NEW PROGRAM
BABYBUMS BOOT CAMP
Enjoy the fresh air, while you get in shape with your baby in the park!!
Our power walking sessions incorporating muscular conditioning, strengthening, stretching and Mommy meditation — much more than just a walk in the park!!
BabyBums Boot Camp Is a stroller fitness class designed
for postpartum moms who are moderately active and
looking to supplement their fitness routine with 2-3 days a
week of strength and interval training.
BabyBums Boot Camp Level combines cardiovascular
drills with strength-training exercises to target all of the
major muscle groups. Classes include abdominal
exercises, mat work to strengthen and tone your body.
Class participants may use an all-purpose or jogging-style
stroller.
Moms must be at least 6 weeks postpartum to participate.
FRAMEWORKS FIT CHALLENGE
SUSAN SPEAKS OUT "I have struggled with my weight for years. I didn't always have a weight problem. I was always slim and active. Three children later, a busy lifestyle in the food industry and lack of consistency with my efforts have put me where I am. I know how to eat healthy and workout properly. The problem is I only follow a healthy lifestyle 50% of the time! My dedication to my healthy lifestyle always seems to falter. I am ready to do this 100% and even make my journey PUBLIC! Each week I will update my weight, obstacles and accomplishments on the website. So here is where I begin!"
STATS March 1, 2008 170 pounds 41.5% body fat chest- 41 in. waist- 35 in. hips- 42 in. thighs- 25.5 in. arms- 14 in. calves- 14.5 in
Susan's BEFORE AND AFTER "I feel healthy and strong"!
FRAMEWORKS FIT CHALLENGE
KERRY IS GOING PUBLIC!
This is Frameworks Fitness version of the Biggest Loser! Follow my clients "Lifestyle Change" journey. Kerry, is ready and up for the very PUBLIC challenge. We can follow Kerry's weight loss, and fitness gains as she shares her experience with us all! Kerry will be posting her journey and give us an update of how she is doing. Not only will Kerry share with us her weekly weight loss, but she will keep us informed of all her accomplishments and struggles.
STATS
- NOVEMBER 1, 2008 Height- 5'6" 209 pounds 43.5% body fat chest- 45 in. waist- 41.5 in. hips- 50.5 in. arms- 15.5 in. thighs- 28 in. calves- 16.5
KERRY'S STORY
My weight has been a life long challenge for me. I was always considered a big kid and was certainly an over weight teen and adult. At a very early age food became my drug of choice. I turn to it in times of stress, happiness and pain, In my struggles with my weight, I have lost numerous pounds and have of course put them back on. With all this up and down, I have never met the goal of being at an ideal weight for my frame. I came to Marla over a year ago after meeting several trainers. When I met Marla, I knew she was the one I could work with. Even though she is a petite thing, I felt she understood my struggles, and her ego didn’t overwhelm me like so many other trainers did. When I sat down with Marla, we set out what my goals were. I wanted to be able to ski with confidence that my body could handle this activity without undo injury, and I also wanted to feel stronger and healthier. I wanted to feel powerful. In the end, I certainly met my goals. During my trainings with Marla, I would not let her weigh me beyond my initial assessment, nor did I do a food journal for any length of time. When I finally ended my sessions with Marla, I did have a final weigh in and I had lost 8% body fat which was totally fabulous. I had a great time skiing. I felt strong on the slopes and in my own accomplishments physically, but as Marla has told me several times, I could have done so much more if I was really willing to commit to eating clean and staying focused. It is now a year later and I am once again back to my original body fat level. It has been a year of many challenges for me, divorce, moving, starting my own business and the truth is, I never fully committed to my health, but times they are a changing. I want optimum health for me and for my family. I have spent the last while envisioning the healthy life I want and committing to it. I have decided to go public with my health challenge to solidify my commitment to health. I have committed to having my stats published (oh the horror!), doing a food journal for Marla, having a weekly weigh in and writing a regular blog on how I am doing with this challenge. Marla has set up a program for me that I can do in my home, plus I have chosen to participate in BOOT CAMP. Let the challenge begin!
