Rebecca’s Success Story

My biggest wish has always been to be confident in myself and happy for who i am and what i look like. Regrettably, this has never ever been the case. I mean sure some days were better than others, but true happiness and satisfaction was far from how I felt when I thought about me and my appearance. When I think back, i don't think I can honestly say that I ever perceived myself as being beautiful and frighteningly always thought that this was normal. I truly believed that being and feeling confident was a way of being cocky. To me there was no correlation between confidence and happiness...

As time passed and I grew older my lack of 'true happiness' had really started to affect me. I was miserable. I didn't like myself and I hated my appearance. I knew I had to do something but I didn't know where to begin. Sports and physical activity had never been a part of my life and the hill just seemed much too tall to climb. I always had one thing that I relied on to bring me happiness. That was my career. I was moving up in my company, my hard work and determination finally seemed to be paying off. But then I realized something was holding me back. My lack of confidence in myself was preventing me to enjoy my success. I was constantly concerned about the way I was being perceived by my colleagues and friends. I had stopped attending social events as I was so unsatisfied by my appearance. Slowly I could see that if this continued, I was going to give up numerous opportunities that I may never get again. The last thing I wanted to do was jeopardize my career. For me that's all I have. Bearing unforeseen, at the age of 17 I was forced to work full time and go to school full time to help support my family. For the last 5 years approximately, I put on hold my life and goals to fully devote myself to ensuring my family can live a 'normal' life (to the best of my ability). Although I don't regret what I did, I do regret forgetting to take care of myself. I stopped thinking about my own needs and was too preoccupied with my families needs. As I complained to a close girlfriend one night, venting about how I needed to end the cycle of my unhappiness...she brought up what saved my life! Bootycamp Fitness. She explained to me what it was and although I was skeptical about how 'great' this program could possibly be, I thought - heck why not? And this is when I made the best decision in my life. Although I was skeptical I promised myself I would approach this by giving nothing but my all...and so my journey to happiness began.

I wasn't sure how it was going to work. I thought that the instructor was going to be like an evil drill sargeant. But to my surprise, I was so lucky to get the nicest instructor ever!! Courtney's constant motivation and well planned sessions helped me strive for the top and achieve the best results I possibly could. I started off slow and was in a lot of pain for the first 4 weeks but I didn't give up. I always joked amongst my friends saying that I would NEVER be the 'exercise type'...and now I don't think I got 2 days without some form of exercise. Bootycamp & Courtney helped me realize the importance of my health, the benefits of eating right and being active. It has converted me! I have truly become much more confident in myself. I'm not scared to walk into rooms anymore...or go out in public. I look better than I ever have. I definitely never expected this. I didn't think that working out for 60 minute sessions 3 times a week could cause such a significant difference. Bootycamp has truly been the motivator behind me changing the way I live. Not for the short term, for the rest of my life. I'm a young hopeful, who strives to be confident inside and out always. I'm so fortunate to have come across this program...because if I had never joined who knows what my future held. All I know is that I have never looked better, felt better or have ever been happier.

Bootycamp & Courtney Strachan changed my life! Thursday, October 29th, 2009 was the first day that I can honestly say I was excited about the rest of my life and what my future holds.
I feel as though I have so much more to look forward to! ...almost like I've given myself a second shot at a happy life :)

Many many thanks to both Bootycamp & Courtney. I definitely couldn't have done this without you.

Rebecca Kumar

Kim’s Success Story

My Journey with Booty Camp

I am Kim Arnold and I started Booty Camp Fitness for the summer sessions in Cambridge Ontario. Growing up I was always an active girl, playing rugby and football in high school then going on to play rugby in University. After leaving school and getting married life seemed to take up too much time (or that was my excuse) and exercise went out the window. I would attempt to get myself active again by joining a gym but I would only remain committed for a month or so before my insecurities would get the better of me and I would stop going. I needed to find somewhere to work out where I felt comfortable doing the exercises and did not feel judged. I was somewhat derailed from my quest upon becoming pregnant with my first child but after giving birth I had some newfound reasons to begin my quest again.

Within 4 weeks of giving birth to my daughter, I was 15 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight. However my husband and I started to notice I wanted to sleep all the time and was unable to care for my daughter when ever she would cry. After seeing many Doctors and professionals in mental health I was diagnosed with post-partum depression. The course of treatment the Doctors sought best was to place me on anti-depressants. I was told to expect weight gain and that is exactly what happened. Slowly over the course of 8 months I gained a lot of weight topping out at 232 pounds.

