm movin the whole time!  Ha!  Pop Chips and bed.  Burned 4,077 calories today...

Day 11: Breafast buffet (sick of that for sure), then on to the gym for cardio and a Power Pump class.  Then weights and balance/legs with Megan.  Smashed my fingers in 1 of the leg machines. Ouch! Iced those suckers!  Lunch with Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Fruit.  Very good.  Lecture with Austan on the importance of eating with the new food plate of 1/2 plate fruits & veggies, 1/4 plate lean protein and 1/4 plate good carbs/starches.  Went on to Target again for sodium talk.  We should only be getting 1500 grams sodium (2/3 teaspoon) each day.  We get 80% of our sodium from processed and restaurant foods, so this allows us a cushion from the federal guidelines of around 2300 grams actually.  Watch for reduced fat and fat free items, as the sodium is usually up from the original you can just eat in moderation!  They have to up it to make up for the preservatives and the tastelessness.  Later we did acuatics in the hotel pool, which was lots of fun, but it was 90 minutes and we could really feel it!  Whew!  Then I got to skip foam roll for my one-on-one with Jacque.  We talked about goals, plans, etc. for when we go home.  Dinner was the usual buffet, then did my own workout in our hotel gym (where the air is broken: sweat box must have lost me an extra few calories: hee) since I had to be back for my shower and a massage with Jose.  He was great too.  Worked on my lower back that's been bothering me a little since I came off my ibuprofen this week.  Time for Pop Chips and sleep!  Burned 3,787 calories today...

Days 9 & 10

End of Day 8: Did some stretching after those horrible switch backs: much needed!  I made it down and up 5 times, 3 of them without stopping!  Whew Hoo!  Last time I only made it 2 times, stopping about a million both times!  Anyway, home for Pop Chips and bed: TIRED!  Burned 4,876 calories today...

Day 9: This day is bad from the start.  I never felt like I was awake.  My body is not wanting to do anything, even though I am sleeping good.  At the gym, Megan approached me and asked if I felt fatigued.  I guess that's what that feeling is, so she suggested skipping the afternoon workout, which I hate to do, but I thought that was best.  So did my normal cardio at the gym with a Power Pump class in there that I could hardly do.  Then back for a nap till lunch time.  Went down for lunch: went out again to a cool Hawaiian Grill called Rumbis.  Yum!  Had a Chicken & Shrimp Plate with brown rice and a small caesar salad (all the sauces, dressings, etc. on the side of course).  When we returned, I slept again till time for Foam Rolling (didn't hurt as much as before) before dinner.  Still felt yucky, but a little better than before nap.  Went on to dinner and then to a Power Yoga class.  Like this: little hard on my right knee at times, but very relaxing overall.  Back home for Pop Chips and off to sleep.  Glad this day is over.  Felt like a zombi basically!  Burned 2,757 calories today...

Day 10: After breakfast, on to the gym for cardio on the Arc Trainer.  First time on this monster!  But I think I like it.  Felt good on my back.  This workout was mixed with getting off it after certain amounts of minutes and doing lunges or squats, etc.  Then hopping back on and off, etc.  Went to Water Aerobics that turned out to be kind of like a relaxing water aerobics.  It was nice, but don't think burned many calories!  On to weight training for arms, back, lats, etc.  I like weight training.  My upper body is much stronger than my lower body!  Time for lunch!

Days 7 & 8

Day 7: Day of Rest!  Woo-Hoo!  Sunday is our day to rest and recover.  We just need to do about 60 minutes of some type of exercise, even if it's just walking.  So I did swimming in the pool in the morning after our regular breakfast.  Then I sat out in the shade of the pool and did my nails: felt nice to do something normal!  Later on after more relaxing at the pool, it was time for lunch: peanut butter and banana with a whole wheat tortilla for a wrap, with carrotts, apples and sugar free chocolate pudding.  Not bad.  Loved the pb & banana wrap!  Sat out on the patio eating with the girls (our group that came in together and 3 others that were already here) for lunch.  It was a beautiful day and breezy.  Sat on that patio for hours just talking and relaxing: felt great!  Later on, dinner was a salad with all kinds of veggies, mozzarela cheese in a light italian dressing, a quinoa salad with cherries and fruit.  Very good.  We had a new person come in today, as 1 of the guys is leaving Tuesday.  Not one of the newbies anymore!  Ha!  Went on the shuttle with some of the girls to the Sports Authority and Target to pick up some things we needed.  It was raining: yuck!  Back to the room for my Pop Chips (love these things) and off the sleep!  Didn't wear hear monitor today, so not sure on the calories burned...

