Please help us decide on the winner of the Transformation Contest! Make your desicion on the before and after picture, and also on their story. Everybody wants to have the body change when they enter a Transformation Contest, but the real power is how your mind changes once you know you have the power to change your body– everything falls into place!

To make your choice, just add your comment with the person who you think is the winner.

The next Transformation Contest starts January 11th, 2010. Check it out!

Transformation Contest Finalist #1
Justin G.

Before:

In high school I was very active and participated in soccer, basketball, scuba diving, swimming and running. At the time I weighed 165lbs and worked out with a buddy regularly. He went on to become a bodybuilder, but I never got into the nutriotion side of weightlifting and saw no significant gains. I went off to college to live by myself and learned how to cook the cheapest, easiest things without knowing how to eat healthy. My activities decreased as my college career progressed.

When I graduated college in 2004, I weighed in at 185lbs. Since that time, I became an auditor with long work hours and meals were more about convenience and workout time was gone. The stress level of corporate America and my poor eating habits have lead me to my current weight of 215lbs. In 2007, my annual blood work revealed that I had high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides. Currently at the age of 28, I know I am at a crossroads in my health. I have tried watching what I eat, without much success and workout infrequently. A firm challenge or competition is my best motivator. I’ve had a gym membership for 2 years and I’ve been a total of 25 times. My company reimburses employees for their gym membership if they attend a total of 8 times a month, but I’ve yet to do that.

As a new father and a candidate seeking election this November, I want to be in the best shape of my life. My whole family has been overweight and nutrition has never been a priority. My wife also is very thin and has a great metabolism, so food has never been an issue for her, but I end up eating the same things or worse food choices. My desire is to be healthier, stronger, build better endurance, and not feel ashamed when I take off my shirt in the summer.

After:

When I started the transformation process 14 weeks ago, my goal was to be healthier not necessarily have huge weight loss. For my past two annual physicals, my doctor told me I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and was a candidate for type 2 diabetes in the near future. The birth of my first daughter in May made me want to change so I’d be healthier for her future.

I’m not much of a dieter and I’ve had a gym membership for 4 years with maybe a total of 25 visits over that time period. The problem with the gym was I could never feel competitive or see progress over a week period. Yun fitness bootcamps appeared to be a good idea because it was a set time so I was committed.  Even though I was paying more than my gym membership, I justified it by not eating out lunches 4 days a week, which saves about $5/day or $20/week. Four weeks of savings is $80 and cancelling my gym membership saved another $40 a month for a total of $120/month. This allowed me to attend 3x a week. The hardest part of the whole experience was trying to find something to pack for lunch each day, but PB&J have become good friends.

I had attended other bootcamps in the past and found them unmotivating and dreading them at the end of the workday. Jason has made the workouts appropriate for individuals based on difficulty. Some exercises I’ve excelled at and others I struggle, but I always enjoy the challenge of picking up a heavier weight or the record board challenges. Over the 3 sessions with Yun Bootcamps, I’ve noticed that I can work out longer, with a higher intensity, and use heavier weights. The weekly newsletters are interesting and I even took the advice of one which suggested that after a workout I should eat a bowl of sugary cereal for faster recoveries. It worked and then I started trying some of the shake recopies, which are hit or miss. On off weeks from boot camp, I still do the warmup, kettlebell workouts, and some core resistance workouts 3x in that week.

Results: I’ve definitely lost a good chunk of the stomach area weight that I was carrying, but I haven’t lost any significant weight, which is exciting. I’ve noticed I have more chest, shoulder, leg muscle and I’ve found my abs are still there and getting closer to revealing themselves. It is very exciting to go pants shopping and not struggle to button the pants and hate just going into the fitting rooms. I feel much healthier and a recent trip to the doctor revealed I have normal blood pressure and I have a cholesterol test coming up in November, but I think I’m doing so much better. While I haven’t changed my eating habits significantly, just a reduction in fast food (Subway, BK, Wendys, PF Changs, Chipotle, etc.) and snacking (Eating a box of wheat thins or a large bag of skittles in a single sitting) has made a huge difference.  After a workout, I don’t want to take away the progress by blowing portion control.

