Day 1: I survived! .... but now I'm walking like Popeye without his Spinach.

Day 1:

First, I've got to take my hat off to my fellow FR bloggers. The schedule here is soooo tightly controlled and grueling that it is nearly impossible to take pictures and videos consistently and regularly. So I apologize for that. I've barely been able to do so and I've already forgotten my camera many a time. I'll try on Sunday or Saturday when I have the most time free, to just make a long blog posting with all the pics and videos I've taken so far. What I figure however in the meantime, is that I'll just tell you as many details about my experience here and all the things that I wish others blogged about and you can find the food pictures and calorie descriptions on some of the other blogs. Truly though, all you want to do once classes and whatnot are over is go straight to bed.

On the first evening at FR, my roomie showed me her before picture. She had lost 50 pounds before coming to FR on her own and then after a week at FR, continued to go on to losing an additional 100 pounds. She is now super fit and came back to FR to re-challenge herself in all the aspects she originally learned here. She's also given me lots of great tips about how she lost her weight that I'll share in the future. We are polar opposites but she's really a great girl.

In fact, one of the things that I've noticed about all these inspirational folks is how proud they are of showing their before pictures. They should be proud. I would be d*amn proud of an accomplishment like that. It takes a hell of a lot of discipline and strength to turn your life around like that. Unfortunately, all I have are pictures in reverse. Pictures where I'm thin and starting to get fatter and heavier. However, as of right now, this will change. I want to be a d*amn inspiration. lol.

So my first morning at FR. Set the alarm and woke up at 5AM. I slept fitfully the night before but still had to drag myself out of bed. It was still dark when I woke up and really cold. It does warm up quite quickly once the sun comes out though. Here's my Day 1 schedule. I'm on the Green team. (Go Green! According to the trainers, we're the peppiest group. ;))

Monday:

6:00AM: Intro to Circuit
7:00AM: Breakfast
7:45AM: Hike Descriptions
8:00AM: Leave for Hike
11:15AM: Choose: Pool or Mountain
12:15PM: Lunch
12:45PM: Announcements
1:15PM: Lecture: Budget
2:00PM: Stretching Basics
2:30PM: Pool
3:30PM: Circuit Training
4:30PM: Step-n-Pump
5:15PM: Dinner
6:15PM Lecture: Spending Your Calories Wisely.

When you arrive at FR, you're given your room key, your week's schedule and team color and an FR booklet with lots of information about FR, Services Available, Educational Lecture Slides, Medical Information and all things available for you to do here. (Oh, you also have to sign a waiver when you arrive here that basically says, if you get hurt or go kaput during your stay, FR cannot be held liable. This is standard procedure at most places) I haven't had a chance yet to flip through the entire booklet however. No time!

Introduction to Circuit was an introduction to the circuit training machines available in the gym. I can't recall the instructor's name but she was great, very nice and informative. She showed us how all the machines worked, how they could be adjusted and how we were supposed to go from station to station. All stations are numbered and you do 2 minutes on each station before moving to the next. There have a lot of stations, so you can never finish all the stations at one time. You always move from a cardio machine to a weight machine and back to cardio, etc;

The gym here is very modern and clean and thorough. They have treadmills, elliptical machines, recumbent bikes and stairmasters for most of the cardio work and then tons of different weight machines that exercise all portions of your body for weights. They also have bosu balls and those other giant bouncy ball things that you can do other exercises on as well. All rooms have a water machine and teachers play their own choice of music during the classes, so you'll get to hear an entire range of pumped up techno versions of different songs.

The only place where you'll get to use your ipod/mp3 player is on the hikes and even then, it's a good idea to only keep one ear bud on at a time so you can hear things if need be. I lost the bud on one of my earbuds during my first hike. I iz sad. (Sorry, trying to be as thorough as possible because I know I was curious about all this stuff when I was first thinking about FR)

Breakfast on Day 1 was a small plate of fruit, assorted melons, canteloupe type items and berries and also a Greek Veggie Frittata... all for 250 itty bitty calories. I thought it was pretty good but it wasn't everyone's cup of tea; a few people opted for alternatives. It was however, very filling. For those that have food allergies, etc; FR is very careful about your restrictions. We're given place cards to remind the dining staff of our particularities. There are always alternative meals available (though basic, like toast, veggie burgers, etc;) if you can't eat the meals that they serve. The only beverage served is water and there is a salad bar and a healthy condiment bar. However, anything you take from the salad bar, besides one piece of fruit, is not included in your daily 1200 calorie menu.

 Yum, fruit... not!

So after breakfast, all the guides file into the dining room and names are called so you can see who's going on which hikes. They have a new policy here regarding the hikes (they've gotten a lot bigger so they've had to spread certain things out) and no one really gets a choice anymore. On the first day, they gauge your fitness level and depending on how fit or unfit you are, they assign you to a group that you will be staying with for the rest of the week.

