Day 8: Oh Pancake, My Pancake!

Unbelievable Weight Loss Results From Week One of Boot Camp!

Are you ready for some protein pancakes? I thought so!  They are pretty darned good…and a little syrup never hurts!   Welcome to week 2!

We have had some great success stories to this point.  Many boot campers are down 5 lbs or more!  What are you experiencing?  Weight loss?  More energy?  Less aches and pains?  Leave a comment or shoot me an email and let everyone know about your progress to this point!

It is important to remind ourselves that weight is not the end all.  I had one guy lose 19 lbs. during the first week of boot camp.  What that tells me is that his colon was so clogged he was colon cancer waiting to happen.  I’m glad he lost the 19 lbs…but I’m even more thankful that his colon is healthier!

There are several ways to measure an improvement in health.  Increase in strength, increase in energy, decrease in pant size (assuming the previous size was an unhealthy large size), an improvement in what the mirror shows…there are several ways to register health progress.  As you think (and journal!) about your journey and progress to this point, be reminded and encouraged that progress takes many forms, and that the category where your most significant progress comes may shift from week to week.  It might be a change in weight this week that excites you the most, and a change in strength next week that is more noticeable!

DO THIS NOW:

Before you do anything else, measure out 1/2 C of almonds (tomorrow’s mid-afternoon snack) and put them in a bowl or plastic container.  Pour water into the container until the almonds are covered by 1 inch.  Let them soak this way overnight.  This will help to unlock the nutritional value of the almonds.  To learn why, read here!

From the Boot Camp Personal Trainer: I’m With You!

I am getting calls and emails from some participants, yet haven’t heard from all of you.  I’m here to help!  Ask questions, offer ideas or suggestions.  If you have an old injury that is keeping you from doing some exercises from the workouts, let me know.  If you are having trouble viewing the videos, let me know!  I’d love to help!

To quote E.T.: I’m right here!

The Value of Virtual Boot Camp Day Eight: Introduction to Caloric Shifting!

Today is a great transition day for your body.  We are combining proteins and carbs again.  We are adding in a little bit of dairy!  And we are adding in the calories!  In fact, have you looked at the menu for week 2?  Have you seen Saturday? A fiesta!  You may be saying, “What the heck?!”  Guess what, our body is saying the EXACT SAME THING!  You will notice that we move the calories around quite a bit now.  That will be our new M.O.  Why?

I talked with a future client today (she doesn’t know she is going to do boot camp yet…I’m working on her).  She’s in the midst of losing weight via a bar and shake program.  She consumes 800 calories every day.  And she is losing weight.  Temporarily.  You see, she is calibrating her body to expect 800 calories a day.  So, when she comes off the diet and gets back to 2,000 or so….WHAM!  The weight returns, and then some…because her metabolism was re-calibrated to expect 800 calories.

We kept a low calorie mark in week 1 because we were cleansing.  Now that we are done with our cleanse, we are going to move calories all over the place.  This jump, called caloric shifting, keeping the metabolism guessing (and burning!) more effectively.  Just like all the things we do in boot camp (the number of meals/snacks, the types of meals/snacks, the types of exercise, the fiber drink), I recommend that you make sure to move around your calories every day for the rest of your life.  Sound like a lot of work?  Good thing you have me, and good thing I’m making new menus all the time!   Welcome to the world of caloric shifting, or as I like to call it, metabolism confusion.

Wellness Tip of the Day: Stop Buying Those Berry Drinks!

There are all these exotic antioxidant drinks on the market these days: Xango, Monavie, Acai Berry, etc.  They are a complete waste!  A double-blind study was done to test the effectiveness of all these antioxidant berry products to see which one worked best.  And it wasn’t even close.  Melaleuca’s ProvexCV, a pill, has the most antioxidant capacity of any of them….by far!  Welch’s Grape Juice came in a distant second place.  For your friends who have terrible allergies, bad cholesterol, or have heart disease in the family (in my family, bypasses are an Olympic event!), ProvexCV is a must!  Not to mention it’s a lot cheaper than all those berry drinks!

