Transformation Tuesday - Beachbody Womens Results

I could not be more proud of this girl right here!! I met Kelly and she started out as a challenger in one of my challenge groups. She told me her wedding was fast approaching and wanted to lose weight! I was so excited to work with her not only because I vividly remember what that was like to lose a lot of weight before your wedding day but also because I was so excited she was willing to do it the RIGHT WAY! She was ready to make this a lifestyle change and work hard to get there, no diet pills, no wraps, no gimmicks. Now I am so proud to call Kelly not only one of my challengers, but a coach on my team paying it forward to others AND a true friend!! I'll let you read her story in her own words....she tells it WAY better ;)

I am 25 years old, I am 5'4" and my heaviest weight was 211lbs. Around that time (2011) I found out I had a severe allergy to gluten. By cutting most breads out of my diet I lost about 20lbs. Shortly after that I got engaged (2013) and used my wedding as motivation to lose weight. I tried running and just ended up hurting myself, most likely because I was too overweight.

In January of this year my New Years resolution was to get healthy. At a size 16 i decided to I dust off the p90x program I purchased years prior and dove in! I began working out regularly but my motivation fizzled out a few weeks later. After about 3 months of working out every other day or so I gave up. I was sure I would never lose weight. Being overweight was just something I needed to get used to.

In April, I realized my wedding was 5 short months away and I was no where near where I wanted to be. In short, I wasn't getting the results I wanted and it was because I wasn't putting in the work that was needed. I knew I couldn't do this on my own and needed help.

I was then introduced to my coach Melinda and with her help we decided T25 was the program for me. I purchased it and joined my first accountability group. I was so pumped I woke up at 5am everyday and got my workout in first thing in the morning. I drank Shakeology every day and was loving how I felt. I hurt my back at work about half way through the program and got very discouraged, I wanted to quit. With the help of my coach and the motivation from the group I was able to get back into and push play.

At this time I was still only counting calories and thought that as long as I stayed under 1400 per day I would continue to lose weight. After finally acknowledging my eating habits were not up to par, I decided to look into this 21 day fix thing I kept hearing about. It was incredible. I felt like a whole new world opened up! I knew nothing about nutrition or what your body required and the 21 day fix taught me everything I needed to know! I now use it on a daily basis as a guideline. I plan my meals ahead of time and prepare them day before I need them so that I do not give into temptation.

Beachbody has changed my life and I am very grateful. I am able to spend quality time with my family, I can run with the dog and keep up with our 11 year old son. He even does the workouts with me! I love who I am becoming from this transformation and the ability to be a role model for my family and friends. 

I am now 155lbs and a size 10!! I am 10lbs away from my initial goal weight! I weigh less now then I did in high school. My confidence level has increased significantly, so much so that I can now leave the house in skinny jeans!!!

I'm not going to lie, I signed up to be a Beachbody coach for the discount. But it only took a short time to see that sharing my own story has the potential to inspire others to make this change in their lives as well.

Mom's on a Mission Accountability Group

As a BUSY mom I know that making time for myself takes a little bit of effort and it's NOT always easy! We are pulled in a million different directions and the last thing we want to worry about is what we are eating, where we are going to find time to cook it and how to fit in our workout. I also know what it's like when you dont make time for those things and your find yourself wishing you had made some time to workout and eat healthy so that you could fit into a pair of those cute jeans or little dress for that special occasion or just feel comfortable without having to suck it in to get those pants on or the muffin tops spilling over! 

I know!  I remember vividly covering up with big baggy sweaters and sweat pants to try to hide it all. When we would gather for family pictures I was always looking for some niece or nephew to stick on my lap to hide the rolls. I get it!!  You’re tired! I've had a baby who hasn't slept through the night, I've had to get up early for work and I've had to attend a million other obligations. And for these very reasons I was hesitant to invest in a fitness program, especially Shakeology because I was afraid I wouldn't like it or that I wouldn't finish the program or even worse START. We had a new family, mortgage, car payments and bills so I didn't want to waste money that could be used on other things.  I know exactly how you feel!!  I took forever to try Shakeology!  I had never done a meal replacement shake so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.  However, I finally decided I had nothing to lose except maybe a few pounds....ok 50 pounds! But I knew if I didnt at least START I couldnt see results so I figured I’d give it 30 days and see what happens.

 

What did I do??  Well, I finally decided enough was enough.  I committed to TurboFire, drank Shakeology and learned about clean eating!  I lost 18 pounds and 12 inches in 3 months.  I have completely changed my life and my family’s lifestyle.  My husband has committed to the programs right along with me.  My son see’s the importance of exercise and even asks if he can do jumping jacks and burpees with us.  Yes, at 3 years old he completely recognizes what we are doing.  I love that we can be the role models of health and fitness for him.

