My first class is a week from Monday, so I'll spend some time before then writing about how I decided to take the class and also cover what I expect to get out of it.  

But for today, we're talking about something else.  I was listening to a podcast yesterday by Connie Chapman.  Her podcast is called Awaken Radio, and in case you haven't heard of it she covers topics like happiness, confidence, self-love, and spirituality.  I would highly recommend checking it out if you are into personal development.  The episode I listened to was about "Bringing Your Big Dreams To Life".  I had some ideas and I took some notes while I was listening, so here they are...

In order to make big changes in your life, you need to figure out where to start.  Sometimes this can be so overwhelming that we quit right there and don't go any further.  But generally this can make us feel like we have unresolved issues or like there's something missing.  So instead of giving up, I'd like to walk you through how I personally make big changes in my life.

First, you need to put some thought into who you want to be and what that feels like. You might want to ask yourself what kind of energy you want to feel throughout the day.  An easy way to do this is to simply pick a word. It can be any word that makes you feel good and embodies the person you ultimately want to be.  For this example, we'll use the word Confidence.  It clearly explains who I want to be and I already have an idea of what Confidence feels like.

And then the next step is even easier - you simply need to do it.  Which sounds stupidly simple and kind of ridiculous.  But honestly, give it a try for a day and see how it feels.  For example, if you spend a few minutes when you first wake up thinking about Confidence, it's going to plant a seed in your brain that will stay there all day.  And every time you remember to think about your word and and how it makes you feel, you'll be watering your plant and it will grow.  It's a cheesy analogy, I know, but work with me here...

A lot of times we tend to build up in our heads what it would take to make a change or to start living the life we want to live. We tell ourselves "If I lose weight, then I will be confident". Or "if I find my soulmate, then I will be happy". But what if we are putting the cart before the horse? Isn't it possible that in order to fall in love or in order to lose weight we need to be confident and happy first? And what are confidence and happiness?  They are feelings!

What if the answer is to simply feel our way towards living the life we want to live? Honestly, our feelings are one of the only things that we actually have any control over. We can't control the economy, or traffic, or what other people do. Those are all external things. But we can control how we feel each and every day. And it takes a lot of work to be conscious of how you are feeling throughout the day, but once you become aware of your feelings it's easier to navigate and get back on track once you realize you are headed down the road you don't want to go down.

Here are some ways to get in tune with your feelings:

• Meditation
• Journaling or free writing
• Going for a quiet walk

​These may seem froufrou or too "spiritual", but in reality they are just ways to quiet your mind and listen to what you are feeling.  And that's really what matters.  

So in summary, pick a feeling, make a mental decision to embody that feeling for the whole day, and occasionally stop what you are doing and listen to how you are feeling throughout the day.  Easy enough, right?

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, then you have seen me go through a number of, for lack of a better word, "phases".  And for those of you who are reading this blog for the first time, you will have no idea what I'm talking about.  But either way, I'm glad you are here and I am about to share some big stuff.  And there's a takeaway for everyone at the end, so there's a reason for you to keep reading.

Among the recipes, reading lists, and trip reports on this blog I have also shared some big life updates.  Sometimes those updates are in posts called "Life Update" and other times they are simply mentioned within whatever I'm writing about at the time.  These updates, or phases as I referred to them earlier, have spanned the last three years since I started this blog.  I feel like I've been pretty open on here about my life, mostly because I want to share as much as I can with you.  

A lot has happened in the past three years and I feel like I have changed significantly as a person.  At one time I made the announcement that I was planning on moving to San Diego and then a few months later I explained that I had changed my mind.  And then not long after that I announced I had become a Beachbody coach, only to write a post six months later telling you why I had decided to stop coaching.

Some people may look at these changes and say that I don't know how to make up my own mind.  Others may put a positive spin on it and look at is as me constantly moving forward (thank you, Marisa).  I simply think of it as being human.

Yes, I have had phases where I say I want to do something and then come back a few months later explaining that I have changed my mind.  And yes, these have been pretty big life events.  But what I've learned from all this back and forth is that it's important to listen to your intuition and pay attention to what you're feeling.  I could have gone through with moving to San Diego and it could have been amazing.  But before moving I realized that I was making that decision for the wrong reason and I am very happy that I stayed in Denver.  

So...all of this writing has been leading up to another big life update.  I have decided to become a life coach!  It's still scary to say that out loud, but at the same time it's also exciting.  I have been thinking about life coaching for at least a year, even before becoming a Beachbody coach.  And looking back I think that might be why Beachbody wasn't a good fit for me, because I was hoping to be a coach who helped women with every aspect of their lives and not focus mainly on their health and fitness.  

