I have been working in getting back into running over the past year ( well really since about August) and have done a 10K and 2 half marathons this fall and will be running the Disney Glass Slipper Challenge in about 4 weeks with Mary and Amanda. It has been a fun race season especially having great friends to share fun healthy experiences with. ( And wait til you see the costumes we've cooked up!)
So I've been working on the running piece of my health for several months but my times have still been significantly slower than my prior races before baby. A lot of that has to do with me focusing on the fitness but neglecting my nutrition and still carrying a few pounds of baby weight around ( even though my kid is approaching 1.5 years old)
This December I finally got to a point where I felt like I was tired of feeling bad from the food choices I made and discontent with being that person who has a kid and then just hangs on to the weight because they're a mom. Enter Jackie Stradtman!
In the middle of December Jackie started a group on Facebook to try a week of healthy recipes. I was in a food rut making a lot of the same dishes over and over again and getting no results.. I was also eating a lot of my stress at work especially in my witching hours between the end of school and dinner time. I signed up the same day I saw the group. The group gave me great ideas for new healthy recipes and the accountability to check in at the end of the day which helped me think about the choices I was making each day. As the group came to a close after that week I knew I wanted more. I wanted the accountability I wanted to mix the nutrition with my fitness journey. As we wrapped up the group I got to talk with Jackie who told me more about some of the products and programs Beachbody had to offer- including Shakeology.
I decided to go ahead and order Shakeology because I thought it would be a good jumpstart to healthier eating habits and working on making better choices moving forward. After I ordered Jackie contacted me about a 3 week challenge that would be starting in January. I was thrilled to get an opportunity to have the community and accountability that the group offered and again signed up quickly.
That group finished today and was a great step in the right direction for me. I lost several pounds (YAY) but more importantly the group offered me great community and encouragement to make great choices the last few weeks. As things wound down yesterday I chatted with Jackie on the phone and have decided to become a coach doing the same type of encouragement with other people. I'm hoping to find people along the way who want support to push towards their goals--- whether those are weight loss goals, fitness goals, or just people who want someone to negotiate their path to a healthier life with them (like the recipe group I started out in). The added benefit is that I get to grow along with people and have that accountability that drew me to the group initially in my life as long as I'd like .
I am looking forward to getting organized and getting going ASAP. If you're interested in joining a future group I'd love to tell you more about my experience!
