Your Daily Dish: Overeat yesterday? I'll admit it--I did too. Sometimes potato salad and stawberry cupcakes just seem to call my name. Let's clean it up this week and get back on track. A new month of bootcamp starts today so commit now to eat clean and healthy this month. Start with this high protein, 5-ingredient chi...cken recipe paired with a spinach salad and 1/2 cup brown rice.

Recipe Here

There are so many aspects of Extreme Fit Training’s Boot Camp that have enhanced my quality of life in the past few months. I’m getting into shape; I’m getting into a routine; I’m changing my lifestyle; I’m becoming a better role model for my daughter. All of these things are things I had hoped would change in my life when I signed up. What I didn’t expect was that I’d become friends with the people who were going through many of the same things I was (and still am) at that time.

When I signed up for Boot Camp, I was not in a very good place in my life. I still had baby weight I was struggling to lose, I wasn’t eating right, I wasn’t moving enough. I needed something to really kick my butt into shape and get me on the fitness wagon. And when Valerie (whom I’d worked with and whom I knew was an amazing athlete) mentioned that she was going to be teaching a “boot camp,” it was like a light went off in my head. I knew immediately it was what I had to do.

Initially, I was afraid these classes were going to be filled with tri-athletes like Valerie who were just there to get a little extra out of their workouts. But when I began class, I realized that I was not alone in the search for betterment in my life. There were people of all sizes, all fitness levels, all walks of life. Amazingly, I don’t think I was in the worst shape compared to my classmates (though I could’ve been close). I was in good company, and that remains the same today.

Making new friends in a situation like Extreme Fit Training’s Boot Camp was inevitable. We’re all working hard toward goals that are vital in our lives, whatever our core reason, especially those of us who stick with it month in and month out. We have all chosen to do something extreme, something many people wouldn’t dream of taking part in. We’re all to a point in our lives when we’re ready for real change. These new friends have become essential to keeping me focused on achieving my goals.

Case in point: This past weekend, four of Valerie’s Boot Campers (myself included) decided to go mountain biking. We met at the Cracker Barrel (I won’t mention how much food landed on our table for breakfast) and then headed out to Oak Mountain State Park. Now, I hadn’t been mountain biking since I lived Northern California, and mountain biking in the Sierras is quite a bit different than mountain biking in Birmingham, Alabama. I prepared by packing my backpack full of cereal bars and trail mix and water, anything that would keep us alive in case we got off track and had to spend a night on the “mountain.” With my history in biking out West, the fact that “mountain” biking in Birmingham should more aptly be called “hill” biking, and my full backpack, I figured I had a leg up in this endeavor.

We got to the park, de-biked our cars, and threw on our helmets. I tried out the bike loaned to me by a fellow Spain Park Boot Camper (thanks Steph!), and I thought I had a pretty good handle on the gears. So we oiled up our chains and headed out.  About .1 miles down the trail, I hit a rock, lost my footing, smashed my shin on the spiked pedal (yep, I have bruise), and slammed to a stop. I looked back, and my chain lay on the ground next to the bike. It was broken. Guess I need to rethink these Alabama “hills.”  

After breaking my friend’s bike and conceding defeat to the Alabama “hills,” the whole group walked back to the parking lot, and I prepared to leave. But my fellow Boot Campers decided to hang up biking for the day and go for a hike instead. Since my backpack was heavy (and surely a part of the reason I hit the rock initially), I decided to leave it in the car. We hit the red trail and hiked, talked, laughed about how Coach Val would have us running through the hills with a BOSU ball above our heads, and even went off the trail once (thanks, Steven, for getting us back on track and saving us from a cold night on the mountain with no food and only a few sips of water to keep us alive). It was a great day and a great workout.

I look forward to more excursions with the friends I’ve made through Extreme Fit Training’s Boot Camp. We all have goals we are striving to reach, and we’re helping each other to reach those goals, whether with a simple “you’re doing great” in class or on facebook, or by picking up your classmate’s broken, WD40-soaked bike chain after she ruins a much-anticipated bike ride. What I was looking for when I signed up for Valerie’s Boot Camp class was support and encouragement, and what I’ve gotten out of it is so much more. Thanks Coach Val and Spain Park Boot Campers. You have made my life so much fuller.

BOSU Ball Run Update: The day I wrote the post “The Albatross,” Coach Val decided it was the perfect day to do the BOSU ball above your head/run challenge (you tricked me, Val!). So I did it, and I survived. It was tough, I was miserable the whole time, but I did it. On a high note: We burned a heck of a lot of calories that night!

As most of you know firsthand, facebook is an amazing place to reconnect with old friends, chat with current friends, and make new friends. It’s also a great way to keep up with what’s going on in people’s lives without actually speaking to them. What facebook has done for Extreme Fit Training is offer a valuable forum to grow and expand the brand, as well as keep Boot Campers informed about daily goings-on. So last night, as I was perusing the Live Feed on facebook, I noticed a comment that stopped me cold: “Who runs a mile with a BOSU ball over their head, competing with another team? Greystone Boot Campers, that's who!!! GO team!” Rachel’s Boot Campers (you all know Rachel, I’m confident) ran a mile holding a BOSU ball over their heads. Rachel’s Boot Campers ran A MILE with a BOSU ball OVER THEIR HEADS! This single comment sent a surge of terror up my spine.

An important thing (well, many important things, but I’m focusing on one in particular today) has happened to me since I began participating in Extreme Fit Training’s Boot Camp: I’ve become completely obsessed with calories. I’m not saying this is a good or a bad thing; it’s just a new thing for me. I mean, of course I know eating a big Italian meal and topping it off with a bottle of wine is likely more calories than I need in an entire day, but I love Italian food and wine, so I used to just accept that I wasn’t making the healthiest choices and move on. But now, looking at a plate of lasagna makes me sweat, and drinking an extra glass of wine has me waking the next day mad at myself. 

