Becoming a Beach Body Coach and what it means to me...

I LOVE T25!!!!

 If you were on my facebook or instagram you would likely be overwhelmed by pictures of me dripping in sweat flexing my "guns" and hashtagging T25.  I love it. I am amazed at the transformation my body went through with workouts of only 25 minutes a day. And lets be honest- we can all spare 25 minutes a day.  My friends and (now) fellow coaches have been on me for months about becoming a coach and helping other people.  To be honest, it was the absolute last thing on my mind. Me?! A coach?!? Yeah right!! Look at me. How am I supposed to give people fitness advice and SELL product?!?! That's so not me!!!!

So I said no without really looking into it and went along my merry way. When someone asked me what program I was doing I would tell them and send them to my friends who were coaching.  When someone needed advice I would be there.  Some had questions, I was an open book.  You need inspiration or motivation to show a loved one it can be done?? Sure! Use my pics and share my story. What I didn't realize was that I WAS coaching. I just wasnt doing it officially ( or making any profit on it).  I also realized that you really don't have to SELL anything.  In the last couple months its amazing the friends I have had join team Beach Body.  And one by one I have watched them totally kill it with both their fitness and as a job opportunity.  It was inspiring to say the least.  So when my very best friend had a little chat with me about it over a delicious chocolate shakeology shake- I knew it was something I should really consider.

Now all through my weight loss journey I have been a T25 girl.  Shaun T in my workout room every morning. Life was good.  Then all my friends started this new program called the 21 Day Fix. And they. Kicked. Ass! I mean like for real!!! I had pretty good eating habits, I was drinking protein shakes for meals, and I was exercising. Still these girls were dropping weight and transforming their bodies faster than I was.  So after a little research I realized that what I was missing was everything else beach body had to offer.

Firs off the shakes. I have tried every kind of shake you can think of. From super expensive to super cheap and trust me when I tell you these are the best.  Im not saying it because I now sell them, I am selling them because they are THAT GOOD!!!! Breakfast is now my favorite meal of the day!

The fix is unique in that it has portion controlled dishes, color coded and everything, to teach you exactly how and what to eat.  Most people really have NO IDEA what to feed their bodies so this is something I totally love.

Lastly- Having a coach.  I can not express to you enough the importance of having a coach and support system through your weight loss journey. Especially if you are going to dedicate yourself to a challenge. As I have mentioned all along my friend Ashley has been my rock through this whole journey. She has been there to give me advice, encouragement, support, listen to me rant, cheer me on, and congratulate me as I hit my goals. That is what a coach does. All along she has been my coach.

Starting September 1st I will be taking a break from my T25 and running a challenge group with my fellow coach for the 21 Day Fix. I am ecstatic to see what this program can do for me. I encourage you to try it for yourself.

So now I am a coach.  Here to support and help you in your own journey to personal health and fitness.  Here for you to send pictures to weekly, pictures of your food, give support or advice, and anything else you might need. I don't want to sell you a product. I want to encourage you to take control of your health and show you some tools that will help you do it. YOU need to do the work. YOU need to take control. And I am here to support you through it all.

http://www.beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/lauren71210

"What kind of diet are you on??"

"What kind of diet are you on?"
"What foods are you allowed to eat?"
"How long have you been dieting?"
"What do you eat when you are hungry?"

These are the types of questions I get asked all the time now.  Everyone wants to know what I eat, how much I eat, what I don't eat, etc.  So I am going to let everyone one in on my secret- there is no secret.  I am not on a diet.  I have a diet.  There's a big difference.  To be on a diet implies that I am restricting myself to certain foods for the purpose of losing weight.  That is not what I am doing.  To have a diet means that there are certain types of food that I habitually eat- that I do.  There are no foods that I am not ALLOWED to have.  When I started this journey my main goal was to change my diet and lose weight in a way that I would be able to stick to for the rest of my life. I knew that I had to change my habits and cut out certain things until I was able to make some real changes to my relationship with food. 

For a while we ate mostly Paleo.  No alcohol, potatoes, sugar, grains, corn, beans, legumes, dairy, etc.  It actually wasn't as hard as you would think. Eventually we started adding some stuff back in.  First to come back was cheese.  I have no problem using almond milk instead of cows milk and skipping the creamer in my coffee, but life without cheese?!? No way. 

