Since I spent the entire morning looking for cheap flights and making travel plans I feel like I should share where I am going and my plans for the rest of the year. I know you all think I’m moving to Oregon soon…. but I’m doing something completely different and even more exciting.
First, a little back story. As you know I went to BlogHer this year to meet some of the amazing women from the weight loss/healthy living/fitness blogosphere and twitter world. I didn’t mention one woman I met in my BlogHer post because I didn’t have a photo of her. That woman was Marsha Hudnall, the director/owner of Vermont’s Green Mountain at Fox Run, a healthy weight retreat for women tired of dieting. I met Marsha briefly while in Chicago. We had been chatting on Twitter for a while already so meeting her and having a quick chance to chat face to face was one of the highlights of BlogHer.
A few days after I came home I received an e-mail from Marsha with an offer to come to Green Mountain as a “staff participant.” I accepted this offer and am soon headed to Vermont for three months to work and play. As a staff participant I will participate in the program fully for one week and then work part time and participate part time for the remainder of the three months. I see a lot of fitness activities in my future.
If you’ve never heard of Green Mountain at Fox Run, you aren’t alone. I only heard of it a few months ago when Marsha left a comment on my blog. They have a website, and a blog, from which comes this description:
Imagine a fitness and healthy weight loss retreat for women only…that teaches normal eating, like you did before you started to worry about your weight…eating what you want…feeling great…liking yourself for who you are.
More than just another weight loss camp, Green Mountain at Fox Run is the country’s foremost women-only healthy weight loss program.
We offer a practical, livable healthy lifestyle approach with which, for the past three decades, women have discovered how to lose weight and keep it off.
But
losing weight is only part of what goes on at Green Mountain. More importantly, women discover that success means much more than a number on the scale.
Well that sounds good. The only problem I see with it is the idea that I once ate “normal” or had a time before I started worrying about weight. Um, no. I’ve never eaten normally. I ate like a hungry teenage boy, then a secret eater, then a compulsive eater, then a binger, and always as an emotional eater. Now I eat closer to normal than ever but I still manage to slip back into one of these past categories enough times to keep my weight stalled in the 230s. If there is anything I hope to learn while I am there I hope to learn how to keep weight off and keep my mind in control of my eating.
Unlike the other weight loss camps/retreats that I’ve seen around Green Mountain seems to address the underlying issues with weight loss like behavioral and emotional triggers – my biggest problem with consistent healthy living. Finally working through these with professional help will lead me to establish a permanent healthy eating pattern free from the old habits I just can’t seem to break free from.
Here is another things I’m excited about:
Nestled in Vermont’s beautiful Green Mountains, Green Mountain at Fox Run sits among 26 peaceful wooded acres overlooking Okemo Mountain.
I love Vermont! Really, I do. I lived about an hour away in New Hampshire when I was younger and it was one of the best times of my life. My brothers and I often talk about living there and wish we had never moved. I can’t wait to live in the area again temporarily. I love the mountains! Expect lots of pretty pictures to come.
Overall I couldn’t be more excited about living in a beautiful place completing a program that addresses all aspects of a healthy life: physical, nutritional and emotional. It sounds like a great place and I can’t wait to both participate and spread the message. I will be blogging my whole journey while I am there, under the category “Green Mountain.” You can follow my progress while I am there and hopefully watch me finally lay down some of the things (both physical and emotional) I’ve been carrying around. I’m very excited to be going and very excited to share my journey with all of you. Now I must go back to searching for cheap flights to the northeast.
How exciting! Green Mountain sounds like an awesome place. Alone the setting sounds wonderful… I look forward to following your adventures at Green Mountain via your blog! :)
WHAT!?!
How awesome is that! Mary, you are so deserving of this opportunity. Have fun, get paid, get fit….and post pictures!
This sounds like an awesome opportunity Mary! I look forward to hearing about this new adventure!
Wow Mary that sounds great! I can imagine you’re looking forward to that and I look forward to following your adventures there.
I would love to go to something like this for a week but I’ve looked at the rates and it’s rather expensive. I might look around if we’ve got something like this in Holland but I don’t think so.
Have fun, fun and fun over there!
@Fran
I totally understand about the rates. To be honest if I wasn’t going to be working there I wouldn’t be able to go either! I don’t make a lot of money! I don’t know of anything like it in Holland or Europe. It’s definitely a more popular and necessary idea here in the states.
You are very deserving! How friggin exciting is this!!! I can’t wait to hear all about it & your adventures. Will you take pics! The east is so beautiful & fall, OMG. I grew up on the east coast. Yahoo for you!
