The Three Amigos of Good Health: Proper Diet, Exercise, and Sleep

The order doesn't matter, you need equal and consistent amounts of all three. Exercising has never been an issue for me, as you can read in my previous blogs.  A healthy diet and plenty of sleep, however, are my nemeses. 

I'm currently reading The Big Picture by Tony Horton (creator of P90X and P90X3 among other workouts).  As you may know, I completed the P90X workout 4 years ago and recently completed P90X3.  However, my results have been quite different between the two.  When I did P90X, I went all out.  I ate an extremely healthy diet, got plenty of sleep and worked out 6 days of week for 13 weeks.  I continued on that course for the 3 months that followed.  However, after that, although I did several other Beachbody.com workouts I wasn't as strict with my diet and or my sleep.

For P90X3, however, I did the 13 weeks, 6 days a week religiously (with the exception of a couple of days one week when I got sick and a few Saturdays when I just didn't feel like working out), but this time I didn't really watch what I ate nor did I get the proper amount of sleep. I averaged about 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night and you need at least 7 in order for your body to recoup and function properly.  Needless to say, the results were sub par.

In The Big Picture, Tony talks about how important sleep is and that it is just as important as eating right and exercising.  I've read that several times since then from other authors, exercise gurus and doctors. I've modified my sleeping habits accordingly by making sure I'm in bed by 10 most, if not every night, and sometimes even earlier (especially since I get up so early). However, my diet is still an issue.

In The Big Picture, Tony also discusses eating whole foods and from what I keep reading and hearing, the whole/real foods phenomenon seems to be all the rage now.  Get rid of processed foods they say, eat food as close to its natural state as possible, don't eat anything with more than 5 ingredients, CUT OUT SUGAR, etc...  I've been considering this for a while now and yesterday, I decided to give the whole/real foods diet thing a try. 

What's prompted this change is that despite my P90X3 effort, I didn't see much of an improvement...in my mid-section.  Although, I see improvement in my arms, legs, and butt, and my strength and endurance, I see no changes/improvements in my torso and in fact, I seem to have gained fat in that area.  I feel bloated, sluggish, tired and irritable (as well as gaining a little weight/fat).  I feel so blah that I started thinking something might actually be wrong with me internally (thyroid, hormonal imbalance, etc)  So, I did a little research.  First, I looked at the results from the blood work I had done in Feb and found that not only was my thyroid functioning just fine, according to my information, I have a slightly overactive thyroid.  So then, I read up on hormonal imbalances (given my age...turned 43 on July 16...this isn't a far fetched idea neither is suspecting thyroid problems) however, what I found is that diet can help regulate these as well as improve my not so great symptoms listed above. Everything I read seems to point to diet.  So, I finally admitted to myself that maybe I was trying to find an excuse for my issues instead of facing the cold hard facts that I am eating like crap and its making me feel that way.  You know what they say, you are what you eat. 

So, yesterday, I made a 10-day Real Foods Challenge Pledge with a start date of July 21, 2014.  (there is also a 100 day real food challenge pledge http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/, but I wanted to ease into it.)  I'm taking these three days beforehand to prepare. To be honest, the rules don't seem that difficult and I certainly should have no problems following them for 10 days.  If I like how I feel when I'm done, I plan to continue.  One thing is for sure, I can't feel any worse than I do now. 

  

You Can't Out Train a Bad Diet

I know that more than anyone and this statement holds even more water the older you get. 

Tomorrow, I will finish my 7th week of P90X3 and begin my transition week (week 8) on Monday.  I try to watch what I eat but haven't really stuck to a diet and even allowed myself some indulgences (It wasn't easy staying on a diet during the long hours of legislative session when not so healthy food was readily available and I was eating 3 meals a day in my office...plus snacks.) However, that is just an excuse.  I allowed myself too many indulgences that contained a lot of sugar. 

Luckily for me, Session is now over and I'm going to make more of an effort to eat healthier.  I will say this, even though you can't out train a bad diet, exercising will still effect your body in a good way.  For instance, my strength, endurance and flexibility have gotten better.  But for me, my fat likes to accumulate in my mid-section, so even though I see improvement in my arms, legs, and butt (my favorite improvement), my mid-section is still squishy.  However, it has gone through some changes as well... it is harder underneath the layer of fat that covers my "real" abs.  And, I feel great.  I love the workouts. 

But, if I really want to get in great shape, especially for the summer, I'm going to have to get my sweet tooth under control.  I read an article today online featuring fitness experts revealing their secrets on how to lose weight.  The article has been shared on my facebook page but to pass on some of the advice (mainly from my favorite fitness expert Tony Horton and what I think to be the most important), to lose weight and especially fat you should do the following:

• Eat whole foods - lean proteins, vegetables, fruit, whole grains and healthy fats.
• Stay away from or greatly reduce sugary foods and artificial sweeteners.  Yes, that includes diet drinks...which I drink. Actually, Tony says to completely eliminate these but I'm a bit of a pansy and it takes awhile to eliminate my favs.
• Eat veggies first... helps fill you up.
• Stay away from processed foods - anything that comes in a box, a bag, or a can.  This one really sucks because my pantry is full of processed foods and I love my processed foods (mac & cheese as well as other pastas and everything else in there.)  Ugh, maybe a small fat roll isn't so bad. ; )
• Avoid white...flour, sugar, rice, milk & salt as much as possible. 

That is what I took from the article...common sense really, and if you do this consistently, you too can have washboard abs.  I'm starting to think that sugar is like a drug...the more you eat it, the more you want it, and the harder it is to stop eating it.  I'm not sure I'll ever get the great abs I fantasize about because eating right is a struggle every single day (as it is for most people).  However, I'm willing to fight for good abs and if I'm going to go through the training, I might as well have a healthy diet to make all that effort worth while.

