Second 6-week Session with Yardie Fitness

Seventh Week:
This week was pretty hard. I’m not sure if the trainers pushed us more because we’re “vets” now, or if I simply pushed myself more. New people joined the group, and one girl ended up dropping out after the second day. I don’t think the boot camp routine was her thing, and I can respect that---some people do well with groups and group accountability, and others prefer to work alone or one-on-one with a trainer. The remaining new people are pleasant and keeping up pretty well. Anyway, the workouts seem more intense, but my body had been responding well. I lost 2 lbs this week, and I like the changes in my body--particularly midsection, shoulders, and legs.


Eighth Week:
It’s hard to believe time is passing so quickly! Fall is truly here, and night falls before we finish our workout. There are several other boot camps in the park…I guess boot camps are big business and people want to get it together/keep it together. The biggest change I notice about myself is increased self-control when it comes to eating. I have a pretty good handle on planning my meals for the week; I shop and cook on Sundays and Wednesdays. I like flavorful food, so I’m always on the look-out for good sauces and marinades that are low in sodium. I’m also trying to use fresh herbs more.
If I have to eat out, it’s usually on Friday with my coworkers. I'm very mindful about menu selections and how my food is prepared. I used to eat pasta, pizza, burgers, and ribs. Now I choose fish, chicken, and salads. I usually find that many salad entrees are lacking in the creativity department. Plain iceberg lettuce with a few tomatoes and some shredded cheese doesn't excite my taste buds. I’ve found some good salads, as well as other entrees, at 'Season’s 52'. I’m not new to that restaurant, but I never really tried new things. I'm branching out and even incorporating beans into selections.

I weighed in this week, and I’m following the pattern from the last session; lose 2+ lbs the first week, and only 1 lbs a week thereafter. I lost a little over 1 lb. this week. Disappointed, but happy that I haven’t gained any weight. The biggest difference between this session and the last session is the lack of hills. We ran hills ALOT last session, and though I HATED them, they really helped with toning and cardio. Dare I say I even miss the moutain climbers and BURPEES.


Ninth Week:
Body is looking great! I’ve been shopping and bought smaller sizes and even show a little skin. Being overweight makes you wanna hide your body--well, at least for me. During the summer, I really wanted to see dramatic changes in my body as far as toning, but sadly, I don’t think I would have achieved it alone. I just didn’t have the motivation to work out more than two times a week, and I definitely lacked the drive to push past my comfort level during workouts. Had I done this alone, I believe I would still have my muffin-top (ladies, you know what I mean), and I would be contemplating whether I would let it all go during the holidays while I pigged out. That’s my thing—pig out after Halloween and during the holidays, and then promise myself that I will work it off as soon as it gets warm outside. What a trap! We all know how hard it is to get that weight off.

With Yardie, I've been on a schedule---it feels weird to work out less than four times a week. I also know that I have to push my body past a certain point in order to burn calories. During boot camp, I’m doing a lot better with my running---I’m able to run most distances without stopping. My ab work is also pretty good. Helps that I don't have the extra padding around my core. I've also added more cardio during the week by running in the morning before work. It REALLY helps to have a partner---thank God for my running partner. My boot camp buddy, Kesha, sends me a text the night before, asking if I want to do a 6:30am run, and it’s on from there. I love to sleep, so it helps that she texts me again in the morning to say she’s on the way. Arggh, I can’t let her run in the dark alone, so I drag myself out the bed. By the time we finish our workout at 7:30am, I feel refreshed and happy that I got that part out of the way. A feeling of accomplishment follows me for the rest of the day at work.



Tenth Week:
Whoa. We have two weeks left in the program. I missed a few sessions this week because I went out of town, but I'm usually consistent with my participation. I look at it as a THANK YOU to Yardie for choosing me as a participant for the twelve weeks. So, I tried to watch what I ate while I was away, but it was hard. Cravings are driving me crazy---I get chocolate attacks almost daily! I've been breaking off a small piece from a chocolate bar every day for the past couple of days. Eating it sparingly and trying to savor it. Another bootcamper introduced me to the new Jello Mousse cups...they're about 60 calories each and low in fat. Life-savers, but it's hard to eat just one! My appetite is ramping up, and I find that I'm hungry when I go to bed. The hunger feels like a furnance that needs more wood!

On the bright side, I knew I needed to stay active while I was gone, so I laced up my sneakers and was "that girl" running down the streets of downtown Miami. It was a great feeling! Why envision something if you never get to live it out. I really like running, and prefer doing that over all the exercises in boot camp. I can't believe I just said that.

