Camille Simmons finds two weight loss plans that work

Camille Simmons

For some finding weight loss plans that work is like figuring out the rubic's cube blindfolded.

For Camille Simmons rapid weight loss techniques never work, but at MVP she has found two weight loss programs that work.  Here's your story.

I have two scriptures that I live by to get me through my weight loss journey. The first is 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, it says “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” The second is Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

I have to first start in the beginning. In 2009 in a quest to have children, I had several blood clots travel to my lungs. Had I laid down that night I may not have lived to see another day. While in the hospital every doctor that came in to see me, told me I should have gastric bypass. In my heart I knew that is not what I needed. I finally went home and was not released to go to work for five months. In that time I became bored and frustrated and that lead to me eating even more. Before I knew it I reached my all time high of 360 pounds. I felt my life was truly out of control and I didn’t quite know how to get out of it. I knew what the Word of God said, but it did not stick. I really couldn’t see it.

I had a very good friend who kept telling me about a boot camp that she found and how much she loved it. She would ask me to go and of course I just had to turn her down. You see I had a really defeated mindset. I could never imagine myself ever trying to do somebody’s exercise class let alone boot camp. Come on I was 360 pounds and oh so out of shape. I didn’t want to get out there and embarrass myself. I looked for every excuse to turn her down.

In late 2010 my friend finally convinced me to go. She said she had already paid and I had no excuse. Needless to say I went… I walked out onto the track that hot August day to meet Lyle Johnson and to begin my journey with MVP fitness. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. The first thing he told us to do was to run the track. I was stunned. All I kept thinking was “He has got to be kidding. It’s hot out here and I have not had to run in about 30 years. I’m clumsy and I’m going to fall and embarrass myself. I’m not going to make it. Guess what I didn’t make it. I think I ran about 30 steps and I was ready to turn around and head for my car. I starting walking trying not to cry out of frustration, embarrassment as l looked over and saw that everyone else was finished and I was only half way. About three fourths of the way I was finished, I could go no further. Lyle walked over to me and asked me if I needed him to drag the bench over to me so I could sit down. I did not know what to say. I just knew if I said yes he was going to yell at me and say things that I really didn’t want to hear. He did like he said and went to finish class. There was no yelling or fussing at me. I was relieved. I sat trying to figure out a way to get the energy to get back to the end of the track to get my keys and belongings. I was praying for God to give me a way to pay my friend back so I did not have to endure this. When class was over I wanted to cry so bad but my friend wouldn’t let me. I waited till I got in my car and had a big temper tantrum and cried like a baby.

I had every intention not to go back, I did not care who was mad at me. I wanted no part of boot camp. A few days later Lyle called me to see if I was ok and to encourage me to come back. Dang… how could I say NO now! I came back and by the end of summer I was not running but I was at least able to walk at least one lap around the track. Praise God, I was surely improving.

MVP Fitness has been truly a blessing. Lyle has even given me one on one classes for free to help me reach my goals, just because he cares. When we finally moved indoors Lyle introduced us to Kettlebells. Oh happy days! I fell in love with the class. I truly believe that God gave that vision to Lyle just for me. It has truly changed my mindset about going to boot camp. It has resulted in the biggest transition in my journey. I have something that I want to go to. I hate to miss a class and I get mad when it happens. I have had trials and tribulations along the way, but I will not be stopped. When things get rough I pray and give 100 percent, because that is all that has been asked of me.

Now with prayer,MVP, working at adopting a healthy eating lifestyle and a vision to be fit and healthy I am around 80 pounds down. I have made huge strides in my life because I feel better about myself and have gained more confidence. I was able to wear my wedding ring that I had not been able to wear for years. I applied for and got a new job with better pay and hours. I’m able to talk to people with more confidence. I even added Zumba in after class on Saturdays.

I have received so much encouragement from my husband, my good friend Deena Sneed who gave me the push I needed and to Lyle and his wife Phylliss that words cannot express.

