Try Try Again.

It was a hot day in April of 2000.  I was on some track in northern Mississippi getting ready to run a 200m dash.  If I ran fast enough, I would qualify for the overall state track meet in Jackson MS.  All day the gunman, who fired a pistol to start each race, followed the same pattern, "Set, BANG".  I listened to his voice all day and had his timing down.

I placed my feet in the starting blocks.  I gripped the track with my finger tips.  I listened intently for "Set, BANG".  Only this time, the gunman yelled "Set" and paused.  During this pause, I leaned forward and stumbled out of the starting blocks.  My stumble, considered a false start, disqualified me from the race and ended my solo track career.

To say that I was upset would be an understatement.  To put it bluntly, I failed.  I walked off the track, took the race bib off of my jersey and headed to the team tent.  My dad met when I made it to the tent.  He said, "You ok?"  I nodded my head.  He said, "You did great all season.  Don't worry about that one race.  Its over.  I'm proud of you.  Get ready for the relay."

I took my dad's advice, got ready for my relay and ran hard for the last event of the day.  I don't remember how we finished in that particular track meet. But I do remember the false start and what my dad said to me.  33 year old me can unpack this situation a little better than 18 year old me, so here's my take:

When you fail, the most important thing is to learn from it. 

Lesson 1(the gunman):  I expected the gunman to do one thing, but unfortunately he did another.  Expectations are a double edged sword.  What if they aren't met?  How do you deal with that let down?  Having a plan to deal with emotional let downs and physical let downs is a good start.  One of our coaches verbalizes things this way, "This workout is about to suck.  Its going to be bad.  Like really bad.  But I got this."  Acknowledging that the workout will be bad is being realistic.  Ending the sentence with "I got this" is putting a positive spin on it.  Kind of like, putting spinach in my smoothie was hard... yeah... but did you die?   

Lesson 2 (you did great all season):  Pat yourself on the back.  Why?  You are the one paying to play the game.  You are working hard, taking risk, and doing things that require struggle.  Yeah, you might follow someone on instagram that post only happy pictures, but we all know life has disappointments. You aren't sitting on the sidelines wishing you could find the right filter to capture the moment.  The ones who don't suffer are the ones sitting on the couch in their parent's basement talking about how many great ideas they have.  Don't be that guy...

Lesson 3 (don't worry about that race, its over)  You have to move forward.  People want to be around action-oriented problem solvers.  We can learn from the past, but cannot change it. Training yourself to offer solutions on-the-spot attracts people and resources.  Bad things are going to happen.  How much of a mental beast would you be if you encouraged yourself during every negative situation in your life?  Over time instead of panic and hysteria, you could master coping and acceptance.

Lesson 4 (I'm proud of you): Affirmation and knowing that someone has your back, even in defeat, is awesome.  Versus and Clean Kitchen have coaches in place for a reason.  Sometimes its encouragement, sometimes its questions, and other times its the cold hard truth.  No matter what, we've got your back.

Lesson 5 (Get ready for the relay):  Instead of focusing on the failure I just had (and could do nothing about) my dad shifted my focus to something else.  Life is always moving forward.  We can choose to accept that or not.  Focusing on the negative things in the past is what we like to call the emotional rocking chair.  Worrying about the past is like rocking.  You are doing a lot, swaying back and forth, pushing your feet off of the ground, gripping the arm rest, etc... but you aren't going anywhere.  Inaction feels a whole hell of a lot like action doesn't it?  Instead of rocking, ask yourself, what steps can you take to better your situation.

5 lessons from stumbling out of some blocks!  What lesson will you learn from your next failure?  Will you put a positive spin on it?  Will you get out of the emotional rocking chair?  Or will you sit on the sidelines talking about how many great ideas you had?

 

Time to Break it down

Happy New Year!

Time to Break it down...

 

No, not on the dance floor.  Well, that actually might be a pretty good way to burn some calories... so... yes, break it down on the dance floor! 

I usually write a year in review post every new year consisting of "The State of Versus".  So really fast, here  is the State of Versus.

"My fellow Versicans, the state of our gym is strong.  We have a huge army, a very small navy and a non existent air-force.  We have a new logo though and its cool!"  - The End

On a serious note, our community is awesome.  Our staff is awesome.  We are excited about 2015!

Back to the subject of breaking it down.  I got money on it, that if you browse the Internet a little bit you will find articles with titles like: "Top 5 things to permanently lose weight in 2015.  Get ripped in 2015 with this one thing." etc etc etc.  The writers of those headlines are in touch with the us.  We want the secret to weight loss, health and happiness.  We want the answers and the shortest way to get there.

