I can't believe it

How did I not notice that it's been 4 weeks almost since I posted anything?!?! Time sure does fly.

It's been a pretty busy September, a good kind of busy. Not the kind where you are running around like a crazy person or traveling all over the place. The kind where there is just enough stuff to do to keep you from being bored.

Let's start with Lily to catch you up. So last I wrote here, Lily was getting started in Kindergarten. She is loving every minute of it. It's kind of hard to get her to tell me anything specific about her day, but she talks about her friends and a lot about her teacher. Her teacher is a major Disney fan and that makes Lily ever more excited. She tells me everything about her teacher and it makes me smile. This is what I wanted, I wanted Lily to have a teacher to get her excited about going to school and about learning.

Lily is doing well with gaining independence and building good habits. She is practicing her sight words every day and can read almost all of the words they sent home at the beginning of the year. I have started putting together sentences for her with those words and we have a lot of fun with it. She is playing outdoor soccer and having fun with that. She gets to decide on indoor soccer or basketball next.

I've gotten really active myself with the school. I work in the library 2 days a week, I'm coordinator for Box Tops for Education (feel free to save them and send them to me,) we've started our meetings for Girl Scouts (Daisy troop leader here with my girl Carrie) and I'm Vice President of the PTO. All of this with some seriously amazing parents. I tell you, the parents that are active with the school are ACTIVE with the school. I'm getting to know a small group of them really well and feeling like Toledo is home.

I know... I can't believe I said that. I put it on Facebook the other day and blew the minds of many others. I know everyone told me that I'd eventually be ok and I had a hard time believing it. The thing is, I needed something to happen to start meeting people that made me feel like I belong around here and I guess school starting and getting involved did just that.

I'm still working on my personal health and fitness goals. I've been kind of holding steady for a while and starting tomorrow I'm ready to go hardcore. I'm planning on really dialing in on my nutrition which I've been pretty decent at but feeling like I am letting lax a little too much. I'm going to keep pushing my early morning workouts and add some double days!!! I'm ready to feel as amazing as I did after my first round of 21 day fix when I really killed some goals!!

That's a pretty basic summary of September and does do it the justice it deserves lol. But I've got challengers to check in on because I've spent the day cleaning and don't want them to be ignored. Until next time.......

September Special!!

It's that time of year again... Back to School!!

I'd like to say it's Fall, but that's just not entirely true yet. The temperature are cooling and fall activities are kicking off, but we just aren't all the way there yet. I can tell you about how much I absolutely love this season in another post.

But anyway.. September.

Kids and adults going back to school or back to work if you've had the summer off. New schedules, new activities, new routines. While you are making adjustments to those routines, why not add a little something for yourself. Your kids get to participate in sports, arts or whatever they can. Why can't you do something for yourself?? If you don't take care of yourself, how can you really take care of anyone else long term??

What if a little money and time investment in yourself could result in better attention, more energy, less tiredness, stronger body, stronger mind, stronger spirit, improved overall health?? Would you want to a part of that? I sure would!!! I sure am!! This continues to happen to me as I continue to invest in myself and my health!!

Back to school is busier, absolutely but if you are interested in one of the specials I am about to list you get access to a challenge group (on Facebook because you know you'll be in there anyway.) We will discuss tips to make meals and workouts go smoothly and more quickly than you may be used to. There will be support, motivation and accountability. You don't have to do anything alone and there will always be someone to answer your questions or give you advice.

So, without further delay here are your September specials:

PiYo Challenge Pack ---------> PiYo plus 1 month of Shakeology

3 Day Refresh Challenge Pack ---------> 3 Day Refresh plus 1 month of Shakeology

PiYo Kickstart Challenge Pack ---------> 3 Day Refresh plus PiYo plus 1 month of Shakeology

Here is what you need to know about PiYo:

Here is what you need to know about the 3 Day Refresh (you can also reference an earlier blog post about my own personal results with the 3 day refresh):

Please check out the tab labeled Shakeology at the top of the page to learn more and watch videos about my favorite meal of the day!!!

If you would like to talk one on one about either of these items, Shakeology or how awesome a challenge group is, you can comment below check me out on Facebook or e-mail me jenni@jennifulop.com 

Your time is NOW!!!!

Something New

If you watch me on Facebook then you know about the workout programs I've done. I've completed 21 day fix, Insanity Max 30, Cize (almost) and I've dabbled in 21 day fix extreme, PiYo and Les Mills Combat. I'm excited to try something new now. I'm going to be doing T25. I'm going to join a friend who is taking control of her health and see what kind of results I can get from a  new program and one that REALLY fits into my upcoming schedule.

I'm going to apply the 21 day fix nutrition plan because honestly, it's a no brainer and works better than anything else I have ever tried. The workouts I know will challenge me and that's good because after all, "if it doesn't challenge you it won't change you." Also, they are 25 minutes. I can easily find 30 minutes for workouts every day, I've been doing that since November of last year and now I even will have 5 minutes to spare. :) 

I'm so excited about my current challenge groups. So much activity going on because people are committed to themselves and their health. I am so excited about challenge groups going on and the results people are getting that I'm actually offering a special right now for new people who sign up. With the purchase of any challenge pack through 8-31-15 I am offering an Amazon gift card!! This is an investment in you and you deserve a little something extra for taking the leap of faith!!!

With the school year starting this a great time to join a challenge group! You will get all the tools and support you need and will learn how you can fit in a workout in a busy schedule and learn to eat right, especially when you might have to eat in a hurry. We make too many excuses for ourselves and give ourselves a pass when things get difficult. I know I'm certainly guilty of that (still am once in a while.) The bottom line is that you can do this!! You deserve this!! It's not always going to be easy, but when have you come across something that is.

Ok, I'm about to be rambling (you know, per usual.) I'm asking you to take this step WITH me. I may have already been working out and taking control of my nutrition but I am always learning something new and trying to grow so your first step will be a first step in something for me as well.  Make a comment below, e-mail me (jenni@jennifulop.com) or reach out to me on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Let me help you help yourself!!

Remember, I'm about to embark on a whole new program!! One i've heard some about, but not much. I'm ready to take on all kinds of new challenges, but only because I know I have support in a challenge group. I couldn't do this alone and I don't have to. Same goes for you!!!

Relief and Ramblings

What a relief!! After months of waiting, plenty of paperwork and many tears and worries we were accepted into the Elementary school we wanted. Yes, I do mean we. Lily will be going to class but our family is going to be an active part of the school. We came very close to not being accepted as an out of district family and I just didn't know what I was going to do.
Lately I've been practicing a question method. When something frustrates me or saddens me I ask the question "Will this matter in a year?" This really puts things into perspective for me. It's done a lot of calming me down and helping me to enjoy my days more.
Now back to this school thing.. I applied the question to my situation and it came down to yes, absolutely it will matter. I'm kind of tired of hearing "it's only Kindergarten." Not that I think Kindergarten is the most important school year of a child's life, but come on how could someone not take this year seriously?!?! It sets a tone, will they enjoy school? Will they hate it? Will they get started off right? Will they have learning troubles? So many questions, so many things could happen. It isn't to say that anything stays the way it does after this first year, but seriously I think it's incredibly important. It's also the first time we send our kids away from us everyday for long periods of time, don't you think it's important for you and your child to feel comfortable with where they are going?!?!
As far as schools in the area go, I'm so happy to be able to send Lily to the one we picked. Beautiful facilities, nice area, very active PTO, excellent testing scores, quality full time teachers and more. The best part is that now that she is accepted, she stays in and we don't have to go through the process in future years.

