Calling BS on myself!!

 "I see you've been eating whatever you want this summer." ~Christina’s clothes 

You guys know that I overshare sometimes (serious apologies…sorta), but I like to keep it real and I believe in sharing it all, the good, the bad and the ugly not just the highlight reels. I do this because I know if I'm struggling with something, there is someone else out there that is struggling too and they need to know they are not alone in this. I've had plenty of struggles and challenges in my life, and what I've learned is that these struggles and challenges are what makes us stronger, it's where we grow, it’s where we learn who we are and it's where we learn to appreciate the process and the success that goes along with it.  Your health & fitness is no different. 

Here’s the real honest deal:  I’ve gained 15 pounds that I’ve been strategically trying to hide all summer long and hiding is such hard work you guys, physically, but mostly emotionally.  Yes, it’s been a fabulous and fun summer that I have fully enjoyed with my family and friends.  Traveling, vacation, late nights, bbq’s and patio time, boating, cocktails and wine, time with friends, yadda yadda.  I have absolutely LOVED every single moment of it!!  

However it’s time for the shenanigans to stop. You know them: exercising but not really (not pushing hard, choosing “easier” workouts but “work out” was checked off my to do list), NOT following my meal plan (start out amazing in the morning but then end the night looking 4 months pregnant because of carb overload) and the return of the nightly glass (no, let’s be real, 2 glasses) of wine. 

It’s absolutely not just about my pant size or a number on the scale. However, these are my alarms that go off when I know things have gotten way too far off track. I'm sharing this because honestly, I feel like SH*T (sorry for cussing).  My energy is at the bottom of the barrel, my moods are a bit of a roller coaster, my strength and my cardio workouts are truly suffering, and my clothes are getting too tight!!  This has got to stop because I have some super cute fall pants that I must get this bootay into!  Most importantly though, my mindset is off.  Not having clothes fit or a number on the scale doesn't matter as much as my mindset.  Not feeling good about myself, not feeling proud, knowing that I'm not taking good care of me is a sad feeling.  I don't like feeling like this.  I like being more self-confident and happy and just rockin and rollin through life feeling fabulous!  I want that Christina back!

Why am I oversharing with you?  Because moments like this, used to make me feel so disappointed in myself, sad and depressed and wanting to throw my hands up in the air and ask “WHY am I bothering?  It’s so much work and what for?”  We want INSTANT gratification and when we don't get it, we think those icky, negative, defeating thoughts to ourselves.

And then, if it’s not enough to feel bad about myself, I decide to just go eat whatever I want “just for today” and I’ll start again tomorrow with a better attitude or I decide a glass of wine will help me feel better.  Either way I get in a funk and feel guilty and horrible because I KNOW I can do this, I’ve done it before, I have the full love and support of my hubby and family and I have all of the tools needed to accomplish it, I just need to USE THEM. It's no one's fault but my own and I'm OWNING MY OWN BS TODAY!

If any of this resonates with you, I want you to know you're absolutely not alone. We all have those times in life where we seem to take a step or two forward and then a giant leap back. I know….I’ve been living it this summer.

For me, it stops TODAY. Right now!  Here's my accountability picture....my never, ever again....I know, I'm still hiding from you.  See that smile.  Yeah, no.  Not a happy camper.  Still some shame there... I'm saving the whole pics for a freaking awesome after pic!! 

With all of this long winded post being said (thank you if you actually read this all and have gotten to the end), whether you have started with me before, are wanting to start or don't know where to start.  If you are sitting, watching and waiting to see how this all unfolds, I just want you to know, if you need help, I'm ALWAYS here for you.  I haven't given up on myself and I'd never give up on you....we are in this thing called LIFE together to lift each other up and help one another to be the best versions of ourselves that we are capable of becoming!  

If you read this and are ready to take back your life and find yourself again let me know!  I'm ready to help you whenever you're ready!!  Find me on Facebook or send me an email.  I'd love to chat with you!

~Christina

A before and after I have never shared before

It’s crazy to think back to a time in my life where I wasn’t the person I am today. The girl on the left, although smiley and happy, really wasn’t. She was going through a sort of transformation on the inside. She was like a caterpillar, crawling up inside her cocoon waiting to become a beautiful butterfly and be able to fly.

I haven’t ever shared this with anyone. This isn’t easy. But I want to get it out. Okay….here goes nothing! 

I was really, really good at playing my roles, doing what I should do, making others happy and doing a lot, I mean a lot, of pretending and fake smiling. Inside I was a complete mess. A few years ago, well 9 years ago to be exact, Something happened in my life that turned everything I thought I knew upside down. It threw me in a tailspin. I had to figure out a ton of things and in a hurry. I realized that my life was one big, huge, gigantic mess and I had helped to make it that way. Nothing was as it seemed and what I portrayed it to be. I was not the person I was pretending to be and it was killing me inside. I had played it well for quite a few years until it came crashing down one sunny, Sunday afternoon in late September. I had to grow up and become a big girl and fast. It wasn’t easy. It took time and massive, massive internal work. In fact, I’m still working on it. Aren’t we all though? Aren’t we always working on ourselves? If you're not you should be. 

