Week 2: Day 1 - Here we go!

Calories Burned Today: 4870

Today was, by far, the best day yet! I can't believe how many former contestants are here to work out with us and encourage us! I have to admit, I almost peed my pants when I found out Courtney Crozier (Season 11) was going to be hiking with my group! I was excited, scared, and star-struck! This woman is amazing! She's so down-to-earth, sweet, and driven! She helped me push myself to my physical limits today and encouraged me every step of the way. I am beyond fortunate to share this experience with her! At 8am, we embarked on a 6 mile hike through Backbone Trail and Newton Canyon. This was the perfect hike to begin Week 2 because it had rolling hills and just the right amount of grade to challenge me. Of course, Courtney and our guide, Nicole, decided a "bonus hill" was on the agenda, since we ended up finishing much earlier than originally planned! We climbed a mile high to a very cold but beautiful spot overlooking the canyon. Sure, at times I wanted to scream every expletive imaginable or trip my guide, just so I could catch my breath for a second, but all in all it was totally worth it! Then, we actually jogged and speed-walked most of the way back! This is the furthest I've hiked to date and the most jogging I've subjected myself to in a hike. Thanks to Dr. Ray, my back is STILL holding up after all that jarring and pounding! I can't believe it!

Me and Courtney before our hike. Isn't she adorable???

The group at about the half-way point, on the way up.

6... for 6 miles

That's Courtney kicking my ass up the hill :-)

Oh... Dr. Ray.... for those of you who are not yet aware, he is the resident Biggest Loser Resort Chiropractor and Sports Therapist. The man is simply phenomenal.  The stretches and manipulations he puts me through are painful as hell, but they are working! Tonight, he even said that he noticed a difference in my body, shape-wise, flexibility-wise, and muscle-wise since just last Friday! He still seems confident that not only will he get me out of pain before I leave in 2 weeks, but he will also have me "running at full speed." I haven't been able to do that in over a decade.... almost makes me cry just thinking of the possibility. However, I have reason to believe him, for I just jogged a good portion of a 6 mile hike.

Before coming to the Biggest Loser Resort, (because of my multiple disc herniations and ruptures) I would try to jog for a mile or so and I would end up hurting so badly that I'd need a few weeks off work to recover. Even after I "recovered," I was unable to sit for more than 10 minutes without becoming mostly debilitated and barely able to walk. It was beyond incredibly frustrating and this has been going on since 2001. Today, I am able to sit for about an hour on a padded chair with little to no discomfort and I can get up and walk away in an upright position, without the usual "granny shuffle." This may not sound like much, but 3 weeks ago, I thought I was just going to have to live in a pain-ridden, broken-down body for the rest of my life.

Oh! One more piece of exciting news (for me, anyway)... I stopped losing my hair! For over a year now, it was coming out at about 10 times the rate it should have been. It was so bad, I was afraid to wash it or brush it. I used to have beautiful, thick, flowing hair and lately I would cry every time I had to style it and saw what was happening. Apparently, my cortisol levels were "through the roof" due to dealing with back pain and all the other residual pain it was causing my body. Not to mention the stress from my job that has been eating at me for more than a year now (One of the reasons I decided to take my vacation at the Biggest Loser Resort). Through proper diet and exercise, the cortisol has reduced and the hair-loss has ceased! This is beyond thrilling to me! With vitamins, I may even be able to get my former thick hair back! <Small victory dance and reduced-fat booty shake!>


Speaking of diet, the food today was actually quite good. I just finished dinner, which was the healthy version of a teriyaki chicken bowl. I'm not sure why, but I seemed to get more carrots... ahem... MANY more carrots than everyone else. I must have forgotten to remove my bunny ears and cotton tail before I entered the dining hall. Anyway, they try to keep our base caloric intake around 1200 and it's up to us to adjust up or down with fruits and veggies, depending on our metabolic needs. I think I left about 200 calories of carrots in my bowl! Here was our menu for today:

And, finally, here was my schedule for today:

All in all a great day! Top 3 lessons learned today:
1) The body is an incredible machine. It will do things you never thought possible. I can't wait to test this even more when I get home! ;-)
2) Chocolate-covered strawberries aren't just for romantic hotel evenings! They are an esophogasm on a plate (credit: Meg Gazaway for "esophogasm")
3) There just may be a bit too much fiber in our food.... geez... I mean, seriously....

Thanks for reading! See you on the fit side!

-Heather