So here we are, 2 weeks out from Kindergarten for my one and only baby! You can pretty much count on a post full of tears coming about that when it happens. School shopping done (and the girl looks beautiful in a uniform,) supplies ready, soccer equipment purchased. We have open house coming up in a week and tomorrow morning we find out tomorrow morning which teacher she will have. I don't know them very well so it won't matter quite so much to me but it's still exciting. Ok, so I won't get into much more here because as I mentioned there will be much more to say on this soon.
Lily is about to have her last week of out of town summer fun. She has 3 days in Kalamazoo with her Big Papa Fran and T and then Grandma. When she comes back we have a night at home and then a weekend of camping with my family. I've been looking forward to this for a few weeks. A few more groceries for the weekend and we will be all set. I haven't been camping (except for Girl Scouts) in I can't even remember how many years. Wish us luck!!!

Body acceptance

I've been dedicated to giving myself at least 10 minutes every day to read a personal development book. I know I know, I say something about personal development frequently. That is because I recently discovered how important it is, what an impact it can make in how you handle every day. For the first time ever, I am purposefully reading my current book slowly. Normally I try to finish a good book as quickly as I can because I am so excited for the end. I want to practice and retain what I am learning now and so reading it slow is working out much better.

I am reading about acceptance and self love (amongst so many other things) and as I read through other blogs, Facebook statuses and articles I get discouraged about something. Too many men and women trying to justify being skinny or trying to justify being fat. What the heck?? This begs the question, where do we draw the line between telling people to love who they are no matter what and you are killing yourself with your lifestyle choices and you need to change?

The truth is that regardless of whether we are big or small, thick or thin we can all work towards a healthier existence. You might look at somebody and say to yourself that that person is unhealthy but know nothing about where they are on their journey. Maybe that person is down 100 pounds already and works daily to continue to improve themselves. I know this has been a huge struggle for me. I have spent wasted time worrying about whether others would choose me as their coach and trust me to help them on their journey because I am not as skinny or muscular as the next coach. But I have realized that anyone whom I seek or seeks me will know about my journey, they will know I am still working towards my goal every day and that I've come such a long way already. And no one person is better than the next, we are on different pages of different chapters and sometimes different books. All I can control is me! What a powerful statement!!!

I believe we all want to feel good about ourselves and it's easier to put down others who don't look like us. Have you ever heard or used one of the following phrases: "strong is the new skinny," " that person needs to eat,"  "that person is way too fit" or the all too common "real women have curves." We are all created differently. We all have genetics that do play a role. More importantly though, it is up to us to take responsibility and do something about getting to the healthy version of ourselves no matter what we may look like. Some of us will be bigger, some of us will be smaller but only we will know whether we are healthy. We have another personal responsibility to ourselves to be happy. Isn't that why we are here, to be happy?!?! We have to challenge ourselves to be better and take action on improving our own lives. There is no place in there for insulting others because we think they look too skinny, too fat, too healthy or too unhealthy.

We should all be accepting of our bodies but we should also be committed to getting healthier so that we stop spending our lives unhappy, uncomfortable and sick. For the love of everything, we need to learn to stop comparing ourselves to others (remember how I mentioned above I have a lot of experience doing this and it kept me from moving forward). We don't share parents, we don't share habits... we are all unique!!! Being cruel to another person whether we know where they are at in their journey or not will only make things worse, for them and ourselves.

I want you to ask yourself if you are using any of the phrases that put down others so you can feel better. Do you notice if you put others down just because they are different? Do you get checkups regularly? Has your doctor given you a clean bill of health? Do you take being proud of your body as an excuse to live an unhealthy lifestyle?

How do we help the people in our lives get healthy? What about the people in our lives who proudly have no desire to change.

For me it's pretty simple. We can't force others to change and if they have no desire to change we may not know where they are at on their journey. We have to accept that we are all different. I may never have a six pack on my abs or definition in my arms, that doesn't mean I don't workout like I should or that I eat junk every day. The thing is that I share it. I share it with everyone I can, as long as they are willing to listen. That is how I help!! By showing what I do or what I've done and laying out my steps from beginning to end somebody will realize that they want to get on board. Maybe not now and that's ok. I don't force anything on anybody and I don't pretend that I have all the answers. I tell everybody, often that I have come so far and have so much farther to go and I learn and grow every step of the way!!

What are your thoughts on body acceptance? Fat shaming?

Shake Shake Shake Your BOOST!!! eh?

Come on, sing that title.. You know you want to!!

Ok, for real. Shakeology BOOSTS are HERE!!! What??? Something to boost your healthiest meal of the day?? Well, yes. But why? Let's get real for a minute here. Sometimes you just have to have a little something extra. Shakeology fills in those gaps in your nutrition, but it can't be the end all to your journey to healthy living. Shakeology is your daily dose of dense superfood nutrition, so what could these boosts do for you?? Here you are:

Focused Energy Boost

You know those days that you just need a little something more? There just doesn't seem to be enough coffee to get you through? Those days have an answer now without compromising your health by filling you with chemicals, sugar and large doses of caffeine that create energy spikes that you give you the temporary jittery feeling followed by the crash. You are going to feel more energized and alive without any artificial ingredients AND it's for your mind as well as your body. Energy, mental clarity, alertness and focus are now yours!!!

Why would you need this Boost in addition to your Shakeology? Again, it's for those days when you just need a little something extra.  What can the ingredients do for you?

Green Tea, Matcha Tea, Guarana, Rhodiola and Asian Ginseng help improve alertness and attention.
American Ginseng, Asian Ginseng, Green Tea, Matcha Tea, Gurana help support mental clarity, focus and clear thinking.
Proprietary Mushroom Blend (Cordyceps, Reishi, King Trumpet, Lion's Man), Ginseng and Rhodiola are adaptogens that help support the body in times of stress.

How do you use it and what makes it better than other energy products?
Add one scoop of Focused Energy Boost with Shakeology (or really any beverage of your choice), blend and consume within 30 minutes.
There are no artificial ingredients of any kind in this boost. It's packed with naturally caffeine, adaptogens to help support the body in times of stress and antioxidants that may help fight free radical damage. You just don't get that anywhere else!!

Power Greens Boost

It's no surprise that today's average diet does not usually meet the daily recommended about of veggies, but Power Greens can help. Whether you don't have time to cook, go grocery shopping or really just don't like the taste of veggies this is the boost for you!
This boost contains one full serving of nutritious green veggies that provides vitamins, minerals and healthy phytonutrients to your body. It's like you're eating 2/3 cup of dark leafy greens, 1/3 cup cucumbers and 1/3 of a large celery stalk.

So why this particular boost in addition to your Shakeology? After all, doesn't Shakeology have veggies?
Even though Shakeology is PACKED with superfoods, the reality is you can never get enough greens. Maybe you're a veggie hater. Maybe you're on the go and the menu options are veggie challenged. Or, maybe you're a firm believer that more is better. Regardless, the bottom line is when it comes to greens, the more you eat the happier your body will be.

