Day 8

I am exhausted.
Calories burned 4987 Calories consumed:1151 for a difference of 3806

I started this morning off with Yogalates. It was my first ever attempt at this beast they call pilates. I have tried the video and usually turn it off after about 5 minutes. Unfortunately you cant turn of the class. It was challenging although I discovered I can balance on my butt with my legs straight up, while grasping my feet with my outstretched hands! Kind of like a giant V! By was I proud, lol, cant wait to demo that one when I get home!

Breakfast was the most amazing PB&J panini. It had sliced strawberries, bananas and almond butter toasted on a sandwich thin...mmmm





Today was the stop sign hike. I psyched myself up for busting ass because my ankle felt great. I had shotgun start and went as fast as I could. I ended up beating my time by about 5 minutes. My new time was 1:08:15! Yay! Unfortunately the way down was different story. I guess it was the downward angle but my Achilles seized back up. The pain became excruciating, worse than its been. I ended up having to walk part way down in my socks :(




After the hike we had a stretch class which was good because my ankle hurt so much. I iced it while I worked out. It felt much better afterwards.

Lunch was an amazing turkey sandwich with tortilla soup..mmmmm





After lunch I had Step N Pump class, we did about 200 squats literally, at the same time as we did bicep curls, shoulder presses, triceps skull crushers etc.. BRUTAL After that I had pool which normally I don't like, but this time we had Nicole, who is an amazing instructor, shes built like Jillian Michael's and she kicks our asses. It actually felt like a workout this time. After pool was Circuit training. I burned 600 calories in that class because I gave 'er on the cardio portions, I was dripping with sweat!

Dinner was chicken and polenta and asparagus. Id never had polenta before it was YUMMY! Dessert was unbelievable. It was chocolate and vanilla tofu pudding topped with fruit. Never in a MILLION years did I ever think tofu would make a good pudding but it was unbelievable!



I had acupuncture tonight for my Achilles. I strained the other one today on the stop sign hike along with my knee. It seemed to help. She taped up my knee and both hells for support and it feels much better.

Off to prepare for bed! I am seeing pretty drastic results. I choose not to weigh in but I can see really big changes! Yay! You can see it if you look at this stop sign pic and back at my other stop sign pic on day 1!

Day 7 = Relaxation and Some New Faces!

Calories consumed: 1096 Calories burned: no freaking clue!

Today was an amazing day. SO relaxing! I didn't bother to wear my heart rate monitor because I just planned to take it easy and try to heal my foot. Plus its not the most comfy thing to wear!

There was another fritatta which my tummy didn't feel like eating this morning. I almost felt hung over form staying up too long! Although, you would have thought I was drunk last night by the way I was singing, but nope! I opted for the cereal instead so I didn't bother to take a picture because everyone has seen cereal. lol

After breakfast Lianne, Tammy and I took a cab to Target. Yeah, so that cost $60 bucks round trip! The cab was being driven by a hundred yea old man who brought his wife along for the ride. Pretty cute! They didn't even have a dispatch, just a cell phone :) I had a good time browsing the store. I bought a few things such as a really cute shirt for Mexico for a whopping $12! LOL

After we cabbed back we ate our bagged lunch. (That is what you get on Sundays) It was yummy! Probably the best tuna sandwich I ever tasted, a bowl of carrot soup, carrots, cucumber and an apple.

We had to say goodbye to our new friend Nic. He had to go back to New York. Too bad because he was a very amusing person. A lot of fun!

The girls and I spent the rest of the day parked on pool chairs reading magazines and surfing the net. It was very mindless and wonderful. I cant say enough good things about my new friends. It will be hard when we all have to go our separate ways.

The sun was very hot today and I got a bit of a tan. This makes me very happy! It was weird seeing the new guests start trickling in. It feels like months ago that I was in their shoes. They all seem really great though. I got to meet Mary Anne Power today which was cool! She is very nice, I think we will have a lot of fun :) I also met Kena who is rooming with Tammy! Works out well! It ll be a great week!

