HELP WANTED!

You've seen my blog.  You've read my posts.  You know I'm a Beachbody coach.  Now you are wondering what EXACTLY is a Beachbody coach. and could YOU do it???

The answer is YES.  Honestly, ANYONE could do this.  All it takes is a willingness to improve your own life and health while helping others improve theirs.  You don't have to be a salesperson.  I'M not a salesperson.  I had a telemarketing job when I was 18 calling business to business.  I got fired after 3 months because I was SO BAD at it.  I HATE salespeople.  I would never be involved in a company like that.  I am a SHARE person.  I share my own experience with Beachbody products.  They work well for me.  I share the opportunity to join my monthly challenge groups on Facebook.  Challenge groups are what I firmly believe has led to my success in my health and fitness journey.  I share my journey of not only my physical fitness, but also my mental and spiritual fitness as well.  I hope that by doing this, I inspire others to take charge of their own health and wellness, even if it isn't with Beachbody programs.

So what exactly DO I do as a Beachbody coach besides be one of those super annoying, constant selfie-takers?  Well, I workout daily, I drink my Shakeology daily, I run a monthly accountability group for 10-30 people who are starting on their own journey, I mentor my new coaches and help them grow as coaches, I read or listen to 20 minutes of personal development a day, and I invite people to join me on this journey.

What's in it for me as a coach?  I get a super awesome discount every month on everything including my Shakeology (which you can also get without actually coaching!  Ask me how).  I get to take trips with my friends who are also coaches.  I get paid a nice compensation plan that has helped me massively pay off debt.  But most importantly, I get to HELP people.  I get to cry with them and try to help them through some of their biggest struggles.  I get to celebrate with them when they reach goals they never thought they'd reach.  I get to be their friend, cheerleader, and mentor.  And I get to do all of this and still have time to raise my babies and spend time with my family.

Honestly, I can't think of anything I would rather do in the whole world.  I am so unbelievably thankful for this opportunity.  It has been such a blessing in my life.  If this sounds like something you would like to do or want more information on, contact me here via email or fill out this application.  I am looking for 5 new people to mentor on my team who want to be their best, physically and mentally while earning financial freedom.

Why didn't he just tell me I was fat?

One year ago yesterday, I went to the doctor for the second time in less than a month. I had convinced myself that my thyroid wasn't functioning and I needed to be medicated. I couldn't lose the baby weight from my pregnancy with Emy, I was tired all the time, I was kind of depressed, and I even convinced myself that my eyebrows were falling out.  Yes, I was a little bit of a hypochondriac.  Dr. Google didn't help.  NEVER Google your symptoms.  You'll go from having a cold to dying in about 5 seconds flat. 

On my first visit, my doctor ran my labs but they came back fine. He suggested that maybe I was having a prolonged case of postpartum depression and I should think about trying Prozac. I refused. I wasn't depressed! It was my hormones! I went back a few weeks later, still complaining, and now complaining that my cycles were ridiculous. He decided to put me on a synthetic hormone. I took it for 4 days and gained TWELVE POUNDS. I threw it in the garbage.  The picture on the left is from day 3 of those awful pills.  He told me to take them for SIX MONTHS.  I would've been 300 lbs!!

You know how they say hindsight is 20-20? Well, it is. Looking back, what my doctor should have said at my FIRST visit was, "Sheena, you need to get up and DO SOMETHING. Stop sitting on your butt. Stop eating garbage. Stop drinking pop from sun up to sundown." I mean, come on. I was 195 lbs at 5'2". That's a BMI of 35, for crying out loud! Anything over 30 is considered obese. I know BMI isn't an accurate indicator of someone's health all the time, but it was OBVIOUS that I needed to lose weight. My problem was not my hormones. It was that I was lazy and slowly killing myself with food and inactivity.

Today, I am healthy. I'm not tired all the time. I'm not depressed. And my eyebrows aren't (and never really were) falling out. And as you can see by the picture, I'm obviously losing weight. I haven't been back to the doctor since that last day. Not because I'm mad at him or protesting. I actually have a ton of respect for him, and I still take my kids to see him. I'm just not convinced I'm dying anymore. I KNOW I'm healthy and as long as I continue my path of exercise, Shakeology, and proper nutrition in general, I will stay healthy.

I am a highly sensitive person.

I was recently mindlessly scrolling through my Facebook to waste time when an article that a friend posted caught my eye.  It was called "16 Habits of Highly Sensitive People." (Found here.) I have no idea why, but I clicked on it.  There was a link to Elaine Aron's website to take a quiz to see if you are highly sensitive. I took the quiz.  If you scored 14 or more, you're most likely highly sensitive.  I scored 20 out of 24.  Did I freak out?  Did I start thinking, "Oh my gosh!!  I'm overly sensitive! I'm crazy!"  No.  Actually, I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief.  For the first time, I DIDN'T feel crazy!  I had an answer as to why I couldn't stand violent tv shows or movies.  I knew why I burst into tears at the drop of a hat.  I knew why music so strongly affected me.  I knew why I am so susceptible of "catching" other people's moods, good and bad.  

