Gosh, I feel like I’ve been saying this a lot, but y’all been kicking butt and taking names, and we’re just SUPER PROUD of you!

Take 2 minutes to think about the work you’ve put in this week.  Appreciate how far you’ve come, how much you’ve improved, and all the small things you’ve enhanced in just the past 3 weeks.

Extraordinary accomplishments are nothing more than ordinary things done consistently.

One workout at a time.  In a week it’s 3 or 5, over a month its 12 – 20, and over a year it’s a complete and total new YOU!

We love your stories about how you “used” to not be able to do a pushup, and now you’re cranking them out.

How you lost 85 pounds during your time in Adventure Boot Camp.

How you start each day with a boost of energy and enthusiasm.

And how much more productive and prepared you are for all the stress, chaos, and challenges we all face.

Really think about how much better you are today.  Let it sink in.  You absolutely SHOULD feel good about what YOU have accomplished.

Next week we wrap up the first boot camp session of 2012.

We’ll finish strong.

And speaking of that, check out this 2 minute video.

Hard not to get some goose bumps as you watch.

This happens to all of us.  Life isn’t predictable, nor is it always smooth sailing.  But it’s how we deal with the stumbles in the road that matters in the end.

http://youtu.be/cM5A1K6TxxM.

Have a fantastic and restful weekend!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

Springboro Adventure Boot Camp for Women

For getting yourself to camp day after day.

For working at your pace … maximizing your hour each morning.

Because the thing is, our health is the most important thing we have.

Of course, I’m biased since I’ve been a “fitness enthusiast” much of my life.

But think about it … when we’re healthy, we tend to forget about how important health really is.

When we get sick, however, we QUICKLY remember its importance.

Some people would say, “well, Brian, relationships are the most important thing in my life.”  Or maybe it’s success, or the kids.

I can’t disagree … those are critically important things!

Yet the truth is, when health fails, we lose the foundation for relationships, for the kids, spouses, parents, career, success, etc.

The tricky part is … MOST people (not you) take their health for granted.

It’s not like someone eats a Big Mac and large fries and their health falls apart.  We lose or gain our health overtime.  The daily feedback to let us know if we’re on the right track (or not) is not readily apparent.

Sure, we can go see the doc and she says that our blood pressure is high, LDL (bad) cholesterol is high, HDL (good) cholesterol is low.  For some, that’ll get them to change lifestyle behaviors.

For far too many, though, unfortunately it doesn’t.  Over time, the body weakens.

And even more heartbreaking to me, by the time the outward signs are there, poor health has taken a firm hold.

So, the key is to stay after the pursuit of sound health.  It’s not a 3 week gig.  It’s constant pursuit.  Consistent daily steps.

And the key to making that happen is to fall in love with the Cause (in this case, the things that lead to sound health, like exercise, and eating a balanced, healthy diet).

I don’t know one healthy/fit person who gets up in the morning, comes to boot camp and hates it.

Rather, healthy and fit people love workout out first thing in the morning.  Granted, they likely may not have started out loving it, and maybe every single little thing about working out at 5:30am (Burpees) is not their most favorite thing in the world, but big picture, they love what they’re doing.

Healthy and fit people tend to fall in love with pleasing results, while unhealthy people tend to fall in love with pleasing moments (sleeping in, eating desert every night, Krispy Kreme donuts in lieu of fresh fruit in the morning, etc).

When we don’t like the Cause (in this case, working out in the morning), we wake up every morning dreading doing the things that will result in the Effects we desire, and I don´t know anyone who can sustain themselves doing what they hate for more than a couple of weeks.

Yet, falling in love with the Causes produces the Effects you want, leading to YOU achieving your goals much faster and with seemingly greater ease … because we all perform better when we enjoy what we´re doing.

It may take 3 weeks, 3 months, or 9 months.  But the cool news is, research shows when we exercise consistently for a period of time, we develop an enjoyment for it.

