Why Coaching?

I get it. I know what some people think about Beachbody Coaches. I've seen the eye rolls. Heard the remarks: "How can you coach someone if you aren't at your goal weight yet?" "You don't know anything about fitness." "Is it a get-rich quick scheme?" "Coaches are too in-your-face with shilling the Beachbody stuff."

I get it. If you don't know a lot about it, or haven't had your own coach, then you may jump to certain conclusions.

Deciding to become a Beachbody Coach was an emotionally-driven, very personal decision for me. As many of you know, I started Focus T25 in March 2014, just a few weeks after implementing clean eating into my daily diet. It was one of the hardest things I've done, and I am being so seriously honest with you when I say that. But I pushed through the entire program and saw amazing results (12 pounds and 17 inches...gone forever!). I could have seriously cried on the day I finished T25.

I will not ever give myself all the credit for finishing that program; I was lucky enough to find a group on the Team Beachbody message boards who were starting T25 the same day I was, and that's how I met my Coach, Julia. Finding that group of people is what gave me the push to finish T25. When I was done, I approached Julia about coaching and how I could help others find the same rush that I felt because I was actively reaching goals and crushing past them. And so I became a Coach myself.

But why, really?

I want to help people get results. I know how it feels, especially as a mom, when the gym seems like it's impossible to get to and food is for convenience. I want to help them realize that they don't need to even leave their homes (!!!) and that food fuels us. What we put in, we get out.

I want to help people see the results I've seen. 32 pounds lost in less than a year. Some people lose faster than me, some people lose slower than me, and I know that my journey is not a one-size-fits-all story. But I know that if you put in the work and make some changes, you. will. see. results.

Challenge groups. I love challenge groups! I love my free groups, getting to know people, building a community, sharing knowledge, and basically having a party!

Boot camps. This is what REALLY lights the fire in my belly. Small, private groups. Each person working on their own program. Developing goals. Sharing stories. Celebrating success with their fellow boot campers. Sharing struggles. For 60 days. It's intense, but it is so worth the investment.

Advice, encouragement, motivation
I think it's important to know that I am not a certified personal fitness instructor, nor am I certified in nutrition (yet! Hoping to change that by the end of the year!). But what I can be is your biggest cheerleader. I can be your motivator. I can text you at 6 AM to make sure you got that workout done before work. I can share stories of my struggle, or share what has worked for me. I am reachable by phone, text, Facebook message, or email whenever you need me (within reason, of course!). I LOVE that I get to be that for someone. Because I've been where you are. But we're going to do this together.

Celebrating success. Nothing gives me a bigger rush than having a challenger check in with me personally to share their successes with me. Hearing some of the stories of the results that boot campers have seen makes every single second worth it. Being thanked for changing someone's life? Best. Feeling. EVER.

And of course, I would be lying when I say that I am doing all this for free because I like it. I LOVE it, first of all, and working with other women each day to make them feel like a million bucks is my passion. Getting healthy is my passion. But I do also get some sweet perks for it.

I get to make money doing something I enjoy. I don't make a lot by any means, yet, and there are others that make a lot more than me. There are some people who make less than me. But this is my job--even though it sure doesn't feel like work, and getting paid for doing something so amazing is pretty darn cool.

Discounts. I get 25% off of just about everything--including my Shakeology every month. That alone is a huge savings. I can buy the brand new 21 Day Fix Extreme for under $45. LOVE IT.

I get chances to earn rewards monthly and annually. I'm currently on a wait list for next year's trip for people who reach their goals--a cruise to Jamaica and Haiti. You better believe I am working my booty off so when my name comes off that list, I know I'll have earned my spot on that boat! I can also earn rewards monthly--like books, workout gear, and sneak peeks at up and coming projects. I get all this just for helping people!

What could coaching allow for me?

It's allowing me to grow. By the end of the year, I'd like to have my nutrition coaching certification. I am constantly learning and educating myself. If it's not through online training types of courses, I am constantly reading personal development books and listening to podcasts. Why? Just because I know I have potential to be the absolutely best person I can be, and I am going to reach that potential.