I am a reading junkie, but I find it hard to find time to read lately.  I have become a huge fan of Audible because I can listen to books while I'm working, driving, running, whatever.  I immediately went out and downloaded The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron.  Let me tell you-I am not only learning so much about myself, but about my son.  He is also an HSP (highly sensitive person). 

Signs of HSP people can include:

• Being sensitive to loud noises 
• Strongly disliking violent television shows or movies
• Crying or getting upset easily
• Being extremely empathetic (this can be a good and bad trait!)
• Being easily overwhelmed by smells, textures, and bright lights
• Getting rattled when you have a lot to do in a short period of time
• Enjoying fine arts and music
• Being sensitive or shy as a child
• Arranging your life to avoid things that upset or overwhelm you
• Highly susceptible to other people's moods
• Being overwhelmed by negativity
• Strong intuition
• Low pain tolerance
• Needing frequent alone time
• Being a dumping ground for other people's problems (because you are empathetic)

This personality type can be one that can inhibit your life greatly if you don't know how to deal with it.  You can start to feel crazy.  You are probably often told, "Stop being so sensitive."  You may think you have anxiety, especially social anxiety.  I know I did, and I was extremely frustrated because I couldn't understand why no treatment I had tried for anxiety, both pharmaceutical and naturopathic, worked.  This book, however, is helping me to really understand myself and my son more.  It's giving me ideas for dealing with both of our high sensitivity in a healthy manner.  I feel like I can finally move forward with my life.  I feel armed with the proper tools to say, "Yes, I am an HSP and no, it won't inhibit me anymore!

If you feel you may be an HSP, I HIGHLY recommend you download or buy Elaine Aron's book, and know that you are NOT crazy, you are NOT overly sensitive, and you are NOT ALONE!!!

When the pain doesn't stop.

I had a miscarriage at 14 weeks over three years ago.  I went in for a routine checkup, and she was just gone.  No reason.  No signs as to why.  She was just gone.  

The next several months are a blur of darkness and pain.  I barely have any memories of them other than laying in my bed or in my bathtub crying and crying and crying.  But every storm ends.  And at the end of every storm is a rainbow.  A bright, beautiful rainbow.  Mine is a 2 1/2-year-old spitfire named Emalee.  

The trouble with grief, though, is it doesn't end.  It is always there somewhere.  It just gets easier to deal with.  Instead of hurting and being depressed all the time, the hours turn to days, then weeks, and then months between unbearable episodes.  I am at a stage in grieving the loss of my 3rd child where while I think about her every single day, I only feel overwhelming feelings of loss twice a year-on the date I lost her and around her due date, which is coming up next week.   

As time passes, I learn more and more ways to deal with my loss in a healthy manner.  I find ways to distract myself and keep busy.  I try really hard not to let myself have any downtime during those two weeks of the year because I feel guilty letting myself grieve when I have three healthy children who need me.  

Today I realized that I need to stop fighting these feelings and allow them to just play out.  I read a quote once that said it's okay to cry and have a breakdown.  Just don't unpack and stay there.  Yesterday, I had my breakdown.  Now it's time to pack up and go home.  All the tears in the world won't bring McKenna back.  It's time to focus on making a healthy life for myself and for her three siblings.  

SHAKEOLOGY!!! Why you NEED it and why you should buy it from a coach.

What is Shakeology?  It is an extremely yummy meal replacement shake that is LOADED with nothing but ingredients that our bodies need and usually don't get from our daily eating habits.  I'm not going to bore you with the long list of superfoods that are in it, but I will tell you what it's done for me.  

Since I started drinking Shakeology 9 months ago, my blood sugars are level for the first time IN MY LIFE.  I've ALWAYS had problems with crashing several times a day, and now I can't even tell you the last time that happened.  

It has pretty much taken away my bad cravings for most things.  It's pretty rare that I want to sit down and demolish a bag of chips or half a dozen cookies.  

My digestion is regular for the first time since I had kids.  After I had my gallbladder out, my digestion went from wacky to downright awful.  Within 3 weeks of starting Shakeology, it was normal again!

Oh, and don't even get me STARTED on how fast my hair is growing since I started drinking it.  I have always had short hair, but my trips to the salon were getting quite frequent, so I've given in and am letting my hair grow.  :D

I've heard over and over again that Shakeology is TOO EXPENSIVE, though.  Well, I guess that is a matter of perception.  To me, it isn't. It works out to just over $4 a day for customers and only $3.25 a day for coaches.  If you're going to go out for coffee or lunch, it is going to cost more than that, sometimes even more than double!  Plus, I can personally tell you that I haven't been to the doctor ONCE since I started drinking it daily.  My whole family got influenza this winter, but I didn't, and I'm normally the first one to get sick!  

