July 31 -Day 9

Great breakfast this morning-greek yogurt topped with fruit and home made granola. This week I am completely cutting out the one snack they give you-last week I thought I couldn't make another move without it after the hike. This week I can do without. That will save me 200 calories bringing my daily intake to 1300. mayeb I will do better that way. As I am typing this right after the hike I feel hungry now that I reminded myself that I don't have a snack oh well....its not that I am going to try to steal Regina's.

The hike was good-we hiked malibu state park-the portion that was donated by Ronald Reagan. It was a challenging hike but really scenic:

So now its off to either another stretch class, a lecture or pool. Regina and I chose pool and they kicked our tails. Lunch was good, rice with a turkey in tomatillo sauce (Laura Anil would die here, this is the first rice we got.).

After lunch we had some time on the treadmill, and then a cardio class. Cam was teaching the class he is in his 20's and really knows how to push you to your limit. Regina and I both left the class drenched. This was followed by Total Body Toning (this is more bootcamp style stuff that we typically do on Wednesdays-more strength than cardio), and then a second pool class.

Dinner today was a stew (our first beef and potatoes since we have gotten here). Once the laundry is dried this will be a very early night-just waiting till the sun is not so bright when you are going to bed.

July 30th-Week 2 Day 8

Week 2- Monday and it starts all over again. Well not really, we actually add another cardio class this week, for those in their second week.

So here is a summary of the day-Nice hike like always (Julie we went to the backbone trail that you hiked Saturday).

 Chase was our hiking guide. On the way down I ran the entire thing back. More running than I have done in 10 years. That got my cardio up. One guide ran the entire thing with me. It took almost two hours up and we ran it down in 20 min). This of course caused me not to be with my group anymore-(but  TJ-the hiking manager reminded me why I was here). Julie you would be happy about my van number.

Back from the hike we had a cardio class in the gym called mountain, followed by lunch. This week I don't go to the lectures following lunch, instead I need to work out again. I signed up for spin class. Right after spin we had the core class (oh my....you would think sitting on a mat is easy LOL), followed by aqua pool and then a cardio interval class (we took several of those cardio interval classes last week, and always had good instructors. I am not sure where the woman came from that instructed today, but she was a tad mean, I felt bad for the first weekers.)

Lot of new people here this week, the classes are almost full. Hope they stick with it. I know Regina will. She has impressed me all day. She is so positive and excited about the experience and is pushing it hard in every class.

Food was very good today.I didn't take any pictures, but I should have. Most people couldn't finish lunch there was so much.

Its still light outside(great temp about 70) a few people are still hanging in the hot tub, no one is in the pool, a few of us were sitting outside  in the gazebo for about 30 min (that's when I was missing the wine glass in my hand) and now everyone is heading in to be ready to do it again tomorrow.

Day 7 July 29-REST DAY

Today we got to sleep in....but ended up waking early anyway. breakfast was awesome, fresh fruit, sliced avocado and omlette bar. You were also allowed toast and BUTTER AND JAM, all tasted great. Today everyone is getting a sack lunch so people can go sight seeing and do what they want. Some people go offsite and others just rest.

Julie left today which made me want to jump in the car with her. The good thing she left at 8 am and Regina got here at 8:45, so not much time to contemplate. We have no plans this sunday but scheduled a driver for next sunday to go and tour.

The Saturday Beach hike

Sorry I just realized I posted the same food pictures...oh well...my brain is fried too.Bear with me I will try not to upload duplicates next time.Anyway this is the beach hike-as you can tell its a new day and we have energy again.

 yeah I know he is a tiny bit taller then I.

 I know its not easy to see, but there was a seal swimming below us

 Amy and Jessica

 these stairs were like jacobs ladder (which by the way we have in the gym-its a very very evil machine)

 This guy just caught a huge halibut

 gorgeous homes nestled in the cliffs

and some hiking pictures

Every Monday an assessment hike is done and you are grouped into Vans that go on different hikes. Here is our first assessment hike: Julie looks ready!

 We made it to the top

 coming back and getting a little tour of the ranch

 So Julie and Renado-a bit difference in size. this guy is a free agent right now and is waiting to be picked by a NBA team.

 I'm coming puff puff

back to the ranch....