Time to Get Fit...Again.

Four years ago, I completed P90X. And, for a few years, I worked out consistently after that...purchasing 4 additional beachbody.com workouts - RevAbs, Turbofire, Hip Hop Abs, and Focus T25 (one of my favorites).  However, over time all that working out wore me out and slowly I slacked off to the point that over the last 5 months I didn't workout consistently (or even worked out at all) and, I didn't really watch what I ate. Needless to say, I put on a few pounds and a couple of inches, but luckily, I didn't gain back everything that I had lost from P90X.  However, if I continued on this path, I knew that I would gain back everything (and maybe more) and I just couldn't let myself do that.

When you fall off the wagon, get back on.

At first, I contemplated combining my favorite videos from all my previously purchased workouts, but I knew that wouldn't keep me motivated and I wouldn't stick to it. So, for me, the only way to get back into living a healthy lifestyle would be to start a new workout program. Because I've had so much success with beachbody.com workouts in the past, I, once again, turned to beachbody.com for help.  Considering, I don't have much time to workout (especially now while session is in and I'm working 10 to 12 hour days), 30 minutes a day is all I can really do. And luckily for me a new P90X workout was recently released...P90X3, which is 6 days a week and only 30 minutes a day. That 30 minutes makes all the difference.  Studies have shown that you get the most from a work out in the first 30 minutes. 

No pain, no gain.  (Of course that's only true when you're trying to improve yourself.  Gaining weight and fat is easy.)

During my first week of P90X3(and especially the first 2 days), every muscle in my body ached every time I moved...and even when I didn't.  By the time Wednesday rolled around (I started on a Monday), I looked forward to the 30 minutes of yoga that I was scheduled to do that day.  Although me doing yoga isn't a pretty sight (and to be quite honest, it too was a bit painful), I felt so good when I was done because I had stretched all those terribly sore muscles. 

Some helpful hints: 

• Don't be afraid to modify.  In fact, I modified the entire first week of the workout (most of the time) and each week I try to improve, but I still modify.  These workouts are intense and you should never jump into an intense workout at full speed, you'll only be hurting yourself (I know people who have actually thrown up during and/or after a workout because they pushed too hard). That's not good for you. A 20 minute mile and a 10 minute mile is still a mile, regardless. So, you'll still get a great workout when you modify.
• Do take a few minutes after each workout to stretch.  Your muscles will thank you for it.
• Do the yoga. You won't burn as many calories but you will sweat and gain flexibility and stretch those overworked muscles.  And that is just as important as a hardcore cardio or weight training workout. 
• Do try to eat healthy.  You can't out train a bad diet. You don't have to cut out everything you love, but minimize the things that are not so good for you.  For the first week, I kept track of my calories every day with a calorie counter on my phone to help remind me how easy it is to add on the calories with just a few minor treats. 
• Do take before and after pictures, weight, and measurements.  It's the best way to see your results.  I did this before starting P90X and I did it again before starting P90X3.  However, after looking at my before pictures for P90X3, I've decided not to post them just yet.  Yikes!
• Don't get discouraged if you don't see results immediately.  When I did P90X 4 years ago, a good friend of mine who had done it before me told me it will take about 6 weeks before I'd start seeing results.  He was right and I keep that great piece of advice in mind to this day. 

Keep at it because it does gets better.

Nothing worthwhile comes easy or fast.  As of today, I am in the middle of my third week. I'm not nearly as sore as I was the first week.  As a matter of fact, I'm not really sore at all. Now, don't get me wrong, I get tired and sore during the workouts but my recovery time is much quicker so I'm not as sore the next day. However, next week is my transition week out of Block 1 (week 4) and my routine will be changing, which means I will be sore (probably very), once again, BUT, I'll have also completed the first 30 days of my 90 day workout and in two more weeks (3 from today) I'll start seeing some results.

Beautiful But Deadly - Sago Palms the Black Widow of Trees.

          

Sago Palms are beautiful, grow in an array of shapes and sizes and are one of the most popular palm trees in Florida.  They are also highly poisonous to dogs and cats, and ironically, not on any list of toxic trees/shrubs/plants that I have found.  Not even under its scientific name Cycas Revoluta.

So how do I know these trees are toxic?  Well, last October, my husband, daughter and I, along with our new puppy, Maggie moved into a new house that had two large Sagos growing in the backyard.  The first week in our new home, some friends stopped by for a visit and mentioned that the seeds of Sagos are toxic to dogs.  Despite our friend’s warning, we felt Maggie was safe since the seeds were too high off the ground for her to reach. I would like to add that I’ve hated those trees since we moved in and have always been a bit concerned so I’ve kept a close eye on her (I didn’t even like her chewing on the dead branches lying around the base of the tree, which by the way, also pose a threat).  Maggie is a Morkie (Maltese/Yorkie mix) and the sweetest dog you will ever meet. She’s also a tiny little thing so it doesn’t take much to get her sick and she already has a sensitive stomach (gets car sick).  She also loves to chew on sticks, and socks, and underwear, and rocks, and shoes, and my daughter’s toys, and well, you get the picture, she will chew on and eat anything.  

Having the Sagos removed has been on our list of things to do because of where they were located and the fact that the leaves are hard needles that can literally poke your eye out if you’re not careful. But, we hadn’t removed them yet because it wasn’t a priority.  That job quickly moved to the top of our priority list Memorial Day weekend.   

