A New Challenge--TF and LMP Hybrid!

Home from Philadelphia...first morning back I'm looking to start a new program!

(People often tell me that I'm must be so busy for having six kids...but here's my secret: daily exercise and clean eating!! If you want energy, you have to fuel right and burn off stress with exercise! Did you know that the brain benefits the MOST from exercise? All the body changes are just SIDE EFFECTS!! :) And yes, SHAKEOLOGY is a daily component of "clean eating" for us over here!!)

Here's what I'm going to get after...a hybrid of two of my all time favorite Beachbody programs!!!

Les Mills Pump for weight training married with Turbo Fire for kickin' cardio! Both have AWESOME music that's OFF DA CHAIN!!!!!!!

If you have these two awesome programs you may be searching for a plan to hybrid them together. There are many ways already written out...and I have chosen this one!

PHASE 1: THE CHALLENGE

WEEK 1

1. Pump Challenge and Fire 30
2. Fire 55EZ+Stretch 10
3. Pump Challenge and HIIT 20
4. Flow and Fire 30
5. Pump Challenge and Fire 30
6. Hard Core Abs and Fire 45EZ + Stretch 10
7. REST

WEEK 2

1. Pump & Burn and HIIT 20
2. Fire 60 + Stretch 10
3. Pump Challenge and Hard Core Abs
4. Flow and Fire 30
5. Pump & Burn and HIIT 25
6. REST
7. Hard Core Abs and Fire 30 + Stretch 10

WEEK 3

1. Pump & Burn and HIIT 20
2. Hard Core Abs and Fire 45EZ + Stretch 10
3. Pump & Burn and Fire 30
4. Flow and Hard Core Abs
5. REST
6. Pump & Burn and Fire 45EZ
7. Hard Core Abs and Fire 60 + Stretch 10

WEEK 4

1. Pump & Burn and HIIT 25
2. REST
3. Pump & Burn and Fire 45 + Stretch 10
4. Hard Core Abs and Fire 30
5. Pump & Burn
6. Pump & Burn and HIIT 20
7. Flow and Core 20

WEEK 5

1. Pump & Shred and HIIT 15
2. Hard Core Abs and Fire 45EZ + Stretch 10
3. Pump & Burn and Fire 30
4. Flow and Hard Core Abs
5. REST
6. Pump & Shred and HIIT 20
7. Hard Core Abs and Fire 55EZ + Stretch 10

PHASE 2: THE CHANGE

WEEK 6

1. Pump & Shred and Fire 30
2. Hard Core Abs and Fire 45EZ + Stretch 10
3. Pump & Shred and HIIT 20
4. Flow and Hard Core Abs
5. Fire 60 + Stretch 10
6. Pump & Shred and HIIT 15
7. REST

WEEK 7

1. Pump & Burn and Hard Core Abs
2. REST
3. Pump Revolution
4. Hard Core Abs and Fire 45EZ + Stretch 10
5. Pump & Shred and HIIT 20
6. Flow and Hard Core Abs
7. Fire 60 + Stretch 10

WEEK 8

1. Pump Extreme
2. Hard Core Abs and Fire 45EZ + Stretch 10
3. Pump & Shred and HIIT 15
4. REST
5. Flow and Hard Core Abs
6. Pump Extreme and HIIT 20
7. Fire 60 + Stretch 10

WEEK 9

1. Pump Revolution
2. REST
3. Pump Extreme and HIIT 20
4. Flow and Hard Core Abs
5. Fire 45EZ
6. Pump Revolution and HIIT 15 + Stretch 10
7. Fire 60 + Stretch 10

PHASE 3: BE STRONG

WEEK 10

1. Pump Extreme and HIIT 20
2. Flow and Core 20
3. REST
4. Pump Revolution and HIIT 15 + Stretch 10
5. Flow and Hard Core Abs
6. Pump Extreme and HIIT 20
7. Fire 60 + Stretch 10

WEEK 11

1. Pump Revolution and HIIT 20
2. Fire 60 + Stretch 10
3. REST
4. Pump Extreme and HIIT 30
5. Flow and Core 20
6. Fire 55EZ + Stretch 10
7. Pump Revolution and HIIT 15

WEEK 12

1. Fire 60 + Stretch 10
2. Pump Extreme and HIIT 20
3. Flow and Hard Core Abs
4. REST
5. Pump Revolution and HIIT 25 + Stretch 10
6. Fire 55EZ + Stretch 10
7. Pump Extreme and HIIT 15

WEEK 13

1. Flow and Hard Core Abs
2. Pump Revolution and HIIT 30 + Stretch 10
3. REST
4. Fire 60 + Stretch 10
5. Hard Core Abs and Fire 45EZ + Stretch 10
6. Pump Extreme and HIIT 30
7. DONE!!!

Starting today will take me deep into October...perfectly in time to change things up and do something new for fighting the holiday weight gain season! (If you are going to live fit, you always keep a plan in place!!)

Anybody want to join me? I'm hopping into this TODAY!!!  Jump in with both feet and let's go!!! :)

New Greenberry!! Yippie!!!

We used to have this wonderful Macbook Pro.

I say "used to" because I did something bad.

Very bad.

I spilled my Greenberry Shakeology on it.

Uh oh.

Guess what? Turns out that what is great for your body: lowers your cholesterol, increases your energy, fills you up, reduces your cravings for sweets, helps you lose weight and regulates digestion...

                              ...doesn't do that for a laptop.

If your bag looks like this, you've got the new formula!

Boo. :(


But the news is...

Greenberry Shakeology has just gotten a MAKEOVER!!!



And it's available now! :)  Yippie!!

