Beach Fit Now

Fitness is not a linear journey

dmeilan — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:47:08 +0000

May 25, 2010

Just received the email at the end of this blog from our grand prize winner of the Weight Loss Challenge III. I loved her perspective on her journey thus far and felt others could relate. Melissa totally embodied the Beach Fit Now principle that fitness is not just about losing weight and that it takes a great team of comrades to help us along. We all know that the 6 million dollar question at the beginning of any training typically is, how much weight can I expect to lose. But, let me give it to you straight. If you’re looking to just drop pounds and plan on compulsively measuring your day to day, hour by hour progress based exclusively on the numbers on your bathroom scale, this isn’t the program for you. Why? Because you are so much more than the numbers reflected back at you on that bathroom scale. So much more. Your miraculous body is complex and as individual as each snow flake. At BEACH FIT NOW BOOTCAMPS, we encourage you to look at weight loss a little differently than most conventional programs. We promote:

A focus first on Health not your external form. We take great care to educate you on your body. We help you to better understand how your energy systems work, how your immune system functions and how your brain chemistry and bio-hormonal balance can effect mood, energy, addictions, aging, cravings and weight loss/weight gain.

When we know better, we do better. Empowered with new information about how precious, vast and complex our body systems are we believe that you have a greater chance at succeeding in consistent health affirming choices that nurture, nourish and care for the beautiful being you are.

We don’t bombard you with new knowledge, severe rules and restrictions or strip away Self Worth. We help you make changes in your mind, body and fitness through mindful body movement in nature and mindful eating, that results in what we like to call “ Optimal Whole Living ”. It’s really quite simple. We create space in which you can remember your connection to: 1. Yourself 2. Each Other 3. The World We Share

Reconnection with YOURSELF. Your true self at your core. Not your mind made self. Not your labels or the roles that you play. Not your past. Not your future. YOUR ESSENCE, YOUR TRUTH TODAY. We do this through reminding you to take your attention and focus into your INNER BODY ENERGY FIELD while you are exercising. It’s exhilarating to challenge yourself and your falsely defined physical and mental limitations. To take yourself out of your comfort zone a bit. To move and shake up what perhaps may have become sedentary and lifeless. To free yourself for 60 minutes from the preoccupations of your mind made stresses and burdens that are counter intuitive to your true nature. It enlivens you and wakes up your physiological energies. It stirs up your emotional energies. When you allow yourself to “feel” your body and the miraculous indefinable energy that is within, you experience a deep sense of well being and remember your true self.

Reconnection with EACH OTHER. Because this is a group experience, there is an exciting, dynamic flow of camaraderie and competition. Although we strongly discourage comparing yourself to others and teach you to embrace your “one-of-a-kindness“, it can help you break through some boundaries when others around you are putting forth maximal effort. There is just shear pleasure and enjoyment when you experience new things and challenges with a group of people who become your teammates, your friends. By focusing on unity, mutual support and our collective oneness, you remember that you are not alone and that you are not separate.

Reconnection with the WORLD WE SHARE. How lucky are we that we get to live in one of the most beautiful coastal towns in the country? By taking our workouts outdoors we encourage you to REALLY look at, listen to and feel the beauty that surrounds you. Beauty that may normally go unnoticed or unappreciated in the hectic pace of life. By taking in and drinking up the sacred energies of Nature, you remember your connection to something greater than yourself. You remember your oneness with all of life. That sense of Gratitude and Humility enriches your soul.

Through the portal of mindfully moving your body in Nature your Essence awakens and your body transforms effortlessly! When you grow in physical health, emotional health and self awareness…..the external reflects the internal beauty! Melissa got it.

Hey Deanna,

Thanks so much for everything! I feel like it’s Christmas in May for me and I’m not sure which gift certificate to use first! Truly, I would never do all this for myself so I am very grateful and appreciative.

Again, your program has been a wonderful source of inspiration for me in many aspects, not just physically. I’ve decided that my fitness journey is not a linear one, but more like 2 steps forward, 1 step back, a side step, a leap forward and sometimes a tumble! But it is mine to reclaim as I challenge myself to reach my potential. I truly appreciate your guidance and helping all of us on this path!

Also, I’m grateful for all the wonderful, supportive ladies (and Cyrus!) in this group. What a great group of non-judgmental, “real” women! I’ve been telling all my gals pals lately that the older I get, the wiser and stronger I think we women are!

