My Thoughts of the Day (with pictures!)

I am so lazy sometimes. And then there's the whole eating right thing and not stress-eating. Ug. lol! Well, confession time: I utterly failed in that department this weekend. I did NOT have a good weekend. Nothing drastic happened, I just let the stress get to me and so I let my husband take me out to eat twice. But this morning I made a commitment to him to eat properly for now on.

Princess Beastie doesn't like excuses! ROAR!

My workouts have been going well. Except Sunday when I couldn't find the remote control. So frustrating! It just set me up for a bad day. It might be the reason, but it's a poor excuse.

I'm nervous that the scale lied to me about 144. I don't fully believe it.

This morning my workout space looked like this:

Sometimes my uninvited workout buddies misunderstand what I'm doing. lol:

But this is my motivation for this week, what's yours?

Once I'm finished with my current challenge I'm thinking of doing the 3-Day cleanse!! Who wants to join me?

click here

Update and the Importance of Fellowship

My update will be short. Basically, I did an experiment this week to see if I didn't change my diet except for Shakeology, if that would make a difference. I actually ate a LOT more carbs than I normally do. So this next week if I eat properly, what will happen?! I also worked-out a lot more and I feel my glutes and inner thighs are toning like I didn't know was possible.

scale proof

Last week I was 148.3. This week I was flippin 144.7!! That's a loss of 3.6!

Additionally, I started a Workout in the Park today. No one showed up. LOL! It was still awesome. It was so hot!

Workout in the Park

And now, with permission, I want to share this truly touching story from an accountability partner friend of mine. Read it and let it touch you. Read it and know that there are coaches, like me, here to walk this journey with you as we walk it ourselves.

I also feel the need to share a little of my story and why Ashley [another gal in the group and my Beachbody coach] and groups like these are so important. My sister died at the age of 35 exactly 2 years ago from gastric bypass surgery failure. I have always been the "skinny sister" and my sisters weight ballooned at an early age due to 2 still born babies and a husband that mentally abused her since she married at the age of 19. I joined every gym with her, weight watchers, curves, anything I could do to support her weight loss journey. I saw her drop weight and then go back to her habits as she didnt have a "COMMUNITY" of support. She didnt have the click of a button and see many others going through what she was going through. She felt that her only way out was under the knife. She had the surgery without telling any of us as a surprise so imagine my shock getting the call that my best friend was gone. As I was fixing her hair as she lay in her casket I promised her that I would work hard to learn about the tools other would need to save their life and if I could turn one person away from surgery and help them lose weight with hard work I would. I watch and listen to what people want and need in their journeys and my goal is to have an organization to help with alternative methods to those wanting surgery as a quick fix. There are so many in real pain and just need someone to say "Let me take this journey with you". You have no idea that what your all doing could be saving a life!! Thanks for reading :) Amanda Wallis

Those Darn Triggers

Take responsibility for your actions

What triggers you to overeat or eat something that you just shouldn't?

I am a definite stress eater.

I hear that the first step is to change your thinking. So I'm supposed to say, "I used to be a stress eater." So, let me start this post over again.

I used to be a stress eater. Whatever caused me stress, would drive me to an emotional vulnerability that I thought food could fill. I wasn't always that way. In college, when stressed, I would jog and jog and jog.

This evening when I had a sad experience, I ate a jumbo pretzel.

I had just found out that my oldest son ALWAYS points to the sad face at school when his teacher asks him how he feels. When he was coloring with my sister today, all he drew was frown faces. I asked if he was sad and he said yes. I could only think of one reason that might make him sad. "Are you sad because you can't talk well?" "yes." Broke my heart. And while this is heartbreaking, it doesn't have to be a meltdown. He is improving. He is speaking so much more clearly. Just like I *was* a stress eater, he *was* a poor speaker. He is so much better now. I need to praise his effort and even his tiny improvements.

Anyway then I remembered how much better exercise is at relieving stress and promptly did 50 jumping jacks. I was aiming for 100 but my little baby girl had different plans for me. (She wanted to be rocked to sleep.)

This is a very tiny set back. But it was completely within my control. I didn't have to eat the pretzel. I wasn't even hungry.

That brings me to today's point.

REWARDS

I've set up a couple of rewards at certain mile markers.

Once I get to 140, I am going to let myself buy this beautiful butterfly ring I saw at Earthbound.

Set-up rewards to help incentivize yourself. And in that moment of stress focus on your goal.

My Friend's Story

This is my "upline coach's" story. Isn't her family beautiful?! She's an amazing woman.

Jessica Vandeberghe

My Story and How I became a Team Beachbody Coach! 

