I know I'm a week behind. I intended to post an update last week called, aptly enough, Derailed. But I spent most of last week yelling at people and trying not to drown under the weight of work, family and other commitments. So, no post. C'est la vie.

Overall, my workouts continue to go well. I love the in-person workouts. The sessions are extremely tough, but it's very rewarding to get to the end of the hour and feel energized and strong. The scale is not budging yet, but over the weekend I did wear a pair of jeans that did not fit a month ago. So things are shifting, and according to Susan, "they shift and then they disappear!" Fingers crossed!

Everywhere I go, people ask me questions about this boot camp adventure. I thought I'd include some here in case others are curious .

Q: Are you crazy?!?

A: Yes, but that hardly has anything to do with my decision to join a 5:30 a.m. boot camp. And I'll advise you to leave my mental stability out of it, thank you very much.

Q: Aren't you tired?

A: Absolutely. I am not a morning person. Never have been. Every Tuesday and Thursday when that alarm goes off at 4:50 a.m., I begin thinking of every excuse in the book as to why I shouldn't go to class. But I get up and I go. When the sun is rising and the world is waking up while I'm doing Maniacs and Plank Jacks, I give myself a little pat on the back for being brave enough to take on this challenge. And then I collapse in bed by 9 p.m. that night!

Q: Are you sore?

A: Oh dear me, yes. All the time. But now it's less of a "can't-move-a-single-appendage-without-pain" sore and more of a "wow-didn't-know-I-had-muscles-there-but-that-feels-good" sore. And the fact that I can see the beginnings of biceps and that my legs are taking on more definition is worth the ache.

Q: What's the homework like?

A: Every participant in Body Back gets a DVD with three 20-minute workouts and three 10-minute ab workouts. Susan asks that I do at least one of these on the days I'm not with her in person (actually, she probably wants me to do a DVD workout on the same day as the in-person workout … she's a killer!). In addition, she sends me links to online workouts at Exercisetv.tv. Plus, she sent me home with a set of gliding disks and DVD last week to try out over the weekend. So I'm averaging about 45 minutes of at-home workouts about four days a week in addition to the two in-person sessions.

Q: Do you have to diet?

A: Yes and no. There's a suggested meal plan, but I haven't been following it strictly as I'm a vegetarian and the recipes are not. Susan advocates getting between 1,200–1,500 calories per day and eating as close to the source as possible, but there are no restrictions on what you can and can't eat. Just use common sense.

I keep a food journal where I write down everything I eat all day long. I'd love to say I never forget to write something down, but somehow the pizza and beer from Saturday night did not end up in the journal! By the way, the program suggests that you abstain from alcohol for the duration if you're really serious. I've cut back a lot, but I do still have beer and/or wine at least one night a week (maybe that's why the scale's not budging).

Q: How much does it cost?

A: Full disclosure, I paid nothing. Susan graciously let me try the program in exchange for this live-out-loud approach to my participation. Normally it's $299 for the 8-week program. There are 16 in-person workouts and daily support from a certified instructor and a licensed nutritionist. So, the cost is roughly $40 per week or $19 per workout.

Q: How many are in the class?

A: Right now, just two – me and one other brave soul. She's in her last week of the program and it's amazing to see how strong she is. She arrived at 5:30 a.m. one morning after having been up half the night with a sick baby and still gave 110 percent. Now that's dedication. I will be quite lonely when she's gone.

Which leads me to my final question …

Q: When does the next session start?

A: You can jump in any time. Come on! I need a partner! Just email Susan at susanrobinson@strollerstrides.net. And if you mention you read this blog post, Susan will give you $25 off the program. I promise you'll love it. And I'll crack jokes and regale you with hilarious stories while we do pushups and situps. And then I'll blog about you. How can you refuse?