Here's the 411 on the new formula straight from Beachbody HQ:

Q: What's different in the new Greenberry formula?
A:

• Reduced calories from 140 to 130 per serving
• Reduced Sugars from 11g to 6g per serving! (5 grams less than before!)
• Reduced Total Carbs from 19g to 13g per serving
• Increased Protein from 16g to 17g per serving
• Fiber increased from 3g to 4g due to the addition of pea protein and increase in super greens.
• Reduced fructose necessary in the formula due to the addition of Luo Han Guo
• We added Shakeology's newest superfoods: Luo Han Guo, Moringa and Himalayan Salt.
• We increased the amount of super-greens (it is Greenberry after all!) and included an even more delicious natural flavor which works more harmoniously with the formula to makes Greenberry sweeter and fruitier.
• Green tea used is no longer decaffeinated — therefore it is less "processed".
  • (Note: Green tea is naturally very low in caffeine).
• Plus we incorporated the improvements we made recently to Chocolate:
  • More concentrated grasses. We're using grass juice powders. The grasses are first pressed into juices—which allows us to concentrate the nutrients—then the juice is further concentrated into a powder. (Before we were just grinding the grasses themselves into powders)
  • Better strain of probiotics
  • No suma root or blue-green algae
  • Still Low Glycemic Index

Q: Can I still get the Original Greenberry Formula?
A: For those of you who loved the original Greenberry, you can still purchase it (24-count cartons only) for limited time, beginning Tuesday, May 7^th. 

Q: Does the New Greenberry Formula still have whey protein?
A: Yes, Greenberry Shakeology still has whey protein in it. We also added natural pea protein to round out the amino acid profile.

Q: Does the New Greenberry Formula still have fructose in it?
A: Yes, but nearly half of what it had before. In this latest formula evolution, new superfood ingredient Luo Han Guo (monkfruit) lends natural sweetness to the formulation without the carbs or calories.

Q: Why are the calories lower in this new Greenberry formula? (130 vs. 140 in the old formula)
A: This is mainly due to the reduction of fructose in the formula.

Q: What is Himalayan Salt? Why was it added into the new Greenberry Shakeology formula?
A: Salt and sodium are necessary in our diets. Unfortunately, common table salt has been stripped of its natural minerals. Himalayan salt is completely natural, relatively untouched, and as a result, still contains over 70 trace minerals. All these natural minerals found in Himalayan salt actually make this salt healthier for you than regular table salt. Additionally, as most people who bake know, adding a pinch of salt contributes to the sweetness of a product. Keep in mind that the RDA is 2400 mg. People who follow a low sodium diet generally restrict sodium to as low as 1500mg/day. So at 200mg, Greenberry Shakeology only represents 8% of the recommended daily intake.

Q: What are all ingredients now listed in blends on the 24-count cartons?
A: Ingredients on the Greenberry Shakeology packaging have been grouped in such a way to help customers more easily understand the categories of ingredients and their benefits.

Q: Why was Suma Root removed from Greenberry Shakeology?
A: Recently, the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) and the National Football League (NFL) released a new list of nationally banned substances. Because current drug screening technologies are unable to differentiate between natural, healthy substances and synthetic banned substances, the list now encompasses a group of all-natural phyto-chemical compounds known as ecdysteroids, which are found in various plants around the globe. Since the ecdysterone found in Suma Root can be erroneously detected as a banned synthetic substance, we have chosen to exclude it from Greenberry Shakeology.

Q: Why was Blue-green algae removed from Greenberry Shakeology?
A: The numerous benefits derived from blue-green algae are found in the other ingredients found in Shakeology's Phytonutrient / Super-Greens blend.

Q: Why is only one strain of probiotics listed on the new Greenberry Shakeology label rather than the 6 listed on the old formula?
A: Bacillus Coagulans is a powerful strain of probiotics proven to survive the acids in the stomach and reach the intestine where it is intended to function. Probiotics are good bacteria that help create a healthy environment in the intestines, to maintain healthy and improved digestive function. These friendly organisms may also help fight bacteria that cause diarrhea and there's also evidence that probiotics help maintain a strong immune system. This is why the probiotics need to reach the intestines instead of being eaten up in the stomach and why we have upgraded our probiotic strain.

Q: Is Greenberry Shakeology gluten-free?
A: The Shakeology formula does not contain any gluten-based ingredients and we make every effort to prevent any ingredients with gluten from coming into direct or indirect contact with our products. However, because of our high standards we do not feel it is appropriate to make a gluten-free claim since Shakeology is produced in facilities that also handle gluten based ingredients. If you have a concern about gluten it is best to consult your doctor before making any dietary changes.

Q: Original Greenberry Shakeology used to say it was Gluten–free. Why has it changed?
A: Because the safety of our customers is extremely important to us we felt it was prudent to include the statement that Shakeology is made in a factory that also handles gluten (wheat) based ingredients and we removed the Gluten Free statement. This does not mean that Shakeology contains gluten, in fact the Shakeology formula does not have any gluten based ingredients and we make every effort to prevent any ingredients with gluten from coming into direct or indirect contact with our product. This is taking a very conservative approach—however, the health and safety of consumers is our number one priority.

Q: When will Shakeology be certified gluten-free?
A: There are no gluten-based ingredients in the Shakeology formula. Although we can apply for a gluten-free certification, the safety of our customers is extremely important to us and until we are satisfied that our high standards can be met we will not put a gluten-free certified statement on the package. To meet our internal standards, we are reviewing our entire supply chain of nearly 100 ingredients to ensure that there is no potential exposure to gluten-based grains from the farm to the Shakeology product being sealed in the final package. At this point we cannot say when that assessment will be complete.

Q: Is Greenberry Shakeology free from allergens?
A: Shakeology is formulated to be free of the common 8 allergens, however, Shakeology is made in a manufacturing facility that also process allergens such as soy, wheat, milk and gluten. While our manufacturing procedures follows strict, required FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), which include cleaning and breaking down of equipment between production runs and proper air filtration systems as precautionary measures, the possibility of cross-contamination can never be 100% eliminated, therefore we include the warning statement as a precaution to make our customers aware that Shakeology is manufactured in a facility that also processes soy, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, and wheat (gluten) ingredients." We feel this is a responsible approach to help those with extreme sensitivities to such ingredients make an informed decision about the use of Shakeology.

~

Ready to try some? As always, if you order on Home Direct, you will never pay shipping/handling (about $10 per bag). Beachbody always stands behind every product they offer and will refund your total purchase price if you decide it's not for you and return within 30 days. (so great!!) Click here to order yours and hey...just keep it off your laptop, k?

March Means Much!

There are so many exciting things happening in my life this March!

