Wendy's "I'm Going to SCOTLAND!!!!" Weight Loss Journey(Scotland Trip Report Pg 10)

[whgrn]

Hi

I'm Wendy, AKA whgrn, and this is my first weight loss journal. Here's a bit of background about me:

I am 47 years old, divorced, with 2 kids (Laura is 12, Danny will be 11 in a month), and the sweetest little doggie on earth, my 11 pound Bichon/Toy Poodle mix named Duke (my son wanted a Rottweiler...).

I would like to lose 66 pounds. I have already lost 18 since mid November when I had hernia surgery. After surgery I tend to lose my appetite for awhile, and wearing a tight abdominal binder hasn't exactly helped it come back! So, 66 to go.

Why do I want to lose weight? Well, aside from the fact that I'm too darn fat, and also out of shape, and need desperately to get healthy, I have a new and improved motivation.

I'm going to SCOTLAND!!!! Yup, after dreaming about it for 25 years, I'm actually DOING it! I leave August 9. I am going to be doing some serious walking over there, so I need to decrease my weight and increase my stamina so that I can enjoy myself! So, this is my motivation. I am going to cut out pictures of men in kilts and put them in and on my fridge, pantry, and anywhere else I might find food!

Now, you have to know that I've basically done every diet known to woman. From Weight Watchers to South Beach to the Rotation Diet to Optifast (twice!). When I topped out at 486 pounds in 2001, I knew I needed some serious help. I had gastric bypass surgery in May 2001, and lost 250 pounds in the next year and a half. Since then, I've kind of played with about 20 or 30 of those, and in the past year I noticed a few more coming back. So it really is time to do something, and NOW!!!

I started last Wednesday, January 2. I never start January 1, don't know why, I just don't. I'm following my own plan right now, but I'll be meeting with a nutritionist next week to get some guidance. So here is my current program:

Breakfast: 2 slices whole grain toast with 1 tsp butter
1 egg
1/2 cup OJ
OR
1 cup oatmeal (made with 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup water)
1 T peanut butter (don't laugh, it's GREAT in oatmeal!)
1/2 cup OJ
OR
3/4 cup Kashi pilaf
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 banana
(I rotate these 3 options)

AM Snack: 1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt with cinnamon and 1/2 pack Stevia
1 T flaxseed

Lunch: one Weight Watchers or Lean Cuisine entree
V-8 juice (I mix the regular and the low salt, about 1/2 and 1/2)

Afternoon Snack One apple
1 slice cheese (I'm probably gonna cut this out)

Dinner: a small portion of whatever we're having (I make alot of food ahead of time and freeze it for the winter--we have Chicken Pot Pie, meatloaf, Borscht, Split Pea soup, tuna noodle casserole, etc.)
a salad with minimal dressing

PM Snack: 1 cup Cheerios with 1/2 cup 1% milk

OK, I know alot of you are wondering why the PM snack? Well, if I don't eat at night, I will wake up at 4 am STARVING. Trust me, it's happened many, many times. Also, I spent 6 weeks in rehab for eating disorders (15 years ago) and we had a 9pm snack each night.

In addition to this "menu", I drink as much water each day as I can, and at least 64 ounces. Today I had about 80.

I also go to the gym 6 days a week (Sundays off..) and walk on the treadmill and use the elliptical trainer. I started slow, due to arthritis. Today I was up to .30 miles at 1.5 MPH, and 11 minutes on the elliptical. I'll increase every other day by .05 miles and 1 minute, until I reach my goal of 2 miles at 1.5 mph, at which time I'll start increasing the speed a bit.

I will be having rotator cuff surgery, probably in February, which may slow me down but not much! Once that heals, I'll be back to working with a trainer who will help me get in shape.

So, that's a little about me. Just getting started, but determined and highly motivated. I joined the Biggest Loser challenge, and I'm doing my very best.

Thanks for checking out my story!

 

[whgrn]

So I hopped up on the scale again this morning, and it still shows just a one pound loss. OK, so it's a start, right?

I took some stool softeners this AM and it helped a little. Hopefully this will take care of THAT problem!

I had an egg on toast for breakfast, my usual yogurt for snack. Lunch was a Lean Cuisine Chicken Fried Rice. I rated it a C--won't get that again! Had an apple for the afternoon snack, and for dinner it was "Taco Tuesday", but I made a taco salad instead, and just a small piece of the bread from last night.

For some reason right now I feel like I am either a) hungry or b) having a bit of indigestion. Not sure which.

I went to the gym today and did .3 miles on the treadmill, and 11 minutes on the elliptical. Tomorrow I go up to .35 miles and 12 minutes. Baby steps!

The weather has been beautiful here the past 2 days--mid 60s in January in NJ!! If it would stay like this, I could walk outside instead of at the gym!

Keeping it going...

 

[whgrn]

It's been another good day. Started out with my kashi breakfast--very filling and yummy. Then I was off the gym: .35 miles on the treadmill and 12 minutes on the elliptical. Kind of stiff today, but I did it. Went home and had a wonderful massage--geeze, I really needed that!!

Lunch was a Lean Cuisine entree--Stuffed Cabbage, one of my favorites. For dinner I went out with DD. I had checked out the menu in advance, so I knew what I would order. I had the Toscana Salad--spinach and mixed greens with pears, goat cheese and dried cranberries, with grilled chicken and their homemade raspberry vinegarette (which was AWESOME!!). I loved this salad! I couldnt' finish the whole thing. I did eat 1.5 small rolls, with no butter, and drank water. Not bad for the first out to eat experience!

About time for my snack, and then I'll be off to bed. Tomorrow is another day!

 

[whgrn]

Another good day! Oatmeal for breakfast, then off to the gym for .35 miles on the treadmill and 12 minutes on the elliptical. Tried a new WW entree for lunch--Mango BBQ Chicken. YUCK!!!!!!! I picked out the chicken and tossed the rest--it was really awful! So I ate 2 pretzel sticks instead. Thankfully my dinner of Spaghetti Pie and salad was very yummy. I was fine with just a small piece of the Spaghetti Pie, and I took just a bite of the yummy Italian bread. I drank over 100 ounces today, and I've been peeing constantly.

Now my baby sister is here staying with me (she lives in Turkey) and I'm SOOOO excited! And Mom is here for tonite and tomorrow night, so it's a real family bonding time.

Off to chat with Mom and Sis...

 

[larry's girl]

Hi, Wendy! Your trip sounds very exciting - I would like to travel overseas some day. I think it is a great motivation for you and I am sure you will do well with your weight loss efforts.

It sounds like you are being careful with your portions, which is a great thing, and getting in the water. I can relate on staying in the bathroom constantly when you get the water in - that happens to me, too - but it is really important for good weight loss results, so keep going with it.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Susan

 

[whgrn]

Started off great with my egg and toast breakfast and a trip to the gym. (.35 miles and 13 minutes). I had my apple for my AM snack because I was on the run with DSis. She bought some sinful chocolate things at the store, and instead of eating a whole one (70 calories) I ate about 1/3 of it (25 calories). It was gross.

Lunch was Weight Watchers Salisbury Steak with Mac and Cheese. Always a good one.

