A Glimpse Into My Journey

This is a LONG POST ALERT...but I need to share my heart because I know there are others out there who are EXACTLY where I was back in 2012. You see, I was the heaviest I’d ever been and to be completely honest, every single day was a struggle. You know when it's just simply a struggle to get out of bed? That feeling like wow I want to play with my daughter, but it's a STRUGGLE to just bend over and stand back up. I was there. Unhappy and uncomfortable.

{2013}

{Photo Cred: Alexa Michelle Photography}

An ah-ha moment for me was when I saw a family photo we took. I felt ashamed that I had let myself get to this point. I mean I was sitting there with my 3 ½ year old…wearing maternity pants!!! Every part of the spunky, fun, happy, healthy me I had been in high school was completely gone.

I beat myself up for a couple of days and then while digging through our collection of DVD’s I stumbled on a copy of P90X that someone had given us. We’d never even turned it on. It had been easy to convince myself that I was too out of shape to do it, it was too hard, or even that it wouldn’t work.

That day, it was different. I stopped what I was doing and put in the first DVD I saw, Legs & Back. That workout is a solid hour of intense leg and back work and I had to fight for every single second of it. I cried, I got frustrated, I took little breaks, I modified, but I NEVER QUIT.

{2015}

Something changed in me that day. I stopped letting my excuses rule my life and for the next year I worked out religiously. I dropped nearly 150 pounds and was able to get into a size 2…even smaller than I had been in high school. I'm not going to tell you that it's all been EASY PEASY and that I haven't had my fair share of moments where I fall off, lose motivation and have to re-commit. But I've surrounded myself with a COMMUNITY of people that won't let me fail, my Beachbody Community is my life-line and everyday I'm just grateful that I'm not on this journey alone.

{2014}

So if you don't know...I hope you now by now, I'm a COACH. A Virtual Fitness Coach.

Why? Because everyday I want to help women JUST LIKE ME to find their version of happy. Everyday I want to help women just like me get comfortable in their own skin again. And the best part is that it's VIRTUAL. That means I get to help you regardless of where you live, how in shape or out of shape you are in or how crazy your schedule is.

{2016}

So just know...I AM HERE. The door is always open for you to ask questions, I'm going to be opening the doors for all of us to get together in an accountability group soon, so keep your eyes peeled. And never forget that YOU have the power to change your story, to rewrite your future, to find YOUR VERSION of happy!

Two More Reps

In 2013, when I first started P90X, I was quickly captivated by the witty banter, silly pterodactyl impressions, and quick tips that Tony Horton would throw out during the workouts. Motivation was always a struggle for me and it was easy for me to half-ass a workout or get distracted and walk away from the TV before I finished. Something about this workout program was different and I believe it was Tony Horton, 100%! His corny jokes, his encouragement, and let's be real when he was correcting someone or telling someone not to stop, not to quit, I felt like he was talking directly to me because usually that's exactly what I was struggling through. (And yes, I'm totally aware he can't see me, and he is not talking directly to me.) 

He would give modifications for harder moves and all of his tips helped me learn how to properly execute each one. But one of those tips has stuck with me since then and has become my workout mantra. I'm sure I'm paraphrasing, but he would repeatedly say to go until you couldn't and then do two more reps. (Unless, the weight is over your face...then "don't smash your face!")

Y'all as long as I've been working out, I would always stop when it hurt. In my head that was my limit and I didn't see any benefit to pushing beyond that. What I learned from Tony Horton was that the best work is done in those last two reps. When you feel like you've got nothing left, but you push through those last two. It's the best feeling and your body is really doing work. That's where the results come from.

When I took up running earlier this year, it was so easy to transfer that "two more reps" mentality to "two more steps." And using that allowed me to push myself farther every single day. The best thing I've discovered is that so often, when I think I have nothing left, and I force myself to pull out those last two reps, what I'll realize is that I have more to give. And those last two reps become two more and two more. 

It's such a simple idea, but to those who have never worked out or never push outside of their comfort zone, this could revolutionize your workouts. Those results your struggling to find...they are waiting for you...just outside of that same comfort zone. Push past the discomfort and the thoughts in your mind telling you to quit. You can do this, you can do those last two reps, take those last two steps. 

Hip Hop Abs, TurboFire, & Results

Yesterday, I kind of jumped ship on my 3-Day Dance & Diet Challenge Group post, so today I'm working double-time to tell you what I thought about Hip Hop Abs & TurboFire. Before we dive into that though, I really want to go back to my first post, "Do You Know My Story?" for a second. 

Y'all when I first found Beachbody, I fell in love with P90X!! I will forever be grateful to Beachbody and Tony Horton for creating a product that challenged me, that I enjoyed, and that was actually effective. With that said, I have learned this week, that P90X has set a precedence for me. Loving it, finishing it, and repeating it several times upped the ante for me. I like intense workouts!! I'm just being real. At the end of my workout, I want to be dripping in sweat and I don't mind if I have to struggle through it. I want to work for it and for me that's what makes it fun. I'm competitive and I love competing with myself every day to see if I can beat the girl I was yesterday. 

That's just me, and I'm well aware that's not the norm. I just want to put that out there, let you in my brain for a second, because understanding where I'm coming from really shapes my opinion of the last 2 days. Did you catch that? It's just my opinion!!

Alright, so Tuesday was Hip Hop Abs. My day Tuesday was crazy!! I worked all day and ended up not being able to work out until about 8p. As much as I'm not a morning person, I love my morning workouts!! They set the tone for my whole day, so Tuesday I was already off. 

