SundayPaper.com

Day 26

Kirsten Ott — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:45:00 GMT

Boot camp is over! I did it! Yeah!

This morning's boot camp was the final day of our month-long program. Only 10 of the 17 registered campers showed up, which surprised me as this is the most important day of all! It's a concrete way to prove to ourselves that we've achieved a new level of physical fitness. Plus, it's a nice form of closure to a month of very hard work. (More after the jump!)

Day 25

Kirsten Ott — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:04:00 GMT

Today was our last regular workout for Operation Boot Camp's month-long program. Tomorrow is the test of our abilities. I was sluggish this morning and I think it's from the shots I received for my upcoming trip to Central America. I got Hep. A & B and tetanus shots jabbed into my left arm on Tuesday morning, had a couple of side effects that same day, but yesterday my arm was killing me and I was lightheaded. Today my arm still hurts and my body's not completely up to par. But, alas, complaining doesn't help anyone!

I'm still working on maintaining good nutrition and drinking tons of water. I drank 2 liters of water yesterday, trying to stay hydrated, and I wonder if that's enough. Nikki, one of our team leaders, mentioned an online calculator that tells you just how much water you need for your weight.

This morning's workout was a challenge, as always, but it was a good one. Melanie, my boot camp buddy, refers to Thursdays as mix bags because the exercises are always a hodge podge of things. After warming up through a series of brief jogs, jumping jacks, walking lunges and other assorted fun activities, we reached the soccer field, where those now-infamous lit orange cones were waiting for us, along with Ramsey. We first did our warm-up stretches (note that we always do warm-up stretches after we're already warm; it's not good to stretch your body before a little cardio), and then we were off to form a square with an X in the middle. We did walking lunges to one cone, and then our "Mission Impossible" sideways walk to another, sprinted to the next cone, and so on. It was a nice balance because I was able to catch my breath with some exercises before sprinting at the next. With our walking lunges, I thought I was doing them quite well until Nikki caught up with me to give me a little guidance on my form. I was coming up from the lunge by leaning forward, and that was incorrect. To do it right, Nikki told me to come up from the lunge with a straight back, chin up, in perfect posture. She had a great tip to just imagine you're balancing a pole across your shoulders. She jokingly offered to grab a pole from the soccer goal, but I didn't think I was able to handle that just yet. Thank goodness for humor though. Almost all our instructors have shown us tons of encouragement, the ability to laugh and great big smiles, which I appreciate more than anything else. There's not been too much sternness and militant discipline style. It's actually been a great experience, and I've had a lot of fun. And I feel really strong!

Wish me luck tomorrow!

Day 24

Kirsten Ott — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:06:00 GMT

I'm so sad that boot camp is coming to an end. Friday's our last day, and that'll consist of a physical fitness test, the same kind we had on Day 1. I'm quite confident that I'll beat my records. But I haven't lost more than those 2 pounds I wrote about in Week 1. Granted, I feel much more solid, but I weigh the same AND my pants fit the same. So I'm disappointed in that. But I'm not disappointed that I took on this challenge and rocked it out in boot camp. I am planning on taking up running and other exercises at a gym and on my own starting next week, and I'm confident that the weight loss is just around the corner.

Ramsey, our team leader at Operation Boot Camp, continues to tell us that the muscle we're building is fantastic for increasing our metabolism, even when our bodies are at rest. And I just found this gem on WebMD: "Cardiovascular exercise will torch calories, but resistance training is a big part of the equation if you want to burn fat. Boosting your muscle mass increases your metabolism, so you burn more calories all the time, even when you're not working out."

Our fitness writer Colleen Oakley told me she did boot camp a few years ago and wasn't losing any weight either. She says it took 7 or 8 weeks to see a difference and then the weight just kind of fell off. Her trainer said that your body goes into shock or something and desperately holds onto the weight and then just all of a sudden lets it go.

I'm ready for my body to let it go already! It's been four weeks!

Today's workout was great. We were all over the park doing lunges, sprints, dips on retention walls, planks, push-ups, sit-ups and much more. When we were cooling down with stretches, our instructors asked who liked the workout and only one person raised her hand ... it was too early to tell. I'm like that almost every day. If I blogged seconds after the workout, you'd be hearing a completely different tune from me. But just 30 minutes later, I'm feeling fantastic. And that energy lasts throughout the day, which I love!

Day 23

Kirsten Ott — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:04:00 GMT

This morning was fantastic. I was ready to go after yesterday's wonderful 5-mile run. I wasn't sore and felt great. Plus, I knew we were working on our upper bodies, and that made me happy, as I've got some major arm toning to do. When I showed up, there were only, like, 4 campers and a dozen instructors. My first thought was, "Did the run scare that many people off? How am I, a generally sedentary person, here and they're not?" But a few more arrived before we got started, and we were off for a short jog to our warm-up station. I've really seen my body's abilities change from week 1 to week 4. In the first week, I was completely wiped out in just the warm-up. Now, I can at least sustain myself through that and save energy for the actual workout, which today consisted of lots of band exercises, ab work and some leg lifts. I'm definitely feeling much stronger!

