Sunday, August 19, 2007

FAQ about Boot Camp

What is Bodifit by Mercedes Boot Camp?

Bodifit by Mercedes Boot Camp is a 4-week fitness program led by renowned fitness expert Mercedes Hughes or one of our expert Bodifit Boot Camp trainers. Most camps begin at 5:00 a.m., last 1 hour in length, and are held Monday thru Saturday (additional times may be offered -- please check our schedule). You will be motivated, encouraged, and inspired. And you will have fun while getting a fantastic workout in a non-threatening environment. RESULTS GUARANTEED!!!


Is boot camp for me?

If you can answer "YES" to any of the following questions, then boot camp is for you!

• Do you need to be held accountable?
• Do you need motivation?
• Do you need to jump start your fitness program?

What if I'm not very physically fit?

NOBODY will be left behind or asked to complete more than they are capable of doing safely. Women (and men) of all ages and abilities are welcome to participate. Each day will slightly increase in intensity.

What exercises are included in the program?

We do everything from running/walking (less than 1 mile), weight training (upper and lower body), core conditioning, abdominal work, calisthenics, plyometrics, circuit training and more! Everyday is a little different from the day before and you will get a complete workout every week!

Exercises include: push ups, shoulder presses, bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, squat thrusts, lunges, squats, jump roping, crunches, the plank, relay race, star jumpers and more...

Where are the camps held?

Whittier Mill Park
Candler Park
Echo Mill
The Broadlands
North Cobb High School
Kennesaw Mountain
Boots Ward
Bentwater
Worship of God Church

How often will we meet?

Boot campers will meet every Monday through Friday for one hour during the program. All participants will be expected to arrive on time. Camp starts promptly at the scheduled time! (Additional camp times are available.)

Check Bodifit schedule for upcoming camps.

What do I need to bring?

You need to bring an exercise mat, one set of hand weights (5-10 lbs for women and 8-12 lbs for men), running shoes, workout towel, a water bottle, and a sense of adventure. These items can be purchased at any local Target, Walmart or any other sporting goods store.

What will I get out of participating?

Guaranteed results!!! You will make a dramatic improvement in your physical well-being. Our camp programs include exercises designed to:

firm your butt and thighs (for the ladies),
flatten your stomach,
reduce body fat, and
increase strength and stamina.

By losing fat and gaining muscle, you'll lose inches and gain strength -- and you'll look and feel better. In addition, you'll meet great people who share your same goals for acquiring a healthy mind and body.

READY TO JOIN.....CALL MERCEDES AT 678.594.6737

Friday, June 29, 2007

Women: End Emotional Eating

Women: How To Stop Bingeing, End Emotional Eating And Avoid Diet Relapse

In a study published in the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, Susan Kayman and colleagues set out to discover the difference beteen women who took off weight and kept it off succesfully (maintainers), and those who took off weight but eventually regained it all (relapsers). They found many differences between relapsers and successful maintainers, but one of the differences stood out like a sore thumb…

Relapsers were emotional eaters who lacked skills to respond to and cope with stress and unexpected problems.

While almost all of the women reported stressful issues or problems, there were major differences in the way the relapsers and maintainers coped with their problems.

Very few relapsers used problem-solving or confrontive ways of coping with their problems as compared with maintainers.

Instead, they were more likely to use emotion-focused or escape/avoidance behaviors for coping such as eating more, sleeping more or just wishing the problem would go away.

Relapsers reported using food to make themselves feel better when they were upset. They also attributed weight gain to unexpected or unpredictable stressful life events.

Maintainers, by contrast, confronted their problems directly and looked for alternative ways to cope with them (other than eating)

These included relaxation techniques, meditation, exercise, focusing on productive work, seeking social support, getting professional help, or talking out their feelings with other people they trusted.

This by the way, confirms previous research in the area of addiction recovery which found that a person who has made a successful behavior change will return to a previous negative pattern if a stressful situation occurs and no coping skills have been developed to deal with it.

Another big difference between maintainers and relapsers was conscious awareness (or lack of it)

70% of relapsers ate unconsciously in response to emotions.

Maintainers, on the other hand, were vigilant and conscious of EVERYthing:

They were conscious of the quantity and type of food they ate
They were conscious about the amount of activity that they needed personally to maintain their weight
They consciously worked to “keep in shape” after they reached their initial goal
They were conscious that they felt uncomfortable in their clothes after they gained even a little weight such as a few pounds after a vacation
They intentionally wore close-fitting clothes to keep themselves aware of their bodies, which prompted them to exercise more eat less if their clothes felt tighter.
From these findings emerge two of the very first steps that are absolutely necessary for you to end emotional eating and prevent diet relapse:

1. Develop greater conscious awareness
2. Develop alternative behaviors and coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and emotions

It takes courage to directly confront your problems and strength to overcome them, but you can’t even begin to solve a problem unless you are aware you have one. It all begins with AWAREness.