So today was my mother’s birthday, and as a special treat, we decided to go to the movies (Couples Retreat is hilarious, by the way). Since I knew I’d want to get popcorn, I decided to save up my calories for the day and splurge (no, I didn’t skip breakfast, but I do plan to have a very light supper). In my former life (BBC [Before Boot Camp]), I would not only have popcorn, I’d top it off with a Coke Icee (sorry Valerie, I know your entire body is convulsing as you read this). But now, I just can’t wrap my brain around ingesting more than 1500 calories per day (preferably 1200 until I reach my weight-loss goal). So we went to the movies, and I had my popcorn. And it was fabulous!

When I got home, I had to do my second weekly workout for Month 3, Week 1. So I completed the first half and felt like I’d burned quite a few calories, but as always, life got in the way. A stray dog decided to go along on the run with my daughter and me, and Kensie loved it! She watched him like a hawk and squealed with delight when he came over and licked her across the face. But when we got back to the driveway, and I lay down on my mat to do my full sit-ups, plank holds, and the rest of the ab work, the dog spotted our cat. You can only imagine what ensued. As my daughter stood screaming at me from the garage, “Mommy, he’s trying to eat Torgo! Mommy! Save Torgo!”, I chased this dog around my car (yay, more burned calories!) trying to grab his collar and pull him away from my cat, who was hissing and screaming as if being tortured. By the time I got the dog away from the cat and the cat into the house and safe, it was dark, and I had to move the rest of my workout indoors. 

So I hopped on my stationary bike, set it for 20 minutes on a relatively tough setting, and started peddling. On this bike, you’ve got every number you could want at your fingertips: heart rate, pulse, distance, time, and the dreaded calories. The problem was that the calories just didn’t seem to be moving as quickly as I would have liked. So I increased my peddling, and still, the calories rose at a snail’s pace. According to our weekly agenda, I was to do 20 minutes and burn no fewer than 250 calories. At 10 minutes in, I knew there was no way I was going to hit 250 calories in 20 minutes. So I began to pedal as hard and as quickly as I could. Final number of calories burned in 20 minutes: 150. It had been nearly two hours since I began my workout (including the dog and cat debacle), and it was past time to feed my hungry daughter. So I had to accept the fact that I hadn’t burned what I’d wanted, and I there was no more time in my day to burn more. I was very disappointed. 

What I’ve concluded about the issue of calories for me is this: There has to be a happy medium. I have accepted the fact that I will never be a fanatic like my coach, Valerie, and that fitness will only be a small part of my life with everything else that I have to fit into a day. But it has become a much more important part of my life in the past few months—one that has made me a new, better version of me. I’ll never completely give up a good Italian meal and a luscious bottle of wine, but Extreme Fit Training and Coach Valerie have opened my eyes, and I will forever be grateful for that.

 I’ve decided that having time off in between Boot Camp sessions is not a good thing for me, and this was clear last night during my first night of Month 3 with Extreme Fit Training’s Boot Camp. Now, in my defense, I was sick the entire off week and in bed much of it, even with a two-year-old at my heels. But I’m not really sure what I would’ve done with my time had I been in perfect health (though I do know what some others did, or, shall I say, did not do). For me, being in a class setting and being held accountable is a huge deal and something that has kept me going in this endeavor for the past two months, and I know missing that routine for even one week could set me back.

All day before my first Month 3 class, I had a sort of knot in my stomach. No doubt my life in most areas right now is not even close to the way I’d like it to be, but I knew it was more than that. It was Boot Camp that was causing my stomach to turn. I. DID. NOT. WANT. TO. GO. I hate to say those words, though they were true at the time, because I love the class, my coach, and my fellow classmates. But Boot Camp is hard work, and after being off for a week sick with absolutely no exercise other than climbing the stairs to the kitchen or chasing my kid who thought it was funny to run from Mommy when asked to do something that she deemed inane, I had a feeling things were gonna be rough.

If memory serves, I don’t believe my very first Boot Camp class ever (a couple of months ago) was this hard. Admittedly, I was in terrible shape, but Valerie has really stepped up her game, and last night she proved to us why we’re where we are and she’s where she is when it comes to fitness. We started with hundreds of jumping jacks to warm up, followed by quite a bit of upper-body work (my shoulders are definitely tight today), squat curtsies, football feet, the praying-position-bounce-to-squat-with-your-arms-out-like-you’re-about-to-attack move. Valerie pulled out some of her best moves for our first night, and some new ones, as well. (I have to say the new ab move where you’re lying flat on your mat, lift your legs straight up, raise your hips and then let your partner shove your feet back to the ground kind of took my breath away. 50. TIMES.) I definitely think she opened some eyes with this initial workout, and I’m afraid, yet excited, to see what else she has in store for us this month.

One of my favorite things to do now that I’m a Boot Camp “veteran” is to focus on the faces of the new Boot Camp participants. You know that commercial: “Boot Camp Admission: $200; Ripped Boot Camp Instructor: Bonus; New Boot Camp Participants’ Expressions: Priceless!” That’s what I had going through my head while watching the “newbies” try to figure out how to do a plank-hip-touchdown or air jack for the first time, or huffing and puffing just trying to pull up their bodies while attacking surrenders. They had no idea what they’d gotten themselves into, and they were now second-guessing that decision every time Valerie mentioned getting our heart rates up a little higher when they were already gasping for breath or when she shouted, “Come on! You can do anything for two minutes!” I was there once: I remember!

For me, the first night of Month 3 was definitely hard, but surprisingly, I was OK with it. Yes, the cardio was a bit harder than it should have been at my stage, but then, I’m still getting over a sinus infection. And yes, the shoulder and ab work burned a bit more than I remember, but then, Valerie’s changed things up this month, and the moves are getting more refined and tougher. After class, I felt as I always do, relieved yet excited and ready to tackle another uncertain day. Who’s to say whether it was my week off in bed or Valerie becoming a bit tougher in her regime, but one thing I know for sure: I won’t be slacking the next time we have a week off!

In the final week of Month No. 2 into my journey with Extreme Fit Training’s Boot Camp, Coach Valerie was on a mission. She freely admits that she is a fitness nut and a “little bit crazy,” and when we heard our goal for the last few nights of Boot Camp, we began to believe her. We were to burn 900 (yes, I did say 900) calories per night. OK, I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure that’s a lot of calories to burn in one hour, and I’m pretty sure it’d be quite the feat to actually accomplish this goal. But Valerie believed we could do it (no doubt she could do it, but I’m not sure anyone in our class believed we could), so after a few grunts and groans from class members, we set out to accomplish our goal.

