Motivation Monday: New Month, New Week, New You! + Insanity MAX 30 Launch!

Today is a great day! It's the start of a new week and the start of a new month!  It's the perfect opportunity to start something new, change a habit, or make some new goals!

For me, I reset my internal clock and forced myself to get up early, despite going to bed later than I had planned last night.  This month, I will get up and get my workouts in, every morning, so that I am set up for success the rest of the day.  It was Day 1 of my current 21-Day Fitness Challenge Group.  I have a great group of ladies that I am working with this round that are just as excited as I am to change their habits and their bodies.  Working with challenge groups is probably the most rewarding part of my job as a Beachbody Coach.  I get to work directly with motivated individuals to help them better their lives through fitness, which in turn, improves more than just their health and bodies, it helps their confidence, self-image, and self-worth.  Just thinking about it makes me smile!

I also took some time today to make some new goals for my business.  I really excited about these new goals and where my business will be when I achieve them!  When I formulate my goals, I write them as if I have already achieved them.  Do you ever use that trick?  Using positive, forward thinking helps you in your day to day motivation.  It allows you to more easily see what it will look like when your goals are achieved.   Don't ever say "if I achieve..." always say "when I achieve..." or "I will be...".  Also in writing our your goals, make sure they are measurable and give yourself a time limit.  If you are working on a deadline, you're less likely to procrastinate. Here are my two goals for December:

By December 31st, I will have:
     (1) achieved the rank of emerald coach (meaning I have expanded my team of coaches)
     (2) earned Success Club 5 (expanded my client base)

You might not understand what each of those goals means unless you are also a Beachbody Coach, but you can see the language and format I used.  Now, the day's not over, take a moment and make some goals for this month!

With a new month, comes a new free 30-day Fitness Challenge in my Facebook Group, Achieving a Fitter Life with Heather Hope!  This month we are doing a Push-Up Challenge.  Like I mentioned above, this is a completely free group.  If you want to join us, shoot me a message or join our Facebook Group and I will add you to our challenge!

Now, I've saved the best for last!  Where are all my Insanity peeps and Shawn T lovers at? Shawn T's newest fitness program, Insanity MAX 30 is launching TOMORROW!  I have a couple of friends who were part of the coach test group for this program, and let me tell you, it is off the hook!  The workouts are hardcore and so are the results!  It's only available to coaches and their customers tomorrow, and will become available for the general public next week, so if you want to get your hands on this program first, I can help you do that!  Message me or email me for details and pricing on this amazing new program! 

Motivation Monday and the Beachbody Holiday Sale!

Happy Monday everyone!  I feel like Mondays have kind of a bad reputation.  Even now that I am a stay at home mom, Mondays are the hardest day of the week.  For me, I think this is because I fall out of my routine on the weekend.  I get up later, I don't workout in the morning, we might go out to eat one meal, and I stay up way too late on Sunday night trying to get things done that I had put off all weekend.  If I had to point to one behavior that has the most significant impact on my Mondays, it would be staying up too late on Sundays.  By staying up late Sunday night, you are potentially putting your whole week in jeopardy.  I say this because I firmly believe that what you do on Monday sets the tone for the rest of the week.  Regarding your workouts, never miss a Monday.  If you do, you are more likely to miss other workouts during the week. It's easy to say "well I already messed up once this week, I can try again next week".  Don't say that!  Don't let your one missed workout be the start of a trend. Tuesday is a new day, treat it like one.  

After staying up way too late last night (Sunday night) and not getting up early enough to get my workout in right away, I have decided that last night was the last time I will do that to myself.  It will be the last time I self-sabotage my Monday morning.  I will give a progress update next week and let you all know if it makes a difference in my Monday.

Now on to something exciting....

The Beachbody Holiday Sale!

Coaches were given a preview of the holiday sale that goes live tomorrow night, and let me tell you, there are some crazy good deals on programs, equipment, and apparel.  Check out the graphic below:

I've got my eye on Les Mills Pump and Combat.  Will probably also get a Jump Mat and some clothes.  These deals will go live tomorrow night (Tuesday Nov 25th) at 8pm EST.  Based on past year's holiday sales, there is a good chance that most of these items will sell out in the first couple hours of the sale, so if you see something you want, make sure to log on as close to 8pm as you can.  

Here is the link to the sale:

https://www.TeamBeachbody.com/Shop/HolidaySpecials?referringRepId=499028

Happy shopping!

