One can for every pound I lose...bring it!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

The Decision

"I won't talk to you again if you go!"

That was the response from one of my (dear) friends when he found out I was going to the Biggest Loser Resort in Malibu. "You'll be laughed at!" was the response from another.

I'm 5'3" and currently weigh in at 164. Yes, I know that might be someone's goal weight. But 6 pounds ago, I read the upside-down diagnosis at the doctor's office in horror.

"Obesity."

"Wha-what does that say?" I asked knowing full well what it said (unfortunately, MY doctor had impeccable handwriting.)

Doctor "S", bless his heart, my favorite doctor in the world, did his best "I'm sorry" with a sheepish look.

"You're sorry I'm fat?" How silly for a doctor to apologize for my overeating. I was stunned, but I shouldn't have been. I'd been battling with my extra weight for years. This was my wake-up call.

OK, OK I know those "charts" can be argued, but according to my BMI, I was obese. I started to sound like those eliminated contestants on The Biggest Loser: "America, (I mean, Dr. "S"..) the next time you see me, you'll take that right off my chart!"

I know my friends mean well, and God Bless them for telling me I'm fine the way I am. But...I don't feel fine. See, for someone who's overweight, it's all relative. My 31 extra pounds is MY mountain. And I'm about to climb it, in a big way.


Why Biggest Loser?

I'm a HUGE fan of the show. When I saw the advertisement during one of their commercials for their Biggest Loser Resort in Utah, I wanted in! When I called for information back in April, they had a waiting list through August. "Forget it - I'll be thin by then!" I thought.

Ahem.

Fast forward to September. Still had the extra weight to lose and saw an ad for the brand-new resort in Malibu! I called out of curiosity and braced myself for the waiting list response. "We've got an opening as early as next week!" was the chipper reply. OMG, could I do it?

I had been toying around with the idea of a Christmas trip to Disney. The lights, the parades, the festivity... and the food. Most of my trip was planned around where and what we would eat. I had come across a quote that said something like "If you do what you did today for the next 365 days, will you be where you want to be in a year?" If I went to Disney, the answer would be no. No matter how much walking we did (my last trip logged around 16,000 steps a day) it would not counteract the creme brulee....mushroom filet with risotto at Le Cellier...mickey waffles...



Oh, sorry, I digress.

I broached the subject with my husband carefully A week away would require his full support. Manning the household, getting our son to and from school, taking care of the dog...he would be sacrificing a week of freedom and shared responsibilites so that I could have a one week, "all about me" vacation. Of course I didn't use the word "vacation" exactly. He said yes, and less than a week later I booked my flight, my shuttle, and my private cabin at the resort. I leave in 2 weeks!

Disney can wait...my health and wellness cannot!

8 comments:

  1. GOOD FOR YOU!! We are similar in many ways . . . everyone around me said "oh you're fine" weight wise, but I knew I wasn't and my BMI was just into the "obese" range. I called last February and unfortunately I wasn't about to book until 2011! Booked two weeks exactly a year from the date I called (Feb 6-20 in Utah), and decided I needed to start this myself. Thanks to weight watchers, friends and determination, my goal was 25lbs and I'm now at 33lbs lost. Now I'm at the right weight, and CANNOT WAIT to go to the resort to tone up and learn even more about this process. Thanks for blogging and enjoy every minute of your stay!!!

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  2. Thanks Janette for the support! I'm so excited for you too! I am on WW too, just dropped 5 pounds. Not looking for a "cure" at the resort, just a week of serenity and time to re-focus my energy on ME. I am so psyched.

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  3. You're going to have SO MUCH FUN!!! Ok, and I'm sure you'll sweat a bunch too =). Seriously, have a wonderful time and I look forward to hearing about it!

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  4. Holy Moley....so proud of you. I wish I could do this!! Can't wait to hear all about it. And count me in for the soup---how do I do this?

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  5. So I sit here reading your blog and I want to cry...for so many reasons. #1 because I love you and am sooo proud and sooo happy for you, you deserve this gift to yourself - you are always thinking of others and I'm so very excited that you are doing something for YOU! #2 because you are absolutely an amazing writer and just so inspiring. #3 because I'm gonna miss you ;-) YOU GO GIRL!!! Rock it out loud!!!!!

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  6. Shauri it's easy, just stay tuned to my blog to see how many pounds I lose and bring your soup to your local food bank! (it's on the honor system)

    Stacey..aw... I love you too BFF

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  7. I'm so happy to see that you're not only giving back (or in this case paying it forward), but you're able to do this in conjunction with doing something good for yourself. I'll be at the resort on October 31st for two weeks and am glad to know there will be someone there of your caliber. Your story is an inspiration!

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  8. Janine I'll be sure to look for you! Thanks for your kind words, this is going to be a great adventure!

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