Saturday, I saw Maggie sniffing around the base of our Sagos and then saw her chewing on something green.  That sparked my initial concern because by the time I caught her she had swallowed the greenery.  A few minutes later, I found her with a huge piece of Sago (possibly the root) in her mouth and had to chase her down again to take it away.  My concern now tripled.  I wasn’t sure if it was the root or the seed that was in her mouth.  My ignorance of the tree is obvious but knowing that the seed was toxic and not being sure what piece she had in her mouth, I decided to educate myself and started googling.  I typed in “Sago Palms toxic to dogs”, and several links popped up.  That is when I found out that the entire tree is toxic.  And when I say entire, I mean not only the seeds, but the branches, the leaves, the trunk, the roots, and even the pollen.  Everything associated with this tree is toxic and not just to dogs but to cats, horses and even humans.  And when I say toxic, I mean the poison may cause liver damage and even liver failure if not treated, which means death.  The chance of survival is about 50%.

 We’ve had Maggie less than a year. As a matter of fact, her 1^st birthday is May 31^st and I’m sure you can imagine how I felt after reading the statistics.  I also read up on what signs to look for if a Sago had been ingested…vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy being the top three on the list. Since she already has a sensitive stomach, I knew that, if indeed, she had ingested the tree, she’d throw up soon.  According to the information online, between 15 minutes and several hours, symptoms will appear.  For Maggie it was only a matter of minutes. 

I found her in my bedroom, lying in a spot she doesn’t normally lay.  So, I sat on the floor and picked her up.  She looked at me with those big sweet brown eyes and tried to lick me.  She also appeared to be licking her lips or smacking in a way that we do when we’re thirsty or have cotton mouth or, better yet, about to throw up.  I put her down and noticed how she lowered her head like she was going to get sick, but didn’t.  I got up and went into the kitchen but watched her from afar.  My daughter was also in my bedroom (on my bed watching T.V.), so I was trying to be discreet but needed to keep an eye on Maggie, who had now crawled under my bed.  I squatted down and watched her.  Within a minute, she threw up.  I stood, walked quickly into the other room where my husband was, closed the door so my daughter couldn’t hear, and told him we needed to take Maggie to the vet and why.  I then walked out, grabbed my cell phone and walked outside to my pool where my daughter couldn’t hear the conversation I was about to have.  I knew my vet was closed (being that it was Saturday afternoon and Memorial Day weekend no less) but also knew he listed an emergency number on his website.  (Thank God for google and smart phones). I had taken a pen and paper outside with me and jotted down the number and address, then called the emergency veterinary hospital. When the nurse answered the phone, I was choked up and started to cry but somehow managed to tell her what had happened.  By now my husband had scooped up the vomit (with his hand) and brought it out to me.  I told him to put it in a baggy and to bring it with us for the doctor to see. I couldn’t stop crying as I made my way back up to the house and inside.  I knew I needed to compose myself for fear my daughter would get upset (at this point, she had not been informed).  I grabbed Maggie’s crate and put it in my car.  My husband asked if I wanted him to distract my daughter while I ran out with the dog, but I said no, it was time she knew.  So we told her that we needed to take Maggie to the vet to make sure she was ok, and left it at that. 

I drove (fast) down Centerville and in less than 10 minutes arrived at the hospital.  They were ready for her when we got there and quickly took her back.  Within 5 - 10 minutes they had induced vomiting and she had diarrhea.  She had definitely ingested the tree.  From the time she ate the Sago to the time we arrived at the hospital, 1 hour had passed.   

           

After filling out paperwork, we were taken back to an examination room.  It wasn’t long before a nurse came in to ask us questions, one of which was if Maggie had ingested the tree sooner, like the night before, because there were seeds or what looked like seeds in her diarrhea.  I was stumped and didn’t know what to say.  Until that moment, I didn’t think Maggie had ever eaten anything from that tree.  Now I wasn’t so sure.  But what I was sure of was that she quickly got sick after I caught her with a piece in her mouth. 

The Sagos were gone by the time we got home from the hospital Saturday evening, thanks to our yard guy, who was also kind enough to come back on Sunday to remove the roots as well.   On Sunday, we cleaned up any debris still lying around the yard that Maggie could get a hold of once she came home.

Maggie spent 28 hours in the hospital and I wasn’t entirely convinced that we should bring her home Sunday night.  However, when we stopped by the hospital to visit her, she started barking when she heard me talking to the vet.  He was even surprised at how excited she was to see us and that she would eat when we fed her but not for them.  We were given a prescription and instructions of what to do and what to look for in her behavior (good signs and bad), and were told to follow up with our regular vet in a few days.  All of this is good, but it is just the beginning of her recovery.  Enzymes in her blood indicated that her liver was exposed to toxins and one of the enzymes spiked, although the doctor said that doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll have liver damage. 

During all the commotion I had forgotten to clean up the vomit that had been under my bed.  My husband had gotten part of it, but I wanted to make sure nothing was left.  What I found scared me even more.  A large handful of chunks of Sago remained, which made me wonder if Maggie had ingested them earlier than we thought. It’s hard to believe all that could have been in her stomach from Saturday. 

We’re still a bit paranoid that she’ll find some tiny piece on the ground that we missed and have already agreed not to let her out back without a leash until we know for certain she’s not in danger.  But it’s not just our yard we have to be concerned about.  There are Sagos in almost every yard in my neighborhood and although she does not go out front or on walks without a leash, we have to be mindful of which trees near the road and sidewalks.  It appears we (and Maggie) were lucky, but with a 50% chance of survival, other pets might not be, and could possibly be ingesting these trees without their owner’s knowledge of doing so or of the danger. I know Floridians love their Sagos, but if you own a dog (or cat), do yourself and your pet a favor…get rid of the Sagos.  They may be beautiful, but that beauty comes with a price and that price may be the life or your beloved pet. 

Great Expectations...With Only Good Results.

For those of you who have followed my blog, you know that I've been working hard to find my rock hard abs (which are still hidden underneath a half an inch to an inch of flab). I have completed one round of P90X, and a round of Rev Abs, and in January 2011 started a new beachbody.com workout called Turbo Fire (truly the toughest of the three cardiovascularly). 

