Today, we have an inspirational interview with Jacques Courseault – a medical student at Tulane University School of Medicine and Co-Founder/Program Designer of Don’t Weight to Lose.

Don’t Weight to Lose (DWTL) is a 501c(3) non-profit organization designed by Tulane medical students, to promote long-term behavioral changes in terms of diet and exercise habits. DWTL ultimate goal is for each program participant to develop practical lifestyle changes without diet or exercise fads. They aim to promote small changes in nutrition habits, without sacrificing cultural characteristics in taste; and to increase physical activity, without needing sophisticated exercise equipment.

Q: Can you tell us a little more about Don’t Weight to Lose?

Jacques Courseault: Don’t Weight to Lose (DWTL) is a faith-based non-profit health and wellness organization based in New Orleans. Basically, Ryan Jupiter and I came up with this idea as first-year Tulane medical students. There was a program that I ran, as a personal trainer, called “Fat Tuesday,” where we offered free body composition and cardiovascular screenings at the Reily Center (Tulane’s gym). Ryan and I were working out one day and were discussing ways to bring a program like Fat Tuesday out into the community. After a year of research and development, DWTL was born. DWTL is now an 8-week program, held twice a year at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. Components include physician speakers, health screenings, free exercise equipment, exercises classes and personal counseling from medical students. At this point, we have seen around 500 participants, and many noted significant health improvements.

Q: How does someone become a participant in the Don’t Weight to Lose program?

Jacques Courseault: Visit www.dontweighttolose.org and sign up for our newsletter. We release dates 2 months in advance for people to sign-up. If you don’t want to wait, we have tons of exercise and nutrition information available on our affiliate websites www.ExerciseMenu.com and www.DrGourmet.com. I am the Chief Editor of Exercise Menu, and Dr. Timothy Harlan is a chef turned Tulane Internist who developed Dr.Gourmet.com.  There is tons of great information on both sites.

Q: How much personal attention do the participants receive?

Jacques Courseault: One of the great aspects about DWTL is the personal attention that participants receive from our medical students. We have about 25 volunteer medical students that are trained in exercise and nutrition counseling, in addition to, what they are learning in medical school. Each student is assigned to three to five participants. Students review body composition readings, nutrition diaries and workout logs with participants during each session. There is really a strong bond that develops…

Q: You mentioned it’s faith-based health and wellness program – can you explain that a little more?

Jacques Courseault: Faith-based meaning that we address health issues from the mind, body and spiritual perspectives. Obviously, you have to take physical action, by increasing physical activity and making health food choices to improve your overall health. What is not so obvious is that many of these issues have a psychological and spiritual basis to them that should also be addressed. Having a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, I have designed this program based on particular theories to address behavior change. Obesity and other chronic diseases have also been linked to psychological disorders, such as stress and depression. Last but not least, is the spiritual component. Making sustainable lifestyle changes is difficult. By making the connection that God has blessed us with the gift of life and health, I try to teach our participants not to take this time we have for granted. In addition, the church offers a support network that provides encouragement when the temptation to revert back to previous ways arises.

Q: What inspired you to start Don’t Weight to Lose?

Jacques Courseault: I love New Orleans and the potential that this city has. Nothing can compare to the culture of this city. At the same time, I realize that overindulging in our food and leisurely activities can lead to serious health problems. So, I asked myself “How can we improve the health of this city and still eat great tasting foods and enjoy ourselves?” The answer is to teach small and practical changes that can drastically improve health. The people of New Orleans want to be healthy; however, it’s not always clear how to do that, especially with the day-to-day fads that pop up in mainstream media. Therefore, it is my passion as a personal trainer, physician and citizen of this great city to teach these practical changes.

Q: Have you reached out to former participants?  Have they maintained the new habits they developed during the program?

Jacques Courseault: Being a member of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church and from seeing previous participants at various health fairs or at other functions, we realize that our changes look to be sustainable. We have also received many testimonials about the positive changes people are noting in their lives. One participant reported at 40-pound weight loss, and we have had quite a few that reported 25 pounds or more. We are working to set up a screening session of all of our former participants to see if these changes have been sustainable as we hoped.