I stopped by the office where I used to work to pick up a prescription for me (it's a pediatric office) for a new CPAP machine. My sister had gotten one, and where my current one is about 10-12 pounds, her is less than 3. GREAT for travel--and I do alot of travelling. So I wanted to order one to replace my big clunker. I had called my doctor and she wasn't available, and I wanted to get this ordered ASAP so it would get here before I go to Canyon Ranch next week. Therefore, I called my old boss (and good friend) to ask for it. No problem. They tried to fax it for me, but it wouldn't go through, so I had to go pick it up.

So, as I'm leaving the office, she tells me that the other girls who work there (who are the main reason I left) are not happy about the fact that she wrote me this prescription, and that it could get her in trouble, etc. HUH??? She does it for them all the time! OK, it's for medication instead of a CPAP machine, but what's the difference? It isn't going through my insurance, so the only people who will see it are the people at the CPAP place, and it's not like its for something new, it's a replacement for something I already have!

Now, she's been telling me stuff like this for several months, about "the girls" having a problem with this or that that I do or don't do. NOT that I've done anything wrong here. (I really haven't!) So, I've often wondered, if they say this stuff to her, and she doesn't agree that it's a problem, then, why does she feel the need to tell me about it? It just upsets me, and she knows that. So today, why did she have to tell me about this? Or, is it not 'the girls" who have a problem, but the good doctor herself, and she doesn't feel comfortable telling me herself? Hmmmm. Now, this stuff is the reason I left this job, which I LOVED when it was just me and her, but now I couldn't wait to get out of there. She doesn't seem to GET it that I'm gone. She keeps asking things like "so, is Monday the day you'll be able to help us out each week?" Ummmm, NO, I dont' work there anymore! I told her well over a month ago that I wouldn't be back after Christmas! Now, if she's so upset about me leaving and can't stand to be without me, why is she telling me this stuff that's gotten me so upset I chose to leave??? We've been friends for over 7 years, way before I went to work for her. I don't want to lose her friendship, but this whole thing has me really upset.

OK, enough about that garbage...I took my kids to their cooking class tonite. When they're done, the parents get to taste what they made. I took a tiny taste of the cream of broccoli soup--YUCK! I didnt' even bother to try the cream of potato. They also made cheddar biscuits, which I LOVE, but instead of eating one, or 3, or 10, I took a tiny bite. It was YUMMY! But that was it for me.

Dinner was Turkey Pot Pie (homemade by me...) and I only ate a small piece. That and a salad was plenty. I've gotten in my 64 ounces (actually, that's a pretty low amount for me!) Now as I'm sitting here with DSis, she pulls out a 3 Musketeers Mint bar, something new. I took a miniscule taste, and it was GROSS. So that's basically 4 "tastes" today, which is unusual for me. But at least they were just tiny tastes, not whole snacks! I think I handled the temptation pretty well.

Meanwhile, I've got a killer sinus headache and my kids are driving me nuts. But I got through another day and I'm still on program and that feels good. Maybe I'll go to sleep early tonight....

 

[whgrn]

My sinuses are on the warpath. Woke up with less headache than last night, but still there. I went to the chiropractor for an adjustment and a mini-massage, which helped temporarily, but now I'm back to where I was last night.

I did my usual .4 miles and 14 minutes at the gym. Breakfast was the Kashi/cottage cheese/banana mixture. I didnt' get a morning snack because we were running around (and I ate breakfast late anyway), so I ate my apple for lunch, along with V8 and a LC Lasagna. For dinner I made oven fried chicken--just dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, browned in the pan, and then baked covered with chicken broth. I made couscous and ate 1/2 of it--about 1/4 cup. And a yummy salad--lettuce, tomato, carrots, pepper, a few croutons and about 2 teaspoons of cheese, with ranch dressing.

Tonite the kids were watching the football game and they had crackers and peanut butter out, and it smelled SOOOOOO good! I just got on the computer and did my thing, trying to block out the smell. Thankfully, it was soon time to make dinner, so I was nicely distracted.

Not much else going on. I got in all my water (about 84 ounces plus) and stayed on plan quite nicely. It almost seems too easy. Maybe I'm just really motivated. My BFF commented that I had lost weight and it's noticeable. I can't wait to see what the scale says on Tuesday!!

 

[whgrn]

Today was my off day from the gym (church, you know!) which was good, since I woke up with a sinus headache still throbbing. After church, I came home, ate lunch (LC Chicken Parmesan--pretty good), took a Percocet, and went to bed for a couple of hours. It didn't help.

Around 3:30 I drove to my parents' house, headache and all. (Hey, it hurts just as much at home as it does there, so what's the difference?) We had a nice visit. We went out to dinner. We had decided on Red Lobster, which was good because I am familiar with the menu, so I could plan ahead.

I ordered the Seafood Cesar Salad, with the dressing on the side. It was supposed to have shrimp, lobster, croutons and parmesan cheese, but for some reason they left off the croutons and cheese. This was NOT a bad thing! I asked for only 1/2 the lettuce, since I can never finish these huge salads. There was probably about 3 ounces of meat on it, and I dipped my fork into the dressing and then the salad, so I barely used any of the dressing. I also had ONE of their wonderful cheddar biscuits. (I usually eat 3!) I had ice water with lemon to drink. I was really proud of myself. I really had no interest in eating anything else. My sister even patted me on the back!

I drove home in the rain (yuck), and got home about 2 minutes before my kids. They ran in to tell me that the Giants won the game. YAY!!! Dallas lost!!! (I HATE Dallas, and I DO like the Giants) So that is great news. Now I'm hoping that the rain doesn't turn into the 3-6 inches of snow that is forecast for overnight and tomorrow. I do NOT feel like dealing with a snow day tomorrow. Plus I am supposed to go get fingerprinted at 10 am, and if I cancel, it will cost me $14. I wonder if they make an exception for snow??

The headache has remained all day. DD gave me a wonderful massage of my head and face, which really helped while she was doing it. But as soon as she stopped, the pain returned. So I guess I'll be taking more medicine tonite. I think I'll have to call the Dr. tomorrow to see what's up before I leave for Canyon Ranch. I do NOT want to go away sick!

I got in all my water, and then some. I did not snack on "bad things". I ate breakfast (oatmeal). I did not eat fast food. I also didn't try anything new. Oh well, 4 out of 5 ain't bad!

 

[whgrn]

Not food/exercise bumps, but the ones life throws at you!

Foodwise, the day was uneventful--the usual breakfast and snacks, Lean Cuisine Cheese Lasagna and Chicken Scallopini for lunch (yummy), and a wonderful dinner at home (filet mignon, sweet potato, and salad). I did my .45 miles and 14 minutes at the gym.

The bumps in the road came from 2 areas:
1) the sinus headache/infection is worse than ever, and the pain is horrible. I finally went to the doctor today and she put me on an antibiotic and a new decongestant. I hope they work, I can't stand this pain!! Oh, and the doctor's scale puts me 8 pounds HEAVIER than I was last week at home. (OK, I was fully dressed, had just eaten lunch, and was full of water, so it's probably more like 3, but still...)

2) our Scotland trip became a problem when we found out that the dates we want are unavailable. Nothing even close. So after some major negotiations with the rest of the family, we settled on a date that is 2 weeks earlier. Not the best for any of us--it means my sister will have to go back to Turkey a week before she'd planned to, and it means DS will not be going to Military School as we'd planned. But after many hours of trying to put it all together, DS is signed up for a camp he went to 2 years ago, DSis is working it out, and now I just need to get DD signed up for HER camp. Whew!!! I can't imagine having the whole thing fall apart!

