Hello, my name is Eileen and this is my blog regarding how great Boogie Box is and since I'm in the test group I can give updates to this blog with my weight loss, Boogie Box info, etc.

I have lost 8.5" in one month of being in the test group! That is more then I lost in a whole YEAR of going to a local OC Bootcamp! I will post an updated picture on Tuesday the 17th (a weigh in day for test group people!) and will continue to do so each month. Before I continue, I'll let you learn more about me and my struggles with weight gain, exercise and so on.

Here's my story:

I am a Type 1 Diabetic with Hypothyroidism and Celiac Disease. I got Juvenile (Type 1) Diabetes when I was 9 years old. I've always been skinny and as I grew older even now I love working out. There was nothing like Boogie Box growing up, in my 20's or 30's. Now I'm 41 and this is all I want to do! I continue to do marathons but they tend to wreak havoc on the knees and calves and since starting Boogie Box I have not had any knee or calf pain!


Sorry I got sidetracked! So back to my story.... I had been modeling since I was a teenager and fitness modeling in my 30's for different fitness and swimwear companies and appeared in many fitness magazines, autograph signings and so on. I have a 1st degree black belt in Kenpo, Kung Fu and Jujitsu. I am a pilot (only Cessna and small planes) as unfortunately I am not allowed with Diabetes to fly commercial planes. I am a master scuba diver (licensed in 1990), and I love to keep active by golfing, working out at the gym, taking my dog for walks and runs, etc.


See picture below: Women's Running Wild 5k in Palm Springs 2008 in which I actually weighed 20lbs more then the picture above!

So after all my activities and the fact I was getting older I started getting injured more often. I ended up having a shoulder surgery, 4 sinus surgeries, ankle surgery, 4 hand and wrist surgeries, fibroids removed and pneumonia. Between having all of these surgeries and being ill I couldn't work out and ended up gaining 50 pounds of fat.

If you have gained a significant amount of weight, then you know how it can be depressing and brings you down. Well that's an understatement! I have been looking for so many ways to lose the weight I gained and the scale never seemed to budge. What is wrong? What could it possibly be? I do realize that since I got married 10 years ago I ate pretty much what my husband ate, just in smaller portions. I don't get hungry very often so food is not something I crave, but I would make bad food choices and just adjust my insulin pump levels to make up for the fact I was eating more carbs, more sugar, etc. Instead of the Freshman 15 I gained the Married 50! The combination of poor food choices, stress, not being able to exercise just did what? Made me fat!

I joined many different gyms but found that I didn't go too often as they are usually out of the way. Previously when I was modeling I had a personal trainer and during my weight gaining times I didn't. I like to be pushed hard to work out not only to my maximum but also in a safe way. I joined the VIBC program at Adventure Boot Camp aka ABC out of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA in January 2008. I lost a total of 10 pounds in a year. Again, I missed many days because we were always outside working out at 5:30am (waaaayy too early for me) and also rain, sleet or snow! So many women were getting sick from being wet from the rain, sweating, etc. which caused us to miss too many days. The people at ABC do nothing to provide a nutritionist or dietitian to help guide women in eating balanced, good for you meals.

The beginning of this year January 2009 I started the test group with Boogie Box Fitness, Dede has been an inspiration to me as I have watched her transform herself and she looks even more spectacular every time I see her. I love her energy! When she starts instructing the classes, everyone gets pumped up and smiles are happening all around! Most importantly, she is understanding, kind, so nice to everyone and always there providing the best workout ever!

With the help of the nutritionist Tina Pretsch I have learned to eat more often as my body was more then likely holding onto fat because it thought I was starving myself. I am learning to eat more throughout the day and it seems to help me lose more. I provide a journal of my meals not only to who I'm supposed to in Boogie Box, but I also gave a copy of them to my Endocrinologist who was VERY impressed with how I ate. Thank you Tina for getting me on track.

My doctor was also VERY impressed with my cholesterol that he said "Whatever you are doing for a workout now is really showing, it is obvious that you workout hard and it shows!" He actually called me to tell me that!

I love the fact that my clothes are getting loose on me, I have had to retire the pants pictured above as they are way too big now! I can fit into my size 8 pants and have brought my size 4 and 6's out of hiding to be ready for me when I get down to those sizes again. I KNOW I can do it with Boogie Box. I actually enjoy working out, I never used to sweat before, but wow I sure do now!

I will update this blog weekly and I hope you all respond, put in your stories, etc. We can all do it and Boogie Box is behind us! It's up to us to do it and we can!

Thank you Dede for providing the best, butt-kicking, awesome, fun way to workout with great music too!!

To see Dede and the gang please visit: http://www.boogieboxfitness.com/ be sure to check out all the great videos!