Right?

Heck yeah we do.  We have been conditioned to the path of least resistance for quite a while now.  Think about it for a second...  If you come across a question that you don't know the answer to what is your first response?  "Siri, what is the capital of Alaska?"  Don't lie, you know you do it.  I do it too!  65% of Americans own one of the smartphones that are available.  65% of people, more or less, use technology to speed down the path of least resistance.

And there is nothing wrong with that.

However, there are some questions in life (if you want the answer) that require a little more than holding down the home button on your iPhone. 

• Why am I unhappy?  
• Why am I afraid to step out of my comfort zone?  
• Why do I keep making excuses.  
• Why can't I change? 

Those are some tough questions that Siri may not be able to help you with.  So what do you do when Siri can't help?  Instead of summoning Siri,  I would suggest getting out a pen and paper.  Set out 20-30min of time and start writing down the top 10 things you want to work on to improve you.  Once you write down 10 things, pick 3 that mean the most to you.  Here is a hypothetical answer:

1.  I want to lose weight.  get more specific, I want to lose 15lbs.

Ok, so we want to lose 15lbs.  Why?  "Girl, you should be comfortable in your own skin.  God made you this way and you shouldn't get down on yourself for it." 

So wait a minute, God made you to skip breakfast, eat cheetos out of the vending machine for snack, drive thru Canes chicken fingers for lunch, grab a large frappuccino as you head back to work, hit up happy hour once you get off and eat pizza as you watch the bachelor?   Umm, ok, if you say so.

The reason why we ask why is to "try" to get to the root.  I can tell you from personal experience WHY I wanted to lose 15lbs.  I wanted to lose 15lbs, because I wasn't happy.  Everyone morning I looked in the mirror I wasn't happy with what I saw.  People will say that weight gain and the unhappiness that comes with it is really a by product stemming from other areas in your life.  And as soon as you lose it, you will still be unhappy.  In my case, those folks were dead wrong.  When I lost 15lbs(which turned into almost 50) I was a happier person.  So shut up haters.

Ok, back to what we were talking about.  You have written a list and picked out 3 things you want to work on.  What next? 

Our Overall goal is an "Outcome Goal"---- Lose 15lbs
How we get there is a "Behavior Goal"---- What we do to get there.

To me a behavior goal is sorta like asking for or getting directions.  "Hey, how do you get to Iowa?"
Imagine if the response given was, "Well, you get on that highway and go to Iowa.  Good luck!"  Could you imagine how long it would take to get there? Ha Ha!  That type of broad and general response is actually putting our Outcome Goal in the Behavior Goal slot.

Here is the Behavior Goal Response but put to the "How do I lose 15lbs?" question- 
1.  Work out at least 5 hours per week.
2.  Eat Clean 90% of the time. (what does that mean?  if you don't know seek out someone to help)
3.  Control the portion sizes of your food
4.  Earn your carbs

Those behavior goals look like a pretty good road map to Iowa if you ask me.  The easier the behavior goals are to follow the greater your likelihood of success.  Imagine if I smoked 10 packs of cigarettes a day.  However, come hell or high water, on Monday morning I'm quitting cold turkey... fat chance...  Quitting cold turkey is a good goal, but planning to only smoke 5 packs a day would probably be more feasible.

To recap:  Break it Down!

• Write down 10 things you want to work on 
• Pick 3 of them that mean the most to you
• Establish an Outcome goal
• Establish habits/behavior goals and stick to them every day

In closing, if you don't know how to do something on your own or continue to fail at what you are trying to do... REACH OUT FOR HELP!  Invest in yourself for once and stop cutting corners.  Believe me, you are worth it.  If you want to talk more about this kind of stuff shoot me an email at steve@versusstrengthandconditioning.com or come see me at the gym!


 

Change your life!

I came across this a few weeks ago.  When I saw a list of 20 things, I immediately thought, "This article isn't for me."  However, I knew by having that negative feeling, I needed to give it a shot. Use this article as a buffet.  Take from it what you want, and leave the rest from someone else.  I hope you enjoy!  Happy New Year!

 

20 Daily Practices that Changed My Life. ~ Camille Willemain

 

 

Real change happens from the inside out, not the outside in.

1. Ask Ourselves What We Want

This sounds simple, but many times we get so caught up in our routines, our responsibilities, and our relationships that we don’t stop to ask ourselves, “Uhhh…is this even what I want?!” 
What do you want? If you struggle to answer this question, try asking yourself, “What would I do if I could not fail?"

