I thought I was going on a three-generation bonding trip to Canyon Ranch in western Massachusetts. Lazy mornings, tranquil walks, relaxing massages and quality time with my octogenarian mother and twentysomething daughters.
But my plans were altered by a confluence of events: an unflattering photo of myself with a visible middle bulge, the lack of any “Oh, you’re crazy!” responses when I told a few friends how much weight I wanted to lose, and a decision to attend a high-school reunion.
No longer was I off to a restful vacation. I was headed to boot camp, albeit luxe.
Four nights and five days later did not help me shed all my excess pounds or become a fitness star. But it put me on a path to eating healthier, exercising daily and in a focused way, and unwinding mentally, as spiritual healthiness is equally important. Once home, I’ve continued to heed the lessons learned:
Control portions. I knew the importance of weighing food. But having the right-sized portions served three times a day made it visually clear how a serving of chicken breast, salmon fillet or mashed potato should look. Yes, it’s small.
Consider content. While portion size matters, so does fat, sodium, protein, fiber and carbohydrates. I learned to favor those with fewer calories that still filled me up, such as salad, gazpacho (40 calories, trace fat, 2 grams fiber; served year-round), sauteed spinach with garlic, and fresh fruit. Menus helped because they itemized calories, fat and fiber. Another nice touch was the tiny fat-free fudge sauce serving, which the Ranch purchases from Wax Orchards (waxorchards.com). It could be used to drizzle over ice cream or sorbet and for a fresh fruit dip.
Exercise intensity. To maximize the benefits of exercise–shedding calories, boosting heart rate–I needed to work out with much more intensity and focus than I had been doing. Instead of taking a long leisurely walk on the treadmill while reading a magazine, I pushed myself harder by doing interval training –I would keep raising the incline and resistance until I was breathless, then lower both, and then repeat the cycle again several times.
Take off pounds slowly. The staff encourages a loss of just one pound a week, which it says is realistic when you exercise sufficiently and cut your caloric intake. I was also encouraged to weigh myself daily to avoid getting off track.
Find a buddy. At the Ranch, with my daughters’ encouragement and watchful eyes, I kept to smarter choices at meals and tried some of the tougher abs classes they were taking. Since I’ve been home, I’ve convinced a friend to join me in exercising more and losing weight. Although we don’t work out or eat together regularly, we still motivate one another through daily e-mail check-ins. When we reach our goals, we plan to celebrate with a visit together to Canyon Ranch.
CANYON RANCH CRAB CAKES WITH SWEET CUCUMBER SALSA
Serves four
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons canola-oil mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup lump crab meat
Olive oil
Sweet Cucumber Salsa (recipe below)
1. Mix red onion, bell peppers, green onion, mustard, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, seasoning and egg yolk together in a bowl. Add bread crumbs and crab and mix well. Refrigerate 2 hours.
2. Lightly coat a large saute pan with olive oil. Portion crab mixture into eight 1/4-cup patties. Cook over medium-high heat, about 11/2 minutes per side. Serve with cucumber salsa.
2 cakes per serving: 165 calories, 8 grams fat, 1 gram fiber
SWEET CUCUMBER SALSA
Makes 2/3 cup
1/2 cup diced cucumber
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons diced red onion
2 tablespoons diced roasted red bell pepper
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 teaspoons lime juice
Pinch minced jalapeno pepper
Pinch salt
Combine all ingredients; refrigerate until needed.
2 tablespoons per serving: 20 calories, trace grams fat and trace grams fiber
–Recipes courtesy of corporate chef Scott Uehlein, Canyon Ranch