Day 22

Kirsten Ott — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:07:00 GMT

Today I saw a side of myself that I've never seen before, a determination I didn't know I had within me and an endurance level I didn't know I had gotten to already. I ran more than 5 miles this morning at Operation Boot Camp, and I barely got winded. The two times I walked had to do with muscle cramps in my calves.

When I woke up this morning, I didn't want to go to boot camp. I didn't want to get out of bed. I knew it was going to be a cardio day, as that's been the pattern for Mondays so far. Of course, I didn't even notice that until Melanie pointed it out last week. So this morning, I knew it was going to be rough and I was so incredibly sleepy and unmotivated. But the accountability factor plays very strong with me, and so I reluctantly rolled out of bed like an elderly slug, all the while trying to figure out ways to skip working out. It was no use though; I was going. On the drive there, I gave myself a mental lecture that I was going to do a good job today and that it wasn't going to be anything like last Monday's torturous suicides, but I didn't believe myself. How sad is that?

Once we were all checked in and log books read (and I didn't get in trouble for my two beers over the weekend), Ramsey announced we should stretch now since we'd be doing a "long run" today. That was it. No "we're going to run you ragged for five miles and 53 minutes." Just a "long run." Well, there was no escaping now. I had to do it.

I started out slow and kept up that pace for the entire run. I knew I'd wear myself out if I tried to go fast, so I jogged along at a comfortable pace, usually at the back of the line. Sometimes the front of the pack would circle back to me and I'd be in the lead, but not for long. We ran the outer parameters of the park and some asphalt inlets, too. Street lamps lit our way as we slapped our rubber soles on sidewalks alongside the few folks driving to work at this ungodly hour. We trudged uphill (this is where I walked), but mainly the terrain was flat and doable. I hate to toot my own horn, but I did really well for my fitness level. I couldn't believe how well I was doing except for the fact that I was, indeed, doing well. A far cry from my sad attempt to run a mile on Day 1. And I'm most confident I'll beat my 15:33 time on Friday when we're tested for the second and last time.

Day 21

Kirsten Ott — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 15:05:00 GMT

Technically, today's the beginning of week 4 of Operation Boot Camp's month-long program. For homework, I do a walk/run on the treadmill and some stretching. I'm feeling very lazy. Not too exciting, I know. Tomorrow's going to be hard getting back into the groove of things, but I'm sure it'll be easier once I get going.

Day 20

Kirsten Ott — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 03:52:00 GMT

I completed my homework today by taking a two-hour hike at Sweetwater Park in Lithia Springs. It's really good to vary your workout routine, and this was definitely like no other. My fiancee and I have two dogs, one a lab/chow mix named Cairo and a lab/dachshund mix named Lucy. Cairo's 75 pounds and an excellent swimmer. But today we had a bit of a scare when he headed down an embankment to the river and slipped into a place he couldn't touch. Cairo only likes to be in the water where he can touch, and he was immediately panicked. But there was only a muddy cliff, and no way he could climb out. The current was slightly strong, and we didn't want to let go of his leash for fear it would snag on underwater branches. So I did what any other mother would do: I popped out my hearing aids, slipped off my shoes and dove in.

The water was about five feet deep, so I was able to find footing and raise Cairo above my head and onto the shore, where Maria was able to pull him up the rest of the way. Thank goodness for all those push-ups at Operation Boot Camp! Perhaps adrenaline would've allowed me to get him up to safety regardless, but I feel certain the new, stronger me was much more capable. The sloped cliff was too steep and slippery for me to climb out of the water, so I had to swim down a short distance to another spot to get out. Then we headed off for a two-mile hike. I sneaked in two beers later in the evening, but they were of the light variety. All in all, it's been an adventurous day, to be sure.

Day 19

Kirsten Ott — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:44:00 GMT

I've gotta let out a cheesy woo hoo right now. I've just wrapped up three whole weeks in boot camp, and I've just got one more to go before completing the month-long program at Operation Boot Camp in Grant Park. I'm pretty proud of myself, considering my activity level was close to nil when I started.

Today, we worked on our forms when doing exercises such as crunches, full sit-ups, push-ups, planks, mountain jacks (body in push-up form but your feet are jumping apart and coming back together), fire hydrants (body on hands and knees, lifting your leg like you're a dog about to...), burpees (my most hated activity 'cause I can never seem to get a good rhythm going; you jump up to the sky and then get in a push-up position and kick your back feet out behind you and then get up and jump up to the sky), sideway walking squats, one-arm planks, jumping jack squats and a host of other physique-building tools. 'Twas not an easy day. Oh, did I mention we ran laps after every fourth station? And those were done up a hill? Yeah, I'm definitely working my butt off here. Though I haven't actually seen a change in my assets, so to speak, Nikki (our fearless leader) says most people see a change in about the second or third month of boot camp (or 45 minutes of cardio/exercise every day combined with eating right). So here’s to change!

