Progress feels SO GOOD!

So I have been on my journey for 16 months now and each little step of progress feels so AMAZING!!! Every step of the way has had bumps, but when you notice the PROGRESS it is Awesome!

Yesterday my daughter Brooke and son Derek came to the store with me shopping. We went to Old Navy...love that store! I wanted a few things...a sweat shirt, some jogging pants and maybe a tank top or two :) 

Anyone who has been over weight knows the dressing room battle. You take your clothes off and instantly are depressed. Then you try things on, get more depressed and put everything back and go home almost in tears. I am so happy to say, even thought I still have weight to lose, this battle is slowly coming to an end for me. Women will always have that struggle of clothes not fitting right? BUT.. putting clothes back because they fit weird is not the same as putting clothes back because you can't get them on....who is with me on this?

So, I grabbed the clothes that I'm looking for in a 1X and LG as I want to try them both on to be sure I get the right size and save myself a trip back to the shelf :) LOL.  It is very weird for me to say that everything I bought yesterday was a LARGE. Oh my...I was so excited! I told me daughter..it is very weird to see your reflection in a mirror or window and not say, "God you are so FAT"...now I say...You know what Carrie....you look like an average person now! We will always see flaws in ourselves, but to feel confident again is amazing!

Moral to this story!

Please...don't ever think weight loss and fitness is impossible! It is not. Beachbody has given me the tools I needed for success and it is the first program that I have ever done that gives you EVERYTHING you need to SUCCEED!

-Workout programs that WORK!

-Nutrition plan for success!

-Shakeology-Dense superfood AMAZING Shake!

- Challenge Groups

AND MORE....

These tools will help you SUCCEED! I am telling you.... If you do the work and realize that these changes for health and fitness are a life change, you realize that you are not going to reach these goals in 21 days....it is a life change! The 21 Days gets you into your HEALTHY HABIT!!!  It is going to take time. Then is when you will really be able to succeed! 

Join my Challenge group. We are 21 Days in today and I see some awesome challengers really starting to feel that healthy habit! There are bumps in the road, but we are there to support each other and that is what matters most! 

Thank you Jammin' in July Challengers for all your support

and Determination in our group!!! 

Here is a workout clip :) Have a great Sunday!!!! 

Why Beachbody Programs Work!!!!

NO GIMMICKS HERE!

I have done so many amazing Beachbody Programs that I feel I can confidently say these programs WORK! I will talk about the programs that I have done through my 16 Month Journey.... P90X3, P90X, TurboFire, 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, Body Beast, The Master's Hammer and Chisel and the list goes on!!!! 

You have seen the infomercials on TV and you say, as I always did, I doubt those really work, I don't have the money...and the little voice in your head talks you out of buying the programs. Honestly we have all been in those situations where we purchasing something and then feel like someone just pulled a fast one on us, right? Well, I'm here to tell you that I have done enough of these programs that if you do your part....do the workouts according to the schedule that is given to you and work on your nutrition, you will get results. If somebody does not get results it is most likely because they did not follow the program accordingly. 

Why do these programs work? When you do these programs it is obvious why they work. Each video program is specifically designed to target ALL of your muscle groups. Each programs comes with a set of videos designed to target your whole body and they all come with a schedule to help you stay on track. You work your upperbody, lowerbody and core! Put this all together and you have a TOTAL BODY WORKOUT! There are different programs for all levels and there is always a modifier to show you how to take it easy if you're pushing too hard or if you are beginning and need to take it easy when starting out. 

I have done a LOT of exercise programs in my life. I have VCR tapes to prove it..haha, but when I started with P90X3, that is when my eyes opened up. I never worked on my upper body and I never really worked my core. I have done sit ups, Yes, but never planks. I have used weights, Yes, but never did the exercises that I do in these workout videos! Beachbody Programs have changed my life. All my weight loss success is a result of my Beachbody workouts! The 21 Day fix has taught me Clean Eating and that has helped me to take my fitness journey to the next level. 

Beachbody has it all! Shakeology - Your daily dose of dense nutrition. These shakes are amazing. They are full of Super foods, protein, probiotics and Phytonutrients!!! I have learned through this journey how hard it really is to get all the nutrition you need by food alone. We need these supplements to give our body what it needs! Without my protein shakes I just can't seem to get enough protein into my body and Shakeology..well it is way more then just a protein shake! If you sit and compare the ingredients in Shakeology to other shakes out there...you will see why it is worth every cent!

When you put together these amazing workout programs, the nutrition and Shakeology....You have a program that works! 