Q: How do you feel about the health and fitness scene in New Orleans?

Jacques Courseault: The health and fitness scene in New Orleans has notably improved after Katrina. The greatest improvement that I have seen is at City Park, with the addition of the new walking and biking tracks. New Orleans provides many avenues for outdoor exercise. One can walk through the French Quarter, bike on the levees, play pick-up soccer at Audubon or join any of the many run/walks that are held here each year. Unfortunately, there is a lack of indoor facilities. To address this problem, I have developed ExerciseMenu.com, which allows people to workout in the comfort of their own home. Resistance training, or weight lifting is important, but we can maintain better health if we regularly participate in outdoor activities.

Q: We hear you are graduating this year – what’s next for you? Will you be staying in New Orleans?

Jacques Courseault: I will never leave this city. I had a wonderful four years at Tulane University School of Medicine, but will now hang up the green and white for the LSU purple and gold. Starting in July, I will begin my residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. I love this field because I can combine my exercise passions with medicine, in order to help people maintain their physical health. I will also continue to make sure that DWTL contributes to improving the health and wellness of this city.

Last night I went to the Trumpet Release Party at Dutch Alley in the French Quarter.  I have started to write a column for the Trumpet – I bring the health and fitness aspect to the theme/topic chosen.  This time, the theme was Crime Prevention.  My column is titled “Don’t Fall Victim to Poor Health and The Inability to Defend Yourself” – I make the correlation between the benefits of learning self-defense to protect yourself and improving your health and fitness level because of all the benefits of taking self-defense courses.  I interviewed David from the site Hertao.com for my column, but I couldn’t include the full interview so I decided to post it here on the Be Fit NOLA blog.

What are the health benefits to weekly self-defense training?  What kind of fitness training can someone get from weekly self-defense training?

David: I’ll answer these two at once since they’re somewhat similar.

Good self defense training provides the same benefits you would get from any exercise program, and more.  Because there are no rules in self defense, you need to learn to use every part of your body…your feet, knees, elbows, hands, etc.  All of the movements require dynamic motion in every direction.  You’ll move forward, backward, left, right, diagonal, ducking, etc.  Some movements will be done slow, and some with explosive power.  You’ll have another person resisting your every move, which provides a great method to develop functional strength.  So good self defense training will provide a whole body workout, improve your cardiovascular health, strength, and help with weight loss.

Q. What would you tell someone who is afraid of getting hurt from learning self-defense techniques?

David: A good instructor should make sure you’re not training above your level of comfort or ability.  But, training in realistic self defense IS different from taking a typical aerobics or Pilates class.  Anyone who tells you it’s not is either not being honest, or they’re not teaching realistic self defense.  You will need to punch, kick, and wrestle with people, and you will get punched and kicked.  You will get bumps and bruises.  But this should all be gradual and at a level you’re comfortable with.

Q. What self-defense techniques/courses do you recommend?

David: I recommend NOLABJJ for training without weapons, and Crescent City Eskrima for training with weapons.  I would highly recommend some weapons training, as they’ll provide a tremendous advantage for women, smaller men, and anyone against armed attacker(s).  You can also find comprehensive information on self defense awareness and prevention, techniques, training methods, and strategies on my website. (Be sure to check-out David’s webiste – it is FULL of great information)

Q: What can someone expect to gain from a self-defense course?

David: Aside from learning to defense yourself, self defense training should make you healthier, stronger, faster, improve your balance and coordination, reduce stress, increase self confidence, and provide you with a hobby you can pursue for the rest of your life.

Q: In your opinion, do you believe predators are more likely to attack someone who looks out of shape and weak?

David: Sometimes, but it depends on the predator.  Many predators these days, if not most, are teenagers with guns.  They don’t value their life or yours.  So they’re less likely to care or even consider how you look.  They’re simply looking for opportunities.  But if you’re aware of your surroundings and understand how to maintain a favorable distance and position, it’s likely that a predator either won’t have the chance to attack you, or will choose an easier victim.

