Spotlight Camper of the Month
December 2012
Hunter Lee
Well first of all I joined because my mom said it was a good way to stay in shape during the summer. At first I was hesitant but realized it was no joke! I've been involved since the start of summer and I've really seen a difference since I started at school in August! I've realized that hard work leads to positive results and changes in your body, regardless of where you were to start. I have enjoyed a plan away from boot camp that has kept me totally consistent regardless of what it tells me to do. Over time I have realized a huge change in my muscle tone as well as a clear muscle size gain. Although I haven't gained much weight, I know I've gained muscle specifically because of Transformations 4 Life. I have realized that even though I started working out a long time ago, the T4L exercises have guaranteed my fitness and made sure I'm getting to the state I want to be in… although I'm in good shape, T4L has taught me that I can still be sore and exhausted from workouts yet see big time results down the road.
June Summer Kick Off Special
*You don’t want to Miss Out on this…
All new Boot Camp Members can join us for unlimited boot camp sessions in June for just $40.00 plus all the goodies we have to offer. This gives you unlimited access to as many boot camp sessions as you want throughout the month, a Saturday Speed and Agility Camp, our Boot Camp Success Manual, Weekly WOWs, our Slimdown for Summer Meal plans, and much much more.
If you are a Rutherford County Teacher you will also get a copy of our Special Teacher Fitness Guide (filled with lots of recipes, and fitness and nutrition tips for a teacher's schedule).
So hurry up and Sign up today and join Rutherford County's Most Popular and AFFORDABLE Boot Camps!!!
No excuses because it is summer either! This isn’t the time to slack off your workouts. We all need that “special me time” to keep us healthy and happy….
Why Do We?
Why do we let ourselves go? What stops us from living the best life we possibly can; filled with daily activity and healthy habits? When did we stop caring about our health and ourselves? Every time I read the new reports about obesity in America, I just cringe. It worries me that we simply don’t care about ourselves or what we are teaching our children about health. Our self esteem is low, our tempers are high, and we are killing ourselves with a slow and painful death. Adult onset diabetes is now striking children in their elementary school years and for the first time in history parents are outliving their children. There is something really wrong here.
We are given one body and all we are responsible for is to take the best care of that one body. After all, if we don’t -we don’t get another one. We are becoming selfish with our desires for instant gratification and our fear of hard work. It doesn’t matter if you are skinny, overweight, obese, young, middle age, or up there in years- you need to be healthy and treat your body like it is meant to be treated. If you don’t use it- you will lose it… Too many people are dying from heart disease, cancers, and diabetes. Did you know that we lose over 350,000 people a year from heart related diseases? Did you also know that this is almost 100% preventable in most cases? That is a very scary statistic. Don’t be afraid of where you are right now, this very minute. Just start working towards a healthier you and a healthier family TODAY.
I have spent years watching one person in the household change their habits and then the entire family and circle of friends starts to follow suit. It doesn’t matter where the support is right now- just show them that you care about yourself. When you feed your body the proper fuel it requires and provide it with butt kicking workouts daily- your energy soars, you breathe much easier, your body moves with fluidity, you become stronger in your body and your mind and you go on to accomplish things that once terrified you. Imagine leaving that for your children; a mother and father that care about themselves so that your children see that they are cared about too. You have to love yourself first before you can give the love to others.
Treat your body like a high valued corvette, pouring only the best fuel money can buy and working the engine with love and care.
Is Your Life Worth It?
Recent statistics state that:
- 66% of Americans are overweight (200 million people)
- 33 % of Americans are OBESE (100 million people)
- These statistics have doubled since 1970.
- 300,000 Americans die EVERY year due to complications caused by improper diet and fitness habits (which is sad because we CONTROL this)
So what is the answer here? Some people think we should have the government put a higher tax on the junk food; some say we need our work place to offer more incentives to exercise more. What do you think?
Personally, I think the above solutions are not the answer. We are the answer!! Every single one of us. We know what we need to do to promote good health. We know it takes physical activity daily, good eating habits, sleep, and less stress so why the staggering numbers? Basically, we have gotten lazy and want instant gratification. I mean we don’t even have to go anywhere to purchase a book or a movie (a click of a button and we have it on our phones or computers in seconds). We can order food from our cars (we don’t even have to get out and walk inside). We can do our banking from a car, order just about anything and have it delivered to our home or office, hire someone to clean our houses, wash our cars, walk our dogs, etc… Most of our careers are now completed from a desk..
How can we allow 300,000 people die each year from diseases that are self created? Or better yet- why do we allow 300,000 people die each year from this? We must take back control of our own health and start waiting for someone to do it for us… Our children are dying before us due to obesity related issues. I’m sorry, but a child with high cholesterol does not set well with me. We have to get out of this dream world that someone else can save us or MAKE us do what needs to be done in order to save our own lives. It is our responsibility. Our responsibility to raise our children in a healthy environment with good clean balanced nutrition and daily exercise. Support them by doing it with them- be their role model, don’t let them find another role model out there (you may not like who they choose).
