Start Date:
Feb 4, 2008
Start Weight: 265 lbs

Goal Date:
April 27, 2008
Goal Weight: 220 lbs

Cheri is the Membership Director at Rawk Village and has been part of our programs since we opened in 2005. Prior to RFBC she lost 30 pounds on her own with raw food. She then lost another 55 pounds at RFBC in her first few months. Then something happened. She allowed the fear of being thin stop her from going any further and for almost two years boucned between 240 and 265 pounds. When we first opened our new programs in September 2007, Cheri joined hoping she could beat this fear, but as she headed to the 230's she panicked, and went back to her comfort zone of 260.

Now she has something she feels is more important than fear. In 1998 Cheri worked with Richard Simmons one day a week and fell in love with the exercise guru. On April 27, 2008 she will join him on his last cruise. As part of this cruise an expedition is planned that requires all participants to be under 220 pounds. Cheri asked if she could return to the RFBC program, but we both knew the type of support she needs to accomplish this and the intensity of her program are even beyond that of our tough four week programs. So we devised this version of Raw Food Boot Camp to see if more of a Biggest Loser mindset with scheduled daily emails and then additional support as needed would get her to her goals.

To participate in the expedition, Cheri needed to lose 45 pounds, but for me that was not enough. What if the scales are different? So I am asking for a solid 55. Personally, I think she can do more.

Cheri had exactly 80 days before the cruise when she started on February 4th. We held off on making this public to make sure she felt comfortable with what we are doing and confident enough in her success to let the world know. We both decided it was time to take it public so others could see exactly what it takes to succeed.

There have already been tough days, days when she just wanted to give in, but the prize is too valuable. The thought of zipping through a canopy, of being considered physically fit enough to participate are stronger than the cravings.

This will be a long journey for both of us. The exciting pound a day losses will start to slow and I will ask for more and more exercise, which she complains is my attempt at trying to kill her. At times you will be in awe at how she sticks to the program, at other times you will feel disappointed in her and then angry at me for not giving her any kind of break. There is no time for breaks, no time for empathy towards what she will endure. This is a lifetime dream come true, a chance for Cheri to put her own dreams first and push past every comfort zone she has if she wants to fly on that zipline.

She will receive daily support from me via a daily log which you will have access to, as needed phone support, and private emails. From you, I hope she will receive your support and encouragement through a section I have created for you to leave comments, ask questions, etc. Every two weeks we will update her after photos so you can see her progress.

The expedition requires not that she just be under 220 pounds, but that she be physically fit. So her exercise will include a lot more than just the aerobics to get the weight off. We started this with two hours of exercise a day. She is already up to two and a half. That will be increasing shortly up to three.

For her diet, Cheri goes between 100% raw days to high raw days, and is doing a good job of balancing them to keep her motivated and going. She has a daily minimum requirement of 1100 calories a day and a maximum of 1200. A 20% max fat percent of her calories per day, and on her high raw days she must keep the cooked food below 15% of her total calories.

I know Cheri has it in her to reach these goals, all she has ever needed was the excuse to succeed, and now with the thought of her buddy Richard Simmons' birthday cruise she has a powerful one.

Please join us and cheer Cheri on daily. This is not going to be easy for her, so the bigger her audience, the bigger her incentive to succeed.

Cheri has been running in 5Ks for the past six months and loves the endorphins running gives her, but I have asked her to make the running an extra activity, something she does outside this program for a personal pick me up. She will be walking a minimum of five miles a day as well as doing other aerobic exercise for a steady burn of calories. She is training for the Richmond Virginia Marathon in November and has an addiction to running, so this is going to be tough for her.

Exercise and eating right are the only things that take weight off. They are both easy to give up on when they don't fit into your lifestyle, so we are going to work hard to create and implement a program that will work specifically for Cheri. There will be tweaking, there will be weight stalls, there will be screaming, ranting, and drama to be sure. Our goal is to show you that this can be done, but unless acceptance of who you are, your body's metabolism, and a commitment to overall change is made it will never happen.

Please join Cheri and I on this journey as she prepares to get in shape to participate in what she feels will be the biggest adventure of her life and I offer the most intense level of support and whip cracking of my RFBC Drill Sergeant career.

Cheri's Home Page

Read and Leave Comments for Cheri

Cheri's Daily Chart

Cheri's Daily Log with Carlene

Cheri's Fitday Account

Cheri's Selected Diet

Cheri's Selected Exercise

Cheri Prior to RFBC

Cheri's 5Ks