What will these ingredients do for you and how do you use it?

Proprietary Phytonutrient Blend (Spinach, Chlorella, Kale, Spirulina) which contains chlorophyll, iron, protein and naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. This provides antioxidants, which when part of a healthy diet may help maintain good health.
Cucumber which contains potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin A and calcium.
Celery which contains calcium, vitamin A, vitamins B1 and B2, magnesium, phosphorous and iron.

Again, add one scoop of Power Greens Boost to your Shakeology or the beverage of your choice, blend and consume within 30 minutes.

But Jenni, other people already have greens products. What makes this one better?
While other green boosts contain small doses of numerous ingredients, Power Greens Boost is packed with a potent dose of green superfoods that contain vitamins, minerals and vital phytonutrients.. plus for me personally I need to get in the celery and cucumber benefits because I hate eating both of those items. Also, there are absolutely NO artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives and our unique formula helps support the body's acid/alkaline balance.

Also, if you happen to be someone who misses their daily Shakeology every once in a while (what? that never happens) the Power Greens Boost will be your best friend.

And last, but certainly not least......

Digestive Health Boost

What if you could rid yourself of tummy troubles? Did you know that most Americans get less than half the recommended daily dose of fiber?

Digestive Health Boost may help decrease bloating and digestive discomfort as well as keep you regular. Not only does it have the optimal ratio of soluble and insoluble fiber to help keep you regular, this boost also contains ALA omega-3 fatty acids which support cardiovascular health.

Sometimes your body needs a little help in the digestion department from temporary or long term digestive issues or system clogs. When you're experiencing irregularity, bloating or discomfort this boost will help with those uncomfortable symptoms while getting you back to feeling like yourself as soon as possible.

What will the ingredients in this boost do for you?
Chicory Root and Pea Fiber can help maintain digestive system health and regularity.
Insoluble fiber from Chia and Flax Seeds which is a good source of insoluble fiber plus they contribute alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) a plant based omega-3 fatty acid which supports cardiovascular health.
Soluble fiber from Psyllium Husk which as a part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, it may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Really, I'm almost done with the science part because it is so incredibly important that you know how these help and are different from other products!

With this boost, you may want to start off with half a scoop and gradually increase to one scoop mixed with your Shakeology or other beverage of your choice. This is so your body can adjust to the added fiber in your diet and you avoid any discomfort. When blending, if your drink is too thick add some liquid as needed and consume promptly. This product happens to be different in that unlike other products, it contains BOTH soluble and insoluble fiber which are equally important to our digestive health.

Adam and I are both starting these products. Each of us has a different boost based on our current needs. I can't wait to tell you the difference in how we feel after consistent use. If you believe that one of these boosts is what you need to give you that little something extra you are looking for in your diet, please click here!!

And now that you have been through all this information with me, enjoy this video. I love Tony Horton and he makes this a little more fun!!

Beachbody Performance Line, It's HERE!!!

As I mentioned in my previous post I went to Nashville a few weeks ago for Coach Summit. They released some new products and so this week I'm going to tell you about them. First, I want to share with you about the Beachbody Performance Line!!!

There are 5 parts to the performance line: Energize (pre-workout), Hydrate (during workout), Recover (post workout), Recharge (for nighttime) and Creatine (for high intensity.)

Let's look at each of these, what they are and what they can do for you.

Each part of the performance line is designed with ALL athletes in mind. Do you workout? At all?? You ARE an athlete!!!! It goes with any fitness program or routine you follow and is endorsed by the NSF!!

Energize (pre-workout)- Designed to help ignite your energy and sharpen your focus when taken BEFORE your workout. It's specially formulated to help you push harder and last longer (similar to the Energy and Endurance that I've shared with you before). The key ingredients include beta-alanine, low-dose caffeine from green tea and plant based quercetin which is scientifically shown to delay exercise-induced muscle fatigue, improve performance and help you with maximum intensity.

Hydrate (during your workout)- This hydrates your body more effectively than water for all-out performance. Typical sports drinks have too much sugar and artificial ingredients that can actually dehydrate you. Water alone doesn't effectively hydrate or replace what you lose through sweat during workouts. Hydrate is specially formulated to give you an optimal balance of carbohydrates, electrolytes and water that quickly replace what's lost and to help improve your endurance so you can work out longer and feel better.

Recover (post workout)- Take advantage of the critical post workout window to help speed recovery and reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness with this drink. Key ingredients include high-quality time-released proteins to support muscle recovery, an optimal ratio of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to help build muscle, just enough carbohydrates to stimulate muscle glycogen recovery and a powerful ellagitannin-rich pomegranate extract to help improve strength recover and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness.

Creatine (an add on to the recover)- You can blast through high intensity exercises and turn your last rep into the second or third last ap. Creatine can help you push that much harder in every workout for ultimate performance and quicker results. Creatine monohydrate is the purest, safest and most effective form in the world- it's scientifically shown to help boost muscle strength and power, improve high-intensity performance and enhance the effects of resistance training.

Recharge (for night time)- Help accelerate recovery, combat exercise-induced muscle soreness and promote muscle growth when your body is primed to accept it---while you sleep. This is specifically designed to help support your body at night with key ingredients like micellar casein protein to support overnight muscle recovery and repair while combating breakdown, an optimal ratio of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to help support muscle growth and a powerfyl anthocyanin-rich tart cherry poweder to help reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness.  (Think, being able to walk as normal after leg day)

Each of these is a powder drink to be mixed with water and each has a unique flavor (lemon, citrus, chocolate, vanilla... yum). Once more, it does not matter your fitness level, these can be tailored to fit your needs to help you give your best performance EVERY single time even if it's you in front of your tv or computer doing your workout.

The science behind the new performance line.... brought to you by Harvard trained scientists!

Remember, I mentioned this is totally customizable to fit your needs at every level of your fitness from beginner to EXTREME athlete.

You can purchase each of these drinks separately or you can combine them for maximum results and bundling saves you some $$$

                                            Get started with Performance Line HERE

My thoughts are all over the place

This happens to me a lot...

I sit down to write a post and I go blank.

I sit down and start typing a post and I get to the end finding it makes little sense. If it makes little sense to me, nobody else has a hope of understanding.

Why does this happen? I know why it happens, I'm just not entirely sure how to make it stop yet.

Why it happens----- Excitement!!! Passion!! Even FEAR!! And that is the answer for why both of those scenarios happen.

I write down ideas and topics I want to post about but sometimes I don't know everything I want to say about what it is and so I sit and I stare at the computer screen until I become so frustrated I close the computer and tell myself I will worry about it another day. Yes, worry. But why the heck should I worry about it. I don't pretend to be some incredibly popular or talented blogger. This is my space and I don't owe anybody anything. What is the deal with that? Fear, that little bugger... he'll keep you from amazing things if you let him!!!!!

So let's not focus here and now on Fear, there is enough of him out there already.

I have to tell you that in the month of July I have spent more time being excited than anything else. Why you ask (you know you did)? Because I have Passion. They go hand in hand. I have spent more time doing activities that I enjoy, spending time with people I love and controlling what I can. I got to go to Disney World with the two loves of my life (my favorite place ever.) I got to spend though small, time with my parents. I got to go to Nashville with people who I admire. I have gotten to spend every day (except while I was off having my own fun) of summer vacation with Lily. This has truly been the most amazing and rewarding summer I could have asked for.