So Kudos to you for keeping after the cause … many of you are amazingly fit and exceptionally healthy today.  Others are on the right path, and the effects are just a matter of time and consistency.

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

Springboro Adventure Boot Camp for Women

We have been duly impressed with the efforts here in our 3rd week of camp!  Boy, it’s so awesome to watch how much your fitness has advanced over time!

Speaking of championship, here’s some interesting Super Bowl Eating Trivia …

Did you know that the Average American eats approximately 1500 calories during the Super Bowl game?  That’s not counting calories before the game.

When you consider that most women who are striving to lose weight, 1500 calories is generally a good number to shoot for on most days (+ or -).

The calculation begins with your basal metabolic rate (number of calories you burn for 24 hours at complete rest – most women are between 800 – 1100 resting metabolic rate) + daily caloric needs + daily exercise calories = number of daily calories that you burn in a day.

If you want to figure out YOUR precise number, download this Gold Standard Calculator (it’s an excel file created by us): http://www.cincinnatifitnessbootcamp.com/CalorieCalc.xlsx .

The calculator gives you the maintenance, 1-pound lost per week and 2-pounds lost per week calorie numbers.

Note, we’re using the Harris Benedict Equation – it’s widely considered by science as the MOST accurate formula.  Please avoid rushing out to the internet to use other’s calcuations … they tend to be WAY off.

The formula is straight forward, yet over the years the greatest challenge in helping others lose excess body fat is getting to the calorie deficit.  And it’s not that people aren’t trying, it’s just that it’s difficult to really know how many calories you’ve burned during the day and how many you’ve consumed.

But not anymore!

The BEST tool I’ve ever found that solves this dilemma is the bodybugg arm band (as seen on the Biggst Loser).  It’s simple.  You tell the bugg what your goal is, what you’re eating, then it keeps you up to date on your progress.  Very effective. Click here for a short video demo.

And right now we’re offering a handful of bodybuggs for a 4-week rental program.  For more information, you can email Jennifer, our certified bodybugg coach.

Back to the Super Bowl. Here are some interesting facts on food consumption:

• 8      million pounds of guacamole are consumed.
• Nearly      15,000 tons chips are consumed (yes, that’s TONS of chips)
• Super      Bowl is officially the biggest eating “holiday” of the year,      recently surpassing Thanksgiving in some research
• Its      estimated that $50 million is spent on Super Bowl Sunday food alone

Now if you look at the Super Bowl as part of your 10% when you relax the rules, perfect.  When you follow the 90/10 eating principle, you can certainly enjoy special occasions with friends and family.

When you have a big eating day, the key is that you simply get right back on track with healthy eating habits the next day.

And if you’re looking for healthier Super Bowl snack options, we have several you can get on the ABC facebook page (by clicking the “Notes” tab at the top left menu bar).

Oh, before I let you go today (and to avoid another email from me … we’re looking for photos of YOU for the Adventure Boot Camp Social.  Any photo of you finishing or running a 5K, half, marathon, rock climbing, fitness events, etc!  The Social night is ALL about YOU and we want to display your accomplishements!  All photos can be emailed to Jennifer at jennifer@healthstylefitness.com.  Thank you!!

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

Springboro Adventure Boot Camp for Women

Tomorrow is Bring a Friend Day at camp!  It’s so much fun to share the boot camp love at the crack of dawn!  Just a couple of “rules”… 1) your friend must be female, 2) she’ll need to print and complete this form and bring it with her in the morning and finally 3) she will need a set of weights and a mat for tomorrow’s workout.

Remember, everyone will get a ticket with your name on it, dropped into the bucket with a chance for a FREE massage for EACH friend you bring.  (One massage given away per camp location).

Today we want to talk diet.  It’s something you hear from us a lot – and you’ve likely heard (a million times) to eat your fruits and veggies.  More specifically than that we recommend filling half of your plate with fruits and veggies.