Melissa

Amen sista. Amen

Almond Milk

dmeilan — Sun, 16 May 2010 14:20:21 +0000

I LIKE HIS ANALYSIS OF STORE BOUGHT ALMOND MILK. OF COURSE, I LIKE HIS UNDERSTANDING AND APPROACH TO WHOLE FOODS ALL TOGETHER. WE LOVE GEORGE!! ANOTHER GOOD ALTERNATIVE DR. STEPH WOULD RECOMMEND IS RAW OR ORGANIC WHOLE COW’S MILK. WE NEED THE FAT TO ABSORB THE NUTRIENTS. (be sure it is hormone/antibiotic free)

From The World’s Healthiest Foods

George Mateljan

Healthy Food Tip
Does packaged almond milk provide the same health benefits as whole almonds?
Commercially purchased, prepackaged almond milk does not provide nearly the same benefits as whole almonds. It’s not even close!
The first ingredient in most almond milks is either water or “almond base” (the latter generally referring to some form of blenderized and filtered almond water). Exactly how much almond is contained in this “almond base” varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. However, if you check the fiber content of your almond milk, that number will give you some clue about the likely amount of almonds included: while there’s about one gram of fiber in every seven almonds, many almond milks generally contain zero grams of fiber per eight ounces!
Manufacturers recognize that most consumers aren’t purchasing almond milk in order to get the benefit derived from almonds. They view consumers as desiring a substitute for cow’s milk that looks, tastes, and flows onto cereal like cow’s milk. For this reason, they will often enrich their almond milks with the same nutrients used to enrich cow’s milk: vitamins A and D. This step makes the almond milk appear more similar to cow’s milk from the consumer perspective. Manufacturers will also often add calcium to show even more similarity between almond milk and cow’s milk. (Three-quarters of an ounce of almonds contain approximately the same amount of calories as one cup of skim milk. However, the almonds contain only one-seventh the amount of calcium as found in the milk.)
Most commercially available almond milks don’t come close to the World’s Healthiest Foods’ definition of whole, natural foods. They may contain outstanding individual ingredients, including natural sweeteners and organically grown almonds; they may also be completely free of synthetic additives or preservatives. But they don’t provide the benefits of whole, natural foods in terms of nutrient quantity, nutrient diversity, or nutrient combinations.
An alternative to prepackaged, processed almond milk products, of course, is homemade almond milk. Here is a recipe for homemade almond milk that I created for The World’s Healthiest Foods: Essential Guide for the Healthiest Way of Eating, which is featured on page 537.
1 cup almonds, soaked overnight
3 pitted dates
Pinch of salt
3 cups water
1. Combine almonds, pitted dates, salt, and water in a blender and blend on high for two minutes.
2. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer into a large measuring cup or bowl. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to three days.

WHICH REINS SUPREME – VEGGIES OR FRUITS?

dmeilan — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:13:46 +0000

From George Mateljan:
As you know fruits and vegetables are at the pinnacle of the Healthiest Way of Eating. That being said, Readers ask me whether fruits and vegetables are equally important. Here’s what I tell them:
We included a long list of both fruits and vegetables in the World’s Healthiest Foods, and we did so not only for health and nourishment reasons, but also because of the beauty and diversity of these foods. There are so many unique fruits and vegetables growing on the earth! The colors, shapes, and tastes of these foods are totally unique and unsurpassed within the food world! It’s impossible for us to imagine the experience of the World’s Healthiest Foods without ample amounts of fruits and vegetables.
When you compare fruits and vegetables on a nutritional basis, however, there is no question that vegetables are more nutrient dense and contain a much wider variety of nutrients than fruits. If you think about the lives of the plants, this difference makes sense. In the world of vegetables, we eat many parts of the plants that either grow very close to the soil (like stems and stalks) or beneath the ground itself (like roots) This closeness to the soil brings the plant into contact with the diversity of soil minerals, and almost all vegetables are richer in minerals than fruits for this reason. Fruits are also more of an end-stage occurrence: in the case of an apple tree, for example, the tree has already lived and developed for a good number of years before it produces a significant amount of edible fruit. Unlike a root, which is in charge of nutrient delivery from the soil up into the rest of the plant, the fruit (like an apple) is not nearly as active in supporting the life of the plant (although it’s seeds are dramatically important in allowing the tree to produce new offspring and create future generations of apple trees). Because the stems and stalks and roots are more involved in the plant’s life support, they also tend to have a greater variety of vitamins (especially B complex vitamins) than fruits.
Most fruits have a concentrated amount of sugar, and for this reason, are higher-calorie and less nutrient dense than most vegetables. Starchy root vegetables like potatoes are closer to fruits in calorie content, but green leafy vegetables are enormously lower in calories and greater in nutrient density.
In summary, if you had to choose between fruits and vegetables as a foundation for your health, you would do best to select vegetables because of their greater nutrient diversity and nutrient density. Luckily, however, it is not an either-or situation, and you can take pleasure in the delights of both fruits and vegetables while increasing your reliance on the World’s Healthiest Foods!

