Saturday, April 9, 2011
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
That's it! Period.
Calling all ladies! I suppose that today is as good a day as any to write my post regarding our arch nemesis, the crimson wave. Since I'm currently suffering from my moon time now, forgive me if my post isn't too cheery. Damn hormones!
Mother nature's gift (or curse) afflicts us once a month and leaves a path of destruction and mayhem in its wake. By this I mean, not only do you suffer the standard inconvenience i.e. back pain, breast tenderness, bloating, messiness and whatnot (Oh my uterus hurts!) but we also have to suffer from emotional and mental strain.
Granted, Aunt Flow afflicts us all differently so what I suffer through may be totally different from what you suffer through but Uncle T.O.M. (yes, I'm on a slang kick today) does tend to mess with us in some way.
Frankly, when the communists come to town for me, I am in the worst way. As I've gotten older, I believe I've become more sensitive to little red riding hood and her arrival into my forest. Though I generally don't have any issue curbing my carbs on any normal weeks, I become a ravenous carb fiend the week before and lose all control when it comes to carbs. Sadly, when I start craving bad, white carbohydrates, I know that I'll shortly be visiting Red Bank, NJ.
Not only do I start stocking my carb cupboard the week prior to the red dot of doom but I also get supremely lazy and uber cranky. I just can't help myself no matter what I do. I know that I'm cranky because my tectonic plates are about to shift but I'm short tempered and I walk around pouting.
Also, for 3 weeks, I'll be good as pie, working out consistently and eating right, slowly shedding fat at a rate of 1-2 pounds a week and then BAM!! I eat horribly, get really really bloated and stop moving. Generally, during this time frame, I'll put on a few pounds which kills my motivation.
I did a fair bit of research on said topic and here's some advice from me to you and back to me since I need to listen to it myself:
1. Do NOT NOT NOT weigh yourself during your period. If you're extremely sensitive to what you see on the scale.... then this is the worst possible time to weigh yourself. Even if you don't become a carb whore like myself, most women tend to retain water around this time. It can be as little as nothing to as much as 5-10 pounds. You heard me right. 5-10 FREAKING pounds. Most of this usually drops off once your period starts or once it's over but in the meantime, you WILL be heavier but remember, it's mainly just water retention.
Surprisingly the cure for water retention is actually drinking more water. So drink your fluids and watch your salt! Don't drink too much too quickly though because you can get water poisoning. (Google it!)
2. For me, the first day of shark week is usually the most painful. For me the first day is a day of hot water bottles and advil. However... after that day, it's time to hit the gym. You need to sweat off some of that water you're retaining AND surprisingly exercise is a great pain reliever when Santa Claus is in town.
3. It's natural for us to stuff our coffers the week before code red. Our bodies naturally makes us crave the nutrients that it needs to do its 'thang. Just try try try to control yourself. Think of the progress that you've made and how horrible stuffing yourself with bad food actually feels. (Note to self: if you must stuff, stuff with healthy foods)
In fact, some research has shown that sometimes it's beneficial for the body to mix it up calorie-wise from time to time. Our metabolisms are extremely fickle and sometimes when you've hit a plateau, it's a good idea to boost up your calorie intake for a week or so before lowering it again to try to jump start your metabolism.
4. Do NOT lose hope. Yes, it sucks when the vampires visit and yes it may take a week or two to get back to where you were weight-wise but this is something that us women all have to go through at one point or another. You just need to keep it in mind that this is all part of a slow healthy weight loss. Sure it may seem like you derail yourself 1 week out of every month but even if you only lose 1-2 pounds a month in total, it's still weight that's coming off and those pounds do add up over time.
Unfortunately I don't have a cure or any advice regarding how to control your cravings. They will be there. It's almost a given. However, it is natural and what's most important is not to let it mess you up for the rest of the month. Always try to hop right back onto the healthy wagon as soon as you can. We as humans cannot be perfect all the time but as long as we're good most of the time, we will slowly get slimmer or healthier.
Despite the fact that I always put on a few pounds during my period, my weight has slowly but surely gone down. Why? Even though I mess up, I keep at it. Someone once said to me that time will pass by no matter what I do. However, if I exercise and eat right as best as I can, then months down the line, I'll be thinner instead of fatter or at the same weight. Think about it. It's very true. Do nothing and 1 year down the line, you'll be fatter or the same. Do something and 1 year down the line, you'll be thinner and if not thinner, you'll be in better shape.
So in regards to another update weight wise? I've scheduled a fitness assessment in about 2 weeks. Thankfully, my gym allows us free health and fitness assessments with a nurse and trainer every 3 months. I will let everyone know the official numbers then. However, as of December 17th...
I have officially lost 40 pounds in total since May of this year.
On December 17th, my weight was 153 pounds.
I don't have any new pictures currently or any measurements but that is what my scale told me. Which means that on the 17th, I was just 3 pounds from the goal that I had set when I first got back from my vacation.
However, St. Nick came to town, as did St. Menses... so I know that I may have gotten derailed a bit. But as per my own advice, today is the second day and today is when I will go to the gym. It will probably take a week or so to get back down to where I was but I have faith I'll get back down and lose a few pounds more.
I'll update some more regarding my fat, the holidays and other things soon. I've discovered a lot of really great activities and weight loss aids like Zumba and kickboxing in the past few months that I'd love to share with everyone. In the mean time, the best holiday wishes to you and your families and success in all your endeavors in the coming year. Lots of love from me to you!
;)
Mother nature's gift (or curse) afflicts us once a month and leaves a path of destruction and mayhem in its wake. By this I mean, not only do you suffer the standard inconvenience i.e. back pain, breast tenderness, bloating, messiness and whatnot (Oh my uterus hurts!) but we also have to suffer from emotional and mental strain.
Granted, Aunt Flow afflicts us all differently so what I suffer through may be totally different from what you suffer through but Uncle T.O.M. (yes, I'm on a slang kick today) does tend to mess with us in some way.
Frankly, when the communists come to town for me, I am in the worst way. As I've gotten older, I believe I've become more sensitive to little red riding hood and her arrival into my forest. Though I generally don't have any issue curbing my carbs on any normal weeks, I become a ravenous carb fiend the week before and lose all control when it comes to carbs. Sadly, when I start craving bad, white carbohydrates, I know that I'll shortly be visiting Red Bank, NJ.
Not only do I start stocking my carb cupboard the week prior to the red dot of doom but I also get supremely lazy and uber cranky. I just can't help myself no matter what I do. I know that I'm cranky because my tectonic plates are about to shift but I'm short tempered and I walk around pouting.
Also, for 3 weeks, I'll be good as pie, working out consistently and eating right, slowly shedding fat at a rate of 1-2 pounds a week and then BAM!! I eat horribly, get really really bloated and stop moving. Generally, during this time frame, I'll put on a few pounds which kills my motivation.
I did a fair bit of research on said topic and here's some advice from me to you and back to me since I need to listen to it myself:
1. Do NOT NOT NOT weigh yourself during your period. If you're extremely sensitive to what you see on the scale.... then this is the worst possible time to weigh yourself. Even if you don't become a carb whore like myself, most women tend to retain water around this time. It can be as little as nothing to as much as 5-10 pounds. You heard me right. 5-10 FREAKING pounds. Most of this usually drops off once your period starts or once it's over but in the meantime, you WILL be heavier but remember, it's mainly just water retention.
Surprisingly the cure for water retention is actually drinking more water. So drink your fluids and watch your salt! Don't drink too much too quickly though because you can get water poisoning. (Google it!)
2. For me, the first day of shark week is usually the most painful. For me the first day is a day of hot water bottles and advil. However... after that day, it's time to hit the gym. You need to sweat off some of that water you're retaining AND surprisingly exercise is a great pain reliever when Santa Claus is in town.
3. It's natural for us to stuff our coffers the week before code red. Our bodies naturally makes us crave the nutrients that it needs to do its 'thang. Just try try try to control yourself. Think of the progress that you've made and how horrible stuffing yourself with bad food actually feels. (Note to self: if you must stuff, stuff with healthy foods)
In fact, some research has shown that sometimes it's beneficial for the body to mix it up calorie-wise from time to time. Our metabolisms are extremely fickle and sometimes when you've hit a plateau, it's a good idea to boost up your calorie intake for a week or so before lowering it again to try to jump start your metabolism.
4. Do NOT lose hope. Yes, it sucks when the vampires visit and yes it may take a week or two to get back to where you were weight-wise but this is something that us women all have to go through at one point or another. You just need to keep it in mind that this is all part of a slow healthy weight loss. Sure it may seem like you derail yourself 1 week out of every month but even if you only lose 1-2 pounds a month in total, it's still weight that's coming off and those pounds do add up over time.
Unfortunately I don't have a cure or any advice regarding how to control your cravings. They will be there. It's almost a given. However, it is natural and what's most important is not to let it mess you up for the rest of the month. Always try to hop right back onto the healthy wagon as soon as you can. We as humans cannot be perfect all the time but as long as we're good most of the time, we will slowly get slimmer or healthier.
