Brides of Boot Camp (part 2)

Name: Deb Von Sychowski
 
Job: Co-Founder and Creative Director of Patch Design (http://www.patchdesign.ca)
 
Wedding Date: October 25th, 2011
 
Why did you decide to add Boot Camp as part of your fitness routine to prepare for the Big Day?

I am at heart, not a lover of exercise. I might be good with the food I eat, but I'm not great at sticking to a workout routine. With our wedding coming up, I decided 'wedding day pictures' was the right motivation to stick to a plan. I found Alli on Groupon and thought, what do I have to lose? I can do ten bootcamp sessions and maybe, it'll be the right kick in the pants. Turns out, it was!!
 
How far in advance of the wedding did you begin to prepare?

I started working out 8 months before the wedding. It was the middle of winter and I wanted to work towards being in shape by the time spring/summer came around and I'd no doubt be part of wedding BBQs, Bachelorettes, Showers - all those fun events leading up to the wedding. I wanted to feel good before the events came up, not stress a few weeks before the events came up. 
 
What motivates you to live a healthy active lifestyle besides your upcoming wedding? 

After having worked out hard for the wedding, it was easy to slip up a bit and coast off the increased metabolism. All the chocolate and popcorn I'd deprived myself of was suddenly back in my life! But the good thing was that I COULD add those things back in moderation because I was still working out and maintaining a healthy balance. Seeing the results - 12 inches and 10 pounds lost - was the motivation I hung on to!

How do you fit exercise into your schedule? 

I'm a bit of a workaholic! Having your own business takes a lot of dedicated hours, so I like to workout at the only time of day emails won't get to me - 6AM! If I leave it to the end of the day, something always comes up, so it's easier if I schedule it and start the day right. It might be hard some days to get out of a warm, cozy bed (and a still asleep husband), but by the time that hour of bootcamp is done, I feel accomplished and never feel regret!

Describe a typical day for you (with fitness)? 

Most of my days are long ones - I'd say work from 7:30AM-6PM and then usually a few hours after dinner too. In between I'm conscious to walk Griffin (our golden doodle) 3x a day (good break for me, good break for him) and on days that I don't have bootcamp, I try to add in a jog, a spin class or a BowFlex session at home. My goal is 2-4 workouts a week.
 
What obstacles do you overcome to stick to a regular fitness routine?

Sleep is one. If I don't get to bed before 11, it's hard for me to wake up for a workout. And if I don't workout first thing, then I likely don't end up working out. Snowball effect!
 
What changes have you noticed since beginning boot camp?
I noticed that I was generally happier. I felt more comfortable in my clothes - it's like having a free shopping spree because all kinds of clothes you already own suddenly fit (really well!). I felt stronger and more confident - people noticed a difference and that was a nice boost! And above all, I finally found a workout I actually enjoyed and could keep doing. It's important to find an exercise program that suits you. It makes showing up and sticking to it much easier!

What would you say to somebody to encourage them to begin a fitness program? 

Don't think about it - just start! It's easy to find excuses or reasons to delay the workout. You just have to show up and know that for 60 minutes you are committed to yourself! You won't ever regret it!

Final Comments: 
Being part of Alli's bootcamp is as much about working hard as it is about finding my groove. I've discovered that coming to workout with a group of like-minded ladies is very motivating! You're all struggling through together, working hard together - being supportive to one another's upcoming weddings! Even though Chris and I celebrated an awesome wedding this past October, I feel a sense of loyalty to continue working out with my group because there are still a few ladies getting married this coming year. They were there with me, I wanna be there with them! But don't worry Alli - even when we're all married - we'll be back because we wanna be sexy moms too! :)

Thanks Deb - you are too cute and your wedding pictures and dress were gorgeous!