Thank you Laurie for your BEAUTIFUL words!

dmeilan — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:46:45 +0000

February 12, 2010

Regarding a TV Series….

Each individual that struggles with weight issues has something so much bigger to face that it is easier to deal with the weight on our body than the weight of our struggle. The desire to change is there, but the ability to meet it head on brings the FEAR front and present (FEAR – false evidence appearing real). The benefit of a personal advocate is really the only way to see results. I have worked with several trainers over the years that have their own personal agenda and they don’t really hear any concerns from the trainee.

Enter Deanna Meilan !! After responding to a Bootcamp ad, I was very leery of what the next 12 weeks would entail. The group consisted of young, old, as well as those who probably hadn’t worked out in years. I knew that I was physically strong, but mentally weak. Deanna quickly assessed the group and the challenge began !! She met our doubts with encouragement and our limitations with alternatives. She reminded us of our small accomplishments and glowed with pride at our group strides. She educated us with mindful eating tips and got us back on track quickly when we stumbled with our journey. Some days she wanted this more for us than we did for ourselves. Don’t get me wrong this was not a love fest. On any given day you might find us crawling combat style in the sand, building sandcastles after hauling sand in our bags, running with no end in site only to drop and do push ups or pushing a jeep around the block. We had competition between us as we attempted each challenge, but through Deanna’s leadership we were more often cheering each other on.

Anyone can buy a tape, join a gym, find a workout buddy, but who can say that they have a personal cheerleader for healthy living inside and out. This journey has been frustrating, overwhelming and absolutely amazing at the same time. To learn to focus on the inside as well as the outside and to get rid of the scale has changed my life forever. To stop and pause and reflect how much stronger we had become between week 3 and 4 was so much sweeter than any number on the scale. To grocery shop for healthy foods vs living on supplements translates into a forever choice.

I can’t tell you what a difference Deanna would make in a boot-campers life. She is the total package. If you want the total package, than Deanna will be your choice. She is focused, determined, committed to EACH person and compassionate with encouragement. She will not only help those change the numbers on the scale, but will help each person see the light inside of them and want to pass it on !!

Laurie Little

APPETITE ?

dmeilan — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:10:25 +0000

FROM WORLD’S HEALTHIEST FOODS

www.whfoods.org

Are there natural appetite suppressants? If so, what are they?

No, our appetite for food is a far too complicated experience for any substance or food to single handedly control. From a research standpoint, it’s clear that it is not only our digestive system, but also our nervous system (including our brain), endocrine system, immune system, and metabolic system that all play essential roles in appetite regulation.

It’s also clear that appetite is seldom purely “physical.” Being hungry also has a constant psychological component. For example, when faced with a tragic, unexpected event in our lives, we often lose our appetite-even if our body is physiologically in need of food. Or we celebrate with a second helping of a delightful dessert on some special, party-like occasion-even when our body needs none of the substances found in the dessert.

Because appetite is such a complicated human experience, it’s usually helpful to focus less on your appetite and more on the quality of your diet. If you set up and follow a meal plan that is based on whole, natural foods, and if you are certain that your meal plan contains everything you need for optimal nourishment, you will not need to suppress your appetite when it comes to the meal plan you’ve already planned.

For some individuals, smaller, more frequent “mini-meals” work much better than a few larger complete meals when it comes to appetite control. (It makes sense that we tend to get hungrier the longer we’ve gone without food.) It’s very important to focus on a meal plan that is complete in terms of your individual nourishment. Your diet needs to provide you with optimal levels of vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, and other nutrients that support all of your body systems.

There are no simple solutions to curbing your appetite outside of your pre-planned whole foods diet. Sometimes it can be helpful to drink clean, pure water or sip herbal tea if you’re feeling an appetite outside of your meal plan. More times than not, however, you’ll need to get caught up in some other activity that you enjoy in order for your appetite to be forgotten. One of the worst steps you can take is to remain standing in your kitchen, or seated on your couch, just thinking about food.

