mojo stories… Susan C.

My friend said, "Go to Mama Bootcamp with me!"

I had attempted to play golf in my school district’s golf tournament. By the end of the nine-hole course, my legs burned and I was winded. I was so disgusted that I couldn’t even walk a nine-hole golf course. I thought “I have got to do something!” I spoke with my friend Sarah Rath about my frustration and she said “Go to Mama Bootcamp with me!"  I did and I swore at her throughout the entire workout-quietly of course! I seriously thought I wouldn’t make it through. I remember that I could barely walk up the front steps to my house that night.  But I called Lorri Ann and signed up.  

My exercise program was non-existent. My eating habits were horrible. I knew what to do--I just didn’t do it. I must have joined and dropped out of Weight Watchers eight times. Weight Watchers temporarily worked--I lost weight. But then I’d go back to my old habits and gain it all back. I went to Hawaii in December of 2012 and was the heaviest I’ve been since I was pregnant 14 years ago. I was only 20 pounds less than my nine-months pregnant weight. I tried watching what I ate when I came back and was able to lose 10 pounds on my own before joining Mama Bootcamp. 

I know it sounds cliché, but going to Mama Bootcamp has changed my life. The workouts are hard, but I feel amazing afterwards. Exercise has now become a habit for me. If I’m feeling stressed, I go to Bootcamp. If I’m feeling out of energy, I go to Bootcamp. I can’t always do all the exercises for the full time (I have to rest occasionally when Lorri Ann isn’t looking!), and I still jog/walk, but I can feel myself getting stronger. I’ve been trying to challenge myself with every Bootcamp I attend. I compete a little bit each time with myself and try to push the envelope just a bit, whether it’s choosing the 8 pound weights instead of the 5 pound weights (thanks Susan Reynolds!), or going on the outside track instead of the inside one at Maidu Park. 

It hasn’t been easy, but that’s part of the joy of it for me. I worked for this, as do all the other mamas. It has been an accomplishment that I feel very proud of. There wasn’t a quick fix or a pill to swallow to make me feel and look the way I do now. It’s about commitment, consistency and getting back on the wagon when you fall off. I have never, in all my other attempts to become fit and healthy, been able to do it alone. With Mama Bootcamp, I’m becoming the best me I’ve ever been.