I Would Be Remiss If I Didn’t Tell My Boot Campers…

-Look ahead to Day 3 of week 2.  We have a cheat meal scheduled for dinner.  Be thinking about what you want to eat, and research the item(s) online beforehand.  If eating out is going to be your cheat meal, watch out for the calories, fat grams, and sodium!  You will be amazed with what restaurants put in our food!!!!  NOTE: If you want to change your cheat meal to a different day (Friday or Sunday for example), simply swap the ENTIRE menu for those two days.

-Make sure to get sleep at night!!!!  I finally got a great night’s sleep last night (thanks mostly to my girlfriend, who had to push me out the door at 10pm…it is tough to leave her!).  When we sleep well, our body recovers well and prepares our brain for the next day.  When we don’t sleep well, our body cannot repair and recharge as well (causing increases in appetite, hormone imbalance, decrease in concentration, etc.), and suddenly we have minimized the successes of the previous day!  Sleep well each night and the boot camp will be more productive!

-Be sure to journal every day this week.  And don’t forget to read your journal from last week.  See where you succeeded.  See where you fell short.  And see where you can do better.  It seems that those who are writing in the journal each day are more excited about their boot camp and more prepared for each day’s opportunities for success!

Adam Erwin is a Minneapolis-based personal trainer who is leading an online boot camp called “Virtual Boot Camp!”  If you arrived on this page and are not yet a boot camp participant, go to www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com/virtualbootcamp.html and register for our next group launch!

Day 7: Last Day of Cleanse Week!

Finishing Strong on the Cleanse, Looking Ahead to Transition Week

As we head into the last day of the cleanse week, it is important to finish strong!  Your body will do better in weeks two, three, and four if your execution was pristine in week one.  Also, it is incredibly important to set yourself up for success for week two.  Week two is transition week, as we get out of the low-calorie, easy maintenance cleanse and roll into the re-introduction of carb/protein meals and a little dairy.

Don’t be shy about asking questions.  I’m here to help.  If something is unclear, please reach out so I can help make it clear!  Have a great day seven!  Then, let’s ace week 2!

A Look Ahead to Week 2

Creating this program is very challenging.  Everyone is coming from an entirely different place in life….some have kids, some work from long hours, some are on the go….it is very difficult to create a program that works for everyone.

The menu for week 2 is certainly more complex than week one.  This is what I am trying to accomplish in week 2:

1) Provide variety

2) Giving your body what it needs AND

3) Not keeping you in the kitchen every waking minute.

Balancing these three criteria are incredibly tough!

The Week 2 recipes, if you study them, are not too taxing.  Most of them are pretty simple.  I understand, though, that many of you may be uneasy about cooking.  If you have challenges/issues/fears about the execution of week 2, let me know.  I’d love to help you come up with the right substitutions for week 2 that make the program work for you.

Email, text or call if you need help!

From the Personal Trainer: It’s a Whole New Ballgame!

Now that cleanse week is winding down, week 2 is a whole new ballgame.  Staying on course and eating the foods in order is crucial.  With few exceptions, I tried not to load up with calories late in the day.  You will notice a cheat meal nestled in there on Day 3.  Please follow the guidelines for that meal closely (and exercise immediately before eating your cheat meal…your metabolism will help you most if you do that!).

As we move around the caloric load (surprising the body is so much fun and a good way to stimulate heavy metabolic work), it is important to stick to the portions listed on the menu.  I am very understanding of an audible (change in game plan for you non-football types) during the cleanse week, but that does not work as well when more calories are on the table.  Enjoy the new menu, stick closely to it, and make sure to nail down your exercise DAILY!

The Value of Virtual Boot Camp: Day Seven

Your body is thinking, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  Now that you have escorted many toxins out of your body, let’s keep them out!  Finish strong today, continue to stay away from your vices!  This one last day of super clean eating is very important to your body, so as a service to yourself, make it your best cleanse day!