Despite the fact that I always put on a few pounds during my period, my weight has slowly but surely gone down. Why? Even though I mess up, I keep at it. Someone once said to me that time will pass by no matter what I do. However, if I exercise and eat right as best as I can, then months down the line, I'll be thinner instead of fatter or at the same weight. Think about it. It's very true. Do nothing and 1 year down the line, you'll be fatter or the same. Do something and 1 year down the line, you'll be thinner and if not thinner, you'll be in better shape.
So in regards to another update weight wise? I've scheduled a fitness assessment in about 2 weeks. Thankfully, my gym allows us free health and fitness assessments with a nurse and trainer every 3 months. I will let everyone know the official numbers then. However, as of December 17th...
I have officially lost 40 pounds in total since May of this year.
On December 17th, my weight was 153 pounds.
I don't have any new pictures currently or any measurements but that is what my scale told me. Which means that on the 17th, I was just 3 pounds from the goal that I had set when I first got back from my vacation.
However, St. Nick came to town, as did St. Menses... so I know that I may have gotten derailed a bit. But as per my own advice, today is the second day and today is when I will go to the gym. It will probably take a week or so to get back down to where I was but I have faith I'll get back down and lose a few pounds more.
I'll update some more regarding my fat, the holidays and other things soon. I've discovered a lot of really great activities and weight loss aids like Zumba and kickboxing in the past few months that I'd love to share with everyone. In the mean time, the best holiday wishes to you and your families and success in all your endeavors in the coming year. Lots of love from me to you!
;)
Friday, December 24, 2010
Wake Me Up... When September Ends!
When I got back from my vacation at the end of August, I felt renewed and revived. I had lost a few pounds while on vacation, just due to the fact that I had been moving around and going out. When you're out and about, you can't just hunker down in front of the t.v. and eat!
So with this new found motivation and fervor, I set about hitting the gym as consistently as I could. It was very hard when I first started. When I had first gotten back from FR, I could easily work out and not get sore. Getting past that sore stage had always been difficult for me. I would be so "sore" that my brain would talk myself out of going to the gym. No longer though! I know how it works now.
If you want the soreness to stop and diminish, you've got to keep working out! Sure, when you up your resistance or endurance, you may feel a bit sore for a day or two but it's nothing like the soreness of "you haven't moved your ass in months, who are you kidding?" soreness you first encounter when starting a fitness regime. At this point, it's what you call, "A good hurt."
I worked out between 5-6 days a week and made sure that I got at least one full day of rest in and I would rest an extra day if my body felt too tired. I took it slow when I started but made certain to consistently up things when things got easier. I would work out for roughly 2 hours a day, doing cardio daily (treadmill at the time mostly, varying speeds between walking briskly and jogging (3.0mph-5.0mph) while doing an incline of 12.0 for .25 mile at the end in ode to FR's hikes) and weights, alternating between upper body and lower body.
I also changed my diet. I ate 3 meals a day without snacks, (snacks turn into meals for me) had an Orgain for breakfast (look it up, it's an organic meal replacement shake that's really delicious and super healthy, hey Orgain, feel free to send me some coupons! lol) a broth based soup and salad for lunch and lean protein (usually about 8 oz. and sometimes even more) and tons of veggies for dinner. I ate as cleanly as I could and I tried to do away with carbs from grains and got my carbs from veggies instead. When I did crave something sweet, since I'm not a fruit person, I would have a cup of hot chocolate made with water. (Not the best choice but hey, you've gotta indulge just a little bit!) I didn't really count my calories, but I guesstimate that my daily calorie count was between 1200-1400 calories.
After eliminating processed carbs from my diet, I actually found myself feeling a lot better. I used to eat whole wheat bread and brown/wild rice thinking it to be healthier but after eliminating grains, I found that I was far less bloated and gassy, (sorry for TMI!) less prone to acid reflux and just FELT a whole lot better. I had always been against Atkins-esque diets in the past... having tried them out, but Atkins and diets like that eliminate ALL carbs, (at least in the induction phase) even carbs from fruit and vegetables. I still get lots of carbs from my current diet but that's because I eat a lot of vegetables and I make sure to vary the types of veggies that I eat to get as many nutrients as possible. Also, instead of the Atkins grease fest that you're allowed, there's very little oil or heavy fats in my current meal plan. This is what works for me though, I don't know how it would affect everyone else.
After roughly 3 weeks at home, I scheduled a fitness assessment with a trainer and a nurse at my gym. Here are the results:
Body Weight: 168 pounds
Basal Metabolic Rate: 1603
Lean Body Mass: 113.2 pounds
Fat Mass: 54.8 pounds
Body Fat Percentage:
32.6%
Chest: 39"
Belly: 34"
Hips: 42"
BMI: 29.8
So since I started this journey, May 1st, 2010 until this point, September 21st, 2010, these are my stats:
Weight lost: -25 pounds
Chest inches lost: -5.5"
Belly inches lost: -11"
Hip inches lost: -6"
BMI decreased: -4.4 points
Body fat decreased: -7.3%
Here's a picture of me from the end of September that I had taken by a friend.
I was very happy with my progress but in order to reach my December goal, I still had another 18 pounds to lose. Not only that, I also discovered my greatest weight loss nemesis... my PERIOD.
So with this new found motivation and fervor, I set about hitting the gym as consistently as I could. It was very hard when I first started. When I had first gotten back from FR, I could easily work out and not get sore. Getting past that sore stage had always been difficult for me. I would be so "sore" that my brain would talk myself out of going to the gym. No longer though! I know how it works now.
If you want the soreness to stop and diminish, you've got to keep working out! Sure, when you up your resistance or endurance, you may feel a bit sore for a day or two but it's nothing like the soreness of "you haven't moved your ass in months, who are you kidding?" soreness you first encounter when starting a fitness regime. At this point, it's what you call, "A good hurt."
I worked out between 5-6 days a week and made sure that I got at least one full day of rest in and I would rest an extra day if my body felt too tired. I took it slow when I started but made certain to consistently up things when things got easier. I would work out for roughly 2 hours a day, doing cardio daily (treadmill at the time mostly, varying speeds between walking briskly and jogging (3.0mph-5.0mph) while doing an incline of 12.0 for .25 mile at the end in ode to FR's hikes) and weights, alternating between upper body and lower body.
I also changed my diet. I ate 3 meals a day without snacks, (snacks turn into meals for me) had an Orgain for breakfast (look it up, it's an organic meal replacement shake that's really delicious and super healthy, hey Orgain, feel free to send me some coupons! lol) a broth based soup and salad for lunch and lean protein (usually about 8 oz. and sometimes even more) and tons of veggies for dinner. I ate as cleanly as I could and I tried to do away with carbs from grains and got my carbs from veggies instead. When I did crave something sweet, since I'm not a fruit person, I would have a cup of hot chocolate made with water. (Not the best choice but hey, you've gotta indulge just a little bit!) I didn't really count my calories, but I guesstimate that my daily calorie count was between 1200-1400 calories.
After eliminating processed carbs from my diet, I actually found myself feeling a lot better. I used to eat whole wheat bread and brown/wild rice thinking it to be healthier but after eliminating grains, I found that I was far less bloated and gassy, (sorry for TMI!) less prone to acid reflux and just FELT a whole lot better. I had always been against Atkins-esque diets in the past... having tried them out, but Atkins and diets like that eliminate ALL carbs, (at least in the induction phase) even carbs from fruit and vegetables. I still get lots of carbs from my current diet but that's because I eat a lot of vegetables and I make sure to vary the types of veggies that I eat to get as many nutrients as possible. Also, instead of the Atkins grease fest that you're allowed, there's very little oil or heavy fats in my current meal plan. This is what works for me though, I don't know how it would affect everyone else.
After roughly 3 weeks at home, I scheduled a fitness assessment with a trainer and a nurse at my gym. Here are the results:
Body Weight: 168 pounds
Basal Metabolic Rate: 1603
Lean Body Mass: 113.2 pounds
Fat Mass: 54.8 pounds
Body Fat Percentage:
32.6%
Chest: 39"
Belly: 34"
Hips: 42"
BMI: 29.8
So since I started this journey, May 1st, 2010 until this point, September 21st, 2010, these are my stats:
Weight lost: -25 pounds
Chest inches lost: -5.5"
Belly inches lost: -11"
Hip inches lost: -6"
BMI decreased: -4.4 points
Body fat decreased: -7.3%
Here's a picture of me from the end of September that I had taken by a friend.
 |
| 168lbs and back to pasty pale. |
I was very happy with my progress but in order to reach my December goal, I still had another 18 pounds to lose. Not only that, I also discovered my greatest weight loss nemesis... my PERIOD.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Life...
Life isn't all roses and ice cream and cake when you get home. Not surprisingly, that's when the real work starts. You're no longer in a controlled environment and you no longer have anyone holding your hand. Add to that, that not only do you no longer have anyone helping you out but life throws wrenches and grenades and bowling balls at you while you're trying to plod along. Life likes to b*tch slap you in the face sometimes.
I, and of course everyone else, have the best intentions when returning home. You feel fabulous and you want that feeling to continue and you think, oh, since I'm all fit and sh*t now, I'll be fine. No no no no. A million times no! Your mind sadly can be your weakest link. Like I said in the past, it likes to LIE to you.