I hope you will pick-up a Trumpet and read it – it’s packed with great information about all the neighborhoods around the city from the citizens who live there.

There are some amazing fitness instructors in the Greater New Orleans area and I have said – “if you are looking for it; it’s probably available in New Orleans”…well, today I have quite the treat for everyone!

We interviewed one of the most fascinating fitness instructors in the city: Lorelei Ashe MacDonald. It’s not just her background as a retired trapeze artist after a career  as both a dancer and an aerialist that makes her unique…or that she performed with the Bay Area troupes Circus Finelli and Velocity Circus, and went on to teach at the San Francisco Circus Center, home to a professional aerial program and a clown conservatory. It’s a combination of all that and what she has brought to New Orleans – a one of kind way to get into shape: Gravity Defying Fitness

Interview with Lorelei Ashe MacDonald of Gravity Defying Fitness

Q: Where do I even begin? Can you tell us a little bit more about your background? How did you end up becoming a trapeze artist? I think as kids going to the circus – it’s something most of us only dreamt of becoming because our parents quickly shattered any hopes of that happening.

Lorelei:

I started as a dancer. I took my first creative movement class at about 4 years old and I haven’t stopped moving since.  I never took to gymnastics, but embraced dance and was performing professionally by the time I was 13 in New York City.  An injury side lined that career but I continued to explore movement possibilities. I did a bit of aerobic competition choreography, some modern dance choreography, and a bit of aerial dance.  Finally, I found circus – and I never looked back! I loved the height, and the combination of strength and grace that the static trapeze requires. And while I worked with rings and corde lisse and lyra, static trapeze was always closest to my heart. I have to admit that I had to let my mom know I was down safe at the end of each show, even into my 40s! Thank goodness for texting. And I think I gave my husband a few grey hairs as well.

Q: What inspired you to create the Gravity Defying Fitness program?

Lorelei:

Of course, I knew I couldn’t perform forever and when I started to think about a post-performance career I knew I wanted to share the excitement of trapeze.  But, I also wanted to make the trapeze accessible. My dilemma was that I don’t believe in teaching technique if you aren’t strong enough to execute it safely.  I realized that even the basic exercises are fun, and are the perfect way to get started!  After retiring at 42 I moved to NY to open a facility for Radu Physical Culture (of Cindy Crawford Workout fame) at the Plaza hotel.  Sadly, financing and construction issues scuttled that project, so I branched out on my own.   Aside from my background as a dancer and an aerialist, I was trained by Radu to teach his methods, am a certified NASM personal trainer, and have been trained to teach kettlebells by KettleBell Concepts. In fact, besides teaching GDF aerial conditioning classes at Next Evolution Gym here, I teach group kettlebell classes at Romney Pilates!

Q: Please tell us a little more. What can someone expect, look forward to…from taking the Gravity Defying Fitness Program?

Lorelei:

I tailor the sessions to each client’s fitness goals and experience, so the first session really varies based on what you are already doing. Everyone gets on the trapeze or the rope the first day, regardless of their fitness level. You learn how to hold your body to be able to move explosively in the air, you learn how to climb the rope, and in short order my clients are hanging upside down.  We do specific exercises that create the long straight leg lines required to look good in the air as well. I constantly hear from people that the workout is “so much harder than it looks” but also that it is crazy fun. My goal is that you should be a bit sore after each workout, but not so sore that you don’t want to do it again right away! That said, I suggest aerial training to be just a part of your program – two or three times a week.

You should also come in expecting to challenge your fears!

Q: What are the main benefits of aerial fitness compared to other fitness programs?

Lorelei:

I strongly believe that you should never restrict yourself to a single type of training. I myself swim, take bootcamp, bosu, dance, and yoga, as well as train in the air. The thing about aerial conditioning is that it is amazingly effective for your core – and while everyone focuses on the upper body strength it requires (and it certainly develops upper body strength) it works your whole body. It is functional training at its best.  We work strength, but also endurance, flexibility, balance and agility. Even better, it requires focus and you’re learning something new, so the time goes fast and you don’t even realize that you are training hard!  Looking good with sleek strong muscles – well that’s pretty great too.