So I returned to boot camp today, and didn't struggle like I thought I would. Daylight Savings time is here and it's dark when we start...sucks. It's cold too. Double-suck. Working out= work. By the time it was over, I realized the THOUGHT of working out is bigger than actually DOING it. It wasn't so bad. I do hate the fact that my trainers know my name VERY well, and they call it out at least six times during the work-out. Argh!!! It's a blessing and a curse. They know your weaknesses, and they know when you slack. It's worse when you have more than one pair of eyes watching and monitoring.

I didn't have time to grocery shop or cook on the day I returned to town, so I had to resort to eating fast food. Yeah. (I had a craving too!) So I got a quesadilla from Willey's, and tried to ask for very little cheese, along with chicken without the seasoning. I even added some rice and beans. That particular entry on my food log got circled in red with the words, "OFF THE CHAIN" written next to it. Tammy, I heart you!!! LOL!

Biggest concern as the program winds down for me: I'm afraid to lose my results! I won't be back with Yardie until springtime, so I have a dilemma. I prefer to workout outside, but hate cold weather. I have an intense aversion to gyms and the sleezy men who hinder your progress on the treadmill. What to do, what to do? It's soo much easier to work out with a partner--for me. Me and Kesha and discussed kick-boxing. I've also toyed with the idea of pilates and yoga. I'm wondering if I can be disciplined to workout to dvds inside my home. Decisions, decisions. One thing is for sure...I'm going to miss Yardie this winter.
---raschelle

End of week 3

Ok. the scale did not move. what is really going on? i've been doing double duty with my workouts. I do and hour of cardio at the gym and plus the bootcamp workouts. This is really frustrating me. Maybe i'm just used to doing everything. All the exercises seem rather simple for me now(except the running). I wanted to lose at least the 12 lbs. this session but i have not lost a thing YET!!!!!! Well i'll just wait and see what happens in the end.

Second Six

Ok, first off I have been out of town for 2 weeks so I missed the beginning of the second six. I went to the gym thinking I would stay on top of my game while i was out of town but it is just not the same, nor am I as motivated to stay working out longer in a gym. Those two weeks off from Yardie set me back a bit, but i intend to make these last three weeks count. The work outs are still challenging and even thought its cold outside, I still break a sweat. So the count down to the finale is three weeks away.

RN's End of Session 1 and Beginning of Session 2 Summary

Goodness, it's been a while. My first session ended without my blogging about my progress. In terms of inches, the progress is unclear. Since I started at another location, the person who measured me at the end of session 1 is not the same person who measured at the beginning. So, some of my measurements were off. In fact, I seemingly gained inches in my chest, forearms, and other places! How crazy. I guess it is very important that you get measured by the same person each time! In terms of pounds, I lost ~8.5 my first session. Not fantastic, but about what I was expecting (~1 pound per week). I'm stronger for sure, and fellow bootcampers commented on how I look smaller.

So, we can call session 1 a success. Though, I've been incredibly exhausted this whole time! I'm so tired Monday through Thursday, that have no energy to do anything except go to work and go to bootcamp. I've started cooking alot of my food on Sunday so as to avoid having to cook when I get home after bootcamp. By then, I only have energy to take a shower and eat. I thought I could then get up on Thursday morning to work out, but that has yet to happen! I'm so pooped on Thursday morning that I can't get up in time. I've been waiting for the increase in energy that this new fitness would bring, but I'm still waiting . . . . .

Now that I've begun session 2, I'm surprised that the exercises haven't gotten any easier seemingly. Maybe its because as a vet, I now have to do exercises with weights/resistance bands that I didn't have to do the first few weeks of my first session. But, the running hasn't gotten any easier, either. Maybe because its cold out, and I get quite lethargic when I'm cold . . . . .

And before I knew it, its now halfway through this second session! This has certainly flew by quicker than I'd expected. The running has only gotten mildly easier. Trying to get 25% protein a day is also still a challenge. But, I spent most of last week away at a conference, and my goal was just to not gain weight. When I weighed in Saturday, I'd actually lost 1 pound! Yay! I did do some exercising while I was away, but nothing much compared to a bootcamp workout. So, I'm pleased. I think sometimes my body needs a change from getting only 1200-1300 calories a day. Maybe the occassional increase in calories and salt (and probably fat) keeps my metabolism on its toes. Now that I'm back to my usual bootcamp routine, maybe I can actually lose more than a pound this week. . . . . . .

start of Week 3

October 19
Today was great! I felt good during and after the workout. It was cold but it wasn't that bad. The time seemed to pass really fast. I know that i am going to really push myself the next few weeks. Can't wait till Saturday to see if i finally lost something. I changed my eating this week so i'll see what happens. Looking forward to Wednesday's workout! Did i just say that? LOL.

