Team SPARK Archives - Popcorn and Pandas

Thirteen Journeys

Today I am honored to share my story as part of the Thirteen Fit Apparel 13 Journeys campaign!!

My story is about an athlete. It’s about motherhood. It’s about challenges. It’s about entrepreneurship. It’s about hard work. It’s about priorities. It’s about putting your mind to something and accomplishing it.

I hope that something within my journey can connect or resonate with you today. We are all on our own journey toward becoming our #ultimateself, and I continue to work on mine every single day.

Thank you to Paige Festa for including me on this project, to the 12 other inspiring individuals who are also sharing their journeys in these next few weeks, and to Jocelyn Bold Photography for capturing the photos from this shoot.

Full story can found over at Thirteen Fit Apparel! Hope you can check it out!

Happy Monday!

XO,

Gina

Meet Meagan: A Coaching Story

Meet Meagan!!!

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Meagan and I went to college together at the University of Maryland and met on the Women’s Club Soccer Team. While we have a similar athletic background and we are now both mamas, I just love Meagan’s story. She is one inspiring lady who seriously does it all…she takes care of animals, takes care of her daughter, she’s an amazing wife/daughter/sister, and now she is back to taking care of herself as well. Meagan is working toward BIG goals, and I couldn’t have been more thrilled that she decided to trust in me to join Team SPARK! and take this journey as a coach alongside me. She is a TEAM player, a HARD worker, and she DREAMS BIG. Not only has she had incredible success with her health + fitness journey (she has lost at least 42 lbs post pregnancy to date of this interview…and possibly more now), she is also building her own team and making great strides toward achieving that type of freedom she craves with the business side of coaching. She has grown so much, and I cannot WAIT to see where this journey will take her next!!

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Progress Photos:

Beginning of Coaching Journey:

Mid October:

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Without further ado, I will let you read my interview with her below and you can meet her for yourself! 🙂

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1) Tell us about yourself (where you live, family, hobbies, interests, anything else that you would like to include about yourself). I live in Baltimore, MD with my husband and daughter. We have 2 dogs and 2 cats. My husband and I are both from PA so our families are atleast 1.5 hours away. I’m the oldest of 6 girls so life for me has always been crazy/busy, non stop, always on the go. Living away from family means that help with our daughter’s childcare can be a little difficult at times. I work three 12 hours shifts in a row as a registered veterinary technician (nurse) at a very busy animal hospital with a very high standard of care. So work can be exhausting (mentally and physically) and stressful but I love it. I also bartend on Saturday nights at Phillips Seafood Restaurant where I have worked since graduating from college (this year makes 9 years!). My husband’s days off are two of the days that I work so he can be home with Charlotte. On Saturdays I go into work with Charlie and hand her off to Daddy and then he takes her home. So we only have to pay for one day of childcare. This plan, however, does not allow us to have any days off together. That has it’s own challenges, of course. I don’t have much time or the ability for activities for myself (I used to play football, kickball, and softball on local social club teams) but when ever I have off, I have my daughter (and daddy is at work) and it’s not always easy to find help to watch her if I need/want to do something. So, I can’t do it, unless I can take her.

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I love sports, animals, being outside and being adventurous. I like doing anything that I can take the dogs along for. They love to swim and fetch, they are very active and energetic but it’s hard to bring them with me sometimes since it’s usually just me with Charlie and both of them.

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2) What is your fitness background? I played soccer for 16 years. In middle school, I ran track and played basketball too. In college and afterwards I played on several club teams for kickball, football, softball, volleyball, soccer. If you need a person on your sports team, I’m your gal. Haha. I may not be awesome at all sports, but I can get by in most of them. My Dad was a soccer player (He played for the San Jose Earthquakes in the 80s) and he always played softball when I was growing up, so my love of sports comes from him— he taught me everything I know about throwing a baseball and football and kicking a soccer ball. My mom was always active also, she was a flamenco dancer in a dance company when I was young, trained with a body builder and would often go on long runs when I was in high school. She used to take me to an MMA gym where we would take a boxercise class and tae-ke-bo class. So my fitness always revolved around sports. I didn’t like running for fun until college which was when I picked up a love for yoga also. Both were a great way for me to de-stress and clear my mind. As great as yoga and running are for my mind, I have always loved team sports.

