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!
;)
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
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.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Wow!!
Hey everyone!
Contrary to popular belief, I am alive and well. I just got home late Wednesday evening and I've got a LOT LOT LOT to catch up on. My blog has been at the forefront of my mind but at the end of my to-do list.. if you know what I mean. :)
This post is just to let everyone know that I am alive and well and that I didn't quit and that I have lots of notes for the blog postings for my last week and.... my final FR stats! I say final FR because my journey is NOT over!
This post is simply to let everyone know that once things have calmed down and I've caught up to everything (hopefully by the end of this weekend), I'll have more than a week's worth of blogs, blogs, blogs for everyone to read. :) This is also to let all the kind folks who wrote me emails asking if I was alright, to let them know I'm ok. My first thought was... Wow, people actually read my blog?! lol.
Mark my words, I'll be back... and with loats (typo of loads and lots but I like it, so it stays) of videos for you all to see!!
- Zaj
Contrary to popular belief, I am alive and well. I just got home late Wednesday evening and I've got a LOT LOT LOT to catch up on. My blog has been at the forefront of my mind but at the end of my to-do list.. if you know what I mean. :)
This post is just to let everyone know that I am alive and well and that I didn't quit and that I have lots of notes for the blog postings for my last week and.... my final FR stats! I say final FR because my journey is NOT over!
This post is simply to let everyone know that once things have calmed down and I've caught up to everything (hopefully by the end of this weekend), I'll have more than a week's worth of blogs, blogs, blogs for everyone to read. :) This is also to let all the kind folks who wrote me emails asking if I was alright, to let them know I'm ok. My first thought was... Wow, people actually read my blog?! lol.
Mark my words, I'll be back... and with loats (typo of loads and lots but I like it, so it stays) of videos for you all to see!!
- Zaj
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Day 20 & 21: Takin' It Easy
Not much happened these two days. I made certain to relax, clean a bit, get to bed earlier, etc; Got to walk around St. George and see a movie as well. The weekends pass by far too quickly here. Sometimes you just need an eensy bit more rest than you get. At least I do.
Contrary to popular belief, I don't stay up really late or anything. I normally get to bed around 10 o'clock or so, which at home for me is completely unheard of. 10PM at home, I might not have even had dinner yet!
Now to answer some questions, here are some rumors I've heard about the new Biggest Loser Resort:
* It's going to be located in Malibu, California
* It's going to open sometime in September of 2010. I believe I heard September 26th but I could be wrong.
* They purchased an exisiting place called Casa or Casita something or other.
* They will have the people that will be working there, train here at FR and learn how everything works here and bring the same program over there.
* This place will only have single rooms, no more shared rooms unless you bring a family member or friend with you. (apparently they have too many complaints about roomies here at FR)
* The prices will be roughly $500 higher per week. Could be more though.
* It's going to be exactly like FR... just with a different view
That's all I've got folks! I'll let you know if I hear anything else!!
Contrary to popular belief, I don't stay up really late or anything. I normally get to bed around 10 o'clock or so, which at home for me is completely unheard of. 10PM at home, I might not have even had dinner yet!
Now to answer some questions, here are some rumors I've heard about the new Biggest Loser Resort:
* It's going to be located in Malibu, California
* It's going to open sometime in September of 2010. I believe I heard September 26th but I could be wrong.
* They purchased an exisiting place called Casa or Casita something or other.
* They will have the people that will be working there, train here at FR and learn how everything works here and bring the same program over there.
* This place will only have single rooms, no more shared rooms unless you bring a family member or friend with you. (apparently they have too many complaints about roomies here at FR)
* The prices will be roughly $500 higher per week. Could be more though.
* It's going to be exactly like FR... just with a different view
That's all I've got folks! I'll let you know if I hear anything else!!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Day 19: Revelations
6:30AM: Hike (I went to the gym instead)
9:30AM: Breakfast
10:15AM: Stretch
11:15AM: H20 Intervals or Cardio Intervals
12:15PM: Lunch
1:15PM: Prep for next week at FR
2:30PM: Liquid Moves
3:30PM: Circuit Training
4:30PM: Cardio Disco Jam
5:45PM: Dinner
I hit the gym today instead of the hike and did more than I've ever managed before. I went longer on the elliptical, I ran a bit on the treadmill, I did lots of weights and just enjoyed myself in there. It was completely empty today and I was able to hook up the sound system to my ipod. There's nothing more enjoyable than having an entire gym to yourself and being able to listen to your music pumped up on a nice speaker system. ;)
So I planned on weighing myself again today. I tried to make certain that I had optimum weighing conditions present again before I weighed in but unfortunately I'm pretty sure I have my period. I say this because I've been experiencing some spotty periods in the past few years when before I had always been super regular, on time, etc; As I've gotten older though, I've noticed that I spot a bit between periods (sorry to be so graphic) which makes me think I have my period but I really don't. I believe this is what happened at the beginning of the month when I thought I had my period.
Don't worry folks, I had it checked out and I don't have uterine fibroids or anything like that. The doctor hasn't really said why it's occurring but I've been monitoring it and a friend of mine is going through the same thing. Maybe it's just something that happens as you get older. I'll keep an eye on it though.
Anyhoo.. so I have my period so I don't know if that affected my weigh in but the weigh in was a bit of a disappointment. If you recall, my first weigh in, I didn't want to know my weight. I got weighed, didn't look and they adjusted my polar watch for me. 3 days later I couldn't wait any longer and weighed in and saw that I had lost 8 pounds in my first 10 days. I was happy but not ecstatic about that but it was a good enough number to keep me motivated.
So 7 days later I weighed in again and this time, the scale told me I had lost 3 more pounds. I was very disappointed with those 3 piddly pounds but I guess I should be pretty happy considering that I have my period and I also did miss a few days when I was injured and then sick. I also didn't eat almost anything and may have screwed up my metabolism during those days. Who knows. So my total weight loss is currently 11 pounds, which is nothing to sneeze at but compared to a lot of people here, it's only alright. Granted, the heavier you are the more you have to lose but it's still disappointing when you hear that other people have lost 10 pounds in a week etc;
Since I weighed myself in, I missed breakfast and just managed to grab a banana to tide me over until lunch. I headed towards my stretch class with my banana in hand and placed my precious banana by my side as I enjoyed my stretch class. I reaaaalllly need to find something similar once I get home. Stretch class is always wonderful no matter what instructor you have.
After stretch I opted for cardio intervals because it was pretty cool and windy out. Note to my blog readers: If it's a cold day, get to class EARLY if you're not going to go into the pool. Most likely the gym will be nearly full. Cardio intervals is a tough tough class. Don't think you're done once your intervals are done. Oh no. After you're done 'interval-ing,' they throw in some speed and resistance drills. They do this by asking us to visualize that we're going over little hills. Going up the hill is when you increase your resistance... once you reach the top you coast for a minute or so and then going down the hill you are going super fast. They even make us positively compete with the other people in the class who are on different machines. It's great though because cheering each other on really does spur the other group to push harder.
I had some work to do in my room so I called the front desk to request to have my lunch boxed so I could eat in my room while I worked. It was an ok lunch. It was 2 slices of whole wheat toast with a bean, oats and turkey mixture on top with a side of salad and a broccoli soup. Let me tell you now that that bean sandwich concoction wreaked havoc on my system. I was breaking wind all day long and a friend of mine who had been constipated for nearly a week finally had a BM because of it. lol. The power of beans!
I decided to skip the lecture for next week's prep because generally the same stuff happens at all of those meetings. We're told to be nice to the newbies, we're given our schedules and we have a roundabout discussion about what happened and what we learned during the week. I was able to pick up my next week's schedule later on and catching one class worth's of shut eye really helps out in the afternoon when you've got 3 tough classes in a row.
The only problem was that I ended up missing my pool class as well. My roommate found me face down on the bed fast asleep. That's when she told me she was going to challenge me and make sure I made every single one of my classes next week (barring lectures and hikes/gym can be supplemented for one another) To be honest, I had originally been planning on doing that for my last week as well BUT to be completely honest, that intent doesn't mean that I would have done it. Being tired and sleep deprived can really take a toll on you and weaken the hell out of your will.
My roomie's been so great and such an inspiration that I really don't want to disappoint her. She has been so positive and has had such faith in me that I'm going to try my darndest to not miss a thing. So after my nap I had plenty of energy for my next two classes.
Circuit was circuit. It's an enjoyable class. I made certain that every time I was on the treadmill for the 2 minutes that I was running. Unfortunately, I don't think that I'll be leaving FR with the ability to run a mile but I'm definitely going to be on my way!
Cardio Disco Jam was a lot of fun this week. Apparently John has a lot more moves and outfits in his closet and repertoire than I expected! Today he was wearing a holographic zebra striped shirt and pleather bell bottoms. Truly fabulous. :) He also mixed it up by throwing in some new dance moves as well. I kept my shades on during the class to keep it cool. lol. I think I did better this time than I did last time; the moves were much more dancey and fun. I'm never going to be able to do that two-way pivot he always throws in for extra flair though.
I had my dinner wrapped up again and ate it in my room. This time I was just being anti-social I think. My roomie says that being in my room and hibernating is just too comfortable for me so I need to break out of it. She also mentioned that a lot of people are asking where I am. lol. She's a wise lady with many good points. ;)
Here are some random points I'd like to touch up on:
* There's a lot of Canadians here at FR and all of them have been super nice so far. Must be something in the water. :) It's also way cute when they say, eh?
