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. 💟

What I've lost in 1 year with Beachbody, and what I've gained

**I started this post and then it got lost...but better late than never

to show my 1 year transformation story with Beachbody!**

1 year ago Monday I started the 21 Day Fix with my husband- officially kicking off our Beachbody transformations. This Monday we started the 21 Day Fix Extreme. A year to the day! So here is a comparison of what I've lost in 1 year. But I've also gained...and what I've gained isn't shown by the scale or a measuring tape.

 

I've gained knowledge about nutrition:

• You don't have to make a drastic change to make a difference. Try first going from white bread to wheat to whole grain, or even Ezekiel bread; or go from flavored chemical-laden regular yogurt to Greek yogurt to plain Greek yogurt with your own flavorings.
• Generally, you should build your meal around a protein and use carbs sparingly. I used to begin every meal plan with a carb or always add bread/butter, biscuit, fries, etc. to every meal. Not any more!
• The more healthy the food is, the larger space it should take up on your plate.
• You can't really overeat on veggies or fruits.
• What a proper portion looks like, and how many portions I need of what type of food each day.

I've gained confidence:

• No one else's thoughts should dictate how I feel about myself.
• If I don't love and accept my body, who will??
• If I don't treat my body with respect for the amazing things it can do, how will my daughter learn to do that?
• My mood should not depend on a number on the scale.

I've gained strength, energy, and muscle definition:

• I have more energy than my daughter and can get up earlier in the day to get more done.
• I can do things around the house without having to ask my husband when he gets home from work.

I could go on and on, but I'll stop here. If you'd like this type of transformation - inside and out - in your life, please reach out to me! I'd love to help you achieve this for yourself.

Sharing more than my highlight reel: getting real with you all

You all have seen my progress pics, sweaty post-workout selfies, or action pics. Earlier this week I posted how I've lost 40 pounds in the last 16 months from Shakeology and Beachbody programs like the 21 Day Fix, PiYo, T25, and Les Mills Pump. The stats and posed shots look great, but I still suffer from times of frustration because I still do not look "perfect" or how I'd like to be. You see, I've NEVER had abs, and I've had stretch marks since junior high when I gained a lot of weight but didn't hit a vertical growth spurt until a couple years later. My core has tightened a LOT in the last 16 months, but there is still a lot of excess skin on top that I'm working on, and those stretch marks don't show any sign of leaving. But you know what? I don't want to just post my "highlight reel"- I want to actually BE REAL with you. Throughout this journey I have come to love my body and the miracle of carrying a baby for 9 months and nursing for 36 months (and counting). I might never have a completely taut tummy. But I never want my daughter to think that her outward appearance is what defines her. So I'm showing you my "flab" today to show you that I'm not perfect. Looking perfect is not how I measure my success. It's how I feel on the inside.

 



Beachbody's motto is: decide, commit, succeed. My story started with a decision 1 year ago, I commit and recommit daily to making myself better, and I find little successes along the way. I want my friends, YOU, to find this life changing transformation in their life. All I'm asking for is for you to make that decision and commit to it with me. I'll help you succeed, just like my coach did with me. I would love to help you start this type of inner and outer transformation. Please reach out to me via email, Facebook, or comment below.

The 3 Day Refresh: a safe, fast cleanse to beat a plateau or break frombad habits

Summer 2014

          It's pretty easy to eat clean when there's no outside temptation. My small town has about 0 options for eating out (McDonald's, Subway, Hardee's, DQ, and 3 pizza places) so my husband and I rarely eat out. My hometown, on the other hand, has just about every restaurant you can think of- one of the perks of living in the 'burbs of Chicago...but is it really a perk? I stayed with my parents for 3 weeks in August 2014. I love my husband and am so grateful that he works so hard for me to be a stay at home mom and that he lets me take extended trips to see my family a couple times a year.

          I was doing great at working out while at my parents' house, but I'm only human, and i couldn't resist the temptations of all of my favorite restaurants I never get to eat at where I live. I did have healthy meals at home, and watched my portions when we ate out, but the difference in my diet was making a difference in how I felt. It's really amazing how your body responds to the fuel you put in it. A couple days before I was due to end my trip was my 10 year high school reunion. I can't believe I've been out of high school for 10 years already! It doesn't feel like that long because I've focused on smaller chunks of time: 4 years of college, 2 years of grad school, and now 4 years living in Iowa. But I digress.

