Miracles

I am the last person to jump on bandwagons.  In fact, I am a fairly cautious person.  When I was diagnosed with MS, I had everyone imaginable trying to show me a "miracle" cure.  I had people a barely knew tell me that they had found a super product that would fight my symptoms.  At that time I was desperate, so I tried most of it.  I gradually lost the hope that a cure was coming in the form of medicine or in the form of something natural.  Then as you can see by my video above, I just lost hope period.  So why do I talk so glowingly about Beachbody and Shakeology?  Oh, let me count the ways, at least 3 off the top of my head!

1)     Energy!  I went from never being hungry, having no will to move to working out and having fun with life again!  I won’t bore you with details of how hard it was to get through my day just suffice it to say that I felt like I was walking through mud every waking moment.  My thoughts were also swimming in mud so when I began to have energy again and I began to think clearer and all I had to do was drink a shake that tasted like a chocolate malt to get that result, it was a no brainer to me!  It helped me control my cravings for sweets (huge struggle for me), and made my body begin to work the way it was suppose to..finally!

2)    Biceps!   I was a farm girl growing up.  I rode horses and did everyday things thinking that was exercise.  In high school I was the studious type so activity was somewhat sporadic.  I was a jazzercise girl in college, I loved to play tennis and I really liked being active but I was never in shape, in fact I was rather plump. J  It wasn’t until I started working out with P90X that I saw muscle forming on my body and weight dropping off.  I was wearing sizes that were only a dream for me.  I was instantly in love with Tony Horton and Beachbody!

3)    Attitude!  I mentioned that I was somewhat sad..okay, extremely sad.  You can tell from my pictures the state I was in and unfortunately that is what was modeled to my boys.  I am not kidding when I say that I pulled my family down to my level of disillusionment.  Can you imagine seeing your primary caregivers..your parents..have no hope for the future?  Dan and I didn’t.  We were told that I would be in a nursing home by the age of 40 because I had such an aggressive disease.  I was told that at the age of 28 with 2 young boys in my house.  I still feel a little sick to my stomach when I remember hearing those words. Now look at my pictures..I am smiling and I am strong..both physically and mentally.  Beachbody did this for me.  I have the tools at my disposal to kick the @#!% out of my MS.  I feel empowered to succeed in every aspect of my life.  I have given my body what it needs…regular exercise, superior nutrition, and hope. 

 So, miracle cure..not in so many words, but all I can attest to is how it has changed my life.  It is something that has taken a body ravaged by numerous medications and beaten down by life and transformed it into what I always knew I could become.  A better wife and mother which is all I have ever hoped for.  That constitutes a miracle to me.  J

Jelly Beans are evil!

You have heard of having the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other, right?  Well this is the time of year that I have a bag of jelly beans on one shoulder and Tony Horton doing P90X on the other!  I know, I’m in trouble.

  I am a sweet freak.  I have accepted that about myself, and it is something I constantly fight.  Do I let my need for the immediate gratification of something that I have built up in my head as yummy take control or do I look at the long term consequences of my actions.  I have spent the last year cleaning my system of junk.  I eat clean 80% of the time.  By clean I mean food that isn’t full of saturated fats, refined sugar, processed flours, artificial sweeteners, etc.  So I ask why I continue to struggle with something that personifies all that I have cleaned out of my body?

   My only thought is, I have programmed myself to think I need it.  I have found that the foods I crave do not taste as good as I imagine.  I also have a stomach ache within the first few hours after eating them.  Why put myself through that?  I would like to think I am a relatively intelligent woman, but this borders on ridiculous!  This is what I need to remember.

  I am amazed at how many flavors you can taste in food that isn’t masked by unbearable sweetness and fat.  I love eating food and being able to taste all the ingredients in their purest form.  I have discovered a love for vegetables..the green ones, not just Shakeology!   I have found my favorite meals include stir-fry vegetables with chicken not cooked with oil, but cooked in a low sodium chicken stock.  The best thing at all is that I feel completely satisfied and energized after a day of eating well. 

Glad that I got that out of my system!  No jelly beans for me right now and I’m off to make turkey burgers for my family on whole wheat buns.  Maybe if I’m lucky I can sneak a Chocolate Shakeology in for dessert afterwards! Best of all, no stomach ache for me tonight…Yay me! 

Beachbody's Million Dollar Body Game Finalist!!

   Wow!  I am still adjusting to that fact that I am one of 4 amazing women named as finalists in Beachbody's MDBG!  I am thrilled to see the wonderful and inspirational group selected- each person has worked so hard and changed their lives dramatically.  This group of girls along with 4 men will be at the Summit in CA, on a stage at the Hyatt Regency, May 1st when they announce the winner.  One man and one woman will receive $25,000!  I am so very honored and excited to see where this road leads!
  