NOVEMBER 7, 2008 weigh in day...206.5
There are two conditions in life: accept things as they exist, or accept responsibility for changing them. --Dr. Denis Waitley I am accepting my responsibility in changing my health, and I am down 2.5 pounds from last week. Yeah me! Of course I want it to be larger, but from my previous experience, I do know that I am building muscle and losing body fat, so that is what is important. I think I have done really well with my work outs and my eating. Over the course of the week, I participated in two Boot Camp sessions, worked out twice on my own and then worked out with Marla, and she worked me HARD! I must say that during the first Boot Camp, I really questioned my sanity. Why was I doing this to myself, but after I regrouped, I knew why. I want to lead an active life and not be afraid of physical challenges, and participating in programs like Boot Camp will get me there. The girls in the group are great. They are motivating to each other which is fabulous! I am doing well with watching what I eat and not going over board with quantity or frequency. I did manage to avoid all the treats around work this week and stuck to the apples instead. I am cooking healthy meals for my family and just avoiding the treats that I so frequently indulged in the past. I am planning for my weekend ahead with family, so that I can maintain my healthy eating during this time too. I know it doesn't happen over night, but boy I wish it could. Until next week...Work hard and eat well. Kerry
NOVEMBER 14, 2008 weight....204.5
It was a shock when I learned about my 2 pound loss this week. I had a week of family visits which meant wine and great food, and I put my boot camp classes on hold. I also had some momentary emotional eating which is something that I have always struggled with. I admit that I was more cautious than I would have been previously, but when I went from eating very clean to indulging, I really felt that my weight would have gone up. To my surprise it didn’t. I think I have to get my head around the concepts of being good vs being bad, and they are momentary lapses. What I am doing overall is embracing a healthier lifestyle and that means eating properly 80% or more of the time. I have to be able to live and not go with the mental game of oh I already had a glass of wine, so now I will have that piece of cake because I am already not following what I should be doing. Marla and I talked about a few strategies and I will put them in place when my next group of family visits this weekend. What I did learn from this week is that I do need to plan more. When I am entertaining, I need to have those fruits and veggies with sensible dips available, alternate a glass of wine with a glass of water, have a bite of the sweets and then pass it a long(the French way). Hopefully, by keeping these ideas in my head, I will have another successful week. Wish me luck. Kerry
NOVEMBER 21, 2008 weight....205
The past does catch up with us. Hence I don’t have positive news except for the further learning experience of moderation. I had a second weekend of family visits and thought that I was being more cautious in my intake, but the two weekends caught up with me. I have done two boot camps and worked out every day either with cardio and weights or just cardio. I do feel better and am certainly sleeping better, so these are very positive outcomes from my working out. My children are starting to join me on my health quest. They have been on the treadmill and have enjoyed it. We are playing wii fit and looking forward to the upcoming ski season. On another note, I did follow the directions that we see posted for any new exercise regime and had a full physical before starting this program: complete blood work, mammogram, bone density. The results are back. This 42 year old menopausal (surgery induced) woman needs to resistance train to help with my bone density and further tests were required on some of my blood work as my thyroid was acting kind of slow, so I will keep you posted on this and how it will affect me down the road. Until next week, I will train hard and eat clean! Kerry
November 28, 2008 Weight...203
My reflections on the week are yeah I lost a little over 2 pounds. I was really careful about what I ate and I worked out very hard. The social temptations, going out for drinks with friends, are becoming more and more prevalent at this time of year which makes things very difficult, but once again making that commitment to exercise and eat right has to be there. I haven’t lost a great deal of weight, but people are noticing my healthy glow and that does give me a boost which I try to remember when I am tempted to over indulge. I am really enjoying the boot camp classes and was very happy to hear that Marla would be able to continue with them in December. I can feel the difference in my energy level from my participation in them. I will check in next week. Kerry
DECEMBER 5, 2008 Weight...203
