Failing Forward - Seeing Failure as a Positive Experience in Your Life!

When I get in the car, I like it one of two ways: totally quiet or I like to listen to personal development. I know, to some of you that may seem strange.  I honestly don't like the "noise" of having music blaring on a regular basis.  Sometimes my kids will turn it on but most of the time, I just want it quiet.  If I am by myself, then I am definitely listening to some personal development!

Well, that's what I did today on my drive to some appointments.  Beachbody offers amazing training calls every week led by top coaches in the organization.  Every Monday morning, I'm listening to the call by one of Beachbody's top coaches and learning how I can better myself, my challengers and my coaches and team!  They've got these all recorded and on a Podcast so I often will go back and listen to these calls in the car!

Today the call I listened to was called "Turning Failure into Success"!!  WOW...did I need to listen to that one today!

So, I'm going to get very real with you here, I hope you realize that I am just as human as you are and I have very real fears, struggles and setbacks all the same!  I get down on myself and don't always fill my head with the positive affirmations I know I should.  Just like anyone else, I get off track with my nutrition and fitness and KNOW what I should be doing, but don't do it!  So, in short...I'm human!!

It's hard to even put things in words, because being vulnerable is just not always natural and easy...

One of the major reasons I became a Beachbody coach back 20 months ago was so that I could help hold myself accountable to my health and fitness goals!  I have struggled at many times in my adult years with the yo-yoing of diets (as I'm sure so many women can relate to) and I really just wanted to end that once and for all!  Let's face it.  I know how to do it all.  I know how to eat healthy, I know how to exercise and workout, I know how to encourage others and help them reach the success they are working for.  But, over the last month, I was just not in a good state of mind with myself in order to do that for ME.  I had been a little lax with my nutrition for a couple months and then got to the point last month where the "I don't care" saying came into my head (which truly I do care...but my actions weren't showing).  This went for my nutrition as well as my business.

Things I struggled with:

• Nutrition- even though a lot of what I was eating was healthy, I had too big of portions and I would add things in like tortilla chips and cheese and snacky bars that are not in line with the 21 Day Fix.
• Positive Self Talk - I found myself saying "I can't" WAY too much.
• Emotional highs and lows - hey...I'm a woman and we can be known for emotional highs and lows, but most of the time I can hold myself pretty even keeled.  This month I found myself more in the emotional lows.
• Support -  I failed some of my challengers and coaches because I was not as involved as I usually am and like to be to help them succeed!
• Business - I lacked the discipline to daily do the things I need in order to keep my business moving the direction I desire to reach my goals!
• Personal Development - I stopped listening to the podcasts and audiobooks, I stopped reading things that would set my mind in a positive direction.

Do you know how negative things can work in your head?  They keep grating at you an a negative thought repeated over and over becomes ingrained in your brain.  I don't know about you, but I don't want negativity to be ingrained in my brain!

Well, this is a new month...a fresh start to clean the slate from the past!  I got on the phone with one of my mentor's, Melanie Mitro, who I feel so blessed that she's a part of my life and she was able to help me change the course of my actions over the last month and get my mind filled with a goal and positive mindset to move forward into April!

So...how do you get out of that RUT of negativity??

Here's what I did:

1. Be honest with yourself
2. Share with someone you trust
3. Own up to your shortcomings
4. Take Action and make a plan!

So let's break that down and I'll tell you what I did to get out of my rut and back on track.   First, so much of my mental negativity stemmed from my poor nutrition.  It really effects me (and maybe you) so much more that we all realize it!  Yes, my pants were fitting tighter and I didn't like that and I knew I wasn't practicing what I preached 100% (or even 80%).

In order to kind of get a handle back on my nutrition and gain control that way, I decided to do the 3 Day Refresh...and stick to it 100%.  I followed it to a T and didn't cheat.  (Ok...well, honesty here.  The only thing I did not do was stop my morning coffee, I had been struggling real bad with headaches and going off the coffee I was not going to add anymore headaches to my day!  But I cut the coconut oil down to 1/4 tsp in my coffee.)  

This 3 Day Refresh really got my mindset refocused and reminded me I CAN follow my plan without feeling the need to pick at everything.  I did that successfully for 3 days and had great results.  I lost 3 lbs and 4 inches and gained control and a mindset to refocus again on my nutrition.

From there I was able to go straight into the 21 Day Fix Extreme Countdown to Competition meal plan and stick to that.  Feeling great and confident and successful for following my plan!

I've set goals for my business, my fitness/nutrition, my coaches and challengers and most importantly I have a mindset that I AM A WINNER!!!  That no matter what I set my mind to, I can achieve!!

So...there it is...it's all out there!  I'm human, I struggle with things just like you do.  And yes, as a coach, I'm not perfect.  I do fall off the wagon sometimes with my goals, but it's important to get back up and moving in the right direction.

