Before

After

My daughter Jordan has always been a special girl. She is academically and socially gifted, compassionate, kind and loyal. She is beautiful and blonde and has the best, biggest, straightest teeth I have ever seen. She is the kind of girl any mother would dream of having.

Jordan has struggled with her weight her whole life. I know this has always been a source of great sadness in Jordan’s life, but we never dwelled on it too much figuring everything would slim out around puberty. When Jordan was around eleven her baby sister Sam was diagnosed with a rare, life threatening disease. My Husband, Sam and I traveled all over the country searching for experts and treatments for her illness. This meant leaving Jordan and her middle sister Casey under the care of various friends and family. During this very stressful year Jordan gained a great deal of weight. Jordan stayed her happy, positive, joyful self for the most part (though she has always been a bit shy) but I knew she was very unhappy about her appearance. I knew that SHE knew that she didn’t look like all the other girls.

At the end of Jordan’s Seventh grade year, I found CCF. Shawna and I were talking on the phone about the fabulous program she was directing, Camp California Fitness. I expressed how I thought Jordan would really benefit from that kind of camp. When I brought CCF up to Jordan she literally JUMPED at the opportunity. No questions asked. She wanted to go. Now it was my turn to be hesitant. Jordan had never really been away from home and now she was leaving for EIGHT weeks.

The first day of camp was rough. Jordan was scared and very shy. Gina and Shawna talked to her and helped her take it one day at a time. And one day at a time she did! By the end of the first week I was getting e-mails that said “Sorry I haven’t written, I’m so busy… this is soooooo fun!” As the weeks went on I got e-mails and letters that told me that she missed me… but not enough to come home.

The change in my daughter has been dramatic. Her self-esteem has SOARED…. And not just because she lost weight; she met friends who will last a lifetime and literally had the best summer of her life. Camp California Fitness changed my daughter’s life. She went from sad, shy, overweight little girl to a vivacious, bubbly, exciting young woman. When her Dad and I went to pick her up at camp on August 14th… a slim, tanned, blonde girl rushed out to hug me. My first thought was “this girl is wearing Jordan’s skirt”. Surprise!! It WAS Jordan.

We have stayed on the program and Jordan has maintained her weight loss and new eating habits. The very last thing Jordan would think to do is sit down in front of the TV and eat. It is such a foreign concept to her now. She loves to shop, shop, shop and needed and entire new wardrobe for eighth grade. She is in the Challenge program for gifted students at school and plays soccer on a girl’s soccer team for the first time ever. I couldn’t have been happier for her. I get more excited for her everyday.

Jordan is already planning on going back to camp next summer, and the summer after and so on and so on….. She can’t wait. And we are happy to send her back. We can’t thank Shawna and the CCF team enough. YOU did it. You changed a little girl’s life. You made her feel worthy and smart and beautiful. Thank you so much.

Graciously,
Jackie

-Jackie ~ Jordan's Mom

Before

After

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 Dietition 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

Before

After

I reached out to Camp California Fitness for help with my 10 year old granddaughter's struggle with obesity. She was constantly eating. She seemed to go from the TV to the kitchen day and night. We would be eating a meal and she was already talking about what she wanted for the next snack or meal. Her pockets and backpack had stashes of candy and snacks. Going to amusement parks or other outings was a chance to eat and eat- not to enjoy the attractions. She spent more on food than the prices of admission. She told me that she did not feel hungry, just wanted the food. She said it made her feel good. At the same time, she told me about all the names the kids called her at school- fatty, fat girl, pig, on and on. She said it made her cry and feel bad so she would eat to feel better.

This all started when she was 7 years old. She would spend the summer with me and lose 20-30 pounds then go home for the school year and gain back the pounds she lost and a few more. We did this yo-yo for three summers. When the excess got to be 40 pounds, I got very scared for her. There is a history of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and cancer in my family. I did not know what to do and felt we needed professional help before things got totally out of control in her life.

My belief was that the extensive, and unhealthy food intake was related to various issues and factors in her emerging lifestyle. It seemed that she needed to participate in a focused learning program that supported lifestyle changes, not just dieting. I also knew that she needed to learn and change soon. The longer this addiction to food went on, the harder it would be to change. I knew her happiness and future were in serious jeopardy.

The enviornment had to be safe, caring, motivating, fun, and supportive, involving the whole person, not just a fad or short term diet fix. It had to have positive, long-term impact and results. I was looking for something that would give my granddaughter tools to help her resolve issues and see food as a necessity for a healthy life, not as an addiction. I wanted to find people that I could trust and would love her almost as much as I do. After all, she is my granddaughter- my joy, my precious little girl.

We found CCF on the internet. I could feel from the words and pictures that these were professional and dedicated people that really gave their all to the children. I could also sense they had assembled a staff of very special people with a wealth of knowledge, experience, and commitment to helping young people learn and start living healthier, happier lifestyles. My granddaughter studied the Website. Her response was- "Grandma- please, please, I really, really want to go there." So decision made! We started with the 4 week program. By week 3, she was asking to please be allowed to stay the additional 4 weeks, so we did that.

The change in my granddaughter is almost beyond words. Her physical appearance is stunning. She learned the process of analyzing choices and consequences. She takes ownership and responsibility for her actions. Her sense of self and self-esteem has grown. She has a heightened awareness of balance in her life- balancing calorie intake and output through activity levels. My granddaughter was able to talk freely and confidentially about issues that caused her to use food for comfort or just something to do. The CCF environment gave the girls the opporunity to share their thougths, concerns, fears, and problems. The sharing was with one another as well as professional staff members.

I was impressed with the availability of the staff members throughout the program. Made me feel that I was there with my granddaughter and sharing in her growth and development.

CCF has continued to stay in touch with my granddaughter as part of their follow-up program. Their caring and reinforcement continues to motivate my granddaughter toward her life goals. The CCF investment is not just for an 8 week (2 month) summer retreat. It is 8 weeks of focused learning and applying healthy lifestyles folloed by months of followed up guidance and reinforcement.

We are still working together. My fears have calmed. I have new hope for my granddaughter's future. She is so proud of herself and loves the compliments from the people who used to call her bad names. She has taught all of us a lot about healthy eating. I'm amazed at what is in our foods! She shows me the content labels and tells me what they mean. Then tells me why she does not want to eat them or does want to eat them. She makes good choices. Since she came home we've been to theme parks, restaurants / play places, etc. She no longer asks for unhealthy snacks. She looks for healthy foods when she is physically hungry- not just responding to temptation. I cannot be prouder of her!

The people of CCF gave her (and continue to give her) a priceless gift from their hearts- heightened self-esteem, self-awareness, self-reliance, tools to analyze and make good choices, and responsibility for those choices.

Sincerely,
Grandma Hope

-Hope ~ Angelica's Grandmother