* The arch on my foot has become more defined. Cool, eh?
* I over packed and am now contemplating having my luggage shipped home so I don't have to suffer on the way home. Lots of the stuff I brought with me I never even used. It would have been wiser for me to leave my lotions and potions at home and picked up mini versions of them during the Target runs that they have on Saturday.
* Unless you sweat a lot, try to think up outfits that you can wear once a week if you're staying for multiple weeks. Socks can be washed in the sink so don't buy too many pairs. We also have a drying line for clothes in our showers so you don't really need a drying rack or anything like that.
* On Sundays, people leave things in the laundry room that they brought but don't want to bring home. You'll find lots of handy things in there. It varies each time you're there because you just don't know what people are going to leave behind. Don't just take though, share the love so this tradition can keep going. I've seen:
Dryer Sheets
Laundry detergent
Theraflu
Shampoo & Conditioner
Antiperspirant spray
Packets of tissue
Epsom Salts
Tampons
Bath Oil
Baby Powder
Lotion
Hangers (FR provides you with a piddly 4 hangers when you arrive)
* Reading over previous posts from the past few days, it seems I really did officially hit my wall. That wall can be emotional for some, physical for others and for me, I think it was both. Your body does get run down and if you let it, your spirit can get broken down too.
Onwards and upwards!
Calories burned: 3457 not including pool classes.
9:30AM: Breakfast
10:15AM: Stretch
11:15AM: H20 Intervals or Cardio Intervals
12:15PM: Lunch
1:15PM: Prep for next week at FR
2:30PM: Liquid Moves
3:30PM: Circuit Training
4:30PM: Cardio Disco Jam
5:45PM: Dinner
I hit the gym today instead of the hike and did more than I've ever managed before. I went longer on the elliptical, I ran a bit on the treadmill, I did lots of weights and just enjoyed myself in there. It was completely empty today and I was able to hook up the sound system to my ipod. There's nothing more enjoyable than having an entire gym to yourself and being able to listen to your music pumped up on a nice speaker system. ;)
So I planned on weighing myself again today. I tried to make certain that I had optimum weighing conditions present again before I weighed in but unfortunately I'm pretty sure I have my period. I say this because I've been experiencing some spotty periods in the past few years when before I had always been super regular, on time, etc; As I've gotten older though, I've noticed that I spot a bit between periods (sorry to be so graphic) which makes me think I have my period but I really don't. I believe this is what happened at the beginning of the month when I thought I had my period.
Don't worry folks, I had it checked out and I don't have uterine fibroids or anything like that. The doctor hasn't really said why it's occurring but I've been monitoring it and a friend of mine is going through the same thing. Maybe it's just something that happens as you get older. I'll keep an eye on it though.
Anyhoo.. so I have my period so I don't know if that affected my weigh in but the weigh in was a bit of a disappointment. If you recall, my first weigh in, I didn't want to know my weight. I got weighed, didn't look and they adjusted my polar watch for me. 3 days later I couldn't wait any longer and weighed in and saw that I had lost 8 pounds in my first 10 days. I was happy but not ecstatic about that but it was a good enough number to keep me motivated.
So 7 days later I weighed in again and this time, the scale told me I had lost 3 more pounds. I was very disappointed with those 3 piddly pounds but I guess I should be pretty happy considering that I have my period and I also did miss a few days when I was injured and then sick. I also didn't eat almost anything and may have screwed up my metabolism during those days. Who knows. So my total weight loss is currently 11 pounds, which is nothing to sneeze at but compared to a lot of people here, it's only alright. Granted, the heavier you are the more you have to lose but it's still disappointing when you hear that other people have lost 10 pounds in a week etc;
Since I weighed myself in, I missed breakfast and just managed to grab a banana to tide me over until lunch. I headed towards my stretch class with my banana in hand and placed my precious banana by my side as I enjoyed my stretch class. I reaaaalllly need to find something similar once I get home. Stretch class is always wonderful no matter what instructor you have.
After stretch I opted for cardio intervals because it was pretty cool and windy out. Note to my blog readers: If it's a cold day, get to class EARLY if you're not going to go into the pool. Most likely the gym will be nearly full. Cardio intervals is a tough tough class. Don't think you're done once your intervals are done. Oh no. After you're done 'interval-ing,' they throw in some speed and resistance drills. They do this by asking us to visualize that we're going over little hills. Going up the hill is when you increase your resistance... once you reach the top you coast for a minute or so and then going down the hill you are going super fast. They even make us positively compete with the other people in the class who are on different machines. It's great though because cheering each other on really does spur the other group to push harder.
I had some work to do in my room so I called the front desk to request to have my lunch boxed so I could eat in my room while I worked. It was an ok lunch. It was 2 slices of whole wheat toast with a bean, oats and turkey mixture on top with a side of salad and a broccoli soup. Let me tell you now that that bean sandwich concoction wreaked havoc on my system. I was breaking wind all day long and a friend of mine who had been constipated for nearly a week finally had a BM because of it. lol. The power of beans!
I decided to skip the lecture for next week's prep because generally the same stuff happens at all of those meetings. We're told to be nice to the newbies, we're given our schedules and we have a roundabout discussion about what happened and what we learned during the week. I was able to pick up my next week's schedule later on and catching one class worth's of shut eye really helps out in the afternoon when you've got 3 tough classes in a row.
The only problem was that I ended up missing my pool class as well. My roommate found me face down on the bed fast asleep. That's when she told me she was going to challenge me and make sure I made every single one of my classes next week (barring lectures and hikes/gym can be supplemented for one another) To be honest, I had originally been planning on doing that for my last week as well BUT to be completely honest, that intent doesn't mean that I would have done it. Being tired and sleep deprived can really take a toll on you and weaken the hell out of your will.
My roomie's been so great and such an inspiration that I really don't want to disappoint her. She has been so positive and has had such faith in me that I'm going to try my darndest to not miss a thing. So after my nap I had plenty of energy for my next two classes.
Circuit was circuit. It's an enjoyable class. I made certain that every time I was on the treadmill for the 2 minutes that I was running. Unfortunately, I don't think that I'll be leaving FR with the ability to run a mile but I'm definitely going to be on my way!
Cardio Disco Jam was a lot of fun this week. Apparently John has a lot more moves and outfits in his closet and repertoire than I expected! Today he was wearing a holographic zebra striped shirt and pleather bell bottoms. Truly fabulous. :) He also mixed it up by throwing in some new dance moves as well. I kept my shades on during the class to keep it cool. lol. I think I did better this time than I did last time; the moves were much more dancey and fun. I'm never going to be able to do that two-way pivot he always throws in for extra flair though.
I had my dinner wrapped up again and ate it in my room. This time I was just being anti-social I think. My roomie says that being in my room and hibernating is just too comfortable for me so I need to break out of it. She also mentioned that a lot of people are asking where I am. lol. She's a wise lady with many good points. ;)
Here are some random points I'd like to touch up on:
* There's a lot of Canadians here at FR and all of them have been super nice so far. Must be something in the water. :) It's also way cute when they say, eh?
* The arch on my foot has become more defined. Cool, eh?
* I over packed and am now contemplating having my luggage shipped home so I don't have to suffer on the way home. Lots of the stuff I brought with me I never even used. It would have been wiser for me to leave my lotions and potions at home and picked up mini versions of them during the Target runs that they have on Saturday.
* Unless you sweat a lot, try to think up outfits that you can wear once a week if you're staying for multiple weeks. Socks can be washed in the sink so don't buy too many pairs. We also have a drying line for clothes in our showers so you don't really need a drying rack or anything like that.
* On Sundays, people leave things in the laundry room that they brought but don't want to bring home. You'll find lots of handy things in there. It varies each time you're there because you just don't know what people are going to leave behind. Don't just take though, share the love so this tradition can keep going. I've seen:
Dryer Sheets
Laundry detergent
Theraflu
Shampoo & Conditioner
Antiperspirant spray
Packets of tissue
Epsom Salts
Tampons
Bath Oil
Baby Powder
Lotion
Hangers (FR provides you with a piddly 4 hangers when you arrive)
* Reading over previous posts from the past few days, it seems I really did officially hit my wall. That wall can be emotional for some, physical for others and for me, I think it was both. Your body does get run down and if you let it, your spirit can get broken down too.
Onwards and upwards!
Calories burned: 3457 not including pool classes.
Day 18: :) Smile smile smile
Hey everyone! Sorry to leave you hanging but since I've been back in the saddle, I've been really tired. So the next 4 days will be written in retrospect. Good thing I took notes! (very short brief notes but notes nonetheless!)
Schedule:
6:30AM: Hike (I went to the gym)
9:30AM: Breakfast
10:15AM: Open Gym
11:15AM: Liquid Moves or Gym Class
12:45PM: Lunch
1:45PM: Open Gym
2:30PM: Ball Works
3:30PM: Treading
4:30PM: Total Body H20
5:45PM: Dinner
6:15PM: Increasing Your Income
Soooooo. I overslept today. Yup yup. My body said,"I iz tired." So I listened and got another hour or two of sleep in. Since I missed the hike, I made certain to go to all the rest of my classes and pumped it up a notch to make up for the slack.