No loss this week. While a certain part of me is disappointed, and I can’t deny that, I am still pretty proud of myself for my efforts. I worked out quite hard this week with two boot camps and then working out at home on my treadmill and doing weights and exercise videos. I am eating fairly clean but not fanatically and this week I have made a conscious effort to increase my protein. I have enjoyed a couple of cookies this week, and last weekend I did have some wine and several dinners out where I believe that I made wise choices. Health is 80% nutrition and 20% physical, so I need to keep both things in balance and that means being realistic. I try and approach my eating as a healthy lifestyle and not a diet. I want/try to eat healthy, and I think that I am doing that by making wise choices both in what and how much I eat, but I don’t deny myself the occasional treat or taste of something. Hopefully by trying the treat and not denying myself, I won’t go out and eat the entire plate later. On a very positive note, my coworkers have commented on a difference in my shape, and I have moved over two notches on my belt. The biggest sign of my new strength and endurance was that I did one of my exercise DVD’s the other morning, and when I did it, I thought that it was fairly easy. I am now thinking of trying other harder videos to challenge myself even more. I feel a certain dread of the coming holiday season and the impending food frenzy, but I am trying to plan things out in my mind to get me through it, and Marla and I are discussing strategies to help with this. In my session with Marla this week we discussed future goals, and we both agreed that I should certainly be able to see 2009 in below 200lbs. Until next week, I will eat well and train hard. Kerry
December 11, 2008 Weight...203
I was headed to the states to visit friends and do so some Christmas shopping, so I had to drop in mid week to see Marla for my weigh in. I have no loss to report as it was only a few days since my last weigh in! On a very bright note, some things have certainly changed in my world. I have gone from having to force my zipper up while reclining on my bed, to actually throwing my jeans in the dryer because I needed to shrink them as they were too big. They were still baggy afterwards, but I will wear them with pride knowing the work to get them to the baggy stage. It is truly an amazing feeling to have loose clothing. It is very motivational for me. While away at my friends, I became the “eat clean” spokesperson. We spent a great deal of time talking about eating clean and exercising. I even worked out while I was away, and I made an amazing dinner of fish with a mango salsa and salad. It was nice to be able to have great food that was special and still eat clean. I can’t wait for more clothes to become loose and for some of my smaller size pants to fit. It is a very exciting and inspiring time. I really think I will be able to get through the Christmas season eating well and exercising. Kerry
January 9, 2009 Weight...201
It has been almost a month since I posted and I am quite happy that I can post a loss. It is only two pounds since my last blog, but there has been a great deal more lost and gained during that time. I had a goal of seeing the new year in at under 200lbs, and I accomplished this. I was fairly diligent about eating well, and I didn’t drink too much. I vacationed in Bermuda with friends and spent most nights dancing, so I was actually at 198.5 when the New Year arrived, but just like so many people that event hit and I went wild. Starbucks lattes, timbits and chocolates, and then I did the most damage when I was with my family. This seems to be a big trigger for me. I drank yummy martinis, ate tons of cookies, scarfed breads and within 5 days I added 5 pounds. I am happy to say that when my routine returned, I was able to get back on track. I am not a big “New Year’s Resolution” person, but I did make the resolution to take care of me this year. I am committed to participating in boot camp 3 nights a week instead of just 2 nights, and I really enjoy this as much as I hate it. There is a great sense of being in this with other people that the class participants put forth. I am also trying to work out on the off days either by following one of the videos that I have or by using my treadmill (I don’t like the cold). I am once again planning ahead and using Sunday night as the prep time for getting my lunches and snacks set for the work week. It hasn’t been easy this week, but I certainly feel much better and stronger for all the exercise that I am getting, and having those meals prepared can be a life saver in the morning. Kerry
January 16, 2009 Weight...199
Almost 2 pounds since my last journal and while I am happy, I so much want it to be faster. Slow and steady wins the race, and I just have to keep reminding myself of this. My eating has been pretty good and I attribute this to planning. I have had a few days where the cravings were crazy, but I did manage to avoid the sugar highway at work. Veggies, veggies, veggies, protein, protein, protein is my motto! My love/hate relationship with boot camp continues. I really love that I can see/measure the improvement in my strength and endurance. I love the camaraderie. I love the feeling of being tired because of my physical work. I love the feeling of it being over for the night. I hate doing the stairs. I hate pushing out one more push up. I hate jump squats, but I loath BURPIES! Marla does a great job of motivating us to continue on and makes the classes interesting by switching things up. It really distracts you from what you are doing. Which is wonderful. I do really enjoy going to boot camp, and I can see the physical differences in the girls who are regulars. On Monday at 5:10pm when I head out that door for boot camp, I will have that mental picture of me in ultimate health chanting slow and steady won the race! Kerry
January 23, 2009 Weight....198
