Wednesday

Some thoughts since I got back from Fat Camp . . 

It’s harder on the outside. Weight loss is much easier in a protected environment. I’m too vulnerable to outside influences (clocks – if  it’s noon, I want food, signs  ---“CHICAGO DOG COMBO $3.95” can make me want a rotten hot dog, even at 8:00 a.m., commercials. Thank goodness McDonalds is flattened, so I don’t have to battle my drive-through breakfast habit). I’m not sure how to start paying more attention to my own body than the outside influences.  Definitely something for me to work on. 

There were a few ladies at Fat Camp that I wondered why they were there. They looked to be in terrific shape, strong and athletic, one had a tiny little belly, and the other was dissatisfied with her thighs.  I would trade them in seconds! I doubt that they would trade me though . . . . lol. I think there are very few women out there, and I mean in the world, not at Fat Camp, who are satisfied with their bodies. For the follow-up assessments, where you get weighed and measured again, one lady told me the first time she had a follow-up she was in the bathroom stall, weeping and shaking, she was so nervous. That bugs me that any woman would feel that stressed out over a scale and a tape measure.

I see clients at work battling addictions, and I’m glad food is legal. If it was illegal and expensive, I’m pretty sure I’d be in prison. Or (this is bad), if I were accepted, in Food Court.

Still no Diet Pepsi. It makes me think of that time I stopped smoking, and then started up again. If I start on the Pepsi again will I sneak it in private at first, then get more blatant about it, flashing a can now and then, and finally just start drinking it in the open, carrying my 12-packs boldly into the office?  For now I’ve started stashing my soda savings in a special fund, possibly for another Fat Camp Adventure!

And finally, POINTS are in, NETFLIX is out! Tuesday is my weigh-in date, just like on The Biggest Loser. 

And when I watch TV at home, no more just lounging around. Until close to bedtime I am sitting on my big red exercise ball “engaging my core”,  lol which is actually quite fun, except, that it terrifies Midge and Finnegan. Probably safer for the cats to keep a safe distance anyways . . . just in case! 

Kay 

Home

Back to real life. Gosh that 9.5 hour drive is long! My first home goals are to eat smaller meals, walk 3 times a week, and cut down on carbs at my evening meal. Baby steps. Oh, and to not spend so much time on the computer! I must cancel my Netflix subscription. Boo hoo.

I wish I had been able to stay at the spa longer. I had no idea how much I would like it and how much fun I would have. And to feel so much better after just one week!

I'm not sure how so many nice people get concentrated in that one area like that. It was incredible.

It's a darn good thing we didn't play that water volleyball earlier in the week, because my shoulder is so sore today I can barely move it! LOL

Not sure if I will keep this blog going or not, maybe I'll post once a week on my quest to be a bigger loser! Thanks for checking in folks!

Kay

Saturday

Saturday there are just classes til noon. It was rainy today, so after breakfast I did several laps indoors to warm up, then did a workout in the gym. Then off to an aqua aerobic circuit, aqua abs (ewww), followed by aqua stretch (ahhhh). Then it was time for my follow-up assessment. I lost 12 pounds and 17.5 inches. Can that really be true? LOL John lost 9 pounds and 7 inches. That felt pretty good. The trainer who does the assessments is named Holly and she is awesome. She lost 100 pounds herself, and now she is a mass of peppy, happy, healthy muscle. 

The trainer who did the aqua stuff today is named Barry and he is great too. I got a little mouthy yesterday. He asked if everyone was coming back to his Free Weight Circuit Class. That was the class I only made it through one circuit and slunked off. LOL  I told him I had successfully repressed that memory and I wasn't coming back. He told me "Don't be a smart ass!" and I had to do extra swimming pool jumping jacks. LOL  It was funny.

Then it was time for lunch. Some Mexican Cheese Pita thing. Probably my least favorite meal here. I couldn't find any cheese! But it filled me up so I'm not going to complain. After lunch I had a ball, playing volleyball in the pool. Six of us had a ball for 2 hours hitting that beach ball. I'm very very sore now though! Then it was rest time. I was tuckered.

Waiting for supper now. Already packed up a bit of stuff and hauled it to the car in preparation for the long drive home tomorrow. We will be leaving right after breakfast, which for me for the past few days has been a hard boiled egg, half a bagel with cream cheese, and fruit. Fills me up here, at home I'd probably eat 2 eggs and a whole bagel.  And no fruit! Weird how it satisfies me here. Tonight is movie and popcorn night, but I'm so tired I'm pretty sure I'll head back after supper to finish packing up. I had forgotten how tired the pool makes me when I actually do more than stand around and drink beer in it!