2. Believe That it is Possible

We are what holds us back from actualizing our dreams. We must believe that what we want is possible; that it can happen and we can do it.  I first had to believe that I could do it to give myself the courage to try. I use this as a metaphor for my life—a reminder that I am capable of achieving things tomorrow; that today might appear impossible. First, I have to believe that I can.

3. Live Life on Purpose

We must decide what we want and then focus our actions to support it. By doing everything—eating, speaking, breathing, behaving—with purpose, our actions become sacred rituals that yield intentional results. Eating something because it’s what we actually want to eat to nourish and please our palates and our bodies. Saying something because it needs to be expressed and heard. Behaving in a way that makes us feel proud of who we are.

4. Set Intentions

It’s easy for us to drift from our purpose with distractions—not only within our own minds, but those from the world around us as well.  We can stay focused on our purpose by beginning each morning with one clear intention: concentration, generosity, gratitude, peace, joy, energy, clarity, balance, or anything we want to harness in our lives. Throughout the day, we should remind ourselves of this intention and bring ourselves back to it often.

5. Think Positive

Make a list of all the positive things in your life.  If you ever catch your mind drifting toward negative thoughts about yourself, put a positive spin on it.  Remember, thoughts become actions, and actions become our lives

6. Be Selfish How often do we give others compliments and gestures of kindness? How often do we give that treatment to ourselves? We deserve to feel healthy and happy and no one has the power to offer us that except ourselves. Do at least one thing every single day that is completely, absorbedly, selfish.

7. Become Aware of Our Breath

Nothing is ever as serious as it seems.  Sit down, take a moment to think and just breathe.

8. Drink Water

Drink clean, pure, fluoride-free water. Drink a huge glass first thing in the morning. Drink it throughout the day. Carry a big bottle of water wherever you go as a constant reminder to drink, drink, drink!

9. Feel More, Numb Less

Sometimes feelings are intense. Pleasure, pain, sadness, joy, anger, anxiety, fear, hope…it can all be overwhelming. In our society we have created so many tools designed to make us feel less. We escape the intensity of sensations with food, alcohol, drugs, television, the internet, small talk, violence, sex.
Why are we so afraid to just feel?
When I feel an uncomfortable emotion creep in (especially loneliness or boredom), I notice that, suddenly, I have an urge to eat something or get online. However, the same way a throbbing headache is a signal that our bodies need something, boredom is a signal that our spirits need something. Our bodies are not telling us they need a pill the same way our spirits are not telling us they need distraction. We must stop quieting these signals and instead start listening.

10. Eat a Salad

Eat a big, satisfying, crunchy, varied, balanced salad every single day and, trust me, you will feel amazing! My favorite salads include a crunchy lettuce (like romaine or cabbage) mixed with dark, nutrient-packed greens, something sweet (like fruit, corn, or tomatoes), quinoa or beans, a sprinkle of nuts or seeds, and a tangy dressing with lots of fresh herbs.

11. Move Our Bodies

Run. Jump. Dance. Move. Sweat. Our bodies are filled with energy channels; let them flow! Somehow we’ve adopted this mentality that movement is about calorie burning and weight loss. It has become a chore and a “should” rather than a “want.” Moving our bodies is detoxifying, liberating, energizing, relaxing, and it’s downright fun. We should do it because our bodies want it and because it feels damn good!

12. Start Setting Boundaries

When we feel taken advantage of, taken for granted, or generally out of control, the chances are we are not setting boundaries in our lives and in our relationships. It is each of our responsibilities to define what makes us feel respected and communicate that to others. If we don’t want to loan our favorite sweater to a friend, we should respectfully say it. If we are too busy to volunteer at an event, we should be honest. If something makes us feel uncomfortable, we shouldn’t do it. We can never expect others to behave in accordance with our wants or expectations. However, we can absolutely determine what we are willing to receive and kindly express what is and is not acceptable to us.

13. Don’t Take Things Personally

Did you know that nothing is ever personal? Really. Nothing. What someone says or does that strikes an emotional chord with us is always a reflection of our own insecurities, values, and perceptions. Therefore, the way that someone treats you is the mirror image of what they are personally feeling inside. Knowing that nothing is personal, release the burden of what other people think and how they behave. Know that really, it’s not us. It’s them. In turn, when we find ourselves judging or mistreating someone else, we need to look within and ask ourselves what our thoughts and our behavior say about us.