Breakfast was that yucky muesli so I had cereal again. For open gym I did 35 minutes on the elliptical and managed to squeeze in a few minutes in of weights Generally, all classes here last for 45 minutes. Breaks (I say that loosely) are 15 minutes between classes. If you don't need to change for a pool class, you can usually get a quick bathroom break or sit down for a few minutes before you should file in to prep for your next class. As one of the instructors say, "If you're on time, you're late." Most classes you need to grab stuff to start the class or just center yourself or something. You may have to grab mats, weights, take off your sneakers, etc; No one yells at you for being late but you can miss out on your favorite machine or a good spot for your mat if you're late. I would say I'm late as often as I'm on time. Usually only by a few minutes but still! I have work to do while I'm here so I pop up to check work emails between classes a lot.
Gym class is different from Open Gym. The way my schedule looked, it seemed like it'd be a full day in the gym but gym class is intense. It's like a mixture of cardio intervals and circuit. Burned lots of calories in that class.
Wow, really trying to wrack my brain for what exactly happened but I can't remember exact details. This is why you need to write down things as they happen otherwise the details just slip away!! Sorry folks!
Ever since we switched to this new summer schedule, I've noticed that the pool classes are more difficult than they used to be. Variation is good. Strangely enough though, it's actually been cooler than it has been in the past few weeks. So the pool classes are a bit more uncomfortable since the air is so cold. Remember though, you always have the option to jump into the hot tub for a few minutes to warm up if you need to. There's also saunas (both a wet and a dry one) to the right of the hot tub but you almost never see anyone in there.
Another thing regarding the weather. Since I'm from the east coast and it can get quite humid there, the temperatures have been throwing me off a bit. When I see 75-80 degrees, I know that in NJ, it's a really comfortable warm temperature. However, here in Utah, 75-80 degrees can be pretty cool if you're not in direct sunlight. When I had originally tried to book my trip, I wanted to book in April because I saw that the standard temperatures in May were in the 90s. Well... temperatures in the 90s normally is terrifyingly hot for heat sensitive-moi but here in Utah, temps in the 90s is divine. Just don't forget the sunscreen!
Lunch was yummy. It was a turkey sandwich that they pump up with alfalfa sprouts (you don't even taste them and they are super nutritious) and the most delicious mushroom soup. It was chunky and very flavorful. For lunch today, I opted to sit by myself. I walked into the dining room and saw that there weren't too many people there and I really didn't feel like talking. So I just sat down at an empty table and ate. It was nice surprisingly. It was peaceful and I finished my food way faster than if I had sat with anyone else.
Ball works.. I still don't really like that class too much. Perhaps it's my lack of core strength and balance but even with a great instructor (Sharon), it's not a class that I look forward to. Had treading after ball works and it was AMAZING. Seriously, I absolutely love that class. It's hard as heck but you can NOT beat the euphoria and feel good endorphins you experience after the class is done. I've always strived towards that runner's high or exercise endorphins you hear about all the time but it wasn't until this class that I ever experienced it. I always leave that class smiling. ;) It was exciting because I got up to 130 rpm on the recumbent bike that I was on and when I got off, there was actually 2 baby drops of sweat on the back seat! (I NEVER sweat, I'm a freak of nature I swear, I can be working my ass off and no droplets will appear on my body) Those baby drops of sweat thrilled the heck out of me. lol.
Another thing about treading is that we are advised to only do it once per week. It's a class where we go anaerobic and it's supposed to help us over plateaus that we may experience while we're losing weight. Doing it more than once per week isn't good for you and you can lose out on the benefit of the session.
Total Body H20. We kick, we work with weights. It's a pool class. he he. (I can't remember exactly what happened)
Dinner was soooooooooooo good. It was green beans and two stuffed peppers. It was HUGE and so filling and yet it was less than 400 calories. The peppers were stuffed with a ground turkey, corn, oats and veggies stuffing and they were fantastic. Since I was chatting through dinner with another guest, my dinner ran into the lecture and when I saw the dessert real quick (I thought it was warm fruit), I opted to leave it and go. I found out later from my roomie that her friend was wondering why I left the dessert untouched and she joked that people were all thinking about fighting over it.
So funnily enough, after my enthusiastic waterpik post, my darn waterpik stopped working. hmph.
I'm really thankful for my new roomie. Her drive and positive attitude and just the fact that she's so genuinely nice has really improved my experience here. I can't say enough good things about her. I guess just one person who totally has your back here CAN make all the difference.
Anyhow, on to the next post!
Calories burned today: 3438, not including my pool class.
Schedule:
6:30AM: Hike (I went to the gym)
9:30AM: Breakfast
10:15AM: Open Gym
11:15AM: Liquid Moves or Gym Class
12:45PM: Lunch
1:45PM: Open Gym
2:30PM: Ball Works
3:30PM: Treading
4:30PM: Total Body H20
5:45PM: Dinner
6:15PM: Increasing Your Income
Soooooo. I overslept today. Yup yup. My body said,"I iz tired." So I listened and got another hour or two of sleep in. Since I missed the hike, I made certain to go to all the rest of my classes and pumped it up a notch to make up for the slack.
Breakfast was that yucky muesli so I had cereal again. For open gym I did 35 minutes on the elliptical and managed to squeeze in a few minutes in of weights Generally, all classes here last for 45 minutes. Breaks (I say that loosely) are 15 minutes between classes. If you don't need to change for a pool class, you can usually get a quick bathroom break or sit down for a few minutes before you should file in to prep for your next class. As one of the instructors say, "If you're on time, you're late." Most classes you need to grab stuff to start the class or just center yourself or something. You may have to grab mats, weights, take off your sneakers, etc; No one yells at you for being late but you can miss out on your favorite machine or a good spot for your mat if you're late. I would say I'm late as often as I'm on time. Usually only by a few minutes but still! I have work to do while I'm here so I pop up to check work emails between classes a lot.
Gym class is different from Open Gym. The way my schedule looked, it seemed like it'd be a full day in the gym but gym class is intense. It's like a mixture of cardio intervals and circuit. Burned lots of calories in that class.
Wow, really trying to wrack my brain for what exactly happened but I can't remember exact details. This is why you need to write down things as they happen otherwise the details just slip away!! Sorry folks!
Ever since we switched to this new summer schedule, I've noticed that the pool classes are more difficult than they used to be. Variation is good. Strangely enough though, it's actually been cooler than it has been in the past few weeks. So the pool classes are a bit more uncomfortable since the air is so cold. Remember though, you always have the option to jump into the hot tub for a few minutes to warm up if you need to. There's also saunas (both a wet and a dry one) to the right of the hot tub but you almost never see anyone in there.
Another thing regarding the weather. Since I'm from the east coast and it can get quite humid there, the temperatures have been throwing me off a bit. When I see 75-80 degrees, I know that in NJ, it's a really comfortable warm temperature. However, here in Utah, 75-80 degrees can be pretty cool if you're not in direct sunlight. When I had originally tried to book my trip, I wanted to book in April because I saw that the standard temperatures in May were in the 90s. Well... temperatures in the 90s normally is terrifyingly hot for heat sensitive-moi but here in Utah, temps in the 90s is divine. Just don't forget the sunscreen!
Lunch was yummy. It was a turkey sandwich that they pump up with alfalfa sprouts (you don't even taste them and they are super nutritious) and the most delicious mushroom soup. It was chunky and very flavorful. For lunch today, I opted to sit by myself. I walked into the dining room and saw that there weren't too many people there and I really didn't feel like talking. So I just sat down at an empty table and ate. It was nice surprisingly. It was peaceful and I finished my food way faster than if I had sat with anyone else.
Ball works.. I still don't really like that class too much. Perhaps it's my lack of core strength and balance but even with a great instructor (Sharon), it's not a class that I look forward to. Had treading after ball works and it was AMAZING. Seriously, I absolutely love that class. It's hard as heck but you can NOT beat the euphoria and feel good endorphins you experience after the class is done. I've always strived towards that runner's high or exercise endorphins you hear about all the time but it wasn't until this class that I ever experienced it. I always leave that class smiling. ;) It was exciting because I got up to 130 rpm on the recumbent bike that I was on and when I got off, there was actually 2 baby drops of sweat on the back seat! (I NEVER sweat, I'm a freak of nature I swear, I can be working my ass off and no droplets will appear on my body) Those baby drops of sweat thrilled the heck out of me. lol.
Another thing about treading is that we are advised to only do it once per week. It's a class where we go anaerobic and it's supposed to help us over plateaus that we may experience while we're losing weight. Doing it more than once per week isn't good for you and you can lose out on the benefit of the session.
Total Body H20. We kick, we work with weights. It's a pool class. he he. (I can't remember exactly what happened)
Dinner was soooooooooooo good. It was green beans and two stuffed peppers. It was HUGE and so filling and yet it was less than 400 calories. The peppers were stuffed with a ground turkey, corn, oats and veggies stuffing and they were fantastic. Since I was chatting through dinner with another guest, my dinner ran into the lecture and when I saw the dessert real quick (I thought it was warm fruit), I opted to leave it and go. I found out later from my roomie that her friend was wondering why I left the dessert untouched and she joked that people were all thinking about fighting over it.
So funnily enough, after my enthusiastic waterpik post, my darn waterpik stopped working. hmph.
