My hero. My best friend. My Dad. It's not that he was perfect, but he was the perfect Dad to me. He taught me strength, determination, inner fight, mind over matter, and that there's no amount of money in the world that can buy you happiness. My Dad just got me because we were both wired the same way, intense, but fiercely loyal and loving to our "peeps" as he called them.
December 25th, 2013 - I received a call from my Mom right after opening presents that he had suffered a second stroke (his first was in August while in Alaska). He was on the mend, had been in the best shape of his life (in fact, he was one of my Beachbody coaches), and doctors could not pin point where his first stroke originated. They were puzzled but he was the perfect candidate for a full recovery. Unfortunately, he wasn't progressing as much as we thought he would & my last conversation was on Christmas Eve with him. He never regained consciousness & he passed away in the evening on the 25th. I knew exactly when he would take his last breath, I've always been someone who can feel those things. And then my best friend and my hero was gone. With my faith, I knew I would see him again in heaven one day, but I wasn't sure I would ever look at the world the same. The sun didn't seem to shine as bright nor the colors of nature as vibrant. But then I remembered some advice he gave me a long time ago, "whatever happens in life, you have to keep on living."
One of the first things I turned to was my online health and fitness group. While I was helping my Mom with funeral arrangements, this incredible group of people kept posting about their days, supporting each other, and motivating everyone to do their best. And it was the love and support that these people had for each other that made me jump back in there and find inspiration each morning & continue to want to help others re-write their health and fitness story.
Coaching helped me take grief, sorrow, and loss and use those emotions to help others. A very dear friend of mine told me that the best way she's coped with the loss of her brother and mom was by helping others through their pain. In turn, she was healing her own heart.
In January 2014, I decided to reinvent my goals and live a life of giving to others. Each month I start a new online group or train a new coach, I am channeling my Dad and the idea to always keep living and finding the beauty in each day. Coaching not only changes lives but it heals hearts.
Xo,
Natalie
This is my very first blog and I am going to be REAL with you. I want to share the moment my life changed and helped me find the NEW me. That picture on the left was me in 2012 at a holiday party. This was a picture that someone took and tagged me in on Facebook. When I saw this picture, I didn’t recognize that girl. In fact, I had avoided pictures for several years and became the “picture taker.” I had QUITE a collection of my two girls, but I wasn’t in any of those digital memories with them.
That was my AH – HA moment. In my mind, I was still healthy and fit Natalie, a varsity swimmer and natural athlete….but that wasn’t the person staring back at me in that picture. I hadn’t worked out in years, still was carrying baby weight from my second child, and didn’t know how it was that I got SO far away from what I once was. I stress ate all the time, put on 15 pounds my second year of teaching, and was constantly anxious about how I was going to balance it all. I dreaded my closet because my weight fluctuated so much that I never knew what would fit.
It wasn’t that I wanted to go back to the old me, I liked where life had taken me…but I wanted to feel that confidence I once had. I wanted to feel that zest for life and wanted to see the world for all it had to offer. It was that picture that promoted me to change my life on January 1st, 2013.
I decided to join my first online health and fitness group and made a promise that I would go all in for 30 days. What did I have to lose? I ordered Les Mills Combat (perfect because of my love of martial arts) & committed to drinking Shakeology once a day. It was amazing to have a plan, follow a work out calendar, and check in once daily for support and accountability.
In 90 days, I lost over 25 pounds and 30 total inches! It was about a life change, not a quick fix. It was breaking down mental walls one moment at a time. It was about changing nutrition one meal at a time. It was about becoming a better version of myself one day at a time.
It has been over two years now and I am SO blessed to help others re-write their story and find themselves again. It isn’t about a number on the scale or a size; it is about being comfortable in your own skin and being present in each day of your life.
Believe and achieve.
Xo, Natalie
Shakeology...what is all this hype about? I thought the same thing...wasn't interested, wasn't convinced, been there, done that before. I had tried different supplements in college, different protein powders, and I came to the conclusion that they were all the same. Plus I didn't feel like I needed to PAY for a nutritional shake when I could buy the ingredients and make my own. Right??? Wrong! The problem was that I wasn't doing it, didn't have the time, and my nutrition was not anywhere where it needed to be to truly jump start my health and fitness. The truth was I really didn't know much about nutrition. I spent 10 years competitively swimming and CARB LOADING. Ummm, that works when you swim 5 hours a day (think caloric intake of Michael Phelps!), but not when your swimming career ends and you go to college, get a real job, and have 2 children. Let alone...metabolic changes.
In December 2012, my coach brought me one to try at school and I was amazed at the taste! Chocolate Shakeology is my favorite, especially for this chocolate lover! And I was SO surprised how it filled me up. I thought my 90 calorie Special K bar was doing the trick, but the problem was that there was NO nutritional value to it and I was hungry 30 minutes later and found myself wanting to snack all day. I committed to 30 days ( gotta love the 100% money back guarantee!) and was hooked! 2 and 1/2 years later, I have my super foods shake every day for breakfast on the way to school.
What have I noticed as the biggest changes? Where do I begin? My energy increased (which was MUCH needed for this mom and teacher), digestion improved, sweet cravings decreased, and my immunity sky rocketed! I can't tell you how many times I was in the health clinic each year because of illness being around students all day. Even if I get a cold once and awhile, it lasts for just a few days as opposed to weeks. It was the absolute GAME CHANGER for me!