To me, being a life coach will be my chance to help other women decide what they want their lives to look like and then work with them to make those dreams come true.  I want to help women set life-changing goals that will get them closer to living the life they've always imagined.  Being a coach will be my chance to use and share some of the tools I have found on my own journey and then help other women apply those tools to their lives.  

The first step in my new adventure will be taking a course in life coaching.  I did research and found an amazing place called Beautiful You Coaching Academy that offers a six-month course in life coaching.  Their next course starts in October and is currently sold out.  Thankfully, a spot opened up and I was able to sign up for classes starting in just two months!  I know that it will be a big commitment, both financially and with my time, but this is something that I am really excited to do and I can't wait to share my progress once I start.

But enough about me.  I've talked your ear off and now it's time to shift our focus!  I would like to give you a chance to look at your own life and do a quick evaluation on where things are.  

Here's a quick exercise you can follow in order to start thinking about if your life is headed in a direction you would like it to go:

1. What is one thing you would like to do with your life?  It can be anything, big or small.  Just ask yourself, at the end of your life what is something you will wish you had done or would regret if you haven't done it?
2. How does this line up with your current life priorities?  Do you feel like you have time to do this now?  Or are you putting it off until a later time?  Do you think you're making any excuses in order to put this off?  Be honest with yourself!  If this is something you want to do, why aren't you already doing it?
3. Are you telling yourself that you will do this when X, Y, or Z happens?  For example, if you've always wanted to take dance lessons are you telling yourself that you will only be able to do that when you have a partner or if you have lost some weight?
4. How is the fear of failure playing into your decision on whether or not to do this thing?  If you knew for a fact that you would not fail, would you be more likely to do it?

These are all tough questions, so take your time and try to be honest with yourself.  You don't even have to know all the answers right now.  By reading through this list it will put the questions in the back of your mind.  Just listen to your thoughts for the next few days and see if you find your answers when you least expect to.

My reason for asking these questions is to give you a chance to step outside your comfort zone, much like I am doing by becoming a life coach.  It's easy to tell yourself you'll "do it someday" or to convince yourself that you'll end up failing, but my advice is not to wait for life to be "perfect" before you decide to do something.  Like Thoreau says, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the live you've imagined."

I truly hope this has been an interesting post and I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.  

​Please share your insights and ideas in the comments section below or shoot me an email at [email protected] if you would like to discuss this topic further.

Everyone has moments in their life when they want to quit.  Usually it's because they're unhappy with their situation.  But sometimes it can be more than that.  Maybe they are afraid of failure and it seems easier to not try in the first place rather than face the possibility of trying and failing at something.  There's a chance that they have failed at so many things in their life, both big and small, that the idea of failing one more time is just too much to handle.  Does that sound familiar?

Here's a real example from my own life.  The story is a bit long, but I think it holds a lesson we can all learn from.  So keep reading until the end and hopefully you will be able to apply this to your own life.

​You might not know this about me, but I tend to be an "all or nothing" type of person.  Typically I see things in either black or white.  Either I'm in or I'm out.  Either I like something or I don't like it.  I rarely see things in shades of gray.  So when it comes to my life I tend to be pretty decisive and can easily make decisions to figure out what I want to do.  

The one exception to this seems to be my Beachbody business.  I signed up as a coach three months ago and at first I was "all-in".  I would stay up late watching YouTube videos on how to run a successful network marketing business and I would write page after page of notes on how to improve my social media presence.  

Slowly something changed.  I started to spend less time on my business and wasn't quite as eager to run through my daily list of tasks. It was frustrating because I could remember how exciting this was in the beginning.  How could I go from loving something so much to feeling like it was weighing me down, all in such a short period of time?

Thankfully it didn't take me long to figure out what was going on.  As a result of being a coach I had been spending time every day working on personal development.  I soon realized that I was letting the fear of failure weigh me down.  I was terrified that I would fully commit to my Beachbody business and eventually fail majorly, so I was holding myself back from going "all-in".  Essentially, I was half-assing my way through every day.

I was afraid to quit because I knew I would always wonder what could have happened if I had stuck to it.  And I was afraid to keep going because I didn't want to fail at something that I truly cared about.  So I was stuck in the middle, wondering when I would be able to make the decision on which way I was going to move forward.

