Sergeant Tony's Blog

The other day I talked to Kathryn Grissom.

Kathryn is a Boot Camper who had to take time off from BOOT CAMP in order to take care of a medical issue.

Kathryn had breast cancer.

“Had” being the operative word! Thank God!

Months have passed since she was initially diagnosed and treated … and now she’s cancer free, looks great, new do and all, and will soon return to BOOT CAMP!

Breast cancer is horrible and we want it to be a part of our medical past, just like polio and cholera. And among women, the fear of breast cancer is greater than the fear of most any other disease.

But … the thing is … it’s not the biggest killer of women in America.

Heart disease is killing more American women than breast cancer. Way more.

This year 500,000 women will die of heart disease. Already, since January 1, 2008, just over the past six weeks, more than 41,398 women have already died of heart disease. Women who were celebrating Christmas just a few weeks ago are gone now.

If those 41,398 deaths had been our troops in Iraq, Washington, D.C. would be flooded with anti-war protesters demanding that the President end the war immediately!

If those deaths had been at the hand of a terrorist or serial killer, we would not rest until they were stopped.

Phyllis Greenberger, president and CEO of the Society for Women’s Health Research, said, “While the risk of breast cancer should not be diminished, women need to know that lung cancer actually kills more, claiming the lives of almost 70,000 American women each year.” That’s about 5,833 women who have died of lung cancer in the past 6 weeks.

If you combine the two, heart disease and lung cancer, you get over 570,000 women dying annually. That’s over 47,500 women who have died in the past 6 weeks because of heart disease or lung cancer.

47,500 women … sisters, mothers, daughters, aunts, and friends who were singing “Auld Lang Syne” just a few weeks ago are dead now. 47,500 funerals since January 1.

Do I have your attention?

Now here’s the GOOD NEWS:

If women will:

1. Quit smoking,

2. Start eating intentionally,

3. Start exercising,

… those tragic numbers will shrink dramatically!

The majority of deaths associated with those two killers are preventable with simple lifestyle changes.

Preventable with simple lifestyle changes.

PREVENTABLE with simple lifestyle changes!

There are all kinds of techniques and ways to kick the nicotine habit, there are lots of good eating and nutrition programs out there, and I know of an incredible fitness program called USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP, run by a really awesome guy who’ll get you in shape!

February is American Heart Month and for the whole month we’ll focus on women’s health issues and women’s fitness.

Obese women are at GREAT risk of heart attacks, hypertension, strokes, and other heart related problems. But you knew that already, I’m sure.

And skinny women, those shaped like marathon runners or runway models, aren’t necessarily in good health if they’re weak, inactive, and out of shape. LOTS of skinny, inactive, women are also at GREAT risk of heart disease with high cholesterol issues, high blood pressure issues, and percentage of body fat problems. They suffer from the same risks that their obese sisters face. You just can’t tell by looking.

So here’s Sergeant Tony’s Boot Camp Special for February:

From now until St. Valentine’s Day, all new female recruits can join USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP for only $75! So tell your cheap girlfriends that the time to join is NOW!

Please forward this newsletter to 5 women you care about, even if they don’t live in Memphis. This might be a wake up call for them.

If all the women we care about will make a Valentine’s Day Commitment to change their lives, they will be happier and everyone of us will benefit!

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You need to go to www.realage.com and find out how old you REALLY are!

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WEATHER REMINDER

Since the tornados of last night, I thought it would be a good time to remind us all of our weather policy.

If the Memphis City Schools close due to the weather, USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP will also stand down. No classes.

Additionally, if the severe weather sirens are going off and you see the Wicked Witch fly by before BOOT CAMP, stay at home and hunker down!

I hope you all weathered the storms last night and that you and yours are safe and sound. I know that several of you spent part of the evening in a hallway closet … with the kids … and the dog.

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Sergeant Tony’s Combat the Fat Challenge

The 10 Members of Sergeant Tony’s Combat the Fat Challenge have been selected! With over 15 applicants, selecting only 10 was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make in a very long time. Everyone of them were awesome candidates!

They will be joining us soon, so be ready to accept them with friendly open arms and make them feel welcome and at home at BOOT CAMP!!

