Tag Archives: boot camp

Yesterday you said tomorrow.

Posted on October 19, 2012 | 4 Comments

I hear that A LOT.
I receive emails regularly to the effect of…

“Carrie, I am going to get started tomorrow”

“Carrie, missed you and boot camp last night, will be back next week”

I have heard them all (many times) and of course if you have been away or fallen off the wagon I want to help and I will be there for you and for your sake I always want you back

BUT….

you need to put up or shut up.

Talking will not get you into your skinny jeans.

Talking yourself out of not working out is the issue you need to deal with.  I am always here to help, but you have to and need to have a goal.  If you have your goal, then you need to focus on it.  If you can’t focus on it and your goal doesn’t drive you to winning, then you’ve set the wrong goal.

Motivation is what gets you going, habit is what keeps you going.

I really have been where you are. I have fallen off that wagon a few times…and pulling myself up was friggin tough…BUT SO WORTH IT!!

When I finally figured out I was worth it and food will never make me feel better, I had my “a-ha moment”.

You are not a dog – so don’t reward yourself with food! Remember that one!!

You might not be where you want to be (in terms of your health/fitness) but you are closer than you were yesterday–that is if you show up to boot camp.

You’ve heard me say it at boot camp many times…when you are feeling out of sorts or teetering of the edge….“You dig deep!”

This is what I know for a fact:
You don’t get the body you want by hoping for it;
You don’t get the body you want by wishing for it;
You don’t get the body you want by taking it easy and not pushing yourself;
You don’t get the body you want by making excuses.

You get the body you want by getting off your butt and working for it.

Losing weight is hard–I know…been there; done that,  so start listening to me!
Maintaining weight can be hard (again, refer to above).
Staying fat is hard (again refer to above).

You choose the hard you want.

  • Hard to stay healthy
  • Hard to stay fit
  • Hard to feel younger
  • Hard to look better.

or…

  • Hard to breath
  • Hard to walk
  • Hard to find clothes
  • Hard to play with your children
I know you can get fit….but will you?

Gimme me a “oh hell yeah”

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Motivation to keep you moving!

Posted on April 20, 2012 | 4 Comments

Here are a few motivational / inspirational posters to keep your head in the game.  When you think about giving up, or slowing down…read these…print them out- remember them!

Happy FriYAY everyone!

 

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Super Bowl Belly Hangover

Posted on February 6, 2012 | 3 Comments

If you’re like a lot of people, you may have over-indulged last night while watching the Super Bowl.

This morning you might even have a food hangover. Part of the food hangover is the actual hangover of pudge. Your pants are tighter, you feel icky, you have LOTS of regret.  Thoughts like, “Why you ate that 4th piece of pizza?” might even come to mind.

If you are one of those scale jumpers, you know who you are, you might even be cursing yourself this morning!!  The ones that get on the scale a few times a day may be having a fit today trying to figure out where the extra weight came from this weekend.  You will notice that your weight is up after the weekend festivities if you decided to indulge, (over-indulge).  For those of you professional dieters, you are likely trying to do some kind of math to figure out how in the world you are up 3 -5 lbs in one day. Pizza x beer + nachos – water / chicken wings + chips (insert a lot of math lingo here) = WEIGHT GAIN!!

For those that have been at this weight loss game for a while you will know that a pound of fat is about 3500 calories and with your rough estimate there was no way that you scarfed down that many calories this weekend.  (Oh, for you points people, just hush….I will deal with you and your points in another blog post.)

Maybe you didn’t and I really hope you didn’t eat over 3500 calories yesterday. So, why the weight gain???

Drum roll please…………

SODIUM

All of that party food tends to be loaded with sodium.
Women have a terrible time with hormones and water weight.
Men will be feeling the super bowl belly this morning as well!

Don’t stress, I have your post super bowl binge recover plan.

How to overcome this….well, boot camp of course.  You need to move your body! Oh and don’t use excuses like super events to sacrifice sound nutrition in the first place!