That moment happened yesterday.  I received some discouraging news about my business and it seemed like it was a sign that I should just give up.  It was the perfect excuse to quit while I was ahead and resign myself to the fact that this wasn't going to work.  My head was telling me that this was the moment when I needed to walk away from my business.

But something strange happened.  I was feeling conflicted even thought I had been given  the perfect excuse to quit.  Although my head was telling me to give up, my heart was telling me that I needed to keep going.  I spent some time listening to the war going on between my head and my heart, not knowing which side was going to win.

And then it hit me.  I knew without a doubt that I was going to stick to my business and not give up.  Despite the fact that I felt terrified to officially go "all-in", it also felt amazing to finally know that I had overcome my hesitation and would be giving myself the chance to do something I knew I wanted to do.

Now that I've had this epiphany, I feel more confident than ever in my future.  It's ironic, actually, that a piece of bad news could somehow convince me to become more dedicated to something instead of making me run away from it.

So you might be asking yourself "how does this relate to me and my life"?

I think anyone can learn a lesson from this story.  We are all faced with tough decisions in our lives.  It's usually tempting to take the easy road and quit.  But I'm here to tell you that everything truly happens for a reason.  And if you feel like quitting something just because you might fail at it, there's a good chance that it's something that really matters to you.  

Why else would you be so afraid of failing?  I think it's because you care about the outcome and you're afraid to see what could happen.  It may seem scary to go "all-in" or fully commit to something.  If you find yourself in this situation, simply ask yourself how you would feel looking back on this moment knowing that you could have done something that truly mattered to you if only you hadn't given up too soon.

Amazing things can happen when we step outside of our comfort zone.  So I am challenging you to do something that scares you.  I think you'll be surprised at how good it feels!

I hope this post was helpful and you learned something from it!  Don't forget to bookmark a link to this blog and also share this post with a friend who could use some help stepping out of their comfort zone.  

Leave a comment below or shoot me an email at [email protected] if you would like to discuss what you've got going on in your life.

Today is the beginning of my second week doing my second round of the 21 Day Fix, otherwise known as "week 7".  I've officially been doing the 21 day Facebook challenge group for a week now and it's really going well.  Each morning we get a post about something motivational or informative and each night we check in and rate our nutrition and workout for the day.  It's been a great way to stay motivated, especially knowing that I'll be checking in later that day to report how my day went.

Today is also the first day of the clean eating challenge I'm running on Facebook.  There are 7 of us total in the group and it feels like a good number of people.  Not too many where it's overwhelming but just enough to keep the posts interesting and give people a chance to interact with each other and motivate each other.  I will be running a free group every month and they won't always be clean eating groups.  I'll be switching it up and making them different each month so that there's always something new for the people who have done one before.

As far as my own personal progress goes, I feel like I'm still noticing a big difference in how I look and feel.  I'm not working out 7 days a week like the schedule says, but I am still happy that I am getting a lot more exercise than I was before I started this whole thing.  

I'm also eating SO much better.  It's amazing that I don't actually crave junk food anymore.  The first couple weeks of my first round I indulged on pizza for a Friday night treat, but lately that hasn't even been sounding good to me.  It's nice knowing that I can treat myself if I want to, but also a great feeling to know that it's not something I need to do unless I really want it.

Another bonus is that I'm actually looking forward to getting weighed at the doctor for my annual physical coming up in January.  It will be nice to see the number go down for a change instead of stressing about how much it went up!

I decided to start counting the weeks of my 21 Day Fix transformation instead of days because it was getting too hard to keep track of which day I was on!  So today is the beginning of my 6th week doing the 21 Day Fix.  Instead of doing this round on my own, I have decided to join a challenge group.  I will continue to blog the whole way through this round so that you can follow me and find out what it's like to be a part of this type of group.

Since you might not know what a challenge group is, I wanted to spend some time today explaining their purpose so that you understand what I am doing and how this is affecting my weight loss transformation.  Basically, I am in a group on Facebook where I am working with other people who are also trying to lose weight and get healthy.  The  accountability part comes in because you usually do a daily check-in where you rate your workout and your nutrition for the day.  

To me, the best part about being in a challenge group is that I am not alone in this journey.  It gives me a place to go where I can talk about what I'm going through (good or bad) and get advice, support, and motivation from the other people in the group.  Sounds nice, right?  

It gets even better because the challenge group is totally free as long as you already have a Beachbody fitness program and are on a home direct order of Shakeology.  If you've already invested in these things, you might as well connect with other people who are on the same wavelength as you, right?