If you have connected in any way with my story, I would love to help you see the other side of your struggles!  Just know that I'm not perfect...nor will I ever be!  But, I do have a passion to help others, just like you and me!!

I'm SO excited to help you succeed in your health and fitness...OR, if you are looking for some extra income or love to help others too, I have some really exciting new coach trainings coming up later this month and I would love to talk to you about what it means to be a Beachbody coach (Email me for more information)!!  Or if you would like more info about a health/fitness accountability group please fill out the application below!

Don't wait to change your life...do a 180 degree turn NOW and take control of your goals!  Remember, your failures are only a BRUISE, not a permanent SCAR!!

$500 Daily Beachbody Challenge Prize WINNER!!

I am SO excited I just can't take it!!  I've always heard about the Beachbody Challenge and seen the daily winners on Teambeachbody.com, but never had it hit home that ANYBODY could win $500 by entering their results to Beachbody!

It's really amazing.  Beachbody gives away $500 every single day to people like YOU and ME who have used Beachbody products to better their health and fitness.  You enter your results in and have a chance to win CASH PRIZES!!  Seriously??  You get better health and also can win money?  Yep, you heard it right!

Back in May I had started the Ultimate Reset (see more info and my journey here), and had really great results from the 21 Day Cleanse program!  So I entered my results and time went by and I kind of forgot about it.  Well, a couple days ago I received a call from Beachbody saying they have been trying to get in touch with me so I could claim my prize!!!!  WHAT???  Yes, the email had gone to junk mail!  Not cool!  But fortunately they were persistent with me and tried a different way to get in touch!  And, a couple days later, I'm featured on the Teambeachbody.com website and I won $500 for my transformation!!  Super cool!!!  Read my story here!!

I won $500 committing to myself and submitting my results!

If you are looking for a change in your health and fitness and would like to enter your results into the Beachbody Challenge and be entered to win cash prizes I would love to coach you through that and help you get the results you are looking for!  Why not change your health and win some money in the process!

I'm starting a fitness challenge and accountability group on Monday and would love to get you started on YOUR personal transformation!  YOU can do this!!!  Commit to your health now!

If you're interested, fill out this application to be considered for the challenge group and I'll get back to you right away with more information.

There are tons of Wufoo features to help make your forms awesome.

What Coaching Means to ME!

 So I've been thinking about this post for a while.  My most recent challenge group is in it's 2nd week right now and I am just blown away by this group!  I first got started with Beachbody by being in a challenge group for myself and fell in love with the accountability and support I gained through my challenge group!  

Accountability is Key!

My current Summer Slim Down Challenge Group is filled with amazing women who are eager to get in shape and become healthy. They are all so excited about their commitments and everyone is participating and not only holding each other accountable but they are motivating and inspiring each other...and ME!!  

This is literally what being a Beachbody Coach is all about to me -- helping others...which then allows others to help others!  My challengers are paying it forward to other members of the group by being another line of inspiration for each member!  I love the community these groups bring! 

As a coach I get to encourage and inspire my challengers every day to learn what it takes to live a healthy lifestyle.  I don't know it all…I don't have all the answers…I'm not a nutritionist or a certified personal trainer.  But I love growing in my health and fitness journey and I'm passionate about sharing it with others!  

Who ISN'T inspired by someone eager to become healthy?  I know I am completely inspired by seeing my challengers make commitments and goals to better their health and lives AND the lives of their family and friends.  This is what it's all about, people!  When I see my challengers crushing it and sticking to their goals, or struggling through their goals, it makes me more passionate about what I get to do everyday!

It's simple, really!  I'm passionate about HELPING PEOPE!  

Do you have a passion for health and fitness?  Do you have a passion for helping people?  Do you have a passion to improving YOUR health and fitness?  Do you THINK you may have a passion for any of these?  What about a desire to PAY IT FORWARD?  Maybe you've gone through a transformation of your own OR are still in your transformation journey but have had amazing success in your journey…YOU are just the kind of person I'm looking for!

Not only do I get to pay it forward to my challengers and inspire and motivate them in their health and fitness journey…I get to pay it forward to other people (my coaches) who want to pay it forward as well!  This is where we as a community of coaches can END the Trend of obesity!  We are actively paying HEALTH and FITNESS FOWARD!!

Do YOU want to be a part of this "Paying it Forward Trend"?

I am looking for 2-3 people to be a part of my next Coach Training Group!  

If you are considering becoming a Beachbody Coach, I want you to know that you won't be thrown out there to figure this out for yourself.  I will share everything that has worked for me to this point and you will be a part of the #1 team in all of Beachbody.  You will have access to learning from the best!  I am dedicated and ready to help YOU succeed!

