Our New Accommodations!!

We are so excited because we have found the perfect home for our guests. If you have been to Desert Cliffs before, you have enjoyed a beautiful home like setting to relax in every night, and now we have stepped it up a little and now there is just even more reason to come to Desert Cliffs.

There are 6 gigantic bedrooms in this home and 7 bathrooms. Each bedroom has a walk-in closet, and a bathroom.

This is the master bath, pure luxury!

This is the master suite, it is 1000 sq ft of heaven

Each room has a tv in it, but this space in the kitchen is a fun gathering with a big screen to watch movies at night, (if you're not dead from a FULL days workout!:))

Very cozy dining area

Our kitchen is a cooks dream, this is where the magic begins with a controlled calorie meal plan, you will not feel deprived, but will be able to learn tricks and get ideas from watching our cooking staff in action. Of course we will give you an opportunity to work in this kitchen also as you spend time with our cook and make your own lunch.

This has been a crazy first year for us, but we have found that it is what we absolutely love and we want to share with you what has brought us pure joy. This is the best program, and it works. We see week after week the great results each of our guests have had while being here, and not only that, but we have gained friends and have continued to see them climb their way to better health. We can't wait to show you our new place!

Leanne Kemp

Why choose Desert Cliffs Fitness Resort.....

I apologize for the delay in updates on our blog. We have had continue success at Desert Cliffs, and everyone of our guests are in awe with what we have here in St. George, so I thought I'd address those that really want to know why to choose Desert Cliffs.

1. HIKING. We have the most incredible and challenging hikes around. There are so many different level of hikes, if you think you can not be challenged, you will understand after you hike here that we know how to challenge you by taking you into nature. Nature is the most incredible gym in the world!!
2. PASSION. THIS IS OUR PASSION! As you research different spas around, a good indication that you will love your weeks stay is the passion of the owners and staff. Our hiking director Cindy Stephenson has had a passion for the mountains for years, and she will go on the same hike over and over again and continue to express her admiration and love for our mountains. We have a staff of guides that hike because of their love for the mountains. Melanie will give you a workout like you would not believe, but you will not realize it because she has talked the whole time about the beauty of these mountains. Nick will know everything about the mountains, and you will be informed about everything you want to know about the St. George area. Then of course you will get the owners to hike with you because we LOVE it!!
3. FOOD. We found a chef and a staff in the kitchen that love what they do. Kim will make sure you get the exact number of calories (not one over) to help you with you weight loss goals, and will make sure it's fresh and full of vegetables. Lynette will serve you with a desire to make sure to the best of her ability that you are happy. Kris is kind, considerate, and good at what she does.
4. EDUCATION. We have found a nutritionist, Melanie Taylor that is very well qualified to teach you about the demands of living a healthy lifestyle, but she is a realist, and will motivate you to make you feel like you can do this at home. Kim Galvin has a passion for healthy food, and after having her twin boys less than a year ago, because of her healthy diet, you would never know she has now four little ones herself. She will sit with you in the kitchen and help you cook a meal yourself so you can go home and be confident in yourself.
5. WORKOUTS. This I can take credit for. I have a passion for hard physical work.:) There is nothing better than a good workout. I have designed classes with the best teachers, I know what makes a good workout and have been able to pick the best classes to make your week show results, and will give you the best feeling after the workout. I love to add little things like a morning run/walk up to the tower to be able to watch the sunrise, and enjoy our city after a GREAT workout. You can bet that because we are a small group, it is not easy to get out of a workout, but you will be grateful in the end. I have added classes that are at our gym so you get a GREAT variety. I love to sweat.
6. OWNERS. Let me tell you a little about my husband John Kemp-the owner. He is kind and cares so much about each guest. You will get to talk to him when you call, and he will be very honest and upfront with you, and he will join you on some hikes as well when you get here. He started this because he believes in it, and knows it works. He himself has made small life changes that will greatly impact his health. (yeh!:))
James Keilman, co-owner, and one of John's best friends has a passion for health and physical fitness. The two have been best friends for a long time. I remember when I first met James, I hoped some of his passion for exercising and eating healthy would rub off on my husband, well it has, and when my husband decided to open this spa, he knew that James was the perfect fit. When we approached James over a year ago, he was so excited, for this has been a life dream of his. In fact when we started, he decided (after already living a healthy life) he was going to cut the sugar out of his diet altogether. He has stuck with no sugar ever since-talk about PASSION. You will see that passion when he teaches, he studies daily, and continues to live a healthy lifestyle himself.