Day 8:  Monday is Assessment Day!  I had mine at 6:30 a.m.  Lost 3 pounds on the scale, 2 inches off my hips, and 1 inch each off my thighs and arms!  Yeah!  We are gaining a lot of lean muscle that will in the future start to burn more calories, but for now, inches are more important.  Next off to the usual breakfast and the gym for cardio, then a Power Flex Class.  Very similar to the Muscle Works one I like, but with heavier weights and less reps.  Then more cardio for the last hour.  Lunch was a whole wheat tortilla with chunks of chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, greek yogurt and mango/grapes.  We put habanera hot sauce on them too: whew wee!  Good though!  We had a lecture on the different types of exercise (Yin: eastern philosophy of more mind/body things like yoga, pilates, stretching, etc. and Yang: western philosophy of more weight training, cardio, etc.) & the fact that we need to be sure and continue to do both when we go home like we do here!  Torturesome "Advanced" workout at the gym after that.  VERY sore from that!  Icing knees and back before lunch right now.  After dinner we are heading to the park for those horrible "switch-backs" on that steep winding concrete thing I hate!  But now that my heart rate is lowering, it will be interesting to see the change.  I already see it in the gym: takes much more resistance, etc. to get it past my desired amount of 130!  Then we'll have some other workout in that park before we come home for bed!     

Days 3, 4, 5 and 6

Ok, so I am a little behind!  I have to say Wednesday (3rd day), I was very home sick and frustrated with several things that I just couldn't get right in the gym.  Plus I was feeling really spent and sore.  They told us Wednesday is the worst day of the week and they were right!  I slept everytime we had a break!  But things are back on track now.  I feel great and am having the time of my life.  I want to thank everyone for all their words of support here on the blog, the emails, texts, etc.  I couldn't do it without you all!  So here's a look back at my 3rd day through today!

Day 3: Had the normal breakfast off the buffet.  Then headed to the gym for another alternating machine cardio workout with treadmill, bike, arc trainer and elliptical.  Then on to a Spinning Class on the bikes: HATED THAT!  It hurts!  Won't be doing that again!  I left in the middle and went to a rowing machine for the last 1/2 hour.  Next on the a class called Muscle Works: LOVE THAT!  It really works everything it feels like: use the step, the weights, the bar, you name it!  Then back to the hotel for lunch: tuna & grape wraps with greens, quinoa (love that) veggie salad and fruit.  It was good too.  We had a lecture on the Benefits of Moving Our Body after eating: being careful not to cut calories too low b/c you are starving your body, which slows your metabolism.  We need to move as much as possible and do lots of types of exercise like cardio, strength & endurance training, weights, etc. to see results.  Then we need protein and complex carbs to help repair your torn muscles from all that!  Then we headed back to the gym for another cardio/strength training workout, which was very hard for me: I can't seem to get the form on squats or lunges: frustrating!  Austan had me do squats onthe bench to get used to them.  I think I have it now!  Lunges are coming along...  Then we headed upstairs for a quick ab workout of torture!  Back at the hotel later, I had my first one-on-one with Eve.  We talked about reasons I thought I was here at this point, things that I have let get in my way in the past and how things are going with the program here.  It was good to talk all that out and plan for the future when I get home.  Bummer though: had always thought it took 1,000 calories to gain a pound or 1,000 burned calories to lose a pound.  NOT: it takes 3,500!  Booh Hiss!  Ole well, it will happen!  Then on to a Flexibility and Stretching class: felt great!  Dinner was the usual hotel buffet food.  Then off to the gym for a Zumba class!  Whew!  Hard to keep up, since it takes me a while to catch on to the moves and it goes soooo fast, but loved it!  Had a protein shake for snack: YUCK!  Everyone said to try the other kind.  I will be doing that, as this one was gross!  Did my journal entry and off to sleep!  Burned 4,919 calories today...

