SUNDAY: TRUTH DAY, YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM THE SCALE!

I love these women that are all lined up to see what results they are going to have this week. They are strong and they are on a mission to lose the pounds just like me! One thing is for sure, I know they will do it!!

Today was our weigh in. If The Resort teaches one thing that I wish everyone would realize is, OUR BODIES ARE ALL DIFFERENT! Here is a perfect example of just that. We eat ALL the same food (minus a few variations...but we have the same chef), we do the same workouts and live close to the same lifestyle while we are here. Yet, some people loose really big and other loose a little. Does little vs. big weight loss take away ANY of the glory? No! You have to think about where you were before, how different and better you feel, and if you would be making this change without such a jump start. If all of those facts are positive then NO MATTER WHAT your results are just where they should be!!

This week I lost a total of 5 lbs. The last time I came I lost a total of 8 in week one. Why didn't I loose more? I don't know. But I am going to celebrate every pound that was shed because since May when I was here last, my body has been losing inches, but the pounds were holding on to dear life! I was THRILLED that the scale budged!!

I need to give a shout out to two of my BLR friends! Bri (aka Danielle I tend to call her that, no reason, just do so now it is her nickname whether she likes it or not!) you knocked it outta the park! 12 lbs!! You fought through every single lb. You never gave up. You kept yourself positive and even hiked your butt up mountains when you wanted to throw the towel at the mountain! You inspired me OODLES and you're a bestie for life! Jim lost 11 lbs. He inspired me every morning on our hikes. He has had health problems and instead of sitting around letting it make him bigger he got off his couch and got active! He was at the top of the pack in all our hikes and always brought leadership and team love when he was around! WAY TO GO! (Jim is the cousin of Jerry Hayes, season 7)

Sunday breakfast is a FAVORITE!! It is a omelet bar! So delicious! Who knew feta cheese and an omelet is a bit of heaven?! Then the resort packs you a sack lunch...Today we had a Almond butter spread on a Orrowheat sandwich thin. Along with some string cheese, cut veggies and an apple. It is packed like that so that people traveling will be prepared and not have to go through the temptation of airport food, etc. I appreciate that this is part of the program and it is nice to have a lunch so that you can do your own thing and not have to be there at a certain time.

After saying goodbye to departing friends, with my lunch in hand I went to my room to set some personal goals for my week. My Sundays each week will be dedicated not only to my Savior but to bettering myself and choosing goals that will get me where I want to be in this journey.
My first activity this Sunday was to:

WEEK TWO Goals for myself:

Be HONEST with myself.
NO EXCUSES

PUSH myself further than I ever have
ENJOY the journey

Make time for MEMORIES

TAKE IT HOME

After goal setting, pondering, a nap and a few phone calls, the long awaited moment was here! Since booking my stay at BLR I have been anticipating being with some people I really adore. My Courtney, My Amanda. My Arthur and My Sarah ARRIVE TODAY!! This week is going to be AWESOME! I honestly cannot wait! I get to pick Court, Mandz and Arty at the airport and want to squeeze them all! This will be the FIRST time I meet Amanda yet we text each other through out each day and she is my adopted lil Sister!

This week coming up is gonna be a week of GREATS...EPIC really!! We are all going to do things we never before have done and meet personal goals and maybe even go beyond them, we will see! This week is going to help me get closer to my goals.

I am looking forward to getting to know Sione better and Tara the "iron woman!" Plus, I hear a few surprise "Loser's" will be dropping by (this is the week before finale) to say hi, so it is a week never to be forgotten I am sure. Last week would be pretty hard to top, I love all the new friends in my journey...there is a HUGE support system here!

Picking my sweet friends up at the airport was awesome! I loved having them all in the car with me. We were talking a mile a minute, laughing, sharing stories about all the CRAY CRAY people in this world and just loving spending time with each other. When we arrived to the resort, the excitement in the air was intense! SOOO excited for this week!


These people warm my heart! I am so blessed to be part of their lives!

Last Chance Workout...No Joke!

(My friend Heather from the resort would text us daily motivation she was getting from her trainer back home.. THANK YOU HEATHER, you have no idea how much this helped!)

The last time I was at The Biggest Loser Resort, Saturday was an "optional day".  Lots of site seeing, shopping and sleeping went on.  The new schedule at Biggest Loser Resort sticks more to the purpose you are there..TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE, not to be on a vacation, and it is NO JOKE. 

I am not going to lie.  I was planning to spend my Saturday at Disneyland.  I have ALWAYS dreamed to be at Disney at Christmas time.  To feel the magic even more through Christmas decor and festivities.  I was disappointed at first when I found out that Saturday was a PACKED schedule and my dreams were going to be put on hold for yet another year.

Those feelings were before I experienced what a HARD workout Saturday there would feel like.  A bonus day to get one last chance to get your body shedding the much needed weight!  It was some hard work, but I am glad I participated!

(This is an example of some of the things available in the gift shop at The Biggest Loser Resort.  Lots of products with this saying..love the message and reminder. I should've bought it!)