Tomorrow is weigh-in day and I can't wait. I hope and pray the doctor's scale was not a sign of things to come! If there's any justice in the world, I should be down 10 pounds! OK, not realistic, but 5 would be nice, after the first week of just 1. Well, it will be what it will be.

 

[whgrn]

OK, so I'm down another 1.1 pounds. Not alot, but it's going in the right direction! I had really hoped it would be more, but I'll live with it (like I have a choice!)

Today was crazy hectic. I went to the gym before breakfast (NOT a good idea...) I was very stiff and sore, so I did the treadmill .45 miles, but skipped the elliptical. Went home and had breakfast, and then was off and running. I never got a morning snack. Lunch was WW Swedish Meatballs at 1:30. No afternoon snack either. We ended up going out to dinner, and I again had the wonderful Toscano Salad (mixed greens, Craisins, pears, and goat cheese) but I forgot to get the grilled chicken on it! DUH! So I came home and had some cottage cheese for the protein. I WILL have my PM snack for sure. I got in all my water too.

We leave tomorrow moring at 5:15 for Canyon Ranch. Not thrilled about the early wakeup, but I can't wait to go!! I have already packed my breakfast (the wonderful peanut butter and banana on Honey Flax bread) and an apple for my snack. I will bring one water bottle, get some OJ on the train for breakfast, and get a 2nd water bottle there also. Lunch will be at Canyon Ranch--can't wait to see the great stuff they have!

Well, at least my posts for the next 5 days will be a little more interesting! And hopefully, my weight loss next week will be a little more dramatic.

BTW, when we were at dinner, I got up to pay, and some other people's food had come out and was on the counter. I looked at it and all I could think was YUCK!! It looked totally gross! I asked DSis--is it just me, or does that look totally gross? She said it was me. Hmmmm, that's a good thing, right??

 

[whgrn]

OMG I think I have died and gone to heaven!!! This place is AWESOME!

We got up at 5 am and headed for the train station. We had planned on the 6:40 train, but we were so early, we got on the 6:06! It pulled in just after we arrived, so we jumped on. That gave us extra time at NY Penn Station, which allowed us to take our time finding where we needed to go.

We found the Amtrak lounge and got our stuff settled, and I stayed with the bags while DSis went in search of breakfast for her and OJ for me. She came back with fresh squeezed OJ!! Yummy--I was SO tempted to drink more than my 4 ounces, so I threw it away as soon as I'd had that much. My peanut butter and banana sandwich was great. They called our train and we boarded a very nice Amtrak train to Albany. When we arrived, our driver was waiting for us, and less than an hour later we were here! The place is just beautiful. It was an old mansion, and then they added on to it. You never have to go outsite--it's all glass enclosed. We checked in, left our bags, and headed to lunch.

Now, I'm used to a WW or Lean Cuisine meal for lunch, but today I got "real food"! A nice salad with a little bit of hummus, 3 oz of yummy salmon, and 1/2 cup of brown rice with a little butter. I also ordered the steamed veggies, becuase there were 2 in there I'd never tried. So I tried fennel and broccoli rabe. Did not like either one. I asked for some yogurt to take back for my snack, and that was no problem. Our room wasn't ready, so we put it in the fridge at the beverage bar to keep it cold. We then took a tour of the whole place, and learned some important details about what is where.

After that it was off to the Demo Kitchen for Kitchen Basics 101. Now, I'm NOT a beginner cook, but they were covering knife skills, which I really wanted to do, and some other stuff. It was GREAT! I learned so much, I took 2 pages of notes! It was just me, 2 guys, and the chef. It was alot of fun. We made salmon, filet mignon, butternut squash soup, and sauteed zucchini. They were all good, but the soup was AWESOME! So, my snack, instead of the yogurt, was about 1/2 ounce of the beef, a bite of the salmon, about 1/4 cup of the soup, and some of the zucchini. Not bad, and mostly protein!

Our room was ready, so I ran up there and unloaded some stuff, and then it was off to my nurse visit. Fascinating!! She told me some supplements I really need to take--Vitamin C should help my wound heal, and I definitely need Calcium. Caltrate Plus has Calcium Citrate, Magnesiium Oxide, and Vitamin D, and the pills are smaller (you just take 4 a day). She said the magnesium should help my constipation! She also recommended a combination pasta, like Barilla Plus, which combines regurlar and whole wheat, and also some Omega 3 fatty acids. I will have to try it! She also did my body composition, and I came up as only 32% body fat (normal is 20-30%). I knew that couldn't be, but she had a very hard time measuring my calf with the calipers because it is so big and so dense. So it could be off by as much as 10%, which would then put me at about 38-40%, which is WAY more realistic. As measured, my ideal weight would be from 232-251. Ummm, no way! But the corrected numbers would make it 204-221, which is perfect, since I want to be 210!!!

From there I ran (literally!) to the spa for my 5pm facial. It was wonderful. Not only did I get the facial, but she wrapped my hands and feet in paraffin boots--so warm and comfy! It was so funny--during the facial, she did a mask, and as she was putting it on, I felt like she was frosting a cake!! She recommended an Anti Aging Body Treatment, since my skin is so very dry, so I signed up for that and switched some other stuff around too.

Then it was off to meet DSis for dinner. We both chose the very yummy roast turkey with garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce. And the soup was the same one I made in class, so we got that too. A salad finished off the meal. It is so odd, but good, to get normal portions, unlike the huge ones at the restaurant! 3 ounces of turkey, 1/2 cup of potatoes, just the way it should be! I even took pictures! (but I have to wait to post them since I didn't bring my card reader...)

After dinner, I came back to the room to unpack while DSis had a Mango Sugar Glo. And then, it was off to BINGO!!! Great fun, and we both won!! I got the Canyon Ranch Cookbook, which I had already decided to buy! Very cool. DSis got a journal, which she was very happy about.

Now we're up in our room, blogging and getting ready for tomorrow. I will have the yogurt I got for a snack, with the granola they gave me at dinner (you can request snacks). I know I drank way over 80 ounces of water today. I also realized I can skip the treadmill here. I am walking WAY more than half a mile each day! Probably more like 1.5-2 miles! Plus I'll be doing the water aerobics. So I think I'll jsut do the elliptical in the gym and see how that goes.

Now, wasn't that a much more interesting day than I usually have?!?

Tune in tomorrow for more!

 

[whgrn]

Greetings from Canyon Ranch!

Today was another busy day, packed with all sorts of activities. We were up at 7:45 (after a crummy night’s sleep on super-soft down pillows that were about as helpful as sleeping on Jello, plus my new CPAP mask which I’m not sure I like yet) and out of the room by 7:55. Hey, we don’t mess around!

We stopped to change some of my treatments around. DSis (Deb) had a Mango Sugar Glo yesterday and realized I could not do it, since they’d have had to call the fire dept. to hoist me up out of the tub. So I changed it to a Silky Smooth, which rinses off in the shower—much better! Then we went to see what was for breakfast. Despite many choices, I opted for the steel cut oats. I made my oatmeal just like home—peanut butter, cinnamon, stevia, and a few raisins. It was yummy. And fresh squeezed OJ—YUM!!

