Oprah's Boot Camp Regimen--Is anybody doing this?

[Crystalicequeen123]

Hey, I was wondering if any of you ladies are following Oprah's boot camp regimen. I saw it on her website, and it looks pretty cool and it seems like it might produce results.

Here's the link: http://www2.oprah.com/presents/2005/bootcamp/commit/commit_oprah.jhtml

Oprah looks SO good! I can't believe she's in her 50's! I don't know what she's been doing lately, but she looks really fit and trim these days. If this is what she's' doing than maybe I need to join in the "boot camp" too! LOL*

Are any of you ladies doing it?? Any feedback?? Has it worked so far??

[Nyambura]

Yes, I am doing it. Because I am pregnant, I am doing a modified version per specific medical advice for my condition - I have gestational diabetes. I started the Boot Camp regimen in my second trimester and my only regret is that I didn't start it sooner. It's great! The boot camp regimen has helped keep my blood sugar in check, which is paramount when dealing with gestational diabetes - both for my health and especially the baby's, not only in the womb but afterwards, as a child and teen. Just as importantly, the regimen has kept me within the recommended 25 - 35 pound weight gain for pregnancy.

The most important thing for me has been consistency. I get up at 5 AM every weekday to do cardio and light weights. On weekends, I double the time of my weekday workouts. Due to consistency -and discipline, 'cause believe me, it SUCKS getting out of bed at 5 when your feet are swollen and sometimes hurt:p - I have definitely seen clear results.

ETA: B/c of the diabetes, diet is also VERY important, esp. watching carb intake, which seems to coincide with a lot fad diets now (e.g., Atkins) and Oprah's all-white-foods ban. The diet and the exercise together have given me good results. What really made the difference for *my* body was adding the light weights. HTH!

[Crystalicequeen123]

WOW! That's very commendable, especially since you're pregnant. :) I hear it's good to continue exercising (low-intensity) when you're pregnant. I think I've even heard that it can help a lot of women loosen up while delivering their baby. Must have something to do with muscle control down there. I know when I exercise more, my menstrual cramps aren't as severe.

Tell me...how on EARTH do you manage to get up at 5 a.m.?? I have been trying for the last past 2 weeks to discipline myself to get up at 5 a.m. so that I can walk/jog around the neighborhood but it's just not working. :( When the alarm sounds, I just keep hitting the snooze button and go right back to sleep. I'm not a morning person at ALL. I'm more of a night person, but I've been trying to go to sleep around 9:30 p.m. (the latest at 10:00) instead of at 12 midnight and later. But I STILL can't get up! Any advice?

Iv'e just started Oprah's boot camp regimen myself. My mom and I are trying to get on an exercising plan. We just went to the gym on Saturday. We JUSt started the "no food after 7pm" rule last night. Haha. We were both DYING! My mom, my sister and I usually stay up late laughing, talking, or watching a good movie on tv with some late-night snacks or dessert. But not anymore! I have vowed NOT to eat after 7 p.m.. The LATEST at 8pm. Have you been following this portion of Oprah's "boot camp" regimen, or have the pregnancy cravings been just too much to handle? :D If you've been doing the "no food after 7" thing, have you seen any positive results from it?

[Nyambura]

WOW! That's very commendable, especially since you're pregnant. :) I hear it's good to continue exercising (low-intensity) when you're pregnant. I think I've even heard that it can help a lot of women loosen up while delivering their baby. Must have something to do with muscle control down there. I know when I exercise more, my menstrual cramps aren't as severe.

Thank you, chica. I can hardly believe I'm actually doing it myself.:) But knowing there's a life dependent on my doing the right thing to control my blood sugar motivates me.


