Keeping up the diet!

I enjoyed the light diet of raw & fresh natural foods so much on R & R that I am actively choosing to follow it still now I am back!

Check out my delicious & healthy lunch :-)

Join the next Revive & Rejuvenate retreat!

If you have been inspired by my blog & want to feel as revived & rejuvenated as I felt then I urge you to consider joining the next retreat in October later this year.

For more information on the retreat - prices, dates, etc - please take a look at:

http://www.reviveandrejuvenate.com/

All photos from the May retreat will be up on the site soon! In the meantime you can see some of them as well as information & updates on the R&R Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Revive-and-Rejuvenate/114792475287525

Home time

I am so sad to go. The group has been amazing, the weather glorious, the organisation & execution perfect. Gutted doesn't begin to describe how I feel about this experience ending.

At the end of the week I feel healthier & stronger. On the boat trip I felt more confident in a bikini than I have done in years. I hesitantly posed for pictures in my bikini & expected to not be happy with the results. I was shocked at how happy I was - I even posted one of said pictures as my profile picture on Facebook! Something I never thought I would do.

I would definitely go back & do this retreat again. I have been on 3 holidays so far this year: skiing in Meribel, Las Vegas, & this retreat. The retreat week was my favourite holiday this year!

Thank you Kerry for a wonderful week! Please send me all of the juice recipes!

Day 6

Today is my last day, & this day was definitely by far my favourite. This might be because we were allowed to have some wine in evening for our celebratory end of week evening out in town... but I think mainly it was to do with the awesome boat trip Kerry organised for us.

We start our day earlier than usual with stretching & circuits as normal. After that we head down to the harbour & board our home for the day.

 

We spend the day moored up in a beautiful bay relaxing harder than ever on the cushioned sunbeds on the top deck of the boat. This really is luxury! Inland it had looked like rain was approaching but out on the water the skies are blue, as is the gorgeous sea. Kerry has duly informed the captain of our eating requirements (chicken, salad, vegetables) for lunch, & the captain more than delivers. A fresh feast is provided for us with supplies of cold water (there are spirits floating about in a few of the cupboards but I restrain...). We resume our sunbathing positions on the top deck & sail between bays for the rest of the day. In one bay there is the option to have a mud bath which some of the girls indulge in. The swim to shore to reach the mud bath looks a little bit too chilly for me so I use my photographer excuse again & remain on the boat!

Late afternoon comes & we head back to shore. We have a quick turnaround to make so we crack on with our evening boxing session (again, yesss!). Once this is done we decide to throw ourselves in the pool in our gym underwear (great time for me to be wearing granny pants, #fail).

We dry off & get ready to hit the town for an evening meal to celebrate a fantastic week. Dinner is by no means burgers & chips, we don't venture far from our healthy diet but a few cheeky carbs are consumed... as are a few cheeky glasses of wine... Not everyone followed this route I might add, only a few rebels! After dinner I take an ill-advised shopping trip - wine + cheap 'Mulberry' handbags = credit card taking a battering. It's all worth it though & I end the evening feeling very happy (& slightly tipsy).

Day 5

I can't believe it's already day 5. Today we have another day chilling at the villa. The skies are a bit cloudy as we start our day with stretching & more circuits, so some of the girls decide to take advantage of the the cooler day & wander into town to visit the market which runs every Thursday. I wait it out by the pool instead & my gamble pays off, soon the sun is shining once again & I resume my tanning position (by this time I am looking nice & brown, on top of feeling fitter I am feeling pretty good about myself!). It's worth pointing out that whilst all of this time by the pool might sound like it could get boring, it most certainly doesn't. All of the standard women's magazines are on hand as well as a selection of books. I personally love the fact that the sun loungers are nicely cushioned & the wifi reaches everywhere you can sunbathe - sunbathing with my iPad is great!

Our meal plan for Thursday rotates & we have a solid breakfast followed by juices for lunch & dinner. Nuts, seeds & dried apricots are freely available to graze on whenever you like, & a couple of the other girls & I decide to snack on avocados & tomatoes later in the day. To be honest I am not particularly hungry, it's more out of habit but as it is healthy I don't feel guilty. Kerry & Nora have ensured that there is always enough food in the house, & all of it is fresh, natural & raw. The intention is not to be hungry, but to detox & eat well. So far it's working very well for me!