One of my classmates wears a heart-rate monitor, which shows how hard your heart is working and how many calories you’ve burned. Although I haven’t yet made this purchase, it seems like a good investment, especially if you’re into this fitness thing for the long haul. Our plan was to keep up with my classmate’s calories and to assume that we were all on track with her. So we began our first class, and we hit it hard.

After a gentle warm-up of running stairs (see “Don’t Learn the Hard Way: Eat” about running stairs) peppered with a few hundred push-ups, we were ready to start burning calories. Valerie had set up stations for us, with the dreaded center station right in the middle of the pavilion. In the center station, one person does 75 to 100 (depending on the move) reps of one cardio move while everyone else does the station of their choice until the center person is done performing his or her move. The first center station move was the dreaded sideways-step-hop-over-the-ball-then-squat. We were to do 75 nonstop, and no one could stop their chosen exercises until the center person was finished (Coach Val has taken the advice of current and former class members to become a bit harder on us, so every now and again she implements a punishment if you stop before it’s time).

Now, I’m the kind of person who likes to get the hard stuff over with first, because I know once it’s over, I get a nice break (well, as nice as the breaks get during Boot Camp) from the heavy-on-the-legs cardio, which is the toughest part for me. So I always tried to jump in there first and get it done. Like I said , the cardio that’s heavy on legwork—running, stairs, frog leaps, the sideways-step-hop-over-the-ball-then-squat move—is always the hardest for me. Arms are easy-breezy; squats and lunges are a walk in the park; abs are a welcome respite. But the second Valerie mentions jogging or running stairs, my heart skips a beat. But I got in there and did it, and then watched as the rest of my classmates struggled through.

The center station for the second challenge included a new move Valerie saw on some fitness show I’m sure she watches every chance she gets to find new ways to challenge us. The punch-punch-punch-jump move. This move has to be one of the hardest we’ve done in the second month. The punch-punch-punch part isn’t so tough, but then you have to jump with both knees together as high as you can and slap your knees with your hands. After about 10 of these in a row, you’re pretty much ready to quit. Only 65 more to go! So the second challenge was just that, a challenge.

After each challenge, we’d check the heart-rate monitor to see how many calories we’d burned, and no matter how hard we worked, they just didn’t seem to climb as quickly as we’d like.

The center station on the third challenge consisted of lunges. 35 on each leg. This doesn’t sound like it’d be too hard, but after all of the cardio we’d been doing (don’t forget that while one person is performing in the center station, everyone else is performing another move, like the mountain climber, jump-turn-squats, or triangle push-ups), our legs were like noodles, and lunges burned like fire.

So after our final challenge, when we checked the heart-rate monitor for calories burned, needless to say, we were a bit disheartened. But Coach Val wasn’t discouraged at all. “OK,” she screamed, “let’s go run!” So off we were to run laps.

The second night was much the same as far as challenges, only our final push after not burning quite enough calories was relay racing (again, not so easy with legs like noodles). Our final night consisted of the 100-point challenge, which is basically to choose challenges from a list and do them as quickly as possible until you’ve garnered 100 points. The last night is always a nice end to a challenging month.

Needless to say, we never made our goal of 900 calories in one hour, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. In my opinion, an hour just isn’t enough time for a bunch of people just beginning a fitness routine to burn that many calories. We haven’t yet developed the skill and determination to reach such a lofty goal. But I know that will come in time as long as we keep working hard and keep believing in ourselves, as I know Coach Valerie does. Why else would she give us what seemed like such an unattainable goal unless she knew that we could, eventually, reach it?

I’ve never been one to really think much about eating other than the fact that I love food, and usually not the right kinds. But one thing I’ve definitely learned in the past couple of months during Boot Camp is this: Food is imperative to a properly functioning body, especially in extreme situations.

From the start, my Extreme Fit Training coach, Valerie, has always emphasized the importance of eating right, getting in our vegetables and water, always having a snack a couple of hours before each class, and the dreaded, “A flat tummy starts in the kitchen!” And in my head, I know that she is absolutely correct on all counts. That’s why I’ve changed the foods I eat (cheese is out for the most part, and portion sizes have been cut in half), I’ve really cut back on what I eat, and I’ve definitely been cognizant of what I put in my mouth (wine doesn’t count, right?). And from the beginning, I’ve made sure that I always get in my 4 o’clock snack. But sometimes, life just gets in the way.

It’s Week 3, Month 2 with Extreme Fit Training for me, and this week, I felt like I was hitting my stride. But before our first class of the week—which is always the hardest, I might add—I made a crucial mistake. I got busy with my daughter, trying to get my new business going, and taking care of things at the house (i.e. broken dishwasher and dryer at the same time), and I forgot to eat. I had eaten a protein shake for breakfast and half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (wheat bread, of course) for lunch, and that was it for the day. So as I was driving to Boot Camp trying to shove in about 40 ounces of water before I got there (forgot that, too), I realized what I’d done. But it was too late. If I ate right before class, it could make me sick. But then, if I didn’t eat anything at all, I could get sick, too. So, with only two options and both having similar possible outcomes, I chose the latter.

Almost immediately as class commenced, I noticed a huge difference in my energy level. Our workout started with running stairs (the first time I’ve done this, actually, with our team), and I was miserable! Up sideways right, sprint down. Up sideways left, sprint down. Up backwards, sprint down. Sprint up, sprint down. Three flights of about 15 steps apiece per move. By the time we jogged back to our usual workout area (which seemed like a mile but was likely only a couple hundred feet), I felt like collapsing. And it was completely my fault.

The entire workout, though a great one (Valerie’s really stepped it up this month), was the hardest I’ve had to endure yet. Harder even than my very first class! And by the end of it, I was completely nauseous. The first place I headed right after class was the grocery store for a banana. ONE. SINGLE. BANANA. Yes, I got a few interesting looks from people being I was dripping wet, had sweat rings surrounding every crevice in my body, and looked a bit green while buying one single banana. But I didn’t care. All I could think about was getting that banana in me. After the first couple of bites, the nausea began to decrease, and I was on my way to recovery. An hour or so later, I was fine (though a bit sore from class, which is the norm).