When I got home, I had lots of stuff to catch up on with work and other life things that fell by the wayside. I intended to go to the gym daily and eat right like everyone else does. However, for the first 3 weeks I went to the gym sporadically but moreso than I had gone in the past. I told myself, something is better than nothing and soon, once I catch up, I'll have more time to go. By the way, you can never catch up because things are always coming at you. That's life!
Because I had become accustomed to smaller portions, I no longer ate the massive amounts of food that I used to. Also, after having a few celebratory meals when I first got home, I also realized that I could no longer eat the food I used to love because all the oil and grease just didn't sit well with my stomach. It had gotten used to eating cleaner, healthier foods. Not only that, but whenever I did eat too much, the acid reflux that I hadn't experienced in over a month at FR, came right back. So by the way of healthy eating and sporadic workouts, I dropped another 5 pounds without too much effort once I got home.
Then... I stopped going to the gym completely. It also did NOT help that I was addicted to watching the World Cup, which came around right at that time. I work from home, so I would literally watch 2 matches a day at 90 minutes a pop... not including 15 minutes of half time. That right there is 3.5 hours of sitting on your bum. (Looking back, I should've gone to the gym to watch the matches while I exercised... hmph) I would eat and watch and then be tired from just sitting and eating and the weight started creeping up again. Not by very much but it most certainly was no longer going down.
As the weight began to slowly creep up, I started feeling hopeless again. For my readers out there, NEVER succumb to that feeling. You CAN always turn things around. I wasn't thinking clearly. I just stopped caring and figured, oh, I'm just meant to be fat forever. By the time the World Cup was over, I had gained back the 5 pounds I had lost when I first got home. My body was kind to me, it should have been more.
Then I just kind of moseyed along for the next month and a half. Going up a little, going down a little but generally staying around the same weight. I had given up. I still cared but I had totally lost the drive and hope that I had gained. I stopped THINKING about what I wanted. I just lived without thinking, doing the daily life shuffle.
A friend of mine suddenly approached me towards the middle of August about going on a short vacation at the end of August. I hemmed and hawed but finally agreed to go. I had all those free TRAIN miles from going back and forth to Utah, after all! lol. We were going somewhere hot, so I needed some clothes. I had been living in my workout wear for the past few months.
Did I diet for the vacation? Nope. I did go shopping however and was still disappointed at what I could wear. I was still shopping for XLs and even visited the Plus Size stores that I used to frequent for special occasions before FR. (I had pretty much lived in my uniform of giant fleece hoodie and fleece pants for ages) Happily enough for me, nothing at the Plus Size stores fit me BUT I was still the largest size at all of the 'normal' stores. Well, either I fit in the largest size or I didn't fit at all. I was sort of in the in between stage of 'smallest at the fat girl stores/fattest girl at the normal girl stores' stage.
So I didn't expect much from my vacation. I just wanted to relax and not think about anything for awhile. I'm not a drinker and I had thought my days of dancing all night long were long gone. I'm no spring chicken after all! Anyhow, I was really stressed out and just wanted to get away from everything.
This was my first vacation alone with a girlfriend EVER. (strict parents you know) I did get to relax... AND I ended up having an absolutely fabulous time. We spent a lot of time relaxing, walking around, hitting the beach (nope, never got into a bathing suit, I would sit under an umbrella with spf up the wazoo covering every inch of my body in a sun dress, don't believe me? Here's proof of me WALKING around town with an umbrella)
and when we did go out at night, (not every night mind you) we would spend an hour or two getting ready. Frankly, we always had more fun getting ready than actually being out. lol.
What was nice about going out was the fact that though I still felt fat, I felt pretty fat. Vanity had been the least of my concerns for a long time. I just simply no longer felt attractive. In fact, my self esteem had said adios to me a long time ago. When I got all gussied up to go out, for the first time in a long long long time, I felt like I looked pretty good. Still hefty but a cute hefty. I was no supermodel that's for sure, but just the fact that I felt that I had the potential to be pretty, really boosted up my self-esteem... which had been in the gutter for a long time.
When I got back from my relaxing vacation, I felt revived. I immediately set a specific goal. I had a sort of general goal before hand but nothing specific. I vowed that if I wanted to go on another fun, girly vacation, I would need to lose 25 pounds AND I would need to do it by the end of December. So for those of you keeping count, when I got home from my vacation, I weighed 175. (I had lost weight during my vacation. I'm one of those odd ones that tend to eat less when I'm out. Being at home, nothing is more comfortable to me than just stuffing my face and vegging out when I'm bored. When I'm out, I want to do stuff) Which means that my goal was to weigh 150 pounds by the New Year. 43 pounds less than when I had started this journey at my heaviest.
Did I manage to do it?!!
I, and of course everyone else, have the best intentions when returning home. You feel fabulous and you want that feeling to continue and you think, oh, since I'm all fit and sh*t now, I'll be fine. No no no no. A million times no! Your mind sadly can be your weakest link. Like I said in the past, it likes to LIE to you.
When I got home, I had lots of stuff to catch up on with work and other life things that fell by the wayside. I intended to go to the gym daily and eat right like everyone else does. However, for the first 3 weeks I went to the gym sporadically but moreso than I had gone in the past. I told myself, something is better than nothing and soon, once I catch up, I'll have more time to go. By the way, you can never catch up because things are always coming at you. That's life!
Because I had become accustomed to smaller portions, I no longer ate the massive amounts of food that I used to. Also, after having a few celebratory meals when I first got home, I also realized that I could no longer eat the food I used to love because all the oil and grease just didn't sit well with my stomach. It had gotten used to eating cleaner, healthier foods. Not only that, but whenever I did eat too much, the acid reflux that I hadn't experienced in over a month at FR, came right back. So by the way of healthy eating and sporadic workouts, I dropped another 5 pounds without too much effort once I got home.
Then... I stopped going to the gym completely. It also did NOT help that I was addicted to watching the World Cup, which came around right at that time. I work from home, so I would literally watch 2 matches a day at 90 minutes a pop... not including 15 minutes of half time. That right there is 3.5 hours of sitting on your bum. (Looking back, I should've gone to the gym to watch the matches while I exercised... hmph) I would eat and watch and then be tired from just sitting and eating and the weight started creeping up again. Not by very much but it most certainly was no longer going down.
As the weight began to slowly creep up, I started feeling hopeless again. For my readers out there, NEVER succumb to that feeling. You CAN always turn things around. I wasn't thinking clearly. I just stopped caring and figured, oh, I'm just meant to be fat forever. By the time the World Cup was over, I had gained back the 5 pounds I had lost when I first got home. My body was kind to me, it should have been more.
Then I just kind of moseyed along for the next month and a half. Going up a little, going down a little but generally staying around the same weight. I had given up. I still cared but I had totally lost the drive and hope that I had gained. I stopped THINKING about what I wanted. I just lived without thinking, doing the daily life shuffle.
A friend of mine suddenly approached me towards the middle of August about going on a short vacation at the end of August. I hemmed and hawed but finally agreed to go. I had all those free TRAIN miles from going back and forth to Utah, after all! lol. We were going somewhere hot, so I needed some clothes. I had been living in my workout wear for the past few months.
Did I diet for the vacation? Nope. I did go shopping however and was still disappointed at what I could wear. I was still shopping for XLs and even visited the Plus Size stores that I used to frequent for special occasions before FR. (I had pretty much lived in my uniform of giant fleece hoodie and fleece pants for ages) Happily enough for me, nothing at the Plus Size stores fit me BUT I was still the largest size at all of the 'normal' stores. Well, either I fit in the largest size or I didn't fit at all. I was sort of in the in between stage of 'smallest at the fat girl stores/fattest girl at the normal girl stores' stage.
So I didn't expect much from my vacation. I just wanted to relax and not think about anything for awhile. I'm not a drinker and I had thought my days of dancing all night long were long gone. I'm no spring chicken after all! Anyhow, I was really stressed out and just wanted to get away from everything.
This was my first vacation alone with a girlfriend EVER. (strict parents you know) I did get to relax... AND I ended up having an absolutely fabulous time. We spent a lot of time relaxing, walking around, hitting the beach (nope, never got into a bathing suit, I would sit under an umbrella with spf up the wazoo covering every inch of my body in a sun dress, don't believe me? Here's proof of me WALKING around town with an umbrella)
 |
| Yes, Asians like to walk around holding umbrellas in the sun. |
and when we did go out at night, (not every night mind you) we would spend an hour or two getting ready. Frankly, we always had more fun getting ready than actually being out. lol.
What was nice about going out was the fact that though I still felt fat, I felt pretty fat. Vanity had been the least of my concerns for a long time. I just simply no longer felt attractive. In fact, my self esteem had said adios to me a long time ago. When I got all gussied up to go out, for the first time in a long long long time, I felt like I looked pretty good. Still hefty but a cute hefty. I was no supermodel that's for sure, but just the fact that I felt that I had the potential to be pretty, really boosted up my self-esteem... which had been in the gutter for a long time.
