If you’re in the Jumpstart Boot Camp, some Boot Campers at the end of week #5 have clearly demonstrated that IT IS possible to lose a significant of fat in a relatively short period of time.  They have proven to themselves and to others that with the right tools, techniques, and mindset, you don’t have take the “slow train” to losing weight so typical in other weight loss programs.

Take a look at some of their “numbers” here:

http://www.genesispersonalfitness.com/members/329.cfm

And if you’re in the Accelerated Boot Camp, having already completed the Jumpstart Boot Camp, you’ll realize that riding at the top of the weight loss momentum we talk about in the Workshops has become “mastery” for some of these Boot Campers.  In fact, several who have dome both Boot Camps have proven that IT IS possible to lose between 4-5 lbs. each week of pure body fat when you stay focused and determined.

Take a look at some of the Accelerated Boot Camper’s stats here:

http://www.genesispersonalfitness.com/members/330.cfm

My congratulations go out to all the Boot Campers that have persevered these past 5 weeks.  It has taken patience, determination, and “staying power” to work the Boot Camp weight loss “formula” each and every day.  My hope during this last week of the Boot Camp is that you stay true to your commitment to reach the goal you’ve set for yourself and not take your foot off the gas pedal until the day of your Final Assessment next week!

Until tomorrow…

If the weight scale has been troubling you because you’ve experienced weight losses, gains, and even some plateauing during the last 5 weeks, keep in mind that it all comes down to the Final Assessment next week.  It is then that we get to see how much fat you’ve lost versus how much overall weight you’ve lost.

And does that matter?  YES… YES… YES!  Here’s why…

For some of you, eating the way you have these past 5 weeks is a first in a long time.  Not only have you portioned your calories at each meal and tried to hit a specific Daily Calorie Target, but if you’ve stuck to the plan, you’ve also eaten your meals in a ratio that optimizes full utilization of all the nutrients into every cell of your body:  50% protein to 50% carbohydrates.

As a result, your muscles have enjoyed some effective “jet fuel” to not only keep your metabolism revved higher, but to also burn more fat when it counts the most – when your at rest.  The drawback is that when this happens, muscles tend to weight heavier in your body because with the  infusion of better nutrients and super hydration, and this can lead to trading fat for muscle with only a slight change in overall weight.

My suggestion is that if you’ve struggled with seeing the scale weight change like some of the other Boot Campers, just stay the course.  You might be pleasantly surprised at the upcoming Final Assessment.

In the meantime, here’s a Boot Camper’s Success Checklist worth running down to see if you’ve done everything you should have to see the best results.  Answer each of the following questions as they pertain to you and how you’ve performed over the past 5 weeks.  OK, here we go…

#1:  I made sure I prepared for each week’s Monday Weigh-in and hade it done in a timely fashion.
I did this:  ___YES   ___NO

#2:  I reviewed my single, most important weight loss goal several times each day using my Personal Goal Cards and VisionPics (if your purchased them) so it remained a predominent thought and priority in my life until I accomplish it.
I did this:  ___YES   ___NO

#3:  I picked out a smaller-sized pair of pants or outfit I use to wear and tried it on at least once each week to self-assess my progress regardless of what was happening on the weight scale.
I did this:  ___YES   ___NO

#4:  I took 5 minutes each night to plan what I intended to eat for the next Boot Camp Day.
I did this:  ___YES   ___NO

#5:  I drank all 128 oz. of water as required each day.
I did this:  ___YES   ___NO

#6:  I performed all my sessions of additional cardio exercise on non-Genesis Days, even if you went to Genesis to do it.
I did this:  ___YES   ___NO

#7:  I track edwhat I ate throughout my day and completed my Daily Food & Exercise Log each day.
I did this:  ___YES   ___NO

#8:  I took the Recommended Boot Camp Supplements every day as prescribed.
I did this:  ___YES   ___NO

#9:  I sent my Boot Camp Coach my completed Daily Food & Exercise Log each day so he could monitor and correct my Boot Camp “course” right away when necessary.
I did this:  ___YES   ___NO

Well, how did you do?  Have you done all of them?  Most of them?  At least a few of them? 

I hope so because in my experience, it has been these “keys” that have lead many Boot Campers to a significant level of weight loss success.

In the next Post I write here in a day or so, I’ll outline some options for what to do after the Boot Camp is completed.  Stay tuned…

Most people believe that happiness and fun are virtually identical.  When asked to imagine a scene of happy people, most conjure up a picture of people having fun – laughing, playing games, drinking at a party, etc.

And why is ‘having fun’ such a relentless pursuit?  Why do we always seem to look for opportunities to have fun?

The most obvious reason is that fun is enjoyable, and we are programmed to pursue what we enjoy – food, drink, sex, and all the other pleasures of the senses.  But there is a deeper reason why people so seriously pursue fun – they believe it will bring them happiness.
 
Often, however, this is a flawed premise that can lead people to irreversible unhappiness.

To understand why fun doesn’t necessarily create happiness and can even conflict with it, we should understand the major difference between fun and happiness:  fun is temporary; happiness is ongoing.  Or to put it another way, fun is during and happiness is during AND after.

