Monday Oct 20, 2008 Name: Margie Whitmore MARGIE BEFORE MARGIE AFTER Home: Phoenix, AZ Age: 46 Occupation: Return Materials Analyst for Intel Height: 5' 5" Downsizing: 127 lbs. Total Weight Loss Starting Weight: 302 lbs. Current Weight: 175 lbs. Clothing Size Before: 28 Clothing Size Now: 14 Time to Reach Goal: The weight came off in stages. It took me almost a year to lose the first 100 pounds. The next 25-30 lbs. dropped off the following year. Maintained Since: 1 Year at my current weight but now I'm setting my sights on another goal to lose 30 more lbs. Starting Point: I was truly depressed. I was in excruciating pain. Everything ached including my feet, back, hips and shoulders. I knew I was heavy but it really didn't register until I started having severe female problems which ended up being fibroids. I went to several doctors to have them remove the fibroids but was turned away because I was too heavy. The doctors told me it was too risky for me to have the necessary surgery. I also had trouble breathing which was really scary. One time I was walking down a long hallway at work and when I got down to the end, I was so winded. I became incredibly depressed and sick. I had high blood pressure and had to go on medication. It was hard for me to do day-to-day things because I was so heavy. I knew in my mind that I was heavy but it just didn't register. I wasn't ready to do anything about it. I avoided the scale like the plague. I just didn't want to see that number. Buying clothes was difficult and humiliating. I never used to try the clothes on in the store because I didn't want to see myself in the dressing room mirror. It was too depressing. I would just go and get the items in the size that I thought I needed and take them home and try them on and hope that they would fit. And whatever didn't fit, I'd just take back. Every time I bought clothes, I told myself, 'I'm not going to get a higher size,' but each time I needed to. I was constantly sabotaging my weight loss efforts. Any sign of good, I'd do something bad. Just as I started to lose weight and feel good about myself, I'd do something or eat something that pulled me off track. For instance, I'd go and work out and feel really good about my exercise. Then, I'd drive through a fast food restaurant, consuming thousands of calories. Or, I'd start a diet one day only to go out and eat mounds of food the next. It made me feel like crap. It was insanity. Deep down, I just didn't feel I was worth making the positive changes. Also, feeling bad actually felt more comfortable to me than feeling good because that was all I knew. In my mind, I reasoned that changing the bad behavior required too much effort, so why bother. You know the song, "Tears of a Clown," that's how I felt. On the outside, I was a jovial and easy-going person but inside I was sad and depressed. When I was at work, I would put on a happy face and go through my day, but as soon as I got home, I'd fall apart. I worked long hours so I was constantly eating on the run. In the morning, I would stop off at a fast food restaurant for breakfast and order a sausage muffin, hash browns and coffee. Then for lunch, I would grab a sandwich or burrito or whatever was handy. For dinner, since I worked late, I would stop off at the fast food restaurant again for a hamburger and then head to the supermarket for a pint of ice cream, cookie, cakes or candy bars. I'd eat the whole thing in one sitting. I was able to control my eating while I was at work because I was busy. Then, once I left work, it was non-stop until I went to bed. My biggest meal was in the evening. I would eat until I was over full then I would be so sleepy so I would just want to lie down because I was so exhausted from the day. Defining Moment: There were a few things going on that helped me to turn it around. First of all, I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I just couldn't stand the pain anymore. I knew I had two choices. I could either live with the pain and stop complaining or do something about it. The next thing was when I went to the doctor to have my fibroids removed and was told I had to lose weight. I was in so much pain that I finally told her, 'Give me a goal weight to shoot for and I will do it.' She said I needed to be down to at least 250 lbs. At about the same time, I received a phone call from the owner of the gym I belonged to because I hadn't been in for a while. She said, 'I am just calling to check in on you and tell you that we miss you. We hope to see you soon.' I really appreciated her kind words and it was just the encouragement I needed and decided to go back. That gym has since closed but the owner and I have remained good friends. Then, the last thing that clinched it for me was when I changed positions at work. That was a new beginning with a new group of people. Several of them had dropped 50 to 75 lbs. They were all conscious about their health, eating healthy foods, exercising, running, doing 5Ks and marathons. I said to myself, 'This is a great opportunity for me to change everything. Since I'm changing my job, I can also change my lifestyle as well.' It was like a light bulb went on. From that moment on, I was motivated. "Keeping It Going" My secret weapon for motivation is just the idea that I look and feel better. My confidence is so much better. I carry myself differently. A woman at work said to me one day, 'Here comes the lady with the hour glass figure.' Then a gentleman made the comment, 'Doesn't she look smokin'?' To me, that says a lot. That means that I have made progress. When I