I opted to rest from Hiking and after a morning Yoga style class chose to do the 2 hr workout back at the resort.  We had asked if a pool class could be offered for that time and they agreed, little did we know that is when the pool guys were there.  I was already in  my swimsuit and so me and my friend chose to do our workout in the hot tub... you may think, that is not a workout.. You better believe it was!!  were running around that hot tub, doing weights, using noodles and sweating to death just like a Birkham hot Yoga class...no joke.  We did it for an hour and then we moved to the pool.  Did I mention that it felt like it was 50 below outside.  It was soooo windy and cold but I just couldn't bear another gym class today, I needed to be outside and was willing to ANYTHING to stay there.  Right after we started our aerobic routine we had a bizarre interruption..an emergency helicopter landing!

As we were in the pool, a firefighting helicopter was hovering lower and lower to the resort and for a minute I thought they were having a malfunction and were going to land and take out the entire Biggest Loser Resort.  I didn't know whether we should run for our lives or just stay put.  They ended up landing in the field a few feets from the back of the gym.  Apparently there was a bike accident in the canyon by us and the ambulance brought the victim to that field.  We all left the pool and the gym and rushed to see what was going on...brrr it was cold! It was so amazing to see what an organized mission this was.  The helicopter had barely touched down when it was off again with the injured person and we were back to our workouts!

After 2 hours in the water and the people on the hike returned, left the pool to get dry before our "last chance" workout!  Do you even know how hard it is to get a sports bra on when you are wet...let me just say contorting your body in that many ways to get your bra on is AMUSING!

They don't mess around with this last chance workout!  We were doing suicides, ladder runs, medicine ball routines, Running up a hill with weights in toe, Resistance ropes and the double heavy rope exercise (wish I knew what that was called) and last but not least yoga ball sit ups.  We did this in circuit like rotations.  I am not gonna lie 90  minutes of this and I wanted to lay down on the floor and kick my feet in a tantrum...if only I had energy to do that! ha ha In fact I had drank my entire water bottle before we were even half way through.

My team was Jerry and Estella Hayes from Season 7.  How I love them and they are the best sports, cheerleaders and loves ever!

We get a little break after the Last chance workout and lunch before the graduation festivities start.  It was nice to just be in my room and talk with friends.  Felt like a great end to an AMAZING week! 

Graduation is a great time of the week.  We watch a DVD that they give to each of us that is coverage of our entire week.  If I can figure out how to post it I will, but my guess is it is TOO big of a file. It basically is a great way to come home and show all your family what you went through and also a reminder to yourself of the new friendships and the new YOU that you found.  There also is a part for the people departing to share thoughts, hopes and successes with everyone, some tears are shed as well (yes, I am one of those crying).

I spent the remainder of my Saturday with my new found friend Sandi who volunteered to help me fill the orders for Wristbands for Sam Poueu (Biggest Loser season 9 contestant and trainer at BLR who had an accident in the fall and is still recovering from serious injuries.) It felt very humbling to be filling these orders right there at his workplace where he had inspired and loved so many of the people that had come through those doors.  I was SOOO happy to have Sandi's help this week.  I had 74 orders to process. It took us 4 hours to complete, but Sam is worth EVERY HOUR, I love that guy! 

I think a cool side note to Sandi helping me is that one of the main purposes that she booked her stay here at The Biggest Loser Resort was she wanted Sam to be her trainer.  She was so disappointed and considered rescheduling when it ended up differently but came anyway.  Here she was able to serve him and kind of pay it forward to him...she is THE BEST!

Saturday Stats:

Calories Burned: 4321
Steps: 9,478 (minus the 2 hour workout in the pool)

Menu today:

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and toast
Lunch: Tuna Nicoise Salad with Pita and Squash Soup
Dinner: Salsbury Steak with Chocolate Banana, Strawberry and Pinapple drizzled in dark chocolate.

YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS!!

Out of anything that comes out of my mouth to myself and others, this one is BY FAR my mantra to all that know me.  I preach it and I BELIEVE IT!  "YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS!" Today was one of those days that I REALLY needed to practice what I preached and reach DEEP down and find that belief in my core, for today I hiked what months ago I would have believed was going to be the death of me and I would never survive it, I hiked SOLSTICE!

This hike started off flatter and then continued to climb and climb and weave all the way to the top of a very tall mountain.  I felt my "exercise induced asthma kick" in as we got higher and higher up and I kept saying to myself, "Don't you DARE stop Megan Christine, YOU can do hard things, quitting is NOT an option!"  The hike guide, Michael must have saw the fear and doubt in my eyes and so he held up and waited for me and continued to stick right next to me step after step for the duration the hike.  (I think he did it cause I told him I was gonna blog about him and give him the credit for sticking with me!)  

(That lil' separation in the mark, that is the thumbs up I will be talking about..this was taken about half way through the hike.)



I will admit that hiking is NOT my most favorite thing.  And sometimes I catch myself looking down the whole time trying not to see the GREAT task I have before me of making it to the top of a mountain.  About middle week this week though, I started realizing, if all I do is look down, I never see the MAJESTY of what I am doing.  I never see the beautiful creations God has given to me.  I never feel the amazing amount of confidence when I finish knowing how far it was to reach the summit, really.  So I started looking up.  I started taking note.  I made time to stop for a picture or two. I identified landmarks ahead that I would say, "if I just can make it to that, I can finish".  Today those landmarks were VERY VERY important.  I will be honest, I was struggling.  My breathing was terrible and I really thought making it to the "thumbs up point" that hike guide Michael kept telling me about, was going to be the place where I lay down and die...literally! 

