Boot Camp Blogger is a look into the life of Boot Camp participant Tara. Follow along each week as she experiences the challenges and successes of Boot Camp the Extreme Fit way!

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.