hear words like that, how can I not be motivated? I tell myself everyday that I don't want to get into the shape I was in before. I am much healthier now that I exercise, eat right and live an active lifestyle. It's pretty rare for me not to work out. Every morning when my alarm goes off at 3:30, I say a little prayer asking for help in getting me out of bed to go exercise and for motivation. I know that once I just get out of bed and get started that I will be OK. It has just become a routine for me that I feel really funny if I don't work out. As far as food goes, I eat healthy and watch my portions six days a week. Then, I give myself a free day once a week when I eat whatever I want. It's funny because I'll save up all week to eat the foods that I've been craving but then they don't even taste good. I actually prefer the healthy, fresh foods that I eat during the week. I don't crave the bad things anymore so now if I want something sweet, I will have an orange instead of ice cream. My free day keeps me motivated. I get a lot of strength and support from my family and friends. I really have a good support system around me. There are people at work who have been in the same situation that I have been in and I've seen the success that they have made. It keeps me motivated and I know if they can do it, so can I. If I Can Do It, So Can You: Margie's 3 Motivational Tips 1. Don't let the scale undermine the progress you've made. Too many people tend to let the scale dictate their progress. When they don't see the numbers on the scale, then they quickly get discouraged. It's important to realize that even if the scale is not kind one day, when you exercise and eat right, you are losing inches off your body. It's the inches that get you in the smaller sizes. 2. Don't beat yourself up. Losing weight is difficult but everyone can do it. You have to put your mind to it. Think about it as one day at a time. Don't think about tomorrow. Set very small goals such as 5 or 10 lbs. Then, reward yourself when you reach that goal, but not with food. Treat yourself well and make the time to do the things that are healthy. 3. If you fail today, try again tomorrow. Never give up on your goals because you are worth it and worthy. Find what works for you and you will get there. All The Right Moves: Three days a week I do a Lady Fitness Boot Camp which includes running the track and stadium steps, calisthenics, push-ups, squats, and anything you can possibly name. It's a lot of fun and very challenging. I'm always pushed to my limit. The other three days, I'll do strength training, weight-lifting, push-ups and sit-ups. Sunday is my rest day but even on that day I will walk my block. Eating for Balance: A sample daily diet looks like an Eating Right Breakfast Bar and a cup of yogurt for breakfast. At mid-morning, I'll have a protein shake with fruit. For lunch, I'll have a turkey sandwich and a piece of fruit or side salad. At about 3:30 p.m., I'll have an orange. For dinner, I'll have fish, turkey or chicken with cooked vegetables and a salad. I don't eat anything after 7:30 pm. I get up so early that I usually go to bed around 9 p.m. Thrill of Victory: I feel so much happier and the fact that I can breathe is amazing. I am off the high blood pressure medication. I can actually run around the block and not get winded. I can do the simple things like walk into a regular store and put on a pair of jeans. The first time I could do that I was grinning from ear to ear. Now, I look in the mirror and say, 'I look good.' Words can't even express how thankful I am to be at this point. I have decided to lose about 30 more pounds, but to me it feels like 5 lbs. Coming from where I was, losing 30 lbs. is nothing. I feel great. I am healthy. I am in the best shape I've been in for many years. I look and feel so much better. I can get into clothing sizes that I haven't been in for over 20 years. The progress I've made is absolutely incredible. I am very happy. I did have the surgery that I needed to remove the fibroids and all was successful. It was funny when I went in to see the doctor because I had been given a target weight of 250 lbs. and at the time of the surgery I weighed 217 lbs. It is absolutely remarkable what your body can do if you help it along. I am absolutely thrilled. The opportunities that are coming my way are incredible. I have been sent to Costa Rica several times to train people on our business. I feel so much more confident when I am presenting in front of an audience. I even went on a canopy tour while there where I zip-lined over the Rain Forest fourteen times. I could have never imagined that before. My confidence level is so different at this weight than when I was at 302 lbs. It's as if I was hiding behind my weight. Like I said, I have always been a jovial fun person, and now I really see my true personality come through. You can see more of Margie's story on Phoenix Channel 3's Your Life A to Z this Monday, October 20th, at 9a.m. Don't miss this opportunity to be inspired. Friday, July 4, 2008 Friday, July 4, 2008 Camps make you shake your booty Outdoor boot camps growing fitness trend by Sara Drew staff writer Women across the West Valley are signing up for a type of boot camp that is arguably as strenuous as military boot camps. Fitness boot camp is a spin on traditional exercising methods because it combines positive reinforcement with endurance, confidence and exercise.   