But something happened today, something quite miraculous.  Not only did I make it to the "thumbs up rock"  I made it all the way around it down back, did an additional climb up to a waterfall and went back down to the base of the canyon and hiked out of there and guess what?! I wasn't the last.  I was still smiling and still breathing.  I had awesome conversations with Michael the hike guide about things I want to do, things I have done so far and things he has done.  It was QUALITY, it is what got me through the hard.

 When I got back to the van, I had an inner conversation with myself, "I CAN DO HARD THINGS!! I just did one of the HARDEST hikes in my life.  I didn't die, I didn't even come close.  I am LIVING, I am REALLY LIVING!"  At this moment in the van, I was completely overcome with celebration of MYSELF.  I have this problem where I celebrate for EVERYONE else and I never celebrate when I accomplish something.  Today I did.  Today I proved, I CAN DO HARD THINGS!

I was thankful for when it came time for lunch just to have time to laugh and chat about things with MY girls Yes, that is right...they are MINE!! They are never gonna get rid of me.  I love them forever.  It is though they were my childhood friends. 

Bri, Cara, Kelly, Heather, Kim, Sandi, Susan, Sue, Haley,Zenia, Regina Becki and my sweet Shelene YOU GIRLS ARE AMAZING! Oh and our honorary males..Keith and Chris.)

After lunch the "Stay Overs" had a meeting pool side.  My heart was so full and I felt sooo blessed that I got to stay ONE MORE week with these people, SERIOUSLY that was like Christmas thinking about it!  LOVE THEM!

This wasn't the only hard thing I proved to myself.  Not only did I climb and conquer Solstice, I conquered fears in my Circuit Training class.  I did my first real run on the treadmill (since being here), I got myself on the Arc trainer again, I lifted heavier weights than I ever had and sweated profusely.

In Cardio Disco Jam (I am NOT a coordinated person, especially on the dance floor) I just let loose and didn't care who was watching...Fetch, I even galloped like a horse hitting my rear end with my hand down the "soul train line" and to make matters worse, it was captured on video...and I could care less!  Now that is SUCCESS!

Liquid moves, is a fancy way to say Water Aerobics, but on Fridays we play Water Volleyball.  I LOVE THIS part of FUN FRIDAY. I love Volleyball.  I am not good at it other than serving the ball, but I love it!  Our team this week was amazing!  We worked together, we cheered for each other even on a bad play, we had the best non-confusing rotation and we WON!  A few of us even stayed later to continue playing...in the water, you can't really do that..a few people doesn't work when you can't move fast..but it was fun and burned a few extra Calories!

Tonight a took my friends Becki and Susan to the mall.  It was good to just go and feel the Christmas hustle bustle of everyone.   We went to JCPenny's where Susan spoiled me and bought me the most AWESOME wallet (She is my Mama at the resort.  I love her!).  I bought the twins the cutest jean jackets and Susan got somethings for her grand kids.  We went to Charming Charlies, Coach, the Apple Store etc.  It was great to just walk around, and feel like we still can dress up like a normal person! 

Tomorrow is a BUSY day for Saturdays at the Resort!  Hike or 2 hr workout and a last chance workout plus Graduation for those departing. Gotta be geared up and ready to go, this is a new change since I was here last, I better be ready for anything!

Today's STATS:
Burned 5,356 Calories (not including 2 water aerobics classes)
Steps: 20,349

Menu:
Breakfast:  Pancake Breakfast
Lunch: Caesar Salad Pizza and Mushroom Soup
Dinner: Chicken Tostada with Pineapple Sorbet

By Popular Request: Biggest Loser Resort Southwest Cafe' Salad

Southwest Cafe' Salad

Servings: 4

473 Calories per serving

Fat: 11g

Protein: 36g

Fiber: 17g

Carbs: 66g

4 Whole Wheat Tortillas (Don Pancho is the brand they use.  I use Orrowheat)

1 Cup brown Rice

1 Cup Black Beans (heated and drained)

12 ounces chicken breast, cooked and sliced

4 oz cheddar flavored soy cheese (I use fat free feta)

8 cups chopped Romaine Lettuce

6 oz Pico de Gallo

8 oz BLR Southwest vinaigrette ( I will post this later...I use Hernandez verde sauce)

Chicken seasoning:

1 tsp Onion Powder

1tsp Garlic powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Add seasoning to chicken, and place on sheet pan.  Bake chicken for 20 minutes, and then cut into 1/2 inch strips.  Steam the brown rice, and heat up the black beans in a saute pan. Warm the tortillas, and place one in each bowl.  Add 1/4 c of black beans, 1/4 cup brown rice, 5 strips of chicken (approx 3 oz), and 1 oz of cheese in each bowl.  In mixing bowl combine the lettuce and with the vinaigrette until coated.  Split lettuce between 4 bowls and add Pico del gallo to garnish.



NOTHING IS GONNA KEEP ME DOWN!