When I got back from my relaxing vacation, I felt revived. I immediately set a specific goal. I had a sort of general goal before hand but nothing specific. I vowed that if I wanted to go on another fun, girly vacation, I would need to lose 25 pounds AND I would need to do it by the end of December. So for those of you keeping count, when I got home from my vacation, I weighed 175. (I had lost weight during my vacation. I'm one of those odd ones that tend to eat less when I'm out. Being at home, nothing is more comfortable to me than just stuffing my face and vegging out when I'm bored. When I'm out, I want to do stuff) Which means that my goal was to weigh 150 pounds by the New Year. 43 pounds less than when I had started this journey at my heaviest.
Did I manage to do it?!!
 |
| This is a picture of me with Seth Word from The Biggest Loser on my second day at FR. I'm around 193 here. Ugh. |
 |
| This is a picture from when I was on vacation in August :) I'm about 175 here and I got tan! Even with my umbrella! |
Here's a random phrase that's helped me a lot. It's a la Yoda/Nike. "Don't think. Just do it."
(When you think, you can think yourself out of doing lots of things, including hitting the gym. Don't think. Just get in the d*mn car and go. Just do it!)
Monday, December 20, 2010
Last Day at FR and my FR Stats!
My last Sunday at FR passed in quite a blur. I was frantically packing up the remnants of my month long stay there and trying to say goodbye to as many people as I could. As I was moving out, K's new roomie was simultaneously moving in. I had scheduled my final weigh-in right before breakfast and I made sure to wear exactly what I wore on my first day of weighing in. I was truly surprised at the numbers and celebrated with my roomie and some friends right outside in the front lobby once I was done. My taxi arrived early and before I knew it... it was time to go.
I wasn't looking forward to the travel ahead but I couldn't wait to get home and see my friends and family and to continue on this new life path at my own pace. So of course, the first stop was McDonald's.... lol. No, it wasn't what you think!! For some reason, there's no Greyhound terminal in St. George. The 'terminal' is located within the McDonald's. I was good and drank from my water bottle and ate my bagged lunch from FR while I waited. (Yes, for those of you that are leaving on Sunday, you can pick up a bagged lunch on your way home, FR is kind enough to know that lots of us are tempted while we're waiting for flights, etc;)
I was still in shock that it was all over. Once the bus arrived and it started leaving St. George, I put on the Biggest Loser theme song, Proud, on loop on my Ipod. To my shock, I started crying! More than once I had been miserable at FR and couldn't wait to leave the place and yet, as I was going home, I was actually crying that I was leaving! I think a lot of emotions and thoughts hit me at once.
I was sad that my adventure was over.
I was sad that I was leaving some good friends and generally a pretty amazing experience behind.
I was proud that I had done what I had formerly thought was impossible.
I was scared that I still had a long road ahead of me on my weight loss journey and didn't know if I could do it on my own.
I was also sad that I would no longer have my bed made, room cleaned, all three meals prepared for me and have an amazing staff on hand! lol.
Well anyway, the trip back home was really long. I did meet some great people on the way back though! On my way home, I met a great guy named Tony V. I had told Tony all about my experience at FR and how life changing it was and I find out later from Tony himself that he had signed up and gone to FR and how it had changed his life too! I felt great about that. :)
Another great thing was that I felt so much stronger and fitter this time around on my journey. I was climbing up stairs, carrying my heavy duffle bag everywere, running around and wasn't even out of breath like I would have been a month ago!
I was very good about my food intake on my way home and didn't eat everything that was put before me while I was on the train like I did on the way there. I did have myself a Chicago hot dog while I was at Union Station though. (I like NY hot dogs better! Chew on that!)
When I arrived home, N was at the station to pick me up. Though we had talked each night on the webcam, he was really happily surprised when he saw me. :) It made me feel great. I asked him if I looked any different and he said that I did. When I saw my friends and family, they were also encouraging of how I looked as well. I really felt great.
Two days later, after settling in at home, I set about changing things around me so that I could best reflect what I learned at FR. I went out to buy ingredients for the food from the receipe books and I joined a gym that I had wanted to join a long time ago. I hadn't joined in the past because I knew that I would never have gone.
Soooooo..... has the suspense gotten to you yet? After all, I made everyone wait 7 months to reveal my d*mn results. lol.
Here are my results and my stats after 4 weeks at FR:
Age: 29
Height: 5'3
Date: May 30th, 2010
Beginning Weight: 193
Weight at 4th week: 178
Change: -15 pounds
Measurements:
Chest:
Start: 44.5"
End: 41.5"
Difference: -3"
Belly:
Start: 45" (see, my gut did stick out further than my lady lumps)
End: 37.5"
Difference: -7.5"
Hips:
Start: 48"
End: 44.75"
Difference: -3.25"
Body Fat Percentage:
Start: 39.9%
End: 37.3%
Difference: -2.6%
BMI:
Start: 34.2
End: 31.5
Difference: -2.7
For one month, I think the results are pretty impressive. Who's to say that if I hadn't gotten sick and injured that my results wouldn't have been even better? While the numbers aren't as crazy as what you would see on the t.v. show, The Biggest Loser, I think it was pretty good for an average Jane. Especially since I could barely walk... much less hike anywhere before!
Most important of all is that I got my health back and the inklings of being fit. Once I got home, I felt a lot more energetic than when I had been at home last. I could move easier, I could tie my shoes and breathe at the same time, I would voluntarily walk places. It was an amazing thing for me. The best thing was that I once again I felt hopeful about the future. For the longest time, I had just been getting fatter and fatter and more sad as time progressed. Things were changing. :)
So in a nutshell... all those stories about FR? Life changing, proud about blisters, etc;? They're all true. :) It did change my life and while I didn't get any blisters, it was tough and I was proud that I made it through.
So... did I live happily ever after? Did I go bust? What's happened in the past 7 months?? I'll let you know tomorrow. ;) Tomorrow, I'll post an update regarding how I've done since I left FR, pictures of my progress, etc;
Yes, I know I'm a tease!
I wasn't looking forward to the travel ahead but I couldn't wait to get home and see my friends and family and to continue on this new life path at my own pace. So of course, the first stop was McDonald's.... lol. No, it wasn't what you think!! For some reason, there's no Greyhound terminal in St. George. The 'terminal' is located within the McDonald's. I was good and drank from my water bottle and ate my bagged lunch from FR while I waited. (Yes, for those of you that are leaving on Sunday, you can pick up a bagged lunch on your way home, FR is kind enough to know that lots of us are tempted while we're waiting for flights, etc;)
I was still in shock that it was all over. Once the bus arrived and it started leaving St. George, I put on the Biggest Loser theme song, Proud, on loop on my Ipod. To my shock, I started crying! More than once I had been miserable at FR and couldn't wait to leave the place and yet, as I was going home, I was actually crying that I was leaving! I think a lot of emotions and thoughts hit me at once.
I was sad that my adventure was over.
I was sad that I was leaving some good friends and generally a pretty amazing experience behind.
I was proud that I had done what I had formerly thought was impossible.
I was scared that I still had a long road ahead of me on my weight loss journey and didn't know if I could do it on my own.
I was also sad that I would no longer have my bed made, room cleaned, all three meals prepared for me and have an amazing staff on hand! lol.
Well anyway, the trip back home was really long. I did meet some great people on the way back though! On my way home, I met a great guy named Tony V. I had told Tony all about my experience at FR and how life changing it was and I find out later from Tony himself that he had signed up and gone to FR and how it had changed his life too! I felt great about that. :)
Another great thing was that I felt so much stronger and fitter this time around on my journey. I was climbing up stairs, carrying my heavy duffle bag everywere, running around and wasn't even out of breath like I would have been a month ago!
I was very good about my food intake on my way home and didn't eat everything that was put before me while I was on the train like I did on the way there. I did have myself a Chicago hot dog while I was at Union Station though. (I like NY hot dogs better! Chew on that!)
When I arrived home, N was at the station to pick me up. Though we had talked each night on the webcam, he was really happily surprised when he saw me. :) It made me feel great. I asked him if I looked any different and he said that I did. When I saw my friends and family, they were also encouraging of how I looked as well. I really felt great.
Two days later, after settling in at home, I set about changing things around me so that I could best reflect what I learned at FR. I went out to buy ingredients for the food from the receipe books and I joined a gym that I had wanted to join a long time ago. I hadn't joined in the past because I knew that I would never have gone.
Soooooo..... has the suspense gotten to you yet? After all, I made everyone wait 7 months to reveal my d*mn results. lol.
Here are my results and my stats after 4 weeks at FR:
Age: 29
Height: 5'3
Date: May 30th, 2010
Beginning Weight: 193
Weight at 4th week: 178
Change: -15 pounds
Measurements:
Chest:
Start: 44.5"
End: 41.5"
Difference: -3"
Belly:
Start: 45" (see, my gut did stick out further than my lady lumps)
End: 37.5"
Difference: -7.5"
Hips:
Start: 48"
End: 44.75"
Difference: -3.25"
Body Fat Percentage:
Start: 39.9%
End: 37.3%
Difference: -2.6%
BMI:
Start: 34.2
End: 31.5
Difference: -2.7
For one month, I think the results are pretty impressive. Who's to say that if I hadn't gotten sick and injured that my results wouldn't have been even better? While the numbers aren't as crazy as what you would see on the t.v. show, The Biggest Loser, I think it was pretty good for an average Jane. Especially since I could barely walk... much less hike anywhere before!
