I’m so thrilled to share our next ‘Transformation Tuesday’ spotlight with you.  This young lady not only has transformed her body, but has a great story to tell.  I have a feeling you might be able to relate to her, and my hope is that her story inspires you!

Without further ado, here is Mackenzie’s story.. in her own words.

Until the time I had reached my twenties I was always very thin without even trying to be. College came and went and suddenly I didn’t look the way I used to anymore. I was never disgusted by how I looked, but deep down I always wanted to go back to the way I used to look pre-college.

In 2010, through healthy eating and a little physical effort on my part I was able to get down to a weight that I was comfortable with again.  Later that year I had surgery to diagnose Endometriosis and I was put on hormones shortly after. A year later I found myself in more pain than ever before and I went to my doctor for a checkup and to seek out alternative methods for managing the pain. To my shock I finally realized that those hormones had caused me to gain 30 pounds in ONE YEAR! I was the heaviest I had ever been- 172 pounds! For the first time in my life my blood work showed that my internal body wasn’t flawless anymore. I knew in that moment, sitting in that office, I needed to make some big changes.

My very first change was to get off of any type of hormone all together and after that day I never took them again. In February of 2012 I got engaged and started planning a wedding in Capri, Italy. I now had even more motivation to start making those big changes I knew I had to make. A friend of mine invited me to try out a boot camp that met downtown in the park. I was really really nervous about it, but decided to try it out. I went with her that week and I fell in love with it! The boot camp met once a week and was a perfect way for me to get into the habit of exercising regularly. I also went to the gym the other days when there wasn’t class and started walking more. By the time my wedding came in July I had lost about 15 pounds and I had ZERO pain from Endometriosis for the first time in my life! After a summer of traveling (and eating lots of really yummy food) and the stress of starting my second year of teaching I had gained close to 10 pounds back. I was looking for something to do after school that would help me leave work on time and I knew I was ready to commit to getting the body back that I so desperately wanted.

I was on Facebook one day and an old friend from high school posted about this body challenge called The Little Black Dress Project. I looked into it and thought about it for about a day and finally just decided to jump into it and sign up. Everyone in my life was a little surprised with my sudden decision, but I knew I could commit fully to 6 weeks. I wasn’t that nervous to go to my first class since I was already used to boot camp. I loved that this boot camp met many different times and I could get in 3-4 sessions a week. After only my first class I was hooked! I know it sounds weird to say, but boot camp is really relaxing after a long day at work. The location is amazing and the people are beyond fantastic. Laura has been so encouraging and supportive as a trainer. I suddenly looked forward to the 6 p.m. workouts all day long.

I have now completed 2 Little Black Dress challenges and in 5 months I have lost 29 pounds and went from a size 12 to a size 4! I am as small as I was when I graduated high school and stronger than I ever have been before. My body fat percentage went from 31% to 24%. I love looking at myself in the mirror now. I can’t believe I finally reached my goal and I REALLY can’t believe I did it in only 5 short months! These past 5 months have not been easy, in fact I think this is the most I have ever challenged myself before.

Laura has been amazing throughout this whole experience. I have learned so much from her in such a short time. Not only did I go from hating to work out to loving to go to class each night, but I have also learned how to cook healthier than ever before. Thank you Laura for all your help and I look forward to reaching my next set of goals with you there to guide me.

Please congratulate Mackenzie on her INCREDIBLE journey and leave her a note in the comments section below! :)

Deb has been with us since September of 2011 and is an AMAZING success story that I know will inspire you. She is not only a member of the boot camp family, but she is now part of our team and instructs boot camp sessions!  We love Deb and the high energy, positive attitude that she brings to every 6 AM boot camp session!!  Here is Deb’s story.. in her OWN words.

“It was the last few months in 2010 and I was living in Brandon, Florida with my daughter.  I was running 3 times a week (something I’ve been doing since 2001).  My running had pretty much hit a plateau and I had it on my bucket list to run a half marathon before I turned 40 and a full marathon in my 40^th year (it was about 6 months before my 40^th birthday and I was quickly running out of time); at this point the longest race I ran without stopping was a 5k.  Over the nine years that I had been running I belonged to a few gyms; I was good about going but found that all I ever did was cardio.  I knew I needed to work on my other body muscles if I was ever going to progress; so I decided it was time to work with a personal trainer.