Today started out a little rough. I had stomach issues and was running to the bathroom every 15-30 minutes for the first 5 hours of the day (5 am-10am). I believe it was due to my session of Reflexology last night. I think she was able to work the toxins and waste out of me, so that is a good thing! As tired as we all are, I could have used that time to sleep my morning away but I refused to waste it like that. Instead I spent it awake and blogging, catching up on emails and all the emails people are sending me with questions, etc.

I was happy to join my group again at 11am for our stretch class! It felt good to be back in the program and that class was awesome! I left feeling like I could go climb a mountain! (Sure wish I hadn't missed the hike..it is the biggest calorie burn of the day!)

Since I missed breakfast, I was ANXIOUS to get Lunch and it didn't disappoint!

While we were at lunch Jerry and Estella Hayes gave us the most inspiring presentation about their experience and how they got on the show. We were all in tears and so proud of them for saving their lives. I will share that in a different post a little later. But here is a little snippet in their presentation! As many of you Biggest Loser fans know, Jerry went on after only losing 26 pounds on the ranch to winning the at home prize!

Following this amazing lecture there was a space of time for me to go to open gym. On my way there I ended up crossing paths with my new friend Shelene (who I talked about in day one, and will tell you more about her later). We ended up talking about God and how he is in the details of our life. She is a dear soul and I feel safe and loved by her already. I opened up to her and had a little cry session, telling her my story a bit. After we had a very good talk she said to me, "Hey, I know you love Candace Cameron, she just texted me and told me that she was right behind our housing shooting a movie, do you wanna go meet her?!" I was ECSTATIC of course! So we walked at a good pace over to see where she was filming a new Lifetime movie "Puppy Love." Candace was so gracious and made me feel loved right away. It was also fun to see how the set ran and such. One of the funny things is that it was a FREEZING day and they were filming pool side. All the cast were dressed for pool weather and the crew had on Eskimo type hooded coats, I got a kick from that!

The classes this afternoon were KILLER! We had a ball works class where we did a combination of weights, cardio and stretch all using yoga balls (I will be posting the worded workout for this for some people who are looking for a ball workout soon). My left arm is a lot weaker than my right so this class challenged me!

Next class is called "TREADING." In this class we start on a machine and go AS HARD as we can go for 5 minutes. Then we have a 5 minute cool down. Then go as hard as we go for 4 minutes, with a 4 minute recovery. The go as hard as we can go for 3 minutes, with a 3 minute recovery. We go all the way to 1, but I think you get the picture. After that we do a 30 second sprint with a 30 sec recovery and end with a 30 second sprint with a 3 minute cool down. It is challenging, but you feel AWESOME at the end! Today, because of my calves I choose to use the bike. But at recovery 3, I hopped on the Arc Trainer and did that the rest of the time. Here are some of my teammates using the spin bikes as their treading machine of choice!

After those two challenging classes we has a water class that was more of a cool down this time. And cool down it was! It was FREEZING outside. Our instructors don't get in the water, they stay on the surface and show us what to do and walk around to make sure we are doing it correctly. Our instructor was wearing a ski parka, a scarf and gloves and we were in swimsuits in the pool...it really was cold!

Dinner tonight was scrumptious! Grilled Chicken with a green fruit salad and Apple cobbler for dessert! MMMMM!

Tonight as I was at dinner, I was thinking about how I missed one of the most important parts of my workout today, the hike. The Calorie burn from my hike helps me to meet my goals. I was going to let stomach issues keep me down, so I hit the gym for one solo workout before bed and while my clothes were in the wash, it was perfect!

I finished the night with an AMAZING talk with two great girls here, Heather and Haley. We talked about life in our fat shells, we talked about weight loss and gain. We talked about Dr. Huizenga's Book, "Where did all the Fat Go" and how there are some great suggestions on how to know your calories for your body etc in there. But most importantly we talked about US, our journeys, the things that are hard, the challenges of doing some of the routines as a fat person. Sometimes it is hard because most of the trainers haven't been overweight themselves and they try to put you in a position that is nearly impossible for you to mimic because you have a belly or fat getting in the way. It was awesome to talk to some girls (much smaller than I) that knew what I was talking about and knew the discomfort and pain that does cause.
Today I had increased energy and felt rejuvenated! I think the reflexology from Rosa really contributed to that! It was a wonderful, soul searching and accomplished day for me! I love being away from the pressures of life for a bit and being able to focus on me, I never do that and need to be better!

Happy Thursday everyone!

Salmon Burger Recipe

I am going to post a few different recipe's from the Biggest Loser Resort for all you out there that are looking for some healthy options.

SALMON BURGER:
Servings: 6
Serving size: 1/2 cup scoop

1 pound salmon, approx 2 cups
1/2 cup roasted peppers, diced small
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 TBSP mustard
6 TBSP Vegenaise
6 TBSP Nasoya Nayonaise
3 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, diced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 Lrg egg
Orowheat sandwich thins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake Salmon for about 18 minutes or until cooked.  Place cooked salmon in mixing bowl and shred with fork. Fold in ingredients and mix well.  Make 1/2 cup size patties with the mixture.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot in the middle.  Serve on Orrowheat thin with sliced tomato, onion, and lettuce leaves.

