30 Day Challenge

I recently wrapped up my participation in my Team Beachbody (TBB) 30 Day Challenge. For 30 days, I worked out using a TBB workout (Slim in 6), drank Shakeology once a day, and logged my progress into our challenge's private Facebook group. It was a fun, challenging, and transformational experience. I lost about 8-9 pounds, over 10 inches, my flexibility improved, and my happiness and positivity grew exponentially!

When I began thinking about the challenge, I'll admit, I was apprehensive. The thought of an at home challenge/workout didn't seem very promising to me. I live alone and had become accustomed to getting home from work at 4:30 and immediately transforming into a couch potato. I'd become a sloth. I had no one to motivate and uplift  me, no one to keep that cookie from being pushed into my mouth, and definitely no one to tell me to get my ass of the couch. That is, I had no one to do this for me until my coach, Erika, had explained the challenge to me.

A challenge pack consists of a few basic, yet essential, items:

1) Your choice of a new fitness program (like Turbo Fire, P90X, Insanity, Slim in 6, etc);
2) A 30-day Club membership for custom meal planning;
3) Shakeology on HD (Chocolate, Greenberry, or Tropical Strawberry Vegan)


Plus, by being a part of this, you participate in a private facebook group for daily accountability and 
support. This is ALL done online and everyone just does their own personal best!


The "plus" turned out to be the most important part. Yes, the workouts toned my arms and increased my flexibility. The Club membership allowed me to log workouts and connect with others who were serious about fitness, and the shakeology fueled my body each and every day. But the accountability was and still is the thing that has made the world of difference. Seriously.


Without the private Challenge Facebook group and other challengers, without Erika,  I wouldn't have had success with the program. All the DVDs, websites, and meal replacements in the world can't make you realize that excuses are pointless, fat doesn't shed itself, and one bad day doesn't mean you can't regroup and refocus. My fellow challengers and my coaches did that. Accountability and support is key. The Beachbody Challenge provides just that, and I believe that to be the Beachbody difference.


As I plan to host my first Challenge, I only hope that I can share my experience as a challenger with others whom I will get to coach. Just like the challenge participants, I will be working out, drinking ShakeO, and working to motivate and inspire others. I will be working HARD to keep my challenge group accountable! I promise that! Just because a 30 Day Challenge ends doesn't mean that the road to health and happiness does. As my journey continues, I hope others join me and find equal, if not more, success! 


Have a fantastic Friday,
Karen




For more info on the Challenge, visit the TBB site by clicking this link. 

Alert the Academy!

Because I LOVE my Shakeology, I decided it would be a good idea to share its awesomeness with you! ShakeO is a quick, easy, and nutritious meal replacement that is good on the go for breakfast or great for refueling post-workout! To make the Peanut Butter Chocolate ShakeO you'll need:

-ice to taste
-3/4 cup water
-1/2 cup almond milk (I use unsweetened)
-2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
-1 scoop chocolate Shakeology

Add all of the above ingredients into a blender and blend well for about 30 seconds. Enjoy!
For this and more recipes, visit my Shakeology page my clicking HERE!

Valentine's Day Recipe - Low Calorie Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

I made the mistake today of going to the grocery store during the 5pm hour. On Valentine's Eve. As Homer Simpson would say, "D-oh!"

Not only was I amazed at the sheer number of people in the store, I was amazed at the things they were purchasing! Cupcakes, candies, and chocolate covered strawberries galore! I am convinced there was more business in the store today than there is during the Christmas season. (Maybe I just did a better job of avoiding the mass hysteria in December?)