I found a trainer at the gym I belonged to; the first session I thought I was going to die and throw-up… wasn’t sure which would happen first.  I’ve been running and working out for 9 years… I really thought I was pretty good shape… the joke was definitely on me.  I felt myself getting stronger as the sessions went on; but I felt I was still missing something.  Christmas was approaching and Nicole asked me for The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader’s Boot Camp DVD as a gift.  The DVD was purchased by a family member and as Christmas approached I saw a Groupon for 1 month of Boot Camp; I decided I could buy her this to go with her DVD and I could buy one for myself so we can go together… super fun and not so scary!

It was mid January when we attended our first boot camp class; I think I was able to do two push-ups on my toes that day before I had to switch to my knees. Did I mention, I was also diagnosed with tendonitis in my shoulder the week before and the doctor told me not to do any pushing exercises.  He actually told me it was a sign of getting older and I may always have this pain…REALLY!  After the first class I knew this is exactly what I was looking for…I was hooked.  In the beginning it was easy to oversleep, to find other excuses not to go.  As I got to know the trainer and the others I found it more difficult to miss, I felt bad like I was letting them down.  Accountability….exactly what I needed; I really was hooked, having fun and meeting awesome people.  In June of 2011 I decided to move to St Pete….guess how hooked I was….I got up at 4:30am 3 times a week and drove to Brandon to workout.  After a while this got old and I knew it was time to find someone in St Pete.  My trainer referred me to Laura and told me I’d love her.  You all know I love Laura and the whole Bay View Boot Camp Family; I’m so happy I joined all of you.

There are so many wonderful things that have happened in my life since starting boot camp.  First things first…. my initial goal….. I’ve run 3 half marathons and I’m registered for my 4^th.  I’ve also committed to running a full marathon in 2013; just need to find the race I want and sign up.  I’ve dropped 15 pounds, lost a lot of inches, built a ton of muscle, I can see major muscle definition in my body and I love my shoulder dimples!  My cholesterol has dropped, both my HDL & LDL have improved and my triglycerides have decreased.  My passion for my health, exercise and life has increased; I feel great about what I’ve achieved.

I no longer have any pain or tendonitis in my shoulder; I actually did all 200 push-ups in the last Spartan on my toes.  I’ve met some totally amazing friends that I love and admire.  However, I always believe there is room for improvement and I push myself beyond what I think are my limits.  I am by no means perfect and I don’t eat healthy 100% of time (although I aspire to).  I have bad days; days when I get on the scale and feel totally defeated and disappointed but I know eating well and exercising works so I pick my head up, move forward, recommit and give it my all again.  I also look back and recognize where I’ve come from and what I’ve accomplished; not only over the past two years but over the last 12 years (12 years ago I was a pack a day smoker and weighed over 200lbs… crazy, huh?).

Thank you Laura Forte for always pushing me and inspiring me to never give up; you are an amazing coach and role model.  Thank you Bay View Boot Camp Family for motivating me, holding me accountable, inspiring me, believing in me and making me laugh every day.  With all of you on my side; I know I can do and accomplish anything I put my mind, heart and soul in to.  Look forward to seeing everyone reach their goals & set new one in 2013.  Love You All!

We love YOU Deb!  Congratulations on your incredible achievements!!  Please leave Deb a note of congratulations and continued encouragement in the comments section below! :)

We’ve had some incredible transformations within our boot camp family, and I’d like to share a story with you from Fany.  Fany started with us during a transformation challenge, worked REALLY hard, and achieved her goals… AND she has repeated this process ever since!  She is full of determination and means business when she comes to boot camp.  She is the first to put herself on a detox if she slipped over the weekend and get right back to achieving her goals.  I bring you Fany’s story.. in her own words.

“During my pregnancy I strictly followed the notion that when pregnant the woman eats for two – herself and the baby. Thus, in the ninth month I weighed 212 lbs. (starting at 135 lbs.). I was so ginormous, people would ask me if I was pregnant with twins. After my son was born I dropped down to 180 lbs. and that is where I got stuck for the next 2 ½ years. [Read more…]