Just when you thought it was predictable...

So, Day Four.

I think I may have understated exactly how wiped I was from my hike yesterday.  My thighs hurt so bad, I needed the grab bar to stand up from using the toilet.

This morning, out of either intelligence or extreme stupidity, I decided to go to the gym to try to warm up the muscles a little bit, and then do some stretching.  I ended up doing a half hour on the treadmill (as much as I love the Elliptical machine, the treadmill seemed the better choice for sore thighs) -- clocking a mile and a half and over 20 minutes at my target heart rate (got my cardio for the day - yay me).  Got off and stretched.  Felt real nice.

Went right to a lecture with dad that involved, y'know, sitting for an hour -- not the brightest of all moves after going to all that effort to warm up the muscles.  This was another lecture on weight loss.  Yet again, I wish this spa would have a consistent message.  This dude said that to lose weight and keep it off, you have to exercise at least five days a week and probably every day.  Contrast with the guy yesterday who'd said four is definitely preferable to three, but that adding the fifth day has a diminished return and you risk overdoing it which can lead to injury and/or quitting.  And it didn't seem like he was trying to sell me something either -- so I have no idea exactly how many days one is actually supposed to exercise.  I think I'm going to leave here not accepting the advice of any single person, but picking and choosing about a handful of things to change in my diet and exercise patterns, and sorta see what happens.

Went to "Lunch & Learn" where they cook lunch in a "demonstration kitchen" so you learn the recipe.  Learned how to cook shrimp.  Learned an easy way to deal with ginger (grate it -- peel and all -- on a small grater, then take the bits and squeeze them, using only the juice).  Ate spinach leaves for the first time (yay me for trying a new vegetable).  Discovered small bits of clear plastic (please don't be glass, please don't be glass) in my food and reported said discovery to the demonstration chef, who was suitably put out, and said complaints would be made to the responsible parties.

Went to a class on "Body Wisdom," which was largely a load of crap, but, again, gave me, like, one totally useful thing I can walk away with. 

Then went upstairs to see Footwear Guy.  I hereby apologize for all negative thoughts about footwear guy and his motives.  Footwear Guy did not, in fact, have a pair of shoes in my size.  (He'd apparently had a run on the small sizes and couldn't find anything.)  He did, however, tell me the exact model number of the shoe I need and the size I should buy.  (All totally gratis, since he didn't sell me anything.)

Found it on Zappos not five minutes later.  :)

Well, this is about the end of our journey.  We've got two more lectures tonight (one where we'll be taught the relationship between lack of sleep and increase in hunger -- I expect to pick up a "behavior to change" for that, as I know my sleep patterns, um, to put it technically, blow.  The other is yet another class on choosing the best exercise program).  And then we check out tomorrow after lunch.

And then I fly home.

And clean out the refrigerator.