Date of Boot Camp Attended: Luxury New You Boot Camp November 2009
Occupation: Housewife/Mother/Part Time Financial Adviser
Martial Status: Married
Age: 38
Where you live: Poole

Your Story: 

I have always been big, yo-yoing up and down between 13 – 14 stone since having my eldest son 16 years ago.

I have four children and have never found time to exercise.  I didn’t like exercise as it hurt and I felt like I couldn’t breathe.  The only exercise I did like was dancing.

My closest friends are all slender and I always felt like Hagrid as I am tall (5.9) and built BIG.

When pregnant with my last child in 2006 I had severe antenatal and postnatal depression which I was hospitalised for.  My weight went higher and it took a long time to slowly get well again.  Then I looked at what I looked like and then chose to look away, I didn’t like what I saw. I watched the biggest loser on TV regularly and kept saying that I wished that I had the opportunity to do something like that.  I then got that opportunity by being a guinea pig for Reveal magazine testing out if New You Boot Camp works. I jumped at the chance but once I said yes I realised that I was terrified.

Your Experience at Boot Camp:

When arriving at the train station there were lots of ladies of all sizes and ages (and I found out fitness levels) loitering nervously with large bags and cases.

We then arrived at boot camp and launched into what can only be described as my life changing week of complete highs (jumping into the freezing sea coasteering which was just brilliant) to complete lows (fast marching up the shingle beach in the driving rain carrying a telegraph pole between us).

To my surprise I also found that I was really good a boxing something which I never would have expected.

The food was different to what I would have normally eaten but I loved it.

I found myself enjoyed the freezing baths at the end of the day because my legs ached and the sense of achievement was just amazing.

I was a different person coming back home on the train to the one that left just seven days before.

How has it changed your life?:

The most radical change in my life is how happy I feel.  I now have the confidence back that I had as a teen. Even though I may not get the opportunities that I had back then as I am a Mum of four children and they come first, I do know that I can do anything I want if I put my mind to it!

I now love running which I do most days, it is fantastic to leave the house and go out and just run wherever takes my fancy, my head clears and I come back calm into my house of bedlam.  My diet is improved, I eat well and stay away from wheat and diary products and have cut down on my caffeine.  The old me previously relied on cups of tea to get me through the day!

I feel far more energetic, happier and like I am me again not the shadow of my former self that I felt I had become.

What would you say to anyone thinking of booking on?:

Go ahead and book! There is nothing to be scared of!

The Staffs are supportive and will never push you so hard that you will break, and you will most definitely surprise yourself with what you can achieve. If I can, the original couch potato then anyone can!

How much weight and inches did you lose at boot camp?:

I lost 10lbs in one week and 9.6inches

Have you gone on to lose any further weight or set any goals for your fitness: eg 10k, Marathons etc : I have now lost 2  stone and still slowly losing more.  I can run 5K and really enjoy it and just slowly try to push myself further.  I hope to return to New You Boot Camp in the next few months to improve myself even more!
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