I Would Be Remiss If I Didn’t Tell My Boot Campers…

-Cardio can have several forms.  If the weather is decent for you, capitalize on the weather if you can.  Go running up a hill or skate around .  If you are in Florida and reading this, go wrestle a gator!  Mixing in a little fresh air is a great idea because many of us do not spend much time outside!

-As we move forward, prepare to count on a cheat meal on Day 3 of each week.  That will come in handy!  Outside of the cheat meal, renew your commitment every day to be steadfast in your pursuit of hitting your marks on this boot camp journey.  When will you have another opportunity to go through a process like this with several people again?

-Are you writing in your daily journal?  If not, start today!  Record what foods you like…makes notes about your experience.  The more you capture about what you are learning, the more effectively you will be at applying the food and fitness principles being taught. Don’t cheat yourself of the fruits of this work.  Record the stuff from this expereience.  You will be so glad you did!

Adam Erwin is a Minneapolis-based personal trainer who is leading an online boot camp called “Virtual Boot Camp!”  If you arrived on this page and are not yet a boot camp participant, go to www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com/virtualbootcamp.html and register for our next launch!

Day 6: Day Traders Vs. Stone Cutters…

Take a Boot Camp Cue From the Stone Cutter

I heard about the work of ancient stone cutters.  When it was time to cut a piece from a large piece of stone, a stone cutter would take a hammer and a chisel to the stone and pound and pound and pound.  With very few visible signs of progress, a stone cutter would continue hitting the stone, not knowing when the stone would split.   It could be hit #74, #693, or #1425.  The job of stone cutting became one of perseverance.

As we hammer away at progress during VBC, I encourage you to focus more on the task at hand than on the visible signs of progress.  The scale may or may not change quickly for you (again, it is not about what we weigh, it’s about what our weight is…you are in the process of losing fat and gaining muscle….which may be an even trade today…it will be a formula for continued weight loss as we progress).  Keep persevering and hammering away at the task at hand.  When we are finished with VBC, you will be quite proud of what we have cut away!

From the Boot Camp Barracks: Day Trading!

I have heard from many of you over the last few days.  Some are on cloud nine (losing weight, feeling great) and some of you are near rock bottom (tired of cleanse menu, not feeling great, mad at me for even coming up with this idea…j/k….haven’t HEARD anyone say that…aloud!).  More than a couple people lost some pounds then gained one pound back.  THAT is what I want to address now.

The body fluctuates.  When we step on a scale to check out weight, the number we see is what we weigh for THAT SECOND.  It may go up in five minutes, then down in twenty minutes.  Because of this constant fluctuation, I encourage you NOT to step on the scale daily.  Don’t be like a Wall Street Day Trader, whose very livelihood depends on the ebb and flow of numbers minute by minute.  Our weight will fluctuate.  Expect that.  Step on the scale once a week if you want…but daily might not make too much sense.

If we are doing the right things (which is what Virtual Boot Camp is!!!), the right outcomes will be the end result.  Know that.  Trust that.  Live that out!  Be a stone cutter, not a day trader!

From the Boot Camp Personal Trainer: Thankful for Patience

I struggle with patience sometimes….I believe I get it from my dad…at least my mom says so.   One snowy night a few years back  I was stuck in Kansas City because of a flight cancellation.  Upon hearing the news of my flight to Minneapolis being canceled, I ran to the check-in counter with all the other passengers and waited in line to see if I could squeeze onto the last scheduled flight for the night.

There were six seats available for the flight, and I was number 34 in line.  Things looked grim.  And the poor desk clerk was getting yelled at by several passengers who HAD to be on the last flight out.  You could tell it was not her night.  I began to empathize with her situation.

When I arrived to the clerk, I laid my frustrations aside and said, “Heck of a night for you, huh?”  She smiled.  “Unbelievable,” she said.

“Well, I know you have a tough job tonight and you are doing such a great job with these difficult people.  I want to be your best passenger tonight.  So whatever flight you get me on is just fine with me…tonight….tomorrow…the next day.  I’m easy.”  She stopped, looked at me, and smiled again.  “I need everyone else to be like you tonight!”