My journey is not over. I have a long way to go, but I know that every day I am just that much closer. My goal is to “Get Fit For Christ” to be a light. Along the way God has given me a vision to be an example to the body of Christ, to live a healthy lifestyle and to show that He will work with you no matter where you are. So my question is what you are waiting for. “With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible.” Matt 19: 26. It’s time to take care of the temple of The Holy Spirit!

P.S. I am now running some of the track. I plan on being able to run the whole thing by summer’s end!

A Motivational Message from Jackie Joyner Kersee

Jackie Joyner Kersee is considered the Greatest Female Athlete of All Time.  But your journey was not an easy one.  Listen to her message and find out how she clear several of life hurdles.

Fitness and Age



Fitness and Age

 On Oct 21st I will be 51 years old. While others my age are looking for rapid weight loss techinues and taking lipotropic injections for weight loss, I'm discovering the older I get the more serious I get about maintaining my level of fitness. My personal trainer once told me “you're certainly arguably the most athletic clients I've trained to date. That includes pro athletes in their 20s!”

While it is generally true that fitness level decline with age after about age thirty-five, it
is not an absolute. Getting older does not necessitate feeling older, losing strength and vitality,or limiting physical activities. Most people know someone aged seventy or older who continues o participate in physically challenging activities like weight lifting, bicycling, golf, tennis,
or jogging. For example, 75-year old body builder Ernestine Shepherd has made news worldwide with your lifestyle. Shepherd is in better shape than most people, decades her junior. Up at 3 a.m. every morning, she spends her days running, lifting weights and working out. She also works as a certified personal trainer at her gym.

There are a variety of prevalent age-related fitness myths, and Dr. Kenneth Cooper
exposes them in his book, Faith-Based Fitness. Many people believe exercising after age forty
is dangerous, but there is no support for this myth, as long as older continuing or beginning
exercisers have regular medical checkups. In fact, evidence shows that those who fail to exercise
are at greater risk than those who exercise regularly.

The average person loses between 30 - 40 percent of his muscle mass during his lifetime,
but the reason is because most people become less active and less fit as they age. It is commonly
thought that increasing muscle mass after age sixty is impossible, but muscle can be added at any
age with strength training. Cooper teaches that strength training leads to significant increases in
muscle size and strength and in functional mobility, even among nursing home residents up to
ninety-six years old. Likewise, people who engage in regular endurance exercise can maintain a
high aerobic capacity from age forty to about age seventy. It is only in the seventies and eighties
that older athletes normally begin to experience declines in aerobic ability, but even at late ages,
those who continue to train can remain remarkably fit.

Myths may be more about laziness than age-related fears. Research shows that people as
old as one hundred can dramatically increase their strength, improve their balance, restore bone
density, moderate diabetes, and diminish joint pain in just a few weeks of weight training. The
minute a person starts sweating, whether he is twenty or ninety, he elevates his heart rate, his
arteries get more flexible, and his blood pressure is lowered, thereby lowering the risk of heart
disease and stroke. For hours after exercise, bodies are more sensitive to insulin, keeping sugar
levels in check and reducing the risk of diabetes.

Herschel Walker is a great, modern example of the myths of age’s affect on fitness.
Walker won the 1982 Heisman Trophy (presented annually to the top college football player in
America) and was a world class sprinter at the University of Georgia from 1980– 1982. He
played professional football from 1983-1997, and competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics as a
bobsledder.76 On January 30, 2010, at age forty-seven, Walker competed in his first professional

Mixed Martial Arts fight. Critics ridiculed him for entering the sport at such an advanced age,
and concerns for his health were daily topics on national sports shows. Despite all the negativity,
Walker knocked out twenty-six year old Greg Nagy in a dominating performance.