I was apprehensive about this schedule change at first because I had heard about the epic Stop Sign Hike for the longest time but all my fears have been assuaged. They've got a good system and are surprisingly intuitive about their resort guests' fitness levels. Most hikes have 2-3 guides (they always wear neon yellow jackets) and they're all friendly, knowledgeable and fit.

My first hike was Anasazi Ridge II. It's a route that leads from FR, directly into the mountain range behind the resort. It's roughly a 3-5 mile course that has a few steep inclines, rocky terrain and basic hiking. You do however, get up pretty high and have to scamper around some rocks to see the petroglyphs that are there but the guides always make sure that you're comfortable with what you're doing. If some areas are a bit more perilous, you are given the option to take a more circuitous but less scary route.

All hikes last for roughly 2.5-3 hours. Now let me tell you... The Anasazi Ridge II hike is supposed to be one of their easier hikes and I thought I was going to DIE. Not in the sense that I was going to fall off a cliff or anything (I'm scared of heights) but that I didn't think I was going to be able to keep up. I lead an extremely sendentary lifestyle, so if you're in better shape than me, you should do just fine. I wasn't last on the hike but I was pretty close to the back where some of the older women were. You've got to start somewhere if you've never been in shape! Meanwhile, one of the guides, John, who easily has to be in his late 50s or early 60s was hopping around the rocks like a mountain goat! He was extremely spry.

The views were gorgeous, it cannot be denied. Especially for someone like me who's never spent anytime on the West Coast. The rocks here are reddish/orange, high and just have beautiful formations. During the hike, one guide is stationed in the very front of the group, another guide is stationed in back and another guide in the middle runs back and forth to check on the hikers that are spread out in between.

Once the hike was done, I was extremely happy and proud of myself. I find so little events or activities in my day to day life that where I'm proud of myself but trust me, you'll be proud of yourself after you complete the hike as well. I can't even begin to tell you how worried I've been in the past few months about these hikes. I had every intention for the longest time to prep myself properly for FR but because life gets in the way, I was unable to do so. Just don't worry, you will really be ok. ;) I was!

After I returned from the hike, I chose to do Pool. Pool classes are really great after a hike. It gives you the chance to cool down and relax a bit. I really stress the phrase 'a bit' because you're still working your tail off while you're in the water. They have various water aerobic items that they use while you're in class. The pool goes from 4 feet at one end to 6 feet at the other end but for those like me that can't swim very well, we're encouranged to stay in the shallow end during some of the water activities. They also have floatation belts and various other items you can use in the water. So don't worry, you won't drown!

We have an older lady here right now who was so terrified of the water... but with the combined efforts of the trainer and several Ridgers (moi included), she's finally comfortable enough in the water that she'll actually stay in it. ;) She was thrilled when she was able to float comfortably for the first time and the class cheered for her.

The pool is heated and they have a portable outdoor speaker system that plays music and magnifies what the instructor is telling you to do during the class. My very first class was a standard water aerobics class, doing things under the water holding water weights, kicking, jogging in the water etc; The water classes really do help your muscles relax and though they're difficult, I find the pool classes to be the easiest classes that FR offers. What's handy dandy is that FR provides robes for all their guests, water bottles and there's even a hot tub that you can relax in, in the evenings.

Lunch was quite tasty and also very filling. Surprisingly, I haven't been hungry since I've been here. A lot of the guests who are heavier find the meals to be filling as well and remember you always have the option to have a plate of salad if you need it. For lunch we had a pureed carrot soup and a rice and bean burrito and calorie-wise it came out to 331 calories. Not bad!

We then had a lecture and though it was informative, if you're like most dieters who've read quite a few diet books, you're not going to learn anything new. It was about calories in and calories out. You've got a certain RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate?) and then you add or deduct from that RMR how much you eat and how many calories you burned through exercise. It wasn't earth shattering.

After the lecture we had stretching basics and boy was it basic. We learned 5 quick stretches and then it was onto ANOTHER pool class. This one was a lot of fun. The instructor (can't remember her name) was just sooo peppy and cheerful that everyone in class was smiling and laughing through the class. We were doing various exercises with swimming noodles. Dancing around and swimming around. It's interesting to see all these adults behaving like children in the water. You can't help but smile.

In our circuit training class, we put to use all our knowledge learned in the morning class. It went pretty efficiently but since there were so many newbies, who didn't know where everything was located, there was a lot of scrambling and tripping over one another. The highlight of that class for me was when I was on the giant bouncy ball doing situps. I was just across from Erik Chopin of The Biggest Loser fame and as I was getting up (or attemping to anyway) the ball rolled out from under me and I landed flat on my bum. Fun! lol. He was nice though and gave me a hand to help me up.

