First of all, it seems impossible that it's already been more than a month since my last blog post!  I am sorry for my radio silence and for leaving you hanging.  Not only have I been incredibly busy, but I've also been working out some life stuff, as you'll see in this post.

I'm going to make the assumption that most of you know about me signing up as a Beachbody coach back in October.  Even if we're not connected on Facebook or Instagram, I've also been writing about it pretty regularly on this blog, so I'll skip that part of the story.  

As you probably know, coaching was a big part of my life for six months.  What most of you don't know is that I have recently made the decision to stop coaching.  I'll say upfront that there is nothing wrong with being a Beachbody coach, so I have nothing bad to say about it.  In fact, I met some of the strongest and most dedicated women I know through my coaching team, so I'd never have a bad thing to say about it.

In fact, coaching is an amazing opportunity.  You are given the chance to build your own business from the ground up.  You can literally make coaching into anything you want it to be, whether it's a small part-time business or a million dollar empire.  Honestly, I didn't sign up to be a coach in order to make any extra money.  Before signing up I was missing passion and purpose in my life, so coaching gave me the opportunity to wake up in the morning and have a reason to get out of bed.  

If coaching is so amazing, you might ask why I stopped.  The short answer is that I don't know.  The complicated answer is that it just wasn't the right path for me to take at this point in my life. Being a coach kept me super busy, which is one of the reasons why I decided to stop.  I'm an all-or-nothing kind of person, so I couldn't find a happy medium where I gave a small percentage of my time and attention to my business.  I was working every free minute I had, usually for at least 12 hours a day.  It got to the point where I started to resent being a coach because I was putting so much into it and not getting enough out for it to be worth it to me.

Ultimately, being a Beachbody coach was an amazing experience and I am truly glad I did it.  I wouldn't even rule out the idea of doing it again in the future.  But for now, it's not the right time for me to be a coach or run my own business.  Actually, there are some potential life changes that could come up in my near future, so I will keep you updated as I find out what is going to happen.  As always, stay tuned for more!

Today's post isn't the only thing I have in plan for you.  I've got notes and pictures from my entire Caribbean vacation to share with you, so keep checking back for posts on my latest adventure!

Today I started week 3 of Hammer and Chisel.  I used my new 8 lb. weights for the majority of the Total Body Hammer workout and I felt really strong, which was a great feeling! 

I have recently noticed that I haven't lost any pounds according to the scale, but I figured it was probably because I had been gaining so much muscle, which weighs more than fat.  But now I'm starting to think that maybe I'm not eating enough.  A friend of mine told me about someone she knows who just started doing intense workouts and didn't lose any weight until she started eating more.  And when I mentioned that in my team's group on Facebook another girl said the same thing.  So I'm going to make an appointment with a dietician and talk to them to make sure I'm eating enough.  Maybe if I were to up my calories then my body would realize it doesn't need to be in starvation mode and would let me lose some weight.  That's what I'm hoping anyway!

Although I would like to see the scale start to move, I do know that the number on the scale doesn't indicate how much progress I've made.  I can already see a lot more muscle definition in my arms and legs, so I know that I'm getting stronger every day.  

Plus, I feel stronger mentally.  It feels good to do something that is so challenging because it gives me confidence in other areas of my life.  I told myself I was going to do something and I'm doing it, so now I know that I can depend on myself to stick to my goals and follow through with my plans.  Now I'm just excited to see what else I can accomplish with this confidence and sense of motivation!

If you would like more information about Hammer and Chisel or any other Beachbody program, please comment below with "Tell me more!" or email me at [email protected].  And as always, if you liked this post please feel free to share it with someone else who you think will enjoy it.

As of today I have been doing Hammer and Chisel for one week.  And today I went out and bought heavier weights and a stronger resistance band.

Guys.  This is huge!

I am amazed that just one week into this program I am ready and able to increase my weights!  I realized that my 3 and 5 pound weights just weren't challenging me as much as I needed, so I went all-in and invested in some new equipment.  And I'm so excited!!