The BIGGEST of which is adding to our family!! Sweet Toby is going to be adopted in just 25 days! (or LESS if our Travel Approval shows up quickly!!!!)

Other awesome things happening is a sweet friend's 40th birthday, my daughter becomes a teenager this month...and another daughter turns 11.

But I want to talk about something ELSE that happens this month.

I'm celebrating 5 full years of being a Beachbody coach.

Huh? Yep. This actually is a big deal.

I'm a Beachbody coach. Hopefully this is not new information to you...but if so, let me tell you briefly about my story.

I was a regular mom who was trying to lose weight after having kids. But I loved love cookie dough and ice cream and had no understanding of how to exercise. I knew I should be exercising...but every time I attempted to go for a run I was a failure.

Spring 2007

A big, fat failure.

I had a lovely collection of exercise DVD's (and VHS tapes!) and would have streaks where I would use them for a few weeks at a time. But really, I had no idea what I was doing.

What I was doing was having more babies and getting bigger.

Inwardly, I had actually resigned to living my life feeling fat and sludgy. (There was no chance of anything else...right?)

And then...I found Beachbody.

Seriously, it was actually like that! I had a friend tell me about Power 90 and how it was working for her and had heard about another program they had made called Slim in 6. I found out it was $60 and decided I had enough workout videos, what would another one really benefit me? So I forgot about it.

Then one day in June, I went to a garage sale.

There sat Slim in 6. It was marked $3.

I shot up a silent prayer, "Lord, if you'll let me get that $60 program for $3...then I will DO it!" I made my way over to the table to grab it and someone stepped between it and me...and...

...she passed it up! I grabbed it and bought it and made my silent pledge.

This was 2007, shortly after we had buried our son Oskar. I had fed my pain with bread and butter and was not proud of the way I looked.

AT. ALL.

So here I was, each day doing this (incredibly boring!) workout program. I had pledged to do it for the entire time...and that meant SIX DAYS a week for SIX ENTIRE WEEKS! Yes, it about killed me from boredom. (Please don't tell dear sweet Debbie S*ebers I said this about her first program...but maybe she already knows?!???) ANYWAY, I found Beachbody online and joined the community. I found other women who were doing this program too and we collectively supported each other, whined about our sore thighs and got the idea to put our own soundtrack in to make the time go faster.

In short: I got hooked onto the Beachbody community.

One of the things that stood out that made this whole thing different was that the Beachbody program came with a plan. A calendar. A "do this workout, then do this workout...now a day of rest and get back at it and do this workout." 

You see, up until then, I just willy-nilly did workouts as I felt like it.

I would wake up and if I thought about exercise I would stand and stare at my collection and choose one at random.

And often, I chose the easier ones.

And guess what?

I.GOT.NOWHERE.

So by week 4 of doing Slim in 6, I was actually seeing REAL CHANGE in my body! I was completely amazed. Nothing I had ever done had made these kinds of changes!

I quickly realized I was going to need something NEW to do by the time week 6 arrived!

And we all knew I was DONE with D*bbie! (Seriously, I love her...but that workout was blech!)

I found a Beachbody coach online in this community and I asked her for help.

She was so kind and helped me understand about the different trainers and their different specialities and what might be a good next choice for me.

I without hesitation went and spent the money to have a new program to begin when I finished the first!
(What a different take I had now on spending money for GOOD QUALITY exercise videos!)

Fast forward a year...and that same beloved Beachbody coach shared with me that I could become a coach too. I could find additional encouragement, accountability and earn an income while doing it for myself.

Hmmm.

I was totally skeptical.

Totally.

But then, my Dad explained to me that there really was some good promise in this. He gave me some advice, "If you are going to do it, do it for the long haul. Don't just try it for 6 months and dump it. Hang in there. It will pay off."

Good words.

(My Dad is full of great advice, it turns out! How blessed am I???) Love you, Dad. :)

And so, in March of 2008, I signed up to become a Beachbody coach.

Truly I think I did this for two main reasons: I wanted the 25% discount for my own purchases...and I loved Traci Morrow my coach and wanted to be like her.

Turns out, those were pretty decent reasons.

Traci is now one of my dearest friends...and I've become one of her star diamond coaches on her team. My own team is an awesome collection of the COOLEST people and we all take our training from Traci herself.

Wow--you may not understand how AMAZING this is...but trust me, it's AWESOME!

So...it's been 5 years and I will never look back. I will never need a gym membership and I will continue to use program after program to challenge my body in greater and greater fitness.

Playing WITH my kids, summer 2012

I actually have learned to LOVE exercise and the way it makes me feel when I am done! :) I love the benefits of maintaining a healthy weight, dealing with stress better, having strength ready to go for whatever task I may find and being able to run and play with our kids. (Not merely watching from the sidelines!)

It's a great life.

And then there's that income thing. What a fabulous side benefit! I'm super excited about this part!

Braces, clothing, groceries...covering all our own Shakeology purchases, supplements, new programs, and supporting precious dear Afiswa in Uganda are some of the perks we enjoy.

So...today marks 5 full years of doing this...and there's no sign of me letting up!

Want to find out what program might be a fit for you? Go here to browse and then here to contact me and have me help you!

You never know where YOU may be 5 years from now! 

"Life is GRAND!" says Kelly!

Here's a story I've been soooooo excited to share!

My sweet friend, Kelly has lost ONE HUNDRED POUNDS!!!! 

WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Kelly is in my daily elite accountability group on Facebook.

She posts everyday how she has done in many different areas...

things like...

              her sleep

                      her food

                         her workouts

                                  her water intake

                                               her Shakeology

                                                                       and her particular vice habits.

And she is ONE ENORMOUS SUCCESS STORY!!! (well, she's small, her success story is HUGE!)

Listen as she shares in her own words:

Me: Tell me what life was like in regards to health and fitness. Did
you workout? Had you dieted on and off? 

