As many of you know, I have been into fitness and weight loss for the past couple of years. I have tried a few different diets and weight loss programs, but either my motivation never kicked in, or they just didn’t work as well as I would have liked. Now for a confession….I have gained 50 lbs in the past two years alone. Very sad and hard to look at pictures of myself from before that time, because I looked great, and I worked so hard for it. Being thin has never come easy to me, but after each baby I have given birth to, I work my tail off with tons of exercise, and watch what I eat, and the weight comes off over time. I got the smallest I have been since before marriage, about a year or two after my youngest was born. It didn’t last long enough because then the stress of being a single mother almost every day, the breadwinner of a family of 6, and basically working full time (and then some) as a blog owner, all got to me. Not in a good way either. I would say that half of the weight piled on because of stress, and the other half piled on because I was using food as a reward for life being difficult. I got to a point where I felt like I NEEDED dessert on a daily basis. I have been very aware of this, but haven’t been able to stop myself and get my life back in control.
I am happy to report that I have my husband back at home FULL TIME, and he is now a doctor of chiropractic. His schooling is done, which is a huge relief. It has been a very difficult three years of him being gone every week and home on the weekends. He hasn’t worked in 4 years (because it’s not feasible or recommended during chiropractic school), and it has put a lot of pressure on me. So, with the extra support at home, and with the help of an awesome personal coach, I am getting fit, and getting my health back on track.
I decided to try something new, and that is personal coaching, Shakeology, and Beachbody. While I am not dropping a lot of pounds quickly, I am happy to say that I feel better, and I am losing inches! That is more important anyway right? I think that means I am building muscle, which is huge for me because I lost a lot of muscle tone after my car accident in April. Just another thing working against me because it has been difficult to exercise. However, I have found a workout that I can do that makes me sweat bullets, and I LOVE IT!
First let’s talk about the personal coaching, because that is probably the biggest factor for success. Getting a Beachbody coach is easy, and very useful. I obviously recommend my coach, Katy Atkinson. You can follow her facebook page for constant motivation and tips for success. Katy messages me on facebook on a regular basis, to see how I’m doing and to keep me focused and on task. She is always giving me tips for fitness and eating healthy. So much encouragement, which I think is huge! If you go to Katy Does Fitness, you can order Shakeology or a challenge pack to join her next support group. When you visit her site, you can create a free teambeachbody account with Katy as your coach. The coaching is free!!! For each support group there is a private facebook group where you can go to ask questions, report how you’re doing, and stay accountable. Some days Katy will give everyone an extra challenge to complete, which spices things up and keeps us on our toes.
Now to tell you about the program. Beachbody has developed a system to get results. They offer a ton of great programs created by the best personal trainers that will fit the needs and desires of many different people and situations. They offer great nutrition through Shakeology and meal planning, and also provide the support through online coaching. The coach (Katy) is there to help make sure the products get you results and don’t just sit on the shelf collecting dust.
Beachbody stresses the importance of all these things working together to get results: workout + nutrition + support + rewards = RESULTS. There are many challenge packs to choose from, but because of my injuries I stuck with the Shaun T Dance Challenge Pack. It is a little lower impact than some of the others, which blows my mind because this one sure knows how to make me sweat! I can only imagine what the others are like! I have to tell you though – I LOVE these workouts! They are fun, and Shaun T does a great job at teaching you an entire dances just one step at a time. Things move quickly though, so you don’t get bored and you are always moving. The pack comes with several DVDs so you can change up your workout daily if you want. I never get bored and I feel like the workouts are really working. I’m feeling stronger already – just after a couple of weeks.
What makes Katy a great coach, other than the obvious? She has lost 55 lbs this year, so she knows what it takes for success. She is using what she has learned to coach others to do the same. If you want to get your life back on track, be sure to check out Katy’s facebook page and website to see how to get started!
Now for some fun with a giveaway! I am giving away the workout DVDs that I received: Hip Hop Abs and Rockin’ Body! These are great and I know whoever gets them will love them! To enter fill out the form below. Keep in mind all entries will be verified before the winner is chosen. Giveaway will end at 11:59pm PT on 2/8.
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