References:

Andreasson A, Arborelius L, Erlanson-Albertsson C, et al. A putative role for cytokines in the impaired appetite in depression. Brain Behav Immun. 2007;21(2):147-52.

Asarian L, Geary N. Modulation of appetite by gonadal steroid hormones. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2006; 361(1471):1251-63.

Chaudhri O, Small C, Bloom S. Gastrointestinal hormones regulating appetite. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2006;361(1471):1187-209.

Druce M, Bloom SR. The regulation of appetite. Arch Dis Child. 2006;91(2):183-7.

Erlanson-Albertsson C. Appetite regulation and energy balance. Acta Paediatr Suppl. 2005;94(448):40-1.

Higgs S. Memory and its role in appetite regulation. Physiol Behav. 2005;85(1):67-72.

THERE’S NO WAY AROUND IT FOLKS…..training yourself to stay tuned in to what’s going on inside you physically and emotionally is ultimately your NUMBER ONE strategy to long term Weight Loss, Optimal Health and Wellbeing.

That’s why at Beach Fit Now Bootcamps we encourage you in every session to “re-connect” with yourself. That space, that moment of awareness holds the real power, allowing you to be mindful about your self defeating triggers, to be mindful about your whole food choices and to be mindful about moving your miraculous bodies in nature as we have a blast exercising together!

The Secret to Anti-Aging….

dmeilan — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:01:57 +0000

from Total health breakthroughs 1/28/10

Doctors have discovered that regular exercise keeps your DNA young…
Every time your cells divide, a small portion of your DNA is lost. This is the section at the end of the chromosome, called the telomere. As you age, the telomere gets shorter and shorter. Finally, it disappears and the cell stops dividing and dies.
Physical aging occurs as more and more cells reach the end of their telomeres and die. As the process accelerates, your muscles get weaker, wrinkles appear and eyesight fades. Eventually the organs begin to fail and death occurs. Such is the nature of life.
You cannot avoid your telomeres getting shorter and shorter as time goes by. But the good news is that your habits and lifestyle can dramatically influence the speed at which it occurs. And one way to slow down the process is to exercise.
Several studies have shown a clear association between activity levels and the length of your telomeres. Those who exercise regularly, literally have “younger” DNA in their cells.

COOL!! WE CAN CHOOSE TO GROW YOUNGER!! IT’S UP TO YOU.

Slideshow

Doug G — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:14:17 +0000

Beach Fit Now – Slideshow Maker

12/18/09 CAN LIFE GET ANY BETTER?

dmeilan — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:52:53 +0000

As we enter into another New Year we look back with gratitude and forward with joyful anticipation. Below is an extensive list of how lives have been transformed in 12 weeks of BEACH FIT NOW BOOTCAMPS. These are the heart felt words straight from the Bootcamper’s mouths!

