I've really been meaning to write before today and feel like a recap from last week would have been better written sooner. Yesterday and today have been long days and I've felt somewhat in a funk.
One of my big goals for the week was to establish a lunch break where I left the clinic for 30 minutes. Typically, we tend to eat our lunch sitting at our desk with frequent interruptions to do something. Sometimes it can take me 2 hours just to eat a sandwich. I spoke with my coworkers and they were very agreeable to the idea. So on Wednesday and Thursday, I left clinic for 30 minutes and ate my lunch in the nursing lounge. Friday was such a busy day that we were not able to get away. I am determined to keep my lunch breaks a habit, knowing that some days will be too busy and being ok with that.
I was pleased with my attempt at exercise last week. One of my biggest problems was trying to figure out how to fit in cardio and strength training in after work. I decided to do my Green Mountain Morning Momentum DVD after work. I figured, morning or evening, it was still cardio and LynnAnn wouldn't mind too much if I did it after work or before. I combined the 30 minutes of cardio with either the upper or lower body strength training DVD. This combination took me about an hour and I did it on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Tuesday I got a chance to visit my friend Annemarie for lunch and walk and then I got in some fun cardio chasing her 4 year old boy around the playground for about 20 minutes.
Tomorrow I am planning on starting Jillian Michael's 90 day Body Revolution. Now, let me just be honest, I do not think that Jillian Michaels will be able to revolutionize my body in 90 days. However, the program is made up of DVDs that include cardio and strength in 30 minutes. I'm excited to give it a try.
On Saturday, I dropped my boyfriend off at the airport and he will be gone for 2 weeks. I decided to go to the mall and get some retail therapy. I got a haircut but other than that, the trip to the mall did nothing but put me in a bad mood. The little bit of weight and inches I have lost are encouraging to me but I seem to be in between sizes and everything I tried on did not look good. Let me be honest, there was some bad self talk going on until I finally left in the mall in frustration. The rest of Saturday, I spent sitting on the couch in a funk. I even tried to look at my Green Mountain emergency kit but nothing really got me out of my mood.
Today I met a friend for brunch in DC and then we went to Eastern Market. It wasn't really all that warm but it really wasn't all that cold. It was nice to get out and Eastern Market is always fun to look around.
This will be a short work week for me as I am going to Florida on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to going to some warmer weather and I will be visiting my Mom, sister, and nephew. We are taking him to Disney World and it is his first time there. I am determined to keep up my exercise and healthy eating while I'm in Florida.
I was encouraged to see a small change in the scale this week. I learned at Green Mountain that it is not about the numbers on the scale but more about how I feel. I feel good and am proud of the small changes I have made, especially with my exercise which has always been a huge obstacle for me. So it was encouraging to see a change in the scale.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Adjusting my expectations
Hello friends. A full week has passed since I came home from Green Mountain. I can say it has been a week of trying to figure it all out and adjusting my expectations. My days at Green Mountain seem so long ago.
Food-wise, I can say that is has been good and bad. I have made my breakfast, lunch, and snacks for work and eaten balanced meals. I skipped a potluck on Thursday and ate the lunch I packed. I allowed myself a small piece of cake and "let it go." Dinner has been difficult because I have found myself not eating dinner until 8:30 or 9pm and then going to bed shortly after. The reason for that is because I have been trying to do cardio and strength training after work, then showering, packing my lunch, and fixing dinner. I know that this is not something I can keep up and I am going to have to brainstorm on different ways to fit it all in so I'm not eating dinner at 9pm. I also walked into the kitchen one evening, I was feeling frustrated, and grabbed ice cream out of the freezer and started eating it out of the carton. As soon as I realized it, I stopped, put the ice cream away and started working on my Green Mountain 911 Emergency Box. I wrote down a bunch of affirmations on pieces of colored paper and took them to work with me. I tape one to my computer and look at it during the day, especially if I am feeling stressed.
Exercise, well, I'm still trying to figure it all out. I did strength training, alternating upper and lower body, every day Monday thru Thursday after work. The Green Mountain upper and lower body strength training DVDs are about an hour long each. I think I a going to have to reduce the amount of time I strength training to about 20 minutes each evening. Cardio was harder to fit in. Even though we learned that "something is better than nothing," I'm so critical of my efforts and think it's just not enough. I took a water aerobics class at a rec center in Alexandria on Thursday after work. I left the class feeling irritated and frustrated because I was being too critical of the workout. I think I am going to have to readjust my expectations and realize that I don't have to be falling down, out of breath, for it to count as cardio. As soon as it is warmer, I'm hoping to get out and get walking, which is my favorite ways to get in cardio after work. I'm also going to invest in a polar heart monitor so I can monitor my heart rate during my exercise. That way I can be reassured that I am reaching my THR and staying there.
I had an unrealistic goal to get up in the morning before work to do the Green Mountain Morning Momentum DVD. I really shouldn't have set this as a goal for myself, knowing my difficulty getting up in the morning for work. It hasn't happened once. I do wish I could do it but I also remember what LynnAnn told us, "If you aren't a morning person, don't force yourself to work out in the morning!"
My goals for the next week:
-Continue figuring out how to fit in cardio and strength training after work without having to eat dinner at 9pm (a goal in progress)
-Get up 15 minutes earlier every morning so I can do a little deep breathing and stretching (thats a huge goal, I hate getting up in the morning). I may start with even just getting up 5 or 10 minutes earlier and work my way up to 15 minutes.
-Talk to my coworkers about establishing a 30 minute lunch break for the 3 of us so we can go to lunch and not eat at our desks. There is no way to eat mindfully if you can't even eat your lunch in one sitting
-Be more patient with myself. You can't change habits overnight. You can't make new habits overnight.
I think that is enough goals for one week. I'm craving warmer weather and hoping spring starts showing it's face soon.
Food-wise, I can say that is has been good and bad. I have made my breakfast, lunch, and snacks for work and eaten balanced meals. I skipped a potluck on Thursday and ate the lunch I packed. I allowed myself a small piece of cake and "let it go." Dinner has been difficult because I have found myself not eating dinner until 8:30 or 9pm and then going to bed shortly after. The reason for that is because I have been trying to do cardio and strength training after work, then showering, packing my lunch, and fixing dinner. I know that this is not something I can keep up and I am going to have to brainstorm on different ways to fit it all in so I'm not eating dinner at 9pm. I also walked into the kitchen one evening, I was feeling frustrated, and grabbed ice cream out of the freezer and started eating it out of the carton. As soon as I realized it, I stopped, put the ice cream away and started working on my Green Mountain 911 Emergency Box. I wrote down a bunch of affirmations on pieces of colored paper and took them to work with me. I tape one to my computer and look at it during the day, especially if I am feeling stressed.
Exercise, well, I'm still trying to figure it all out. I did strength training, alternating upper and lower body, every day Monday thru Thursday after work. The Green Mountain upper and lower body strength training DVDs are about an hour long each. I think I a going to have to reduce the amount of time I strength training to about 20 minutes each evening. Cardio was harder to fit in. Even though we learned that "something is better than nothing," I'm so critical of my efforts and think it's just not enough. I took a water aerobics class at a rec center in Alexandria on Thursday after work. I left the class feeling irritated and frustrated because I was being too critical of the workout. I think I am going to have to readjust my expectations and realize that I don't have to be falling down, out of breath, for it to count as cardio. As soon as it is warmer, I'm hoping to get out and get walking, which is my favorite ways to get in cardio after work. I'm also going to invest in a polar heart monitor so I can monitor my heart rate during my exercise. That way I can be reassured that I am reaching my THR and staying there.
I had an unrealistic goal to get up in the morning before work to do the Green Mountain Morning Momentum DVD. I really shouldn't have set this as a goal for myself, knowing my difficulty getting up in the morning for work. It hasn't happened once. I do wish I could do it but I also remember what LynnAnn told us, "If you aren't a morning person, don't force yourself to work out in the morning!"
My goals for the next week:
-Continue figuring out how to fit in cardio and strength training after work without having to eat dinner at 9pm (a goal in progress)
-Get up 15 minutes earlier every morning so I can do a little deep breathing and stretching (thats a huge goal, I hate getting up in the morning). I may start with even just getting up 5 or 10 minutes earlier and work my way up to 15 minutes.
-Talk to my coworkers about establishing a 30 minute lunch break for the 3 of us so we can go to lunch and not eat at our desks. There is no way to eat mindfully if you can't even eat your lunch in one sitting
-Be more patient with myself. You can't change habits overnight. You can't make new habits overnight.
I think that is enough goals for one week. I'm craving warmer weather and hoping spring starts showing it's face soon.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Back in the real world
Hello friends. Tonight is my first blog since I arrived home. My bags are unpacked and my laundry is done. Coming home has been bittersweet. I am happy to be with my boyfriend again. Ms Molly is letting me know how much she didn't appreciate me being gone, she wanders around the apartment meowing pitifully. But I really do miss my Green Mountain friends and the predictability of being there. It is much easier when the meals are made for you.
I have been struggling with my desire to do everything perfectly. I keep reminding myself that Green Mountain stressed only trying to make 3 changes at a time.
I started my day out with LynnAnn on the Green Mountain Morning Momentum DVD. It was nice to know I brought LynnAnn home with me. I also did the lower body strength training DVD.
It was then time to tackle the grocery store. Immediately when I walked in the door, the Easter candy was right there. I walked right past it and headed to the fruits and veggies. I stocked up on whole grains, lean meats, and fruits and vegetables. I did indulge by buying some ice cream knowing that ice cream is not one of my trigger foods. For me, trigger foods are candy, chocolate, and chips, none of which made it into my buggy.
I then went to Target to get some supplies so I can start working on my Green Mountain Emergency box. I have an idea of the things I want to put into it. I also got a pair of 8 pound weights so I can keep up my strength training from home.
Tomorrow is my first day back to work. This has brought on a little stress for some reason. Maybe just because I will have to use my willpower to only eat what I brought in my lunch. Also, I'm nervous about people asking me about my weight loss and bringing attention to it. I'm excited to see my patients and my coworkers.
I know that this is a journey I am willing and excited to take. I need to be patient with myself to figure out how I am going to implement all the changes in my life. Making such huge changes is hard and does not happen overnight. But like we say at Green Mountain, "I am doing this for me and no one can take it away."
I have been struggling with my desire to do everything perfectly. I keep reminding myself that Green Mountain stressed only trying to make 3 changes at a time.