Week 2

I am not feeling it!!! I don't know why! I think it's the weather. This cold is killing me!! Ok, hopefully i'll see some changes this week. I'm still stuck in this plateau. Gotta fix that.

Week 6

I haven't been on here in awhile because my computer has been down so i.m going back a few weeks.
I'm really excited about the fit test this week. Can't wait for it to be over. I still don't know my time yet but i think it improved. My pushups and situps were pretty much the same as in the beginning. I was so sore from working on our arms and shoulders this week that i just couldn't do the push ups the way i know i could have. I reached my personal goal for these first six weeks. I'm hoping to do better in the next session.

Six Weeks Down...Six to go...

I completed my first six weeks of Yardie Fitness Boot Camp. It didn't go without out incident but I made it and came out 9 inches slimmer but only 3.8 pounds lighter. I much toner than I was when I started...but I don't think that was measured but I noticed and so has others. I'm excited and disappointed at the same time.

During this 6 weeks I saw my weight fluctuate greatly and I'm not really sure why. Could it be that piece of chocolate I ate a few times during the six weeks? Or could it be not pushing myself harder during the boot camp workouts? Could it be that I didn't consistently workout on the 2 days off? Am I not buring enough calories and not balancing my meals? All of these questions deserve valid answers but not too much analysis. I'm moving on because its now time for the next 6 weeks.

My plan for the next 6 weeks is to increase my calories out through exercises and mobility. I am taking every opportunity to increase the amount of planned and unplanned exercises during the week. One example of this is that I joined a kick-ball league and we are 3 and 4 and its so much fun. Also, I have encouraged a few ladies at one my clients to walk with me in the evenings. They all accepted my invitation and we've started walking on Tuesday and Wednesday - the days I'm at their offices. Its going well, we walk the streets of downtown Norcross for one hour. One of the girls has asked that we increase our time by adding some strength training with weights and mats.

It is true healthy living can be contagious.

Week 6th End of 1st Session Wow

Well I finish my first 6 weeks. Week 6 was great. I was happy and couldn't wait to see what all I have accomplish. Well for starting I ran my quarter mile at 2.19 if I remember right, but now at the end I'm at 1.29, Yeah Yeah Yeah for me. I lost my 12lbs and I was so excited. I lost inches in all my measurements and that made me happy and ready for the next 6 weeks. I still can't so push ups but I'm not to worried about that. I can do sit-ups so my next 6 weeks I'm going to try and work hard on my push-ups. The next 6 weeks I'm looking forward to.

c. christopher

End of 1st session...Beginning of Week 7 WOO HOO!!!!

OK. OK. OK It's time to do it again! I got a little discouraged in the 1st 6 weeks because I didn't see the drastic weight loss some others have seen. But nontheless at the final weigh in on Saturday I lost 7 lbs and I know my times improved on the 1/4 mile and the # of situps and push ups improved. I am very proud of myself.

Now it's time.... time to make that change. Goal: 12 lbs this 6 weeks! Yep I want to get a 12 lb certificate. No quitting, no cheating, no breaks! I'm gonna do it! I feel so much better after these 1st 6 weeks that I know if I continue to push I can make it happen. Hopefully my body feels the same way as my head and my heart... motivated! :o)

I've decided to do the evening session on Monday and Tuesday and morning on Wednesday since I have resumed evening classses. And of course I'll be there on Saturday mornings!

Let's do it!!!!!

N. Whitehead

Week Six with Yardie---I won an Award? Me?

My, how things have changed in six weeks. I finished dinner a short while ago. It was delicious and better yet--prepared by me! I can’t believe how much I’m cooking. Dinner tonight was chicken breast seasoned with a tequila lime dry rub, cup of raw kale with lemon juice, olive oil and cranberries, and a baked sweet potato. Before dinner, I prepared my meals for the next three days. Happy to have that out of the way! Just finished my "homework": 2 sets of 25 bicycles, 1 set of 25 v-ups, 2 sets of full sit-ups, 1 set of 25 crunches, 2 sets of alternating lunges, and 2 sets of 25 squats. Ok, I hope I can get to sleep in a few, because my heart is racing. I feel great, I feel healthy, and I feel like I’ve really accomplished something. I’m wearing my size 6's again, and aiming for 4's, which I haven't seen for a couple of years.

