Day 233 - Checking Into the Biggest Loser Resort Niagara!

Well, today is the day!  I was planning on sleeping in this morning and then slowly driving the last 90 minutes to get to the resort in time for a 1:00 check in.  But, at 6:18 my eyes popped open and I was awake.  I couldn’t sit still so I decided to just get in the car and take my chances arriving early.  Fortunately, my room was ready and they let me check in early (around noon).  I was so happy. 

The first thing I did was unpack and get comfy in the room.  I set up my contraband coffee pot and started to calm down a little.  I took a couple pictures and skyped with Steve and Michael.  I have almost no phone signal here, so I won’t be making many phone calls.  But, the room is nice and everyone seems friendly, so that’s a great thing.

 

 

 

Once it was actually time to check in, I was able to do the full check in process for the program.  They weighed me on a high tech scale that measures weight, body fat, hydration, etc.  I’m not sure how much I trust the numbers.  I mean, I know the weight is accurate, but the rest, I’m not going to lose sleep over.  They also took measurements.  It will be great to see how I compare after the week.

After the weigh-in, I met with the nutritionist to go over my menu plan for the week.  They are great about food allergies!  When I made my reservation, they noted my allergies in the record, and my menu was all marked up to take them into account.  The great thing is, they are pretty much gluten free here, with the exception of the box lunch they give you on Sunday for lunch.  That makes me feel a lot better.

Next up was a quick tour of the campus.  It wasn’t the greatest tour in the world.  The sidewalks are all snowy and a little slippery, so it was a little nerve-wracking for me.  I know, it’s winter in Niagara.  I’m hoping that it’s a little less slippery tomorrow.  But, we did see the conference building, the gym, the fitness studio, and looked in the windows at the pool.  The pool is closed on Sundays, so we couldn’t go in.  Other than that, it was a pretty standard tour.

Next, we hung out in the lobby area and got to know each other a bit.  It was nice to talk with others, see what their journey is like, and make new friends.  It looks like there are only two ladies who stayed over from last week, and all but two of those starting this week are here for just one week.  So, we have a lot in common!

Dinner was actually really good.  They have a tiny salad bar with tiny plates and tiny little cups of dressing.  But, the food was really good.  There was even an oatmeal type bar for dessert.  I’m really relieved that they are great about food allergies.  It was nice to just enjoy the meal and not worry about if it would make me sick!

After dinner was an orientation session.  First we had an icebreaker activity in the lobby, and then went into the lecture hall for the presentation.  It was a slide show that told about the resort, it’s mission, etc.  It did answer a lot of questions, and I’m really excited for the week ahead.  Well, not so excited about the 5:15 wake up call.  But, I’m sure I’ll be fine.

I only took pictures of the welcome sign and the room today because it was so wet and snowy today.  Tomorrow, if it’s nice, I’ll take more pictures of the buildings and the main lobby.  It really is a beautiful location.

Day 231 - Packing to Go!

Excitement and anticipation have officially taken over.  I am almost packed and ready to get in the car tomorrow.  I can’t believe I am actually doing this!

But, I still need to report on today.  I was so sore today from my workout last night.  My thighs, my shoulders, even my abs have been complaining today.  But, not my knees.  I am so thankful for that.  I really, really love that the trainer knows how to give me an excellent workout without causing any damage to my knees, at all.  If anything, all the squats should make them stronger.

Since I was so sore, and because work was absolutely nuts today (it always is, right before you take off), I ended up only doing an hour and a half of exercise.  But, it was definitely time well spent.  I found some charcoal bamboo socks that I wanted to try out, so I used them and did a half hour on the elliptical.  Usually, by 20 minutes in, my feet are burning.  Today, I did the 30 minutes and my feet were fine.  It was great.  Then, I went to yoga tonight.  You all know how much I love my Friday night yoga class.  It really helped to end the week and get me started on this new adventure.

The best part of the day was just realizing that this is actually happening.  I am actually going on a fitness vacation.  I am not sure what I expect as far as the scale goes.  But, I do expect to push myself during the workouts, and to learn a lot.  I am hoping to really jump start the next phase of this journey.  Oh, and the other best part was realizing how much my husband loves me.  He made sure to get the car serviced before I left, and has been running around all day making sure I have everything I could possibly need.  When he found out the car needed new struts, they were done.  He says he doesn’t want to give me any excuses to not come back.  I feel very loved.  And excited.

Day 230 - Bursting with Excitement!

Today was another great day.  I went back to the doctor and he saw some measurable improvement.  My pupil response is much better, and the same in both eyes.  That’s a great thing.  He was really happy when I told him that I wasn’t getting as cold after my workouts.  Overall, it seems like my adrenals are starting to function better. My reflexes are still really bad, but they will get there.  Hopefully, my thyroid will be next on the road to healing. 