From there I headed to the gym. It took me a while to figure out how to turn on the elliptical—I had to ask for help. Well DUH!, you just start pedaling. Now, there was a treadmill class going on right next to the ellipticals, and they were going VERY fast (think I’ll skip that class, thanks!) and listening to loud rock music. Which made it a bit challenging for me with my iPod playing Carole King, John Denver, and Amy Grant! Oh well, hopefully they won’t be there the same time as me tomorrow. I did my 15 minutes while looking out the window at the beautiful scenery. The woods, covered with snow, so peaceful and quiet (unlike the gym…)

After that I changed for the pool and went to H2O Power Hour. All I can say is WOW! I worked my butt off in there! It was very challenging and tiring, but I did it all and it felt great. I’m sure I’ll pay for it later when I start having pains in muscles I didn’t know I had! I showered off and headed for my pedicure. OK, so I can get a pedicure at WalMart at home for $25, but “you get what you pay for”. This was WAY better! The chair was very comfy, and the water was the perfect temperature. The girl spent a long time buffing my poor dried up feet, especially the heels which are drier than desert sand. Then there was a nice scrub, maybe salt, maybe sugar? (I’m not cooking with it, so it doesn’t matter!), followed by a soothing massage. One of the girls who works there was also getting a pedicure and the 4 of us were chatting the whole time. It was fun!

I went to change and get a dry robe for later, and decided to leave a note in Deb’s locker. Since I knew her locker #, and we have the same PIN code, I was able to open it. I had a message saying that I would not be able to see the naturopath at 5 as I had hoped, but he was still available at 3. Now, that would require me to leave my 2:00 cooking class 35 minutes early. But, being the sensible girl that I am, I decided it was worth it, since this would be my only chance to see the doctor who was most likely to be able to help me.

Off to lunch where I had a yummy tomato soup with tarragon, a shrimp fritter, and half a hummus wrap. The fritter was good, but the stuff on top was loaded with raw onions (barf!), so I took it off.. The hummus wrap had hummus, lettuce and tomato, with a side of salad. I added the salad to the wrap, and it was quite good. I hadn’t eaten a morning snack, so I had an apple too. Unfortunately, they only have Delicious apples, which are anything but. I miss my Macintosh!

Back to the room to check email (hey, it may be a getaway, but you gotta stay connected!). Deb took a nap and snored like a grizzly bear. At 2 I went down to cooking and I was the only one! Just me and Jeremy, the chef. It turned out I could have started at 1:30, since he was free, but neither of us realized it. Oh well. So we did an abbreviated class with only 3 soups instead of 5. And I got to do it ALL!!! Very cool, like a private lesson with Emeril or someone, only not as famous… We made a carrot ginger soup, which was surprisingly good, a red lentil soup that was great (I’ll be making that at home!) and an AMAZING tomato basil soup that was delicious. I came up with great idea too. We were talking about cooking, and how Laura loves to cook and wants to be a chef, and Jeremy said he’s done some mother-daughter pairs here. Then the lightbulb went on. For (DD)Laura’s Sweet 16 (OK, it’s 3.5 years away!) I had told her I’d take her and 3 friends to NYC and stay in a swanky hotel, eat at a fancy restaurant and go to a Broadway show. Much better (and cheaper) that the big bash Sweet 16 parties that have become popular (and cost $10-20 grand!!). But guess what? Instead, I’ll bring her to Canyon Ranch!! She would LOVE the pampering, the cooking, the pool, and the one on one time with me! So we will have to consider that…

At 3 I went to meet with Dr. Kevin, the naturopathic physician. He was very pleasant, and when I told him my biggest issues (arthritis, anemia, non-healing wound, sinuses) he said they were all related to inflammatory responses. I knew I wanted to do allergy testing, and he suggested some other stuff too. It was very educational. Then he mentioned an elimination diet. As in, the most likely allergy/sensitivity foods are dairy, eggs and wheat, so lets cut out dairy and wheat until we get the results in 3-4 weeks. YIKES!!!! No dairy??? No wheat??? Everything in my freezer would be off limits. No cheese, no yogurt, no milk on my Cheerios. NOOOOOOOO!!!! This was quite upsetting to even think about. The nurse brought in the info on the lab tests, and I nearly choked at the prices. Most of them were pretty much what they’d be at home, and I knew the allergy testing was not cheap. But the one test he ordered was WAY expensive!! Well, this is the most comprehensive test available for over 100 different components, including Vitamins, antioxidants, Amino Acids, Fatty Acids and Organic Acids. This stuff is very important in several areas, including mood disorders, hormonal imbalance, pain control, inflammation, arthritis, eczema, depression, chronic fatigue, and weight gain, ALL OF WHICH I HAVE!!!! So, gee, I think it’s kind of worth it! I also have to pee in a cup because that will test a bunch of other stuff. Fun, fun, fun!

As the appropriate followup to Dr. Kevin, I went down the hall for the first of 2 nutritional consults. She immediately made me a much happier camper when she suggested I wait to do the elimination diet until after I get the results. I quickly agreed—why give up what I love if I don’t have to? She also said that my diet overall is good. Just a few changes that should increase my weight loss. 1) change from bad fats to good fats (she’s making suggestions for that at our next meeting), 2) eat more salmon, like 2-3 times a week, and tuna maybe once a week. This gives me more Omega-3 fatty acids. And 3) cut back on the Lean Cuisine entrees, to maybe 2-3 times a week instead of every day. She said the Weight Watchers ones are not as good because they have more preservatives). She said I need better salad dressings, mayo made from canola oil, better oil, and grass fed beef (which is the best kind, and I need to eat a lot of beef for the iron). Guess I’ll be shopping at Whole Foods!! Again, the big focus was on inflammatory response and deficiencies, which can cause/increase all the problems I’m having! I see her again in the AM for my “plan”. Something tells me my life is gonna change big time very soon!

We went to dinner and there was nothing on the list of entrees that sounded appealing to me. When I told the waiter, he said they also had pot roast, which wasn’t on the menu. SCORE!!! I’ll have the pot roast please! It was yummy, but there was too much for me to eat it all. It came with root veggies, and I tried a parsnip. I did not like it. Maybe it’s a root for a reason? Then again, I love carrots and potatoes, and they are root veggies too. I got a tiny piece of sweet potato, and tried the butternut squash which was not good. On my salad, I put some raw cauliflower, which I haven’t eaten in years because after the bypass it didn’t agree with me. The nutritionist suggested trying again, so I did. So far so good!!

Last on the schedule was a Canyon Ranch massage. You go to a lounge to wait and it is very quiet and peaceful, with the new age music playing softly, and a little water feature that really just made me want to pee. It is warm and humid, because the sauna, steam room, and 2 jacuzzis are there. You have to go up 2 steps to the Jacuzzi, but there’s a ramp for those who need it. I asked Deb why? Since if you need a ramp to go up 2 steps, how will you manage the 5 steps in the Jacuzzi?!?! (Things that make you go, hmmmm). The massage was so-so. I’ve had better. Like, almost all the time! She asked at the start if there were any areas to avoid or go easy on, and I told her my knees were sensitive. So where does she use the most pressure? You got it—my knees! I had a terrible itch on the back of my calf, and I kept hoping she’d rub right there. She was just to the left, just to the right, but never quite got it. Also, her nails were too long and I kept getting poked or scratched. When it was over, I thought about leaving her a little present. The massage and all the veggies here have made me quite gassy, so I thought maybe I’d leave her my signature stench. But then again, I wasn’t sure what might be behind that gas, so I thought better of it!