I started my day out with LynnAnn on the Green Mountain Morning Momentum DVD. It was nice to know I brought LynnAnn home with me. I also did the lower body strength training DVD.
It was then time to tackle the grocery store. Immediately when I walked in the door, the Easter candy was right there. I walked right past it and headed to the fruits and veggies. I stocked up on whole grains, lean meats, and fruits and vegetables. I did indulge by buying some ice cream knowing that ice cream is not one of my trigger foods. For me, trigger foods are candy, chocolate, and chips, none of which made it into my buggy.
I then went to Target to get some supplies so I can start working on my Green Mountain Emergency box. I have an idea of the things I want to put into it. I also got a pair of 8 pound weights so I can keep up my strength training from home.
Tomorrow is my first day back to work. This has brought on a little stress for some reason. Maybe just because I will have to use my willpower to only eat what I brought in my lunch. Also, I'm nervous about people asking me about my weight loss and bringing attention to it. I'm excited to see my patients and my coworkers.
I know that this is a journey I am willing and excited to take. I need to be patient with myself to figure out how I am going to implement all the changes in my life. Making such huge changes is hard and does not happen overnight. But like we say at Green Mountain, "I am doing this for me and no one can take it away."
Saturday, March 16, 2013
A letter to my friends and family
Creating a support team is one of the most important steps after a trip to Green Mountain. I know I have the support of my friends that I made at Green Mountain. In addition, I will be looking to my friends and family for support also. The following letter was included in our Green Mountain binder and we were encouraged to share it with our friends and family so they know how best they can provide support and encouragement.
What is Support?
-Support is...acknowledging my success.
I am happy with the progress I am making toward achieving my goals, although I may not yet have reached my healthy weight and fitness goals. I now know how I feel is more important than what the scale says...and I feel great! Please understand that each time I improve my behavior in eating and exercise situations, I am experiencing success. Please recognize that I am making progress and appreciate the improvements instead of expecting perfection.
-Support is...understanding me.
I am not on a diet because I have learned that diets don't work long-term. I am no longer starving, restricting or totally depriving myself; nor am I continually obsessing about food. Instead I am developing and practicing a new, healthy lifestyle that includes being active and eating in a way that makes me feel well. I am satisfied with this new approach. Please do not pressure me to do something else.
-Support is...trusting me.
My new eating plan has no "forbidden" or "illegal" foods. I can eat anything I want, but I am working on redefining what I want. Since moderation is a new concept for me, it will take time for me to feel comfortable with it. Please trust me and give me the time that I need to practice being honest with myself, and the space to correct mistakes I may make.
-Support is...allowing me to make my own choices.
It is difficult and frightening for me to learn to eat reasonable portions of my favorite foods. Please allow me the freedom to make my food choices (whether you approve or not) without comments, criticism, or reprimands. Please do not force food upon me, withhold it from me, or question my decision to eat.
-Support is...helping me to be patient and realistic.
I would like to be optimally healthy right now. I would like the struggle with my eating and weight to be over forever. But achieving health and a healthy weight can be a long, slow process, requiring me to make changes in my behavior and lifestyle. Because I am looking for healthy permanent changes, my success is not measured by changes in my weight alone. Please do not set expectations about how much I will lose or how quickly.
-Support is...sensitivity and consideration.
My weight and health are very personal matters. I would like to avoid discussing them at family or work affairs and social gatherings. When friends and family infringe upon my privacy, please help me change the subject and redirect the attention away from me.
Support is...having you on my side.
I am choosing to make changes in my life that can result in new feelings, new experiences and new problems. Some of the changes will be welcome and exciting, some will be disruptive and threatening. If I am to deal successfully with these changes, I need the support of people who understand and respect me. I need my family and friends to help me break through barriers instead of creating them for me. It would make me very happy to know that you are in my corner.
Sincerely and with love,
Julia
What is Support?
-Support is...acknowledging my success.
I am happy with the progress I am making toward achieving my goals, although I may not yet have reached my healthy weight and fitness goals. I now know how I feel is more important than what the scale says...and I feel great! Please understand that each time I improve my behavior in eating and exercise situations, I am experiencing success. Please recognize that I am making progress and appreciate the improvements instead of expecting perfection.
-Support is...understanding me.
I am not on a diet because I have learned that diets don't work long-term. I am no longer starving, restricting or totally depriving myself; nor am I continually obsessing about food. Instead I am developing and practicing a new, healthy lifestyle that includes being active and eating in a way that makes me feel well. I am satisfied with this new approach. Please do not pressure me to do something else.
-Support is...trusting me.
My new eating plan has no "forbidden" or "illegal" foods. I can eat anything I want, but I am working on redefining what I want. Since moderation is a new concept for me, it will take time for me to feel comfortable with it. Please trust me and give me the time that I need to practice being honest with myself, and the space to correct mistakes I may make.
-Support is...allowing me to make my own choices.
It is difficult and frightening for me to learn to eat reasonable portions of my favorite foods. Please allow me the freedom to make my food choices (whether you approve or not) without comments, criticism, or reprimands. Please do not force food upon me, withhold it from me, or question my decision to eat.
-Support is...helping me to be patient and realistic.
I would like to be optimally healthy right now. I would like the struggle with my eating and weight to be over forever. But achieving health and a healthy weight can be a long, slow process, requiring me to make changes in my behavior and lifestyle. Because I am looking for healthy permanent changes, my success is not measured by changes in my weight alone. Please do not set expectations about how much I will lose or how quickly.
-Support is...sensitivity and consideration.
My weight and health are very personal matters. I would like to avoid discussing them at family or work affairs and social gatherings. When friends and family infringe upon my privacy, please help me change the subject and redirect the attention away from me.
Support is...having you on my side.
I am choosing to make changes in my life that can result in new feelings, new experiences and new problems. Some of the changes will be welcome and exciting, some will be disruptive and threatening. If I am to deal successfully with these changes, I need the support of people who understand and respect me. I need my family and friends to help me break through barriers instead of creating them for me. It would make me very happy to know that you are in my corner.
Sincerely and with love,
Julia
End of my journey at Green Mountain but not the end of my journey
Hello friends. I am writing to you from the Boston Logan airport. Earlier today, I started my journey home on a teeny tiny CapeAir flight. I feel sad to be leaving Green Mountain but happy to be heading home to my boyfriend and cat. (Eventually I will be happy to head back to work but I'm not going to go crazy here).
Yesterday was a very emotional day for me. I can only look back now and realize that I was responding to my mislead expectations for myself. It is time I set new expectations.
First thing Friday morning I had my fitness reevaluation. This was a time to measure and weigh and see my "results" from my 2 weeks at Green Mountain. These "results" are the tangible results that we all want to see. But, as I've learned during my time here, these are not the results that count. It is not about the numbers on the scale or the numbers on the tape measure but how I feel. Needless to say, stepping on the scale was nerve wracking and immediately prompted a mini meltdown. Not because I didn't get results, my results were modest and, for me, I should have been proud. But because, as usual, I set my sights and hopes on goals that were not realistic. Don't we all do that? Isn't that what has been ingrained in us over the years and years that we strive for the unrealistic? Immediately, I was surrounded by my Green Mountain friends who started repeating all the Green Mountain mantras we've come to learn. "How do you feel Julia, don't you feel stronger, don't you feel better??" "It's not about the numbers on the scale but how you feel that really counts." "Be kind and gentle to yourself Julia." I knew this and learned this but it just goes to show that 2 weeks is not long enough to change beliefs I've had for 33 years. That will come slowly and by repeating it to myself every time I have self doubt.
After breakfast, it was time to get moving. Time to clear my head of the negative self doubt that was flying through my head. The first class of the day was a Total Body Strength class with LynnAnn. During my fitness evaluation, LynnAnn stressed the importance of strength training when I get home. Strength training helps increase our basal metabolic rate. This is the part that I usually ignore. But I've found during my time at Green Mountain that I really like strength training. There's something empowering about lifting weights and seeing new muscles where you previously hadn't seen them. LynnAnn also recommended I increase my weights. Usually we use a light and heavy weight and I had been using 3 pound and 5 pound weights. Come to find out, I can use 5, 8, and 10 pound weights! To bad I didn't realize this before my last day!!
After strength training, we had a Cardio combo class with Masha. Masha is a great fitness instructor, pushing us but giving us the modifications we might need.
By lunchtime, I was in a much better place mentally and physically (you can't help but be in a better place physically after all that exercise).
After lunch, I had a class called, "Eating Plan Brainstorming Suggestion: Strategies for Going Home." This was very helpful because we learned tips on how to implement what we had learned into our lives once we get home. The most important thing to remember is that you can't change everything overnight. We made 3 goals for ourselves to try to implement when we get home. It's all about small steps.
At 2:30, it was time to go Vermonting for my last time. It was colder and a threat of snow in the air but the walk was refreshing.
My last class at Green Mountain was "Sustain the Change." All of us going home gathered together to share and cry. It's an emotional thing, leaving our little bubble. It's something I can't describe but if you've been there, you understand. It was snowing by that time and it felt like I was inside a little snow globe. During the class, we shared what goals we met while at Green Mountain and how we were going to find support back in our real lives. We then gathered together in a circle and listened to a song, most of us crying. It was a very touching moment that I will never forget.
Dinner on my last night at Green Mountain was wonderful. Chicken Parmesan and whole wheat pasta. And for dessert, ice cream! I savored those bites of ice cream, I don't think ice cream has ever tasted so wonderful.
This morning I was able to have one last breakfast with my friends. Of the class I started with, 4 of us left today. It was especially hard to leave behind my roommate, Beth. She is my Green Mountain BFF. We were commonly referred to as "sisters from another mother" and the twins. We were also the only "clique" allowed (I say this with humor), where one of us was, the other was not usually far away. But she was my motivation and support during my 2 weeks at Green Mountain. I feel you meet some people at certain times in your life for a reason and I feel like I met Beth for a reason.
But let me not leave out my other new friends. Thank you to Patty (for teaching me to be snarky), Alyson (who I saw at the Boston airport and didn't know our paths would soon come together), Denise (for reminding me to be kind to myself), Barb (for telling me how beautiful I am, even though I still have a hard time believing it), Samantha (for rolling in the snow with me and hugging me when I was crying), Karin and Lisa (who are already talking about a reunion, I'll totally be there!), and Allison (who I met in my second week and is my new DC Green Mountain friend).
I will never forget these friends and, together, we will support each other.