This approach is a great way to 1) eat more fiber, 2) eat more food – since fruits and veggies are naturally low in calories and fat and 3) eat a greater amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  In a nutshell, it’s a GREAT way to eat a huge volume of food, with a HUGE amount of nutrients, in exchange for very, very few calories.

Consider this: Can you eat a Chipotle Burrito in a single meal?  Of course.  Most of us have.  Depending on how you “build” the burrito, it can range from 900 – 1450 calories.  Wowsers!  For some, that BIG burrito is an entire day’s worth of calories.

Can you eat 28 oranges in a single meal?  Probably not.  After the 8^th, 9^th or 10^th one you would start to feel exceptionally BLOATED and FULL!  That’s because of the rich fiber and water content.

Realize that eating a 1400 calorie meal (whether it’s Chipotle, or your personal favorite) is the equivalent of eating 28 oranges.

When you fill up your plate with half fruits and veggies … YOU EAT A LOT LESS!  And you put the right stuff into your body, if the goal is looking and feeling AWESOME.

And this recommendation was FINALLY adopted by the USDA’s Myplate campaign, which is designed to get Americans to eat healthier.

Unfortunately, last month the marketing research group NPD discovered that Americans are following MyPlate guidelines only 2% of the time. That translates to seven days out of the year!  

Clearly we can do better.  If you don’t want to be average, consider these ways to increase your fruits and veggies.

1.  Load up an omelet with fresh veggies (seriously, think handfuls of veggies since they’ll cook down).  Watch here: http://youtu.be/L8nD8A7phwc.

2.  Use fresh berries as the base of oatmeal instead of the topping.

3.  Have a salad for a meal at least once a day.

4.  Make veggies convenient.  We chop peppers, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower and divide into baggies so they are easy to grab for a snack with hummus or guacamole.

5.  Defrost frozen strawberries slightly and use in place of jelly for a PB & J sandwich.

6.  Add frozen fruit such as blueberries and strawberries to yogurts, cereal and cottage cheese.

7.  Add a cup of your favorite frozen fruit to vanilla protein powder with water or FF milk, blend into a smooth milkshake.  Delicious!

8.  Add 4 handfuls of spinach into chocolate protein powder with water or FF milk, blend until smooth.  I know … until you try this one you think, “disgusting!”  Surprisingly, it’s awesome.

9.  Make 2 vegetable sides with dinner each night. Have a side salad as well.  Not sure what to prepare, consider either of these basic preps:

• Roast veggies on a baking sheet at 375 for 45-60 minutes.  Cut up veggies, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Great for cauliflower, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, squash, parsnips, onions, etc
• Saute’ in a pan with minced garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Great for greens (spinach, swiss chard, kale, etc), asparagus, green beans.

10.  Frozen bananas are a wonderful sweet treat.  When bananas begin to brown, peel them and place in a Tupperware container in the freezer.  It takes 24 hours for the banana to freeze completely.

If you want a Top Body Fat Reduction Strategy to Look and Feel Amazing for Spring … eating AT LEAST 10 servings of fruits and veggies EVERY DAY will be your fastest path.

Do you have a favorite way for getting more fruits and veggies in?  If so, let us know so we can share … But clearly there are lots of ways to do better than 7 days a year!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

Springboro Adventure Boot Camp for Women

Cool, I’ll just work like crazy over the weekend and start knocking stuff out!

Wrong!  My brother is in from Tai Pei, my mom is flying in, and regardless, I have a wife and daughter that I need to spend some weekend QT with.

Oh, well maybe I’ll skip my Long Workout on Saturday and catch up?!?!

Wrong again!  Something’s are non-negotiable.  My training and family time are the few on that list.

And besides, if I work 24/7, I get burned out and become far less productive.

I moved from feeling a sense of panic to frustration to resentment to talking myself back into a calm state.

Yet the reality is, that list IS still there, even though I was feeling calmer.