14. Put Things Into Perspective

Sometimes, the best way to move on from our problems is to simply put them into perspective. Things are rarely life or death, everything will always be ok and nothing is ever good or bad unless we think so.

15. Spend Time Alone

With the internet at our fingertips, many of us are never alone. I find that my greatest moments of peace and clarity are those when I allow myself to fully separate from other people and outside distractions. My alone time fuels and energizes me when I return to the social world.

16. Lead With Your Heart

When we experience completeness within ourselves—alone—we may forget about the outside world. Lower the walls we’ve built to protect ourselves. Be honest with people about how we feel. Take a chance on love. Trust people knowing that we might get hurt. Leading with our hearts means being true to ourselves. When we are true to ourselves, we can live without regret.

17. Learn the Words Pura Vida

‘Everything is good, life is beautiful, go with the flow, surrender to what is, let things go, enjoy your life.’

We can say, “pura vida” on a sunny day as appropriately as we can in a storm. Pura vida is all about accepting the beauty in the world in every form. Learn these words and live them.

18. Seize the Day

The best time to take a step toward what we want is when the idea is fresh in our minds and the motivation is strong in our spirits. Live in the now. Tomorrow may never come, so do it today. Do it now.

19. Make it a Habit

My experience has shown me that to actually change, I must practice consistently. This is why drastic shifts, like moving or leaving a relationship, seem to affect us in the biggest ways: the aftermath of these actions have results that remain consistent day after day. For anything to really change we need to do it often enough that it starts becoming a habit or a pattern. Choose something that we really want and do it. Every. Single. Day. Practice discipline. Do it until we don’t have to remind ourselves to do it anymore. Then keep doing it. Again. And again. And again.

20. Let Everything Go

Perhaps the most transformative practice of all is the act of letting go. In order to change, we must first make space to allow growth to happen. Let go of our expectations. Let go of our past pain. Let go of who we were yesterday and who we think we might be tomorrow. Let go of everything that is not making us better individuals right now. Most importantly, let go of thinking that we need to be perfect by adhering to anything. -- Even this list :)

Why Versus Boot Camp?

Do you want to be a 98%'er?  Most of our Versus coaches started in a "98%" place mentally and stayed trapped there for much longer than we care to admit.  Its a tough place to be but each of us finally found the way out.   

-What is 98%? 

In short, being a 98%'er is a mindset.  It's the way you think.  An example might be saying things like:

• “There’s nothing I can do”

• “They make me so mad”

• “That’s just the way I am”

• “I don’t have the time”

• “I'll never do that”

• “I have to do this”

• “I can’t, that’s me”

-Today, we train people looking for the same way out.

We've struggled through our own mental and physical transformations.  We've spent years trying to build muscle and lose fat, all while screwing up plenty along the way.  After all of the trial and error we discovered there is only one way out of our old lives:

Defeat the “negative mind-set” once and for all.

A negative 98% mindset is looking at your body and the world in a way that guarantees failure. It makes you feel "stuck", insignificant and small. Not only when you’re in the gym, but even when you’re just out living your life.

Most folks stay locked in this mindset forever and never get the body they want. Often, their lives — much like their bodies — are destined to remain average.  Being average is easy.  Breaking the mold is hard but sooo worth it.

With the right tools and a little coaching, you can permanently escape this mindset, and maybe even change your life. 

We’d like to show you how to transition to thinking/saying things like:

• “Let’s look at what we can do”

• “Let’s choose a different approach”

• “I will do this”

• “I am in control of my own feelings”

• “I can do this”

• “I choose”

• “I will”

In our boot camps, your coach will help you make these small changes.  Each day you show up willing to put in the work, you'll notice micro changes.  Those little bitty gains and changes in your mindset and in your body is what this journey is all about.

Remember, there are no overnight successes and there are no short cuts. 

Lastly, one year from now, you'll wish you started today.  So don't let tomorrow, turn into never!

Here is a list of all our boot camps:
 
BOOT CAMP

If you have anymore questions like:

• I've never worked out before.  Can I do this?
• I'll miss the first week of camp.  Should I still sign up?
• I can't run, should I still sign up?

Shoot me an email at steve@versusstrengthandconditioning.com and I will help you.

Why RUN VSC?

Are you spending countless hours on the road, training for your next race, and feel like you’re not getting any faster?

Are constantly worn out, over trained, and injured?

The vast majority of endurance athletes get injured during the typical training year…

Enter the VSC Running Clinic.