Most important of all is that I got my health back and the inklings of being fit. Once I got home, I felt a lot more energetic than when I had been at home last. I could move easier, I could tie my shoes and breathe at the same time, I would voluntarily walk places. It was an amazing thing for me. The best thing was that I once again I felt hopeful about the future. For the longest time, I had just been getting fatter and fatter and more sad as time progressed. Things were changing. :)
So in a nutshell... all those stories about FR? Life changing, proud about blisters, etc;? They're all true. :) It did change my life and while I didn't get any blisters, it was tough and I was proud that I made it through.
So... did I live happily ever after? Did I go bust? What's happened in the past 7 months?? I'll let you know tomorrow. ;) Tomorrow, I'll post an update regarding how I've done since I left FR, pictures of my progress, etc;
Yes, I know I'm a tease!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
I'm finally back!
So, what to say, what to say. Um, I'm sorry everyone?!
I realize that it's been ages since I've posted. I sincerely apologize for that. It's not that I haven't wanted to update my blog, I sincerely did, but it seemed to entail so much! I wanted to put the few pictures I had taken up, write about my last week, upload my videos to youtube and spread them throughout the posts, etc; etc; It just seemed like a lot to undertake and I kept putting it off and putting it off.
I realized however that I really did miss blogging and while I couldn't ever officially perfect and complete the last week of my blog, I could recall what I could and finish up my story for those of you wondering where the hell I've gone. lol.
So I perused through my notes and am going to just type up what I remember and do my best. So! Here's what I have in my notes regarding my last week at Fitness Ridge:
My last Tuesday at FR: (according to my notes)
Breakfast was a mango parfait and since I'm not a yogurt fan, I had cereal. Since it was my last week and my roomie had talked me into coming out of my shell a bit more, I tried to be more social. I had a nice chat with my friend 'N' and we talked about how our experience at FR was quite similar. We were both getting lost in the social shuffle of the place and losing the 'me' experience and how it was important to only focus on yourself since we're always focusing on others back home.
Did the Overlook hike today and I made it further than the first time I had done it and amazingly, it felt so much easier this time around. According to my heart rate monitor, the calorie burn of the Overlook hike was lower than what I've been burning in the gym. Despite the fact that it's May here, it was absolutely freezing today!
After the hike, I skipped the workshop since it was a repeat of the one I had attended last week. Lunch was soooooooooo good. We had a yummy artichoke soup and turkey sandwich. Their turkey sandwich is seriously the best sandwich they make here, it's so filling. They make their own spread, use tomatoes and alfalfa sprouts to bulk up the sandwich instead of lettuce and it just tastes fresh and filling. I brought a book with me to read during lunch and ate pretty quickly so that I could get some work done. I napped for 15 minutes after lunch and then headed to open gym. (which I don't see as an official class cuz you can do whatever you want) After open gym, I took another nap. I swear i went to bed early! I'm always tired in my daily life as well. It's probably a result of my sleep apnea unfortunately. I then woke up for and went to the rest of my classes.
Toning class was next and it's always killer on me. I have no upper body or lower body muscle strength, which is something that I definitely need to focus on. I guess I was always one of those skinny fat people who are slim with no muscle tone. However, since my time here at FR, my cardio has gotten much better. Weights have gotten a bit easier for me but there's still a lot of room for improvement. Pool was hard, especially since we did water intervals today. I wish I could swim above water and be able to breathe at the same time. Instead, I have to hold my breath and stop in the middle.
I then had cardio intervals afterwards and I gave it my all. 135 rpm on the bike!!! I gotta continue this interval stuff when I get home. Intervals is the stuff that makes me sweat here.
Dinner was an enchilada with broccoli and it was very filling. In fact, it tasted a lot like the shepherd's pie we had the other night. In the evening, Eric set up the cardio room so that everyone could watch The Biggest Loser. I have to say, it's very fun to watch it here. Just being here gives it another dimension, you really feel like you're a part of the show though it's completely different in structure.
So this evening I scheduled my luggage to be shipped. I'd rather fork out the extra dough than go through what I went through last time on the train. Never again am I going to overpack! Us fourth weekers are going to Subway tomorrow for lunch, which I'm excited about. I'll also be going to Target tomorrow to pick up some last minute stuff and getting a facial in the evening. My skin was better for quite some time but it's recently started breaking out again. All this sunscreen does a number on the face! I'm going to bed pretty early because I'm also positive that I have Stop Sign tomorrow. I went to all my classes today and burned LESS calories. How sucky is that?
Calories burned today: 3004 not including the pool class.
I'm still chubby but feel more fit and I think my gut has reduced a bit. However, the best thing is that I know I can continue this once I get home.
'D' was told by quite a few people today that she was very brusque and intimidating and she's trying to be nicer. She's not really outwardly nice to me but I tried to be nice today too and offered her a ball for her legs during The Biggest Loser show.
Wednesday: (My notes for Wednesday were pretty short, lol)
I had a great day with a crappy ending. Breakfast was muesli so I had cereal with a banana and Truvia.
The hike today was Chuckawalla, not Stop Sign. I was disappointed because I was really hoping to do Stop Sign at least one more time before I left. I want to see if I've improved at all. I also realized during the hike that uneven pavements really hurt my feet. Chuckawalla wasn't too bad but I still didn't really enjoy the heights. It's very beautiful here but honestly, once you've seen one mountain and vista, you've seen them all.
Here's some video at Chuckawalla:
Chuckawalla
Chuckawalla Vista
Chuckawalla Musings
Chuckawalla Hiking
For lunch, we went to Subway. We had to make certain that we stayed under a certain calorie count. I believe it was 400-500 calories. With those calories, I managed to get a foot long wheat with turkey and lots of veggies. I opted for no cheese and asked them to scoop out the bread, which saved a lot of calories and just seasoned it with salt and pepper. Surprisingly, I was full before I was done with the footlong, so I wrapped it up to save for later. I was proud of that aspect because I've always had a problem with finishing everything that is given to me. Guilt mechanism from childhood, you know. lol. It's weird but kids in Utah are allowed to leave the school for lunch! So around the time that we went, there was a mob of kids ordering their lunches and then walking back to school. Strange.
Dinner was salmon with Israeli couscous. I've never had Israeli couscous before! It's chubbier and very tasty. Very similar to Orzo. I got a facial this evening but sadly it wasn't all that great. Took a nap right before it. I gotta say that Chinese Estheticians are definitely far more hardcore during extractions! Unfortunately, I cannot recall why the evening was so crappy and my notes didn't say anything about it either! lol.
Calories burned: 3804
I don't have very specific notes about the last few days at FR but off the top of my head, I do recall a few things:
I had an hour long massage with Trevor, my very first massage ever, which was absolutely FANTASTIC. If Trevor is there, you need him and it needs to be for at least an hour. Seriously! I've never felt so relaxed and comfortable before. If I had known how much better I would feel after a massage with Trevor, I would've scheduled a massage each week!
I also had a Body Scrub on another evening. I would recommend others to pass on this one. For the price, I was expecting a whole lot more. Basically, a scrub was applied and it wasn't very scrubby (I could've done better applying a body scrub on my own in my room) there was no massage, you had to shower off in the middle of it and then a lotion was applied. Meh.
A group of us from FR went to see a movie, Prince of Persia, which was good. Never thought Jake Gyllenhaal was particularly good looking but throw some dirty, long hair and a sweaty muscular body on the guy and I can definitely appreciate!
I really tried to be good for my last week at FR. I didn't manage to fulfill my promise not to miss any workout classes to my roomie, but I did try my best and I only missed 2 workout classes the entire week. Considering that we usually have about 5 or 6 workouts a day, I think 2 for the whole week was pretty good.
Afterwards, one of the dearest sweetest people at FR, Mr. 'J', managed to finagle a Biggest Loser Resort duffle bag for me. He knew that I needed a bag to carry stuff home in and how I was too shy to ask for anything even though others would just go in and get what they wanted. It was delivered to my door and I was really really touched that he had spoken to some people to get the duffle bag for me. Thank you J. :)
Beyond that, I've got some very brief notes on my last day at FR which I will write about here:
On my last day at FR, I was allowed to do The Stop Sign hike. I finished in 1 hour and 15 minutes! I managed to shave 20 minutes off of my time. This time, I did not stop even once during the hike for a break AND I ran a little bit during the flatter areas to try to better my time. Amazingly, I did it without my camelbak since I had shipped that sucker home. I didn't even have any water on me, lol. When I was done, I was really really glad that I did it. I got up there and poked the sign when I was done and then relaxed and looked at the gorgeous scenery around me. I wanted to take it all in, since I was leaving the next day. Strangely enough, as soon as I finished my hike and started stretching, the Biggest Loser Theme Song Proud came on. :) It was really a fabulous feeling.