What do I get to do that makes these days so much fun?  I read for fun, I browse the internet for fun, I workout for fun, I eat for fun (well, and because I have to), I swim, I go to the zoo... Oh my gosh I do so much and I enjoy all of it!!! These things I do for fun, I also do because they are my job. One year ago, I would have told you that were insane, you were mistaken and you were full of something if you told me I'd be living my dream. My dream to stay at home with Lily, to have a job doing what I want when I want, to be happier and healthier than I have been in years... and yet, it's what I am doing!!!

I went to Nashville this month for Coach Summit!! Wow!! Being surrounded by thousands of individuals who share similar stories, goals, achievements... it blows your mind. Not one of us was the same and we had so much to share. I met individuals who were incredibly successful with reaching all kinds of goals; financial, mental health, physical health!!! You can't imagine! It really got  me thinking about why not me?? I must have written it down a hundred times. There were people there who overcame poverty, anxiety, obesity AND sickness/disease (Cancer, for example.) If these substantially difficult situations were turned into success, what holds me back?? There is that little bugger fear again. I have so many things I can be afraid of, but why do I need to be? Instead, I choose to think of what I could make happen if I wasn't so afraid. That doesn't mean I don't get uncomfortable, hello a person doesn't change overnight. But if I am uncomfortable, I am growing, I am changing the world or at least someone's world (always for the better) and that gets me excited!

I know I say it frequently, but seriously who wouldn't?? If you find an opportunity to be excited, grab onto it and don't let it slip through your fingers. I am beyond blessed with happiness and opportunity. I sacrifice some things in order to have others and often that is what it takes to make your dreams come true!! I don't own fancy jewelry or cars, expensive clothing (or really even much new clothing), I rarely go shopping for anything other than groceries and I love it because that means being able to do what I have to at home with Lily or to build my business because it's up to me to build something from nothing, not anyone else. This my friends is EXCITING!!!

When I get excited I have all of these thoughts and ideas that seem to attack me at once. One idea growing into another then another then another until my head is so full I just can't process it all. I'm the kind of person who just has to take it slow and my excitement gets in the way of that and then I'll be honest I can get discouraged from not being an overnight sensation. Then that Passion that I have for all that I do kicks in and won't let me quit. I may be slow moving, but I'm always moving. I may take steps back but I push forward. I WILL NOT QUIT!! Because if I give up anything because of being discouraged I'm only letting myself down. If I quit, I lose MY dreams, MY progress, MY goals... everything of MINE!!

So how do I get this excitement under control???? Honestly, I don't know. I only know I have to take things one step at a time and have a lot more patience with myself. Why is it that we are so much harder on ourselves? What are we trying to prove? Who are we trying to prove it to? Why? Seems silly, doesn't it?!

Family Vacation

It's funny. Usually the first thing I do when I start a new blogpost is put in a title. Went to do that and realized it was the same title I used for my last post, so whirlwind is a definite description of what I have going on.

Since my last post I have gotten to have a lot of family time. I went and picked up my niece Emily and had her down here with us for a week. She and Lily had the best time. They got to stay up late, make cupcakes, play games and whatever else they wanted to and we spent a day together at the Toledo Zoo. I really do love that zoo but the giraffes exhibit needs some work lol.

We just returned late last night from a week long vacation to Disney World. It was so incredible. It was a trip that we kept secret from everybody that way it wouldn't leak back to Lily on accident. We were able to keep it a total surprise. She knew we were going on vacation but she was hoping for Cedar Point (this girl loves Rollercoasters!!) We got to the airport and she figured out she was going on a plane and got pretty excited but still didn't know the details. On the plane as we got near to Orlando there was a big announcement about Disney World because there was a young boy who was traveling with Make a Wish for his trip (I definitely teared up for that) and I covered Lily's ears and made noises at her... she was clueless.

We waited until we got off of the plane and into the airport then pulled her aside. The greatest thing I was waiting for was her reaction to what was happening. I HAD to be able to get it on video and that is the only reason we didn't just wait until we got to our resort. Her reaction... was priceless!!!!

We did an ALL DISNEY trip. We stayed at Disney's Caribbean Beach resort and it was beautiful!! We didn't have to worry about anything. Our travels, luggage, dining... all taken care of. It was very care-free.

We started day one at Downtown Disney where Lily had an appointment at the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique and got the royal treatment. She got to decide which princess she wanted to be. She of course chose her favorite, Rapunzel. She got a new dress, new shoes, a crown, a wand, a sash as well as her hair, nails and make up done. Everything a princess could want. Then to top it off, she got to do a photo shoot.

Day two we started our park days with Animal Kingdom. For Lily, this trip was all about rollercoasters (I told you she loves them,) meeting characters and making souvenior pennies. She was able to get a great start here with all of that. Her day started with riding Expedition Everest 3 times.

Day three was 1 of 2 days spent at Magic Kingdom! We knew having to wait for Princess pictures and autographs and with the character dining we would need to do 2 days in this park. Because we had two days we were also able to leave this park early enough to be able to miss out on getting pounded with rain and thunderstorms.

Seriously, there was so much going on and I'm trying not to bore everyone to tears. We had a couple of pretty rainy days with less pictures but plenty of fun. So here are a few more pics to help you get a peek at us. Day four was Hollywood Studios, day five at Epcot and we finished day six with our 2nd day at Magic Kingdom. Our last day we slept in and took our time with having to come back home. A few flight delays later and we got back home very late last night.

The bottom line is that this was an unbelievable trip that for a long time I wasn't sure would happen because of money and schedules. Finally, Adam and I had the time and opportunity to be able to do this for ourselves and Lily. I am so blessed and so thankful that we were able to share these moments, make these memories and not have to worry about anything else but what we were doing. Last year for vacation we took a couple of long weekends and went to Six Flags Chicago and then Kings Island in Cincinnati. Both of those vacations were full of Adam and I having to constantly be on our phone and I personally had to deal with issues that I couldn't not control from hours away. I was getting phone calls about people not showing up for work and because I was the store manager it was expected that I would fix it even though I was literally 6 hours away. 

That is what happened constantly while I was a manager, at both of my previous 2 jobs. I never had any real time off even when I told people I was not able to be reached. But everyone knew that I am the type of girl that just can't ignore someone, even if it is work related. I worried that if I didn't answer then I would be fired or something else bad would happen or I would let somebody else down.

Fast forward to today. I worry about me, I worry about my family. I do not worry about work!!! I don't have to. I am my own boss and I do what I love. I do as much or as little as I want. I get to help others feel as amazing as I do and have all the family time I want. As a matter of fact my schedule is so much my own that you see I've already gotten to take two trips and we have some fun day trips coming up ahead of us after I attend an awesome training.

Which leads me to another awesome point about my job. I get to go to Nashville for 5 days and hang out with other awesome people from the Beachbody teams I am on. I get training from top coaches, to have party time and to work out with celebrity trainers. It is going to be another unbelievable trip for me and I'm super excited. 

I'm oozing with joy and I hope you get the opportunity to get these same feelings because I tell you what, nothing compares. Thanks for reading. I'm forever grateful that you are interested in what I have to share. 

Whirlwind

This summer is already a whirlwind of events!