I am not a fan of Madonna but I will give her props for looking great at 53yrs old and poppin’ and lockin’ like a 25 year old.  Who doesn’t want to be in fab shape at 53??  I can guarantee you that she doesn’t take her fitness lightly and she sure doesn’t eat like a lumberjack, “just because”.

Don’t just talk about how you want to be fit.  Become fit.  Show up and do what has to be done!

Here are some other steps to take to get back to your pre-super-bowl weight:

Action Step #1:  Water, water and more water.  That is your drink of choice. You need at least 3-4 litres to flush that sodium out.

Action Step #2:  Add 2-3 cups of dark leafy greens to your food intake today (spinach, kale, etc)

Action Step #3: Show up to boot camp and we will do the super bowl shuffle and sweat out the bloat!!

Action Step #4: Have a post boot camp recovery protein shake (add in some spinach).  Feed your muscles the nutrition they need.

Action Step #5: REPEAT tomorrow and the next day!!

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Posted in Exercise, Nutrition

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Will You…cuz I know I WILL !!

Posted on September 6, 2011 | 2 Comments
It’s Tuesday September 6, 2011.  Depending on how you receive your information, you are reading this as you are trying to get your kids to wake up, or the peace of morning is setting in because…The kids are going back to school!!!!!
I know there are a lot of cheers from parents out there.  We love them.  We would do anything for them.  We will put their needs before ours forever, but praise be to the great Lord above that they are back at school!!!
So back to school.  Back to their routines, back to your routine.  Back to getting organized AND time to get your butt back in shape!!
Answer this question. “Are you getting all you could from you gym membership” How many months have you paid for and not gone?  How many times have you said to yourself, “I’ll go next week.”

What has the gym done for u lately?  Group support?  Professional help?  Meal plans?  Nutrition advice?  NOPE?  Well I’m sure if you agree to pay more money for each of those, you’ll be able to get all of those for each additional fee you pay!
Hmmm….Boot Camp gives you all of that at one low price so come on out.  Back to school is back to the basics for our children.  Now it’s time for you to get back to the basics for your health!
At the beginning of the summer I asked you not to let summer get in the way of your fitness, your health, your goals or your size.  Did it?  Well, let’s get back on track.  We’ll do it together, because together we achieve more.
So, who’s going to protect your house if you’re all out of shape and not healthy?
Will you make the choice that you will?

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Failure is not an option!

Posted on July 27, 2011 | 5 Comments

“Failure is not an option.” – U.S. Navy Seals      (I have the shirt)

What if you lived by those words?  Could you live by those words?

What if you took that kind of oath to live by? “Failure is not an option!”

How would your life be different?

What standard would you set for yourself?

What would you commit to doing if you knew that failure was not an option on any level?

Here is one of the greatest secrets of all…

You must expect more from yourself than anyone else could ever expect of you. The higher your personal standards the greater your life will become.

Don’t ever settle for a life of mediocrity.  Don’t ever do something, “just good enough.”  Don’t ever be satisfied with just being average.

What would you say to your children if they came through the front door and shouted, “Mom , Dad…I’ve decided that I’m happy just getting by and being average.  I feel good just the way I am.”

Maybe it’s the Tiger Mom in me, but I would be saying, ”Oh no you’re not.  You’re going to work your butt off and do the best the can and don’t ever settle for less than that.”

I’m sure many people would have a similar reaction.  But many of those same people will also accept that kind of mentality for their own situations.

Take 100% responsibility for your success. Never accept just getting by for yourself.  Never accept average for yourself.  Never choose to settle when you can succeed with all your desires and goals.

Did you know that women who exercise regularly have a 20% less chance of developing breast cancer, a 30% less chance of suffering from heart disease, and a whopping 50% less chance of developing diabetes.

Men, this one is for you…50 percent of male deaths are due to chronic disease caused by a lack of physical exercise?

If you ask me, those are some compelling reasons to be more active, be more committed and a little more demanding of yourself.

So, tell me what you would do differently to achieve your goals?  What are the reasons (aka excuses) that keep you from giving it your all? Let me know.

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Beat the February Blues – Exercise for Happiness

Posted on February 8, 2011 | 2 Comments

 

Beat it with Exercise!!

