Friday 1st March 2013
Hi all, Laura here. So in the last blog I promised to tell you a bit about getting started on the 28 day body transformation programme (28DBT). As I mentioned, I hit rock bottom at Christmas and decided I needed to tackle my weight loss, so when I received info by email about the 28DBT I registered. Who doesn’t like a freebie?. It also meant I could try this revolutionary new approach to weight loss risk free – to be honest, I am not sure I am 100% convinced this will work (or am I questioning my commitment to changing my life?) – so a free trial made sense.
I originally registered for the February programme but got sidewinded by a bout of the flu that left me ill for two and a half weeks, so I ended up on the march programme. I was invited into the gym – or RISE as I learned it was called; I don’t know why, maybe it is a biblical reference – enough of that, back to the initial briefing session at the RISE . By this point I had received enough emails from RISE to know that the guys – Jon and Matt – are passionate about what they do, but what I wasn’t prepared for was the cult-like adoration of the members.
As I arrived at the RISE I was met by a class just leaving. I must have looked a bit lost, nervous, or both as one reassuringly rotund but sweaty guy started enthusing to me about the programme, how I must join, the guys are great and how this was the best thing he had ever done. This was accompanied by enthusiastic nods from the other members. I fleetingly considered that he was a stooge, but quickly dismissed the idea.
I went in and was met by two tall, athletic looking guys. This would usually have sent me running for the hills but I remembered the fun element to the emails I had been receiving and how different the sales approach had been to other shiny gyms in town, so I stuck with it. 16 of us newbies sat in two rows nervously fiddling with mobile phones so we didn’t have to talk to each other while Jon and Matt tried to get the presentation to start.
What followed was a mix of sciencey stuff and other people’s success stories, including one of the tall athletic-looking guy’s – Jon – own inspirational weight loss. We were then asked to sign a contract (anyone seen Coach Carter with Samuel L Jackson? It felt a bit like that) for the 28DBT. In summary we agreed to:
– attend at least three group personal training sessions a week (I know that is an oxymoron; how can it be both “group” and “personal training”?)
– follow the dietary programme (I am not 100% sure yet what this entails but it appears there are three levels you can follow: badass i.e. no alcohol, carbs or dairy ( gulp); not so badass i.e. only red wine and low G.I carbs; and easy i.e. no processed food)
– post at least three times a week on social media about RISE and the 28DBT in order to help get the word out, as well as join the very active Facebook group (see note above about the cult-like following)
And finally hand over your card details so that if you drop out during the month you automatically donate £50 to Cancer Research. I liked that incentive. It is clever.
So now I am just about to get started. My next blog post will be following my bio sig assessment on Monday with Jon – I am terrified but I will expand on why and exactly what it is later.
Cheerio
L
