Boot Camp Spotlight of the Week Questionnaire
Getting to know Erin
- Name: Erin Parker
- Age: 32
- Height: 5' 4"
- Pounds Lost (include amount of time it took to lose): 5lbs - 6lbs (8 weeks)
- Where you grew up:
Raised in Maryland, I am the youngest with 2 sisters. I went to college at Penn State and moved to Cali a year after college at the age of 22. My family is all over the map, with a sister in NY, another sister in Oregon and my parents in Seattle, WA. We try to see each other as much as possible even with the distance that separates us. I work in the mortgage industry and do graphic design. I plan to take classes for web design and branch out into that area. I just recently got married, May 1st which was my main reason for joining Fit 2 Wed. I met my husband thru mutual friends and we've been together for close to 4 years. We bought a house a few years ago in the North Park area.
- Family names: My husband ironically shares my same name, Aaron. I've called him by his last name since day one which is a little weird now that I have the same last name too. We have a yellow lab mix (Benny) and a cat(Malley), which for now we consider our kids!
- Occupation: I work for a mortgage company and do marketing/graphic design work.
- Hobbies outside of class: I LOVE to run! I mainly run to stay in shape and for extra motivation I joined a running group. I ran my first marathon at 25 and have since done a total of 3, including the NY Marathon 2 years in a row. I'd love to run the Chicago marathon but for now I stick to half marathons. Running races is the best way for me to stay motivated and push myself that much harder. I also enjoy spin and feel it's a great leg work and very challenging in a different way than running. I 'd love to do a triathlon one of these days, but right now my swimming is not as strong as it would need to be.
Fitness/Wellness Tips:
- Reason for joining Fit 2 Wed: Like I said above, I joined Fit 2 Wed mainly to get in shape for my wedding. I needed to tone my upper body as before I was mostly focusing on my legs. I have tried personal trainers and lifting weights on my own, but I feel I get into a rut doing the same exercises and hate lifting when the gym is packed which seems to be 90% of the time. I needed an overall body workout that would focus more on core and toning. Plus I do so much better with group training and the classes keep me motivated and accountable.
- 3 of your favorite Fitness Tips:
1. Push yourself even when you are tired as this is when you will get the most out of it. It's easy to slack off here and there, but if you give 110% consistently you will see such better results and an increase in endurance.
2. Those who are getting married and want to look their best in that dress, I recommend wide plank push ups. The wider your arms are, the more burn you feel right under your arms and the better your arms will look especially in that strapless dress!
3. Uphill lunges are probably the worse but yet most satisfying for me. They burn the most and for days on end, but I definitely feel they work the areas I need the most. Adding 5lb dumbbells will give you even better results, it's an ideal exercise for gluts and hamstrings.
- 3 of your favorite Healthy Eating Tips:
1. I found protein shakes have helped me reduce my calorie intake and get some of the nutrients I need. I usually make one for breakfast every morning and add fresh fruit and flaxseed oil. It takes only a few minutes in the blender and I take it to work with me to drink throughout the morning, fast and easy.
2. My rule of thumb has always been eat what you want as long as it's in moderation. I typically don't over indulge with anything and make sure to make healthy choices 90% of the time. With that said on weekends I enjoy dinners out or treat myself to a snack I don't typically eat. I don't think it's healthy to not allow yourself to indulge once in a while as it's natural to crave certain foods. As long as I exercise regularly and make the right choices most of the time, I don't beat myself up about it and enjoy life!
3. I have reduced my bread/grains intake by quite a bit and feel it's helped me tremendously. I feel less bloated and stuffed, I've just incorporated other options like eating more meat or a salad as opposed to a sandwich. I'm not sure if I've lost weight, but I know my digestive system is better and wish I had known the impact years ago.
- 3 stick-with-it secrets:
- Incorporate exercise into your daily routine for the rest of your life. I plan to exercise until I am physically no longer able to. Find something active that you enjoy as that makes it easy and fun to do.
- Smaller portions is key, so many people over eat and I think that is a major factor with obesity in our society. Using your palm of your hand to measure food as one serving is helpful and make sure to stop eating before feeling full.
- Healthy Lifestyle - Having balance in your life between career and family/friends. If you have too much of one it will take its toll. Over eating can happen easily when we are stressed, unhappy or depressed. If you enjoy your life and are happy it's reflected by your physical appearance.
- Favorite Meal Ideas
1. With summer here, my husband and I typically grill 5x a week. With our busy schedules we keep it simple and eat a piece of meat along with a salad or vegetable. There are so many resources out there for great recipes and ideas on how to spice up meat. We recently grilled pork chops and made a rub that included salt, pepper, olive oil and coffee grinds. It was simple, easy and delicious.
- Weekly Workout Schedule (outside of class):
Outside of bootcamp I try to run 2x during the week with my running group. We do a lot of trails and hills so I feel it's always a challenge. When training I typically will do a long run on Friday or Sunday. Ideally I like to work out 5x a week, but that doesn't always happen.
- Please share your testimony about Fit 2 Wed and how it has changed your life.
I love the overall work out with both cardio and circuit training. It works well with my body type as I will always need to incorporate cardio in my routine. I now have arm muscles I was never able to get before and just feel stronger all over. I am re-motivated and even though I've always remained active, Fit2Wed is so much more than a physical workout. You are motivated by others in class, you learn various exercises that you can do on your own and never would think about and there is a wealth of knowledge on eating right and living a healthy lifestyle. I've changed my eating habits drastically and have started consuming foods with more nutrients. When I grocery shop I have a better idea of what to eat and what to stay away from and most importantly the reasons why. What I have learned from Fit 2 Wed will stay with me for the rest of my life and I make better decisions daily because of it. I've refocused on taking care of myself and the long term importance of it.