Day 4:  Woke up still feeling homesick, had a good cry, felt better and moved on!  Usual buffet breakfast, then off to the gym for cardio round, then Power Pump class and a Weight Training Circuit: hard but felft good afterwards!  Lunch was a ground turkey salad and a tempeh salad (which is a version of something like tofu, but much better), a cucumber salad and frui.  It was all yummy too!  Next we went on a trip to the Super Target that carries groceries to learn about looking at all the types of fat, how much to have of each, etc.  That was good to learn: can't cut out all fats, need certain unsaturated ones!  Next we went to the park for a strength training workout with bands, a park picnic table and boxing!  Loved that!  I skipped out on the foam roll class, since I was having some severe acid reflux!  Yuck!  Dinner was the usual off the buffet againm, then off to the gym for a Kickboxing class.  That was tons of fun too: again little hard to follow during last 1/2 with a lot of different moves, but fun!  Back to the hotel for an extra massage this week, since it's my first week, and had Sara, who was good too.  She worked mainly on my arms and legs and it felt great!  Burned 4,396 calories today...

Day 5: Feeling better today in general, but very sore.  Had the usual breakfast, then on to our weekly 5K (3.25 miles) that I power walked with Barbara.  The best part, which most of you will not find terribly surprising, since Dad says I could't find my way out of the driveway if I didn't know the way so well: we ended up going an exra 4 blocks, about 1 mile!  They came looking for us and everything, thinking we were lost!  Ole well, we did basically a 6K!  We went straight in to our little hotel gym for a Weight Lifting/Cardio Circuit Training session: TORTURE for real!  We used all kinds of things in a 10 station rotation: those big ropes like they use on Biggest Loser, Weights, Sit Ups, you name it!  We had an outdoor Healthy BBQ for our lunch today.  It was great: flank steak and chicken on the grill, fingerling potatoes in some type of light sauce, a salad with a corn dressing, and fruit.  Very good.  Then we went on another hike: this one was less shade, but not as steep.  Beautiful again!  It was about 4 miles long total!  My heart rate is getting better and didn't have to stop nearly as many times to keep it at 130 bpm this time.  Came back to the hotel and did laundry with Laila, Barbara and Rae.  They are great girls that came in the same time I did.  Laila is from New York (originally Kenya), Barbara is from Chicago and Rae is from NC originally but now lives in Maryland.  We had dinner on the patio while the laundry finished: chicken & veggie tamales, fruit, and black bean salad with onions & zucchini.  Yum!  We went for a dip in the hot tub, which was awesome and relaxing!  Burned 4,051 calories today...

Day 6: For the first time since I have been here, I woke up feeling like a normal person and with energy and minimal pain and soreness!  The energy level I was hoping for is finally kicking in!  Yipee!  Had our usual breakfast buffet then off to our workout in the park.  We walked about 4 miles, then came back to do a Pilates workout on the mats in the grass.  Loved that!  It's amazing how you can do weight training with no weights doing this style!  Then we came back for lunch, which was yummy: crockpot chicken made with onions, quinoa, squash, and no sodium chicken stock and 1/2 a peach.  Delicious!  We had a lecture after that on being careful not to reward yourself with food, not making excuses on exercise and nutrition and choosing good rewards like new wardrobes, massages, getting your hair done, pedicures & manicures, vacations, etc.  I could get into those kind of rewards!  Hee!  Next on to Water Aerobics in the pool with Serena and Austan.  Holy Cow!  I burned close to 600 calories doing that!  Who knew?  And since it's Saturday, the day is done at 2:30 for me!  Yeah!  The 4 of us are meeting for dinner at 5:30 on the patio, which is a turkey pita, veggies and fruit.  Then we are heading to Sports Authority on the hotel shuttle to pick up some knee bands to help with sore knees and I'm getting a hat to keep from burning my poor forehead anymore and hopefully my nose.  I am slathered with sunscreen when we work out outside of course, but with all the sweating, it doesn't stay on very well!  God knows I don't want anymore skin cancer scares!  It will be nice to be free tonight and we even get tomorrow off basically!  Regular clothes!  Whew Hoo!  Burned 2,300 calories today...

End Day 1 and Day 2

Holy cow!  After lunch (Tilapia Fish Tacos, Asian Slaw, Arugula & Chick Pea Salad & Fruit) that 1st Day on Monday, we had our 1st lecture on Staying Positive and not focusing on anything negative.  Then we were off to a local park.  Did alternating sets of strength and endurance exercises with bands and walking up and down this huge hill!  Of course my heart rate is the highest one at this point (we have to train it to be lower) at a resting one of 95, which is high in general.  So to stay at 130, target rate, I have to keep stopping when I start uphill, so I always come in last on those, but ole well!  At least I'm finishing them!  Once we did this rotation of bands/hills 3 times, then we moved on to what they call "Kick Backs" area of park: I call it the "Kick Butt" area of the park!  It was this winding concrete area that was very steep in most areas.  So we had to walk up and down that as many times as possible in 30 minutes.  I was a little nauseated after that, but realized it was because I wasn't breathing properly in and out!  Good grief!  Then we stretched and had our snack (banana & baby bell low fat cheese wheel) and headed back to the hotel for the evening, since it was a holiday for the 4th!  Thank the Lord!  We had dinner in our room (black been veggie burger with carrots and a nectarine-loved the burger, never had one) and to ice our knees from the hills, 20 minutes on/20 minutes off.  I had my snack (pop chips), wrote in my journal and went to bed!  I burned a whopping 2,632 calories that day.  Since we consume only about 1400 on average, that was awesome!