Most guests find all this out when they come for the first time, but I thought it would be helpful for you to understand why we are passionate to give you the best week, or weeks ever. I hope this is helpful, there are many spas out there, and there have been many who see the idea and try to implement it, but do they have the PASSION? Whenever I want to learn something I find someone who is passionate about what I want to learn-Passion is what motivates others, so come to Desert Cliffs and let us MOTIVATE you!
-Leanne Kemp

Check these out!!!

Nick is a guide here at Desert Cliffs and we are so lucky to have him. He has his own websites with BEAUTIFUL pictures of hikes that we visit with our guests, so click HERE and check out his AMAZING photography!!!

Our hikes

Sand Mountain, Red Cliffs Extreme, Pecan Trail, Red Mountain Trail, Saddle, Babylon, Stairway to Heaven,Hell's Canyon, Elephant Arch, White Cliffs, Slots, Volcano, Gila, Paradise Rim, Petrified dunes, Anasazi Ridge, Owen's Loop, Moss Canyon, Hidden Canyon, Three Ponds Overlook, Taylors Creek, Angel's Landing, Observation Point, Valley of Fire(not in Arizona), Third Ravine Extended, Mystery Canyon, Island in the Sky.....just to name a few.:)

We love to hike, and we know that it contributes to getting fitter and shedding a few pounds because of the success we have had each week. We love our guests, and we love that we get to know them so well on a personal level, and then we are able to push them beyond what they ever thought possible.

The hikes are endless here in St. George, and we are so excited to hike all the way through the hot summer days in cooler areas right next door to us.

"Meet Amanda" by Cindy Stephenson

Click here to read about our trooper Amanda who is here for two more weeks of her four week stay.

Hell's Hole/Romance Canyon

This hike actually named Hellhole, and here's the proof. This is Melanie looking exhausted, but to be honest, I don't think I've ever seen her exhausted.:)

This Canyon is one of the largest, most narrow and secluded canyons near St. George. In some places, the canyon walls are only about 20 feet wide and 700 feet high.

This is why we added the name Romance Canyon, it was so beautiful and the colors were fantastic.

This is Dave and Anna (Cindy's daughter and soon to be son-in-law). In just a few short weeks the trees in this canyon will be full bloom and gorgeous!

This is where we decided to end the hike. We were following John up this canyon as far as we could go, and because of the extra water it was a little more difficult. Cindy decided to question if John could jump back after he had jumped to this rock.


He did it, and made it to the other side, but we decided that was something we did not want to do:) We'll wait until the water goes down, (soon). We still have not figured out why they named this hike Hellhole.

Climb your way to a healthier life!!

A couple days ago our hiking staff went to discover a new hike we had heard about and wanted to try. There are so many reasons that we have chosen to do more hiking here at Desert Cliffs..... but one of them is because there are so many places to see, and so many different rock formations and different desert landscape, we want to share with everyone the amazing diversity from one hike to another.

So we pull up to this hike and we have to walk about a 1/2 mile on Pecan Lane (delicious pecans all along the way:)). The start of the hike is into a canyon that is so different than the red rock canyons we are used to, so it was a fun change.
This is a spectacular hike that takes a very deep and torturous canyon with towering Limestone cliffs. The canyon ends at this high majestic waterfall cliff. There was a small waterfall coming off of the top of the cliff and in the winter there are gigantic icicles. We knew that we would be able to see Zion National Park at the top, so we decided to head up this quite strenuous mountain all the way to the VERY top.:) (We are ambitious)
We climbed, and we climbed and we climbed some more. It was really challenging because of the loose rock, and we had to do it very slowly, it was a little out of my comfort zone, but we made it, and yes you can see Zion National Park from the top.

Eating the Nutrient Dense Way

'If you want to live longer, reduce your need for medications, lose weight faster than you ever thought possible, and dramatically improve your health, Eat For Health is the answer.

The more nutrient dense food you consume, the faster your health will improve. Fat will melt away, the need for medication will lessen, and you'll reverse the disease process!' Dr. Joel Fuhrman talks about this in his book, "Eat for Health"

I love this, because I believe that by making baby steps each day and changing your eating habits slowly, you will become the person you have always wanted to be, healthy, vibrant, and be one who doesn't have to count calories every single Day for the rest of your life! By eating foods that are Nutrient dense, and not caloric dense you will be able to reverse the effects that have stopped many from living the life we deserve!

