The toughest way to lose 3 pounds

Have you ever been in an exercise rut?  That's where I was until the beginning of June.  After months of halfhearted, half-hour shuffling sessions on the treadmill, I knew I had to shake up my exercise routine.  I bit the bullet, suspended my gym membership for the summer, and joined Bootcamp class.  Tough, old-fashioned exercises.  Circuit training on steroids.  Starting at 6AM at the Stanford University Track.  Every weekday. For a month.   Yikes! I joined, but I didn't seriously consider attending every single class of the session until I found out they give you a tshirt if you do.  There's nothing like a freebie to get me motivated.  I decided to go for it.  I would not only shake up my routine, but stir it up and swing it around for good measure.

Four weeks, one tshirt and many aching muscles later, I've survived.  For anyone considering a bootcamp class, I've put together a list of tips and tricks.  If you want to try one but are nervous because you don't know what to expect, here's my little Know Before You Go guide.  This is what I learned from my quest for a new workout, a new body and a new tshirt:

1) First, the basics.  Dress in layers, because you are going to heat up and cool down.  Bring water, because you are going to sweat.  Have a yoga mat handy unless you want to grovel in the asphalt.  Have something to eat before you go, even if it's literally just a bite.  And have some ibuprofen handy at home, because you are going to hurt in places you never thought possible.

2) If you're a night owl, the hardest part of BootCamp will be getting to bed by 10PM and waking up at 5:30AM every day.  Until you get used to it -- then you'll find yourself waking up at 5:30AM on the weekends, even though you don't want to.

3) The website says you can modify the exercises to challenge all fitness levels, but if your idea of a daily workout is gardening or a 30-minute walk, be prepared.  You can modify the exercises -- run instead of walk, half-squats instead of full squats, kneeling pushups instead of full ones.  You can stay in a plank position for 30 seconds instead of 60.  But at some point, the only way to lower the intensity of the exercises is to stop doing them.  And there is no way to dumb down a burpee.

4) Don't be fooled by appearances.   I surveyed my fellow Bootcampers on the first day; most looked like they were above forty, and none of them looked like they ran marathons.  On the first day, the instructor began with some gentle hip circles, leg swings and jumping jacks.  I thought, piece of cake.  After ten minutes I was already struggling, whereas the ladies beside me were chatting about what they did over the weekend.  And that was just the warm up.

5) At some point, you're going to want to quit.  Or to skip a day.  Get through it by focusing on the positive.  There is nothing like that post-workout energy rush to carry you through the day.  And you get the satisfaction of getting your workout over so early.  And when you're doing 50 full sit ups, a blue sky with puffy white clouds is a hell of a lot nicer to look at than an old, moldy gym ceiling.  And dammit, you're going to Get. That. Shirt.

6) Things can be positive or negative depending on how you perceive them.  Yes, you can become discouraged as you watch the 50-something running club work out on the track alongside you.  Yes, it can be depressing to see them run 400 meters in 59 seconds (we timed it) and remember that you've never run anything close to that, even in your twenties.  Or you can gain inspiration from their graceful, gazelle-like strides and resolve to run your 400 meters in under 2 minutes. 

7) All the pushups and jumping jacks in the world won't help you lose weight if you're going to be slurping ice cream cones with your kids later in the day.  I learned the hard way that Bootcamp is not a license to eat whatever you want -- after 4 weeks of killer workouts, I lost a measly 3 pounds. 

8) The scale doesn't tell the whole story.  My clothes actually fit better now and I've got less jiggle under my arms.  The other day a friend greeted me with, "You're looking fit!  You must be working out.  Have you lost weight?".  After doing an internal happy dance, I smiled and said simply, "Not much, but I have been working out". 

9)  Watch out -- Bootcamp can be addictive.  Once the kids' school starts up again, I don't think I'd have the drive to attend every single day, but the prospect of going once or twice a week is tempting.  Most of the people at class are actually Bootcamp regulars -- I know because they come to class sporting the various Bootcamp shirts they've earned over time.  One guy has been attending for over a decade. 

10) Go for the shirt.  You can do it!  And be prepared for irrational feelings of happiness and pride when the instructor hands your $12.99 shirt to you.  Just be sure to request a size smaller than you usually wear.  All the better to show off your new bodaceous body with.  Don't worry, you'll fit into it.

Original post to the Silicon Valley Moms Blog.  Read Bonggamom's daily log of her Bootcamp misery on her personal blog, Finding Bonggamom.