On April 28, 2011 my life took a turn....For The Better! I had two weeks prior to that gone to a Turbo Kick Instructor Training Course to become Certified in Teaching Turbo. The Instructor who I went up to and was talking to was drinking shakeology and I had never heard of it. So of course the huge skeptic in me and not wanting to be sold on anything, wrote that name down and went home and researched it like crazy to see what Shakeology was. 

I found it too good to be true. I decided I wanted to try it out for 30 days and see how I liked it. I had never ever heard of Beachbody before and vaguely had heard of P90x but knew nothing about it. The website I was researching Shakeology on led me to Beachbody.com where I thought I was just ordering a 30 Day Supply to try it out, as it was a money back guarantee. 

Little did I know somehow I accidentally signed up as a Coach! Yep, this is my story. I was a Personal Trainer and Nutritionist, teaching classes 5 times a week. My husband and I had a 4 year old daughter and I was taking her with me while training clients in home, at the gym and teaching classes. I was working 30-40 hours a week and running around all day long to get to where I needed to go. 

The day after I signed up for Shakeology, I was contacted by my incredible free coach, Lisa Hansen. She Congratulated me on signing as a coach and to my surprise had no idea what she was talking about....LOL. "I only signed up to try shakeology for 30 days!"......Well, this is where she explained how I really signed up and also gave me insight of the Beachbody Coaching Opportunity and her story. I realized very quickly that I was already helping others, I loved fitness, I would love to be surrounded with like minded people and Why Not? 

So I jumped in with both feet, super excited and in less then 3 years we earn about $25,000/month, have retired my husband and have changed many, many lives and travel often with my family! I had no experience like I said above with any of the Beachbody programs or Shakeology but was so excited to get my Shakeology and try it that I was sharing about how wonderful it was and how it had helped other people and how I was excited to reap those same benefits. 

Then once I received my Shake in the mail I started using it and noticing great benefits and sharing my experience with others. I felt amazing!!


Beachbody has not only changed me as an individual for the better but Shakeology has improved my Digestion, IBS, Curbed my crazy sugar cravings and has really helped me with a more balanced and controlled diet. I have found that Beachbody Coaching is the career I never knew I always wanted to have! It has truly been a blessing for not only my personal journey through health and fitness but through personal development, accountability and support and financially! 

You are no different then I am or anyone else on here. The proof is in the products. You will build up your own product experience as you go and share that along the way and that is exactly what I have done and it has changed our lives a full 360 degrees for the better and I couldn't imagine life any other way~

We were never able to travel as my husband didn't get paid time off and being I was self employed, if I didn't work, I didn't get paid and we could never afford to save enough money for both our lost wages, vacation and airfare. Beachbody has provided and gave us that opportunity 6 months in to coaching I won our first vacation to Atlantis, Bahamas!!! It was INCREDIBLE and we have gone each year on a vacation with them since and you can too!! First year was Atlantis, second year was DisneyWorld and this past trip was a Western Caribbean Cruise and then on top of that my in laws moved to Hawaii for one year and last year we went and stayed with them twice for each two weeks!! Make your Dreams, Your Reality~

Saturday STATurday

Today's stats are brought to you in part by Shakeology, which has been my favorite part of the day. It sets me up for a great day and keeps the sugar cravings away. Today's stats are also brought to you in part by Charlene through PiYo - does she love me or hate me? Why are such simple moves so difficult? I'm very sweaty, every day. Here's the scale this morning:

It's in b&w so you don't notice how weird my ballerina feet look. I started the week at 152.0 even. Subtract 148.3. Weight loss since Monday = 3.7 lbs! Alright! That might not be statistically relevant enough for some of you. Stick with me as I stick with this and I hope to show you better and better results!

Meanwhile, I've ben starting a community group including Saturday morning exercise on the basketball courts...which were flooded by the city's 12" of rainfall this week. So....no exercise group today. Hopefully next week!

Not Quite A Week, But Kinda Weak

What. Just. Happened.
I am so sore. But it feels so good.

If you're keeping up with me on instagram you've seen some cute kids and sweaty selfies. PiYo is more challenging than I initially thought it would be. My glutes and hamstrings need a good stretch - that reminds me, after a workout try to not just sit around because that'll tightened everything and make it much worse. Get up and move around. Stretch a bit. Eat a banana. Drink Shakeology.

Ryan Le got his cholesterol down!

So Shakeology. It's been good! Not chalking tasting like the other shakes I've tried. It actually helps me not want other sweets. So I'm saving those calories (and money from buying those sweets) and using them on carrots, celery, chicken, [brown] rice, and other good foods.

