Oh my gosh it feels like it has been forever since I've been on here! Well, it has been. Basically Oct/Nov/Dec were up and down and all over the place for me. I had gained 15 lbs back (man, it sure doesn't take long!!) and was going into December not seeing any end in sight. I was really really having a tough time and I was binging again. Not good. But, I recognized that and knew I needed to take some serious action before it got too too much worse. At the same time, I realized I had 144 hours of vacation time of which 100 needed to be used by 12/31. So, I scrambled to try to find a wellness retreat/resort I could go to, to start breaking the bad cycle I was in. I really wanted to go to Rancho La Puerta in Mexico, but they were booked all of Nov/Dec. I then found Red Mountain Resort in Utah which looked great. Only problem was, it was difficult to get to (plane plus 3 hour drive) and it was going to be way too COLD!!! No way. I needed something semi not winterish. :) Then, I stumbled upon Shane Fitness Resort in San Antonio, Texas. I knew nothing about it, but I asked a lot of questions, and it seemed like what I needed. A getaway with structure, no Starbucks, no desserts, and lots of fitness!
Well, I just got back from an 11 day stay there! Wow, it was great. I really needed this and it did exactly what I needed it to do. I broke the binge cycle! The food was so clean and healthy, and fantastically good! Amazing how you feel when you don't put crap in your body. I ate salads twice a day with meals, tons of fruit, complex carbs, and good lean protein. No diet soda or sweets. No sweeteners or preservatives. Only natural stuff went into this body! I also limited the caffeine to 1 cup of coffee in the am, 1 cup of tea in the afternoon. And then 80 oz of water a day. And now for the fitness part. OH MY GOSH!!!! We did 3 workouts a day of 1-2 hours each. I didn't know I had it in me to do this! We did circuit training, boot camps, hikes, treadmill intervals, and we walked Walked WALKED everywhere!!!!!! The resort was HUGE. I have never walked so much getting from one place to the next. I opted for no elevators, and took the stairs the whole time. I was sweating so much, I had to shower twice a day and change my shirt twice. It was nuts! By Day 2, I thought I had been hit by a truck. Every muscle fiber in my body was screaming. It finally calmed down by about Day 5 and I wasn't as sore. I even did 3 miles today before I left to catch my plane! My biggest success is that I have never run before. It's so weird, but I don't know how! I've tried a few times and it feels awful, is weird, I can't describe it. I was mentally freaked out by it. The trainer worked with me, and by the end I was able to jog some intervals. :) Now, to try it on the treadmill which also totally freaks me out!
The Shane Fitness Resort was like having a private trainer and nutritionist by your side. The ladies were awesome! So caring, knowledgeable, fun, and just fantastic people. There was only 1 other woman in the program with me, so it was just all around great! There were also a few behavior classes, cooking classes, and clothes styling. The other woman had been 3 weeks. I will definitely consider going back next December again as the holidays are my most difficult time ever!! Oh, and I came back 6 lbs lighter and several inches smaller!! I FEEL GREAT!!! :)
While I was there, I read a really great book by Deepak Chopra called What Are You Hungry For. For anyone that struggles with weight or food issues, I cannot recommend this book enough! It has been a really wonderful read with lots of good, sound insights.
Finally, over the past several months I found a new OB/GYN and a holistic practitioner that specialized in women's issues. I had been having a lot of very weird random symptoms over the past year and after talking to a friend (thanks T!) and doing some internet searches, I was pretty certain I was in peri-menopause. I finally saw these doctors (who were great!) and they ordered a bunch of tests. Low and behold, I am very low in DHEA, low in testosterone, not converting thyroid well, still very anemic, and low in Vitamin D. Guess, what? Yep, in peri-menopause. Whoopie!!!!! Welcome to the 40's. I have a follow up appointment tomorrow with the doctor, so I will find out all the lovely supplements I must start. Anything to help me feel better and be able to lose weight.
Well, now it's time to crazily get ready for Christmas in 2 days. Yikes! Hope you all are doing very well. I may not be getting Christmas cards out in time this year, so if not - Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! I cherish each and every one of you, and value our friendship!! I hope the new year brings you much joy, happiness, good health, success, and prosperity!
It is good to be back.... for good this time! :) Love and hugs to you all!
Cheers,
Jessica