I'm really thankful for my new roomie. Her drive and positive attitude and just the fact that she's so genuinely nice has really improved my experience here. I can't say enough good things about her. I guess just one person who totally has your back here CAN make all the difference.
Anyhow, on to the next post!
Calories burned today: 3438, not including my pool class.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Day 17: Breaking Through That Wall!!
A Brand New Day!
So I didn't go on the hike today and opted instead to go to the gym just in case I needed the bathroom. I had a really productive time in the gym and managed to burn lots of calories in there! Btw, 'Evil D' arrived at the same time I did. We were the only ones in the gym for the first 45 minutes or so until some of the other trainers came in for their morning workouts. I ignored her and she ignored me. Cool beans.
So, I warmed up and did 30 minutes on the Nustep and then I did 45 minutes of weights. I worked on my abs, obliques, triceps, biceps, deltoids, chest muscle thingies, glutes, inner thigh and hip abductor muscles. After the 45 minutes worth of weights workout, I hopped back onto my exercise nemesis (though he's quickly becoming a buddy), the elliptical machine! I did 30 minutes again and was even late for breakfast because I wanted to do a minimum of 30 minutes again. I felt great afterwards. :)
Brekkie this morning was an english muffin with a turkey 'sausage' and eggs and salsa. It was pretty good but my stomach started lurching a bit so I only ate half. The turkey sausage was more like a teeny tiny ground turkey meat patty. It was a little bit larger than the size of a half dollar. Seriously. lol. What's neat was there were tiny bites of apple in it. You'd think it be strange but it really went well together. Will definitely be trying this at home.
After breakfast, we had a nutrition workshop that was new where we learned to read our labels properly. Seriously, the FDA is one corrupt mofo letting all these horrible companies get away with murder... literally! There are so many different names for all sorts of unhealthy stuff like sugar and fats and whatnot. It really seems far better to just stay away from all processed foods and really try to stay true to the source. There's so much unhealthy crap in all processed foods it's freaking scary.
Saw one of my friends walking to class in a dazed state today. Asked her how she was. Exhausted was her answer. She was telling me how tired she was and how badly she wanted to take a nap. She's here for 4 weeks as well and I told her that if she really needed a nap, then she should take a short nap. I don't think they mean to do so but the fear of missing classes is really strong here. That and the peer pressure/group mentality. It's both helpful and hurtful in a way.
Our schedule here is so tough on our bodies and if you're here for a long period of time, it's truly unrealistic and possibly even unhealthy to be sleep deprived and physically exhausted for so long. If you speak to any trainers about it, even THEY will tell you to listen to your bodies. So listen to your body!
After the workshop, we had stretch. Aaaaahhhhh. Love it. They've really been incorporating more stretch classes into our schedules which many would agree is a good thing. The only thing is that because there are so many people here and limited workout space, we can't all technically have stretch at the most opportune times. Stretch would be perfect after hikes or after other rigorous classes when our muscles are warmed up but unfortunately it's not always possible. Oh well.
I did notice that it seems like they're prepping for another construction site. There's been whispers of them building an indoor pool too. Don't know how much truth is in the rumors but this place is booked out so far ahead in the future that they really should and CAN expand.
Had lunch right after stretch and it was pretty good. A barbecue 'pizza' (you know it's faux if I use those quotes) and beet soup. Also pretty good. Since they've changed our schedules recently, it's kind of annoying that breakfast and lunch are so close together. Another oh well.
For those that are worried about any of the foods here staining your braces. (Probably a very small percentage of you, lol) You are good to go! I was worried mostly about the beet soup that they have here staining my ceramic braces or my bands but everything was fine. Thankfully! I would be mortified if I had to walk around here for another 2 weeks with neon pink teeth.If you can spring for it though, I highly recommend bringing your waterpik to FR. All these veggies and stuff get stuck in the braces like no tomorrow. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have my waterpik! I've already walked around here like several times with food stuck in my teeth while talking to people. Embarassing!!
So after lunch there was an optional trip for us long timer folks to go to the grocery store with the nutritionist to learn about shopping for groceries. I saw that 'Evil D' was going so I decided not to go. I know all that stuff anyway. Being on a diet for most of your life, you pick up things. Stay on the outskirts of the supermarket, don't venture into the middle, that's all processed stuff, whole wheat, fresh veggies, frozen veggies. I know it all already. I'll talk with one of the ladies later to make sure I didn't miss anything.(update: I didn't miss anything.)
After lunch, I had mountain, which is my least favorite class. I got there a bit late so I had to use one of the treadmills. I gave it my all but by the end my calf started getting tight and hurting again. Crapola.
After mountain I ventured into the pool for the H20 Circuit. It was with John and it was intense! The water was chilly but thankfully the air was warm today. I stayed in the shallow end and floated/sat on a noodle while doing the exercises. Water circuit goes a bit like this: You do a few minutes of cardio (kicking in the water for a few minutes while holding onto the edge of the pool or running back and forth in the pool) and then you do a few minutes of weights. (We have water weights here that you hold underneath the water and do regular weight type exercises like bicep curls, tricep dips, etc;) That's the gist of the class. John also lets us do this thing he calls frolicking at the end of class where he plays music and we do a few synchronized movements with the noodles in the air. Fun stuff. ;)
After the pool class I headed towards kickboxing. That's always a fun but very intense class. Sharon is a bundle of energy, it's amazing. We punch, kick, hit, jab these upright bodybag type things and hop around. It's more intense than you would think and gives a great workout. The class always goes by super fast too which is great. Also, during the class you get a mini massage. You hold the upright bodybag with your back and your partner pummels the crap out of it. A free massage! So when you get a partner, look for one that looks strong. lol.
After kickboxing was dinner. It was a salad. Meh. You really had to dig deeply into the salad to find the 3 slices of chicken breasts hidden within. It wasn't the most filling of dinners that's for sure. Dinner was a mango sorbet that was pretty sour. It was cold though so I ate it.
One great thing though is that my roomie and I will be in the same room for the rest of my stay so I'm looking forward to that. We get along really well and she's super cheerful and sweet. A real inspiration too, she's been kicking @ss in all her classes, it's amazing. Anyhow, going to relax for tonight. I don't think I'm going on the hike tomorrow because it's one of those scary, high intense hikes but I'll make certain to be kicking bum in the gym.
I really think I'm over what they call here, 'The Wall.' Apparently it hits all of us that are here for an extended period of time. Those that come for just a week or two can't understand. That wall can be a mental AND physical block depending on your personal experience. Who knows though, I've still got another week and a half to go! I'm excited about getting home and continuing everything I've learned though. Really excited. I can't wait to get all this fat off me. :) Good night!!
3435 calories burned today!
So I didn't go on the hike today and opted instead to go to the gym just in case I needed the bathroom. I had a really productive time in the gym and managed to burn lots of calories in there! Btw, 'Evil D' arrived at the same time I did. We were the only ones in the gym for the first 45 minutes or so until some of the other trainers came in for their morning workouts. I ignored her and she ignored me. Cool beans.
So, I warmed up and did 30 minutes on the Nustep and then I did 45 minutes of weights. I worked on my abs, obliques, triceps, biceps, deltoids, chest muscle thingies, glutes, inner thigh and hip abductor muscles. After the 45 minutes worth of weights workout, I hopped back onto my exercise nemesis (though he's quickly becoming a buddy), the elliptical machine! I did 30 minutes again and was even late for breakfast because I wanted to do a minimum of 30 minutes again. I felt great afterwards. :)
Brekkie this morning was an english muffin with a turkey 'sausage' and eggs and salsa. It was pretty good but my stomach started lurching a bit so I only ate half. The turkey sausage was more like a teeny tiny ground turkey meat patty. It was a little bit larger than the size of a half dollar. Seriously. lol. What's neat was there were tiny bites of apple in it. You'd think it be strange but it really went well together. Will definitely be trying this at home.
After breakfast, we had a nutrition workshop that was new where we learned to read our labels properly. Seriously, the FDA is one corrupt mofo letting all these horrible companies get away with murder... literally! There are so many different names for all sorts of unhealthy stuff like sugar and fats and whatnot. It really seems far better to just stay away from all processed foods and really try to stay true to the source. There's so much unhealthy crap in all processed foods it's freaking scary.
Saw one of my friends walking to class in a dazed state today. Asked her how she was. Exhausted was her answer. She was telling me how tired she was and how badly she wanted to take a nap. She's here for 4 weeks as well and I told her that if she really needed a nap, then she should take a short nap. I don't think they mean to do so but the fear of missing classes is really strong here. That and the peer pressure/group mentality. It's both helpful and hurtful in a way.
Our schedule here is so tough on our bodies and if you're here for a long period of time, it's truly unrealistic and possibly even unhealthy to be sleep deprived and physically exhausted for so long. If you speak to any trainers about it, even THEY will tell you to listen to your bodies. So listen to your body!
After the workshop, we had stretch. Aaaaahhhhh. Love it. They've really been incorporating more stretch classes into our schedules which many would agree is a good thing. The only thing is that because there are so many people here and limited workout space, we can't all technically have stretch at the most opportune times. Stretch would be perfect after hikes or after other rigorous classes when our muscles are warmed up but unfortunately it's not always possible. Oh well.