Hi, I’m new to your site and it looks like I”m following at the right time. I’m so excited to hear about your journey at Green Mountain. I’ve always wanted to do a weight loss camp but unsure what to expect. Can’t wait to hear more.
That’s fantastic!!! I’m so excited for you. I love the Green Mountain blog. I can’t WAIT to hear all about it.
Well, that sounds like a fantastic adventure and quite the opportunity as well. I know you’ll miss living in America’s Most Obese City, but this could really be a life-changing experience. Good luck… and keep us posted on how it goes.
@Jack
We should do that tweet up before I leave. It’s going to happen.
And I will be back to ObesityLand in Dec. :)
WOW!! Mary, this sounds like an awesome fabulous and perfectly timed adventure!! I am a bit jealous and plan on living vicariously thru your blog post and tweets!! YAY!! Have so much fun and learn lots and teach us what you learn!!
<3 Jen
Mary, I am over the moon thrilled for you!! And a little bit jealous as well, LoL. I hope you have a wonderful adventure while at Green Mountain! A couple of months ago, I was actually looking into going there in hopes of losing weight, but when I realized how expensive it was, I decide to do my own fitness camp, LoL.
Enjoy your time there and please be sure to let us know all about it! Best of luck to you! :)
Soooooooooooo excited for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love Vermont and spend as many weekends as I can up there. Vermont air is good for the soul. I can’t wait to hear about your stay at the Green Mountain at Fox Run. I wish it were closer to my camp up there; I’d love to be able to get to meet in the flesh.
SO SO EXCITING. I really admire Marsha as a professional and a friend. cant wait to hear all about your experience Mary!
Cool! I used to live in vt when I was young too and loved it. It’s a friendly place and very pretty! I hope you enjoy your program! And youll be just in time to see the awesome fall foliage!
that’s brilliant mary! i’m so excited for you and can’t wait to read about your experience there! good luck and have loads of fun!
How awesome and exciting!! And, what a great experience for you fitness-wise, and just to simply learn more. I am jealous… can’t wait to read about your adventures.
:)
Karen
That sounds like fun! I hope you really enjoy it and get some gret benefits for it. When you move to Oregon, which part will you be living in? If your in the metro area we should meet up!
That is very exciting! I’ve been following Marsha on twitter for a while and read her blog. I’m sure you’ll learn a lot and have fun.
That sounds truly amazing, I can’t wait to hear all about it. I’m so jealous, sounds like a great opportunity!
Very exciting! Sounds like a great way to get healthier! :)
Vermont is possibly the most beautiful place I’ve ever visited. I hope you enjoy your stay, at least until the weather turns!!
This is FANTASTIC. I’m jealous!
omigosh Mary, how AWESOME! I wish I could come with you! (do you think they would notice a screeching newborn?!)
what a great opportunity, I can’t wait to hear all about it!
Wow that is awesome! I’m so excited for you I’ve heard such good things about that place. That’s so cool you got offered the opportunity!
This is really great!! I admire Marsha and the approach of Green Mountain! Yes, it’s important to address the underlying issues with weight loss, and when I work with clients I always look at these behavioral and emotional triggers as it’s key to achieve long-term weight loss.
It’s not just about what you eat — it’s about HOW you eat and WHY you eat.
Looking forward to hearing how it goes! I’m really happy for you!!
That is awesome! How exciting for you to be able to do something that will open your doors and allow you to grow…but also give something back to other people.
I am from Oregon…I miss that place. If you have any questions..let me know!
~Michelle
Mary – congrats!!!! Good luck on your adventure and be safe. I can’t wait to hear all about it!
Tina
Aug 31 — Just saw my comment below was never posted. So posting it a little late!
Aug 20 — We’re excited you’re joining us, Mary! We’ll do our best to help you meet your goals. You are coming at what I consider to be our most beautiful time of the year — the fall colors are fabulous.
To our dismay, we are too expensive for a lot of folks. But that’s just a reflection of what our program encompasses. Along with room and board, participants take part in an in-depth program led by registered dietitians, exercise physiologists and psychologists that goes from 8:30 to 5, 5 days a week, with evening classes, too, and a half a day on Saturday. So it’s quite intensive, and if you consider what it is, it’s easier to see why it costs so much.
What a great opportunity for you. I spent a week at Green Mountain and loved every minute I was there. It is quite intense but, again, you only get out of it what you put into it. I just can’t say enough about Green Mountain!
What an amazing opportunity! And I can’t wait to see all the gorgeous photos of that part of the country. So beautiful!