It seems to me that many of us strive, strive, strive to be more, have more, do more.

I even see this in my daughter.  She rips open 14 presents on Christmas morning and then later that day says she needs the new Barbie that she sees in an ad.  Huh?

Nothing brings out my father’s Marine Corps tone than my daughter acting like she doesn’t have enough.

I think what many of us forget to be in our day to day of striving, wanting, pursuing is … GRATEFUL!  Include me on that list!

I’m good with wanting more.  I’m good with striving to become better.

But the thing I think that really messes us up is a lack of appreciation for what we already have, who we already are, and what we’ve already created.

If you want to feel really good about your life … write down 5 things that you are EXCEPTIONALLY grateful for.

If you struggle with that list … think about something that IF it were gone, you’re life would be pretty bad.

• I’m thankful that I can run.  This time last year my left knee was broken, resulting in my quadricep shutting down, giving me a ton of low back pain, resulting in an inability to move pain-free.  I’m so thankful that today I can run!
• I’m thankful I have a job.  I’m thankful I live in a country where opportunity is abundant.  I once lost my income, but I was able to recreate it through diligence, hard work and creativity.  The average salary around the world (with the US factored in) is $2 per day.  We’re pretty darn fortunate here in the US.
• I’m thankful I have a laptop.  Okay, sure there are more meaningful things to show appreciation for.  But, my main computer’s hard drive at work kicked the bucket last week, meaning I’m without my calendar, iTunes (needed for boot camp playlist), etc.  So I totally missed getting prepared for some key stuff, since the reminders didn’t happen.  But, hey I’m typing away here on my laptop … for that I’m grateful!
• I’m grateful for Adventure Boot Campers that get me out of bed.  It would be way too easy to sleep in every day if I didn’t have someone counting on me.  And this goes for my running partner too!

You see the point.  Gratitude really is everything.  It’s hard to get more if we don’t appreciate what we already have.  And man, we all really do have a ton.

If you’ve lost a job, or someone you love, or life feels totally out of control, or you’re struggling with getting your nutrition down, or if you’re battling with a case of SAD … I’m not saying it’s easy to always get to a feeling of gratitude.  It takes work and persistence sometimes … but gratitude it’s the key to creating the life that you desire.

Jot down 5 things YOU are grateful for … and keep that with you ALL day long!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

Springboro Adventure Boot Camp for Women

Thanks for showing up, working hard and motivating each other to start the day with a mega-boost of energy, mental crispness, and productivity.

A busy schedule is a lot easier to tackle when you get the mental, physical and emotional enhancement first in the morning.

And tackle is exactly what we want to do when it comes to those things that trip us up the most with eating healthy and exercising regularly.

Yesterday we asked you to think of the ONE THING that sabotages you the most. Today we’re going to start to stare it down and find some solutions around it.

The easiest part will be coming up with the solution.

The more challenging piece is in implementing it.  That’s because we tend to battle against our deeply rooted habits and learned behaviors.

Change “being hard” is just reality … but that’s not an excuse for why we can improve in any area we choose.

Keep in mind though, you’ve been doing X (the thing you want to change) for years, probably decades.  So it’s not very likely that in 3 days, or 4 weeks, you’re going to master the change.

Just as the undesirable behavior that want to change was developed through repetition.  The new desirable behavior requires repetition, over and over until they are as worn and ingrained as a cement pathway.

Which is why we do them over and over.  Time and again.  Despite wanting to take a different path.  If we just expect ourselves to do differently we’re not being very realistic.  Recognize that you must plan and think about what different path to take or else you’ll end up back on that same ole’ road.

And this is critical.  Don’t let PERFECT get in the way of POSSIBLE.  It’s 100% possible to change behavior … but if your expectation is you’ve got to do perfectly or not at all, nothing will change.

Work diligently toward what you want, BUT allow yourself the room to mess up.

