I never thought yoga would do this for me...

            Happy Friday everybody, I wanted to share that no matter what my step meter says with zero intensity minutes measured all week ;) that I have been working out every day. This has been my first week of the 3-Week Yoga Retreat that I've been doing online from Beachbody on Demand and it's been amazing.

            Most people know that yoga can help you relax and increase flexibility- within the first four days this week I was already getting deeper into stretches and felt so much more flexible. The direction given by the trainers is so precise that I have made little adjustments to poses that I have been doing wrong for years. I've been getting deeper stretches; I've been feeling less pressure in my lower back as I'm learning to even breathe more correctly in order to support my lower back. I have always suffered from low back problems until I found PiYo but this yoga retreat has been amazing for my back: it hasn't even been cracking at all in the morning or feeling tight at all.

            Another thing I know people don't like to talk about, but yoga has helped my digestion amazing even more than the added bonus than having my daily Shakeology with the digestive enzymes and probiotics and all that good stuff. I did some Googling and I didn't realize that so many yoga poses with the twisting and the concentration on your core and your breathing really help loosen up your intestines and get everything moving so there's no stagnation or no uncomfortable feelings or anything like that.

            I have also noticed since I wear a Garmin Vivofit all the time is that my sleep graphs in the morning have been really different: it seems like there's a lot more dark blue (deep sleep) on my graphs every morning as opposed to light blue (light sleep). I am a numbers nerd, so I went through the 9 nights that I have been doing the Yoga Retreat so far and then I did the same number of nights before I started. I wrote down the amount of deep sleep and total sleep that my Garmin has telling me I've been getting.

            I had been averaging 9 hours and 15 minutes of sleep in the 9 nights leading up to my yoga program and I was spending 23% percent of that in deep sleep (2 hours, 11 minutes) each night. Since I started the Yoga Retreat, I've actually only been averaging 9 hours of sleep a night (I had bible study, girls night, and have been up late watching the Cubs in the playoffs). So I’ve actually been getting less sleep per night then before the yoga program but I have been spending 29% of my night in deep sleep, which works out to 2 hours and 45 minutes. This means I've been getting less sleep overall but I have been getting half an hour more of deep sleep at night!!

            Deep sleep is so important to your physical health, your mental health, and to your whole body because that's when your body regenerates. Deep sleep is when things get moved from short-term to long-term memory; it's when your muscles rebuild themselves; it's really where you just get reset for the next day. The fact that I have been sleeping less but been getting more deep sleep has been such an added gift that this program has given me…in addition to the better digestion, in addition to the less tightness in my lower back, in addition to the increased flexibility, in addition to not just the less tightness in my back but I feel taller and lengthened.  That is an amazing benefit of yoga: you feel just stretched out and you don't feel as so compressed and tense.

            Oh, and more deep sleep means that I have had more energy during the day it's just one of the greatest things that I think Beachbody has come out with because anyone can do this! The fact that it is free is totally amazing. If you want to try this yoga program, it takes 21 days and no more than 30 minutes a day (the weekends are actually shorter)- it's totally free with your trial of Beachbody on Demand. If you have never tried yoga before, you should give it a try! It's going to help you sleep better; it's going to help you de-stress; it's going to help your energy, your digestion…everything! It's not got some of the Eastern religion connotations or weird music to it, it's just stripped down simple basic yoga and it's going to make you feel great.

            I had been looking for a low-impact program to continue on from Country Heat and this program fit the bill for me. If you want to learn more about it or if you want to keep following my journey please stay tuned and make sure you are following my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/boeknowscleanliving

preparation is key

I love how prepared Andrea is for church on Sundays. Can't get easier than that! 

Country Heat: a simple, fun cardio dance workout with fool-proof nutrition tools

Here is my 30 day Country Heat transformation!! I found myself really enjoying the dances (especially those on disc 2) despite not being very coordinated or really a country music listener. Every day the 30 minutes flew by with constant movement and fun songs.

I love Autumn's training and teaching style and really loved the move breakdowns. This was a walk-through speed without the music so you weren't trying to figure out the moves DURING the workout itself.

I did not miss a workout OR a Shakeology, and was more mindful of my portions, waited a while before wanting 2nds or dessert (and almost all of the time ended up not being hungry enough after waiting), and really felt some changes in my core/waist. 

I have gained weight this year due to removing my Mirena in the spring (sorry if that's TMI for you, but I'm being honest) and have struggled seeing that number on the scale increase EVEN THOUGH I know that it's just a number. Doing this low impact cardio workout gave me the results I was hoping for. 

This picture may "only" show a 2 pound weight loss but to me it feels like a lot more. I feel shrunken, not starved. Does that even make sense?? lol. I feel so much leaner in my entire torso, and even see more muscle tone in my legs. To achieve that without using weights or killing my hips, knees, and back is amazing.

The picture here also shows more than my stats. It shows a 30 day commitment: to myself, and to my challengers. I don't invite people to my accountability groups to sell them something and leave them to fend for themselves. This stuff changed my LIFE- why wouldn't I want to share my experience with others?! I am there every single day, doing the same things that I ask my challengers to. We've formed a support system and are there for each other every single day.

ANYONE can benefit from improving their nutrition, and the tools in this program make these changes with no guesswork or confusion. I believe this fitness program is the MOST ACCESSIBLE to anyone, regardless of injury or current fitness level. What do YOU have to lose by giving it a try? If this looks fun to you, please reach out to me.

Aching for something more...