Yesterday for day 2, we started out at 7 a.m. with our same breakfast pretty much.  Then off to Gold's for our 3 hour workout.  Then we went to Paradise Bakery and Cafe (much like our Panera) to learn about ordering off the menu.  Had a berry salad with grilled chicken and sandwich on sourdough with ham & swiss, each 1/2.  Yum!  We subbed our cookie for a fruit cup!  Then came the outdoor hike!  Ugh!  I actually climed a mountain!  That's what many of the pics are from: the view we had (1 of our trainers, Serena, is in a pic with me)!  Amazing!  My heart rate is so high as I go uphill, I had to keep stopping to rest everytime it got over 130ish, which was a lot going up!  But ole well again, I made it!  Had our snack or protein bar and a pear, then headed back for a few minutes rest before we did the "Foam Therapy Class".  Hated that: it's a big foam roll that you use to massage out your muscles that we are overworking.  Hurts like you know what!  Then it was time for dinner at the hotel buffet: chose salad with chicken on it, hummus (which I love now), salsa and wafer crackers with other raw veggies and fruit.  Ate really fast so we could get to the gym for our water aerobics class.  That was fun.  Even used water foam weights for amazing resistance!  Got back just in time for a quick shower and then my massage!  Yeah!  Anna was awesome.  They set up in your room and everything!  Then pop chips snack and bed finally after my journal entry!  Burned 4,283 calories this time!  Whoo Hoo!

Arrival & My First Day

It is absolutely beautiful here!  And I am loving the dry air: no humidity/mugginess and it was 100 degrees!  I will take some pictures later today and post them tomorrow.  Our hotel is a Hyatt and is very nice as well.  I arrived at my hotel room at 5:04 p.m. yesterday and had a note that dinner was at 5:30 downstairs!  (Had a broccoli salad with chicken and lots of veggies and a low cal slaw dressing-yes, for those of you who know me well-I actually ate it, believe it or not!  And it was yummy.  We also had strawberries & bananas in a yogurt sauce.  Yum!  So went to that, then the ones of us who are new (5 of the 12: everyone seems very nice so far) had orientation from 6-7:30.  The schedule is crazy, but there are lots of things on it I have always wanted to do: water aerobics, zumba, etc. 

So I woke up this morning and had my assessment that we do each Monday morning at 6:10 a.m.  This is where they did all the measurements, weigh in, all that fun stuff!  I got my polar heart rate monitor: straps around your sturnum area and then you wear a watch that is callibrated to it.  Then we had to be down to breakfast at 7.  That was good too.  We use the hotel's breakfast buffet for that.  Had a whole wheat bagel with Promise spread, egg whites with low-fat mozzarella cheese and salsa, Lite & Fit peach yogurt, fresh fruit and skim milk to drink!  We eat a lot at breakfast to get us going.

Then the torture began!  We drove to the gym and did our 2 morning routines.  The first was 20/20/20 minutes each on the treadmill, upright bike and elliptical.  Then we ate a snack (mine was a plum and a cheese stick) and did the other routine.  That one was ab work with crunches, then 15 minutes on the treadmill, then tricep work with lunges on the side of a bench, then 15 minutes on the bike, then more ab crunches, then 15 minutes on the elliptical!  Whew!  Then thankfully it was time to come back to our rooms for a break till 12:00!  So will be leaving for lunch soon.  We'll see what torture they have planned for us this afternoon!  Hee!

The Countdown Begins...

Well, it's almost here!  My flight takes off from the Roanoke Airport at 10:10 a.m. tomorrow morning!  I can't believe it.  It seems like it took forever to get here, but then snuck up on me the last 2 days.  I am very excited still, but nervous now too.  Wish me luck everyone.  I will send you an email like this time each time I post so you don't have to just check in to see...  Kim :)