Mark’s Transformation Tuesday

July 29, 2013 By Laura Leave a Comment

Our next Transformation Tuesday is spotlighting Mark King – who one was of our biggest transformations from our recent Sculpted by Summer Challenge. Mark dove in head first with both the eating clean AND consistently coming to boot camp 4-5 times per week.. and it shows in his results!! Please read Mark’s story (in his own words) and let him inspire YOU to change or continue to change your life in a more healthy way.

Take it away Mark! (scroll down to see his before & after)

Life before Bay View Boot Camp:

I’ve wanted to lose weight for most of the last 10 years. And pretty much my routine was try to cut down on food portions, or try to run a little more, but very little changed in my life. I knew ultimately it would require some type of major change.

What made me decide to sign up?

Seeing Laura’s invitation for the 30 Day Sculpted by Summer Challenge was a call to action. Maybe it was the thought that I could do anything for 30 days, or maybe it was the peer pressure/motivation of doing it within a group, but it was enough to get me there on Day One.

What do you love the most about my new lifestyle?

For one thing, it took me back more than 10 years in my level of fitness. I’m running better and faster than I have in years. Also, I’m wearing clothes that fit me well, and buying smaller size clothes and that feels great too. But the best thing has been the type of meal plan that I’m following now. I’m eating healthier than I ever have in my life and have no plans to change. It feels great; I’m not hungry and gone are the cravings for foods that are simply bad for me.

What have been my results from Bay View Boot Camp and eating clean?

The specific results are: lost 31 pounds over an 8 week period, as well as 2 or more inches all over. My body fat has gone from 35% to under 25% in a matter of only two months!

What is my advice for others?

Why wait getting started? I wish I had done it years before, because eating better and working out gives you more energy and can add years to your life. I am so grateful to Laura and her team for developing the program. It has literally changed my life.

Please leave Mark a note of congratulations on his awesome transformation! Let us know if this inspires YOU to continue to work hard towards your health & fitness goals.

Transformation Tuesday: Amy T.

July 15, 2013 By Laura Leave a Comment

I’m very excited to introduce to you our next Transformation Tuesday: Amy T! Amy always makes our 8 AM boot camp sessions more fun because no matter how hard the workout, she will always be dancing to the music and brings positive energy with her each and every day. If you are new, she is one of the first people to come and introduce herself to you and make sure you feel 100% comfortable. :)

Here is her story. I hope she inspires you!

My life prior to boot camp:

I have always been an exerciser, but in the last year I have not been exercising consistently. I love Bay View Boot Camp because it has been easy to make exercise, fitness, and improved nutrition part of my daily life.

Why I decided to sign up:

I decided to sign up because it’s fun AND challenging. Laura always mixes it up with the workouts so it is different every time. Great music, it’s outside with a great view, and it’s a great group of people!

sheila and amy

What I love most about my new lifestyle:

What I love most is that I can see my abs again, yeah! I look forward to boot camp! And now that I’ve added Green Smoothies to my daily routine… no greens go to waste in my home!

The best part about Bay View Boot Camp is making new and awesome friends! Here is a photo of me and Sheila having green smoothies after a boot camp session.

Results:

Overall the results have been an improvement in my nutrition and fitness… I feel like I’m doing really good things for myself. I am making better choices that make me feel good about myself.

I don’t think I realized what a great effect these small changes have made, but regularly people have complemented changes they have noticed in me. Also, regular exercise has helped with my mood and improved prior neck and shoulder issues.

So, I think I have inspired other people in my life to make some healthy changes!

My Motto:

“Just keep swimming.” ~ Dorie, Finding Nemo

Thank you Laura for all you do to make Bay View Boot Camp more than just a great workout, but a community of awesome people!

Thank YOU Amy for all of your hard work and for being an awesome member of our Bay View Boot Camp family! :)

I hope Amy’s story has inspired you. Please leave her a note of congrats and encouragement below. :)

Transformation Tuesday: Cassie W.

May 14, 2013 By Laura 4 Comments

I’m very excited to announce our next ‘Transformation Tuesday’ story. Cassie joined us at the start of our last transformation program.. our 6 Week Little Black Dress Project and she explained to me that she wanted to feel beautiful for her upcoming wedding in September. Since then, she has totally adopted a clean lifestyle and consistent exercise routine at boot camp, and each week I notice she has more and more energy and her workout clothes keep getting too big on her. :)

I asked her to share her story with all of you, and she was totally on board. I give you Cassie: the more energetic, confident bride-to-be that is now 30 pounds lighter, 6% less body fat, and 18.6 inches less than the beginning of January.

Here’s Cassie!

My life before Bay View Boot Camp:

When I consider my life prior to boot camp, I think there are two versions. There was the college version that was an active cheerleader and maintained a healthy weight because of the strict schedule of cheerleading. Then there was the post college life, that included not exercising and eating really anything when I could because real life hit me with a full time job in retail after I graduated college.

Why did I decide to sign up?

The biggest factor that made me sign up for boot camp was that I am getting married in September and The Little Black Dress Project seemed like the perfect opportunity. My fiancé and I have been together for 8 years and of course when we meet I was 16 and very thin. I always thought that girl was gone.. I thought I had grown into a woman and being a little bit bigger was just a part of that. Yet, when I went to try on wedding dresses I think that was my “Oh my gosh I need to do something moment”. I realized I wanted to look my best on wedding day. What turned into me wanting to lose weight to look my best on my wedding day really has turned into a complete life style change.