I’ve always looked at the Muscle and Fitness Magazines and dreamed of having the big muscles, but I’m much happier with a Men’s Health image of a healthy lifestyle with normal muscles. Yun Fitness Bootcamps have helped because I’ve never felt judged and I don’t judge others when they can’t do an exercise, because there are some that I still have issues doing, like a proper push up with elbows tucked. I have accomplished one other goal which was to be in good enough shape to do a single pull up. At the end of this transformation, I am now able to do two. This has been more of an attitude transformation and a feeling of camaraderie than about physical transformation, which happened as a byproduct.

The change is really amazing and I’m very excited to keep it going. I’m glad I have the pictures, but wish I had done a body fat test, because I think that number would be striking. I didn’t put it in the essay, but I’ve gone from 38.5″ waist to 35″. Chest has grown 3″ mainly because of my lats. I’m excited to have a v-shaped torso. I haven’t weighed myself lately, but I’m thinking it is really maybe only 5-10lbs different, but the strength difference is amazing. Thanks for putting on the contest.

Transformation Contest Finalist #2
Elaine K.

Before:

Hi,

My name is Elaine K.

I have battled with weight loss most of my life. I would lose weight and look great, only to gain it all back again. The great yo-yo effect.

I was always jealous of people, who could eat anything and everything and not gain a pound.

I have to admit, that I love food, and when it especially delicious, it is difficult to put the fork down. I would eat until I was so full I would have to undo a button on my pants just to feel comfortable.

Being only 5’1, having a few extra pounds really shows on me. I was really fit and healthy in my teens and early twenties. In junior high school, I was always one of the first to be picked for any activities in Physical Ed. class. I loved doing push ups at that time, being able to do 50 real push ups, by the time the other girls did 20 knee push ups.

I joined Navy in my late twenties, bootcamp got me back into the body of my pre teen years. I looked and felt great. I started jogging about a mile everyday, and I did aerobic classes 3 times a day, 5 days a week. I weighed about 125 pounds then.

About ten years, I finally hit rock bottom. Desperate to lose the weight, I decided to join Weight Watchers. At the weigh in, I tipped the scales at 169 1/2 pounds. I felt pretty disgusted with myself. I followed their points system and the I started losing weight, at about 2 lbs a week. I was proud of myself. I incorporated walking with it, and more pounds came off. I ended up losing 30 lbs and stopped the program, Why? First I had the flu for about 2 weeks.

Then I realized I was feeling like I was starving myself. I couldn’t live up to what they thought my ideal weight should be. i would never be able to enjoy eating again, without feeling guilty. I have since gained back 15 of those pounds.

So here I am at 50 years old, with back and knee problems and feeling old and out of shape. Desperate again, I surf the web and found Yun’s Fitness Bootcamps. I liked what he had to say and thought to myself. Could this be the motivation that I have been looking for?

I can’t promise you that I will yield great results. I can tell you that I will strive to do my very best during this transformation period. I am going to learn how to eat healthier. I am going to work out more diligently and get my recommended water intake. Will I have obstacles along the way, sure, but who doesn’t. I just have to get back on track and keep moving forward.

This is the biggest challenge of my life!

Sincerely,

Elaine K.

After:

Here I am, at the final stage of the transformation contest. This has been a difficult road for me to follow.

I have found it hard at times to get the support I need for good eating habits, especially on the weekends. Sometimes I succeeded, other times I fell off the wagon. When I did fall off, I just got myself back on track and start over again. I did like Jason’s idea of allowing a cheat meal once a week. This allowed me to indulge myself without overdoing it. I also learned nothing is forbidden, and that eating in moderation is the key to success.

What I did implement into my eating habits is one ingredient foods and 100% natural or organic foods. Some of these included trail mixes, yogurt, steel cut oats, extra virgin olive oil, chunky peanut butter with apples, bannanas and peaches, hard boiled eggs, and fresh vegetables from my garden that included tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and zuchinni.

