Taking Back Your Health Transformation Results
Kelli Parsell
Beginning Essay: Obtain optimal physical conditioning and counseling on supplements and nutrition. My goal is to gain muscle and reduce body fat. Breaking Barriers has already helped me achieve more physically than I ever thought possible. Am looking forward to the challenge of TOP conditioning. Bring it on!!!!!
Initial PFT Results:
Pushups: 25 Situps: 49 Hang: 40.7 secs 1 mile: 8:56 (228 Points)
Final PFT Results:
Pushups: 46 Situps: 100 Hang: 70 secs 1 mile: 8:45 (400 Points!!)
Lost 1.5” Lost 1% of body fat
Final Essay: Wow and to think the transformation session is over! I am overwhelmed by the experience. At first I had no intention of participating but decided the last night at the bell to join the team. The comradeship and competition has been an awesome experience.
The past year has been difficult for me to say the least. Personal issues have caused some really tough times. I was already participating in an exercise program yet was not being challenged or rewarded. I was seeking a program which I could gain strength and endurance without injury. Exercise and health was one thing I could control when all else seemed out of control! Through a friend I heard of Breaking Barriers. I am so thankful for the lead; it has been a turning point not only in my physical but also mental well being.
Since joining Breaking Barriers and the Transformation contest I have developed upper body strength and overall body transformation I have never been able to achieve with any other program or individual trainer. Never in my wildest imagination did I ever believe I would be able to do sooooo many pushups or lift any weight over 5 pounds. This has been an accomplishment I had only dreamed of in the past. It is an incredible feeling to be in the best shape of my life!
All my goals were accomplished and more. The Saturday classes on nutrition and health tips were extremely helpful and were the answer to some of my short comings. Every recruit I have encountered has touched my heart and life in some way. It has been a joy to see everyone fight hard for their health and be supportive of one another. Each individual accomplishment has seemed as one’s own. What an awesome group!!!! What an awesome leader!!!!!! This Transformation contest has been truly rewarding and a life changing event. What a blessing!
Ooh Rah
Ooh Rah
Ooh Rah
Susan Hargis
Beginning Essay: Metamorphosis by definition is a striking alteration in appearance, character, or circumstances. I hope that by joining the transformation contest I can create a remarkable difference in myself. I’ve already gained quite a bit of confidence just from making a commitment to boot camp and sticking with it. I never thought I’d be getting up early to work out at 5 but I am and I really enjoy it. So I hope to continue to improve my self esteem by doing something good for me and not quitting when things get hard. I have seen health improvements and want that to continue. I have already seen a small improvement in my physical appearance and want to see even bigger improvements. At one time I stressed over the number on the scale. I have learned that the number there is important but not the most important. Yes, I want that number to be smaller but I don’t have an exact number in mind. I want to be a healthy weight for me but not necessarily what other people think I should weigh; I want to be comfortable in my own skin. I have been very happy to see improvements in strength; in fact I am very excited about that. I like the fact that I can do things for myself such as moving heavy boxes at work that in the past I would have to go find one of the guys to do for me. That is an awesome feeling and I definitely want that to continue and just get better! I want to gain muscle and strength. I want the 15 and 20 pound weights to be the ones I reach for every time without hesitation or worry that I won’t be able to move my arms at all the next day. I know soreness is not a bad thing but I don’t want to be in pain like I’ve been before when I’ve attempted a much heavier weight. I also want to improve my diet. I’ve always thought I knew how to lose weight but I’ve learned that what I’ve done in the past really isn’t a good way…it works for a little while but once you stop ‘the diet’ the weight comes back and it usually doesn’t come back alone (usually brings a few extra pounds with it). So, I want to improve my overall health and appearance. In short, I want to impress myself and bring about a metamorphosis in me.
