Taking control

I don't care about the latest fashion. I don't care about shoes or purses. I don't need a daily stop at Starbucks. I don't run out every time a new version of the iPhone comes out...in fact I've never even had an iPhone. Instead I choose to invest in things that will benefit my health and the health of my family. Workout dvds, Shakeology, healthy food...those are my vices. Some people can't justify the cost of these items. They say, “$120 for a workout program is just too much.” or “I can't afford to buy healthy food at the store.” Really?! Something that is going to give you better health and very likely add years to your life is not worth the money but a new pair of shoes or the latest electronic gadget is? In a few years, or maybe even a few months, the shoes will be in the back of the closet and the phone will be obsolete. But what about your body? Is it not the single most important thing you will ever have? I mean, without it, you would be non-existent, right? And you know that $120 I spent on that workout program a year or two ago? It still works and I still use it! For one year's time with that one program, it cost me .32 a day. Do you still think $120 is too much?

What I'm trying to say is that it is all about priorities. It's easy to throw down $5 a day on that mocha-frappa-whatever every day and not think twice, but that's $150 a month; $1825 a year!! And what good did it do for you? Can you honestly say that your health is better for it? I know I can say that about the $3 a day I spend on Shakeology. Choices. That's all it is. You can continue to make excuses for yourself or you can wake up and take control of your own life! I woke up 3 years ago and haven't looked back since. I can't even understand the person I used to be. 220 lbs!! I don't know how I even lived like that.

Now look, it takes commitment to make these changes. Just spending the money to buy the workout program is meaningless if you are just going to throw it on the shelf to collect dust. If you are going to do that, then no, it's not worth the money! Don't buy it. Continue to take yourself further down the road of poor health. But you are better than that, right?! You are strong! Nothing stands in your way! So get started and don't stop! A year from now, you will look in the mirror and say, “Wow! Look what I've done. Look how much I've accomplished!” That will be a great day! Don'tcha think? :-)

Figuring it all out

Well, it's been awhile since I've come here to share my thoughts so I figure it's time to get them out! I thought the holidays were really hard this year but I also thought that once they were over, I'd be better about my eating...wrong! I started off January with the Shakeology cleanse and was absolutely thrilled to be back to my pre-holiday weight and to have that fresh start but after that I started letting the bad habits creep right back in. My weekends have always been the hardest for me and for the whole month of January, I ate out just about every one of them. The past two weeks I also let the bad eating and junk food creep out into the weekdays! I'm all for having a little indulgence throughout the week but I'm talking full blown eating entire bags of chips, candy bars, and fast food meals bad! Lately, I've just been having such a hard time remembering my goals and making the choices I know I won't regret the following day. So, the past few days, I've been trying to pick my brain as to what is going on with me!

The biggest and most obvious factor is, of course, stress. Try as I might to keep it at bay, it just keeps coming back for more. The latest stress-er to come about is the upcoming loss of my husband's job. Although, we'd known it was very likely to happen, when the news finally came in, it did bring about a good deal of panic for me. I see the bills stacked up and our savings depleted, our house about to foreclose and the fact that my husband has already been searching for a better job for the past two years with absolutely no luck and I don't know how anyone couldn't be worried in this situation. Also the lease with our apartment is ending the day before my husband's last day on the job. There's just so many things all coming at us at once! Things are about to change quite significantly in the next few months...whether good or bad remains to be seen. So this is a biggie and I know it plays a part in the way I've been eating but it's also played a part in the fact that I've been working out more because that's my other outlet for stress. Seriously, don't ever let stress be a reason not to workout because it helps soooo much! Get up and do it!

The other thing I came up with and probably something that so many others do is to get into that 'all or nothing' mentality. I've been getting so strict with myself during the week...eating all the right things, counting calories to a T, not eating a single morsel of candy...that I think by the time the weekend comes, I have just made myself nuts and I end up going off the deep end! I then feel bad about how much I back-tracked over the weekend that the cycle starts all over again the following week. I started off my weight loss and fitness journey with the knowledge that it's okay to have anything in moderation and that it's good for your mind to have a little of your favorite not so healthy things a couple times per week or even every day if you plan accordingly but, somewhere along the way, I lost that knowledge and got totally consumed with perfection! I've known that the last 10 lbs and overall tone I've been working on was going to be tough so I started to forget what works for me and what doesn't. I need a little serving of chips or ice cream through the week or I will go crazy during the weekend...simple as that.

So, this past weekend I started over. I had my normal healthy meals and I also had a little candy and a little ice cream. I did not gobble everything in sight and for the first Monday in awhile I don't feel like I have to kill myself undoing the weekend from hell! Lol It's a small step in the right direction and I'm proud of that step. I'm sure there will be many more wrenches thrown in my path but that's just life. I can let these things make excuses for me and be reasons why I 'can't' or I can decide to take control and keep moving forward even when things get tough. My life, my goals, and my successes are all mine to make! :-D

To be or not to be.....a beachbody coach!!

