Enshinkai's Local Fitness Contest Winner:
Liz Voelker

After 16 weeks:

What the UBC has meant to me

When I think of what UBC has meant to me, I think "Wow"! I still can’t believe how far I have come in just ten weeks. If I had known how much "Body Shaping" actually happens, I would have signed up a long time ago. Over the course of ten weeks I lost 23 inches (6%) of body fat, 17 pounds, and two clothing sizes, while getting a lot stronger. My sit-ups improved from 26 per minute to 42 per minute. I have trained extensively in the past (high school and college athletics) but have never been able to do a full push-up. I thought that was just something I can’t do. At the end of this course I am able to do several full push-ups. It may sound small, but for me it’s a huge accomplishment. To me, it means that I CAN get in really good shape. It means that I don’t have to settle for a slowing metabolism or a genetic predisposition to be fat. I am so thankful for this!

When I think of what UBC has meant to me, I think "I can do this!" The experience has been so empowering. After having kids and going to cooking school, my normal exercise routines and eating habits were not helping me anymore. I drifted into a lot of unintentional pounds and unhealthy habits. Sugar. Salt. Through UBC I have been able to take control of my eating and exercise. On our first week, we planned out and submitted our weekly menu to Sensei Heather. This was so helpful to me over the course. I plan out what I eat every week now and post the list on the fridge. I always have healthy snacks and food in the house ready to go. If I get tempted to eat something sugary or if I don’t know what to eat, I look at my list and come up with an idea.

Finally, when I think of what UBC means to me, I think "Fun"! There’s the "fun" that accompanies a glint in the coaches’ eye and an especially challenging workout. There’s the fun that comes from getting to work out with some really great people every day. There’s the fun of learning from coaches who are supportive, encouraging and entertaining. There’s the fun of new punches and kicks to practice. And there’s the fun of putting your hand on your waist and realizing that it feels totally different than it used to. I am so thankful for my UBC experience. It has given me confidence to be fit and provided some great tools to do it with.

Other Winners:

Enshinkai Martial Arts & Fitness
Teaching martial arts, total body fitness, and Pilates for Hillsboro and Beaverton, Oregon