I prepared my steel cut oats on sunday’s, because it takes at leat a half hour to cook and the hard boiled eggs. I made enough to last a week and reheat the rest of the week. All of my other meals I made the night before. I found it difficult at times to fit the mini meal/snacks into my busy schedule.

Sometime I brought in protein drinks, other times, hard boiled eggs, trail mixes or apples and peanut butter.

I had hoped to see more dramatic changes in my body. I have seen more definition on parts of my body that I haven’t seen in quite awhile. My only workouts consisted of my 3 workouts a week at Yun’s. I have lost a few pounds and inches and I also went from a size 14 pants to a size 12. That in itself was a big feat to to accomplish.

I know that I am accountable for my own actions, and that you only get out of it, what you put into it. I cannot expect changes overnight. It took many years to pack on the pounds from overeating and not exercising. I do know that I will continue to workout, and eat healthy until I reach my goal.

Will I have setbacks? Yes, but I will overcome them. I will focus on 1 pound at a time, one day at a time.

This has been a wonderful experience for me.

Thanks, Jason and fellow tranformation contenstants,

Elaine K.

Transformation Contest Finalist #3

Steve S.

Before:

I declare defeat! I have officially run out of excuses and can no longer blame anything or anyone for my sad state of health. In the not too distant past I ran marathons, competed in triathlons, played soccer, looked good in a bathing suit, but the last few years have been measured by inactivity, unhealthy diet, indulgent dining, and a bacchanalian relationship with my couch and television. I am well aware of the health dangers and the real burden this continued path could place on my wife and daughter.

It is very easy to get overwhelmed and distracted with a large challenge, but the poem of “How to eat an elephant?” resonated with me. The answer is one bite at a time. Ironically, one bite at a time fueled my current bloated state. Although not vain, I would like to look younger and feel more energetic.

My ultimate goal is to complete an Ironman triathlon in 2010! My first bite is to lose weight, increase my capacity, and develop a plan with specific milestones. All of which take a great deal of personal commitment, but I recognize the need for coaching and peer support. This is the closest to public shaming you can get, but I must publicly hold myself accountable and look forward to the added pressure of being outside my circle of comfort. Surrounding yourself with people that have similar goals, challenges, and motivation are crucial to success.

The Yun Fitness Bootcamps Transformation Contest is the ideal arena for me to be uncomfortable, pushed, and challenged regularly. There is no magical pill or quick fix, but mere determination and commitment. Along with the physical challenge, I know that moderation and openness to new ways of eating and how I eat are also critical facets of this contest. I am absolutely committed to successfully competing and completing the challenge. Cheers!

After:

I declare victory!  It has been swift and the results are overwhelming.  My clothes hang on me and I’m wearing clothes that haven’t fit in years and they feel loose!  Just in the last two months, I have dropped 20+ pounds and gained real muscle.  A day doesn’t go by where a friend or colleague doesn’t comment on the dramatic change to my appearance. I know that years have been added to my life.  I can’t believe the new energy level, better mood, and general level of happiness on all fronts of my life.  My expectations have been overwhelmingly exceeded!

I now know that there is enough time in the day to work out.  Although frightening to my wife, I look forward to the early morning workouts and easily find time for boot camp.  There was plenty of support, challenge, and camaraderie with my fellow boot campers.  It just doesn’t take long to get in the groove and start seeing changes.

As I slowly keyed into Jason’s nutritional advice and adjusted small things, the results were exponentially apparent.  I didn’t stop eating, but I was focused on fueling my body and indulging on occasion.  Ironically, I started eating smaller meals, but ate twice as many times.  I was never on a diet or denying myself.   I focused on the balance and already looking forward to the next series!

I pulled some photos from months ago and don’t recognize the person in the images.  I am even more empowered to complete my ultimate goal of an Ironman in 2010.  With coaching and guidance, I was able to achieve a dramatic goal.  I’m looking forward to the next level!  Thanks to you and Noah for all the support, pushing, and damn record board challenges.

Kind regards,

Steven

Don’t forget to leave a comment and vote for who you think is the winner.

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