Are YOU feeling that ache for something missing, something more? When I saw some amazingly positive changes in my best friend's life, my first response was not something I'm proud of. I HATED seeing her posts every day. I know people that unfriended/unfollowed her because they couldn't stand her positivity and success and happiness. I could have chosen to wallow in that bitterness too, but that ACHE inside of me WANTED what she had. So when she approached me and invited me to join her, I knew I had to give it a try. And now I am forever grateful to her for sharing this opportunity with me and I feel a calling to share it with others.

Consider this your official invitation to join me on my positive life journey.

Maybe you haven't seen my "before" pictures or been around long enough to hear bits of my story- but I have NOT always been healthy, happy, and confident. I have been through depression, anxiety (still daily!), finding my value in others' opinions of me, taking several prescription medications a day, and believing that nothing was ever going to get better. It wasn't until I took a chance on Beachbody that I found a way out of the shell of a life I was living. It's now my mission to help other people get out of the darkness and enjoy their lives again.

Let me help you- let me do it with you.

If you'd like to apply for a spot in my upcoming private health and fitness accountability group, please fill out this short application: bit.ly/1fitlifegroup

I would love to learn more about you & your goals so I can help you feel the BEST you ever have!! Have a beautiful day!

What is Country Heat?

I'm on a live EXCLUSIVE team call with Autumn Calabrese right now (with our CEO coming later) and hearing the details about the newest workout program Country Heat and I am getting really excited about its release next week!! 

💥 30 minutes a day
💥 30 day program
💥 no weights
💥 no impact
💥 modifier
💥 portion control
💥 cardio dancing set to country music (NOT twangy like dancing)

Results from the test groups had people losing 60 lbs in 90 days- that's 20 pounds a month WITHOUT TOUCHING A WEIGHT!! 😮

Interested yet??!  Let me know if you want to be the FIRST to get in on this release!!

The recipe for success: simple nutrition, portion control, 30 minute workouts, Shakeology, accountability and support group!

I have had a great group of challengers lately and just finished a round of the 21 Day Fix with them. I'm over 2 years into my journey and have done several extreme programs, but this original is STILL EFFECTIVE!

Simple nutrition, portion control, Shakeology, 30 minute workouts, private accountability and support group: that's the recipe for success! In 3 weeks 3.2 lbs and 2.5 inches are gone, bloating is gone, my energy is through the roof and confidence is soaring!

Do it with me! This life changing program is on sale only through July 30! Comment below if you would love to have results like this (or even better)!

2 years into my health, fitness, and weight loss journey with Beachbody

The first year of my fitness journey was AMAZING. I saw results immediately and all year long. My 2nd year was VERY different. If I didn't have the support of my accountability groups and education to give me a new mindset on RESULTS AND HEALTH, I would probably think that not losing any more weight or inches from year 1 to 2 would be a bad thing.
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So many people see results and then QUIT without realizing that health is a journey, not a number on the scale or destination. Then they go back to their old habits and wonder why they gain the weight back. 🤔 If you really want to be healthy, you've got to draw a line in the sand and say "ENOUGH" and never go back. That's what 2015 to 2016 was for me.
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I STILL drink Shakeology daily, I STILL workout at home 5-7 days a week, I STILL use my portion control containers and meal plan and allow for moderation and indulgences, and that's why I am STILL down the same amount of weight and inches as I lost in the first year of my health and fitness journey. I found the secret to lasting results, and that's to LAST- just keep on keeping on!
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If you want to see changes like this and feel the benefits of more energy, better digestion, clearer skin, less cravings, more confidence, more patience, better relationships, then are you ready for a commitment? I will do it WITH you and I WON'T QUIT on you. The deadline to join my June 6th accountability group is fast approaching.
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Who's in? Comment below or message me to get started. 
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If you are reading this after the fact, please contact me via Facebook at www.facebook.com/boeknowscleanliving to see when my next accountability group starts!!

When your transformation has nothing to do with a number: a turning point in my transformation

#transformationtuesday

Here are my before and after pictures for Cize. I didn't lose/gain any pounds or inches in the 4 week program. That's why we also say to take pictures because they will show a different story than your numbers. But my pictures look really similar. To be honest, you can gain or lose a couple inches and pounds from a big bloaty cheat meal or a really good trip to the bathroom. (You know what I'm talking about! 🙊)



Did you see my before and after videos I posted though as I finished Cize? Now THERE was a difference! I gained coordination, had fun, and got sweaty. (Check out my YouTube playlist of Cize routine progressions here: bit.ly/kboecizevids)

I looked back at my weight tracker app and I've been steady with my weight for a year now! Even my body measurements have been pretty much the same. I could let this lack of a "transformation" bother me, but let's be realistic. I weigh 112 pounds and am 5 feet tall. I'm not going to lose much more weight or inches. It's just not there. I can tone up or gain muscle, sure.

But fitness and clean eating (with "cheats" in moderation) is my LIFE now. It's not another round of the 21 Day Fix or looking for a before/after picture from a particular program. It's EVERY DAY, IN AND OUT. And guess what? That's how the weight is going to stay off!!

I could get complacent and take time off, or eat out more, or buy junk at the store because it's easier, but those are the habits I left behind. That was my BEFORE. My AFTER is the life I'm living now, and the life I will continue to live.

If you'd like my help starting with your transformation pictures, I can do that. But more than that, I want to be there to see your before and after LIFESTYLE.

Sometimes our transformation can't be seen on a scale, measuring tape, or picture. Sometimes it happens inside of us. 💟