Day 18

Kirsten Ott — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:45:00 GMT

It's production day at SP, which means we send our issue to the printers tonight. This issue's a big one, as it's the annual SP 100. So I've not been able to sneak in a blog until now, and I'll have to make it short and sweet.
As I was jogging alongside my best friend Kathy this morning on bring-a-friend day, I was trying to decide whether or not it was good to work out with friends. It gave me comfort to have her there, but it also gave me the comfortable feeling that I could slack off because she was there, like we were just as an invincible duo as when we were pretending to be neighborhood pirates back in Athens in the mid-80s. Though I didn't necessarily slack off this morning, I was a little slow in my runs. Kathy kicked my butt, to be honest. I told her to run ahead of me, but being the solid BFF that she has been for the past 21+ years, she kept at my slow pace. She did an amazing job being that it was Day 1 for her this morning. I was impressed.
Also on my mind as I worked out today was how different Operation Boot Camp is from what I had mentally pictured before I began. I was very apprehensive about people yelling at me and whatnot. There's been a little loudly spoken encouragement to pick up the pace (which I confess that I need), but there's not been any outright yelling, and certainly no embarrassment, which is quite a relief. In fact, I genuinely like being around most of the instructors. They know a lot, they're all in good shape, they seem like they're having a good time, and they're inspirational. So is Kathy, for that matter.
By the way, the next 30-day program at Grant Park begins Sept. 29, and they're taking applications now at www.operationbootcamp.com.

Day 17

Kirsten Ott — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:02:00 GMT

We were off from boot camp today, but that doesn't mean I haven't had to adhere to strict diet rules and doing my assigned homework exercises. I slept in three glorious extra hours this morning, so I'll be hitting the streets tonight for a jog. Lunch was hard as we went to a private media event at Eros, the new tapas restaurant taking over where Pie Bar failed. To stave off ravenous hunger (which leads to overeating) before I went, I downed a glass of water and ate grapes and carrots. It seemed to work. The fried calamari was delish, but I only had a few bites. And it was hard to resist the green bean tempura, but I managed to stay away from them after one or two ... ok, three, but I will make up for it in my own "encouragement" tonight with extra exercises. Maybe some of those klutzy jumping jacks I have such a hard time with. I'm doing all right with the whole boot camp thing, but the only thing I can't seem to figure out is how to make my knees stop hurting. I am careful not to extend them over my toes when I do lunges or squats. I take glucosomine. I rub Mineral Ice on them at home. Any ideas? Please feel free to comment!

Tomorrow's bring-a-friend day at Operation Boot Camp, and my best friend Kathy is joining me. It'll be fun to show her what I've been up to and see what she thinks. She's also my maid of honor at my upcoming nuptials, so she's semi obligated to help me stay motivated in getting fit for the wedding and beyond. Let's just hope she doesn't hate me after an hour of grueling boot camp.

Day 16

Kirsten Ott — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:01:00 GMT

The Operation Boot Camp team definitely told the truth when they said it would get increasingly harder; each week has proven more challenging then the last. Today was no exception, but I handled it much better than yesterday. I ran to the run of “So What” by Pink, telling myself I was rock star as I raced around the field of Grant Park, exercising my core, my abs, my legs and all my arm muscles that I’m too sore to name. We had three stations we were working at and then switching. Station 1 was for the abdominals, which consisted of crunches, full sit-ups, alternating crunches, bicycle crunches and planks. Seeing me struggle with the last one, my spunky instructor gave me a tip with the planks: flex your feet to absorb more of the pressure there. That definitely helped. Planks are making your back straight as a horizontal board (er, a plank) as you balance on your toes and your elbows. Keep your butt low and your face forward. It’s serious stomach strengthening. The second station was more than difficult for me because it required excellent coordination—a challenge, to be sure. Laid out on the grass were a series of obstacles, like large plastic rings, a flat ladder and cones. The goal was to keep our heart rates up while maneuvering our bodies through these objects. All fine and good, until you add this klutz to the mix. For the flat ladder, I was to perform moving jumping jacks along the rungs, placing my feet together in the center of the empty box (between the rungs) and then jacking my legs out to either side of the ladder. Simple, right? Not for me, apparently. I tried concentrating, but I could only manage to do the jump or the jack, and even that was difficult, for I could only seem to do the top part of the jack or the lower part. And then my feet kept picking up the ladder too, which probably tripped a few fellow campers. My generally encouraging instructor Nikki turned into a drill sergeant, too, asking if those were jumping jacks she was seeing and making me do the entire exercise over. But I managed to do it nearly right the next round, and I’ll continue to work on my jumping-jack skills.