Kelly: Well, prior to my weight loss LIFE with health and fitness wasn't
really happening.  I always wanted to be healthy and fit, thought I
was....really at almost 300lbs healthy?  Who was I kiddin' I had tried
every diet imaginable.......Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig,
Nutra-system,Slim Fast The Grapefruit diet, Atkins, low carbs, fat
free, no dairy, no meat....blahahaha....Every time I tried a "new"
diet, I would get soooo excited!  This is it!  I finally found the
right one!  I'm gonna get skinny!......Really? I've tried and failed,
tried and failed time and time again.  What a roller coaster?!?!?
Finally, I decided to do something in 2011. I had gastric bypass
surgery November 28, 2011.  It was not an easy decision.  Surgery?
Are you crazy?  People thought I was taking the easy way out, "all you
have to do is eat right and exercise"  I had practically starved
myself for days and the scale would never move! "all you need is will
power" Really?  I think at nearly 300lbs eating nothing but water and
protein shakes and liquids for 3 days is pretty good "will power".
Yes, I would loss some weight, started to feel good, exercise, then
the weight began to creep back up and then more.

Me: How did you feel, both physically and emotionally?

Kelly: Emotionally?  Well, it was an emotional roller coaster.  I was
depressed.  I was an emotional eater....I ate when I was happy....,
when I was sad...., when I sleepy....thought that pizza and soda would
"wake me up".  As I grew up, I realized that every family function
gathered and centered around FOOD! I ate and ate...and I felt awful,
tired and was starting to get sick.  My health was deteriorating.  My
blood pressure was high, I had headaches, asthma, my body ached and
then my biggest fear....I became diabetic.  I was on 2 blood pressure
medications, 2 diabetic meds (1 pill and 1 injectable), medication for
acid reflux, inhaler for my asthma, muscle relaxer for neck and back
pain.  Then I began to suffer from some sort of skin rash and reaction
to something. I went to several doctors, like 3 in one day!  Seen an
immunologist, dermatologist and endocrinologist all in one day.  Had
skin biopsies, blood work and was then told that I had Hashimotos
Thyroiditis..Huh?  Okay, so now I'm fat, sick and tired!  The answer
is my thyroid!  Just fix it, give me another pill and it'll get
better, right?  wrong! Oh, did I also mention that I was diagnosed
with infertility issues and was told by doctors that I was fat and  if
I would only lose weight, I get pregnant.  Depressed, again........

Me: What was your turning point? What happened that made you say,
"okay. I'm DOING SOMETHING!"

Kelly: I had lots of reasons to lose weight, but my turning point was my
children.  I want to be healthy for my children.  I didn't want them
to have an unhealthy, fat, obese Mama....  I couldn't even play with
my kids due to being tired all the time.  My body ached, my legs hurt
and they wanted me to play blocks on the floor with them.   I
couldn't.  See, my Mom died at age 56 from diabetes complications.
She had her first heart attack in her 40's, she was on dialysis.  I
was heading in the same direction and I knew how I felt and I didn't
want my husband and kids to live without a Mama. I was going to die if
I didn't do something, NOW!  I decided to have surgery.

Me: Tell me about making that decision, to have gastric bypass surgery. 

Kelly: I had thought about surgery for years.  It was not an easy decision.
I had failed everything else as far as dieting and exercising, I
thought to myself...."what makes you think surgery is going to work? I
really thought to myself that I'll probably fail this too.  I didn't
tell may people about my decision to have the surgery.  Only a few, my
wonderful and supportive husband and a close friend.  Then, when I had
my surgery date scheduled, I told my family.  I had one cousin that
refused to talk to me about it, was mad at me and said to me "how and
why would you even think of this?"  I had asked her for support and
she wasn't there for me....we didn't talk for MONTHS!  I did have
other family members that were very supportive.  Then, people at work
were starting to ask me why I was off the schedule? What's wrong? You
okay?  So, I did tell my work family, reluctantly....  They were sooo
supportive! I had GASTRIC BYPASS (RNY) surgery on 11/28/11.


Me: What was your highest weight/size?

Kelly: 293lbs....my wedding day!  Suppose to be one of the happiest days in my
life.  I couldn't find a dress big enough.  I was a size 28.
Currently I am 193lbs and still losing.  I am still working on my weight
loss journey.

Me: WOW! You did it!! You hit 100 pound loss! WHAT A MILESTONE!!! I could NOT be any prouder!!! :) :) :)

Me: So, did the surgery do all the work for you...or did you have to put in
effort in too? How has the surgery changed you?

Kelly: The surgery is ONLY a tool!  You gotta be compliant and work!  This
has been one of the hardest things I have ever done! (and you as well
as me know how hard adoption can be!) (Kelly is a fellow adoptive mommy to two gorgeous girls from China and Cambodia!)
I can only eat small meals.  I don't eat meat, that is only a personal
preference, others eat meat.  I have to chew my food completely, about
25-30 bites.  I can't eat and drink fluid at the same meal.  Things
"get stuck"  See, my stomach is smaller, significantly small, about
3-4oz  I can't eat sweets...I will physically get sick (vomit,
diarrhea, stomach pain, sweaty, feel like I'm dying) Carbs are only
empty calories.  I fill up on protein first.  I drink 1-2 protein
shakes daily, I LOVE veggies! And water! lots of water!  I have to
carry a water jug with me all the time.  This procedure was a BIG
surgery!  I don't absorbed the food I eat now....it goes right through
me and BYPASSES everything else in me.  So, protein is a big deal for
me.  I needed it for healing after surgery and I need it now for
muscle, energy and strength.

Me: How did being in our challenge group impact your journey?

Kelly: I LOVE my challenge group/family.  You gals are so supportive, even
though you all didn't know what I have been through as far as my
weight issues.  The challenge group is great for accountability.  I am
more likely to do my exercise and follow the guidelines with the help
and positive support of them :-)

Me: What role did Shakeology play in your weight loss?

Kelly: I have tried A LOT of shakes!  Shakeology tastes great!  It has the
protein I need to keep me satisfied and full!  It has the vitamins and
nutrients I need, especially after having the weight loss surgery.

Me: What workouts did you do across the year of your journey?

Kelly: I was introduced to Beachbody's Turbo Jam, LOVE IT!  I also do the elliptical,
stationary bike, walk/run, zumba, I tried P90X....not ready for that
yet!  I like variety, I don't want to get bored in my exercise
routine.

Me: What would you tell someone who is struggling with their weight
and discouraged?