So now we are back in our room and it’s snack time. Yogurt and granola again, along with a Red Bosc pear, which I have never had. Lets see—do I like it? YES!! It is yummy—very juicy and lots of flavor. Much better than the Bartlett pears at Foodtown. And they gave me a HUGE cup of granola! I won’t need to ask for any more the rest of the trip!

Well, off to bed. I gotta be up at 7:15 to go visit the vampires!

Tune in tomorrow for Day 3 at the Ranch!

 

[whgrn]

OK, let me start by saying I am NEVER leaving this place!! It is pure paradise! Most people think it’s a place where spoiled rich women come to be pampered. And yes, there’s plenty of that here. But it’s SO much more!! It’s clean eating of healthy foods in appropriate portions. It’s a multitude of fitness activities at every level. It’s lectures on healthy living. It’s finally finding a doctor who spends more than 5 minutes with you, and knows how to help you with your situation. It’s all kinds of consultations, from psych counseling to nutrition to exercise physiology to helping your memory improve. And yes, the pampering (can’t forget that!!). I’d heard that a visit to Canyon Ranch will change your life, and I can honestly say that it’s true. This is a place of healing, of health, of peace, of serenity. Even though I have to leave in 2 days, I WILL be back!

OK, end of commercial! This was probably the busiest day yet. I was up early to pee in a cup and go have my lab work done. The nurse tried the left arm, where I always get blood taken, and I guess the vein there is on vacation too, because no blood came out! So she called in a very cute guy, who stuck me in the right arm and proceeded to take half of the blood out of my body! I asked if he was leaving any for me! Seriously, I think there were 10 tubes there!

I went to meet Deb for breakfast, and couldn’t find her. I called the room, no answer. Finally I had to go in and get started or I’d be late for my 9:00 appointment. I had just sat down, and in she came—she’d been waiting for me in the library! Breakfast was wonderful. My daily fresh squeezed OJ (how I will miss that when I go home!!), some yummy fresh fruit, a VERY small slice of banana bread (not as good as mine, but much healthier!), and an egg white omelet with tomato and low fat Monterey Jack cheese. I was surprised at how delicious the omelet was. I normally don’t like low fat cheese, and I wasn’t real sure about the egg whites either—I like my eggs yellow! But it was great.

At 9 I met with the nutritionist again, and she was very helpful. She gave me lists of websites for healthy/organic eating, a list of brands that they use here that Whole Foods should have, a list of which foods are high in which vitamins, minerals, etc., and a printout of all the suggestions she’d made yesterday. I was very relieved to learn that an “elimination diet” is NOT forever! It’s for 2-3 months, and then you slowly reintroduce the sensitive foods one at a time. MUCH better than (I can never have it again). She also gave me my eating plan. I was very surprised to learn that I am not eating enough! Amazing! Who’d have ever imagined it? I need about 100-200 more calories, more protein, veggies and fruit. WOW! Maybe that’s why my weight loss has been so slow—my body thinks it’s in a famine! Anyway, after the lab tests come back and I talk to the doctor, I will have a phone consult with her to help me adjust to whatever I need to eliminate.

From there I hurried over to the pool for aerobics—didn’t want to be late for class! I actually changed in the bathroom (I had my swimsuit on under my clothes), and Deb had brought down my robe and slippers for afterwards. The class was great—MUCH better than yesterday. It was a lot more appropriate for our fitness levels. There were also more people in the class, which made it fun. The teacher was a hoot. He kept telling us to ask each other “can you do this faster?”, “can you jump higher?”, “can you pass someone?”. Well, I finally did manage to pass someone. Unfortunately, it was an old lady!!! (Hey, I never claimed to be an athlete!!) I was able to get up to my target heart rate, which was good.

Next was Reflexology, which was fabulous. I walked into a peaceful, quiet room with soft piano music playing, dim lighting, and an ADJUSTABLE table! I was very comfy there. She worked on my sinus points, which were awful, as were my neck and spine points. She mostly worked on my feet, but also some on my hands and scalp. I walked out of there feeling very refreshed.

On the way back to the locker room, I encountered a group of ladies who were talking about eating veggies and “gassing up”. I laughed, and they said that all the veggies were giving them major gas. I agreed, and said it was too bad we couldn’t run our cars on that gas—we could go cross country just on lunch! So I went to lunch and “gassed up” on a great salad, and a tuna wrap that was excellent.

After lunch I went down to the gym to get on the elliptical, and the 15 minutes seemed like forever! Guess my legs are feeling the workout they are getting here! There was no treadmill class, so it was much quieter than yesterday. I enjoyed the same lovely view of the woods, with the extra snow that fell last night. I got my heart rate up to 142! WOW!

Once again, I was 1 on 1 in cooking class. Just Kate (the chef) and me for Speed Cooking. It was great fun, since she is such a fun, cool person! (even if she IS a fan of the hated Red Sox…) I just loved it! We made Salmon Teriyaki (a definite keeper for home!), Hummus (great! It’s the recipe they use up in the dining room, which I love), and Almond Butter Delight. I had seen Peanut Butter Delight on the menu earlier, and wondered about it, so it was good to have the chance to make it and try it. It’s a mix of ricotta, honey, vanilla, and almond butter. Strange, but not too bad. I’ll try making it with peanut butter instead. I was telling her about the blogs Deb and I were doing and she asked me to email them to her so she could read them! (she enjoyed meeting me as much as I enjoyed meeting her). When it was time to leave, she gave me presents!!! A scoop to help portion foods, a set of prep bowls for when I’m chopping up veggies and stuff in advance, and my favorite, a heat resistant spatula with a mini scraper inside! (I used it during class and loved it) I felt so special!!

Next on the list was a Lymphatic Massage. It was amazing! She worked all my lymphatic points, in my sinuses, head and neck, and then legs. She actually cleared my sinuses!!! She suggested I do this at home too, so I will need to find someone who does it. She also recommended compression stockings. She was so helpful and friendly (like everyone here!!). I rearranged my Sunday schedule so I could have another session with her before I go home.

After a short break to drop some stuff off in the room and collect Deb, it was time for dinner. We both had the Chicken Pot Pie, which was SO cute! It was in a little dish, with a little thin crust floating on the top. It was very yummy. I also had a great salad, and for once I remembered to bring a can of my Orangeade with me. The “gas girls” sat at the table next to us, and we had a good laugh at all the veggies we were eating. I collected the flaxseed and cinnamon for my yogurt that I had forgotten earlier, and headed back to the spa.

My last treatment of the day was a “Silky Smooth Body Treatment”. This was the substitute for the Mango Sugar Glo that I couldn’t do because of the tub. Anna from Russia (St. Petersburg) was wonderful. First she scrubbed me down with brown sugar and flaxseed. I felt like I was being gently sanded smooth. Next, I took a shower to rinse it all off. Then she rubbed on cream made of loquats, milk, soybeans. (this was the “silky” part). What a recipe! Put me in the oven, I’m ready to cook!!!

On the way back to the room, I stepped outside for the first time since Wednesday morning, and took a deep breath of fresh, clean, COLD air. I was instantly reminded of WHY I’ve been staying inside!

Snack tonite increases to 1 cup of yogurt with 2 tablespoons of flaxseed, granola, and the fruit I didn’t eat earlier. A veritable feast!!! Bed will feel good tonight!!

