We haven't met yet.... but I know exactly how you feel! I have been in your shoes!

OK moms.... Time to Get Real!! Is this you???

Are you tired of feeling isolated, unhappy, and depressed?
Do you hate looking at yourself in the mirror because you do not recognize the girl staring back at you anymore?
Do you feel unsexy and unworthy of your husband even though he constantly assures you that are beautiful to him?
Are you tired of snapping at your kids because you are unhappy in your own skin?
Are you tired of trying on every outfit in your closet and not being happy with a single thing that you put one ?
Are you tired of not being able to keep up with your kids and do you wish that you could get out in the yard and run around with them?
Are you afraid of trying yet another program that you know will not work?
Do you want to set a good example for your kids so that they grow up to live a healthy lifestyle?
Do you want to be around to enjoy those grandchildren?

Believe me, I know how you feel!! I have been where you are and I have felt all of these things!!

About 6 months after my youngest child was born, I had to have knee surgery and was unable to exercise for an entire year. So, I know how it feels to carry that extra "tire" around your waist feeling like there is nothing that you can do about it! Finally, I decided to quit making excuses and to quit blaming other people for my circumstances and I took ACTION! Be the mom that your kids deserve and the wife that your husband deserves! I have made it my personal mission to help other moms overcome what I have been able to achieve myself. I will share every secret that I have learned along the way to reach my goal of becoming a healthier and happier wife and mom, aka Fit and Happy!

Why should you listen to me??

Good question! Let me share my story....

This is where I started...

About 5 years ago, I was in your shoes. After the accident in which I tore my ACL and LCL (which was shortly after giving birth to my third child), I had packed on about 30 pounds after a year of inactivity and rehab for my knee. I felt isolated, unhappy, and depressed. I hated looking at myself in the mirror because I longed to see the woman that I was before I gave birth to my third child, the woman before the accident. I didn't even recognize the woman staring back at me in the mirror and she disgusted me! I couldn't keep up with my toddler at all. I felt guilty that she wasn't getting to enjoy the healthy and active mom that my older twins had known. Every morning before work, I was constantly changing clothes, trying to find something that looked decent. I had outgrown all of my "cute" clothes and hated buying clothes in a larger size. I can't tell you how many times I stood in my closet, eyes full of tears, feeling helpless and wishing that I could make a change! My self-confidence was at an all-time low and I was constantly comparing myself to others, which of course would always just make me feel even worse. Even though my husband constantly assured me that I was beautiful to him, I didn't feel beautiful. It was hard for me to feel sexy and desired, which came with its own set of repurcussions. I felt like I had a big huge tire around my waist... every time that I bent over or twisted in my desk chair, it was there, constantly reminding me how out of shape that I had become! I felt like I couldn't enjoy myself during our family outings to the neighborhood pool or the lake. I just couldn't be myself because I was constantly thinking about my self-image and sitting on the sidelines wrapped up in a towel or bathing suit cover up. I was unable to just let go and have fun... do you know the feeling that I am talking about? I could tell that my poor self-confidence was starting to take a toll on all of my relationships and effect every aspect of my life. I was spiraling deeper and deeper into this pit of depression and felt helpless to do anything to stop this vicious cycle. I was afraid to try yet another program that I knew was not going to work and was just going to leave me feeling even worse about myself. And this was not the example that I wanted to teach to my kids. I had never felt so out of control of my own life and of my emotions.. I was letting FEAR take over.

My struggle....

I felt that with my busy lifestyle and full-time job, that there was just not enough time in the day to exercise. I couldn't seem to let go of the feeling that I had to make sure that all of the kids' needs were met, the laundry was folded, dinner was cooked and the hubby was fed, and the house was clean BEFORE I could take 30 minutes out of the day to do something for myself (like exercise). I couldn't seem to grasp the fact that I had to take time out for myself and put myself first every once in a while or I was never going to be able to effectively take care of my family. It was easy and convenient to just grab snacks and make unhealthy food choices... I didn't have time to plan healthy meals and I justified it by telling myself that healthy food was too expensive! I blamed my injury and felt like my knee was never going to be back to normal and 100% healed after everything that I went through, which only added to my discouragement. It was hard to take those first baby steps toward change because I felt like nothing that I did was going to help! I was starting to exercise again and was trying my best to eat healthy, but I was not losing any weight... the scale would not budge! I felt like giving up because I felt that it was all useless and a waste of my time since I wasn't losing any weight. I couldn't seem to overcome my fear and self-doubt enough to give into the process 100% and fully trust the process enough to LET IT WORK!

What finally resulted in a change??

A friend told me about the 21 Day Fix program, but I was really skeptical because I was already exercising fairly regularly and "eating healthy" (so I thought). But, I ordered the program and gave it a try and I am so glad that I did because it has changed my life! This program taught me how to eat the right foods in the right amount to fuel my body in such a way that it finally began to do what I so desperately wanted it to do. With Shakeology, I was feeding my body the nutrition that it craved, which revved up my metabolism and amplified my results. Additionally, the workouts incorporated light weights, which was totally new to me (as I was always a hard corps cardio junkie). But, the resistance training was the missing link that I really needed to get my metabolism in gear and start melting the fat. I learned so much that I was doing wrong with the nutrition plan. I thought that I was a healthy eater for the most part, but I was not eating the right foods in the right portion and this change was a critical key to my success. In hindsight, I can definitely see that I just needed to fully "let go" and trust the process enough to get the results that I had been seeking for so long. The support and accountability group that I was able to be a part of was another critical piece of the puzzle... this group was my rock that kept me from throwing in the towel when it got hard or sneaking that bag of chips when I got hungry. The accountability, motivation, and support that I received from the group was a game changer for me!

Where am I now?

I lost 25 pounds with the 21 Day Fix Program and am now back at my pre-pregnancy weight. I am now back in my size 8 jeans and wearing my "cute" wardrobe again. I have been able to maintain my weight loss because this program was not a diet for me... it was a lifestyle change! I am full of energy and am able to keep up with my kids, so much so, that I often leave them in the dust when we go for a jog or a bike ride! I just feel healthier and I no longer experience that BLAH feeling that I just thought was normal for someone my age. My cholesterol has reduced 15 points (and it was not high at the start). I am HAPPY! I feel strong, independent, and empowered. I can lift my own groceries, open my own jars, take charge of any situation, and do 20 push ups on my feet (I could barely do two when I started). I am self-confident and therefore more social. Long gone are the days of feeling isolated or depressed. I feel beautiful, sexy, and desired by my husband and we are like newlyweds again! This increased self-confidence has translated to an improvement in every aspect of my life. I am a better wife, mom, friend, sister, daughter, employee, and person! Oh... and did I say that I was HAPPY?! Fit and Happy... that is my new motto! :)

In the above picture on the left, I had actually already lost about 10 pounds, fyi. Unfortunately, I did not take a "true" before picture.