It can give me freedom. Freedom of time, personal choice, and finance. Right now coaching is providing a little extra cash each month to give us a nice cushion in our finances. But I did set a big, scary goal--full-time coach by the time I'm 30. What would this mean for me? Freedom of time. I could work when I want to work. I can be present in my daughter's life, attend her activities and school functions, and get her on and off the bus every day. More time with my husband--since I'd be able to get more around the house done during the week and we could truly enjoy our weekend time together as a family.

Ultimately, I am SO glad I took this opportunity when I did. I am making friend, changing lives, and changing MY life, all at the same time!

Coolest job ever, if you ask me ;)

**If you are interested in a 5-day sneak peek into coaching, PLEASE let me know! My team will be running a no-obligation look into what coaches do. If this is something you might be interested in, by all means--let me know and I will send you the invitation!**

Door to Door Organics Review: Why Wednesdays Are Our New Favorite Days

If you've been following my Facebook Page, you might have been witness to my utter joy and glee over my first Door to Door Organics delivery. I wanted to share a little bit more about this company, because I am ALL about helping other busy moms. I want to make sure everyone knows that Door to Door Organics did not ask me to write this review. I purchased a box with my own money based off the recommendation of a friend, and am really just thrilled about it. This service is a top-notch way to get your hands on quality organic produce, even in the off season!

Living in the Garden State, we are lucky to have amazing produce available to us for a few months out of the year. If you look hard enough, you can find quality organic farmers in the area with great produce. CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) are also gaining traction in my area during the growing and harvest season. However, the winter is brutal here, organic produce from the store is pricy, and (at my local grocery store, at least) the pickings are slim. I spend at least 20 minutes at my local grocery digging through the produce to find stuff good enough to bring home.

We also garden at home. Last year I grew mostly late spring/summer veggies, but this year I am going to try my hand at colder weather gardening. Because we grow a lot of our own veggies each summer, joining a CSA would be a bit of overkill and an added cost.

Enter Door to Door Organics. My amazing solution.

Sign up is fairly simple: you go to the website, enter your zip code to make sure they'll deliver to you (they are set up in our tri-state area, Chicago, Colorado, Kansas City, Michigan, and Milwaukee), choose your box size (four different sizes!), what kind of box you want (veggie/fruit, just veggie, or just fruit), choose how often you'd like to receive a box (weekly or biweekly), provide shipping and billing info, and boom--you're done. You'll get your box on the scheduled day, and billed the following day.

Our delivery day is Wednesday. I came home from work on Wednesday to my produce waiting by my front door for me (psssst: if you leave a cooler outside, they'll put your stuff in the cooler for you! If you leave instructions on where to leave the box outside, they'll leave the box where you instruct them! So helpful!).

Your produce arrives in a cardboard box. You are encouraged to leave the used box outside on your next delivery day and they will recycle it. Hooray for companies that care about the environment!

The shipment was packed carefully and was still cold. I could see no visible damage from shipment. I am impressed.

Peyton immediately grabbed a pear and chowed down. What? A child voluntarily--nay, excitedly--eating fruit? I love this company.

Peyton was as excited as I was about all the stuff we got, and helped me unpack it, wash it, and store it. I can't get my three-year old that excited when I come home from the grocery store!

We ordered the Small Box for $26.99, and this was a LOT of produce. They even snuck in a couple extra pieces!

This is a great solution for winter. I am getting quality certified organic produce delivered straight to my door (FREE SHIPPING!), which will take an easy 20-30 minutes off my weekly shopping trip. In the summer, I'll change my box over to a fruit-only box since we'll be growing our own veggies.

I love it so much I bumped my biweekly shipment up to a weekly one. You had me at hello, Door to Door Organics.

And because I love lists, here are some pros and cons of using Door to Door Organics vs. other traditional means of getting produce.

Pros:
-Sign up was SUPER easy

-I love the flexibility--I can change the frequency of my delivery, change the size of the box, the types of box, or hold or cancel my order easily and without penalty.

-Substitutions. You'll get an email way ahead of time with what to expect in your box that week-- and you substitute up to five items. If you get beets and don't like beets, no worries--just pick something else from the list you'll like or need. You can do this up until noon the day before your delivery comes.

-This company is environmentally conscious

-Did you know you can also grocery shop straight from their website and they'll delivery your groceries with your box? Be still my heart. I haven't used this feature yet, but I intend to do so soon. You can also add grocery items to your order until noon the day before your delivery, and it will be on your doorstep the next day.