When I was a kid (a long time ago), I did backwalkovers and cartwheels on a narrow balance beam at city-wide gymnastic competitions with ease, so I’m not sure why I’m so uncoordinated as an adult. For the most part, I think I’m afraid of falling. Plus, and you won’t get this unless you’ve ever been overweight, but fat folks are very good at convincing themselves that they’re too big to be doing something, whether it’s jumping jacks on an obstacle course, snaking around cones or doing strange-looking pirouettes on plastic discs in the misty morning sun. We of the excessive pounds are far too self-conscious to perform such acts with fit people looking on, wondering why we aren’t doing it right.

But I trudged on to Station 3, a glorious moment to catch my breath while working on our guns with bands. I love these exercises I’m learning with the bands, and it’s definitely something I can continue with after this month-long program is finished.

When the time was up for each station, we sprinted to the next. And then to the next. I think we did about three rounds of stations when the sun came up, my sign that another session was coming to an end.

Tomorrow’s our off day, and I’m so excited about sleeping in. I'll still have homework to do, and that's OK with me. 5 a.m. is coming earlier and earlier these days.

Now I’m off to the new Bone Garden Cantina in West Midtown to check it out for my Dish column and try to find something healthy to eat. Same with tonight at Valenza in Brookhaven. Pasta is my weakness, but, as Nikki says, white starch might as well be another word for blubber. The plight of the Food Editor!

Day 15

Kirsten Ott — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:46:00 GMT

Today was brutal! We mainly did suicides for 45 minutes, and I barely got through them. It felt like Day 1 all over again. I was nauseous and miserably hot. I'm sure my poor performance was partially due to my lack of enthusiasm and also because I didn't drink a lot of water yesterday. Usually at the end of each session, I think, to myself, "I could do some more. Let's not end this yet!" But today was not like any other day. I was completely wiped out and ready to go pass out in my car. Other like-minded campers shared my mentality, and Nikki, our instructor, said she felt like a noodle herself. Must've just been a bad case of the Mondays.

Day 14

Kirsten Ott — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:37:00 GMT

Another weekend day with homework exercises on the treadmill. I'm trying to keep my goals in mind, but this weekend is definitely proving to be less motivating than the last. I think it's because my body hasn't changed one bit. I'm sure I'm stronger, but that's it. I'm not sleeker, more toned ... it's like I started out at a plateau. Of course, I'm not giving up. But I'm definitely struggling mentally right now!

Day 13

Kirsten Ott — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:34:00 GMT

Ah, Saturday. Sleeping in and taking it easy. Zzzz. I did my homework exercises: a 30 minute run/walk on the treadmill, and a 10 minute stretch. I wasn't nearly as motivated as I would've liked to be, but I am carrying on.

Day 12

Kirsten Ott — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:38:00 GMT

This morning's boot camp workout was great, as usual. So great, in fact, that I'm already getting sad that it's halfway over. Today, we were given exercise bands before we took off on our warm-up jog, so I was nervous (and a little excited) about the burn I’d be feeling soon. Though I have no talent for judging distance nor do I wear a watch at boot camp, we jogged for somewhere between 3 and 5 minutes, and I was happy that I didn’t have to stop once. That alone should give you an idea of how out of practice I am with physical fitness. And that’s why I’m in boot camp: to increase my endurance (and kick off my new lifelong commitment to taking better care of myself). So we had our jog, and then circled up in front of the zoo to do a series of other warm-ups, like (lightly) kicking the curb with alternating feet at a high speed (super hard) and “Mission Impossible” sideways walking lunges. That was just the beginning. From there, we ran all over the park, stopping every 5 minutes to do another series of exercises. One of them was called the 21 gun salute, which builds the biceps with band exercises. Ooh, did that burn! Then we did them again … and again. It was fabulous. Listen to me! I already sound like a fitness junkie. What’s happening to me? I did the extra encouragement today, too. I wasn’t feeling it, but Melanie, fellow camper, said, “Come on!” and so I did. And I think I might go back tomorrow for Saturday morning’s voluntary session, as well. I’m having too much fun!

Day 11

Kirsten Ott — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:02:00 GMT

I got back in the saddle this morning, so to speak. My ankle had gone from swollen and tender to the slightest shade of painful. So, at 5:38, I pulled into the park this morning ready to go. I was more tired than usual--probably because I'd skipped a day and only done a few stationary exercises the day before. But once I got into the swing of things today, there was little stopping me. Well, there were the sore-as-hell quads, the barely there cartilage gnawing at my knees and the gasping for air ... but that's to be expected, no?