Think about a 14 month old learning to walk.  If she waited to take her first step until she could walk perfectly, she’d still be crawling at 39 years old.  Treat your change the same as you would your daughter.  Have patience when you don’t do it perfectly .

So let’s start with some solutions for those behaviors that trouble us the most.  These are based on a lot of the emails I received in response to yesterday’s newsletter.

I picked one enemy that is within your control and one that is not.  Next week we’ll offer some more strategies ….

1.  IN YOUR CONTROL. Being tired — namely, staying up too late.

We all tend to do it.  But at the end of the day I am to blame if I choose to stay up until 11 pm or midnight when I could have been fast asleep at 9pm.  If you procrastinate going to bed, or get caught up in things that keep you up for hours, then try this:

Schedule a bedtime each night and make sure you HONOR it.  Even if you’re lying in bed reading (as long as it’s not something electronic like a Kindle, iPad or computer, which can activate brainwaves that keep you up longer), you are still more likely to fall asleep sooner than if you were doing other things in your house.  But note:  if you are the type to get so engrossed in a book that you read until all hours of the night, choose to flip through a magazine instead.  Save the book reading for weekend nights.

Sleep is CRITICAL.  Our immune system is greatly compromised without sufficient sleep.  And studies prove time and time again that our productivity drops SIGNIFICANTLY without it.  Make sleep a priority.

2.  NOT ALWAYS IN YOUR CONTROL.  The See Food Diet — if unhealthy food is around, it’s much more challenging to say no.  This usually is the case with work situations.  Work situations can be a challenge because you are required to be there and there may be other triggers present as well (stress, boredom, fatigue, deadlines, etc).  Consider bringing your own food when possible. It’s hard to say no when others around you are eating.  So having a healthy breakfast of your own when bagels and donuts are out, or pulling out homemade trail mix when the cookies come around can be lifesaving.

Now for the implementation.  Pick a solution and practice implementing it for a month straight.  YES, this may be a challenge.  Yes, you will not always be successful.   But mental strength and NEW BEHAVIORS are learned the same way old behaviors are.  Through repetition and practice.  Repetition and practice.  Repetition and practice.  Then eventually the new behavior becomes more and more ingrained!  So decide what you’re going to do, pick a date and get to work!

Have an AWESOME weekend!  You’ve earned it. 

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

Springboro Adventure Boot Camp for Women

Mixing it up again with the backside work today.  Resting your heart and lungs, other muscle groups, so that tomorrow we can get back to some high level intensity!

For those that indicated you’d like to join the crew on Saturday, January 28^th for rock climbing … the cost is $18 per person, for 2 hours.  We need a minimum of 10 to get the group rate, and the 12 – 2pm time is available at Rock Quest in Sharonville.  Click here to register!

I’m keeping today’s email brief because I want you to think about something.

What is the one thing that trips you up when it comes to diet and exercise?  The thing that usually means other supportive habits or behaviors often follow suit in a downward spiral (or reverse positive momentum pattern).

• It could be not getting enough sleep…
• Not grocery shopping…
• Giving in to impulse decisions like hitting up the vending machine or sleeping in…
• Snacking when bored…
• A bad day, week, or month …

And the list goes on.

For me … it’s lack of structure that can lead to a reverse positive momentum.  I tend to lose the structure of my training AFTER I complete a key fitness goal, like running a marathon/half.  There’s a much needed recovery after a long period of intense training … and so when I’m recovering (training at about 60 – 70% of normal volume and intensity), I tend not to eat as clean.

So spend some time thinking about that ONE THING for you.  There may be more than one that does trip you up, but there’s probably one that stands out either in terms of frequency or how much damage it does to your efforts.  So focus on that one.

Identify it.  Label it.   And say it aloud.  ”When I do X____, this happens.”

Tomorrow we’ll talk about ways to handle it.

And if you want to share, drop us an email and let us know what it is.  We may just address your particular concern in tomorrow’s email.

I will out much of the day (morning meeting, training run, then radio interview) so if you don’t get a reply, please know that I do read EVERY email that I receive.