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3) Why did you decide to become a Coach on Team SPARK? I wasn’t expecting to decide to be a coach that day in May 2017. I saw one of your posts about daring to dream. I think it just hit home for me and I knew I had to jump on it, without much thought, I jumped in. I had been feeling very BLAH for months. I was in a funk, a bad one. I WANTED to workout more, but I just couldn’t seem to get it done. I had started taking regular walks with the dogs and Charlie in the stroller and I was more conscious about what I was eating. I was 160ish pounds in Dec2016/Jan2017 and by April I was hovering around 145. So, progress was being made but I knew regular walks weren’t gonna to get me where I wanted. I just couldn’t seem to figure out how I was going to get it done. My husband is naturally tall and thin and would choose to eat Taco Bell every night if he could (even though he is an amazing cook). He wasn’t going to be the one to motivate me. We had worked half way through P90X twice (we could only ever seem to make it to 45ish days haha). He grew up playing volleyball and baseball. We played kickball together on a social team and he can be very competitive and that’s how we got through P90X. I worked out during the day because I worked nights then and he would workout when he got home from his day shift— we always kept each other on track. Nowadays, he’d rather not workout— so that leaves me to motivate myself. It wasn’t going very well. I didn’t want to get a gym membership, becauseI knew I wouldn’t use it. Plus, not all gyms have childcare and like I said before, I always have Charlie.

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I’d also been dreaming of not having to bartend on Saturday nights anymore. It’s not a bad gig, but I’m just ready to call it quits. The money I make there each month pays my gigantic student loan bill and although we could probably survive without it.. it seems stupid to not work 4 days a month to be able to make that payment. I was trying to figure out what else I could do that would allow us the freedom we have financially without making any sacrifices. After several weeks/months of feeling like there was something missing in more than 1 aspect of my life, there was your post. Dare to dream. I had been seeing your posts for years. Busy mom, fit mom, working mom. Killing it. So I said, what the hell. Why not try it, what could it hurt. I knew just being a challenger would not be enough to make this a lifestyle change. Being just a challenger would probably get me as far as I got with P90X and then I would fall off again. BUT being a coach, being able to motivate and inspire others? That should do the trick. I always loved being a team captain, I loved coaching, and I had been thinking about taking looking into teaching at the local vet tech school. I wanted something to spend my time that was fulfilling, that would allow me to help others. But coaching/teaching was just another something that would take me away from the house and require additional childcare costs and less time with family. COACHING was it! I could check off all the boxes. PLUS, even if coaching wasn’t a financial success, I would hopefully have my athletic self back again. I had been missing since college. So, without overthinking it, I said yes. I’m so happy I did.

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4) What was the first Beachbody program you tried? What did you like about it? P90X. I liked how challenging it was and I liked that variety of workouts. Since becoming a coach, the first program I tried was 22 Minute Hard Corps, because I knew I liked Tony as a trainer, and I was familiar with him so I picked that one first. Plus the shorter workouts would make for an easier transition into a fitness routine.

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5) What was tough or challenging for you? The hardest part at first was waking up early to get my workout in before my long shifts. That had been an excuse of mine for a loooooong time. There was no way that I would be able to wake up before a 12 hours shift earlier than I needed to just to work out. I had been working on eating better for a few months, but nutrition was also a big part of what I struggled with. Not because I don’t like healthy foods, but because I was terrible at planning and I would stop at fast food restaurants all the time because I wouldn’t have food in the house. I would stop in the morning on the way to work for breakfast— because I wouldn’t give myself enough time to eat at home— and I would stop when I was out running errands because it was easy. I was getting fast food at least 3-4 times a week AND going out to eat with hubby once a week or every other week. Shakeology has really helped with that, it’s my breakfast in the car on the way to work and my go-to lunch on my days off when we are out and about!