So why shouldn't you buy it on eBay, Amazon, or other places online you might find it that aren't directly through a coach or Beachbody?  Well, would you buy your groceries through eBay? My absolute number one concern with this is SAFETY.  Shakeology is a FOOD.  It has an expiration date.  When you buy it through your coach, it comes directly from Beachbody, it is fresh, and it is sealed.  It also comes with a bottom-of-the-bag money back guarantee.  Even if you drink the whole bag, you can still return it in the first 30 days for a refund if you don't believe it's working for you.

I have heard horror stories of people buying Shakeology on eBay and getting bags that weren't sealed, product that was tainted, or having a bag that was filled with SAND instead of Shakeology!!  To me, the risk just isn't worth it to save $10, $20, even $30, especially when you can sign up as a coach and save over $30 every single time you buy it!

Another reason to buy from a coach is because part of their job is selling Shakeology.  This is how they make their money to support their families.  To me, it is the same as shopping locally versus buying from a big box store.  Yes, you might pay a little more, but you are helping to support a family that you KNOW.  I personally shop locally as much as I possibly can because I would rather support families in my small town than large corporations.  

If you are interested in trying Shakeology, I URGE you to please contact your coach!  If you don't have a coach, contact me here!  I would be happy to help you get started on your journey to a healthier you.  

SMILE!! You're going to get there!

I spent all weekend trying to decide what program I was going to do when my April accountability group started today.  I am just under 100 days away from my trip to Nashville for Beachbody Summit, so I knew it needed to be something that was going to give me kick ass results because I may or may not have raided my kids' Easter candy one too many times yesterday.  

Having access to Beachbody On Demand opens a HUGE library of programs to choose from, so it wasn't an easy decision.  I had to take into account that I don't have much time, so something that is 30 minutes or less was a requirement. I decided to go with P90X3.

Um, HELLO!!!  That workout is NOT easy, but it's effective!  Several hours after I finished it, my abs are STILL SO SORE!  

So why am I smiling even though I'm dripping sweat and am beet red?  Because I accomplished something this morning that I have NEVER done.  I did a FULL WORKOUT without modifying ANY moves!!!  

Just three short months ago, I was laying on my yoga mat bawling my eyes out after a workout because I still couldn't do a sit up without pushing myself up with my elbows.  I was so broken hearted.  I thought for sure at that point that I would have been able to, that my abs would've been stronger.

Today, I did it.  I was able to go from laying flat with my legs out and my arms over my head to sitting up into a V.  And then I fell over laughing like a crazy person.

Don't stop. If you've recently started on your fitness journey, DO NOT STOP.  It is a JOURNEY.  You aren't going to get fit overnight.  It's going to take time.  It's going to take patience.  When you get there, you are going to be so ecstatic and that the pay off for that goal that you thought was going to be impossible to reach is going to seem SO much sweeter!

Help! I'm lost in a world of CLUTTER!

One of the three daily vital behaviors of being a Beachbody coach is reading personal development books.  I'm a book worm, so if the book is interesting to me, this isn't a problem.  We're supposed to read 10 minutes a day, but I read closer to an hour a day.  

Right now I am reading "You Can You Will" by Joel Osteen.  Whether you agree with his religious stance or not, he is a great motivational speaker.  I don't always agree with his religious views, but a lot of what he says does make sense.  This book is really changing my perspective on my own attitude about myself and my surroundings.  (I'm not officially endorsing this book, but rather just sharing my own personal opinion of it.)

Now I must admit, I am a totally messy person.  It bothers me sometimes, but most of the time, I just overlook it.  I am usually dressed nice and have my hair and makeup done, but my house and my car are just a cluttered mess.  Quite frankly, we just have way too much stuff for our small house, and I find it very difficult to organize.  I don't even really try.  I have noticed, though, that this affects other areas of my life.  I really find it hard to concentrate when I sit down at the computer to work or do homework when the house is a mess.  

In one part of the book, Osteen says that to be abundantly blessed, you need to take care of what you have.  This means your material possessions, your surroundings, your environment, and YOURSELF.  I have the taking care of myself part down pat.  I eat well, exercise daily, and keep my appearance nice.  My surroundings-not so much.  This is something I need to really work on.  It is an area of weakness for me.  So, this weekend, I am going to tackle first my bathroom since it's always a mess, and then I'm moving on to the kitchen.  One room at a time, I will get myself organized.  If you drive by this weekend and see me pitching stuff out the windows, don't be alarmed.  I'm just cleaning.  :)