Kelly: Being overweight is hard on your body and your health.  It will kill
you, I was on that road, and I wanted off.  I made lots of u-turns and
always seemed to go back to my unhealthy ways of eating and not
exercising.  I was discouraged and I still have my days, but I have
the positive and encouraging support from my Beachbody friends and family!
;-)

Me: What is next for you?

Kelly: My weight loss journey isn't over yet, I still have more to lose.  I
have gained so much more!  The friendships and support have been
wonderful!  I had begun this journey thinking I was going to "get
skinny", well it is so much more!  I am HEALTHY! I have more energy to
play with my kids.  I get full bear hugs!  Before, no one could wrap
their arms around my almost 300 lb body!  I can sit in a stadium seat
without having pain from squeezing into the seat.  I can sit in an
airplane seat too!  I can buy "normal" clothes!
What's next? You ask.......I don't know.  I still want to gain healthy
tips and feel good through exercise and healthy living. This is NOT a
diet, it is a LIFESTYLE!  A LONG LIVING HEALTHY ONE!


Kelly added a post script: I am no longer on all that
medication.  Only 1 thyroid pill!  I take my vitamins and get
additional nutrition from Shakeology!  No longer a diabetic, nor suffer
from asthma or high blood pressure!  LIFE is GRAND!

We all REJOICE for the awesome results sweet Kelly has had! If YOU have been waiting to change your life...don't wait ANY LONGER!!! 

None of us knows how many days we have...but we do know that our days are indeed numbered:

"A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed." Job 14:5

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is."
Psalm 39:4

"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

How many more of YOUR DAYS do you want to waste feeling fat, sick and tired? I would love love love to help you as I've helped Kelly. Click here to connect with me on Facebook and here to go to my coaching page! I can help you find the program that is best suited for you and offer you individualized coaching support! Maybe YOU will be featured NEXT on this blog! :)

Sharing My Secret...

So often people see me with my children and quip,

"Wow! They are all yours? You must have non-stop energy!"

I must admit that several years ago, I could never be doing what I'm doing now.

I was tired.

A lot.

Daily napping was not a luxury, it was a NECESSITY.

And coffee in the morning? Yes! And it wasn't just for the enjoyment...it was to start my body for the day...and keep me going later. I could drink a pot. For reals.

Enter Shakeology.

I was already a Team Beachbody coach before Darin Olien and Isabelle Daikeler invented the formula, so I was curious what Beachbody had created.

I placed my first order.

I was VERY IMPRESSED.

I began drinking it daily.

Things began to change.

I had energy that was...steady. I didn't have that dip in the afternoon.

No more desperate need to melt into the couch come 1 pm!!

And once I did a 3 day cleanse using Shakeology...it broke my addiction to caffeine and I have not been a regular coffee drinker ever since. It's been 3 years!

This summer, I contracted a parasite that trashed my intestines. It took FOREVER to get over. (I think it's done! FINALLY!) During this time, I went multiple times to my doctor who finally said, "Amy, I have no idea what's wrong with you."

I visited a naturalist. He is an Registered Nurse and knew a lot about a lot of things. As I visited with him, I told him I had a bag of my Shakeology in the car, would he like to see it?

He said no.

I brought it in anyway. ;)

When he looked at it, he had a critical look on his face. Then, he melted.

"Hmmm."

Silence.

Then, "Wow. I've never seen a product packed full of so many good super foods. You should drink this everyday!"

He later came back to the subject of Shakeology and told me, "100% of the time when people bring their shakes in to me I tell them they are not worth anything. They isolate one or two good foods and then the rest of the shake is full of man made or synthetic fillers that render them useless. But this is the FIRST SHAKE I've ever seen to truly be full of healthy good foods that I would want to drink myself!"

It was pretty amazing, considering he had no connections with me or Beachbody and had never seen the product before.

Tony Horton of P90X fame and a trainer with Beachbody recently made this video about why he likes Shakeology. Tony is a fitness king and a vegan. He is uber careful with all the foods he puts in his body.

Enjoy watching this and now you know...

SHAKEOLOGY is MY SECRET!!! 

If you would like to try Shakeology for yourself, Beachbody always has a 30 day money back guarantee. You can even mail back the EMPTY bag within those days and receive a full refund if it doesn't meet your satisfaction.

Here's where you can buy some and have the commission help bring Toby home from China:

Buy Shakeology for Toby

Now my secret can become YOURS!

Say NO to the Holidays' Side Effect!!!

Source

It's coming...it's approaching...there's no denying...

And you know the drill well.

Christmas shopping lists.

Holiday decorations.

Ornaments.

Teacher gifts.

Class parties.

Stocking stuffers.

Christmas parties.

Holiday meals.

Cookie exchanges.

Christmas cards.

Wrapping.

Flights. 

Travel.

Turkeys.

New Year's Eve parties.

As you DO ALL THIS PLANNING for the holidays...do you also plan on gaining weight?!?!

Probably not. That's not a real fun side effect of all that work!

But, be honest, did you end up doing so last year?

Where will you be in early January 2013? Standing in front of a mirror pledging that THIS TIME you'll make a change...only to find yourself later snacking again when you didn't want to?

I want to offer you something to COUNTER ACT THAT SYNDROME!!

Last year, I put out a challenge to join with me in a challenge where we daily encourage one another to live a life of health and balance. See last year's post here.

I lost twenty pounds since I wrote that post!

REALLY!!!

Another friend in our group lost 91 pounds. Yes, that's for real!

Another lost 10, another 20, another 25 and yet another 70.

We are the serious ones. We have supported one another ALL YEAR LONG. And it has made ALL the difference!!

Yes, this has been our year!! :)

I'm going to open up another group to people who would like to END THEIR TREND of holiday weight gain!

Would you like to kick the extra squish on your tummy/hips in the butt this year?

Would you be willing to join me and a small group of others in a Facebook accountability group?

Would you be willing to post a little something about how your day went each evening?

Would you be willing to say YES to daily exercise through the cold winter months when what is natural is to snuggle down and eat sweets? (You can STILL do this in a controlled way...just AFTER your workout is in! ;))

If this sounds like something you want to do...then drop me a comment here or friend me on Facebook and send me a private message. (You'll find my Facebook badge on the sidebar down near the bottom of this blog.)