Turbo Fire is also a 90 day workout routine where you work out 6 days a week.  It also comes with a nutrition guide.  However, In January 2011, I also went back to school full-time while still working full-time and was so exhausted that I had to cut back to 5 days a week which then became 3-5 days a week.  I still maintained my diet plan and caloric intake (around 1700 a day...maybe a little more or less given the day).  I can't say whether or not if I'd continued the 6 day a week workouts if I would have finally lost that last inch, but none the less it's still there. (I'm guessing, I would have a much better chance of losing it by working out 6 days a week.)  Since this time though, I will admit, that as the months have past, I've gotten a little slack on my diet but not to the extent that I've gained back any of what I've lost. 

Still, I'm unhappy with my belly area.  Last Easter (2011), I finally decided to do something a little more drastic (as if P90x or Turbo Fire aren't drastic enough) to achieve my ultimate goal.  The day I made that decision, three of my spring classes ended and I scarfed down little chocolate egg after little chocolate egg while I studied (actually I did that all weekend).  So, the drastic measure I decided on was to eliminate all desserts/sweets from my diet starting the day after Easter.  In addition, I also decided to cut out regular sodas, choosing Coke Zero or Diet Coke instead. 

How did it go, you ask?  Well, I was completely sweet (and regular soda) free for the entire 3 months until my 40th birthday party.  The diet plan went better than expected (I was able to stay off the sweets and soda without much trouble) despite the over abundance of sugary goodness that was thrust in my face day in and day out during that time.  They were easier to resist than I expected.  You don't realize how much you encounter until you cut it out and then you realize why you can't lose weight.  For me, I have to cut it out entirely, otherwise a small piece will lead to other small pieces, which will in turn lead to more pieces and bigger pieces.

My 40th birthday party was a dessert party, hosted by my friends Zina (of Fierce Foodie) and Stacey (the cupcake queen of my department). It was a great party and yes, I ate some sweets, but realized I didn't crave them nor did I feel the need to overindulge.

Well, its a year later and I'm completely off regular sodas (substituting with diet coke or coke zero), however, I still drink them in moderation and no longer buy them for the house.  Studies have shown that artificial sweetener is no better for you than real sugar, especially in excess.  I never thought I'd be a Diet Coke drinker but you'd be surprised how easy it is to ween yourself from anything when you set your mind to it.  I will say this, one co-worker asked me if I'd noticed a difference in my body after the three months and I begrudgingly said no.  My theory as to why that is... I don't eat enough sweets to make a difference if I cut them out completely.  So, I've concluded, why not have the occasional indulgence. Yay!

For the past year, my routine went on like this, cutting out this and that, exercising 3-5 days a week and still no drastic change in the flabby portion of my belly.  However, I'm still a size four and have not gained any weight... nor have I lost it.  And yes, that does frustrate me. So, I added yet another beachbody.com routine to my library of workouts.  This one is also by Tony Horton (P90x) and is called Power Half Hour.This workout was actually created before P90x and combines cardio and strength training in a 30 minute workout 6 days a week.  Not as intense as P90x but still a good workout.  There are 5 different workouts in all...butt, abs, arms, thighs, and stretching.  But I didn't complete this workout as suggested either.  Instead I started combining it with cardio from Turbo Fire.   Hmmm...maybe that is my problem.  I should use as directed.

In May 2012, I once again decided to cut out some "problem foods" which I believe to be bread, rice, pasta, and sweets and did so for a month.  I kept track of my weight and waist size for the month. I hate to say it but, my experiment didn't make much of a difference.  Although I felt less bloated, I didn't really see a difference (on the scale or in my waist).  Once again, I'm frustrated.  However, I truly believe that consistency is the key and from my experience, it appears, you need to be consistent longer than a month.

Well, I turned 41 (or as I like to call it thirty eleven) a little over a month ago (July 16) and as of this morning I weigh 129.4 lbs. and my waist is still 28.5 inches.  And, believe it or not, I haven't worked out in 2 weeks.  Not because I don't want to or don't feel like it but because we just got a new puppy and having her is like having a new born in the house.  She has completely disrupted my workout schedule.  I will begin working out again soon, hopefully.  My plan is to find other avenues of exercising since I am currently unable to do it in my living room at 5 in the morning now.

So what is or will be the key to my "ultimate" success?  I have no idea, but apparently, I'm an expert at maintaining my weight.  And this is what I've learned along the way...you can't out train a bad diet, everything in moderation, and a combination of proper diet and exercise is the best way to lose weight and fat.  Maybe part of my problem is that I'm not being realistic in my expectations.  I want a rock hard body with as little fat as possible.  I want an athletes body.  Is that achievable at my age?  I'm seriously starting to wonder, but at the same time, I keep saying to myself, why can't it be?  I don't care if my metabolism is slowing down, or my body can't take the pounding it used to.  I'm not old and I'm not injured. So, in my mind, there is nothing keeping me from achieving my goal or meeting my expectations, but me.

And, once again, my diet will be changing...but not drastically this time.  I've decided to eat as healthy as possible while eating whatever I want but in extreme moderation, and still somewhat watching my calories.    I've read enough, books, articles, blogs and anything else on diet and exercise to know what is good for me and what isn't.  Hell, most of it is common sense if you think about it.  You know what's bad for you and what is not.  However, the key change this time will be cooking more at home.  Anyone who knows me well, knows I am not a cook.  I'm not horrible at it, I just don't like to cook.  This change I've been considering for awhile now and this is why I've finally decided it was time to suck it up and do it:  1. It's healthier, not just for me but especially my daughter. When I started P90x 2 years ago I cooked more and was not only in the best shape, but felt the best.  In addition,  I control what goes into our mouths and how fattening it is, not the restaurant. Even the healthy foods can be fattening at restaurants (just check out the calories and fat content on Chili's menu, if you don't believe me).  2. Its cheaper, and since we've just made an offer on a new house, we need to save some money.  3. When its all said and done, its easier and less time consuming.  There's no deciding where to go, driving there, and driving home.

