"Before"
In the beginning of 2015 I had hit an all-time low with my health and fitness. I was at the heaviest weight I had ever been in my life after struggling with a few health issues mixed with a busy season of life that came with attending grad school, being newly married, and starting a new career.
I was desperate for a change because I felt so uncomfortable in my own skin, and I didn’t fit in most of my clothes anymore. I was so embarrassed that I didn’t even want to leave the house. If I did leave the house, I buried myself in layers and baggy clothes.
In April, my dear friend since high school, who had recently became a Beachbody coach, invited me to join her fitness accountability group, called a Challenge Group. I picked up the dust-covered Focus T25 DVDs my husband & I had ordered a year prior after seeing an infomercial, wiped the dust off of Shaun T's 6-pack, and thought that the accountability of the Challenge Group sounded like a great idea. I immediately said yes and chose my Shakeology flavor (vegan chocolate). Because of the amazing deal offered with a Challenge Pack, I ordered Shakeology & PiYo.
I chose to start with PiYo, which is a mixture of Pilates and Yoga (instead of the Focus T25 DVDs I already had) because I was really out of shape, experiencing some joint pain, and I wanted to ease into exercise with a low-impact program.
I was desperate for a change because I felt so uncomfortable in my own skin, and I didn’t fit in most of my clothes anymore. I was so embarrassed that I didn’t even want to leave the house. If I did leave the house, I buried myself in layers and baggy clothes.
In April, my dear friend since high school, who had recently became a Beachbody coach, invited me to join her fitness accountability group, called a Challenge Group. I picked up the dust-covered Focus T25 DVDs my husband & I had ordered a year prior after seeing an infomercial, wiped the dust off of Shaun T's 6-pack, and thought that the accountability of the Challenge Group sounded like a great idea. I immediately said yes and chose my Shakeology flavor (vegan chocolate). Because of the amazing deal offered with a Challenge Pack, I ordered Shakeology & PiYo.
I chose to start with PiYo, which is a mixture of Pilates and Yoga (instead of the Focus T25 DVDs I already had) because I was really out of shape, experiencing some joint pain, and I wanted to ease into exercise with a low-impact program.
"During"
I was so out of shape, that for 2 weeks I decided to just focus on one change—to replace one meal per day with Shakeology. Within 2 days, I noticed the benefits from nourishing my body internally. If you’re reading this, and you don’t know what Shakeology is, it's a health shake unlike anything else. It’s filled with globally harvested superfoods, and nourishes your body with the nutrients it needs and craves. Some of the benefits the nutrients in Shakeology provide are: increased energy, curb cravings, and promote regularity. It has also been clinically proven to aid in weight loss, lower cholesterol, and reduce blood sugar levels (as measured by HbA1C).
Adding Shakeology to my diet gave me the energy I needed to start working out; and in 2 weeks of adding Shakeology to my regular eating patterns, I lost 3 pounds. I noticed an immediate boost in my energy—not like an energy spike that comes after drinking an energy drink, but a rested, sustained energy that lasts all day. I felt better too--like I was starting to come out of a fog I didn’t realize I was in. Plus, I was really excited, because for the first time ever, I was experiencing healthier digestion...if you know what I mean. ;)
After 2 weeks of Shakeology alone, I felt well enough to start exercising with PiYo. I committed to following the program for 60 days, and I also continued to drink Shakeology every day. Some days I used Shakeology as a meal replacement, and other days I drank it as a snack. With doing both Shakeology and PiYo, I ended up losing 14 pounds, 9.8 inches, and 2 pant sizes in 60 days (this was in addition to my weight loss and success with using Shakeology alone).
At this point in my life I was ridiculously busy. When I started committing to PiYo workouts, I was working overtime, and volunteering at my church serving alongside my husband who is the worship pastor there. I had to get up extra early, or stay up extra late just to get my workouts in. There were some weeks I was only able to fit 3 or 4 workouts into my crazy schedule. But I stayed motivated knowing that exercising 3-4 times per week was better than not at all. I didn’t give up. Not this time. This time I had the support of about 10 other ladies plus my coach in an online Challenge Group. I was really active in the group, and checked-in daily, encouraged others, and shared my struggles and victories. This time I was able to do it. The accountability and encouragement I received on a regular basis was exactly what I needed to stay motivated. I knew that my coach had my back, and we were all in this new fitness journey together.
I attribute my success to the whole package Beachbody offers: the highest quality nutrition of Shakeology, incredible workout programs (like PiYo) that make the most of every minute, and the support system from my coach and my Challenge Group. These three things together—if you put the effort in and commit—guarantee changes in your health, your body, and your life.
Adding Shakeology to my diet gave me the energy I needed to start working out; and in 2 weeks of adding Shakeology to my regular eating patterns, I lost 3 pounds. I noticed an immediate boost in my energy—not like an energy spike that comes after drinking an energy drink, but a rested, sustained energy that lasts all day. I felt better too--like I was starting to come out of a fog I didn’t realize I was in. Plus, I was really excited, because for the first time ever, I was experiencing healthier digestion...if you know what I mean. ;)
After 2 weeks of Shakeology alone, I felt well enough to start exercising with PiYo. I committed to following the program for 60 days, and I also continued to drink Shakeology every day. Some days I used Shakeology as a meal replacement, and other days I drank it as a snack. With doing both Shakeology and PiYo, I ended up losing 14 pounds, 9.8 inches, and 2 pant sizes in 60 days (this was in addition to my weight loss and success with using Shakeology alone).