The moral of this story: Always make sure to eat a proper snack (fruit, veggies, nuts, PB&J, anything healthy) a couple of hours before working out, especially before an extreme workout; make sure to drink lots and lots of water so you’re properly hydrated; and try not to let life get in the way. If you do, you’re going to end up like the guy who threw up during my very first class, the other guy who ended up flat on his back with his legs in the air my second week of Month 1, or me in the grocery store who was lucky enough not to throw up on the feet of the cashier. And you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.

I am so excited to be doing another month of the Extreme Fit Training Boot Camp, and even more excited that I’ll still be with Valerie, our exuberant trainer. Though many things have changed in our class, including the addition of some new trailblazers, the loss of others, and Coach Val being just a little bit more assertive with us (though still sweet as she can be), one thing has not changed: It’s still tough. But tough is what proved fruitful for me last month, and hopefully for others, as well.

My results: I lost four pounds (doesn’t seem like much, but wait, I’m not done), 12 inches (right where I wanted to lose it, in the “baby” region), and, get this, 10 percent of my body fat! (Insert jaw-drop here.) TEN. PERCENT. BODY. FAT. For me, the results say it all. Extreme Fit Training Boot Camps work, they work quickly, and they’re effective.

When I got into this extreme form of exercise, I wanted results now. I wanted a quick jumpstart, a little bit of an initial weight loss, and then to be able to move on and at my own pace. But when I began to see results, and then got my final results, I realized this was exactly what I needed, and I was hooked. Hooked on working hard, hooked on doing it with the support of my coach and my class around me, and hooked on the (amazing) results. I don’t believe I could have ever gotten to where I am now without this amazing program.

So Month 2 of my journey has begun. We’ve already had a week of class, and since I was injured (in Week 4, I pulled a tendon in my foot and was put on a bit of a rest for two weeks) and unable to do the football feet, the frog leaps, the up-down up-downs, the drag-yourself-with-your-feet-sliding-on-plates move, the praying-position-bounce-to-squat-with-your-arms-out-like-you’re-about-to-attack move, I was able to do the personal workouts Valerie was so great to put together for me. These consisted of more abs than I could ever have imagined in my wildest dreams I could do (I didn’t realize how bad my sides could hurt!), leg lifts that made my hips and butt feel like they’d been set on fire, hundreds and hundreds of push-ups and upper-body moves, squat curtsies galore—anything to keep my heart rate high and me burning calories. I may not have been running and jumping and leaping and hopping, but I was working, and I was sweating.

Week 2, I expect to be back out there with the best of ’em. I only hope I haven’t lost the stamina that I had built up in the first month. Because without that, I don’t know how I’ll make it through the cardio! One thing I gained in that first month (among many others), which I now know is absolutely invaluable, is how quickly I can recover from the pain of the cardio. At first, I just wanted to give up, sit down, and die. But now, give me 30 seconds of deep breathing, a sip of water, and I’m ready to go again. I just hope I haven’t lost that stamina, because I’d hate to have to go through what I did in the first month!

As I sit here and write, I can’t wait to get to class tomorrow, see the smiling (OK, maybe some won’t be smiling, but I will be!) faces of my classmates, and be confident that I’m rested, healthy, and ready to shed another 10 percent! Go Team Spain Park (formerly Team Helena)!

Initially, I got into this Boot Camp thing because a) I needed to lose weight b) I needed something to kick my butt into losing that weight quickly and c) my friend was coaching the class and putting a little bit (OK, maybe a bit more than little bit) of pressure on me to join. I assumed I’d get through the month, lose a few pounds, and continue to feel motivated to keep doing what I had learned in class on my own (however, this is not usually the case in my experience). But that’s not exactly what has happened to me. Something quite unexpected has happened, actually. 

I. AM. ADDICTED. TO. BOOT. CAMP.

During our first class, I wanted to die and never return. I think the same applies to that entire week. Week Two was more manageable, but I was still extremely sore and moving as if I might, possibly, need a walker to help me about. By Week Three, I was actually looking forward to the mania. And when Week Four came around, I was literally pumped! Though I have an injured foot right now, I’m at every single class on the sidelines doing my personal, no-jumping, no-hopping, no-anything-that-could-injure-my-pulled-tendon workout (thanks Val for creating a special workout for me!), and I’m ecstatic to be there. Who wants to sit at home babying an injured foot with a glass of wine and HGTV when I can be out there sweating my butt off and burning as many calories as possible (can you see a change in me yet?)?

Last night, as I did my routine (which, by the way, was not as easy as it may have looked to the others), I watched my classmates bust their butts running around the court, frog-leaping up and down the hill, mountain-climbing, squat-jump-turning, you name it, and all I could think was that I wished I was out there with them. I mean, it’s hard, no doubt, and to the normal onlooker (we’ve had a few gawkers wondering what the hell we were doing), we might look a bit mad, but I was bummed about all the calories I was missing without that cardio! Cardio is absolutely essential to getting the weight off, and I don’t mean just walking around the block. One thing I’ve learned about what I want for myself is that to get to where I want to be, I have to give it my all every time I’m out there, whether in class or at the gym or in my own neighborhood. And I have to get out there a lot! Nothing less than 100 percent will do anymore.

When I started the Extreme Fit Training Boot Camp, I thought it’d be a good way to maybe, possibly get myself in shape and get rid of some of the extra weight I‘ve been carrying around the past couple of years. I didn’t think it’d be a mood-altering or life-changing decision, just something to get me back on track. But the former has become true for me: I realize now that the decision I made to participate in this Boot Camp has the potential to really change my life.  

We’ve been told that this week is supposed to be “results” week for us Boot Campers, meaning that all of the hard work we’ve put into Boot Camp the past three weeks should start paying off. For some of us, that will mean changes in the way our bodies look. For others, it will mean changes in how we feel physically and emotionally. For some, it will mean a change in the cravings we had before. For me, “results” has meant a little bit of all of the above—and a whole new view on life.  