What do I love most about my new lifestyle?

What I love most about my new lifestyle is the fact that I hold myself accountable for everything and that I have learned to get clean and healthy, but still enjoy what I love every now and then. When I used to think about losing weight, I thought I would never be able to eat anything good ever again. But.. I have quickly learned that this is just not true. I love that I have a routine finally for exercising, since growing up as a cheerleader since I was 11 being active has always been a huge part of my life and I just needed to learn how to work it into my life and routine.

What are my results/experiences from boot camp/eating better?

My results from Bay View Boot Camp and eating better due to The Little Black Dress Project meal plan have been amazing. When I started boot camp and the LBD program I weighed 180 pounds. 6 weeks later at the end of The Little Black Dress Project I had lost 17 pounds and weighed in at 163. Since the LBD project, I have continued to count calories using my fitness pal and eat clean along with attending boot camp and have lost another 13 pounds. I now weigh 150 and have lost 30 pounds in total. I still have a little bit left to go as I would like to lose another 10 pounds before I getting married in September, but the progress and the way my life has changed because of Bay View Boot Camp has been amazing.

What is my motto/advice for others who are in a similar situation?

I think my motto for people in a similar situation to me is to never give up.. even on the really hard days. There will always be temptations in life, but remember what you really want and that will get you through even the hardest of times. Before boot camp I was an avid Coke drinker and this is something I have given up since the first of the year. Some days this has been really hard and other days very easy, but when I really want a Coke I just remember to never give up.

Congratulations Cassie on your hard work!! Please take a minute and comment below and let Cassie know how her story has inspired you. Make sure to “Like” us on Facebook because our next transformation program is coming up in just a few weeks!!!

Clean Eating Meal Prep.. made EASY!

May 7, 2013 By Laura 4 Comments

After feasting Thursday through Sunday for birthday celebrations.. I knew it was time to cut back this week. Waffles with whipped cream and strawberries aren’t exactly an everyday treat for me.. so I gave in a little thinking that birthday calories wouldn’t stick.

Well I was wrong…

The best way for me to stick to clean eating is to have go-to favorites ready to go in the fridge!

Which is why I made this dish tonight for dinner.. and made enough for the entire week! :)

Sautéed Chicken with Mango Salsa & Sliced Avocado

Chicken:

1. I bought two double breasted chicken breasts so I had enough for the rest of the week. If you have a large family and you are cooking for more.. make more! It will save you time in the long run. :)

2. Rinse the chicken and cut off any fat. Then, slice them down the middle to create chicken cutlets. They will cook faster this way. While you are trimming off the fat, heat up coconut oil in a pan and set over medium high heat.

3. Season the chicken with whatever spices you have on hand! I change it up each time to make it interesting, but for the chicken pictured above, I used Paprika, Dark Chili Powder, Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper Salt-Free Seasoning Blend, and Fajita Seasonings. It tasted really good!

4. Slice the cutlets and set in the pan until lightly brown and then flip. I like to slice them before cooking because then they are done and I put them right in the Tupperware container. Ready to go for adding on top of spinach or mixed greens for a quick lunch tomorrow!

Salsa:

1. I went to the local farmers market to get everything in this salsa. Normally I would have put in more tomatoes.. but they didn’t look that ripe this time. Feel free to switch it up each time and make it your own!

2. Just chop up all of the ingredients below and mix together. It is perfect to add with chicken, eggs, pork chops, or salmon.

3 Bell Peppers (I used red because they are my favorite.. but use different colors if you like)
4-6 small tomatoes (or whatever you have in the house)
1 mango
2-3 jalapeños
1/3 bunch cilantro (saved some to garnish the dish at the end)
2 stalks celery chopped in small pieces
Juice from 1 lime (saved some of the juice for over the chicken when finished)
1-2 gloves fresh garlic
1/2 medium onion
Sea salt, to taste.

Hope you enjoy it!! Please comment below if you make it. Also, feel free to share with your friends on Pinterest or Facebook. :)

~Laura

Rosemary Chicken Breast Recipe

March 7, 2013 By Laura Leave a Comment

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Confession.

I’m not a fancy chef and I will have chicken almost every single day. It can make it boring.. fast! Usually I will saute it up in some coconut oil, toss a few seasonings on it, and serve over spinach or quinoa. Nothing exciting.

I’m all about simple & quick.

So – when I saw this awesome recipe from a blog called The Lemon Bowl and pinned it to my Healthy Delicious Recipes Pinterest Board, I was really excited!

*SPOILER ALERT* If you like recipes like this, I have some exciting news coming soon!!

So here it is! Check out an easy, quick way to make Rosemary Chicken Breasts!

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts – boneless, skinless (about six oz. each)
2 lemons – juice and zest of both
3 cloves garlic – grated
2 TB olive oil
2 TB rosemary – minced
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Instructions

Place chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag.
Zest both lemons over a small bowl.
Add juice of lemons along with all remaining ingredients and whisk to combine.
Pour marinade over the chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.
Pre-heat grill pan or grill over high heat.
Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes per side or until internal temp reads 165 degrees or higher.
Serve chicken breasts whole or sliced.

Notes:

Nutritional Information (per serving): 218 calories, 9.1 g fat, .9 g sat fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 928 mg sodium, 2 g carb, .2 g fiber, 34.6 g protein (Good source of Vitamin C)