In the Spring of 2004, I decided my daughter Molly needed help. She was a freshman in high school- 14 years old, had been overweight since first grade, and at the time was 5'4" and weighed 227 pounds. She hated physical activity with a passion and avoided it whenever possible. Case in point- we live about 1/4 mile from her school, yet she begged to get a ride to everyday since the walk was up-hill. She was miserable. Peer pressure is incredibly strong in high school and she was acutely aware she didn't "fit in" with her much thinner, healthier friends.

Appearance is a big deal at that age, and it's almost impossible to find clothes that are appropriate for a young teenager in a misses size 18. She was realizing being out of shape and overweight was holding her back from enjoying teenage life to its fullest.

Luckily I found the Camp California Fitness Website while I was surfing the internet looking for something- anything- to help her. Little did I know at the time that CCF would truly change Molly's life.

The next day I called and spoke with Shawna Rocha, the Camp Director, for the first time. She was warm, friendly, enthusiastic, and answered all my questions fully. She detailed CCF's philosophy, how the program was aimed toward teaching girls how to live a healthy lifestyle through eating right, proper exercise, and proper attitudes toward health and fitness and staying healthy and in doing so, they would naturally lose body fat and weight.

Shawna made it quite clear that CCF was not a "fat" camp, it was a "be healthy for the rest of your life" camp. The emphasis was on health, not on the scale. I liked that CCF was founded and run by Medical Doctors and had a degreed Dietitian and Licensed Clinical Social Worker on staff.

Camp counselors were selected for their knowledge of fitness and health and most were college or graduate students studying those areas. The emphasis on each counselor having a small group of girls to oversee was a plus for my very shy daughter. I especially liked that the camp was on a university campus and had an entire dormitory to themselves, with security at all times. After all, I was contemplating handing over my daughter for 8 weeks to a camp I had found on the internet, and I wanted her to be safe.

At first Molly didn't want to attend "a camp like that" because she was afraid it would be a lot of hard work, little food, and no fun. I told her that Shawna had said at the end of camp she would go on a shopping trip to buy clothes to fit her new size. "Shopping? We go shopping at camp?" she asked. That got her interested so she sat down and read the entire CCF Website. She was excited about what she saw and all the field trips. She saw that there were going to a lot of girls like her and for once in her life she wouln't be the odd girl out. She was hooked.

I went to family day after 4 weeks of camp and Molly was happy-sun-tanned, and talked non-stop about how much she like camp and she adored her counselor. Her counselor had become her confidant, like a big sister, and Molly felt she could discuss anything with her. It was very reassuring to know that Molly was being so well taken care of.

Molly told me how she enjoyed the Relay for Life and she looked more fit than I had seen her in years. She told me about her favorite exercise routine. Favorite exercise routine? This from a girl who hated to walk anywhere? She explained the nutrition content of our lunch to me and how we all needed to eat the proper foods and exercise in order to stay healthy.

Shawna had assured me several times over the summer that Molly was doing well, but little did I know how well until I picked her up after 8 weeks. I literally started crying when I saw her- she had changed so much. After 8 weeks she had lost a good percentage of body fat and 30 pounds. She had gained a lot of muscle and actually had a defined waist for the first time. We were given "before and after" pictures of her in her bathing suit, and the change was amazing! She talked on and on about the shopping trip and how for the first time she was able to fit into clothes in stores like Aeropostle, American Eagle, and Pac Sun. I was overjoyed that Molly was so happy with herself.

Molly came home determined to keep up what she had learned at camp. When her friends and family saw her, they were amazed. Their reactions were so good for her ego. She was happy and proud of herself for her accomplishments over the summer. She had learned how to eat right, exercise, and take care of herself. She literally glowed with self-confidence and couldn't wait to go back to school to show off her new look.

She now knows what to eat, and more importantly, what not to eat, and she makes sure takes time to exercise. She now walks to school everyday without complaint, and walks to friends homes instead of asking for a ride. By keeping up the exercise and continuing to eat healthy, she's lost an additional 30 pounds and has kept it off and will continue to lose more in the future as she stays with her new lifestyle. She is happy with herself and that has translated to increased confidence and maturity. She's become much more outgoing and has enlarged her circle of friends. She likes to go to the gym and can't wait to play for her school's powderpuff football game next year. I am so proud of her for sticking to her new lifestyle, and she's taught me quite a bit about healthy living. I have definitely altered the way I eat because of what she's taught me. The skills she learned and the confidence she gained at CCF will serve Molly for the rest of her life. As a single mom, I admit I first balked at the tuition, but I now know it's the best money I ever spent.

Sincerely,
Pat

-Pat ~ Molly's Mom