Yes, I’ve noticed my body has changed a bit since I started Boot Camp. My food cravings have radically declined because of my change in diet. I’m definitely stronger than I was (by leaps and bounds, really). I recover a lot more quickly from exercise than I did before, meaning my heavy breathing and exhaustion and yearning to die after finishing a station ends much more quickly than it did pre-Boot Camp, which allows me to easily move on to the next move (I use the term “easily” loosely). And my endurance has really spiked: I don’t feel as if I may collapse after doing 50 jumping jacks (which I did on Day 1) or running what equals about a half-mile (Week 2). But more than anything else, I just plain feel better.  

Unfortunately, since Day 1 of Boot Camp, I’ve incurred a few handicaps. Before beginning Week 1, I already had a pulled muscle in my left thigh, but I didn’t realize how much worse it would get and soon affect every single workout. Lunges are nearly impossible (I get a sharp, stabbing pain that seems to shoot all the way up my body), and up-down up-downs are excruciating. But luckily for me, Coach V has given me some other moves I can do in place of the ones that affect my pulled muscle, as well as ideas on how to help it to heal. (I’m now a master at the Frankenstein Walk and squats.) So I’m still getting a good workout and burning as many calories as the other Boot Campers, but I’m not reinjuring myself over and over again.  

This week, I pulled a muscle in my stomach doing the drag-yourself-with-your-feet-sliding-on-plates move (an ailment I’m pretty much already over, though it did affect my routine a bit this week). I also bruised (I think, though I have yet to see a doctor being I will not allow myself to not finish this Boot Camp for any reason) my right foot. Now, a bruised foot may sound pretty insignificant to some, but it really hurts! After Wednesday night’s class, I noticed it: The sharp pain shooting up my right side from the outside edge of my foot up into my calf. I assumed it was a byproduct of the thousands of frog leaps we did in class that evening and would go away by morning. But it has not gone away. It actually seems to have gotten worse. I’m hoping hot water, Epsom salts, ice, and a little grace will get me through this one before next week. (I’ve learned that the older one gets, the more patient one must be with the shortcomings that go along with aging.) So, unfortunately, I had to miss Thursday’s class, and I had no idea how bummed I would be to miss it!  

Before joining Extreme Fit Training’s Boot Camp, things other than a healthy lifestyle got me excited: luscious meals, divine wines, drinks out with good friends, cherished moments stolen just for myself. Don’t get me wrong, these things still get me going, but now, the possibility of finally being the person physically who I’ve wanted so long to be far outweighs any of those other things. In the past three weeks, I’ve finally caught a glimpse of what lies ahead, and I’m not letting that dream scatter to the wind for a few pieces of pizza or a bottle of good wine. So this foot injury has really thrown me for a loop. I cannot let it deter me from my goals. I. WILL. NOT. Luckily, Helena Boot Campers have a wonderful coach, and she’s helping me out in every way she can: a make-up class for the missed one, tips on how to speed recovery, not yelling at me and calling me a loser for missing class. These things are important in a good coach, and I know with Coach V’s help, a little luck, and a lot of perseverance, I will be back out there in Week 4 strong, steady, and starving for that physical wrath I now so crave.  

When I was a kid, I played softball for many years. My dad was my coach; all my friends played. It was a blast! And every time we had a game and a thunderstorm rolled in, I was bummed because I really didn’t want the game to get rained out. So last night as I was driving to Boot Camp in a downpour replete with thunder, lightning, and raindrops the size of Bing cherries, I was thinking just the opposite of how I used to think as a child: Looks like we’re gonna get the night off. Woo hoo!!!

Not so fast.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy Boot Camp and all of my fabulous teammates, but I’m not quite into the routine yet, so just about anything could derail me at this stage. And a good thunderstorm was the answer to my last night of training this week: Class is canceled! What I wouldn’t do for a relaxing evening at home on the couch, a glass of wine in my hand, and the soothing sound of thunder and rain filling the air. I was sure I’d get there and immediately be sent home. But apparently “rained out” is not a term used by Extreme Fit trainers.

As I got out of my car, umbrella in hand, and ran for the pavilion, Coach V was setting up stations for this evening’s workout. I looked around and noticed that the last few cars from the rained-out ballgame just down the hill were exiting the park. With the rain pounding down as hard as I’ve seen it do so in awhile, large puddles were forming all around the pavilion. Some water was even rolling onto the concrete that was our workout space. At first, some of the Boot Campers looked around as if wondering whether we were actually going to do this thing. I mean, there was water on the floor! But with cones in place all around the pavilion and Valerie continuing to set up our workout, it was apparent we weren’t going anywhere, and for quite a bit longer than we realized.

This workout was one for the books. Though at first glance it seemed quite doable—a few exercises for the arms, heel-lifts for the calves, some of the usual cardio moves—the intensity of the moves was quite deceptive. And the clincher was the main station: the sideways-step-hop-over-the-ball-then-squat move. Not only is it a hard move on its face, but we each had to do 75 reps (yes, I said 75!) smack in the center of the class with all eyes gazing. And until the lead person doing the sideways-step-hop-over-the-ball-then-squat move had finished all 75, everyone else had to continue doing their stations. Whether it took the lead 30 seconds or 30 minutes, and no matter if you were doing bicep curls or the jump-up-get-your-knees-as-high-as-you-can-and-touch-your-hands move, you were stuck. THE. ENTIRE. TIME. Some moves felt like they lasted an eternity!

Needless to say, everyone did a great job, and though tired, we made it to the end of the workout. Right after a little extra cardio because Coach V didn’t think our hearts were “working hard enough,” we completed a few ab exercises and were on our way. 

The rain had died down a bit (though throughout the entire class, it literally poured), and I was the first to leave. I’m usually one of the first because I don’t stick around and chat but instead try to make it home as early as possible to put my daughter to bed. So I got into my car and headed toward the front of the park. I had only gotten a few hundred feet when I saw it. The closer I got, the clearer it got. The clearer it got, the clearer it became to me: We were going nowhere anytime soon. The only road into and out of the park had been overtaken by rushing water from the park’s rain-gorged lake. I was hesitant to be the first to try to cross it, as we’ve all seen the news where a street is flooded and some guy decides it’s not that deep and goes for it and ends up being rescued from the top of his car as he floats down the Mississippi. So I began to back up. A couple of Boot Campers soon pulled up behind me and stopped, and a couple decided to brave it. Two made it, and the rest of us decided against trying (aren’t there always a couple of renegades in every group!).