In addition, I'm also going to change my exercise routine...again, mainly because I have no other choice (with the new puppy and all), but I also tend to get stagnant, which may also be some of my problem. Change is good in that respect and is the theory that P90x is based on, what does Tony Horton call it?  Muscle confusion.  So, my plan is more weight training and less cardio for awhile.  Although, right now I'd settle for just some exercise (other than walking and climbing over the baby gate to get in and out of my kitchen).

So, once again I have great expectations but hopefully this time, I'll get better results...or should I say, the results I'm working for.

My Vacation/mon vacances/mi vacaciones in the Dominican Republic

I finally used my passport for something other than renewing my driver's license.  Obviously, by the title of my blog you know just how I used it...my family vacation in the Dominican Republic.  Some people have asked why we chose that spot.  Well, it's in the Carribean for one and who doesn't want to vacation there? And two, it was cheaper than going to Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, etc... We also had spoken to some friends who had been there and they really like it, so we chose the DR and more importantly the Iberostar Hacienda Dominicus all-inclusive resort.

For an even better rate, we ditched the usual airlines like Delta and American for the more reasonably priced and not so common jetBlue.  In addition, we flew into Santo Domingo instead of La Romana, even though the latter was much closer to our resort in Bayahibe.  The reason being (once again) was the cost.  While planning this trip, we checked every flight from every city into every city we could think of to get the best rate.  We also wanted the most hassle-free transportation and ended up flying out of Ft. Lauderdale (straight flight) into Santo Domingo. Then onto an exciting 2 hour cab ride to the resort.  But more about that later.  

Yes, we live in Tallahassee and the drive to Ft. Lauderdale sounds long, but it wasn't so bad.  We stopped off in Jupiter (just an hour north ) and had dinner with some friends.  We also made the trip to Jupiter in 5 1/2 hours. Flying out this way actually proved to be easier than flying out of  Tallahassee, Atlanta, Orlando, or Tampa which would have resulted in higher prices and would have added a layover somewhere in middle to south Florida.  

So, we flew out Saturday August 6 (drove down there on the 5th) around noon. Our flight to the DR arrived on time and our trek through customs was pretty painless, even though we didn't speak the language.  Walking out of the airport was a little unnerving, though.  There were gates (those used to line the path of a parade) lining our path out of the building and scores of locals standing behind them on both sides.  It was kind of like walking the red carpet  minus the celebrities which in this case would have been us since we were on display as we made our way to the next form of transportation. Tourists trickled out of the airport, so it wasn't like a hoard of us braved the walk together.  As we made our way out to find a cab. Yes, find.  We did not set up transportation beforehand - David thought we'd have no problems finding a cab and that it would be cheaper than hiring a service. So, as we walked the plank, David turned to me and said, "put our passports away, I don't want them knowing we're tourists".  To which I replied, "I think its obvious just by looking at us."  I was the keeper of the passports by choice, since David tends to lose just about everything he puts his hands on and I certainly didn't want to take that chance.  I also wanted to save him from a severe tongue lashing that would certainly have come if he had lost our passports.

Despite my best effort to blend in with the locals, apparently the "tourist" (or confused) look on our faces, quickly cued a cab company rep to walk directly to us reciting the word "taxi".  Which, of course, being fluent in English, I quickly picked up on.  I yelled at David and pointed to the guy.  We explained where we were headed and the rep and a couple of other cab drivers looked at each other.  The city for the Iberostar where we were staying was La Romana (sort of), but I had also seen the location as Bayahibe.  When I heard one of the men say Bayahibe, I quickly jumped in with "yes".  I may have thrown out "si" as well.   (Ahhh...linguistic success yet again).  We were quoted a price of $100 U.S. and I could see David's hesitation. Since I had researched transportation services, I knew this was a little cheaper and we needed to just go and not try to find another company.  I had also read online that you should chose a cab company that is part of an association, so when I saw that all the drivers were wearing a yellow shirt and black pants, I felt comfortable that we'd be safe despite the rough appearance of the vehicles.  David, of course, was still focused on the price.  He thought (or better yet, I should say read) that you could get a cab for $50.   I reminded him that it was a 2 hour drive. 

The cab was maroon and an 80's something Ford Escort, I think (or that is what it looked like).  A rather dented and dusty vehicle.  David took a seat in the front, Ella and I in the back.  I had been told that van's were safer and I tried to ignore that bit of information as I struggled to fasten my seatbelt, only to find out that it was broken. Well, for whatever reason it would not click into the holder.  At least Ella's worked, as did David's.  Two out of 3 isn't bad...I guess, and so I was comforted in the fact that at least they'd make it home alive if we were to get into an accident.

Our cab driver was actually very nice and could speak some English (I wish I could remember his name, but David lost the guy's business card... Surprise. Surprise.). David would throw out some Spanish words occasionally (a language I never took in school, but living in Florida, well, you do tend to pick up on it), so the conversation was pleasant and we were able to learn a little about the man and the culture and what the big billboards with a black background and the word Orange in large print meant (an advertisement for a local cellular company) and they were every where.  As were billboards for Presidente beer and a man running for President).

Not far from the airport, we stopped for gas.  David decided to use this opportunity to take a bathroom break.  I was a little leery of him doing so, but what can you do when nature calls?  Come to find out, I had no reason to worry, even though the surrounding area looked like a very rough neighborhood in the U.S. When he got back in the car, he told me that it was the cleanest gas station he had ever been in and the bathroom was spotless, had marble floors and a candle burning.  He, of course, used that opportunity to also sample a local beer and had bought a Presidente Light.  I have to admit it was rather tasty.  Kind of like a Bud Light.