More reflections on Fat Camp later, but for now I'd just like to say that this has been one of the funnest vacations I've ever had, lots of laughs with new friends Julie, Maureen and Angie. Lots of other terrific people here too, but these are the girls who often sat with us at the "Loud Table in the Corner". LOL

JOHN WINS!

John won the annual karaoke contest! I don't know how he beat me! He won a $30 gift certificate to the general store here. Ever frugal, he found a t-shirt (actually I found it for him), in the 50% bargain basket and picked out a meditation CD. He went to the meditation session here and loved it.

It was a big day here, croutons at lunch and peanut butter cookies at supper! Wow.  What with all the excitement here today, the croutons and such, I never did make it back to the gym. I did however make it to my bed for a nice nap.

I'll leave you with this thought . . . cookies GOOD chafing BAD!

Friday A.M.

John did the hard walk this a.m, 4.5 miles, lots of hills. I have a sore ankle so I did the water walking thing again, followed by an aqua circuit, which was a really good workout, and then aqua stretch. Then sauna (because I was so cold), and I had a upper body workout in mind, but somehow I ended up here in the tv/computer lounge. LOL Oh well. I will get it in this afternoon. Also scheduled for this afternoon is a lecture about taking the program home, which all the repeat visitors (and there are a ton of them!) highly recommend. And another aqua aerobics class, and some aqua games! Woo hoo!

John found a 4-leaf clover on the way  here. Perhaps that will bode well for him in the karaoke competition tonight. There are prizes after all!

I was commenting on my 7 days of no diet Pepsi, a major addiction for me, my last one was at Johns on Friday, and Bettina, this awesome water walker, she can really move, said to me "You know what happens when you drink Pepsi? You get hairy thighs and you don't love the Lord!" LOL  So I best not start up with that again. LOL

Off to lunch and I hear we get fries today, sweet potato fries, and I'm very excited by that! LOL  And catfish! Stop cringing Donna!

Thursday Night

I went back to the gym this afternoon, first for a class called "Lower Body Tubing". I had no idea you could do so many things with that stretchy tubey thing with handles! Wow! Sweated like a horse. Then I stayed again for an "Aerobic Dance Workout" with this terrific trainer named Holly. She is a hoot. And very good at what she does. I'm shaking my head about the aerobic workout. I was pretty sad. But I worked up a good sweat. And had a couple of good giggles at myself in the mirror. That is a really nice thing about this place. Nobody ever makes you feel like a big doof. Everyone is encouraging, friendly and caring. You just do what you can do when you can do it, and feel good about it. Honestly, no one has annoyed me. For those of you who know me, that is miraculous!

After the aerobic thing there was another class with that big ball. I got the heck out of there and went back to the pool for a couple of more sessions, one was the aqua aerobic class, and gosh I was surprised at the workout it gives you. Then the last class of the day was aqua stretching. That felt really good and there were noodles. Always a good thing. And speaking of noodles we had some for lunch too! Woo hoo.

The temperature really took a nosedive here today, so after the pool (brrr I was cold), I went to the sauna, and I did not have a hot flash. Whew! I guess it may get down in the 20's tonight.

Had a dish called "Turkey Pot Roast with Roasted Root Vegetables" for dinner, yummmmo! Somehow the genious kitchen staff made a dish out of turkey that looked like pot roast, and wow, was it tasty. All the food has been tasty, though I must admit I'm getting tired of salad. Tonight in my salad bowl I put a few radishes and some chunks of honeydew melon and cantaloupe. Weird, even for me!

And go figure, karaoke without beer is possible! Weird weird weird. John is quite the ham. And actually quite good at karaoke! I had a pretty good night tonight too, we were singing and John said "You are in tune tonight . . . do you want to hold the mike?" Hahahaha I sang two of my best "boy I sound good when I sing this song in the car and/or shower", I Think We're Alone Now, and Dizzy. LOL

Bedtime. And I have to go out in the cold to get back to my room. When I checked weather for this week, it did not say anything about 20's! LOL

Kay

Thursday A.M.

Instead of the land walk, which was all to be on the highway (yucko-very hard on my bad knee), I did the water walking, followed by an aqua aerobics class, followed by a stretching class in the water. It really surprised me what a good workout it was. Then I did some hot tub and sauna (ahhhh that felt so good), and had some down-time, due to misreading the schedule. I swear I did not misread it on purpose! LOL

John continued with the land walk today, he is doing great with it. Big hills  here, and he stays right with the leader. When I walk, I can sometimes spot them in the distance!  He's limping a little from a blister, and has a very sore tricep from the free weight circuit yesterday. The trainer wanted John to "GIVE ME FIVE MORE" push-ups, and John did it. Yikes. Lots of pressure, if he didn't get them done he would hold everybody back at their station, and believe me, mostly what is on your mind during that class is getting the hell away from the station you are on! I only made it through one round, but I was proud of myself for getting all the way around once, even if half-assedly (is that a word?).