A cyber friend shared his story about getting his bad cholesterol down to the point that it was undetectable after he started Shakeology. Way to go Ryan! I've heard other people share how it helped them with their [Type II] diabetes. I don't have diabetes, but it is genetic in my paternal side and I've heard some experts say that what you did 15-20 years in the past is what sets you up for diabetes. So, I'm hoping to combat that NOW instead of trying to fix it later.

I made a video for my first taste of Shakeology. I hope you find it amusing and educational.


I did a sneak-peak at the scale this morning. The results are good. Very good. I'll share more STATurday ;)

With that, I'll leave you with this one thought: Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. (Albert Einstein) For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? Mark 8:36ESV

The First Day

Today I thought I'd be sure to wake up before the kids and get started on my workout early. But baby Holly had other plans! She has a cold and has not let me do much today. This is what I look like right now as I try to type with one hand

Which reminds me, you can follow me on Instagram now! Today is what I would consider my first day. I've had the account for awhile but didn't use it. http://instagram.com/happywifeandmama You'll catch some "behind the scene" snapshots of my daily workout, the kids, and life in general.

My kids are not cooperating with me. Days like today make me feel like I deserve to eat empty calories. I've created an unhealthy attachment to food. I think if I eat chocolate (or something else yummy!) I will feel better emotionally. This simply isn't true. If you feel this way, talk to me about it. I'd love to talk you through the fallacious logic behind emotional eating (or stress eating).

Days like today make me glad I've joined a fitness challenge group! There's no way I can go in there and admit that because my daughter is sick I decided I deserved to eat cookies or that my son was whining and that means I get to eat bread and rice. They keep me accountable.


The official starting stats are in:

Official weight is 152 pounds:

Additional artwork is courtesy of my 2-year-old. Kids get in the way, and that's okay. They need us more than we need a non-artistic diagram.

Before/After Pics...Not the Right Way OR "The Beginning of a New Chapter"

Let's watch a cycle:

I don't have a lot of photos of myself because no one else I know takes photos. And my computer crashed awhile back so I don't have any good full length "before" photos. I'll see if a friend has one.

It wasn't great, not horrible though. 130lbs after 2 kids:

I participated in a Beachbody's coach's "get well" competition:

109 lbs and 15% BF!


After that, this happened:

(I was actually in the middle of P90X when suddenly I was unusually sleepy and then suddenly nauseated which made me think to take a pg test! lol!) That photo was almost exactly 7 months ago. 173 lbs

This is me today. My shorts can't even go on and I'm so embarrassed. Yes, that's me. I'm the heaviest I've ever been. 154lbs. I was recently diagnosed with depression. There's so much stress in my life right now: I have a husband who works 75 hours a week [my husband wishes for me to point out that he only works 65 hours a week. I was including drive time - the time he is not at home] and can't help out at home, three kids, the oldest isn't speaking, the second is going through "terrible twos", and the youngest is teething, I work part-time doing data entry from home, I home-school my two pre-kindergarteners, and somehow I'm expected to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner for everyone, clean the entire house, do the laundry, put the kids to bed, and do it all without losing my sanity.

It can be done. And you can do it too.

Beachbody is important to me. Health and fitness is a passion of mine and I WILL make the time to succeed.

You're welcome to come alongside and watch me discipline myself into my old clothes. I'm not accepting excuses, and you shouldn't either. Shakeology will help. It'll free up my time while ensuring that I get all the necessary vitamins and nutrients I need.

If you're interested in joining me with a Challenge Pack, I have a Facebook group just for you! Contact me and I'll get you started!


So, why have this picture at all? It's MY motivation!

...And it's the TARDIS! What's better than a Beachbody coach that also speaks Whovian?!

FINALLY! It Came!

What seems like a rather long time ago, but in actuality was June 30, I ordered my first CHALLENGE PACK from Beachbody. It FINALLY came in today's mail. I want to pop in that first DVD right now!

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

To order your own challenge pack, just click on this pic and follow the "Challenge Pack" link. Select which one you want and I'll start working with you! So easy! And with the Challenge Pack, you get the DVD, an ENTIRE month of Shakeology, and a free gift. My free gift, which I totally wasn't even expecting, was this nifty recipe book. Nice! Thanks, Beachbody!

You can see on the far right the double red circle indicates where you can see the entire selection of Challenge Packs, or if you just want the same Pack I got, select the bottom right link (indicated by the big red arrow) for the PiYo Challenge Pack!

I will support you through any program you select. And you can watch me as I continue on my own journey too!

Here's the box that came

 and the contents

and the special gift

OKAY! Be sure to join my Clean Eating Challenge Group on facebook. Stay tuned later this week for my story and my before pic!

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Testing my new blog.