473 Calories
12g Fat
38g Protein
57g Carbs
11g fiber

Kicking the butt of obesity!

Who says "fat people" aren't athletic! I am here to tell you they are and in fact, some may be in better shape than the thin people out there! I am a witness to this every day here at Biggest Loser Resort! Me and my new friends are not fooling around... we have a purpose, we have a reason, we are here to kick the butt of Obesity!

We are enduring many very difficult obstacles. We are climbing mountains, the same mountains, whether we are 130 lbs (yes there are some here that are quite small) or whether we are 400+ lbs. We all go on the hikes, we all make it to the top. We all high five and take pictures...that is what we do! If one of us doesn't succeed, we aren't happy! It's a group/team effort and we are cheering each other on!

Some days are a little more difficult than other days. Today was a difficult day for me (however I never gave up and I kept going). My calves are as tight as I have ever felt them. They feel like there is a permanent charlie horse in them. It was fate today that Josh, the Yoga and stretch instructor, was on my hike with me. He was with me the whole way. He stopped me and kept doing stretches with me and really made the big, uneven terrain, hilly hike seem like a breeze. I was huffing and puffing up those hills but my body rarely hurt. Josh helped me to stay right on the backs of the strongest hikers (even though my limitation today didn't make me feel as strong). He had me talking, was asking me questions and answering mine. It was what got me through today's hike and made me PROUD of all that I accomplished. And even through my horrendous tight calves, I wasn't even in the last few to finish, although if I finished last, I still would have been proud.

I love all the water workouts here at the resort. However after having such calves trouble I attended ANOTHER stretch class right after the hike and gave up my morning H2O class to hopefully help gain more fluidity in my calve muscle. Josh is an excellent instructor and I a can tell that he cares about us as people not clients...stretch was a help today.

For lunch it was one of my favorite soups. Beet soup and then we had Meatloaf with a wild rice and veggies. all around an AMAZING lunch.

I got to attend a Grocery class with our dietitian here Jessica. It was a small class for people who have been here before and she gave me some good suggestion on VOLUME food to help in those week moments. Things that you can get a lot of but have less guilt about. For example better choices for time where you feel "mindless eating coming on". She actually spotlighted some of my favorite things like Plum Tots (baby snacks) cereal and dried strawberries and Pop Chips. We talked about these things would be better to eat when you aren't really paying attention to what you are eating for example at the movie theatre in the dark. Also I found a couple new things I am going to add to my pantry. Wasa crackers. They actually taste pretty good and are low in calories. The other for all the people with Trader Joe's around is Egg White salad with chives (like a egg salad) it is only 110 calories for the WHOLE container and is packed with protein. I think one of the most important things to do when you are trying to change and keep up a healthy lifestyle (especially for a foodie like me) is have things that actually appeal to your appetite...not just that they are low in calories, high in protein!

Did you know:

• Your SALT intake for the entire day should not be over 1500mg?
• Your SUGAR intake for the entire day shouldn't be over 25g for females 37g for males (not fair!)?
• Your taste buds can change and adapt in less than 2 weeks. Things that you think are nasty you can change your taste buds to like by changing your habits?!
• Close to 80% of the American Population have an insufficient ability to digest the sugar in milk products?
• There is more protein in an 8oz Greek Yogurt than there is in 3oz of steak?

I thought I'd share those things with you that I learned today in the Grocery class. One more thing that I am pretty sure most of you know already. Never go grocery shopping hungry and always shop the perimeter of the store. The perimeter carries nearly EVERYTHING that you would need to live a healthy, less processed food lifestyle.

Wednesday around this part of woods is HUMP DAY! We are all so proud that we made it to the half way through mark. It is also PROVE YOURSELF day! Our classes are gruelling! We had LOTS of ways to show that we are here to change our lives, we are here to KICK THE BUTT OF OBESITY! Our afternoon schedule today was Kick Boxing with Carol and Mountain with John and then Water Aerobics with John then Dinner. Kick boxing and Mountain are the two hardest classes here, in my opinion! Having them back to back was quite the feat...in fact it almost had me, I nearly lost my lunch in mountain.
Here is Proof:

Kick boxing is self explanatory. It is hard core punch, punch, punch...kick, kick, kick! Our instructor Carol is amazing and she is in some serious shape! She teaches the moves and isn't breathing hard at all. This class it self is very challenging, but fun. When you add to a gym that is way too hot, you can sweat GALLONS of fat off right?! I hope so! This class was like hot yoga kick boxing style! Carol was very encouraging to me and came and helped me in the combination parts (I lack coordination) and was so encouraging to me throughout the whole class and that is just what I needed, THANK YOU CAROL, loved your class!

Now Mountain.. I don't even have words to explain this to it's full capacity but this class isn't for wimps.. it is for people on a mission. Basically this class is similar to Cardio Intervals but with a different twist. You are on the SAME machine for the full class. You start at a certain level and then every 3 minutes you but up the intensity and you do this 12 times! By the 12th change in intensity you push yourself harder than you have for the last 3 minutes. It hurts SOOO good and yes, sometimes you may puke! (but of course that isn't the intention!)