To have this transformation has seriously been amazing and it has truly inspired me to pay it forward for moms just like YOU!  Regardless of how old you are or even if you have kids, I want to help you create a healthy lifestyle for you and your family.  I want you to lead by example and show others it can be done.  I am going to teach you how to plan healthy meals that are 30 minutes or less, make snacks that are healthy, tasty and will keep you full and to stay motivated for the next 60 days! My goal is to help you find a balance between treats and staying on track.  In the blink f an eye Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas will be knocking on our door!  Of course you want to enjoy the holidays and you CAN with the 80-20 rule.  That means 80% of the time you are on track and 20% you get to enjoy!  Together we will decide what is most important, what we are going to stick to and when we will allow ourselves to ENJOY!

  

This is a lifestyle change NOT a diet!  You can live a healthy life and still enjoy those special moments!

 I know this sounds AMAZING, so where do we go from here?? 

 Requirements:

 1.  You are required to have ME as your COACH through Team Beachbody.

 2.  Then together WE pick a fitness program through Team Beachbody that fits your needs, based on your fitness level.  Not to worry, I have something for you!

{21 day fix, T25, Chalean Extreme, P90X3, Turbofire, Insanity, Piyo, ect...}

 3.  You are REQUIRED to replace 1 meal a day with Shakeology ONLY for the duration of the group. Once it is over you can decide if you have enough healthy recipes in your pocket to prepare meals without needing Shakeology or if you find it’s convenient and it takes care of 1 meal you can keep going!  Yes, 3 years later my husband and I drink Shakeology daily!

 4.  Then, it is required that you participate in the online closed group daily.  Each day I will share a tip, recipe, motivation or recipe.  We will address everything from emotional eating to staying on track during the holidays.    You check in, rate your day and get your inspiration for the next 24 hours.  We all keep each other accountable.  You can log in whenever you want. 

We will be there for you during the good times and the tough times!   My job is to see you through from start to finish and help you succeed at changing your lifestyle.  I will share with you the recipes that my family loves along with the quick easy recipes that don't take a lot of prep

We will start our plan and prep week on October 20th.  That means we will “clean house”!!   Set our goals, give you recipes, a meal plan outline and suggestions and together we will start working out the following MONDAY!

Diamond Beachbody Coach Success Story

For those of you who follow my blog, Facebook or know me personally you may already know much of this story. But for those who are reading it for the first time, I want to share a little bit about my journey with Beachbody from challenger to Diamond coach in just over a years time. Make sure you read to the end, you WILL be writing a story like this of your own and I can't wait to start the journey with you!

In January of 2012 I tipped the scales at 196 pounds. I had a 6 month old baby and LOTS of baby weight to get rid of. I felt sad, depressed and had no energy. I cried to my husband and told him that I was not comfortable in my own skin. I avoided social gatherings, hid in the back of pictures and felt completely lost. So I gathered up some friends and family members and started my own Biggest Loser challenge on Facebook. I created a private group where we could report our weight, share tips and healthy dinner ideas.I also started posting motivational pictures and quotes to keep myself motivated on my own personal FB wall. I lost about 20 pounds and felt like I was on my way! But at this point I didn't know what else to do, I was at a plateau and wanted to push past it. So I started surfing YouTube and came across a program called Turbo Fire. I saw other women getting AMAZING results and I didn't care what they did I WANTED IT!!!

So I bought it and found my coach. I was pumped and ready to start, but she said I had to get this stuff called Shakeology. I have never been a "shake person" and thought that it was just the same as all the other weight loss in a can crap out there on the market. So I kindly declined and did my Turbo Fire on my own. Two months had past and I had lost about 6 pounds...this was NOT the results that I wanted. I reached back out and asked her to tell me about Shakeology. I needed help and I didn't want to waste any more time. Here is what I learned...Shakeology is NOT just a protein shake! Yes it has protein in it, but it is a nutrient dense meal replacement shake with the vitamins and nutrition equivalent to 6 salads. (This was also WAY more than I was getting in my multi-vitamin!) I was very skeptical when I was told that Shakeology would help with digestion and regularity (a problem I had that I know MANY of us suffer from), curb cravings, boost energy naturally and help lose weight. How could a chocolate shake, that taste like a diner milkshake do all that AND be good for me? I kid you not that it DELIVERED. And the benefits didnt stop there. I had energy to get up and get my morning workouts done, I had less bloating in my stomach, I was losing weight as a result and since my body was getting all the nutrients and vitamins it needed I wasnt having cravings for junk. All cravings are is a way for our body to tell us that it's lacking something so we go seeking to satisfy it with junk or comfort food. My hair and nails were also strong and growing faster than ever! Deciding to drink Shakeology daily was the BEST decision I've made and all I can say is I wish I listened to my coach two months earlier. The combination of my workout, Shakeology and the support, community and accountability of my challenge group is what made all the pieces of the puzzle come together. Sure I could have hit the gym and ate "healthy" but I didnt know what to eat and how to workout. This challenge group gave me the tools, the nutrition, a day to day schedule for my workouts, it was a piece of cake! Although I am still a work in progress I have come a long way and proud of my efforts.