Now I sit here in the airport, surrounded by people eating Johnny Rockets and pizza, and I mindfully ate the lunch of egg salad sandwich and an orange that Green Mountain was kind enough to give me for my journey. I'm headed home to my boyfriend and Ms Molly and my friends at home.
As a lot of my new friends have requested, I will keep up this blog once I get home. I'll write about my progress and my frustrations. There will be good days and days I forget to be kind to myself. There will be days when I am mindful and days when mindfulness is the last thing on my mind. I will share my challenges and my achievements, big and small. Hopefully along the way, I can motivate others.
I love this new me, the Green Mountain me.
Yesterday was a very emotional day for me. I can only look back now and realize that I was responding to my mislead expectations for myself. It is time I set new expectations.
First thing Friday morning I had my fitness reevaluation. This was a time to measure and weigh and see my "results" from my 2 weeks at Green Mountain. These "results" are the tangible results that we all want to see. But, as I've learned during my time here, these are not the results that count. It is not about the numbers on the scale or the numbers on the tape measure but how I feel. Needless to say, stepping on the scale was nerve wracking and immediately prompted a mini meltdown. Not because I didn't get results, my results were modest and, for me, I should have been proud. But because, as usual, I set my sights and hopes on goals that were not realistic. Don't we all do that? Isn't that what has been ingrained in us over the years and years that we strive for the unrealistic? Immediately, I was surrounded by my Green Mountain friends who started repeating all the Green Mountain mantras we've come to learn. "How do you feel Julia, don't you feel stronger, don't you feel better??" "It's not about the numbers on the scale but how you feel that really counts." "Be kind and gentle to yourself Julia." I knew this and learned this but it just goes to show that 2 weeks is not long enough to change beliefs I've had for 33 years. That will come slowly and by repeating it to myself every time I have self doubt.
After breakfast, it was time to get moving. Time to clear my head of the negative self doubt that was flying through my head. The first class of the day was a Total Body Strength class with LynnAnn. During my fitness evaluation, LynnAnn stressed the importance of strength training when I get home. Strength training helps increase our basal metabolic rate. This is the part that I usually ignore. But I've found during my time at Green Mountain that I really like strength training. There's something empowering about lifting weights and seeing new muscles where you previously hadn't seen them. LynnAnn also recommended I increase my weights. Usually we use a light and heavy weight and I had been using 3 pound and 5 pound weights. Come to find out, I can use 5, 8, and 10 pound weights! To bad I didn't realize this before my last day!!
After strength training, we had a Cardio combo class with Masha. Masha is a great fitness instructor, pushing us but giving us the modifications we might need.
With Masha
By lunchtime, I was in a much better place mentally and physically (you can't help but be in a better place physically after all that exercise).
After lunch, I had a class called, "Eating Plan Brainstorming Suggestion: Strategies for Going Home." This was very helpful because we learned tips on how to implement what we had learned into our lives once we get home. The most important thing to remember is that you can't change everything overnight. We made 3 goals for ourselves to try to implement when we get home. It's all about small steps.
At 2:30, it was time to go Vermonting for my last time. It was colder and a threat of snow in the air but the walk was refreshing.
My last class at Green Mountain was "Sustain the Change." All of us going home gathered together to share and cry. It's an emotional thing, leaving our little bubble. It's something I can't describe but if you've been there, you understand. It was snowing by that time and it felt like I was inside a little snow globe. During the class, we shared what goals we met while at Green Mountain and how we were going to find support back in our real lives. We then gathered together in a circle and listened to a song, most of us crying. It was a very touching moment that I will never forget.
Dinner on my last night at Green Mountain was wonderful. Chicken Parmesan and whole wheat pasta. And for dessert, ice cream! I savored those bites of ice cream, I don't think ice cream has ever tasted so wonderful.
This morning I was able to have one last breakfast with my friends. Of the class I started with, 4 of us left today. It was especially hard to leave behind my roommate, Beth. She is my Green Mountain BFF. We were commonly referred to as "sisters from another mother" and the twins. We were also the only "clique" allowed (I say this with humor), where one of us was, the other was not usually far away. But she was my motivation and support during my 2 weeks at Green Mountain. I feel you meet some people at certain times in your life for a reason and I feel like I met Beth for a reason.
My Green Mountain BFF
But let me not leave out my other new friends. Thank you to Patty (for teaching me to be snarky), Alyson (who I saw at the Boston airport and didn't know our paths would soon come together), Denise (for reminding me to be kind to myself), Barb (for telling me how beautiful I am, even though I still have a hard time believing it), Samantha (for rolling in the snow with me and hugging me when I was crying), Karin and Lisa (who are already talking about a reunion, I'll totally be there!), and Allison (who I met in my second week and is my new DC Green Mountain friend).
I will never forget these friends and, together, we will support each other.
Me, Patty, Beth, and Alyson
Now I sit here in the airport, surrounded by people eating Johnny Rockets and pizza, and I mindfully ate the lunch of egg salad sandwich and an orange that Green Mountain was kind enough to give me for my journey. I'm headed home to my boyfriend and Ms Molly and my friends at home.
As a lot of my new friends have requested, I will keep up this blog once I get home. I'll write about my progress and my frustrations. There will be good days and days I forget to be kind to myself. There will be days when I am mindful and days when mindfulness is the last thing on my mind. I will share my challenges and my achievements, big and small. Hopefully along the way, I can motivate others.
I love this new me, the Green Mountain me.
My Green Mountain Me loves to dance
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Day 11: Exercise and Emotion
This morning started at 7am with the Green Mountain Morning Momentum class. I was so tired when my alarm went off at 6:30 and did not want to get up. Knowing my roommate and I had made a decision to get up for the class was motivation enough to get up and get ready.
Our first class of the day was "Stress Management: Limits and Boundaries Assertiveness Skills. We discussed the differences between passive, assertive, aggressive, and passive aggressive. Many women tend to be passive about their needs. They ignore their own needs because they don't want to ignore the needs of others. Passive women are more likely to consider what someone else wants or someone else's feelings before their own. Being aggressive can have it's appropriate time and place. Aggressive women are used to getting their way. Being assertive is a quality that many women need to work on. Being assertive is counting your own needs as you would count someone else's needs. We then learned the foundations of assertive skills. These include thinking about yourself in a positive way, accepting compliments, saying NO, and asking for what you want. If you do not think about yourself in a positive way, or respect yourself, this makes it hard for other people to respect you.
At 10:30, we took a Cardio Circuit Blast class. There were 10 cardio circuits set up around the room. These circuits included throwing an exercise ball at the wall, apple pickers (these work the obliques), steps, bicep curls with the resistance bands, jumping jacks on the fitball, hula hooping, etc. We did the circuits in one minute blasts and went around the complete circuit 3 times. This was a great class. There was no time to get bored because we were moving so fast between the circuits. I have tried since I arrived at Green Mountain to learn to hula hoop but I still haven't gotten the hang of it.
Lunch today was grilled chicken, salad, and Waldorf salad. After lunch, we had a class called "Body Neutrality: Celebrate Your Body." The concept of celebrating our bodies is a hard concept for many women. If we can't celebrate our bodies, we should at least attempt to move from body hate to body neutrality. And if the word celebrate is too hard for us to embrace, we should at least attempt to appreciate our bodies. This class was very emotional for a lot of the women, including myself. One very hard concept that the psychologist brought up was the concept of feeling that we are enough. We shared some tears during and after this class. In many ways, the tears are a good thing. These classes bring up some very hard and uncomfortable feelings but by bringing them up and facing them, we can hopefully move on.
After this emotional class, it was time to get in some exercise. I changed into my bathing suit and we headed over to the pool for some water aerobics. I really enjoy the water aerobics. The fitness instructor gave me a list of exercises and I am hoping to be able to do these when the pool opens at my apartment.
Our snack today was another Green Mountain special called the Green Mountain smoothie. This had lots of good fruit like pineapples, bananas, and grapes. They add spinach to it and it is a gross green color. However, it doesn't change the taste of the smoothie and it is very good.
Our final class of the day was called "Fitting Exercise in Your Workday." We reviewed exercises that we can do at work, at our desks. I am planning to implement some of these into my workday. We also talked about how even if we can take 10 minutes out of a really busy day and take a walk outside, perhaps around the hospital, we can still get in some amount of cardio. The Green Mountain motto is "Something is ALWAYS better than nothing!"
Dinner tonight was salmon, asparagus, and wild rice. For dessert, we had strawberries and peaches. After dinner, we had a chance to watch a cooking demonstration that helped us learn how to raise the nutritional quality of our favorite foods. For example, we tasted muffins that had beans in them and quinoa past with vegetables. I am amazed at all the things you can use beans in.
Well, tomorrow is my last full day here at Green Mountain. My affirmation that I keep repeating in order not to be too sad about having to leave this amazing place is "I will make every moment meaningful. I will make this the best day possible."
I will close with a beautiful picture of the sunset over Okemo Mountain tonight. It was also snowing a little bit but I don't think you can see that in the picture.
Goodnight from Vermont!
Our first class of the day was "Stress Management: Limits and Boundaries Assertiveness Skills. We discussed the differences between passive, assertive, aggressive, and passive aggressive. Many women tend to be passive about their needs. They ignore their own needs because they don't want to ignore the needs of others. Passive women are more likely to consider what someone else wants or someone else's feelings before their own. Being aggressive can have it's appropriate time and place. Aggressive women are used to getting their way. Being assertive is a quality that many women need to work on. Being assertive is counting your own needs as you would count someone else's needs. We then learned the foundations of assertive skills. These include thinking about yourself in a positive way, accepting compliments, saying NO, and asking for what you want. If you do not think about yourself in a positive way, or respect yourself, this makes it hard for other people to respect you.
At 10:30, we took a Cardio Circuit Blast class. There were 10 cardio circuits set up around the room. These circuits included throwing an exercise ball at the wall, apple pickers (these work the obliques), steps, bicep curls with the resistance bands, jumping jacks on the fitball, hula hooping, etc. We did the circuits in one minute blasts and went around the complete circuit 3 times. This was a great class. There was no time to get bored because we were moving so fast between the circuits. I have tried since I arrived at Green Mountain to learn to hula hoop but I still haven't gotten the hang of it.