Just some more pics....

ok so this is a normal day of food, notice good size portion of protein and a carb of some sort (you can also ask for granola-homemade or oatmeal, or eggs and toast)

So for breakfast we have fruit:

 and a main dish:

For lunch-this is probably the heaviest meal,  we always have a soup ( they are excellent )-

 and a main dish (this mushroom risotto was the best!!!)

 then for dinner things get lighter-here we are having stuffed peppers (notice no refined carbs at dinner time. Also the salad bar is open for lunch and dinner if you need it as an extra pick me up. We ate the salad bar on sunday when we arrived and haven't touched it since. The other thing missing is the dessert. We always have a desert for dinner-the desserts have been really yummy, i have the recipes.

Day 6th July 28

So were did we leave off? I believe noon yesterday. After lunch and lecture yesterday, another pool class was in store for us. That was the toughest yet, the trainer said"yeah I can do things with you today I normally can't because classes are too full (apparently the purple team we are on has been loosing participants left and right-and it really isn't that easy to skip a class they take roll every class -when you get here everyone is issued a little badge that you hang around your neck with your name on it, so the instructors get to know you. It also holds your key to your room. When you get to class you hang it on a hook. Then an instructor comes and takes role. if your badge is not there they call your room and look for you). Anyway after pool 15 min to get changed and reappear at cardio intervals.Here is how we felt :

 Last class of the day was Zumba-yes Merie you know that it is my favorite class. We did get a good burn! Quick shower and change of clothes (we have gotten good-we can get both of us showered, changed and ready to go in 25 min-and we share a bathroom) and off to dinner. After dinner we had a pedi and watched olympics.

Today , Saturday, is a special day here. There are three hikes you can go on. So the groups are much larger. Julie took the hardest one the Upper Bulldog and I signed up for the beach hike. I figured I want to see all three and I will start with the one the hiking guides recommended as the best view.  It was so neat, we saw a seal and some dolphin, we climbed some cliffs and had an awesome view and on the way home passed by Julia Roberts home.

Back at the ranch we quickly changed and the it was time for LAST CHANCE WORKOUT. This is the only way you can earn a Biggest Loser buff. lol didn't really need a buff, but I am intending to come home with three. Basically a 90 min outdoor station type work out. AND THEN we were done for the week YEAH!!!!!! We had lunch and then went to go float in the pool. Did some laundry and are now relaxing until its time for graduation at 4:30. i will post some more videos and pictures, but I am doing it separately because I have lost my blog several times when trying to upload the video.

Day 5-July 27

Rise and shine 5:30 am. Last full day of work outs (for this week that is). Can't believe we made it through all week. Julie and I are both feeling good, especially after the massages last night. We actually have a spring in our step this am, but don't worry that changes quickly, the later in the day the slower we walk back to our rooms.

 This morning went to stretch at 6 am like every morning.then a quick run back to the room (got about 10 min) to make it to breakfast. But before breakfast you have to fill your camelbacks for the walk with ice and water. There are three main places and many people trying to fill. Then off to breakfast. At 7:45 TJ (the hiking manager) who assigns the vans, tells everyone which hike they are going on. Our van was assigned beach work out, quick video of malibu beach below. Tomorrow I will be signing up for the beach hike-goes past Julia Roberts house and a few others.

Beach work out was tough, kettle bell rope pulls, knee highs over hurdles, ladder and many more good burning exercises. After 2.5 of that fun, back to the ranch, 15 min break and then on to cardio intervals. That class is intense, jake one of our instructor really knows how to push you to the next level (even if you are tired from beach work out). And now I am off to lunch and a lecture.

Day 4-July 26

Woke up to chilly temperatures. Needed a Jacket it was great! Stretch class at 6am, then breakfast. Here is a typical breakfast:

8am got in vans-

Left for our hike and had a great surprise as to the location-we were hiking to the site where Mash was filmed.

 When you have  destinations like that, the long uphill is forgotten, you are just out there having fun. Before you know it you burned 3400 fuel points. When we got back (today a little early 2:10 min hike) it was  still chilly in the shade. i hope it warms up a little for pool class (which we have late today.

On our way back in the van, Chase-one of our guides today, shared his journey with us. He is the skinny guy in one of the pictures. he lost 175 pounds. It was an amazing story he shared. This is what I love about all these people that work here. They all have their own stories, they know were everyone is coming from-they lived it. All the nutritional lectures have had wonderful speakers all of them have come from amazing weight losses.

After the hike we just completed a very intense strength circuit and now are getting ready for lunch. the first time this week were we have more than 15 minutes to be at the next event. This afternoon we have "treading" (a high cardio class, then ball works-Laura/Merie we have seen this at Dallas mania), and then aqua bootcamp. Tonight both Julie and I are signed up for massages (we earned them!!!)