Oh, and don’t forget to rest up.  Tomorrow’s gonna be an AWESOME cardiovascular wrap up to a pretty darn AWESOME week 2!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

Springboro Adventure Boot Camp for Women

Fast, intense, and 100% results producing.  Google long cardio versus hard circuits … the science is undeniable.

And once again, you showed up and crushed it today!

Adventure Boot Camp Dog Tags!

Now is the time to order you Adventure Boot Camp “Survivor” Dog Tag.

They are available to any camper, and a perfect way to remember your 4-weeks of GREAT work!  Please click here to be included in the order for dog tags, and let us know how you’d like your NAME to appear.

Rock Climbing!

Last year the Adventure Boot Camp crew went rock climbing … and so we’re wanting to know if you’d be interested in doing that again on Saturday, January 28^th (the only date we can make work with the current camp schedule).  If so, please let us know here https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cincinnati-and-Dayton-Ohio-Adventure-Boot-Camp-for-Women/155829614449268.  We’ll compile the feedback on facebook and make a decision this week!

It was so refreshing to read everyone’s Stay on Track ideas yesterday.

I really liked the consensus that just because we buy a new calendar, doesn’t mean that’s the only time of the year for reflection, and creating a new plan.

Too many start the year so fired up and sprint off into the marathon of diet and fitness resolutions only to drop out of the race after the first mile.

The key is, in my option, we need to guard against taking on too much at one time.  Many of us fall into this trap (me too!).

Sure, you want to kick the processed sugar habit, start to train for the Flying Pig, do boot camp everyday at 110% intensity and lose 10 lbs by the end of the month … we understand the urgency to make things happen and the importance of having goals.

Just not so many in such a short amount of time.  Focus your efforts on one or two things.  There will be time to add more later.

Remember this, quantum change does not require quantum action – it’s the result of a few basic things repeated daily.

Master the basics, and you master success!

Instead of a massive overhaul to every behavior and EVERY area of your life, pick just one or two.

For some, maybe it’s making exercise a consistent habit.  Your goal may be to work out consistently 3, 4 or 5 days per week for 2012.

Maybe it’s a total number of workouts you’ll do, say 200.  Then you just break it down by month, and then weekly.  You’ll be working out about 4 times per week.  Chunking it down makes the big goal manageable.

For others that have been in the exercise routine for a bit, perhaps you’ll target something relative to your diet.

Again, rather than trying to eliminate everything in your diet and not being able to maintain it for longer than a few days, pick one or two behaviors that will stretch your comfort zone and produce big results.  Things like:

• Ditching      all liquid calories like soda, sweetened tea, sports drinks.
• Eating      foods with 5 ingredients of less.  Boy, if you can do that one alone      … holy smokes your health, energy and body will change substantially!
• Cutting      out snacks after dinner
• Refusing      to eat out (including convenience stores, fast food, and sit down      restaurants)
• Eating      10 fruits and veggies EVERY DAY
• Eliminating      processed foods (following the 5 ingredients or less rule above will      take care of this one)

Because you are only selecting one or two behaviors to attack, overtime (like over this year) they are all very achievable.  You master one, move on to the next.  The stacking effect is unbelievable.

No more crazy liquid cleanses or silly deprivation tactics that don’t work long term.  Having to take a special “juice” or crazy concoction, or eliminating a food group isn’t productive, and ALWAYS has a rebound yo-yo effect on the body.  It’s a marketing ploy (scam really) done by a company that doesn’t really care about your long term well being.  They’re just hoping you fall for the latest slick commercial so they can separate you from some of your money.

So pick your “thing” for the balance of January – something related to diet and exercise and hit that goal.  And be well on your way to an even healthier, fitter, leaner you in 2012.

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

Springboro Adventure Boot Camp for Women

Tomorrow we’ve got a GREAT metabolic circuit designed to firm the rest of your body, and keep your calorie burn crankin’ through lunchtime.