We are the answer here! Start a new ritual of walking around the block as a family while dinner cooks or take a healthy eating cooking class, try a new healthy recipe (cook it together). Allow everyone to pick a new recipe to try this week. It needs to be a family effort- no excuses. You may not need to lose weight- but your health still needs to be first priority. Daily activity and healthy eating are the only ways to achieve that.
I want to see these statistics go down each year instead of up. Please do your part and take care of you and your family. Who knows- you may even inspire your friends or co-workers.
In Optimal Health,
Julie Wilcoxson
I received this testominal today from a boot camper of ours, Vanessa who suffers from a thyroid condition and just had to share. Here are her words since beginning her Paleo lifestyle and joining boot camps.
"I went to the endocrinologist for a thyroid ultrasound and check up. I usually go every 2 months to discuss my levels. Well, I have to go every 6 months now!! It's a big win for me. I told my doctor about my lifestyle changes and how I figured out which foods cause my energy problems. My levels are all with-in range. He saw my weight go down and told me to keep doing what I'm doing.
I found out gluten causes inflammation for me. Cheese causes me to have allergies. For years, I'd go to the doctor and my levels were in range. Still, I had zero energy. Now I am seeing how the food I'm eating is the cause. My sister-in law and mother have decided to do the whole 30. My brother says it has changed his life. I know I have been able to handle stress much better. I still have some tweaking with my diet."
She gets it!! She understands the power food has over her health. If you want to read more about what it takes to transform, then follow this link http://www.transformations4life.com/Articles.aspx- if you want to know more about Paleo and the Whole30- contact us.
Small Steps Equal Huge Gains!!!!
How many of you have looked at your weight and thought to yourselves, í will never lose that much weight, it will take too long. So instead you decide to not do anything at all? I received an email this morning from one of my bootcampers and it even blew me away what small steps can accumulate over time. She decided to do a little extra movement each day by simply taking the stairs at work instead of using an elevator. Look at what she said…..
“I’ve taken over 200 flights of stairs this week - - the equivalent of walking to the top of the Empire State Building and back down halfway. “
Do you see what you can accomplish by just doing something every day. You don’t have to run a mile or do an hour of aerobics in the beginning. Just move!!!! Do something that will accumulate over time. This has benefits, trust me… You will start to lose weight, increase your cardiovascular health, raise your metabolism, gain confidence, and then you will be able to tackle more and more..
We all have to start somewhere. You just have to make the decision to START.. Get up from your desk every hour and do 20 jumping jacks (or 10 in the beginning), take the stairs instead of the elevator, get up and talk to the person in the next office instead of Instant Messaging them, park further away from the store instead of driving laps looking for the closest parking spot, walk to the mailbox instead of picking it up on the drive in, walk with your family after dinner instead of sitting and watching a movie, pace at the sports games instead of sitting on the sidelines, practice with your kids instead of sending them outside alone.. You see there are so many simple ways to start your path to great success.
I know you have all heard it!!! “You didn’t get where you are overnight so allow yourself the time to get back to where you’re supposed to be”…
What Does it Really Take…
Many of you are having a hard time making the first step towards that fit and healthy life. I admit, the first step is always going to be the hardest; it does get easier but it will NEVER be EASY!! The first step is to admit that this is never going to be a life that you can reach your weight goal and then go back to your old ways.. You will always have to make healthier food choices and you will always have to work out.
Change the mindset- instead of “HAVE TO” change it to “GET TO”. I don’t necessarily want to hit the gym hard every single day but I WANT to be fit and healthy so I GET TO hit the gym hard every single day… Get where I’m going here”?? It changes the mindset. You see the body will do what the mind tells it to do. So if your dragging your feet getting through the gym doors and telling yourself all the things you could be doing during this next hour instead of wasting your time at the gym- then guess what- You just wasted your time at the gym- Because your workout won’t be effective because your mind wasn’t in it.
Find what motivates you- it could be music, it could be a picture of a physique you admire, a story of perseverance, your children, an outfit, a condition you want to overcome, a doctor’s report, etc- whatever it is use it… Personally, I like to listen to high energy music really loud- I need it to drawn out any lazy thoughts in my head, any conversations going on around me, my heavy breathing (lol)- I like0 to lose myself to the beat of the music. This is what motivates me to really push myself. If I went into the gym with just the noise around me and the thoughts in my head- well I wouldn’t get much done. I have plenty of things going on in my mind at any one time (a house to clean, meals to be made, kids to run around, a business to run, workouts to design, and the list goes on and on) but for this one hour a day- it is all about me and my goals NOTHING ELSE MATTERS DURING THAT TIME!!