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6) What has your progressed looked like in terms of pounds and inches? How did you stay motivated to get to this point? I’ve lost 15 pounds and 10 inches since becoming a coach. I went from a size 10 to a 4 (just realized I was in a size 4 the other day)! My motivation came from the accountability/support groups. Watching everyone live busy lives and still find time to workout and eat right was great. It made me feel like I wasn’t alone. I knew it was going to be a constant battle and somedays I may lose the battle was I was going to win this war. It all comes back to my love of team sports. That was this is like for me. We are all on a team, we win together, we lose together, we support each other, we motivate each other. We all have something to learn from one another, and I find that the most inspiring. The honesty and the open-ness of the group allows for a safe place to be honest and open with yourself. Sharing my story has helped me stay on track and hearing how people are inspired by what I’m doing when I run into them, that’s worth it. Even if they aren’t joining my group or supporting my business, they are driven by when I share to be more active and make better choices. That’s huge.

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7) How do you feel today, and what are your goals moving forward? I feel awesome. My goals are constantly changing, which is so cool! I’ve surpassed my original goals which is sooo surprising! Instead of quitting because I’ve reached my original goals (which is part of the reason I stopped P90X midway through— I felt like I was at a good place and could stop), I make new goals. Now that I’ve lost the weight, I want to build muscle and tone my body. I want to be able to one day do a hand stand and at least 5 pull ups. I want to continue inspiring other people to reach their goals. My ultimate goal is to inspire my husband to join me and start his own fitness journey. Any wife knows that you can’t make them do anything they don’t want to do, so I’ll just wait for him to have the grand idea all on his own. 🙂 Haha. I just want people to realize that if they WANT to do it, they can do it. I’m a TV junkie. I love naps. I love junk food. I procrastinate. I’m always late, and I hit the snooze at least 3 times every morning. But here I am, surprising myself everyday. If I can do this, anyone can do this.

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8) How has your life changed since become a Coach on Team SPARK? My life has changed in so many ways! I LIKE waking up early before work to work out. I feel energized, accomplished, and proud. I make regular trips to the grocery store and keep my fridge stocked with good foods to eat! I plan more, plan meals for the week, plan my days, and plan to be better than I used to be. I’m happier. I don’t feel sluggish or tired (sometimes yes, but not nearly as often as I used to). I’m confident. I like the person I see in the mirror and not just because of my pants size but because of what I’ve been able to accomplish. Being a coach has given me my life back, I feel like myself again.

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So flippin’ proud of this girl, and can you just look at that SMILE!!!! That is EVERYTHING. 🙂

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All it takes is a leap of faith when you dare to dream. This girl is doing it. And this team is going places. Watch us. Or join us. Only you can make that decision spark that fire and FLY.

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Hope you are all making the most of your week!

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XO,

Gina

Transformation Story: Christie DeMarco

Happy Wednesday everyone! I am SOOOOO incredibly excited to introduce you all to a challenger and now coach on my team, Christie DeMarco! Her post partum health + fitness journey has been incredible and I’m so pumped to share. In addition to rocking her health + fitness, Christie has also been crushing her business as a new coach and helping others to achieve amazing results as well!

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Without further ado, here is Christie!!!

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Photos taken in April – May – June respectively

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P+ P: Hi Christie!!! Please tell us about yourself (where you live, family, hobbies, interests, anything else that you would like to include about yourself)!

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Christie: I recently turned 30 this past June!! My goals were to be married and be done having babies when I turned 30, and I am so done! I’m 5’5 and 125lbs (3 lb water fluctuating weight) haha. I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and have lived around here all my life. I am a Palliative Care Nurse in home care which I love. I see sickness and death day in and day out. I think that helps push me to appreciate being able to get up in the morning healthy and able to workout and eat healthy. We can’t prevent cancer 100% but we can prevent what we put in our bodies and be more mindful of our health. Which I am hoping will prevent me from getting cancer.

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P+P: What is your fitness background?

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Christie: I was 125 lbs pre-pregnancy and not really trying to lose anymore weight other than that. My focuses are tightening and toning.

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I have always loved health and fitness. I worked at McDonald’s in high school, but I never really ate the food there. Only fries and egg sandwiches.

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I had diastasis recti with my 1st baby, Josilynn, which only made it way worse with Nolan, my baby. I gained 50lbs with Josilynn and only 45 with Nolan. However, even with 45 lbs i swear it was all in my belly which was very painful on my back. I lost every bit within 2 weeks with Josilynn without working out. I didn’t realize how nice that was until after my 2nd when my abdomen was not at all how it was before my 2nd pregnancy. It’s still not and will never be again. My focus has been toning my legs and arms and if my abdomen shaped up then bonus!

