2017 CAN be DIFFERENT

Now is the time to reflect back on the past year and start looking ahead. I love that each January, we all get a “fresh start,” and it allows us the opportunity to DREAM BIG.

Are you getting ready to set some goals for the New Year? Some INTENTIONS.

I had to admit, I used to set goals/intentions each year (spiritual, physical, relational), and I would rarely IF ever live up to them. Either I would cower from setting MEASURABLE goals, or I had these giant goals, but no PLAN as to HOW I would achieve them. Sound familiar?

Last year, the GOBankingRates survey asked respondents, “What are your 2016 resolutions?” and the top 5 answers included:
1. Enjoy life to the fullest
2. Live a healthier lifestyle
3. Lose weight
4. Save more, spend less
5. Spend more time with family and friends
Have you set these resolutions, too? Be honest. If so, I think these are FANTASTIC goals.
Do you know HOW you are going to achieve them? If not, I have an answer for you: #REALsolution2017 Challenge Group run by our team of coaches.

What?

Let me explain how you can achieve these five things through a challenge group. (I’ll start with #2, because once you achieve #2-5, I believe that #1 is a given.)



#2. Live a healthier lifestyle.
Who here has ever been on a diet? While I have never been morbidly obese, I was never satisfied with my weight or my figure. I was trapped in the cycle of “diet” (aka salads or low-fat eating) and “binge” (cope with my emotions through eating way more than what my body needed) for years. When I started running in 2005, I would hope to “run my food off,” but never fulfilled what I desired.

I lived this routine with running and even seasons of triathlon training for over 10 YEARS. I LIVED minimal progress.

Although I had attended running seminars and read many, many magazine articles with running pertaining to nutrition as well as gave ADVICE to others. My portions were ALWAYS a struggle!

Then, I watched my dear friend and "sister" Rachel for a year as she did Beachbody programs and became healthy.

I had to unfollow her at several points because her posts were hitting and triggering my past eating disorder competitive nature. BUT as my heart opened I began to realize that I have wanted what she had and did ALL along because it is MODERATION, portions and nutrition.
Exercising each day (22-45 minutes) is therapeutic for me MENTALLY...eating whole foods and practicing moderation is so needed.

It is NOT rocket science, but the programs put it together in a way I FINALLY understood it. AND DID NOT have to Think and OVERthink about it.

And NOW, this is what We are teaching through #REALsolution2017. This is a challenge group focusing on step-by-step SOLUTIONS for LIFELONG health, NOT a quick fix.
#3. Lose weight (if needed)
Do you know the secret to losing weight? Good nutrition and exercise! Oh, wait. You thought there was an actual “secret?”

Nope! But, here is the key: anyone CAN lose weight, but how many actually KEEP it off? How many people keep going to the gym past February? How many fall off the bandwagon by Valentine’s Day? There is no “secret” to weight loss. The secret is how to MAINTAIN that weight loss for good. Enter: #REALsolution2017.

This group will be the starting point to your journey, with the option to continue on...well, forever! While I will teach you the things to get on track, you can STAY on track through the online support of other challengers who are doing the EXACT SAME THING! We are in it TOGETHER!

Losing weight requires SMALL efforts daily over time. Better food choices, more water, more sleep, and daily exercise. You can do it, and having a PROGRAM to show you HOW is the key. You will have a full fitness program of your choosing, nutrition guide, portion containers, workout calendar, month of Shakeology, and month of Beachbody On Demand (think Netflix for workouts!). No excuses this time!

#4. Save more, spend less.
Well, how am I supposed to save money if you are asking me to PURCHASE something?

Yes, I get it.

Many times I talk about INVESTING in our health. That’s because the truth is, you will either pay for whole foods and good nutrition, or you will pay for prescriptions and doctor’s visits.

Obesity is out of control in our country, as are health care costs. The challenge pack for this group includes Shakeology. What is it?

It is a nutrient-dense whole food shake that is the easiest way to get in essential vitamins and nutrients the body needs on a daily basis. Shakeology has been created to fill in the gaps in our daily diet, even those who already eat clean. So, for $4/day, it is worth it for me to have better digestion, better nails and hair, more energy, less cravings, and all the nutrition I need in an on-the-go shake. It saves me from going through the drive-thru for breakfast, it curbs that afternoon crash when I might go through Starbucks, and because I am no longer buying processed snacks, I actually SAVE money!

Did I mention I no longer need to buy individual vitamins or expensive protein powders that contain filler ingredients?