We are 2 weeks out of school around here and Lily and I have already been on a mini vacation, joined  the summer reading challenge at the library and been working on readying the pool.

This pool business is nuts. It's not even a large pool and I just can't seem to balance it. Time to really get to work and take some samples to the pool store and give them more money lol. But seriously, we haven't gotten any use out of it yet and it's so sad.

We joined the summer reading challenge together and we are working diligently on learning some sight words and practicing other reading skills. She can already read fairly well and I'm really proud of her. She wants so badly to be able to read big books on her own. I made some flash cards for her and we practice sentences and some of the larger/more difficult sight words.

Lily and I just returned from a 3 day trip to Mackinac and it was a blast!! It was a trip she earned for Girl Scouts from selling cookies. We got to stay in a nice hotel right on the beach of Lake Huron, went to the water park a few times, got to shop in Mackinaw City a few times, have picnics on the beach, got to Mackinac Island for a day with carriage rides, ferry rides, shopping and site seeing. We also went across the bridge to go to Castle Rock, the Mystery Spot and see a laser show. Things I remember getting to do as a little girl and it was so precious to me.

As we rode the ferry to and from the Island I just watched her and took some pictures. Just being able to watch her take it all in was amazing!!! It was breathtaking watching the water and her innocent little face, hair blowing in the wind while thanking God for making me her mother and giving us the opportunities we get. It was a big trip, but that little moment was my absolute favorite of the entire trip.

Now this week we are getting ready for one of my nieces to come and visit. Our oldest niece, Emily. Lily loves Emily like a sister and she will be here to visit for an entire week. I am super excited. When Emily was a baby, before Lily obviously, I used to go and bring her back to visit for days at a time. I love that girl so much. I am trying to plan fun stuff for these girls to do, some swimming, an Easter Seal walk and trips to the zoo. It's going to be another blast and that leads us up to the day before our 1st week long family vacation. It's a big surprise for Lily so I won't go into any details right now so that way she doesn't accidentally find out from someone who read about it. The end of that unbelievable vacation takes me up to a week before Beachbody Coach Summit in Nashville. I'm excited to hear some top coaches share their stories, ones that I haven't heard about and hoping to get some great ideas to help me in my quest to inspire change in others.

So, like I said whirlwind summer. I can't wait to tell you about the upcoming events and how wonderful they turn out!!!

My Job

You can see me posting on Facebook and here in my blog all the time about being a stay at home mom. Did you know though, that I do have another job? I am an online health and fitness coach. Oh come on,  I know you've seen/heard me mention this before. Let me tell you right now that yes, this is a "real job." I work a business. I put in work, I do trainings (some live in person, some through phone calls or video chats, lots through reading.) I get a paycheck. More than anything, I learn, I grow and I help other people lead lives that they've dreamt of!!!

I have people in my life who don't consider this a real job. Those are the people I've spent all my energy focusing on. It's time to stop. I work hard, I work smart and I may not be the richest person in the company (I may be the exact opposite) that isn't what I'm focused on right now. Right now, I'm all about the people I can help!! I offer people my help, my support and I am waiting patiently for them to realize their potential and join me. 

I know what some are saying in their heads right now. I've done a number of direct selling jobs. Yes, it's true! I have sold Cutco, Tupperware, Mary Kay and Party Lite. Each one of those was in addition to the 45-50 plus hours I was working at either McDonalds or Speedway. They were fun extras for me and never meant to be considered my regular job. I didn't put a whole lot of work into running those businesses and with each frustration I just quit doing it. 

That was Jenni then and Jenni now is determined and recognizes failures as stepping stones, lessons learned. I'm not here to sell you a product!!!! I am here to help you be healthier and happier by showing you tools, leading by example, walking side by side with you through a journey that will have bumps along the way but someone to lift you off the ground when you stumble and fall over those bumps.

I have a desire to witness happiness in this world, in my world! I have a desire to inspire confidence and strength in myself, in my family, in my friends and strangers everywhere. I'll take as long as I have to in order to do this right and to help others believe. 

I've been having trouble deciding lately what to write about because I don't want people to be bored reading this, I don't want people to think I'm being anything other than genuine. But today, this is what was on my mind. I will get over the people who don't have an understanding of what I do and why I do it because once more what they think doesn't matter. What matters is this makes me happy, makes me feel more fulfilled and may inspire only one other person in the entire world but that one person will live their life to the absolute fullest and nothing brings more happiness than that!!!

Whatever is on my mind is going to be genuine and I'm going to write about it! I am going to be more me than I've ever been! I'm not going to be that girl who hides behind a pillow or cracks jokes at herself to ease her self doubt. 

Summer

I know the posts have been lagging, but to be honest there haven't been any new developments. Lol. I'm just over here doing what I do.

I am super excited for summer this year, which is very unlike me. This year is the last summer before Lily heads off to full days of school (how do I have kindergartner already?!?!) I am so blessed to be able to spend every day with her and not have to worry about work. On top of that because we have extra free time we have some amazing get aways planned. Some are going to be bigger getaways than others, but so much fun is planned. Adam has some great vacation time despite having a newer job so we are going to make wonderful memories.

The fun starts next week with Lily and I headed off to Michigan. First for a day with friends then to Mackinac with our Galesburg girl scout friends. Water parks, bon fires, time just having fun on the island is going to be awesome!!

I am going to commit this summer to memory, though I'm sure it's just the start of the best summers of my life!! I am so grateful for Adam and Lily!! I love every day, the good and the bad simply because I have them.

June Specials are here!!!

It's a new month and we have awesome new specials!! As a matter of fact, my favorites are a HUGE deal this month!! 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix EXTREME challenge packs are available at a great price!! Here is what we have for you:

*21 Day Fix Challenge Pack w/ Shakeology
*21 Day Fix  Challenge Pack w/ Shakeology AND 3 Day Refresh (you can read about my last results here in my blog)
*21 Day Fix Extreme Challenge Pack w/ Shakeology
*21 Day Fix Extreme Challenge Pack w/ Shakeology AND 3 Day Refresh


Check these out!!!

21 Day Fix EXTREME

21 Day Fix Original

3 Day Refresh

The 21 day fix is one of the newest and hottest programs in the fitness world. 21 day fix extreme only came out in February. Trainer Autumn Calabrese (oh how I love her) has designed a 21 day fitness program that is simple to follow with rapid weight loss results. The unique nutrition plan uses specifically portioned food containers that eliminate the guesswork from portion control. No weighing, no measuring cups, no counting calories, carbs or points. If it is an approved food and fits in the container, you eat it AND you'll lose weight.

The kit includes 7 color coded portion controlled containers (dishwasher safe, microwave safe, BPA and DEHP free,) a workout program including 7different workouts, a nutrition plan (including a helpful restaurant guide section,) a 26 oz Shakeology shaker cup, a 30 day supply of your choice of flavor of Shakeology and a spot in my challenge group that comes with the support and accountability from other challengers and your FREE coach, me.

We have abut 19 days until summer and these are 21 day programs that you can start seeing results from in the first week!!!

My new 21 day fix exclusive challenge group is starting on June 15th. It features Autumn's fool proof portion controlled eating plan designed to specifically meet your needs. It tells you exactly what to eat and how much to eat with a 30 minute workout for every day that you do in the comfort of your own home. In the challenge group we share tips, recipes and supports all in a private Facebook setting. 