I have a little treat today - Lauren, our resident masseuse, is treating all of us to a free session of reflexology. For those who are fond of having their feet, er, fondled, there is an option to have a massage instead. I opt for the reflexology despite my rather mangey feet (I live in flip-flops & spend my time walking around London). The session is an hour & based in the covered area of the terrace. I sit on the massage bed & look out at the incredible view once again - this is the life! The reflexology, which I have never had before, is good & I end up so relaxed I fall asleep (& dribble). Lauren tells me afterwards that she could tell that I have chest problems (correct - asthma) & am dehydrated (correct - I am awful at drinking enough water unless it has gin in it). Genius. Most of the other girls have already had their sessions by this point, I was saving mine!

I call home in the evening after a great boxing session (instead of Zumba, I am delighted being a boxing fanatic!) & share stories from the retreat with my family. I think they are impressed with me, it's a nice change from talking to me on the phone whilst I am standing outside a bar...!

Day 4

Today we are off to the beach for a training session. Kerry has pre-planned & thought of everything & provides towels & water for all. We have a juice for breakfast & head off in a minibus to 'Patara' beach which is around a half an hour drive away. The drive allows us to see some beautiful views around the bay.

We do circuits on the beach, utilising the surroundings & making the most of the challenge which sand provides when running. Our workout is shorter but more intense because of this. I am shattered after one light jog on the beach & retire casually to take photos (the perks of being the photographer!). The scenery gives me some great shots, & everyone seems energised by the change of location for our workout. After our workout we have an hour or two to relax & sunbathe on the beach in the lunchtime sun.

By early afternoon people have got sand in all sorts of places & we decide to head back to the villa for another amazing chickpea & avocado salad for lunch, this time served with tuna. An afternoon in the sun follows, some of the girls head off into town again whilst others lounge by the pool. Wednesday evening is our night off from exercise & we curl up on the sofa to watch a film (popcorn is even freshly made as a treat!). My behind was a little sore from sunburn, but I'd had a great day!

Day 3

Breakfast consists of hot water & lemon to wake us up followed by half an avocado with boiled eggs & tomatoes. My cockiness from the day before (oh I'm so fit I won't ache at all after all that exercise!) has worn off entirely - everything hurts. Having rolled out of bed (literally, I can't use my legs) & finished my breakfast I waddle out onto the terrace & join in with the morning stretching to wake the body session.

I'm surprisingly more bendy than the day before, & the stretches sooth my aching muscles as opposed to hurting them more. We move on after that into a circuits session & I am pleasantly surprised to find that we are doing completely different exercises to the day before. The session is still just as hard, but the variety provides a fresh boost.

After our morning exercise is complete we have another blissful day of relaxation at the villa with a short break for lunch where Kerry takes us down to the local beach club. Having done her research Kerry knows that the beach club serves food which is appropriate for our diet & whilst we are not under strict instruction to order a salad, we know what we should be eating & all quite happily order light salads. There is a sense amongst the group of wanting to succeed & follow the plan which has been so carefully laid out for us. In the heat of the midday sun I didn't exactly want to nosh on steaming hot pasta anyway.

After lunch we head back to the villa to digest our lunch & sunbathe. Once the sun starts to go down we prepare for our evening exercise session which, luckily for me (not), is Zumba again. There is no improvement in my performance & I once again look like I'm either blind or slightly mentally impaired as I lankily gallop around the terrace. It's still fun however & everyone has a good laugh learning (or not in my case) the routines.

In the evening I decide not to be lazy like last night & head out into town with some of the girls. The shops are incredible - everyone is so friendly & all of the merchandise (genuine replicas don't you know) is such good quality. We find some amazing bargains & head home very happy (& rather late) to bed.

Day 2

I've woken up sore but feeling pretty good. Sleep last night was ah-may-zing after the session in the Turkish baths. I am woken up by the lovely Kerry Patterson, retreat founder, brandishing a mug of hot water & lemon juice. I could get used to this bedside service. We kick off the day at 8am with a breakfast juice, followed by a session to 'Wake the body': stretching & deep breathing in the shade by the side of the villa. After that comes the hard part: an hour of circuits including tricep dips, dynamic lunges & squats among other things. The heat isn't too much in the earlier hours of the day & we work out in the shade with a light breeze nipping around us. At the end of the workout I am feeling pushed & invigorated.

