The most important thing I wish I had known before I came to Renaissance was that I needed to manage my own expectations. Being completely honest, my plan was to come here for 3 weeks, shed 1.5 stone, go back home and carry on with my life. The problem was however, that my goal was completely unachievable in a safe manner – sure, if I ate liquidated fruit and vegetables with some vitamin supplements I could have lost 1lb per day, but Renaissance isn’t about weight loss, it’s about health – physical and mental.
This I was not prepared for. In actual fact, I would recommend not setting yourself any short term target for your stay here – you don’t know how your body is going to behave and you risk disappointing yourself at the first hurdle. You should be focussing on your long term goal, but of course, if like me, you don’t have one – that is tricky. I do now. That’s not to say that the final weigh in wont be stressful, it will, because like all fat people, I just want to lose weight.
 Before you come here, you also need to get your head round the fact (and it is a fact) that bodies are erratic and sometimes do not behave in a manner that is immediately logical (there are of course reasons for everything, but you and I are not best qualified to know what they are, and so, sometimes the body just seems to be behaving very strangely). For instance, it is not as simple as calories in less calories burnt = weight loss. I absolutely flogged myself here with an exercise regime that was enough to make you wilt, but to date, I have only lost 3lbs per week. 3lbs a week at home and I would be jumping through hoops, but here, in the context of the amount of exercise that I have been doing, I expected more.
Hormones apparently play a part; your state of mind does too, as does the level of exercise. Apparently more is not always better. Another fact is that men find it easier to shift excess fat than women do – again something to do with hormones. Another fact is that if you are very overweight, your initial weight loss will be faster than it will be when you are nearing your goal (within 3 stone for instance). So, don’t compare your weight loss with the other residents here – by definition, you will only do so when they have lost more than you have, and to do so is pointless because you will not be comparing two constants. The comparison is meaningless.
What you can expect from Renaissance is unlimited support and information. What Fi and Paul don’t know about nutrition and fitness probably isn’t worth knowing, but they will find out for you anyway! Paul is an excellent trainer – I don’t know what he is like with other people since I have never witnessed him training anyone else, but for me he offers the right balance of encouragement, motivation, chastisement, reasoning and patience. He doesn’t give in to whimpers and moans, but equally, he knows when your body can’t or shouldn’t do any more. Fi’s nutritional knowledge is amazing – they are both doing the same eating plan (food combining) and they are both an excellent advert for it. They are also excellent cooks – the food is delicious.
You will be living in Fi and Paul’s home, so don’t expect a hotel. Their home is beautiful, and has a fully equipped gym, studio, indoor and outdoor pool, two cats and parents next door. There is a book exchange and a DVD library – you have TV’s and DVD players in your room but no TV channels in your room. Paul has a good CD collection for the gym, but I would also recommend that you bring your Ipod and your travel speaker if you enjoy listening to music in your room. You won’t need many clothes – just bring plenty of sports clothing and some jogging bottoms and sweatshirts.
You will go out for dinner occasionally, so just bring one or two outfits of a smart-casual nature. Also, bring something that fits you snugly so that you can gauge your inch loss. You will have your laundry done with everyone else’s – don’t be precious about it! Your room is cleaned daily, and you will have an ensuite shower or bathroom.
If you drink coffee or tea, wine or eat a lot of sugar (obvious or hidden), try to give it up a week before you come, or if you are unable to, bring some pain killers – you will get withdrawal headaches. Also, step up your water intake to 2-3 litres per day for the week prior to your arrival. Don’t arrive here dehydrated because it will skew your body fat % readings downwards – which will only lead to trauma in week two when you are finally re-hydrated.
The days are governed by routine – you will exercise pretty much before and after every meal. The day will start at about 7 am when Paul will wake you up with a hot water with lemon, and then you will either go jogging or walking depending on your capability. Then breakfast, then an hour of circuits in the gym. You are also likely to see some form of therapist in the morning, whether that is a Physio, Reflexologist, or Motivational Coach. After lunch you are likely to have an Aerobics or Pilates session, followed by an Aquaerobics session.
The afternoon sessions will be joint with the other residents where possible. You will have to get used to the idea that if there is more than one resident here at a time, you will not come first all of the time. But rest assured, Fi and Paul know what they are doing and ultimately, if you want to do more, just ask and they will tell you whether it is wise, and if it is, they will come up with a solution with you.
My overarching feeling about Renaissance is a good one, albeit I am homesick and ready to go home. I am coming round to believing that this might actually be life-changing for me, not just weight-changing. You must come here with an open mind though – don’t come here thinking you know it all – you don’t, if you did, you wouldn’t be fat. So, book it, make the commitment and sort your life out!
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