We will use Beachbody products as I am a true believer in them and have had nothing but fabulous flying success using them! (And the variety is AWESOME!) Hop on over to my Beachbody page and click "shop" to look through the many different programs available.

Let's enjoy the holidays without the side effect!!!

Beachbody 21 Day Ultimate Reset--my experience

WOO HOO!!!!

I successfully completed the Beachbody Ultimate Reset!!! That's TWENTY ONE days of amazing food!!

This program was incredibly thought out both by the chefs who created DELICIOUS recipes and by the scientists behind the detoxifying of the body.

It has been so successful and it is now in testing by University medical clinics!

Take a look at a few days of food on the Reset:

At first, I was wondering why I would want to do such a program. After all, I was daily exercising and eating clean.

Or so I thought ...liked to think.

I had some serious addictions.

To what, pray tell?

Butter. Oh yeah.

And icing.

[Ahem.]

Two things that I don't eat everyday, but when I would, I would lose control. It felt like if there was bread and butter on the table, I could kiss my resolve goodbye. I would have at LEAST two slices...and the bread was merely the vehicle to get the butter to my mouth. [Nobody wants a grown woman chewing off a hunk of butter from the stick...at the table, right?]

Got a food like that?

Yah, you get me.

Anyway, after watching the results of several fellow Beachbody coaches, I decided to jump into this myself.

I had no idea that I would break FREE of my addictions!!

BUT I DID!!!

I also lost weight (8 pounds!), lost inches (4 1/2) and my face and arms look leaner. My smallest-sized pants are now loose and my thighs measure smaller than ever as an adult. I did not lose muscle but rather lost the fat over hard earned muscle from all those awesome Beachbody programs I've been doing like Turbo Fire and P90X2!

Other changes I've been so pleased with include deeper sleep, natural strong steady energy and new tastebuds!  (Did you know they remake themselves in 2 weeks? Mine now do not want sugar and crave healthy, whole foods!)

So, you are curious, how does it work?

You order the package from Beachbody. It arrives. You watch the DVD's to familiarize yourself with what you'll be doing. You put on your bracelet to remind yourself, "I'm worth cleaning up and resetting to my optimal best!"

You learn the routines of your supplements and shop for the main staples of the reset: oils, vinegars, spices, miso paste...don't worry, if you can't find it locally there are places to order online.

You have your coach (me!) support you all the way through. I will email you a helpful plan that gives you day by day all your recipes and foods and gives you the heads up when you need to cook double for tomorrow's lunch. (Thank you, Erin, for creating this for me!!)

If you want to document your progress with your doctor, you go see him or her. Get some basic bloodwork done especially your cholesterol. Turns out I had just been in to see my doctor for an adoption clearance and I couldn't have another well visit two weeks later. Silly insurance!

Going to insert a personal tip here: wean yourself off caffeine before starting the Reset! Oh, and don't worry about not having enough fuel for your workouts. You take a 3 week break from them and merely take soothing walks and stretch your muscles.

Then you do it. You shop about every 4 days and cook. You cook and chop and cook and chop some more. Your family and friends wonder what happened to you because you never leave your kitchen and somedays you feel a bit grumpy. [Gotta be honest--when things are in "detox" mode...you can't help feeling a bit weepy, irritable and generally dazed. But one thing you are not is hungry. You are FULL of GOOOOOOOD food! But worry I only had 3 1/2 days like this out of 21!]

You learn to replace all your previous drinks with water. You learn to drink water before a meal. You learn to chew your bites 20 times...afterall, your tummy doesn't have teeth! ;)

And you learn, or maybe marvel, that you actually do not NEED MEAT or DAIRY or even GRAINS in your diet to survive this reset. In fact, for 21 days, you wean off these foods to focus exclusively on high amounts fruits and vegetables.

Each week is a phase. Phase one you wean off of whatever junk you've been eating and dairy and meat slowly fade out. Phase two your focus is ridding your body of toxins...you drink a supplement 3 times a day that gently clings to impurities and unwanted crud in your digestive system and flushes them out. This supplement was created carefully so no one is doubled over running for the bathroom all day long. It was very natural.

Phase three ushers you into a vegan diet. This was the most incredible phase for me. I'd read a lot about vegan diets and really wanted to try it...but wondered HOW IN THE WORLD would I give up things like butter and cheese and Greek yogurt?? Well, the Beachbody Ultimate Reset answered that for me! I effortlessly slid into phase three and was doing it! [You know, like when you suddenly realize your dad's hand wasn't on the bicycle seat and you'd been riding all this time?? LIKE THAT!!]

I was plenty happy when the 21 days were over. Not because I couldn't wait to dig into a fresh slice of bread and slather it with butter though. No, I was simply weary of having to cook from a list of dictated day plan of meals. My desire for butter and icing were BOTH tested. And truly, their power was broken.

Test number one came when I was cooking for my family something they longed for. It needed butter melted and I was nervous. But I pulled that stick of saturated fat out of the fridge and saw it for what it was: saturated fat that was a hinderance to my health. Didn't. Want. It. Fo reals!!!

Test number two came when we held another cupcake sale for Sixty Feet. Spending several hours around icing-topped sweets had zero affect on me. I even bumped into a cupcake with my finger and my first thought was to wash it off, not lick it. I was further reminded of how bad it was for me when it didn't wash off easily...that fat clings! Just exactly what it does inside a body.

And now, you want to know...did she keep the weight off? Did she go back to her former addictions? Did her family eat the Reset food???

Let me answer those great questions!

Not only have I kept the weight off, I have lost more! I love love love eating the recipes that came with the reset. They are SOOOO GOOD. SO SO SO GOOD!!! I continue to make them in real life and am shocked to find myself roasting up some beets for Sunday night dinner. (This really sounds so different after doing the Reset...I know to you it must sound like I live on a different planet!) Even tonight, while I make dinner for everyone else (Friday night is PIZZA NIGHT in our family) I will eat an acorn squash. And be very happy, mind you!! :)

I have not had any butter or icing or cheese or any sugar for that matter since I've finished the reset. I simply don't want it. Now I know that I could eat them...and that old temptations could take hold of me again, so I will probably steer clear of these things for a long while.

