Written By Louise Hudson
Decades ago when I went to live in the USA for a year I was
faced with two alternatives. Either 12 months of overindulgence, gorging on
gargantuan gourmet grub, lazing around on spectacular beaches and lapping up
the LA nightlife. Or, become super-fit, calorie-focused, a hiker, biker and
jogger, and share every super-sized meal.
Now at 52, mired in menopause and on the verge of
empty-nesting, I am at a similar culinary crossroads as I plan to fill my
calendar with travel.
As in my California days, I tend towards the slim-line option
but with menopausal midriff impending I now need a helping hand when it comes
to healthy holiday habits. I have always avoided fat farms and weightwatcher
set-ups due to never being more than around 10 pounds overweight. And I have
never been the spa type - but where else to find a guilt-free game-plan?
With its high rates of obesity and a fried-fish focus, South
Carolina doesn’t initially sound like the perfect place. Most British travelers
– especially those with golf inclinations - will have heard of Charleston,
Myrtle Beach and also Hilton Head Island, thanks to the
internationally-televised Heritage Classic PGA tournament held there every
April. But those TV glimpses of the sea-to-tee resort life and the temptations
of the 19th hole don’t necessary correlate with diet or fitness aspirations.
However, hidden among Spanish-moss swathed oaks and towering
pines is a health resort which has been changing people’s eating and exercise
habits for the past 35 years. At the forefront of the movement to counteract
obesity, Hilton Head Health (http://www.hhhealth.com)
was used as the location for A & E’s weight-loss docu-drama, Heavy, in 2011 (http://www.aetv.com/heavy/).
Lured by the multi-disciplinary scope of its slimming schedule
– including lots of yoga, Pilates and beach walks for my aging physique - I
decided to give Hilton Head Health a try to set me on the straight and narrow
for my new travel timetable.
The rustic buildings which house the extensive workout
facilities, state-of-the-art teaching kitchen, reception, dining and lecture
rooms are set around a year-round heated swimming pool. Originally a health
institute, it offers a holistic regime of fitness, nutrition, calorie control,
healthy mindset and outdoor appreciation. For the pampering-prone, there are also
spa treatments and massages.
Based in a former plantation, the whole enclave is submerged
in sub-tropical foliage with gigantic trees shading the low-rise buildings.
Bike paths meander quietly through the adjacent residential villas, crossing tributaries
of the Intracoastal Waterway which intersects the Low Country island. Watch out
for sizeable alligators sunning themselves on the river banks! You can continue
biking right onto the seemingly endless beach as the sand is flat and compact
–a great surface for the daily sunrise beach walks. The Atlantic is also surprisingly
warm for all-year swimming with bottlenose dolphins to keep you company.
Staying at Hilton Head Health for a week of workouts and
low-calorie gourmet food – with no cocktails - isn’t as punitive as it sounds. It’s
a health-infused holiday with plenty of off-campus trips available such as golf
clinics, cardio tennis, zip-lining, kayaking and other water sports.
Always an exercise junkie, I loved the diversity of the day-long
fitness schedule. There’s nothing more tedious than pounding away at the same
old machines or weight routines week after week. Here I was able to come away
with lots of new ideas to spice up my gym regimen as well as try different concepts
for pool, aerobics and dance. My favourite cardio class was “treading” which,
led by a tough taskmaster, added team spirit and interval training to the
treadmill and elliptical. 
Although I was doing three or four times as much exercise as
I would normally do in a day, I didn’t get too hungry due to the pacing of
calorie intake. The three main meals were interspersed by three “Metabo Meals”
– each 100 calorie apiece and enough to keep me going to the next trough time. Check
out this link for sample menus: http://www.hhhealth.com/healthy-weight-loss-menu. Aimed at 1200-1500 calories per day, these recipes
provide the quality rather than quantity that we need as we lose muscle and
metabolism through the aging process.
Having been traumatized by group home ec classes as a
schoolgirl, I don’t usually allow voyeurs when I’m in the kitchen. But, inspired
by the inventive low-cal recipes, I went out of my cooking comfort zone to try
one of the series of healthy cookery courses available. Although my turkey
burgers stuffed with cream cheese and jalapenos stuck to the grill, they must
have tasted okay as someone swiped the whole plate full before I could get a
look in. Coming away with a dozen low-fat barbecue recipes, I now feel well equipped
for this summer’s outdoor eating without the usual calorie overload.
One of the things that struck me at Hilton Head Health was
the friendliness of the inmates. As soon as I arrived I was greeted and
welcomed into the fold by regulars and repeaters who come back annually for
refreshers. With everyone together for a common purpose, there seemed none of
the usual barriers to conversation or connection. Some were there for the long-haul
– three months or more to shed up to 80 pounds.
Although mine was a brief stay with more moderate goals, I
feel confident now to face my travels with a body-conscious attitude to help me
navigate through foreign supermarkets and vacation menus. And whenever I waver
I can check www.h3daily.com for inspiration.
Hilton Head Island Travel Tips:
Hilton Head Health for weight-loss programs and cookery
courses - http://www.hhhealth.com
Hilton Head Island info - http://www.hiltonheadisland.org
Coligny Plaza for beachy bargains – especially if you’ve
dropped a clothes size http://www.colignyplaza.com
Arts and antiquities at Old Town Bluffton http://oldtownbluffton.com - not to
mention the cheeses and wines at Vineyard 55
African-American and Gullah culture, golf, beaches and
armadillos at Daufuskie Island http://www.daufuskieisland.com
Plantation history at Rose Hill Mansion - http://www.rosehillmansion.com/RoseHillMansion.html
Harbour Town Golf Links - http://www.hiltonheadisland.org/golf/golf-courses/harbour-town-golf-links/
Best beach bar – Coco’s on the Beach http://cocosonthebeach.com
Seafood – Alexander’s http://www.alexandersrestaurant.com
Locals’ hangout – Roastfish and Cornbread
Posh and traditional – CQ’s http://www.cqsrestaurant.com