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P+P: Why did you decide to try Insanity Max 30?

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Christie: I did only the 1st month of Insanity when I was getting married but never finished it. I am a HUGE Shaun T. fan so I started Insanity Max 30. I figured I have 30 min a day I’ll give it a go. Well 1 week turned into 2 weeks and so on.

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P+P: What about the program worked for you? What did you like about it?

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Christie: I started seeing results in about 2 weeks which makes you get hooked right away!!

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P+P: What was tough or challenging for you? (particular workouts? sticking to nutrition? anything else?)

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Christie: My son got sick and was hospitalized within that 1st month so I got a little off track but got right back into it when things settled. I just really wanted to finish a program. I didn’t follow the nutrition guideline, rather I just ate clean and listened to my body with good portion control. I am 95% vegan so I have to alter my diet other than the meal plans. I am NOT GOOD at meal prepping which I am really going to try and get into…..

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I hate cardio because I have asthma. I know, Insanity is a LOT of cardio!!!

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P+P: 10 lbs and 5 inches is an incredible accomplishment! How did you stay motivated for those 60 days?

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Christie: Shaun T. kept me motivated. I took extra breaks or modified when I needed to, but never stopped.

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Gained confidence and without even doing most of the ab exercises I have a baby 6 pack forming!! You need to seriously focus on good form with any ab exercise especially with ab separation.

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P+P: How do you feel today and what are your goals moving forward?

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I am looking forward to coaching and helping other people gain confidence I have and will only continue to do!

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I am now doing 21 day fix Extreme and my goal is to do Shift Shop in July with my 1st challenge group!

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Side note…this interview was done earlier this summer, and since then Christie has accomplished so much more! Not only has she crushed those workout programs, but she has helped SO many people in just her early stages of coaching! She achieved Success Starter status in our company in her 1st month as a coach and helped 5 people get started on their own health + fitness journey. She also earned a call with our company CEO, which is a HUGE deal!!!

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She is running her own challenge groups now to help others and she is building her own team of coaches to teach and train as well. Christie is going places peeps, and I’m SO excited to have her as a part of Team SPARK!

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And she also is famous on our team for rockin’ the cutest workout tanks! Love it!

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Hope you all are having an amazing week so far. Continue to spread love, positivity, and happiness wherever you go! With all this crazy stuff going on, be the change you wish there to be in the world.

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XO,

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Gina

A Special Invitation

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PINCH ME PLEASE!

A year and a half ago, I decided to try out this “coaching thing” because I didn’t want to start a brand new job in the advertising industry spending long hours away from my little guy. I knew I would enjoy working for myself, and being able to work on my own schedule from anywhere was extremely appealing. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I figured as a former athlete and with my passion to help others that maybe it would be something I could do.

I quickly realized that this job would require hard work, but at the same time my potential was limitless…a feeling I had never TRULY felt before.

I became pregnant with baby #2, continued my own healthy journey and helped others to start theirs…and then I really knew this was no longer a “let’s see what happens” kind of job. This was a job that I felt was important…one that I needed and wanted to make work for my family. A job that I still enjoy waking up to do each day. I still have a long way to go on my journey, but I know that train is headed in the right direction.

I never realized how many people I would be able to help.

I never realized that I could actually get paid to do something like this.

I never realized how many AMAZING people I would meet.

And I definitely never realized I would be heading to Sundance, Utah this fall on a free trip provided to the top leaders of our team from our incredible coach.

This coaching job has not only allowed me to help others change their lives…with physical transformations, increased energy, happiness boosts, increased confidence, financial transformations, and more…

But it has given me an incredible confidence I never thought possible…and I have been able to surround myself with other hard working, bad ass women on a similar journey toward self-improvement. My team is amazing. I have realized that literally ANYONE can do this. You don’t have to be a social media rock star or a sales person (Lord, please don’t be a sales person). You don’t have to have completed your journey yet or “be where you want to be with your fitness.” My team is still learning and growing on our own journeys every day.