The workouts I've done in the last week have been really challenging, but at the same time it feels so good when I complete one and I'm so proud of myself for stepping it up and making it happen.  So what I'd like to do today is do a quick comparison between 21 Day Fix and Hammer and Chisel so that you can see what the differences are between the two programs.  Here we go...

Intensity/Skill Level:

I would say that 21 Day Fix is for people with beginner to intermediate fitness levels.  It's definitely a customizable program where you can follow the modifier if you need to go a little easier or if some moves are too hard for you at first.  With that being said, I think you can still get a good workout if you're at an intermediate level.  It's really all about pushing yourself to your limit.

For Hammer and Chisel, Beachbody says that this program is for intermediate to advanced fitness levels.  Even after just a week of workouts I can see why.  There are plenty of moves that are really challenging and you also need a good level of endurance to keep up with the routines.

Overall, I am really glad that I started my fitness journey with 21 Day Fix because it gave me a good place to begin.  I modified a lot of the workouts at the beginning and slowly worked my way up to following the full moves.  I also did the same thing with my weights and started with 3 lb. weights before eventually moving up to 5 lb. weights.  I honestly don't think I could have started right off the bat with Hammer and Chisel because it would have been so hard that I would have given up.  By starting with 21 Day Fix I was able to ease my way into fitness and also gain some confidence in my abilities along the way.

Routine Format:

With 21 Day Fix most of the routines (5 out of 7) are based on one minute intervals.  So you do a move for 60 seconds and then move on to the next move.  The only exceptions are the Pilates Fix and the Yoga Fix.  I liked this format because, as Autumn the trainer says, "You can do anything for 60 seconds".  It's a great way to ease into the moves because you only have to do them for a minute at a time.  And the workouts are all 30 minutes, so you know exactly how long you'll be spending on your workout every day.

So far with the Hammer and Chisel routines I've noticed that they are all pretty different.  Sometimes you will have 60 second intervals, but other times you do a set number of reps and repeat.  Other times you do reps in a specific sequence, where you start with 10, go down to 8, and then go down to 6 reps, all on the same move before moving on to the next exercise.  And the workouts are all different lengths.  So some days you might only workout for 20 minutes and the next day you might have a 45 minutes routine.

Personally I really like all of the variety that Hammer and Chisel offers.  Not only do you get two different trainers, but you also get a wide variety of routines and routine structure.  There really isn't any time to get bored!  I did find that by the end of the third round of 21 Day Fix (so 9 weeks in), I was starting to get tired of doing the same routine on the same day of the week every single week.  So in my opinion you definitely get more variety with Hammer and Chisel.

Equipment:

I'm pretty sure all the equipment I needed with 21 Day Fix was weights and a yoga mat.  Like I mentioned before, I started with 3 lb. weights and moved up to 5 lb. weights by the end.

With Hammer and Chisel, however, you do need quite a bit more equipment.  In addition to weights (probably three different sizes) you will also need a workout bench or a stability ball.  You'll also need a pull-up bar or a resistance band with a door attachment.  That's all I've needed so far, but like I said before I did just go out and buy a heavier set of weights plus a stronger resistance band.

Overall, I have loved both 21 Day Fix and Hammer and Chisel.  I feel like 21 Day Fix was my first love because it was a great introduction into fitness and really gave me the confidence to try something even harder.  But I do feel like Hammer and Chisel has already pushed me way past where I was with 21 Day Fix, even just one week in.  So Hammer and Chisel is my new favorite and I am really excited to see what kind of results I can get in these 60 days.

If you have any questions about either program, feel free to leave comments below.  Also, if you know anyone who might find this interesting, please share the link with them.  And, as always, if you're ready to start your own fitness journey and you'd like to talk to me about your goals, go ahead and email me at [email protected].

