day 1 - orientation fun

i never got nervous about starting the DFC...i kept waiting for the jitters and the butterflies to start, and they never did. anytime i start something in a new environment with brand new people, i get overwhelmingly nervous and worried, so i'm really surprised that i never got that way. it was almost a relief to walk through the front door this afternoon and say, "i'm here to register!" i was there pretty early, so i had about a 40 minute wait until the orientation started. there were about 15 other people besides me starting the program today, all various ages and sizes. two guys were returning, and one of them skipped out of the orientation to watch the very very important soccer match that was going on at the same time. we used him as an early lesson about priorities. orientation was the usual "hi my name is...i'm from...i do this for work..." stuff, followed by a loooo-ooooooot of questions from the other participants (usually questions that the lady had just answered but they were too busy talking amongst themselves to hear the answer....), a tour of the place including the indoor heated pool that is EIGHTY-NINE degrees (gross), and finally, dinner.

meals will be very interesting...i still don't completely understand how they work. i know that i get to plan out my own menu except for the first two days. they give you options for each day, and you choose the ones you want. i'm lactose intolerant, though, and i was happy to see that already noted on my menu for tonight. while everyone else ate lasagna and ceasar salad, i had stir fry tofu and veggies (which was actually quite tasty and, i am happy to say, has not made me feel icky like most food i eat does). everything is, of course, carefully measured to the right portion sizes, and it is most definitely not a buffet. anything i don't finish i can take with me in a box to eat at home, and i get two snacks every day in addition to my three meals. i took a good portion of my stir fry home as well as my snack (celery and peanut butter - all i need are some raisins to feel like a total kindergartener). we start tomorrow at 8am and will spend most of the day talking to food and exercise specialists who will help me plan my strategy for the next four weeks.

overall, today was a pretty low-key day that was about what i expected. stay tuned for more exciting stuff!