John had a delicious tofu lunch yesterday (I tasted it, it was really good), but I guess tofu is gassy, because he tooted later during Pilates. When he apologized he was told that the farter never acknowledges, it's just a fact of Pilates! LOLOL  Whew, glad I skipped that class. He is one of 3 male guests in with quite a few middle aged ladies! There are some younger girls here too, but the majority are middle aged. At first he feared he was the only guy! LOL  And he had a great time last night at karaoke. I personally cannot imagine karaoke without beer . . . I'm trying . . .still can't do it.

I'm getting back to the gym this afternoon for lots of fun stuff. LOL

Kay

Wednesday Night

Well the rest of the day was rough too. An upper body pyramid class (had I known what that meant, I would not have gone), followed by some class with a razzle dazzle name that I can't remember, some sort of aerobic workout with weights and a step and a big ball. Yikes! I skipped out on the next class (Pilates), and went to the hot tub. Then it was into the pool for some aqua aerobic fun, and after that aqua stretch. A full day, to be sure.

Supper was a chicken breast (I'm not sure where they got such a small boobed chicken lol), with sauce, and some steamed veggies. It was very tasty. John had the vegetarian dinner, and it was delicious. Even though mine was very good, I had a bit of dinner plate envy.

Surprisingly I'm not hungry, even though the portions are small. The salad bar with lunch and dinner helps, as does the fruit bar at breakfast. Those "extras" are not included in the 1200-1400 calories per day. I guess all the familiar cues that make me eat mindlessly are absent. Plus there is no food to be had unless you walk to the dining hall and get at the snacks in the mini refrigerator. And with all the classes, who has time for that! And I have way less time to think about food now that I'm not sitting on my butt for hours and hours each day.

The people here are very  nice, guests and staff. I really like it. If any of my friends would like to come, they have a quad! Would be just like when we would go to all those softball tourneys! Well, without the food and beer of course. And salt and ketchup. What fun! Let me know! LOL

It's 7:00 and I'm fighting to stay awake.

Night.

Kay

ABTs

Just a short note for now . . . ABT class stands for Abs, Butt and Thighs. Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. After my four mile walk, and an aqua abs class, and an aqua stretch class, I go to this class called ABTs. Wicked. I got noodle legs---bad! And I rested a lot! Then I decided to stay for a "Free Weight Circuit". I did one round, the others are doing 2 rounds, good for them! I'm afraid to look at the schedule for this afternoon. Maybe I'll write more tonight . . . if I don't go to karaoke. I hear there are prizes. I bet if I try it, they'll give me a prize just to shut me up! LOL

Kay

Tuesday

Breakfast.

After breakfast, a walk. They add on a half mile every day. Except our kid today didn't add right, so he added on a whole mile lol, so we did 3 miles. Three miles here is way different than my putzing along on the nice, flat towpath back home!

Then aerobics in the pool (noodles!). First time I have had a noodle in my hand without a beer . . .

Then a stretching class.

Salsa Aerobics (oh my God! I so sucked at that! LOL I got no rhythm folks).

Something ball class. Like the big balls you sit on and fall off of.

Lunch! I was extremely tired and fatigued.

Upper body tubing class.

Then a nutrition class (whew got to sit! lol and not on a ball!).  John did an outdoor circuit class while I was at nutrition class. Thank God I didn't go to that! Sounds rough rough rough. Running up hills with weights, and doing exercises. Maybe 20 years and 100 pounds ago I could have done that! Maybe . . .

Aquabell intervals in pool.

Aquastretch.

Then I just floated around in the pool and then went to hot tub. Now I've showered and am ready for dinner, which is tilapia. I'm starving!

And then the evening activity is BINGO! Yahoooooo!

The people here are so nice. Everyone is surprised that we are only staying a week. Some people stay for months or weeks! And so many of the people have been here before, and come back year after year. Some of them come back often every year.

I'm not as sore as I thought I would be, thank God!

Dinner is ready, then B I N G O! LOL

Kay

Arrival and Day One

Ok. I'm still alive, but I've been so busy! I have to go to a separate building to get internet, and it's pokey dial-up, because we are way out in the sticks.

So we got to Fat Camp yesterday afternoon, and went for our fitness assessment. Flexibility, weigh-in, measurements. ARGHHHHHHHHHH And that's all I have to say about that.

Accommodations are not fancy at all, very plain, And there is a hill and steps leading up to the rooms. That is just mean! But none of it matters (well the steps sort of), because there is no time to spend in your room!