These are the things that we can all be promised and guaranteed by eating a Nutrient Dense diet:
1. You will lose your food addictions and actually prefer healthy foods over low–nutrient food.
2. You will remove dangerous hunger and you will succeed at losing weight and keeping it off forever.
3. You will beat disease, reverse diabetes, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol without drugs and protect yourself against cancer.
4. You will get more pleasure out of eating.

Are these not enough reasons to start Eating the Nutrient Dense Way? Keep checking back for recipes that I will share in the next following posts.

Lifeskills

Lifeskills (Taking Control of your Health)

I added the sentences in the parentheses to apply to your health and weight loss goals.

INTEGRITY: To act according to what's right and wrong. (Should you eat a carrot or a donut? You know which one is right)

INITIATIVE: To do something because it needs to be done. (You need to workout every DAY)

FLEXIBILITY: The ability to alter plans when necessary. (If you didn't get your workout in, run your stairs at home, get your (at home) weights out. If you have to pick up something to eat quick at fast food- choose a salad)

PERSEVERANCE: To continue in spite of difficulties. (If you ate really bad over the weekend, start fresh the next day. Push yourself through new and difficult workouts.)

ORGANIZATION: To plan, arrange and implement in an orderly way. (Plan your week out- what your going to eat, and what your going to do physically)

SENSE OF HUMOR: To laugh and be playful without hurting others. (Join a workout group, and have fun)

EFFORT: To try your hardest. (Eat as well as you know, workout as hard as you can)

COMMON SENSE: To think it through before doing. (Have a plan, write it down)

PROBLEM SOLVING: To seek solutions in difficult situation. (Figuring out what to do when you hit a plateau, instead of quitting)

RESPONSIBILITY: To be accountable for your actions. (Own up to your excess calories)

PATIENCE: To wait calmly for someone or something. (Be patient, becoming your healthiest self does not happen over night)

FRIENDSHIP: To make and keep a friend through mutual trust and caring. (Make friends with those in the same exercise class with you or at the gym, you'll be surprised to find you will be going through some of the same obstacles)

CURIOSITY: a desire to learn or know about a full range of things. (Find out what those around you are eating, or doing for exercise, read books about health and nutrition)

COOPERATION: To work together, toward a common goal or purpose. (Find someone with the same weight loss goal, or nutrition goal, and work on that goal together)

CARING: To feel concern for others and yourself. (To really want to help others with their fitness and weightloss goals)

Five Great reasons to join us at Desert Cliffs Fitness Resort

1. Our hiking We have scheduled in extended hikes throughout the week, because we believe that it gives you the time to burn more calories, and honestly, we can't wait to show you the beauty we have here in our Mountains. Our groups are small, so everyone will get the hike that will fit their level from paved hiking to scrambling up the rocks. We want to help you, "Climb your way to better Health".

2. Affordable. We are so excited to offer our resort at such an affordable price, because we love what we do, and we want everyone to be able to take the time out for themselves without 'breaking the bank'.

3. Results. We have a program that works, and it takes you back to the basics. We are with you every step of the way while you're here to make sure that you understand and can take back home with you the tools you will need to continue seeing results.

3. Support Group. Not only will you have us with you every step of the way, you will meet individuals with similar goals. Because our accommodations are in a home, you will have the time to develop personal or professional relationships with people that are or trying to develop a healthy lifestyle.

4. Food. Our meal program is back to the basics (whole grains, lots of vegetables, protein, and fruit). We have chosen to make it simple, because of the simplicity, you will be able to see exactly what you can do at home, and you will not feel overwhelmed when you return home. Every meal is calorie controlled so you can get a good perception of what your meal proportions should be like at home. Don't get me wrong, you will absolutely love the meals. Our chef will teach you tricks to take something like Chicken, Brown Rice, and veggies (simple) taste delicious and so flavorful.

5. Health. 'Health is Wealth' There is no better reason to come to Desert Cliffs fitness resort than to, 'Take Control of your health'. Nothing can ever top the health benefits that you are guaranteed to have during your experience here. There is just no better way to live your life than living it with a healthy mind and body.

Sugar Free 1st week

I have a facebook page for a Sugar Free January, so if you want to jump in and become a fan, you can start now to "Take Control of your health". There are many articles and reasons why it is a very good choice to take sugar out of your diet. My reason was because I am a sweets girl, I love anything sweet, and because of December and all the TREATS around, I allowed myself to have more. We all know we start to get to a point where we FEEL like we need something with sugar in it EVERY DAY.
I personally can not image my life without sugar, but I also know that we can form better habits, and by taking sugar out for 30 days, we can form a habit. By forming new habits, we will be able to re focus, and eat sugar in moderation like we should. We will start making better decisions about how sugar makes us feel, and we will be able to make better choices. I believe we are just making a step in shaping our bodies and feeling better about our appearance. Here are some things that have helped me stay off of sugar this week:

* protein smoothies-- add blueberries, natural sweetners, strawberries, bananas, spinach, kale, kiwi, ect. Each day I have one an hour before and/or after my workouts.