Icing our knees after a great circuit blast :)
Lunch today was grilled chicken, salad, and Waldorf salad. After lunch, we had a class called "Body Neutrality: Celebrate Your Body." The concept of celebrating our bodies is a hard concept for many women. If we can't celebrate our bodies, we should at least attempt to move from body hate to body neutrality. And if the word celebrate is too hard for us to embrace, we should at least attempt to appreciate our bodies. This class was very emotional for a lot of the women, including myself. One very hard concept that the psychologist brought up was the concept of feeling that we are enough. We shared some tears during and after this class. In many ways, the tears are a good thing. These classes bring up some very hard and uncomfortable feelings but by bringing them up and facing them, we can hopefully move on.
After this emotional class, it was time to get in some exercise. I changed into my bathing suit and we headed over to the pool for some water aerobics. I really enjoy the water aerobics. The fitness instructor gave me a list of exercises and I am hoping to be able to do these when the pool opens at my apartment.
Our snack today was another Green Mountain special called the Green Mountain smoothie. This had lots of good fruit like pineapples, bananas, and grapes. They add spinach to it and it is a gross green color. However, it doesn't change the taste of the smoothie and it is very good.
Our final class of the day was called "Fitting Exercise in Your Workday." We reviewed exercises that we can do at work, at our desks. I am planning to implement some of these into my workday. We also talked about how even if we can take 10 minutes out of a really busy day and take a walk outside, perhaps around the hospital, we can still get in some amount of cardio. The Green Mountain motto is "Something is ALWAYS better than nothing!"
Dinner tonight was salmon, asparagus, and wild rice. For dessert, we had strawberries and peaches. After dinner, we had a chance to watch a cooking demonstration that helped us learn how to raise the nutritional quality of our favorite foods. For example, we tasted muffins that had beans in them and quinoa past with vegetables. I am amazed at all the things you can use beans in.
Our dietician Robyn and the amazing Green Mountain cooks
Well, tomorrow is my last full day here at Green Mountain. My affirmation that I keep repeating in order not to be too sad about having to leave this amazing place is "I will make every moment meaningful. I will make this the best day possible."
I will close with a beautiful picture of the sunset over Okemo Mountain tonight. It was also snowing a little bit but I don't think you can see that in the picture.
Goodnight from Vermont!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Day 10: I love Nia!
Hello friends! Hope everyone had a good Wednesday. A quick shout out to my friends from the clinic, hope you had a good Wednesday clinic today!
We started our day with Tai Chi at 7am. I really like the Tai Chi (even though it is at 7am). It is a gentle wakeup, no quick movements. We stood facing the window in the exercise studio, which overlooks Okemo Mountain, a beautiful setting for some gentle Tai Chi.
After breakfast, our first class was "Behavior Special Topic: Connecting with your Heart." After a quick meditation, we were led in an art project. We made Thank You cards to ourselves for allowing ourselves to have this experience. We then had the option of putting our card in an envelope and having it mailed to us. I will have mine mailed to me in one month.
At 10:30, we had a Nia class. Nia is a sensory based movement class in which you are encouraged to express yourself through movement or dance. It was so fun! I love Nia! The movements are very free flowing. It is not like a aerobics class where you do a certain move 8 times and then move on to another one. Some of the basic movements seem like aerobics movements but you add expressions and flowing and dance to those movements. I am hoping to find a Nia class when I get home and maybe I can drag my friends along with me.
For lunch today we had macaroni and cheese and salad. Yes, that's right, macaroni and cheese.
Our first class after lunch was "Mindfulness Tools for Self Care: Creating a Cognitive Shift." This is all about how our thinking influences our feeling. We explored ways to stop ourselves when we start negative self talk. We need to learn to recognize when we are about to enter a "funk" or start negative self talk so we can act before that happens. One way to do that is by creating our Green Mountain 911 Emergency Kit. This should contain reminders of what we learned here, things we were proud of here, our little "nuggets of success." Whenever we feel like we are going to enter a funk, we pull the kit out and look at it in hopes it will change the course of our negative self talk. We also talked again about rebel behavior. We have to discover positive rebel behavior so that we will not want to engage in negative rebel behavior, most importantly, eating.
At 2:30, we went Vermonting to a place called Buttermilk Falls. It was a nice day and after all the rain yesterday, it was nice to get outside. It was so beautiful. I took my camera along and got a chance to take some great pictures that I will post on Facebook when I get home.
After a snack of Green Mountain Truffles (amazing little balls of yumminess and healthy too!), we had a conversation cafe. Thinking cafe, I was hoping for some coffee and scones but that was not the case with this cafe lol! This was a chance to talk as a group, led by our psychologist Darla. We were able to share our thought about our journey so far. Some of us shared our feelings on leaving at the end of the week and returning to the real world. One important thing that we have to strive for when we get home is to be able to keep that "Green Mountain Me" that we've worked so hard to be here.
Dinner tonight was not my favorite. It was steak, brown rice, broccoli, and for dessert, pears.
After dinner, several of us gathered in the Okemo room for a great game of Taboo. I hadn't played Taboo in so long and forgot how much fun it was!
To close, I want to include a few lines of a poem that we read in one of our classes today. It is entitled, "The Prelude" by Oriah Mountain Daydreamer.
"What if it truly doesn't matter what you do but how you do whatever you do?
How would this change what you choose to do with your life?.....
What if there was no need to change, no need to try and transform yourself into someone who is more compassionate, more present, more loving or wise?
How would this affect all the places in your life where you are endlessly trying to be better?...
What if the question is not why am I so infrequently the person I really want to be but why do I so infrequently want to be the person I really am?
How would this change what you think you have to learn?"
Goodnight from Vermont.
We started our day with Tai Chi at 7am. I really like the Tai Chi (even though it is at 7am). It is a gentle wakeup, no quick movements. We stood facing the window in the exercise studio, which overlooks Okemo Mountain, a beautiful setting for some gentle Tai Chi.
After breakfast, our first class was "Behavior Special Topic: Connecting with your Heart." After a quick meditation, we were led in an art project. We made Thank You cards to ourselves for allowing ourselves to have this experience. We then had the option of putting our card in an envelope and having it mailed to us. I will have mine mailed to me in one month.
My Thank You letter to Me
At 10:30, we had a Nia class. Nia is a sensory based movement class in which you are encouraged to express yourself through movement or dance. It was so fun! I love Nia! The movements are very free flowing. It is not like a aerobics class where you do a certain move 8 times and then move on to another one. Some of the basic movements seem like aerobics movements but you add expressions and flowing and dance to those movements. I am hoping to find a Nia class when I get home and maybe I can drag my friends along with me.
For lunch today we had macaroni and cheese and salad. Yes, that's right, macaroni and cheese.
Our first class after lunch was "Mindfulness Tools for Self Care: Creating a Cognitive Shift." This is all about how our thinking influences our feeling. We explored ways to stop ourselves when we start negative self talk. We need to learn to recognize when we are about to enter a "funk" or start negative self talk so we can act before that happens. One way to do that is by creating our Green Mountain 911 Emergency Kit. This should contain reminders of what we learned here, things we were proud of here, our little "nuggets of success." Whenever we feel like we are going to enter a funk, we pull the kit out and look at it in hopes it will change the course of our negative self talk. We also talked again about rebel behavior. We have to discover positive rebel behavior so that we will not want to engage in negative rebel behavior, most importantly, eating.
At 2:30, we went Vermonting to a place called Buttermilk Falls. It was a nice day and after all the rain yesterday, it was nice to get outside. It was so beautiful. I took my camera along and got a chance to take some great pictures that I will post on Facebook when I get home.
Some of my Green Mountain friends
Dinner tonight was not my favorite. It was steak, brown rice, broccoli, and for dessert, pears.
After dinner, several of us gathered in the Okemo room for a great game of Taboo. I hadn't played Taboo in so long and forgot how much fun it was!
To close, I want to include a few lines of a poem that we read in one of our classes today. It is entitled, "The Prelude" by Oriah Mountain Daydreamer.
"What if it truly doesn't matter what you do but how you do whatever you do?
How would this change what you choose to do with your life?.....
What if there was no need to change, no need to try and transform yourself into someone who is more compassionate, more present, more loving or wise?
How would this affect all the places in your life where you are endlessly trying to be better?...
What if the question is not why am I so infrequently the person I really want to be but why do I so infrequently want to be the person I really am?
How would this change what you think you have to learn?"
Goodnight from Vermont.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Day 9: Who knew whole grains could be so interesting
Today was a rainy dreary day here in Vermont. I laid in bed this morning, listening to the rain pound the roof, and did not want to get up for the morning motivation class. But get up I did and I was glad by the time the class was done.
We started our day with the Green Mountain Morning Motivation class. It is a really nice and easy way to get in some cardio and strength training first thing in the morning. I bought the DVD and hope to be able to do it some mornings once I get home.
Since I am now in my second week, we have moved past the basic classes and are now moving into the Practice track. This means there are a few less classes and a little more exercise classes for us. Our first class of the day was a ring Pilates class. I was nervous about this because I have taken Pilates classes before and didn't really enjoy them. I really loved today's class. LynnAnn, our instructor, has such a way of explaining things. My biggest success was being able to accomplish a Pilates roll up. This basically involves laying completely flat and sitting straight up, not using your hands to push yourself up or lifting your feet of the floor. In the past, I have never been able to do this move and always figured my size would hinder me from doing it. But LynnAnn explained, it is all in your breath. You take a deep breath in, we held our Pilates rings above our heads, and as you exhaled, you flexed your feet and used your exhale to propel yourself up. Well, at first, I was very doubtful it was that easy. After a few false starts, I exhaled and up I went, completely sitting up. After that, I did about 10 of them just to make sure I could still do it.
Our second class of the day was a Cardio on the Fitball class. This is a very interesting concept. You sit on your fitball and do moves that you would do it a low impact aerobics class. Toe touches, jumping jacks, etc, all the while just bouncing away. It was a great cardio exercise but I did not entirely enjoy it. But that is why I am here, trying as many different classes as possible to decide what I do and don't like to do.
Lunch today was a chicken tostada and salad. My "dessert" was my usual, an orange.
After lunch, we took a class called, "Whole Grains: What the Heck Do You Do With Them?" Well, who knew that whole grains could be so interesting. I am resolved to go home and cook brown rice, quinoa, and maybe even a little millet. I didn't even know what millet was!
Because we have a lot more women here this week, the first weekers classes and some of the exercise classes have been a little crowded. I was going to go do the water aerobics class until I realized about 20 women were going. So, some of us second weekers decided to let our rebel selves be in charge and we skipped the class. Instead, we played Guesstures and Cranium. It was a lot of fun and we got in a lot of cardio laughing.
