Fitness Ridge

Wow! The experience we had at Fitness Ridge was amazing! Dave and I, and my sister Rachel, spent a full week at the resort. The days started at 6:30 am with 2 to 3 hour hikes--each of which were absolutely gorgeous and awesome (we met people who attend the resort exclusively for the hikes--and we could see why)! Then we had breakfast (300 calories) followed by a lecture. The lectures were also a nice surprise as we didn't expect to be impacted the way we were--they were presented by the dietician, owner, chef (cooking demo's), personal trainer, and psychologist. I didn't necessarily learn anything new or revolutionary, but was definitely motivated to eat healthier (whole grains, less sugar, healthy fats, non-processed foods, more water, etc.), exercise more often and at higher intensities, and to track what I eat (so as to not over-eat)! Then we had a class (intervals or circuits on the cardio machines, water aerobics, yoga, pilates, weight-training, kickboxing, etc.) followed by lunch (400 calories) and another lecture. Next we would have three classes in a row before dinner (500 calories) and the day would end with another lecture. The meals were low calorie (obviously), packed with tons of veggies and fruits, dairy free, low-sodium, whole grains, and for the most part very delicious. It was marvelous having the meals prepared and served to us and not having to give a second thought as to how much we were eating or how healthy it was—I think I would go again just for that convenience alone! Usually in the evenings we would relax in the hot tub or pool to soothe our sore muscles and joints and then we’d pretty much fall into bed until our alarms went off the next morning! It really was worth every cent and inconvenience of being away from home and the kids for a full week! Dave loved it as much as I did and I’m sure we’ll do everything in our power to make it so we have the opportunity to go again. . . !

I came away from the whole experience with two overwhelming truths: 1) Motivation is not what CAUSES action, it is a RESULTof action, and 2) those who eat right, and those who eat right AND exercise, will lose weight at the same rate, but down the road, those who exercise regularly will MAINTAIN the weight-loss! (which IS the ultimate goal, right?)

TICKETS!!

Hey everyone, I have a $228.60 credit on Southwest Airlines that has to be used by August 19th--yes, that means travel must be completed by then. I don't have any plans to use it and wanted to offer it to anyone who could for $200. Otherwise, I guess I'll just have to find somewhere to go! :) LMK if you're interested.

Call Home

Well, I’ve pretty much been working out a ton this month—getting ready for Fitness Ridge in 2 weeks! The first Saturday of this month I ran my first race ever—one mile at Jordan Landing. Irene invited Rachel and I to run it with them, I thought she was crazy at first, but after some persuasion from mom and Rachel I decided I’d try it. So Rachel brought Katie, Sarah, and Hannah and we all did it! We ran the whole thing in the pouring rain. Sarah and I ran together . . . it was very fun. I found that I enjoyed running with a bunch of people, so when I got a flier from a store about a 5K at Thanksgiving Point—through the gardens—I didn’t hesitate to sign up! The second Saturday I went on a long hike with Becca, Irene, Rachel, Hawk and Hunter. It was AWESOME! I have to admit that over the years I’ve wondered what the fascination was that Becca and Dad had for hiking, but I found out quick just going out once! I LOVED IT!!! I can’t wait to go again. Then the third Saturday was my first 5K race. I ran with Alexia and we had a really great time. And, NOW I’ve signed up to run my first 10K next Saturday—from the mouth of Provo Canyon up to Bridal Veil Falls and back. I think Hobie and Irene are rubbing off on me or something. . .?!! I’ve loved running every morning—I’ve run three miles with my friend Christina, Irene, or by myself almost every morning. I really enjoy working out with Rachel, Irene, and Affy either at the park or in Rachel’s backyard where we work our legs/arms every day. AND, now I’ve started attending a Bikram Yoga class as often as possible! It’s CRAZY!!!!!

OUR POOL IS OPEN! We’ve been swimming twice now and I love it as much as ever. The kids are all big enough to swim around by themselves and I’m sure they’ll almost always have cousins to swim with! We played on our slip-n-slide in our backyard for a couple weeks before the pool opened and the kids LOVED that! We got a bunch of flowers planted in our yard and it’s been fun keeping the lawn and flower beds all pretty! I even planted a few tomatoes. . .we’ll see if I can get any to grow! We had a little “Johnson” campout over Memorial Day weekend; we pitched tents in the backyard, cooked smores, slept outside, cooked and ate breakfast on the patio, went fishing, and then cooked the fish for dinner! We all had tons of fun! I’m sure we’ll do it again soon. For some pics of all our fun check out my personal blog! (yes, even YOU dad!)

Dave taught the Special Forces guys again, and said it was a lot of fun. He’s still teaching the kids jiu-jitsu class twice a week and the adult class at the gym twice a week. He loves and does great with both! He goes up to Ogden a couple weekends a month to train with a group of guys, and on the other weekends he stays home so he can teach Gospel Doctrine at church.

We are so excited for Hobie and Irene to move two houses down from us! And, I CAN’T WAIT for the family reunion in July! I love having fun family things to look forward to!