It’s Feb-Blah-ary, or Fe-BLUE-ary.  Post holidays, shorter days, early nights, cold temperatures.

 

The good news is that you can help your mood and boost your energy during these cold and non-sunny months.

Exercise might be the last thing you want to do to boost your mood and energy, but I GUARANTEE that you will feel better and look better!

Working out perks up your body chemistry:

When you are active, your body releases neurotransmitters such as endorphins, serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine which will make all help you feel happy and help you relax…naturally!

Being active reduces your body’s production of cortisol.  It also has a calming effect on the body and thank goodness for that!  Could you imagine what I would be like without exercise?

Exercise will do this:

Boosts confidence: Achieving a fitness goal, no matter how small, will give you a sense of accomplishment.

Burns calories: How else does the weight melt away? Plus getting thinner and feeling more fit is likely to cheer you up.

Redirects your focus: You’ll be too busy trying to do one more rep of that crunch, curl, or kick to think about anything negative.

Shows you can do something positive: By choosing to get up and move, you’re taking care of yourself, and coping in a healthy way. And when you see that, you’ll believe you can take more steps forward.

How much exercise makes a difference?

So the most important thing is getting started. To get the greatest benefits, work your way up to at least 30 minutes a day, 3 to 5 days a week.

What kind of workout is best?

One you enjoy. Seriously. If it’s not something you like, you’re less likely to make the effort.

How do you get started?

The power of exercise doesn’t come from fancy equipment, but from the effort you put in. If you pick something you can get to and that fits your timetable, you’ve lowered the barriers to beginning.

Start today. Boost your activity level and help put a smile on your face.

Let me know if you think I’m right or wrong.  What feeling do you get when you exercise? Do you get a sense of accomplishment, personal pride?  I know I do, what about you?

 

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The Future Depends on what we do in the Present

Posted on August 30, 2010 | 6 Comments

“The Future Depends on what we do in the Present” -Ghandi

What a brilliant statement . It cuts right to the core of the issue, and it reveals exactly what separates the ‘haves’ from the ‘have-nots’.

In this case the “have’s” are those people who have changed the way they look and feel and the “have-nots” are the ones who complain about how they look and feel.

So the next question is…what determines what you do in the present?

Let me back up for a second, because it’s really important that you get this – that you understand it and internalize it.

When you want something, you have to take action to get it, right?

But there is a gap between your desire, and your action…

Something has to happen in between in order for you to get your butt in gear.

What is it?  What is that ‘thing’ that happens to close the gap?

It’s decision.

You have to decide to take action. That’s what closes the gap…and that what determines your destiny.

Anthony Robbins said it best…

“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.”

So, with this understanding you now have the life-changing STRATEGY.

Consider this…

You want to lose weight.  You know that will require taking some form of action.  You decide to exercise for 30-60 minutes a day and eliminate simple carbs from your diet.

The first day, you work out for 30 minutes and eat “properly”.  Same on your next day.  On the third day, a scheduling conflict comes up. You have to decide between your workout or this other thing (whatever it is). You decide to blow off your workout.

That my friends, in a nutshell is what separates the ‘haves’ from the ‘have-nots’.

You decide on how your life will be…..

I decided that I didn’t want to be 212lbs….and I lost the weight by deciding to take action–I was tired and miserable being fat.

Just decide to make a change….

It’s your decision to lose weight, it’s your decision to improve your health and it’s your decision to make your health
a priority.

Show up to boot camp–make the decision to take time for your health and fitness.

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What are your rewards?

Posted on July 18, 2010 | 1 Comment

I have talked many times about the importance of goal setting and that you must make your goals both reasonable and appropriate.  For example, an example of an unreasonable and inappropriate goal is to lose 100 pounds in three months.  Commendable yes, but not very realistic.

Excellent goals would be something like; losing 20 pounds in three months or losing two dress sizes in a month. Both are very reasonable and achievable.

Part setting goals is giving yourself a reward at the completion of increments of success.  Here is an example of one of my clients goals chart.