Tell me...how on EARTH do you manage to get up at 5 a.m.?? I have been trying for the last past 2 weeks to discipline myself to get up at 5 a.m. so that I can walk/jog around the neighborhood but it's just not working. :( When the alarm sounds, I just keep hitting the snooze button and go right back to sleep. I'm not a morning person at ALL. I'm more of a night person, but I've been trying to go to sleep around 9:30 p.m. (the latest at 10:00) instead of at 12 midnight and later. But I STILL can't get up! Any advice?
As the pregnancy progresses, the less sleep you get so it's not that hard. I feel you though, b/c I'm *not* a morning person *at all.* :nono: I'm a night owl by nature. What helps is sleeping in a clean set of exercise clothes - it's not for everybody but it works for me. Even before I was able to work out at home, when I had to drive to the gym, this worked for me. Wake up ready to go, then pull on the socks and shoes. I'm much more likely to work out (since I'm already dressed, lol). It's one less obstacle to surmount, one less excuse to avoid working out. Having a husband who is an early riser helps b/c the alarm clock is on *his* side and by the time it would take me to get myself over him to the clock to shut it off, I'd be awake, lol.

Also, I'm so absolutely wiped out by the time I get home from work, and my feet are usually somewhat swollen/painful, so the only real option for me, physically, is to exercise in the morning. The benefits are many: it keeps your metabolism up for the rest of the day, you feel good about accomplishing something so early in the day, and, for those of us who are hyperglycemic diabetics, it helps keep that blood sugar in check!

How about this: put your alarm clock, on full blast, in your closet, across the room from your bed, any place that's out of reach. It will be harder to go back to sleep if you have to get out of bed, figure out where you placed your alarm clock, walk over to it, and shut it off.

Another motivator is to place a specific goal -e.g., the contract Oprah provides on her website- where you will see it throughout the day, everyday. You don't have to put it in just one place, put it in as many places as you frequent daily: for example, the bathroom, the refrigerator, the mirror on your vanity, etc. That constant reminder of what your goal is, and that it is attainable (!), is actually a good motivator. So, for example, your goal might be to get up at 7 am for the next 3 days and exercise. That's a specific, quantifiable goal that is achievable. Once you meet that commitment, try 4 days, etc. The idea is to get your body accustomed to exercising first thing in the morning. Here's a link to Bob Green's webpage on Oprah's website, called "Getting Motivated": http://www2.oprah.com/health/bob/qa/motivated/health_qamot_main.jhtml (http://www2.oprah.com/health/bob/qa/motivated/health_qamot_main.jhtml)

Iv'e just started Oprah's boot camp regimen myself. My mom and I are trying to get on an exercising plan. We just went to the gym on Saturday. We JUSt started the "no food after 7pm" rule last night. Haha. We were both DYING! My mom, my sister and I usually stay up late laughing, talking, or watching a good movie on tv with some late-night snacks or dessert. But not anymore! I have vowed NOT to eat after 7 p.m.. The LATEST at 8pm. Have you been following this portion of Oprah's "boot camp" regimen, or have the pregnancy cravings been just too much to handle? :D If you've been doing the "no food after 7" thing, have you seen any positive results from it?

Good for you and your mom! :clap: That's awesome! Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started! Some gyms will give you a free consultation with one of their trainers to get you started. Maybe you and your mom could use their expertise to get on an exercise plan tailored for each of you?

I was doing the no food after 7 pm rule, so you have my sympathies 'cause girl, I was HUNGRY, LOL! But after I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes (diabetes caused directly by pregnancy), I was forced -medical prescription- to break that rule. I have timed intervals where I am to eat certain types of foods during specific times of the day, all to regulate my blood sugar. But I don't pig out - each meal is a small meal, 3x/day, with snacks after each, roughly 2 hours apart. I have to do that every day. I did see a noticeable difference with the after 7 pm rule :yep: but I'm seeing an even bigger difference sticking to my diabetic diet since diabetics can't efficiently process certain foods, such as the "white foods" Oprah talks about, or fruits, juices, lots of stuff, lol. I haven't really had any cravings ... except for crushed ice ... which is funny, since I live in Minnesota. :lol:

Hang in there, Crystalicequeen, old habits die hard but they can be overcome with persistence. Besides, it's only for 12 weeks, which you take one day at a time. One day at a time is key. Don't think about all 12 weeks or it can get overwhelming. Also, having a partner, like your mom, definitely helps if one can be the motivator when the other feels like throwing in the towel (my husband is so supportive! it really helps). I also found discipline because I want my baby healthy, which forces me to drag my tired behind out of bed on the days I haven't slept well or I've felt out of sorts or just thought "ah, who cares?" lol (told you I wasn't a morning person! :lol: ), and do my cardio and weight lifting anyway.

Sorry this was so long! HTH!