Meet Caroline, one of our fabulous Boot Campers we have the pleasure of working with! Here’s how she has transformed her lifestyle and lost three dress sizes (so far):

Describe your previous lifestyle and how you felt… 

My daily lifestyle is a very busy one so I was always too ‘busy’ to think about food or exercise.  I would rush in from a hectic day and throw a jar of sauce over something or open the freezer and go for the nearest bag of frozen chips!  The evenings would then be spent catching up with e-mails or sitting in front of the TV claiming to be too tired to do any exercise.  Breakfast would be grab and go so by mid morning I would be starving hungry, I would then swoop into the nearest garage and grab a coffee and pasty. 

Why did you decide to start changing your lifestyle?

I saw a picture of myself at a family ‘do’ and couldn’t quite believe how out of shape I was.  I’m a children’s entertainer so I’m always on my feet moving about, but the extra weight on my knees had taken its toll. I would get home and be in a lot of pain in my joints.

I went to see a consultant who told me that I was middle aged and overweight! There were no problems with my joints but the soft tissue was swollen due to the pressure from the extra weight.  He was quite rude so I thought, that’s it, I’m changing now!

What initial changes did you make?

Boot Camp came up on my Facebook page and I watched some of the videos. I thought it looked interesting and saw a lady as large as me really trying hard.  They said any shape, any size can do it, so I thought I’d give it a go.

What did making these changes feel like?

The first week wasn’t actually too bad, the second week was the worst as I probably pushed myself more. But the first six week course went really quickly and I had already noticed the change in my body, I was stronger and I was losing inches!

Was it easy to incorporate these changes into your lifestyle?

I started with a friend so it made you come to Boot Camp every week! You didn’t want to let your friend down, even when the weather was really cold and you would rather stay indoors – but then it becomes a routine and now those two evenings per week are my time.  I’d always make excuses that there wasn’t enough time to fit in exercise but actually two hours per week was and is nothing.

What differences did you notice?

I definitely noticed the inch loss in my legs, they were thinner, my waist re-appeared and my strength improved.  I had never done push ups before in my life and now here I was flipping tyres and running upstairs!

What is different about your lifestyle now? 

My whole family have benefited from the lifestyle change. I’m cooking everything from scratch, I have a wonderful store cupboard full of spices, we eat lots of dishes full of vegetables and lean meat along with fruit and plenty of water.  I try to get to Boot Camp twice a week and the rest of the time, I get out and walk and bike ride with my son.

How do you feel compared to how you used to?

I have so much more energy; I wake up feeling refreshed rather than tired and sluggish. I try to get in 8-10 hours’ sleep where as I used to go to bed really late and get up feeling worn out before the day had begun.  My son has also noticed that I’m able to take part in activities with him, rather than sitting on the bench in the park watching him. I’ve lost 28 lbs in weight and my family are starting to notice the difference too.  I’ve already gone from a dress size 22 down to a 16 and now approaching a 14!

What change has had the biggest impact for you and why?

Changing my diet means I now don’t feel bloated and sluggish and including the exercise into my life makes me feel fantastic. You really do get a boost afterwards and it makes you sleep well!

What words of encouragement do you have for others new to Boot Camp?

Give it a try, it really works! I was a couch potato before, who hated the thought of standing on a treadmill in the gym for 30 minutes, but Boot camp is different, it’s amazing!

Gen, Guy and Kate are really inspiring, they don’t judge you, you work at your own pace and they encourage you to try new things and to push yourself.  Everyone is a different shape, a different size and has a different goal, we’re all on our own journey and yours can start here at Boot camp.

Thank YOU for sharing this, Caroline and for being so open and honest! We are honoured to Boot camp with you and it is always a joy to see someone transform their lifestyle and positively THRIVE! Well done and keep up your awesome work  😀 

You can read more inspiring transformation stories like Caroline’s here

To try a £5 taster class of Boot Camp for yourself click here! (subject to availability, we suggest you get in there quick!)