Are you interested in becoming a coach on my team??  I am looking for YOU!  I have only 2-3 spots available in my next Coach Training Program starting on May 5th, and I want to positively impact the lives of others in the same way it has been impacted for me!

If you would like more information on becoming a coach on my team please fill out my Coach Application below to be considered for a spot in my next Coach Training Program.  Together we can end the trend of obesity!  I will invest in YOU!

Online contact and registration forms from Wufoo.

Getting Back on Track!

Have you ever had those times where your intentions are really great and then you get lazy and slip up?  Whether it is your eating or exercise or anything else in your life.  Well, yes, I'm sure we all have those times…I know I do.  However, we have a choice to make…are we going to continue in that path of "slip-ups" or are we going to stop and turn the other way and continue on the change and the goal we have set for ourselves? 

Well, I have to admit…it was kind of one of those weekends for me.  Not the entire weekend, but a portion of it.  After being at a wedding and enjoying a celebration atmosphere I found myself wishing I would have stuck to my game plan!  

Now, what I could have done, was throw in the towel for the rest of the week because I had a semi-bad weekend, but then that would have really gotten me in a not-so-good place.  Instead, I decided to pick myself up on Sunday morning and go for a run with my husband…and then Monday morning, get up like usual and get my Focus T25 workout in at 5am and get back to my game plan for meals and eating clean and healthy!

You have a choice to make when you slip up.  We will have times that other things get the better of us. It's how we choose to handle those situations that make all the difference in the world.  We can chose to let it defeat us, or we can choose to put it behind us and get back on track to reaching our goals!

I choose the second…what will you choose?

Need some tips to get back on track?

• Call a friend to work out.
• Join my accountability group for greater support in your goals.
• Track your food today.
• Eat a healthy breakfast.
• Create a motivational collage of pictures of your goals.
• Listen to some good motivational songs.
• Drink a big glass of water.
• Slow down during meals.

As for my 30-Day Stripped plan…gotten back on that strong.  I'm a few days behind of posting but I'll continue to post my progress along the way!

Day 3- Eat Clean Stripped Challenge

Today is day 3 of my challenge…I'm feeling great.  I've gotta admit though, getting up this morning for my workout was tough.  I had a late night last night so not much sleep.  However…I GOT UP, out of bed at 5am to workout!  Today was Focus T25 Beta Rip't Circuit!

No Excuses…You Can Do It!

Consistency for my working out is the biggest thing for me.  If I lose my consistency for even a couple days, I keep making excuses of why I shouldn't workout.  So, mentally, I don't even allow myself to think I can have a break!  I know I'll get lazy if I give myself an inch!

As far as my stripped meal plan today…I stayed pretty right on to my plan, however, I have to say that my biggest struggle in my day is after the kids and I get home from school and get snacks.  I'm busy cleaning up the kitchen and putting things away and getting snacks for the kids.  At the same time, I am super hungry at that point too.  I find myself really having to keep myself in check with getting a snack immediately and NOT picking at the kids snacks.  That's when you can really pack on the extra calories, even if they are healthy snacks!

I heart PB!

Confession:  I'm a peanut butter JUNKIE!  I LOVE, love, love peanut butter…but I know this is my biggest weakness.  It's so easy for me to take a spoonful of PB for a quick "healthy fat" snack.  This is what gets me in trouble.  This is where my "keeping myself in check" has to come into play!  And, I must say, I didn't keep myself in check too well today.  So…I will be better tomorrow on the "healthy fat" portions!!



So here's my day of eating…and I only have pics of 2 snacks!  I'll do better tomorrow with the pics!

Breakfast: Oatmeal, blueberries, 4 egg whites
Snack: 2 Meatloaf muffins, 1 apple
Lunch:  Chocolate Shakeology w/ PB2
Snack:  2 TBSP Hummus and Broccoli
Snack: Spoonful PB :(
Dinner: 4 oz of grilled chicken, quinoa, spaghetti squash

Until next time...

30-Day Eat Clean Stripped Challenge!

Happy Monday!!!

I've been thinking on this post all day and just finally getting a moment to sit down and get my thoughts out!  Today, I started to participate in another challenge group.  This one is a 30-Day challenge group that is a little more strict and specific…it's to get rid of those "hard-to-lose" last 10 pounds or less.  

Now, I am very near my goal weight, within 5 pounds or so, but noticed after I finished the last 60 day challenge group I felt so amazing finishing up, but then I got lazy!  I didn't measure my food and I noticed myself SNACKING way toooooo much!  I found it made me feel sluggish, puffy and bloated and not so good in the tummy!  So, I decided I wanted to whip myself into better habits again to get myself back into eating the way that makes me feel the very best, especially right now around the holidays where I KNOW I can get in a snacky mood!

I have decided to journal my progress each week help show you what an Eat Clean Stripped meal plan looks like!  

What is Eat Clean Stripped Meal Plan? 