Week One

Increase total push ups by 10%

Increase total crunch’s by 10%

10 minutes at 6mph without stopping

3 pounds

3 overall inches

This is a great goal chart.  Without knowing where she started there is no way to tell by looking at this chart what kind of fitness level she had at the beginning, but we worked this out together and I’ll tell you, she hit each of these targets…and she worked hard to do it.  She combined great nutrition and a real commitment to these goals to do it.

One of the best parts of her goal setting was a great reward.  She was going on a trip and wanted to have a ‘beach body’ that she was happy with.  So when she made these goals, she went shopping and found three bathing suit that she really liked, but admittedly they didn’t like her.

After her goals were set for week two and she hit them, she bought those bathing suits.  Week three set and hit, she pulled the tags off and chucked the receipts…no turning back.  Week four???

We believed that some serious toning components needed to be built into her program.  By day five, she wore one of the bathing suits that only three weeks ago, didn’t like her…Now it lived her!!

She made great goals that had time commitments and a personal need, which worked for her.

I told you all this to tell you this story.  This week I was with a couple of my cousins who wanted to do fitness programs to help offset the aging process.  We sat down and worked out programs complete with goals and rewards, then we went to a gym to show them the exercises and how to use the equipment properly.

At the end of the session we went to a restaurant where they ordered drinks and the most fattening things on the menu.  All I could say was WTF??!!??

Their justification for these bone headed choices?? The work they had just done would offset the crap they were about to put into their mouths.  The good cancels the bad so they were even. They should have looked at it the other way…the gains they had just made would be shot down.

Sadly this is the thought process too many people have.  On a day by day basis this may be true, but on a month to month basis, the damage that occurs within your body far exceeds any benefit that any amount of exercise may offset.

The moral of this is simple…set good goals, reward yourself on attaining them and always consider the long-term destruction even small indulgences may cause to your over all goals.

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11 Things I Learned About Life From Boot Camp

Posted on June 14, 2010 | 5 Comments

1. Hard work pays off

Your parents said it, leaders of industry say it and you probably tell your children the same thing. Nothing in life worth working for comes easy.  Poor health and weight gain are easy, getting fit and back into shape aren’t…but are they ever worth it!

2. In everyone’s life, a little rain will fall

Even when things are at their best, there are going to be days when nothing works out right and everywhere you turn something else smacks you in the head.  Those are the times that the depth of your gut check gets you through.  Rain in boot camp means that your deep stability muscles really get their rip.  Deep strength gets you through the tough times.

3. Setting goals works

Simple, if you don’t know where you are going, how will you ever know if you get there?

4. You have to get your hands dirty to get what you want

Unless you are royalty, at some point in your life you are the one who has to make the difference, you have to do the work.  Sometimes that means getting into the trenches and sometimes that means getting dirty to ensure the job gets done.  People who are afraid to get dirty, usually won’t get what they want

5. The harder you work, the better the results

You can accelerate everything you do by working harder, doing more and being more consistent.

6. Good form is good business

Too many people get hurt in business or hurt others because they don’t use simple courtesy, decency and ethics.  All parts of ‘good form’. When you use bad form in boot camp, you can hurt your own body and in partner exercises the same can hold true.

7. If you do the same thing over and over you’ll never change

It’s been said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over the same way bit expecting different results.  Well, keep eating crap and sitting on your butt and wishing you were slimmer or healthier won’t make it so.  You actually have to change what your doing, to change your results.

8. You can’t measure success on a scale

We measure everything in life against someone or something else; like the neighbours new car or your peers latest trip.  There is no measurement of success there because everyone’s lives are different.  Its on a scale of what we have compared to what they have.  Too many people use the bathroom scale as the determination of their weight loss goals.  It is a scale to compare where you are to where you were but there is no measurement of fat loss, muscle gain, the way you look or the way you feel.

9. The power of many far exceeds the power of one

Everything is easier when you have more people involved in the process.  Problem solving, think tanks, and surveys…they all work better with more.  Support for one another, more fun and more engagement.

10. Just because you do it outdoors, you’re not an exhibitionist

Some people have told me that they would rather do it indoors because less people will see them.  Just because you are outside doing it, doesn’t mean anyone actually sees you or sees exactly what you are engaged in doing.  Doing something different, getting out of your routine or comfort zone is a good thing—makes you think in new ways and makes you work harder!