The biggest thing people lack when they try to start a program on their own is accountability (I know that was 100% true for me) and that is exactly what my challenge group provides. It works! I'm proof and so are my challengers. Changing your lifestyle is handwork, don't go it alone!

I'll share with you what has helped me so far on my journey. Every challenger I have helped so far has completed the 21 day fix because IT WORKS and it works for EVERYONE!! These programs have changed my life and shaped so much of who I am now, someone who is happier, healthier and stronger in so many ways!!

Go Read A Book

Let me first say how truly touched I am by the amount of sharing done of my last post. I reached more than double my highest audience ever. This is amazing. Someone read my story and honestly felt like it would benefit someone else and it just kept going. The unknown power people have will forever remain a mystery. Thank you to every person who shared because I know at least 1 person who read my post will feel inspired to make changes to be their very best versions of themselves.

One of the parts of my "job" is personal development. I work out and I eat right (at least 80% of the time, but certainly not 100%) but what about my brain and my soul?!?! It's crazy to me that as people become an inspiration that they can forget or neglect to keep developing all the parts of themselves. This for me, is the easiest part.

For a few months I just asked what other coaches were reading, what other people recommended and followed along. I was able to find some great books ("You are a badass", omg GREAT BOOK!!!) Then it just kind of felt like I was reading for the sake of reading, not because anything interested me or offered me immediate value. Then I remembered some of the authors I used to hear about or read about while I was in college and when I worked as a manager for different corporations. All of these books basically were about leadership.  Insightful and easy to read authors, but I was getting bored because one thing I will say for myself is that I have paid close attention to every thing I have ever learned about being a leader because I never wanted to be somebody who was ordering people around or the person in front of the line. I like to think of myself more like the person in a side by side line who carries the map. So anyway, as far as leadership and what my needs are today I'm good. This absolutely doesn't mean I have much more to learn, it just means that right now there are more pressing topics to fill my soul.

I stopped asking everyone else what they were reading and what they thought I should read. I started looking online a little bit at popular books, but it wasn't doing the trick. I joined 2 libraries in the last month (remember, I moved) and what I've done is just start searching topics that just came to mind. How was I feeling, what was I looking for, what could add most value to my life? What is my end result gonna look like? Words like nutrition, fitness, self help, mental health, development, spiritual, devotion and happiness and many others came to mind. I started typing them in.. sometimes together, sometimes on their own and then titles and authors were showing up. I have stacks of choices of books and authors to go through. I snatched some of the titles from my last library visit and while I'm not sure I'll be able to actually get through them before they absolutely have to be returned I am so excited about all this information in front of me waiting to add value to my life. I can not tell you the excitement of being able to learn something new everyday and there is always more than one thing I learn. Best of all at least one of those bits I learn is about myself!!

Right now I am reading "The Nine Rooms of Happiness: Loving Yourself, Finding Your Purpose and Getting Over Life's Little Imperfections." I have to tell you after reading the first chapter I get this feeling of a great change is coming and it is coming soon and that I will have a profound effect upon someone else when it comes. If you have spare time after you get in that exercise everyday that is going to clear your mind and help you live longer, take 10 minutes every single day and read something. Maybe you like to read a good mystery or the newspaper, that is not what I am talking about here. Read something for yourself that will make you feel happy, inspired, excited or any other positive emotion. You've earned this. No judgment, no fear, just you and a great book. Now go, do it. No excuses!

I know my truth, it's called the easy road

If you follow my blog or get in even the occasional read, this is a MAJOR extension of 57 lbs and the truth.

Tonight my coach (yes, even coaches have coaches) told me to be genuinely me. This spiraled a conversation that spiraled a thought process... and here we go:

I remember the time I learned to start hating my body. I learned to hate the way I looked, how much I weighed and how different I was from the other kids (friends or not.) I was in 5th grade! Yep, 5th grade... age 10!! It wasn't because anybody called me fat, it wasn't because my parents didn't love me enough and the truth is I couldn't tell you what the reason was. There is a picture (I still have it today) of my family and some of my friends at a beach summer of 1993. There are actually a number of photos from this particular day, we are laughing, splashing water and having a blast. But one picture stands out so much I can give you every detail without looking at it. I'm in my bathing suit and all you can see are HIPS!! I've always had big, fatty, stick out from the rest of my body hips. Got them the day I was born, it's just me. It's just the way I was designed. Nobody's fault. I've always hated these hips, it's why I learned to love t-shirts and jeans because they could be baggy and they didn't have to conform to your shape.

I went through middle school and high school always paranoid about those hips. In winter guard 8th grade we had to wear stretch pants and jean vests... form fitting bottoms with a short top, guess what you got to see when you looked at me... HIPS. 

9th grade I had a boyfriend who was a senior who took me to Prom..slim fitting dress and I'm really not a terribly big person, all I can see in the pictures...HIPS. 

12th grade I was Head Drum Major for marching band. We did Quidam that year from Cirque Du Soleil and I had to wear a red dress... a beautiful, form fitting, sexy-ish red dress. All I see, you guessed it HIPS. They followed me!!!

Once these consuming thoughts took over me in the 5th grade, I started gaining weight. I don't know how I did it, but I did. By 7th grade I was a 7/8, by high school i was a 9/10 and I hung out there for several years. Keep in mind that none of these seemed overly terrible until I tapped out at 5'3" at the end of 7th grade. I was an active young woman. I played sports, I was in every club imaginable so I was always on the go... when I was younger my family never ate out by the time I hit high school I'm pretty sure that was 50% of my meals because of how busy I was and both of my parents worked so schedules were CRAZY!!

Let's move on to college. I started to dress like an "old lady" unless I was feeling particularly brave and wore something that belonged to a roommate that would bring my age back down. By the time the last few years of high school had come i really started to feel negative about my entire body image. My hips were huge, my butt was long and flat and made my hips look worse, my boobs were bigger than most (not all) others and I definitely did not have a flat stomach or thin legs. It didn't stop me from being an energetic, outgoing and off the wall kind of girl!!! It did however plant a seed of comparison to others that would grow and grow and grow and still cause me troubles to this day. There could be a number of reasons why I learned to become so critical of myself, but the bottom line is that is how I became and it turned into that comparison. 

I met my husband Adam the summer between freshman and sophomore year of college. I had another boyfriend when I met Adam, but that's another story. When I met him, we wore the same uniform (different sizes of course.) We worked at Cedar Point. Everybody looks not good, but not so bad in the then blue/red polos and blue shorts. Didn't matter what I looked like at work, the clothes were odd enough to make me match the others. That summer there were trips to Kelly's Island and Put In Bay, days in the park and there could have been days in soak city. For 1 of these trips, just 1 I had a bathing suit under my clothes, pretty sure no one ever saw me in it. Bathing suit? I. DO. NOT. THINK. SO!!! I was the girl wearing a sweatshirt in the dead heat of summer. By now, all I saw was a fat girl. I worked a lot (especially that summer woo) and I went to school. I still had extra curriculars but I did not do a single thing to take care of myself. Everything I ate came from a can, a cafeteria or a drive thru.

