26 Days Later

Well, here I am nearing a full month after leaving Fitness Ridge and I've been successful in maintaining the lifestyle of constant movement while consuming about 1200 calories a day. I'm down a total of sixteen pounds and two sizes, back to the size 6 I missed so much. It's absolutely amazing the change in your attitude when you like what you see in the mirror, someone who can set a goal and reach beyond it. Another amazing improvement has been in my cardio strength, allowing me to push myself and be pushed by my trainer, far beyond what I could have ever imagined prior to experiencing Fitness Ridge. It's amazing what can happen when you listen to your body and not to your negative self-speak. I'm looking forward to seeing how much farther I can push myself and what areas of my life I can improve by shutting out the negative talk.

I continue to stay in touch with the friends I made, I miss them all, and look forward to meeting up with them again somewhere, sometime in the years to come. We all have our lives to get back to, but we all created some great memories at that little spa in Ivins, Utah.

My October First

When Greg and I made our New Year’s resolution to experience something new each month, we knew we had our work cut out for us. It would prove to be difficult some months, but here we are in October and we’ve been able to keep our promise thus far. Needless to say, attending Fitness Ridge was a first for me, but little did I know it would lead to other firsts. After experiencing the rigorous training schedule, which I have managed to maintain on a less frequent schedule, I found myself needing a goal to work towards in order to keep myself motivated. Maintaining a sensible approach, I decided to start with something small, my first 5k run.

Our son, Drew, attends High Point University in High Point, Carolina, located on a beautiful campus in an area that actually experiences the four seasons, quite unlike the Houston area, which has only summer and August. The university hosts a Family/Alumni weekend each October, including a 5k, which I thought would be the perfect place for my first run. Coming off of two weeks at Fitness Ridge, followed by two weeks of cardio and weight training, each at three times a week, I knew I could handle the run, but I had no idea what to expect for my pace. Blessed with perfect weather in the low 60’s, I set out at a steady pace and was able to finish in thirty-seven minutes, which I was very happy with. Never in my life would I have dreamed that I would be running in a 5k, but here I am actually finishing my first. Having a goal of improving my time keeps me motivated to continue training, while the actual run provides the competition I need to keep it interesting.

Thank you Fitness Ridge for providing the foundation I needed to improve my fitness level, resulting in a better and longer life.

My Day of Rest

Trying to maintain the philosophy of Fitness Ridge (minus the full day of exercising), my Sundays have been designated as a day of rest. We trekked our way to HEB (this is fun for us, not work) for our weekly grocery shopping expedition and then headed off to Sunday service. I spent the afternoon, actually it was only two hours, preparing meals for the week. Choosing some of my favorite meals, I made the Turkey Meatloaf, Stuffed Chicken Breast, and a repeat performance of the Salmon Burgers. Alternating between these three entrees, as well as an occasional Havarti grilled cheese or BBQ Turkey Breast, makes for a much less stressful week.

I'll continue "my day of rest" with some minor housework until dinnertime arrives and hopefully have a few moments of peace before it's time to call it a day.

Sashimi and Three Pounds

I've been home from Fitness Ridge now for a week, back to my daily grind and evening workouts. We joined friends last night at Sushi Hana, our local favorite, for an evening of fun and unwinding from the week. My menu choice is now sashimi, unsalted edamame, and seaweed salad, a far cry from my old favorite of a sushi roll made with tempura shrimp and panko crumbs. Cutting down on the salt intake has eliminated the puffy hands and face I became accustomed to seeing every Saturday morning after our Friday night sushi (not a pretty picture).

Using the knowledge I gained from "two weeks at camp", as well as including more cardio in my regimen, I succeeded in losing another three pounds this week. One of the landmark events this week was being able to wear one of my blouses that I hadn't been able to fit into for some time. My next goal is to decrease a size in pants so I can wear the clothes I already own. It's so much cheaper to go shopping in your own closet.

My cardio of choice during the week has been cycling in the neighborhood, but now it's time to get serious. Armed with a printout of the Cardio Interval routine, my plan is to hit Lifetime Fitness this morning with gusto, push my limit for an hour, and head to the grocery store to stock up for this week's menu choices.

Back In The Swing

Monday, September 21, 2009

Sheer exhaustion has set in. Greg and I spent the afternoon preparing the Barbecued Chicken, Tuna Salad, and Salmon Patties, all of which turned out just as tasty as they were on the compound. There are many more recipes to try and I'm looking forward to all of them. If they turn out better than expected, I just might share a few with my support group.

Training with Chris tonight, as usual, but with much more drive than before. Now I know what I'm capable of and can push myself to reach new goals. Maintaining a diet of 1200 to 1300 calories and adding more cardio to my regimen will help me back into my size 6 clothes. I'd like to be there in four weeks...I'll keep you posted.