Camps are also offered by Tracey Rodriguez of Ladies Fitness Boot Camp     Boot camp for cancer Rodriguez began offering camps in 2005. She recently instructed an hour-and-a-half benefit camp where more than $1,200 was raised for the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk. More than 40 women exercised at Turtle Park in Litchfield Park for the fundraiser. Rodriguez’s classes are offered through  Litchfield Park’s Parks and Recreation Department. “We’ve completely exploded this year,” she said. “We have nine instructors who live in the location areas where the camps are held.” Camps are in Waddell, Buckeye, Litchfield Park, Glendale and Wickenberg. “It’s like an adult Girl Scout group. The bonds these women have formed with each other — it’s a whole group of women cheering you on. It’s super empowering.” The atmosphere and variety of exercises incorporated into each workout contribute to boot camps’ popularity, she said. “The neat thing about the program and why it works is that it’s at every level. The person training for a marathon might get 50 pushups in a minute and my 300-poundnever- worked-out-before lady might get three, but that’s her max,” she said. Her programs use very few props and focus on measure-based results. She also gives participants a journal to track their progress, and campers are tasked with weekly mental health projects. New camps begin each month. The next     View photo by Ray Thomas HOPE BRATTON, left, and Natalie Letterwood of Surprise work out in Litchfield Park June 28 during a boot camp to benefit the breast cancer 3-Day Walk.     View photo by Ray Thomas INSTRUCTOR LORRIE HENRY with Ladies Fitness Boot Camp encourages a participant in Litchfield Park June 28 during an outdoor fitness boot camp.  Ladies Fitness Boot Camp offers a July 14 camp at its Buckeye location and a July 21 camp in Litchfield Park. Visit www.ladiesfitnessbootcamp.com or call 623-451-6778.    3/5/08    Sonoran Living Live  "Get out of the gym: The top 5 workout alternatives" on SonoranLiving.com  . Article Link: http://www.sonoranliving.com/content/lookinggood/dietfitness/story.aspx?content_id=5B631370-DBE0-48E9-9360-1034F847637E&gsa=true 8/17/2007     Boot camps give energy boost: Litchfield Park, Goodyear programs take fitness training outdoors Beth Kristin Ott assistant editor TRACEY RODRIGUEZ, center, leads a Ladies Fitness Boot Camp in Peoria Monday. On Sept. 10, she’ll begin a camp in Litchfield Park. BONNIE GARGAS does “mountain climbers” as she works out with a group of women Monday in Peoria. Tracey Rodriguez used to operate a gym before recently deciding to give up the confines of those four walls and take fitness to the great outdoors. She started offering Ladies Fitness Boot Camp in January 2005. Now, it's all she wants to do. "I really think women are looking for a fun way to workout that they will see results with," she said. "They are out there together and they are seeing results." With the boot camp concept, participants can have the benefit of a personal trainer and the camaraderie of a group. Rodriguez, an Avondale resident, limits her classes, which she has taught across the Valley, to 30 people. She touts an increase in endurance, strength, self-confidence and reduction of body fat from the training. Rodriguez has been running a boot camp at 7 p.m. three nights a week in Peoria; however, she's preparing to bring the program to Litchfield Park. Beginning Sept. 10, Ladies Fitness Boot Camp will be offered at Turtle Park, the corner of Villa Nueva Drive and Wigwam Boulevard. "In Arizona, you can be outdoors year-round," Rodriguez said. "In the heat, I make sure we're having enough breaks and everyone's OK. There are also people who don't want to work out in the cold." The evening program will run through Litchfield Park's Recreation Department. To hold a spot, participants can pay a $10 registration fee at the recreation center, 100 S. Old Litchfield Road. For information, or to sign up and pay for the boot camp, go to www.ladyfitnessbootcamp.com. The program includes a boot camp journal, and an "I Survived" shirt and dog tag upon completion of the camp. Rodriguez said her program varies depending on the personalities and needs of each session's participants. "I am also very big on personal, inner development," she said. "I have them journal and do other projects to try to improve their whole lives, not just the physical." Rodriguez has kept her boot camps for women only because she doesn't want any women to shy away because they are self-conscious with men in the group. "My goal is to get women comfortable with their bodies," she said. "I feel I am able to do that better with a women's only group." Boot camp exercises different parts of the body each day and sometimes includes elements such as hand weights and jumping rope, the instructor said. "There's team work and camaraderie. They feel comfortable just being with other women," she said. Nikola may consider adding a program that includes men in the future, she said, but it would not replace the women-only boot camp. "I want to do something to inspire women to get out and do something to improve their posture, their confidence, everything," she said. "It sounds funny, but a lot of people say they don't even feel fit enough to go to a gym." Fitness boot camps run about $200 for three classes per week for four weeks. It's a price the instructors say participants are willing to pay for the unique advantages over trying to exercise alone or in a gym. "They are seeing results and they will pay for that," Rodriguez said. "I am excited to come to Litchfield Park and build a reputation with Parks and Rec." Beth Kristin Ott can be reached by e-mail at bott@westvalleyview.com. 8/17/2007