On Saturday morning I woke up right at sunrise and was able to get this picture out my window.  I loved all the colors in the sky and how they represented a fresh start to a new day.  I don't know about you, but I love a fresh start.  It can be something big like a season changing or even something small, like starting out the week on a Monday with a clean slate.  And that's how I started things this morning when I woke up.  I knew that today was the beginning of the next phase of my weight loss journey.  

This morning I started a 60-day program called Hammer and Chisel by Beachbody.  It's been out for a couple of months, but I was still going through 21 Day Fix when it came out and wasn't ready to take the next step.  The nice thing about 21  Day Fix is that it can be used by beginners, so when I first started I was able to modify it enough to still get a good workout without overdoing it.  Hammer and Chisel, however, is meant for people with intermediate to advanced fitness levels, so I knew it would be a challenge from the very beginning.

Honestly, I think the reason it took me so long to order Hammer and Chisel was because it intimidated me.  After 3 rounds of 21 Day Fix I was very comfortable doing the workouts and knew exactly what to expect each day.  And with Hammer and Chisel I'd be going back to the beginning.  I was also unsure if I'd be able to keep up with the program.  Even though I've come a long way in the past five months, I'm still not in great shape yet.  I'd like to improve my cardiovascular endurance and also continue to increase my weights for more muscle tone. 

But, while staying with 21 Day Fix was the easy option, I decided to step outside my comfort zone and start fresh with Hammer and Chisel.  I bit the bullet last week and ordered the program and it arrived on Saturday.  One of the really nice things about being a Beachbody coach is that you get a 25% discount on all products and programs, so I got a great deal and I know it's an investment in my future.

This morning was my first workout, which was called Chisel Balance.  As you can probably tell, it's all about balance and most of the moves are done on one leg at a time.  The nice thing about the workout was that it has the same trainer as 21 Day Fix, Autumn Calabrese, so that part felt familiar at least.  The moves were completely new and they were definitely challenging.  Let's just say that I think I'm going to have a hard time walking for the next few days!

But...I did it!  I made it all the way through without quitting or giving up.  And that was an amazing feeling to know that I made it through 40 minutes of intense exercise and was still standing.  I'm hoping I can take the confidence I felt today and take that with me into each workout, letting it grow with each completed workout until I realize that I really can do anything I set my mind to!

So that's it for tonight!  I'll be posting my Hammer and Chisel progress every week on Monday, including my insights and lessons learned, plus any pounds or inches lost from the week before.

If you have any questions about Hammer and Chisel, please leave them in the comments below or email me at [email protected].  I'd be happy to walk you through the program if you're possibly interested in signing up.

Wow, it feels like this year is going by way too fast, doesn't it?  I can't believe we're a week into March already!  Today I was thinking back on the year and I felt really good about what I've done so far this year. I'd say my biggest accomplishment since January is completing two more rounds of 21 Day Fix.  My third overall round ended almost a week ago, so last week I was in an in-between stage.  

I knew I needed a break from 21 Day Fix, but also wanted to keep up the momentum I had built the week before by doing two workouts a day.  So last week I did a mixture of different workouts and also tried to take an evening walk most nights to watch the sunset.  Overall I was able to get in 250 active minutes from Monday until Friday, which I thought was really good!

For this week I was planning on starting another round of 21 Day Fix, but I decided that I was ready for some variety and for something even more challenging.  So I decided to order the Master's Hammer & Chisel program.  It's been out for a couple of months but I've been too scared to order it.  I knew that it would be a challenging program and for some reason I convinced myself that I wouldn't be able to do it.  But I think the double workouts for the last two weeks really boosted my confidence, because this morning I ordered it and now I'm really excited to get started!

I think another big confidence boost was that last week I hit the milestone of having lost 20 pounds so far!  I had been close for a while, but I had no idea how good it would feel until it actually happened.  I am so proud of myself for making such a huge change in my life and in my health.  I have a doctor appointment next week, so I'm excited for my doctor to see how much has changed since I saw him last October.  It will be great to see how my overall health has changed now that there's less strain on my body from all that extra weight.  