More tomorrow.

W

 

[DisDee]

Wendy, I'm enjoying your up-dates from CR. We went to the Berkshires a couple of years back for a long week-end. What a beautiful area! Continue to enjoy your stay and be happy and healthy! Denise

 

[whgrn]

Did I mention that I’m never leaving this place? Yes, wishful thinking I know, but if only it could be true! Alas, tomorrow afternoon I head for home.

Why is it that when I have to get up early at home it’s a chore, but when I have to get up early here it’s no problem??? I was up before my 7:15 alarm, and quickly out the door for a 7:45 breakfast seminar on Ultraprevention. It’s all about TRUE disease prevention, not just the early detection that most doctors cal “prevention”. It was really interesting—I have to get the book. Turns out that genetics is a factor, but environment is more. A lot of what we consider “genetics” is really the familial environment—eating habits, unhealthy behavior, etc. BUT the mitochondrial DNA in the cells, which controls metabolism, IS genetic and it comes from the mother. Dear God, we are DOOMED!!!

For breakfast I had oatmeal, a hard boiled egg, some fruit and the wonderful OJ. It was more of a continental breakfast type thing, rather than the full service deal in the dining room.

I went over to the salon for my manicure. When they turned on the music, it was very loud, and set on a Spanish station. Turns out the cleaning crew likes to blast the radio while they work! And I realized something. When I passed 2 housekeepers in the hall yesterday who were speaking Spanish to each other, it was the first time in 3 days I’d heard Spanish! And guess what? All the signs here are in English! ONLY English. No bilingual signage here! Anyway, the manicure was great. My nails look the best they have since I had acrylics!

I stopped at the front desk to find out if it was possible to ship something from here. Yes, it is, and they even gave me a box! So I am shipping home all my books, my sneakers, and any other heavy stuff I have. That will make my suitcase much lighter and easier to handle.

Pool aerobics today was intense! We had a female instructor, and she actually got in the pool with us. MUCH better than the guy yesterday who used a headset microphone. I couldn’t understand a word he said, with all the background noise. (That Auditory Processing disorder again…) Anyway, it was mostly interval training, which was totally exhausting. I needed a nap by the time I was finished! I met a very nice woman named Margaret, who lives in Freehold, and even shops at the same Foodtown as me! Small world…

Fortunately, after the pool, my next stop was the spa for a Canyon Stone Massage. I never really got the point of using stones—until today. Those hot stones felt SO good on my aching body! It’s so funny—they keep the stones hot in a Crock Pot!! Talk about Stone Soup…

I took a nice shower and then headed off to lunch alone. Deb was having a treatment, so I got her a sandwich to go. Nick, the nice Maitre ‘D, even put in a water bottle and an apple for her. He is so helpful and friendly every time we are in there. I can’t believe how he (and many others here) remember people and names so well! For lunch I had a nice salad. (I hope Whole Foods sells jicama, because I will really miss it otherwise!), a salmon burger (too much black pepper, and a bit dry—might be better on a bun with lettuce and tomato, as it was offered) with a side of really yucky slaw of some sort, and a sweet potato (I ate it for Deb, as she has had one every lunch and dinner here, and would miss it at lunch today!). And I realized that I have had NO bread since we’ve been here! I didn’t have a big appetite today for some reason. I only ate about ½ of my lunch.

I met Deb for our Lifemapping class. It was fascinating! You make a “map” with an issue you want to deal with in the center, and then fan out to all the thoughts that connect to it. I did wellness, with spokes of weight loss, healing, balance, etc. Then we did a map of our perfect future life—relationships, travel, health, avocation, etc. It really gets you thinking , and I realized some areas I would like to change to get to that “utopia”.

I stopped by the café for a banana and some nuts for my afternoon snack, and came up to the room to start packing my box of books. Deb had an in-room massage, so I had to be quiet (how do you eat nuts quietly?!?) Then I went down to meet with the nurse from Day 1 to re-do my body composition (which we KNEW couldn’t be right, since it said that Debbie is fatter than I am!!!!) So, with the better measurements, I am 37% fat instead of 32%. Probably still a bit low—I’m guessing it’s more like 40%. In any event, my goal weight of 210 is still well within the parameters of desirable weight. She also did my waist-hip ratio, and here my pear shape worked in my favor. It should be 0.8 or less, and mine is 0.789 so I am fine there.

I hit the gym for my 15 minutes on the treadmill. It was quiet in there today, so I just did my thing and listened to my iPod. Next I went for Neuromuscular Therapy. WOW. It was amazing!! I am apparently a musculo-skeletal MESS!! (Hmmm, no surprise there…) My body is completely off balance, my shoulder and pelvis are torqued, and I’m totally misaligned! Apparently, since I clench my jaw all the time, and grind my teeth at night, it is throwing everything else out of whack. So I lay down and she spent over an hour working just on my head and neck. Even my mouth and tongue! She pushed and poked and prodded and it apparently worked, because when she finished, I felt totally loose! My measurements are much improved, the twisting is gone, the torque is gone—MUCH better! I will need to continue this at home. Anyway, I walked out feeling like a different person!

I met Deb for dinner, and was thrilled to see that they had the Salmon Teriyaki I had made in cooking class yesterday. It was just as good as mine! It came with some brown rice, and I had a lovely salad too. I really like the apple cider vinaigrette salad dressing and since I got the recipe, I will be making that at home. We took our time at dinner, having a nice long chat about how important it is to get Mom to come here and get some of this stuff done. Also, some things we didn’t do this time that we’d do next time—lectures, testing/evaluations, fitness classes, pampering, etc. Guess we’ll just HAVE to come back!

Last on the schedule for today was BINGO!! Hey, it’s the hot ticket activity for Saturday night around here! Deb won again—an eye pillow—but I came up empty. So I guess I’ll have to buy the Ultraprevention book since I didn’t win it. There were 3 people there who each won twice—guess they had better cards than I did.

I cannot believe it’s my last night here. The time has gone so quickly, and no doubt the final hours tomorrow will fly by. I guess my next installment will be written from NJ.

 

[whgrn]

I didn’t sleep quite so well last night, as I kept waking up and realizing I was clenching my teeth, and then making a concerted effort NOT to do so! But I did wake to the alarm at 7, and was up, dressed and ready to go (and partly packed!) by 7:30. At that point, I had to wait for Deb, who was online buying Turkish keyboard stickers for her laptop. (Only $1.80 per set, in your choice of colors!!)

We headed down for another breakfast lecture—“Taking It Home”. Which was really a misnomer, as it was more about goal setting, but they did have us write a letter to ourselves outlining what our goals were for the next 3 months, and what we planned to do to reach those goals. They will mail them to us in April—it will be cool to see how far we’ve come by then! Once again I chose the oatmeal (this time with Peanut Butter!!), egg, fruit and OJ. Not exciting, but good.

After that, we headed to the spa. I had an Anti-Aging Body Treatment at 9. It was pretty good, and the girl doing it was very nice and quite friendly. It involved another round of sandblasting off the dead skin (I didn’t ask the recipe this time!), followed by “icing the cake”. I was then wrapped partly in plastic for a few minutes, and when the plastic came off, so did the frosting (and, I assume, my dead skin!). Then I got in the shower and washed it all off. Back on the table, she rubbed in something that smelled like a disinfectant (but wasn’t), and then a nicer, creamy thing. And then I was done! I felt a little sticky at first, but within about 30 minutes it was better. And my skin is VERY soft and smooth.