Then we transitioned into a more gluten free diet.  Still no beer, real sugar, and creamer.  But we added back in beans, legumes, and some grains and alcohol. 

Now I am at the point where I can honestly say I do not have any real restrictions. I also never let myself go hungry. Through trial and error I have learned what foods work for me and my family and which ones don't.  I really do not believe there is one type of "diet" that works for everyone and it does take time and patience to learn what works best for you.  I choose gluten free whenever possible because it makes my stomach feel better when I eat minimal gluten. I use a tsp of stevia in my coffee instead of cream and sugar because once I cut them out I didn't miss them. My diet consists heavily of protein, vegetables, and complex carbs.  These foods work well with my body, my stomach, my activity level, and my goals. I do not drink a lot of alcohol because at this point I see it as something that does more damage to my body than good, and I want to be good to my body.  I usually do not eat baked goods, breads, ice cream, potato chips, etc.  But it is not because I am not allowed to eat them, it is because I choose not to put them in my body.  Now don't get me wrong.  I do eat stuff that is not healthy sometimes.  Yesterday for my birthday dinner I happily ate two pieces of pizza and a piece of cheesecake. The difference between now and 15 weeks ago is portion control, self control, motivation, activity level, and an appreciation for food.  Its also a matter of making way more good choices than bad choices.  I don't feel guilty if I eat something "bad" because I eat so much good. And I don't let one bad choice snowball into all bad choices. 

Diet is defined as the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.  Its the choices that you usually make.  It is not meant to be restrictive or exclusive.  So make more good choices. Make less bad choices.  And find what diet work best for you. 


A usual day for me would be something like this:

Breakfast: Overnight oats made with oatmeal, almond milk, and chocolate protein powder (I am currently using GNCs Lean 25).With two cups of coffee with stevia.

Morning snack: Apple and PB2

Lunch: Chicken salad (made from shredded chicken, 1 tsp mayo, and hot sauce) in a lettuce wrap with carrots and grapes.

After work out snack: Protein shake made with 8oz water, ice, and one heaping scoop protein powder.

Dinner:  Chicken breast, brussel sprouts, and homemade gluten free mac n cheese.

Snack: Air popped popcorn with ghee and white cheddar seasoning. 

13 weeks

Did you know that 13 weeks could totally change your life? Seriously. If I had known before how much my life could change in just 13 weeks I wouldn't have wasted YEARS doubting myself, hating myself, making excuses, etc. 

13 weeks ago was the day I went to my doctors office for a sinus infection. The day I realized I needed a change and committed 100% to do whatever it took to change my life. 

Here I am, 13 weeks ago, crying to my doctor. My son had a snow day so I ended up just bringing him with me to my appointment. To keep him quiet I gave him my phone to play with. I had no idea he would be taking pictures. I also had no idea how much this picture would end up meaning to me. This, my friends, is an actual picture of my rock bottom. A picture of me pouring my heart out to my doctor about how much I truly hated myself and promising to do whatever it took to change that. This is a picture of the first day of the rest of my life. 

So how much a difference can 13 weeks really make? It can change your whole world. 13 weeks ago I hated myself. I hated to look in the mirror. I hated to get dressed and buy new clothes. I hated for my husband to even accidentally brush his hand across my stomach. 13 weeks ago I thought I was gross, and weak, and I had fooled myself into thinking that I was trying. I had made excuses instead of real changes. And I had secretly hid inside my comfort zone without realizing how much I was holding myself back. So let's fast forward a little bit so I can show you exactly what 13 weeks changed for me.

I wish that I could even put into words the difference I feel in my whole life. What you see here is the physical changes that have been made in 13 weeks. And they are huge! Like 30 pounds huge!! But what you don't see is all the other changes. I love myself now. Like seriously love myself. And not just because I look different but because I worked so hard to do it. I respect myself because I pushed myself past my comfort zone and every single day I made good healthy choices and committed myself 100% to it. I walk past a mirror and I like what I see. I even have to sometimes stop a second to take it in, because I still don't believe that it's really me. I love to get new clothes! I have loved even more getting rid of all my old ones. Now I don't mind if my husband accidentally brushes my stomach- heck, I don't mind if he does it on purpose. 