However the biggest benefit is the feeling of accomplishment. I had a client in NY heading off to a meeting with a really well known and intimidating figure in her field. But, as she left she said that if she could learn how to climb the rope, the meeting would be a snap. Building self esteem and confidence is even better than good looking abs!

Q: This is an excellent program for us to have in New Orleans. What brought you to New Orleans?

Lorelei:

This is a subject really dear to me! I have been visiting New Orleans for the last 10 years.  My husband and I moved to NY two years ago from San Francisco, as I mentioned. My business was going gangbusters but I never adjusted to life in NYC (even though I am from there originally). My life in NY really lacked balance – too much work, too little play, and don’t get me started about winter.  While in NYC we started coming to New Orleans every few months and every time we would get on the plane to go back, my heart would sink. I have been talking about New Orleans as a place to live for years, and on a trip back last spring, I turned to my husband and said “let’s go!”  I couldn’t be happier, and I feel like I have come home. And what an amazing time to have moved here!

Q: We are working hard to promote health and fitness in New Orleans – what are your general thoughts on the health and fitness community here in New Orleans?

Lorelei:

I think we have a great fitness community here – there are some amazing classes and trainers. And, while everyone thinks of New Orleans as a hard partying town, and of course it is, it is also a hard training town. People here are very much committed to their fitness programs.  Of course, having just moved here, I love just about everything with the fervor of a recent covert (except the bugs).

My decision to live a healthier lifestyle very naturally led to me reading more about yoga. What sets yoga apart from some other forms of fitness is that it is not only a physical but also a mental and spiritual health practice.

The beginning of my yoga journey was a consultation with LIFE Yoga Director, Nathalie Croix. This is something that anyone who is considering doing yoga can schedule. We talked about what my personal goals were, different types of yoga and class series that I could start with.

The main thing that I am understanding is that everyone’s yoga journey is different and that it is a constant learning experience.

I was really excited to get the chance to interview Nathalie, who is now my instructor, about her experiences as well as some general questions that I had; and I’m really excited to share this with all of you:

M:How long have you been practicing yoga and what made you decide to start?

Nathalie Croix: I have been practicing yoga regularly for the past eleven years and before that I had tried yoga a few times, but I was only experimenting. I had been a dancer since I was a child, on my late teens I was already performing professionally and one of our dance teachers was really into yoga practice so he introduced me to asana practice which is the physical practice of yoga. However I began studying meditation and yoga philosophy when I was very young. My aunt was a devotee of Gurumayi and my first visit to an ashram I was nine years old. I grew up frequently visiting the Hare Krishna Temples to learn more about Indian culture and philosophy. So I guess the whole process was very organic for me.

Although I continuously study and have a profound respect for ancient yoga traditions, culture and philosophy, my teachings are very non-dogmatic.

M:What are some physical, mental and spiritual benefits of yoga that many people may not be aware of?

Nathalie Croix:Yoga works on you on a very subtle and deep level. It changes you to your deep core. It is not something however that will happen over night. It is an organic process. You have to stick to the practice for a while, so in the beginning the practitioner need lot’s of effort and patience, but if you do that than it transforms your life, your way of thinking and therefore it certainly changes you physically and mentally. After the change happens than it becomes easy to be a yoga practitioner, at this point it’s actually hard not to practice yoga because it’s a life style, a part of who you are. Honestly it’s hard for me to talk about yoga because it’s one of those phenomenons you need to experience in order to fully understand. On a most obvious plane yoga releases stress, improves health, fastens your metabolism, helps you stay focused, increases flexibility, strength and balance. These are only a few of the many benefits. On a deeper level I believe it improves your relationships with people around you because you become more aware. It helps you calm the mind and move into the inner essence of being. This is a very powerful practice and you can take it as light or as deep as you want, that’s the beauty of it.

Yoga is about peace. Peace with others, peace in the world and peace within yourself.

M:I know that there are many different types of yoga – can you tell us about three in particular that Life Yoga offers?

