European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 28, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 20 the stars and stripes Friday april 28, 1978 by Angela Taylor now York times b Rooke ii Ayward took a week off from he writing recently and went to la Costa spa a Carlsbad s a hedonistic Way to pay for your sins she said. Not that the author of the autobiographical haywire had Many sins of gluttony or sloth to pay or she s extraordinarily strict about exercise and diet and her weight stays around 105 pounds. She went to the spa because her pal Gore Vidal had recommended it and because an overweight woman Friend wanted company. The typical spa visitor is More like Belle Davis who spent three weeks at la Costa last year losing weight for a television appearance and who delighted the staff with her Bright red Leotard and her friendliness. Although there Are a surprising number of he Young and slender who Breeze through the exercise classes most of us Are in the if i Don Mose weight re kill myself stage. La Costa is a Large Complex spread Over 7,000 acres 30 Miles North of san Diego. It has a hotel various restau rants a Golf course and Tennis courts and a Colony of privately owned houses. We limit ourselves to the women s spa building there Are separate quarters for me shut Ting our eyes As we go past the merry makers in the bar. We arrive at the spa s reception desk promptly at 9 . A Hardy few showed up at 8 for a hike but since it was raining we decided to skip that part. A pleasant Young woman the staff is mainly Young and As cheerful As California oranges discusses the facilities and plots a routine. The daily schedule is filled out a copy to be attached via safety pin to the Blue exer Cise suit or the Terry cloth Toga we Wear All Day. We Are weighed and measured Chest hips thighs legs arms. Another Young woman in White she looks a Little like Shelly Duvall in three women escorts us to visit or. R. Philip Smith the spa s medical director. Again we Are weighed and measured and our blood pressure taken. Smith thinks we ought to lose is pounds we d be thrilled with 10 and suggests a 600-Caiorie-per-Day regimen. Smith is fond of relating How buddy Hack Ett thought he meant Coo per meal. Our schedule reads that we Are due at the first of a minimum of three exercise classes required of us each Day. We join a group of so women of All shapes and Ages including a couple of Mother and daughter pairs in a Large room framed with mirrors. An energetic Young Brunette built like a Willow tree puts us through stretch. A. 0f v to. A i cd�.-. .-.,.,._ a to. It ijb.i., � ".v.tie. Vat. author Brooke Hayward at la Costa a hedonistic Way to pay for your ing exercises for a half hour. She is replaced i blonde who has even More strenuous idea form Happy Day the next item on the and we spend a half hour of smoothed Down in a quiet darkened cu_., we can join a makeup class and Leam the r plying false eyelashes. During lulls in the schedule we Are free i heated outdoor Whirlpool Baths or bake Sauna and steam room. Noon and lunch. Back into clothes and to i room Down the Road. It does require will through the regular dining room where i a gorging on slabs of roast beef and bloody i area set aside for the 600 or 800-calories-a-Oty ithe diet menu is handed us. Each dish i calorie Content. The diet dining room has a sneaky trick. Inch Square of fish arrives on an fim Imi the psychology i to teach to what Mlan thing look like. Back to the spa routine. We attend a Yoa i hushed and requiring contortions our Stutman at. Exercise in the swimming Pool a lot e the water buoys us up. A marvelous treat scrub one lies on a table and is rubbed Down i Bina Tion of Epsom and table salts applied \ it s followed by a Swiss Shower which bom alternately hot and cold water. We emerge t whistle. A facial just about lulls us to sleep. On other Days one May have a 8h manicure and pedicure in the spa s when one graduates the Salon Doe makeup. The spa has other pampering though not every Day unless one by extn.1 a routine called an herbal wrap. Yoi lie a a darkened room and Are wound like i " warm sheets soaked in an herbal info sore Muscles. Dinner looks More inviting than lunch Hen broiled lobster Tail Lamb Kebab. But a calorie allotment does t go far. You look new the no dieters and their drinks and firmly order Perrier. But amazingly As the Days go on hungry. You do not miss the late night snacks necessary at Home. You be exercised you tranquil sleep. At night there Are movies or special event diet cooking classes. Smith s lecture on Nutret Tinl attended by husbands and wives. With his eyes by the men in the audience Smith enjoys into div Golf As exercise. It bums up As Many calorie m the cello he says. As the Days go by modesty vanishes. Men he own spa quarters and Are not permitted in the Vot sector except for an occasional coed activity Nek yoga. A camaraderie sets in among the women or around the urns that dispense Coffee iced tet or spiked water. Talk centers on How much Hopes to lose. The most enviable figure in the gathering. Myra Stone a registered nurse from Chicago. 125 beautifully distributed pounds on her 5 feet and is As Graceful As a Ballet dancer. This is her third trip to i Mia if plan to spend All my Winter it she brought her husband along. A Jjck mrs. Stone astonished the group by saying Fem weighed 200 pounds when she was it audit Bearg thing clicked she explains. I put myself on s09 t a Day and lost 70 pounds in a year. But i still he a image of myself in my own mind it keep me a Una of ably and i love to