At this point in my life I was ridiculously busy. When I started committing to PiYo workouts, I was working overtime, and volunteering at my church serving alongside my husband who is the worship pastor there. I had to get up extra early, or stay up extra late just to get my workouts in. There were some weeks I was only able to fit 3 or 4 workouts into my crazy schedule. But I stayed motivated knowing that exercising 3-4 times per week was better than not at all. I didn’t give up. Not this time. This time I had the support of about 10 other ladies plus my coach in an online Challenge Group. I was really active in the group, and checked-in daily, encouraged others, and shared my struggles and victories. This time I was able to do it. The accountability and encouragement I received on a regular basis was exactly what I needed to stay motivated. I knew that my coach had my back, and we were all in this new fitness journey together.
I attribute my success to the whole package Beachbody offers: the highest quality nutrition of Shakeology, incredible workout programs (like PiYo) that make the most of every minute, and the support system from my coach and my Challenge Group. These three things together—if you put the effort in and commit—guarantee changes in your health, your body, and your life.
"After"
Like I mentioned before, I lost 14 pounds, 9.8 inches, and 2 pant sizes in 60 days (this was in addition to my weight loss and success with using Shakeology alone). But I gained an invaluable amount of strength not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually.
Not only did PiYo help me achieve physical changes with weight-loss, increased core strength, and increased flexibility, but it also increased my self-esteem, and self-confidence—two things I have always struggled with. The trainer and creator of PiYo, Chalene Johnson, is so encouraging as she leads the exercises; she really makes you feel like you are the superhero of your own story. I began to learn how to love myself through the process. And my commitment to fitness slowly became more about working out to feel good; not about working out to lose weight.
My results were more than just skin-deep. Part of my broken self esteem started to heal. I was happier. I felt better. I overcame an obstacle in my life, and had reached an accomplishment I was proud of. This was not about a quick-fix for me. This is my new way of life. I have adopted a new healthy lifestyle for my family. My husband drinks Shakeology now too, and he is starting to experience his own life change as well. I am inspired by the passion Beachbody has for their mission statement to “help people achieve their goals, and enjoy healthy, fulfilling lives.” And I am now inspired to pay it forward as a coach. I want to help people achieve their goals, and work toward enjoying a healthy and abundant life.
Beachbody’s holistic approach to better health came into my life at the exact moment I needed it to, and exactly when I needed it the most. It rocked my world, and challenged me to become a healthier version of myself from the inside-out. And it gave me a more fulfilling life. I went from what I felt like was "barely surviving" emotionally to living a life of abundance.
I am beyond grateful for this experience, and I am ready to share it with others.
Not only did PiYo help me achieve physical changes with weight-loss, increased core strength, and increased flexibility, but it also increased my self-esteem, and self-confidence—two things I have always struggled with. The trainer and creator of PiYo, Chalene Johnson, is so encouraging as she leads the exercises; she really makes you feel like you are the superhero of your own story. I began to learn how to love myself through the process. And my commitment to fitness slowly became more about working out to feel good; not about working out to lose weight.
My results were more than just skin-deep. Part of my broken self esteem started to heal. I was happier. I felt better. I overcame an obstacle in my life, and had reached an accomplishment I was proud of. This was not about a quick-fix for me. This is my new way of life. I have adopted a new healthy lifestyle for my family. My husband drinks Shakeology now too, and he is starting to experience his own life change as well. I am inspired by the passion Beachbody has for their mission statement to “help people achieve their goals, and enjoy healthy, fulfilling lives.” And I am now inspired to pay it forward as a coach. I want to help people achieve their goals, and work toward enjoying a healthy and abundant life.
Beachbody’s holistic approach to better health came into my life at the exact moment I needed it to, and exactly when I needed it the most. It rocked my world, and challenged me to become a healthier version of myself from the inside-out. And it gave me a more fulfilling life. I went from what I felt like was "barely surviving" emotionally to living a life of abundance.
I am beyond grateful for this experience, and I am ready to share it with others.
Why Not You?
I received this opportunity at exactly the right time for me. Maybe you are seeing this blog post at exactly the right time you are supposed to. Maybe you are tired of your same routine. Maybe you are desperate for change like I was. If you are still reading this story, most likely you’re ready for this too.
Invest in yourself and your health today. Join me in my next Challenge Group. I will help you, and fight for your success.
I believe in YOU. I didn’t think I could ever have success, but I did. And if I could experience this victory, you can too.
Invest in yourself and your health today. Join me in my next Challenge Group. I will help you, and fight for your success.
I believe in YOU. I didn’t think I could ever have success, but I did. And if I could experience this victory, you can too.