Jennifer’s Journey: Week 1 – Continued

Written By admin • 4 min read

“I have a confession to make, I am recovering addict. My drug of choice = caffeine. I know as a mom with four busy little bees running around my house that some days I needed a little extra energy. So I would occasionally stop off at McDonald’s to get my Diet Coke (you can insert your own addiction here- Starbucks, Circle K, your local coffee shop or fast food drive-in).

For awhile, it made me feel more energetic, but like with every drug there are side effects when it wears off and then I would feel exhausted. After prolonged use you need more and more to feel any effect. That is where I was coming from before I got here. I practically had a Diet Coke IV! I know all of the morning shift at my local drive through by name!

Needless to say my energy levels at home were horrible. I felt like I couldn’t even get the basic things done every day. I am proud to report that I have not had ANY caffeine since I got to camp. And in just one week of eating healthy, exercising and NOT drinking caffeine my energy level is soaring. I feel so GREAT!!! I know I could take on housework, laundry, taxi service, homework, dinner and not feel like collapsing in a heap on the couch at 2:00 in the afternoon!

Speaking of dinner, we had the most amazing thing last night here at PFC! It looked like spaghetti with chicken and pesto sauce. The “noodles” were made from spaghetti squash. The pesto was delicious and had avocado in it too. We have a binder we received when we arrived and there is a whole section of recipes of some of the things we eat here so we can make it when we get home. I was ecstatic to see this one was in there! It makes me excited to know that I can find things that are healthy alternatives, and after tasting them first here, I know my kids will eat them at home.

I am hopeful that this can be a successful lifestyle change for me AND my family.

So, as we approached Friday this week, all of the veteran campers started telling us how fun Friday Boot Camp is because it’s “different”. We split into our two groups, A and B, and it becomes a competition! We had to pull the boxing bag down the field while a partner ran down and threw weighted medicine balls over a bar, push the bag with weights on a cart and kick a soccer ball in the net, race down and carry back various weights and stack them in order. The ultimate relay race!!

After each of these events the losing team had to do crunches, push-ups or other exercises. I knew I would be doing those extra exercises no matter what team I was on. After the first race, before I could even voice that sentiment, my entire team dropped down to do crunches with the other group! It is so motivating to be here, with other people looking for ways to challenge themselves and each other.

I think that is one thing that has struck me this week. Everyone here is so positive, both our trainers and our teammates. Always someone there to encourage you, cheer you on, make you laugh, share a hug. You bond quickly and feel like a little family. We spend a lot of time together and I have made some great friends here in just a week. We work really hard, but we have fun too. We laugh A LOT!

For me, it has been an enormous comfort to have them here to support me while I am away from my family. Tomorrow, five people are going home. It is great to see their progress here at Premier Fitness, but it is bittersweet to say goodbye. I hope to stay in touch with them because I already consider them my friends!”~Jennifer
I am 37 years old and a mom of 4 beautiful daughters. I am a stay-at-home mom who is never HOME! I do some work from home helping my husband run his business. My weight was not a problem until I got pregnant and began having children. I have never completely lost that weight. I have tried different diets and felt like a yo-yo for the past 8 years! (see me on far right of picture)

A combination of things happened in my life to make me decide to make some major lifestyle changes and putting myself first, making healthy choices for me and my family. Please join me on my journey on several blogs: on the Premier Fitness Blog, on the TimeOutMom Blog, on the Mom It Forward Blog, and on the Today’s Mama Blog, as I do five weeks at the live-in camp and get twelve weeks of coaching and support after I return home. This is going to be life-changing! It is already life-changing!