This blog is about my own journey to become the best I can be (I have come a long way, but I am definitely still a work in progress!). My journey started in March 2013. I had just gone back to a full-time work schedule after working part time for nearly two years. My husband had been in a terrible bicycle accident a few months earlier, and his recovery left him unable to do as much with the kids or around the house, so I was also picking up the pieces and helping him recover. For several months he couldn't drive or work, leaving me to juggle way more balls than I was used to. Trying to balance a full-time, stressful and demanding job while remaining a very involved mom to two little ones and take care of my husband left me exhausted all the time. Between trying to keep up with the house, the kids, my marriage, my job... I felt as though some days I might barely be able to make it awake until bedtime. As is usually the case in such times, I left myself as last priority. I got almost no exercize, and although I tried to eat healthy, I certainly didn't put as much thought into my meals as I should have.
My energy level was so low that I made a doctor's appointment to check my thyroid levels. I told the doctor that I was sure I had a problem, because despite getting enough sleep, I was tired all the time and couldn't lose weight. My son was already two years old, but I hadn't been able to lose the last 10 pounds of baby weight, and more was creeping on despite trying to eat healthy. He took my blood, and when the results came back normal, I have to admit, I was disappointed. I almost wanted there to be something wrong so that I could have an easy fix. Hook me up with some thyroid medicine and send me on my way back to normal, right? But instead, the doctor told me, "You are perfectly healthy other than two things. Your are a little overweight and your cholesterol is a bit high at 201. In order to fix both things, you should exercise four times per week."
I left that doctor's appointment devestated. Nothing was wrong with me except that I was overweight and had high cholesterol? And now, on top of everything else that I was doing, I had to find time (and energy!) to add in exercise 4 times a week! There was NO WAY!
Then one day last March I saw a post on Facebook from a good friend and ex-coworker of mine announcing a challenge group to help people lose weight and get healthy. I had seen her posts about how she had lost weight doing a similar group, and I was inspired by her pictures and stories. I decided to give it a try. I purchased a DVD program called ChaLEAN Extreme and a meal replacement shake called Shakeology, and joined her facebook group. I had no idea what to expect, but I was willing to give it my best shot.
That was the day my life changed. I literally started moving forward and haven't looked back! Once I started putting clean eating into my life, drinking Shakeology and working out with weights on a consistent basis, I started to transform before my own eyes. Not only did I lose 22 inches in 90 days, but I had energy levels that were through the roof! I hadn't had this much energy in 5 years! Now, instead of feeling like I was sleepwalking through my day, I felt like I was enjoying life! I could be so much more present with my kids, so much more motivated at work, and I had newfound confidence that was beyond any I had ever experienced. I knew I never wanted to stop. And the best part is, when I went to the doctor to get my blood tested again, not only was I no longer overweight, but my cholesterol had dropped to 173, my lipids were lower, and my good cholesterol was higher. He was amazed that I had improved my health so drastically in only 3 months time!
Not surprisingly, everywhere I went people started to ask me what I was doing to look so great. I would light up when I told them about my Beachbody program. I realized that I was selling the product without even trying, so I might as well sign up to get paid for it! But then I also discovered how amazing it feels to help other people experience the same kind of success that I did. That was it, I was HOOKED! There is no better feeling in life than truly helping someone else, and now I am able to do it on a daily basis! Beachbody has truly been a blessing in my life.
I think one of the most unexpected things for me, besides how well the program worked, was how it changed how I approach all aspects of my life. I am a better employee, mom, wife, homemaker... every single aspect of myself has improved because of the skills I have learned from Beachbody. I have seen that I am capable of improving myself through hard work and dedication, and now I have lots of big dreams of ways I want to continue to improve! I know that there is no stopping me from my dreams at this point, as long as I am willing to work for them.
My hope is that this blog can help inspire you to become your best self, too. Maybe you can learn something from the articles or find a few good recipes. Or, leave me a comment if you want to talk to me about becoming a challenger in one of my fitness groups so you can experience your own transformation! Or if you love health and fitness and want to know more about how you can coach others like I do, let me know! My goal is to inspire and help as many people as I can!
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