Should I become a coach?! That's what many of you may be asking yourself on this final day of the free sign up deal with Beachbody. My opinion of course is yes you should, but I know it's not that easy! So what are the benefits of becoming a coach? Well, you get 25% off of all beachbody products so if, for example, you are already ordering Shakeology every month this is an automatic money saver for you. There's no sense in spending $120 per month if you could be paying $90 a month, right?! Yes, there is a $14.95 monthly fee to keep your business up and running but it still beats paying full price. A savings is a savings in my book! :-D Now if this is the absolute only reason that you would even consider becoming a coach, that is completely fine! You don't have to work the business side or do anything else with it if you just want to enjoy the discount. My mom signed up as a coach for just that reason!

Now if you do want to take it further, read on! The business benefits are numerous! 25% commissions on all sales, team bonuses that start accumulating once you've built a team of just two active coaches underneath you as well as beachbody giving you more customers, tax benefits, and a ton of promotions and prizes to anyone who is ready to run with this! Don't think you've got to learn it all on your own either. If you join me, I, as well as our entire team -- Team Lightning Strike will all help you achieve the goals you have set for yourself. Beachbody also invests much of their time to make sure you are up to speed on everything you need to know to succeed with weekly calls and trainings that you can listen in on as well as several live events that you can attend all over the country! Often times, many of the trainers are there as well! How awesome would it be to be personally whipped into shape by Tony Horton, Shaun T or Chalene Johnson!?!

Finally, here's the best benefit of all -- YES, better than making money! When you become a coach, it makes your commitment level to your own health and fitness shoot through the roof! You are surrounded by a ton of people who are on the same mission you are on and it makes you want to take control of your goals and that just naturally spreads out to helping others do the same! There is nothing better in my day than getting a little message from someone telling me that I inspired them to keep going! This is what's it all about and why I love being a coach!!

So should you become a coach?? YES!! Here's one final note in case you are still uncertain. With the free sign up still going today, you have 30 days to see what being a coach is all about before your first $14.95 fee charges. If, in these next 30 days, you decide it's not for you, cancel your account and you're out without paying a single cent. If after 2 months or 2 years, you decide you want to leave, you can do that too with no questions asked, but I think once you become a coach and join the team, you'll love it too much to leave! Are you ready to take a leap; take a chance; do something that could greatly improve your life physically, financially, or both? Well, what are you waiting for?!? Let's go!

Why I did the Shakeology cleanse and why you should (or shouldn't) too!

As I finished my final serving of Shakeology for the 3 day cleanse last night, I started thinking about my reasons for doing it. Sure, the obvious answer is to lose weight (I lost 6.2 lbs by the way) but what more do you really get out of it? I came to the conclusion that a big part of it is about teaching yourself discipline and learning or re-learning to make healthy choices. Aside from being a little low on calories, this cleanse is about as nutrient dense and healthful as you can get. You're eating tons of fruit, veggies, and lean protein and with Shakeology you are getting a truckload of vitamins, minerals, and all that other good stuff -- the way you should be eating on a normal basis anyway! The discipline part comes in every time you are tempted to give in and take a bite of your child's lunch or stop by the candy jar for just 'one piece'. You think, "one bite won't hurt, right?" Maybe, but when it comes to that final day after the cleanse, do you want to be asking yourself if the results could have been just a little bit more? Could you have done just a little bit better? This is what kept me strong and I did not eat a single morsel outside of the what I had planned for the cleanse. Do you know how much thought it takes not to lick the peanut butter off of your finger while you are making your daughter's sandwich?!? It's not until you really set a goal like that, that you realize all the little extras you have in a day with a nibble here and a lick there. That stuff adds up! So, aside from the weight loss and cleansing my body of all the toxins and junk food, this cleanse has given my the tools I need to refocus on my goals! It has helped me to remember to pay attention to what goes in my mouth and it has made me crave real food again. Not candy and greasy fries and processed garbage; REAL FOOD! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed my oatmeal (the one in the canister, not the little packets full of artificial nonsense) sweetened naturally with strawberries and bananas and my scrambled eggs with a hint of black pepper! It was ridiculously delicious! :-D

The conclusion in all of this...? If you are ready to make a fresh start and really reach for your goals, do the cleanse! It will give you a great boost and a clean slate and you'll be set up on a path for success! If you're just looking for a quick fix to drop a few pounds only to go right back to the eating tons of junk food, skipping meals, or any other crazy things you may have been doing beforehand, forget it! I mean, go for it if you want, but I think it would be a bit of a waste. The true secret to losing weight and keeping it off is not from crazy diets or 'magic pills,' it's about making changes to your every day life; changes that will last and that you can live with for the rest of your life! Everyone is capable of this, just put in a little effort and do it!!