Nathalie Croix: There are so many different types of yoga out there. Even though they are all taught in different methods they all lead to the same ends results because it’s all just yoga but there are different ways to get there and a person should practice whatever style resonates with you better. At Life Yoga we have many different styles, some are Ashtanga Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Jivamukti Yoga, Kundalini Yoga and Anusara Yoga. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a traditional yoga practice which began in a city called Mysore in South India. Ashtanga is a dynamic vinyasa practice it links movement to breath in a constant flow creating body heat. The postures and sequence are always the same. You use your breath and your gaze (dristi) to steady the mind and the practice eventually becomes a moving meditation. Vinyasa Flow has it’s roots in Ashtanga Yoga, but does not use the six series of postures specific to the Mysore Ashtanga Yoga as taught by Sri K Pattabhi Jois. A difference from Vinyasa Flow to Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is, that the “asanas” (yoga postures) can be arranged into different sequences that can meet the practitioner’s need or mood.

There is also Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali, Yoga Sutras, this is the core teachings of all yogas, the essence of yoga philosophy and there are eight limbs; Yamas(your attitude towards others and the world around you), Niyamas(how you treat yourself or your attitude towards yourself), Asana (physical poses), Pranayama (breathing exercises), Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), Dharana (concentration/focus), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (enlightenment).

I do not teach the other styles of yoga so my knowledge is limited. Is best if I don’t attempt to explain.

M:How do I know which yoga is right for me; is there any particular discovery process that you suggest?

Nathalie Croix: This is a very good question. The best thing to do is to first research, read about the many different styles out there. Second, find local studios in your area. Try many different styles, experiment and see what feels right for you. Once you find classes, try and read teachers bios it is always very interesting to find out the yoga journey each teacher has taken. But don’t fool yourself with fancy bios either. Ultimately you will know if you like the style/teacher once you attend the yoga class. Listen to yourself, are you enjoying the experience? how does it feel? Be patient. It is important to find a good teacher so he or she can guide you in this process. After you’ve tried different classes and you know what works for you than stick to it. Stay on that path for a while and you will see beautiful transformation, relax and have fun in the process.

M:How has yoga changed your life?

Nathalie Croix: It has changed my life in so many ways and it continues to do so every day because we are always growing, it never stops, and yoga makes this really clear. Through yoga I found contentment. It’s a wonderful thing to accept who you are on any given day and be okay with it whether things are going extremely well or very bad. Yoga helps you remain steady. I guess I could say I don’t react to things as much as I did years ago. It helps me practice the laws of equanimity. It helps me stay centered and present in the moment.

It helps me accept things the way they are and make the best out of it.

Each person has their own path of self discovery so I believe it can be different for everyone, but remember you don’t always get what you want, but you might just get what you need.

Namaste!

One of our primary goals at Be Fit NOLA is to bring out to the forefront the many health and fitness activities, events and opportunities that exist in New Orleans that both locals and tourists simply don’t know about.  I’m willing to bet that one area of health and fitness many folks don’t know about are all the various sport organizations that exist and participate in league events.  Did you know that New Orleans has a Rugby Team? We connected the Captain of the New Orleans Rugby Football Club, Matt Upton, and asked him a few questions in order to find out more about them.

Interview with Team Captain Matt Upton

A few basics first. We practice twice a week in Lakeview and hold our home games in Gretna. The team also owns its own bar, the Rugby Pub in Gretna, right near the home pitch. We play a spring season building up to regional and national playoffs, and a fall season that is a little more casual.

The team stays active year-round with different types of competition and fitness opportunities.

Q: What is the history behind the New Orleans Rugby Football Club? (When did it get started…who started the Club? How was the original team brought together?)

Matt Upton (Captain New Orleans Rugby Football Club):

Our team’s roots go back to 1973. It was formed by a group of local guys who had experience playing rugby in college and wanted to create a next level opportunity to help build the sport here.

What we’re seeing now is a deepening pipeline of players coming out of rugby families, in much the same way as you saw soccer develop in America a generation ago. Some of our past and current players have been instrumental in starting local high school rugby programs. When kids start playing as teens, then continue through college, they can have tremendous skills and experience by the time they’re ready to join the NORFC.