To see this invitation in my inbox last week, I am still in shock at how much has changed in the last year and a half. Back then I was a mom of an 18 month old with one on the way, out of a job, + a semi-directionless mediocre blogger who discovered my coach on the interwebs. Now, we are good friends, and she is hosting this phenomenal retreat for our team where I will reunite with other amazing ladies I have met on this journey and we will learn how to grow ourselves, grow our businesses, learn how to better help others, and have a little fun while doing it.

Seriously, PINCH ME! Thank you Marion for this incredible opportunity! I am counting down the days!!!!

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Happy Friday everyone!

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XO,

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Gina

3 Week Yoga Retreat

I was an athlete growing up, but yoga is something I discovered in my 20’s after college. Being that person who was always into cardio heavy sports like soccer and basketball, yoga was quite a switch. The quiet, calm music…having to hold balance and stay still in a position for an extended period of time. It was definitely different. But the moment I tried it for the first time, I knew I loved it. There was just something about it that made me feel AMAZING after it was all over. It was a different feeling than I had experienced from exercise before. I normally felt exhausted, tired, banged up, bruised, sore, and more after a soccer or basketball game. But after yoga I felt rejuvenated. I felt a clear mind. I felt a release of stress, tension, and anxiety. I knew that yoga would not be going anywhere in my life.

While living in New York, I have had the pleasure of attending amazing yoga classes from my favorite teacher Brian Williams! If you haven’t taken a punk rock yoga class before, or a class on top of a roof in this amazing city, this guy will rock your world. Seriously. I am still dreaming of taking his week long yoga retreat vacation to some beautiful, tropical location. One of these days, I will make it happen.

But for now…since becoming a mom, it’s nearly impossible for me to make a yoga class (or any other classes for that matter). When my older son was about 18 months, I finally decided to get back into shape by taking my workouts to the living room. I quickly found out I was pregnant with baby #2 and I was going to need something more low impact than P90X. I WISHED Beachbody had a yoga program at that time, but they didn’t. The closest thing they had was PiYo, and I absolutely loooooooooved it. This combo of pilates/yoga/cardio/sculpt/strength + Chalene Johnson will always have a special place in my heart. However, it was not truly yoga.

I am THRILLED that as of yesterday, Beachbody has launched a new *** 3 WEEK YOGA RETREAT *** that you can do inside your own living room!!!! This is the program I have been waiting for!!!! Now I don’t have to feel left out because I can’t make the classes, but I can do them from home. 21 different yoga workouts for 21 days. On demand, so you can not only do them at home, but wherever you need to go. Pretty amazing.

The super yogis will love this, but it’s even better for those just beginning or those needing a low impact workout.

I’m currently doing Hammer + Chisel as you may have seen from my posts yesterday, but I seriously cannot wait to rock out this yoga program as soon as I am finished! I already know that I will love it. <3

Hope you all had an awesome Labor Day Weekend! I cannot believe they are already serving pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks. I am sad for the summer to end, but I do love the fall. School also starts this week for my oldest guy which is crazy! He will be in a 3’s program this year, and it will also be my first experience as a mom packing lunches! Is it weird that I oddly excited about that? I am also a bit excited to get started in our new routine. Yesterday, I was feeling all “Bring Back the Summer,” but today I think I’m embracing the new season.

Namaste!!!

Gina

Jam out July

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Like music? Like working out? Like listening to music WHILE working out?!?!

Then THIS is the challenge for you!!!

Join some of the top coaches on Team SPARK! July 18th for Jam Out July!!! This FREE 5 Day Health + Fitness Challenge will incorporate a summer jam for each workout on each day of the week. You can listen to the song once for a quick mini workout, play the song on repeat for more of a challenge, or string them all together at the end of the week to pump up that jam!

We will also be sharing healthy recipes and tips for summer fun! Should be a good time, and you won’t want to miss this one!

Comment below with your email address to JOIN the fun or reach out to me for more details!

gina.notes26 {at} gmail.com

Cannot WAIT!