I am strong. I am confident. I am happy. 

Seriously. 13 weeks. 

Transformation Tuesday

For so long I have been seeing my friends all post transformation Tuesday pics on Instagram. And for so long I have wanted to share my own pics. And now finally I can! 

It's a pretty awesome feeling!

I want sexy arms!

Soooo badly I want sexy arms! You know the kind that look good in a tank top. The kind that shows other people you could kick their ass- if you wanted to. I also have this tattoo that I want VERY badly and I need my arms to looks decent for it. T25 is AH-MAZING for arms!

That's 2 weeks!!! And it just so happens my birthday is 3 week and we will be in NC near a tattoo place we like. I need to get serious and see how much more I can work these arms by then. 

Go hard bro!

People keep asking me what I do for exercise. So here it is.

I did P90x for awhile and liked it, but found myself getting bored or just over it by 45 min. Plus I have a 3.5 year old at home and it can be really difficult to get him to entertain himself for 60-90 minutes. And let's face it- when you are jumping and jiggling around in your living room and sweating like a pig the last thing you want is to be interrupted every few minutes by a small child asking what you're doing, especially when you really have no idea what you are doing.

Walking is an all time favorite of mine. It feels good. It works good. It's good for your heart and clears your head. I love when the weather is nice I can just put my son in a jogging stroller, stick in some headphones, and go. My problem is that I've been doing it for so long now that I'm not really getting results from it anymore. When I first started going a mile a day I was having the weight fall off. Now I go 3-5 miles and just don't see those kind of results. Plus, right now it is still freezing and snowing so that's out. 

Currently I am doing T25. I. LOVE. IT!! Seriously- how can you beat a 25 minute workout that makes you sweat like crazy and walk around like a newborn calf after?!? The workouts are intense but short so it's easy to push yourself through each one. There is also a modifier who shows you a less intense version of everything so you can build yourself up at your own pace. It's also just long enough that my 3.5 year old can sit in front of the Tv and watch an episode of Sherif Callie before he realizes that I'm gone and he needs to ask me 1,726,839 questions. My husband also does T25. He is active duty Marine Corps and his fitness level is just so far above and beyond mine that it was frustrating for me to work out with him. I know many couples who enjoy working out together- I don't. I want to push myself and not care if I'm flopping around, panting, throwing myself on the ground, and tripping over my own feet. I don't want my husband to see that. Not cute. 

We have made our spare room our workout room. If you have this option and want to work out at home I would totally recommend that. As soon as I walk into that room I'm ready to go into beast mode ( or my version of that) and go hard. Like real hard. T25 is all about focus and being in the moment, and anytime I feel like I can't go anymore I just follow the modifier for a minute and then jump back in. 

Go hard. When you are working out you HAVE to give it your all. You have to seriously push yourself past your comfort zone. There are moves that I physically can't do- yet. So I push myself to try to do them the best I can. Like a burpee. I can't do burpees, but I still try. Now my version of a burpee is basically me throwing myself on and off the floor as fast as I can. It works. I'm getting closer to the real things. There are also these leg up things where you are in plank position and bring your knees up. Those are hard for me but I still do them. Towards the end I get to the point that I'm basically just dragging my legs on the carpet. It works. I'm getting better at those too. At the end of my workout I am usually covered in sweat, bruises, and possibly even carpet burn. I love it. It means I have pushed myself past my comfort zone. It means next time will be a little easier and I will go a little further. Go hard bro!

My Journey

 

So this is me at 22 at my sisters wedding. The girl, the one smaller than me, is my sister. It was her wedding and she was 8 months pregnant with my beautiful niece.  I was not pregnant. I was just really overweight and really unhappy.  I remember as I was getting ready for the wedding my grandma came up behind me and put her hands on my stomach and said "you really need to get rid of this".  It killed me and motivated me at the same time.  I am only 5ft tall so here at 230 pounds I was very overweight, very unhealthy, and very unhappy.  I decided to do something about it. 