I did notice that it seems like they're prepping for another construction site. There's been whispers of them building an indoor pool too. Don't know how much truth is in the rumors but this place is booked out so far ahead in the future that they really should and CAN expand.
Had lunch right after stretch and it was pretty good. A barbecue 'pizza' (you know it's faux if I use those quotes) and beet soup. Also pretty good. Since they've changed our schedules recently, it's kind of annoying that breakfast and lunch are so close together. Another oh well.
For those that are worried about any of the foods here staining your braces. (Probably a very small percentage of you, lol) You are good to go! I was worried mostly about the beet soup that they have here staining my ceramic braces or my bands but everything was fine. Thankfully! I would be mortified if I had to walk around here for another 2 weeks with neon pink teeth.If you can spring for it though, I highly recommend bringing your waterpik to FR. All these veggies and stuff get stuck in the braces like no tomorrow. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have my waterpik! I've already walked around here like several times with food stuck in my teeth while talking to people. Embarassing!!
So after lunch there was an optional trip for us long timer folks to go to the grocery store with the nutritionist to learn about shopping for groceries. I saw that 'Evil D' was going so I decided not to go. I know all that stuff anyway. Being on a diet for most of your life, you pick up things. Stay on the outskirts of the supermarket, don't venture into the middle, that's all processed stuff, whole wheat, fresh veggies, frozen veggies. I know it all already. I'll talk with one of the ladies later to make sure I didn't miss anything.(update: I didn't miss anything.)
After lunch, I had mountain, which is my least favorite class. I got there a bit late so I had to use one of the treadmills. I gave it my all but by the end my calf started getting tight and hurting again. Crapola.
After mountain I ventured into the pool for the H20 Circuit. It was with John and it was intense! The water was chilly but thankfully the air was warm today. I stayed in the shallow end and floated/sat on a noodle while doing the exercises. Water circuit goes a bit like this: You do a few minutes of cardio (kicking in the water for a few minutes while holding onto the edge of the pool or running back and forth in the pool) and then you do a few minutes of weights. (We have water weights here that you hold underneath the water and do regular weight type exercises like bicep curls, tricep dips, etc;) That's the gist of the class. John also lets us do this thing he calls frolicking at the end of class where he plays music and we do a few synchronized movements with the noodles in the air. Fun stuff. ;)
After the pool class I headed towards kickboxing. That's always a fun but very intense class. Sharon is a bundle of energy, it's amazing. We punch, kick, hit, jab these upright bodybag type things and hop around. It's more intense than you would think and gives a great workout. The class always goes by super fast too which is great. Also, during the class you get a mini massage. You hold the upright bodybag with your back and your partner pummels the crap out of it. A free massage! So when you get a partner, look for one that looks strong. lol.
After kickboxing was dinner. It was a salad. Meh. You really had to dig deeply into the salad to find the 3 slices of chicken breasts hidden within. It wasn't the most filling of dinners that's for sure. Dinner was a mango sorbet that was pretty sour. It was cold though so I ate it.
One great thing though is that my roomie and I will be in the same room for the rest of my stay so I'm looking forward to that. We get along really well and she's super cheerful and sweet. A real inspiration too, she's been kicking @ss in all her classes, it's amazing. Anyhow, going to relax for tonight. I don't think I'm going on the hike tomorrow because it's one of those scary, high intense hikes but I'll make certain to be kicking bum in the gym.
I really think I'm over what they call here, 'The Wall.' Apparently it hits all of us that are here for an extended period of time. Those that come for just a week or two can't understand. That wall can be a mental AND physical block depending on your personal experience. Who knows though, I've still got another week and a half to go! I'm excited about getting home and continuing everything I've learned though. Really excited. I can't wait to get all this fat off me. :) Good night!!
3435 calories burned today!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Day 16: I WILL Survive! (Emphasis on Will)
Hello everyone!
Just wanted to give you a quick update during the day regarding my status.
I'm feeling better but I'm not yet 100%. I've taken a few more doses of my aqua friend Imodium AD and I've made certain to stay hydrated but my belly is still burbling like a brook every now and then.
The staff here has been really kind and there must've been some sort of announcement because everyone's asking how I feel. I no longer feel guilty. I appreciate their concern.
I didn't make it on the hike today but I headed to the gym to test the waters a bit. I was really worried that I had lost my fitness during my sick break from FR and while it may have dimmed a tiny bit, it's not gone thankfully. :)
In fact I was really proud today because I did something I've never been able to do! After I did 30 minutes on the Nustep recumbent elliptical, I managed to do 30 minutes on a regular old elliptical machine!!! It was hard but I pushed through and I think I might have been able to keep going if I didn't have to stop for breakfast. 'P,' you know how I've always had a mental block against the durn machine! For years I had never been able to do more than 5 minutes at one time on the elliptical... even when I was thinner. I had worked my way up to 10 minutes, then 15, then 20 minutes during my time here at FR and today even with a broken belly, I did 30 minutes!! Yay!! I have an open gym later today so I think I'm going to do some weights and attempt my couch to 5k program though to be honest, I don't know how that's going to feel on my stomach. I'll give it a try though!
I ate just a bit of my breakfast. Today it was an english muffin with a smoothie but I opted out of that and had my old standard cereal with a banana. After a few bites, my belly wasn't reacting too well. So I stopped eating. I'll eat a bit more at lunch and see if I can handle that. (really random but I just had an extreme sense of deja vu... like I had dreamed about FR before I ever came here. Weird)
So I've made a decision regarding my stay here at FR. Since everyone has stressed to me the importance of 'ME' and 'MY' experience here, I've decided that I'm going to follow the program that they have set up here on my terms. My ultimate goal is to leave FR a few pounds lighter but fit enough to handle a workout regime at home and wiser about my choices regarding food and portion control. I want to lose at least 50 pounds if not more and that's going to take time. Months and possibly even a year or more in fact. I know this and I accept this and I will do my darnedest to make it happen.
The schedule here is ridiculously rigorous. Add the social factor in and it was causing me a lot of stress. I'm naturally a bubbly and social person but I've been a bit washed out personality wise since I've been here. This was my first time completely alone and away from home and this crazy regime on my body had me reeling. I think my getting sick was the break that my body was telling me I needed mentally and physically. On one of my days off here, I found a Barnes & Noble and I stayed there from opening to closing and just read and I really enjoyed myself. Being here makes me really value the alone time that I need to be centered and balanced.
Anyhow! So I will be going to some of my classes but not all of them. My first week here I burned myself out. I missed just the one class and I felt horribly guilty. My second week here my body got sick and my will just gave up. I really felt horrible and I wanted to just hide away from everything.
Well, I'm back... but on my terms. I'm going to push my body because I want to get stronger. I'm going to push myself because I'm happy that I'm making my family and friends proud. However, I'm not going to push myself out of wack just for the sake of this schedule or a t-shirt. I value my happiness and I value my sanity. I value myself.
With that said I just want to say that I really enjoy my solo gym jaunts. I also really enjoy the classes where I can be quiet and just focus on breathing, be it something calm like stretch or something intense where I'm trying to catch my breath like cardio intervals.
I'll update later on the rest of my day but I think my drive is back. ;) Now as long as my belly behaves...
**Update**
After my solo gym jaunt and breakfast, I headed towards stretch. No matter who teaches it, it's always a great class. I really hope that I'm getting more flexible but this is definitely a class that I'll want to try to find once I get home. I'm not flexible at all but I hope to be! It's just so nice and relaxing and is perfect after working out.
I avoided all pool classes today because my stomach is still sensitive and I attended the free weight workshop last week so afterwards I headed towards lunch. Once again, I could only eat a little bit before my stomach started acting up. Lunch was a butternut squash soup with what they called a rainbow sammie. It's just a sandwich with a lot of different veggies in it. I just had the squash soup and a slice of wheat toast to be easy on the belly.
After lunch we had a calorie challenge and a cooking demo lecture. Chef Cameron always makes it all look so easy! I can't wait to get home to try some of these recipes out. :) After the demo, there was a pool class and cardio intervals. Since I was skipping the pool classes today, I headed up to my room to take a quick nap. Slept through my alarm but thankfully my roomie woke me up in time for Total Toning. Speaking of which, I'm really loving my new roomie. My last two roomies have been really great. 'K' is a bundle of happy positive energy and I really hope that they let us stay together for my last two weeks here. :)
Total toning with Ann-Marie was great. A difficult class but not impossible. She's so smiley too. After TT, I had dinner but I could only have a few bites again. I'm guessing that I'm going to be ravenous tomorrow. Good thing that we're calorie controlled here!
So instead of watching The Biggest Loser downstairs with everyone, I opted to come up to my room to watch it a bit. Going to rest soon and looking forward to tomorrow!
Calories burned today: 3087
Just wanted to give you a quick update during the day regarding my status.
I'm feeling better but I'm not yet 100%. I've taken a few more doses of my aqua friend Imodium AD and I've made certain to stay hydrated but my belly is still burbling like a brook every now and then.
The staff here has been really kind and there must've been some sort of announcement because everyone's asking how I feel. I no longer feel guilty. I appreciate their concern.