feeling less stressed
feeling happier
feeling more confident
no need for retail therapy anymore
relationship with husband has improved
relationship with children have improved
cholesterol down 40 points
fitting in jeans that have not fit for 5 years
off anti-depression medication
off thyroid medicine
running when doctors said it would be impossible
back pain has gone away
family grocery shopping together
family reading labels together
family cooking whole foods together
feeling more social
running a 1/2 marathon for the first time
planning a full marathon run
skin is brighter
feel more alert
have more energy
feeling alive for the first time in many years
husband feels I am a nicer person
I feel I am a nicer person
walking the Ravenel Bridge
having more patience
fitting in clothes that have not fit for years
feeling younger
feeling happier
better eating habits
exercise is a necessity
best therapy I can give myself
calmness that I have not had for a long time
more focused and excited about setting goals for myself
want to run the bridge in April
the strength and the courage to do these things
appearance is leaner
hips and butt significantly smaller
can see my toes
Arms sculpted
posture is straighter
increased mobility / agility
increased endurance
breathing easier
physical and psychological confidence has increased
panic attacks have decreased
no need for anxiety meds
digestive system functioning smoothly
GERD symptoms greatly reduced
mindful eating
paying more attention to the ingredients label when grocery shopping
satisfied with smaller portions
FEEL GREAT!
relieved of postpartum depression
peace of mind toward my body
peace of mind for myself
taking the time I deserve each week
a greater, more solid bond with my big/older sister
new friends
family awareness of healthy living
LOVE of being outside
ability to buy clothes that fit me NOW and like them
learning how to push myself harder than ever
accepting myself
take time to heal, still love myself and keep moving forward
trying new exercises so I can continue toward my goals
keep going, try new things, new ways
new found LOVE for the beach
greater appreciation of my surroundings
ecstatic that I can move in ways that I haven’t been able to in years
self respect/empowered again
overall excitement about life/health
hope
expanding my food palate (Hemp, chia – who knew)
feeling part of a great team and not wanting to let them and me down
more compassionate – wanting to help others more
noticed sculpted definition in calves
love the awesome variety of NEW exercise moves @ the beach to shake up old indoor gym routines!
Positive energy all around us @ the beach with Deanna’s motivation & smile!
Respecting the effort of my workout and embracing the soreness as victory and not reason to quit or not show up!!
feel BRAVE and STRONG for the first time in a long time.
Meeting you of course
Love my body and feel so much more confident (naked too)
feel muscle in my legs and have tone for the first time
can run without getting a stitch in my side
pants are too big!!
not intimidated to shop at Whole Foods anymore
getting my kids to eat healthier
definitely more conscious of my eating habits
more flexible
don’t have to wear baggy shirts anymore
Overall outlook has improved
Can touch my toes, do pushups and pick up my son without excrutiating back pain from degenerative discs
no need for daily napping from low energy
No need for constant self medicating with Ibuprofen from joint and muscle pain
Out of the dark hole I was living in from pain and depression
sleeping for the first time in years
Husband who flirts with me nonstop now because of improved attitude and new curves!

Drink in the rain

dmeilan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:46:13 +0000

Dec. 2, 2009

As I was thinking of you all this morning and missing our time together, an inspiration came to me that I would like to share.

Unfortunately, the heavy rain prevented us from being together today. But, fortunately, with awareness we remember that in all challenges in life, there is always opportunity. So today, instead of writing off the entire day as dreary, limiting, keeping you from your daily doings, your fitness or Mindful Living, seize this moment as a sacred chance to create a portal for transformation in your life.

How? Well, we have spent the last 9 weeks learning about and practicing shifting our attention inward, into our Heart Essence, feeling our Body Intelligence. When we train together on the beach or in the park we have the extraordinary opportunity to practice Presence by taking our attention “into” our bodies and connecting with our Heart Essence, as well as taking our attention “outside” our bodies into the vast energy field of the Nature that surrounds us by heightening our sense perceptions.

Today Nature is raining down us! Be with the rain today! Drink it into your body and soul! Look at it. Listen to it. Sit on your porch and feel the mist on your face. If it weren’t for the thunderstorm forecast, we could have had a glorious time mindfully moving our bodies at Bootcamp in it! Give yourself at least 5 minutes today, hopefully more, to just be with the rain. Perhaps you can steal a quiet few minutes in your car on your way somewhere. Pull over, turn off everything, and just be with the rain. Don’t label it. Don’t judge it. Don’t create a commentary in your head about it. Don’t interpret the moment. Try not to lose the essence of the experience by analyzing or evaluating it. Just be. There is a richness in the simple experience of being in Nature in this moment. You can’t think it. Be it. In the rain today we have the opportunity for transcending the burdens of life. Creating that portal. That opening for Greater Intelligence at work in our lives. In the infinite, sacred timelessness of the rain, we can absorb the energy field of Nature that returns us to our connectedness with Oneness. Man made things cannot get us there. The daily grind cannot transport us. Nature can.

So, why is it important to create these portals that reconnect us? Because the Mind is Mad. Quite simply!

If we stay only in our minds or the thoughts that are conditioned from the past or the anticipations of our anxiety burdened futures, we become mad. We become our stories of how difficult and complex our lives are. We get buried under layers and layers of hurt, pain, failures, lost love, insecurities, anxieties and self judgements that keep us trapped in insanity, disillusionment and separation. If you are aware, to some degree this rings true for you, doesn’t it? I know I occasionally struggle with negative and self defeating thoughts. Periodically, I feel down and disconnected with myself and therefore with everything and everyone around me. These dark periods come less an less frequently to me as I practice Awareness In Nature, but they do still come. It’s no coincidence as well, that they tend to appear, in my experience, around that certain time of month. There is a physiological root to that, but also a spiritual root in that we women carry the collective pain of female persecution from the beginning of time to the present. (If you don’t understand what I am talking about read about the Roman Catholic Holy Inquisition, as only one marker in history of an attempt to silence the feminine principle or read about the violence being inflicted upon millions of women TODAY in the Congo! It’s heart breaking and unspeakable) During these low periods, I am aware of my very strong compulsion and temptation to judge myself as not being worthy. I feel unsteady, ill at ease and weakened in my path to enlightenment. I ask myself why I have once again “lost” my connection with Being. In the still rain this morning a gentle answer came to me. The Power In The Remembering.

