Michelle's Boot Camp Challenge Pictures and Essay

While I am a long-term fit-clubber this is the first Challenge I have participated in. In the past, I have always found coming to boot camp easy and fun – yes, even at 5:30am and when we were outside all of last winter. I like the workouts and I really enjoy the camaraderie with the other women. What was always difficult was consistently following Concita’s recommendations outside of class. Honestly I didn’t really want to follow the guidelines outside of class because (1) adding work-outs used to be enough; (2) I knew I would have to give up some of the things I love, like wine; and (3) it meant doing things I wasn’t accustomed to doing – i.e., changing my ways.


However at the end of last year I started to feel like a hamster running on a wheel going nowhere, so I committed to do all the things Concita asked us to do for the Challenge and see it through to the end.

I mean it was only 8 weeks; how hard can that be right? I figured I was bound to see at least some results, even if I didn’t lose the most inches.



What I found out was that the things that I thought were going to be hard were pretty easy, and the things that I thought would be easy were actually a pain in the backside and more difficult for me to complete.

Concita’s Plan:
Plan and prepare meals for the week ahead of time

What I Thought:
This was going to be the most difficult part and I certainly would not want to maintain this after the Challenge ended. It was not at all for me.

What I Discovered:
Not only was it easy but I liked it! I liked not having to think about what I would eat each day and it was a good way to train my tastebuds. Now when I eat out I am more inclined to eat within the guidelines. My downfall here is that it was easy to do for the work week but I didn’t pre-plan for the weekends.

Concita’s Plan:
Exercise on non-boot camp days for a total of 6 workouts per week

What I Thought:
I wasn’t looking forward to this and wasn’t sure I could get it done. I would be too tired to add more work-outs and I was concerned about sore muscles and aching joints. This was a lot more days of working out than I was used to.

What I Discovered:
I did it! This wasn’t as hard to complete as long as I did it first thing in the morning. No afternoon workouts for me. Also, the off-day work-outs were only 20 minutes so it wasn’t too hard on my joints and muscles.

Concita’s Plan:
Add the 4 minute metabolic workout daily 6 times per week

What I Thought:
OK it is only 4 minutes – even I could get that done.

What I Discovered:
I was successful the first 3 weeks of the Challenge then I feel apart. 4 minutes is easy – it is finding the motivation to get it done at the end of the day that is more difficult. Maybe I need to try this closer to lunchtime.

Concita’s Plan:
Track & report daily exercise and splurge meals

What I Thought:
Not fun, but I could get this done too.

What I Discovered:
There is no nice way to say this – I just plain sucked at this part! Not only did I not achieve 90% compliance on eating, just logging onto the computer at night to report my progress seemed like a big chore to me. I definitely need to try another approach here.

The Results:

I can’t tell you my physical results right now because we are about 3 days away from final measurements, but I can tell that I did lose at least some inches by the mirror and by the way my clothes fit. Not as many as I would have liked, but I did see progress. I also am seeing progress in the way I think and what I have realized about myself…

I am not as young as I used to be, and just adding more exercise time doesn’t cut it anymore.

I do need to limit some of the things that I love, in order to have an overall healthier balance in my life. I didn’t find the magic solution for this one and I am going to keep working on it, but these 8 weeks have given me some practice and motivation to keep trying.

I, like most women, put others before myself. I am less inclined to change my routine at the end of the day and on weekends when everyone in the family is going in different directions to fit in the things that are for me and me alone. Another challenge area that I will continue to work on, but following the guidelines during the week and winging it on the weekends doesn’t cut it.

Everybody, including me, needs to change their ways on occasion if for no other reason than to test the waters. I certainly learned things about myself that I didn’t expect.

Knowing general beliefs and facts about exercise and nutrition is helpful, but essential to helping each of us achieve our own goals is knowing our own bodies and minds – what works and what doesn’t. That my friend, changes as we age and only comes from trial and error. So try the next Challenge – see what you learn!