I look back now at that girl in the before picture and am no longer sad for her. I used to be really sad for her. But what I know now, many years later is that it was all an absolute blessing. It woke me up!! It made me change. If it had not happened I honestly don’t know who I’d be. I would not be this person right here that you all know and love today. 

I was always on a voyage to find that one thing….have that major “aha” moment that would change my life. I searched it out in books, blogs, lectures, quotes, etc. I never had that “aha” moment occur until it crashed in on me. That was my “aha” moment. Not a good “aha” moment that I always wanted it to be, but it was a wake up call! BUT…..had I not had been searching for it, I would not have had the tools that I learned along the way through those books, blogs, lectures and quotes to deal with it and know exactly what was happening and how I needed to handle it and exactly what I needed to do. I truly believe that my journey to find myself, find the true me, happened in that exact, divine order. As hard as it was to go through…. I can now look back and be thankful for it. It was my Blesson! (Blessing and Lesson) PS – Okay I know this all sounds cryptic and I hate that too. Why doesn’t she just come out with it already? What happened? I get you, but I won’t be telling you. Only a couple of people in my life know about this. I don’t talk about “it” to anyone ever. Maybe one day….but I don’t need to. It’s just about the lessons learned from here on out.

I knew everything I needed to know. I had it all in me all the time. I had to be pushed off the edge in order to take those lessons and actually change and live that life I had always wanted and be that person I had always wanted to be! I could see her….I was just afraid. It took a major event to make me see her. I now only have moments of insecurity, no self-esteem, no confidence, no belief in myself. Those moments used to take over my entire day, my entire being. Now when those thoughts pop up I acknowledge them, counteract the thought with a better one and kick it to the curb and move on with my day becoming stronger. 

Had all of this not have happened to me, in the exact, divine order that it did, I would not have been ready to accept the opportunity or even have the guts to join my first challenge group. But I now believed in myself and that I could handle anything. I was so much stronger on the inside that I wanted to be stronger on the outside too. Beachbody gave me something to fight for….me! It helped me come out of my shell, and gave me a focus. It helped me to continue to focus on me. It gave me a new tribe of amazing, like-minded people on the same path. It gave me amazing friends that I would have never, ever met that I can’t even imagine not being in my life today. It gave me so much happiness helping others change their life on their journey with me. It gave me even more personal development to continue to help me grow and learn more and more about myself. It’s helped me to become a leader of a whole team of coaches. I absolutely fell in love with fitness and now it’s just a part of me. It keeps me sane and helps me feel so strong on the inside and outside. I became a fitness instructor! What the? I never would have dreamed that would ever happen in my life. This huge introvert that hated working out, would be able stand in front of a class of people staring back at her to teach them Insanity!! Insanity of all workouts too? Crazy town…..

I am a very happy, positive, loving woman who loves being a wife, mom, daughter, sister and friend. I feel like I’m even better at all these roles too! That’s not to say I never have a bad day or don’t do anything wrong or make massive mistakes! Are you kidding me? I certainly do, and I make many of them. However, I now have tools to turn it around. I know that they are just thoughts and I can change it. I know it’s just a moment, just a day and it will get better. There’s always a lesson and everything, I mean everything (the good, the bad and the ugly), happens for a reason. There’s always something to learn. I try to not stay there in those bad moments or days. I let them happen and just move on. Yes, I could do better too. It’s not always perfect sunshine, rainbows and unicorns around me. I have my Grumpy Gus days that are harder to snap out of than others. But no one is perfect, I’m certainly not. But what’s great is that there are no more fake smiles or pretending. It’s all fo reals! :) I accept my life as it is…no more wishing for something different. If I want something different it’s up to me to create it! I make it happen! I am intentionally creating the life I want, I live as the person I want to become and I’m so freaking, unbelievably happy in my life. 

All of this rambling from a picture I came across today. Wow!! Transformations are not just physical. I am so proud of myself that I just had to share a little piece of me with you. I love me and the me I continue to become. I am now the butterfly, enjoying my amazing life with my beautiful and loving husband, daughters, family and my amazing family of friends. Grateful and thankful!!! #ahappyfitlife #blessons

Transformation Tuesday

Here’s a fabulous Transformation Tuesday!!

Here's a little something to get you excited!! Contact me for more info!! Let's get you going this summer with my Summer Fitness Challenge Group starting on July 6th! Just give me 21 days and we'll get you on the right road to change your life too!

“Portionology is Awesome!”

Meet Stella H. She lost 42 lbs with 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix EXTREME, and 3-Day Refresh. She entered her results into The Beachbody Challenge®, and won the $500 Daily Prize for June 6th!

Tell us about your life before you started the program. How did you feel about yourself and your body?