I still have a long ways to go until I hit my goal weight, but I am confident that I can keep up the good work and see more and more milestones completed as I get closer to my goal weight.  

So that's a quick overview of where I've been and where I'm going.  Next Monday I'll have my initial impressions of Hammer & Chisel that I will share with you.  Until then I hope to keep writing some other posts.  If you have any requests, feel free to share in the comments below.

And as always, if you like this post please share it with anyone who might also enjoy it. Also, if you'd like to see more of my life you can follow me on Instagram @besidebeth

Lately I've been spending a few minutes every day doing some free writing.  For me it's a great way to get thoughts out of my head and organized them on a page.  Today I sat down and wrote something that I immediately knew I wanted to share on my blog.  It's about body issues, which is something that I think a lot of people can relate to and maybe even learn from, so I decided that I would share it here.  I hope it's something that is helpful to anyone else who has issues or has had issues with their body.

Today I did a really challenging workout.  I felt like quitting and I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but I did finish it.  You’d think that I’d be super proud of myself for pushing myself and making it happen, but just now even when I was looking in the mirror I was thinking to myself, “It’s not enough”.  Basically, I was telling myself that even though I’ve been working out twice a day for pretty much the last week and a half, I still don’t think it’s good enough.  And the main reason is because I haven’t seen a huge change in my body.  I’m literally letting how I look on the outside determine how I feel on the inside.  

And then I realized...I’ve got it all backward.  Instead of worrying about the changes I’m seeing (or not seeing) on the outside, I should be focusing on how I’m changing on the inside.  First of all, how I feel is something that I can control, while how I look on the outside is not something I can control (as much as I'd like to).  Also, I’d like to think that the changes on the inside count even more than ones on the outside.

What I realized today is that I’m literally a different person than I used to be.  I never would have thought six months ago that I’d be working out twice a day and be following a 7 day slimdown from Tone It Up without any major slip-ups or without quitting.  Six months ago I had given up on my body and given up on myself.  Now I am proving day after day that I believe in myself.  I’m showing up and taking charge of my life, which is something that wasn’t happening even a couple of months ago.  

​I’ve also changed how I think.  I won’t say that I’m one of those people who necessarily looks forward to their workout, but I am getting closer to being that person every day.  I don’t dread my workout anymore and I definitely don’t make excuses to try and get out of it.  Working out is something that I know I need to do in order to be a happier, healthier version of myself, so I’m willing to do it in order to make my life better.

So instead of getting down on myself for not seeing huge improvements on the outside, I’m going to focus on what I can control, which is how I feel on the inside.  I am going to remind myself that every time I workout I am proving to myself that I deserve to be happy and healthy.  ​

And that's exactly what I wrote in my free writing today.  It's not easy to admit that I am still so critical of myself even when I'm working so hard to get healthier, but at the same time I know that I'm not the only one who has had these thoughts, so I wanted to share them in case even one person out there can relate and hopefully know they're not alone.

If you would like to start your own health & fitness journey and would like to work with me (a real, genuine person, just like you) then please comment below or email me at [email protected].  I'd love to work with you!!

​Today I'm starting my third week of my third round of 21 Day Fix.  An optional part of this week is to do double workouts, so that would be days 15 through 21. Even though this is my third round of 21 Day Fix, I wasn't quite ready to take on double workouts in my first two rounds.  But this time, I've decided to push myself and make the commitment to do two workouts a day for every day this week!  

I know that working out 14 times in one week is not going to be easy, but at the same time I'm actually excited for this challenge to see how hard I can push myself.  I'm ready to step outside of my comfort zone and make this happen.  

So today, for example, I did a 30 minute full-body workout that includes a mixture of cardio and strength training.  I've been doing this routine weekly ever since I started 21 Day Fix and it's still tough to get through.  I'm always red-faced and drenched in sweat by the time I get it done.  But I'm always proud of myself for starting another week on a strong note, so that feels good.