When we feel “lost”, we are not really lost, we are only temporarily obscured from the Source. As much as I dislike these states or periods of existence, they are a functional and necessary part in the Higher Evolution of Consciousness. Why? Because Consciousness is a process. The evolution of our soul, does not happen over night and then you are done. It’s not as if you can “arrive” and then all the work is over, so you just coast through the rest of your life. In these absences, we regain a deeper understanding and a deeper awareness, when we return. If the polarity did not exist, we would not have consciousness, we would simply be. Think about it. We know that there has to be opposites to differentiate. If there was no sadness, how would we know joy? If there was no silence, how would we know sound? If there was not darkness, would we know light? If there was only blue, would we know color? These moments of disconnect must exist, so I am learning to accept them and recognize them as quickly as possible, so that I can make a fast dash home. The Return. “The Power In The Remembering”.

Remembering that we are all prewired with a sense of incompleteness and isolation. This unavoidable emptiness stems from the original disconnection with Oneness. There is no denying it. If you look closely enough at your deepest self, you can feel the “prewiring of isolation”. Then you can also recognize the futility in trying to cover it up, run away from it or seek fulfillment elsewhere. Many of us have spent most of our lives either running away from this disconnection or trying to substitute a sense of fulfillment that can never be achieved. Dysfunctional or unhealthy connections or addictions to: relationships, drugs-legal or illegal, alcohol, work, play, pain, illness, shopping, exercise, wealth or the acquisition of wealth, religion, sex, violence, and so on…are all futile attempts to heal the One true connection that has been obscured. But the miraculous part of it all, is that the way back is so exquisitely simple. So beautifully easy. So eloquently available. The rapturous perfection lies within you….. is you ….in this moment of Presence. It’s never really been lost and we are not “hard wired”, only “soft-wired” to think we are separate. When we open ourselves to Life, to Nature, to each other, that compulsive soft wiring subsides and we remember the simplicity of Oneness in this moment, right here, right now. Simple. Profound. Today, drink in the rain.

Dana’s Story

dmeilan — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:19:49 +0000

Nov.25,2009

Deanna, I’ve always dreaded the holidays and I think I have figured out why – I go into each holiday vowing not to gain more weight but don’t have a game plan on how to accomplish it. Then I set mysefl up for failure (which knocks me back a few notches on the old self approval scale). I gain my normal 10 lbs. between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then comes New Years Resolutions – always to lose weight (and now there is 10 more lbs to lose). Again, no game plan on how to achieve this. And the cycle continues.. . .

After my car accident 18 yrs ago, I never DREAMED that I could ever enjoy this wonderful beach again. Walking on sand was very scary for me! Any shift under my foot would cause such extreme pain. Not only am I walking again, I’ve even been able to run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have pushed me beyond my wildest dreams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am SOOOO excited about 2009 Holidays – I’ve already warned my neighbors that I am going to have the most obnoxiously decorated home on the street! I know that not only will I NOT gain the “HOLIDAY 10″ but that I plan on LOSING 10 lbs over the holidays! And, I have a game plan to accomplish this – BeachFitNow!! I thank you for this!!!!!!!!

You keep saying how greatful you are to have this group in your life. It is amazing how everyone has benefitted from and sees the great need to BE part of this ENERGY! It is contagious, effective, dynamic, yet could never be duplicated. It is SO cool how God has had a hand in hand picking ALL of us to unite to help influence ALL of us. My relationship with my sister (which has been VERY strained over the years) has grown so much closer because of Bootcamp. Do you really realize how much you are touching lives and the trickle down effect it is having????????????

In this time of Thanksgiving, I just want to make sure that you realize that you are an AMAZING woman, that you are making a difference and I am proud to know you and am thankful for you. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR HELPING ME GROW STRONGER/HEALTHIER, CHALLANGING ME, CHANGING ME, MAKING ME BE A BETTER PERSON – ONE WHO I’M LIKING MORE AND MORE!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Dana