We ran a lot today, stopping all over the park to perform challenging exercises, like holding ourselves in a chair position with our backs against retention walls, doing a zillion lunges and squats or doing toe-touches to the curb in front of the Atlanta Zoo (congratulations, Lun Lun and Yang Yang) or sprinting up the stairs in front of the Cyclorama. How very Atlantan, right? Except it’s dark and thankfully too early for summer’s sun to beat down on our backs. When it was all said and done, I found myself eager for more. So did my new pal Melanie.

Lucky for us, Operation Boot Camp offers a little something they like to call “encouragement.” It’s a little extra set of exercises reserved for people who went off their eating-right plan. Though I didn’t do that (or at least not too badly) and, as far as I know, neither did Melanie, we decided what the hell? Who doesn’t need a little “encouragement”? So we caught up with the few, brave cheaters, er, I mean campers, and did some extra exercises, which consisted of running up a hill (during which I was thinking, “Why did I say I’d do this?”) and leg lifts when we got there. I know what you’re thinking: leg lifts, smeg smifts. But these little fire hydrant exercises burn! In a good way, though. How do perform a fire hydrant: Get on your hands and knees. Back straight and completely horizontal. Take on leg, keeping it bent and lift all the way up until it’s perpendicular to your body. Keep it there, and hold for 10 seconds. Take it down, and repeat with the other leg. Doing this after performing a zillion squats and lunges was a challenge, and made the cool-down stretching period feel so very nice.

Day 10

Kirsten Ott — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:21:00 GMT

I missed boot camp this morning. Not because I overslept, didn't feel like it or any loser excuse. But because I had a delayed reaction to an ankle sprain that I got yesterday morning. It was quite bizarre, really. First, let me explain that despite my formative years as a child gymnast, I grew into a rather awkward adult. I often bump into walls, tables and counters in places I've known for years. I drop things I'm holding. And I've been known to fall downstairs or trip upstairs for no reason whatsoever. So to think I'd get through boot camp with no incidents would be wishful thinking, indeed. So yesterday, in our warm-up jog down an asphalt path in cloudy darkness, my left foot decided to not go forward, like my right foot was doing, but instead to turn to the left. This was problematic, considering we were gracefully running like a beautiful herd of elk at dawn, and my misstep screwed up the bunch. I hurled forward, bracing myself for the fall, knowing I was about to completely eat it. But I didn't. Maybe my gymnast's balance saved me, or perhaps it was that mental strength I've been working on. Either way, I managed to stay upright as my fellow campers stampeded by. Always caring, an Operation Boot Camp instructor stopped to check on me. She'd watched the entire scene unfold and was astonished I'd not fallen. So there I was, dangling my likely broken ankle in the air, tears in my eyes (I'm working on mental strength, I'm not there yet) and cursing my luck. I was sure boot camp was over, and I was pissed at myself. I couldn't put any weight on it at all. But I kept trying, determined to heal myself in seconds. And strangely, I did. Or rather, it wasn't all that serious in the first place. I finally was able to put my foot back on the pavement, wiggle it around and take off into a jog and catch up with the group. I really didn't think much of it until last night, when my ankle swelled up and I could barely walk. I iced it all evening and elevated it throughout the night, determined to be mobile by morning. But 5 a.m. came, and I winced as I put my left foot on the floor. It was all I could do to hobble to the computer to send my instructor an e-mail explaining my absence. I felt like a jerk. I kept tapping my foot on the ground to check if the results would be different, certain I was just imagining this ridiculous late-blooming sprain. It made no sense to me at all.

Later, I was pleasantly surprised at the kind e-mail I got in return from Nikki, my fearless leader. She advised me to stay off it all week, since returning tomorrow would only irritate it further. And she gave me a detailed series of exercises to try at home while I nursed my sprain. That was very sweet of her, but I have to get skinny! So I elevated my foot most of the day, save a healthy Sunday Paper staff trip to Doc Greens for salads (they're so supportive, no?). Oh, but then they opted to go for ice cream afterwards (I resisted the call of chocolate ice cream mixed with peanut butter cups, but stood in line with them imagining myself thin). All this walking all over Atlantic Station actually made my ankle feel slightly better, and I'm going to faithfully return to boot camp tomorrow to get back in the action. If my ankle starts to cause me any pain, I'll stop, of course. But I sure hope it stays in check. I've got an agenda!