-You can access your account and get recipes you can make based on what you've received in your box.

-Produce is certified organic and locally sourced (as best they can--obviously you aren't going to get Jersey produce in January!)

-Delivery is free!

-The variety is awesome. I think this will be a great way to get the family to try new things if we don't decide to substitute for something else.

-You can cancel at any time, with no penalty

Cons:
-$26.99 for a small box of produce might seem like a big expense, but I used to spend a lot of money each week on crappy produce from my local grocery store that goes bad in a day. I chose a size that will ensure that everything gets eaten and nothing gets wasted.

-My local CSA is slightly cheaper per delivery ($20 per box based on same size), but the CSA doesn't offer the kind of flexibility I can get with Door to Door Organics. No changing box sizes, no substituting items. And when the CSA season is over, I am back to square one...nowhere to get some decent produce.

-It can SOMETIMES be a little more expensive than my local grocery store, BUT I can get things through this service that I can't get at my grocery store. Things I am willing to pay the extra cost for.

Bottom line is: using a service like this depends on your needs as a family. For us, this is a simple, convenient way to ensure we are getting organic produce, reducing food waste, and it fits in with our busy lifestyle.

#Goaldigger Series Post #4: Staying Accountable

Welcome to my fourth and final post of the #goaldigger series! Over the last few weeks, I've be shared with you how I goalset, how to find (and keep) my motivation, how to stay on track, and how to hold yourself accountable. If you need to find previous posts in this series, they are linked at the bottom on this post. My life has changed BIG TIME since last March due to several of the ideas I have shared with you. I'm so excited to help you make 2015 the best year ever--cheers!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The hardest part about setting any goal is the staying on track part. I've shared a couple tips with you so far on how to dig deeper and find that underlying "WHY," and I've given you a few means of helping visualize your success via affirmations, meditation, and vision boards.

Here's where we get real: staying accountable.

This is where we start applying a little pressure, because let's face it...if you don't up the ante for yourself, you'll be less inclined to keep making the moves you need to in order to reach your goals.

I've got a few methods here that will help you hold you accountable--not only to yourself, but to others as well.

Journal the Journey
Create a progress journal as you work to reach your goals. Write it in daily, or at the very least weekly, and be absolutely honest with yourself. What have you done today that moved you closer to reaching your goal? If you are being honest and you notice you aren't doing much, you can re-evaluate to see where you can add in those tasks. Review your progress journal often. Even if you are making small strides towards a goal, you are still moving in the right direction. Logging this process will not only give you proof that you are progressing, but it will allow you to figure out what's working and what isn't.

Tell Your Spouse, Your Parents, Your Kids, Your Best Friend, etc.
Tell someone you are close with about your goal. But don't just tell them, "I set a goal to...." Tell them, "I am GOING to..." Own it. It's yours. You can ask them to check in on you every once in a while and you can report back on how well (or not well) you've been doing. Or, at the very least, if they notice you haven't reached your goal after a certain period of time, they'll ask and remind you that you are working toward something greater. After all, you don't want to let down family or friends!

Find a Success Partner
Find someone who has the same (or similar goal). Promise each other you'll reach those goals together, and then stay in contact with each other to report on how you are progressing. Daily or every other day is best, especially if you are working with a Success Partner through Facebook or another form of social media. For example, if you set a goal to get your workout done by 6:00 AM each day, set up a Face Time call for 6:05. Your partner will know if you've gotten that workout done or not, because you had better be sweating!

Join an Accountability Group
These are my favorite, because I LOVE a party. You might have heard me refer to these groups as "challenge groups". They are one in the same, really. Need some help reach that goal and enjoy working through the process together? Need support, or want to be someone else's cheerleader? Then an accountability group is for you. Daily check-ins are best in this format, because of the number of people involved. You don't want to get lost in the mix!

February is a kicking month for me regarding challenge/accountability groups. I am on my last week of my 14-day Clean Eating Challenge Group. I am kicking off a FREE Guns, Buns, and Abs 30-day Challenge Group on February 9, and for anyone looking to kick it up a notch and see results FAST, my exclusive 60-day Challenge Group for 21 Day Fix Extreme starts February 16!

If you are interested in the free 30-day challenge, let me know and I'll get you set up in the group! The 60-day challenge group starting February 16 requires an application. Please click here to apply.