4:17am - Utah
Hello Fitness Ridge! (picture is the view from my window)
After a pleasantly bumpy but beautiful flight, I landed in a beautiful area that is surrounded with majestic red mountains. Wow! The landing was a surprise because we flew into what seemed like an alley created by beautiful ridges - Green on one side, brownish- red on the other. It was a small plane with propellers..... I like bumpy rides.
I met my first friend, Sue, as we waited by the curb for the van to collect us. It's a brisk and cool 40-50 something degrees. Nice. The high for most of this week will be 50 something. I can live with that.
After a weigh-in and measurement session, we met (one-on-one) with a very tall lady, an exercise person (tech name, I forget at 4 am) We discussed what kind of exercise I usually do (I walk Zoe up a steep hill regularly and do Pilates 1 -X per week) and then she assigned me to a group. I'm in Sue's group. She's from Chicago and she laughs at all my jokes. We will get along great! Each person gets a schedule of what they're supposed to do. I looked at it and I will literally be exercising all day. If I keep to the schedule they've given me, I'll get a tee shirt at the end of the week (I want that tee shirt) If I don't keep to the schedule, Danae says they will 'KNOW it' (just like Santa knows when you're bad) and will find you.
Then we went to dinner. Wow! It was fabulous! It started w/ us getting our own salad. Then they gave us a huge bowl of whole wheat pasta with fresh vegetables, turkey (ground) and many interesting spices. I couldn't eat it all and now at 4 am, I'm still not hungry. Afterwards we had a little serving of chocolate pudding made with soy milk (I guess) and graham cracker crumbs. It was okay but not really my cup of tea. We then remained seated while every single diner (about 55) stood up, said where they're from and what brought them there.
"My name is Becky. I'm originally from SC but have lived in Asia for many years. I'm here for a month. I want to kick-start weight loss for myself and also I'd like to see exactly what I'm capable of where exercise is concerned. I'd like to learn more about what I should be doing, and I thought I could learn all that here."
What I didn't tell them - my father passed away last July and in his will, he left money for me and my 3 sisters. After debating on how I should use it in a way that would honor him and his gift, I decided that working on improving my life by learning to care for myself better - which would impact my next 50 years (I'm 48.8)...... would make him happy. He wanted me to be happy - that I know. I had a daddy moment at the airport when I was at the baggage carousel. I've never cried at the baggage carousel before... and I managed to escape tears then, but I'm certainly having a daddy moment now.
I also didn't tell them that I have been working hard at losing weight for a couple of months and have gotten to a place psychologically where I'm ready to not be fat anymore. I, for the first time in my life, I don't feel like going into the intricate details of the misery that extra weight brings..... I just want to get rid of it. I've been through a lot of sad times in the past year (08 sucked) and it has made me learn so much while experiencing one epiphany after another. I'm so intent on losing weight and feel so different from the past. The funniest thing is that in my mind, I'm not seeing myself as fat anymore. That is new and a major deal I think. The other funny thing is that I walk around now, not feeling fat, or ashamed... then I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror or a reflection and I'm startled to find that "Damn! I'm still fat"....
Soon my vision in my mind is what will be reflected in windows, mirrors and my shadow on the street. :-)
After dinner and orientation (by Danae, who after hearing us speak, went around the room and named EACH PERSON THERE OFF THE TOP OF HER HEAD!) I hope she got that brain power from eating the food here. Then Sue and I went to the FR shop and bought a Polar heart rate monitor so we really will work hard and efficiently, + blister-proof socks and I also bought a 'camel back' backpack which holds 1.5 litres of water. That'll see me through the daily hikes here, I'm sure.
Today (in 45 minutes) I will do this:
6am - Intro to Circuit
7am -breakfast
8am - hike
10:30am - stretch
11:15am - Pool or Yogalates
12:15 - lunch
1:15 Budget lecture (budgeting calories)
1:45 - open gym
2:30 - Circuit training
3:30 - Budget workshop
5:00 - Dinner
6:15 - Tai chi or lecture 'Spending your choices wisely'
7:00 - multiple choice: commit suicide, homicide, wonder what the hell I came here for, take a hot bath and sleep with or without the aid of sleeping pills.
I'm a little run down because I developed chest infection right before leaving HK but I'm taking antibiotics and have some things to aid me. . . . . I have lots of support from friends all over and family... and my husband back home in Hong Kong.
We'll see.
:-)
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