Like the good girl that I am (sometimes!!) I went down to the gym to put in my 15 minutes on the elliptical. It was snowing out, and such a beautiful view out the window! My time passed fairly quickly. On the way out, I stopped to talk to one of the trainers. I explained my goal of walking 2 miles at a clip so I’d be ok in Scotland, and asked if the treadmill or elliptical was better. She said the treadmill will be good for the walking, but the elliptical works the muscles that are involved in walking, so that’s good too. We talked awhile and she finally said that I should do a 3 day rotation of workouts. Day One I will get on the treadmill for X minutes (I’ll start at 30 and work up) at a comfortable speed, and not worry about distance, which will increase with the amount of time and the speed. Day Two I will do interval training on the treadmill, alternating comfortable walking with a more challenging walk (faster, higher incline), every 2-4 minutes back and forth. The time will depend on my stamina, and should increase over time. Day Three I will do the interval training on the elliptical. So that is what I will start with on Tuesday. (Tomorrow is my MUCH deserved day off!)

I went up to the room to find Deb sitting there. I had thought she was going to the pool, but apparently she had a bad experience during her treatment and got hot and dizzy, so she very wisely skipped the pool today. I did as much packing as I could, and got a bigger box for shipping stuff home, and then went to officially check out, even though I wasn’t leaving yet, and we still had the room since Deb is staying 2 more days.

We had been trying to decide whether to go to lunch in the Dining Room, or to Sunday Brunch in the Demo Kitchen. The brunch menu was limited, but more appealing, but lacked the wonderful salad bar of the main lunch menu. It was a tough choice, but we opted for the brunch. (You’ll see why in a little while!) Deb had a nice omelet, but I opted for the salmon, since I’m supposed to eat a lot of it. It was tasty, but a bit dry, as things on a steam table tend to be. I skipped the fruit salsa accompaniment since it had red onions (YUCK!!), but did take a bit of the roasted new potatoes (which didn’t look all that new to me...). The salad was just greens and (ugh) roasted red peppers. I picked around the peppers and just took the green stuff, and then went up to the omelet station and added RAW red peppers and some broccoli. Not the best salad, but it was OK. I also got to chat with Chef Jeremy (who remembered not only my name, but that I was leaving today!). And then, the reason we chose the brunch. A tiny, maybe ¼ cup, 125 calorie cup of Chocolate Mousse! It was sooooo good! It was the first dessert, the first chocolate I’ve had in 2.5 weeks, and I savored every delicious bite! Ahhh, sweet indulgence! It felt decadent, but at 125 calories, it was barely sinful at all!

After that we had a little time, so we went down to the boutique. I figured since I’d spent all this money, and 5 days, in paradise, the least I could do was bring home t-shirts for the kids! Plus, I wanted to get the Ultraprevention book. Finding a shirt for Laura was challenging. The kids sizes were too small, at least the ones I liked for a girl. So I originally chose a ladies small, which turned out to be HUGE! So Deb looked in the Mediums and found one I liked that was considerably smaller than the small I had picked. Who knew choosing a T-shirt could be so difficult? Fortunately, Danny’s was easy…

At 1:00 I was back to the spa for my final treatment. (BooHooHoo!) It was a repeat of the lymphatic massage. She spent most of the hour on my left shin, where I’d had cellulites years ago. She was able to soften it up considerably, and get things flowing. I’m amazed at how it looks and feels! At that point, we were pretty much out of time, so she checked to see if she was booked for 2:00. She wasn’t, so she kept me an extra /12 hour. She worked on my right leg a bit, and then wanted to see the crater in my gut. So I unwrapped it and she said it was not her area of expertise, but that if I have the skin graft, lymphatic massage should help the graft “take”. Cool! So I have to find someone at home who has experience in lymphatic massage in wound care. It was a very educational experience! (and it felt good too!!)

Now, Deb and I had planned to meet at 2 for a class on “How Healthy is Your Heart). But by the time I got out of the spa, made a pit stop, and picked up my yogurt and granola snack, it was 2:45. So I went up to finish packing and wait for her. It’s amazing how much lighter my suitcase is now that I took out all the heavy things to ship home. We called the bellman to get my bags, and he took the box downstairs to. They will ship it out tomorrow (hopefully by UPS…) and I’ll have it in a few days.

Finally, the moment I’d been dreading arrived. It was time to go. My bags were loaded into the van, and I had to say goodbye to my dear sister. I miss her already! I waved goodbye to paradise, knowing that I will be back, hopefully SOON.

The trip to the train station was fine—the driver was very friendly and we had a nice chat. Daddy had told me my train was running late, but as soon as I arrived at the station, I saw that it said “On Time”. About 2 minutes later, they called for boarding! So I got on, stowed my big bag, and got comfy. Conveniently, they have an outlet to plug in the computer, and even WiFi at the station (which unfortunately did not seem to be working…) I managed to keep my seat a solo all the way to NY. I went down to the Café Car to see if they had anything marginally healthy to eat for dinner, since I wasn’t getting in to NYC until 7:30. Who would have thought that Amtrak would have healthy choices, along with the junk food?!? I got a reasonably decent chicken Caesar salad. I just dipped my fork in the dressing, eliminating most of the fat and at least ½ the calories! That and a bottle of water did me just fine. Before I knew it, we were at Penn Station.

I went up the escalator, stopped to buy a bottle of water, and looked around for NJ Transit, which was fortunately easy to find. The waiting area actually had a decent bathroom (thank God!!!). I had about 10 minutes left to wait before they posted the track for the train. I was standing there wondering what the awful smell was, when I realized it was the person sitting next to me! He (she?) was asleep, bundled up. Probably a homeless person. But DEFINITELY in dire need of a bath! Fortunately, they called my train and I escaped to the elevator. I asked where I needed to be for Hamilton, and the conductor told me to go “towards the front”. I went several cars up, and asked if that was ok, and was told it was. I got on, got a seat with a place to keep my suitcase, and off we went. At Newark, the train suddenly filled up with noisy NJ Devils fans. They didn’t seem particularly jovial, so I suspect the Devils didn’t do too well. As we traveled south, we seemed to be making longer and longer stops, and I noticed we were behind schedule. When we left New Brunswick, they suddenly made an announcement that everyone for Princeton Junction had to move to the back of the train because Amtrak construction was diverting the train to a “low platform”. So hoardes of people started moving to the front. Then, before we even got to PJ, they announced the same for Hamilton. So I get up, grab the luggage, and start moving forward. Now, I had NO idea how long the train was, but I was about to find out.