In order to give a sneak peak into what a full 21-day challenge group looks like, I am going to be hosting my own free 5-day clean eating group, starting on December 7,  You don't need to have purchased anything from Beachbody to join this group, so let me know in the comments below if you are interested and I will reach out to you so we can talk about your goals.  You can also sign up here: Beside Beth Clean Eating Group.

It has been a while since I updated you on my progress with the 21 Day Fix.  I finished my first round a little over a week ago.  After finishing that first three weeks, I decided to take a small break before starting another round of 21 days.  I knew that with the holiday coming up I would probably not be able to stick to the plan as closely as I would like to, so I will be re-starting again next Monday, November 30.  

In between rounds, I am still continuing to keep up with my workouts and have still been eating as healthy as possible.  I haven't been measuring food in my containers, but I feel like I have a good idea of how much food I should be eating, so I'm sticking to that and only eating when I'm hungry.  

I am excited to start another round next week, especially because I'll be joining an accountability group on Facebook with other people who are also following the same program.  We will be holding each other accountable and helping anyone who needs extra support or motivation.  Overall, it should be a great experience.

Throughout the challenge, I will be blogging to let you know how it's going and how I am feeling.  Like I said in my last post, I won't be weighing myself throughout the next round, but I will post my total weight lost at the end.  Instead of dwelling on a number on the scale, I am hoping to focus on how I feel and how my body is changing as I continue to push it through the workouts and provide it healthy fuel by eating well.

If you have any questions or would like to find out how to sign up for the 21 Day Fix, please feel free to leave a comment below and I will get back to you right away.

This is it...I've officially reached day 21 of the 21 Day Fix!  I'm going to keep this short and sweet, but didn't want to ignore such a momentous day!!

Last time I wrote I had lost 12 pounds.  When I weighed myself this morning that number had changed, so now I have officially lost 11 pounds from my heaviest weight.  After weighing myself I also checked my measurements against where I was 21 days ago.  Overall, I lost 10 inches around my body!!  And 2 of those inches were from my waist!  So I would definitely say that I saw some great results, wouldn't you?

Now you might be asking what the plan is moving forward.  I'm still going to continue with the 21 Day Fix, but I'm going to change up how I've been doing it.  On November 30 I will be joining a challenge group (also known as an accountability group) on Facebook.  This group will help hold me accountable and give me encouragement along the way.  

As I do this challenge group I am going to stop focusing so much on the number on the scale and instead focus on how I'm feeling.  I want to make sure I'm not obsessing over a number and letting that determine my happiness.  Instead, I want to spend time making sure I feel like I've done my best and that I'm proud of the work I've done. I will be blogging the whole way through the challenge so you can hear how it goes.

I hope this all makes sense and that you stick with me during this next phase of the program!

As always, if you have any questions please feel free to ask them in the comments below and I'll do my best to answer them.

I am so excited to tell you guys that I have lost 10 pounds since I started the 21 Day Fix!  I knew that I would see results, but I'm amazed at how much of a difference just two weeks has made!  And don't get me wrong, I have not followed this program perfectly.  There have been days when I didn't work out and days when I didn't eat completely healthy, but overall I've stuck to the plan and it has paid off in a major way!

The other thing I'm excited to tell you about is that I have officially signed up as a Beachbody coach.  I posted my story on Facebook, so click here if you didn't see the post and want to know the backstory.

Although deciding to be a coach wasn't something I had to think about for very long, I knew in my gut that it was the right thing for me to do.  I had a feeling that I would be able to accomplish some great things if I signed up.  My main goal as a coach is to help as many people as possible.

I know what it feels like to think your health is out of control and to feel like you will never get to a healthy weight.  Honestly, I still have those days myself and I know that I have a long journey ahead of me.  But I truly believe that everyone is capable of living the life they've imagined as long as they have the right tools, are willing to push themselves to work hard, and never give up.  That's where I am at in my weight loss journey.  What about you?

If you are ready to take your life into your own hands, then comment below or send me a Facebook message so that we can talk about how I can help you get started on this journey.

Have you ever noticed how slowly time seems to go when you're counting days? Whether you are counting down to something exciting or you are keeping track of how many days you have done something, either way time seems to drag.  Doesn't it?  

I was thinking of this last night because I was getting down on myself for not being able to see results in the mirror from doing the 21 Day Fix.  Then I realized...I've only been doing this for 11 days!  Of course I don't see results yet!!  