 I moved into a house my 3rd year of college with 2 of the best women I will ever know and I got a little better about eating, but by now I was a size 12 and sometimes 14. Then Adam moved to Michigan and we moved in together. Boy did I get comfortable... and L.A.Z.Y. Grades dropped (I went through some stuff medically, that didn't exactly help), had some let's call them "work troubles" and everything seemed to go down from there.  I was holding steady in size but my self confidence diminished, my outgoing-ness started to sputter out... and yet my Adam still saw nothing but goodness, loveliness and whatever else (haha) because he married me. And even when we took our honeymoon in Florida, I was the girl wearing jeans and a sweatshirt not just because it was chilly.

Now do not get me wrong, there are so many great moments and great memories in all of these years. I have always had support and family and friends who love me. So if you are a person who is feeling like you didn't matter, didn't bring joy to my life or like this is your fault then you need to STOP RIGHT THERE. This story isn't about those great moments and memories that have given me strength and character, this is the story of the struggles and the behind the scenes of Jenni.

Ok, so we got married and I graduated from college. Went and got this fancy degree but I was working for McDonalds at the time (just working a few days a week for some side money.) I was quickly asked to move into management and the opportunities just kept opening for me and the money I needed was coming in... good money, good benefits and I knew how to do the job so I stuck with it. Stuck with it for almost 10 years... but I digress.... 

Adam and I were married a few years and I was done with school and I wanted kids. He wasn't super keen on the idea of it being so soon, but we talked it out and his feelings changed. Well, low and behold months and months later we can't have kids. We went through fertility treatments and a whole lot of what felt like torture and so we looked into adoption. The whole process was incredibly overwhelming and we felt like it wasn't the time in our lives to be taking it on. So, it all goes to the back burner (sort of.) Because I never stopped thinking about how I couldn't have kids but others could. What did I do wrong? Why am I getting the unfair deal? I went to a very dark place in how I thought about others, especially teenage parents and other unplanned pregnancies. I came out of that dark place, I still didn't think anything was fair but I prayed every day and the darkness was lighter. Well, I won't go into the story of how when and why I found out but in July of 2009 I found out I was pregnant...woohoo!! Greatest blessing of my life!!!!!

I had an incredibly easy pregnancy. No troubles, only gained 11 pounds and I didn't know I was pregnant until almost the 2nd trimester so I didn't have as much time to freak out about anything going wrong. What wasn't easy was how I saw myself. I never once thought I looked pregnant. I looked like the same short, fat girl who had a round a jiggly belly for years. Nothing about my body was cute like a pregnant woman should have. I never got the hard belly that people feel, it was always jiggly. The day I gave birth to my beautiful Lily I weighed 180 lbs!!!

I breastfed Lily after she was born for almost a year, I was hungry ALL the time and thought the weight was just supposed to melt off because I was breastfeeding. UM, Nope!! I was taking care of my baby and I was working, but that's all I was doing. I learned eating out was the easiest thing in the world and there wasn't time for doing anything for myself... if I found time, it was sleep time. Not too long after Lily was born, she was getting a check up and the dr noticed some clicking sounds.. I look down and there they are..... the HIPS. I cried for days, I cried harder and hated myself when we had to go have x-rays of her hips done. How could this be happening to this sweet girl?! She got those dreaded this is how my body is designed hips. Eventually, they went away for her. Now, it's not to say that they won't be back because it is after all in her genes but recently I realized that those hips are not the problem. She may get them back and look at them and never see what I saw. 

Lily was almost years old the first time I really decided to do anything about my weight. I took up running and I joined weight watchers. Now, when I started I had made it up to almost 190 lbs. I got the point where I wouldn't wear shorts because I was so ashamed. I lost 16 lbs in 2 weeks doing this.. well awesomeI thought, now I can work a little less and just get smaller results right!?! So, I ran less and counted points sporadically and guess what happened?? You know I put every single pound back on. I got a new job working at Speedway because I was beyond done with McDonalds and was getting to another dark place. Then we moved out of our house and a series of events just sent me into another spiral. I went from a size 12 and sometimes 14 up to an 18! I joined a gym, went a few times got lazy. I tried diet pills, couldn't remember to take them and felt weird anyway. I tried slim fast, ewww gross. I tried ItWorks... it didn't. I tried lotions, I tried creams, I tried weight watchers again...it didn't stick, it didn't help... nothing helped. 

I learned about a weight loss shake, $50 a month but you use it as 2 of your meals and then just eat a ton of protein and don't have to change anything else thank you Visalus. NOPE!!! It tasted alright, after I filled it with sugars and other processed items and still didn't help. You know what, I was done. I got frustrated!!! So, I joined a gym.. again. I promise I'll commit this time because my sister in law is getting married. Went for 2 months, no it's too far away and I work too much. Stopped going (still had to pay for it.) Time went by and Adam joins the gym. Well, if he joins it then I'll go too. Lasted 1 month this time (yep, still had to pay for it.)

So here I was, 32 years old with an amazing little girl and worlds greatest family and friends. A job that I wasn't crazy about, but I was the boss and had worked hard for it. And I was miserable!!! If I sat on the couch all I could see were stomach rolls, if I saw a picture those HIPs.. those stomach rolls...and those chins. I was a size 18 and 196 lbs at 5'3". I was tired every waking moment of my life. I hated to go anywhere because then I would have to put on clothes that never looked good on me, never fit comfortably and if we went out to eat I knew I would order so much food people would be grossed out by me. I bet no one on the planet besides Adam up to the point of reading this had any idea how bad it was for me inside of myself.

What I did like to do was scroll through Facebook, I have always had a great time doing that.. I'm like an original face booker :) I saw a girl from high school who was always posting something super positive. She set up these free groups called challenge groups and would have a quick daily exercise. I joined them, I participated for the first few days.. then I forgot or I didn't care or it was too hard. Adam had a cousin who was doing the same kind of free challenge thing and the same thing happened. Then the girl from high school starts talking about nutrition. So she is so positive every day and says how great she feels from working out and eating right... I have to find out what is happening. At this point I reach out to her and we start to talk about healthy eating and she asks me about working out. I live in a  third floor apartment and I'm a big girl. After discussion she tells me about how they have challenge packs so you can get a fitness program and shakeology together at a great deal. It sounds awesome to me, but i'm nervous to find out the cost. I'm praying it is going to be super cheap and affordable (for crying out loud I got mad at Adam for the $50 Visalus.) She tells me the price and I think I want to die. How on earth can people afford this sort of thing?? She tells me how in coming months I could get it for a little less. Oh my goodness, how can I possibly justify this to Adam?!!?! Well, we talk more about these products and low and behold I learn about Shakeology. We decided the right program for me is PiYo. It's high intensity but low impact, perfect for not being able to jump around in a third floor apartment. I talk to Adam about it, you know having to convince him that unlike the other 3 gym memberships, weight loss shakes and diet pills this will work and I won't waste another let's round it off to $900. He tells me to go for it (he always does, somehow he has never managed to not support me and push me to do whatever I want) and so I decided to order the PiYo/Shakeology challenge pack with vanilla Shakeology that way he can try it out too. It's a lot of money, but I am going to make it work because I need this for me. So I got my challenge pack and I joined a challenge group. I check out PiYo, it's a good workout. Tough as you want it but as easy as you need it to be. I'm checking into my challenge group and I'm trying out different ways to drink Vanilla Shakeology. Less than a week into it.. I just can't do the vanilla shakeology. Without adding stuff it shouldn't have i think it is disgusting. Well, I'm not drinking the Shakeology, why should I check in with the challenge group but I will keep doing the workouts. A little more time goes by and there goes those HIPS. Now, something I didn't mention before when telling you about the hips is that  my hips fall out of socket frequently. I get fluid around them a lot and they cause me a lot of pain. So, here we go I'm in pain. I end up needing cortisone shots again and I can't do any kind of exercise. 

