12-Week Body Transformation Challenge Winners

Winner: Michelle Priest

Excerpt from Michelle's pre-contest essay: When I met my husband I was in better shape than I am now. When we met I was extremely active and we worked out regularly. Then we began to settle into working too much and eating too much and being complacent. I have a very stressful job where I sit in front of a computer for 10 to 12 hours a day. My friends at work and I have gotten in the habit of eating out for lunch every day. And, of course, the closest and fasting thing is a Mexican food restaurant. So, that is how I got to where I am today; about 50 pounds heavier than I was 14 years ago and very out of shape and unhappy and embarrassed about how I look and feel. I'm also going to be 39 this year and I really want to go into my 40s with positive momentum.

I participated in Weight Watchers about a year ago and was successful at losing about 20 pounds. Even with losing 20 pounds I was still flabby and weak and not feeling good about my body. But then a friend said she was going to Austin Adventure Boot Camp and she asked me to do it with her. I signed up and haven't looked back since. I already feel so much better after just 2 sessions. This is why I know that the 12-Week Amazing Body Challenge is for me. I began with the physical part of the boot camp, but now I know I need to move to the mental part of it and the willpower part of it.

I am so excited about this challenge. I turn 39 in August, so I'm already looking forward to the changes I will see in myself for that birthday, but if I win this challenge and get to be fully committed to boot camp for a year, imagine how I will look and feel for my 40th birthday next August!

Excerpt from Michelle's post-contest essay: Wow!! This has been an incredible 12 weeks. I am so glad that I participated in this challenge. It was probably one of the best things I have ever done for myself. I have to admit that at the beginning I felt almost like I was punishing myself, but I quickly saw the incredible results and realized that I was actually rewarding myself. The harder I worked and the better I ate, the better I felt.

I feel so differently about exercising and about eating now. Before, exercising was something that I rarely made time for and when I did, I dreaded every minute of it. Now, I just don't feel right if I don't have at least one workout during the day. Exercise is now a regular part of my life. And my family has gotten into it as well. Even my mom has started doing some of the workouts and is using the nutrition plan. I know that she is very proud of me also, and that means a lot.

The way that we eat now is completely different as well. We would eat whatever sounded good no matter how unhealthy it was. I also never ate breakfast and usually ate two large, high calorie meals a day. I also never drank water. I lived on coffee and Diet Coke. That has all changed now. I never skip breakfast and now my body tells me that I need to eat. I also can't get enough water and I can't remember the last time I had a Diet Coke. We are all very much more conscious of what we eat now and why we are eating it and how we need to eat to be healthy. I can also say that I have grown to really like my protein. I realize now how important it is to have in my diet and now I know ways that I can enjoy it also.

This whole experience has been a great one that I would recommend to anyone that is struggling with getting in shape or with eating healthy. I feel so much better about myself now. I no longer hide behind my clothes. Actually, now they are falling off of me and the first thing I am going to do is treat myself to a new wardrobe. I recently went shopping for a new bathing suit and it felt so good to actually feel comfortable in one and to like what I saw in the mirror.

This challenge has taught me that I have the willpower to do what is right for me and what makes me healthy and feel good. This turned out to not be just a 12-week challenge for me, but I truly feel this is a new way of life. On this last day of the challenge I make promise to myself and my family that I will never go back to the bad habits that I had before. This is the new me.

First Runner Up: Sylvia Hendricks

Excerpt from Sylvia's pre-contest essay: I turn 40 years old in May. While I am fortunate to be alive, I had an aneurysm when I was 24 years old and in the best shape of my life. I am not happy with the way I look and feel. I am completely out of shape and weight the most I have ever weighed in my life. I am excited about taking this fitness challenge because I know my weight and lack of exercising have affected my life in many ways. I had completely given up on myself until I received an e-mail from Stephanie. My goal is to feel 40 years young and not 40 years old when I successfully complete this challenge.

We all have our struggles in life, and I am definitely no exception. To cope with these ongoing stresses and being tired all the time, my husband and I simply eat out all the time. A drink here and there also helps take your mind off the stresses of daily life. I have come to realize that exercise can be just as powerful and extremely rewarding and less expensive. We've spent hundreds of dollars at Chili's and have nothing to show for it. That is, of course, unless you're counting the extra weight I've gained.

I have come to terms with the fact that there are things in my life that I just can't control. There are, however, many things that I can control, and my weight and fitness level are two of them. I've attended boot camp several times, but just didn't let my small successes turn into greater successes. This time I plan to lose weight the right way, so that I can make a positive change in my life. I want to feel pretty again, to wear skirts again, to wear shorts in the summer, and most importantly, to feel healthy and happy. I can't be there for my husband, my family, and my coworkers if I continue down the path I am on right now. I am finally committed to making this change in my life and I thank Stephanie for not giving up on me.

Excerpt from Sylvia's post-contest essay: Signing up for the 12-week challenge was the answer to my prayers. I now weigh 156 pounds, I can run a 7:59 mile, and I am 40 years young! The challenge has changed my life in so many ways: I am almost 30 pounds lighter, I am back into my size 8 clothes and I feel like a million bucks. Before this competition, my husband and I were regular's at our local Chili's, sometimes spending up to $600 a month on alcohol and bad food. Both of us are much lighter now and the money we used to spend at Chili's is now being saved for a well-deserved two-week trip to Maui.

My husband and my family are extremely proud of me and almost all of my co-workers have commented on how great I look. I told all of them that I was tired of making excuses, tired of wearing four different black shirts and four different size 14 pants, and that I had to take control of my life. I finally took control on March 21, 2009 and I can't believe that the challenge is already over. So now what? That whale in my "before" pictures has been harpooned and my plan is to continue to exercise and eat healthy. Even if I don't win, I've already won everything I could ever have asked for from this competition; I am a changed person and I owe it all to three months of hard work and good eating. I haven't felt this healthy in years. My journey has just begun...