When all's said and done, a healthy lifestyle can actually SAVE you money in the long run. Think about it!

#5. Spend more time with family and friends.
True story: A lot of my team have broken up with their gyms. I continue to be a hybrid and keep my membership at my YMCA (plus my kids are in programs).

We have a good relationship, but I am not always able to go and sometimes I just don't need it. I end up taking less time on the days I choose to workout at home.

Have you gone to the gym, wandered around, pick up some random weights, do a few reps, go on to something else, maybe wait for a treadmill, jump on an elliptical for 20 minutes and call it a day? How long did you spend? An hour? Two? How about commute time? Another 30 minutes?

When I discovered that I could get personal training, a proven program, and workout calendar telling me EXACTLY what to do each day, I jumped all over that.

Through Beachbody programs, the experts are right in my living room, and I spend 22-45 minutes working out. Period. Best part? I can workout WITH my family. How many babysitters or gym daycare dollars have you spent? No more of that!

Working out from home with a program allows me to be WITH them. BONUS: I get the set the example DAILY.

The second way in which you can spend more time with family and friends is around the dinner table.
When you learn how easy it is to eat healthy from home, you tend to do it more often. No more driving to restaurants, waiting for a table, fighting for the kids to behave.

Through #REALsolution2017, I will show you HOW to meal plan, grocery shopping lists, and how to prep for meals to SAVE you precious time. Even if you are on the go, you will learn healthy snacks to have on hand, saving you that rush to find fast food.

And now, we can get back to #1….

#1. Enjoy life to the fullest.
When you learn to live a healthy lifestyle, and have the support of others around you, it becomes easier to enjoy LIFE again! How would you feel if you could play with your kids without getting out of breath?

How would you feel if you could help your entire family eat well and go to the doctor less? How would you feel if you created a habit of exercise and gained strength and confidence along the way?

My guess is, that would feel pretty darn good. When you have more endurance, you want to do MORE. When you have more energy, you want to experience MORE. When you practice a healthier life, you LIVE more!

What about you?
Are you ready to enjoy 2017 to the fullest?
Are you ready to find a #REALsolution this year? If so, let me explain more...

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM THE #REALsolution 2017 CHALLENGE GROUP?
* Private group on the FREE My Challenge Tracker App
* Daily track your workouts and Shakeology
* Motivation, recipes, and tips each day of the challenge
* Peer support from others who are on the same journey
* 1:1 mentoring from ME as your coach!
WHEN WILL THIS GROUP RUN?
Monday, December 26, 2016: PRESEASON BEGINS
* Log into the tracker app to find daily tips on how to get started right!
* Meal planning
* Grocery lists
* Clean eating tips
* How to take measurements/good-bye photos
**PDF of this information also available to you for FREE. You can do Preseason with the group, or on your own time!

Monday, January 2, 2017: WEEK 1 BEGINS
* Start logging your workouts and Shakeology!

Monday, January 9--February 5, 2017: WEEK 2-5 & BEACHBODY HEALTH BET
* What is the Health Bet? During the Challenge Period, from January 9th - February 5th, 2017, eligible coaches and customers who meet the requirements will win an equal share of a $2 million prize pool seeded by Beachbody! The pool has a guaranteed total of at least $2 million, up to $3 million!
* What do you have to do? Log 3 workouts per week and 5 Shakeologies per week during the four-week period! Easy peasy!
* WIN CASH!!!! How cool is that?

HOW DO I JOIN?
All you need to join is to purchase a Challenge Pack, which is an awesome bundle that includes a workout program and first month of Shakeology! As an added bonus, you will receive 30 days of FREE Beachbody On Demand, allowing you to stream your program online within 24 hours, PLUS check out hundreds of other programs for FREE! Think of it as Netflix for fitness! Don’t know what program to choose? No problem! Message me and I will contact you directly.

FREE GIFTS!
Since this is the season of GIVING, I can’t help but give something to my brand new challengers as a THANK YOU for allowing me to be a part of your journey!

I have learned that my best groups are the ones where I can give more of my attention. One of the most helpful resources that I have used while doing a challenge has been the 60-Day DEVOTIONAL, “Made to Crave,” by Lysa Terkeurst. This has been influential in changing the way I think about food.

We are made for so much more than to be a slave to food, and through this book, you can learn how to turn those cravings over to God. Because I believe that change needs to happen from the inside out, I want to GIFT this devotional to help set YOU up for success!!

