I’ve lost over 10 lbs and 16 inches in the last 4 months all while eating a variety of nutritious, clean food and using an at-home nutrition and fitness program that is one of the best I’ve come across.  As you can see from the picture below 7.5 of those inches have come from my legs.  These results came from following the program, pushing play on my workout each day and doing My best while implementing the nutrition program with food to fuel my body with.  But more important is I didn’t do it on my own.  I stayed connected to my coach and a group of fellow challengers in a closed Facebook group.  

If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you may be noticing a shift.  No longer am I posting as many desserts, breads, etc. as I was.  This is a conscious choice and it doesn’t mean I don’t occasionally bake or partake in a treat but my focus has shifted to a set of goals that will enhance my life so I can be the best me I can be.  I want to be a grandma that runs and gets on the floor to play.   I want to have more good days that not-so-good days.

Eating nutritiously does not need to be boring.  I am still creating recipes but I’m using the nutrition program of the 21-Day-Fix program as my base to pull ingredients from to build delicious dishes.  This program comes with portion control containers that can be combined to make amazing things like this recipe of  Garlic Scallops

or this yummy chocolate meal replacement shake that is nutrient dense with items that help the GI tract, immune system, etc.  

I work out 30 minutes a day using one of the 7 daily at-home workouts that include strength training, cardio, yoga and pilates.  I no longer want to be thinner.  I want to be stronger.   My progress may seem slow but at 56 years old with several chronic health conditions:  Interstitial Cystitis (IC), Permanent Nerve Pain from Shingles and Sleep Apnea, I am thrilled at the strength and management over my eating that I am experiencing.  And the weight is consistently staying off.   This is the first time since being diagnosed with IC five years ago, that I have been able to lose weight.  Even if you aren’t looking for something for weight loss, we all need good nutrition and strong muscles and bones.

Sometimes I call myself a poster child for trying different programs and some have generated limited success  but they always included hunger which kept my mind centered too much on food, used processed foods that were less that stellar tasting and basically not good for our bodies, expensive, and had some sort of complex counting of calories or points.  I really like this program because it uses real food and no calorie counting.  The 30-minute workouts fit into my busy life and I have yet to get bored with them.

I depend on the Shakeology product I use each day (the vegan chocolate is my favorite) for guaranteed nutrition.  I now spend the money I used to use on breakfast and my multivitamin on this.  It has 16 grams of protein and an amazing assortment of superfoods (high in vitamins and nutrients –  many of these I used to buy separately and add into my protein shakes) making this more than a protein shake but a meal replacement.  It runs just over $4.00 per serving.   Some would say that’s expensive.  I would say many people spend that on a sugary coffee drink or muffin and haven’t placed any real fuel in their bodies and then wonder why they have cravings and are tired.

No one is more surprised than me that I am now happily part of the Beachbody family.  I’m not a nutritionist or a personal trainer but I am a nutrition/fitness coach.  I have always enjoyed sharing with others what is working for me and am excited in the change this is creating for my blog.  I won’t lie – part of why I became a coach is to encourage others in their healthy lifestyles as well as stay on track with mine.

I want to be transparent about the cost information of this program.  There is nothing worse than talking about a program and not sharing the price.  How can anyone decide if this might be a good fit for them without the information to make an informed decision? I honestly shake my head and smile when I think back to January and how worried I was that I might be wasting my money but time would need to play out for me to realize the following now in June:

• The cost of Shakeology pretty much folded into my food budget.
• I have used the nutrition/fitness program now for 110 days and when I do the math, the initial price of approximately one-time cost of $65.00 works out to be 60 cents a day.  
• Free 30-day trial access to Beachbody on Demand which provides thousands of dollars of other Beachbody workouts that can be streamed to my computer (P90X, Chalene Extreme, Insanity, etc). I enjoyed trying other workouts to see what might be a good fit for me without purchasing a program.
• Being part of a Challenge group which is housed in a closed Facebook group with like-minded individuals who encourage and share tips with each other has been an huge part of my success.  
• The program has workout modifications that provide no impact and yet with an increase of weights continues to challenge me.  This was perfect for me.
• The 30-minute workouts fit into my busy days because it is done at home.  I choose the time that works for me on any given day.  This gave me back 30 minutes not traveling to and from the gym.
• Has created a habit of drinking more water daily.

Resource Links – For More Information

21 Day Fix  – Note:  keep in mind that we are all unique.  I didn’t lose as much weight as the video states.

Shakeology

I’ll be starting another Challenge 21-Day group on June 29, 2015 and I just learned that in the month of June, 21-Day Fix and 21-Day Extreme Challenge Packs are available at a special rate of $140.00 (regularly $160.)   This program is very popular and rarely goes on sale.  A Challenge Pack includes the 21-Day Fix nutrition and workout program, 30-day supply of Shakeology, a free 30 day trial period of Beachbody on Demand (if you choose to continue after the trial period – $2.99/week) and a Shaker Cup.

If you’d like to be a part of my next challenge group or have any questions, you can email me at debra.hallock@gmail.com.  I’d love for a group of us to start applying these tools in July and be celebrating healthier versions of ourselves when we ring in the New Year on January 1, 2016.  How great would that feel to already have 6 months into a goal most people are just starting to contemplate in January?  How wonderful would it be to already have had several months of eating nutritiously and have managed sugar cravings when the long  holiday period from October through December 31st hits?  What if we were more mindful and still enjoyed the celebrations but didn’t overindulge like we have in the past?  Now that just might be one of the nicest Christmas gifts we ever received this year.

Groups aren’t for everyone so if you’d be more comfortable working one-on-one, that option is available.

To ensure delivery of program for the start of the challenge group, June 20th is the suggested date to order by.

I’m Getting My Sparkle Back