My Fitness Journey to Becoming a Beachbody Coach!

I don't think you can find someone who will tell you that being/staying fit is easy. Maybe some people are naturally slender (especially in their younger years), but once you have a baby, everything changes. Nothing is quite in the same place it was before. One of my sisters warned me that this would be the case, but I didn't believe her. At least in my case (as with many other friends and relatives who have had babies), this holds true.

I've always struggled with my weight. In my twenties, I can remember hitting the gym to spend up to an hour on the elliptical after work, but I never really was overly careful about what I ate. I used the excuse that I worked out to make it OK to splurge more. Not the case!! That will just completely undo your entire workout (and them some, in some cases). Of course, splurging from time to time is expecting and OK, within moderation. But overall, we need consistency in our diet and exercise. Before I got married in 2011, I went on a total workout kick, waking up early every day to bust my behind to my favorite workout DVDs in my living room. Naturally, that all went down the tubes on my honeymoon, I got pregnant a few months after that, and then this reality set in about living a healthy lifestyle for my family.

In February 2013, I started this blog to hold myself accountable and to share my journey with you. I know I'm not the only one that has struggled with eating right and staying active. I've never gotten my weight below 140lbs as an adult. At 5'3", I would ideally like to weigh around 130lbs but I know that it's not about the number on the scale but about how I feel. Inches lost mean more than pounds lost (seeing as muscle does weigh something too, right?)

I started getting into the Beachbody workouts through friends I made through a Facebook challenge group of bloggers. My first program was Brazil Butt Lift. I enjoyed it but it wasn't challenging enough for me at the time, so I stepped it up with some TurboFire: an amazing program that I quickly fell in love with. I felt guilty cheating on Jillian Michaels with Chalene Johnson but they both gave me such amazing workouts. As my daughter got a little older, her schedule became a little inconsistent (she's currently unable to decide if she wants to nap once or twice a day so I never know how much I can accomplish when she goes down for a nap), and working out for 45+ minutes on some days with TurboFire just wasn't feasible some does. Enter the new love of my life: the 21 Day Fix.

If you've been following my blog recently, you will see that I've been posting all about the 21 Day Fix workout program from Beachbody. I've been on the fence about becoming a Beachbody coach for nearly a year now and decided it was time to take the plunge... to fully commit to a healthy lifestyle and to inspire others to do the same. I've been so touched by those of you who follow my blog and Facebook page and have told me that I've inspired you --- so I'm hoping I can continue that trend and inspire others as well.

What I love about the 21 Day Fix so far is that it's a half an hour workout each day. It comes with an eating plan to follow to help guide you with portion control and to cut out the processed foods (at least for the 21 days).  I started the eating plan this week with the challenge group I'm participating in with my coach, Kristina @ Racing and Saving Mama. I will be completely honest: I was totally intimidated by the eating plan. It seemed like a lot of planning and the containers looked so small. When you actually figure out the eating plan, it's actually pretty simple. And once you fill those containers and empty them onto your plate... they are anything BUT small! If you plan your meals ahead of time and eat all your containers, you will not be hungry (I'm shocked I haven't been hungry). Three days on the eating plan and I've already lost nearly 3lbs. I assume the initial weight loss may be quicker than once I get further along. It's amazing what eating healthy foods, drinking water, and exercising only a half-hour a day can do for your body!

Back to the challenge group... it has helped to hold me accountable, offers plenty of advice from fellow participants on the same journey as I am, and continues to motivate and inspire me every day. This group is keeping me on track and I've never felt more motivated and excited. There's no excuse to not get in 30-minutes of exercise... it's just 30 minutes. This isn't a "dancey" workout. The instructor may be a female but this workout can really be for women AND men. There are always guys doing the Beachbody workouts I've tried but this workout is easily made more challenging for men but using heavier weights. It's all intervals. Guys, I dare you to try this workout!! :)

One more thing I do want to mention with Beachbody. When I purchased my 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack, it came with Shakeology. I've never believed in shakes... I just never found that they worked for me. They never curbed my appetite, made me feel more energetic... or anything that they claimed they would do. They had the vitamins and minerals that the bottle said, and that was about it. Well, after much contemplation, I decided I had nothing to lose in trying Shakeology... and I'm SO glad I did. I love these shakes already (and I'm still playing with the different flavors). These nutrient dense shakes DO fill me up and do help with my cravings for sweets (probably because my favorite combination is the chocolate Shakeology with dark chocolate almond milk and PB2). If you know me personally, you know I have a mega sweet tooth so the fact that something can actually help with this is amazing to me. I was so hesitant to try these shakes but they are worth every penny! I drink mine after my workout... yum! And (while I was not a happy-go-lucky pregnant woman in 2012), it's refreshing to know that whenever I do venture down that road again, I will absolutely be getting plenty of nutrients during my pregnancy that I probably didn't get when I was pregnant with my daughter due to my nausea (and constant cravings for pasta!)

Want to know more? Want to try some of these workouts or Shakeology? Feel free to ask any questions you may have (whether it's here on my blog, on my Facebook page, or by visiting my Beachbody website). I would love to help you along your journey to living a healthier lifestyle along with me. Interested in picking up your own 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack? The $140 sale (which includes a month of Shakeology --- valued itself at $130!!) ends tomorrow (2/28/14). Don't miss out! If you do purchase through me, make sure you send me a note so I can get you added to the next Challenge Group on Facebook!

Thank you for following my journey! :)

~ Aly