Our last class of the day was called "Intrinsic Exercise: The Sensation of Fitness." This class is learning how to exercise without exercising. It is a free flowing movement and expression of how our body wants to move.
Dinner tonight was panko crusted pollack, quinoa, and snow peas. For dessert, tonight was baked goods night and we had chocolate zucchini cake! It was so good! So light and fluffy and chocolatey.
After dinner, a few of us sat around the living room and talked. Just talked and talked like women like to do. That is one of the most amazing things about being here at Green Mountain. Finding these women I have so much in common with and can share so much with. I will miss that when I go home. I wish I could just take all of these women home with me. Together, we can motivate each other to continue on our path to being healthier.
We started our day with the Green Mountain Morning Motivation class. It is a really nice and easy way to get in some cardio and strength training first thing in the morning. I bought the DVD and hope to be able to do it some mornings once I get home.
Since I am now in my second week, we have moved past the basic classes and are now moving into the Practice track. This means there are a few less classes and a little more exercise classes for us. Our first class of the day was a ring Pilates class. I was nervous about this because I have taken Pilates classes before and didn't really enjoy them. I really loved today's class. LynnAnn, our instructor, has such a way of explaining things. My biggest success was being able to accomplish a Pilates roll up. This basically involves laying completely flat and sitting straight up, not using your hands to push yourself up or lifting your feet of the floor. In the past, I have never been able to do this move and always figured my size would hinder me from doing it. But LynnAnn explained, it is all in your breath. You take a deep breath in, we held our Pilates rings above our heads, and as you exhaled, you flexed your feet and used your exhale to propel yourself up. Well, at first, I was very doubtful it was that easy. After a few false starts, I exhaled and up I went, completely sitting up. After that, I did about 10 of them just to make sure I could still do it.
Our second class of the day was a Cardio on the Fitball class. This is a very interesting concept. You sit on your fitball and do moves that you would do it a low impact aerobics class. Toe touches, jumping jacks, etc, all the while just bouncing away. It was a great cardio exercise but I did not entirely enjoy it. But that is why I am here, trying as many different classes as possible to decide what I do and don't like to do.
Lunch today was a chicken tostada and salad. My "dessert" was my usual, an orange.
After lunch, we took a class called, "Whole Grains: What the Heck Do You Do With Them?" Well, who knew that whole grains could be so interesting. I am resolved to go home and cook brown rice, quinoa, and maybe even a little millet. I didn't even know what millet was!
Because we have a lot more women here this week, the first weekers classes and some of the exercise classes have been a little crowded. I was going to go do the water aerobics class until I realized about 20 women were going. So, some of us second weekers decided to let our rebel selves be in charge and we skipped the class. Instead, we played Guesstures and Cranium. It was a lot of fun and we got in a lot of cardio laughing.
Our last class of the day was called "Intrinsic Exercise: The Sensation of Fitness." This class is learning how to exercise without exercising. It is a free flowing movement and expression of how our body wants to move.
Dinner tonight was panko crusted pollack, quinoa, and snow peas. For dessert, tonight was baked goods night and we had chocolate zucchini cake! It was so good! So light and fluffy and chocolatey.
After dinner, a few of us sat around the living room and talked. Just talked and talked like women like to do. That is one of the most amazing things about being here at Green Mountain. Finding these women I have so much in common with and can share so much with. I will miss that when I go home. I wish I could just take all of these women home with me. Together, we can motivate each other to continue on our path to being healthier.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Day 8: Setting an Intention for the Week
Today started my second week here at Green Mountain. I'm excited to begin this week but also quite aware that every day that passes brings me closer to the end of my time here. This week just happens to be "Health Professionals Week" so there are a few nurses, NPs, ect here. While I find it encouraging that these women are here to learn the program, whether for themselves or for to take back to their patients, I am not going to be participating in any of the health professionals events. I am here to work on myself and not my nursing career.
The morning started with breakfast at 8am. We had egg and vegetable frittata. I have managed to master the art of picking out a balanced breakfast. We were excited to see eggs and not rolled oats on our breakfast menu.
Our first class of the day was called "Overcoming Exercise Obstacles." This was a great class for me. I have so many obstacles to exercising. I call them excuses but I really like the word obstacles better. One of the most important things that the instructor told us was that by choosing to exercise, we are making our health a priority. We were also encouraged to write ourself a letter about all the things we accomplished and all the "nuggets of success" we had while here. Once we get home, we put it in an envelope and entitle it "For Emergency Only." Whenever we are feeling our motivation lacking, we can pull that letter out and read it to remotivate ourselves.
Our first cardio class of the day was low impact aerobics. I took this class last week on my first day at Green Mountain. I remember feeling winded and sluggish. Today, I could tell my body was so much stronger. I still sweated and huffed and puffed. But it was different today. It's amazing what we can accomplish in one week.
Lunch today did not thrill me. It was a zucchini casserole. I'm not a fan of zucchini and it had tomatoes in it. We are taught here at Green Mountain that we must learn to eat on a schedule and that even if the meal is not "thrilling," there will be other meals and we can eat something better later. One problem that many women have is the fear of when the next meal will come around. This is from years and years of depriving ourselves on a diet. So, despite the fact that I was not excited about the meal, I ate it mindfully, knowing it would provide me with the nutrition and energy to get through the rest of the day.
After lunch, our first class was "Sustain the Change: Setting an Intention for the Week." This class gave us a chance to stop and reassess what we have learned and to figure out what our goals for the week are. We wrote down the things we want to work on for the week. We also had the chance to ask questions and maybe get clarification of something that may not be so clear to us.
After the class, we had a Total Body Strength class with LynnAnn. She's one of the trainers and has been around here for a long time. She makes the class entertaining and challenging. At the end of the class, we closed our eyes and repeated a mantra. "I'm doing this for myself. I'm making myself stronger. I did this here and I can do it at home." There was more to it than I can remember. I've asked LynnAnn to write it down for me so I can repeat this to myself after I work out at home. I'll put it here on the blog when she gives it to me.
After a snack of yogurt, fruit, and nuts, we had a class called, "Separating Weight from Health: Looking at Weight Bias." As the class also included those women here for the health professionals week, we looked in particular at weight bias in the health care system. It was enlightening but seemed to touch a nerve with myself and a few of the other women who started with me. We almost felt like some of the health professionals here for the week are here only to learn about the program and not so much to implement it in their lives. We also felt that in some of their comments, there was some weight bias or judgement.
Dinner thrilled me and completely made up for lunch! We had a turkey cannelloni and salad. It was real pasta and yummy cheese. Delish. For dessert, we had apple crisp. Last night was supposed to be fruit crisp night but instead we had bananas with blackberry sauce. As we had looked forward to a fruit crisp all day for dessert, we were disappointed. So, we were all so happy to see the fruit crisp tonight. Seriously, you are all thinking I need to get out a little more since I'm so excited to see apple crisp on the menu!!
After dinner, I decided it was time to let my rebel self out a little. So instead of watching the educational movie, I went with another woman down the driveway to this pristine patch of snow and proceeded to crawl around in snow up to my knees and then roll down a wonderful hill. It was so much fun and we laughed so hard!! Unfortunately there are no pictures of me rolling down the hill, which might have caused you all to laugh so hard too!
I just returned to my room from having my evening snack of Triscuits and an ounce of cheese. This is my favorite snack. You cut the cheese up in blocks and put it on the Triscuits and melt it for 15 seconds. Yummy. Like I said, it's the little things we've come to appreciate.
As a closing, I want to encourage all of you to set your intention for the week. What are your goals that you want to achieve? This has nothing to do with your job and everything to do with your health!!
Goodnight from Vermont.
The morning started with breakfast at 8am. We had egg and vegetable frittata. I have managed to master the art of picking out a balanced breakfast. We were excited to see eggs and not rolled oats on our breakfast menu.
Our first class of the day was called "Overcoming Exercise Obstacles." This was a great class for me. I have so many obstacles to exercising. I call them excuses but I really like the word obstacles better. One of the most important things that the instructor told us was that by choosing to exercise, we are making our health a priority. We were also encouraged to write ourself a letter about all the things we accomplished and all the "nuggets of success" we had while here. Once we get home, we put it in an envelope and entitle it "For Emergency Only." Whenever we are feeling our motivation lacking, we can pull that letter out and read it to remotivate ourselves.
Our first cardio class of the day was low impact aerobics. I took this class last week on my first day at Green Mountain. I remember feeling winded and sluggish. Today, I could tell my body was so much stronger. I still sweated and huffed and puffed. But it was different today. It's amazing what we can accomplish in one week.
Lunch today did not thrill me. It was a zucchini casserole. I'm not a fan of zucchini and it had tomatoes in it. We are taught here at Green Mountain that we must learn to eat on a schedule and that even if the meal is not "thrilling," there will be other meals and we can eat something better later. One problem that many women have is the fear of when the next meal will come around. This is from years and years of depriving ourselves on a diet. So, despite the fact that I was not excited about the meal, I ate it mindfully, knowing it would provide me with the nutrition and energy to get through the rest of the day.
After lunch, our first class was "Sustain the Change: Setting an Intention for the Week." This class gave us a chance to stop and reassess what we have learned and to figure out what our goals for the week are. We wrote down the things we want to work on for the week. We also had the chance to ask questions and maybe get clarification of something that may not be so clear to us.
After the class, we had a Total Body Strength class with LynnAnn. She's one of the trainers and has been around here for a long time. She makes the class entertaining and challenging. At the end of the class, we closed our eyes and repeated a mantra. "I'm doing this for myself. I'm making myself stronger. I did this here and I can do it at home." There was more to it than I can remember. I've asked LynnAnn to write it down for me so I can repeat this to myself after I work out at home. I'll put it here on the blog when she gives it to me.
After a snack of yogurt, fruit, and nuts, we had a class called, "Separating Weight from Health: Looking at Weight Bias." As the class also included those women here for the health professionals week, we looked in particular at weight bias in the health care system. It was enlightening but seemed to touch a nerve with myself and a few of the other women who started with me. We almost felt like some of the health professionals here for the week are here only to learn about the program and not so much to implement it in their lives. We also felt that in some of their comments, there was some weight bias or judgement.
Dinner thrilled me and completely made up for lunch! We had a turkey cannelloni and salad. It was real pasta and yummy cheese. Delish. For dessert, we had apple crisp. Last night was supposed to be fruit crisp night but instead we had bananas with blackberry sauce. As we had looked forward to a fruit crisp all day for dessert, we were disappointed. So, we were all so happy to see the fruit crisp tonight. Seriously, you are all thinking I need to get out a little more since I'm so excited to see apple crisp on the menu!!