There are 23 remaining hours that I can deal with everything else. But my training hour is set aside SPECIAL for me. It is my SPECIAL SELFISH HOUR as I like to call it. This is the 60 minutes a day that makes me who I am. It is what allows me to be positive for other people, it allows me to be nice to my family, it allows me the energy to accomplish the million tasks I have to get through, it allows me to feel good about myself when I look in the mirror, it gives me a sense of accomplishment because I know I pushed myself harder than I ever thought I could go.. It is that one hour that makes me who I am… This is what changes my mindset.
Yes it is hard work and discipline but so is anything else that is worth achieving. If you want to be the norm, then skip the gym and eat at fast food joints, take a hand fill of pills and feel sorry for yourself because you don’t have the energy to chase after your kids or grandkids. If you want to stand out and achieve greatness then dedicate that special hour for yourself and become who you always knew you could be..
Are You Still Worried About What the Scale Says???
The picture on the left is 5lbs of ugly fat and on the right is 5 lbs of nice lean muscle. As you can see muscle takes up less space than fat, however it does weigh more, so the scale may not show the number you THINK it should. Your clothes will tell the whole story. If you are lifting weights, doing sensible cardio, and eating a clean healthy diet your results will show. Get out of the mind set that the scale has to be a certain number, if your clothes are fitting better then you are losing body fat and gaining lean muscle mass. This is how you truly create a healthy beautiful lean physique.
Falling in Love Again....
It is defiantly summer outside, here in the beautiful state of Tennessee we are hitting record high temperatures and in my hometown of sunny Florida, they are hitting record rainfall with their first of the season Tropical Storm. Yep—summer is here! This is usually the time of year when people are either regretting their lack of action with their fitness goals or really pushing it hard trying to hit their mark. Which are you?
Summer is the time of year where I reflect back on my own love of fitness and start changing things up! I love adding new exercises, challenging myself with lower rest periods, increased weight, and faster sprint times. This is the time of year where being outside brings me joy (you would be amazed at what you can do with a park bench). If you are finding yourself in a rut with your fitness program, think back when you first began that program or joined the gym, etc. What excited you about it? Personally, I love the clanging noise of weights hitting each other, I love the loud music, I even love the smell of the gym. The idea of people pushing themselves outside of their comfort zones is a HUGE motivation for me no matter what mood I am in.
What is yours? Maybe, you like the excitement of a group boot camp, the competition of beating someone else’s time or rep count. Maybe you like the solitude of running as far as you can in the great outdoors, or you like the quietness of working out in your own home gym, or the private intimate sessions with a personal trainer guiding your fitness.
We all have different reasons that we work out, the key is to figure out what you like and fall in love with it again…. Your body is a work of art and it should never become stagnate. Working out should excite you, make you come alive. After all, what other method can you use to make you forgot your problems? I can’t think of many.. Working out is where I feel young, alive, and motivated to conquer any task that I am presented….
Go ahead, fall in love again with your body!! This is one thing I promise you won’t ever regret!!!
Are You Struggling?
I’m guessing you have started missing workouts, slacked on your healthy eating regime, and have already given up on your New Year’s Resolution to lose some weight this year. Sound familiar?
I get asked a lot how to get re-motivated and the truth is there is no magic “thing”. If I had to name one thing I would say- “get out of your own way”. We are our own worst enemy! We can come up with 1000 excuses why something isn’t working but the truth is- it is we, who are not working. Whether you’re not be consistent enough, not pushing hard enough, not sleeping enough, not making the right food choices the majority of the time, or simply not drinking enough good clean water.
Don’t give up on yourself; your accomplishments are just around the corner. Nobody wakes up and says that’s it I am giving it 100% for now on without ever having a down day or a lapse in judgment. We are human (bad choices are in our blood). You don’t have to be PERFECT ALL the time. You just have to show up 90% of the time. Show up to that healthy well balanced breakfast, show up to that boot camp or workout, show up to refilling that water bottle for the 6th time today, simply show up….
Nobody is more important than you are RIGHT Now. Yes, moms that includes your families. You cannot expect to be a healthy loving role model if you’re tired, sluggish, unmotivated, and unhealthy!! Do you really want to teach your kids that they are not important? Well that is what you are telling them every day when you bump yourself off your to do list because of laundry, housework, errands… Working out doesn’t take that long. So even when you don’t feel like, show up anyway, that the music take over and the motivation of others get you moving. I promise you won’t regret it. My motivation to hitting the gym 6 days a week is knowing the older woman carrying around the oxygen tank is going to be there. She has plenty of excuses and the way I see it is- if she called me and asked me why I wasn’t there for my workout, what excuse I could possibly come up with that she would understand.
Get out of the way and Just DO IT!!!