I would sit around wishing the weight away, thinking if only I could afford to have a personal trainer all the time at a woman’s only gym then that’s how I’d be successful. Knowing this would never happen I would tell myself “I did gardening today that counts as exercise!” or “I walked to work today – GO ME!” I then saw signs around Cambridge for a Woman’s only Booty Camp Fitness camp. I would procrastinate going to the website because I didn’t want to spend a lot of time away from my family and I didn’t believe in myself that I could accomplish anything. However one day I had a burst of confidence that I could do it so I went to the website saw what Booty Camp was all about and I liked what I read. It was exactly what I was looking for being women only in a small camp setting with a personal trainer. So I immediately signed up while I had the self-belief.

After signing up for the program I was searching around on the Booty Camp website and saw the New You Challenge. I had signed up for the 8 week summer session anyways so I thought “why not”? So I signed up. Later that week after my first session I was doing my vision board at home and I suddenly got really excited about the New You Challenge. I want to fit in skinny clothes again and shop in normal-sized woman’s clothing stores. So the challenge for me became another one of my goals to achieve.

The weight and inches that I have lost in this short 8 weeks is indescribable. The confidence I have in myself that I can reach my goal weight is incredible. I walk taller with my head held high, I’m starting to love myself again but the best change is that I’m able to run after my daughter for hours. We have so much more fun now that I’m getting fit and eating healthier. Joining Booty Camp Fitness is one of the best decisions I’ve made in recent history. It was exactly what I needed to get me off the couch and start moving. I eat healthier and I exercise 5 times a week. I have made exercising a family event by having my family join me on my run with the use of a jogging stroller. My daughter finds it fun to try to copy me when I do the video at home. I am excited because I am showing my daughter that being active is important yet can be very fun! I am happy that I got off the couch and have a healthy lifestyle now and have reduced my chances of getting Diabetes of which runs in my family. In joining Booty Camp Fitness I may have prolonged my life so I can spend more time living it with my family. I want to be around to see my daughter grow up and have children of her own.

My husband now calls me ‘Slim’. Our sex life has gotten much better, so my husband is reaping the benefits of me going to Booty Camp too! My husband, parents and friends have really noticed the physical and mental change in me. I’ve started to motivate them to get moving. My mother has started to get active and has told me that she’s going to be joining the gym. Also, my sister has gone back to the gym to continue on her journey of loosing weight. I’m also excited that my friend has signed up for booty camp in September because she is so impressed with my success.

I would personally like to thank my Booty Camp instructor for helping me and encouraging me to succeed in getting healthy. I cannot wait until the fall sessions begin, as I loved every minute I was at camp. I loved it because I knew that every squat, lunge and sprint was getting me closer to a new healthier life. I can say with the utmost confidence that with what my instructor has taught me I can continue to live this healthy and active lifestyle.

KEEP THAT BOOTY MOVIN’ GIRLS!

-Kim Arnold

Vicky’s Success Story

I’m 37 years old and a mom of two wonderful kids, one is four years old and the other is 5 months old. Before I had them I’ve always tried to lead a healthy life style. I’ve always tried to exercise and manage my weight but having kids changed my body and my life in ways that I didn’t anticipate. I gained a lot of weight and even worse, I didn’t have time to eat right or exercise and I was always feeling exhausted. Often I caught myself daydreaming, usually when I was cooking diner, about losing the weight. I imagined myself wearing my old thin clothes instead of the maternity clothes I was still wearing because nothing else would fit. In these daydreams I was shopping for all the latest fashions and I visualized myself in my swimsuit and I was looking fine! Daydreaming was so easy! However the bathing suit fantasy usually brought me back to reality. The realization that summer was just around the corner hit me like a ton of bricks. How could I wear my bathing suit and not feel embarrassed or self- conscious? How was I going to take the kids swimming and feel good about putting the darn thing on? I realized that what I really wanted was to play with my kids in the water and focus on them without worrying about what I looked like. That’s when I made commitment to myself that I was going to lose the extra weight and I was going to change the way I felt about my body and myself.

I was committed and had a goal, but how was I going to achieve them? I had very little time to spend on exercise and I needed something that was going to be very effective. Memberships at traditional gyms are expensive and I needed someone to show me what to do. Running clinics required a considerable time commitment and are not designed for building strength. Finally I thought about hiring a personal trainer but they were unaffordable. I just couldn’t seem to find what I was looking for that fit my criteria. I needed an exercise routine that I could easily work into my life, that was not too expensive and too time consuming. Eight weeks ago, I was having my morning coffee and I came across an article about Booty Boot Camp. The program seemed to fit my criteria. The sessions were coached; they were reasonably priced, held outside, and most importantly to me, designed for women. As soon as I finished reading the article, I signed up.

