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In order to cheer them on, I told Julie, Sara, Trina, Sue and Tara that they were the only women IN THE WHOLE WORLD that were doing 150 ball slams for time at that moment. Did it help? If looks could kill....

Boot camp can improve your self-image by changing how you view your body.

     Poor self-image is often related to what a person looks like, namely, overall body size.

What’s going on?

     Well, the size of fashion models may have something to do with it, plus all the magazines and Internet space devoted to “who’s wearing what” in the entertainment world, plus the seductive outfits that today’s female recording artists wear. Self-worth for many young people—even the not so young (a la Demi Moore), is tied to physical appearance.

     What to do if you are focusing on the way you look as a measure of how much you like yourself?

Rather than focus on what your body looks like, focus on what it can do.

This small shift in thinking will produce magnificent results.

     At age 12, Cheryl Haworth weighed 240 pounds. By age 17 and standing almost 5-10, Cheryl weighed just over 300 pounds. These measurements are enough to sink the spirit of any growing girl and demolish her with never-ending self-hatred.

     However, Cheryl didn’t worry about what she looked like. Instead she focused on what her enormous body could do. She played softball, and this one day (when she was 12) led her to a gym where the sights and sounds of weight lifting mesmerized her. She was hooked. At age 17 she took the bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics in weight lifting.

This doesn’t mean that the cure for any individual with a self-image problem is to perform weight lifting at Olympic level caliber. But you get the point. Set performance-related goals, such as:

• Run one mile outside without stopping
• Complete your first 5k, or set a personal record for a run.
• Beat your previous time on boot camp workout.
• Train for climbing a 14’er this summer.

     What else? The sky is the limit! Choose something that makes you wiggle and sets your heart beating with the idea of it. Something you have dreamed about but never thought you would do.

     When you begin concentrating on effort and performance, the vanity aspect fades into the background. If you’re distraught over your thunder thighs, imagine how proud of them you’ll be when they can complete a five-mile hilly hike with ease.

     Rather than stew over how we look, let’s expend energy on changing what we can change: stamina, strength, fitness and health. Don’t get caught up with “body types.” Instead, get caught up with body strength, body endurance and body fitness.

    Eat healthful foods not because you want to look like a Victoria’s Secret model, but because you want to slash your risk of breast cancer and be around to see your grandkids grow up.

It’s always the right time to improve your self-image, no matter where you’re at on your journey.