I won't get too much into the cab ride, since there isn't much to talk about, except for the fact that they are crazy drivers - pass in no passing zones when semis are headed your way, use a two lane road as a four lane road, and the number of people who use scooters as transportation is probably about half of what live in the country.  People stand all in the street and on the side walks, walk up to the car and try to sell local food, and appear to really like bagged ice. And to top it all off, the air conditioning in the automobiles blow cool air the equivalent of a very strong oscillating fan.  However, it was still better than riding with the windows down, so I digress.

Finally, we made it to the resort, which by now the time was approximately 5:30 (not bad for departing the U.S. around 12:30), and we were on Eastern time so I didn't have to reset my watch. Amazing how the scenery changes as you enter the resort gate. Like going from the desert into a beautiful mirage.  As we drove onto the property, I could feel my body begin to relax (I also felt relieved that the place was as beautiful as the pictures).   

   

I took the pictures above, by the way.  This is what you walked into from the outside world and where you checked in.   After checking in, (which was also painless), the very friendly staff greeted you with a virgin strawberry daiquiri which became my daughter's favorite drink while we were there.  It was delicious and I'm not a daiquiri person (as you may know, I'm not much of a sugar person). 



By the time we finished checking in, it was around 6:15 p.m. and we were getting hungry.  We were told which restaurant to go to for dinner that night, but it didn't open until 6:30.  Which was fine.  That would give us enough time to go to our room, unpack a little, change, and walk over to the restaurant.

Our room was on the third floor and from where this picture was taken, it was on the right side, last archway on the far right. This picture was taken the next morning on our way to breakfast.  My camera lens was a little foggy because we had just walked outside but it's still a good view of the inside of our courtyard in building #1 where we were staying.  The ground below was a checker board of grass and coral tiles. As you can see, the sun hit our door in the morning and our sliding glass door in the afternoon. Each bathroom had four glass blocks for a window (high enough up that passers by couldn't see inside).  When the sun rose in the morning, it would shine through the glass blocks and light up the entire bathroom.  The first morning we were there, I thought we had left the bathroom light on all night.  I do have some pictures of the inside of the room but, they didn't come out as well.  It was nice, nothing overly fancy but extremely clean (which made me very happy). 

However, this was the view off our balcony...

Back to our first night there...

Dinner was served in a restaurant called La Hacienda (I think.  I can picture the sign out front).  This is also where breakfast was served every morning, buffet style.  And a huge buffet it was.  This was the one restaurant you didn't have to make reservations for dinner and we ate there 3 times for dinner (more or less because we had no other choice).  I don't have a picture but there is one on the internet and it does the place justice because it looks exactly like the picture.  The buffet area itself is enormous.

At night the tables are set for dinner and you have your wine glasses and water glasses and several utensils to eat with as well as a cloth napkin. The eating area surrounds the buffet but they are technically two different rooms. The eating area is open, it is also un-airconditioned but it's not as hot in there as you'd think.  It's covered kind of like a fancy porch, so during the day the sun is not beating down on you and there are plenty of ceiling fans.  In addition, there is usually a nice breeze flowing through the dining area. I also think we had an advantage being from Florida and being use to the heat.  At night, however, it would cool off and temperatures would dip down into the 70s, so evenings there were cooler than Florida or at least Tallahassee, which made dining in this restaurant and the steakhouse very pleasant.

You name it, it was on the buffet...meats (beef, pork, fish, chicken), salads, cheeses, veggies, bread (numerous kinds),  and desserts.  Some meats you could special order and others were already cooked for you to take.  The buffet was always well stocked and as for drinks, you could either get it yourself or the wait staff would get it for you.  Beer, wine, and liquor drinks were included in the "all-inclusive" as well as coffee, tea, sodas, juice, etc...  More expensive wines were available for a price but we stuck with the cheap stuff, if and when, we drank wine.  Coke (or should I say Coca-Cola) was available in regular form or what they called Coke Light (I think it was spelled Coke Lite).  No Coke Zero, which is my choice or diet for that matter.  However, I did not want to drink the regular stuff, so I tried the "light", which actually tasted better than Diet Coke and still had no calories. We couldn't quite figure out what the difference was, however, this became my drink of choice during the day and sometimes at night if I didn't feel like a liquor drink.  That and water.

Ahhh, the water.  Yes, we drank the water, bottled and from the tap, which we believe was filtered through the soda dispenser filter, so....  I know, people always say, don't drink the water, but it looked very clean, tasted like bottled water, and didn't have any weird smells.  Which is more than I can say for the water in Ft. Lauderdale.  We stayed at the Hilton near the airport in Ft. Lauderdale the night before our flight and the sink and shower water smelled and tasted chlorinated. I'm talking a strong chlorine smell.  Like the kind you smell when at a indoor pool. So I was more than willing to take my chances with the water in the DR.  I will say this, I did not get sick, but my stomach did feel a little upset a few times...

Since we're on the subject, I'd also like to add that I ate well, but didn't over-indulge, I wasn't all that hungry most of the time.  I did have dessert when I felt like it but didn't over do it.  I did occasionally have pancakes, but didn't over do that either.  There was plenty of food and drinks available, but I didn't binge just because I could nor did I want to (nor did I exercise that week - I was there to relax and dammit that's exactly what I was going to do). Although there was a gym and I brought my workout clothes, I did not use it.  The only exercise I got was from walking and swimming.  I took full advantage of my opportunity to relax.

I don't remember what I ate that night but I enjoyed it.  Afterward, we walked around the resort some but ultimately ended up in the bar near the lobby.  

In the middle of the resort was a wading pool that was the home to 2 swans, many ducks, 1 flamingo and some other type of bird.  There was also at least 1 turtle.  A gazebo was on one end, which is where weddings are held and the reception dinners are held on the beach.  Every morning and every night, Ella would take bread from the buffet and feed the birds...as did several other people.