I believe I walked back 8 cars before we got to Princeton Junction. Trust me when I say that dragging a suitcase across 8 train car connections is not a pleasant experience. I found a place in the very front car just as we hit PJ. The time was about 5 minutes after the time we were supposed to arrive in Hamilton. After a longer-than-usual stop, we finally headed for Hamilton, arriving at least 15 minutes late. I was so glad to finally be there. Little did I know that the worst was still to come…

As we’d been told, we were diverted to a “low platform”. I had no clue what that meant. Here’s the answer: usually you get off the train and the platform is level with where you are standing inside the train. There’s a gap (sometimes a big one), but no step up or down. A “low platform’ is just what it says—a platform 3 or 4 feel BELOW the level of the train! I had to climb down 4 VERY high steps. With a suitcase. And a carryon. Thankfully, a kind young man lifted the suitcase down, I never could have done it myself. So I was off the train, and it was COLD. Probably below 20 degrees, but it felt like -5. We walked a short way, and then had to go UP about 8 steps. Thank God for the kindness of strangers—my suitcase was nicely hoisted to the top. And then we walked. And walked. And walked. And walked. I had no idea this train station was so huge, but it seemed like about ½ mile before we actually came to the escalator to go up and over the track. So all that long walk was OUTSIDE!! I was frozen solid, my face actually hurt. And never would I have guessed how grateful I would be for all the walking I did at Canyon Ranch! Without that “training” I would never have made it to the station!

Tracey was waiting with a toasty warm car to bring me to her house where the kids and Uncle Bob were assembled watching the Packers/Giants game. My kids were alternating crying and cheering, depending on who was doing well. In the end, Danny was the only happy person in that house—the rest of us are all Packers fans! The game over, we bundled up and got in the car for the 40 minute ride home. I was so tired, I forgot all about having my snack, and just went to bed.

I loved Canyon Ranch. I can’t wait to go back. It was great to get away and be pampered and cared for. But like they always say, “be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home”.

 

[whgrn]

“Back to life, back to reality”…that’s the way the song goes, and it’s true. Well, reality hit me like a ton of bricks!

I woke up about 9:30, got myself together and had an egg and toast for breakfast. (I had to cook?!?!?! ) I woke up Laura a little after 10 to take her to the lab for blood work. I told Danny he could take his time. We were in and out of the lab in under 10 minutes, and stopped for the traditional breakfast at Dunkie’s (Dunkin’ Donuts) that always follows the lab. We scooped up Danny and went to pick up the little furry boy from Doggie Camp. We had planned to go to the chiropractor, but found out she’d been in a serious accident Friday night, and would be out for an unknown period of time.

Since I hadn’t grocery shopped, the only thing in the house for my lunch was a Lean Cuisine entrée. I picked Pot Roast. The meat part was ok, but only about 2 ounces (if that) of meat. The potatoes were inedible. It was a FAR cry from the gourmet selection at Canyon Ranch! I had my V8, and supplemented the protein with some cottage cheese, and headed for the grocery store.

I’m planning to go to Whole Foods on Wednesday, so I didn’t need to get much. Nearly everything was organic, except bananas and a mango that didn’t need to be, and 2 apples (no organic MacIntosh). But my veggies, milk, brown rice, yogurt, and chicken were all organic, thanks to the natural food store that is connected to our Foodtown. With all that organic food packed in my cloth shopping bags, I looked like quite the Earth Mother!

I came home and made a few phone calls, then it was off to the orthodontist. Fortunately, this was another quick appointment, and both kids are good for 6 months. I had about ½ hour at home before it was time to run Laura to Sylvan, so I caught up on some of the mail that had piled up while I was away. Once I had taken her, I came home to start dinner and begin setting up my Canyon Ranch binder. I made up a notebook with sections for daily food journal, shopping, nutrition, menus and recipes, supplements, medical, and Neuromuscular/Lymphatic. Then I’m putting in all my notes and handouts and recipes, so they are all in one place. I’m going to make up a chart of some sort to record what I eat each day and the exchanges.

Dinner was a roast chicken, brown rice, and salad—all organic! I got the kids to try raw broccoli and cauliflower. They both vetoed the cauliflower, but Danny loved the broccoli. The rice was sticky—for some reason I can NEVER get my rice to cook right!! It certainly didn’t bother the kids, as they both asked for seconds. I packed up the extra in ¾ cup portions so I can use them for lunches or solo dinners.

My water intake today was way down. Probably the first time in weeks I didn’t get in at least 64 ounces. It was also my day off from the gym.. Tomorrow will be a bit more settled and I can get into my routine. I’m so looking forward to seeing what the scale says. I even finally got in a good poop tonite—although it felt more like giving birth!! (OK, I know, TMI…)

It was funny—being in Dunkies and in 7-11 (to get a water bottle), I walked through and looked at all the food and I all I could think of was all that poison, garbage, and gross stuff. It was actually quite repulsive to me. I hope I continue to feel that way—it will make for a lot less temptation!!

Tomorrow: Week 3 Weigh-In!!!

 

[whgrn]

OMG I can't believe I haven't posted an update in 3 days! I've been BUSY! This getting healthy business is quite time consuming. Meanwhile, I managed to lose 3.8 pounds as of Tuesday.

I've been to the grocery store every day this week, including a pilgrimage to Whole Foods yesterday that set me back $140!! My kitchen is now well stocked with healthy, organic foods. My cooking has changed dramatically. We're eating salad every night. And guess what? My kids actually LIKE it!!!

The meatloaf on Tuesday night was unexciting. I'd made it earlier and frozen it, so it's not the "good' stuff. Last night I made some yummy chicken from Whole Foods, and tonite we had a wonderful Salmon Teriyaki, a Canyon Ranch recipe. And twice this week, I've had my old favorite for lunch--brown rice, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and chicken with some dressing. YUM!!!

Tomorrow I have pre-admission testing for my shoulder surgery. So that means no breakfast. Plus dinner on the run, which will be pizza. That's gonna make it REALLY hard to get in all my protein!!

I've finally got all my supplements here, and taking them religiously. It's alot, twice a day. Practically another meal! No wonder I can barely eat all my food! Water has been no problem though.

Exercise is good. Doing the rotation thing, I did the treadmill yesterday up to 3 mph with an incline of 4, and the elliptical today up to 140 strides/minute at a ramp of 10. It's HARD. But I'm doing it, and even stretching afterwards!

I got my first 2 blood test results today. My Vitamin D, which should be 32-100, is 7. That's less than 25% of normal!! And even worse, my C-Reactive Protein, which measures relative risk of future heart disease is 50.19 (it should be 1-3!!!!!!) So what, does that mean I'm ready to drop dead??? I think I might want to re-check this one!

Now, if I could just get my intestinal tract to MOVE, I'd be in great shape!!

 

[larry's girl]

Hi, Wendy. This Canyon Ranch place sounds AMAZING! I'm glad you had such a good time and participated in such healthy activities and eating at the same time!

I have enjoyed reading your reports. I hope you had a safe trip home and let us here from you soon!

Susan

 

[whgrn]

In fact, I am FREEZING!! Last night I just could not get warm, and ended up gettng up and barfing up all of dinner. Today I was freezing and feeling nauseous again. I hope I'm not coming down with something. i'm also exhausted.

No breakfast this morning since I had my PATs. I packed a PB and banana sandwich and some cottage cheese to eat between the PATs and the doctors appointment. The sandwich was good, but I was chokin down the cottage cheese and couldn' t finish it. Lunch was leftover salmon and a big salad, and again I couldn't finish, and nothing really excited me. PM snack was a yummy apple, and 2 pieces of cheese that I love but wasn't crazy about toay. Weird. I just ate a slice of pizza for dinner, nothing else. I couldn't stant the thought of a salad or anything

I didn't get to the gym, since the morning was tied up with testing and doctors, and by the time I got home this afternoon I was already feeling a bit punky.

Now I can hardly keep my eyes open, so i'm going to bed...