Amanda Wooten is 24 years old and works for an optometrist as his technician and billing specialist. She is currently going to school for Finance Management and Healthcare Administration.
Amanda joined Bootcamp Tulsa about 8 months ago during the free Bridal month for going to the Tulsa Wedding Show. She had never heard of BcT, and her initial reaction was that she would never be able to do something like this. She has social anxiety, and being around a large group of people has never been easy for her. Her mom told her it would be crazy not to give it a try. She describes her experience: “My first day I got there early, and as more and more cars started showing up, I wanted to leave so bad, and almost did, but thankfully talked myself out of it. I was there for about 10 minutes and already felt so welcomed that I knew I had to stick with it. From then on when I felt that anxiety, I just remember that first day and how excited I was. Now I don’t even think about it!”
The fact that everyone is different is Amanda’s favorite aspect of BcT. Every lady has her goals and what she is fighting for and battles she is facing, and when they show up at BcT, we are all a part of her journey. She says, “I’ve witnessed worry and heartache, as well as celebration and triumph, and no matter what it is you’re going though, good or bad, these ladies make sure you know you’re not alone. It’s an amazing thing to see, and it makes me feel so honored to be a part of it. Without the love and support from these ladies and our awesome coaches, we just wouldn’t be Bootcamp Tulsa. Even on days that Coach JC is a little too burpee-happy, it’s still worth it in the end!”
Amanda keeps coming back because of the encouragement. She has an awesome accountability partner, Brenna, who is always encouraging her. This might mean texting her at 4:45 am to make sure she is out of bed or after the 95th burpee of the morning, pushing her along with all the other awesome girls at BcT. She says, “We count on each other, and sometimes hearing someone say “you got this,” is all it takes for you to finish strong.” Results are another thing that keeps her coming back. She feels so much better about herself when she has finished a tough workout….even though getting out of bed an hour and a half early makes her want to cry some mornings, she knows she will feel like a champion if she just does it!
When starting BcT Amanda just wanted to fit into a size 4 wedding dress and lose between 5 and 10 pounds. She did not plan on having a life-changing experience or make any kind of commitment, because she was okay with her current state. She says, “However, after my first month my goals had changed from wanting to be a certain size to simply just showing up three days a week and giving it my ALL. At the end, I would feel accomplished, like a winner.” Eight months later, she still gets that overwhelmingly proud feeling after every single workout. She knows setting goals is different for everyone, but just focusing on the day-to-day, instead of the future, is what works best for her. She started out at 137 lbs and a size 5-6. On her wedding day last month, she didn’t weigh myself, BUT I was wearing a size 2! :). She says, “I didn’t take any pictures to compare until the night before, and when I saw the difference, it felt incredible!” Amanda hopes everyone can reach that goal that they are fighting for and get the results that they’ve always wanted, even if it seems like a long-shot, it’s so worth it! She adds, “I never thought I could look and feel the way I do.”
The biggest change Amanda sees is that she doesn’t get nervous anymore when she sees all the cars like she did on day one. She feels like Bootcamp has gotten her out of her shell, and that’s a pretty big deal to her. She has more confidence in herself, and she is not afraid to take on something that scares her. She adds, “Going in a different direction, Bootcamp has also strengthened my relationship with Christ. I wouldn’t say I was struggling with it before, but watching one of our ladies go through something so scary and emotional yet thanking God for what she has in her life, really shows you how amazing His love is.”
Amanda now gets about 7-8 hours of sleep at night. She doesn’t wake up craving donuts, and she actually enjoys drinking water. Occasionally horrible things happen, like finals week, and she can only make it to one or two mornings. Then not only does she feel slow and tired that rest of that week, but when Monday rolls around, it feels ten times harder than it was before. It’s simple, life without BcT is sluggish and dull.
Amanda’s advice: “Just try it. Give it 30 days… What’s the worst that could happen? If, after 30 days you’re not totally addicted, then maybe it’s not for you. Maybe you are one of those people that can go to the gym on your own and get results that way, and if so that’s great! But everyone has to start somewhere, and in my opinion, there is no better or more comfortable place to start this journey than at Bootcamp Tulsa. They welcome you, push you, encourage you, love you, and more than anything, they want you to succeed! They will help you as much or as little as you would like. It takes sacrifice, but if you give it your all and let the coaches coach, you’ll get results. You have to know what you desire. Because “what you desire is what you focus on, and what you focus on is what you get.” That’s powerful stuff!”
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Keep WINNING!
The Bootcamp Tulsa Family