I didn't make it on the hike today but I headed to the gym to test the waters a bit. I was really worried that I had lost my fitness during my sick break from FR and while it may have dimmed a tiny bit, it's not gone thankfully. :)
In fact I was really proud today because I did something I've never been able to do! After I did 30 minutes on the Nustep recumbent elliptical, I managed to do 30 minutes on a regular old elliptical machine!!! It was hard but I pushed through and I think I might have been able to keep going if I didn't have to stop for breakfast. 'P,' you know how I've always had a mental block against the durn machine! For years I had never been able to do more than 5 minutes at one time on the elliptical... even when I was thinner. I had worked my way up to 10 minutes, then 15, then 20 minutes during my time here at FR and today even with a broken belly, I did 30 minutes!! Yay!! I have an open gym later today so I think I'm going to do some weights and attempt my couch to 5k program though to be honest, I don't know how that's going to feel on my stomach. I'll give it a try though!
I ate just a bit of my breakfast. Today it was an english muffin with a smoothie but I opted out of that and had my old standard cereal with a banana. After a few bites, my belly wasn't reacting too well. So I stopped eating. I'll eat a bit more at lunch and see if I can handle that. (really random but I just had an extreme sense of deja vu... like I had dreamed about FR before I ever came here. Weird)
So I've made a decision regarding my stay here at FR. Since everyone has stressed to me the importance of 'ME' and 'MY' experience here, I've decided that I'm going to follow the program that they have set up here on my terms. My ultimate goal is to leave FR a few pounds lighter but fit enough to handle a workout regime at home and wiser about my choices regarding food and portion control. I want to lose at least 50 pounds if not more and that's going to take time. Months and possibly even a year or more in fact. I know this and I accept this and I will do my darnedest to make it happen.
The schedule here is ridiculously rigorous. Add the social factor in and it was causing me a lot of stress. I'm naturally a bubbly and social person but I've been a bit washed out personality wise since I've been here. This was my first time completely alone and away from home and this crazy regime on my body had me reeling. I think my getting sick was the break that my body was telling me I needed mentally and physically. On one of my days off here, I found a Barnes & Noble and I stayed there from opening to closing and just read and I really enjoyed myself. Being here makes me really value the alone time that I need to be centered and balanced.
Anyhow! So I will be going to some of my classes but not all of them. My first week here I burned myself out. I missed just the one class and I felt horribly guilty. My second week here my body got sick and my will just gave up. I really felt horrible and I wanted to just hide away from everything.
Well, I'm back... but on my terms. I'm going to push my body because I want to get stronger. I'm going to push myself because I'm happy that I'm making my family and friends proud. However, I'm not going to push myself out of wack just for the sake of this schedule or a t-shirt. I value my happiness and I value my sanity. I value myself.
With that said I just want to say that I really enjoy my solo gym jaunts. I also really enjoy the classes where I can be quiet and just focus on breathing, be it something calm like stretch or something intense where I'm trying to catch my breath like cardio intervals.
I'll update later on the rest of my day but I think my drive is back. ;) Now as long as my belly behaves...
**Update**
After my solo gym jaunt and breakfast, I headed towards stretch. No matter who teaches it, it's always a great class. I really hope that I'm getting more flexible but this is definitely a class that I'll want to try to find once I get home. I'm not flexible at all but I hope to be! It's just so nice and relaxing and is perfect after working out.
I avoided all pool classes today because my stomach is still sensitive and I attended the free weight workshop last week so afterwards I headed towards lunch. Once again, I could only eat a little bit before my stomach started acting up. Lunch was a butternut squash soup with what they called a rainbow sammie. It's just a sandwich with a lot of different veggies in it. I just had the squash soup and a slice of wheat toast to be easy on the belly.
After lunch we had a calorie challenge and a cooking demo lecture. Chef Cameron always makes it all look so easy! I can't wait to get home to try some of these recipes out. :) After the demo, there was a pool class and cardio intervals. Since I was skipping the pool classes today, I headed up to my room to take a quick nap. Slept through my alarm but thankfully my roomie woke me up in time for Total Toning. Speaking of which, I'm really loving my new roomie. My last two roomies have been really great. 'K' is a bundle of happy positive energy and I really hope that they let us stay together for my last two weeks here. :)
Total toning with Ann-Marie was great. A difficult class but not impossible. She's so smiley too. After TT, I had dinner but I could only have a few bites again. I'm guessing that I'm going to be ravenous tomorrow. Good thing that we're calorie controlled here!
So instead of watching The Biggest Loser downstairs with everyone, I opted to come up to my room to watch it a bit. Going to rest soon and looking forward to tomorrow!
Calories burned today: 3087
Monday, May 17, 2010
Day 15: Getting frustrated
Last night I felt almost completely better and I was really excited about our new schedule and jumping right back into everything. However in the evening something went wrong with my stomach. It's been gurgling and twisting and I can't stop making bathroom runs. I have no appetite either and though I woke up at 5:30AM gearing up for the hike this morning, the thought of being somewhere without any access to the bathroom deterred me.
So I decided to go to the gym but right before I left I had to make another bathroom run. (sorry to be so graphic) The thought of moving, much less jumping up or down was making my stomach react badly so I think today may have to be another day of rest for me. My new roomie (yup, they keep switching roomies around on me even though my last roomie is still here) was very nice and offered me some Immodium AD. I don't really feel like eating so I'm just going to keep myself hydrated today and stay close to the bathroom.
I've been lucky with my last two roomies, they both have been very sweet. What's even better about my new roomie is that she loves to read like me (She has one of those Sony Reader/Amazon Kindle things that I want soooo badly!!) and she says that compared to her husband, my snoring is nothing and she slept easy. Just in case, I also provided her with a fresh pair of new earplugs but luckily she doesn't need them! Whew! She's also ok with my baby nightlight. (Yes yes yes, I have a nightlight. The shame! It's a Tinkerbell one too. :P)She seems very nice and I really think we'll get along.
So I did learn something today that I can share with my blog readers. Here's a new tip:
* If you plan on missing any classes here, call the front desk to let the appropriate channels know. This way, you can rest without anyone calling you to see why you're not in class. Also, if you want to stay in your room for the day, let them know and they can bring your meals to your room for you.
I'm really disappointed in my body today and I'm so worried that I'm going to start to lose out on any of the fitness I've gained since I've been here. As long as I'm ok tomorrow, I'm going to throw myself back into everything with a vengeance. I'm going to make certain that I'm going to leave FR a few pounds lighter and in shape. I swear!!
Alright, I'm going to crawl back into my soft bed now. Please send my belly good vibes.
So I decided to go to the gym but right before I left I had to make another bathroom run. (sorry to be so graphic) The thought of moving, much less jumping up or down was making my stomach react badly so I think today may have to be another day of rest for me. My new roomie (yup, they keep switching roomies around on me even though my last roomie is still here) was very nice and offered me some Immodium AD. I don't really feel like eating so I'm just going to keep myself hydrated today and stay close to the bathroom.
I've been lucky with my last two roomies, they both have been very sweet. What's even better about my new roomie is that she loves to read like me (She has one of those Sony Reader/Amazon Kindle things that I want soooo badly!!) and she says that compared to her husband, my snoring is nothing and she slept easy. Just in case, I also provided her with a fresh pair of new earplugs but luckily she doesn't need them! Whew! She's also ok with my baby nightlight. (Yes yes yes, I have a nightlight. The shame! It's a Tinkerbell one too. :P)She seems very nice and I really think we'll get along.
So I did learn something today that I can share with my blog readers. Here's a new tip:
* If you plan on missing any classes here, call the front desk to let the appropriate channels know. This way, you can rest without anyone calling you to see why you're not in class. Also, if you want to stay in your room for the day, let them know and they can bring your meals to your room for you.
I'm really disappointed in my body today and I'm so worried that I'm going to start to lose out on any of the fitness I've gained since I've been here. As long as I'm ok tomorrow, I'm going to throw myself back into everything with a vengeance. I'm going to make certain that I'm going to leave FR a few pounds lighter and in shape. I swear!!
Alright, I'm going to crawl back into my soft bed now. Please send my belly good vibes.
Day 14: Rest Rest Rest
Nothing exciting to report today,I still have the sniffles a bit today but will be spending the day reading and resting. I feel like I'm almost completely better so this is good. Thanks for your support everyone!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Day 13: Arrrrrgh!!!
I am sick. Very very sick. Tossing and turning all night long. Coughing, stuffed up nose. Fever. Hot and cold all day. Lost my voice and missed out on karaoke night. :( I did nothing but sleep and rest & get cold medicine. Sucks.
Day 12: A Better Day
Sorry for all the typos and improper grammar folks! Trust me, it bugs the heck out of me but normally when I'm writing these posts I'm half awake and just struggling to keep my eyes open, much less my brain functioning.
So I couldn't wait any longer today. It's been killing me all week and I decided not to wait until Sunday to weigh in. After I woke up, I put on the same clothes (minus the sneakers) that I had worn when I originally weighed in and shockingly found out that according to the FR scale that I was 193.
So I went into the office and took off my jacket and flip flops and weighed in. I weighed in at 185. :) !! Still a long way from my goal but I was very happy. I hadn't seen any difference in any of my clothes or anything and I was worried that I hadn't lost squat but I lost 8 pounds!! (If I was on my scale at home, it would've read 179, even more exciting, lol) It really boosted my spirits. I had hoped for more in 2 weeks but I'm still very happy with what I got. I also reminded myself that I was able to keep up better in my classes and that my overall fitness has improved since I've been here which is very important in being able to keep this going once I get home.