A half-hour later I boarded the last flight out of Kansas City that night, and enjoyed a first-class seat.  Oh how patience pays!

I share that story because I feel as though all of you have been so patient with me as I worked hard to get new menus to you, respond to emails and text messages, and return phone calls.  Follow up is a full time job with Virtual Boot Camp!  Thanks for hanging with me.  And by the way, you’d better get on board.  Your body is taking off!

Wellness Tip of the Day: Never Miss a Meal!

Ever heard the phrase, “He’s never missed a meal!”?  Most people use that to describe someone who looks overweight.  I use it to describe someone who is incredibly fit.  Every single time we miss a meal, the message our body gets is, “Hey metabolism, take a break!”  The reason we have so many meals and snacks in VBC is that we constantly want to prime our metabolism during Virtual Boot Camp.  I find it very ironic that those who never miss a meal (and who eat frequently) are the ones that look like they hardly eat!

Go maximize Day 6!!!!!

Adam Erwin is a Minneapolis-based personal trainer who is leading an online boot camp called “Virtual Boot Camp!”  If you arrived on this page and are not yet a boot camp participant, go to www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com/virtualbootcamp.html and register for our next launch date!

Day 5: The Truth About Momentum…

Weight Loss Stories Building

Are you down three pounds?  Six pounds?  My experience has been that a cleanse will help to lose a few pounds, and that further losses continue during the rest of the boot camp.  With the weight training and upcoming caloric loading (where we shift calories around from day to day to stimulate the metabolism), there is much to look forward to.  Today is Day Five!

And big kudos to those of you who went through the entire weekend and stayed true to your cleanse.  You folks are the real champions.  For those who kinda forgot about the cleanse for a few hours…your body is really confused.  All of the toxins that were hiding deep inside fatty tissue and were about to be released into the blood stream and out of your system have now been put back in hiding…time to refocus and move forward.

Momentum of Truth: Each Decision is Twice As Important As You Think!

Okay, let’s think basketball for a second (for the half of boot camp that I just lost…stick with me!).  When a defensive player steals the ball from an offensive player, the steal often results in a lay-up….an easy 2 points.  The beauty of this is that, in addition to the 2 points scored, the steal also prevented the offensive from scoring, which saved another 2 points.  Essentially, this is a 4-point play.

Each decision we make during boot camp (and always, really) has doubled importance.  If we eat the right food, we avoid eating the wrong food.  It’s a double win.  Or, if we choose not to workout out, we miss out on burning the most calories we would have burned in our day…it’s a double loss.

As we go through your day, if we execute boot camp perfectly, we double the results.  Conversely, if we fall down and have a bad day, we fall down farther than we thought.  Use momentum to your advantage executing as perfectly as possible!!!

From the Personal Trainer: Refocus on Sleep

I had three days last week where I was hungrier than I would like to be.  As I look back at those days, the one element those three days have in common is a lack of sleep the night before.  When we sleep well, our body has a better chance to recover from the day’s work, and thus we tend to operate well.  When we lack sleep, our body senses a lesser time for repair, and asks for an appetite stimulus package because it thinks it needs more nutrients to get through the day.  Sleep and hunger are closely tied.  If you find yourself hungry, take a look at your sleep schedule.  Chances are good that if you fix the sleep, you fix the hunger.

Wellness Tip of the Day: Help Out Your Heaviest Organ

Our skin takings a beating daily.  And we help contribute to the abuse daily…hourly…even by the second.  Take, for example your laundry detergent.  Most detergents, like Tide for example, contain known carcinogens.  There are very few regulations (government, industry, or otherwise) on detergents.  Essentially, known carcinogens are touching our skin via clothes, sheets, and towels…constantly.  And we wonder why our country has epidemic irritations with our epidermis! 