Initial PFT Results:
Pushups: 44 Situps: 50 Hang: 0 secs 1 mile: 14:11 (194 Points)
Final PFT Results:
Pushups: 53 Situps: 65 Hang: 3 secs 1 mile: 12:15 (240 Points)
Lost 6.75” Lost 2.5% of body fat Lost 2.5 pounds
Final Essay: I am so happy that I decided to take part in the transformation contest! I was very close to not even trying; that is what I usually would do in the past – not try. This contest has shown me that I am very capable of doing way more than I ever thought possible but I have to TRY. I am not to my goal…yet but I am going to continue using all the knowledge and skills that I have gained during this process to move closer and closer to my goal until I am there. I do feel that I have transformed during this past few weeks. My confidence level is much higher and I can see all the things that I am doing finally beginning to pay off. It has been a slow process but it has been so worth the wait! I have attempted heavier weight and have been able to handle it. I have learned that carb cycling is a great tool for me to use to help get unwanted weight off as well as increasing my protein intake. I have learned that I really do love to take care of myself. In the past I would not take the time to be good to myself but doing this contest forced me to take just a few extra minutes for me and has made me feel unbelievably better. I have more energy and can take so much better care of my family and me because of it. This contest has opened my eyes to some wonderful possibilities and I am very excited to begin this part of my life. I am also very thankful for Christy for showing me the way and for her patience with me as I can be stubborn and slow to change. I wanted a metamorphosis out of this contest and that is exactly what I got – me strong, confident and trying new things!
Melanie Weaver
Beginning Essay: Fitness and my name have never been in the same sentence. I made up every excuse for not exercising that there is and a few more. I joked about the weight I have gained. I ignored the fact that I become out of breath at the simplest of tasks. I stopped looking in mirrors. I stopped seeing what the mirror was trying to show me. Until now, fitness has not been any type of priority in my life. Until now.
I am entering this contest to further commit myself to becoming the healthy person I know I can be. As I age, I am becoming aware that I am going to have work to be healthy. I have to be proactive. A wake up call in the form of horrible bloodwork have me on this chosen path now. I would love to not have to take medication for my cholesterol. Exercise and eating right can and will get me there.
It is not a race or competition for me against others, it is for me to prove just how far I can go. It is for me to become stronger, have more endurance, more confidence. It is for me to become a better role model for my girls.
God gave me this perfect body that I have neglected for far too long. I want to feel better. I want to see muscles and know I am strong. I want to be the one that turns heads instead of me turning mine to look at another with envy. It is time for me to see how amazing I can get it back to being, inside and out. I look forward to the challenge because it is nothing I have ever tried to do. I have never set goals for myself because it was easier not to. Until now.
Even if I do not “win” this competition, I will already have won.
I'm ready.
Bring it.
Initial PFT Results:
Pushups: 30 Situps: 23 Hang: 0 secs 1 mile: 10:17 (172 Points)
Final PFT Results:
Pushups: 33 Situps: 32 Hang: 3 secs 1 mile: 9:40 (196 Points)
Lost 2.5” Lost 3.5% of body fat Lost 5 pounds
Final Essay: It's the end of the transformation. I was unable to participate in the final PFT due to life and work. But, you know what? I feel I am a success! I had some real life altering events happen during this contest and what I found with my fellow recruits and trainer was strength-strength that helped me through, helped me focus. Helped me not give up and to remember, my mental health depended on my physical health. To get back to bootcamp felt like finding an oasis in in a desert. I absolutely love coming to class, each and every one of you, and, especially Christy.
Christy, you have done the impossible with me. As outgoing as I appear, I have not been happy nor felt good in a long time. Your energy and positive attitude and your caring about making us healthy is infectious. I responded to it, craved it and look forward to it.
I see and feel muscles, I stand straighter, have more confidence and I feel great. The most important, incredible thing that has happened is that my bloodwork, all of it, is now perfect. I am off medication completely when even my doctor did not think it possible!
I am so blessed, so grateful and so happy to be a part of Breaking Barriers Bootcamp. I've found "me" again and I am excited to see just how far I can go and be an inspiration for others. You CAN do it. Take a small step, turn around and look back. You see? You are one step further to your goal.
Katherine Green
Beginning Essay: My fitness goals for the transformation contest are to lose weight and tone muscle. I will try to elaborate and be a little more specific. I would love to lose five pounds of fat in the next two months and trim a couple of inches off my waist and thighs. Buying clothes is never fun when you are unhappy with your body. I did go buy a pair of jeans today, and I was able to fit in a junior’s size 5. It fit loose and comfortable, so maybe dropping another size would be another goal. But most of all, I need to be accountable for the things I eat. I usually do fairly well, but I have my days when I want to be bad and have a cheeseburger or go to Andy’s. So I think this will give me that extra push that I need to make good choices. Another goal would be to work out more than three days a week. I know in order to reach my other goals I am going to have to make sure I make time for more than three days a week. So I plan on working out five days a week. The reason I want to reach my goals is to feel better about myself and to do it for my family. I do not want to be the mom that never does anything with her kids because she is too tired to get off the couch, or cannot run and play with them because I am out of breath. I have come a long way this past year in improving my eating habits and working out more. But I know in order for me to be where I want to be, I have to get serious about it and stop slacking.