I went to breakfast and shared the news with a few ladies and got a hi-five from Wayne who said, "I told you your cheeks looked thinner!." lol. If I can manage to lose another 8 pounds while I'm here and not get injured and improve my cardio health even more, I will be pleased as punch. Had a nice chat with a nice lady at brekkie as well. Very thought provoking stuff.
So breakfast today was another one of those fruit parfaits. It was berries, Greek yogurt (Hi Stefy!) and granola and came in at 485 calories. I opted out once again (I'm not a huge fan of the breakfasts here to be honest) and had their cereal with some banana slices. I probably even saved a few calories there.
My leg and feet also felt better this morning so I was thinking that I might be able to do the hike if it wasn't too intense. So I headed up to my room, called 'N' and my parents to tell them the good news and then headed downstairs at 7:59. Well... apparently they were all super early in heading out to the hike today! All the vans had left but thankfully Wayne was still around and was about to set out on his walk around the neighborhood.
It was a nice walk. I think we covered about a mile and a half or so but during the walk, I felt my calf start to feel funny again. Shiz!!! (I'm icing it right now) The walk was nice, we decided to walk to the playground in hopes of finding some swings. Wayne said he hadn't been on any swings in like 30 or more years or something but lo and behold, they had everything, even a kiddie rocking climbing wall and sprinklers but no swings! It was still fun though. On our way back we saw a pretty horse that was super friendly and came up to us and even passed by a chicken farm that had some loose roosters running around.
I headed into the gym with Wayne afterwards so I could get some cardio on and burn some calories. There were just a few people in there and Wayne requested to hear the theme song for The Biggest Loser which I had on my ipod. So I put it on the sound system and he and 'O' danced around to it. Right after the song ended, my arch nemesis Big Evil 'D' who had been walking on a treadmill literally screamed out, "_______, turn down your music, I can't hear my ipod." Holy hell. Granted she had her music on but there were 5 people in there who didn't have any music to listen to and it wasn't that loud. I turned it down and then said to her that she could ask me to turn down the music more politely and she retorted, "I WAS polite."
Afterwards, Wayne taught me some spanish curse words that were very apt about the situation and the person involved. It made me laugh. If she's rude like that to me again, she'll hear it from me. That's a promise. I'm not going to have one woman ruin my experience here. Several other people have told me that they don't like her either because she's rude and mean and walks around like her sh*t don't stink. Just because you have money, doesn't inherently make you a better person.
Anyhow! I did a lot of cardio and weights (did 15 minutes again on that durn elliptical! will try for 20 later) and was in the gym for a bit more than an hour.
Cardio Intervals was next and once I was warmed up, my leg felt a bit better and I really gave that class my all and then some. The class was very positive and I felt really good afterwards. It amazes me that just 2-3 weeks ago, I wouldn't have been able to believe that I'd be able to keep up in classes like this.
Lunch was next, sat with a fun group, which made it even more pleasant and we had parsnip soup and the chicken breast caesar salad. Both were great and I'm very full right now. Throat is still a bit itchy, scratchy but the sniffles are gone at least. I really hope this sore throat goes away!
I found out at lunch that I'm not the only person who's had problems with Evil 'D.' Apparently, she's been giving a lot of people grief and nasty attitudes. Hmph. Doesn't surprise me!
After lunch we had a meeting for the guests that were staying over for the following week and I left a bit early when they started doing the go around where people talk about things that they've learned etc; I was tired and I need a tiny bit of rest before my next class but the main reason I left was because Evil 'D' was there and I don't have any interest in sharing what I have to say with her there, nor do I have any interest in listening to her speak. Don't worry folks, I'm not letting 'D' ruin my experience. It's what I chose to do and how I felt about the situation. I didn't want to be there so after I received my schedule for next week, I left.
The air conditioning wasn't working in our room so the maintenance guy came up to fix stuff. By the time he was done, I was already late for my circuit class so I decided to take a nap until my NEXT circuit class.
So a few random things. We get to sign up for our Saturday hikes here and this Saturday I signed up for Stop Sign. I don't know if I'm nutty or what but I want to give it a try again. With my leg and feet being all sorts of crazy, I don't know how far I'll get but at least I'll give it a try. It's either hike or a 2.5 hour "last chance workout" in the gym.
Another random thing but I've stopped getting acid reflux since I've been here. That's a good thing. It's pretty sad but I know the reason why I was getting it in the first place. I was eating too much, way too late at night and then going to bed. If you've ever had acid reflux, you know how horrible it is. Not being worried about it or experiencing it anymore since I've been here really makes me aware that I DON'T want to experience it anymore once I get home. No more bingeing or eating late at night. Those days are OVER. I want to stick with a get up earlier and workout schedule that I'm on here. Not to the extreme that it is here but a similar modified concept.
Anyhow, it's late and I'm really tired and sicky feeling (nose is stuffed AND running) and we've got no AC so I'm going to try to head to bed. Night!
calories burned today: 3291
So I couldn't wait any longer today. It's been killing me all week and I decided not to wait until Sunday to weigh in. After I woke up, I put on the same clothes (minus the sneakers) that I had worn when I originally weighed in and shockingly found out that according to the FR scale that I was 193.
So I went into the office and took off my jacket and flip flops and weighed in. I weighed in at 185. :) !! Still a long way from my goal but I was very happy. I hadn't seen any difference in any of my clothes or anything and I was worried that I hadn't lost squat but I lost 8 pounds!! (If I was on my scale at home, it would've read 179, even more exciting, lol) It really boosted my spirits. I had hoped for more in 2 weeks but I'm still very happy with what I got. I also reminded myself that I was able to keep up better in my classes and that my overall fitness has improved since I've been here which is very important in being able to keep this going once I get home.
I went to breakfast and shared the news with a few ladies and got a hi-five from Wayne who said, "I told you your cheeks looked thinner!." lol. If I can manage to lose another 8 pounds while I'm here and not get injured and improve my cardio health even more, I will be pleased as punch. Had a nice chat with a nice lady at brekkie as well. Very thought provoking stuff.
So breakfast today was another one of those fruit parfaits. It was berries, Greek yogurt (Hi Stefy!) and granola and came in at 485 calories. I opted out once again (I'm not a huge fan of the breakfasts here to be honest) and had their cereal with some banana slices. I probably even saved a few calories there.
My leg and feet also felt better this morning so I was thinking that I might be able to do the hike if it wasn't too intense. So I headed up to my room, called 'N' and my parents to tell them the good news and then headed downstairs at 7:59. Well... apparently they were all super early in heading out to the hike today! All the vans had left but thankfully Wayne was still around and was about to set out on his walk around the neighborhood.
It was a nice walk. I think we covered about a mile and a half or so but during the walk, I felt my calf start to feel funny again. Shiz!!! (I'm icing it right now) The walk was nice, we decided to walk to the playground in hopes of finding some swings. Wayne said he hadn't been on any swings in like 30 or more years or something but lo and behold, they had everything, even a kiddie rocking climbing wall and sprinklers but no swings! It was still fun though. On our way back we saw a pretty horse that was super friendly and came up to us and even passed by a chicken farm that had some loose roosters running around.
I headed into the gym with Wayne afterwards so I could get some cardio on and burn some calories. There were just a few people in there and Wayne requested to hear the theme song for The Biggest Loser which I had on my ipod. So I put it on the sound system and he and 'O' danced around to it. Right after the song ended, my arch nemesis Big Evil 'D' who had been walking on a treadmill literally screamed out, "_______, turn down your music, I can't hear my ipod." Holy hell. Granted she had her music on but there were 5 people in there who didn't have any music to listen to and it wasn't that loud. I turned it down and then said to her that she could ask me to turn down the music more politely and she retorted, "I WAS polite."
Afterwards, Wayne taught me some spanish curse words that were very apt about the situation and the person involved. It made me laugh. If she's rude like that to me again, she'll hear it from me. That's a promise. I'm not going to have one woman ruin my experience here. Several other people have told me that they don't like her either because she's rude and mean and walks around like her sh*t don't stink. Just because you have money, doesn't inherently make you a better person.
Anyhow! I did a lot of cardio and weights (did 15 minutes again on that durn elliptical! will try for 20 later) and was in the gym for a bit more than an hour.
Cardio Intervals was next and once I was warmed up, my leg felt a bit better and I really gave that class my all and then some. The class was very positive and I felt really good afterwards. It amazes me that just 2-3 weeks ago, I wouldn't have been able to believe that I'd be able to keep up in classes like this.
Lunch was next, sat with a fun group, which made it even more pleasant and we had parsnip soup and the chicken breast caesar salad. Both were great and I'm very full right now. Throat is still a bit itchy, scratchy but the sniffles are gone at least. I really hope this sore throat goes away!
I found out at lunch that I'm not the only person who's had problems with Evil 'D.' Apparently, she's been giving a lot of people grief and nasty attitudes. Hmph. Doesn't surprise me!
After lunch we had a meeting for the guests that were staying over for the following week and I left a bit early when they started doing the go around where people talk about things that they've learned etc; I was tired and I need a tiny bit of rest before my next class but the main reason I left was because Evil 'D' was there and I don't have any interest in sharing what I have to say with her there, nor do I have any interest in listening to her speak. Don't worry folks, I'm not letting 'D' ruin my experience. It's what I chose to do and how I felt about the situation. I didn't want to be there so after I received my schedule for next week, I left.