I find myself admiring my flat stomach (well, it's pretty flat when I'm standing). I'm hoping to burn any extra fat on my abs during the second session---Not trying to have my ab definition covered up! Funny, when I first started boot-camp, I believed I would be happy with a flat stomach, no need for a six pack. At this point, I'm like why not?? Let's go all the way!

So we took our final fit tests this past week. My unofficial numbers are as follows (as accurately as I can remember): sit-ups within 60 seconds improved from 21 to 42, push ups within sixty seconds improved from 6 (I sucked) to 21, my 1/4 mile run improved from 2.77 mins to 1.53 minutes. And I lost between 6-7 lbs-- I think. I’m very happy with my results because my fitness level was a mess when I began. Edited to add: I was presented with certificates for most improvement on my sit-ups and push ups! I don't believe I've ever won an award for anything related to fitness, so I'm ecstatic! Wooohoo! These little encouragements really mean alot. *tear* *sniff*

Tomorrow starts the 7th week of boot-camp, and I'm a little nervous. After a few days off, will I be able to run my laps ok? I heard that we can't do any walking anymore?? Oh boy. Well anyway, I'm excited about the potential of the next several weeks, and excited to meet the new boot-campers. Goals for the second session: Lose 10 lbs., build endurance, run without stopping so much, and bring the body fat down, down, down.


Week Five with Yardie: Trading the monkey on my back for Jillian!
Winding it down! I'm still enjoying the program and motivated by my results. We weighed in Saturday, and I FINALLY got the monkey off my back and lost another 2 lbs. It's coming off very, very slowly, but I try not to think of the numbers and focus on the way my clothes fit.

Saturday's session was actually pretty fun. One exercise involved carrying each other on our backs! Now, I haven't carried anyone on my back except my almost 3-year old nephew in quite a while. And guess who I had to carry? One of the trainers, Jillian! Jillian came out to work out with us that day, and she has a great body and attitude to boot! But Jillian is very solid and has muscle--I was a little concerned when I asked, "Jillian, how much do you weigh???" She replied, "135." Okaaay. Well, one thing that has continually improved each week is my stance on trying to do my best, so I took it in stride and she hopped on my back and off we went down the field and back! That was the fun part. The not-so fun part was the five laps (or was it six??) we had to run at the end. AND it started raining. Ugggh. My stance was wavering. Made it through and that's that. Let's finish this thing strong.
---raschelle

End of my 6 weeks

I have completed my six weeks with Yardie Fitness and I am so proud that I was able to make it through. I completed my fitness test Friday, since I was going to be out of town for the week. From 6 weeks ago I could not do one push up or a sit up, far less run up a hill. My results showed an improvement in my time and ability to do push ups and sit ups.
The added bonus was I have achieved the most weight loss in these first 6 weeks with Yardie Fitness than I have in all my efforts on my own. Wow, support from my fellow team mates, my instructors and determination helped me loose 23lbs. I am happy. The lessons I have learned are vital to my journey to a healthier happier me. Thank you Yardie Fitness for this opportunity. I can't wait for my next 6 weeks.

Week 5... He noticed!

The other day it was raining as me and my boyfriend were on our way to the grocery store. We had to park quite a distance from the store. I hopped out the car and bolted into the store as not to get drenched in the process. What seemed like forever had gone by when my boyfriend joins me in the store. He had this look on his face like he'd just seen a superhero. LMBO. He said, "I've never seen you move that fast. I must say, that Yardie has done great things". Since then he has been preaching the Yardie program to anyone who will listen as if he was in the program. That to me is the highest praise coming from someone who is a gym rat and has fitness on the brain 24/7. He notices the changes and applauds the dedication... and that's both a motivation and an inspiration to me.

Totally Missed Wk 5 But Insteresting...