Another thing that I have found incredibly helpful, has been 1:1 meal planning sessions with my new challengers. I know this is a busy season of the year.

I want to meet with you in person for 30-45 minutes if you are local or over the phone if not local to help set up meal planning and solidify your goals.

When we fail to plan, we plan to fail…so why not let me help you get set up with a meal plan you will LOVE?

ALL Access: What does this mean?

ALL-ACCESS: What does this mean?

It means that for one-FULL year, you can have access to all those infomercial fitness programs in addition to the new ones that come out for an entire YEAR on your laptop, smartphone, ipad, smart TV and on your TV if you have a device like Chromecast.

THIS IS BIG and this is exactly what I have been waiting for.

Take the "think" work out of exercising and trust the process in completing programs that help to shape your body, mind, spirit.

Of course you have the choice in whether you simply exercise and then sabatoge your progress with your eating habits.

This is what I did for years as a distance athlete. My nutrition was very poor and I ate whatever I wanted and then just "burned it off". But that only goes so far with your body. I would feel so sluggish on recovery days or rest days. I would hate how my mid-section never seemed to tighten up even though I just ran 10-18 miles.

And it was because of my nutrition. Portion control is now the key for me AND giving my struggle to God which is an entirely different concept. Giving it up to my Creator who knows how I tick and what triggers me. 

So really ALL Access means there is now an option to access ALL fitness programs put out by Beachbody past, present and future in 2017. It is an option whereby there are no DVDs because you use the electronics to take it with you everywhere: to the gym, in your living room, hotel room, extended family's.

For NEW coaching customers/clients-ALL ACCESS CLUB Membership (Annually)
1) $99US for only the All Access BOD without Shakeology 
2) $199US/$231CAN one-time charge ($99 annual renewal after first 12 months)
    a. FULL ACCESS to ALL programs
    b. One month of Shakeology (hence you save $30) by investing in both and not separately.
    c. 10% off future purchases (including Shakeology)
    d. OPTION: become a preferred customer/discount coach and save 25% off future purchases

3) $239 KICKSTART (3-Day Refresh) + ALL Access BOD + One month Shakeology (savings of over $70)

For CURRENT coaching customers/clients who already have BOD, it is an upgrade.

1) Go to www.allaccessbod.com,

2) $99US for ALL Access BOD upgrade

For those who purchased a Challenge Pack in December 1st-26th

1) $69US for the addition of ALL-ACCESS.

2) Cancel before the 30-day Trial of BOD is processed and write "Upgrade" in the comments.

I know it can appear as "clear" as mud but in the end it's $0.19 a day provides you with a coach (Me), access to 5-star fitness programs and nutrition to kickstart your year.

I want to help you become your bravest version in 2017. Message me to ask questions or receive more details.

*If you LOVE DVDs, then you can continue to purchase programs separately for their regular prices. We don't want to leave anyone out!

A Secret & Ready to Tackle a Giant

This is my reflection on that last 3 days of my life. Reflection is something that we as humans don't often do until something catastrophic happens.

I want to live my days with purpose and with wisdom. Mark and I went on a vacation recently to Boston and finding fresh vegetables is somewhat hard. Most things in the menu were carb/protein based and ladened with sugar and/or salt.

I enjoyed our time together and the different tastes of the area but I knew I wanted to prepare myself for something bigger. I ordered the 3-Day Refresh and had hoped to do it after Thanksgiving but found that I kept thinking "I need to go grocery shopping" when in reality, I was just fearful of starting and didn't think I had enough at home to succeed.

Once I sat down and looked at the guide I realized I have everything and that this fear is what is keeping me from doing. Fear of not having what I want, fear of wasting other food I had already fixed for my family like chili. Fear of MISSING OUT.

Then I just decided to begin on a Thursday. One of my big idols I go to is food, my taste buds and feeling trapped that I can't stop eating things when I start. So this would be a challenge.

But what I found was quite different and surprising to me:

* I did NOT feel deprived.

* I enjoyed the aspect of knowing exactly what I would be having.
* I really like drinking iced tea and green tea in between snacks and meals.
* My energy was noticably higher by the middle of the afternoon.
* It was so much more basic than I had anticipated.
* I learned how to choose vegetables that don't create so much gas (fiber, fiber, fiber) and so I adjusted and found what worked (carrots, advocados, green beans, etc).
* I learned that I drank WAY more water.
* I told myself "I can most certainly have that, but I don't want it right now."