View reporter makes it through Ladies Fitness Boot Camp Beth Kristin Ott assistant editor BETH OTT, center, struggles with the never-ending push-ups at Ladies Fitness Boot Camp Monday evening in Peoria. The mercury rose to 112 degrees and the air was thick with monsoon moisture - probably not the best evening to try out fitness boot camp for the first time. However, fully committed and plenty hydrated, I headed out to meet my fate as a first time Ladies Fitness Boot Camper. The plan for the evening was four-minute circuits working the entire body with a one-minute water break between each. It sounded manageable, I thought. By the second set, muscles were quivering, ponytails were sagging and sweat was seeping from our pores. It was apparent this would be no walk in the park. One minute of push-ups, one minute of lunges, one minute of cardio, one minute of abdominals and just when I wanted to collapse, the instructor said, "One minute for water or stretching; don't just lay there!" How did she know that's exactly what I wanted to do? That's what separates boot camp from other fitness programs or a simple gym membership, though. You've got this instructor standing over you, holding you accountable for your movement, or lack thereof. She gives plenty of positive reinforcement with a dose of heavy encouragement. The last 20 seconds of any set of exercises seemed like an eternity. Ladies Fitness Boot Camp asks you to push yourself. In the heat of the night, on towels in the park, this group of women was doing just that. The instructor asked, "How do you feel?" Just as I was about to let out a groan, the class piped up, "This feels awesome!" Liars. The boot campers with a few weeks under their belts clearly have been trained to keep a positive attitude. And it seems to work. They do make funny comments as they try to press through 40 push-ups with shaky arms. They do challenge one another. They do seem to thrive on what seems like torture. It's amazing how a minute can seem like an eternity when your body is being pushed to the limit. Another first-time camper jokingly questioned the trainer's "minute." And yet, on that hot night, as I watched the sun set while doing jumping jacks and looked at the stars while lying on my back doing scissor kicks, I saw the appeal of boot camp. There was camaraderie and commitment. I admired their perseverance, even as my pulse was pounding and head felt heavy. The next day, I felt a few muscles I had forgotten exist. The muscles that connect my weak little arms to my body were complaining about the push-ups. My abs were crying about being asked to support my legs just above the ground in a lying down position. With a little satisfaction in the fact that I endured this entire workout, I went back to the exercise I do most these days - stretching my fingers across the keyboard. Beth Kristin Ott can be reached by e-mail at bott@westvalleyview.com.