After dinner, I decided it was time to let my rebel self out a little. So instead of watching the educational movie, I went with another woman down the driveway to this pristine patch of snow and proceeded to crawl around in snow up to my knees and then roll down a wonderful hill. It was so much fun and we laughed so hard!! Unfortunately there are no pictures of me rolling down the hill, which might have caused you all to laugh so hard too!
I just returned to my room from having my evening snack of Triscuits and an ounce of cheese. This is my favorite snack. You cut the cheese up in blocks and put it on the Triscuits and melt it for 15 seconds. Yummy. Like I said, it's the little things we've come to appreciate.
As a closing, I want to encourage all of you to set your intention for the week. What are your goals that you want to achieve? This has nothing to do with your job and everything to do with your health!!
Goodnight from Vermont.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Days of rest
Hello friends. Hopefully everyone had a great weekend.
Since I haven't update everyone since Friday, I'll do a weekend update tonight.
Friday started with a beautiful surprise. It had snowed about 6 inches overnight. It was still flurrying some during the morning hours. As I laid in bed, I thought, I'd really like to have some scrambled eggs this morning. Well, to my surprise, we had scrambled eggs for breakfast. It's the little things we learn to appreciate.
Our first class of the day was the Total Body Strength class. Strength training is important in any exercise routine. It is really stressed here that strength training should be done 2-4 x week. If it is too hard to add this to your cardio routine, you can alternate upper body and lower body on different days.
We got a little treat before lunch of getting a little time off. My roommate and I both chose to use this time napping. We started our nap with a meditation.
Lunch continued my happy food day with pizza. We had selection of different pizzas, all with whole wheat crusts and not too scimpy on the cheese. I had one slice with feta and olives and another slice with mushrooms. Both great.
After lunch, we went Vermonting. I've been looking forward to this since arriving at Green Mountain but this was my first chance to go Vermonting. Vermontings are different than the regular walks because they involve getting in the van and driving to another location for hiking. Because of the snow, a lot of people chose to stay indoors so it was only one other woman, myself, and 2 trainers who went. We drove about 20 minutes away to a town called Westin. The trainers didn't think the snowshoes were necessary but when we arrived to the trail, we realized that the trail had not been touched yet that day. It was beautiful untouched snow. This made for a very challenging walk! I ended up walking with the lead trainer who set a very quick pace. I kept up but it felt like my legs were on fire. It made me feel a little better when she told me her legs felt like they were on fire too. We walked about 2 miles. Thankfully, about 15 minutes into our walk, some snowmobilers came by and made some tracks for us. This helped ease the walk a little but not much.
After the walk, we got a fun treat. We got to go to the Vermont Country Store. I had been wanting to get a chance to visit this store. I did a little shopping but avoided the food section completely. Some of us have commented on how safe we feel here when it comes to the food. We don't have to make decisions, smart or not. For the time we are here, it is a break from the constant food fight that we have had our whole lives. We also feel like leaving here and being exposed to "normal food" is like reentering the real world and we aren't ready for that. The trainer encouraged me to look through the food section if I wanted to but I declined. I have one more week without having to worry about making food choices.
After getting back to Green Mountain just in time for the afternoon snack, we watched a video called "Stress the Silent Killer." It is very interesting to learn the effects of stress on our bodies.
Dinner was the best meal of the day. The meal itself was ok, grilled chicken breast, mashed sweet potatoes, and veggies. But after dinner, we got a treat. Ice cream! Real, full fat, Vermont ice cream. It was delicious. I had a mix of chocolate and vanilla. I ate my ice cream very mindfully and savored every bite.
After dinner, we had a field trip to the town of Ludlow to paint pottery. It was a lot of fun. I chose a container to use as my Green Mountain Cookie Jar. There was a lot of laughing and talking going on in the pottery studio.
There were no classes on Saturday but there were 3 exercise classes. I took a cardio Mix class that was a combo of floor aerobics and kickboxing. I've come to the conclusion that I am not a big fan of kickboxing. That is why am I here, to learn what exercise I like and what exercise I don't. After cardio, we had a yoga class. A few of the first few moves we learned to do on the exercise ball. I love yoga and was looking forward to this class.
After lunch and a shower, we found ourselves with some free time. We watched the Hunger Games, played Taboo, and had a good time talking and laughing.
For dessert on Saturday night, we continued an ice cream theme with chocolate banana milkshakes.
Today has been a very leisurely day. Our one day of rest from working out. Other than taking a leisurely walk on the logging trail with my roommate, we've napped, watched tv, and read. A trip into town seemed a little overwhelming to us as we weren't quite ready to face the real world. Those of us who have been here for a week now had the fun of sitting in the living room and watching the "Parade." This is what they call the arrival of new women arriving, lugging their luggage up the stairs. I was part of that parade last week. I arrived at Green Mountain with hopes and expectations. I'm happy to say that those hopes and expectations have been met. My first week at Green Mountain was eye opening, enlightening, and so enjoyable. I'm very ready to start a second week but also very aware that this is my last week. Every day that passes brings me closer to the end of my time here and closer to returning to real life.
But I won't think about that now! I'm going to look forward to another packed week of classes and exercising!
Good night from Vermont!
Since I haven't update everyone since Friday, I'll do a weekend update tonight.
Friday started with a beautiful surprise. It had snowed about 6 inches overnight. It was still flurrying some during the morning hours. As I laid in bed, I thought, I'd really like to have some scrambled eggs this morning. Well, to my surprise, we had scrambled eggs for breakfast. It's the little things we learn to appreciate.
Our first class of the day was the Total Body Strength class. Strength training is important in any exercise routine. It is really stressed here that strength training should be done 2-4 x week. If it is too hard to add this to your cardio routine, you can alternate upper body and lower body on different days.
We got a little treat before lunch of getting a little time off. My roommate and I both chose to use this time napping. We started our nap with a meditation.
Lunch continued my happy food day with pizza. We had selection of different pizzas, all with whole wheat crusts and not too scimpy on the cheese. I had one slice with feta and olives and another slice with mushrooms. Both great.
After lunch, we went Vermonting. I've been looking forward to this since arriving at Green Mountain but this was my first chance to go Vermonting. Vermontings are different than the regular walks because they involve getting in the van and driving to another location for hiking. Because of the snow, a lot of people chose to stay indoors so it was only one other woman, myself, and 2 trainers who went. We drove about 20 minutes away to a town called Westin. The trainers didn't think the snowshoes were necessary but when we arrived to the trail, we realized that the trail had not been touched yet that day. It was beautiful untouched snow. This made for a very challenging walk! I ended up walking with the lead trainer who set a very quick pace. I kept up but it felt like my legs were on fire. It made me feel a little better when she told me her legs felt like they were on fire too. We walked about 2 miles. Thankfully, about 15 minutes into our walk, some snowmobilers came by and made some tracks for us. This helped ease the walk a little but not much.
Pristine untouched snow. A great workout for the legs.
Enjoying the tracks the snowmobilers made for us
After getting back to Green Mountain just in time for the afternoon snack, we watched a video called "Stress the Silent Killer." It is very interesting to learn the effects of stress on our bodies.
Dinner was the best meal of the day. The meal itself was ok, grilled chicken breast, mashed sweet potatoes, and veggies. But after dinner, we got a treat. Ice cream! Real, full fat, Vermont ice cream. It was delicious. I had a mix of chocolate and vanilla. I ate my ice cream very mindfully and savored every bite.
After dinner, we had a field trip to the town of Ludlow to paint pottery. It was a lot of fun. I chose a container to use as my Green Mountain Cookie Jar. There was a lot of laughing and talking going on in the pottery studio.
My Green Mountain Cookie JarSaturday was a day to say goodbye to the one weekers. These were the women who started the program with us and were only staying one week. There are other women here but those of us who started together really got to know each other in our classes over the week.
There were no classes on Saturday but there were 3 exercise classes. I took a cardio Mix class that was a combo of floor aerobics and kickboxing. I've come to the conclusion that I am not a big fan of kickboxing. That is why am I here, to learn what exercise I like and what exercise I don't. After cardio, we had a yoga class. A few of the first few moves we learned to do on the exercise ball. I love yoga and was looking forward to this class.
After lunch and a shower, we found ourselves with some free time. We watched the Hunger Games, played Taboo, and had a good time talking and laughing.
For dessert on Saturday night, we continued an ice cream theme with chocolate banana milkshakes.
Today has been a very leisurely day. Our one day of rest from working out. Other than taking a leisurely walk on the logging trail with my roommate, we've napped, watched tv, and read. A trip into town seemed a little overwhelming to us as we weren't quite ready to face the real world. Those of us who have been here for a week now had the fun of sitting in the living room and watching the "Parade." This is what they call the arrival of new women arriving, lugging their luggage up the stairs. I was part of that parade last week. I arrived at Green Mountain with hopes and expectations. I'm happy to say that those hopes and expectations have been met. My first week at Green Mountain was eye opening, enlightening, and so enjoyable. I'm very ready to start a second week but also very aware that this is my last week. Every day that passes brings me closer to the end of my time here and closer to returning to real life.
But I won't think about that now! I'm going to look forward to another packed week of classes and exercising!
Good night from Vermont!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Day 4: Aha moments
Hello friends. I hope everyone had a good day. My day did not start the way I wanted but it got better. At 7am, I was going to go to the Green Mountain Morning Momentum class. I did this on Tuesday and really enjoyed it. However, I woke up with a bad headache and nausea. This I attributed to being over hungry. This was the first time I had experienced feeling so hungry since I arrived here. I went back to sleep for another 30 minutes and got up in time for breakfast at 8am. Breakfast was very good today. We had waffles and vegetable sausage!! I got in 3 proteins and 4 carbs and felt very good after eating some breakfast. I had a talk with the nutritionist and she made some great suggestions. But this brings up a great point. Many times, diets limit our calories and by the time evening rolls around, we have "run out" of calories and decide to go to bed hungry. This really sets us up for failure the next day. Sometimes it continues a cycle of being overly hungry the next day. Or, like it did for me, it might keep you from getting up and participating in exercise that you had planned. I do want to clarify, however, that here at Green Mountain, they do not restrict our calories to some impossible number. The probable reason I went to bed hungry goes back to dinner, which many of us thought was not as filling as usual. In that case, I should have added a salad to my dinner. By the time snack time rolled around, I was very hungry and I should have had 2 snacks. However, my ingrained "diet mentality" told me I did not need 2 snacks and, therefore, I went to bed hungry and that set me up for not getting up for the morning momentum class.