In H2O today I think they were having a little sympathy for us after those two hard classes cause it wasn't as challenging. One of the relays we did was a team relay and we did a set of three different things and the last part we were supposed to get back to our side and get our teams to all be at the other side with their hands raised to win...but there was a twist, they could choose to go to the opposing sides team and detain them from reaching their walls. So who does the "other" team go after? Season 7 Biggest Loser Contestant and 66 yr woman Estella Hayes. They honestly looked like they were ripping here arms off.. tugging back and forth. I couldn't believe that they would do that to her! I was right there yelling at them to stop pulling her like that (could be the granny nanny in me). I eventually told her to grab me around my neck and I would pull her to the other side.. it was a water game gone wrong, in my opinion. Most of the games they play are great..just ripping apart an older woman, not classy!

Dinner tonight was one of my favorites! Cafe Chicken Salad. For those of you that are familiar with Cafe Rio, it would be a good substitution for one of their salads on a healthy side! I will share the recipe with you, that is a promise!

Following dinner I took a couple people to target to get deodorant, laundry soap etc. We ended up going WAY FAR and ended up at a Simi Valley Target, my bad!

I came back in time for a session of reflexology hoping that it would help loosen the calves so I could have a full and productive day tomorrow. BIG SHOUT OUT to Rosa in the Spa Department of the Biggest Loser Resort! She used Essential oils and rubbed those calves, pressure pointed those calves and made me feel like a new woman tonight! 60 minutes with her, is like HEAVEN! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Thank you to all my readers and friends who have sent personal messages about how my journey is inspiring you to get up and move. That really helps me even more want to continue, get out of my bed at 5:30am every morning and kick the butt of obesity! THANK YOU!

No Pain, No Gain.. or Weight Loss! Day TWO

Day TWO I have a love hate relationship with you!  Why does something so good for you have to feel so bad at times?  Today I have had a lot on my mind about the process by which many of us becomes overweight.  For each of us it is a different story, a different pain, a different lack of love for yourself.  It may have started from childhood fears or trauma, you may have started to use food to hide from things that were really troubling your heart.  It may have started from just pure laziness.  I don't know your story and I am still trying to figure out my own. But what I do know is eventually we all must come to a tipping point when we have had ENOUGH of the fat on our bodies, ENOUGH of the added stresses applied to them because of it and the inner turmoil, and ENOUGH guilt and pain that are connected with it! 

I had enough starting back in the Spring of 2009.  I started to change my life then and I am still continuing that path 2 years later.  It isn't an easy process, but it is a valuable process...it is a life or death process if you think about it.  I chose to live and live for a long time!  I love living!  It feels good and even when the hard times come, there is always something worth living for.. YOURSELF! I still have my struggles, but I keep going.  I have my set backs, my gains and losses, but I keep going.  I have my days that working out is the furthest away from my thoughts, but I keep going.  Being here at the Biggest Loser Resort, I have found others just like me.  Other people who are fighting for their life.  Fighting to find their definition of FIT!  Fighting every day, 12 hours a day (with classes) to figure out how they can tweak the way they are living just a little and get BIG results.  That is one of the greatest blessings of this place.  It is a place to find YOU again, or even  to discover the person you never knew was waiting to come out!

Already in day TWO I have seen awakenings (that I felt my first time ever here, and hope to find even deeper parts of it on this stay) in other newly found friends. It has been so neat to hear how this program is affecting them, and how they plan to incorporate that into their lives and BELIEVE in themselves again!  My new friend Danielle (I talked about her and her Sister a few posts ago) posted this last night and I think she said it beautifully, made me shed tears as I read her words:

"I have never been pushed mentally or physically like this in my entire life. There are no words to describe how life changing this has been and it's only day 1...IF I ever go back to an unhealthy lifestyle....SHOOT ME DIRECTLY BETWEEN MY EYES WITH A LARGE GUN. There is no pain in eating healthy, but the pain felt today has changed my entire outlook on the rest of my life. Worth every cent, second of time, and ounce of sweat and vomit, but HOLY CRAP...I surrender. No more."

I couldn't agree with her more! The amount of work we are doing 8 hrs a day to get this weight off is not worth all the food on the planet!  Every ounce of unhealthy living is beaten off us in the gym or pool ounce by ounce, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. The emotion of awakening to such a realization that you are the one that did this to yourself is quite a hefty load to bear.  But knowing that choices now can change the way your future is lived is what gets us to our classes all day. 

Biggest Loser Resort isn't naive enough to act as though we are going to do this amount of workout every day for the rest of our lives, and that is why they hammer it into us why we are here.  Not only are we being worked out, we are being taught ways, products and plans that we can incorporate into our everyday life so that we still don't have to be deprived, we still can live lives, attend and eat at social events and still keep working toward our goals to live a healthy lifestyle. It isn't an all or nothing, it is finding a balance.

My calves are so tight right now that I feel they may break apart.  My arms are heavy and if I tried to lift them above my head, I may tip over. But, my heart is happy.  My spirit is rejuvenated.  My self love and determination is still in check and even stronger each day that I make it through these challenging workouts.  I CAN DO HARD THINGS!  I know this.  I feel it every day I fight through a challenging workout, walk with very tight calves, hike a long steep hill, run a sprint on a treadmill for 2 minutes, or hold 8 lbs weights above my head. I am a fighter for things that are right.  Taking care of my body is right and I will fight and see it through to the end! For the first time in my life, I am learning to put MY NEEDS first and not feeling guilty about it!  I AM WORTH IT!