We were trapped. There was no way out of the park, and it was still raining! The water rushing across the road was deep enough that you could see fish jumping out of it. Some even ended up flopping around on the road. And it was fast enough that as it crashed into a tree in its path, it spewed into the air a good three to four feet. After one of our group decided to rush through the water in his truck and then was told by a police officer that we’d be arrested if anyone else tried, it was decided that we’d leave our cars overnight and get rides home. Thanks to Coach Valerie’s husband for getting me home, and I hope everyone else made it home safely, as well.

So on to Week 3, and let’s hope we’re not in for any more surprises (other than the much-anticipated changes in our bodies that we’ve been told will begin showing this week). How about we discuss incorporating the term “rained out” into the Extreme Fit Training vocabulary just in case the sky decides to open up on Team Helena again. Any objections?

When I decided to participate in this Extreme Fit Training boot camp, I knew, for me, that it had to be all or nothing.

I didn’t want to bust my butt working out that hard (I had no clue how hard I’d actually be working, however) only to blow it by eating and drinking whatever and whenever I wanted to. So I knew from the get-go that dieting was going to have to be a major component of my transformation. Initially, I thought that the workouts would be the hardest part for me since I’ve been so out of shape these past two years. And the first week, they did prove quite a challenge. But this first week has shown me where my weakest link lies—diet.

I’ve never been a terrible eater. I rarely eat fast food or even out at restaurants, and I love to prepare home-cooked meals. There’s nothing like making a delicious meal and sitting down and enjoying it with family, friends—and a good glass of wine. Yes, I do love to drink wine, and that’s one thing I was not looking forward to giving up during this process. But I vowed to myself that I would give it up if I had to. So far, it hasn’t come to that, though I have had to give up quite a few other things and make all-around better decisions about what I put into my mouth. It’s amazing how your body fights you for what it loves!

Some of the things I’ve had to give up in this process include cheese (boy do I love pizza), sodas (I actually don’t drink sodas too much, but I love a Coke Icee and was having one a bit too often), bread (even whole wheat, which also can begin to add up), and pasta (lasagna, yum!). I’m not much of a sweet eater, but I do have the occasional piece of chocolate, which I’ve had to give up, as well. When it comes to giving things up, the way I look at it is this: Once I lose the weight I need to lose, I will be able to enjoy some of the things I used to enjoy again. It’s not like I’m never going to have a piece of pizza or a Coke Icee again in my life! It’s all about moderation. But right now, I don’t have the luxury of moderation. I have weight that has to come off, and no matter how hard I work out, it’s not gonna come off if I don’t change my habits.

A few habits I’ve had to adjust during this process include never skipping meals, eating meals at the proper times, and controlling portion sizes. I’m a busy, working single mom, and sometimes, I just plain don’t have time. FOR. ANYTHING. When I’m rushing around in the morning trying to get everything together for my daughter and myself, fitting in a healthy breakfast is next to impossible. And again, when I get home in the evening and feed and bathe my daughter, and take care of all the other things that I have to take care of before the next day (dogs, cats, laundry, packing lunches, playing with my daughter, etc.), the time slips away and I end up either skipping dinner altogether or eating after 9 p.m.—both terrible habits to get into. And I’ve had to become hypersensitive to portion control. It’s so easy to sit down to a meal and eat double what your body actually needs.

 I tend to eat too fast, and then when I’m finished, I’m miserable because the fullness has snuck up on me while I was enjoying the flavor of the food. So I’m trying to eat more slowly and enjoy each bite (God knows I should enjoy each bite because I get so few bites of anything these days!). I make sure that I have something to eat every morning, even if it’s just a protein shake on the way to work. And I’m preparing more meals at dinnertime that are for both my daughter and myself so that we can eat together at a proper time (which can be tricky since my daughter eats mostly organic food—expensive!).

The changes I have made to my diet are essential for me to succeed with my health and weight-loss goals. I’m sure if I just stuck to the boot camp workouts I’d see a little bit of change in my body. But I know I will not see the results I want in the time frame that I want them if I don’t suffer through what must be suffered through initially, and that includes dieting and extreme training. So far, I’ve made it through the first week. Something tells me things are not going to be much easier this week (probably harder, right Coach?), but I figure, the longer I do it, the more my body will adjust, and the less pain, exhaustion, and sheer misery I will feel. For now, I’ll keep fighting the good fight until I can no longer stand up or until my body becomes the machine I so desperately want it to be. At this point, I’m not sure which is going to happen first.

Protein packed fish is good for you heart, brain and your mood. As you may know, fish is a great fuel for an active individual and has increasingly been linked to fat loss and decreasing fat cell size. What is the reason behind this exciting research? It may seem counter intuitive as you’ve been trimming your skin off your chicken and draining the grease out of you ground beef, but it’s the FAT.

Fatty fish like salmon, trout, tuna and sardines have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are a type of polyunsaturated fat found primarily in seafood. Omega-3s have numerous positive cardiovascular benefits including: the prevention of an irregular heartbeat, reduction of fatty plaques inside artery walls, decreases blood clotting, decreases triglycerides (fats in the blood), decreases inflammation and decreases blood pressure.

As stated above, Omega-3s are good for your brain. They are necessary for the optimal functioning of the neurons, they protect cells, decrease cell death and improve nerve transmission. Getting a dose of the two major omega-3s, DHA and EPA, is linked to improving focus and concentration and increasing the chemicals in your brain that make you feel happy.

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb tilapia fillets
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup lime juice
garlic salt, to taste
4 whole wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup salsa (deli style is best)

DIRECTIONS

1. Coat a frying pan with the oil, then place over medium heat. Cook tilapia fillets, about 7 minutes per side, or until opaque and flaky.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, lime juice, and garlic salt. To assemble, place cooked fish in tortillas, top with cabbage, yogurt sauce and salsa.