Anywho, I was trying to decide what I could create and bring to work tomorrow that was 1) healthy 2) delicious and 3) sort of Valentine's-y. At long last, I stumbled across a recipe for Low Calorie Strawberry Cheesecake Bites. At a whopping (not so much) 17.5 calories per bite, this recipe is the perfect combination of naughty (delicious) and nice (healthy!). If you ever need to make a quick and easy snack that you won't feel guilty about, here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1/8 c. fat free cream cheese 1 tbp. and 1 tsp. powdered sugar 2 packets Splenda 8 large strawberries 1/4 reduced fat graham cracker sheet

Directions

*Makes 8 strawberry cheesecake bites, 1 per serving*

1. In a small mixing bowl use a fork or mixing spoon to beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and Splenda until smooth and creamy, set aside.
2. Using a paring knife, hollow the strawberries, being careful not to puncture the sides. Gently fill each with cream cheese mixture just slightly above the tops. Place them on a cookie sheet (I found mini muffin tins to also work well) as you do this.
3. Once all of the strawberries are filled, dip each top into the graham cracker crumbs and place back onto the cookie sheet.
4. Place the cookie sheet into the refrigerator and leave them for a few hours or over night to completely chill.
5. ENJOY!

Before:

Tada! The completed product! After: 

A Resurrection

Near the end of 2011, I came to the realization that I had to take charge of my health.

I am a non-clinical hospital employee, but my interactions with medical and nursing staff (not to mention sick patients) make the plight of obesity and unhealthiness something that can't be ignored. I bit the bullet and blocked one week out of my schedule to to tackle every needed doctor visit to receive a clean bill of health. Except that "clean bill" isn't really what I received. Point blank, my doctors told me that I needed to lose weight. I needed to get healthy. I need to get healthy.

Nearly two months later, I've tackled several obstacles that initially stood in my way. I've joined a network of people who are like-minded when it comes to fitness and living healthy. I think this is the biggest and most wonderful thing that could have happened to me. I am a firm believer in fate, and I am certain that meeting these new friends has been instrumental in my new life. I'm thirty days strong of working out nearly every day. By working out, I mean sweating my ass off. I've also cleaned up my eating habits and have FINALLY gotten past the idea of "rewarding" myself or eating my emotions.

Let me just say, I'm not perfect. I have jiggles, lumps, and bumps. I'm not even at a healthy weight...yet. Although I've lost nearly 10 pounds since the resurrection, I still have about 10 more to lose to reach my optimal BMI range. After I lose those total 20 pounds, I plan making new goals. I plan on working just as hard to be the healthiest me I can be. And I plan on helping you become healthy!

As part of my resurrection, I have decided to help others become healthy. I want to be a positive influence on others. I want to show others that health and happiness are realities that are within the reach of each and every one of us.

In order to strengthen the impact I can have on others, I've joined Team Beachbody: the premier health and fitness support site that distributes amazing products like P90X, Hip Hob Abs, Slim In Six, Turbo Fire, Turbo Jam, Power 90 and MANY others. I can personally attest to the greatness of this program! Slim In Six was my first program of choice, and I've tackled sessions of Power 90, P90X and Turbo Fire. They are awesome!

Just reading this is a great place for you and I to start! I'm excited to share this with you. I hope you join me on this journey, and I look forward to the opportunity to cheer you on, motivate you, and hold you accountable! What's better: you can provide me with the same thing! We will be growing (hopefully smaller) TOGETHER!

I'd like to close by doing two things: sharing my Team Beachbody information with you and sharing an excerpt from my personal journal with you. First, you can visit my Team Beachbody website by clicking HERE!  If you want to amp up your nutrition, I highly suggest Shakeology! I drink this every morning, and it POWERS me up each and every day!

Secondly, and most importantly, here's what began my resurrection. I wrote this on the night I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and told I needed to lose weight:

Everyone always says, “Prepare for the best. Expect the worst.” Why should we expect the worst out of situations and the people in our lives? What message are we sending if we never believe in others? Have the attitude that everything is going to turn out. Be confident that you will not be disappointed. We should always expect the best. Always. When we expect the best, we will receive the best.

As my journey began with those four letters, PCOS, I expected the best.

I expect the best.

If you have any questions, or if you want to learn more about me, Team Beachbody, or Shakeology, feel free to call me at (979) 229-9656 or email me.

"Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.” - Albert Einstein