It was at this same time when I started drinking Shakeology that my coach approached me and asked what I thought about becoming a coach myself. Honestly I was flattered but I knew NOTHING about coaching. She was so professional and knowledgeable about health, fitness, clean eating and Beachbody and I was JUST starting my journey. She also told me that I could be a "preferred customer" if I wanted to and get 25% of of my Shakeology and any other products I purchased (HECK YAY, Coupon Queen over here!!) and I would also be able to join her challenge group as a challenger but at the same time learn how to coach others. I did this for 90 days as I went through my own personal transformation and ended 2012 down 42 pounds. I was PUMPED, I was no longer hiding in the back of pictures, I was LOVING my new, cute clothes and I was full of energy, which was really helpful with a one and a half year old! I knew if I could do this working a full time job with an infant that anyone could do it!

I met with my coach, joined her 60 day apprenticeship program where I learned everything she knew and did to get her to where she is today. I was given tools, documents, support, motivation and guidance to grow my own team. And then I told her that I was ready to do it on my own. I hit the ground running and have not looked back. I have successfully ran 1-2 challenge groups every month for the past 16 months, I am currently a Success Club 10 All Star, I have 25 personally sponsored coaches and a total of 40 coaches on my team! I ranked in the top 25 out of thousands of teams on the Beachbody Cup Challenge and I will be taking an all expense paid trip with my hubby in March as a reward for my efforts. It it not my intention in any way to brag or show off, I just hope to show you that ANYTHING is possible when you set your mind to it!! So here's where my story ends and YOURS begins!!

I had an amazing year but I only have BIGGER and BOLDER dreams for 2014 and I want YOU to be a part of them!! I want you to live the life of your dreams, set your own hours, help you help others, help you spend more time with your children and family and help you to financial freedom! Whether you are a stay at home mom or a busy working professional, if you have a passion for health and fitness or if you enjoy helping others I'd love to chat about joining my team. As I said above if you only join to get a discount on your products while you go through your own transformation that's awesome! And if you want to actively grow your own business, fill out the application below! Challenge group and Coach Apprenticeship groups start Monday January 6th!!

Clean Eating Tips

When people want to lose weight they are usually looking for a quick fix, a magic pill or a fancy gadget from an infomercial but the truth is that the only way to lose it AND keep it off is to make a lifestyle change. The first and most efficient lifestyle change that I’ve made is clean eating! I immediately stopped eating processed, boxed or frozen foods that were full of sodium, and ingredients that looked like they belonged in a science lab not on my food label. Clean eating is centered around natural, nutrient-dense foods that let your body run the way it’s supposed to.  Here are a few tips that are guaranteed to change both the way you feel and the way you look!

Don’t skip breakfast. The word itself tells you what its meant for…BREAK – FAST. Your body needs to start reving up for the day. You need to put fuel in your “car” if you want it to work for you all day. You need to set the tone for your metabolism. If you don’t feed it you’re basically telling it that you don’t need it to work too hard today and it wont!

Combine lean protein and complex carbs at each meal and eat 5-6 times a day. By combining these you are helping your body to maintain energy levels and decrease spikes in your blood sugar. This also helps you to stay fuller longer between meals and you’ll be less likely to continue snacking mindlessly on empty calories.  Some ideas might be an apple and 14 almonds, or veggies and hummus. Need a heavier meal? Try a stir fry using some low sodium chicken broth, veggies (carbs) and chicken (protein)! By eating every 2-3 hours you are also keeping your metabolism at a steady running state…you don’t want it dipping too low for too long which may cause you to overeat at your next meal because you’re starving!!