Homeward Bound

Sunday, September 20, 2009

I find myself at McCarren Airport with an empty stomach and an hour to kill before my flight boards. Starbucks seems like a reasonable choice, offering oatmeal and fresh fruit, so I make my way towards the counter. I'm standing behind what appears to be a Japanese tourist who knows little English other than "cafe latte" and "ice". Who knew Berlitz offered a course in Starbucks! The breakfast was perfect and thank goodness I was being good, I ran into Dana, a fellow guest from Fitness Ridge, and we both commented that Starbucks offered the best option for staying on our plan. She said she'd hate for me to have seen her with a Big Mac for breakfast instead of the yogurt she opted for.

After what seems like forever, I'm finally home. I missed my sweetheart so much and Cooper and Lacy were ecstatic to see me. I loved the Facebook messages from Liz, Deb and Elizabeth, your support really helped me to get through a very tough two weeks.

My first stop was for a mani/pedi, which I so desperately needed. After two arduous weeks at Fitness Ridge, I felt the need to be pampered.

Cheers

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Well, it has arrived...my final day here at Fitness Ridge. With no 6:00 a.m. class this morning, the first item on my agenda is my Test Out (weight, measurements, and body fat percentage). In order to put into perspective the sweat and tears (no blood, thankfully) I've spent these past two weeks, I feel compelled to share my final results:

Weight Lost.......7 pounds
Inches Lost........8 inches total (6 measurements)
Body Fat............4.3% decrease
BMI.....................1.1 decrease

My original goal was to lose ten pounds, but I couldn't be happier knowing I feel more fit than ever and am capable of pushing myself far beyond my own expectations.

While I thought the Stop Sign Hike (I set my final record today at 1:14:09) was the most difficult part of the Fitness Ridge experience, saying good-bye to so many new friends was harder than I expected.

Fitness Ridge - Micheline, John, Sharon, Tiffany and Robin are amazing! They all have a great spirit for teaching and the compassion we need to push us along. Your personalized service means so much to those of us who are susceptible to being homesick. As the song says,

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.

Jane - one of my shuttle buddies, I wish you the best during your four week stay, as well as once you leave and begin the next exciting chapter in your life. You are about to embark on an adventure many people only dream of. Godspeed in your journey.

Dana - another one of my shuttle buddies, when Sharon asked you for more, you didn't hesitate to tell her you had no more to give, thank you for your honesty. There were times when I had no more to give halfway through the Stop Sign hike. I'll also enjoy the memory of when you told me your heart rate monitor told you to lie down and rest.

Beth - It was a pleasure to meet you and somehow I know we'll cross paths again in Houston. It really is a small world.

Pam - I wish you the very best for the remainder of your stay and beyond. Keep up the good fight and continue to set those records.

Susan and Brad - Susan, thank you for being a constant meal companion. I wish you the best in your new job. Brad, thank you for waiting on me during the final ascent of Stop Sign. You are a very kind young man and your parents should be very proud of you.

Jill, Karen and Loretta - Thank you for allowing me to join you for Aida, you were all great theater companions. It was the most amazing performance I've ever seen and will always be one of my favorite memories of my time at Fitness Ridge. Karen, look for an email from me when we visit Maui.

Jim and James - Thank you both for setting the pace and giving me the goal to catch up with you. The end always seems closer when you see someone else cross the finish line.

Doug - Thank you for giving me a reason to smile so many times. You are an absolute pleasure to be around and I look forward to seeing you again next year when we visit the D.C. area.

Daniella - Thank you for the push in Circuit Training...a bit of friendly competition can go a long way in pushing you beyond your known limits. I wish you the best in your move to California and the adventures that await you. You have a bright future ahead of you.

Karen - My Vegas roomie. Thank for making the hikes more tolerable with conversation, it took my mind off the pain. Your narrative during the Vegas skank walk will be one of my favorite memories. I would have paid the $30.00 I lost in slots just to sit there and watch the parade go by. Do those girls even have mothers?

Marcus and Sandie - I only wish I had met you during the first week and spent more time with both of you. You are amazing! I hope that my son and I are able to enjoy vacations together in future years like you do. Thank you again for allowing me to join you in Vegas...I had a great time.

Marcus, once I get over the fact that you're my brother's twin, I will never forget the monumental sacrifice I made of giving you my chocolate-covered strawberries. In turn, I will be expecting a list of wineries for my son's 21st birthday trip we're planning to California in 2011. Keep up the good fight, I know you'll have amazing results.

Sandie, thank you for sharing mother talk on our hikes. You are an absolute pleasure to spend time with and I look forward to seeing you when we visit California next summer. Let me know when you reach your goal, it's not that far away (unless you've already met it).

Until we all meet again, hopefully not at Fitness Ridge (unless we are back to break the 37 minute record on Stop Sign), I wish you all the very best in your journeys and may God bless you beyond your wildest dreams. Know your own strength and refuse to be broken.

We set off on our road trip to Vegas, calculating the daily caloric intake and expenditure it would take to lose another ten pounds. What happened to playing "I Spy"? I emailed a grocery list to Greg to stock us up for the week (Vegenaise is not so easy to find), most of which he was able to locate at HEB.

We make it to Sin City, settle in at the Hilton and after losing $30.00 at slots and watching the skank parade at the MGM Grand before the big fight, I turned in for the night at 9:30 and set my alarm for 6:15 a.m., knowing home was just around the corner.