   

Motivation Monday and the Final Day of 21 Day Fix

Motivation Monday

A mantra can be a powerful motivational tool.  I developed my own personal mantra when I was training for my first marathon.  I used it whenever I was feeling weak, or needed an extra push.  This came in handy during my long runs and especially during the marathon itself in the final miles.  My mantra: "you are strong, you are motivated, you will do this".  I found this little motivational gem while I was surfing Pinterest this morning:

I find this picture so inspiring!  I hope you do as well.  Take some time in the near future to develop your own mantra.  It doesn't have to be long, eloquent, or even grammatically correct.  It just needs to work for you.  It should be something that lights a fire inside you and helps you push past the wall or whatever is stopping you.  Find your mantra and use it whenever you need to dig deep and find that extra push!


21 Day Fix Progress:

I have officially completed my first round of the 21 Day Fix!  I didn't have a chance to take after pictures today, but it's on my to do list for tomorrow, so be on the look out for my official results!  For the last 3 days of the program, I decided to do the quick fix eating plan.  It is a much stricter plan than the normal fix plan, and is supposed to give you even more drastic results.  I'm going to be completely honest and share with y'all and that the quick fix did not work for me.  Part of why I am a Beachbody Coach is because I believe in the products. I have experienced great success and have helped others get fantastic results using the programs and nutritionals Beachbody offers. I speak very highly of these programs and products because they work, but I am also very open and honest about every aspect of these programs, so if something didn't work for me, I'll share that too.  

The first two and a half weeks of the 21 Day Fix worked great. I was blown away with the results I was getting.  They were as good or better than I had ever seen with other programs I have completed.  Whether it was on the scale, or in the measuring tape, I saw results every single day.  This is great motivation to keep going, so if motivation or consistency has been an issue for you in the past, I highly recommend the 21 Day Fix program.  I firmly believe that I would have continued to see the same level of progress the last three days of the program if I had continued with the normal eating plan.  

I think where I went wrong, was my calorie intake during the quick fix.  I followed the plan as written, but I think for my body, the number of calories I consumed for those three days was just too low.  I didn't gain weight or lose weight at all the last three days of the plan and I felt fatigued and bloated.  My body is exceptionally good at adapting to the situations I put it in.  Seriously, in the event of an apocalyptic disaster, I really think I would be one of the last people standing. I gain muscle quickly when I lift, my flexibility improves right away when I start stretching, and unfortunately, I plateau often when trying to lose weight, so I am constantly changing up my routine and calorie cycling to try to prevent/break those plateaus. I also can go in and out of starvation mode at the drop of a hat, and I totally know when that happens because of how my body feels.  This felt like one of those times.  Now that I know how my body responds to this program, I am eager to do another round and see how much better my results can be in another 21 days.  I had a "cheat meal" for my dinner tonight, and will begin with the plan again starting tomorrow. I'm only 9 pounds away from my pre-preggo weight.  My goal is to get there in one more round of 21 Day Fix.

I do believe the 21 Day Fix is a great program for people of all fitness levels, whether you are just starting out, or this is you second, third, or even fourth program.  The eating plan is solid in its foundation, easy to follow, and flexible.  The workouts are short, only 30 minutes, and very easy to modify up or down to give you the challenge you need to see results.  I will continue to promote this plan and recommend it to those I coach. In fact, I will be starting another 21 Day Fix Challenge Group starting December 1st.  Perfect timing to slim down before the holidays so you can show off your awesome new body to your family and friends. 

21 Day Fix Challenge Pack

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Days 14-15 of the 21 Day Fix and Week 2 Results

Enjoyed a lazy weekend this past weekend.  Our agility training class was moved to a later time for the winter, so we can now sleep in both days of the weekend.  I'm kind of torn about this.  I get into a routine during the week where I get up early and workout before my daughter wakes up, and I know it would be easier to keep that routine if I didn't sleep in on the weekends, but I'm a girl who really enjoys her sleep.  My husband does too, and he is who makes sure I get up in the mornings on the weekdays. You could call him my accountabili-buddy when it comes to dragging my butt out of bed.  On weekends though, he likes to sleep in even later than I ever would, which makes it really hard to get myself up early enough to get a workout in. I know that consistency is key, and its just a matter of finding the motivation to get myself up, no excuses. 