 

First thing I had to do was get out of a really bad relationship and focus on myself. I gave up fast food, soda, joined a gym, and the weight came off.  Fast forward to 23 and I was happy, healthy, and madly in love. So I married that man and was really enjoying my life and my body.

 

 

 

Life was so good. I moved to NC and was having a blast with my husband. And shortly after we got married we got pregnant. And I got big

 And bigger

 And seriously like so big!!!

 

 

I totally gave up all my healthy habits while I was pregnant. I ate whatever I wanted, I drank soda every day, and I did very little exercise. It was completely normal for me to spend practically the whole day just laying around- except for of course driving to McDonalds for a chicken sandwich with pickles, as a snack, pretty much every day.  Everyone told me it was fine. It was just baby weight. It would go away as soon as I had the baby. And if I nursed it would just fall right off...

 

 

But it didn't. In fact, I left the hospital weighing the exact same as when I went in.  After having a 7lb 4oz baby. The weight didn't fall off- at all.  And I went from a cute pregnant girl to a very overweight girl literally overnight.  I hoped that maybe breastfeeding would help with the weight. But it didn't. And again I found myself getting bigger

 

 

 and bigger

 

 

Breastfeeding wasn't helping.  The weight wasn't falling off.  And I started to notice some other problems too.  I was getting really hot all the time and feeling like my heart was racing.  To the point that I would take my pulse and be terrified at how fast it was beating.  I was also hungry all the time, and would get really lightheaded if I didn't eat for a little bit, and everything just felt off.  I went to my doctor and a bunch of blood work later they realized that I was insulin resistant, hyperthyroid, and my liver levels were dangerously off.  I had to stop breastfeeding and take medicine to control my heart rate. I also had to see a specialist.  At 24 years old I had to take a beta blocker.  I remember the doctor bringing in my husband and going over the signs of a heart attack- because they were worried that with my weight and health issues it could happen at anytime.  They told me I would end up diabetic, I would need my thyroid removed, and I needed to have a biopsy of my liver. I went home and accepted that this was just how it would be, because that is what my doctor told me. 

 

 

 My sons first Thanksgiving. I had been taking the beta blocker for about a month and was finally starting to feel somewhat normal again.

 

 

For Christmas we went home to visit family.  I literally wore this outfit to each house we went to because it was the only thing that really fit and I thought it was flattering....so yes there were things less flattering.

 

The end of January in NC was gorgeous. So I asked a friend if they would do some family pictures for us.  I was so excited to have some beautiful memories of my family. But what I got back was the first wake up call that I needed to do something different and drastic.

 

 

 

 

Looking at the pictures made me so sad. As much as I loved that I had these memories of my family I didn't recognize myself.  I just saw a fat wife and a fat mom and it broke my heart.  I wanted better for my husband. I wanted better for my son. I wanted better for myself.  I really don't know how to explain it to someone who has never dealt with weight issues.  Its really like you are drowning in your own weight.  Like every single pound is a shouting at you and screaming at you and telling you that you aren't good enough.  I felt like I was less than a real person. So I started walking.  First time I went walking I made it like halfway around the block and had to stop.  I had given up on myself when the doctors gave up on me, but now I wanted better. So the next day I went out again and pushed myself just a little bit further.  Day after day I pushed myself.  Eventually I was walking a mile a day and taken off the beta blocker because my thyroid had leveled itself off.  I didn't need to get a liver biopsy either because all my liver blood work started coming back normal also.  By August 2012 I looked like this

 

 

 

More blood work showed more normal levels.  And a glucose tolerance test showed I was no longer pre-diabetic or insulin resistant.  I kept walking every day doing 3 miles a day and a year later I looked like this

 

 

There was almost no difference.  I continued to walk and I was more active than previous years but I was no longer losing any weight.  While I was so thankful to be smaller and healthier than I had previously been- I wasn't happy.  I didn't feel like this is who I was or what I was supposed to look like.  I felt like I was trapped in this fat body- like a prisoner who couldn't escape.  

