How to succeed in spite of yourself

by: Mari Garner | Founder, The American Boot Camp Company

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:54:00 -0700

"The difference between a successful person and other is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will."  Vince Lombardi

As a personal and group trainer that deals with the fitness goals of others every day, I often find that it is sheer will that seperates the people that see results and those that do not.  How can you win the battle of will?  Try these steps:

1.  Avoid tempting situations.  This seems simple, but many times we set ourselves up by poor choices. When it comes to eating, don't starve yourself all day.  Try eating five or six smaller meals over the course of the day.  Always eat at the table and not in the car or standing up.

2.  Monitor your food intake daily.  Writing down what you eat allows you to be honest with yourself and to get a true picture of where you can change things to be more successfull and to see the number on the scale decrease.

3.  Set realistic goals with specific time periods.  I want to lose 100 pounds in a month is not going to happen.  Try I want to lose 100 pounds over the next 12 months and I am going to hire a trainer or join boot camp to do it is a specific goal. Then break that big goal into smaller shorter term goals. I want to log my food every day for a week.  Once you achieve the small goals, the larger goal gets easier.

4.  Substitute eating with exercise.  When you are stressed take a kickboxing class.  When you are snacking because you are bored, take a walk in your neighborhood or head to the gym.

Incorporating these four steps into your daily routine will help you be more successful and can lead to a healthier lifestyle.

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Why your weight isn't such a big deal

by: Mari Garner | Founder, The American Boot Camp Company

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:02:00 -0700

As Atlanta's Biggest Loser contestants prepare to lose the first of 12 wonderful people, I want to make sure to remind everyone that the scale isn't always the best measure.  Although that is the chosen measurement on the National Show, the number on the scale only shows a small part of an individuals story.

We all know that obesity is a major problem in this country and many of the contestants are considered obese and thus have decided to make a change.  Obesity is defined as the amount of fat in a body.  So to truly grasp the level of obesity you need to measure body fat.

This week the men all went to get their body fat tested and, like the scales, the results proved eye opening.  However, a trainer can make specialized changes to each clients programming armed with body fat percentage and the information that can be derived from knowing how much lean body mass a person is made up of and how much of their "scale weight" is body fat. 

Also keep in mind that a muscle weighs more than fat and that a woman weighing 160 pounds can wear a size 8 and a similar woman with less muscle wearing a size 8 might only weigh 145 pounds.  Similarily a man weighing 220 pounds that is solid muscle (11-14% body fat) might be slim looking compared to a man weighing 220 that has %40 body fat.

So ladies and gentlemen of the blue and red teams and all of those at home on the black team - don't get discouraged if you only lost 1-2 pounds this week.  You might have gained muscle!  Also remember that it is usually not healthy to lose more than 1-2 pounds of fat a week.

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Wanna Lose Weight? Get Tanked!

by: Mari Garner | Founder, The American Boot Camp Company

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 06:59:00 -0700

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I haven't exercised in a long time. Can I do boot camp?

by: Mari Garner | Founder, The American Boot Camp Company

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:45:00 -0700

I hear it many times a month.  "I haven't exercised in a long time.  I need to get into better shape before I try something like boot camp."  or "What do I need to do before boot camp (exercise wise) to get ready?"

The answer is nothing.  Well at least not with The American Boot Camp Company.  This 4-Week program is designed for the beginner that has been sitting on the couch or not active to get into shape.  It is also skillfully designed to help people that are in shape already and that is why when you see many boot camps out there you need to make sure you are going to the right one.

I am training six very overweight men that have NOT been active in the past six months (and several beyond that).  They are doing the same program that every person would do, but they have some additional assignments as part of Atlanta's Biggest Loser. 

So if you want to get started in boot camp, here what you should expect:

1. 1.  An orientation prior to the start of your fitness program providing nutritional education, outlining a detailed nutritional plan and also providing information on what to expect on the first day of the program.
2. You should expect to get some homework assignments to get you moving prior to the first workout.
3. You should be advised to go to a specialty running store and get a running gait analysis and new shoes so that you can avoid any injuries and excess pain to the legs from old shoes.  Try the Big Peach Running Company.

If your boot camp doesn't have a nutrition plan and educated staff to get you started on the right path, you maybe paying too much and you may only be getting a workout.  The American  Boot Camp Company's program is so much more than a workout.  It is outdoor fitness using body weight resistance and interval based training.  Noone yells at you and the instructor actively participate in the workout to push you beyond your comfort zone.

Who can do boot camp with The American Boot Camp Company? 

1. There are beginners in every camp including overweight people and people with very little cardiovascular endurance that look perfectly normal.  But there are also athletic people that use the interval based training style to cross train.
2. Although you must be ABLE to run, you don't have to be a runner and you may not start out running on the first day, but will build up to that point. 
3. There is 1 instructor for every 5 clients, so regardless of the fitness level, each person is individually challenged.

So don't fell like YOU can't do boot camp because you are overweight, out of shape or in too good of shape. The American Boot Camp Company is one fitness organization that is reaching out to ALL fitness levels and helping change the shape of Atlanta!

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Getting started with a new fitness routine: Letter to my Biggest Loser Team

by: Mari Garner | Founder, The American Boot Camp Company

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:46:00 -0700

Getting started with a new fitness routine is a daunting task, but preparing to change every aspect of your life, giving up old habits and venturing into a 12 week competition to lose weight is overwhelming.  Below is the beginning of the journey for Atlanta's Biggest Loser Men's Team.  Today, six very brave men began their journey to long term health and fitness.  Now these guys are not your average Joe.  They are extremely overweight.  Some need to lose nearly 200 pounds.  Some are literally fighting for their life facing high cholesterol, high blood pressure and even diabetes. 

So guys, I want to congratulate you for taking the first step.  You have committed to getting in shape and to losing weight by first admitting that you need help.  That is the first step to long term weight loss.  Doing it alone is not easy or realistic.  You have to engage your friends and especially your family. 

The guys were also given some homework assignements that are introductions to their exercise program which included a short walk or job and some body weight resistiance exercises and stretching.  The first thing they all said was that they were sore and that is how I know they all actually did their homework.  The best thing about the start of this contest is that they guys have each other. Working out in a group helps you to ease some of the fear associated with a new program and verbalizing your questions and anxieties helps to mentally keep you on track.  

Today, the guys met at my Brookhaven Fitness Studio for an orientation to their new lifestyle.  They got educated on healthy eating and eating for fuel and recovery from tough workouts.  This information is what will allow them to make better choices in their eating habits.  But hearing the reality of what they can't eat was an eye opener.  No soda.  No ice cream.  No pizza.  Limiting the intake of high fat, high carbohydrate foods and foods with little to no nutritional value is the first step.  But any good trainer or nutrition expert know that talk is cheap, so we headed off to the grocery tour after our orientation session. 

We walked up and down the grocery story isles and I pointed out some of the downfalls and mistakes that people make, like eating too much or choosing empty calorie foods.  I think this is when the reality of the task set in for many of the contestants.  After the tour, we all met up outside and I asked one final question - what are you going to do now, what will you eat tonight?

This one question allowed me to see how scared they guys are, but also to see the importance of continued support and education in the process of weight loss.  Each of these guys has different goals, but each of them must learn how to make better choices with what they eat. 

So the real contest begins.  And what I hope each of these men will see is that they are in this fight for life and that laying a foundation in healthy eating (not fad dieting) will allow them to win not just this battle, but the war on obesity.

Good luck guys - I know you can do this and I won't let you quit!

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