* I felt FREEDOM...as much as I was helping myself to learn the discipline of restraint.
* I woke up easier and earlier in the mornings that I had been able to do.
* I could focus on my family and not on how much food I was eating.

* AND MY SECRET: I decided to only keep my protein thinkThin bar in the mornings because 1) I still wanted to workout with energy & know how my body feels with it & 2) it kept my bowels from completely clearing out with the "fiber sweep" (at least that's what I assumed).

The results, more energy, 5 pounds of struggle lost, slimming of the waist line, no bloating, more water and fluids, enjoyment of my family at Christmas/birthday gatherings without thinking about all the food.

Now I can't say I was in bad shape because I wasn't, but I had felt my jeans get a little tighter from our vacation and the portions I had had.
Life happens. We adjust. Now to move foward.

My devotion reminds me that my persistent struggle is actually a blessing and leads me to God. It reminds me that I have weakness but that He can be strong in my weakness. He hears my cry.

  

Don't understimate what you cannot see. I am ready to continue to tackle this Giant. 

If you are inspired, let me know, if you are comparing let me know. Comparing won't help you any, it just makes you envious. Make changes, step forward. This took courage and this took risk. I made sure to eat my dinner meal with the boys so they could see healthy choices.

I don't plan to lose any more weight because I feel great. It's not about the weight, it's about overcoming the idol and the struggle. It ended up being more of a "fast" from those things that distract me and helped me to focus in on a deeper level with God and myself.

Check it out. It's worth it and recognize that two meals eating out with family takes care of the cost. You won't eat out and you will prepare what is best for your body.

I am now even more of a believer in setting up the best plan for you. The challenge pack is the best bang for your buck and will help you to consistently move forward and provides a 30-day free trial of Beachbody on Demand. Go to 3-Day Refresh® and Shakeology® Challenge Pack to view this package.

The other options for the 3-Day Refresh include: 

3-Day Refresh Complete Kit

3-Day Refresh Without Shakeology 

And lastly the cool thing is that 3-Day Refresh can be a KICKSTART with a fitness program and shakeology. For the New Year REALSolutions 2017 Challenge group will start up beginning in January. This is your chance to turn a new leaf and to make life-impacting changes all while having a coach to help keep you accountable and to check up with you.

21 Day Fix Kickstart and Shakeology Challenge Pack 
21 Day Fix EXTREME Kickstart and Shakeology Challenge Pack
CIZE Kickstart and Shakeology Challenge Pack
Country Heat Kickstart and Shakeology Challenge Pack
Club Kickstart and Shakeology Challenge Pack
INSANITY MAX:30 Kickstart and Shakeology Challenge Pack
PiYo Kickstart and Shakeology Challenge Pack 

Invest in yourself so then you can invest in others! The challenge packs also come without the 3-Day Refresh but now that I've done it...it works. It's insightful and the spiritual compenent cannot be denied.

Dream with Me...

I have always rationalized that I am not a dreamer...I'm a thinker and a hoper but not a dreamer...

But maybe it's ok to be a dreamer as long as your footsteps back up your wonderings...?

I am beginning to wonder if I worked for 4 years full-time and 5 years part-time to better understand where people (especially women) are coming from when they are creating their identities outside of the home.

I have also wondered if my view and respect of that experience will better help me in how to serve those women now that I have stepped out of that pace and desire to support them.

It is a very focused road when you are working full-time, VERY FOCUSED and it has to be. There is no lounging, relaxation becomes an after-thought if one is not intentional. I look back and after training for my last full-marathon working full-time and then doing two painting courses...I know most wonder "where did she have the time?"

My answer, "I didn't." I had the same amount of time that everyone else had. I just used my time very focused and intentionally. Watching TV became something of the past and reading books became audio books. Painting became an outlet on certain evenings and running happened before my family was awake.

Mark carried a huge load as a full-time working dad too. But we did and we made it through. Still I dream of simplicity even though my middle name might as well be complexity.

I dream of beauty, centeredness, joy and travel. I dream of hard-work while making a living doing what I love: making things for other people to inspire them and helping them move beyond themselves to achieve their braver selves.

I don't think it's an unattainable dream anymore; however, I know for a fact that the dream can't live within a healthcare system nor within a 9-5 type of scenario. Humans are too messy for that to be the case.

All this to say: I want to dream and step forward and I will. Come join me to create and step into your bravest version of yourself...I dare you.