   If you aren't a member of Beachbody and would like to see the finalists, sign up for free at this link http://bit.ly/aZjMsZ   If you are already a member, I urge you to read each persons story and understand the difficulties each and every one of us have overcome to be where we are.  Beachbody isn't just about changing our weight, or our muscle mass.  It is about changing our lives and our perceptions of our abilities.  I have regained my sense of purpose in life.  I have found my strength.  We have discovered an entire community of support and in turn are creating our own positive, supportive team within that same community.  My family's journey over this past year has been nothing short of miraculous.  Dan, my boys, myself and my in-laws, have lost a total of 240 lbs in the past year!  This is incredible in itself but what I am the most proud of is that we have become better people  in the process.   Beachbody is about changing lives.. P90X and Shakeology definitely changed mine!

Carl Daikeler

I am excited.  Last June I was fortunate to be able to share my story at a local Beachbody event in Lincoln, NE with the CEO of Beachbody in attendance.  It was a very memorable time since it was the first time in a long time I have talked in front of that many people.  After that point, I was also able to give my story when Tony Horton visited Lincoln last month.  That time speaking in front of over 200 people.  Now I again get to give my story to the Beachbody corporate staff and Carl Daikeler tomorrow.

This is why I love Beachbody so much.  The company has incredible products..I know because I have used most of them...but the people that are involved with Beachbody are top-notch!  Each person I have met personally care very deeply about the direction of this company and the quality of product it produces.  Beginning of course with Carl himself and then flowing all the way down to people like me.  We are all truly in this together :)

Voices in my head!

I woke up this morning, drank my coffee, and set about my daily activities.  Nothing new, nothing exciting, just everyday stuff.  As I was looking at a mountain of laundry, I could hear the programmed voice in my head trying to pull me down with “You will never finish this!”  What???  Why would I do that to myself?  Aren’t we on the same team here?  I know this sounds crazy but I really do talk to myself like this. J

Why I share this with you is because I have heard that voice before..right before I started P90X.  I realized that if I had listened to all the negativity floating around, there would have been no way I would have completed the program.  John C. Maxwell says “Your life changes when you change something you do every day.”  What I did every day was doubt myself.  I changed that when I stepped away from the feelings of weakness and pushed play with Tony Horton.  I did this despite physical reasons not to workout!  The best part was even on the mornings when my muscles were aching, I didn’t hear those voices ever again.  All I heard after that first Chest and Back routine was “You go girl!” 

Are you holding yourself back?  Are you unwilling to change something as simple as the negative voice in your head?  If so, I am here to tell you that you can change that voice..all you have to do is believe!  

What is your breaking point?

Everyone has bad days.  I have good days and bad days.  This is my bad week because I had my monthly chemo (Tysabri) on Wednesday.  I always feel run down, my thoughts don’t work as well as I would like them too, and I know I am not at my best.  It is hard to know that I am causing my family worry and stress but to feel absolutely not in control of my own emotions.  I become very different for a few days and it is hard on my family.  I am so incredibly blessed to have such an amazing husband like Dan.  It is twice as hard on him as it is on me.  He and my boys are my strength during these times.  But my point here isn’t to show how difficult my life has been, it is to highlight where I am now.  I have been at various “breaking points” in my life.  I would love to list them here for you but I would rather talk about the opposite…my “building points”

My building points always begin and end with Dan.  I can’t even begin to tell you all that he has helped me through.  He is my number one builder.  He has sacrificed so much to protect me, to strengthen me, and to make my life easier.  Thank you darling for being there through it all.  It is because of him that I am in such a wonderful place now.  Last year Dan decided he wanted to make a change.  He ordered P90X  from Beachbody and committed to working out.  Tony Horton’s program is truly amazing.  Because of his commitment our entire family has become healthier and fit.  I have come a long ways thanks to the benefit of exercise and Shakeology.  I now get the nutrition I need to move forward.  Are you caught in your breaking point or are you striving to get past it?  Either way, just keep moving forward and the point will turn from a “breaking” to a “building”!

I’m giving it all I’ve got, Captain!

I just finished my workout..P90X Shoulders and Arms with my 11 yr old son..and I must say it was not my best by all means.  It was difficult to focus, to actually get the burn I know I needed. I wasn’t slacking, I was hitting it hard but I just didn’t feel right.   I finished the workout, so did my son, but I left the workout room feeling a little low.  By the time I finished mixing my Shakeology I realized that I had no reason to feel bad.  In fact I should be proud of the fact that I showed up and gave it my all. 

I was reminded of something Dan told me when I first started this journey with Beachbody and P90X.  I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to push myself hard enough because of my MS.  He told me that I won every time I put that disc in the machine and pushed play.  He was right but I still doubted myself.  I then thought of a Bible lesson I remembered from church referring to giving.  In this verse Jesus had observed a crowd placing their offerings in boxes in a temple.  Many rich people threw in large amounts but a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins.  These coins were worth less than a penny by today’s standards but Jesus saw what she had done.  He then taught that she in fact had put more in the box than any other person in the temple that day.  Not because it was worth so much, but it was all she had, and she gave it all.

I want to be that widow when it comes to every aspect of my life, but I focus on that whenever I start my workout.  I give it everything I have.  I may not feel the best, but I always show up and give it my all.  I encourage you to do the same.