Beachbody has Fitness Coaches! - Don't feel silly asking for help! The idea of having a personal coach when you sign up with Beachbody is AMAZING! I am a coach and we are here to help you succeed. I have learned so many things on my journey and it is my passion to help others reach their goals too! Beachbody is a group of Passionate people trying to help end the trend of obesity and help people reach their fitness goals!  It is not easy to lose weight and remain consistent with your fitness program and that is why having a coach it huge!

If you are looking for a free coach, check out the link below! I will be your free coach and help you along your journey! I have done it, I'm still doing it and I will help you!

Talk to you soon!  Carrie :)

Sign up for me as your free Beachbody Coach here!

Find me on Facebook!

Follow my Like Page "Making Healthy Happen"

How to Stay on the Right Track

Here are a few tips that I learned along my fitness journey that I hope can help you through yours :)

1.  THE SCALE -  Ok...so I will admit I am obsessed with the scale. There are so many different thoughts out there on weighing yourself, but this is what I do. I remember starting my journey and I would be so frustrated when the scale would not budge...or....when it would go up? Oh my...I would get so upset. The one thing I kept telling myself is....it doesn't matter what the scale says...you just keep exercising everyday and eating right. No matter what you are healthier because you're moving and eating better. So no matter what the scale says, I was on the right track.

I started to see patterns and I would make sure I kept those in mind at all times. Yes..I weigh myself every morning right after my workout! I always keep in mind the time of day I ate the day before. If it I ate late ...I try not to get upset if the scale is on the higher side. I have noticed, especially on my last vacation week that I was not drinking enough water and my weight was high all week on my vacation and I was eating less..Yikes! That is just crazy!

I also noticed that if you don't eat the amount of calories you are supposed to consume....my weight went up! WOW! On my vacation week I was not eating my 6 small meals a day or enough calories and I was 5 lbs higher...so between not enough water and not enough calories...I weighed more. Who would think, RIGHT?

When I went back to work...increased my water intake and increased my calorie intake, the scale went right back down. Seriously...I was slightly flabbergasted!

2. MUSCLE - We can get that body we have always dreamed of! I believe it! We have all heard over and over again that Muscle weighs more then fat, but we all say...yeah, yeah...whatever...right? LOL. Well, until we all see it with our own eyes, we don't care...we are working out and the scale is not moving..in our minds, something is wrong, right? Well this is why taking your measurements is so crucial! Here is an example...I have not lost anything in a few months and no matter how far along you are on your journey, it is still frustrating. So I took out that measuring tape and realized in the last 6 weeks I lost 2.25 inches. So this just confirms....No weight loss, but loss of inches! So...when you are struggling and not losing, if you have measurements to compare...it might be just enough to keep you on Track!!!!

3 NUTRITION - So we all struggle with Nutrition! We especially struggle when trying to change our habits. That is not easy. We all like our comfort foods...the one thing that is hard to believe is that those craving will go away. After 16 months...I now BELIEVE! At the beginning...I would have a treat at night....a few cookies usually. There were other little treats I would allow myself, but as time went on I slowly eliminated them. The longer you eat clean, the less cravings you will have. 

A few of my struggles - I was afraid of carbs! Anyone with me on this? I remember seeing the doctor because I was having dizzy spells. I had an episode of Vertigo and it terrified me. Took some time to figure it out, but I was having sugar lows. When I tested my sugar it was very low when I was light headed. The doctor told me I need to eat more carbs. I actually cried. I was on a mission and all I remember hearing is CARBS ARE BAD! Well, I have discovered that it is not the carbs...it is the type of carbs we eat. 100% whole grain bread, quinoa, brown rice....etc are all healthy carbs. We need these carbs to feed our mucsles after we workout! I never realized that for the 1st hour after a good workout your body is searching for carbs. That is the best window to eat your carbs. So after your workout....remember, feed your body what it needs! 

Protein was another big one for me! I thought that because I always ate a ton of meat at night that I ate a lot of protein. I did not realize how much protein I really needed. I also didn't realize that you need that protein all day long to help keep your sugar levels in balance. The carbs give you a spike in your sugar levels and the protein helps to keep that in balance.

I never realized how huge NUTRITION really was until now. I go searching around the house for protein or carbs when I know I'm low on one or the other.....because I need that balance and so do you! If you are on the 21 day fix program...try to keep your containers balanced! Hopefully it will help you, so you don't have to struggle with the imbalance that took me months to figure out :)

This picture is proof that it can be done. I really didn't think I would be sitting here sharing with others how they can reach their goals. Just remember....the girl in this picture never thought it could happen either! 

You can do anything! 

Follow my Like Page here... Making Healthy Happen
Like me on Facebook here.... Like my page :)