My family rocks. They eat whatever I feed them. I intentionally cooked ahead before I began the Reset so they would have food that I could pull from the freezer and focus on what I needed to cook for my reset. As it progressed though, they wanted what I was oohing and ahhhing over. And I fed it to them. And we still eat it.

So, in my personal critique, I would say the Ultimate Reset was worth it. It was labor intensive, took some work to swallow the different liquid supplements (the capsules were nothing!) and those grouchy days were not fun, but the benefits WAY OUTWEIGH the "pain." It changed how I look at food and how I feed my family. My tastebuds long for healthy food and my body is satisfied with foods I never thought I would even like.

There is no benefit like feeling FREE from addictions, thin, happy and energetic!! Way to go, Beachbody for this great product!!

Decide to GAIN weight for Christmas?!?!

With P90X creator Tony Horton at the Diamond
Beachbody Coach Gala party in LA

As many people know, I am proud to be a Beachbody Coach. I just LOVE it! However, due to our adoption process and going independently, I've not been able to focus on it intensely.

And I've learned that adopting a child is VERY SIMILAR to having a birth child...life is thrown completely out of whack and regular workouts are a distant memory! I've heard it said that adopting an older child is just like having a newborn except that they don't lay down for a nap every 2-3 hours! RIGHT!!

Granted I didn't gain that dreaded pregnancy weight this time, but I have really struggled to get time to workout as I had so regularly done before.

So... I decided to jump back in with a Fitness Challenge that will stretch across the holidays like a big blanket of snow! I mean really--how many of us actually WANT to gain that  5-10 pounds that are SOOOOO easy to pick up during Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years?

Do you know that if you do not decide to lose weight during the holidays you will actually gain it? So if you do nothing, you are in effect deciding to gain weight for Christmas!!!! Hey, please pass the fudge. ;)

Think about what it would be like to hit New Year's Eve and realize, "I AM ALREADY LIVING LIKE I WANT TO," and your only resolution to be "keep it up?"

Not possible? Hmmmm. I think you can do it!

So, that's where this challenge is going to come in!! :)

I am offering to coach FIVE people over the holidays and into the New Year (to Grandmother's house we go!). We will develop a community of encouragement and accountability all striving to improve our health TOGETHER. This is a beta test group so there are going to be some requirements so we can get good results.

What are the requirements?

*You must be committed for 90 days. That stretch will look like mid-November through mid-February.

*You need to drink Shakeology daily. And we are hoping for that awesome new TROPICAL vegan flavor to come out in the first quarter of 2012!!!

*You must commit to a Beachbody program. Nearly all programs are 6 days a week of exercise. Some are 5. The daily time commitment is usually 45 - 60 minutes.

*You must be on Facebook. The reason for this requirement is that I want to have all of us in a private group together where we can build relationships, encourage and stay accountable.

*I will recommend that people log their nutrition into an online fitness app like MyFitnessPal. We can all "friend" each other there and stay accountable that way too!

Now for some good news!

On November 1, 2011 Beachbody will release the "Challenge Packs" which include:
* a home direct order of Shakeology,
*a fitness program of your choice,
* 1 free month of the Beachbody Club (The Club includes an awesome meal planner and other great weight loss/fitness related tools).

There are three packs to choose from but since they have not been officially released, I cannot post which fitness programs are in which pack. However, the prices are in the neighborhood of $160 for the beginning programs up to $205 for the more advanced programs. Each pack will come with free shipping and will also save on the whole cost from $25-$45 (than if you ordered Shakeology and the fitness program separately). :)

If this sounds like something  you are ready to COMMIT to...then add a comment to this post and let me know. I will not publish your comments. Supply me with an email and if we aren't already Facebook friends, then request me or give me your page in the comment and I'll look you up.

I'm excited to see who God brings together for this challenge and I'm ready to kick myself back into gear after our adoption!

Holiday weight gain? Not me!! Not YOU! ;)

A few tips to make the days go smoother...

Over at It's Almost Naptime! my fellow mom friend, Missy, has asked for us to share our tips on making life run a bit smoother. I loved reading other mom's tips (what a wealth of knowledge!!) and thought I might post a few that we have used. Nothing earth shattering, but after reading in our adoption training manual that children 4 and under assume that every family is like their family, I think we can all learn from what it's like in each other's houses. I love picking up tips from YOU! Here are a few things we do:

1) My older girls DAILY empty the dishwasher. Even on Sunday. One does the top and bottom rack, the other polishes all the silverware (ha! we all know "polish" is a bit of a stretch here...) and puts all the sippy cup plugs back into the lids. This saves me so much time and it's SO NICE to open an empty, clean dishwasher at the start of the day! (We run it every night while we sleep...look and see if yours has the "4 hour delay" option!)

2) When we homeschooled we had a special daily cleaning time I dubbed, "Home Blessing." We have a watered down version of that now that they attend public school (poor them, with homework, ya know?! wink wink!) I had little plastic nametag pockets that they wore around their necks that I would slide in the tasks for that 1/2 hour segment of the day. It was awesome! This is the ONLY way the 2 ferns on the porch survived the hot summers. (Thank you, Anneli!) Between the 3 of us (Oliver was too young then) we cleaned the entire house each week. Truly, our house was never as clean as when we homeschooled! Hmmmmm...

3) Earning computer time. My kids have to read 1 hour for every 15 minutes they play online. (Mom or Dad approved website, of course.) Books are where it's at and I'm trying to foster a love for reading. Did you know that just having books in your house (you don't even have to read them!) will increase your child's literacy rate? Imagine what would happen if they see Mom reading books at every chance she gets? (That's me...one in the car, one by my bed, one at the table for after dinner for all to listen to (usually a missionary biography) another on the island for when I'm having lunch! People are surprised that I am reading more than one book at a time...but that's why!!)

4) All laundry is taken immediately upon removal-from-body to the 3 baskets in our big closet. I quit having laundry baskets in each room b/c it was more work. One station for all of it. (I need a trick to get them to take it in there!!) My kids know how to sort: dark on the left, light on the right. (that rhyme is important!) I gather the basket that is the most full when I first get up in the morning and get it started as I'm filling up my water bottle for my morning workout.