One of the best ways to increase conscious awareness of your eating habits is to keep a nutrition diary at least once in your life for a period of at least 4-12 weeks.

many people are catching on, as reflected in the popularity of sites like fit day, which lets you log in your daily food intake, while others keep extensive written journals.

People who are struggling with relapse and weight regain, but who refuse to admit that calorie counting is important, who find keeping journals to be too much like work, or who don’t at least find some other way to raise their awareness about what and how much they are eating, are likely to continue to struggle.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Nutrition

Are u busting your butt working out and not getting the results you deserve?

If so, listen up. You have to fix your nutrition. No more foods from a bag or a box. Switch over to more fruits and vegetables.

Now I know you're not just going to wake up and eat 10 servings of vegetables tomorrow.

But you have to make little changes every day, week, month & year. We can always get better. So this weekend, start with one new item from the produce aisle to help control your appetite, regulate your blood sugar, and burn body fat.

If you want to lose fat, live longer & healthier, and have more mental and physical energy to get through your day, you need to put premium fuel in your body's engine.

NOT GREASE.

Start by eating several small meals each day, focusing on protein and fiber-rich foods.

Combine that with your Boot Camp workouts and you'll feel like a million bucks.

We are all a work in progress. Never give up on your ability to change your body at any age. Nutrition & exercise are that powerful.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Scale Weight


I have some clients that live and breathe by the numbers on the scale. The worst part about scales is they distort your perception of progress. Rather than enabling you to focus on how much body fat and lean mass you have gained, scales cause you to focus on your bodyweight. Keep in mind that it is possible to actually gain weight and still look thinner. (However, if you are extremely overweight and need to lose 20 pounds or more, then this statement applies less to you.) Firming up, losing inches and gaining a couple pounds is possible.

Start following a healthier lifestyle and by chance u gain some weight, you can still look thinner. Remember muscle weighs more than fat because it is denser fiber. Not only does fat weigh less than muscle, it takes up approximately five times more space than muscle.
Body composition is the percentage of your body that is fat and lean body mass (e.g. muscle, bones, etc.). Although two people can weigh exactly the same and be the same height, it’s entirely possible for one of them to have 30% body fat and for the other to have 15% body fat. The person with less body fat will actually look thinner and shapely because he/she has more lean muscle, even though he weighs exactly the same as the other person.

Take a boot camper who wants to lose 10 pounds. Chances are that boot campers doesn’t really need to lose 10 pounds, but she thinks she does because she doesn’t like that number on the scale. What she should really do instead is shift her focus to her body composition by lowering her body fat percentage and raising her lean body mass percentage. Eat a healthier diet so that u can eliminate some body fat. Increase your cardiovascular workouts, which will also help to burn body fat. Because body fat takes up a huge amount of body surface area, you will start looking thinner.


Set realistic goals - You didn't put on extra weight overnight so it is equally unrealistic to take it off quickly. Set a goal you know you can achieve.

Spread your calories around - Divide your calorie goal by the number of meals (at least five) Make sure you eat at least 1200 calories each day or you will lose muscle.

Diet foods not required - Eat regular foods rather than the "sugar free", "lite" or "fat free" versions (except soda beverages and milk) because the calories in these "diet" foods still count towards your total calories each day. Diet foods are usually not as satisfying or filling so you may eat more of them.

Drastic changes not recommended - The plan you follow to lose weight should be built on the how you eat now modified by these ten changes. A weight loss plan should be a plan you can follow for a lifetime by making small changes in the portion sizes you eat once you reach your goal weight so that you can maintain a healthy weight.

Portion control - Control meal portions.

Cook it yourself - Bake, broil or steam food rather than frying.

Some fat is OK

Sugar is not evil - You just can't afford the calories. Sugar only contains carbohydrate so use an artificial sweetener in beverages or drink sugar free soda in reasonable amounts.

Alcohol in moderation - Alcoholic beverages are just as empty of nutrients as sugar, but your liver processes them like fat. If you drink, limit yourself to one drink per day (12 ounce beer or 4 ounces wine or 1 ½ ounces distilled liquor) and then only add fat to one meal that day.

No cake - Desserts are mostly fat and sugar which will put you over your calorie goal for the day.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

2007 Bodifit by Mercedes Boot Camp

Bodifit by Mercedes has kicked off the new year with Boot Camp Fitness. A program designed to take off weight gained during the holidays and get trainees ready for bikini season.