Our first class of the day was "Listening to your Inner Voice." This was a great class taught by the psychologist. Her classes are always great and I have gotten so much out of them. I had an Aha Moment in this class. We were talking about the different types of inner voices and one type of Inner Voice is the rebel self. We all have it in us and it is expressed differently in everyone. Some people allow their rebel self to have more control over there lives. Others suppress that self with their compliant self. Women in general give themselves very little opportunity to express anger. However, our rebel self wants to express that anger. In those who allow their compliant self to control them, their rebel self still has to express itself. In many women, that is done by eating. Binge eating, eating in secret, overeating, or even undereating. I was thinking about when I think my weight really became a huge problem for me was in my teens. This is a time when many teens allow their rebel self to have more control over their lives. However, I did not. I was very much ruled by my compliant self. So, the way my rebel self expressed itself was by eating. Overeating and eating in secret. And that was my AHA MOMENT. It was like AHHH. A light bulb just turns on. I AM A REBEL EATER!! We then went over some ways to allow our rebel self to express itself without food.
After such an amazing class, it was time to get active. Today I chose to go on the walk. It was a cold day but the walk was so nice and really helped clear out any traces of a lingering headache I had left.
Our fitness instructors took us up a very long hill and we had a sense of exhilaration when we got to the top. It was definitely camera worthy.
Lunch today was a chickpea saute on brown rice. After lunch, we had another class with the psychologist called "Body Neutrality: Messages from the Past." This was a great class on learning to move away from negative self talk. The goal here is that so many women have negative self talk. It may be such a huge leap to go from negative self talk to positive self talk that if we can just get to a neutral place, that is great. Next time you are experiencing negative self talk, saying something like, "I can't believe I just ate that brownie. I'm such a fat pig." ask yourself, "would you talk to a 9 year old girl that way?" Obviously that answer is no so why should you talk to yourself that way.
At 2:30, I changed into my bathing suit and we headed over to the pool for some water aerobics. Today we did circuits. This involved doing one exercise for a minute and then moving on to another one. There were 10 stations and we made the circuits twice. It was a lot of fun. This is definitely something I could do when the pool opens at my apartment.
Our last class of the day went perfectly with the exercise class we just did. It was called, "Design Your Own Circuit." The trainers helped us put together simple and easy circuits we can do in our apartments, the park, or the pool.
Dinner tonight was salmon, vegetable couscous, and broccoli. I also threw in a salad to see if that helped with my hunger.
After dinner, we had an arts and crafts activity. We made Green Mountain Cookie Jars. But you don't put cookies in these jars! Instead, we identified feelings that typically make us overeat. For example, mine were being bored, lonely, and anxious/overwhelmed. We then picked out activities that we could substitute for eating whenever we are having those feelings. We wrote them down on colored pieces of paper and then, if you are feeling bored, you can reach into the cookie jar and see a suggestion such as paint your nails or go for a bike ride.
Tomorrow morning, we will not have a morning momentum class so we get to sleep in an extra hour!! Good night from Vermont!
Our first class of the day was "Listening to your Inner Voice." This was a great class taught by the psychologist. Her classes are always great and I have gotten so much out of them. I had an Aha Moment in this class. We were talking about the different types of inner voices and one type of Inner Voice is the rebel self. We all have it in us and it is expressed differently in everyone. Some people allow their rebel self to have more control over there lives. Others suppress that self with their compliant self. Women in general give themselves very little opportunity to express anger. However, our rebel self wants to express that anger. In those who allow their compliant self to control them, their rebel self still has to express itself. In many women, that is done by eating. Binge eating, eating in secret, overeating, or even undereating. I was thinking about when I think my weight really became a huge problem for me was in my teens. This is a time when many teens allow their rebel self to have more control over their lives. However, I did not. I was very much ruled by my compliant self. So, the way my rebel self expressed itself was by eating. Overeating and eating in secret. And that was my AHA MOMENT. It was like AHHH. A light bulb just turns on. I AM A REBEL EATER!! We then went over some ways to allow our rebel self to express itself without food.
After such an amazing class, it was time to get active. Today I chose to go on the walk. It was a cold day but the walk was so nice and really helped clear out any traces of a lingering headache I had left.
Our fitness instructors took us up a very long hill and we had a sense of exhilaration when we got to the top. It was definitely camera worthy.
My roommate and I after our walk
At 2:30, I changed into my bathing suit and we headed over to the pool for some water aerobics. Today we did circuits. This involved doing one exercise for a minute and then moving on to another one. There were 10 stations and we made the circuits twice. It was a lot of fun. This is definitely something I could do when the pool opens at my apartment.
Our last class of the day went perfectly with the exercise class we just did. It was called, "Design Your Own Circuit." The trainers helped us put together simple and easy circuits we can do in our apartments, the park, or the pool.
Dinner tonight was salmon, vegetable couscous, and broccoli. I also threw in a salad to see if that helped with my hunger.
After dinner, we had an arts and crafts activity. We made Green Mountain Cookie Jars. But you don't put cookies in these jars! Instead, we identified feelings that typically make us overeat. For example, mine were being bored, lonely, and anxious/overwhelmed. We then picked out activities that we could substitute for eating whenever we are having those feelings. We wrote them down on colored pieces of paper and then, if you are feeling bored, you can reach into the cookie jar and see a suggestion such as paint your nails or go for a bike ride.
Tomorrow morning, we will not have a morning momentum class so we get to sleep in an extra hour!! Good night from Vermont!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Day 3: What do you mean there's no Ideal Body Weight??
Good evening friends. Hope you all had a good day. From what I have heard, DC had some snow today. I sent it to my coworkers as a gift because we have plenty to spare up here. I figured it was the least I could do if I wasn't there to work a Wednesday clinic with them. Hopefully they got some relief from a crazy Wednesday. :)
It flurried all day here but I'm not really sure what the accumulation was. There is already so much snow on the ground, it's hard to tell. I didn't go outside today. One of the fitness interns from Boston told me it was cold outside and that was all I needed to know.
The day started nice and early at 7am with Tai Chi. This was my first real experience with Tai Chi other than the little bit we did yesterday morning with the Morning Momentum class. Tai Chi is connecting your breath through movement. It is very different from yoga in that the movements are fluid and moving. The movements are very slow and deliberate and you have to make sure you are not rushing too much through the moves. The window in the exercise studio overlooks the Okemo Mountain, which is covered in snow, quite beautiful scenery to see while doing Tai Chi.
It flurried all day here but I'm not really sure what the accumulation was. There is already so much snow on the ground, it's hard to tell. I didn't go outside today. One of the fitness interns from Boston told me it was cold outside and that was all I needed to know.
The day started nice and early at 7am with Tai Chi. This was my first real experience with Tai Chi other than the little bit we did yesterday morning with the Morning Momentum class. Tai Chi is connecting your breath through movement. It is very different from yoga in that the movements are fluid and moving. The movements are very slow and deliberate and you have to make sure you are not rushing too much through the moves. The window in the exercise studio overlooks the Okemo Mountain, which is covered in snow, quite beautiful scenery to see while doing Tai Chi.
Waiting to do Tai Chi at 7 am. Thats a smile on my face. At 7am!
Breakfast was a challenge again this morning because I just couldn't find enough protein. The special protein this morning was chocolate hummus. It's mushed up black beans with cocoa powder in it. It sounds good but it just didn't do it for me for breakfast. I had a nice chat with the nutritionist after breakfast to come up with some good strategies for tomorrow morning.
The first class of the day was "Redefining Healthy Eating." One of the great things about Green Mountain is the idea that you cannot deny yourself all the time. Doing that only creates a vicious cycle of denying, restricting, denying, and then finally losing willpower and having what you where denying yourself. Then you have feelings of guilt and shame. That is no way to live! We also discussed healthy ways to pair foods so that you satisfy your hunger and then don't have cravings later.
At 10:30, I did the Cardio Combo class. This was a lot of fun and hard work. It was a combo of floor aerobics and step aerobics. I really worked up a sweat.
Lunch today was taco day. Today we had to make our plates based on the "plate model." The plate model basically divides the plate into half veggies, salad, etc, 1/4 protein, and 1/4 carbohydrates.
After lunch, we had a class called, "Mindful/Intuitive Eating: Identifying your Eating Style." Apparently I am a diet mentality eater. With a diet mentality, we tend to deprive ourselves and have good vs bad foods. Some ways to overcome this mentality is to give yourself the option to have what you want (chips, cake, etc) by adding them to your meal. You intentionally allow yourself access to so called "bad foods" once or twice a week. This way you do not deprive yourself and then overeat or binge on "bad foods." Also, you do not label foods as good or bad.
At 2:30, we had a total body strength circuit class. This involved 12 different strength stations set up around the exercise studio. Every minute, we would switch stations. We made our way around the stations 3 times.
The afternoon snack was a Green Mountain special. It is called the Green Mountain Truffle. It is yummy. I'm not exactly sure of all the ingredients and I have to find the recipe on the Green Mountain website, but it is peanut butter, powdered milk, raisins, and puffed cereal all rolled together and put into a cored out apple. It was so good and very filling.
Green Mountain Truffle
After snack, our last class of the day was called Myths and Realities About Weight. This was a great class. The biggest take home point was that we all have our "set point." This might not be the weight that is "normal" weight for all people 5 feet 8 inches or whatever height you are. We allow that people are going to be different heights and different shoe sizes, etc, why can we not allow that all people have a different "normal" weight also.
Well, friends, I am exhausted tonight and really want to get to bed. I'm going to skip over dinner and snack, just know they were yummy and healthy. Sleep is very important to eating healthy and managing weight also. So goodnight friends!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Day 2. It's like a lightbulb turned on in my head!
Hello from Vermont and day 2 at Green Mountain. Today was another great day.
We started the day nice and early at 7am for the Green Mountain Morning Momentum class. This was a combination of Tai Chi, some cardio, and stretching. The class was an hour long and really woke me up. For those of you who know me really well, mornings are just not my thing. And exercising in the morning, well, that's definitely not my thing. But I found myself waking up at 6:30, not hitting the snooze button, putting my yoga clothes on, and going.
After the morning momentum class, we had breakfast. I think I did a much better job of picking my breakfast this morning. They were serving a vegetable fritata, which counted for one protein and one fat. I also added in a banana, a piece of toast with almond butter, and coffee with soy milk. That made for 2 proteins, 3 carbs, and a fat. I wasn't hungry again until lunch time.