​Realistically, anything having to do with weight loss is going to take some time before you can tell a difference in the mirror, no matter how extreme it is.  Here's a quote I found on Pinterest that helps me keep things in perspective:

That seems about right, doesn't it?  So although it feels like I've been eating healthy and working out for a long time, I still haven't hit that 4 week mark where I see it.  I do, however, already feel some changes in my body.  I can tell that my muscles are starting to come back and my flexibility is also getting better every day.

Speaking of results, what I wanted to talk to you about today is something I don't think I've mentioned yet, and that is the part about me drinking Shakeology every day.  I started the same day I began using the containers and have definitely noticed a big difference in my appetite and my cravings.  In case you haven't heard of it, Shakeology is basically a super food meal replacement shake that provides you all of the nutrients you're probably missing from your diet.

I will admit, I was a little skeptical about the taste of Shakeology before I got my package, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good it tastes.  I especially love the chocolate flavor.  It might sound crazy, but I actually look forward to drinking it every day because it tastes so good.  The other nice part is that there are so many different ways to prepare it.  Here are some of my favorites:

• Tropical: strawberry with frozen pineapple and banana
• Mocha: chocolate with chilled coffee
• Pumpkin Pie: vanilla with pumpkin filling
• Peanut Butter Banana: chocolate with frozen banana and peanut butter

And there are so many more options...it's crazy!  You can also order the Shakeology to come in packets, which makes it nice and easy to take with you either to work or when you're traveling.  The 21 Day Fix comes with a shaker bottle (in the picture above), so you can take that with you and add water to any of the flavors for a quick and healthy meal.

So that's my update for halfway through my second week on the 21 Day Fix.  I'll post another update at the 14 day week mark so you can see how I've done after a full two weeks.  As always, if you have any questions please leave them in the comments below and I'll do my best to answer them!

I wanted to check in again now that I've officially completed one full week of the 21 Day Fix.  It might seem like that's all I'm posting about lately because it's honestly a big focus in my life right now.  I have spent way too much of my life being unhappy and unhealthy, so now is the time that I'm dedicating to making a better life for myself.

Hopefully my posts are helpful to you if you're thinking of starting a new fitness program, whether or not it's the 21 Day Fix.  My goal is to show you what someone can accomplish when they set their mind to it so that this can be an inspiration to anyone who doubts their abilities to change their life. 

Today I'd like to focus on the workouts for the program.  They are all 30 minutes long and you do a different one each day of the week.  The materials that come with the program explain that the exercises have been scheduled in a specific way so that they are the most effective in changing your body, so they urge you to follow the schedule instead of choosing randomly based on what you feel like doing each day.

Here is the schedule of workouts and their description:

• Monday - Full Body Cardio Fix (Keep your heart rate up and your metabolism revved high long after the workout is over) 
• Tuesday - Upper Fix (Targeted resistance training helps shape your chest, back, shoulders, arms, and abs)
• Wednesday - Lower Fix (Firm and tone your entire lower body while you blast fat and burn calories)
• Thursday - Pilates Fix (Strengthen your core, elongate your muscles, and firm your hips and thighs)
• Friday - Cardio Fix (Get your heart pumping and your body moving as you melt away the pounds)
• Saturday - Dirty 30 (4 rounds of fat-burning exercises help carve out a leaner, stronger physique)
• Sunday - Yoga Fix (Improve your balance, flexibility, and strength as you help relax your muscles)

You also get 10 Minute Fix for Abs that you can add on at any time.  This can also be used in the third week when you have the option to do double workouts in order to get even greater results.

All together the workouts are challenging, but not to the point where you can't get through them.  Most of them focus on 60 second intervals and as Autumn, the trainer, says, "you can do anything for 60 seconds!"  Personally, I'm so out of shape at the moment that I have to use the modifier on almost all the moves.  I like that they give this option so that the workouts truly are for all fitness levels.  

I made the mistake of not doing the workout on Friday because I had a busy day and didn't think I had time for it.  I also wanted a little break, but ultimately it backfired because then I had a rough weekend and didn't workout on Saturday or Sunday either.  For me, I always re-start on Mondays, so I knew I would be back at it today.  I wish I hadn't missed those three days, but I'm trying not to be too hard on myself and just remember in the future that a one day break could snowball into much more.

I hope this was a helpful glimpse of what workouts you can expect if you do start the 21 Day Fix.  If you're on the program, let me know in the comments which workout is your favorite one!