Step-n-Pump was hosted by our instructor John and he's got a great energy about him. Some of the guests mentioned how he seemed like he could be related to Richard Simmons... and you folks know how much I loooove Richard Simmons! The class was a standard step class punched up a notch and with weights thrown in here and there.

Dinner was a salmon burger on a toasted Arnold's wheat bun with a cranberry sorbet.

The salmon burger was super yummy but the toasted wheat bun was just a tad hard on my tender braces covered teeth. Dessert was a cranberry sorbet and one of my friends here summed up the taste quite well when we asked her what she thought.

"It's cold," she said slowly. lol. Here's a tip, grab a packet of Truvia and use half of it on the sorbet... it takes the tang off.

Lastly, we had a lecture in the evening regarding spending our calories wisely. The nutritionist here, Emily, gave us some more standard information on how to read labels, what proper portion sizes are, etc; One thing I'd like to mention about the lectures. They are given at the WORST possible times each day. They're almost always given directly or sooner after a meal and after a day's workout and then a full stomach, it is going to be hard as heck to stay awake during a lecture. I can't even tell you how many people's heads were nodding back and forth in the attempt to stay awake. Some did not succeed, lol.

So how did I feel at the end of the day? Fricking BEAT DOWN. I was sore all over and was walking like a drunken sailor on dry land. This in spite of the fact that I'd been taking Advil throughout the day. (Don't worry,I was safe about it! I only took it as recommended.) I knew that the pain was going to be far worse the next day as well.

I was amazingly pleased at the end of the day but all I wanted to do was sleep. After blogging a bit and speaking with friends and family, I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.

The amazing thing? I burned 5731 calories according to my Heart Rate Monitor.... and the d*mn thing didn't even work while I was in the water during my 2 pool classes, so I KNOW I burned even more than that. Meal-wise, the calorie count came to 1094 calories. Tell me that isn't some craziness right there!!

I even thought my HRM was broken at first... but after a conversation with Seth Word, also of The Biggest Loser fame, who is an incredibly sweet guy, he assured me that it was totally possible that I had burned that amount of calories plus more because it didn't calculate my two pool classes. I'll take his 'word' for it. Har har har.

The day was amazing. I cannot believe that after months of fear and apprehension that I was able to make it through the day. If I can, you can as well, believe me! I also managed to make it through without any blisters!

Some tips:

*Use lots of bodyglide on the back of your heels, in between your toes and if your arms are chubby and unnaturally large like mine, underneath your arms right by your armpits. Lube it up well! Because I had greased up my feet carefully and worn good socks and sneakers, my feet were fine (which is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF) but my undearms took a beating. I mean, come on, how many people really thinking about greasing up under your arms to prevent chafing? Well I didn't and now both are sore, red and burning. (I wasn't the only one either!)

*Make certain that your sneakers are a half size larger and have plenty of room in the front for your toes. Many of the people that are experiencing blisters are the ones who bought shoes that fit their feet. Sounds ridiculous, right? The thing is, when you're on hikes, you will be going up inclines and going down downgrades. Your feet wlil move forwards and backwards and if your shoes fit perfectly, you'll just be bumping up your heels and tootsies like crazy. Slightly larger shoes with thicker socks is a better option.

*Sunscreen and a Hat!!! The sun is strong here and it beats down on you. There are lots of people here with sunburnt body parts. Don't be them. Protect yourself well and always reapply after you get in the water!

*The air is thin and dry up here. Keep hydrated and breathe deeply from your lungs. Use vaseline in your nose if you frequently have problems with dryness in your nose.


*You have an extremely limited time between classes to change and prep for your next class. Hustle!

Observations:

Don't be worried about making friends when you're here. I know everyone has heard all the wonderful stories about comraderie and happy people and all that and it's really true. Almost everyone is super friendly to the point of ridiculousness here. That's wonderful and all that but remember that the reason you're at FR is to focus on YOURSELF. I didn't always have someone to talk to or anything enlightening to say to the people that I sat with but I kept reminding myself that I was here to better myself and my life. It's not a popularity contest. You will be on your own sometimes with no one to talk to or walk with but that's not the focus. Don't let it get you down.

People are all trying to establish their niche or form cliques or whatever. I mean, it's natural human instinct to want to have friends but don't let it stress you out. You will make friends... and if you don't make 'em,  who cares? You've taken the time and made the effort to come to FR to change YOUR life. As I said earlier, almost everyone here is friendly. No one is going to be outwardly mean to you. Some people are quieter than others and some people are nicer than others. It's important for you to take this time to better youself. You gotta do You!

* Updated with videos!

Setting off on 1st Hike: Anasazi Ridge II

Anasazi Ridge II: Petroglyphs

Anasazi Ridge II: OMG Face

Anasazi Ridge II: Panting

Anasazi Ridge II: Panting Continued...

Anasazi Ridge II: Still Panting...

Anasazi Ridge II: On the Way Down