My Story

If you are reading this expecting to hear the typical "I lost 75 pounds" in 30 days story, you can stop reading now. My story is not about a huge transformation or crazy lifestyle change. However, I still have a story and that story is important to who I am and where I am going.

I have always been an active person. In fact I thrive off of exercise in any form... basketball, hiking, biking and snowshoeing to name a few. However, my main love is running. I ran Cross Country and Track in junior high and high school and loved it. For days prior to any race, I would start feeling anxiety and stress, but the moment the race began, that feeling faded away and I flew across the course with adenaline pumping through my body. The "runner's high" that is always spoken of is indeed a very real thing for me.

I figured I would stop running when Cross Country and Track ended my senior year. I had no plans to continue running as a hobby when I went to college. Without the competitive nature of being on a team, I figured I was done. I was wrong. I not only continued to recreationally run at college, but I ran my first half marathon. Since then have completed three more half marathons and three Ragnar Relay Races among many, many others. I guess I just couldn't do without the runners high and the wonderful feeling I had after pushing through a hard run. Plus, it kept me in shape. I was determined at college to not gain the infamous "Freshman 15."

Well, fast forward a little to this last year. Scott and I moved to Las Vegas Nevada for his schooling and we had our first child. We were so happy and thrilled to be parents, but this put up a major roadblock in my normal exercise routine. I couldn't just hop outside and take off for a run as I had always done before. I had a new tiny baby girl at home. You may wonder, why didn't I just buy a running stroller and take her running with me? Well, our baby girl was born premature and after 43 days of being in the hospital, returned home at only 4 pounds and 7 ounces. Not exactly the supreme candidate for taking out in a jogging stroller right away. Plus, we live in Las Vegas where the heat is out of control! It seemed that the odds were against me and my need and desire to run.  I had to find an alternative form of exercise.

Well, to make a long story short, I ended up joining a beachbody challenge group. Since running wasn't much of an option at the time, I knew I had to figure out some other way. I purchased Turbo Fire to start my road back and I started drinking Shakeology. I loved the results and I loved the way I felt.

Following Turbo Fire, I did Insanity, followed by joining another challenge group doing the new Focus T25 workout program. This time around, my husband Scott joined me in my challenge and we both started drinking Shaekology. We were eating healthy, our cravings for sweets was greatly diminished and we had more energy. I started noticing little differences in my day...

• I was able to get up so much easier in the morning when my tiny one would wake up early, rather than dragging myself out of bed and feeling tired all day.
•  I could easily turn down a dessert without feeling like I had totally missed out.
•  I felt satisfied with less food
• I didn't feel the need for a late-night snack as I always had before.
•  I felt more physical benefits that I ever did with just running. All of a sudden I was not only in good cardiovascular shape, but I was toned and had defined muscles that I had never had before. 
• I lost more weight than I had anticipated. I lost my goal of losing 20 pounds after my c-section and I was at the lowest weight I had been since high school. 

The Beachbody programs provided me with the chance to exercise everyday, even under my set of circumstances. I felt like my workout was not only worthwhile, but I was still able to enjoy the feeling of a "runner's high" after completing a workout. I could exercise right in my front living room without ever needing to leave the house or my little girl. I felt great and was in better physical shape than I had been since high school.

Don't get me wrong. I still love running and I still love signing up to run races, but I ALWAYS get my Beachbody workout in. I am a better runner because of it.