I totally missed week 5, but it was interesting nonetheless. I had to go home to Louisiana for a week and some change. Luckily, I didn't gain any weight while I was there. Didn't lose either since my eating schedule was thrown a monkey wrench with all I had to do there. But the interesting thing is I tried to sneak a fried crab cake (always loved crab cakes) and I fried shrimp, but I could literally taste the oil. It was overwhelming and everyone else looked at me like I was crazy b/c they didn't get what I was saying. It felt like my mouth had been coated with Crisco. I popped so many Alka-Seltzers just to calm my turning stomach. Never did get to finish that crab cake. My fried food days are officially behind me. I kinda told myself that after the 12 weeks was over, I'd treat myself to some Popeyes which I smell on my way home every day, but now that's not gonna happen. When the advisers told us how our taste would change once we alter our eating habits and that we wouldn't want the old stuff anymore, I just assume they'd never really had good food. But now I think about that fried chicken and biscuit and my stomach starts to scream for Alka Seltzer. Amazing how in 5 short weeks, my taste and habits have changed. Things I enjoyed so I now can't stomach thinking of eating them. I've officially crossed over to a healthier eating lifestyle. AMAZING!

Week 5 WOW

Well Well Well, my 5Th week is over. It was getting real tense with this week. At one point I had to ask our trainer if someone piss him off at work because it felt like he was taking it out on us. But we all just got together as a team as usual and dealt with it. I'm behind in my running but that's OK, because what matter to me most is that I can run a lot more than when I first started. It's been a struggle and I enjoy the work out sessions. Looking forward to week 6. (Yeah)

C Christopher

WEEK 5 - WOOT WOOT

Well, this week was tough but doable. I am sooo excited that I have made half the weight I wanted to lose initially. Week 5 and 15lbs down. Hopefully, I'l lose just a few more lbs before the next session start so that I can go over my goal weight loss. Before I started bootcamp, running was not an option in my workout plan and eating right, HA such a funny. But now I almost feel obsessed with eating the right foods. Dont get me wrong, it is still a task to stay up on my percentages and caloric intake but in time I will perfect it. Now the aera I am most proud of myself in is my endurance. WOW is all I have to say. Running the longer laps, I still am having a hard time with, but those hills I believe I have tackled them enough to almost say I got this.

I just want to give a shot out to my "Extra Credit Treat" partna dem. Clearly I cant seem to ever get out of this circle, until this last weigh in. Those treats are the truth..OMG. They definitely help.

Week 6.....WOOOSAHHH

RN-- Week 5

OMG. Week 5 is over. The up side-- we didn't get rained on! The down side-- only lost 1.2 lbs. That's about what I was expecting coming in to this-- only about 1 pound a week. Despite all the hard work and eating better, my body resists losing any more than that typically. But, so far its been ~ 7 lbs in 5 weeks. I would have loved it to be more, but i'm already eating only 1200-1300 calories a day. If I do less, I'll get told I'm not eating enough. If I eat more, I won't lose ANY weight at all. UUUuuuugh. But, at the end of this session, I'm eager to get measured to see how many inches were lost. I'm guessing coach is going to try and kill us this last week. This will be interesting since my shoulders and back will be hurting for a while after carrying my fellow bootcamper across the field on Saturday!

End of Week 5 nc

How quickly time passes, week five is gone already. I have not gained or lost any weight since the last weigh in, but I know it was probably due to my low calorie intake the past week. I still have a hard time eating on time and as often as I need to.
This week I am making a concerted effort to loose at least 5 more pounds, my goal is to loose 20lbs this first six week session. The work outs are still challenging for me, but my endurance and strength has come a long way from week one to week five. That I am grateful for. Everyone around me has seen the change in my body, I can feel it in my clothes and my skin looks better. Monday is the beginning of the sixth week, I look forward to breaking a sweat.

Just completed end of week 5. Feel good that I kept up with the program and made some good choices while I was traveling. Feel stronger, clothes are getting baggier. Hope to hit my goal weight next Saturday. Looking forward to the coming week! Thanks to all the Stone Mt. members for their support, encouragement, and laughs about this journey. It feels good to know that others go thru some of the same struggles, triumphs as you do. I look forward to a wonderful week!

NC Week 4

I had a hectic week 4.... as far as work is concerned. So I missed the second half of my work out for two days. The rain was ridiculous the past week, and it is such a deterrence. Thank the good Lord that no heavy rains fell during the time I was at the park. It rained before and after, with a refreshing sprinkle in between. Our routine has changed, never staying the same, always a sup rise. This week there was more focus using the resistance bands, more laps (which i still can't breathe right) but with time I'll get there. Everyday is a new challenge, a new part of the body aching, but I'm starting to like it. Four weeks complete, week five here I come.