Getting Settled In

So I originally planned to write a blog entry every day, but our first few days have been super busy so I fell behind!  So far everything has gone really well.  The first week is filled with a lot of information classes on nutrition, structured eating and exercise.  We have also had appointments with the nurse, nutritionist, therapist and personal trainer.  The nutritionist set us up on our diet, how many calories we should consume a day, and suggestions for foods that are personalized for our needs.  There is a planned menu for the different amounts of calories people are put on, usually ranging from 1200 to 1600 a day.  I have never learned a lot about counting calories, and it's crazy how many are in some foods!  The food here is definitely something that your mind and body have to get used to.  There is no salt or sugar in anything so it lacks a lot of taste, which is worse the first week because you are used to eating foods higher in those two ingredients.  They've told us that our taste will change rather quickly and meals will be more satisfying.  Another thing about the diet here that's new to me is three solid meals a day with NO snacking.  I've heard so many times that it's best to eat 6 small meals a day to increase your metabolism, but the logic behind Structure House's plan makes sense as well.  They say that if you eat 6 small meals a day, these meals tend to get bigger over time, and it turns into a day full of eating.  If you structure your meals to three specific times and try to keep it constant each day, your body will adjust to those times and not have so many cravings at other times.  So that's basically how the diet aspect has been so far...

Now on to exercise.  When we have free hours in our schedule, we choose an exercise class to take or swim in the pool.  (which is a saline pool and absolutely amazing!)  They offer most of their classes once or twice a week, and have everything from martial arts, yoga, Zumba and boxercise.  They also offer different water classes and stretching classes more often.  One interesting thing i've learned is that it is most important to stretch AFTER you work out.  Apparently there has been debate on this topic, but a few months ago, things changed, and cooling down your muscles is more important than the warm up.  A lot of this might be common knowledge to some of you, but they are things that are good to know.  They recommend doing cardio 5-6 days a week for 60 to 90 minutes (you should always give your body one day to rest).  Also, strength training is just as important, as muscles help burn fat.  You should do some type of strength training 2-3 times a week, but not on consecutive days as your muscles need that day in between to rest and recover.  Stretching is also an important part of any workout routine and should be done in some form every day.  So much information!  Now on to the more personal experience...

Today I did something called Nia, which I had never heard of before, and it was so much fun!  The way the instructor described it was dance with a little bit of martial arts and a little bit of yoga.  If you get a chance, check out a video on youtube, it's really cool!  We all felt a little cooky at times because of the free movements, but in the end it was a blast and great exercise.  There are about 45 people here now, which is a slow time for Structure House.  Their capacity is about 80, which is more common during the summer.  I think I am the only person from North Carolina here!  It's funny that almost everyone is from up north, either New York or Connecticut.  That being said, I have met some amazing people that are going through a similar journey to me.  Most of the residents here are older, but there is a huge range in ages.  There were 10 people who started on the same day as me and we're in a group for at least the first week.  Two others are around my age, but I get along well with all of them.  It's nice to have the support system here to help you along the way.

So it's been super busy and I will try better to make more entries!  I appreciate your support so much, it means everything to me to hear from you all!  Hope everyone is doing well and we will talk soon!

xoxo