11. When you’re about to complain about something, look out, someone might just say; “Suck it up Buttercup”!!!

No matter where you are in life, you can almost guarantee that a person near you has had worse, been through more or experienced difficulties beyond your imagination.  Those are the people that will look at your problems, hear your complaints and say, “Suck it up Buttercup…it could always be worse.”

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“Suck it up Buttercup”

Posted on May 29, 2010 | 13 Comments

I ran into a former Boot Camper today.  I always love talking to the men and women that have left Boot Camp for whatever reason they had. Some met their goals and have learned to maintain their own health and fitness program. To them I say, “Way to go.”  I give away everything I know so that they can take control of their own programs.  Sure, I might not make as much money as some fitness people, but I always remember my primary goal…Make people healthier!

Some leave the program after they realize that Boot Camp isn’t the magic pill they are looking for.  ”What do you mean I have to exercise and get all sweaty and breath heavy?”  Why they even start I’ll never know, but to them I say, “Thanks for leaving the program because I don’t want you as a walking advertisement for my program.”

Some leave the program because, well….just because.  Not their cup of tea I guess.  To them I say, “Thanks for coming out.  Been there, done that, got the T-shirt to show for it.”

Finally, the last group of see ‘ya laters’.  These are my favourite.  The conversation sounds like this usually.

C – “Hey I haven’t seen you at Boot Camp in the last few months, when are you coming back?”

FBCer – “Oh, uhm, well.  I, ah, I joined a gym.  I get a real good workout there.”

C – “Great.  How’s it working for you.”  I actually don’t have to ask…sight is a pretty good indicator here.  I just like to know.

FBCer – “It’s great.  I do a few of these (motions to seated pushups) and a few of these (motions to indicate curls) oh and I do alot of these (sit-ups).”

C – “Wow, sounds like you are really working it.  You must be so close to your original goal now.  What was it?”

FBCer – “Oh, to lose 10 inches and forty pounds. No, I’m not as close as I would like to be, I’ve given myself more time to reach my goal”

C – “Good for you.  Why though?”

FBCer – “Uhm, I found your class to be too hard.  I just don’t want to work that hard.  I can do it, I’ll just take a little longer.”

C – “Suck it up buttercup, Boot Camps not supposed to be easy.  You want easy? Fat is easy.  You want to lose 10 inches and forty pounds? Good luck.  At your rate there is a better chance I’ll gain 40 before you lose it and we both know that’s not going to happen!!”

That’s what I want to say. I never do. I just smile and say,  ”Good luck with that.”

Boot Camp is hard. Sure is, and I will never make any apologies for that. I have studied health and fitness for years to ensure I can serve you better than anyone else.  I didn’t just go for a weekend course, got a certificate and called myself a personal trainer.  I’ve made a life out of helping others, examining what work and what doesn’t.  I’m a fitness professional.  You enrol in my program and I am going to ensure I don’t ever take your hard earned money for granted.  I owe it to you to give you a program that is worth every penny, and I am sure I do just that.

Easy.  You want easy?  Here is a list of things that are easy:

Please, another, but make it diet.

Fat is easy.  Sitting on your duff in front of a TV all evening is easy.  Microwaved meals for your family is easy.  Grabbing a bag of chips is easy.  The drive thru at McHarKingChalet is easy.  Phoning for your meal to be delivered is easy.  Finding an excuse not to exercise is easy.  Planning on putting off your fitness goals is easy.  Packing on forty pounds is easy.

I have developed a program that is easy to follow.  I have testimonials that will tell you that it became easy to change their lifestyle.  I know people that will tell you going up stairs is easy now, playing with their children is easy now, choosing veggies over chippies is easy now.  Jumping out of bed and having enough energy for the day is easy now.

Boot Camp? No, not easy.  But it makes everything else easier.

Have I missed anything that you find easier now? Let me know.  Offended by what I said here? Let me know.  Have anything you want to say? Here is your chance.  Let me know. It’s easy.

Who loves ‘ya?

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