Initial PFT Results:
Pushups: 32 Situps: 47 Hang: 15 secs 1 mile: 10:38 (212 Points)
Final PFT Results:
Pushups: 40 Situps: 63 Hang: 32 secs 1 mile: 9:39 (277 Points)
Lost 2.25” Lost 1% of body fat
Final Essay: Wow I can't believe we are at the end of the Transformation Contest. It has been a great experience for me. It's been so rewarding watching everyone's success through the weeks. I'm very proud of the progress I have made with my strengh. I can't believe I can pick up a twenty pound dumbell. I have enjoyed the nightly challenges and know that all the push ups are really paying off. I'm finally seeing results in my body that I didn't think was possible. Christy you are a great trainer and I am so glad I found your bootcamp. It is taught me disipline and given my strength. Ooh Rah!!
Micah Munoz
Beginning Essay: If someone told me a year ago I would be participating in this contest I would have never believed it. Up until last June, I had never been one to work out or exercise. Sure I would talk about getting into shape and starting a new diet, only to lose my determination the very next day, if not the next moment! Having been through a very stressful period in my life, I allowed myself to get bigger and bigger. I would over eat because it gave me comfort and helped me deal with everything bad going on in my life. Because of that I gained over 100 pounds! While I was dealing with all the stress in my life I just completely lost myself. I forgot who I was and what I loved in life. I will admit, I was just completely broken. The last thing on my mind was my health and my weight. 2 years ago I met my soulmate, he brought me back from a long road of being empty and lost. He helped me find myself again and it was after that when I started feeling like I was missing something in my life. I was completely happy, but I wasn’t healthy and in shape. That’s when I heard through a friend about Breaking Barriers Boot Camp. I signed up for 1 session and my life has been forever changed since that 1st Saturday! Christy has been such an inspiration to me, she has shown me I am capable of things I never thought possible within myself.
That brings me to the Transformation contest. At first when I heard about this I was apprehensive. I am by nature very shy and quiet, so the idea of the contest scared me. After a lot of thinking, I decided that I wanted this opportunity to get more out of my fitness training by learning ways to be even healthier. I think the contest will be good for me physically while also challenging me to push myself to higher limits. This is all new to me so I’m finding every lesson I learn is a step forward to finding success within myself, and Christy has shown me so many things I am capable of that I never thought was possible. I am hoping when the contest is over, I will be able to walk away from it with more confidence, more knowledge, and a lasting determination to show my friends and family that they too can be healthy, if I can do it, ANYBODY can do it! Ooh Rah!
Initial PFT Results:
Pushups: 30 Situps: 40 Hang: 0 secs 1 mile: 11:15 (177 Points)
Final PFT Results:
Pushups: 38 Situps: 40 Hang: 0 secs 1 mile: 10:21 (277 Points)
Lost 4.5” Lost 1.3% of body fat Lost 4 pounds
Final Essay: Wow It's hard to believe we are already to the end of our transformation journey. I remember when we started the contest and how excited I was to be a part of it! I was not disappointed at all, it has been such a fun experience. At the start of it, I was really impressed with everyone's determination and enthusiasm! Christy worked with each one of us on building our knowledge of nutrition and diet. She always impresses me with her attitude and healthy outlook of fitness training. She really worked on keeping us motivated and pushing us during our meetings. We had several physical fitness tests (PFT). I must say, I was so proud of myself for running a mile in almost 10 minutes!.. At the start, I think my first test was 13 minutes.. So I did improve my speed over the course of the contest. I think it was really great how we all bonded during the contest. We are all different individuals, but yet we all have the same goal in mind. It was ok that we are all at different fitness levels and the contest was set up so that everyone had a fair chance to win, and I thought that was really great. I enjoyed getting to know everyone. It was nice to be around other people who have the same struggles as me.
Here at the end of the transformation contest, I can look back and say that I am so glad I decided to join. It has been an awesome experience, and I would do it all over again!. Christy has really made this such a rewarding time with her constant help and advice. I think she has a true gift, she is changing lives and improving the quality of life for everyone who steps into her bootcamps!