Keep clean snacks on hand. We ALL have crazy, crazy schedules. Whether it’s a work day and you’re tied to your desk all day or it’s the weekend and you’re running to the grocery store, kids sports and the dry cleaners you should always be prepared. Bring along a small cooler or just throw some things into your purse like a 100 calorie pack of almonds, an apple and low fat string cheese, a bottle of water and Shakeology in your shaker cup. Whatever you do just DON’T hit the drive thru!!

Drink. Water folks, I’m talking about WATER!! You should drink half of your weight in number of ounces each day…For example if you weigh 180 pounds you should be drinking AT LEAST 90 ounces of water each day. Is water not your thing? Try adding lemons, strawberries or other fruits. This will give it some flavor and you’ll also get the vitamins from the fruit!! If you’re feeling hungry mid-day, chug a big glass of water and see if that helps. Most times we think we’re hungry we’re really just thirsty.  

If you’re going to be drinking alcohol, make sure you have it scheduled in your meal plan. Alcohol packs on the calories but provides absolutely no nutritional value. It also causes you to make poor food choices later after you’ve had a few too many.

 

Make a weekly meal plan This has been a life saver for me and one of the fail proof methods to staying on track. I take some time out of my day on Sunday to create my meal plan for the week. This is for the whole family, I’m not running a restaurant. But the best part is that they usually don’t even know that these meals are “clean” because they are packed with flavor!! So once I have all my meals planed for the week I start my grocery list and head to the store. Once I’m home I get to work washing, chopping and prepping as many snacks and meals as I can so that during the week I can just grab and go. It’s a no brainer!! This also helps me when I get an urge to much on something. If I have my snacks already portioned, washed and ready to eat its so much more likely that I’ll grab that than some chips or cookies.

Watch your portions. Even if you’re eating very healthy and clean meals you can still over indulge. All food has calories and too many calories is still too many calories no matter what it is. So be mindful of your portion sizes, eat slow, drink water and really listen to your body. Are you REALLY hungry for seconds or is that just something you’re used to doing? Wait about 15 minutes, enjoy your company and then see. If you still need more, start with extra veggies.

Making a lifestyle change can be challenging but it’s definitely possible. And the best thing about it is that you don’t have to go it alone. I am here for you! I can help you make food choices that YOU like. You don’t have to eat something just because I do…there are SO many choices, the possibilities are endless. You can also make clean eating and meal planning a family affair rather easily. Most traditional “family dinners” have already been converted to a “clean recipe” somewhere and if we can’t find one then I’ll help you clean up your grandmas old family favorites!!  Get the family involved in the planning, shopping and prepping. The more you strike their curiosity and interest the more likely they’ll be willing to try!!

I would like to personally invite you to my next clean eating and Shakeology 30 day support group starting on October 21^st. Join me in a closed group of other individuals who are looking to get on the right track with their food and nutrition. Get help with meal planning, meal and snack ideas, healthy recipes that are family friendly and quick and easy to prepare. And heck, even lose a few pounds before Thanksgiving!! If you are interested in the details of this group and would like to get signed up please send me a friend request on Facebook and shoot me a message that you’d like to join!!

T25 Week 2 REWIND!!

Yup, you read that right!! I'm about to get real right now, be candid and lay it on the line, show you that I'm HUMAN and that even I make mistakes and need a little kick in the pants from time to time. Here we go...

So I started week 2 of my T25, Chalean Extreme hybrid last Monday. I felt great, I pushed hard, ate clean and thought it was going to be a great week. Well shortly after my morning workout we discovered that my husband's ankle was swollen and black and blue, so off he went for x-rays and discovered a pretty bad sprain. I told myself that even though I was losing my workout buddy (we were SO stoked to be doing this as a team) I would continue on this journey strong and keep the spirit alive for him when he was ready to return. 

 So Tuesday rolled around and I was definitely bummed he couldn't work out with me and those ugly little excuses started to roll right in like a freight train. I can't believe I actually uttered the words "well I'll just make today my rest day and workout on Saturday", but I did. And I skipped my workout and went on with my day. For the most part I ate clean and stuck to my meal plan although I could have used some more water.

Wednesday came and I felt better. I actually knocked out TWO workouts, T25 and Chalean Extreme, I had my fire back. I turned up the music, had my son dancing next to me and I was pumped!! I sat there at the end of my workout trying to truly soak up that AMAZING feeling I was experiencing so that next time I didn't want to work out I could dig deep and remember how great I always feel when it's done.