Dinner was an excellent Cobb salad with chocolate pudding pie for dessert. The salad gave me onion breath lol

At the orientation for the new guests we all had to share something with them. I got up and started to try to say that although most people come here with a weight goal in mind, they don't realize what an emotional journey it is. Then of course I choked up because its almost inexplicable. I had to finish speaking in my ugly cry voice and say that in a matter of 4 days I felt different somehow. That I couldn't believe in 4 days that I could be confidant for the first time in my life, or look in the mirror and like what i see. If there is a change this big in my in week 1 I am excited what 2,3 and 4 hold for me. I think this place, no, I KNOW this place has given me the gift of having a full happy life. If I hadn't come here I would have ruined the life I have now. I am blessed with an amazing son and boyfriend and family, but my self loathing was taking all of my attention from them because I was focused on me and constantly trying to fix whatever I felt was wrong with me.

I cant say enough good things about Fitness Ridge. I better get to bed because there is a new stop sign hike tomorrow and I want to see how my ankle holds up! Good night!

Days 5 and 6

Friday: Calories burned 5493, calories consumed: 1052 for a difference of 4441.

Friday was a great day. I got up at 5am and did the 6am step class. It was good because it didn't hurt my tendon and burned a lot of calories.

Breakfast was OK. I'm getting sick of eggs though.lol We had an egg scramble full of veggies and salsa with toast and a bowl of fruit. I ate it before I could take a picture lol

Unfortunately before the hike my tendon was still really bothering me. I decided to do the mini stop sign hike which is about 6 miles round trip, but doesn't have the massive incline. I struggled at first because every step hurt. After a while of walking in the sunshine with my ipod playing very loudly my ankle started to warm up and the pain went away. I picked up a bit of speed. When I got to the mini stop sign I suddenly felt strong and decided to go all the way up. I made it to the top! I was quite excited because of the fact that even with an injury I could get up there. I only added 5 minutes to my time! I was pretty proud of myself.




After the hike we had a stretch class. I looove stretch class and noticed my flexibility has already improved a lot.

Lunch was Tomato soup and a tostada. They were both very good.




After lunch we had a lecture regarding the upcoming week. I had a bit of a breakthrough. They wanted us to go around the room and say what we are proud of. I mentioned my stop sign hike from that morning and then said I was also very proud of the fact that I could talk out loud in front of all of these people and tell them how I feel with out getting tunnel vision or finding an excuse to leave the room to hide the fact that I'm crying. Its the first experience in my life that I remember having no nerves or fear of judgement about speaking in front of a group. Of course while I said it I was bawling..lol It felt amazing though.

I updated my Facebook status that I climbed out of my shell, poured gasoline on it and set it on fire. I have never felt so confident and self assured. The amazing people here are so encouraging and supportive. I already know my life has been changed. In less han a week, Fitness Ridge changed me. My whole life up until recently, I felt worthless, I didn't value myself, and no matter what anyone said, I couldn't seem to fix it. In the last year my boyfriend managed to help me start to come around. He made me feel better mentally and emotionally than I had in years. I came to FR to try and completely fix the rest of my mind and its the best decision I have ever made.

After the lecture I had 2 consecutive circuit classes (by choice) then Cardio Disco Jam, which is funny as hell.. the teacher shows you some moves then you put it all together and dance.. such a blast! Only problem is, the spinning we did during the dance re-agitated my ankle :( Grrr

Dinner was Turkey meatloaf. Pretty darn yummy! Dessert was tropical ice cream.




I watched the Olympic Ceremonies and went to sleep. I am loving the company o the friends I have made here. It feels like I have known them forever!

Saturday: Calories burned: 3426 Calories consumed:1262 for a difference of 2164 (this isn't accurate because I took my monitor off about 1 o'clock)

I woke up excited because we only had a timed stop sign hike then a circuit training class then we were done for the weekend. I didn't even try to beat my record because when I woke up my tendon had now bruised and swelled up. I think it was form disco, because we were twisting lol. I decided to putt my way along and just try to make it up without the pressure of beating my time. My ankle rmed up a bit and I ws bale to pick up some speed, but I still added 15 minutes to my time.( 1:27) I am just proud I made it at all. Its weird having a positive attitude. Normally Id be frustrated and bitchy... I figure I have 3 weeks left, Ill kick the stop signs big red ass! AT the top of the hike there was a skeleton. I'm thinking coyote or dog?