Ready in 20 minutes, makes 4 servings

Are you one to still believe the ultimate myth of crunches create a six pack? I am here to inform you that it’s not the repetitive up and down motion with your lower back to the floor and chin to the ceiling. Rather, “abs are made in the kitchen” says Geary, author of The Truth About Six Pack Abs. If your diet is poor your progress will be extremely slow, no matter how hard you’re working. It might be encouraging to know it’s not all about the scale-it’s also about body fat percentage! Some might have weight to lose, others might be toning- which will be reflected by a body fat percentage reading and not on the scale. Some women can get lean very quick, genetics do play a role! Regardless, the advice is the same across the board: a controlled diet high in whole grains (>5grams fiber per serving), lean protein (<5 grams per serving), fruits and vegetables and other non-processed foods that create a calorie deficit will get you to your goal more quickly.

Another important question generally asked is, when is fueling following a workout important? What type of foods do I need to look for when eating post-workout?  If you went on an easy walk for an hour, you don’t need to eat extra. But, if you had a high intensity workout lasting 60 to 90 minutes or longer, then it’s crucial to eat afterwards. Within the first 45 minutes post-exercise, there is a “metabolic window.” This means that enzymes that replenish muscle carbohydrates are at their highest levels. Plus, insulin, which rebuilds protein stores, is at peak levels. So eating a carb-and-protein mix at this point will maintain muscle, replenish glycogen stores, and reduce the amount of fat your body stores. Some examples may include: peanut butter sandwich, yogurt with fruit, bagel with cream cheese, or a handful of nuts (almonds/walnuts), apple & reduced fat string cheese. Even an 8 ounce glass of nonfat chocolate milk is a great idea if you don’t have something more complex available. These calories are needed to recover, so they are less likely to be stored as excess fat. The problem is it may be an hour or more before you get a chance to eat, especially if you’re at the gym and need to grab a shower before a long journey home. Missing the metabolic window is bad news: If you delay refueling, you slow carbohydrate replenishment by 50 percent and protein repair by 80 percent, according to John Ivy, an exercise physiologist at the University of Texas and the author of Nutrient Timing. And that means that you may be sluggish and fatigued during tomorrow’s workout. Sometimes an immediate side effect of a tough workout is that you are not hungry. But, you still need some calories. So drink ¼ cup juice, 1cup nonfat chocolate milk, or at the very least have a banana. If you experiment with different food options, you should be able to find something that sits well with your stomach and improves your performance.

I often am asked, "Do I need to fuel my body before an EARLY morning workout or my afternoon workout?" If so, what do I need to eat? Well, it depends on what you're doing- pre-breakfast cardio has some metabolic advantage that might conceivably lead one to a few more grams of fat loss, right? I hope you don’t fall for that line! Here’s why, your body has a preferred fat/carbohydrate/protein fuel mix ratio and if you try to skew it by exercising in a carbohydrate-depleted state your body will make a special effort to save fat and perform poorly. If you tend to bonk out midway through a hard session, low energy may be the culprit. Quick absorbing carbohydrate with a high glycemic index will give you fast fuel. So over a 24-hour period your body ends up using roughly the same percentages of macro-nutrients no matter what you get up to with the "fat burning zones" and "fasted cardio" training - your body's pretty clever like that. So before a tough workout, like boot camp, you may choose one of the following: piece of fruit, slice of bread, small bagel, 1 low-fat waffle, or ¼ - ½ cup of pasta to take in some calories. You may even want to try a protein shake before your workout. In general most supplements are a waste of money but in specific cases they can help, and you're probably in the group who'd benefit from having 0.5-1 scoop of protein about 10-20 minutes before you start your workout. Depending on the intensity and type of activity you are doing, you may be less likely to have an upset stomach if you avoid high-fiber, high fat foods at this time. Or if you have them, wait an hour or two to digest before you start your workout. If you need to grab a snack minutes before a workout, chew thoroughly and go for a quick-digesting, high-carbohydrate food. However, if you are merely going on a moderate-paced walk for 45 minutes, you probably don’t need extra food unless you’re heading out first thing in the morning. If you are going to do two spin classes, an 8-mile run or something equally vigorous, fuel up beforehand!

You have committed to improving your health and fitness.  You’ve joined a gym (or boot camp class, if you’re really hardcore), established your goals, purchased a new workout wardrobe… you’re ready to go.  Whatever your reasons, you have made a great decision that will make your life better… IF you stick to it, that is. 

As a personal trainer, I am convinced there is one workout tool that most people overlook, but it is the one thing in your gym bag that can keep you healthy and keep you motivated.  So what is this miracle piece of equipment?  The heart rate monitor.  It ensures safety, efficiency, and results (if used properly) and gives you the ability to chart your results… what could be better than that?

If you won’t just take my word for it, here are a few reasons why you should invest in this workout accessory ASAP…

1.     It’s a personal trainer on your wrist!  Most people don’t get the most out of their workout because they aren’t working hard enough.  With a heart rate monitor you can see how hard you’re working and make the most out of the time and energy you are devoting to getting in shape. 

2.     It’s a window into your heart.  Your HRM gives you a true indication of how healthy your heart is, how hard it is working, how hard you can work, and if you are overtraining.  It lets you know when to kick it up a notch and when to bring it down.  As you progress, your heart will recover faster from maxing out; and the quicker your heart rate drops during recovery, the more in shape your heart is.

3.     It’s peace of mind.  Yes, you become breathless when you work hard.  If I’ve heard “I am dying!” once, I’ve heard it a million times.  A) no one’s lips have ever turned blue during my boot camp, and B) no one has died.  That would be really bad for business.  If your heart rate is within a safe range (up to 95% of max), then you need not worry that you are pushing yourself too hard.

4.     It’s a HUGE motivator.  When you look at your wrist and see that you’ve burned 761 calories in an hour, you feel you have accomplished something.  Why not round it up to 800?!  If you are geeky, you can enter your results into Numbers or Excel and see your progress in a graph.  You lose the excuses.  You see the progress.

