Tampa Photography Blog

Once again, I have to thank my fitness boot camp trainer, Carrie Kukuda (aka The Someday Coach), for keeping me on track for the last year.

I am unlucky in that I was not blessed with natural athleticism so I never played sports in high school and have never been particularly interested in exercise.

I’ve tried almost everything—gyms, DVDs, group classes, personal trainers, Taebo, Pilates, yoga, biking, etc. The list goes on! I don’t think I’ve ever truly committed to anything so therefore, I quit whatever exercise I try about three months into the program. I either get frustrated because I don’t see results or I come up with an excuse as to why I can’t do it any more (money, fatigue, time, etc.).

I am amazed and so proud of myself for committing to boot camp and staying in the program for one year! For me, this is a huge accomplishment. And I have no intention of quitting any time soon. I may curse Carrie when I’m in camp but I always thank her later when I see the results.

I have changed my outlook about exercise because of Carrie. I now see it as a priority and part of my everyday routine, instead of an “option”. I hate missing camp and only do so if I have a photo shoot that cannot be rescheduled or if I’m sick. Even when I go on vacation, I try to do something active or bring along home workouts and my kettlebell so I don’t get off track.

When Carrie says she loves her job because she changes lives, she’s not kidding. If you would have told me one year ago that I would still be in boot camp and would have lost 39 inches of fat, I would have told you that you were completely delusional!

And beyond what Carrie provides, I’ve made some wonderful new friends. These women inspire me and motivate me every day. From the comic relief to friendly competition to kind encouragement, I always get what I need from them and I hope they know I wouldn’t still be in camp without them.

One of the funniest compliments I’ve gotten since I started is from a dear friend, Kym Klass. She’s a runner and a bad ass. She runs ten miles with ease and doesn’t need medical attention so I find her incredibly awesome. She told me there’s no way she’d do our boot camp and doesn’t know how we get through it. I feel the same way about her running but it feels so great to hear that from someone I think can do anything.

So, for the next year of boot camp, I plan to tone the new muscles I have and work on my problem areas more. I plan to make better decisions when it comes to what I put in my body and focus on my successes, not my failures.