Last night we had a Boot Camper Transformation Celebration Party at Angelicas in Redwood City. I want to acknowledge Joanne Conlu who did an amazing job coordinating the event. She captured the evening well with this quote, “Boot Camp isn’t just about burpees, bear walks, and lunges. It’s also about camaraderie, hard work, support, and oh…partyin’ like it’s 1999!”
After we picked the winners of the Holiday Transformation Challenge we had Live Latin Jazz Entertainment with Pete Escovedo & Son, Juan Escovedo. If you didn’t make it, I hope to have you at the next event. We will be doing more socials in 2015!
Previously I announced the 2014 75-Day Holiday Transformation Challenge Finalists. There were over 50 that entered the challenge and we narrowed down the finalists to 7. You can see the lucky 7, I mean, hard-working seven here: Finalists
It was a time consuming and difficult process to pick the winner and the final 3 given the challenge is not simply based upon weight loss. It is really a fat loss and lifestyle challenge. Winners were chosen based on greatest body fat loss and body composition improvement in 75 days: judged based on body composition numbers (weight, body fat, lean body mass), visual appearance (before and after photographs) and a transformation essay (each component counts for 33% of the score). You can see the rules here: Challenge
Some of the challengers didn’t place higher because the photos were not great at showing a transformation. This is often the result of clothing selection. When one is covered up with lots of clothing it is difficult to see a change. Also, lighting and angle of photos can be problematic. Others had great physical transformations, but may have scored lower in the essay section.
Regardless of who won, I am proud of all those who entered and took action to better themselves at the most difficult time of the year. I always say if you can create a transformation in the holiday months you can do anything.
Our past winners continue to only get better after this challenge, which is rare in the weight loss/body transformation world. I look forward to sharing their stories of the 7 finalists with you, so you can also have an outstanding transformation. One of the keys to success is emulating others that are successful.
$1000- 1st Place Winner: Alex Yupanqui
Like many, I had to talk Alex into the challenge. He was already fit, but he wasn’t making the right lifestyle choices to be the NEW & IMPROVED Lean and Mean Alex he is today. Here is Alex’s story:
“Focus. That was my key for success in the 2014 75-Day Holiday Transformation Challenge. I have been attending Brien’s boot camps for over a year and challenge myself every day in class. The transformation challenge brought that dedication and work ethic outside of the gym, and that made all the difference.
What I learned:
- Nutrition, Nutrition, Nutrition. That is the key. I think everyone knows the basics but Brien and the team can show you how to make key nutritional lifestyle changes that are sustainable.
- Fats are our friends. I hit a fitness plateau ¾ of they way through the challenge. Through the Online Group Nutrition & Lifestyle Coaching Program I learned a lot more about fats and how to use them effectively. I got over the hump by:
- Having a teaspoon of sunflower, olive, and coconut oil every morning/evening.
- Incorporating nuts in two meals a day. (Small travel bags perfect)
- Mentally making a note that fats are good for me and make me full.
- Eating Dale’s Bars when I needed them to not miss out on fats/meal.
- Work as a team. The coaches, family, friends, they all played a role in keeping me focused and encouraging me to succeed. Let people know your goals; they will keep you accountable and encourage you.
- Work hard, give it your all and enjoy it. I have never been a slouch at the gym but I learned how to push my limits to meet my goals. I learned to not be discouraged by folks not giving it their all; somehow it started to motivate me even more.
What I achieved: (final weigh in 165.2 15.8%)
- I lost 17 .4 lbs and 6.3% body fat in 75 Days.
- I not only feel ridiculously strong, I feel balanced. Way better from when I was an athlete where I felt weak from cutting weight.
- Best shape of my life – balancing mental and physical fitness, I feel AMAZING.
Biggest Obstacles:
- I travel a lot, 75% travel for work. People see me in the gym all the time, that’s because I was either working or working out during the challenge. On travel days I took every flight of stairs, parked as far as possible, did burpees every chance I had, shared my challenge story with everyone I worked with. That’s how I overcame this huge obstacle. There are no excuses; people make excuses, your body doesn’t.
- Stress. I have a very stressful job with a lot of responsibility. People sometimes see me blank out during workouts, that’s me thinking about work. I learned about mediation and breathing during the challenge. At every red light, I take a deep long breath. I try to sit for 5 mins every day and just breathe. That helped overcome stress and kept me focused.
- Naysayers. There were people that were skeptical about the challenge. I would hear: “Alex You look fine, you don’t need to lose weight, go ahead and eat this it’s not a big deal, you are not going to win because others have more weight to loose.” Nonsense, malarkey, hogwash. The irony was that most of the time the naysayers were out of shape and trying to give me advise for some reason. You can overcome it by listening to your coaches and those that truly support you.
Changed Lifestyle:
- For the first time ever I feel balanced mentally/physically. I am in shape and don’t feel hungry or like I am missing out on life’s pleasures. It’s a great feeling.
- Simple carbs are over-rated. You don’t need them.
- I will never drink soda again; it’s horrible for you. Don’t do it.
- No-Carb/No-Fat is not the answer. I have done diets like that before and re-gained quickly. This time I focused on eating nutritious food that gave me a workout advantage and made me feel good. Yes, there were carbs and some awesome fats. That’s what made the difference.
Thanks Everyone! What an amazing journey. I look forward to encouraging others to challenge themselves and transform!”
$500 – 2nd Place Winner: Mark Rivera
90 Minute Massage + 5 Chipotle Meals – 3rd Place Winner: Shari
Other Award Winners:
- Andrew Dela Rama: 60 Minute Massage + 5 Chipotle Meals
- Ruth Gripo: 60 Minute Massage + 5 Chipotle Meals
- Joe Murphy: 60 Minute Massage
- Anna Kertel: 60 Minute Massage
- Jayna Neilson: 5 Chipotle Meals
- Khushi Dholakia: 5 Chipotle Meals
- Adreienne Crowther: 5 Chipotle Meals
- Jolene Ramm: 5 Chipotle Meals
- Nicole Siacotos: 5 Chipotle Meals
- Erin Smykay: 5 Chipotle Meals
I will share the essays of the other 6 finalists over the new few months. Again, I am proud of all of you that entered. I look forward to your continued progress in 2015 and beyond!
Please share these hard-working winners to your friends and family. These are real people with real challenges just like you. Your comments & questions on the challenge are welcome below.
And, if you are up for the 2015 “I Am a Priority” Transformation Challenge the time is NOW. For details and to enter: Take Action Now!
Your friend & coach,
Brien
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