I use two products in particular to help save my skin from chemical abuse.  One product is Melapower by Melaleuca.  It is a laundry detergent that is free of harmful chemicals (therefore easier on the skin) and is more cost-effective per use than any name-brand items (and some knock offs).  Many skin problems are eliminated when we eliminate known carcinogens from the cleaning products in our homes!  As an added bonus, MelaPower is environmentally friendly.  If you consider that all the oil spills COMBINED do not add up to the amount of water pollution caused by laundry detergents, that’s really saying something!

I also use Renew, a moisturizing lotion by Melaleuca.  In addition to being free of pore-clogging and skin bothering chemicals, Renew has been clinically proven to treat and defeat eczema and psoriasis.  If you live in a state with harsh winters, Renew is a must!

Benefits of Boot Camp Day Five

Many of you should start to feel really good today!  The menu is balanced with things we are probably ready to retire (egg whites!), and things we certainly look forward to (fruit cocktail and soup!).  With an exercise focus on two muscle groups today, we are preparing for takeoff in the exercise department.  Please make sure your seat is in the upright and locked position, flight crew prepare for cross-check. 

Press on for Day Five!  Do not let up one bit!  You are just a few days away from a really outstanding menu of foods!

Adam Erwin is a Minneapolis-based personal trainer who is leading an online boot camp called “Virtual Boot Camp!”  If you arrived on this page and are not yet a boot camp participant, go to www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com/virtualbootcamp.html and register for our next boot camp!

Day 4: The Hardest Part is Behind Us!

The Boot Camp Cleanse is All Down Hill From Here!

Did you stay on the program yesterday?  Did you take it easy and stay home or were you out and about?  The second time I tried the program I had a softball tournament on Day 3 in Shakopee, MN.  Let me tell you….being several hundred yards away from the nearest bathroom IS NOT a good strategy during cleanse week!  I hope most of you took it easy.  I know that a few boot campers were feeling irritable…which is common for Day 3 and also Day 4.

As I said in the Day Three blog, I think the third day is the hardest.  Things start to look up on Day Four!   You are past the toughest part of cleanse week.  Give thanks.

Also, I have one boot camper who started last week.  Stacy lost 7 lbs. in the first six days, and as of day 10, had fit into her pre-pregnancy jeans (prior to boot camp she couldn’t not fit into any of her pre-pregnancy pants!).  This program works really well if you follow it!  Stacy wants to lose 15-20 lbs. before a big event and I think she will do it.

From the Boot Camp Barracks…

I received a few stories about how rough it was yesterday.  From “I can’t believe I had to run to the bathroom!” to “I had a massive headache”, many boot campers experienced a little discomfort on day 3.  One couple added, “Whenever we eat, we think about you!”  I took it as a compliment, but couldn’t understand why they were wielding knives and ropes when they said it.  Curious….

Here is why this achiness occurs…scientist-types please don’t blast me for my conversational-style explanation!  When your body doesn’t receive poisons for awhile, it gets excited.   It thinks, “since nothing poisonous is coming in anymore, maybe this is my chance to expel the stuff I’ve been waiting to expel.”  So it releases the toxins into your blood stream that were carefully stored for so long.  This is where you feel the cleanse!  After those toxins are expelled, your tissues, organs, and organ systems get a chance to repair and be renewed.  Ahhhhhhhhhhh!  Welcome to Day Four!

It might not be all down-hill sledding for all of you today.  However, if your body forced you to slow down, that is a sign that it is eliminating toxins that it has been waiting to eliminate!  If you felt bad yesterday, you are right around the corner from feeling great!

Benefits of Boot Camp Day Four

Depending on how you are handling the exercise, some of you will get a great cardio workout on Day Four (and as you may have learned, the day 4 video is the same as day 3….all cardio videos are the same BUT the intervals for each day are different.  The cardio interval that I have built in your Day Four program (gym people!)…it is a little different than yesterday!  For those of you with the home workout, enjoy a nice walk or run (outside if possible).  Be sure to change your pace every 30 seconds today on during your outdoor jaunt!

