9 Day Clean Eating Challenge

I am hosting a clean eating challenge in my Facebook group, Healthy Starts Here. I would LOVE to have you join me and the rest of the group in taking this step toward a healthier you. Simply go to your Facebook page, type in the group name, and request to join the group. The group is private, so no one can see your posts but the group. I am here to motivate you in every way possible, and help encourage you to achieve your ultimate health.

Come join us in this venture, and see where it can take you. Click HERE to go directly to the group. :)

Hope to see you in there!

It Takes Heart

So, let me tell you all a little story. As I am winding down for the night, and contemplating how far I've come in the past few months, I know I have a ways to go, but have accomplished more than I thought.

At my heaviest, about a year and a half before my wedding in 2003, I was 295 lbs. Most people don't know that. By my wedding, I was about 250. That weight loss was a combination of wedding stresses and my unknowing plague of diabetes hard at work, and most of that weight loss came within about 8 months of my wedding. I never thought I would be smaller. I never thought I would ever have a chance at seeing my clothes in a size that wasn't 2 digits, and didn't at least start with a 2.

I could blame my slow progress on my illnesses that plague me on a daily basis, but that would be too easy. Last summer I was bound and determined to lose this weight. And I slowly began making progress. I went back to my clean eating, and before I knew it, I was in a size 18. I'll be honest. The last time I saw a size 18, I was a sophomore in high school. And for then, that was huge.

Toward the end of last year, I had done all the Jillian Michaels workouts that I could do, and finally my progress halted. Determined to not let the plateau get the best of me, I ordered a Beachbody workout, Hip Hop Abs. I ended up leaving for the states for our adoption before I could start, so I started doing Shakeology when I was in the states. I needed something that would fuel my body and give me energy as I ran ragged taking care of things, and soon, my new daughter. Shakeology was a life saver. It boosted my metabolism, gave me more energy, kept me satiated for hours, it was a god send to keep me going. And about a month before I left the states to come home to Germany, I had to go to the store to buy some size 16 shorts, because my 18's were falling off my hips. I NEVER THOUGHT THAT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN IN MY LIFETIME. But I am so glad I was wrong.

I completed Hip Hop Abs, fell in love with it, and with Shaun T's energy, and Focus T25 came out. I was determined to keep my mojo going. So I'm doing Focus T25. I'm loving it, just like I thought I would, and for the first time in nearly 20 years, I am almost to the brink of having to go out and buy some size 14 shorts. When my size 16's start to fall off my hips, I first get frustrated that my shorts are too big, then I remember....Oh yeah, I WANT them to be too big.

See, it's all about determination, dedication, motivation, and heart. Yes, heart. I was broken last summer after some devastating news about my health. When I realized, for the first time in my life, that I am not immortal, that I am sick, and that there is not much that can be done about that. But you know what CAN be done? I can CHOOSE to make the best out of each day. I can CHOOSE to move forward in a positive motion. I can CHOOSE to keep on trying until my last breath. And I can CHOOSE to mope in the darkness or try in the light.

So I try. Every single day, I try. I try to push myself further than I did the day before in the hopes that one day I won't have to take a mound of pills three times a day. That one day, I can say that I once said I was comfortable in my size 30 jeans, but that these size 6's feel much better. That one day, for the first time in my life, I will be able to wear a bikini comfortably to the beach on a sunny summer day, with the most confidence I've ever had. I have little dreams. Dreams of doing things I've never actually experienced in my life. This year, after having done so well before I started T25, I set a goal for 20 lbs. to be gone by the end of this year. I am almost halfway there. I bounce back and forth on my weight. Sometimes because of my illnesses, and sometimes because of my lack of effort. But I am more determined now than I ever was. And I've got three months to pull it off. So I am going full force.

I always ask you guys about your goals, your dreams, your wants out of this group and being healthy. This is my temporary goal. My short term desire. My first baby step toward achieving greatness for me. I am human. I struggle, too. You help me just as much as I aim to help you. So let's do this together. No matter what your goal is, or how different it is from mine, we can do this. <3 p="">

Coming Monday!

Been wanting to see what all the fuss is about with Shakeology? You will have the opportunity Monday to order a taste sampler through my site: www.beachbodycoach.com/LittleMrsCC

I can personally speak volumes for this shake. I have tried a lot of what's out there, and this is the BEST you can find. 100% natural ingredients from the earth, and all the nutrients your body needs to run effectively. Once you try it, you will be wondering why you waited so long. :)

Be the YOU You Want to Be

The only person who will EVER hold you back from accomplishing your dreams and goals, is YOU. No one else. You can come up with a million reasons as to why you haven't reached them, but the hard, solid, blunt truth is, you are the only person who will get in the way of your own success. I have battled so many medical issues over the past four years, and still battle them today. But the one thing that has changed and has led to my success in a healthier life is my attitude toward my health, and the acknowledgment of the fact that I cannot cure myself of some illnesses. I battle three auto immune disorders, one of them being diabetes. I have illnesses that literally make my body fight itself just to function each and every day. But you know what else I have? I have a positive frame of mind and the determination to continue trying until I find success. When one thing stops working, I move on to something else. Because I am determined to not let the bad in and not let the bad win. So the question is....When will you take over your own frame of mind and move in a positive direction for yourself? How long will you let yourself win the battle of "can'ts"? Make today your new start, and move forward with positivity, motivation, and determination for better days to come.

Be Your Own Warrior

We pay so much attention to that number on the scale, that we often tend to forget that how we feel is a much better interpretation of our fitness and health. I am guilty of this, I know. I love to see the numbers on the scale move in a downward motion. Some weeks, when I step on that scale, I get so disappointed when I see a pound here or a pound there added on to that number. Then I'll do measurements, have my Shakeology, do my workout, stay active throughout the day with less strife than I did last week, last month, last year, and you know what I remember? I am a work in progress. I am not perfect, nor do I aim to be. But I do aim to be better than I ever was, and each day I see myself closer to that than ever before.

So, kind of like when the Wizard of Oz gets found out by the fantastic foursome on their way to Oz ("Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."), pay no attention to the number on the scale. Let your body, your personal performance, the way your clothes fit, the easier you can do tasks, let those things be how you measure your success. Be a warrior. A H~O~T warrior.

September's Beachbody Special!

For the month of September only, you can get Shaun T's Dance Challenge Pack! It includes his famous Hip Hop Abs, Rockin' Body, and a month's supply of Shakeology with the flavor of your choice! With $50 worth of savings, this challenge pack will help you dance your way to a new you!

I will be hosting an end of the year challenge featuring Rockin' Body, so why not pick up both programs and some Shakeology to get you started? Visit my site to order (www.beachbodycoach.com/LittleMrsCC), or message me for details.

Watch the awesome video below to see just what all the craze about Shaun T is about! :D