Friday, April 24, 2009

BOOT CAMP SERIES FOR LOCAL PAPER...

Below is the first in a series of articles that I am writing for the local newspaper. This one appeared in today's paper.
I Have Been Abducted!

by

Doris D. Meneses


There is a secret organization lurking on the corner of US 1 and Campbell Drive in Homestead. This organization is abducting people…one by one….friend by friend…family member by family member……all by word of mouth. One person tells another and so on and now…this organization has grown to unbelievable numbers. If you pull into the parking lot of Harris Field in the evening on certain days during the week, you can see and hear this group. Your eyes will see that all of the members are dressed alike in dull colors. You will also see all of the members lined up in straight rows like robots. No one moves unless they are told to move. No one speaks unless they are told to speak. No one drinks water unless they are told to drink. If you are listening, the sounds you hear are not tambourines tapping but yet there is a loud cadence hitting your ear. In one evening, this secret organization takes away the members individuality and makes them act as one.

How do I know all of this? I know this from experience as I have been abducted by this secret organization. Hopefully, through several articles, I will be able to share with you how my life has been changed mentally, physically and socially since I have been abducted by the YMCA Boot Camp.

To get the entire picture, you must first realize that I am no young thing in any type of fit condition. In fact, I am a 54 year old woman who is admitting publicly that I am obese. On top of the age and obesity factor, I also have a plate and eight (8) screws in my ankle, had surgery for a ruptured disc in my back and also have a cadaver anterior cruciate ligament in my knee.

After my best friend encouraged me to sign up, I tried to get others to go with me to no avail. I would have to do this alone. I had a great fear that on the orientation day I would show up and they would turn me away. Boot camp? It sounds cruel and I could never survive. That is when I made a phone call and talked to a trainer at the YMCA by the name Ariel Concepcion or “Rico”. I was frank with him and asked him was there an age limit or a weight limit because I was old and fat. He took time with me on the phone and was overwhelmingly assuring that, sight unseen, I could do this and better still…..I would do this and he would be looking for me. Still with fear in my heart, I went to the YMCA and signed up for the Boot Camp. Again I queried the young lady to make sure I would not be turned away. She was pleasant and encouraged me whole heartedly. I paid my money and promised to show up at the orientation that Saturday. No turning back…..I was now a recruit in the YMCA Boot Camp!

Please look for the next article in this series to follow shortly.

WOW - IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR!

I just glanced at my blog because someone told me to update it. I see that it has been over a year since I started this weight loss blog. In April of last year I weighed in at 298 pounds. I am very happy to say that this April I weighed in at 278 making it a 20 pound weight loss for the year. Not too bad for one year but hopefully next year there will be more thanks to Boot Camp.