Camper: anonymous

Shannon and all the gals who I talked to were so encouraging and understanding. I’ve enjoyed camp immensely.
For the last few years I had needed to lose 10-20 pounds.  I retired from teaching kindergarten two and a half years ago. After retiring, I just didn’t seem to be as active as I once was in my younger years. Of course, the older you get, the harder it is to lose the extra pounds.

I saw the Boot Camp advertisement in the Grunion Gazette a year ago and thought, “I could not do that!”  I just kept walking 45 minutes a day and watching what I ate.  I stayed exactly the same weight – just kept even.

A year later, I decided I must do something DRASTIC! I thought, “I’ll sign up for Boot Camp and just do the best I can.”

I am a Sr. Citizen, yet from the minute I walked up to the Band Shell at Recreation Park, Shannon and all the gals who I talked to were so encouraging and understanding. I’ve enjoyed camp immensely. I’ve enjoyed Shannon’s energy, the encouragement from other campers, the interesting and educational nutrition talks from Lauren Squier (the Dietitian), and of course my RESULTS from working hard!

My first 4-week session I don’t think I lost a pound, but I felt so much better & my clothes were looser.  I had to continue, and this time joined the Weight Loss Challenge.  I’m competitive for an older gal – I figured if I won $, I’d put it towards the next session of Boot Camp.  I didn’t place to win $, but I won a great Boot Camp hoodie & some delicious nutrition bars.

How did I do it?  I journaled. WOW – I eat a lot!  I continued to walk 30-60 minutes daily (even on Boot Camp days), and knowing about having to weigh in each Monday (pay if you gain) really helped keep me accountable to my goal.  I really counted calories. I bought carrots, celery and other veggies every time I went to the store. I made healthy salads and ate lower calorie foods.  After losing the first few pounds, it was really motivating to know that Boot Camp and changing my diet was working.

“Camp” was really the answer. For an older person stuck on a plateau, that extra effort made all the difference.  I had dieted for years yet simply stayed the same.

The one time I couldn’t make the 9-10am class, I got up at 4:30am to attended the 5:30am class at “The Hill.” It was raining, and while some younger people went home, I chose to stay. It was an experience I will never forget.  It was dark and wet in the early morning rain, yet I felt like a kid with all of us, a huge group of Boot Campers running around in the hills – and I’m 64! It was so exciting.

I lost 10.6 pounds & hope to lose 10 more!