My eating plan was on point all weekend.  We didn't eat out for the first weekend in I can't even remember how long.  I only got one workout in on Sunday, PiYo Sculpt.  Today, I did get both workouts in, PiYo Drench and 21 Day Fix Cardio Fix.  I am officially done with this round of PiYo!  I will share a review of this program as well as my results from the 8 weeks in my next blog post.  It feels great to see myself through a program from start to finish.  Now my focus is just on 21 Day fix. I will have to do some double days to get caught up on my 21 Day Fix workouts, but I should be able to do that no problem now that I do not have to split my focus on two different programs. 

Yesterday marked the end of week 2 on the 21 Day Fix.  Today I weighed in and took measurements.  I am happy to report that I am another 2.8 pounds down and I have lost an additional 3 inches, bring my 2 week total to 5.6 pounds and 8 inches.  One more week to go!

On Mondays, we have out weekly Bombshell Dynasty Team Call with my fellow Beachbody coaches.  Today the topic was how not to lead with your emotions.  It was a great call, and I left it inspired to put even more of myself into helping others through my coaching business. Beachbody is such a great company to work for, and my team has some of the most successful, supportive, helpful, and kind coaches in the business.  It is from this call that I got the Motivation Monday gem I'm going to share today. Here it is:

How would you approach your life differently if there was no chance of failure?

  

Monday Motivation, 21 Day Fix Day 7/8, and Results of the First Week

Motivation Monday

I just got off a team call with my Beachbody team and I am feeling inspired.  The call was about going from selfish to selfless in this business.  I did not become a Beachbody Coach for the money, though I knew the potential was there.  I became a Beachbody Coach to help others experience and achieve success with their health and fitness goals.  Here is one of many little nuggets of inspiration I took away from our team call:

I feel absolutely blessed to have the opportunity to combine my love of fitness with my desire to help others achieve their goals, all while being about to be at home with my daughter.  Team Beachbody is a fantastic business to work for.  They provide all the tools you need to be an effective coach.  I am lucky to be a part of the top team in our organization and have found a wealth of knowledge and support from my fellow coaches.  I could keep going about all the awesome perks of being a coach with Beachbody, there are so many, but I will leave it this.  If becoming a Beachbody Coach sounds like something you might be interested in doing, or you just want to get more information, leave a comment or message me on facebook -----> here.

Days 7 & 8 of the 21 Day Fix

Yesterday, was another busy day. We started out going to dog agility training as a family because we wanted to take advantage of the amazing weather we are having here in NC.  My daughter got to run around and get her wiggles out, while my husband worked the pup.  Afterwards we came home and enjoyed a relaxing Sunday of family and football.  I was craving red meat all day, so I indulged and had a lean burger for lunch and steak for dinner.  I stayed within my proper portion sizes, but the food was so dense, that it left me feeling too full. Blech.  I did save a yellow (carb) serving so I could have a small treat.

Meal Plan:

• Breakfast: hashbrowns and an egg (1y,1r,1tsp)
• Lunch: Cheese burger and salad (1r,1b,1y,3g,1o,1tsp)
• Snack: Grapes (2p)
• Dinner: Steak and green beans (2r,1g,1tsp)
• Snack: Apple (1p)
• Dessert: Dark chocolate (1y)

Today started out late for a normal weekday.  My husband is on call for work, so he was up nearly all night working, and I don't sleep well alone anymore, so neither of us got restful sleep.  Couldn't workout in the morning, but I did get in my Total Body Cardio Fix this evening.  I'm taking a rest day from PiYo simply because I didn't have enough time today to get it in, and I'd rather get an extra hour of sleep than squeeze in another workout.  I will be back at it tomorrow.  This is my last week of PiYo!  

Meal Plan:

• Breakfast: Hashbrowns and an egg (1y,1r,1tsp)
• Snack: Apple (1p)
• Lunch: Cheese burger and salad (2r,1b,1y,3g,1o,1tsp)
• Snack: Grapes (2p)
• Dinner: Steak and green beans (1r,1g,1tsp)
• Snack: Peanutbutter and dark chocolate (1tsp, 1y)

21 Day Fix Week 1 Results

I am super excited to share that in my first week of the 21 Day Fix, I have lost 3 pounds and 5 inches!  I couldn't be happier with my results so far, and I can't wait to see how much more I can lose in the next 2 weeks!  If you would like to join my next challenge group, message me on facebook ------> here.