Day 9

Kirsten Ott — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:09:00 GMT

Admittedly, I was nervous about today. I wasn’t thinking I couldn’t do it, but I was scared to death of that awful pain rearing its ugly head. Hell, it was awful just getting out of bed, wiggling side to side to avoid stretching that lower right quadrant of my torso. That took some careful maneuvering. But I did it, and at the fantastic hour of 5 a.m., to boot. Out the door at 5:25, with only 5 minutes to wait for Q100’s The Bert Show to start their 5:30 Club start to the day. I definitely felt like one of the club today on the drive to the park, hoping for the best with my workout but I was starting to worry, too, about a possible appendicitis or other issue. Of all the ideal places for it to rupture, Grant Park isn’t one of them. As it turns out, it didn’t rupture. I’m not even sure it’s that serious. But pain makes your brain play funny tricks. I told Nikki about my pain before we began (as I got a big check mark on my log book for the weekend), and she decided it was best for me not to do the painful exercises all this week, but instead subbing lunges for sit-ups, push-ups and planks. Cartwheels weren’t on the schedule. And I did OK. Great, in fact. We sprinted a few times throughout the hour, and I felt like I was flying at some points. Other times, I was winded and wincing in pain. But for the most part, I definitely felt stronger, faster and lighter than last week. I was sore afterwards … I’m still sore. So that hasn’t gone away, but it reminds me what I’m doing for myself. In fact, I should go stretch some more and drink yet another 16 ounces of water.

Day 8

Kirsten Ott — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:30:00 GMT

Speaking of outside, it’s about time to go there, especially on this brilliantly sunny holiday weekend. We’ve skipped partying with friends today in order to avoid my weakness: alcohol. And to catch up on sleep. After snoozing until 11:30 and lounging on the couch for two hours, we finally get moving by taking the dogs to the baseball field near our house for some sprints. I do 75 slow lunges through the high grass, careful to keep my back straight, shoulders back, butt low and back knee almost touching the ground, while my front doesn’t go past my toes. It’s not easy, especially with the afternoon sun beating down on me.

Thank goodness for my usual cool morning workouts, I think to myself. I go down on my knees for push-ups and my abdominal muscle issue screams out in pain. I do a few anyway. Terrible idea. So I stand up and finish them out by standing-up push-ups against the baseball fence. I hope that’s OK. It is still challenging but saves me from the tears that have welled up in my eyes from the ab pain. I just don’t want to be a wimp, you know? So what do I do afterwards to really stretch it out? A freakin’ cartwheel. Who cares that I used to be a wanna-be Mary Lou Retton back in the day? That was 23 years ago, and I was a heck of a lot more flexible. The agonizing pain in my side was probably more than I deserved, but it made me stop for the day, recognizing that just because I wanted to work through it, it might be more than I can take care of in one afternoon. Happy Labor Day, indeed.

Day 7

Kirsten Ott — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:30:00 GMT

Today, I’m skipping Corks & Forks at the Summer Shade Festival in Grant Park because I don’t trust myself around all that good food yet. It’s a shame, too. But, as the great Oprah once said, “Nothing tastes better than being skinny.” Instead, I run on the treadmill for 15 minutes to a fantastic playlist I’ve made for myself. Then I’m down for 100 crunches and 25 push-ups. I’ve pulled something in my lower abdomen, I believe. Or it’s my appendix. Either way, it’s excruciating. So I quit for the day with some nice, long stretches. Tons of water and mostly OK eating (I did sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on my sweet potato). Pants aren’t fitting any better, and believe me, I’ve got plenty of “skinny jeans” to try on. But I feel better on the inside. We’ll see about the outside…

Day 6

Kirsten Ott — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:32:00 GMT

If you think Operation Boot Camp gives days off, you’re wrong. There’s homework for every day we’re not at the park. In our log books, we have a long list of activities to choose from. Today, I woke up extra early for a Saturday, since I wasn’t about to skip out on tailgating in Athens for my No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs. I did a light run for 15 minutes. OK, I walked some, but I tried to keep that to a minimum. I did 10 minutes of stretching, 100 crunches and 25 push-ups, too. Then it was off to the games to try to avoid beer and fried foods. I managed by planning ahead with little bags of baby carrots, unsalted almonds, protein bars and fruit, as well as plenty of water. Planning is where it’s at. Ramsey says, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Everyone’s being really supportive, which helps immensely. Not as much peer pressure when you're 30, I suppose. I can't say the same for the drunk and pretty young sorority girls falling down around me in their nice little black dresses, ridiculous high heels and chunky red beads screaming "Go Dawgs." Ah, it's so nice to be back at my alma mater. Anyway, we did a considerable amount of walking all over campus today, too, so I'm pretty sure that amounts to extra credit.

Day 5

Kirsten Ott — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:18:00 GMT

One might think Friday’s workout would be light. One would be wrong to think such silly thoughts. Today was just as challenging as every previous day, and that’s what I wanted. We jogged to the baseball field in the park today, where a square of lit cones awaited us. After a light warm-up (which is now not wearing me out like it did earlier in the week), we’re divided into groups of four, and we follow our group leaders to particular cones. Then we’re down on the wet grass, doing an activity for two minutes, whether it’s spelling out our favorite pizzas with our feet in the air while we lay on our backs (try lasagna or ice cream, and keep those abs tight!) or alternating crunches (right knee to left elbow and vice versa). Whistle blows, and we’re up and running, or lunging, or doing high knees to the next station to do another activity. We’re always moving. Even if we’re waiting on an instructor to tell us what to do or for the person in front of us to move, we’re always doing something and keeping our heart rates up and, hopefully, burning fat. I’m going to post some pictures throughout the month, so you can see if I’m making progress. My pants don’t fit any better today, but I do feel better, and I’m not going to give up yet.