After the doctor, I went straight to the gym for a personal training session.  It was fabulous!  Because the workout is different than what I am used to, I was really able to see things that I just hadn’t noticed before.  I can kick my leg a LOT higher than I thought I could.  Sitting on a stretch bench, I can stretch my hamstrings a lot further than I can when sitting (and my belly gets in the way.)  These are little things, but really make me realize that all my hard work really is paying off.  I might not see the gains I expect to see, but I am improving.

Even better was the fact that I was stronger than you would think just looking at me.  I was able to do three sets of squat rows, some lunge/chest press combinations, and even a kettle bell/squat exercise.  I love surprising myself by doing more than I think I can!  Even those painful looking ropes you see on TV?  I did those!  Just in four 15 second bursts, but I did them!  I am so proud of myself tonight.

But, the best part is that I really feel like I am ready to go to the Biggest Loser Resort this weekend.  My knee is feeling fine, even after the workout.  Mentally and physically, I feel strong.  I just have this feeling that I can do this, and I will do better than I hope.  Now, it might sound like I am putting unreasonable expectations on myself and this one week vacation.  That’s not it at all.  I feel like I am finally giving myself credit for all this work so far, and acknowledging that it’s working.  Have I mentioned, I feel amazing?

Day 229 - Worried about my knee

I’m a little bit worried tonight.  My knee has been acting up on me all week, and I really can’t afford to have knee problems next week.  So, for the rest of the week, I am going to be very, very careful with it.

That said, today I did a cardio max dvd that was really great.  Then, I went to yoga class tonight.  It was the yoga that did me in.  But, both were really fun, and I know I burned a ton of calories.  So, tomorrow I will be careful and hope to be back to pain free before I go. 

The best part of the day was realizing that I could do the whole DVD.  It was pretty hard, but I did it.  I had to modify a lot, but that’s OK.  Back when I first started, I would have pooped out in the first fifteen minutes.  So, I am really, really proud of myself tonight.

Day 228 - Resting, Recovering, and Looking Forward

I don't have a lot to say tonight.  I'm really sore from yesterday's workouts, and really tired from a long day at work.  I am going to keep this brief and then get to bed early tonight.

The best part of the day was a surprise.  I had put four biggest loser DVDs on reserve at the library, and was able to pick them all up tonight after work.  I didn't have the energy to do them tonight, but I will definitely be trying at least two of them out tomorrow.  The closer I get to my time at the resort, the more excited I get.  So, I am counting tomorrow as a preview!

Day 227 - My Cousin is Back!!!

Today was a great day.  My cousin was able to come to the gym tonight, and it was great to have her company for both classes tonight.  And, both classes were really, really good.  I am definitely going to feel it tomorrow though.

The interesting thing is this:  for as long as I can remember, I come home from the gym and I’m freezing.  To the point that I huddle under a blanket and wait for the sauna to heat up.  Tonight, I’m not cold.  I’m not warm, but I’m not cold.  I didn’t even think about getting out the blanket.  Steve thinks that this could mean that all the detox is working, and that my thyroid might be starting to work again.  I don’t want to get my hopes up too high, but it’s definitely a good sign!

The best part of the day had to be when I saw Jeannie walk into the classroom tonight.  It’s just such a good feeling to work out with a good friend.  I’m glad she’s such a terrific Mom and is able to take her kids everywhere they need to go, but I’m selfish enough to really love when she can make it to the gym, too.

Day 226 - Week 32 Results

This week has been a bit of a disappointment.  I’m actually up a pound this week.  Still, I’m down 49 pounds overall.  I know I will get there, and I know that plateaus happen.  I just have never been good at being patient.  So, here is this week’s picture.

 

The cool thing is that I was able to take my disappointment on the scale and turn it into two hours on the elliptical.  I had to break it into three sessions, but I burned a total of 1692 calories.  That’s really amazing!  I have pushed myself on the elliptical before, but never for two hours.  In fact, that is the first time I have gotten two hours on the elliptical in one day.  I’m not sure if the extra effort will be enough to move the scale, but at least it’s making me feel like I’m doing something to force the issue.

The joy of the day today was just a simple trip to Whole Foods.  Michael likes to go to the one in Rockville because they have an elevator, and he’s totally obsessed with elevators.  So, we decided to go there this morning.  He was so excited.  But, he managed to keep himself together and have a really successful trip.  I was really proud of him.  And, we bought him a pair of his own yoga socks since he doesn’t like taking his socks off during class. This afternoon, he did a yoga video with his new socks.  He was all smiles, and did a great job.  I love watching him do yoga almost as much as I love doing it with him!