Lifestyle change results in 100-pound loss

Sadie Jo Smokey
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 13, 2007 12:00 AM

Already in the midst of a career change, Margie Whitmore, 44, decided to overhaul the rest of her life, too.

In February 2006, she weighed more than 300 pounds. She bought a scale and measuring cups to measure portions, and she began attending the gym regularly.

By changing her diet and exercise habits, the 5-foot-5 Whitmore lost nearly 100 pounds, and 64 inches off her waist, legs, arms, etc., in one year.

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In the past, the Phoenix woman had attended a nearby Fitness Lady club sporadically. Her attendance was motivated not by desire to improve her health, but rather the fear of a phone call.

"Part of the Fitness Lady program is if members don't show up for two weeks, they will call you," Whitmore said. "It's like a courtesy call, 'We haven't seen you. We miss you.' Most gyms could care less."

At the time, Whitmore logged many hours in a customer-service job. She was too tired at the end of the day to go to the gym.

"Stress had a great deal to do with weight," Whitmore said. "I was working a lot. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be at work. I'd stop and get fast food for breakfast, for dinner. I was just depressed. I knew I was heavy, but until you get up to a point where you're fed up with it, you continue with that cycle."

One day, she got a call from Fitness Lady. Whitmore had just changed jobs and her co-workers in the information-technology department were on a health kick. Whitmore took advantage of the momentum.

"You have to say, 'Enough is enough,' " Whitmore said. "I thought, 'Why not take this opportunity to change everything?' "

She became a regular at the gym, exercising three nights a week. At home, she added aerobic exercise to jump-start her day.

"I do between 30-45 minutes of boxing or aerobics with some small weights," Whitmore said. "I do that at 4 a.m., then I go to work. Sometimes it's hard to motivate myself, to get in the mind frame to change. Not just exercise, but change everything. But . . . I feel better when I do it."

Whitmore reads magazines to find meals to cook. She said she still drinks coffee, eats pizza and Mexican food, in moderation.

"One thing that was really good for me was I started giving myself a free day," Whitmore said. "I don't go hog wild - (I) go out and enjoy myself, eat the foods I like, but smaller portions. I might have a beer or ice cream. If I have that craving, I'll go in the freezer and get a tablespoon of ice cream. Before, I'd eat the whole pint."

Whitmore knows she's doing all the hard work to lose weight and improve her health. But she credits the gym trainers, as well as her mother and sister, for encouraging her.

"They are constantly saying, 'Keep going, you're looking great,' " Whitmore said. "When I feel like I can't do it anymore, I can't get up to do the exercises, I say a little prayer and ask for help to do it, for the motivation to do it."



Reach the reporter at sadiejo.smokey@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8148.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Peoria Times   November 10th 2006)

FITNESS LADY MAKES THE 2 YEAR MILESTONE IN THE VALLEY!!

Peoria AZ - Fitness Lady located in Peoria & Phoenix Arizona has had great success in the valley of the sun. November 8^th, 2006 will mark the 2 year anniversary for the Peoria location and the Phoenix location just had a 1 year anniversary in September. In the 2 years of business, Fitness Lady has had many success stories of changing peoples lives with losing huge amounts of weight and just getting healthy. Fitness Lady has given back to the community over the past years as well with doing food drives for the Westside food banks, doing fund raisers for St. Jude Children’s Hospital and they have a fund raiser coming up in December to give donated items to women shelters in the areas. Fitness Lady says their PURPOSE is to help women focus on living a healthy and meaningful life and to bring quality, meaning, and simplicity back into the members busy lives. Their mission statement says it all " To guide and educate women in fully developing their personal path, character, leadership ability and physical fitness so that they are able to live a well life with energy and peace of mind. Contact Fitness Lady for more information. 623-451-6778 or www.fitnessladyaz.com.

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Valley mom loses weight with 30-minute program