Day 4

Kirsten Ott — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Being physically fit has just as much to do with eating right and being mentally right, too. The food temptations in my job are high, and someday soon I'll teach myself willpower, but for now, I'm sticking to eating at home. I'm thankful for my fiancee, who willingly allowed me to dump out everything unhealthy in our fridge and pantry, and fill it back up with healthy boot camp-approved food, like sweet potatoes, whole grain and brown rice, beans, barley, corn, apples, high-fiber cereals, veggies, salmon, edamame, chicken, part-skim string cheese and protein bars. Out in our house were the trays of cookies, trips to Wendy’s, Bubba Burgers and overflowing bowls of pasta paired with a loaf of garlic bread and a bottle of wine. Maria’s Italian, what else can I say? Anyway, those days are gone for now … and quite possibly for good. The strange thing about eating right is that it’s addictive, too. And it’s easier with Operation Boot Camp, since about an hour or two after our workouts, Ramsey sends out information-intensive e-mails loaded with helpful tips like how to eat in restaurants (tell that waiter to take that bread basket far away from you), what to cook with your new groceries (Leslie Fight provides Operation Boot Camp with a month’s worth of healthy menus), and how to speak positively to yourself (telling yourself ahead of time that you can do something actually works—who knew?).

The troops are very positive at boot camp. There are about 20 campers and about 12 instructors. Me and three others are usually the slowest and last to finish most activities, so we’re never alone. Someone is almost always in my ear, giving me a pep talk, cheering me on and, most importantly, doing the activities with me. There’s no ridiculous drill sergeant screaming at us from the sidelines. These people are around my age, in great shape and are thriving on the work out and wanting me to get into it, too. It’s infectious, I must say, and it helped me get through the suicide-style sprints today, which were divided up between thigh-burning lunges, high-knee running and reps of crunches and push-ups. I feel stronger by the second, and I’m hoping skinny’s not far away.

To be fair, Ramsey and Nikki said up front that this is only a 30-day program; don’t be foolish thinking you’re going to drop 40 pounds in one month. In fact, stay off the scale altogether, they advise. Instead, it’s better to try on a tight pair of jeans at the end of every week to monitor your progress. Still, I’m hoping to be the exception to the rule and drop some serious weight this month. I’ll be honest. Being strong’s not the only thing that’s important to me. It matters, sure. But only to give me the endurance and energy that helps me work out harder and longer when I exercise in order to melt the fat and achieve the fabulous figure I want.

Day 3

Kirsten Ott — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:16:00 GMT

Push-ups are harder than they look. But I’m getting through them. You’ll be amazed at what you can do when everyone else around you is doing them. Accountability is everything for me. This morning, we did an insane amount of planks, push-ups and crunches, in between spurts of snaking around cones with our fellow campers laying down doing those exercises. In the dark. In the rain. But, trust me, I’m not complaining. I felt absolutely amazing when all was said and done. So much so that I danced in the shower afterward. Like, I really rocked it out. I have a new cool toy called the EGO iceBar, a waterproof speaker system for the iPod. So I blasted Sugarland’s latest album on iTunes, while I soaked up the hot water, more energized than I’ve been in years. I’m not saying I’m not sore, but I feel amazing. So far, I'm doing all right, even with the drinking water, six small meals and no alcohol.

Day 2

Kirsten Ott — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:42:00 GMT

I gave up my tickets to Fashion Cares with Isaac Mizrahi last night for fear of all that fabulous food and cocktails from F.A.B., not to mention the damper it would put on my much-needed sleep. Thank goodness I did skip it. I hear the cake from Highland Bakery was to die for. The alarm sounded at 5 a.m. this morning. We’re to report for boot camp at 5:45 every week day, and latecomers will be subjected to extra work. I’m well-rested since I immediately fell asleep at 9 last night due to pure exhaustion from 1) waking up at the ridiculous time of 4:45 yesterday morning, and 2) from the unusual physical exertion I’d put my body through. But my mind hasn’t caught up with my body this morning. I’m wide awake but moving slowly. I’m struggling through the soreness—quads and hamstrings especially.