After the hike, I had breakfast. It was a loose granola with nuts in it. Very filling but quite dry even after adding our allotted one cup of almond milk. That granola just sucked it right up.
I had a convo with J during breakfast about sleep apnea and sleep apnea machines. I really need to look into that. I've always known that sleep apnea could be dangerous but it's really starting to affect my life. I've always been constantly tired but as I'm getting older, I've needed more and more naps and sleep time which isn't normal.
I opted for the pool class today and instead of the standard pool class, it was a volleyball game. Lots of fun. The music was blasting and we weren't very good but V kept us entertained with water ballet/synchronized swimming movements and we sang along to songs. Everyone was in great spirits.
Took a shower afterwards and headed down for a very very short, 25 minute massage with Tyler. It was great but 25 minutes simply isn't enough and he's booked completely through the rest of the evening. He told me that if he had known I wanted a longer massage he would've come in earlier. Darn! Great taste in relaxing music (Legends of the Fall, Josh Groban) and he gave me some great massage technique tips and recommended more tips on finding a good massage therapist in NJ. He mentioned that Asian women have a strong pain threshold for massages, which I can totally agree with. My mom loves getting foot massages that would make a strong man wince.
I got to talk to Wayne for a bit on Facebook and he told me about the after party for the biggest loser finale and all the celebrities he had gotten to meet. It sounded like lots of fun.
This evening, I was sad about leaving but surprisingly very happy to go home. Not looking forward to all the layovers in front of me but I'd still rather have layovers than fly! I couldn't believe that my FR experience had just flown by like that. It felt so long at the beginning of the month but once it was over, it felt like it just flew on by.
Alright, that's enough for tonight! Tomorrow, I'm going to update my post some more with my final FR stats, a video tour of the Ridge facilities, etc;
I realize that it's been ages since I've posted. I sincerely apologize for that. It's not that I haven't wanted to update my blog, I sincerely did, but it seemed to entail so much! I wanted to put the few pictures I had taken up, write about my last week, upload my videos to youtube and spread them throughout the posts, etc; etc; It just seemed like a lot to undertake and I kept putting it off and putting it off.
I realized however that I really did miss blogging and while I couldn't ever officially perfect and complete the last week of my blog, I could recall what I could and finish up my story for those of you wondering where the hell I've gone. lol.
So I perused through my notes and am going to just type up what I remember and do my best. So! Here's what I have in my notes regarding my last week at Fitness Ridge:
My last Tuesday at FR: (according to my notes)
Breakfast was a mango parfait and since I'm not a yogurt fan, I had cereal. Since it was my last week and my roomie had talked me into coming out of my shell a bit more, I tried to be more social. I had a nice chat with my friend 'N' and we talked about how our experience at FR was quite similar. We were both getting lost in the social shuffle of the place and losing the 'me' experience and how it was important to only focus on yourself since we're always focusing on others back home.
Did the Overlook hike today and I made it further than the first time I had done it and amazingly, it felt so much easier this time around. According to my heart rate monitor, the calorie burn of the Overlook hike was lower than what I've been burning in the gym. Despite the fact that it's May here, it was absolutely freezing today!
After the hike, I skipped the workshop since it was a repeat of the one I had attended last week. Lunch was soooooooooo good. We had a yummy artichoke soup and turkey sandwich. Their turkey sandwich is seriously the best sandwich they make here, it's so filling. They make their own spread, use tomatoes and alfalfa sprouts to bulk up the sandwich instead of lettuce and it just tastes fresh and filling. I brought a book with me to read during lunch and ate pretty quickly so that I could get some work done. I napped for 15 minutes after lunch and then headed to open gym. (which I don't see as an official class cuz you can do whatever you want) After open gym, I took another nap. I swear i went to bed early! I'm always tired in my daily life as well. It's probably a result of my sleep apnea unfortunately. I then woke up for and went to the rest of my classes.
Toning class was next and it's always killer on me. I have no upper body or lower body muscle strength, which is something that I definitely need to focus on. I guess I was always one of those skinny fat people who are slim with no muscle tone. However, since my time here at FR, my cardio has gotten much better. Weights have gotten a bit easier for me but there's still a lot of room for improvement. Pool was hard, especially since we did water intervals today. I wish I could swim above water and be able to breathe at the same time. Instead, I have to hold my breath and stop in the middle.
I then had cardio intervals afterwards and I gave it my all. 135 rpm on the bike!!! I gotta continue this interval stuff when I get home. Intervals is the stuff that makes me sweat here.
Dinner was an enchilada with broccoli and it was very filling. In fact, it tasted a lot like the shepherd's pie we had the other night. In the evening, Eric set up the cardio room so that everyone could watch The Biggest Loser. I have to say, it's very fun to watch it here. Just being here gives it another dimension, you really feel like you're a part of the show though it's completely different in structure.
So this evening I scheduled my luggage to be shipped. I'd rather fork out the extra dough than go through what I went through last time on the train. Never again am I going to overpack! Us fourth weekers are going to Subway tomorrow for lunch, which I'm excited about. I'll also be going to Target tomorrow to pick up some last minute stuff and getting a facial in the evening. My skin was better for quite some time but it's recently started breaking out again. All this sunscreen does a number on the face! I'm going to bed pretty early because I'm also positive that I have Stop Sign tomorrow. I went to all my classes today and burned LESS calories. How sucky is that?
Calories burned today: 3004 not including the pool class.
I'm still chubby but feel more fit and I think my gut has reduced a bit. However, the best thing is that I know I can continue this once I get home.
'D' was told by quite a few people today that she was very brusque and intimidating and she's trying to be nicer. She's not really outwardly nice to me but I tried to be nice today too and offered her a ball for her legs during The Biggest Loser show.
Wednesday: (My notes for Wednesday were pretty short, lol)
I had a great day with a crappy ending. Breakfast was muesli so I had cereal with a banana and Truvia.
The hike today was Chuckawalla, not Stop Sign. I was disappointed because I was really hoping to do Stop Sign at least one more time before I left. I want to see if I've improved at all. I also realized during the hike that uneven pavements really hurt my feet. Chuckawalla wasn't too bad but I still didn't really enjoy the heights. It's very beautiful here but honestly, once you've seen one mountain and vista, you've seen them all.
 |
| Yup, still wearing that dorky sun hat! |
Here's some video at Chuckawalla:
Chuckawalla
Chuckawalla Vista
Chuckawalla Musings
Chuckawalla Hiking
For lunch, we went to Subway. We had to make certain that we stayed under a certain calorie count. I believe it was 400-500 calories. With those calories, I managed to get a foot long wheat with turkey and lots of veggies. I opted for no cheese and asked them to scoop out the bread, which saved a lot of calories and just seasoned it with salt and pepper. Surprisingly, I was full before I was done with the footlong, so I wrapped it up to save for later. I was proud of that aspect because I've always had a problem with finishing everything that is given to me. Guilt mechanism from childhood, you know. lol. It's weird but kids in Utah are allowed to leave the school for lunch! So around the time that we went, there was a mob of kids ordering their lunches and then walking back to school. Strange.
Dinner was salmon with Israeli couscous. I've never had Israeli couscous before! It's chubbier and very tasty. Very similar to Orzo. I got a facial this evening but sadly it wasn't all that great. Took a nap right before it. I gotta say that Chinese Estheticians are definitely far more hardcore during extractions! Unfortunately, I cannot recall why the evening was so crappy and my notes didn't say anything about it either! lol.
Calories burned: 3804
I don't have very specific notes about the last few days at FR but off the top of my head, I do recall a few things:
I had an hour long massage with Trevor, my very first massage ever, which was absolutely FANTASTIC. If Trevor is there, you need him and it needs to be for at least an hour. Seriously! I've never felt so relaxed and comfortable before. If I had known how much better I would feel after a massage with Trevor, I would've scheduled a massage each week!
I also had a Body Scrub on another evening. I would recommend others to pass on this one. For the price, I was expecting a whole lot more. Basically, a scrub was applied and it wasn't very scrubby (I could've done better applying a body scrub on my own in my room) there was no massage, you had to shower off in the middle of it and then a lotion was applied. Meh.
A group of us from FR went to see a movie, Prince of Persia, which was good. Never thought Jake Gyllenhaal was particularly good looking but throw some dirty, long hair and a sweaty muscular body on the guy and I can definitely appreciate!
I really tried to be good for my last week at FR. I didn't manage to fulfill my promise not to miss any workout classes to my roomie, but I did try my best and I only missed 2 workout classes the entire week. Considering that we usually have about 5 or 6 workouts a day, I think 2 for the whole week was pretty good.
Afterwards, one of the dearest sweetest people at FR, Mr. 'J', managed to finagle a Biggest Loser Resort duffle bag for me. He knew that I needed a bag to carry stuff home in and how I was too shy to ask for anything even though others would just go in and get what they wanted. It was delivered to my door and I was really really touched that he had spoken to some people to get the duffle bag for me. Thank you J. :)
Beyond that, I've got some very brief notes on my last day at FR which I will write about here:
On my last day at FR, I was allowed to do The Stop Sign hike. I finished in 1 hour and 15 minutes! I managed to shave 20 minutes off of my time. This time, I did not stop even once during the hike for a break AND I ran a little bit during the flatter areas to try to better my time. Amazingly, I did it without my camelbak since I had shipped that sucker home. I didn't even have any water on me, lol. When I was done, I was really really glad that I did it. I got up there and poked the sign when I was done and then relaxed and looked at the gorgeous scenery around me. I wanted to take it all in, since I was leaving the next day. Strangely enough, as soon as I finished my hike and started stretching, the Biggest Loser Theme Song Proud came on. :) It was really a fabulous feeling.
