Jamie started attending Boot Camp classes with us in June 2013. Her goals were to lose body fat and gain some strength, while learning to adopt healthy food choices. She’s spent 7 months pursuing her goals, and I’d say she’s accomplished all of them- and then some! Jamie has become such a regular at Boot Camp every week that it’s downright weird for us when she misses even one day of her regular routine. She’s headed back to Oregon for the spring semester at school and it’s going to be hard to see her go! Jamie is an inspiration to all of us at Figarelle’s Fitness and it’s been so much fun to have her attend classes alongside her mom and dad, Denise and Pete. Check out her interview!

You grew up playing sports and generally leading a pretty active lifestyle. What are some of your favorite sports to participate in?

I have always liked to swim and play soccer. I also really enjoy hockey and definitely want to play again when I’m 100%.

Jamie's progress

Jamie’s progress

What prompted you to join Figarelle’s Fitness?

I wanted to join because I was struggling to lose the weight that results from being less active and eat at the dining hall. I knew that I also wanted to put on some muscle and not just be a skinny stick. Over the last few weeks of school I thought a lot about what I wanted to do over the summer to lose weight and gain more muscle. I started looking through the Figarelle’s Fitness Facebook page and saw Holly’s transformation and thought to myself if she can get those results in 6 months and that my mom and dad could both make it through a workout and survive I decided that I could do it, too!

How has it been working out with your mom and dad at boot camp?

When I first started I thought it would be odd, but it really wasn’t. It was also nice to have them there. They knew what all the exercises were so I didn’t feel like a deer in the headlights during my first few boot camps.

Jamie, with her Mom and Dad, Pete and Denise.

Jamie, with her Mom and Dad, Pete and Denise.

What are some of the biggest changes you’ve made to your diet since starting boot camp?

One of the biggest changes that I have made to my diet is reducing the amount of carbohydrates I eat and upping my protein intake. After doing that for a few days I noticed that I had a lot more energy during bootcamp and the amount of muscle soreness after bootcamp went down. I LOVE ice cream and at first it was difficult for me to cut it out but my mom found some vanilla ice cream protein powder that has really helped me cut out real ice cream from my diet. I have not completely cut out both ice cream and carbs but when I do have them I eat them slow and treat them like a delicacy.

You look great! What kind of progress have you made?

My first measurements in June, my body fat percentage was at 30.1%. The challenge during September and October helped greatly because it made me more conscientious about what I was eating and how much it would help me or hurt me. Today, my body fat percentage is at 22.7%.

 

Jamie's progress

Jamie’s progress

You injured your knee while playing hockey about two months ago, yet you still continued to regularly attend Boot Camps and modify the exercises you did. What kept you from getting discouraged after your injury?

One of the first things I thought of when I was laying on the ice and people were tending to me was, “crap can I go to boot camp tomorrow?” If I sat around and waited for my knee to heal I knew I would gain some weight back and I didn’t want to have to take time off because I remember how I felt after my first bootcamp and knew that it would probably be a similar feeling if I took a lot of off and had to start all over again.

 

Jamie didn't let anything stop her from her regular Boot Camp workouts, not even a hockey injury that left her right leg completely immobilized.

Jamie didn’t let anything stop her from her regular Boot Camp workouts, not even a hockey injury that left her right leg completely immobilized.

What makes Boot Camp so special, for you?

Some of my favorite things about boot camp are that people of all abilities attend boot camp and they always do their best at every workout. Everyone at boot camp is extremely friendly and encouraging which sometimes can give you that extra boost you need to finish a set or the last 10 seconds of an exercise.

 

What are a few of your favorite exercises at boot camp?

1. Tire Flips

2. TRX’s

3. Tire Jumps

4. Med Ball Partner Pass

You’re leaving us soon to head back to school in OR. What have you learned while working with us that you’ll take with you when you leave?

I have learned so many different exercises and many different ways that I can modify them. I can write and design my own whiteboard workout in a matter of minutes. I have also learned a lot about nutrition that will make me look at the dining hall in a whole different way.

What advice would you give to someone who’s dealing with an injury, but who still wants to continue working out around their injury?

I would tell them that you can modify just about any exercise to fit your injury. It also helped me to see pictures of me when I first started and I kept telling myself that I didn’t want to look like that ever again.