Monday, February 13, 2012

Nicole’s Story

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Awesome Beachbody Coach
I am a 31 year old, super energetic (most of the time) wife, mom, step-mom, and business co-owner. I am passionate about helping people change their lives!  I am passionate about teaching my kids to be faith-filled and how to be healthy!  I am passionate about living the life God has called me to!  I am passionate about supporting people who need a little encouragement or accountability!  AND I am passionate about ending the trend of obesity! So, how did I become so passionate about this stuff?
I grew up through middle school being slightly on the chunky side with a not so great self image. Around the 8th grade I remember I started doing sit ups and jumping jacks in my room, so my brothers wouldn’t make fun of me,  in hopes of being as thin as some of my friends.  I grew and slimmed up some, but the self confidence was never really there.  It is crazy to me how something like that can be so deep seeded that it can stick with you right on through adult hood.  This is something I pray my children will not ever have to deal with.  I was a very picky eater and never ate many vegetables, but did eat some fruits when available.  As I got older, I was fine with eating low-fat, low-calorie foods and whole wheat things because I was convinced they would help me reach my goal of being thin.

Once I started dating, you would think my self-perception would have improved, but it did not.  I just became more dependent on other people’s approval and even more concerned about my outside appearance.  As I grew up, there were glimpses in my life where I was in phenomenal shape, because I understood the purpose of being active and loved the rush of energy that came from an active lifestyle.  But it was really all about my image, never really about health and it was always a roller coaster, never consistent.   How I looked, although a great motivator, was never enough to keep me going.
My point about that is simply that before you start a new journey to change your life, dig deep to find your why and it will be so much more motivating to you!
I was married at a young age to another very picky eater who usually didn’t care if he ate or not. I surrounded myself with people who were not particularly concerned about nutrition or health or personal growth for that matter.  Being in this environment, stifled my desire to grow and change.  I became less and less concerned about my health.  I was travelling and working a lot, in a very stressful environment. I then had two precious children.  With the birth of my children, I began to focus even more on them and less on me. I wasn’t eating much and I certainly wasn’t eating healthy.  I was having a lot of digestive issues when I did eat and seldom had a reason to cook.  It usually wouldn’t get eaten anyway.  I didn’t really put forth the effort to figure out what my digestive issues were being caused by, but when you are in a stressful environment, that usually has a lot to do with it. So, I drank Pepto Bismol, ate a protein or cereal bar and was out the door on most days. 
The combination of periodic exercise, which became a huge stress reliever for me, and not eating much is what kept my weight from tipping the charts, once I started going through my divorce.  This was by far the most difficult time in my life.  I felt like things were spinning out of control! Fast!  Thankfully, I quickly realized that I needed to cling to God during this time and figure out who He wanted me to be.  I slowed down. I listened. And I gained focus.  That was a game changer for me and how I went about my daily life! I started consistently spending time in His word everyday and building that relationship and surrounding myself with people who also made God a priority.
I let go of the control at this point! And focused on my Heavenly Father.

My physical mindset changed when I went to the doctor to figure out why I was tired and not my energetic, get it done self.   I thought it made some sense to be tired, chasing kids around,  running my Insurance business and keeping the house up, kept me very busy, to say the least.  My doctor is great at asking questions and listening and she thought it would be a good idea to do full blood work.  Turned out my iron was low, my iron saturation was low (anemia), my magnesium was low (also contributing to the loss of energy), my cholesterol was not crazy high but it was over the normal range, which she did not like considering my age and size!  I was shocked!  I thought I ate pretty well and I was only 5'4", 133 pounds and 28 years old, how could MY cholesterol be high?!  She suggested I change my diet.  She told me no fast food or if I did eat fast food, get grilled chicken without the cheese! After I got over my disbelief that she was telling ME that I couldn’t have a piece of cheese with my GRILLED chicken, I stopped and realized the severity of bad health and maybe I would actually feel better if I took better care of myself.

