Crazy Brady’s Boot Camp – S1 Ep7

Welcome back to Crazy Brady’s Boot Camp! I am your host, Sugar Maple Bough, and–as always–you can just call me Shug. In the last episode, we engaged our contestants in a very unique challenge. We put them head to head in the kitchen to create healthy meals for a chance to win immunity in the next vote. All of the contestants surprised us with their meals and their knowledge for how to make it healthier; but there can only be one winner! Who is this winner? Stay tuned and watch!

After breakfast, Brady gathered everyone around on the patio to announce the winner.

Brady:  Good morning, everyone! I know you’re all anxiously awaiting our decision, so I won’t delay it any longer.

Nico:  You look nervous.

Braylon:  Terrified.

Nico:  You shouldn’t be. You’re really talented. I wouldn’t be surprised if you won.

Braylon:  Really?

Nico:  Really.

Brady:  …afterward, me and by beautiful co-stars are going to continue the theme this week and talk one-on-one with all of you about your eating habits. So, without further ado, I’d like to congratulate…Braylon Skinner! You are immune in the next vote!

Braylon:  NO WAY!!

Grant:  Way to go, Braylon!

Jayda:  All right now, girl!

Nico:  See! I knew it would be you.

Braylon:  Thank the Watcher!

The coaches each took a contestant to various corners of The Lodge for private sessions about their eating habits. Viv took Jayda, Brady took Grant, and I took the very happy Braylon.

Viv:  How is your health, Jayda? I saw you weren’t feeling well again this morning.

Jayda:  I’m fine. Nothing serious.

Viv:  Sure? I can always write a prescription for you, you know.

Jayda:  Girl, trust me. The minute it becomes serious, you will be the first one I call!

Viv:  Good. So tell me…how have things been going for you in this challenge so far? Are you struggling at all? Most importantly, how can we better prepare you for success when you return home?

Jayda:  Well…as far as the challenge goes, I’ve been good! It’s not easy, but I’m actually enjoying discovering what my body can do; I have never in my life put my body through this much! It lets me know every day too. With all the things I’ve learned here, I definitely feel that I’m in a better position to continue when I get home. But, I’d be lying if I said that I was confident I could continue for the long term.

Viv:  Sure. So, what are your roadblocks going to be?

Jayda:  My family! I am very motivated to eat right and work out here because I’m by myself, and everyone around me if motivated and doing the same things. But, when I get home, it’ll just be me. I know exactly what’s going to happen:  I’ll do my thing for a little while, but then I’m gonna start compromising slowly, and eventually I’ll be back in the habit. I don’t want that to happen!

Viv:  Starting a new routine or lifestyle change can be hard when everyone around you doesn’t share the same convictions. What you need to do is get them involved so they all have a stake in it. Start cooking at home instead of eating out. Make lunch and healthy snacks for your family to take with them. Go on walks together. Play tag and do active things outside as a family. And, be accountable to each other! Empower your children to speak up when they see you slipping. You know how kids enjoy pointing out our flaws.

Jayda:  Seriously! They would love to be the boss of me. I like this, and you’re right. I need to get everyone involved so I’m not doing this alone. All of them could stand to exercise and eat better anyway.

Viv:  That’s right! And once they start seeing the benefits, they’ll want to do better too. Sooner or later, all the Pollards are gonna be fit and fabulous!

Brady:  So…what’s going on? How can I help?

Grant:  Well, I know I have a lot to learn as far as cooking goes in general, but I know I can find recipes and stuff. But, what do I do when I want to eat something unhealthy? Like, me and Clarice love sweets. We know where all the cupcake shops are, and we always end up at one when we go out; it’s our thing.

Brady:  First of all, let me just tell you that just because you’re on the road to healthy doesn’t mean you can never eat another cupcake in your life! Should you stay away from them for a short while? Sure! But even if you have one here and there, it’s not going to ruin you.

Grant:  That’s good to know. What do I do?

Brady:  On the front end, just be alert and don’t be caught off guard. Always know what you’re going to do before you do it. If you know you’re going out and may end up at the cupcake joint, decide ahead of time whether you’re going to do it or not. If yes, then go and enjoy! But don’t go crazy. Have one…and then maybe take a walk or something. But if no, stick to your decision and don’t let anyone change your mind. You know how women can be.

Grant:  Dude…

Brady:  Yeah. On the back end, you need to do a 360 and think about why food is such a big part of your life. Is it a social thing? For comfort? Boredom?

Grant:  I think it’s more social than anything. Like, I don’t really eat a whole lot when I’m by myself. But when I hang out with friends, it’s just what we do.

Brady:  Ok! So, no need to stop hanging out with your friends. But maybe suggest that you hang out in other ways. If they don’t buy it, then resolve to eat better when you’re with them. And have tough skin because you know the guys are gonna make fun of you, right?

Grant:  Yeah…

Brady:  Don’t let them pressure you. Think about what’s really going on. Are you there to eat, or are you there to spend time with your friends? If you’re there to eat, then you’ve already lost. And with Clarice, you’ll obviously need to talk to her and explain what you’re trying to do. Hopefully she’ll get onboard with it. If not, you’ll just have to be like I DON’T WANT ANY PLUMMING CUPCAKES WOMAN!!

Brady:  …ahem…sorry. I guess the monster doesn’t like cupcakes. But, you know…sit down and have a nice conversation with her.

Sugar:  Congratulations on your win! How do you feel?

Braylon:  Like a million simoleons!