After the hike, I had breakfast. It was a loose granola with nuts in it. Very filling but quite dry even after adding our allotted one cup of almond milk. That granola just sucked it right up.
I had a convo with J during breakfast about sleep apnea and sleep apnea machines. I really need to look into that. I've always known that sleep apnea could be dangerous but it's really starting to affect my life. I've always been constantly tired but as I'm getting older, I've needed more and more naps and sleep time which isn't normal.
I opted for the pool class today and instead of the standard pool class, it was a volleyball game. Lots of fun. The music was blasting and we weren't very good but V kept us entertained with water ballet/synchronized swimming movements and we sang along to songs. Everyone was in great spirits.
Took a shower afterwards and headed down for a very very short, 25 minute massage with Tyler. It was great but 25 minutes simply isn't enough and he's booked completely through the rest of the evening. He told me that if he had known I wanted a longer massage he would've come in earlier. Darn! Great taste in relaxing music (Legends of the Fall, Josh Groban) and he gave me some great massage technique tips and recommended more tips on finding a good massage therapist in NJ. He mentioned that Asian women have a strong pain threshold for massages, which I can totally agree with. My mom loves getting foot massages that would make a strong man wince.
I got to talk to Wayne for a bit on Facebook and he told me about the after party for the biggest loser finale and all the celebrities he had gotten to meet. It sounded like lots of fun.
This evening, I was sad about leaving but surprisingly very happy to go home. Not looking forward to all the layovers in front of me but I'd still rather have layovers than fly! I couldn't believe that my FR experience had just flown by like that. It felt so long at the beginning of the month but once it was over, it felt like it just flew on by.
Alright, that's enough for tonight! Tomorrow, I'm going to update my post some more with my final FR stats, a video tour of the Ridge facilities, etc;
Friday, June 11, 2010
Day 22: That Which is Long Overdue
6:30AM: Hike (I went to the gym)
9:30AM: Breakfast
10:15AM: Stretch
11:15AM: Total Body H20
12:15PM: Lunch
1:15PM: Lecture: Budget
1:45PM: Open Gym
2:30PM: Deep Water Suspension
3:30PM: Circuit Training
4:30PM: Step-n-Pump
5:15PM: Dinner
So it's been quite a long hiatus! Sorry folks but life really did get in the way for the past few weeks. Firstly, not for it to be a spoiler or anything but I really did try my best during my last week at FR to attend every single class. Hence the no posts for the week because during the week I was so exhausted that I was collapsing into bed every night!!
After leaving FR, I had quite a long journey home and then once you get home, the FR bubble pops and reality smacks you in the face and you have tons of stuff to do. So once again, this is written in retrospect and my sincere apologies for it. Pardon the rambly nature of the post, I realize it's a bit disjointed. Once I've caught up with everything, (did you think I was going to stop blogging once I left FR? Mais non!) I will really try to blog every few days or so... because my journey has continued... and it's still tons of fun. ;)
So! Let's do the time warp again!!! ::spins around::
On this lovely last Monday at FR, I had lots of things to tie up... and if you're at FR for any extended period of time, you'll have stuff to tie up as well. Trust me!
I opted to go to the gym this morning because I had to squeeze in a post office run during the morning-time when a friend was free to take me there. I also had to skip breakfast because of my post office run but managed to grab my always handy portable breakfast friend, Mr. Banana, beforehand. (I'm always very careful nowadays to always get something to eat when I'm supposed to after my 1st superfit roomie warned us about our bodies hitting starvation phase and not losing any weight because of it)
After hitting the gym and doing myself 'Proud,' BLR-style, I headed back to my room and started packing up lots of toiletries that I had brought with me to FR but barely or didn't use at all. (This is why I recommend you pack light and really go travel-size on nearly everything you think you'll need. You can always borrow or hit Target while you're here) I filled up one of those large flat rate boxes that they supply at the post office with said toiletries and stuffed in some clothes and tons of tampons I had brought but not used as padding. No need for packing peanuts for moi!
The post office is relatively close to FR, just down a hill into the tiny town of Santa Clara. As John, my favorite hiking guide said, "Pay attention! This is Santa Clara, blink and you'll miss it." It's a small town with a few houses and small municipal buildings and not much else. What I found to be very amusing on my ride back was the fact that I saw some over-zealous FR first weekers pushing their bikes up the hill BACK to FR after riding, or attempting to, ride into town. (By the way folks, you can do it, just expect to be very very tired when you get back. ;) )
Went to stretch class but because I was a bit late because of my post office run, I had to use one of those toning rope things instead of a yoga strap while stretching because they ran out. It kinda hurt to be honest. Like stretching a giant rubber band on your foot. :P I tried putting my foot into the loop instead. I just looked silly. Made me wonder if anyone's been filching the yoga straps because there wasn't any yoga strap shortages before. Hmph.
While in stretch, I thought I was seeing a ghost or maybe someone's sister because one of the guests who was here for my first 2 weeks and then went home my third week, was back! She had colored her hair right before she left but it was back to her natural hue as well. (she said the color had gone off, so she dyed it back) Turns out that it was a spur of the moment thing but FR had an opening and she hopped on a plane and flew right back! Talk about FR love! She's a nice girl though so it's all good.
So after stretch I opted to do Total Body H20 instead of Mountain. I highly dislike Mountain class with a passion. To me, it's even tougher than treading but not everyone feels the same as I do.
Since we've started the summer schedule, all our former 'pool' classes have fancy new names. I will say that they pretty much seem like our old pool classes though, maybe just a tad bit more difficult with a stronger emphasis on weights and cardio in the pool as opposed to 'frolicking.' Poo. I like frolicking.
Lunch was pretty good. We had tilapia tacos and tomato soup. I didn't taste any fish though, it tasted more like turkey. I can eat quite fishy tasting fish (yum mackeral!) and have actually missed seafood since I've been here. We have chicken and turkey a lot but fish only a few times. Seafood, after all, is very light on the calories (though in some cases, heavier on cholesterol) and therefore good for our waist lines. I guess it's because of the cost? Dunno but I was thinking of having a seafood-palooza once I got home until 'N' reminded me that most of seafood probably isn't too safe to eat right now because of that oil cap thing in the Gulf. :(
During lunch today, I talked to Paige about my desire to do Stop Sign one more time before I leave and my desire for flatter hikes. My last week here I'd like to do some hikes before I leave... cuz there aren't any red mountains in New Jersey as far as I know!
I've found out that a lot of my foot/leg troubles at FR have really stemmed from the non-paved, rocky terrain hikes which are bad if you've got plantar fasciitis. Which I think I have. So even hikes like West Canyon which I enjoyed were mainly the hikes that were giving me issues. She agreed to keep that in mind for me.
I made it to open gym after lunch and RAN this time. Not for long but I ran!! lol. I ran .25 miles continuously and then rested for 2 minutes and kept doing that over and over until open gym was over. :) I was very happy. It's not a mile but .25 is one full circle around a track! For the longest time I could only do a straight away before I had to rest.
I don't know why but whenever I see open gym on the schedule it seems like more of an optional class to me. A lot of people do skip it because, to be honest because they don't always check our name tags while we're in there. (since I've mentioned this, they may change that! so be forewarned!) Also, since we're on this summer schedule, the morning classes like yogalates, etc; haven't been offered so all you're offered to do is open gym if you're here for more than one week.
Was worried a bit about deep water suspension but once again you don't have to go to the deep end if you don't want to. In this class, everyone is given a floatation belt and encouraged to go to the deep end to do cardio and weights. I put on a floatation belt and sat on a chubby noodle and participated. The chubby noodles (they only have a few!) are great to sit on in the water if you're not comfortable in the water, they make you feel more secure. :)
Enjoyed circuit class and was about to die once again in Step-n-Pump but what kept me going was the thought that it was my LAST Step-N-Pump so I'd better give it my all. So I did. I grunted and heaved and ho'ed and got the class done. Don't worry if you need to grunt or yell through your workouts, a lot of people do here and it's totally acceptable.
So I made an effort to be more social today at all my meals even though it felt odd. Thankfully we have a great bunch here this week with everyone in great spirits and happy to be here, so it helped. Before I hit the hay, I went to the front desk and scheduled my first spa appointments for this week. I really want to make sure I get to try some of this stuff out because who knows if I'll ever get any of this stuff done ever again! I've never had the nerve to get massages or anything done before at home because I'm very self conscious about my body. The thought of someone rubbing my gut or fat rolls seriously terrified me. Here though, I don't feel that way. If one thing stays with me about FR is just that I've never felt so comfortable and free in my skin ever before. During my time here, I have honestly not felt body conscious at all. No one looks, no one judges. We're all there and in the same place, you know? If only the rest of the world was like this!