Because of his age, Walker had to endure a battery of tests to be sanctioned to fight.
Allen Fields, chief physician for the Florida Boxing Commission that also oversees MMA
sanctioning, said that not only did Walker pass the most strenuous of all medical athletic tests,
but he produced the highest cardiac stress test score of anyone ever tested by his facility. Fields
said that Walker was in “as fine a shape as Muhammad Ali or any of these people we’ve had the care of.

This guy is 47 going on 22, as far as his physical fitness goes.”78 Like all world class
athletes, Walker is an anomaly. But unlike most world class athletes, Walker has maintained his
fitness as he has aged. Mike Tyson and Bo Jackson are contemporaries of Walker, and at this
stage of their lives, they look like any other middle-aged, overweight man. Everyone has the
choice to age like Walker, or to age like Tyson and Jackson.

Head, Heart and Hands Seminar to be Held in Florissant

Head, Heart and Hands Seminar will be held in Florissant, Missouri on Saturday, November 10, 2012 at the Jamestown Bluffs Library from 1:30-3:00. The event is geared towards providing people with valuable and information on how to take good care of their health.


In general, the said seminar will address the fitness, health and nutritional issues faced by both men and women of all ages, sizes and shapes. The organizers of the seminar are confident that both couch potatoes and extreme athletes will benefit from the knowledge and information to be shared by the speakers.

The seminar will feature 75-year old body builder, Ernestine Shepherd. She is one of the oldest competitive female bodybuilders in the world, declared by the Guinness Book of World Records. Currently, Shepherd leads the exercise classes for seniors at the Union Memorial United Methodist Church in Baltimore, and works as a personal trainer. In her bodybuilding career, she has won 2 titles and run 9 marathons.

In the seminar, Shepherd is expected to discuss all the things about longevity and optimum health secrets. She is also expected to share her experiences and routine as a bodybuilder not just to inform the audience, but to inspire them as well.

Apart from Shepherd, Dwayne Bess and Lyle Johnson will also share their expertise in fitness and health. Bess is an acclaimed author of The Perpetual Hand. He has also appeared and received coverage on The Bernie Hays Show, Essence Magazine, KPLR, ABC, FOX and other media outlets that speak on topics about creating a selfless and positive life and personal protection of ladies. Bess is highly regarded as a speaker who shoots straight from the hip, so he is expected to inspire others with his speech.

On the other hand, Johnson is the CEO of St. Louis-based MVP Fitness and the author of the book entitled “Get Fit 4 Christ”. He is considered as a force in the fitness industry due to his wide background in competitive athletics coupled with his knowledge of personal fitness training. With his long years of experience in the fitness and health industry, he is expected to provide the audience with tips and information that they can use and apply on their everyday life.

For more details about the Head, Heart and Hands Seminar, visit their website at http://getfit4christlive.com/ or call them at 314-831-7505.

Fat loss tips for Moms

Mother’s Day has past and I thought I’d share some quick fat loss tips for moms.

Not like moms need tips. Being a mom is way tougher than burning fat (once you have a game plan set in place that is.) I feel like any woman who can give birth and raise a child definitely has the strength to change their own body, but so many moms are used to putting all the focus on their kids that they forget how to invest any time in THEMSELVES!!!! Anyway if you’re a mom who could use some, “me time” Why not get that self-focused alone time while using some of these tips to burn fat?

Tip #1 - Plan out your day (the night before). A lot of my clients who are moms literally can’t get anything done for themselves in a simple day unless they write it down and plan when they are doing it the night before. It’s too easy to fall into “carpool” or “errand running” mode and before you know it, its 3pm
and you’re starving because you haven’t eaten yet.

Tip #2 - Ditch the long boring cardio. When it comes to exercise the last thing you should be doing to burn fat is long bouts of cardio. Cardio training has been shown to increase oxidative stress on the body, which can increase the speed of aging and it pumps your cortisol hormone through the roof which is a stress hormone. The last thing any mom wants is to look older faster and induce more stress than they already have.