Sugar:  I’ll bet you do. So, Braylon…tell me about your battle with food.

Braylon:  I’m always eating, Shug. Always! I don’t know why. Food is always on the brain. I know when people look at me, they think I’m fine and shouldn’t need to be worried about my weight. But, I’m from a family of toothpicks. None of them have hips like I do! I feel out of place.

Sugar:  I see. Braylon, I don’t think you have a food “problem.” You’re a glutton! So am I. That’s just how we’re wired. Food is always going to be a priority in our lives, so there’s no use in getting bent out of shape about it; you’re never going to stop eating all the time. But, what you can do is change what you’re eating. Seeing as how you won this challenge, I think you understand quite well how to make better choices.

Braylon:  That’s true, I guess. I never really considered that eating could be part of my identity. So…that’s it? Just change what I eat so I can keep eating, and exercise?

Sugar:  No. For you, I think the eating is what you blame for your perceived weight “problem.” I know you don’t want me to say this, but you don’t have a weight problem. You have an image problem.

Braylon:  Image? Like…body image?

Sugar:  Yes! Every time I hear you tell your story, I always hear two things. You always compare yourself to someone else, and you let the opinion of others affect you. Those are two dangerous positions to be in period, but especially when you’re trying to do something like changing your appearance.

Braylon:  Oh. I do that?

Sugar:  Sure do! Now, I think we’re going to need a lot more time together on this than we have today, but here is something I want you to think about until next time. You need to be happy with you. Not anyone else. Only you should define what a healthy Braylon Skinner looks like. I applaud you for coming on this show, but if you’re here to be thinner to fit in with your family, you’re here for the wrong reason. You need to be doing this for yourself and no one else. Think about that, and when we get back together, if we’re so lucky, I want to hear your honest to Watcher reason for being here. Ok?

Braylon:  Ok. Thank you so much, Shug.

Brady:  Hello, Acacia! You and I don’t get to talk much. How have things been for you here?

Acacia:  Everything is swell, thank you.

Brady:  You know, Acacia…if a handyman is presented with a leaky faucet and a stereo that could be upgraded, he’s going to fix the faucet first. After it’s fixed, he may even give it a little upgrade to make sure it doesn’t break as much or maybe not at all. Do you see where I’m going with this?

Acacia:  I do.

Brady:  I’m glad. So, tell me…you’re highly intelligent and confident, you know your way around the kitchen, and your fitness acumen is quite high. Why do you need me?

Acacia:  Excellent question. You know everything about me is all about the mind. I have knowledge of many things. However, without the execution of said knowledge, it renders itself useless. Knowledge is not power; it is potential power. The power lies within the execution of the knowledge. I have power in many areas of my life, but when it comes to physical fitness, I only have potential power. For whatever reason, I had not decided to tap into that potential and make it real power. Could I? Yes, but I did not.

Brady:  Ok…that’s great. But, you still could have just decided to tap into it and do it on your own. Why did you need to come here to do it?

Acacia:  Heh, it’s all about the mind, right? I find that sometimes even the finest of minds need to be fooled at times. A bit of fun and games can go a long way. This is a competition, no? I need something to do. Something to reach for. Something to obtain. I did not care about my size; I still don’t. I am quite comfortable in my own skin. However, being comfortable does not equate to optimal health, and I want my health to be optimal so my body can be a suitable home for my mind to amass more knowledge. But, because my dress size never mattered to me, it’s never been my focus. When I decided to make it my focus, I knew I would need to be in an environment that would make me feel differently about it. So, here, the focus is usually being smaller. I focus on winning. What do I need to do to win? Lose as much weight as possible to be smaller. Mind games!

Brady:  Ah haaaa! You are a very brilliant woman.

Sugar:  Nico! You are full of surprises. When you first got here, I thought we would have trouble getting you off the couch. But every day it seems you are showing us more and more of what you’re really made of! What gives?

Nico:  Well, I guess it’s true what they say:  old habits die hard.

Sugar:  I see. So, you being here has helped you to get back into the habit of working out, huh?

Nico:  Yep.

Sugar:  And what about food?

Nico:  I’ve had a lot of time to think about things here, and I think I’ve got it figured out.

Nico:  Stress. I eat a lot when I’m worried or not focusing on myself. When my mom died, I had to raise my little brother because my step-dad was busy trying to find another wife. When he died, my little brother was still young and I had to make sure he turned out ok because he was the heir. I gave him some advice once. It was good advice, but it backfired on him and he was mad at me for a long time. He didn’t want to be around me, but I still felt it was my duty as his older brother and his guardian to make sure he did the right things. That was a very stressful time in my life, and where I think I began turning to food.

Sugar:  How insightful! So, if you were in that situation today, how would you handle it?

Nico:  For one thing, I had forgotten how much I used to enjoy running! But, more importantly, I’ve realized that I don’t have enough people in my life. I’ve been so absorbed in my brother and his life, I haven’t prioritized my own social life. Maybe I eat because that’s all there is for me to do with no one to talk to. I mean, while I’ve been here, I haven’t really thought about food much. I definitely need my own support system.

Sugar:  You’re so wise, Nico! And you’re right. Hopefully after this show is over many of you will stay in touch and be on each other’s support team.

Nico:  I hope so.

By the end of the evening, all the contestants gathered to work out, and the coaches mentored them.

This episode was an emotional for some and enlightening for others. We can only hope that the advice they received today will help them on their journey to healthy. Tune in next time to see what they get into next!