The first day of camp was awesome! We hit the ground running. We squatted, we lunged, and we worked our arms and core. We had a great full body work out and I gave it my all during camp. The following few days I was barley able to walk but I made a commitment to myself so I sucked it up and went back for more! As each session passed I could feel myself becoming stronger. The program was always interesting and the routine varied. It never allowed my body to become accustomed the motion and movements. I was always encouraged to take it up to the next level and never allowed to settle. The instructor Jessica was amazing. She kept the workouts fun yet challenging. In addition to the varied routines and motivation provided by my instructor, an unexpected benefit emerged; there was a huge sense of camaraderie. It amplified my commitment to attend each session and it made it truly fun. Not only did I get the benefit of a bi-weekly workout with an encouraging instructor within a supportive environment, there was a DVD which allowed me to do a third workout at my convenience. The whole experience was worth every ounce of lactic acid build up in my muscles.

We see and hear the testimonials for weight loss products and programs all the time. We see the before and after pictures but we dismiss them all too quickly. Of course results like these can be attained if you have a personal trainer, a personal chef, and a lot of time. However, I can honestly say that the Booty Boot Camp is a real program that works for real women. I lost 12.8 pounds and a total of 31.25 inches without all the support staff. All I had was my promise and commitment to me and a well developed program. It exceeded my expectations and it helped me achieve my goals. I am now much happier and more confident about my body, which translates into lot of fun play time with my kids.

Thanks Booty Boot Camp!

- Vicky Barnowski

Amber’s Success Story

Rescued from myself: a story of success by Amber Foucault

I bought the magazine when I was at the grocery store. I was eyeing the KitKat bar but decided that some calorie-free celebrity smut would be better for the waist-line. When I got home I threw it on the coffee table and puttered around the house putting away my groceries. I looked down at the cover as I was walking by and I thought to myself, “Wow, that woman is SO pretty and SO thin and obviously SO lucky to be both”. I caught my reflection in the mirror just then and did my own version of a caliper test, using my fingers to pinch the extra ‘cushioning’ around my mid-section. Isn’t it funny that 5 months after Christmas, the holiday weight was still kicking around? Can you still call it holiday weight in May? Maybe not…

The next time that I wandered by the magazine I thought “her arm looks really thin, hmmm, she must be naturally skinny.” But then I brought the magazine right close to my face, so close that I could see the pixels in the picture. There was something not right about her face either – her eyes seemed hollowed out and her smile was barely stretching from cheek to cheek – she almost looked angry. What would make her so angry when she is SO skinny and SO pretty? Then it occurred to me, I knew exactly what it was - SHE WAS HUNGRY!! Someone needed to feed the poor woman! Give her a piece of bread or a muffin or something!

So there I was AGAIN. I had been dieting and daydreaming about being skinny for the better part of 10 years and the people I wanted to look like were the ones that were miserable because a slice of cheese pizza was enough to push them over the edge. I couldn’t live like that. I needed to find a balance between wanting to lose a few pounds and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I realized at that moment that I had a choice to make. I could continue spending half my time being hungry and consequently being angry about being hungry or I could decide that fitness and a balanced diet would set me free. And so I began my journey with Booty Camp.

Why did I go right to Booty Camp you wonder? Well I am the girl that still says “Go big or go home” and I wanted to feel like I was boldly making a difference in my life from day one. The more I worked out, the stronger I became and the more capable I felt. It stretched to different areas of my life and each session I kicked and lunged my way through helped me to put down the cookie and pick up the apple. It was a life transformation and I was really diggin’ it. I had made the choice to work hard and feel good – I didn’t need to diet, I just needed to be smart which was significantly easier with all the healthy, daily recipes that Booty Camp provided to me.

As my body started to change, I became more confident and more enthusiastic about my work-outs. I could see and feel the definition in my arms and legs. I was embracing the strength that was building inside of me. I felt like I was finally doing something that was completely selfish. We worked out in a park, with the sun setting over Lake Ontario and the CN Tower in clear view as dusk approached – I was taking time to enjoy MY city and enjoy MY life. I often felt like I was in my own episode of ‘Sex in the City’ only I was also working my booty off.