We got back and had circuit training and then were let loose for the weekend! Lunch was a turkey sandwich and squash soup.

We had to say goodbye to Lynette which was sad. She was a lot of fun.Lianne and Tammy and I sat out in the sun by the pool for while chatting. It was fun... until my lawn chair gave out on me! The fabric was all rotten form pool chemicals and sunshine and just tore! Hahaha, talk about embarrassing! I guess I didn't lose as much as I thought! LOL



I had another amazing massage. Dinner was Salisbury (turkey) Steak lol, It was OK. It was graduation for those who were leaving. It was really emotional. They all said what they learned and are taking with them. There were a lot of tears. This place changes so many lives.

Afterward we had Karaoke night! I sang 5 songs stone cold sober! That is defiantly not me! It was actually a ton of fun!

Earlier in the day I was told there was something for me in the lobby. I went in and there was a MASSIVE bouquet of flowers form my wonderful boyfriend for valentines day. I couldn't believe it. They are absolutely gorgeous! It is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me :)







I'm off to bed. I haven't been up this late for over a week nd I'm dying.

The new group comes tomorrow, it will be interesting to see a bunch of new faces!

No Post!

I had an amazing day, but I am too beat to write! I will update tomorrow! :)

OK... So I Spoke Too Soon!

Today started off as a really great day. I got up at 5am and did some cardio on the treadmill.. AT 6 o'clock I went to Total Body Conditioning. If you want to make your butt cheeks fall off, that's the way to do it. I think one of mine mine is still in the aerobics room somewhere! I was so happy tody I was almost euphoric, I felt great, the sun was shining...

After the 6am class we had breakfast. Another egg thingy on an English muffin with not real bacon and soy cheese. It actually tasted amazing!

I went on the mini stop sign hike. I think its about 6 miles. I chose it to get a dcent workout, but still rest my legs somewhat. Unfortunately when I woke up this morning I felt a bit of discomfort in my Achilles Tendon. I was hoping it would go away but throughout the hike it got progressively worse. It was more of a discomfort at that point.







After the hike I went to pool class instead of gym class to take the pressure off my foot It seemed to help.

Lunch was really yummy. It was a bowl of broccoli potato soup and a Rainbow Sandwich which is a sandwich thin filled with roasted veggies, soy cheese and pesto. Very yummy!




After lunch we had Treading class. You get on a cardio machine and go full blown for 5 minutes, recover for 5 minutes, go for 4 minutes recover for four minutes and so on. It looked like a great class however my tendon wasn't cooperating so i just picked a moderate pace and went with it..I still burned a lot of calories today though. After treading there was another pool class, then Ball works. After the second pool class my tendon started to feel crackly and crunchy. I'm so freaking frustrated, I don't know what to do! I finally felt better leg pain wise and now I have this stupid injury and its affecting my workouts! I am so terrified that its going to be something that wont heal for a long time and will ruin my trip here. I couldn't imagine leaving. I have been doing so well and seeing so many results. It actually upsets me to tears because I am terrified that I would have to go home or something. For now I'm just icing it and staying off of it. I am also going to have an Epsom salt bath to see if that helps.

Dinner was alright. It was a potato salad and a chicken breast. The potato salad was made from sweet potatoes and purple potatoes which was kind of weird. Dessert was apple cobbler..mmmm I am going to Target tonight with Lynette. She is hilarious and looks like Katie Perry. Her sense of humour is awesome.




Cross your fingers for me that my ankle gets better. I will be devastated if it doesn't :(

Today I burned only about 4640 calories, its a bit lower than what it actually is because it turns itself off in the pool sometimes. Its lower than my other days which is disappointing, but I have to stay positive and it is a much bigger number than I ever would have done at home.

Our caloric intake was 1146 which makes a difference of 3494. Still pretty good!

Day 3 - Feeling SO Much Better!

