PiYo Certification

I never in my life expected to say something like this, but I'm LOVING my work as a Beachbody Coach. I swear. I was such a skeptic. When I saw my friend doing it, I was the serious eye roller. I even unfollowed her for a while, because I just couldn't stand seeing her happy face working out all the time. She was getting in amazing shape and feeling fab and I was well...blah.

I was working out and I have to admit, seeing her posts inspired me to get back at it, even as I rolled my eyes at her. lol I started doing videos I found online and I was feeling better, but I was alone in it and on days I didn't feel up to it, I just skipped my workout. This is how I have worked out up until Beachbody. Now, I admit, I have had long stints of time when I worked out faithfully and got in great shape, but it's just different with Beachbody now.

The major difference for me is the community. The team I'm on is amazing and supportive. We motivate and encourage each other. It's great...I love it. My friend, who I used to roll my eyes at, is now my coach. One day I asked her about coaching, because it sounded interesting to me and like something I'd enjoy doing. So I signed up under her and I'm so glad I did.

I've always enjoyed helping people. It's the main reason I became a teacher. I love eating healthy foods and I love to workout. I do all of these things as a Beachbody coach. As a stay-at-home mom, I'm not afforded a lot of opportunities to meet new people, or the time to attend a class at a gym, so having the online community (on Facebook and Team Beachbody), really is helpful. It's funny too, because I never believed it would be. I thought it was all a pyramid scheme...a scam, yadda, yadda.

My Biggest Changes

Now I'm considering getting PiYo certified so I can teach live classes.
I'm looking for opportunities to meet new people so I can help them reach their goals and live their best life. It doesn't have to be weight loss! It could be simply to get more active, or to clean up their diet, or just to meet others and build relationships! That's what it's all about for me.

I'm learning to come out of my shell and for me this is the biggest part of my transformation in the last 2 months. Also, I'm learning to really love myself. Sure, sometimes I still get a little worried about things most 38 year old women worry about...like loosening skin, especially thin women like me, who tend to show this more quickly than others, but I actually love myself now. I feel comfortable in my own skin, even if it is loose (ha!) and I feel much more confident in who I am and what I stand for. I just chuckled a little at the truth of that statement...man...

Part of me thinks, "Gosh, I wish I had figured this out 10 years ago," but I can't and I'm not going to live like that. I'm here now. I feel better than I ever have in my life. Not all of that has to do with Beachbody, but much of it does. I have a great marriage, my kids are awesome and all are doing well right now (thank god), I'm pursuing things I've always wanted to do and darn it, I'm happy. Life is good and it feels amazing to say that!

I never thought I'd be here, at this point, able to honestly say: I'm happy.
But I really am. :)

Perhaps the best part of what I'm doing is that I get to help others. Right now I'm running a FREE Eat Clean Challenge with some of my friends and it's been great to help them figure out a cleaner eating plan and to see them overcome any former struggles! Little changes can make a huge impact! I know this is true from my own experience. If you want to feel better on a bad day, simply have a big glass of water and a piece of fruit. Sure, this isn't a miracle cure and NO, it won't solve all of your problems, but what it will do is fuel your body and, more importantly, your BRAIN so that you can face your issues head-on. I learned this years ago from a lady I knew online from Argentina. She said when she feel just blahh and moody during the day, she is generally dehydrated, so she gets plenty of water and typically it helps. That idea intrigued me and I've done it ever since, because it totally WORKED!

That tiny change got me thinking...I mean, biologically it makes total sense. Our bodies are comprised of 75% water and our cells require water to function. Our entire body is made up of these cells. If we don't have adequate water, our bodies (and brain) cannot function efficiently. Duh moment for me....

So then I thought about foods we eat. I started by making a conscious effort to make my plate colorful. This meant I had to incorporate different fruits and veggies. This, I firmly believe, has kept me from getting sick for the last THREE YEARS. Seriously...I've not been sick since my first trimester of my pregnancy with Ryn, when I had strept throat.

During this experiment, I went vegan, but for me, that diet didn't work well - although I do support it and I do encourage it for those who choose it and for whom it works. My skin went nuts. I had breakouts constantly and that was a red flag for me, because the skin is like a window into our overall health. So I added eggs and dairy and I got a little better. Now I have what I consider a balanced diet. I do not eat meat daily. I eat as clean as possible and I have a plant-based diet. Most of my nutrients come from plants and I try new ones each month both for fun and for the nutritional benefits. I'm also now using Shakeology as a daily snack and my skin is soft and I have very few breakouts. I've never had great skin...it's the best it's ever been. Yay!

What's so cool about Beachbody is I get to share this with others! In my challenge groups we share recipes, we discuss workouts, we encourage each other to be our best and we motivate on days when we'd rather watch tv than workout.

Here's a link to my fitness page:
Fit N Fab
Feel free to check it out and like it if you feel inclined. I post recipes and fitness/lifestyle tips there all the time. You are more than welcome to use them for yourself. If you'd like to join me for a challenge group, or just to see what all of this is about, feel free to message me on Facebook and I'll be happy to discuss your goals and help you find a program that will best help you. If you're interested in the FREE 5-Day Eat Clean Challenge, let me know and I can get you in my next group!

This spring I think I'll take the plunge and get my PiYo certification so I can teach classes in a gym. I'd like that. It would be fun to work with people in person. I also want to start a fit club for moms here in Cincinnati. We could walk, run, do BB workouts, get the kids together, whatever! I think it would be super fun.

Whatever you're doing today, remember this: Progress, not perfection!