One Simple Free Step Towards Health

Losing weight is hard. Getting healthy is hard. Staying motivated is hard.

It's harder when you try to do it alone.

In the United States today, more than 68% of adults are overweight. More than 35% are obese. Aside from the pain, shame, discomfort, and feelings of judgement that come with being overweight, there are very real life-threatening health concerns to consider. Heart disease. Stroke. Type 2 Diabetes. Certain types of cancer. These are among the preventable diseases associated with obesity. These diseases are among the leading causes of preventable death in the United States today (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014).

Preventable. That's the word I want you to focus on. Death from these diseases is preventable. 

I want to help you prevent these diseases in your life. If you already have one or more of them, I want to help you reduce your risk. 

All you have to do right now is take one simple step. Sign up for a free Team Beachbody account with me. That's it. You don't have to commit to purchasing a program. You don't have to join one of my challenge groups. You don't have to do anything else right now except take that one simple, free step towards health. Just sign up here: http://bit.ly/1ujBM3S.

That's all it takes to get on the road to health. 

We'll worry about the rest later. For now, make a commitment to yourself and sign up. I'm looking forward to working with you.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Adult obesity facts. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html.

Lose Weight on Your List of New Years Resolutions?

Lose weight and improve fitness on your list of New Years Resolutions?

You could pay $50 a month plus a sign up fee for that gym membership you'll only use once or twice. I mean, we've all done it, right? 

OR, you could invest that money in a challenge pack that includes a fun and effective workout program you can do from the privacy of your own home, daily nutrition to help you beat cravings, support from a community of coaches invested in your success, a free t-shirt, AND a chance to win cash prizes. You won't get all of that from a gym membership.

Check out January's Challenge Pack promotions and message me for more information!
http://bit.ly/1xzYfds

Beachbody Challenge Pack Deals for January 2015!

NEW! INSANITY MAX:30 Kickstart and Shakeology Challenge Pack Promotion: only $220 USD (normally $245 USD)

21 Day Fix and Shakeology Challenge Pack Promotion: only $140 USD (normally $160 USD)
21 Day Fix En Espanol and Shakeology Challenge Pack Promotion: only $140 USD (normally $160 USD)



3-Day Refresh and Shakeology Challenge Pack Promotion: only $140 USD (normally $160 USD)


See all challenge packs available here:

FREE Opportunity Webinar

Have you heard of Beachbody, but not sure how becoming a Beachbody Coach could benefit you?

Think you have to be a fitness expert to be a Coach?

Think you have to be in perfect shape to be a Coach?

Think this is just a pyramid scheme?

If you answered yes to any (or all) of these questions, you should join us for a free webinar to learn about the Beachbody Coaching opportunity.

For those interested in the Beachbody Coaching opportunity, some extra spending cash, or BOTH, you should attend this FREE online coaching webinar! 

Coaching has helped MANY of my friends from all walks of life (parents, students, single moms and etc.) financially, mentally, and spiritually. For me personally, this opportunity has helped me grow so much as a person and maintain a level of fitness I've never been able to stick with before,  and I can NOT be grateful enough.

There is NO commitment of becoming a coach after watching this free online webinar....so..i URGE you....if you are WANTING...NEEDING...to change your current lifestyle, we extend out our hands to you, and cordially invite you all to our online coaching webinar. 

Please email sunshinestrongbb@gmail.com so that I can put you on the guest list and send you the link to attend.

****And oh....the hosts will be giving out a FREE INSANITY MAX:30 base kit and our awesome 3-Day Refresh (cleanse program) to two lucky non-coach guests at the end of the presentation****

A Message To My Younger Single Mom Self

This moment...

I know you're tired. I know you want to go out with your friends. I know you just want one damn second to yourself. I know the last thing you want to do after working all day is sit on the floor playing action figures or driving to two different soccer practices on two different fields on opposite ends of town. I know you feel grumpy and resentful at how much time everyone demands from you. Where is YOUR time??? I know you snap at them and don't always take the time you should. I know you're tired of cooking and cleaning and doing math problems at 11pm because homework these days is ridiculous. No, really. Why did they change math? Wasn't it just fine when 35+35 just equaled 70? When you just added the fives and carried the freakin one? Why wasn't that enough? Why does it now have to take 15 steps to figure that out??? Two steps was plenty!

But I digress. The point is, I know. You love your kids, but some days...some days you realize how much easier your life would have been...

I know. You were way too young when you became a parent. Parenthood is hard. Single parenthood is impossible. 

Except that it's not.

So, the next time you are at your lowest, resenting your kids and contemplating what life could have been, just remember this picture.

Because this picture, this moment right here makes every moment of exhaustion, anger, stress, worry, regret, frustration, desperation, resentment, every negative emotion you've ever felt about single parenting just fade away. 