So I scheduled:
1. Purifying facial
2. 50 minute massage with Trevor (I heard he's the best!)
3. Body Polish
Looking forward to all 3!
So I went to all of my classes today. I'm extremely sore and very very very tired. My roomie said she's proud of me. I'm proud of me too. Now I'm off to bed but I'm going to leave you with a tidbit. Both my roomie and I discussed what was our mental turning point of when we realized that we got heavy and were at the point of holy schnikes. It was the same for the both of us! When did our lightbulbs go off??
When our stomachs grew past our lady lumps!!
I always thought to myself that it would never happen to me but it did. Not by too much but I had actually gotten to the point where my belly stuck out further than my chest. Mentally it was disturbing because it was as if my fat had eaten my femininity. Especially since I'm not a flat-chested girl. Anyhow, what brought about the conversation was the fact that since we've both been here... our 'girls' have surpassed our bellies again. The fat has receded. :) I can now tie my shoes again without taking a deep breath beforehand. All is well with the world. :)
Now I'm off to bed. ;) Night!
Calories burned today: 3335 not counting pool class.
9:30AM: Breakfast
10:15AM: Stretch
11:15AM: Total Body H20
12:15PM: Lunch
1:15PM: Lecture: Budget
1:45PM: Open Gym
2:30PM: Deep Water Suspension
3:30PM: Circuit Training
4:30PM: Step-n-Pump
5:15PM: Dinner
So it's been quite a long hiatus! Sorry folks but life really did get in the way for the past few weeks. Firstly, not for it to be a spoiler or anything but I really did try my best during my last week at FR to attend every single class. Hence the no posts for the week because during the week I was so exhausted that I was collapsing into bed every night!!
After leaving FR, I had quite a long journey home and then once you get home, the FR bubble pops and reality smacks you in the face and you have tons of stuff to do. So once again, this is written in retrospect and my sincere apologies for it. Pardon the rambly nature of the post, I realize it's a bit disjointed. Once I've caught up with everything, (did you think I was going to stop blogging once I left FR? Mais non!) I will really try to blog every few days or so... because my journey has continued... and it's still tons of fun. ;)
So! Let's do the time warp again!!! ::spins around::
On this lovely last Monday at FR, I had lots of things to tie up... and if you're at FR for any extended period of time, you'll have stuff to tie up as well. Trust me!
I opted to go to the gym this morning because I had to squeeze in a post office run during the morning-time when a friend was free to take me there. I also had to skip breakfast because of my post office run but managed to grab my always handy portable breakfast friend, Mr. Banana, beforehand. (I'm always very careful nowadays to always get something to eat when I'm supposed to after my 1st superfit roomie warned us about our bodies hitting starvation phase and not losing any weight because of it)
After hitting the gym and doing myself 'Proud,' BLR-style, I headed back to my room and started packing up lots of toiletries that I had brought with me to FR but barely or didn't use at all. (This is why I recommend you pack light and really go travel-size on nearly everything you think you'll need. You can always borrow or hit Target while you're here) I filled up one of those large flat rate boxes that they supply at the post office with said toiletries and stuffed in some clothes and tons of tampons I had brought but not used as padding. No need for packing peanuts for moi!
The post office is relatively close to FR, just down a hill into the tiny town of Santa Clara. As John, my favorite hiking guide said, "Pay attention! This is Santa Clara, blink and you'll miss it." It's a small town with a few houses and small municipal buildings and not much else. What I found to be very amusing on my ride back was the fact that I saw some over-zealous FR first weekers pushing their bikes up the hill BACK to FR after riding, or attempting to, ride into town. (By the way folks, you can do it, just expect to be very very tired when you get back. ;) )
Went to stretch class but because I was a bit late because of my post office run, I had to use one of those toning rope things instead of a yoga strap while stretching because they ran out. It kinda hurt to be honest. Like stretching a giant rubber band on your foot. :P I tried putting my foot into the loop instead. I just looked silly. Made me wonder if anyone's been filching the yoga straps because there wasn't any yoga strap shortages before. Hmph.
While in stretch, I thought I was seeing a ghost or maybe someone's sister because one of the guests who was here for my first 2 weeks and then went home my third week, was back! She had colored her hair right before she left but it was back to her natural hue as well. (she said the color had gone off, so she dyed it back) Turns out that it was a spur of the moment thing but FR had an opening and she hopped on a plane and flew right back! Talk about FR love! She's a nice girl though so it's all good.
So after stretch I opted to do Total Body H20 instead of Mountain. I highly dislike Mountain class with a passion. To me, it's even tougher than treading but not everyone feels the same as I do.
Since we've started the summer schedule, all our former 'pool' classes have fancy new names. I will say that they pretty much seem like our old pool classes though, maybe just a tad bit more difficult with a stronger emphasis on weights and cardio in the pool as opposed to 'frolicking.' Poo. I like frolicking.
Lunch was pretty good. We had tilapia tacos and tomato soup. I didn't taste any fish though, it tasted more like turkey. I can eat quite fishy tasting fish (yum mackeral!) and have actually missed seafood since I've been here. We have chicken and turkey a lot but fish only a few times. Seafood, after all, is very light on the calories (though in some cases, heavier on cholesterol) and therefore good for our waist lines. I guess it's because of the cost? Dunno but I was thinking of having a seafood-palooza once I got home until 'N' reminded me that most of seafood probably isn't too safe to eat right now because of that oil cap thing in the Gulf. :(
During lunch today, I talked to Paige about my desire to do Stop Sign one more time before I leave and my desire for flatter hikes. My last week here I'd like to do some hikes before I leave... cuz there aren't any red mountains in New Jersey as far as I know!
I've found out that a lot of my foot/leg troubles at FR have really stemmed from the non-paved, rocky terrain hikes which are bad if you've got plantar fasciitis. Which I think I have. So even hikes like West Canyon which I enjoyed were mainly the hikes that were giving me issues. She agreed to keep that in mind for me.
I made it to open gym after lunch and RAN this time. Not for long but I ran!! lol. I ran .25 miles continuously and then rested for 2 minutes and kept doing that over and over until open gym was over. :) I was very happy. It's not a mile but .25 is one full circle around a track! For the longest time I could only do a straight away before I had to rest.
I don't know why but whenever I see open gym on the schedule it seems like more of an optional class to me. A lot of people do skip it because, to be honest because they don't always check our name tags while we're in there. (since I've mentioned this, they may change that! so be forewarned!) Also, since we're on this summer schedule, the morning classes like yogalates, etc; haven't been offered so all you're offered to do is open gym if you're here for more than one week.
Was worried a bit about deep water suspension but once again you don't have to go to the deep end if you don't want to. In this class, everyone is given a floatation belt and encouraged to go to the deep end to do cardio and weights. I put on a floatation belt and sat on a chubby noodle and participated. The chubby noodles (they only have a few!) are great to sit on in the water if you're not comfortable in the water, they make you feel more secure. :)
Enjoyed circuit class and was about to die once again in Step-n-Pump but what kept me going was the thought that it was my LAST Step-N-Pump so I'd better give it my all. So I did. I grunted and heaved and ho'ed and got the class done. Don't worry if you need to grunt or yell through your workouts, a lot of people do here and it's totally acceptable.
So I made an effort to be more social today at all my meals even though it felt odd. Thankfully we have a great bunch here this week with everyone in great spirits and happy to be here, so it helped. Before I hit the hay, I went to the front desk and scheduled my first spa appointments for this week. I really want to make sure I get to try some of this stuff out because who knows if I'll ever get any of this stuff done ever again! I've never had the nerve to get massages or anything done before at home because I'm very self conscious about my body. The thought of someone rubbing my gut or fat rolls seriously terrified me. Here though, I don't feel that way. If one thing stays with me about FR is just that I've never felt so comfortable and free in my skin ever before. During my time here, I have honestly not felt body conscious at all. No one looks, no one judges. We're all there and in the same place, you know? If only the rest of the world was like this!
So I scheduled:
1. Purifying facial
2. 50 minute massage with Trevor (I heard he's the best!)
3. Body Polish
Looking forward to all 3!
So I went to all of my classes today. I'm extremely sore and very very very tired. My roomie said she's proud of me. I'm proud of me too. Now I'm off to bed but I'm going to leave you with a tidbit. Both my roomie and I discussed what was our mental turning point of when we realized that we got heavy and were at the point of holy schnikes. It was the same for the both of us! When did our lightbulbs go off??
When our stomachs grew past our lady lumps!!
I always thought to myself that it would never happen to me but it did. Not by too much but I had actually gotten to the point where my belly stuck out further than my chest. Mentally it was disturbing because it was as if my fat had eaten my femininity. Especially since I'm not a flat-chested girl. Anyhow, what brought about the conversation was the fact that since we've both been here... our 'girls' have surpassed our bellies again. The fat has receded. :) I can now tie my shoes again without taking a deep breath beforehand. All is well with the world. :)
Now I'm off to bed. ;) Night!
Calories burned today: 3335 not counting pool class.
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