Kayla Nash
Beginning Essay: This transformation contest is the opportunity I am needing. There are no "good excuses" for being at an unhealthy weight, or choosing the wrong kind of foods to eat. This program has been the best thing for me yet. I have always hated to exercise.. and it's so much easier to get fast food, versus eating right. Before I started boot camp, the word exercise wasn't part of a daily conversation. I was a member of a gym, but rarely found that I actually made it to it. There was always something else I needed to be doing. My sister tried for awhile to get me to come with her, she bragged about it for over a month. When I finally came, I remember looking at her and thinking, "what have I gotten myself into?!" I continued to come and torture myself, but little by little I actually found myself enjoying it and I became ready for the next time! But since I have started with boot camp, we have now changed our eating habits at home almost entirely. I honestly didn't have a clue what foods were good for you and the best sources of protein. I'm slowly learning, but it's getting easier! It is also teaching my child better eating habits. I'm more motivated now to stay on a workout regiment, and excited when it's workout day! I now have more energy than ever to keep up with my child and enjoy being able to have more energy! I am wanting to do this not just to lose weight and get healthy, but for my families health as well. I want to be able to help my child stay active and eat right! I need to be pushed, because I know that I don't push myself enough when it comes to working out. These workouts are very hard, and having your encouragement to keep going and pushing myself until I can't do another is such motivation!! Keep pushing me to excel in this challenge!
Initial PFT Results:
Pushups: 22 Situps: 41 Hang: 0 secs 1 mile: 11:56 (154 Points)
Final PFT Results:
Pushups: 33 Situps: 60 Hang: 15 secs 1 mile: 10:01 (235 Points)
Lost 3.5” Lost 2.1% of body fat Lost 5.8 pounds
Final Essay: WoW.. these eight weeks went by so fast! I have had some great progress thanks to this contest. I am finally seeing some great results for all the hard work I've been putting into it. I have been able to buy pants 2 sizes smaller since I started at bootcamp. That's quite an accomplishment! I've learned to pay attention more to what I'm eating and the foods my body needs. I've gone 9 weeks with a soda, and honestly I have no idea why I needed them so bad! I do not miss them at all. I've learned to limit candy, and if I need something, I fill my stomach with water and then I don't need it anymore! Protein..protein.. protein...Thank you Christy for teaching us the best things to eat and giving us great workouts! All the encouraging words and pushing us to excel! I know I still have a ways to go to be a healthy weight but I've definitely started in the right direction! Ooh Rah!!
Dana Dudley
Beginning Essay: I want to participate in this contest because I love competing. I have done the diets but the meals are so restrictive. I want to build the lean muscle mass and reduce my % of body fat. My mother and sisters all have the typical pear shape body with extra fat around the stomach and hips. I have low thyroid so I don't have a lot of energy all the time. Exercising helps me focus on me and helps regulate my body functions so that I feel better. I am a typical working woman, even though I don't have the demands of small children and a demanding spouse if I had my choice of staying busy at home my first choice would not be exercising. I have to remove myself from the distractions of home and work in order to really have the time to focus on exercising. I also want to be an inspiration to my husband and son so they can see the benefits of making healthy choices and exercising. My goals will be upon completion of this competition will be to reduce my body fat, feel better about my body and prepare to complete a half marathon.
Initial PFT Results:
Pushups: 30 Situps: 38 Hang: 6 secs 1 mile: 11:08 (182 Points)
Final PFT Results:
Pushups: 46 Situps: 73 Hang: 9 secs 1 mile: 9:24 (282 Points)
Lost 3.25” Lost 1.2% of body fat Lost 1.6 pounds
Final Essay: Well I survived which to me was a big deal to begin with. I have learned over the last few weeks that I am stronger than I thought, I am more confident in my abilities and I am ready for the next challenge. I really thought I would lose weight during my transformation but I have not and that is okay. My clothes fit better and I feel better that's all that matters. I can feel muscles on my body that I did not know I had and I can see some of the changes. I've also come to realize that I don't have to worry about keeping up with everyone else because I am doing this for me. The challenges every night were tough and sometimes I could not finish them but I pushed myself because I needed to prove it to myself. I also found a great application to track my calories because I found out I was not eating enough.
I ran my first 5K this past week and was really proud that I ran all of it and finished it in 36 minutes. I could not have done this a few weeks ago and would not have even tried for that matter. Christy is a great motivator, tough on you and willing to push you beyond your own comfort zones. She also keeps the workouts changing and interesting. I'm ready for my next challenge and seeing where I can take myself.
Ooh Rah!