So, it all seemingly started when, I reached out to a coach from Beachbody, because I just was not having the success I needed with my health and I needed accountability and something different. She’s great, and i just know God had put this in motion, because of all the coaches beachbody online could have sent me I got Mandie, shes located not too far from Indy and it just gives me a sense of connection with her, and shes a Christian and that really helps to share the same life motivations, and other things to, in general were a good match. So I now have her help to get my health and fitness on track, and I decided to become a coach myself, because I know I can do what she does and I’d really enjoy it. I mean id do it for free, but why not get paid for it too.  and ive made a few other friends through beachbody too, and its really helping my personal growth, and that is actually what inspired me to share with you today, my person growth journey, because I’m excited about it, and would nt mind some accountability with it and hope possibly might inspire you with something I share.

My transformation story: I’ll try to be brief, lol. I was always active growing up, played soccer and softball since I was 7 and never worried about being in shape or healthy because I was for the most part. I went to college and was not very active any longer and ate as much and whatever I wanted. I usually had Taco Bell or Noble Romans bread stix for dinner. I don’t know how much I weighed but by looking at pictures I had to guess my 4’11” frame had gained 30 lbs. A year after graduating I was working 70+ hrs a week teaching kindergarten(!) and I had lost most of the extra weight by not eating enough and stress. :/ Then I changed jobs and started working out and got in shape and a little healthier, and was really enjoying taking care of myself and being an athlete again.
Next I met my husband and got married and I sacrificed working out so I could spend time with him (you know how we girls get when we’re first in love) and he ate three full meals a day, something I had never done before in my entire life. So laziness and a bit of overeating lead me to gain abt 20-30lbs back. I tried different things over 2 years, fitness and healthy eating programs, but I never fully committed and no change happened. After that we moved from home and he had to be gone for work for 3months, So I decided to get back in shape all the way and committed 100%. I only had the dog and myself to worry abt, so after work I was at the gym 5-6 days a week, eating health food and making healthier choices, eating only the amt my body needed. 3mo later my husband walked in the door to a new wife. I kept working out at least 3x a week and maintained my physique for the most part.
The next chapter is when I became pregnant, I kept working out until I got sciatica and the pain was too great (even water aerobics hurt at times) I gained 40 lbs during pregnancy and had a lot of difficult life circumstances happen and I became depressed, lost my faith, and lost who I was. I stayed home with my daughter and for her first year I tried working out doing P90X, which I had done some before and enjoyed and running whenever I felt like it. Well a YEAR after my daughter was born I was still on day 45 (of 90) of the p90x program and I was only down 15lbs and still wearing pregnancy clothes. My pre-pregnancy favorite pair of pants were still a distant memory. I was tired of where I was in life, I knew I just couldn’t go on like this and I knew there was something better, but didn’t know how to get to it. So I had the free Team Beach Body account already and I asked for a coach because I just couldn’t do it on my own any longer! I needed help! And they sent me Mandie! I signed up as Coach under her for the discount and because I thought this was something I’d like to do in the future once I got myself together. I started fresh with a new program, Turbofire, because I love dancing and its up that ally, and the Challenge Group is just what I had been needing! A group of people Committed to changing their lives through health and fitness who support and encourage each other through the good and tough times. There have been days when I just don’t want to keep at it and I see someone posted in the group, and I think well if they can workout after a 12hr shift, my make my own schedule self I can push through and do it too. And of course afterwards I have had fun and have a great feeling of accomplishment and know that I’m working towards my goals, not to mention setting a good example for my daughter.
Becoming disciplined in working out has flowed over into my discipline in many other areas too: My eating habits, my work as a homemaker, and my spiritual life. As a result of all these things combined I began to find myself again and the spilled blob I had been began to form into a fun, loving, creative person again. My purpose for and in live has been renewed and I could go on and on about it. I can hardly believe the change in my inner self all because I wanted to wear my favorite pants again and I reached out for help. (of course my why was really more than a pair of pants) It has been more than I expected. I’m still working towards my pants, but I’ve put away all my pregnancy clothes and have gone down two pant sizes and have began to tap into my pre-pregnancy clothes box. I’ve also recently started working actively as a coach and I am growing so much personally through this experience, more than I ever imagined! I feel like I was a shell of a person I didn’t like, and a new me is growing inside breaking that shell away. I thank God that He loves me and didn’t give up on me, and I thank Him for my coach and my challenge group and my husband for continuing to push me. We’re not meant to live our lives alone. We’re meant to help each other.