Here’s a closely-related example to your weight loss endeavor in the Boot Camp: Eating fattening and junk food. 

Let’s face it, eating delicious-tasting, foods that are high in fat and sugar is a great deal of fun.  When you do it occasionally, it can be a very gratifying experience.  It can give us lots of pleasure for the moment and in some cases, depending upon who we are with, can be memorable.

But, when we start having this form of overindulging fun too often, eating fattening and junk food usually becomes a source of unhappiness that we often pay the price for in how we look, how we feel, and we see ourselves from a self-esteem point of view.

So does this mean you shouldn’t have any fun at all when it comes eating?  No, as long as you know how to have it.

First, make the decision to look for another type or form of fun to fill your ‘fun appetite’.  Decide that when you want to have ‘fun’, you’re NOT going to rely on crappy foods that you already know will torpedo your weight loss goals and how you ultimately want to look and feel. 

Second, if you seem to rely on eating certain foods as comfort foods to offset feeling sad, feeling empty inside, feeling rejected, or as a temporary reward for doing something great that no one gives you any recognition for, change your gears completely.  By this, I mean that instead of reaching for food to feel better about yourself, take up an activity that is ‘active’. 

Stop feeding yourself just to feel better about yourself as a ‘fun thing’ that you know won’t last long.  Stand up… draw the line in the sand… and decide today to make the switch from ”feeding good” to feeling good by doing something that has motion to it.  One of my private coaching clients made the switch from stopping at McDonalds and eating 4 double cheeseburgers every time he felt unappreciated or stressed to stopping at a local high-end sports car dealer and driving his favorite model of Jaguar.

Third, decide that when you are going to “eat for fun”, you make it a planned event.  Decide you’re NOT going to do it at random or out of frustration.  Make the eating-for-fun occasion something you will value and appreciate, and be even more selective about who you are going to do it with so it’s memorable.

Developing a proper approach and understanding to fun, particularly when it comes to “eating fun”, can be one of life’s most liberating and powerful discoveries.  The moment you “get it” that the temporary pleasure you derive from eating junk for fun doesn’t lead to being happy and the body you really want, you’ll begin to live a different lifestyle, the effects of which can be life transforming.

So I ask you… are you looking for just the momentary fun that doesn’t last, or for the sustained happiness that comes from more strategic eating that will give you the leaner and healthier body you want?

Until next time…

Instead of the usual 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM scheduled times, we will be having our Workshop #3 ONE HOUR EARLIER as follows:

Jumpstart Boot Camp Workshop #3:  8:00 AM – 8:50 AM

Accelerated Boot Camp Workshop #3: 9:00 AM – 9:50 AM

While this was already noted on your Boot Camp Schedule Sheet in your Weight Loss Boot Camp folder that was given to you at your first Workshop, I thought it important to remind you of the change as we will be covering very important changes for the last Stage of the Boot Camp.

See you on Saturday…

After weeks of labor upon their arrival in Colorado, they were rewared with what appeared to be a vein or gold ore.  But despite their countless days of drilling, their ‘almost there’ proftiable vein soon disappeared.

Frustrated and discouraged, they threw in the towel, sold all their mining equipment to a junk dealer for a few hundred dollars, and headed home back east.

The wise junk dealer, with this used mining equipment in hand, called a mining engineer who advised that the project had failed because the young man and his uncle weren’t familiar with “fault lines.”  His calculations showed that the BIG vein of gold ore would be found JUST THREE FEET FROM WHERE THEY HAD STOPPED DRILLING!

And that’s exactly where the wise junk dealer discovered one of the largest deposits of gold up to that ime.  It rewared him with millions of dollars because he knew enough to seek expert help before giving up.

So what does this have to do with losing weight in the Weight Loss Boot Camp? Plenty.  The question for you is…

“Are you just three feet from reaching your gold of losing the most weight you can in these 6 weeks?”

For some, losing weight in the Boot Camp goes as anticipated or expected.  Once they get their eating and exercising routine down and into the rhythm of it, they begin and continue to lose a lot of weight each and every week.

But for others, depending upon factors like being consistent each day on the eating plan, whether they’re doing their off-day cardio, whether they have made it a priority to drink 128 oz. of water every day, etc., losing weight can seem like an up and down roller coaster ride.  Some weeks they lose, some weeks they gain, and some weeks they remain about the same. 

Yet, they don’t ask for help.  They don’t realize that there is a reason for everything that happens during the weight loss process and if they don’t know what it causing things not to go in the direction they expect, all they have to do is ask their coach for help.

What a shame it is to sometimes see a Boot Camper stop making the effort to reach their weight loss goal when they are just “three feet away from the gold.”

Now that you’re half-way through the Boot Camp, how close are you to your ‘gold’?  Do you think you need some extra help? 

We are always available to answer questions and troubleshoot the obstacles you may be facing… BUT you have to ask.

The best place to begin asking is on our website’s Discussion Forum.  If it needs to get more personal, then feel free to email me directly.  We can even discuss the issue or problem blocking you from your success by phone.  The key, however, is to ASK when you need the help.

Talk soon.