Coach Michael Frierson spent the last 10 years running races of all types:  5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon, 50k, spartan race...  I asked him why attending the Run VSC clinic would be vital to any level of runner and a few other questions:

Versus- "What's the longest distance you've competed/completed?"

Michael- "I completed the Carl Touchstone 50k.  While training for the race, our team logged over 350 miles... All injury free."

Versus- "What's your fastest 5k?"

Michael- "Recently, 20:54.  In my opinion the 5k is one of the hardest races.  If you build a good level of endurance completing a 5k isn't too difficult.  Trying to run it hard is very difficult in my opinion."

Versus-  "Why should you sign up for the VSC Running Clinic?"

Michael- "Its a great value!  As a client you'll get video analysis of your running form, weeks worth of skills and drills to take home and practice,  nutrition information for all race distances and mobility techniques for injury prevention.  Most importantly, we will help improve your technique immediately."

Regardless of your endurance background the VSC Running Clinic has you covered…

Are you looking to improve your running and endurance just so you can get a better 5k time?

The Skills & Drills program will help you do just that. With 6 weeks of ‘homework’ that you can fit into to your daily warm ups you’ll be running more efficiently in no time.

Do injuries have you sidelined? 

Shin splints?  Plantar fasciitis?  Knee pain?  Do you heel strike when you run?  The mobility and technique portions of this seminar can help!

So, If you’d like to get faster, reduce your chance of running injuries, improve your technique, and complete your first, or your best race... 

Sign Up Now: Click Here!

How to gain momentum: 5 Tips

I'm pretty sure that most of you out there in internet land have lost your momentum, drive, mojo, will power or whatever you want to call it at some point in time.  You know the feeling:

• You don't want to accomplish anything,
• It's hard to get out of the bed and go to work (and heck they are paying you to show up)
• You make excuses for everything
• All you want to do is scroll mindlessly through Facebook, Instagram, snap chat or set your fantasy sport roster for the 100th time to keep your mind off of what you should be doing.

Does any of this sound familiar?  If it does... keep reading!  If it doesn't... Well you must be a unicorn or something not real or whatever.

The "Why" of losing motivation or momentum could be a billion things.  Everyone's situation in life is different.  Everyone is a special unique little snowflake.  But what all of these little snowflakes have in common is the ability to change their situation or circumstance. Or ,better yet, the power to change the way we think about our situation or circumstance.  Keep your situational change ability in mind as you read ahead.

I guess the big question looming is "Why" did I lose momentum or "How" did I lose momentum. Like I said earlier, it could be a billion reasons and those reasons do need to be explored.  BUUUUUT some folks get so consumed in the "Why and the How" that they never do anything to change their situation.  Being consumed with the W and H is what we like to call- the emotional rocking chair.  Don't get caught in the emotional rocking chair!  You may be rocking away, but you are not making any progress.

So how do you change your situation?  I guess is where the catchy title comes to play!!!

Tip 1- Positive Self Talk. 

Read this next sentence carefully, "Do not picture Brad Pitt on top of the Eiffel Tower wearing a pink bikini."  What just happened?  You pictured Brad Pitt sporting a pink bikini atop the Eiffel Tower, didn't you?  The words on this page became a thought, the thought then became an image and then a crooked smile popped on your face.  Your mind changes thoughts into images.  So what happens if you consistently have negative self talk?  "I can't do this.  I don't deserve change.  I don't want to change.  I am too busy."  In my opinion, if you think negatively, you will develop a negative outlook on life and you'll get caught in a different style of rocking chair:  The Negative Nancy Everything is Impossible Rocking Chair.  Be careful what type of thoughts you put into your head.  Those thoughts could very well be contributing to how you view your situation.

Tip 2- Help Someone else.

Ever heard the saying, "Tis better to give than to receive."?  Performing acts of kindness for a total stranger can put a smile on your face and on theirs.  Helping someone else sounds like a simple concept... So simple that there is no way it could work, right?  My thought is this:  In today's society we are consumed with, Wait!  Let me take a selfie!  We all have instagram, facebook, myspace (don't hate), iPhone, iWatch, and maybe an iLife.  It seems like everything has an inward focus.  By helping others it might just be possible to break the cycle of the current situation you are in and also put a smile on someone's face.

Tip 3-  Break Things Up.

Have a task that is blocking your way?  Does it seem insurmountable?  Is it just too much?  Answer this question, "How do you eat an elephant?"  Simple... One bite at a time.  Look at your huge task as a bunch of smaller task, right?  Nope not for me.  Looking at a lot of little stuff gives me anxiety.  Try breaking your huge task into 10min windows instead.  Literally set a timer for 10min and get to work! When the timer expires stop immediately.  If 10mins seems too long... make it shorter.  It is ok to stop.  The key issue is what?  YOU STARTED!  Positive thinking! #winning!