*a hearty breakfast- cut up as many veggies as you can and add it with 1 egg, and 1 egg white. If you want something sweet for breakfast, cook up 1 egg, and 1 egg white, and add in some oatmeal, sprinkle some cinnamon. Top it with apple butter, or applesauce. A great hearty bowl of oatmeal with berries is delicious also. Do NOT skip on Breakfast!

*FRUIT- a perfect crunchy, and cold apple is perfect to tame those sugar cravings

*Water- Don't forget to drink lots of it!

*Modify- If you need to eat sweets, make one of your favorite recipes and add truvia all natural sweetner instead of the sugar. It's more expensive than sugar, but I believe we are all saving money by going sugar free.

*chocolate covered strawberries- use dark chocolate. Dark chocolate actually contains anti- oxidants which help us to fight off sickness.

Too much fun!!

There is so much going on here at Desert Cliffs, the weather outside it just beautiful, and we have been soaking it in. Of course we get great workouts inside like spinning, pilates, body strengthening, circuit, water strength, and more, but we have enjoyed our outdoors this week. Two days a week we extend our hikes, and eat our lunch out on the rocks because it is just too beautiful to leave. I will post pics soon, but until then, check out Cindy's hiking blog to get a tiny glimpse of the beauty we are enjoying this week.

Three Ponds Overlook

We're at it again, because we just LOVE it. Yesterday we headed out to Three Ponds Overlook for the best hike of the year yet.:) It was a high calorie burner, because it is one of the highest mountains in Snow Canyon.
This is the fun crack that we all love because it makes us feel a little adventurous. It is a little tricky, but with a lot of support and a little bit of "I can do it" attitude, it is exhilerating to say the least.:) Now I say that because I am a very careful hiker, but most hiking guides and guests jump over it without even thinking about it.
What a gorgeous day!! Yesterday was really beautiful, we feel so fortunate to have this in our backyard, and we want to share it with you. There is a lot of new ways to move, but honestly the best way to get your body back into shape is climbing some of these many mountains we have here! Of course we do work you out in the gym also, so be prepared to get the jumpstart that you need for the year 2010.

How to live Sugar Free

If you are a fan of our facebook page 'Let's Make January Sugar Free' then here are some suggestions for some of the questions you might have about the how far you should go.

There is sugar in almost everything we eat, so where should we draw the line?

This is your month, it's up to you where you limit yourself, but be careful with artificial sweetners. Many treats and cookies that say 'Sugar Free' will contain an artificial sweetner that is really not good for you. Try to stick to natural sweetners like xylitol, truvia, or xagave. As for the diet sodas, yes, they are sugar free, but they too contain artificial sweetner.

I for one am not going to eliminate skim milk, although it contains sugar, it is ok for myself, but I will not eat the cereals that contain sugar, instead I will make a bowl of oatmeal with berries, an veggie omlet, or a green smoothie. I love hot chocolate on a cold night, so instead of the sugary cocoa, I will make cocoa with skim milk or soy milk, hersheys dark unsweetened cocoa, and xagave natural sweetner. This will probably be my sweet indulgence for myself this month.

Remember this is your month, you are going to see the results you want because you are honest with yourself, don't replace your craving every time with a diet soda, or go out and by 'Sugar Free' treats.

Good luck and, make sure you post your ideas, and daily struggles on our facebook page, dedicated to a Sugar Free January.

Committing to our Resolutions

2010

1. Be committed to pro-active living. You got one chance, and one chance only to make this life the best. Commit to being a participant and not an observer. Be pro-active instead of reactive. Commit yourself to working every day towards the direction of your goals and dreams. Life is a journey, it is not a destination.
2. Write it down. Write down your goals and dreams and pin them up in a visible place. You will see these goals daily, and that way it will make it easier for you to achieve them.
   
3. Don’t make the same mistake twice. You can learn from your mistakes, but do not make them twice. Make sure you make reasonable goals, and announce them to others so you have someone to report to.
   
4. live without regrets. let the past be in your rear view mirror. Be in the moment, and let's do this together.