If you are looking for more fitness tips and tricks or healthy recipes, I post both daily on my health and fitness Facebook group. I also run free challenge groups each month in addition to 30 and 60 day Beachbody challenge groups.  Join us!  We are up to over 300 members!  Click this link ------> Achieving a Fitter Life with Heather Hope

Motivation Monday and Day 1 of the 21 Day Fix

Hey y'all!  Let me start with today's Motivation Monday pic. Better late than never, right?

This quote really hit home for me.  When I was overweight, I thought everything would be so much easier once I was fit.  Getting there required more focus and discipline than I had ever put into anything else.  Little did I know, once I reached my goals, I would have to work nearly as hard to keep me there. Now, I'm not saying that you can never slip up or have a cheat day, I most certainly did, but I had to dig deep to bounce back from my mistakes that I had along the way.  This journey is not an easy one, but, having been there once before, I can say without any doubt, the results are worth the effort you are putting in.

Today was my first day of a new program, 21 Day Fix. This is a Beachbody program that incorporates healthy eating using color coded containers to guide your portion sizing with an exercise program that consists of 30 minute workouts, 7 days a week.

  

The coolest part of this program, is that I am participating in my first Facebook Challenge Group. Challenge groups are a great way to stay accountable and provide a place where we can connect with others who are going through the same journey we are.  The challenge groups are free to join once you have the program your group will be using, so you can join for as many rounds of your program as you would like to do, without any additional cost.  Once I have participated in this challenge group, I will be coaching my own groups once a month using the 21 Day Fix Program.  I will also coach challenge groups periodically that utilize the other Beachbody Programs like P90X3, T25, and PiYo.  I can't wait!

Day 1 of 21 Day Fix went as follows:

First, I started my morning with PiYo Sweat before my toddler woke up.  I'm currently in week 7 of 8 of the PiYo Program.  I normally wouldn't overlap programs, but I wanted to get a jump start on my first challenge group, so I could start helping others in my own hosted groups.   I am loving my PiYo workouts.  This program incorporates the fundamentals of both Pilates and Yoga in a fast-flow, low impact workout.  My flexibility has improved tremendously since starting this program, and my body is definitely changing, but more on that once I finish the program and post my before/after photo and results.

After my first workout, I ate breakfast, got my daughter up, and fed her breakfast  We played and ate lunch before her nap. Once she was down, I did my Fix Workout.  Today was Total Body Cardio Fix.  Wow was that a workout!  It totally kicked my butt, and I am feeling it everywhere tonight.  After workout #2, I had a snack. My daughter woke up a short time late and we played until my husband came home. Then was dinner and bed time for the babe and time to focus on my coaching.  We had a fantastic team call tonight on blogging.  I learned a bunch and plan to incorporate much of what we talked about into this blog in the coming weeks.  

Meal Plan Day 1:  I am on the 1500-1799 calorie eating plan

• Breakfast: Cereal and 1/2 cup 1% milk -- (2 1/2y)
• Snack: Yogurt (made w/2% milk) -- (1r)
• Lunch: Leftover tortellini and green beans -- (1r,1/2y,1b,1g,1tsp)
• Snack: Apple -- (2p)
• Dinner: Large Salad w/dressing and 2 scrambled eggs -- (3g,1o,2r,1tsp)
• Snack: Grapes -- (1p)

I was a little hungry after my second workout, but after drinking some water, I felt better.  This is totally a doable plan.  I love the flexibility, and spreading out the food throughout the day kept my energy levels up despite doing double workouts.  I could get used to this!

Motivation Monday

Here is today's Motivation Monday food for thought:

How many of you are so fed up with your body or your health that you know that somehow, someway, you need to make a change but haven't acted on that feeling? Is it because you don't know where to start? 

Believe it or not, you've actually already started.  The very first step, and, in my opinion, the most crucial step is making the decision that something has to change.  Everything else that comes after this step is actually easy in comparison to that first decision you made.  It is so easy to just go with the flow and maintain status quo, even if it is making you unhappy.  Admitting to yourself that your current state is just not working is difficult. You are in essence giving yourself a reality check, and that is sometimes a difficult pill to swallow.  

Now that you have decided you are not willing to stay where you are, it's time to figure out where you want to go.  Imagine what your ideal life would look like.  Pick one aspect of that ideal life and make a long-term goal. Then break that goal into smaller, short term goals or steps that will take you there.  Don't be afraid to ask someone for help. Everyone is on a journey of their own, even the people who look like they have everything together. They just happen to be at a different point in their journey then you.  

So what are you waiting for? Pick a direction. Make a plan. Let's do this!

www.beachbodycoach.com/heatherhope