FOR many people knowing that summer is just around the corner is a welcome relief.
The thought of light nights, warm temperatures and a beach holiday inspires happy, positive thoughts in everyone... right?
Wrong. For many, women in particular, knowing summer is just around the corner instils feelings of dread and fear as the quest for the perfect beach body begins.
I am no exception.
While I would not describe myself as either overweight or unfit I have let my fitness levels slide in recent years.
The university lifestyle was not conducive to staying fit and healthy and since I started full time employment I find it much easier to watch overweight people run around on television, in so called fat camps, instead of going out and doing it myself.
With this in mind I decided that 2011 was the year I would try and fall in love with exercise and, in a bid to give myself a kick-start, I signed up for a five week bootcamp at the Body and Mind gym in Douglas.
This is not a bootcamp in the traditional sense – you are not forced to run around a field for army-style drill training or do star jumps in the rain while a macho instructor screams instructions in your face. Instead this is a programme, personally tailored to the individual, that combines unlimited use of the gym and exercise classes, one to one fitness sessions, and a diet plan.
This is my experience…
Week 1
My first week on the Body and Mind bootcamp and I'm happy to report I've made a good solid start.
As part of the bootcamp I am encouraged to follow the WaistAway programme which encourages three healthy meals, each containing less than 10g of fat a day, and three fruit snacks. Points are lost for not eating properly and points are gained for every 10 minutes of continuous exercise carried out.
For the first time in forever I make the effort to have breakfast before leaving the house in the morning. When the clock strikes for elevenses I find I am no longer reaching for the biscuit tin and am content to wait until lunch. I've also made an effort to cut back on my caffeine intake by slashing the relentless cups of tea I drink each day to just one.
Halfway through the week I notice I am suddenly much more conscious about reaching for something to eat when I know I have to diarise it. With this in mind I look carefully at my portion sizes and bring in healthy stir-fry or stew for lunch instead of buying pre-packed sandwiches.
Exercise wise I earn plenty of points by taking part in a resistance bands class and a boxcercise class at the gym. I also start visiting the gym instead of the shops in my lunch break - saving money and burning calories.
I hit a stumbling block on Friday when I get home to find an Indian takeaway on the table which I'm sure contains more fat than my weekly allowance put together and Saturday is not much better. I end up having a lie in meaning I miss breakfast and in a rush to get ready for a night out skip dinner for a glass of wine. Am I on a downwards spiral already?
Week 2
I approach week two with slightly less enthusiasm than the previous week because I already have a massive obstacle in my path - I'm going away for the weekend.
Going away to me signalises eating out, drinking and relaxing – not exercising, portion control and carrot sticks.
I get off to a bad start and do no exercise until Wednesday despite the fact I'm still on Island. In a bid to make myself feel better I sign up for a boxcercise class to redeem myself.
Fitness instructor Rachel is really enthusiastic and sets up a circuit which incorporates boxing moves, cardio exercises, weights and resistance work. The other ladies in the gym are really friendly and the class flies by – surprisingly I find myself having a good time as well as doing an intense workout.
As expected the exercise and diet programme fall to the wayside when I am away. I find it hard to eat three regular meals and finding fruit for a snack while living out of a hotel room is hard. I ultimately end up undoing the good work of the previous week.
Anyone who signs up to the bootcamp experience is urged to have one-to-one sessions with the fitness instructors to help monitor the progress being made. I pop in after my weekend away and catch up with Rachel who is very positive and tells me that we are all entitled to have days off and not to worry.
Still feeling guilty about not doing as well as week one I sign up for the Parish Walk in a moment of madness – am I crazy?
Week 3
This week my aim is to improve on last week's poor performance. I start by making sure I buy plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables instead of crisps and chocolate. I take the time, the night before work, to slice and dice them into Tupperware containers so that they are easily accesible at work.
I also start going to the gym at lunchtimes. The great thing about Body and Mind is that if you time it right you can end up with the whole gym to yourself. All of the instructors go out of their way to make you feel welcome by learning every member's name and are more than happy to help with the equipment, which looks scary at first, or to offer advice.
I work through my personalised programme, ticking off each activity as I do it, and soon find that I can get through much of the programme in my hour. When I can't I split it to focus on either my arms or my legs and then make sure I alternate this the next time I go.
On the days that I don't manage to do any exercise I find that I get itchy feet by about 7pm. I think this is the sign I've been waiting for. A breakthrough has been made.
Week 4
My good efforts continue this week. I have a few days off work and decide to embrace the Manx countryside. I take my exercise regime outdoors and start walking to places that I would normally drive to.
I visit Glen Maye and walk down the glen right to the beach for the first time ever. The walk on the way down is easy enough but a different story on the way back. After conquering what feels like hundreds of steps I really feel the aching in my legs the day after. A sure sign the hard work paid off.
Rachel is as encouraging as ever when I pop down for my progress meeting and tells me that my skin is looking better and that she's noticing a difference – the bootcamp is obviously working.
It's nearing the end of the month which means the cupboards are bare and I'm almost out of cereal, fresh fruit and vegetables. I resort to eating as many frozen vegetables as I can and dig out some tinned fruit from the back of
the cupboard – still I guess that's better than nothing.
One week to go.
Week 5
My last week and I'm determined to give it my all. I stick to the healthy eating plan and start the day with cereal for breakfast and tuna salads for lunch.
I really believe I'm starting to change my body's cravings and no longer find myself desperate for a sugar fix, bar of chocolate or salty snack. For the first time I am content with an apple, cereal bar or a handful of chopped veg.
I continue the exercise regime with another boxercise class and lots of walking. I decline any alcohol this week as I have become so much more aware of the terrific amount of calories a simple glass of wine contains so opt for water instead. It's great waking up without a fuzzy head and instead of sleeping in I get up earlier at the weekend and pound the pavements.
At the end of the week I go to the gym to get my final results. Two ladies in there exclaim "What are you doing here – you don't need to go to the gym!" which is a lovely confidence boost before it's time for the big reveal.
Results
I'm not going to say how much I weighed at the start of the bootcamp or my vital statistics – there are some things a girl won't reveal.
However my five weeks of good old fashioned exercise and healthy eating paid off and I reduced my body fat by 2.5 percent. My weight stayed the same but I lost half an inch off my waist and an inch from my arms.
I'm delighted. This bootcamp for me was never about losing drastic amounts of weight. Instead I wanted to improve my fitness levels and to generally feel healthier.
I'd recommend the bootcamp experience to anyone. It's so easy to start fad diets and drastic exercise regimes but ultimately they are near impossible to stick to. This approach is simple – eat healthily and exercise often and you will see results.
Body and Mind bootcamps run all year round. For more information and to book your place telephone 01624 616416 or click here.