5) Daily exercise. This is critical in my house, and not just because I'm a Beachbody coach. This is for my own sanity and for the purpose of modeling good habits for my children. I am CONVINCED that watching my mom jump rope for hours in our kitchen has carried over to my willingness to make this a daily part of my routine. (Thanks, Mom!) My tip is that as soon as I get out of bed, I put on my workout clothes. I don't have my quiet time with the Lord in my jammies, I've got a sports bra on and I'm ready to BRING IT! right at 6 am. If I work it right, I can get my workout(s) in and a shower before we have to load into the car by 7:30 am to go to the bus stop. (This doesn't always happen!)

My last tip is to go to bed on time, which I've not done b/c I'm writing this! I have a bed time too...and I try to keep it. It sure makes 5 am a lot easier to tolerate! Good night all!

Christmas UNshopping!

Yippie!!! We have done something that will impact us mildly this Christmas and impact certain people on our planet MAJORLY over the next twenty years. That's a pretty lofty thing to claim, so let me unpack it for you.

Brian and I did all of our Christmas shopping for our family back in October. We were feeling mighty fine about that!! DONE! Smiling over a cups of hot coffee at Panera we felt so happy that we had made all our Christmas purchases in one morning and stuck fairly close to something I can loosely refer to as a "budget." And the kicker? The kids will LOVE this big gift and all the trimmings--for sure!

Enter a few chapters from The Hole in Our Gospel sprinkled in with a few podcasts by Erwin MacManus and another chapter or two from a book called Radical. The undoing of our lives had long ago begun, but it was about to unravel a bit more.

I would like to say that we decided to go Christmas unshopping because God had just moved our hearts and we obeyed, but that wouldn't be the whole story, and I feel pretty certain it should be told accurately. We became painfully aware that we really didn't have money for these gifts that we so jubilantly tucked away in their hiding place. Several times over the next weeks Brian suggested we simply take the whole kit and kaboodle back. I wasn't married to the idea of giving it to the kids, but certainly did NOT feel like starting all over again! What would we give the kids in its place??? Brian boldly suggested nothing in it's place. "WHAT!?! We can't do that to our kids!! They wait all year for Christmas!" He suggested maybe we take Christmas morning and serve someplace so we are busy rather than feeling the loss of presents. A good idea that I really liked. We prayed and God indeed did provide the $ to cover the gifts. We had them paid off by the time the credit card bill came due. Hooray! Keep the gifts! But the idea of serving on Christmas morning really appealed to me.

Well, because of this discussion, we realized that perhaps we could go and serve somewhere on Christmas morning and then give our children these gifts in the afternoon (God had provided, after all!) We began to look for places to serve. It wasn't looking good. The kids have to be 14 to serve in a soup kitchen, men are not allowed in the battered women's shelter, the elderly in the nursing home do not wake up early on Christmas (or any) morning and wouldn't be available for a Shaw production until the afternoon. Something wasn't quite right.

I am so blessed to know some really amazing sisters in Christ, one of whom has gone before me in international adoption and is blazing trails left and right. She had just blogged about her own family giving up their Christmas tree and giving the money to purchase a flock of ducks for a needy African family. You can read her inspirational blog post here. That in the back of my mind, I went to pick up my children from the bus stop. We got into a discussion about body fat. "Some people are fat because they eat more food than their bodies need at the time, so their body simply stores it for later. The problem is that when "later" comes they have plenty to eat and so they do. More and more gets stored on their bodies and they become fat." (You didn't expect a Beachbody coach mom to not teach her children this did you?!) "Compare that, " I continued, "with a person living in Africa who only manages to eat one meal a day. Their body, if they had stored extra food for later would have used it up when no food was eaten. They are not fat. In fact, their body is so hungry that it eats away at the muscle and they become very malnourished." From that comment I kid you not, my 10 year old says, "You know what would be great? If people had chickens! They could eat the eggs and also grow some up to be meat chickens!" And *BLING!* an idea suddenly sparked in my mind! I immediately asked them, "Okay, what if we had a dramatically smaller Christmas this year and we gave chickens to families in Africa who really needed them?" I had not even gotten the question out of my mouth before my 8 year old piped up an enthusiastic, "Oh YES!!!" Then two more enthusiastic affirmations followed. (Darrah Kate remains wordless at this point!)

I spoke with Brian on the phone once we got back to the house, "The kids are willingly choosing to have a small Christmas so we can bless people on the other side of the planet!" He too was thrilled. We made plans and the next morning I drove the 45 minutes to the back to the store and returned all but a $20 gift that we'll give to all the kids together. I was Christmas unshopping and it felt SO GOOD!!! We decided later that night to give to a group called Charity:water that is bringing clean water to people who are literally dying for lack of it. Our donation is going to give people clean water for TWENTY YEARS!!! WOW! How is that for an excellent trade? :)

{I am inserting a paragraph to illuminate why we chose to go the water route rather than the chicken route as a family. Feel free to skip over this if you don't need to know every detail!} Incidentally, I came down with the flu while I was out returning the gifts. After I was home, I was lying on the bathroom floor between heaves and thinking, "If I lived in Africa as an impoverished person, I would have no clean toilet, no clean floor and I would feel like this often without much hope for getting better." Later as I thirst for water while I was in bed and some family member graciously delivered to me a whole Nalgene full of clear, filtered water I thought, "Now what if the only thing to slake my thirst while I was this sick was contaminated, dirty water? I would have very little hope of getting well." It was like a very practical, personal wake up call to the need for clean water around the world. This pushed our decision to give to a non-profit to build wells in places that desperately need access to clean, unadulterated water.

Jensi (our 10 year old) has decided to take on the chicken giving project on her own. I'll probably come back and write more about her venture later. We also are still planning to do something on Christmas morning, even if we simply wait until the elderly wake up to bring them some kid-hearted Christmas cheer. For now, I am just feeling so thrilled to have gotten an idea, allowed God to tweak it just right and then to have moved on it!

Jesus said to His disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambitions, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life." Matthew 16:24-25

It will be a small Christmas that will be remembered...for many reasons. Hopefully it's just the beginning of us all learning to give our lives away for the sake of obeying Jesus.