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Show a Food at Hambletonian Spa is tasty— but it comes in smaller quantities than most guests are used to. of sweetener (must they count that!)—a total of 211 calories. Then came the momentof truth. We dropped our brunch coats (we wore nothing under them because we were always taking them off and on) and in merciful privacy were weighed and meticulously meas- ured. Each one of us then followed the schedule carefully outlined on the folder that had been on our breakfast tray along with the New York Times. First we had had a medical checkup for our protection and the spa’s. At 10:15 some of us arrived poolside for 30 minutes of exercise. I am glad I was in good shape for this, but many others groaned and moaned. The exercise period was followed by a rest upside down on the tilt board. This is supposed to be good for the circulation. All I can tell you is that you should rise from it slowly and sit a few sec- onds, or you may fall or swoon. A half-hour of swimming was followed, in my case, by a visit to the beauty salon, which was followed by the sun lamp if you wanted it. But why bother when you could lie on the terrace in the sun and compare notes with yourinstitution mates while looking forward to one-o’clock lunch? At 11 a rather scant cup of bouillon was served and kept you from thinking too much about lunch, My schedule called for a twoo'clock outdoor walk. Nobody made you do it, and mostly you didn’t. At 2:30 came the sauna. If you have never had one, you don’t know what a delight is in store for you. I fell into that daily sauna with great relief and enjoyed to the utMost the whirlpool bath which always followed with little Marie scrubbing my back with a rough vegetable-fiber bath mitt. Then came facial, a production in itself; some days with cream made from fresh strawberries, on other days of fresh cucumbers or lemons. One of the nicest things I learned was to put camomile flowers (available _in_drugstores_or herb ° shops) in a vaporizer, place a towel over my head, and steam my face in the pungent perfume. At the spa only the finest meats, poultry, and fish are used, but unfortunately not enough of them. However, I can guarantee that you do get used to the small portions. I never thought I would be overwhelmed with gratitude at the sight of two whole graham crackers with myevening tea or at the sight of a fresh plum (25 calories) as an evening snack. And those afternoon pickups, so-called strawberry frappé or a tomato vitalizer (40 calories), were all nectar even though some of them were made with skim milk and artificial sweetener. I spoke earlier of re-education; this was it. Wewere discouraged from sneaking down in the early morning to weigh ourselves. Body weight fluctuates from day to day. It is wiser to weigh once a week, always at the same time, always in the same clothing or lack of it. If you have stayed on your diet, the result will be encouraging. What do you do with your evenings at a spa? Well, one-night we had flower arranging. Another evening a nice woman camewith dried flowers and showed us how to make framed arrangements of them. One night we all went to the movies in taxis provided by the spa. Butthe nicest was the night most of us had our first taste of yoga. An earnest young mantalked to us about the principles of yoga. He said, for example, that we should think of our hearts and how marvelous they are: He says that most people don’t think about their hearts at all unless something goes wrong. Wealso should contemplate our bodies and the wonderful way « they function without any direction from us. This was a new thought to me, I must say. Some of us were eager to learn yoga exercises. I particularly want- ed to stand on my: head. This was about halfway through the week, and I had limbered upconsiderably. The instructor explained that head- Being cared for by an attentive staff does wonders for a “tired ego,” too. standing is a misnomer. Actually your head rests on a triangle made by your supporting arms. He helped me achieve this position and was kind enough to stand by so I wouldn't topple. By Saturday morning, graduation day, we had achieved remarkable results. I had lost five pounds, with only one other woman doing me better (one more pound). I had the second-best record in loss of inches over-all—10% inches here and there. Most important, I went from a size 16 down to a 14, and my current wardrobe had to be altered immediately upon my return home. 1 suppose the loss of five pounds doesn’t seem much to some people, but to me it was a miracle. Like the others, I learned that although I really exercised a lot in my active life, I wasn’t exercising often enough or consistently enough. I have been exercising 15 minutes every morning, and I have lost another 1% pounds on my own. I found, too, that I have a newly educated appetite. I stop eating the minute I have a feeling of satiety, if not a little bit before. And because | am encouraged and know that I am not on a lifetime sen" tence, I-don’t find it difficult to pass up the hors d’oeuvres at cocktail parties or the rich sauces and desserts at dinners. I won't be troubled by fad diets because they really don’t work. I have learned what Dr. Jean Meyer of Harvard is always preaching: the proper intake of calories for one’s height, frame, age, and condition, plus a sufficient amount of active exercise, are essential for well-being and proper weight. You don’t have to go to a luxurious and expensive spa to learn that. You do have to stop fooling. yourself, however, about what you eat and how much you exercise. Family Weekly, April 9, 1967 5 |