This was our schedule for today:

Breakfast at 6:45 (scrambled eggs, half an English muffin, And there is a fruit bar. No salt! No ketchup! Yogurt and fresh fruit)

Healthy On Your Feet Lecture at 7:45 (how to power walk!)

Walk Warm-up and Walk at 8:00 (and they haul ass people. I was in the slow group and I was pokey pokey pokey!).

Weight Machines 101 at 9:30

Pilates at 10:15

Free Weight Intervals at 10:45

Stretching at 11:30

Lunch at Noon (Salad bar with all meals, just raw veggies and fat free dressings and hard boiled egg whites. Where are those damn yolks!?) - Stuffed chicken breast and steamed veggies. Dessert was some sort of frozen yogurt and cream cheese thing that I would never eat anywhere else, but it tasted great here.

A tour of the Natural Bridge at 1:15 (lovely)

Upper body weight workout at 2:30

Aqua Aerobics at 3:30 (freakishly fun!)

Aqua Stretch at 4:15

Hot tub! (Not on schedule lol)

Dinner at 6:00 (Salad Bar, Citrus Glazed Pork Chop, brussells sprouts and apples, and a wee bit of corn on cob). Dessert was angel food cake with something cold in it. It was good, I just don't know what it was.

I'm exhausted. And I guess I have to do it again tomorrow! At least I have another 1200-1400 calories to look forward to! Whoopee

And I'm hiding out here, on internet, and missing Belly Dancing Class, an optional evening activity.

I'm going to go ice my feet, they are on fire! And I haven't had a Diet Pepsi for 3 days! Grrrrrrrrrrr.

Kay

On My Way

About to hit the road. John has kindly shared his morning smoothie with me (banana, blueberries, strawberries, huge handful of kale, sprouts, flax seed, hemp seed, pepitas, chlorella, Greens Plus, cinnamon, cocoa nibs, maca, a blood orange, lemon juice, almond milk). See what happens when someone watches the Vita-Mix informercial one too many times!  And is trying to clean his fridge out for vacation! As soon as I choke this sucker down we are leaving. If it had beer in it I think it would be better.

Friday Night

Leaving tomorrow. I'm a trifle nervous. Or maybe I should say a truffle nervous, because I got the most delicious candy bar in the mail today,a reward for taking an online survey, a San Juan Sea Salt Truffle Bar from Seattle Chocolates. Good thing it came before fat camp, because after fat camp I'm sure I'll have no interest in really yummy chocolate bars. I'll probably want some broccoli or something else cruciferous. 

I looked at the website again and see that we will be greeted with a fitness assessment. I wonder if it's possible to flunk that . . . ? And what the hell is it? I'm looking forward to meeting Bob and Jillian and the other contestants.

We are staying in Metropolis, IL on the way down. There is a giant Superman statue there. I'm gonna go see it again.

Snack time! Ha ha just kidding. See you next time from Fat Camp.

Kay

One Week Countdown by Kay

Leaving for Fat Camp (aka as the Tennessee Fitness Spa) in one week. I've been calling it Fat Camp for so long that it never occurred to me that there might not be other big fatties there. John pointed out that it is a "spa" and suggested that we might be the only obese people there. Thanks John! I think I preferred my visions of summer camp for fat people.

John has been doing some yoga and exercising to get ready for Fat Camp, though he did acknowledge that he probably could not "cram" to get ready for Fat Camp. LOL


My own preparations have included . . . 


1. Worrying about my wardrobe (will I be able to keep my belly covered during yoga class?)

2. Vocalizing my fears about cramping up like I did after that hike at Pere Marquette to Donna (ouch ouch ouch and !#@#$%^&).

3. Looking at a confusing array of supplements to help prevent said cramping at Walgreens. I was so confused by the supplements I ended up in the candy aisle, to use to my BOGO Mini Peanut Butter Cup coupon. And then at the counter I snuck in a couple Bun Bars. I think Donna saw them though.

4. Buying a Kettlebell and doing the workout DVD one time. 


I vow that I will not sneak in fat, calories, hydrogenated oils or artificial sweeteners to Fat Camp. A week of limited calories and lots of physical activities will do me a world of good. A world!


Kay . . . "Says here that the meals total from 1200 to 1400 calories a day."


John . . . "What! F***! That is a meal! Not a day!"



Here is link if you want to check it out . . . http://tfspa.com/

Kay's Mom . . . "Do you have to have a physical before you go on vacation?"


Kay . . . "Why!? Do you think I'm going to have a heart attack or something!?"

Mom  . . . "Nooooo . . . " (dubiously with nervous laughter).