So, what can I tell you about Hip Hop Abs? Well, first off, you won't see any pictures from this one. My husband was home and icing a hurt ankle, my daughter was dancing all over the living room, and I was having to dodge the dog. It was chaos here, and turning the camera on totally slipped my mind. (Don't worry, you'll have some photos when we get to TurboFire in a minute.)

The second thing I can tell you is, Hip Hop Abs just wasn't for me. I think I may just not be coordinated enough. My husband was dying laughing watching me try to follow what Shaun T was doing. Y'all it just wasn't my cup of tea.

There were definitely some positives though and I do think that this program could be awesome for other people!! One of the girls in our group absolutely loved it!! By the end of the workout, I was sweating, probably from all the flailing around I was doing trying to keep up, but regardless, there was sweat. You never stop moving, so you're definitely getting your cardio in. And the biggest plus of all, this was the first time I haven't found myself hating Shaun T! I know he wouldn't care if I did, as long as my core was tight!! If you haven't done Insanity, I know you're confused right now, but that's totally ok!

Wednesday, was TurboFire and this was probably my favorite day of the challenge. Chalene was still a little hard to follow, but I think doing this workout more often and learning the moves, would make this workout awesome. With Hip Hop Abs, I told you that you never stop moving, but with TurboFire you really NEVER stop moving!!! NEVER, NOT ONCE!! 

Then at the end of each set, you have a 1-minute power workout, or maybe it's called a turbo workout. That sounds more likely, but I can't remember. You're moving so quickly and incorporating so many moves at once that I don't think my brain really could comprehend what anything was called! It was awesome!! By the end of the workout, I was covered in sweat and full of energy. I could have easily done this one again and I'll definitely be mixing it into my regular workout schedule.

So the big question is, did I see results? Y'all know I like to keep it real and I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you. No, I didn't. The scale didn't go down for me and the tape measure didn't get any smaller. Did I stick to the workout schedule? Yes. Did I stick to the meal plan? Yes. Still no results. 

But guess what?! THAT'S OKAY! 3 days is a short period of time. My results may not have shown up when I got on the scale yesterday, but that's ok. I may see results tomorrow, who knows. Not seeing numbers on the scale go down, not seeing the tape measure get smaller, none of that is going to derail me!! That just tells me that I need to keep working.

Will I try all of the workouts again? Probably not all of them. I think it's best that Hip Hop Abs and I break up with each other. Country Heat? Maybe. I've got to get those moves down though. TurboFire? ABSOLUTELY!!!

So, what can you take away from this experience? Well, there are a couple of things:

1. Try the products/workouts yourself. Everyone is different and everyone is going to find success with something different. Don't let my experience with Hip Hop Abs make up your mind about it. Try it yourself! Worst case scenario, you'll look like a tangled up flamingo and if you do, please snap a picture so we can laugh together!!! I promise you won't be alone!

2. Sign up for a challenge group. Even if you walk away without a change in the numbers on the scale, you will walk away with knowledge that you'll treasure forever. You'll learn to change your eating habits, get on a regular workout schedule, and meet so many wonderful people who will cheer you on and encourage you to reach your goals.

3. Your biggest takeaway should be this. Don't get caught up in results. I promise you if you're eating right and working out, the results will come. It takes time. You didn't become unhappy with yourself overnight. I didn't gain 150 lbs overnight. It took time. And it took time to get them off. Everyone will have setbacks. I did. But you get back up and keep moving. You won't be alone. I'm right there with you and together we can both do this! Don't forget that!

Interested in joining a challenge group? I have a new one starting August 1st and I would love for you to join us. You can learn more on yesterday's blog post, on my Facebook page, or email me for more details.

Do you know my story?

In March of 2013, I went with my family to have some Easter portraits taken. I put on my favorite jeans (which were actually maternity jeans) and a cute top that morning, feeling no different than any other day. And then a couple days later the photographer sent me our photos. As soon as I opened them, I burst into tears. Who was that person looking back at me? I literally could see nothing that indicated that this person was me.

I knew I had gained weight but it didn't click quite how much until I saw that picture. At that moment, I felt so lost and alone - but then the motivation hit. I could change this. I could get myself back. I could dig down deep, do the work, and physically pull myself out of the goo that was literally consuming me.

So, the next morning I dug out P90X. I can't even tell you how long it had been sitting there, but I can say that it had never been used. That first workout kicked my butt. I was drenched in sweat, exhausted, and every single move felt impossible. I mean even just the warm up was a struggle. But I showed up every day...every single day and each day got a little bit easier. By the end of the summer I was breezing through some of them! And within a year I had lost just under 150 pounds!!!!! Tony Horton & P90X changed my life!

That was in 2014. When 2015 rolled around, things got rough. We experienced our first miscarriage in May and a second one in February of 2016. I struggled and easily slipped into some old habits, and before I knew it, 30 lbs had crept back onto me. So in May, I realized exactly what I needed to do. I needed to get back that 2013 motivation, but this time it was hard. I was depressed, angry, and let's be real...lazy! Then I started running. As my feet pounded the pavement, and I struggled for every step and every breath, I realized that I didn't feel depressed in that moment. I felt tired, but I felt good. So I kept going, and then day by day, that motivation grew and I found myself attempting Insanity, and loving it! Then Beachbody on Demand, and loving it!

And then, when I'd researched everything I could think to research. Asked every question I could think to ask. And fought through every excuse I could come up with. I decided to become a Beachbody Coach. I know that there have to be people out there like me, who feel alone, or lost, or hopeless, or hurt and don't know where to turn. They don't know how to turn their life around. And I want to help! I want to show people exactly what changing my habits did for me. So, if you're here and you're reading this, you're my why. You're the reason I took this leap of faith and I hope you'll do the same! Your wildest dreams are only a leap of faith and some hard work away.