Of course it was hard-work! This was no ‘walk in the park’. Committing to Booty Camp meant making better, healthier meals, bringing my lunch to work and giving up my dessert some nights. It meant showing up twice a week with the right attitude, the head-space reminding me that every punch and push-up was making a difference about how good I felt. It really helped me to set proper goals for myself and in a world that is celebrity obsessed, I stopped using the beauties on screen as my benchmark for looking good. This time, I focused on the star athletes of the Olympics. I saw qualities in their characters that I wanted to find in myself; determination, perseverance and will-power. Slowly, I started to believe in my own ability to take down any obstacle that stood in the way of how I wanted to feel.

Here I am eight weeks later and looking better than I have since high-school. I still glance at the skinny women in the spotlight, but more and more I am noticing the winds are changing, looking toned and fit is making a come-back and I am right on trend. After only one week, I already miss the camaraderie I had with the women in my camp and the never-ending support of my instructor. I even miss the lunges, the push-ups and the burpes. I am lighter – but more importantly, I am stronger. For the first time in my life, I can honestly say – I look good on my own terms and I am proud of it.

Nicole’s Success Story

My Journey with Booty Camp

I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at an early age of sixteen when I had my emergency surgery. Crohn’s Disease is a disorder of the digestive tract. The walls of the intestine thicken resulting in pain, discomfort and possible surgery removing portions of your intestine along with other affected organs. This disease has become one of the major obstacles in my life which has mentally and physically taken over my body and family. My family and I have been stuck in a conflict between the reality of the disease and trying to sustain a normal lifestyle. Experimenting with unsuccessful options such as diets, work outs, chiropractic therapies and medicines, I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see the light at the end of the tunnel. The vicious cycle of depression was starting to ruin my spirits until I met my instructor of Booty Camp Fitness.

My husband has stood by my side for many years through many grueling crones’ attacks, and countless weeks of pain, exhaustion and physical drain. He joined me in the hospital during my attacks wishing he could do anything to help me; but couldn’t. He would patiently put up with me complaining about my weight gain from the different medications I had to take. The appointment I had this past spring with my crohn’s specialist, was very discouraging with the final prescription of another surgery in the near future if my body wasn’t going to stop deteriorating. The two options the doctor gave me was surgery or infusion (last chance drug) with possible surgery if my body wouldn’t accept the drug. The infusion administered drug is uncompensated and very expensive. After a long talk with my husband, we thought this was our year to turn the table, and make one last chance to find a way to accomplish our dream of a healthy family and lifestyle. I was not willing to go through another surgery; the more surgery’s you have with this disease limits your life, activity and hope. My husband and I decided to look for a work out regiment that would help make my body strong to accept this “last chance drug”; this is when I met my Booty camp instructor, my mentor of full body health. She took me from pain and depression to a whole other side of life I thought I would never see again.

One of the greatest things I have obtained from this experience, and come to appreciate, is the feeling of normality once again. I also possess a higher degree of energy. When I get home from a busy day at the office, I now find I have more energy then the kids. Before the infusions and partaking in Booty camp I used to be exhausted and lethargic but now my children appreciate having an energetic mommy. My youngest child said to me one day while playing; “Mommy, I’m tired and can’t keep up with you.” The smile on my husbands face made my heart melt with joy. Right then, I new this was the start of my healing process, the start of a long waited struggle to end.

As the weeks went on, and my transformation kept improving day to day, I began to realize that the depression was burning away with every drip of sweat that rolled down my body while I worked out. It feels like my old painful body has been blown away by the breeze made from the workout music… lifting all uncertainty of healing out of my mind; helping my heart let go of the idea that I may not feel normal again.

Booty camp fitness supplied us with weekly recipes to follow and with my limited diet due to the disease; I was unable to eat 85% of them. With the help of my Booty instructor, with her group nutritional talk, and the one on one time she gave me; my husband and I were able to take all the knowledge she gave us and come up with several nutritional alternatives that work with my diet. The Booty Camp website has many extra tips that also helped during my eight weeks such as, additional work-outs, online nutritional advice, diet dos and don’ts, inspirational and encouraging testimonials. This extra reference was above and beyond anything I could have ever asked for from such a program.

The true test was my latest doctor’s appointment. As I sat there in the doctor’s office expecting to hear more bad news, the doctor looked at me and said “NO surgery is needed in your near future, your body is healing”. After leaving his office I started crying, not because I was sad, but because I finally did it, I accomplished a goal that seemed so unattainable. I don’t think my body has looked or felt this amazing before, not only am I healthy through my mind and body, but also my soul.