Day Four of the Virtual Boot Camp also provides a third-consecutive day of caloric increase.  And…carbs continue to make a comeback!  I believe most of you will feel really good today!

I Would Be Remiss If I Didn’t Tell My Boot Campers…

1) Exercise is going to become increasingly important, starting tomorrow.  Weight-training is a really big deal (your metabolism has a positive response for 39 hours after weight-training!!!!), so be sure to gear up for the three days of weight-training over the next five days!

2) Great job to everyone so far!  Even if you are not hitting the marks like you want to, your body thanks you for the things you ARE doing right.  Keep fighting, try to do a little better each day, and remember your “after” picture will show each and every sacrifice you have made!

Make Day Four your best day of the Virtual Boot Camp!

Adam Erwin is a Minneapolis-based personal trainer who is leading an online boot camp called “Virtual Boot Camp!”  If you arrived on this page and are not yet a boot camp participant, go to www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com/virtualbootcamp.html and register for an  upcoming launch!

Day 3: The Toughest Day of Boot Camp?

Weight Loss, Fat Loss, Motivation Loss?  Where Do You Find Yourself Today?

Most of the people I have heard from are doing great.  There are some folks I have not heard from, and am I wondering how they are doing.  Check in and share your story.  If you are cruising along, let us know.  If you fell off the horse, get back up and start fresh today!  Cleanse week is tough, and I think Day 3 is the toughest!

Be strong today and you will be in great position to cruise through the rest of this weekend!

Stories From the Virtual Boot Camp Hall of Fame:  On-going Progress!

I got an email from Michelle during week 3 of VBC.  “After reading the blog this morning, I guess I don’t feel alone.  When I tell people how much I’ve lost they think it’s great and I didn’t think so, not when I want to lose approximately 50! I am only down 12 lbs. and I haven’t measured inches yet….I’m still waiting for the flatter stomach…. I am noticing room in my pants but, I haven’t gone down a whole size yet.”

When I first read her email I thought, “You are upset because you’ve ONLY lost 12 lbs???!!!”  (SIDENOTE: For every lbs. a person is overweight, it is 3 lbs. of extra pressure off the knees.)  Michelle and I talked back and forth about her progress and expectations.  She certainly didn’t put 12 lbs. on in three weeks, so to lose it that quickly was a big win.

Michelle finished the program encouraged and determined.  She lost 14 lbs. during Virtual Boot Camp.  A month later I received this quick note from her.  It read, “Just thought I would update you, I have lost 28 LBS now!”

The principles of VBC are applicable for the long haul.  Regardless of the progress over the next 28 days, be on the lookout for the meals, snacks, and exercises that will integrate nicely into your post-boot camp lifestyle.

Virtual Boot Camp Food Update

I am getting a lot of questions about the foods….how important is it that I have my shake when the program says to have my shake?  I swapped the apple out of the morning and put it in the evening, is that okay?  I exercised after I ate dinner…did I just ruin my day?

Remember Mary’s story from Day One.  Following the directions will lead to the right destination!  The purpose of the nutritional program is to give your body exactly what it needs when it needs it.  So, the apple has pectin in it, which is great for fat loss.  Eating an apple before exercise on Day 3 is a really good idea.

Likewise, performing a workout before a meal is important.  Your body can burn through lots of calories after a workout, so having breakfast or dinner after the workout helps your body burn those calories more effectively.  The closer we stick to the program, the better we will serve our body!

Virtual Boot Camp Workouts

Make sure you are looking at the videos each day and working out!  Eating clean is not enough.  It will help you, but the exercise piece is really important!  If you have questions about anything, please don’t hesitate to call or email.  Thanks!

Wellness Tip of the Day:  Worried About Putting on Fat? Choose Snickers over Watermelon!

Watermelon makes us fat.  True story.  The amount of natural sugars in watermelon overwhelm our body, creating an excess.  The body then stores the excess sugar as fat.  Snickers, in contrast, does not have the amount of sugars to overwhelm the body and is less likely to be stored as fat.  I hear you asking, “Why isn’t Snickers a part of the boot camp?”

