Monica's Boot Camp Challenge Pictures and Essay

Wow, I made it to the end! This challenge definitely had its ups and downs, highs and lows. I definitely think the accountability piece helped me out so much. In the beginning it was more that I didn’t want to check in and not have a work out to report or actually go over the 10% splurge amount. Towards the end of the challenge the accountability helped me most to see how everyone else was hanging on at the end. I needed to see the other’s check-ins for my own encouragement. I tend to be the type of person that starts off really strong in everything I do, then after a while I get very complaisant. I didn’t want this to be one of those times. Someone at work, who I’ve been working with for the past three years, said something to me that made me want to change. He told me that, “I’m always on a diet, but I still look the same as I always did!” That statement in itself along with the fact that I couldn’t fit half of my clothes made me determined to stick this one thing through the end! And I did!

My biggest challenge was giving up my red wine. I would have at least two glasses of wine a day, sometimes more. But wine definitely was in my daily routine Sunday through Saturday. When I went the first two weeks without having a drink I was ecstatic. I knew I had truly made an accomplishment. About 4.5 weeks into the challenge my shirts and my pants started to fit a little different. I was more comfortable and confident in my clothes. The best part about it is that I began to get compliments at work! That was awesome! I’m my worst critic and I didn’t think that my changes were that noticeable, but when people gave me compliments, that made me feel awesome!

I still struggled after I started to see results. My biggest challenge towards the end came with my exercise plan. I had the nutrition down pack. I cooked my meals faithfully every Sunday evening and packed my lunch every day for work. But my job began to interfere with my work out schedule. I began to work late nights and early mornings. That caused me to miss boot camp some mornings and made it difficult to make up my work out. The majority of the time I managed to make up my workout, but because I was so tired it wasn’t always the best work out.
Above anything, my eating habits were the biggest challenge. Since I was able to overcome those challenges, I have no doubt that I will not let my work schedule take over my work out schedule. I’ve worked over the last several weeks and I plan to continue to get compliments! I am so grateful for this challenge and how it has pushed me to succeed.