Robin's Trainers: Green Team with Paula & Black Team with Tracie

 

I can't begin to tell you what boot camp has meant to me. I know I have tried many times. Especially this past week after seeing the before and after pictures. No one really gets this when I say it, but truly did not have any idea how bad it really was. I really thought that picture had been altered when I saw it for the first time. I never remember looking that bad when I looked in the mirror every day. I knew I had been gaining weight, but I cried when I weighed in the first time. I had no idea it was that bad. I couldn't stand the sight of my face or anything else anymore. It didn't even look like me anymore.

I had been hospitalized twice with high blood pressure, never having had it before, at 39 years old. I knew it was my weight. They told me to exercise at least 30 minutes a day and to lose weight, gave me meds and that was that. I was left wondering, how will I do this? I was scared to get back to my former workout routine, because I was scared if the problems would recur or if I would be okay. The doctor put me on a treadmill for a stress test and said I did great and there was no reason I could not do anything.

So, I got myself back to the gym and started pushing forward. A few weeks later I saw the sign for boot camp and knew this was what I needed to do to get really motivated. It was really like a sign telling me this is what I needed. The structure and the pressure make it work for me. If I have to write down everything I eat for my trainer to look at, I am not going to eat that bad thing. I think, "Oh, I cant write that down!" I also did not want to let my trainer or my team down after everything they were doing for me. Besides, I was desperate to save my health and my life.

My mom had a lot of early heart attacks and I did not want that to happen to me. So, yes, I felt uncomfortable because a lot of the women weighed way less than me and very few were bigger than me. Yes, I cried A LOT and huffed and puffed until I thought I would drop, but I never did. I never even threw up, HA! When we started running, I could not get from the front door to the first corner of the building without feeling I would die. I kept saying I cant and the trainers and other boot campers would say, yes you can over and over , and although I did not believe them, I kept trying. They literally held me up, at times, both physically and emotionally, especially Courtney! I am forever grateful to everyone.

Tracy kicked my butt just enough so it would work, but little enough so I wouldn't quit and helped me learn how to increase my running time without dying!  Paula helped me believe I could do it by encouraging me when I didn't believe I could. Even Steve had many encouraging words I will never forget. And I still never eat anything without hearing Bonnie say, If you don't know how many calories is in it, don't eat it!  Bottom line is, nothing else works for me. I am approaching my 40th birthday, which will happen during the next boot camp, and I am in the best shape of my life. I have weighed less, but not had this strength and endurance ever! I feel great and am taking half of the medication I needed before. So, what does boot camp mean to me? It means everything!