Be proactive and introduce yourself WARMLY to someone new standing near you. That’s just a good policy for ALL the time!

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REUNION CHALLENGE 2008!

I haven’t forgotten about those of you who didn’t qualify for the Combat the Fat program. Since June is typically class reunion month, wedding month, trip to the beach month, take a cruise month, and time to wear shorts and tank top to the mall month, on March 7th we’ll launch the “Reunion Challenge 2008.” This year the Challenge will be a version of the Combat Challenge.

Here are the details of Reunion Challenge 2008:

1. Entry fee is $200 (in addition to your regular boot camp fees), with half of that entry fee coming from 2 sponsors.
2. Entry fee, with sponsor’s info, is due on the initial weigh-in day. Initial weigh in will be conducted between February 25th and March 7th.
3. Final weigh-in is on May 30th.
4. Optional weekly weigh-ins every Friday.
5. Weight loss tips and ideas from Sergeant Tony.
6. The Winner is the one who loses the highest percentage of weight.
6. The Winner receives $1,000 and a FREE month of BOOT CAMP!
7. The Winner’s sponsors each get their money back AND a FREE month of BOOT CAMP!

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RENT MY HOUSE IN EAST MEMPHIS!

My house on Southern, in the Colonial View neighborhood (between Target on Colonial and The Half Shell on Mendenhall) will be available for lease on April 1. GREAT LOCATION! It’s a geographical oddity, 5 minutes from everywhere! (My apologies to the Coen Brothers!) More details and a picture are on this blog.

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FIVE PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT

Send me the names and email addresses of five of your friends and I’ll add them to the distribution list of this BOOT CAMP NEWSLETTER. This will help some of you who end up forwarding it anyway! They’ll receive the newsletter and nothing more. I’ll never solicit them individually to buy anything or join anything.

So, click “Reply” and send me those five names right now and then you can come back and finish THIS newsletter!

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NEW LOCATIONS FOR BOOT CAMP!!!

In the next few months USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP will be starting TWO new locations!! We’re expanding (not moving to) Colliverville/Germantown and Mid-town. Each new location will offer a 0530 class to begin with.

Since some have had questions and concerns since I announced the expansion (like you Melissa P!), let me allay those concerns: NO, I am NOT selling the business and moving to New York! The 0830 and Evening Boot Camp classes will not be affected at all. The 0530 Battalion will only be marginally affected. All classes will continue to meet as scheduled.

USMC Fitness Boot Camp Mid-town is set to start on March 3rd at EVERGREEN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, across the street from Rhodes College!

Do you have an idea and a contact in Collierville/Germantown?

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HALF MARATHON TRAINING!

Half marathon training continues this Saturday, February 9 at 8 AM @ Shelby Farms. We’ll meet in front of the Visitor’s Center. This will be in preparation for the Nashville Half Marathon or any other late April event.

Beginners are WELCOME!

Even if you’ve never even run a 5K, I can have you ready to finish a half marathon by April 26th! Can you jog 3 miles without stopping? Then you can do it! We’ll be going 1 hour and 30 minutes this Saturday using a “5 minute ON, 1 minute OFF” routine. The 5 minutes ON will be at a 11:30 per mile pace, the 1 minute OFF is a walk break. Not sure if you can do it? Come on out and give it a shot! There’s no obligation and nothing to pay for if you decide not to continue with the training.

Cost for active duty Boot Campers is $75, and $100 for “friends of boot camp”

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: If you’re an active duty boot camper and you bring a new person (non-boot camper) who signs up for the half marathon training, YOU can deduct $25 from your fee for everyone of those friends who signs up!

EXTRA SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR EVERYONE: Since EVERYONE has a weekend homework assignment of one hour of continuous cardio, EVERYONE is welcome to come out and join us for an hour for FREE.

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“I don’t care how much power, brilliance, or energy you have, if you don’t harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there, you’re never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants.”

~ Zig Ziglar

To your continued good health and fitness!

Sergeant Tony

Sergeant Major Tony Ludlow
USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP, Commanding
4888 Southern Cove
Memphis, TN 38117
901-644-0145

www.usmcfitnessbootcamp.com

www.shaklee.net/tonyludlow/main