Today went a lot better than yesterday! My massage last night was AMAZING! It was the best massage I have ever had and has probably ruined it for me now because no other therapist will be as good!

This morning I got up at 5 and was in the gym by 5:15 to stretch out my legs because hey still hurt so bad. I got 2 big bags of ice and alternated stretching and icing. It helped a lot. Thankfully my 6am class was Stretching and by the end of that I felt great!

Breakfast was pretty good. It was just mixed fruit and some muesli with nuts and strawberries..



I chose to do an easy hike today, or "Hike 101" to give my legs a break. I don't want to screw them up to the point of an injury so I opted out of doing a really inclined hike. I ended up doing West Canyon. It had beautiful scenery and was just long and flat. I walked really fast so I still got a good workout. By the end of it my legs were still very sore.







After the hike I had Circuit training and I managed to push through the seized up quads and shin splints and run 5.5 MPH for a bit. It actually helped loosen things up which made me very happy!

Lunch was freaking amazing! It was beet soup and "green pizzas". Sounds gross, but the pizza was outstanding. They were the Orowheat thin buns made crispy and covered with pesto, feta and ground turkey and tiny bits of broccoli etc.. like I said, doesn't sound great, but it was!




Its amazing how the food is enough here. Three small meals and a piece of fruit doesn't sound like much. They teach you why its enough though. It is so rich in nutrients and fibre that you stay full forever!

After lunch I had Kickboxing which is now my favorite class, I kicked the CRAP out of that bag! Then I had pool, which sucked.. not a big fan of pool. It just doesn't feel like a workout. After pool was Mountain class where you get on the treadmill and increase your incline or speed every 3 minutes 12 times. I really pushed on that one. I was drenched by the end of it. I felt great.

I have been hanging out mainly with 2 girls, Lianne and Lynette. They are awesome. SO much fun! They are very encouraging as well.. Lianne is on my team so we are in classes together and she has picked me up and diverted emotional crisis for me a few times. It really helps. The three of us are going to Target tomorrow night. Should be really fun!

Dinner was excellent, had a cafe salad. It was a tortilla, lettuce, chicken, soy cheese, black beans, rice and some other stiff with some kind of vinaigrette on it. Desert was Coconut sorbet with blueberries... YUMMY IN THE TUMMY! Of course anything tastes amazing when you're working out all day!




The night ended with a lecture on "Intuitive Eating" and a soak in the hot tub. I am going back for another massage on the weekend and I cant wait. He turned me into a Brandi puddle the last time!

I am thankful that my legs are getting better because if I am going to fit into that hilarious goal outfit, I'm going to have to literally work my butt off, as well as some thighs, a big gut and some back fat!..lol

Off to bed, tomorrow comes quickly!

Meal calories: 1094
Calories burned: 5390
for a difference of: 4296! NOT BAD EH!! ( I put the eh in there to remind everyone I'm Canadian) LOL

Day 2- I Didn't Survive :P

Soooo today was a lot worse than yesterday and this is going to be a short post because I am in major pain with my legs and glutes..I was in a fair bit of discomfort this morning from yesterday so I went to the gym and stretched for 30 minutes at 5:30 am to try to relieve it. It did help a bit. The classes were more difficult because my legs were so sore I couldn't do a lot of the moves like squats etc.

The food was great. Had some chocolate covered strawberries for desert, very yummy. Other meals were Sope and fruit for breakfast, parsnip soup and tuna nicoise salad for lunch and veggie lasagna for dinner. They were all very good.

All pain aside I burned about 5500 calories today. I am happy with that. As you can probably tell I am out of it and cant concentrate long enough to write this. I have a massage in a little while and bought some Epsom salts. I hope it helps or tomorrow could be rough. I am opting for an easier hike tomorrow. I will attach some pictures then I am calling it a night. I had trouble falling asleep last night. I think I layed in the dark until midnight.

Just to make it clear I am still happy to be here and do not regret my decision to come. I did have a mini meltdown today in total toning class. It was more out of frustration with the leg pain causing me to not work out as hard as I want to. I'm sure tomorrow will be a better day. Hopefully Ill have my brain back tomorrow and will be able to write a more detailed blog.