After dinner our first night, Ella found a statue of a horse and had to get on it.  For those of you who don't know, Ella takes riding lessons and loves horses.  Ella took the picture of David and I on the right, as she did quite a bit during our vacation, but most of those won't be posted here. We are pictured in the bar near lobby which we frequented.  If you look closely at David's beer you will see "sin" on it, which we quickly discovered means nonalcoholic. (Kind of ironic). Needless to say that was the last one he ordered and Presidente was our beer of choice from that night on...when, of course, we weren't ordering the liquor drinks, which David loves much  more than I do. When I say liquor drinks, I'm referring to frufru drinks like daiquiris, margaritas, and the like.  That night, I drank a bloody mary, which I do love, especially when it's a little spicy.  However, my drink of choice is usually beer.  I can't handle my liquor and I'm not afraid to admit it.  So, yes, I'm the beer (light beer) drinker and David is the mixed drink drinker and he will mix just about anything together (some drinks are not so tasty).  He especially enjoys appletinis. Strong ones that he makes himself.  I usually put a disclaimer on the ones he makes for my friends (Drink at your own risk, one will usually knock you on your ass).  He is also the one ordering salads while I'm ordering burgers. 

Most of our days were filled with swimming in the pool and ocean and laying in the sun.  As you will see from the photos of our second night there, our first day was spent getting a little too much sun.  And, with our pasty white skin (despite being residents of Florida) we ended up sporting a bright reddish/pink hue that night.

I do not care for the picture of me below, however, I felt before and after pictures were in order.  Our glowing white skin the morning of our first full day... 

Our glowing red skin that night.  Yes, we did wear sunscreen but didn't reapply as often as we should have. Ella was made to wear one of my tank tops under her bathing suit shirt which was worn over her bikini top...in addition to sunscreen, from that day forward.

 

Yes, Ella and I are drinking daiquiris, however, mine is a bit stronger than hers.  This night we ate at the steakhouse, which we agreed was our least favorite meal.  Although Ella and I ordered the same cut of meat, David ordered a different kind.( I think Ella and I ordered the fillet and David the prime rib). Unfortunately, we couldn't tell the difference between the three.  As for the way they were cooked, well... mine was medium as I had ordered it, and Ella's was medium rare as David had ordered his and David's was medium well as Ella had ordered hers. We could have complained but we're hungry and eh, we were on vacation, so we didn't.  We just swapped meats and never ate there again...at least not for dinner.  That restaurant was also the lunch restaurant (and only place that served lunch) and proved to be better for our middle of the day meals.  

Like I said, most of our days were filled with laying by the pool or the beach and swimming, but we did do other things such as shoot pool (which Ella really liked to do), archery (which Ella won and in fact beat everyone, including the adults in points), sailing, I got a Swedish massage, and shopping (well, more like browsing the local stores - no pictures of that, but I will say the stores were extremely clean).  As in Jamaica, everyone wanted to braid my and Ella's hair and because of that you could tell who walked to the local village (by the braids in their hair) with the exception of Ella and I.  I do not find that look attractive and neither does Ella, so we passed on the new do.     



David and Ella

We awoke early every morning (or should I say, I did, as I usually do), and unfortunately for them, once I got up they didn't stand a chance of peace and quiet, so they would get up as well. I didn't want to waste the day laying around in our room (if I was going to lay around, I might as well get some sun).  So, we'd walk around the resort soon after getting up or just headed straight for breakfast.  Breakfast was always good and mine usually consisted of an omelet with bacon or sausage and of course coffee.  I usually drink decaf, but on my first morning there, they brought me a jar of Sanka or Tasters Choice instant coffee.  I wasn't sure what to do.  I'd never drank instant coffee before and wasn't sure how to fix it.  I quickly figured it out, though, and even though it tasted better than I had anticipated, I ordered regular for the remainder of our stay. 

The resort staff, for the most part, spoke three languages, Spanish, French, and English, in that order, and some spoke English rather well. And, some spoke English about as well as I speak Spanish (which I don't).  However, we managed to communicate with a combination of the three.  I took French for several years and wish I had brushed up on it before the trip, but I was surprised how much I remembered and was able to decipher what people were saying although I don't speak it as well as I seem to translate it. Oddly enough, by the end of our vacation I kept wanting to speak with an accent.



Restaurant where we ate breakfast every morning.


There were a lot of French at the resort and foreigners in general.  The whole time we were there I didn't meet one American.  Ok, I take that back, we met a family from Miami as we were waiting for the cab to take us to the airport on the day we left and David had met some Americans who were actually staying at our resort when he went to the casino (off the resort) our last night there.  The casino was about a five minute walk from our resort.  Needless to say, I was a bit worried about him while he was gone (not knowing the area and all), but he returned safely, and if memory serves, he returned a winner. 

One morning after breakfast and before walking to a local shopping area to peruse the merchandise.

We did meet a family or two from Great Britain, so we could speak to them without difficulty (you know, me being fluent in English and all) and sat next to a nice British family the night we ate at the Japanese restaurant. As in America, it was hibachi style.  The British were on the right, the French were on the left and us Americans in the middle.



Ella and I at the Japanese Restaurant - delicious food but they gave you too much.  The blue hue is from David messing with the settings on my camera.

At night there were shows and bingo and the bar near the lobby had a piano player that also sang. We played bingo maybe twice and attended one show, The Lion King, that they did a good job on, although not a Vegas show but still entertaining.  As I mentioned, we frequented the bar near the lobby (with the piano player) after dinner usually, sometimes before, and on our last night there David wanted a new concoction to drink. Since he couldn't make it himself, he asked the bartender to whip something up.  That something resembled a bushwacker.  For those of you who don't know what a bushwacker is, it is something like a coffee milkshake with rum and a 151 bushwacker, well, has an extra shot of 151 rum.  David explained how to make it the best he could remember and the guy did his best to recreate this drink - allowing us to taste it and tweak it here and there until it turned into a good drink (although not exactly like the bushwacker us northwestern Floridians are used to), but good just the same.  I did have one myself then went back to my usual...