This is a time for resolve. A one pound loss is a good thing..The scale is going in the correct direction, and I have to remind myself of this. I also have to remind myself that this is for the long term, and some weeks there will not be the loss that I want to see. I am happy with my exercise and commitment to boot camp, and I am doing well with my healthy eating, but there have been a couple of cookies that have passed these lips recently, and my old nemesis, coffee, has slipped in a few times this week, and yes it has had cream in it. The slope is sooooo slippery for me, but having to discuss it has put things in perspective for me, so the next coffee I have will be black, but I will really try to have herbal tea instead. Wish me luck! This coming Thursday is the end of this session of boot camp, so we will be doing our weigh in and measuring. I am really looking forward to see how the others are doing. I can really see differences in all of them since I started this back in November. I am still noticing differences in the way my clothes are fitting, so I too hope to see differences both on the measuring tape and the scale. I will let you know how it went next week. Kerry
January 30, 2009 Weight....196
Wow! I can’t express to you how light my step is these days. Thursday night was our weigh in and measuring. I am not sure how everybody did, but I do know that I am really happy with the results of 4 weeks of hard work. I lost a good amount of inches and a very good amount of weight. I had remarkable improvements in my fitness tests. I am very proud of going from a 45 second wall sit to 2 minutes. Having those measurable improvements in my physical abilities is very rewarding. I am under the 200lb mark and that is making me very happy. I certainly feel the loss in the way my clothes fit, and am now pulling those very tight clothes out of the closet, and they are not so tight any more. I know my confidence is up and there is a certain feeling of being able to conquer anything. I am certainly feeling energized as was the group at boot camp. I can see the changes in the group, and I can’t wait to see what the changes are next month for everybody. It is a great group that encourages each other and that makes boot camp more enjoyable. Until next week! Kerry
February 6, 2009 Weight....196
It is amazing that I can feel so elated by my efforts one week and sent into a spiral on another. There is no weight change this week and I have to say that I am not surprised, and I am in fact quite happy that my weight didn’t go up. For most of my life I have handled my sadness, pain and inner turmoil with emotional eating. This week was unfortunately no different. An off day turned into a no holds bar chocolate and jelly bean fest. My kids were stressing me, this is a regularity as they are 12 year old boys going on 15 some days, but it seemed to be ratcheted up this past week. I thought it would help to have some one on one time with one of the boys, so I missed a boot camp session. This lost session combined with what I had ingested in the last couple of days put me in a space that was not very good. I tried some old stand bys of listening to up beat music, buying some nice flowers for the house and treating myself to some luxurious bath salts, but the call of the jelly beans and chocolate were still there. The sugar just makes me lethargic and grouchy and then I feel worse for being that way, so the cycle seems endless. The only saving grace seems to be that what used to be years or even months of bingeing has been contained. My 4 day binge, I believe, is over. I have thrown the rest of the jelly beans out, and I have planned some food for the next several days, so this will help in creating control of my eating. I guess the biggest thing to take away from all this is that we all have set backs, but it is how long we allow those set backs to control our life that changes: days, weeks, months and years versus hours and minutes. I am really hoping to crack the code that lets this emotional eating into my life again and again. I do believe that the idea of how well I feel when I do my boot camp sessions and how it empowers me helps to keep me on track most of the time. Keeping a food journal is also a tool that has actually come in handy. My food journal is a nightmare right now; I hope Marla doesn’t keel over when she reads it, but it did let me note how out of control I was, and it helped me put the brakes on. I read the tag line “if you bite it, write it” this week, and I will continue to do so as a way of keeping tabs on myself. Good bye sugar…hello veggies! Kerry
MARCH 1, 2009....WEIGHT....197
Not good is what I basically feel. I know coming to the end of February is tough on most people’s resolutions, but I really thought that I was in the mind frame that this wasn’t a resolution, and I was onto a lifestyle change. My sugar cravings and eating have been out of control. I got into a cycle of not sleeping well and this really put my defenses down. One chocolate here, a glass of wine there and all was lost. I also missed almost two weeks of boot camp due to travel and then family obligations. Talking the talk is so much easier than walking the walk. My little quote of if you bite it …write it.. is all good in practice, but if I am not going to do it, it is just words on the paper. I really thought with my planning for the week ahead, I was setting off on the right track, but it just didn’t work for me. I went with all the temptations all around me and didn’t write it down. I really have to admit that once I am off track, it is very hard for me to see the light. I then get caught in the cycle of what is one more day of being off track. I think the big difference is that my off tracks are no where near as big as they were before, but they do add up. They affect the way I feel about myself and this can start a down hill trend. The one thing that does help keep me on track is the movement involved with boot camp, and I really was affected by the time that I didn’t go. On a good note, I did manage to make it to three boot camps this week, and they were tough work outs. I felt much better afterwards but still not up to par as my eating was not on track. I did increase my water intake for the week, and once again I am starting each day fresh with my eating. I am not giving up on myself. Each day I have to make the commitment to myself. I didn’t get to this weight over night, and it is not going to come off over night. I have to realize that there is no magic pill. I am responsible for my world. I created this body, and I am responsible for creating the healthiest version of it possible. Here is to hope. Until next week. Kerry