Knowing that these two young men love you unconditionally, value you, respect you, appreciate you makes it all worthwhile. Knowing that these two phenomenal human beings have your back erases any hint of what could have been. They know what you've sacrificed to make them who they are and because of that, these two exception people will have your back for the rest of your life. 

And make no mistake. They are exceptional. And you did that. You created and shaped and developed two exceptional human beings. I know you weren't always the mom you could have been, should have been. You've messed up. A lot. And you will make more mistakes. But in the end, you got it right. 

And this moment...

There are no words. 

Giving Is Important, But Are You Taking Enough?

I watched the Spartan World Championship today.

When 2014 started, I had two major goals: run my first marathon and run my first Spartan. And I registered for both. 

And I did neither.

I was about halfway through the year when I realized things were starting to fall apart for me financially. I should have anticipated it. I should have planned for it. The critical factors were all easily predictable.

My son's senior year expenses. (Seriously. Pictures. Class Ring. Yearbook ads. Graduation packages. Was I this expensive as a kid???)
Student loans coming due. (Why did I think a PhD was a good idea?)
Health care expenses tripling. (Tripling? Yes. And I know it's happening to a lot of people. The premium has tripled, the deductible has exploded, and the coverage has dwindled down to nothing.)
One of my schools laying me off. (Dropping retention and enrollment rates mean schools are cutting back. Apparently the rest of the world figured out what took me 3 degrees to realize. College educations just aren't worth the expense anymore.)

All things that, had I been paying attention, I could have anticipated and planned for. Should have.

But I didn't. So now I am scrambling, taking whatever work I can get, putting in 90+ hours a week, getting up at 3am, and watching all of my goals sit quietly on a shelf until I have time for them. 

I will, however, have time. I am putting in the ridiculous hours now so that 2015 can be my year. My year for achieving my goals. My year for reclaiming my life. My year for marathons and Spartan races.

So, while I look at my pile of race medals that I have failed to add to in recent months and watch the amazing athletes that are not me competing on my TV, I am comforted knowing that I am staying true to my commitment to health and fitness even as I struggle to find the time. 

It's hard to find. So I take it. I take those 15 minutes in the morning to get in a quick workout. I take that rare afternoon lunch to get a run in. I take the 30 exhausted minutes before bed to do my PiYo. I take that 15 minutes each night to plan my meals to avoid unhealthy snacking or desperation fast food. 

I take.

We all know about the importance of giving. Giving is important. But so is taking. Taking time. I take time. Because no one is going to give it to me. That time is not just going to open up and present itself. I take it. 

Are you taking enough?

Surviving 16-Hour Days

So, what's the difference?

Price? Sure. The one on the left is cheaper. But that's where its advantages end.

As a single mom, money is always tight. So, recently I experimented with my morning breakfast routine.

I tried a month of Carnation Instant Breakfast instead of Shakeology for breakfast.

Cheaper. Yep. Also, groggy. Grumpy. Exhausted. Unmotivated. Down. Dragging.

See, since money is always so tight, I've had to take on several jobs. One of those jobs requires me to wake at 4am at least 5 days a week, drive an hour into work, put in an 8-hour shift (spending my 1-hour lunch break answering emails for my other jobs), drive an hour home, put in another 5-6 hours of grading, posting, and emailing for my other jobs, while also cooking dinner, cleaning the house, doing dishes, and finishing up the laundry. Do you see any rest time in there? Yeah, me either. *sigh*

Going nonstop from 4am until 10pm 5-6 days a week requires energy. Motivation. Drive. Willingness. Focus.

Want to know why I am willing to invest $100 a month in a meal replacement drink? Because I can FEEL the difference when I drink my Shakeology. (Even better, now that I'm a Beachbody Coach with customers who have discovered how amazing this stuff is, my Shakeology is paid for each month with extra income to boot!)

Sure, it's healthier than other meal replacement drinks. It's helped me stop taking iron supplements for my anemia. My complexion is clearer. I no longer get headaches. And despite my loss of workout time, I'm maintaining my target weight.

But mostly, it gets me through the day. Every other breakfast option I tried left me literally dragging and raiding the vending machine for a bag of Cheetos by 9am. When you're looking at another 13 hours to go in a day, dragging by 9am is just about the worst feeling in the world. Plus, Cheetos are apparently frowned upon when your job is moving clothing around on the sales floor. Something about orange fingers. Whatever.

But when I drink my Shakeology on my way to work in the morning, I feel great the rest of the day. Sure, I still dread getting up at 4am. I mean, it's 4am. No human being should be in public-appropriate clothes at that hour. But since it's what I have to do for now to be successful, then at least I'm going to have some energy. I follow up with a cup of almonds for my 10am snack and I'm good to go until lunch.

Not convinced? Give it a try. Click here to order a Taste Sampler and see for yourself. 

Learn more about the benefits and nutrition of Shakeology here.