Thursday, the 4th of July, came and I was confident that I would make good decisions even though it was going to be my cheat meal. I woke up early and did my workout before we headed out of town, made my 4th of July Shakeology and again I felt great about my decision to rise and shine! I started my day off with my normal pro-oats breakfast and brought some healthy snacks (apple/almonds and tuna packets). My brother-in-law and sister-in-law did some amazing BBQ and fresh summer salads so I knew I this cheat meal wasn't going to be so bad after all. I wouldn't be left feeling guilty for the choices I had made. My down fall was helping to clean up...not the cleaning up the kitchen part, but the "oh I didn't try this earlier, let me try a bite of that, oh this looks good" So after all was said and done my little nibbles in the kitchen probably added up to anther meal in itself...EKKK!!! THIS my friends is where I feel very guilty and was the start of my downward spiral...I'll spare all the details but Friday, Saturday and Sunday consisted of no workouts, fairly good eating, I had my daily Shakeology, but didn't stick to a meal plan at all and definitely felt sluggish. I have conditioned my body to expect certain things to make it thrive, regular workouts, Shakeology, clean eating, no processed or very carb heavy foods and I didn't deliver. I have no one to blame but myself, but this pity party is OVER!!!

Today my husband is back to work, and we have a new schedule we all have to stick to. For me this means getting up at 5am whether I like it or not. Getting in that workout and starting the day off right with a healthy breakfast. I've decided to take this story and give it a happy ending. That means that I will start week 2 T25/Chalean Extreme over again today. That I will not beat myself up. That I will prove its ok to make mistakes and fall off the wagon BUT you have to dust yourself off and GET BACK ON!! I have prepared my meal plan for the week. Shopped, cooked and prepped my meals and I'm ready to take this week head on. 

To hold myself accountable I will post here that my morning weigh in was 154.3. If you've been following my journey you know last week I weighed in at 153.2 and you may be thinking "WAIT...you're freaking out over ONE POUND?" But folks, you KNOW it's not about that pound. I am NOT a scale fan, its about my lifestyle choices that I'm unhappy. It's about not being the example of health and fitness that I aim to be. So it's time to turn the page and get this week on the road. Follow my progress at Healthy Girl Fitness and, stay tuned for an AWESOME week!!

Chalean Extreme / TurboFire Hybrid Week 7 Review

I have three days left of my Chalean Extreme/TurbFire hybrid but I'm doing my review now since I will be extremely busy preparing for my trip to Las Vegas for my Beachbody Coach Summit!!


So to recap on how I did this "hybrid" I did 4 weeks of Chalean Extreme AND TurboFire every day. I absolutely loved the calorie burn on my heart rate monitor but I wasn't getting the physical results I was hoping for. I was losing weight but my physique was soft and my tummy a little flabby. I knew I had my trip to Las Vegas coming up so I needed to re-evaluate the situation and quickly. I talked to some friends about my fitness routine and decided to just stick with Chalean Extreme for the last 3 weeks before my trip. I'm telling you that did the trick!! I'm still a work in progress but I have so much more muscle definition, my abs are getting stronger and starting to show and my pants are all fitting looser!! I am excited to announce that to date I am down 10 pounds since starting this hybrid!!

I made a conscious effort to increase my weights each week and this week is definitely TOUGH but I'm pushing through. The goal this week is to reach failure by 12 reps (but at least to 10). In the past months I usually fatigued at that last rep but this month I'm reaching the 10-11 range. And I'm ok with that because I know that progress is happening and in a few weeks I'll be upping my weights again. This week most weights were at 17.5-25 pounds depending on the move and the muscles being used.

I've also really been focusing on stripping down my meal plan. I know that once I start to remove starchy carbs like rice, bread and pasta from my diet as well as dairy and fruit my tummy is a very happy camper and so am I!! It doesn't take long for me personally to start seeing the positive effects of removing these foods from my diet and in complete honesty I really don't miss the carbs. I've never really been a Carb Queen I usually just gravitate towards the bread baskets and chips because "they're there". So I just push them to the other side of the table at restaurants and I don't keep them in my home. When I return from Vegas I will add back in fruit and small amounts of dairy back into my diet if I find I need it.

Here is the meal plan that I've been following for the last couple weeks. Sometimes I would replace one of the snacks with a second Shakeology. I will be doing the 3 Day Shakeology Cleanse starting today for the final phase of the lean out process.

Like I said I have 3 more days to finish up my "hybrid" program and fly into Vegas to be surrounded my my friends and "family" and learn from the BEST of the best Beachbody coaches!! I am looking forward to this experience for many reasons!! I am excited to learn ways to grow my business, I am excited to learn ways to continue to support others and help them reach their best potential through health and fitness!!!

If you would like more information on how you can get these results or more information on Beachbody Coaching please contact me today. I'd love to set up an appointment to chat!!