Wednesday, March 25, 2015

So... About this Beach Body Thing...

So... I did it. In January,  I took the plunge and decided I was going to literally put my money where my mouth is and become a Beach Body Coach.

Why?

Not to make zillions of dollars, I can tell you that. Beach Body is definitely not a get rich quick scheme. To be honest,  I don't know if I will ever be good at making money at it...

My real motivation then?

I truly just want to help people.

I struggled for so long and so hard to be met with defeat as far as my health was concerned time and time again, but with Beach Body,  I found something that I had never found in any other program or "get skinny" technique I had ever tried before, I found a list of programs that not only offer the variety you need to have a physically fit body according to physicians and trainers, but also a nutrition plan that made sense and also could be utilized for my whole life. There was no and is no "what if?" accompanying meeting any health goal I may have. I know what I need to do to maintain a healthy body and lifestyle. Beach Body also didn't try to sell me on the idea that meeting a "goal weight" means my work is done.  Fitness is a lifestyle choice. it is a choice to love yourself and make time for yourself, and by extension, in making that time for me and getting healthier,  I will and am more available to love and take care of those that love me.

I have more energy.  I am happier.  I am not starving and I know that I don't have to.

Here is the best part, you don't have to drink a shake, or take a pill or wear a patch or put on a wrap to feel great and meet your goals! Through making an effort to make that 30 minutes happen and by doing the work in the kitchen to learn HOW you should be feeding your body, you will make it.

Does Beach Body sell Shakeology?  You bet. (And here is why I don't know if I will ever make a ton of money being a coach...) However,  the great thing about Shakeology is that while it WILL improve your health, while it will help your progress,  it isnt something that you need to rely on like a crutch. If you drink it and stop you won't experience withdrawal symptoms or gain weight back because its meant to be a boost. The programs speak and work for themselves, the Shakeology just helps to fill in nutritional holes you may have if you're eating seasonally, you happen to have an allergy,  or you don't have constant access to super food sources.

When I first started my own journey I thought,  "No way! We could never afford it."  But now, I drink it, I LOVE it, and I have seen some awesome changes for the better in my health.

Once I had lost 20 lbs, my weight loss plateaued,  and being pregnant,  I was content to just maintain.  I started Shakeology and lost 3 pounds that week. I haven't lost any since,  but I am growing a tiny human so I am okay with that, but I have also maintained that weight loss in spite of growing bigger around my belly area. I have been sticking to my nutrition and workouts,  so maybe I can't credit Shakeology with maintenance of weight but I can credit it for the extra 3 pounds.

My blood sugars were scattered. I was again diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes very early in my pregnancy.  My doc was concerned I needed to go to insulin full time. Since starting Shakeology, my blood sugars are more regulated, and while I still need my Metformin and insulin, my insulin in dose at night has decreased.

My doc was also concerned about my blood pressure. He was concerned my kidneys were being effected by the diabetes because it was still slightly elevated in spite of the healthy changes I had made.  Since starting Shakeology,  it too has gone down to normal ranges.

The biggest victory?  He referred me to a high risk obstetrician for a closer look. In the time between that referral and the actual appointment is when I started Shakeology.  The high risk OB was somewhat flabbergasted after reading my past charts and my chart from the office visit that day and said I didn't need to come back. She was confident my doc could handle it now that the scary symptoms had gone away. "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it."

The best part about Shakeology?  It's all natural. There are no cheap fillers like soy to trick your body with empty calories, no artificial sweeteners,  no caffeine (yet the energy boost I have felt has been amazing and I thought I had gained energy from just working out and good nutrition in the kitchen) plus a long list of super food nutrito on that all serves a purpose to lower cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure,  energize, and regulate the tummy and colon...and tons more.

Shakeology is great... but (back to the reason I don't think I will ever make much noney as a coach) No matter how awesome I know it is, there is so much value in the exercise and nutrition programs alone that, while I will offer Shakeology and say how much I love it, I won't force it because Beach Body isn't just about the supplements and shakes and making a buck off of that, its about changing lives and showing people that losing weight,  increasing health, and living a healthy lifestyle doesn't mean you have to be miserable, starve and spend hours and hours in the gym. It's about making simple choices every day that will lead you down a healthier path and they lay it out in easily obtainable steps by saying "Within x number of days you should be able to lose x number of pounds". Those promises are NOT gimmicks.  They are a teaching tool.

Shows like The Biggest Loser have Americans believing that if they aren't losing 6-12 pounds in a week they are failing, but you should look up the experiences of people who have left the show and realize now how unhealthy what they were doing was.

If you need to lose weight,  you should know it's okay to take it 1 day and 1 pound at a time. You need to give yourself time and, most importantly,  you need to fuel your body correctly- not starve yourself.

Beach Body teaches you how to do that.

So...why did I do it when I make maybe $12 a month but have to spend $16 for my website fees?  I do it because I believe with my whole heart that if I can help just one person learn to love themselves and see there is a better way to be healthy, just like I did, then it will be worth it.

I honestly don't know where I am taking this coaching thing, but I am taking it one day at a time. Excuse me and forgive me if you get sick of reading about it on Facebook or here every so often. I HAVE to share because someone is reading that needs my help and maybe, one day, a post will catch their attention and make them brave enough to want to take a chance on themselves.

Hugs and loves until next time, darlings.