As a designer, course creator, copywriter, and blogger, I spend A LOT of time sitting behind a computer and the busier I get, the more I sit. That long-term sedentary lifestyle wreaked havoc on my body and eventually, I found myself at my highest weight ever since being pregnant 14 years ago. Honestly, in 14 years, I never really tried that hard to stay “in shape.”
I was happy and life was good — and I’m still happy and today life is even better.
Start And Stop And Repeat
Every few years, however, I’d get frustrated and workout for a bit:
- At one point, I joined a gym, but didn’t like feeling like a sweaty cow around the gym-bros and workout babes in full makeup and skimpy clothing — and the classes didn’t fit my schedule.
- I got a FitBit and used it to motivate me to get in 10,000 steps a day for nearly a year.
- I did a few rounds of Whole30 and really liked it, but the focus was on everything you can’t eat, not learning how to eat what you like in a way that works long-term.
- I even tried cross-fit and OMG, just no. They pushed me way to hard on the first day of a beginner class and I experienced an injury that took months to heal.
The thing is, I never stuck with it — work travel and family vacations continually derailed my good intentions and getting back to it always seemed overwhelming.
Finally, at one point several years ago, I ordered the Beachbody Focus T25 DVDs and while I loved the butt-kicking workouts, I was working out alone with no support and no accountability — and every time I posted anything about Beachbody multiple “come-make-me-some-money” coaches would creep out of the woodwork and attempt to pressure me (a stranger) to spend a bunch of money, become a coach, and join their team.
It was such a gross turn-off that I avoided anything to do with Beachbody for a long time.
The CaboPress Catalyst
Fast forward to 2019 and my friend Chris Lema telling me he invited friends of his who are Beachbody coaches to come to his business conference in Cabo San Lucas. On the outside, I thought, “Oh, what a cool idea!” On the inside, I was thinking, “Oh no,” and worried this would ruin my favorite conference ever.
At the same time, 2019 was a stressful, overwhelming year of Brian and I both working way too much, which also meant eating out too much and eating too much junk food. I was overweight, out of shape, and feeling uncomfortable in my own body. So I was curious from a distance.
At CaboPress, I enjoyed a few meals with Joy and Drew and sat in on their session — and I liked their reality-based approach to health and wellness. Fitting in fitness and healthy eating around running my business has always been difficult but they shared solid strategies that made sense. I wasn’t quite ready to join them for the morning workouts, but they piqued my interest and after the conference, I reached out to Joy for a eating and fitness plan that fit my lifestyle. She helped me figure out where to start and how to get started with small changes.
Investing In Myself
Investing in my own health and joining an active Beachbody community is by far one of the best investments I have ever made.
- In my first month, I lost 13 pounds
- Within a few months, my legs, butt, and arms were visibly smaller
- I’ve dropped nearly two pant sizes
- I feel stronger, I have more energy, and I am sleeping better
When I got started with Beachbody, I could barely do a single push up, I didn’t have any abs to speak of, and a burpee was a joke… but I’m already seeing results…
- I can do several sets of pushups
- I’m gaining core strength
- Ab workouts are hard but 100% doable
- I can totally do a lot of burpees now
- There is far less jiggling happening!
What’s even better though is that as a mom, my commitment to healthy eating and healthy living is trickling down through my whole family.
- I started incorporating Vegan Shakeology into my diet — it’s a superfood nutrition shake that’s super yummy!
- My husband’s pants that were a little too tight are now a little too loose from doing nothing more than following the Beachbody 2B Mindset program with me.
- My daughter started having a Shakeology for breakfast everyday instead of skipping breakfast or grabbing something unhealthy. She’s lost a few pounds, is seeing a flatter stomach, and reports having more energy in class.
- My son, who is a picky eater, has Shakeology with peanut butter a few times a week after school.
Celebrating 100 Beachbody Workouts
I set a goal in January when I got started: Complete 300 Beachbody workouts this year. It’s an aggressive goal, yet here we are in April celebrating the completion of my first 100 Beachbody workouts.
I got started with Focus T25 because it’s what I knew (and I love Shaun T), and with my Beachbody On Demand membership, I also got access to all of the other Beachbody programs and completed 21 Day Fix Real Time and 21 Day Fix Extreme Real Time. When early access for 10 Rounds came out, I bought that too because several friends were all doing the boxing program and we wanted to do it together.
Even though I didn’t have any weights, I made it work with water bottles, jugs of laundry detergent, and even cans of food — no excuses!
Approaching my health as a lone wolf was a challenge. Being part of a community made it easier.
The biggest reason I’ve been able to stick with it this time is because I’m seeing results, I’m sharing the experience with friends, and I’m having fun. I’m incredibly inspired by the other members of this community and it motivates me to do my best too! Honestly, I really wasn’t sure about posting my daily sweaty selfies in our Beachbody Group or my Facebook and Instagram stories, but it’s been great personal accountability!
Pairing Nutrition And Exercise
I used to focus only on exercise or only on nutrition, but Joy has really made me take a closer look at how they work together. Weight loss starts in the kitchen with what you eat and exercise builds muscle (which burns fat) and speeds up your metabolism so you need both.
Now, I’m not the type of person to half-ass anything, so I went all-in when I signed up for Beachbody, buying a challenge pack that includes 2B Mindset, Beachbody On Demand, and Shakeology. I also became a Beachbody coach for discounts (but now I’m also helping others get started). For me, the Vegan Chocolate Shakeology and Vegan Cafe Latte Shakeology check every craving box for something sweet! My family, however, discovered my Shakeology and loved it too, so eventually I had to up my subscription and now we have multiple bags shipped to the house every month!
Looking Forward To The Next 200 Workouts
I’m already working my way toward the next big milestone — hitting the 200 workout mark — and with COVID-19 causing us all to stay home, I’m thinking this goal will be a little easier to reach!
As I look to the future, I’m excited about the positive effect these healthy changes will have on our family adventures. We’re an outdoor family and almost all of our vacations are hiking and activity focused so more stamina and strength will allow me to enthusiastically say YES when my kids want to hike a longer, more difficult trails.
If I’ve learned anything over the last few months, it’s that getting started is the hardest part. If you can just take the first step — with support and a community behind you so you’re not going at it alone — you’ll find that it’s easier than you think to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Then, before you know it, you’ll have made meaningful, visible progress toward your goals.
You’ve got this! And, if you want to join me in making YOU a priority and reclaiming your health, get in touch and let’s talk! I’d love to support you.