When I work with clients on food choices, I pay a lot of attention to the glycemic index.  The glycemic index tells us how our body is likely to handle the sugars in a given food.  Watermelon is full of natural sugars.  Bagels are full of sugars.  Pretzels are full of sugars!

Grapefruit, grapes, and oranges are some of the best fruits for low sugar content (and therefore low fat storage capability).  Part of boot camp is learning how to feed your body the right way over the long haul.  If you would like me to email you a copy of my glycemic index list, send me an email saying such.  I’d be glad to help!

I Would Be Remiss If I…..

-Didn’t say thanks to all of you who are leaving comments, sending emails, and calling in.  I love the energy!  Keep it up!

-Didn’t thank everyone for their patience with the exercise videos.  I hope you are finding them helpful and easy to download….the technology stuff seems a lot easier in theory than it is in reality.   Thanks for hanging with me, downloading Firefox and Mozilla, etc.

Have a great Day 3 everyone.  I would love to hear from the people who have yet to check in!

Adam Erwin is a Minneapolis-based personal trainer who is leading an online boot camp called “Virtual Boot Camp!”  If you arrived on this page and are not yet a boot camp participant, go to www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com/virtualbootcamp.html and register for our new launch group (we launch every two weeks)!

Day 2: Preparation is the Key!

Important reminder: to view the workout videos quickly, go to www.mozilla.com/firefox/ and download the firefox internet browser!  All workout videos will download instantaneously!  Also, go to www.apple.com/quicktime/download/ to download quick time player, which is the best way to view the videos.

 

Meal Portion Control and Appetite Management At Its Finest!

It has been so fun to have boot camp participants email, call, and text about their first day.  One participant experienced several firsts on Day One.  He drank a fiber drink for the first time, had his first whey protein shake, and even lifted weights for the first time in fifteen years!  Way to go!!!  Keep up the great work, send in your stories, and let’s have fun with this thing!

On a personal note (during my first run at boot camp), I tried the stew of a participant, Janine, and it was WAY BETTER than what I had made.  Mine was like cardboard vegetables with tomato flavoring.  Janine’s was like heaven and angels in a bowl (turns out that Janine added lots of seasoning).  If you followed the instructions well from the recipe I believe you were satisfied with last night’s soup.

Virtual Boot Camp Day Tips for Day Two!

Day One might have been a rude awakening for some of you.  I’m sure it was a departure from your usual food schedule.  Day Two gets a little tougher because the body starts to fight harder against you.  So, in order to say NO! to the little organisms inside you that are starving to death, consider doing the following:

Boot Camp Tip for the Day #1: Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!

Don’t get caught without a meal or a snack at hand!  Hunger will strike, cravings will kick in, and your right arm will accidentally stretch forward within an inch of a piece of chocolate.  When those things happen, be quick to grab your next snack or meal.  If it hasn’t been 30 minutes since your last food (and remember we are eating carbs and proteins at least 30 minutes apart), have another few bites of the same carb/protein you ate most recently.

Be prepared today!  It will be tougher sledding.  By day four, it should subside!

Boot Camp Tip of the Day #2: Pay at the Pump!

I made the mistake of going inside the gas station to pay for my gas on Day Two.  Dumb.  Don’t do it.  It was like walking into Best Buy after declaring a technology fast!  If you need to fill up, pay at the pump!  Your eyes, nose, and conviction will thank you for doing them a huge favor!  Avoid temptation today!

Boot Camp Tip of the Day #3:  Write it Down!

Did you journal yesterday?  Did you answer the five questions?  If not, make sure to do it!  Here are those questions again, just so you can have them in front of you!

What did I do well today?  What obstacles did I overcome?  Where did I fall short?  What obstacles do I foresee for tomorrow? How can I do better tomorrow?

Boot Camp Tip of the Day #4:  Make Sure to Make Benchmarks!

