Boot Camp Results!!

So on 10/10 (which ironically is my birthday) I signed up to participate in a 10 week boot camp taking place at my gym. At the start and at the end of the program, assessments were done, measurements were made. And now here are the results. Drum roll please!

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Weight
Gained 6 lbs.
Looks like you gain a little muscle here (see body fat).
Circumference Measurements
Total of 4.25 inches lost!
Body Fat
Total of %.8.5 body fat lost.
Regular Push-Ups
10/10/11
35
12/14/11
41
Total of 6 improvement
Plank Hold
10/10/11
: 54 sec
12/14/11
2:43 mins
Total of 1:49 sec improvement
Half Mile Run
10/10/11
4:46 mins
12/14/11
4:40 mins
Total: 06 sec improvement

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I did things in this bootcamp that I didn't think I would do - like turn over HUGE tractor tires...carrying 90 lbs....running faster....holding a plank for almost 3 minutes.

So was it worth the investment? Well if it were maybe a LITTLE cheaper, I would totally say yes because look at how much body fat percentage I lost! But the part I struggle with the most is the diet. Yes, they gave great information and I enjoyed when the trainers took us to the local grocery store and showed us how to read food labels, what foods we should eat and introduced us to new foods.

But, I'm the type of person that responds to incentives...and although the trainers encouraged us to log into the online diet tracker, most of the boot campers did not. And we weren't penalized for that! Well, maybe penalization is not the way to go but if they had given recognition of some sort for the person that logged in their food on a frequent basis, that might've inspired us to use that tool more.

In any case, I'm glad I did it. I'm VERY happy that I lost so much body fat and gained some muscle. NOW I'd finally like to see some movement on the scale - in the downward direction please!

So would I recommend the boot camp? Yes. The trainers were extremely helpful...showed alternate exercises for those who had difficulty completing them...plus the knowledge you gain with using all the different exercise tools like the medicine ball, dumb bells, weight plates, ropes, tractor tires. I had no idea the myriad of movements that could be completed with a medicine ball.

If they make small adjustments and strongly advocate the online diet tracker more, then it would totally be a solid program for anyone that joined.

"Obese?" Me???

Lately I've been noticing that the pants are fitting a little tighter. So I weighed myself first thing this morning on the electronic scale in the warehouse of my office (for extra accuracy because I figure this scale is as accurate as it's going to get)and discovered that I weigh more than I have in a while. I weigh more than a steel enclosure we got into our office the other day!

I then typed in my weight into an online calculator and discovered that I fall into the Obese range on the BMI scale. OBESE!!! This is a "label" or term that I never thought would apply to me! When I think of Obese, I think of someone who is 100 lbs are more over a healthy weight. And when I look in the mirror, sure I see things that could use some improving but I never thought they belonged to an obese person. An obese person is someone who never leaves their home, never exercises, and perhaps needs a crane to help carry their bodies out of their homes. This isn't me! It can't possibly be me!

But alas, I need to face the fact that having an extra 40 lbs on my frame is NOT healthy. I have a great boyfriend who loves me now and loves me for me. But if I continue on this upward track of the scale, how long will he honestly stick around? Plus, he's gorgeous, skinny and in great shape.

Not only that, let's talk about the myriad of health problems just waiting to pop up on me since I have way over 30% body fat. It's all pretty sobering.

The thing is, I've been in similar spots before. I've tried various weight loss plans...I've exercised....I've tracked food..points....I've cut carbs..fat. And somehow I always find myself back at this spot where I look at myself and find that changes need to happen and need to start NOW.

I could put all this off until after the new year like the millions of other people in the U.S. But I don't really want to do that. I feel like this is something that needs to be started pronto.

I'm tempted to re-join Weight Watchers for the umpteenth time, but then I ask myself: Is trying the same method and expecting different results really realistic??

So today I've started tracking my food..going to the gym after work...

But I can't help but feel a LITTLE bit like a failure. I've spent $300 on a boot camp that started in October at my gym. And yes, I've been attending. And yes, I tracked my food and did everything right in the beginning and then? No results. I lost a few inches, but that's about it.

Where's the big "L" to put on my forehead??

Actually perhaps it would be more appropriate to have a big "O" sewn onto the front of my shirt until I get out of the Obese zone! (Hello, Hester Prynn?)

So I started this blog to be sort of a cathartic process for me since I tend to feel better when writing journals and just letting out my frustrations there because sometimes when I come back and read over them, THEN at that point I can be more objective and look at my own situation with a different perspective.

And then if anyone else can relate to my situation and I can let them know that they're not alone, then great. That's icing on the cake. Actually no more cake.

SO...let the journey begin again for the billionth time.

Initial Goal: To lose 10% of current weight by 2/20/12. That's 16.7 lbs. total which comes out to a little over 1.5 lbs each week. It's do-able.

But please if anyone has suggestions/encouragement on how to reach goals then by all means...SHARE!

Thank you! You may return to your regularly scheduled programs. :)