 

I have the most amazing husband anyone could ask for.  Through every pant size, every medical issue, every night I sat and just sobbed because I hated my body my husband has stood by my side and told me I am beautiful.  He is really amazing. And at this point I had sort of just accepted that maybe this was as small as I could get and just to deal with it. 

 

But then there was my son. My sweet, loving, brutally honest son.  See he is only 3.5 so he doesn't really know how it works yet.  He doesn't know you are supposed to tell women that they are beautiful no matter what.  He doesn't know that saying things about someones weight is mean.  And he doesn't know the difference between someone with a really big belly and someone with a backwards butt....because that is what he though I had, and he had no problem telling me that one day.  We were sitting on the couch together and I was scrolling through facebook and I came across a before and after picture for some weight loss thing.  I didn't even know he was looking at the screen until he jumped up and yelled "That looks like you mommy!".  I laughed and looked at the picture and said "the one with the really blonde hair??"  and he said "No! The one with the backwards butt!". And right there, right then, was the second wake up I got that I needed to do something different. 

 

At this point I was seriously lost though. I had tried a bunch of different stuff and nothing seemed to really work.  I started up p90x again and tried to pick healthier choices and was determined that I would get rid of my backwards butt.  About a month later I ended up in my doctors office for a sinus infection.  I was actually excited to get weighed because I thought for sure I had lost.  Stepped on the scale. Waited. And then almost died when I saw I had gained 5 pounds.  By the time the doctor came in I was just a blubbering sobbing mess.  I told him about the backwards butt, and the weight gain, and hating myself, and really truly wanting to do whatever it took. 

 

Now this is something I will never deny, and its not for everyone, but my doctor and I decided that I needed a little more than just diet and exercise to get things rolling.  From being overweight for so long he said my metabolism had likely just crashed and we were going to have to reboot my system.  I left that day with a prescription for adipex- but even better than that I left with hope.  I was going to do it. I was going to do whatever it took to lose the weight.  And now I had the support of my doctor, a pill to help my metabolism, and all the motivation I needed. I got this!!!

 

Day 1- December 7, 2013

 

 

 

 So here it is. The dreaded "before" picture.  Although at this point its more like an after the before and after and before and after photo. Or something like that.  But this one was different.  This one would be the last before picture. This was the last time that I would look like this. I researched the crap out of losing weight, diet plans, exercise plans, tips for using the medicine, motivational stuff, anything I could think of that would help. I switched sugar for stevia, gave up all dairy except cheese, gave up my coffee creamer, stopped eating gluten, cut out beer, cut way back on all other alcohol,  packed my diet with quality meats and lots of veggies.  I also recruited my best friend to be my food monitor.  I literally sent her pictures of every single thing I ate all day long. I still do- mostly. I also stated taking a picture every single Saturday and I send those straight to her also.  See, while my husband will tell me I'm beautiful no matter what- she has no problem telling me if I need to get my act together.

 

 

Here's the new me. 

 

 Literally a totally new me. A new look, a new hairstyle, a new body, new outlook on life, a new appreciation for diet and fitness, and a totally new lifestyle.  At 27 I am the healthiest and happiest I have been in my entire adult life.   The biggest thing I have learned on my journey is that you HAVE to commit to whatever you want to do.  You have to do whatever it takes and give it your all.  Diets wont work.  Fad workouts wont work.  Awesome metabolism boosting pills wont work- at least not on their own long term.  You have to change your thoughts, your behaviors, your whole life.  You have to watch what you eat, make good choices, cut back alcohol, work out until you are so sore you are using frozen veggies to ice your legs.   I have also learned that its totally worth it. 

 

 

February 17, 2014

Why I started this blog.

I originally started this blog as a place for me to share all my favorite recipes. Pastries, pastas, bisques, and pretty much anything else that tasted delicious but wasn't actually good for your body.  Over the past year and especially the past few months I have come to really appreciate the importance of putting healthy foods into your body. Along with that I have discovered the importance of living a healthy life, staying active, loving yourself, and making good choices as much as possible. I have also learned the importance of really living life and doing whatever it takes to be the best person you can be. So this is my blog, about my journey to a healthier happier me, and my continued efforts to improve myself.  I will share healthy recipes, workout ideas, and whatever else I want- because its my blog.