Just recently, I agreed to join a personal/professional development group online via Beachbody from an invitation from my coach. I have been seriously thinking about applying myself with the business end of my Beachbody Coach status, but I have been a little stuck. I mean, I love my friends and family because they never (usually) push their agendas on me...so I have been a little nervous to sell my pitch to them...long story short, I felt this invitation was a great way to get me going in the right direction.
I couldn't have been more right.
One of the group's first requirements was to obtain and begin reading The Compound Effect.
I downloaded it last night on my Kindle. It's not a hard read, but makes some great points that force you to stop and evaluate where you are. One of those points I had just read through a Simple Truths video. The 100/0 principle for relationships...which can apply to any relationship you have: significant other, child, parents, friends, and yes...even business. "You have to be willing to give 100 percent with zero expectation of receiving anything in return," he said. "Only when you're willing to take 100 percent responsibility for making the relationship work will it work. Otherwise, a relationship left to chance will always be vulnerable to disaster."
I can see how true this is...in my personal life, I can always find excuses for my behavior as an easy way out from solving my own problems...and as a professional I make excuses why my students don't seem to achieve at the level I'd like them instead of actively seeking out different ways to engage them. This rings true for exercise and being healthy, and for being the best mom I can be for my children. There is always someone to blame, but the only person I should be blaming is the only one I can truly hold accountable: myself. The good news is, I only have to give 100% in the relationships that I want to work...the ones that matter most to me...like my family, health, friends, and finances.
I told myself (and my challenge group) that in the month of March, I would break through a plateau I have been stuck in since before the holidays. Nothing feels better than self victory! This past Sunday, I finally weighed in under 200. It may not seem that big of deal to some, but I have struggled with my weight, since...well...forever. This time, after having my son, the weight did not just melt off like it did with my daughter. I have had to work. Hard. So, when that scale read 198 pounds, I did myself a little victory dance, and booked an appointment for a pedicure with all the fixings. I am not anywhere near my "ultimate" goal in fitness yet...but I am closer than I was yesterday.
This year is bringing about a list of brand new things for me...
1. I moved from being an 8th grade teacher to teaching high-school
2. I have actually kept my resolution to become healthier by sticking with my 90 day Les Mills Pump Challenge
3. I have introduced healthy clean eating back into my diet
4. I have decided to pay it forward by becoming a Team Beachbody Coach!
I am looking forward to making the rest of this year just as exciting as the first quarter has been. Here's to healthy living...one day at a time :-)
Be fit...Be happy!
My Team Beachbody Coach helped me by keeping me accountable with both my workouts and healthy eating goals! Joining a Facebook Challenge Group is a fun, non-threatening way to fit exercise into my busy schedule. Ask me how you can do it too!
I have been using Shakeology® since the beginning of this year. I have noticed that I have not been craving sugary, fatty, or otherwise unhealthy foods. I stay full longer, and I have more energy to get through the day. That energy has helped me stick with my Beachbody Challenge group as I complete my 90 day Les Mills Pump Challenge at home, work a full time job, and take care of my family. As a result, I have lost over 15 inches off my body, and nearly 10 pounds in just over two months! I can't wait to see my final results in a month at the conclusion of my challenge.
Check out the facts for yourself!
10 Reasons to Try Vegan Shakeology®
1. It's like your own personal cheat sheet. Get the benefits of a vegan diet without fully going vegan or even trying! The health benefits of a plant-based diet are well documented, from lower cholesterol and lower risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, to easier weight management and fewer digestive issues. But you don't have to follow a 100% vegan diet to enjoy some of these health benefits. One vegan meal a day will put you well on your way to a healthier you!
2. No animals allowed. Chocolate Vegan is a completely plant-based formula with NO animal products. Give your system a break from heavy animal proteins by replacing one meal a day with Chocolate Vegan Shakeology®.
3. Superfoods to the rescue! Chocolate Vegan includes 5 new superfoods: moringa, coconut flower nectar, luo han guo, Himalayan salt, and konjac root. All of the key nutrients come from natural whole foods. There are no added vitamin or mineral isolates and no fortification.
4. Try all-natural chocolate for the first time. Ever wonder what cacao tastes like right out of the pod from the cacao tree? This shake is the way nature intended chocolate to taste. It's rich, earthy chocolate taste is derived solely from whole-food ingredients with no additional flavoring agents.
5. It's FREE . . . lactose free and dairy free that is! If you're lactose intolerant or have trouble digesting whey protein, then this is the shake for you. Most people have trouble digesting dairy, whey protein, or animal proteins and don't even know it, until they try a plant-based protein meal and they just feel the difference!
6. Fructose is a thing of the past. It takes all kinds of sugars to make the sweet world go round, but there are a lot of fructose haters out there. Chocolate Vegan is made with coconut flower nectar and luo han guo, two whole-food superfoods that are so naturally sweet, there's no need to add fructose! We won't get into the pros and cons of fructose, but suffice it to say that if you're anti-fructose, then Chocolate Vegan or Tropical Strawberry are for you!