I skip eating this morning before the workout, per Ramsey and Nikki’s recommendation, as you burn fat easier when there’s nothing in your stomach. Instead, I down eight ounces of water on my drive to Grant Park to hydrate my system for the workout. This method isn’t working quite yet. So far, I’ve found I’m still parched as hell during our workouts. So today I’m going to try to drink at least 60 ounces, and see how I do tomorrow. Part of the problem is that I drink coffee, and that’s a diuretic, which dries me out and thus I require even more water to override the coffee’s effect on me. But I insist that I’ll continue to drink it. If I have to give up alcohol (a surprisingly hard thing to do for this food editor who enjoys a glass of wine with every dinner at home or on the town), I’m surely not budging on my morning vice. This is in addition to the six small meals I’m supposed to be eating. So far I’ve done rather well: This morning, I had a slice of whole wheat toast topped with a smidge of Smart Balance and sugar-free all-fruit preserves, black coffee and one egg scrambled.

Today’s boot camp was tough. When we arrived, we were given rubber exercise bands. After a brief warm-up jog with short bursts of skipping, jumping jacks and tire runs, we were knee-deep in pouring rain and, admittedly, loving the coolness of the dark morning showers while conquering the entire park in the dark. We stopped at grassy stations, dropped down to our elbows and toes in plank formation to strengthen our abs, then we were up, stretching the bands from under our feet and out to our sides, slow pulses, deep burns and working hard. Then we were off, running on wet concrete, arms raised, stretching the bands across the purple sky. It was hard not to feel like a champion holding not one but two Olympic torches, running up and down concrete steps to Grant Park’s few edifices. I wasn’t able to run the entire time—I had to make the choice between arms raised or running—doing both wasn’t an option just yet. But I was proud to finish strong, and so thankful for the hot shower awaiting me at home.

Day 1

Kirsten Ott — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:30:00 GMT

Today was my first day of boot camp, and I must admit that my emotions leading up to this day have been full of eager anticipation. I was excited about beginning a new chapter in my life. My alarm went off at 4:45, and I was up immediately. For the first day, we had to be there at 5:30 for extra time to talk. Fearful of what the punishment was for latecomers, I arrived with five minutes to spare. In a dark parking lot lit only by street lamps, we started with the greetings from our team instructors, Ramsey and Nikki, followed by nutrition advice (eat six small meals a day with protein, carbs and veggies; no alcohol, no fried foods and no sweets) and explanations of our log books (write in them every day, record every food and drink we consume, along with notes about how we're feeling before and after our workouts). Then we were off on a fitness test.

The main goals were to test how we do at the beginning of the program against our performance at the end. I'm 30 years old, an ex smoker (I quit one and a half years ago after smoking nearly a pack a day for 15 years--gross, I know) and my weekly exercise consists of walking from my car to the office and back, climbing a few stairs in the house, light gardening, a rare walk on the treadmill and watching the dogs play in the yard as I sip a strong margarita from the sunroom. With the past year's weight gain and my sedentary lifestyle, I was more than surprised at my performance during the testing. I ran a mile in 15:33.

In high school, I was at 9 minutes, so this added 6 minutes and change really isn't all that bad in my mind--for a starting point, of course. I was able to crank out 25 push-ups in one minute (um, 20 of them being the facilitated variety), and 19 dips (again, I got some leeway here with bending my knees for 7 of them). For sit-ups, I was determined to do well. After all, I was the undisputed sit-up champion of my fourth and fifth grade class at 60 sit-ups in 60 seconds at Barnett Shoals Elementary. Alas, I didn't meet my goal. I barely squeaked out 25 full sit-ups before I nearly passed out.

All these exercises were balanced with a high-intensity warm-up of jumping jacks, tire runs and lunges; then, the most welcome cool-down stretching period. I felt like I was going to throw up. I almost did. Instead, I hopped in my car, cranked the A/C and peeled out of the parking lot, woozie and sore. Chilled to the bone on the drive home, I gave myself an invisible pat on the back and made a pact with myself that this was the first day of the rest of my physically fit life, and there was no turning back.

Kirsten Goes To Boot Camp

Kirsten Ott — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:07:00 GMT

Rubenesque. Full-figured. Curvaceous. Pear-shaped. Bootylicious. These are terms I apply to myself. Fat, overweight and out-of-shape are all words I try to avoid. But when I recently got on the scale at my doctor’s office for a long-overdue physical, the number was staggering. A number I can’t bear to repeat here. But know that the digits had increased by exactly 30 pounds since I began my position as life, food and style editor here at The Sunday Paper, where I make my living tasting the best (and worst) dishes in Atlanta. With my upcoming nuptials looming in the distance and my doctor shaking his finger at me about heart disease, adult-onset diabetes and BMI goals, I knew I had to do something. I checked out a few options, and the best one I found for me was Operation Boot Camp. The month-long program is offered at multiple locations around Atlanta and at a variety of times. I chose Grant Park since it’s closest to my home, and then I selected the 6 a.m. time slot, which meets Monday through Friday for four weeks. Once I submitted my form online, I knew there was no turning back. I’m dedicating myself to getting fit, and you’re welcome to follow my progress here with my regularly appearing blogs. Interested in signing up for boot camp? Click on the link for more information: Operation Boot Camp.