Tosca Reno's 28 day Stripped Meal Plan comes from her book, Eat Clean Diet Stripped, it's meant for people trying to lose the last 10 pounds or tighten up for an event.  It is all the principles of clean eating but completely stripped down.

I know I've been talk about clean eating in some of my past posts, but haven't really explained exactly what it is…so here you go:

The 10 Basic Clean Eating Principles:

1.  Eat More!  Eat 6 small meals each day, spaced at two and a half to three hour intervals.
2.  Eat breakfast every day within an hour of rising.
3.  Make your last meal three hours before bed.
4.  Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal.
5.  Eat sufficient healthy fats every day.
6.  Drink two to three liters of water each day.
7.  Carry a cooler packed with clean foods each day.
8.  Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins, nutrients and enzymes.
9.  Adhere to proper portion sizes.
10.  Eat only foods that have not been overly processed or doused in chemicals, saturated in trans fats and toxins.

Now you have the rules…what kind of foods can you eat?

Allowable vegetables include:  Sweet and regular potatoes, radishes, carrots, parsnips, cucumber, broccoli, asparagus, beets, leeks, leafy greens, brussels sprouts, spaghetti squash, green beans, onions, sprouts, celery, zucchini, fennel and garlic.

Allowable fruits include:  Bananas, apples, plums, berries, pears, watermelon, cherries, oranges, tomatoes, limes and lemons.

Allowable protein sources include:  Egg whites, lean turkey, chicken, pork, beans and legumes (in moderation), lean fish, shrimp, clams, mussels, bison and other game meats, hummus (also a healthy fat), quinoa, spirulina, sea vegetables, protein powder, tofu and tempeh.

Allowable healthy fats include:  flaxseed, nuts such as almonds and walnuts (unsalted), pumpkin seeds, nut butters, hummus (also a protein), avocados, oils (flaxseed, sesame, coconut, olive, hazelnut, walnut and fish).

The great thing about this stripped plan is that even though it's a more strict eating plan, I'm not hungry throughout the day because I am feeding my body every 3 hours and with the appropriate nutrients my body needs in order to fuel my metabolism properly.  

When I decided to start eaten clean 3 months ago, I made a decision that this was a way of life for me, not a "diet".  Thru this, I am learning the importance of changing what I allow my mind to think and notice that when I have negative thoughts going in my head, I tend to snack a lot more.  So instead of having FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out (coined by another fellow blogger), I know that when I choose the right time to have a treat or something special I will plan for it on my cheat meal, but not everyday!

Here's what my day looked like today:

7:30am - 1/2 cup steel oats, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/4 c almond milk, 1 TBSP wheat germ, 4 egg whites, coffee with almond milk.

10:30am snack - 1 apple w/ 1 TBSP natural peanut butter (my favorite snack!!)

1:30pm lunch - 1/2 cup almond milk, 3/4 cup water, 1 TBSP PB2, 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology (ummm…gotta be my favorite meal of the day!)

4pm snack - Cucumbers and 2 TBSP hummus.

Dinner - Grilled chicken, spaghetti squash, broccoli.

Day 1

Here's what the rest of my week looks like!

…until next time!

Health's a Journey, Commit to the Ride!

On August 26th of this year, I decided to embark on a new health and fitness journey in my life! I have always lived a fairly healthy lifestyle but, like anybody else, have gotten lazy at different times in my exercise and eating. 

Over the summer I had been trying to change up how I eat and make it cleaner and without as much processed foods and get motivated again to be consistent in working out. I knew I was looking for a change but didn't know exactly what it was.

As I was searching out clean eating on Pinterest, I came across a blog that really sparked my interest. I started reading everything I could on her blog and then saw a post that nailed me! It was a post about her upcoming "challenge group". Like I did, you might say, "what's a challenge group"? As I asked questions I found out that it's simply an accountability group done thru a private FB group. One that holds me accountable to the goals I have for changing my health and fitness (refining my eating to be clean and becoming more fit and toned). I decided to take the leap and join the accountability group!

I committed to 60 days of clean eating, committing to a Beachbody workout (T25 is what I chose), and drinking Shakeology every day for one meal per day. I am currently on day 52 of the challenge and have greater energy throughout the day and not as many food cravings. I've lost over 5 lbs and over 5 inches. I am getting stronger and feeling so much better overall!

I have gotten so addicted to how amazing I feel through this and so excited about the opportunity to share this with other people, I decided to become a Beachbody Coach and be able to help other people in their health and fitness goals by running accountability groups of my own. The change starts with US!

This isn't a "change for 60 days", this is truly a lifestyle change in how I live my everyday life. I am amazed at how feeding my body with healthy nutrients and often throughout the day makes a world of difference in how I feel!

If you're looking for a change in your health and fitness message me and I can get you the details on my next challenge/accountability group.