The Team Talks Discipline

Oprah.com: What has been Oprah's new focus for you? What are you learning about yourself and your habits having started a new boot camp that you didn't realize from the initial 12 weeks?

Kathleen: Here's what I'm realizing—it's easy for me to maintain the weight loss;it's increasingly difficult to keep losing. It is incredibly challenging to stay so tightly disciplined. I think in this post-initial phase, Oprah is really trying to get us to hone in our weakness…for me it's chocolate.

Dana: I have learned how important it is to vary my exercise, because it can get very repetitive doing the same workout routine everyday. … I may not always enjoy it while I am doing it, but I always feel great after I have a good workout.

Oprah.com: After the initial 12 weeks, how successful were you at adding back in whole grains and new foods?

Stacey: I have some granola sometimes (not necessarily whole grain, but I try and get the sugar-free kind) and one slice of whole-grain bread. I have either of those maybe three to four times a week, but definitely not at every meal. I occasionally have a small portion of rice or potatoes maybe once a week. I really try to continue to stay away from all of the white stuff. At this point, I know this is my new way of life. My palate has changed drastically so I really don’t enjoy the kinds of food I ate before. I actually crave berries or protein now. If I have to have bread, pasta, etc., I look for whole grain options.

Oprah.com: Do you think you'll periodically re-visit a "boot camp" type program (6 weeks, 12 weeks, etc.)?

Kathleen: I definitely think I would.

Stacey: I will absolutely re-visit boot camp occasionally as a maintenance program when I feel like my eating and exercise are not up to par. I think it will help keep me honest about my workouts and focused on maintaining my weight and eating habits.

Dana: I would like for this to be a new way of life for me. I do not want to battle my weight forever, so I have to adopt a new way of life to accommodate my goal. I am optimistic that once I reach my goal, I can focus on maintaining that and not have to focus on losing the weight anymore.