April 14, 2009
193.. well this was my weight before I went on holiday. I hesitate to guess what it is now as I know what I drank and ate. I really feel that I have dropped the ball. I haven’t blogged in ages and really never got back into a routine after March Break. I once again got into poor sleeping patterns(like most women over 40) and this just set me up for falling behind in so much of my work and work outs. I just didn’t have the energy to accomplish anything it seemed and everything seemed so overwhelming: minor car accidents, constant phone conferences with my head office to arrange my summer program, finding host families, kids that were complaining about me not spending enough time with them. I had to prioritize, and I just wasn’t one of the priorities even though I knew that I should be, it just seemed that I didn’t have the time. The one thing that I was continuing to do was eat not too badly, but every day is a struggle to avoid all the food that presents itself. I have had my vacation in the sun and had quite a bit of time for reflection. I will continue to work out, but I just can’t do the boot camp 3 times a week and give my guys the time they desire of me. I have to take the time they are willing to be with me while I can. There is only so much more time that this will be available to me as the teenage years are fast approaching. As for my fitness plans for the future, I am going to have to change my work out to early morning treadmill, weights and videos and now that the weather is looking better bike rides with my boys. I will go back to the journaling of my exercise and food and will show this to Marla for accountability. I am still going in the right direction; it is just taking me awhile. Thanks for your patience....Kerry
April 20, 2009....194
Well it is not surprising that I am up 1 pound. I still struggle with food and exercise, but the important thing is that I am not giving up. This is reality. Life can be tough, but we have to keep trying and that is what I intend to do. I am monitoring my intake and still being active. As I write this, I am suffering from a horrible headache and a nagging cough. It kept me away from work today and boot camp, but hopefully everything will be better the rest of this week. I am planning on treadmill time and weights. I will modify my workout to early morning, so that my boys (who are being needy right now) get the time that they want with me. Until next week, keep moving.
Kerry
April 27, 2009.....194
No change this week which is amazing, I haven't been going overboard with food, but I have certainly turned to my old nemisis carbs. I have an action plan in place for the next couple of weeks where I am a priority. Yes I am working on a longer scale, but I am thinking in two week chunks. I have decided to switch my weigh in to Monday morning. I used to be good all week and then indulge on the weekend. I am hoping with a switch to Monday morning, it will cause me to be more cautious and maybe not enjoy so much wine and good food on the weekends. This better weather can hurt either. Kerry's positive frame of mind is back!
Kerry
May 5, 2009....193
That darn scale. It went down a little and I was very happy, but then we had boot camp measurements and things were back up. The one thing that I can say is that having my weigh in on Monday certainly changed my thoughts on what I put into my body over the weekend. I think this might be a good thing for me to keep in mind. I am also trying to stay focused. Things are getting very busy with my work, but I am trying to continue to make me a priority. I know in the long run that the better I feel the better I am able to do my job, look after my boys and handle my stress.
Until next week, thinking healthy.
Kerry
May 12, 2009....193
Seems like I have hit a set point, but I am still fighting the fight. This week I turn 43. I have hit some major accomplishments. At this time last year, I was just moving into my own home with my boys after having gone through a separation and working towards a divorce. I was sitting at 218 pounds. That is a tough one to admit, but it was my reality. Today I am 194 pounds. I know this is still high, but to be healthier both physically and mentally was my goal, and I am getting there. I have lost 24 pounds since last fall. I am proud of this accomplishment. For me this isn’t going to be a 12 week fix. I am reversing a lifetime, and I have come to believe that those steps while sometimes small add up, and those steps over the course of my year make my life better and healthier. I am conscious of what I am putting into my body, and I am continuing to move. I sleep better(most of the time), am more active, feel more confident, and am healthier overall. Things can only get better. If I have learned anything over the last year or so it is that you can’t give up, so in my 43rd year, I will continue to work out, eat healthier and make wise choices.
Kerry
Kerry's before pic.....
Kerry's DURING pic....
Just keep watching for Kerry's AFTER PIC!