Then later today I'll be doing an ab workout.  It should take about 20 minutes, so all together I'll have worked out for about 50 minutes today.  That's not even very extreme, but the tough part is that they want you to do the workouts at different times so that you're getting your metabolism revved up twice in a day.  It's actually really smart and it's supposed to help get you even better results.

Speaking of results, I weighed myself this morning and have lost 18.2 pounds so far.  Just last week I lost 2.2 pounds, which puts me right on track to hit my goal weight before my cruise at the end of April.  All I need to do is keep up the hard work and I should be looking and feeling pretty darn good by the time I go on my trip.  I can't wait!

Another exciting thing happening this week is that my team is hosting a coaching sneak peak event on Facebook, so if you've ever wondered what I do as a Beachbody coach, now is a great time to jump in and learn what it's all about.

And, on top of everything else, I announced today that there will be an accountability group starting on March 7.  This group is a great way to give yourself a kickstart and really dive into a program.  The last day to sign up is next Monday, so don't delay if this is something you're interested in.

Okay, so I just dumped a lot of information on you at once.  So if you're interested in the coaching sneak peak or in joining the accountability group, either comment below or email me at [email protected].  And don't forget to bookmark this blog if you like it and share it with any friends who might also enjoy reading it!

If you’ve been reading the last four posts about the coaching sneak peak, then you’ve already learned a lot about being a Beachbody coach.  Now you know what a coach is and what a day typically looks like for a coach.  I have also answered some frequently asked questions and told you my story about how being a coach has changed my life.

So now it’s time for you to think about whether or not you think this is an opportunity you’d like to take.  Maybe you’ve been thinking about this over the last few days as my posts have been published.  Or maybe you are just now considering this as an option.  Either way, just remember that coaching is about living a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life.  It doesn’t matter what your goals are (physical, financial, etc), the end result is helping other people change their lives.

I’d like to share something from the head coaches of my team.  This is a list they published that explains who would make a great coach.

So, as a recap of what we would consider an "IDEAL COACH":

• Knows DEEP DOWN they were made for MORE than they are currently doing with their life.
• Wants to provide for themselves and not have to rely on anyone else to support them, but also feels a calling to give back and help others!
• Wants to live life BY DESIGN: Traveling, meeting new people, giving back! The idea of working WHEN they want, with WHOM they want, WHERE they want, and doing WHAT they WANT almost sounds too good to be true, but gosh, if it was a possibility, they would be ALL over it!
• COACHABLE and willing to spend a year making short-term sacrifices if it meant spending the rest of their life enjoying long-term SUCCESS!

​At this point I’ve given you an overview of what it looks like to be a coach and how it could affect your life.  Now it’s up to you to decide whether you’re ready.  Some coaches just know that this is what they are supposed to do.  And some coaches are still hesitant but know that they need to at least try this out to decide if it’s the right path for them.  You might just need to take the opportunity and invest in growing yourself.  Remember, we all start small and out of our comfort zone.  This is about deciding that you want more out of life so you can live your best life possible.  

Here are some options for you:

• 1) You’ve got my attention, but I still need more information.  Can you send me some more resources so I can look into this before going any further?
• 2) I’m intrigued by this opportunity, but I definitely have some questions I need to talk about with you.  Can we talk through email or have a call to discuss?
• 3) I’m in, sign me up!!

Leave a comment below or email me at [email protected] and I will help you figure out what to do next!

One of the most amazing parts of being a Beachbody coach is the community you are a part of.  Not only are you a part of the team you signed up with, you will also have the chance to build your own team of coaches.  The team I’m a part of is called Inspire Joy.  Isn’t that an awesome name?  This is a group of women who are all so inspiring and encouraging to anyone who joins them.  You really will feel like you’re part of a family.  They will help you through your rough patches and celebrate your successes.  It’s truly an amazing experience!

So now the next step is as simple as deciding that you don’t want to let this opportunity pass you by!  The possibilities are truly endless, all you need to do is figure out what will make you happier & healthier and then make it happen. ​