So… now you’re convinced that you need one, but what exactly should you look for in a heart rate monitor?  Look for one with a chest strap to register your heart rate accurately and a display that shows both calories burned and the percentage of your maximum heart rate used while exercising.  Two brands I suggest are Polar and Nike.

Sounds too good to be true, something as simple as Low-Fat Chocolate Milk used as a post-exercise recovery aid!

Nutritional information per serving:

245 calories; 4g protein; 7 g fat; 44g carbohydrate

Ingredients:

12 cups raw spinach

¾ cup lentils, raw

Vegetable broth

Salt & pepper to taste

4-4 oz salmon fillets

Fresh orange slices

½ teaspoon ginger

Fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1.     Rinse lentils and place in a pot.

2.     Cover with vegetable broth and boil for 2-3 minutes.

3.     Reduce heat and simmer until tender (roughly 30 minutes).

4.     Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

5.     Steam spinach and place on a plate

6.     Place salmon fillets on baking sheet and squeeze fresh orange slices over fillets.

7.     Sprinkle with salt, pepper, ground ginger, and fresh chopped parsley.

8.     Broil 10 minutes or until done (fish should flake when done)

9.     Place salmon on bed of spinach with lentils in a circle around the salmon fillet. Sprinkle with parsley on top.

Consider these important factors when making the best decision for your family:

1. Nutrition. No conclusive evidence shows that organic food is more nutritious and the USDA doesn’t claim that these products are safer or more nutritious.
2. Quality and appearance. Organic foods meet the same quality and safety standards as conventional foods. The difference lies in how the food is produced, processed, and handled. You may find Organic foods spoil faster, because they’re not treated with waxes or preservatives. Also, expect odd shapes, varying colors and perhaps smaller sizes.
3. Pesticides. Most experts agree that the amount of pesticides found on fruits and vegetables poses a very small health risk.
4. Environment. Organic practices do help benefit the environment by reducing pollution and conserving water and soil.
5. Cost. Most organic food costs more. Higher prices are due to more expensive farming practices, tighter government regulation, lower crop yields, and more labor intensive.
6. Taste. This is subjective and a personal consideration, so decide for yourself.

Buying Tips:

• Buy fruits and vegetables in season to ensure the highest quality. Ask your grocer what day new produce arrives.
• Read food labels carefully. Some organic products may still be high in sugar, salt, fat or calories.
• Don’t confuse natural foods with organic foods. Only those products with the “USDA Organic” seal have met standards.
• Wash ALL fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly with running water to reduce the amount of dirt and bacteria.
• If you’re concerned about pesticides, peel your fruits and vegetables and trim outer leaves of leafy vegetables in addition to washing.

Therefore, to prevent these instances of high/low energy creating greater sugar cravings choose foods with a lower GI. It takes longer to metabolize these foods giving you a steady stream of energy that can prevent sugar attacks! They help maintain more even blood glucose levels, as long as, excessive amounts are not eaten. Use these foods regularly but still limit portion size for weight control. An exception to this practice occurs following an intense workout, such as Boot Camp, when a high-GI carb is recommended to help speed insulin and amino acids into your muscles, enhancing recovery.

Tips

• Eat More Freely: Whole (fresh) Fruits (berries or an apple) and vegetables (fresh cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and peppers); nuts and seeds (serving size: 2 Tablespoons)
• Use Sparingly: White flour products, refined sugar, white rice, sodas, fruit beverages, cakes, cookies, and alcohol
• When choosing breads: choose a light option (saving you ~45-50 calories) and high fiber (5 grams per slice) (slower digested)

• 1 cup 2% cottage cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sliced (roasted) almonds or use chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup mixed berries (blueberries &/strawberries

*For an extra punch of Protein add 1/2-3/4 scoop EAS Vanilla Soy Protein

One of the most common questions I am asked as a trainer this time of year is, “What’s the fastest way I can get my bikini body back?” Ok, let’s face it people. Bikini season is NOT right around the corner… IT’S HERE!

Whether you need to totally get in shape or just have a little fine tuning to do, here’s my list of fitness must haves to give you the confidence to strut your stuff on the beach this summer… and fast!

1. You have to have the right fuel for your workouts. Livestrong.com’s The Daily Plate is a great way to track calories (there’s even an iphone application!). My theory: if you don’t track what you eat, you will conveniently forget about that handful of Cheetos you chased with a diet coke.
2. Drink 1/2 your body weight in oz of water. Seriously.
3. Don’t skip more than one day of workouts. If you skip more, that one day missed will turn into a week, which turns into 3 months.
4. Everybody talks about exercise being a lifestyle change. Okay, so let’s talk about that. What is your daily routine? You get up, brush your teeth, eat breakfast, check emails, etc… One hour of your life must be dedicated to exercise. Your body is begging for it.
5. Never do the same workout. Ever. Why do you go to the gym and do your routine 30 minutes of cardio and 50 crunches? Because you know you can. Challenge yourself and give your body a reason to change. Don’t expect change if you aren’t willing to do something different.
6. Use a heart rate monitor. It’s a personal trainer on your wrist. Hands down, the best piece of equipment you can buy.

The Bikini Body Sample Workout:

• Warm-up with a light walk. Heart rate will come up to 65% of maximum heart rate.
• 5 minutes all out cardio - (Eliptical, treadmill, bike, etc.) Burn nothing less than 50 calories. Heart rate should be 85% -90% of max.
• 30 push-ups - Take your time on these, do 3 at a time if you have to.
• 5 minutes of all out cardio - Heart rate is 85%-90% of max. You are working hard. Find a hill and get on it. Get up it fast.
• 30 lunges with a set of 8 lb weights
• 5 minutes of all out cardio - Heart rate is 85%-90% of max.
• 30 shoulder presses with 8 lb weights
• 5 minutes of cardio - Don’t let up here. Push through it. Burn nothing less than 50 calories.
• 30 slow bicycle abs
• 5 minutes of all out cardio
• 30 fast jumping lunges
• Repeat all of the above
• Cooldown and stretch

If you really want a challenge and a kick start to your bikini body, sign up for one of my bootcamps at www.extremefittraining.com.