My Story from Flabby to Fit Momma Of Four

I am a mother of four young children.  The kids are in sports, my daughter takes guitar lessons, and we are frequently on the go.  We love to travel as a family & have gone on adventures around the country and around the world!  I worked as an elementary school teacher for 12 years, and like many busy mothers, I started to lose myself somewhere along the way.  Read on to see how I regained my confidence, energy, and became BETTER in every role I play...mother, wife, teacher, friend....Better at being ME!

 

My family in July 2013...the beginning of my journey.

My family in January 2014...the journey continues! 

I had never been an an athletic person, but I also didn't consider myself a couch potato.  I was a dancer in my youth and was on the swim team for a few years in high school, but hand-eye coordination is something I still lack to this day...so soccer, basketball, baseball..they were never my suit.  I ran around after the kids, I would try a workout video from time to time - but never did any physical activity or workout on a consistent basis.  Over the years I had joined a few gyms, but always fell off the wagon - finding it hard to find the time to go often enough to make it worth the money I was spending on a membership.

Vegetables were always my friend and I was never a soda drink (or "pop" as we say in my hometown of Pittsburgh).  I ate chips & dips at parties, but was never in the habit of keeping much junk food in the house.  My downfall was SWEETS!  Give me a tub of ice cream & I'll show you the definition of gluttony.  I had also fallen into the habit of feeding my family pasta multiple times a week, ordering pizza every weekend, and Chinese food at least once a week....because I was busy & it was easy.  Somehow I had gotten away from what I knew was good for us & needed to do something about it.

After the birth of our fourth child I knew I needed to make a change!  I was constantly tired, feeling sluggish, I could not keep up with my children.  I was not comfortable in my own skin, let alone a pair of jeans.  This is when I decided it was time to make a change for myself, for my health, and for the good of my entire family.  I needed to be at my best, and at that point I was at my worst.

I started noticing posts from a sorority sister of mine on Facebook.  She was talking about health, fitness, clean eating, and how these things had helped her lose her baby weight & regain energy.  ENERGY!  Imagine having energy again!  I was ready....I contacted her & said COUNT ME IN!!

I joined my first challenge group in July 2012, just two months after the birth of Luke, our youngest child.  I needed to fit back into some non-maternity pants for my return to the classroom at the end of August 2012 and being able to keep my eyes open for some family time in the evening would be an added bonus too.  My expectations were low, my anxiety was high....but I held my breath & jumped in with both feet.  It had to be all or nothing or it wasn't going to happen.

When I started ChaLEAN Extreme I had to follow every single modification offered in every single workout.  Resistance bands were my friend.  Low impact moves were my grooves.  Push-ups were my nemesis.  Jumping made me pee my pants.  Ten minute abs workouts felt like an eternity.  Pressing the pause button for an extra break was a common occurrence in the beginning weeks of the program. But as the weeks went by & I kept showing up & pushing play, the workouts got easier....or more accurately, I WAS GETTING STRONGER!!!  I was able to do more reps with greater ease, I was starting to do some push-ups without falling on my face, and this "clean eating" thing was becoming part of my lifestyle.  Shakeology once a day to cut my cravings for sweets & give me that added boost of energy was quickly becoming my favorite meal of the day...who doesn't love a chocolate "milk shake"?

Over the course of three months I lost over 30 pounds and 20 inches.  I fit back into those normal pants & proceeded to shrink out of them & had to buy new, smaller pants!  But the BIGGEST surprise, the GREATEST transformation for me was my increased ENERGY.  No longer was I exhausted at the end of the work day.  I had the energy to teach my students all day & then come home & actually ENJOY family time.  I could go out & play with the kids or have a living room dance party without feeling breathless or worn out!  Not only had I improved my health, my fitness, & my eating habits....I had become a better mother, wife, teacher, & friend.  My life was TRANSFORMED!

I needed to keep this ball rolling.  I joined two more consecutive challenge groups so I could continue to receive support, motivation, & accountability from my coach & fellow challengers.  The meal planning tips & healthy recipes were a life-saver!  This busy Momma now had a plan for success each week...my meals planned, my food prepped, my workouts scheduled.  Life was good.  I was feeling better than I had in almost 10 years & I was telling everyone I met about the benefits of this new healthy lifestyle I had adopted.

I could never have made the transformation without the support of my Beachbody coach & the members of my challenge groups.  With their motivation, support, accountability, meal planning & recipe ideas I was able to stay on track & change my life!  That's when it hit me...I could help others feel as great as I was feeling.  My coach shared the opportunity with me & I decided to take the leap & become a coach!  I wanted to help people gain the ENERGY, CONFIDENCE,  and SPARK for life that I had been missing before staring my health & fitness journey.

In February 2013 I signed on as a Beachbody coach & also made a HUGE decision for my family.  I decided to devote more time to my family & fulfill my dream of becoming a stay-at-home mom.  I finished out the school year, but decided I was not returning to the classroom for the 2013-14 school year.  It was  BIG, SCARY decision, but I knew it was best for me & my family.  Thanks to Beachbody I have the opportunity to spend my days with my youngest two children at home, attend field trips with my two older children, and do things like mid-day story time at the library that I was never able to do before.  I can still be a teacher of sorts, but now I teach adults about health & fitness in my challenge groups.  I get to teach my team of coaches how to best help their challengers.  I get to MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the lives of others, all from the comfort of my home, in my yoga pants, stopping for snuggle breaks with my kiddos whenever I want.

Are you ready to join a challenge group - gain energy, self-confidence, and a new lease on life?  Click here to learn more about challenge groups.

Want to become your own boss, set your own hours, work from home, & help others from the comfort of your home?  Click here to learn more about the coaching opportunity.

I have now completed TurboFire, Brazil Butt Lift, Focus T25, and Les Mills Combat.  I most recently completed P90X3.  Click here to read all about my P90X3 transformation.

I am currently doing my second round of the 21 Day Fix.  Click here to read about my experience with the first round of the 21 Day Fix.

Having a coach to keep me accountable, motivated, and on track made a world of difference.  See how having a coach can help you reach your health & fitness goals in the video below.

Click here to read how Beachbody has Transformed my Life!