With the help of my instructor with the workouts, healthy food alternatives, and determination my body went into an unbelievable change making Booty camp fitness the key directional position of my body healing compass.

Thank you,
Nicole Sedore

Krista’s Success Story

For as long as I can remember, I have been unhappy with my weight. Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I longed to fit in with my ‘skinny’ friends, and the joy of summer was always undermined by the dread of bathing suit season. Not even the holiday season was exempt from my body image concerns - as early as elementary school, I can recall making weight loss resolutions on New Year’s Eve. Time and time again, I tried (and failed) to lose the weight. The more that I failed, the more that I began to convince myself that I was destined to be fat for life. By high school, I had convinced myself that my genetics would simply not permit my weight loss, and I would remain unhappy with my weight forever.

When the time came to begin university, I was still carrying those extra pounds, as well as a pessimistic attitude about weight loss. After my first year, I returned home to discover that I had gained an alarming 30 pounds. I will never forget the moment that I stepped on that scale. I felt completely overwhelmed and disgusted with myself; disgusted with my physical appearance, and even more disgusted that I had let my health deteriorate to such a considerable degree. At the age of 18, I could not even climb a set of stairs without losing my breath! Although I never wish to re-live that moment, in retrospect, I am thankful for it. It was in that moment that my attitude about weight loss began to shift, and that was just the push that I needed to change my life. I decided that it was time to take my health into my own hands, and I was no longer willing to accept being overweight. At long last, I began my journey towards achieving the body and fitness level that I had always wanted. Over the next four years, I managed to lose almost 40 pounds through various dieting strategies and exercise plans, taking me from 190 pounds to 150. As I progressed through my weight loss, not only did I gain knowledge about nutrition and exercise, I also began to develop a passion for fitness. In the summer of 2006, I decided to turn my newfound passion into a part-time career, and I became a personal trainer. This was the perfect fit for me because it allowed me to share my knowledge with others and help them to achieve their goals, while at the same time working in an environment that supported my new healthy lifestyle.

While losing 40 pounds and becoming a personal trainer were surely great successes, I was no longer content with being ‘average’; I didn’t want to feel self-conscious about my body anymore, and I wanted to feel really good about myself. I wanted to push myself to my limits. So, I decided to set a new goal for myself: 135 pounds. However, losing the last 15 pounds didn’t come easily. After re-evaluating my weight loss goals, it seemed that I couldn’t quite make any new progress. I lost and gained the same five pounds over and over again, always getting within ten pounds of my goal but never any closer. As a personal trainer, I knew that I needed a real challenge in order to see further results, physically. I considered hiring a personal trainer of my own to further motivate me. However, as a student and recent university graduate, I also knew that I could not afford private sessions with a trainer on a regular basis. I was stuck, and struggling to get past this weight loss roadblock. I needed help. I needed Booty Camp Fitness. With Booty Camp Fitness, I was able to workout in a camp with a drill instructor twice a week, for a reasonable price! It was just what I was searching for. My only question was whether or not it would be enough of a challenge. After the first session, I knew that this was the challenge my body needed – my muscles were sore, but that meant that they were working, which meant that I was excited! I decided to give this camp my all for the full eight weeks. I went to every session (even the ones in the rain), and I also did the at-home workouts on the weekends. I was really enjoying myself. I could feel my body getting stronger, which drove me to push myself even more. As the weeks progressed, the sessions evolved and the level of difficulty increased. I was always amazed to find out just how strong I had become when a difficult exercise would be introduced and I could actually do it! My favourite part about the sessions, however, was something more unexpected: the camp atmosphere. The Booty Camp participants and trainers were so supportive of one another, and it felt great to be within a group of women where being strong was encouraged. We were pushed to complete sets of full body push ups, and to add hand weights to make the workout more intense. It was so refreshing to see women trying to improve their strength, never succumbing to an air of fragility.

I have loved every minute, every squat, and every crunch in these sessions. I have sweat through some very tough workouts and, for the first time in my life, made some real progress towards my final goal. I have seen changes in my body that I have never seen before, and I have completed drills that I would never have done on my own. With the support of my coach over the last eight weeks, I have lost over nineteen inches, twelve pounds of body fat, and gained over four pounds of lean muscle! Booty Camp Fitness has helped me feel stronger than I ever have. I am so excited to keep building on what I have already accomplished and to continue living an incredibly active lifestyle.