Shakeology is NOT intended to be a protein shake, although it averages about 17 grams of protein per serving. It's a SUPER FOODS shake with probiotics, antioxidants, phytonutrients (plants, roots, berries), and contains your daily dose of multi-vitamins. It was just the jump start I needed when I began my health and fitness journey and combined with weekly exercise, I lost over 25 pounds and 30 inches in 3 months!
With being a history teacher, I'm a TOTAL research gal! Beachbody just conducted their first clinical study last summer & the results are profound. It wasn't just about weight loss, but a gradual decrease of weight loss over time coupled with incredible decreases in cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure for many.
Check out this quick video for more information:
If you have been struggling with nutrition and just don't know where to begin, this could be the perfect time for you too! I was so blessed that someone shared Shakeology with me because it's been not just a game changer for my nutrition but a life changer!
One of my biggest barriers in exercise has always been TIME...how do I fit in ME time? How do I get to the gym? How do I organize childcare for the girls so I can make a live class? How do I do it all?
For me, the answer has been Beachbody programs because time is no longer an excuse I can use. All I have to do is PRESS PLAY. I do my workouts in my family room while the girls are playing or after school in my classroom. I've taken my DVD's on vacation to Myrtle Beach, Alaska, and Tennessee to the lake. And the beauty is that they all come with an exercise calendar to follow and most of the new programs average 30 minutes. EVERYONE has TIME for that!
So where did I begin? I started with a program that I knew I would enjoy, Les Mills Combat and I completed all 3 rounds by following the exercise calendar, there are even rest days built in for a guilt free day of R & R! I also did Turbo Fire, PIYO, T25, 21 Day Fix...and now I'm pushing it to the MAX with Insanity MAX 30! I NEVER thought I would be at the fitness level again to do this type of high intensity workout. What it truly comes down to is a mental battle. You go as long as you can and when you stop, you write down your time. The next time it's amazing how you challenge yourself, have talks with yourself about going for just one MORE minute. The next thing you know you are getting stronger, crushing your times, and getting LEAN & MEAN!
My recommendation for you is to start with a workout plan that you enjoy - maybe it's starting with walks, maybe you are a gym rat and love that environment, or maybe you love the community feel of a live class. If you are like me, it might come down to where do you FIND time? If that is the case, I highly recommend you find your SOUL workout and just PRESS PLAY! I would love to help you find something that speaks to you and allows for a life change in fitness, rather than just a quick fix. There are some incredible programs awaiting! All it takes is the decision to try.
It's about the journey, not the destination...BUT you will be amazed at how many milestones you achieve along the way!
#believeandachieve
I had convinced myself that after having children that “I” Natalie, the individual, had ceased to exist. I accepted that I would have to enter an era of Mom jeans, Mom hair (ok, I hadn’t gotten here yet, but it was tempting to chop it all off so I didn’t have to “get ready” anymore), and bye-bye to any type of fashionable swim suit.
I had gotten to a point where I had an excuse for everything dealing with food too. If I was stressed, I would snack. If my girls had a snack (and you know kids snack ALL the time!), I would indulge too, and my second year of teaching, I snacked every time I was home grading or any time there was a school event of pizza or donuts, it would be SO rude for me to not participate. I had lost all control or maybe never had it in the first place.
You absolutely DO NOT have to deprive yourself of food choices. But the question you have to ask yourself is if you are in control of your food choices....OR is food controlling you?
Here is a great quiz to take: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/what-kind-eater-are-you
It cannot be changed overnight because our minds have years of practice playing tricks on us, but it can be done with small changes daily. I love Jimmy Johns and a sandwich is 200-300 less calories without mayo – sounds easy enough, right? I use natural vanilla creamer now or honey and it’s still delicious! I use unsweetened almond milk in my daily shakeology because it’s 100 less calories than milk. If you take small steps with meals and snacks, it’s amazing how you can overcome your mental habits!
I think that is why so many fitness programs and “diets” fail because we think we have to change everything about our life, nutrition and habits in one sweep. If we completely deprive ourselves of an indulgence, we usually end up binging and justifying it by calling it another crazy diet that was bound to fail anyways.
It has to start with working on the years of mental walls that we have built up. This is still a daily challenge for me and to also carry out a positive state of mind in all aspects of my life, but it can be done. Germans believe that to truly be happy you have to create a sound body, but also sound mind. (The Greeks too) They have to go hand in hand to create a balance in your life. I think this sounds like a pretty good formula for life.
One meal at a time. One day at a time. One change at a time. This will equal LIFE CHANGES that last. I promise.
Here is a great quiz to take: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/what-kind-eater-are-you
It cannot be changed overnight because our minds have years of practice playing tricks on us, but it can be done with small changes daily. I love Jimmy Johns and a sandwich is 200-300 less calories without mayo – sounds easy enough, right? I use natural vanilla creamer now or honey and it’s still delicious! I use unsweetened almond milk in my daily shakeology because it’s 100 less calories than milk. If you take small steps with meals and snacks, it’s amazing how you can overcome your mental habits!
I think that is why so many fitness programs and “diets” fail because we think we have to change everything about our life, nutrition and habits in one sweep. If we completely deprive ourselves of an indulgence, we usually end up binging and justifying it by calling it another crazy diet that was bound to fail anyways.
It has to start with working on the years of mental walls that we have built up. This is still a daily challenge for me and to also carry out a positive state of mind in all aspects of my life, but it can be done. Germans believe that to truly be happy you have to create a sound body, but also sound mind. (The Greeks too) They have to go hand in hand to create a balance in your life. I think this sounds like a pretty good formula for life.
One meal at a time. One day at a time. One change at a time. This will equal LIFE CHANGES that last. I promise.