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!!! :)

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! 

Calling all Foster and Adoptive Moms!

Mark your calendars for September 6th-8th!!

This is a retreat for foster and adoptive moms! It is sponsored by the Abba Fund and my friend Shelly Roberts who wrote the wonderful devotional for adoptive moms, 31 Nuggets of Hope!


Held in SW Illinois, it should be a central place for many moms to meet up!

With the cost for the conference only $199 (and that includes lodging!)...the only question is...

...who will I get to room with?!

If you are planning on going, send me a message and maybe we can be roomies! :)

Spread the word!

Registration opens March 15th!

Check out all the retreat details yourself by visiting the Reaching Hearts with Hope Retreat site!

Hope to see you there!

"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! :)