7. Protein PACKED. One of the first questions vegans get is "Where do you get your protein from?" Well, plants have protein in them too! And so does vegan Shakeology. 16 grams in fact. Chocolate Vegan and Tropical Strawberry are crafted from an easy-to-assimilate blend of whole, plant-based proteins including sprouted brown rice, pea, sacha inchi, chia, flax, quinoa, amaranth, and spirulina. Not only do they offer 9 essential amino acids, but together they are a complete protein source with sufficiently high levels of lysine and methionine, two important amino acids that are often a limiting factor in plant-based diets.
8. Kiss cravings goodbye. The new ingredient konjac root, in both Chocolate Vegan and Tropical Strawberry Shakeology, will help your cravings disappear! The fiber in this new wonder-food absorbs up to 200 times its weight in water, making you feel fuller, longer. No wonder places like Japan and China have been using it for centuries! Other perks include: help with regularity and healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
9. Take a bite out of the "Tree of Life." Chocolate Vegan's new ingredient moringa is called the "Tree of Life," because it is one of nature's most nutritious foods. This superfood contains 90 nutrients and 46 antioxidants along with ALL of the essential amino acids. Plus, according to some studies, moringa can help boost energy, lead to faster recovery, and balance out blood sugar levels.
10. It's got the stamp of approval. Chocolate Vegan Shakeology is another addition to the Beachbody Ultimate™ line, a collection of the highest-quality products Beachbody has to offer. We are committed to putting the most perfect whole-food ingredients at your fingertips so you can operate at your highest level of nutrition, health, and well-being!
Posted in Heather MacDonald, Shakeology® Product News. "10 Reasons to Try Vegan Shakeology®"
Every year I make a feeble attempt to "spring clean" my house. It usually lasts for a few days until other priorities take precedence (like watching my little bean play outside, or taking time to enjoy her "tea"). However, in the midst of my cleaning, I often neglect to do some online cleaning. So, this spring, that's what I've done.
First, I started with my Facebook account. A new year's resolution of mine was to spend less time on the site. Like most resolutions, after a few weeks it was hard to keep. Reason being, I was so dang distracted by all the updates in my "friends'" lives. Then, after a egregious misunderstanding via Facebook with a supposed friend, I realized the need to detach myself from the "social networking" scene (so, here I am blogging...so it goes). I deleted all of my "friends" and use facebook to keep up to date with my favorite stores and info websites. It saves me hours a week. Plus, I have been able to reacquaint myself with friends I haven't spent real face time with. Personal face to face interactions are the basis for relationships, not narcissistic voyeurs in cyberspace.
Next, I cleaned out my inbox. Since I started using myspace, then ultimately facebook, I have not really kept up with all the spam. I had over 5000 messages in my inbox. It took three days to finally get rid of them all, but now, I can actually check my e-mail without having to sift through all the junk.
Decluttering helps not only organize aspects of your life; it helps clear the mind and relieve stress too.
What is the point for our existence? Is it to suffer through life and just “suck things up” until we are lucky enough to have happiness? I am reading Jillian Michaels’ book Unlimited. In the book, she point blank tells the readers to get up and seek out their own happiness by making the choices to make life happen for them, not to them. As a result, I have put her words to work in my own life. Small changes of course, because you can only move forward one step at a time. We are here to enjoy our lives, not suffer through them.
First, I ditched the excuse that I was just “too sore” to work out. True, my joints have been a little sore. However, they do not impede me from exercising. In fact, all the reading up on any potential joint malady I may have can only be improved by regular exercise. Second, I reflected on things I used to do back when I “had time.” I remember practicing yoga, and loving it. Well, why can’t I do that now? I don’t have time? Right. I didn’t have time for it because it was not important enough for me. I changed that thought. I found two classes I can attend each week that are part of my gym membership. We make time for the things that matter to us. For me, the peace of mind and relaxation I feel from yoga is important enough for me to fit in a class at 8:00pm on a Tuesday night. It feels good to take care of me.
Taking care of me also means taking care of what I put in my body. For years now, I have wanted to become vegetarian. I tried it in college, but had the wrong focus: it was a diet, not a lifestyle. I feel strongly about the treatment of animals for our food supply. I am sickened by the abuse these creatures endure by both the handlers and the chemicals/ hormones they must ingest to make them plump and fit for eating. I worry that the chemicals and bacteria found in our food supply is not healthy for our consumption. I do not believe that the FDA is altruistic with their labeling. They are lobbied just as much as any other political office. Artificial food, additives, and processing strips food of its nourishment and negates the very reason for consuming it. I also believe that our mind/ emotions can be affected by what we eat. If we focus on a pure and natural diet, we will be more emotionally balanced. Being vegetarian is a lifestyle, not a diet, not a fad. I plan to embrace the lifestyle, one step at a time.
Coming to these few revelations has already lifted a burden off my shoulders. Being true to yourself and the needs you have can remove unnecessary stress from your life. After all, it is your life you have to live…no one else can do it for you. Move, then, towards your own happiness one step at a time.