So today, I gave it my all. I went to my classes and enjoyed them.  Fought through the pain and exceeded my expectations. Here is a run down of DAY 2:

Breakfast today was Banana Muffins and fruit.  The muffins were delicious but I didn't even finish all of them cause they were so heavy and filling, it was a great way to power up my body for my hike.

Hike was today lighter than yesterday!  The weather was warm and BEAUTIFUL!! My hike buddies were AWESOME!

Yes, we are ALL still smiling after the hike!

These are my new found friends! Danielle, Cara and Kelly!

After returning home from the hike I hit the water H2O class! It was quite the workout, never a doubt!

For lunch today we had a simple turkey sandwich on orowheat thins with a green salad with a very light dressing and fruit.

After lunch is when the beatings began. 

Total Tone Class was KILLER.  We had 6 stations set up using weights, medicine balls and squats.  Let's just say there was lots of grunting and near tears today, but we ALL pushed our bodies through what we thought we couldn't do!

Cardio Intervals is a class ANYONE can do with ANY equipment that they have! You warm up for about 5 minutes on a machine of your choice.  Then you bump up the level on the machine one up every 30 seconds till you do that 8 times.  Once you have done that 8 times you stay at the highest level you got to for 1 minute. Then you start to go down one level a time, 30 seconds apart.  You do that over and over for 45 minutes.  It is amazing how doing that little makes you sweat A LOT!

Last class of the night was H2O intervals. We all got in that pool completely sore, fatigued, and feeling like we couldn't do ANY MORE.  But as always, we pulled it out!  Our shaking arms, did more weights, more push ups (using a metal bar around the pool and pulling our bodies out of the water), jumping jacks, running around the pool, and more.  Even when you think you have nothing more, they show you YOU DO!

Dinner tonight was delicious as always.  We had Veggie Lasagna with steamed broccoli and cauliflower and key lime (tofu) pie for dessert.

Now I am sitting on my bed, in my Biggest Loser sweatshirt watching the current seasons make over show. I am feeling proud of the calories I burnt today, the steps I took and the attitude I have!  This journey is up to me!  I have to put in the work and determination!  No one else can do it for me!

Today's Calories Burned (minus those in the pool): 4,544

Steps taken: 18,478

Very sore but happy Meg!

DAY ONE JITTERS AT BIGGEST LOSER RESORT MALIBU

When you're talking about the Biggest Loser Resort experience a case of the jitters isn't nervousness, it is actually your body jittering!  Today I had ALL sorts of jitters.  After the hike when I sat down, my legs were shaking by themselves, I didn't know how to stop them.  During "Liquid Moves" class my calves decided to jitter by getting the hardest charlie horse I have ever experienced in my life. Following our circuit class, my whole body seemed to have a jitter in it and was ready to loose my carrot soup we had at lunch time. I am not the only one getting the "jitters", the charlie horses and jittering bodies are all around me!

Monday at the resort is full of firsts for people!  Many go on their first hike of their lives. Some people have never run on a treadmill.  For others, its their first time being pushed to a breaking point.   The people who come to the resort are quality!  I enjoy meeting them and hearing their stories.  Some rip your heart out and others inspire you to try even a lil' harder.  Anyone looking for a change of lifestyle should look into how they can make the Biggest Loser Resort work for them.  It is well worth anything to find a program that helps you get your health back!

Many of you have asked about the ins and outs of the program.  So today I am going to give you the play by play of what takes place on day at The Biggest Loser Resort.

6am: WAKE UP
6:30: Stretch Class
7:00: Breakfast. Today's breakfast was Waffles with a blueberry puree and some fruit.

8:00: Leave for Hike.  Today we went to Newton Canyon.  We did a really long version and went all the way today (Apparently they don't usually go that long but we were all doing so good they did a bonus one..lucky us! LOL)
11:15: Liquid Moves (water aerobics on steroids)
12:35: Lunch. Today we had Carrot Soup, A delicious fruit green salad and A bean and rice burrito ( I will be posting this recipe..stay tuned)

1:15: Lecture on Budget (How to know how many calories you need to burn to get to your goals)

2:30: Circuit Class.  In this class we get to try out a lot of the machines that are commonly found in gyms.  The trainer has us start with Cardio and we push AS HARD AS WE CAN for 2 minutes.  Then we switch to weight training machines and work 45 seconds, rest for 30 seconds and then work 45 more seconds.  We go back and forth for the hour.  Tonia (the trainer who is the closest thing to Jillian you will find here) was pushing us all to the breaking point...we were fighting HARD for those 2 min each time.  A couple went out to throw up.. I almost joined them.
3:30: Core Training. Can I just say MAIN IN THE BUTT!  Yeah, cause that is where it hurt! I had sweat dripping down my body. I was shaking while holding my core pose...I was ready for this class to be over!
4:30: H2O Intervals.  This class is a high intensity water aerobics style class where we focus on getting our heart rate to spike and then we recover then we spike and recover for the whole hour class.  We did things like shooting our bodies out of the water, squatting and rolling our hands in front of us as quickly as possible, boxing style moves as quickly possible etc. all while your body is immersed under water (not your head).  I LOVE the water classes, they are my favorite!
5:45: Dinner.  Tonight was Salmon Burger and 3 spears of grilled zucchini. With a cranberry sorbet that was only 20 calories. I am NOT a fan of Salmon, but our Chef here is AMAZING!