Well, that failed. But my Shakeology is on auto order. Ok maybe another flavor will serve me well and I will try again. So I switch to Strawberry because even though he hasn't tried the vanilla, maybe Adam would enjoy the strawberry with me (always trying to justify.) Ummm. the strawberry tastes ok, but I just can't bring myself to drink it every day. I quit everything by now. 

Then one day, my coach reaches out to me. She hasn't given up on me. She believes in what she is doing with the fitness and the nutrition and something else might work better for me. I'll give anything a try, I am holding steady at size 18 and 196 lbs. She tells me about 21 day fix. This is a workout program AND it teaches you more about nutrition so Shakeology isn't the only good food in your system. This sounds AMAZING. And I get to join a new challenge group!. I'm on board!

I can't explain it in a just way, but this was it for me. This was my turning point. I got the 21 day fix program, I planned out my meals using my containers, I changed the Shakeology to chocolate and fell in love (just had to find my flavor) and the workouts, OMG!! I felt like when I turned on those dvd's Autumn was talking to me and rooting for me. The workouts were more challenging than PiYo, but they were shorter and they were different every day. I was having fun with the workouts, I was enjoying my Shakeology and so I enjoyed checking in with the challenge group I was in. I started having energy again and for the first time every I was working out every day and not dreading it. This fueled me!!! I lost 20 lbs on my first round of 21 day fix!! 

For the first time that I can ever really remember, I did not take the easy road. Looking back that is how everything in my life pretty much mapped out... down the easy road. 

6 months later I have added some additional programs to my fitness collection. I haven't completed all of them because honestly sometimes life just happens and I get caught up in it and forget how could I feel when I'm on point with working out and nutrition. I am back to my basics right now. I've been bouncing between a weight range of 169 and 178 because I lacked consistency. I never knew it's importance until now. I am currently doing 21 day fix and I will be doing 21 day fix extreme when this round is over because I refuse to go backwards again. I don't want any more start overs, any more do overs. I am over all of that.

I haven't reached my goal weight yet. I have a lot of work to do because I spent so much time lacking consistency. It's going to take some time still to reach my goals, all of my goals. Why?  I still struggle!!! I struggle every single day!! I am overweight, but no longer obese. I am a size 12 and I want to be a 6. I still see those HIPS. I love junk food, I love sitting around and sometimes I really hate the idea of working out! I still compare myself to others who have gotten better and faster results Only now I am teaching myself to get out of that easy road frame of mind. I am learning to "turn on the blinders" so I can focus on what I can do and what I will do. For me this has been about so much more than nutrition and fitness. This is really a mental challenge and has given me clarity. I am a definite work in progress but I don't look at myself and see everything that is wrong, I see a lot of what is right. I am so much more positive than I have been in a long time. I have bad days and they can get the better of me for a short time but they don't consume me anymore. 

We are for the first time since right after we got married, a single income family. We live paycheck to paycheck. I'm not embarrassed to say it, it's just what is until what i'm working on takes off. I still pay for Shakeology every single month. Adam, now drinks Shakeology every day as well. So starting here in May I will have to buy 2 bags of Shakeology every month. I know the struggle of being able to afford Shakeology. We don't get any assistance and sometimes we live very very tightly. But the thing is, that it is about priorities. I spend time every day learning about nutrition and how to fuel my body right. I know that Shakeology is the healthiest meal I can eat and it's design is not for the focus of weight loss, it's to fill in nutritional gaps to help me live better. Why wouldn't I want to pay for that no matter what the cost?? I also work it into my budget. I know that Shakeology is something I will have every day for the rest of forever. It'll outlast a mortgage for me! It's not short term, it's not just for now until I hit my goal weight. I know that by taking care of my nutrition and by adding in the workout so that my body lasts a long time it's the best way I can take care of my daughter. I refuse to ever let her view herself how I've viewed myself. She will not think in terms of pounds, she will think in terms of health. She will grow up knowing all she needs to about the right kinds of foods and she will be active and smart. 

I feel like there are a thousand more things I could tell you. Ways for me to dig deeper, give more details and tell longer stories. I think at this point or I at least I hope at this point, you get that I've spent over 20 years being uncomfortable in my own skin. I made the best change I possibly could for myself but I am human, I will still have setbacks and I will continue to struggle with food for the rest of my life because I'm programmed that way. But it's all ok, it's all me and because I have to learn to forget about the easy road my  journey is just taking a little longer.  That's the thing though, it's a journey. A lifetime journey. Thanks for reading!!

May Specials!!

Just in case you are someone who is always on the look for a bargain, I wanted to share some of Beachbody's awesome bargains for May. When you purchase any of these specials, you get access to me as your coach 24/7 and exclusive access to a challenge group. Nothing beats that!!!!!

There are SIX specials this month, you can check them out below!! My next online accountability and support group will be starting up mid-May. Now is the perfect time to make the changes you've been thinking about.

Insanity Max 30 & Shakeology Challenge Pack

Shaun T is amazing and this program definitely does not disappoint. I started this program in December and it took me through the holidays without weight gain. If you're looking to push yourself, you seriously should give this one a try. 30 minute workouts and the only equipment you use is your body. You push yourself as hard as you can for as long as you can until you "Max Out."

Insanity Max: 30 & Shakeology Kickstart Challenge Pack w/ 3 Day Refresh 

This challenge pack includes everything from the one above PLUS the 3 Day Refresh program. Click here to read more on that awesome plant-based cleanse. I LOVE the 3 Day Refresh!

PiYo & Shakeology Challenge Pack 

So excited when they announced that the PiYo challenge pack and the PiYo Kickstart challenge pack specials were going to be extended through May!! This was the very first program I purchased, it got me hooked on Beachbody!! It is a Pilates/Yoga combination workout that again uses your body as the only equipment. From celebrity trainer Chalene Johnson. This low impact, high intensity workout will get you results. 

PiYo & Shakeology Kickstart Challenge Pack w/ 3 Day Refresh 

Again - everything from the PiYo challenge pack plus the 3 Day Refresh program!

 

Ultimate Reset & Shakeology Challenge Pack 

But what is it you ask??  

Body Beast & Shakeology Challenge Pack 

What is Body Beast:
• 12 cutting-edge workouts that fuse the best of old-school resistance training with a new breakthrough in sports science called Dynamic Set Training®.
• Designed to help you shed fat, pack on lean muscle, build strength, and get incredible definition in just 90 days.
• Developed and hosted by the champion bodybuilder and clinical nutritionist Sagi Kalev who’s helped professional physique models, actors, and bodybuilders get cut fast.

Body Beast is for:
• Men and women looking to build a head-turning physique
• Graduates of other extreme fitness programs who want to focus on weight loss and building lean muscle mass
• Men and women who work out but aren’t getting the results they’ve hoped for
• Weight-lifting enthusiasts looking for a comprehensive at-home program