As you can see, I'm still as shiny and red as a red delicious apple...and Ella is still drinking virgin strawberry daiquiris.

We didn't do any excursions on this trip because you had to go so far from the resort and they were pricey and took all day long.  With a child in tow, that can be grueling. I did consider one, however, and really wanted to take Ella to swim with the dolphins and would have if the price had been right. However, the child's price was the same as an adults which was something like $175 per person regardless of whether or not that person actually swam with the dolphins. It was also a 6-8 hour trip.  So we passed on that one too and since we were going to surprise Ella with it, she didn't know we had considered it and therefore wasn't upset when we decided against it.   Besides, we can take her to Gulf World in Panama City and pay for her to swim with the dolphins there and it wouldn't cost as much, nor would we have to pay for an adult ticket or spend 6-8 hours there.

 

We did get to swim with one creature though...

 

Yes, that is a live starfish that we found in the ocean and yes, we threw it back it so it could live another day.  The ocean was beautiful and toward the shore consisted of a lot of coral that could be difficult to walk on but once you got past it, the sand was soft (more so than usual or maybe it just felt that way after walking across the rough coral), and the sand as white as beaches along the gulf coast of Florida. There was a sandbar about 50 yards off shore and yep, Ella and I swam out to it every day despite my fear of sharks (which I didn't let Ella know I had), and needless to say and I kept an eye out, but not a one was spotted.  We did see some interesting things though, like several topless women, which made Ella laugh and the situation was a bit awkward when she'd say loudly that she could see "that ladies boobs", especially when we were in the ocean and a plump woman floated by on a raft bouncing freely in the sun. I just explained that in other countries its common for women to go topless on the beach. Ella accepted that and moved on (thank God), however, she made sure to tell her father when we got back to shore (unbeknownst to her, he was fully aware of the bare-breasted women).  And no, I don't have pictures of that.   

This was my favorite view...

    

The lighthouse was a beach bar and the ocean was several beautiful shades of blue every day.  The blueish hue of the picture, however, was still David's doing from playing around with my camera settings (which I eventually fixed).  By looking at these photos, you wouldn't know that the week before our vacation, Haiti and the DR were pounded by a hurricane, just as they were the week after we left.  

As you can see, coral all over the shore



No, that's not panties sticking out from my bathing suit, that, my friends, is my tan line from another bathing suit. Told you I got burnt.

 
Our fourth night there we dined in the colonial restaurant, which was the fanciest and best food on our trip.  (With one exception, the restaurant we ate at in Jupiter the night we returned to the states - Hog Snappers).  The colonial restaurant only allows children one night a week, so if you go to this resort (and bring the kids) be sure to book a reservation the first day so that you can get in.  For the life of me, I can't remember what I ate there but I remember it was delicious (I'm finishing this blog 6 months after my trip, so what do you expect?). 

There are plenty of glasses on our table and as you can see, I actually drank wine that night.  I'm not a big wine drinker because it goes straight to my head, but I do like a glass once in awhile and beer just didn't seem to fit this occasion.   The following night we ate a mexican restaurant, which was exceptionally good.  Better than I expected and not your typical mexican restaurant.  

The pool area was also very nice and large.  You had to walk through this area to get to the beach. As with most all inclusive resorts, this one sported a swim up bar that Ella kept wanting to swim to and a jacuzzi on an island in the middle of the pool. But, it wasn't like your typical jacuzzi, in that, it held cool water that was colder than the pool water. We didn't get in, however, when you're used to a hot tub and jacuzzi (filled with steaming hot water), it's not an easy adjustment despite the sun and hot weather. 

Toward the end of the trip, Ella got up the courage to join in one of the many activities they hosted pool side.  She had to run across a mat in the pool. She fell on her first attempt and then ran all the way to the end on her second. She didn't win anything tangible but had fun trying. Her favorite pool spot (the bar) is on the left and I believe we swam to it afterward so she could get yet another virgin strawberry daiquiri.

And the activity I participated in...

I didn't need to muster anything (let alone courage) to participate in this grueling activity.  This was one of the three pools the resort had and I think it was suppose to be just for adults (no shallow end), but it was also  surrounded by fewer people and I had no problems finding a lounge chair next to this pool that was also flanked by enormous tree like umbrellas.  After being in the sun as much as we were, shade was a hot commodity.   Even if it was the adult pool...

No one said a word. 

As for the pool side area, the bathrooms were strategically located between the pool and the beach (as was the lunch time restaurant) and regardless of the time of day or how often you used the bathroom, they were spotless...meaning no sand from the beach, no toilet paper on the floors and no water on the floors or sink area.  If only public restrooms in the U.S. could be so clean?  The bathroom below is not the pool side bathroom but it is one of the public restrooms at the resort and a good example of all the bathrooms.

If cleanliness is truly next to godliness, than these people are going to heaven on the back of an angel.  All in all our vacation was exactly what we needed...relaxing.  It was also an interesting experience.  Next time, however, if there is another trip to the DR, I would probably choose a different Iberostar in a more populated area of the island so that we could experience some of the excursions without driving a few hours to the locations and spending the entire day there.  I would also find one that has a better child care facility.  Ella never went to the one at this resort mainly because the hours were not convenient and the place never seemed to be open, especially when we would have liked her to attend.  Unlike a Disney cruise, it was difficult for a couple to have a little bit of alone time.  But, it was a great experience and not only one that I thoroughly enjoyed, but one that I would recommend.