At 9am, we had our first class of the day titled, "Mindful/Intuitive Eating: The Principles of Mindful Eating." It's amazing how simple and smart the information is. The major idea of the Green Mountain way of eating is that diets do not work!! We must learn to listen to our bodies and what our bodies are telling us and trust our body. And we have to learn to listen to our bodies without judgement. One of the principles of mindful eating is to eat what you want. Which is basically in complete opposition of every diet that we've ever been on. You can't have that cupcake, you can't have that bagel, you can't have that bag of chips. But if you allow yourself to eat what you want (in moderation) and you eat what makes you feel well, you will not be depriving yourself. Depriving yourself only sets you up for failure. You must give yourself unconditional permission to eat what you want without judgement. Eat it and move on, don't make yourself feel guilty for eating what you want. I brought up the example of the never ending supply of cupcakes at work and how frustrated I feel when I see them and feel like I must deny myself. And the instructor looks at me and says, eat the cupcake. If you want the cupcake, and you really stop and think about it and why you want the cupcake, and you make the decision to eat the cupcake, eat the cupcake and move on. Don't feel guilty for the rest of the day. Don't consider the day ruined now that you had the cupcake. Eat it and move on. OMG LADIES!! It was like a lightbulb turned on in my head. I could go on and on because the class was so enlightening but I will continue with the day.
At 10:30, I had a chance to get outside. I had not actually left the building at all since arriving on Sunday. We took a 2.5 mile walk on what is called the logging trail. It was snow packed but the snow was not deep enough to snow shoe. It was so great to get outside and get some fresh air. The walk really cleared my head and I enjoyed the sunshine and talking to the women during the walk. I also never felt cold, even though it was 32 degrees, once we got walking, we definitely warmed up. I'm going to take my camera with me on the next walk and snap some pictures.
Lunch was at noon. Lunch on Tuesdays is a silent lunch. This allows you to eat mindfully, really focusing on your food and your hunger. I have to admit this was a little hard but overall a neat experience. For lunch we had chicken quesadillas, salad with cucumbers and blackberries, and fresh fruit.
After lunch, we had a class titled, "Emotional Eating: Understanding Emotions That Lead You to Eat." Biggest takeaway, No amount of criticism will ever change our behavior. You can look in the mirror and say, you are fat, you are gross, you are lazy, this will not change your behavior. And emotional eating is not always a bad thing. But it is always using food to deal with your emotions instead of having ways to cope with those emotions that get us in trouble. This class was again very enlightening and I cannot begin to cover in this blog the amazing info we learned.
There are 2 activity options to choose from during the activity hours and, at 2:30, I could choose between cardio circuit blast or a water aerobics class. I changed into my bathing suit and they drove us over to a resort about a mile away that has a pool. Let me tell you, do not think that water aerobics equals relaxing swim. We had webbed gloves that we put on our hands to increase the resistance in the water and boy did they work us! We were doing burpees and squats in the pool! It was quite the workout but also a lot of fun. We even got to relax in the hot tub for a few minutes after the class.
After we got back from the pool and had a snack of grapes and nuts, we had a class called "Stress Management: Nurturing the Whole Self." Another completely eye opening class! We learned ways to destress yourself other than using food.
Dinner was at 6 and I actually showered and put on jeans and a sweater for dinner! Really just because I had to get the chlorine from the pool out of my hair but still. I have absolutely resolved not to blow dry or flat iron my hair for the duration of my stay (except maybe the weekend). For dinner we had panko crusted tilapia, quinoa pilaf, and snow peas and carrots. Delish. The food here is not fat or flavor free, let me just say that. They use olive oil and spices to flavor the food and everything is so good. And to everyone's delight, tonight was baked goods night!! For dessert, we had brownies. Yum. I don't think I have said before but for beverages, we have water, unsweetened tea or herbal tea, and coffee, and a large selection of hot teas. They do have stevia or honey to sweeten your beverages with.
I'm definitely starting to feel the effects of the exercise. Right now the effects are not so great. Those of us new arrivals seem to be moving around a little slower and stiffer today. It really hurts to put my hands above my head lol. That's a good thing, at least thats what I'm told by the seasoned ladies who have been here a while. Apparently that goes away after a few days. There are three flights of stairs you have to take and I think we have climbed up and down those stairs a hundred times a day. I have resolved that by the time I leave Green Mountain, I will be able to climb those stairs without getting winded. Of course, my room is on the third floor, so anytime I need to go to my room, I have to make the climb. These are the little challenges we face here at Green Mountain :)
I have already made some great friends here. The women are so nice and I really like my roommate. I especially love the group exercise classes with them. And mealtimes are fun because you get a chance to talk and chat and get to know the other women.
I don't feel so tired tonight as I did last night. My roommate and I are going to head down to the Okemo Room for the optional evening snack. This is the only meal you have to pay for. The idea behind that is that we sometimes mindlessly snack at night. Having to pay for it makes us stop and consider if we really need it. The Okemo Room also happens to be on the bottom floor which means that we have to go down and back up those blasted stairs to get our snack!
Goodnight all! I hope everyone takes a minute to say an affirmation tomorrow "I will have a good day. I will take a minute for myself today because I am worth it." And remember, don't forget your movement. Something is better than nothing!!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Day One at Green Mountain at Fox Run
Today was a very long and busy day. It started at 8am with breakfast. Breakfast is served as a buffet style and you get to make the choices for a balanced breakfast. You start with picking 2-3 carbohydrates and 1-2 proteins and then adjust it according to how hungry you feel. Well, it may sound easy, but with the choices laid out in front of you, it can be quite confusing. Needless to say, a lot of us new arrivals were wandering around trying to figure it all out. I definitely didn't do a good job picking out my choices this morning but I have a better idea of what I am doing for tomorrow morning. I was very hungry about an hour or so after eating and had to visit the hunger hutch. The hunger hutch is basically available at all times during the day when you feel hungry and need a light snack. The snacks are balanced and light and it is stressed that you shouldn't let yourself go hungry and should visit the hutch if needed.
Our first class was a welcome to Green Mountain and Becoming a Skillfull Eater. The biggest takeaway is that diets do not work. They teach you to deny yourself until you are ravenous or you are tired of denying yourself, then you binge or overeat and it becomes a vicious cycle. To become a "normal eater" you must learn to listen, notice, and respond. You must listen to what your body is telling you, notice what your hunger cues are, and repond appropriately.
After the first class, I took a low impact aerobics class. Do not be fooled, my friends! Low impact does not mean easy!! I was huffing and puffing and working up a sweat.
Mealtimes are quickly becoming my favorite times of the day! Lunch was great. Lunch is plated already and you pick it up off the serving table and take it to your table.
Our first class was a welcome to Green Mountain and Becoming a Skillfull Eater. The biggest takeaway is that diets do not work. They teach you to deny yourself until you are ravenous or you are tired of denying yourself, then you binge or overeat and it becomes a vicious cycle. To become a "normal eater" you must learn to listen, notice, and respond. You must listen to what your body is telling you, notice what your hunger cues are, and repond appropriately.
After the first class, I took a low impact aerobics class. Do not be fooled, my friends! Low impact does not mean easy!! I was huffing and puffing and working up a sweat.
Mealtimes are quickly becoming my favorite times of the day! Lunch was great. Lunch is plated already and you pick it up off the serving table and take it to your table.
The lunch menu
The first class of the afternoon was called, "Intrinsic Exercise: Fitness Soul Search." The biggest takeaway is that we must exercise but we also must get away from the mentality of exercise. We must learn to connect to the joy of movement with exercise.
At 2:30, we took a total body strength class. This was a weights and abs class. Very fun and challenging. That was followed by a light snack of yogurt, fruits, and nuts.
At 4pm, we did a 15 minute meditation followed by a Mindful Seated Stretch.
At 5pm, we had an hour break before dinner at 6. My roommate and I debated it and quickly decided that a nap was a much better idea than a shower. Do not judge my friends!! After our busy day, a nap was very much needed.
Dinner was turkey meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, and roasted broccoli. For dessert, we had sliced bananas with a raspberry sauce. All very yummy.
After dinner, we gathered for tv time and watched a hilarious comedian named John Pinnette. It was good comedy relief after a long day.
And now I am ready for bed. I feel a good exhausted and ready for some good sleep. Tomorrow is another great day of lectures and exercise. It will bring an opportunity to bundle up and brave the cold outdoors. Tomorrow starts early at 7am with the Green Mountain Morning Momentum. Goodnight from Vermont!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Arriving at Green Mountain at Fox Run
All packed and ready to go!!
I knew there was trouble when I went up to the ticket counter and the guy asked to weigh my bags and then said he needed to know how much I weighed for weight distribution on the plane. I have to admit it went through my head to lie to him but in the end, I told him the truth. I would have felt very guilty if the plane had crashed because I had lied about my weight! How very ironic, on the day I am headed to a place to face my life long struggle with weight, I must actually voice my weight out loud!!
I was very nervous boarding this little 9 seater plane. But, once we got in the air, other than being very noisy and my ears kept popping, it wasn't so bad. We landed in the snow in Rutland, VT at the smallest airport I've ever been to. After a 30 minute shuttle ride, I had finally arrived. A year of dreaming and months of planning and saving had finally come true and I was here.
My room here is a double and I will be sharing the room with a roommate. She is my age and we already seem to have a lot in common. I think we will get along great. I chose the loft in the room. It's a nice setup so that even though you have a roommate, you still have some privacy. After checking out my room, I had my first lunch which was a tuna melt wrap, salad and fruit (yumm). I was then able to get in a nice nap before I went for my health and fitness evaluation.
Dinner was at 6pm and it was grilled chicken, wild rice, and green beans. Dessert was peach crumble. All very good and good size portions. After dinner, we had an orientation to the program and the schedule for the week, followed by a tour of the building. All the women I have met so far seem really nice. A few of the women have been here for a few weeks already and are staying on for a few more. There are 15 women starting tonight with me. They are staying anywhere from one week to one month. They are also ranging in ages, sizes, and fitness levels.
The week looks very busy, jam packed with classes and exercise classes. The meals are at 8am, noon, and 6pm, with a snack at 3:30pm. I'm really excited to get the week started. So I will say a goodnight from Vermont!
One final thought. Other than the blog updates, I probably won't post many pictures or updates on Facebook, etc. I promise to take lots of pictures and will post them all when I get home!!
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