6:15: Lecture tonight was spending your Calories Wisely.  Here they introduce the 90/10 plan.  They teach that if you eat on plan 90% of the time then 10% of the time (if you eat 21 meals a week that would be two meals.. . unfortunately not two DAYS...that you could eat what you were craving or want. This takes away guilt for those splurge moments).  They also talk about the plating method (1/2 your plate vegetables, 1/4 meat, 1/4 Grain).

7:00pm FINALLY retire to your rooms.  Take a shower, get in your pajamas and do whatever you need to in "real life" (this makes a 12 and half hour day till you get to go back to your room...other than for swim wear changes)

At the end of the first day my stats are:

5, 296 Calories Burned (this doesn't include any of the water aerobics exercises)

21,878 Steps

ONE TIRED GIRL

This is a WHOLE lot of information, I know.  I just wanted to give a sample of what a FIRST day pparticipant at The Biggest Loser Resort experiences.

One last mention before closing today's post.  I would be an ungrateful person if I didn't mention that not only am I thankful to my bosses who allowed me to be away from the precious twin babies for two weeks while I am slaving away closer to reaching my goals and becoming more healthy.  I am thankful for Grandma Janice who came in to take care of those two cute babies for me.  I am thankful for ALL the staff and owners here at The Biggest Loser Resort that made this trip a reality for me.  I am thankful to ALL of you who support me, love me, and are excited for all the positive things that are now coming to my life.  I know from whom they came and I am thankful to a loving Father in Heaven who is involved in the details of life!

Sleep is the next important part of this process, so off to wonderland I go!

Biggest Loser Resort Malibu, Are you ready for me?! CHECK- IN TIME

Today is the day!  I get the opportunity to return to the Biggest Loser Resort for PART II of my journey towards a more healthy and fit me! 

The morning started very early.  I loaded up my friend Rae's car (THANK YOU Rae for your willingness to take your sweet ride with me all over without a second thought) and headed on my long journey from my family home in Utah to the Malibu, California which is supposed to take 10 hours.

I was cruising along until Vegas.. and this time what happened in Vegas is not staying there I am going to tell you!  Once I hit Vegas I hit traffic, horrible stop and go and stall traffic.  In fact, it took me 3 hours to get from Vegas to Prim, Nevada (which is usually about a 40 min drive!).

But there were billboards to entertain me and make me chuckle (even though they weren't meant too) as I sat in non moving traffic...I know potty talk, but it was quite a fun chuckle!

After much effort, I made it to the happiest healthy living resort in the country, The Biggest Loser Resort to recommit and continue myself with the journey I started a couple years ago.

I was greeted by staff like a long last friend.  I was helped with ALL my luggage (we won't talk about my travel hoarding ways) and I was given my work book, name tag and my private room to retire with for the night.

I didn't get a chance to be at dinner or orientation which is where you get to meet a lot of the other guests here by one thing I know for sure, this week I am blessed enough to be side by side with many great people, here are a few of their bio's:

Jerry and Estella Hayes Season 7 of the Biggest Loser. They are the oldest couple to be on the Biggest Loser, but they showed America that you are NEVER too old to get in shape and loose the fat.  Collectively, they lost 262 pounds! They are here with cousin Jim and his cute Wife.

Sharlene.  She is from this area and a movie producer. She went all the way through season 13 casting and was cut at the last minute. She is my neighbor across the grass from me here at the Ridge. She also runs an AMAZING non profit organization which I will share with you at a later time cause I think it is AWESOME!

Cara and Danielle are sister's who also tried out for season 13 of The Biggest Loser and weren't cast.  Cara was turning 30 and really wanted to redefine her life in her 30's year and shared that with her husband.  When they missed out on the opportunity to be on the show he sprang into action and booked them a 2 week stay.  You can read about their journey's here.  http://www.phatchances.blogspot.com/

One that haven't got to meet but know she is here and can't wait to meet her is the current season 12 Courtney Rainville's sister Kelly is here the 2 weeks with me as well.  For you avid Loser watchers, Courtney won a challenge on the show which allowed her the chance to give a gift of Biggest Loser Resort to a family member for a 2 week stay, she chose her sister, and she is here!

I am now officially excited, unpacked and anticipating the hard, grueling, life changing work tomorrow!  Nothing says you love yourself than letting someone kick you into healthy living, and the best person to do that is YOU!
Ready to start this time's week ONE! It is going to be hard work and amazing..  I do have one thing on my side, EXPERIENCE. I have been here one week before and look at me, I came prepared this time!

Now, the best thing I can do for myself tonight is to get a GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP I will be up at 5:30am for a shower with stretch class at 6am!  

Good Night!