Before 21 Day Fix, I was searching for a quick way to get thin. I’ve lost weight before but always yo-yo’d right back up. I was mad, tired, and had given up on getting back to a lower weight. All I wanted was to find a way to get healthy, never expecting to lose any weight. I actually said those very words to my Coach: “I don’t plan on losing a pound. I just want to set a good example of health for my children.”

What inspired you to change your life and begin your transformation journey?


My Facebook friend, Jenny, was posting over and over again about her amazing transformation. She sent out an invitation for a free exercise Challenge Group. That piqued my interest. I joined in October and participated in the group. By the end of the month, we had a phone conversation where she recommended the Fix as I was wanting something with clean eating and whole foods, along with an exercise program that would push me to be healthier.

What is the greatest challenge you faced before beginning the program? How did the program and Beachbody® help you overcome that challenge?


I never, ever used to enjoy exercise. That was my downfall. I always viewed exercise as an evil necessity that would help me to dump pounds, so I’d only do it for as long as it took for me to lose the weight. As soon as I hit my goal, the fitness portion would be done – and so would my goal weight. The Fix helped me to want to exercise. I couldn’t believe it! Because of the nutrition piece of the program, and Shakeology, my body craved using energy in a healthy, productive way! I became obsessed in wanting to work out daily, to the point where I had to force myself to take days off! Thanks to 21 Day Fix, I have found balance between my mindset, fitness and nutrition!

What in particular did you like about the program you chose?
I love the following (all would be ‪#‎1s if I could list it like that!):

The containers! Portionology is awesome! * Shakeo! Yum! And whole food. And easy! * The workouts – especially Pilates Fix and Yoga Fix! I’ve also done 2 round of 3-Day Refresh! Love it! The mental clarity that I get from Refresh is amazing! Then, in late March, I was challenged to take on EXTREME! Oh my! This is what I needed. I lost a lot of weight with the Fix, but now needed to get toned and sculpted. I didn’t do a caloric reduction with 21DFX, but I worked my butt off to build muscle. This program is outstanding! In three weeks, I’ve become so carved!

Describe the results you achieved with your Beachbody program. Which achievements are you proud of?


In my first week of Round 1 of 21 Day Fix, I dropped 9 pounds!!! By the end of Round 1, I started running and for the first time, learned to enjoy the physical and mental aspect of it. On Valentine’s day, I ran my first 5K! If you’d told me in July last year that I’d be running a 5K at 33 minutes in February, I’d have laughed at you! I’m a powerhouse now! I love my body, I love my nutrition and I love my commitment to a clean, healthy life! One of my ongoing fears with exercise has always been resistance training. I took EXTREME as a challenge during the busiest month of my work. I faced my fear of not doing well with the resistance, and I conquered it! Wow. I replaced my excuses with effort, every day. And now I have the results.

How has your life changed since completing your Beachbody program?


The 21 Day Fix, 3-Day Refresh, and 21 Day Fix Extreme programs have brought amazing clarity and function into my life. Even when I’m not ‘completing’ a Fix program, I’m still eating with my containers, drinking a Shakeology every day, and committed to a daily exercise program that pushes me a little more each and every day! My children are watching and learning. We are all healthier thanks to these programs! I am now the role model mother that I was aiming to be when I first started! And I’m inspiring others to contemplate their fitness and nutrition approach. It’s a wonderful thing to be a positive influence!

How did participating in a Challenge Group help you reach your goals? How did your group support you and keep you accountable?


The Challenge Group helped so much, as the accountability piece was brand new to me. The participants in the group kept asking me for recipes, which made me feel so good! Then, when I posted my first round pictures, they noticed changes that, to me, seemed subtle! It wasn’t until I read of their excitement for me that I realize what was happening! I’m hooked on those groups! The members of my groups have become close friends! I’m ecstatic to continue to develop these friendships and and to welcome new members!

How did your Team Beachbody® Coach support you on your journey?


My first Coach was Jenny Beauregard Connor. She has been a lifesaver! She paved the way for my success, set me up with the right programs and got me involved! I was transferred to Jenn Greenberg and am so happy to have her and Mike as Coaches and uplines! They are so inspirational and I am lucky to have them, as well as Jenny, alongside my journey!

How did a Beachbody Supplement or Nutritional Product or Program (such as Shakeology® or Beachbody Ultimate Reset®) support your transformation? What are the greatest benefits you gained? Did you see benefits to your energy, sleep, mood/mental clarity, digestion/regularity?


Shakeo and 3-Day Refresh both have benefited every aspect of my life – energy, sleep, mood/mental clarity, digestion/regularity! I’m a different person! I’m happy, calm, and ready to take on challenges!

How did a Beachbody Supplement or Nutritional Product or Program affect any existing health conditions you have?

I have broken my sugar habit! Completely! Save for a glass of wine, I don’t consume any sugar any more. This is an amazing realization as my sugar addiction was legendary!