I touched on this a bit before, but it is worth re-stating.  It is important to know your starting point for the Boot Camp!  If you haven’t already done this, weigh yourself and take a “Before” photo…so we can see where you started!  Do this today if it has not been done already!  You will be so glad you did!

Boot Camp Tip of the Day #5:  Get Your Day Done Early!

Today is a tougher day.  We turn off carbs after the mid-afternoon snack.  You may be out of brain power and energy as the evening sets in!  Get the important to-do’s of your day done early, just in case you need to coast into the evening!

Stories From the Virtual Boot Camp Hall of Fame:  Out Comes THE Suit!

Meet Tony.  He’s 67 years old.  He is two years removed from a quadruple bypass.  He has been 30 lbs. overweight for years.  He and his wife live in St. Louis, MO.  Tony has THE suit.  It’s his benchmark, the one that says “Fitting into this suit makes me feel good about my body.”  He hasn’t been able to wear THE suit in at least three years (the last time he made a sincere effort at losing weight).

Tony took Virtual Boot Camp by storm.  He lost 13 lbs. during the program, dropped 5 inches around his belly, and fit in THE suit on the last day of boot camp.  In addition, he had some major progress on his blood work!  Over the course of four months (after his last blood work report in December of 2008, he called me for a nutritional consultation…despite making several recommendations to him, turns out the only thing he did before doing VBC was start taking the Vitality 6 Heart Pack from Melaleuca), his cholesterol dropped from 182 to 130!  His triglycerides dropped from 167 to 61!

The last update I received from Tony was on May 25th, 2009.  He has lost seven more lbs. since the end of VBC (on 4/22), down to 199 now.  He is a few days into being sub-200, a number on the scale he hasn’t seen since the Clinton administration.  Not bad for a 67 year-old!

Day 2 Workouts!

Today we are working out legs.  Be sure to go to your exercise video webpage (emailed to you already) to view the daily workout video.  As we move forward, the workout videos decrease in length (less to explain!).

Wellness Tip of the Day: Attack Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels More Naturally!

I can’t stand prescriptions that have major side-effects.  Can’t stand em!  I was THISCLOSE to working for pharmaceutical giant Lilly after college, but couldn’t stand the idea that I was tapping into a realm of science where side effects were a given…as if we should just accept the idea that making an improvement in one area in health was bound to cause a decrease in health in another area.  I found the idea unacceptable!

When I work with clients with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or high triglyceride levels, I’m glad I know about Melaleuca.  In addition to making the most outstanding vitamins I’ve ever seen, they also make supplements for heart/blood issues that are nothing short of amazing.  Meet Phytomega.  It is a proprietary blend of heart-healthy phytosterols and omega-3 fatty acids to help reduce cholesterol levels and maintain healthy triglyceride levels.  Meet Provex CV.  It is a patented blend of grape skin, grape seed, and other antioxidants to help prevent LDL oxidation and maintain healthy blood platelet activity.  These two supplements are in the Vitality 6 that Tony takes (from above).  When I have a client with high cholesterol or triglyceride levels who wants to avoid taking cholesterol medication, these are what I recommend.

Meet ProStolic. It is the first and only heart supplement to maintain healthy blood pressure using a proprietary blend of tripeptides, potassium, pomegranate, and passionflower to protect your heart—naturally.  When I have a client that wants to look at avoiding blood pressure medication or getting off their medication, this is what I recommend.

If you know a family member who is looking to attack their cholesterol, triglyceride levels, or blood pressure and is tired of the idea of taking a prescription for life to do it, I’d love to talk with them about the food, fitness, and supplements that could help improve their blood work!

That’s a Wrap!

Day two is so much closer to Day Eight, which is when we open up the foods and really have fun!  Be steadfast today!  And don’t forget to leave a comment or two about how you are doing!!!

Adam Erwin is a Minneapolis-based personal trainer who is leading an online boot camp called “Virtual Boot Camp!”  If you arrived on this page and are not yet a boot camp participant, go to www.rapidresultsfitnessmn.com/virtualbootcamp.html and register for our next boot camp (they launch every week)!