          I wanted to look my best for my reunion, but I also wanted to refresh my system and break away from eating out before I went back to Iowa. Beachbody came out with the 3 Day Refresh to serve a few purposes: a clean break from bad habits, a jumpstart to weight loss, or to break a plateau. I was most interested because it was a "cleanse" but you still got to eat real food! Since it only lasts for 3 days, I figured it would be easy to stick too as well. Each day on the 3 Day Refresh you drink 2 Vanilla Fresh protein shakes, 1 Fiber Sweep shake, 1 Shakeology, as well as several snacks and small meals of real food from an approved list/recipes.

          Many people, myself included, have done a 3 day "Shakeology cleanse", but Shakeology wasn't meant to be used as a sole means of nutrition. The Vanilla Fresh has extra protein and nutrients, and tastes much like vanilla Shakeology. The Fiber Sweep must be drunk quickly or it gets chunky/thick because of the fiber. I drank it quickly and found it tasted like lemon and only had some slight gas and an extra bathroom trip right away on day 1. I was very pleasantly surprised about that because when you think "cleanse" and hear "fiber sweep" you might think you'll be on the toilet the whole time and feel terrible. I found this to not be the case!

          Because I am very picky and do not like most vegetables, I did not follow the eating plan- I didn't cheat, but instead actually didn't eat all of what I was allowed! I recommend following the meal plan correctly, BUT I did not have any issues with low blood sugar, feeling weak, jittery, or lacking energy. (I do suffer from hypoglycemia so I was definitely on the lookout for symptoms of that with the low calorie intake of these 3 days.) On the contrary, I felt so energized and literally refreshed on the 3 Day Refresh! The recommendation is for light activity or to take a break from your usual workouts- again, because of the low daily calorie intake (just under 1,000), but I didn't quite follow that either. These are MY experiences, but I will tell you to stick to the program as it is laid out! I did PiYo 2 of the days but the other I went to a live Body Attack class taught by a friend. I took a break near the end, but I had the stamina for an hour-long intense cardio workout while doing the Refresh. I had SO MUCH energy, but not the crazy jittery caffeine kind: the kind you get from putting amazing fuel in your body!

          I could not have had a more positive experience with the 3 Day Refresh. I also lost 4 pounds and 1.25"...all in 3 days!! Belly bloat be gone, and just in time for my reunion. 💟 I will definitely be doing the 3 Day Refresh again as a quarterly or bi-annual thing, or after my next long stay with my parents. 

The start of my journey...winter 2013

          My name is Kristen. I am a 29 year old stay at home mom to an almost 3 year old daughter. My husband is a PE/Health teacher for elementary and high school aged kids and coaches several sports. We live in rural northwest Iowa. We also have 2 fur-babies: a maltese/Shih-Tzu and a German Shorthair pointer.

          I kept a diary from 6th grade until I had a baby in 2012. It started out on paper, then went online in high school and from daily entries to monthly catch-up posts. Since my daughter was born, I haven't updated that but keep a calendar/diary of sorts for her. I started this blog to chronicle my health and fitness journey and to reach out to other people who are in the same boat I am, or are wanting to follow in my footsteps. :) I figure to start out, I'll tell you where my transformation began:
          I played soccer my whole life and in college and going from that to nothing in grad school really affected my fitness level and weight. In 2010, my OB-GYN told me I needed to lose 40 pounds before getting pregnant and that my weight could affect my fertility. I think I technically had an "obese" bmi: there's not much wiggle room when you are only 5 feet tall! Thankfully I got pregnant right away and ended up leaving the hospital with my newborn (April 2012) at the exact same weight I was when I got pregnant!!

          Breastfeeding for 2 years helped me lose about 10 pounds but I wanted to lose more and get fit to keep up with my daughter and just live a more healthy lifestyle!! My sister in law had gotten into those fun Warrior/Color 5k races the last couple years and she talked me into doing one so I started workout out diligently in December 2013 to get ready for my July 2014 race. I work best when I have a goal and a deadline in front of me. I lost about 5 pounds in 3 months and then started drinking this amazing thing called Shakeology. I figured if it gave my best friend the energy to keep up with 3 little ones under the age of 5, I needed to try it out! Adding Shakeology to my fitness video helped me lose 5 more pounds in half the time.

          Then in April 2014 my husband and I started the 21 Day Fix fitness program from Beachbody in addition to drinking Shakeology every day. The weight started falling off immediately and we've never looked back! I've now lost about 40 pounds and my husband has lost 30. We are healthier and happier and love supporting others who want to make the same changes in their lives that we did.
          I think I'll be posting flashbacks of our transformation on Tuesdays so you can see how we got to where we are, as well as other posts about healthy living. Welcome to my blog and I hope you enjoy a glimpse into my life!