Q: What League is the New Orleans Rugby Football Club member of? What teams do you play against?

Matt Upton:

NORFC is part of USA Rugby, the national league for this level of play. The league is divided into regional divisions and ours is called the Deep South Division. During our spring season, we compete against teams in Baton Rouge, Jackson, Miss., Mobile, Ala., Little Rock, Ark., and Memphis, Tenn. We travel to them, and they come here to play at our home pitch in Gretna. If we do well against our regular season divisional competition, we can advance to the regional playoffs and eventually to the nationals. In recent seasons, we’ve made it to the national “sweet 16″ round of playoffs, competing against America’s best teams in our division.

Apart from these league games (or what we call “matrix games”) we also play a lot of games against teams from across the country and around the world. Not surprisingly, it turns out a lot of teams want to schedule visits to New Orleans. These non-matrix games don’t count for our league record or playoff standings, and we mostly hold these in the fall season. They’re a great chance to get more game experience with different levels of competition.

Q: What is most unique about the sport of Rugby? And how grueling of a sport is Rugby?

Matt Upton:

It’s a rough sport, no doubt about it. Guys take some pretty hard hits, and it’s relentless. Frankly, that’s part of the appeal. It’s extreme. It pushes you to a level you normally don’t ever need to reach. It’s that combination of full contact, no pads, no blocking and 80 minutes games of continuous action. But probably the biggest thing that sets rugby apart is the global community. There’s a very strong, very important social aspect to the sport, within the team and between teams. After games, win or lose, the home team always throws a party for the visitor. It’s the world’s largest fraternity in a way, but the membership requirements are heart and dedication to the sport.

Q: Do players interested in playing need prior experience? Special equipment? Should a player expect to travel with the team often?

Matt Upton:

We’re always recruiting new players, and no prior experience is necessary. That’s part of the beauty of the sport, at least in America. While we are seeing things start to change a bit thanks to new high school programs, most people have not been playing rugby all their lives in this country. There’s not a huge disadvantage here to starting in your 20s or 30s.

Also, there’s no real heavy equipment requirement. Basically, all you need is a mouthpiece, cleats and your jersey.

As for traveling, we do have road games around the Deep South and beyond, so there’s a travel opportunity there for guys who want it.

Q: What brings players out to play? Why do you play?

Matt Upton:

We have guys come out who used to play football and miss that contact. Heard about it in college, thought they’d give it a shot and want to get in shape. Less expensive and more fun than joining a gym. See us out at bars together, see the camaraderie. So there’s the competitive thing, the fitness thing and also that social aspect.

Now why I play is basically because I love the sport and always want to get better at it. I’ve taken time off before, played other sports, did wrestling in college, but I always missed rugby and came back to it. There’s just nothing like it.

Q: If someone is looking for a team sport and has never played Rugby; what do you want to tell them as to why they should try Rugby?

Matt Upton:

It’s like no other sport they’ve played before, and while it’s not for everyone the people who connect with it usually stay involved in the rugby community for a long time. There are guys involved in our club who are still in college and guys who have been playing for more than 30 years. You plug into this diverse network of people who all share a love of this sport.

To find out more information about the New Orleans Rugby Football Club be sure to check-out their website and you can also find them on Facebook. We’ll see you at some of their games!!

As you know, we have been encouraging people to take part in the Pound for Pound Challenge because we believe it is such a wonderful opportunity to do something good for yourself, while at the same time, do something amazing for your community.

How exactly will you be helping your community? Watch this video and learn more about Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana and how the donation from General Mills for every pound you pledge to lose will help people in need.

As of this post, 18,686 pounds have been pledged by 578 people for New Orleans.

Be Fit Nola Interviews Second Harvest Food Bank from BeFitNola on Vimeo.

When we started looking for who was who in the New Orleans Fitness scene, it became apparent that Jonas Deffes has done a lot to help people, particularly women, lead healthier lifestyles in New Orleans.  He is a NESTA (National Exercise and Sports Trainer Association) Certified Adventure Boot Camp Instructor/Owner and a Certified Personal Trainer.  He runs New Orleans Boot Camp.  Read all about Jonas and Nola Boot Camp in my interview with him.  Also, we invited Jonas to blog for Be Fit NOLA and he made us happy by accepting – do stay tune to read his insights in the New Year.