The air conditioning wasn't working in our room so the maintenance guy came up to fix stuff. By the time he was done, I was already late for my circuit class so I decided to take a nap until my NEXT circuit class.
So a few random things. We get to sign up for our Saturday hikes here and this Saturday I signed up for Stop Sign. I don't know if I'm nutty or what but I want to give it a try again. With my leg and feet being all sorts of crazy, I don't know how far I'll get but at least I'll give it a try. It's either hike or a 2.5 hour "last chance workout" in the gym.
Another random thing but I've stopped getting acid reflux since I've been here. That's a good thing. It's pretty sad but I know the reason why I was getting it in the first place. I was eating too much, way too late at night and then going to bed. If you've ever had acid reflux, you know how horrible it is. Not being worried about it or experiencing it anymore since I've been here really makes me aware that I DON'T want to experience it anymore once I get home. No more bingeing or eating late at night. Those days are OVER. I want to stick with a get up earlier and workout schedule that I'm on here. Not to the extreme that it is here but a similar modified concept.
Anyhow, it's late and I'm really tired and sicky feeling (nose is stuffed AND running) and we've got no AC so I'm going to try to head to bed. Night!
calories burned today: 3291
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Day 11: The Doldrums
7:00AM: Breakfast
8:00AM: Hike
11:15AM: Stretch
12:30PM: Lunch
1:45PM: Open Gym
2:30PM: Treading
3:30PM: Pool
4:30PM: Ball Works
5:30PM: Dinner
6:15PM: Increasing Your Income
Today today today. Today I kept entertaining thoughts of going home early. I know that I can't and that I won't but I couldn't stop thinking about it. Breakfast was that Fake Bacon/Salsa/Egg Thingie from before. It was good and filling. My foot and calf wasn't 100% this morning so I opted out of the hike. Paige, the director here was very nice and gave a bunch of us options on other things we could do. I told her how my leg and foot felt and she warned that it seems like it's better because it's warmed up but that I should be careful not to re-strain it. I ended up walking around the neighborhood with Wayne and some other ladies and then heading back to go into the gym until the other hikers came back.
Whenever I started exercising, my foot and leg were giving me pain but after a few minutes after it would 'warm up,' the pain would go away. So I plugged along. I was good though and did about 25 minutes on the recumbent elliptical, 15 minutes on the standard elliptical (a new record for me, I have a mental block against the durned machine) and 20 minutes on the recumbent bike. Afterwards I felt pretty good but was still favoring my right leg a bit to give the left side a break just in case. I was sad that I couldn't continue my couch to 5k but I'm hoping that I'll be close to 100% tomorrow so I can give it another go.
I don't know why but whenever people asked me how my leg and foot were, I felt a bit defensive as if they didn't believe that I was hurting. I know that wasn't the case at all, they were all being nice to me and concerned about how I was. I guess it was because I felt so guilty that I wasn't able to do what I really wanted to do. I felt like I was wimping out. I know they were concerned and I do appreciate that they were, I guess I just felt angry at myself.
So after everyone returned, I tried to participate in the rest of the activities for the day as best as I could. I did stretch, which felt really good on my foot and calf and then ate lunch, which was a yummy french onion soup made of sandwich thin croutons and a somewhat decent Greek style pita sandwich with turkey, feta cheese, olives, artichokes, etc; in it.
I was really proud though that I did treading today. I remembered how great I felt after class last time and though Paige told me to take it easy for the next two days, I really tried my hardest. Once again, once my foot and leg got warmed up I felt better, so I did the first set of 5,4 on the recumbent bike and then moved over to the elliptical to do the final sets of 3,2,1, 2. I gave it my all and once again felt fabulous after the class.
I got into the pool after treading and stayed in the pool until dinner. I skipped my ball works class because the water just felt really good. I let Robyn know that I was going to stay in the pool and then I did the best that I could for the second pool class. I couldn't help but feeling guilty again and like I was wimping out. I did give it my best though I swear!
Dinner was pretty good. We had stuffed chicken breast with spinach and cheese and some wild rice with craisins (picked those suckers out) and carrots. The carrots were too hard on my braces and the wild rice did seem a bit undercooked but the chicken was really yummy. Dessert was a peach cobbler that had a bunch of berries in it. I opted out again. Me no likey warm fruit. I added a bit of salad to my dinner instead.
After dinner, there was a lecture for departing guests and one for those that were remaining on. I was actually jealous of those that were leaving. I wasn't the only one either. 4 weeks is a long long time. There are people who are here for even longer periods of time and that takes some mental dedication, let me tell you. I will be absolutely thrilled when it's my last week. I'm also really sad that a lot of the people that I've grown to like here are leaving this week. :(
I think I'm getting the sniffles right now too. My throat is a bit dry and itchy and my nose is a bit stuffed. That couldn't be helping my mood either. I really want to get out of this funk. I know that this journey that I'm on right now is supposed to be 'me' focused. But 'me' is losing the focus right now and I've got to bring it back. I hope that this Saturday and Sunday I can relax enough and re-center myself. I really need it. Reading other people's blogs from the past makes me wonder if I'm just mentally weak and unable to handle everything as they did. I don't know. Sorry for the depressing post folks. I'll try to get it together and bring the peppy back.
2100 calories burned up until treading and then I took off my hr monitor for the rest of the day.
8:00AM: Hike
11:15AM: Stretch
12:30PM: Lunch
1:45PM: Open Gym
2:30PM: Treading
3:30PM: Pool
4:30PM: Ball Works
5:30PM: Dinner
6:15PM: Increasing Your Income
Today today today. Today I kept entertaining thoughts of going home early. I know that I can't and that I won't but I couldn't stop thinking about it. Breakfast was that Fake Bacon/Salsa/Egg Thingie from before. It was good and filling. My foot and calf wasn't 100% this morning so I opted out of the hike. Paige, the director here was very nice and gave a bunch of us options on other things we could do. I told her how my leg and foot felt and she warned that it seems like it's better because it's warmed up but that I should be careful not to re-strain it. I ended up walking around the neighborhood with Wayne and some other ladies and then heading back to go into the gym until the other hikers came back.
Whenever I started exercising, my foot and leg were giving me pain but after a few minutes after it would 'warm up,' the pain would go away. So I plugged along. I was good though and did about 25 minutes on the recumbent elliptical, 15 minutes on the standard elliptical (a new record for me, I have a mental block against the durned machine) and 20 minutes on the recumbent bike. Afterwards I felt pretty good but was still favoring my right leg a bit to give the left side a break just in case. I was sad that I couldn't continue my couch to 5k but I'm hoping that I'll be close to 100% tomorrow so I can give it another go.
I don't know why but whenever people asked me how my leg and foot were, I felt a bit defensive as if they didn't believe that I was hurting. I know that wasn't the case at all, they were all being nice to me and concerned about how I was. I guess it was because I felt so guilty that I wasn't able to do what I really wanted to do. I felt like I was wimping out. I know they were concerned and I do appreciate that they were, I guess I just felt angry at myself.
So after everyone returned, I tried to participate in the rest of the activities for the day as best as I could. I did stretch, which felt really good on my foot and calf and then ate lunch, which was a yummy french onion soup made of sandwich thin croutons and a somewhat decent Greek style pita sandwich with turkey, feta cheese, olives, artichokes, etc; in it.
I was really proud though that I did treading today. I remembered how great I felt after class last time and though Paige told me to take it easy for the next two days, I really tried my hardest. Once again, once my foot and leg got warmed up I felt better, so I did the first set of 5,4 on the recumbent bike and then moved over to the elliptical to do the final sets of 3,2,1, 2. I gave it my all and once again felt fabulous after the class.
I got into the pool after treading and stayed in the pool until dinner. I skipped my ball works class because the water just felt really good. I let Robyn know that I was going to stay in the pool and then I did the best that I could for the second pool class. I couldn't help but feeling guilty again and like I was wimping out. I did give it my best though I swear!
Dinner was pretty good. We had stuffed chicken breast with spinach and cheese and some wild rice with craisins (picked those suckers out) and carrots. The carrots were too hard on my braces and the wild rice did seem a bit undercooked but the chicken was really yummy. Dessert was a peach cobbler that had a bunch of berries in it. I opted out again. Me no likey warm fruit. I added a bit of salad to my dinner instead.
After dinner, there was a lecture for departing guests and one for those that were remaining on. I was actually jealous of those that were leaving. I wasn't the only one either. 4 weeks is a long long time. There are people who are here for even longer periods of time and that takes some mental dedication, let me tell you. I will be absolutely thrilled when it's my last week. I'm also really sad that a lot of the people that I've grown to like here are leaving this week. :(
I think I'm getting the sniffles right now too. My throat is a bit dry and itchy and my nose is a bit stuffed. That couldn't be helping my mood either. I really want to get out of this funk. I know that this journey that I'm on right now is supposed to be 'me' focused. But 'me' is losing the focus right now and I've got to bring it back. I hope that this Saturday and Sunday I can relax enough and re-center myself. I really need it. Reading other people's blogs from the past makes me wonder if I'm just mentally weak and unable to handle everything as they did. I don't know. Sorry for the depressing post folks. I'll try to get it together and bring the peppy back.
2100 calories burned up until treading and then I took off my hr monitor for the rest of the day.
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