My Story

I remember first getting interested in fitness when I was in 7th grade.  I played basketball, volleyball and ran track.  I also remember getting my first workout video when I was in middle school that was geared towards teens and I started jogging around my neighborhood for exercise.  Staying fit through high school and college was easy, because I played basketball and volleyball and I took advantage of the awesome fitness facility at WWU.  After college, I got my first teaching job and stayed active by using workout videos and going to the gym a few days a week.  Even though I was busy and stressed with my first year of teaching, I had an upcoming wedding to keep me motivated! 

And then comes marriage...and babies! 

After getting married in 2008 my weight started to slowly go up.  I got busy with teaching and Chad and I ate out quite a bit.  I also would go long periods of time without working out.  I remember not feeling great about myself and felt sluggish...and then I became pregnant with Presley.  I enjoyed my pregnancy and pretty much ate what I wanted and didn't work out.  I gained about 35 lbs with Presley.  My sweet girl was born July 2010.  6 weeks after having Presley I tried getting back into working out.  I did Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred a few times a week.  That lasted a couple of months and I lost a few pounds.  January 2011, I went back to work full time and had no motivation or energy to workout after getting home from work.  (Little did I know that working out would give me the energy that I needed!) Instead of losing my pregnancy weight- I gained more.

The Turning Point

Fast forward to October 2011.  I was the heaviest I had ever been (outside of pregnancy).  I was about 35 pounds overweight.  I was feeling so uncomfortable in my clothes, self conscious about my body, and didn't have much energy.  I also had gone to the doctor a few times because my stomach kept hurting.  I decided then that I needed to take care of myself!  I wanted to feel good and be a good example for my girl.  I joined Weight Watchers online and started working out again using Jillian Michael's DVDs in November 2011.  I liked JM workouts because they were only about 30 minutes, but intense enough to get a good sweat on!  Weight Watchers helped me with portion control and got me eating healthier-I used the program for a few months and then switched to My Fitness Pal, which was free.  I started all of that in November 2011 and then by July 2012 I had lost 22 lbs (slow and steady :-).  I was feeling healthy and more comfortable with myself.  I had hit a plateau and still had a little more weight I wanted to lose and wanted to tone up, but then two months later I found out I was expecting little Miss Sydney!  Again, I ate pretty much whatever I wanted and didn't work out much.  I gained about 35 pounds, but this time I was determined to begin working out as soon as my body felt ready and keep it up.  After 6 weeks postpartum (July 2013), I started doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and Extreme Shred and then purchased her Body Revolution program.  This consisted of 30 minute workouts, 5 days a week.  It took me about 5 months to lose 24 lbs...and then I hit another plateau.  

The Game Changer....

In January 2014, I was introduced to T25 from Beachbody by a friend.  I was excited for a change and thrilled about 25 minute workouts!  I knew I wouldn't be able to make excuses about not being able to have time to workout.  I love this workout program and still use it a few times a week!   By Sydney's first birthday (June 2014), I had lost 32 pounds from 6 weeks postpartum.  Since then, I have purchased and completed Piyo and P90x3 from Beachbody.  I love these workout programs because most are around 30 minutes, come with multiple workout DVDs and are fun, but make you work hard!  For me, these were perfect because I didn't have the time to go to a gym and I didn't want to have to be away from my girls!  {I will go into detail in another post about each program, because they are all so different!}  These programs have helped me to break through plateaus, tone and build some muscle.

Following my Passion

After having my first child, I did not make my health a priority.  I gained weight, felt blah about myself, and lacked energy.  I couldn't be the mom or wife I wanted to be when I felt that way.  Deciding to make working out a priority has changed my life for the better.  I recently signed up to be a Beachbody Coach, so I can share my journey and help inspire others to put their health first so they can live healthy, happy lives!  I also want to hold myself accountable.  I went from being an overweight, tired mom who felt self-conscious about her body, to a mom of two who feels great and has the energy to be the best mom and wife that I can be!  This happened by just making sure I workout for 30 minutes 4-6 days a week!  Still working on making healthy food choices more consistently!  I will be starting 21 Day Fix Extreme in the next couple weeks, so that should help! 

UPDATE:  I have completed 2 rounds of 21 Day Fix Extreme and am in the middle of my third round.  Since September, when I started my first round of 21 DFX, I'm down a total of 14 pounds and 17 inches!  I am feeling leaner and fitter than ever.  You can read more about each round here:
Round 1
Round 2   


Here are some comparison pictures to show my progress the last 7 years:

(Beachbody Workout Programs completed: T25, PiYo and P90x3)

For anyone who is struggling with weight, wanting to get back into working out, or just wanting a change, I hope this blog will be an inspiration to you that it is possible to achieve your fitness and health goals!  Also, you can follow me on Instagram @fitnesslovinmama.  Thanks for reading!