After our morning exercise is done we spend the rest of the day relaxing by the pool topping up our tans. As we had a juice for breakfast & also because Kerry wants to keep us energised, we are treated to a delicious lunch of grilled chicken skewers accompanied by a chickpea & avocado salad. Every ingredient is fresh & the meal is carefully hand-prepared by Kerry & Nora, our trainer. All of the girls are blown away by the salad, & the introduction of a small amount of white meat into our diet for the week is appreciated & savoured.

In the evening we have another Zumba session, aka another chance for me to show off my complete mal-coordination. It doesn't seem to get any better tonight. I'm hoping I'll get it at some point, in the meantime I wing it & do a faux Irish jig in an attempt to look like I am at least doing something. Still not a good look.

Later on, after we enjoy another freshly made juice for dinner, some of the girls head into town to browse the shops which stay open till midnight or so. I, however, have been eyeing up the sofa & DVD player since day 1 & decide to settle on down to watch the box & have a good blog. Another day done, I end the day feeling relaxed & healthy with a bit of a tan to boot.

Day 1

First thoughts: OMG. WOW. I am in paradise. The location of the villa is idyllic: nestled on a hillside overlooking the sea in a bay on the so called 'Turkish Riviera'. The sea is blue, the sky is bluer, & the stereotypical mediterranean orange rooftops are dotted all over the landscape in land. All in all the view is a very pleasing experience for the eye & a definitely the kind of view you'd want to send a photo of back home (or upload on Facebook, the villa has WiFi!) to say "HAHA LOOK AT HOW AMAZING IT IS WHERE I AM!".

The villa itself is just as incredible. A huge modern marble palace. The views from the upstairs rooms are breath-taking, & the downstairs room benefits from having direct access to the terrace. The infinity pool & jacuzzi really are the icing on the cake when it comes to the view - the blue of the pool contrasts strikingly against the light marble of the terrace, & combined with the sea, sky & rooftops in the background it's like my eyes are having an orgasm.

Anyway - Day 1. Having arrived very late the night before I've been let off the 8am morning yoga session (they couldn't have woken me up with tasers if they'd tried). I slowly rise from the depths of sleep & go out to meet everyone after they have finished yoga & have breakfast. Our breakfast is light but filling: eggs with avocado & tomatoes. We spend a few hours milling around by the pool in awe of the place, have a juice with fruit & nuts for lunch & then at 3pm we take a stab at doing some Zumba. I have never done Zumba before & now I know why, I am completely mal-cordinated. Fortunately Nora, our trainer, is very patient. She goes over the steps for me & doesn't frown at me when I completely mess it up regardless.

With Zumba out of the way we then head off down to the Turkish Baths. I didn't really think about what to expect before we got there, & even when we got there I was still envisaging a light massage with some gentle plinky plonky Turkish music playing in the background. Well, the plinky plonky music was there, but instead of the gentle massage I was expecting, 2 large hairy Turkish men came out wrapped in towels & proceeded to dowse us with water & exfoliate us from head to toe whilst we lay on a large slab of stone in what can only be described as a human oven. They then cover us in soap suds & give us a good old rub down. Strange... yet I was feeling good! A very thorough massage in a separate room followed, with face masks after that. The whole thing left me feeling so relaxed I nodded off in the waiting room afterwards. Definitely, definitely left wanting to go back again; don't think I have ever felt so relaxed!

We were sent home in a taxi in zombie like states to have another delicious juice for dinner (plus several handfuls of the nuts & seeds on offer) & headed to bed very swiftly after that for a long blissful sleep. After day 1 I can honestly say that I cannot remember when I last felt this relaxed!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Revive & Rejuvenate Retreat blog where I will be sharing tales of my experience at the very first retreat ever run by the delightful Kerry Patterson & her team.

To put this experience into perspective, I feel I should tell you a little bit about myself (otherwise you might think it's perfectly normal for me to don sports gear for 6 days & eat only fruit & vegetables).

My name is Jen & I live in London. Whilst I usually eat pretty healthily (chicken & salad, routinely), I also heavily rely on a combination of coffee, wine & gin (not at the same time together, that would be wierd) to get through the weeks. Exercise wise I can't motivate myself at the gym so I don't belong to one, but I do go to proper boxing classes twice a week. I figured I am of intermediate fitness & generally eat pretty healthily so how hard could a 'detox fitness' week be?