The Fat Camp Chronicles: If You’re Not Sore, You’re Not Working Hard Enough

By Amanda

Having now survived a full week of fat camp, I think I can safely say that I probably have never worked as hard in my life as I have since I got here. I’m incredibly out of shape (which adds to the difficulty), and it’s been a big change for me. It’s been a good change, however; I needed to get out of my comfort zone.

Prior to this, my comfort zone entailed usually half-heartedly participating in team sports and eating bad food. Here I cannot and do not get to do either of these things. The biggest issue for me has probably been waking up early to do a three mile walk each morning. Considering that, if left alone, I can sleep until 8 PM, getting up to do such an activity is a big thing for me.

I’ve really learned how to let myself go a little however, which I definitely needed to do. All my life, I have had no athletic ability and try to hide it at any cost. But for the first time, I now play sports such as soccer and basketball with enthusiasm (meaning I actually run instead of walk), which makes me feel great. I’m forcing myself to take full advantage of this experience (except for when I did a boxing class, taught by a former bodybuilder, and broke down and cried in the middle) and my body is constantly reminding me of that by keeping me sore all the time .

But it’s good sore, right?

My daily cuisine has also changed quite a bit, and obviously so. The camp focuses on a special diet that emphasizes on low or no fat (12g max a day) and less than 1500 calories or so (preferably less than 1200).  For that reason they serve us extremely lean chicken and, instead of beef, bison, which has no fat and tastes exactly the same as beef. The food is not very good (and therefore I don’t eat much of it), but I guess it could be interpreted as a good thing.

I will give this camp one thing – they definitely keep you busy. Between five different activities each day and extra fitness classes (and gym time), I’ve had quite a bit to do. As a result I really don’t have time to write a long post about all of this, because my schedule is just so tight. And I’m just in so much effing pain from all of the mandatory exercise and the extra working out I’ve been putting in that I don’t know if I have the energy to describe everything I feel right now. I’m definitely feeling active!

By the time you guys will have read this I will have had my first weigh in – wish  me luck!