Tip 4-  Change your scenery.

You could literally change your scenery, like move to North Carolina or whatever, but how about looking at who you hang out with and what you do on a daily basis.  Do you socialize with loud and aggressive people that have negative habits and negative vocabulary?  Do you drink your sorrows away after work, and stumble to the couch day after day only to get up and do it all over again?  How's that working for ya?   Trying breaking the cycle!  Go to the gym instead of going to the bar!  Hang out with a new social group for a while.  Change your scenery or it will stay the same...

Tip 5-  Don't Trip.

A friend of mine once told me, "Don't trip about the future." Don't focus completely on the future is what he meant, I guess...  Couldn't agree more! So what happens if you future trip?  You will not be able to focus on the present.  Future thinking causes stress and won't allow us to stay engaged in the moment.  This mental chatter can make it difficult to maintain perspective and focus. If we’re too stressed about the future, we can’t make good decisions and solve problems and stay composed.  Stay focused and composed and build momentum!

Hopefully these tips can help lower stress levels, connect with the present moment, and create a more momentum. I hope some of this helps!

**Disclaimer**

I'm not a board psychologist.  I'm just a dude, disguised as a trainer, playing a psychologist in my spare time.  Really though, all I'm doing is making an observation.  I hope this can help someone.

Why should you join the last Versus Boot Camp of 2014?  I could give you a lot of reasons why but I'm biased  because I own Versus.  So why not turn it over to a client who just finished our 6 week boot camp?  Meet Kalee:



One of my coworkers sent out an email about this bootcamp. I had no clue what it entailed, but I had hit rock bottom and knew I needed to make a change in my life immediately. I signed up for bootcamp because I was miserable. I was huge and hated to look at myself in the mirror. I had a good looking husband who deserved better and a one year old that I couldn't keep up with. Since my old lifestyle consisted of sitting, eating, sleeping, etc. I knew that a "I'll go walking this summer" attitude would probably last maybe... a week. I needed something that would help me be consistent and keep me accountable. $150 is A LOT of money to pay as a teacher (and my husband decided to do it too so make that $300), so that also motivated me to stick with it. I kept thinking, if I can do this for 6 weeks, I can do anything! I'm also very competitive and driven, so I had the "go big or go home" attitude from the start. However, I'll never forget how nervous I was prior to going. I emailed my coach before signing up and asked her to make sure I wouldn't die!!!!! Those 6 weeks changed my life and I can't imagine not having Versus now.

I'll never forget the first day...we completed the first portion of exercise and Suzannah (my coach) said, "That's the warm up we will do each time." WHAT??!!! I thought that was the exercise!!! I was about dead from trying to make it 400 m. Immediately, I wrote in my black book that a goal of mine was to run 1 lap around the track without walking. Now, I'm able to run a mile with very little walking. It's amazing how much better my stamina has gotten. In addition to fitness results, I've changed my diet dramatically. We eat clean with very little "cheat meals" and I have a whole new attitude about food. I eat to fuel my body, not because I crave the food. We were eating fast food just about every night. Now, if we treat ourselves to a fast food meal, my body regrets it. I don't know how I use to eat that way daily. Because of "eating clean" and "training dirty", I accomplished huge results physically. I was wearing a size 14 when the bootcamp began and I set a goal to reach a size 8 (thinking this would be a WHILE) and now I'm wearing a size 6. I also set a goal to be confident wearing sleeveless shirts because my arms were huge! Now I'm seeing muscle in them instead of fat. I've lost a total of 30 pounds and 27 inches. My body is constantly changing and improving.

My favorite part of bootcamp was having such a close group of people to trudge alongside me. We were always encouraging one another, dying of pain together, and pushing each other to keep going. I also, of course, love having a personal coach and love mine dearly. She is always encouraging us and pushing me to a whole new level. I couldn't have made it without Suzannah. She's changed my life, and I will always be thankful for her. I've continued with the Versus AT class and am now setting and accomplishing new goals for myself. My husband goes to a later class so we can flip flop our child. It's a sacrifice of our time, but one that's well worth it. Not only are we improving our lives, we are also setting a positive example for our son. I'm now happier and more confident than I've been in a long time. I hope to inspire others to begin their new life and I always say, "A year from now, you'll have wished you'd started today!"