If you have a friend you’d like to share the workout with tomorrow, please forward her this email (or this form: http://www.cincinnatifitnessbootcamp.com/ABC%20guest%20release%20form.pdf).

Here are the guidelines …

• Your      friend must fill out the “friend” form, indicating that she is      physically capable of participating.  We need to know she’s allowed      to exercise!  Click here to download the form.
• She’ll      need to bring a mat and a couple pairs of dumbbells
• Your      friend will need to meet with your instructor during the warm up for a few      guidelines and      recommendations to maximize her workout experience

So for today’s message, I want to thank YOU!  You all shared some GREAT strategies for staying on track with your health, fitness and nutrition, and wrote today’s message.

You can open up the file here: http://www.cincinnatifitnessbootcamp.com/Stay-on-Track.pdf

Have a Tremendous Tuesday!  We’ll see you tomorrow for some metabolic fun!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

Springboro Adventure Boot Camp for Women

Simple, yet exceptionally effective exercise that works!

No fancy smancy equipment needed.  In fact, you could have used 2 rocks and gotten a tremendous workout this morning.

Although it was on facebook over the weekend, several of you asked for the link to the WCPO feature on Adventure Boot Camp that aired on Saturday.  Here is the complete interview:  http://www.cincinnatifitnessbootcamp.com/WCPO-Video.html .

If anyone knows of a good media coach, please LMK ASAP!  The deer in headlights look (at the beginning) and foot tapping must stop!!! 

Moving on …

On Wednesday we have our first of three Bring a Friend Days at camp.

Here’s how it works:  You invite a friend to share the workout with you.  You’ll email this form for her to fill out: http://www.cincinnatifitnessbootcamp.com/ABC%20guest%20release%20form.pdf .

For every friend you bring to camp this session, you’ll get a ticket with your name on it to drop into the bucket for a chance to win a free FULL HOUR massage during the week off from camp!

Here are all the guidelines of Friend Days: http://www.cincinnatifitnessbootcamp.com/Bring-A-Friend-to-Camp.html .

So, this past week Carolyn (my wife) and I finally got to organizing our basement.

Organization is NOT a strength of mine.  I’ll throw random stuff into boxes just to get it out of the way.

Holy smokes … there are now about a billion boxes we’re going through to figure out if there are keepsakes we don’t want to pitch or give away.

One of the keepers that I found was a notebook from 2009 called “Year In Review”.   It was a simple book where I jotted down some of my favorite milestones and memories that year.

Of course, I had forgotten about many of them until I re-read the notebook … and wow, how fun to relive each one!

Which got me thinking that we all need to capture those aha’s, breakthroughs, milestones, and memories.

So a really fun and simple way to keep track of moments and memories of 2012 is to make a memory jar you keep around throughout the year. (Here’s a cool example: http://tinyurl.com/792nrq6) .

Anytime you have a memory, funny story or keepsake you want to keep, you jot it down on a piece of paper and toss it in the jar.  At the end of the year you can reflect on everything that happened by reading the pieces of paper.

And the more I thought about it I realized you can do this with so many things.

Fitness milestones. Words of Positive Encouragement.  Goals You’ve Attained.  Each time you have a rock star fitness moment, jot it down and throw it in the jar.  Or perhaps you are proud of yourself for getting up for camp 5 days in a row – write yourself an “I Totally Rock!” note and put it in the jar.

When you’re unmotivated or need some encouragement, open up the jar and see how far you’ve come!

The best part of keepsake jars is that they let you enjoy the journey.  Too often we become so fixated on what we want to accomplish that we don’t allow ourselves to appreciate the process, or we forget how much we’ve already achieved. And when we finally reach our goal we forget about all those moments and things we did daily to allow us to get there.

So start collecting those moments and end up with your GOALS and a great experience at the end of the year!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

Springboro Adventure Boot Camp for Women