Q. How did you get your start in the fitness/boot camp industry?

Jonas Deffes: In 2003, I opened my first pain clinic in New Orleans to help people with chronic and acute pain from sports and fitness injuries. I quickly found out that people had a further need to get in shape after they were pain free.  However, my pain clinics were destroyed by hurricane Katrina; thus, I began my personal training business   www.NolaTrainer.com .  I quickly became the “go to” trainer in New Orleans for getting in shape quick.  Within 3 months of starting my Personal Training business, I found myself with my schedule maxed out with over 40 personal training clients but I wanted to help more people with my training and nutritional methods.  So, in early 2007, I began my New Orleans Boot Camp for women www.NolaBootCamp.com , which allowed me to train and help more people. Since then, I have become the fitness Boot Camp Authority in New Orleans, which has helped thousands of women in New Orleans, Metairie, and Mandeville .

Q. What is Nola Boot Camp?

Jonas Deffes: New Orleans Boot Camp is a four week New Orleans personal training program for women that offers fitness instruction, nutritional counseling and motivational training – packed with fun and energizing activities designed to help you reach your fitness goals. Whether you want to lose weight to fit into that special dress, shed the extra pounds from a pregnancy or just get fit before that special occasion, this is the program for you!

Q. How long have you been running Nola Boot Camp?

Jonas Deffes: Officially started in 2007 with one location in Uptown New Orleans. Now we have active 4 locations and more on the way!

Q. Where and when do you hold boot camp sessions?

Jonas Deffes: All of out boot camps are held at 5:30am-6:30am Monday – Friday.
Our four locations are throughout the city.

-Audubon Park in New Orleans

-Saint Dominic’s School and Church in Lake view

-John Curtis Christian School in Metairie

-Trail Head in Mandeville.

Q. What makes the boot camp program different from having a workout at the gym?

Jonas Deffes: The main difference is that our boot camps are done outside.  We focus on utilizing green spaces, which allows for a completely different environmental aspect when working out.  There is nothing more energizing then seeing the sun rise every morning. It seriously is the Best way to start the day.
Also, we also have a free private online community for each member to join which offers support and guidance throughout the program.  Each boot camper also gets a shirt and nutritional guide to help then turbo charge their results and experience.

Q. Will I enjoy myself?

Jonas Deffes: You most definitely will enjoy yourself! We strive to make each and every workout different, challenging, fun, and motivating for all ages and fitness levels. Also, we are the ONLY Boot Camp that has official Certified Boot Camp instructors in New Orleans, which insures that you are getting quality and value within our program. I guarantee that you will leave each workout with a huge smile on your face and feeling like a million bucks!

Q. What is the best success story from someone who joined Nola Boot Camp?

Jonas Deffes: I have had so many success story’s, my website is literally covered with amazing video testimonials. However, one that particularly stands out is a woman named Jill who started boot camp with literally a zero fitness level.

I remember her at boot camp evaluation; she had told me that she had a goal to climb Mount Kilimanjaro! Seeing that she was about 25 pounds over weight, I knew she had a Huge challenge ahead of her. However, within three months on our program she had stayed the course and lost over 25 pounds and inches everywhere, then went off and climbed Kilimanjaro!

She isn’t stopping there either her next goal is climbing 4 days up to Machu Picchu, and the following year a 25 day hike in Nepal to Mt. Everest base camp.

Q. Can I gift Nola Boot Camp to someone for Christmas?

Jonas Deffes: Yes, we have gift certificates available…the gift of health and fitness has to be one of the best stocking stuffers someone can get.

Q. What would you tell someone who is hesitating to try this out?

Jonas Deffes: In today’s age, I feel that Social proof that a program can deliver results is the most important deciding factor of someone on the fence.  I have Dozens of video success stories from women of all shapes, sizes, fitness levels, and ages displayed on my website http://www.NolaBootcamp.com proving over and over again that we have a unique system that works for everyone.