Mommy Boot Camp

My friend Heather called me a few weeks ago and asked me if I’d be up for joining a “mommy boot camp” at her house a few times a week.

A friend of hers is a Fitness Coach and was looking for a few moms to start training.

I agreed to meet with her the following morning, really having no idea what I was getting into.

Four pounds and almost two weeks later, I can honestly say that Michele is my new favorite person – and that she is totally kicking my butt.

See, here’s the problem --

Yikes, right?

Remember that 60-something pounds I had lost after Kennedy was born? I’ve gained about half of it back. Shame on me.

It’s so easy to get lazy, drink too much wine, eat yummy food, and not even realize that weight is creeping back up on you. It’s been a battle my entire life. It will always be a battle.

That’s where my new bestie, Michele, comes in.

These two other mommas and I are working it TWICE a week with her. In addition, Michele has us on a 16-day cleanse diet that’s going to make us drop weight and get kick-started in the right direction. Love it! (Although my triceps don’t.)

Here’s what I’ve learned in a mere two weeks about myself, my diet, and weight loss in general --

1. I am not working out hard enough at the gym.

I go to the gym to hit the elliptical for 45 minutes, or take a spin class, but I never sweat as much or feel as sore as when I complete a Michele-workout. I also never feel as accomplished as when I survive a 32-minute circuit training session with her!

I definitely did not understand the difference between working out at a gym and having someone coach you. Which brings me to #2…

2. A fitness coach kicks the butt of any gym membership.

Michele holds my hand every day and supports me. What salad dressing should I buy at the store? Is it okay to have rice at dinner? How many calories should I eat today? All I have to do is text her and she is quick to point me in the right direction. I need babying. I admit it.

Her workouts are completely amazing – and I am learning to stretch and push myself more and more each time we work out together – something I really thought was impossible as much as I have dieted and exercised on and off throughout my adult years.

I won’t push myself alone at the gym. And since I won’t – Michele turned me on to using a heart rate monitor – which makes sure that my heart rate gets to where it needs to be on the days I work out alone.

Personalized food plans. Incredibly hard/rewarding workouts. An informative person to bounce all diet, food, supplement, fitness questions off of. I think I’m in love.

3. A support network is key.

Never a fan of Weight Watchers meetings, usually preferring to go it alone, I never expected to benefit as much as I have from having friends to work out with and to diet with.

The three of us have different goals for our body, but the general idea is the same – we want to be healthy for our kids and to get back to the way our bodies felt before our kids even came along!