Tip #3 - Do full body strength workouts. The bodybuilder type split muscle routines that the Joe Black trainer is doing at your local big franchise gym is not going to get you your pre-kid body back. You need to focus on doing upper body, lower body and full body movements that give you a high caloric burn as well as work more of your muscles in less time.

Tip #4 - Ditch the baby weight. Chances are you’re probably a lot stronger than you think. Lifting heavier weights is the only way to get stronger, it produces a ton of fat burning hormones and it burns a lot more calories than “toning” movements with light weights.

Three Ways to Stop Procrastination

One of the most common problems when it comes to starting an exercise program is procrastination. We know what we want to do and should do. But still we end up making all kinds of excuses and spending hours upon hours watching TV, surfing the internet or listening to music.
Now, nothing wrong with an escape from time to time, but if you procrastinate too much you will not reach your fitness goals. Soon you will find yourself gaining more weight and also send yourself into negative spirals where your self-esteem takes a nose dive and you spend your days in a negative funk with no results.
So what can you do? Here are three simple tips to help you to stop procrastinating and start living your life more fully.
1. Stop thinking. Start doing.
A bit of planning can certainly help you to achieve your weight loss goals. A lot of planning and thinking tends to have the opposite effect.
By over thinking you tend to put things off because you are not only trying to protect yourself from the muscle pain that you will experience when you first start your exercise program. You also make mountains out of molehills because you are dwelling on it. And so it expands in your mind. And since you are putting it off you are probably thinking about it in a negative way. This makes a little thing a big giant, a horrible beast that is threatening to ruin your health.
Often you don’t even have to plan, you have been there before and you know what needs to be done. So stop thinking and just do it no matter how you feel and what you think.
2. Just take the first step.
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
When you start to look at how much weight you want to lose it can seem close to impossible. You begin to shut down because you become overwhelmed and start eating more and more.
You should just focus on taking the first step. That is all you need to focus on, nothing else. By taking the first step you change your mental state from procrastination to “hey, I’m working out and I feel good”. You put yourself in state where you become more positive and open minded a state where you gain enthusiasm because you are making progress.

3. Finish it.
Not taking the first step to start your exercise program can make you feel bad. But not finishing what you have started can also leave you in a sort of negative funk. You feel sluggish or stressed and sometimes you don’t even know why. It’s like someone zapped your inner power. Once you start commit to it. Ask yourself what’s more important to you – Going out to a fast food restaurant and eating 800 calorie or going to Zumba class and burning 800 calories? The former might bring you some temporal gratification, but the latter is what truly gives you satisfaction. The rewards you get from doing the latter are rewards which you’ll continue to reap long afterward. Remember always finish strong, if you fail, try and try again, never give up!

MVP Fitness Opens In St. Peters

MVP Fitness is pleased to announce it has opened a brand new studio at 235 Jungermann - Old Mills Plaza in St. Peters. Working with the St. Louis-based firm of McKelvey Properties, MVP Fitness will develop a 2,400 sq. ft. exercise studio. With construction finally completed, the studio opened for business on January 2nd.

MVP Fitness, opened its first location on May 5, 2005. Since then, it has help hundreds of clients reach their fitness and weight loss goals through seminars and fitness programs training them to go from where they are to where they dream to be. Clients initially come to MVP Fitness seeking weight loss and ultimately reclaim their lives by gaining energy, improving strength, building new-found confidence, reducing pain, eliminating medication, and the amazing side effect of achieving the body they desire.

“We are very excited to open up another studio in St. Peters,” said Lyle Johnson, studio owner. “We believe our fitness classes which include Athletic Boot Camp, Zumba and Kettlebell will be a great addition to St. Peters.”

"The new location in St. Peters will give clients a chance to experience the type of results other clients have received from our North County location for the last six years and that is helping clients get in shape and motivating them to achieve their own personal physical fitness goals."