Ann: Individually, we learned to love ourselves a little more effectively. Our workouts highlighted our strengths and weaknesses, and we got to work on building our bodies for more efficient work and more enjoyable play. Our trainers talked to us about nutrition, and next thing we knew, we were sharing food ideas and discovering new recipes for healthful eating. I'm not sure I'll ever love celery as much as Cheetos, but maybe I can remember to at least keep it on hand. I love that my arms are a little firmer, my legs are a little stronger, and my endurance is a little longer.  After a few days to think about the experience, I think love is the word for  everything we did at Boot Camp -- except maybe the sled! Diane R: Yeah, we did it!  I am proud of all of us and happy that we did it together.  It  was a lot a fun exercising this way in a group.  Hopefully, we can keep it up even if we try different group classes together as a staff.  We could check out

Diane R: One week to go!  This has definitely been a great kick-start for me. I’m definitely encouraged to keep going.  My Girl Scout troop is also working on a fitness badge and will hopefully be coming to Alex for a kids session.  I read once, that the time of day you exercise works better for different individuals. I can’t remember if the article meant physically or mentally “better.” But I was thinking about it this past week after having a morning session. I personally like working out in the morning better. It energizes me and makes me feel accomplished early in the day.  I struggle with stopping whatever I’m doing in the middle of the day to go exercise. However, it did make me stop and refocus mid-day and relieved any stress that might have been going on that particular day. What are your thoughts? Feeling very hopeful for our last week!

When you are on a restricted diet where you are counting calories and limiting certain things like sodium, carbs or fat, eating out can be really difficult. You want to be able to enjoy it, but not completely blow your diet. I found some things to be helpful. 1) Plan ahead - many restaurants have their menus online and some even include nutrition facts like calories, fat and sodium. Look on their website and get an idea of what they have that you can eat. It may be that they don't really have anything, and you might want to choose another restaurant. Or maybe save it for a real special occasion. If you know before you go, it will be easier to decide once you get there and to order wisely. If you can't find a menu before hand, or they don't have nutrition info, an app like MyFitnessPal can provide information on many restaurant items, 2) Look for healthy options - lots of restaurants have special sections on their menus for smaller portions, or healthy, light, low-fat it