Around this time, Nate and I started dating.  He liked to cook and he liked to eat!  I gave him my LONG list of foods I didn’t eat (salad, onions, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower, mustard, peppers, peas, salsa, beans, pretty much no veggies except green beans and broccoli). Since he liked to cook, he gradually started introducing me to new foods. And he introduced me to Shakeology.  I said to him that it was RIDICULOUS to pay that much for a protein shake.  He told me it wasn’t a protein shake and to drink it every day in the place of lunch, which generally cost me close to the same. First surprise, it filled me up!  Second surprise, it tasted good!  Third surprise, my energy was back!!  I was feeling so good!  I went back to the doctor to have my blood work checked again (6 month follow up) and BAMM!  After only 6 months of using Shakeology, my iron and iron saturation was perfect! My Magnesium was perfect! And best of all, my cholesterol was PERFECT! My total cholesterol dropped from 217 to 139! See the proof!  My doctor’s comment on my records read:

“You have reduced your LDL by 50%, which is amazing.  Your lipid panel is excellent.  I am pleased to give you such a good report.”

I immediately called Nate! I was so excited, feeling like a kid who got all “A”s on their report card!  

I realized at that point the importance of being healthy and not just being thin. 
I realized at that point that what I put in my body does make a difference!

I began trying a lot more vegetables and experimenting with cooking new recipes and learning how to make old recipes healthier.  Nate was very supportive and excited about it all.  We began having fun with cooking and EATING.  It was a great way for us to spend time together and we were eating delicious, healthy, real food!  Next thing I knew, I was in love with vegetables…and Nate! J We kept drinking Shakeology for lunch every day and started working out together 5-6 days a week at home.  It was awesome not to have to figure out what was for lunch every day and it was great to be able to work out again and consistently and without having to leave the kids or drive 50 minutes to get to and from the gym!  It was and still is great time for him and me to spend together too!  It has really grown & strengthened our relationship, being able to share in this lifestyle change together!  

A year later Nate, and I got married at Jean Dry Lake Bed, about 40 minutes outside of Las Vegas, while we were in Vegas for the Beachbody Coach Summit 2012!  It was incredibly awesome!  I am so grateful for my husband!  What a gift he is to me every day!

We are both fitness and nutrition coaches and run this business together (side note: he lost 70 lbs!).  I am also a stay at home mom now and absolutely love that, most days!  Together we have 4 boys, ranging from 2 to 11, so it is a busy place around our house and we try to remember to cherish every minute of it.
We now eat a 95% whole-food, plant-based (vegan) diet.  I have never in my life felt so good!  And the food and the array of flavor is INCREDIBLE!!   
Total progress since starting on my “get healthy” journey has been:
Weight: 133 lbs. to 122 lbs.
Waist: 28 ½” to 25 ¾” waist
Body Fat: 24% to 15%
Cholesterol: 217 to 139

I want you to see that it is possible. If I can change, anyone can, you just have to want it bad enough and realize that it is a journey!

Yeah, I had the discipline and did the hard work to make it happen, but I am so grateful to Beachbody for developing Shakeology, such incredible home workout programs and the coaching opportunity! 

So, that is how I became so passionate about helping people change their lives, teaching my kids to be faith-filled and how to be healthy,  living the life God has called me to, supporting people who need a little encouragement or accountability and ending the trend of obesity. And that is why I became a Beachbody Coach!

Beachbody has not only allowed me to improve my health, but through coaching it has allowed me to have a hand in improving the health, fitness, and confidence of so many other people! And bonus-being a coach has supplemented the income that Nate makes, allowing me to be a stay at home mom and be the one teaching and guiding my kids (literally a dream come true!).  It has been such an amazing opportunity and I am simply grateful!  If you have a heart for helping people and ending the trend of obesity … and could use some extra money, coaching may be a good fit for you too.  Send me a message and we would be happy to talk to you more about it.






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1 comment:

  1. Great Report! Glad your my coach! I hope I can say the same thing in 90days. Can't wait to start.

    ReplyDelete