XO,

Gina

Melt Away May

Melt Away May Invite

ICE CREAM!!!! No, I am not running an ice cream eating challenge group (although that might be pretty fun 😉 ) …

We all like ice cream. You can say you don’t, but I know you do…or maybe you are just weird 😉 No one wants to give up these kinds of things for life. And we don’t have to. Your journey toward health and fitness does not mean you have to eat food that tastes like cardboard, be hungry all the time, or work out like a maniac for hours and hours each day. To me that doesn’t sound fun or healthy. And neither does depriving yourself of the finer things in life…like said ice cream.

Just because I love ice cream doesn’t mean I need to eat it every day. But it also doesn’t mean I can’t have it and still live a happy and healthy lifestyle. In fact, that happy factor goes right up after a delicious bite! I’m a firm believer that if you are fueling your body with the right whole foods, vitamins, and nutrients 80% of the time, then you should absolutely enjoy that ice cream (or pizza, or chocolate, or whatever you please)…the other 20%…and you should enjoy it guilt-free! Enjoying these things can be satisfying and it can also curb that urge to go on a super binge down the road.

My post-partum health and fitness journey has been different than any other journey I have had previously because while I have always been an athlete…I never really thought too much about what I was eating. I liked to think that I was eating healthy most of the time, but I never REALLY paid a super amount of attention. After baby #2, I really dialed into my nutrition, paid attention to what I was eating and learned a lot about my habits from doing the 21 Day Fix program. It made me think about healthy habits for a lifestyle rather than just a fad diet.

In addition, the workouts were an awesome variety that really targeted the entire body each week. Previously I was a soccer player, basketball player, a runner, etc…I had natural results because I was so active every day with 2 hour practices or hour long runs. After baby #2, 2 hour practices on the soccer field were definitely no longer practical! With this program I could get a 30 minute workout in each day without ever leaving the house…and I got a total body workout that produced amazing results…while still allowing me to enjoy life with those treats J

While I do still sometimes crave that game on the soccer field…with my current lifestyle and hanging out with my little guys on a daily basis…this is how I am able to get it done…and how I am able to get results. I have to say I am probably the HEALTHIEST I have been in my entire life. All it took was:

*Healthy Meals & a Realistic Outlook on Nutrition

*30 Min Daily Workouts

*Drinking a daily dose of dense nutrition each day

*Checking into a group full of positive, inspiring individuals that keep me accountable each day

*Surrounding myself with positive “co-workers” who build me up and make me a better person, athlete, mom, and businesswoman.

These days everyone has a full, busy life…but it doesn’t mean we don’t have time for the things that matter. And our health definitely matters. It’s all about what we choose to do with that time. You deserve that time for yourself. YOU MATTER!!!

I am starting my next Challenge Group up on May 2^nd, and would love to have you MELT AWAY MAY with me! Comment below with “I want to Melt Away May!” and the best way to contact you if you want to learn more information or need help choosing a program to fit your needs, likes, and goals. This summer I am excited to finally feel confident in a bikini while enjoying that ice cream guilt-free! Who’s with me? LET’S DO THIS!

Hope you are all having a great day! We are in Maryland this week spending some extra time with family while Nico is on Spring Break from school and the hubby is on a work trip in Austin. Make it a great one all!

XO,

Gina

Caribbean Cruise

Woweee, ok if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you are probably sick and tired of seeing all of our Caribbean Cruise photos by now….but just in case you’re notttt, and you wanted to see a little more detail from the trip, I created this blog post.

The ship (Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas) was absolutely incredible! One of the biggest in the world, it had everything from a wave rider, putt-putt golf, aqua theatre, rock wall, zip line, multiple pools and hot tubs, all you can eat ice cream dispensers, clubs, grand ballrooms, a champagne bar, a “Central Park” re-creation, stunning views, a solarium, a carousel, 17 floors, amazing restaurants, and even a Starbucks. I mean, seriously?!?! I am cruise SPOILED!!!

When docked in the Bahamas and Jamaica our ship just dwarfed every other one next to us. I literally cannot believe our company rented out the entire boat for us. I was beyond impressed with the great lengths they went to make our trip amazing and how wonderful the Royal Caribbean staff was.

Each day, we woke up to the option of working out with a celebrity trainer followed by an awesome post-workout Shakeology bar. My little buddy came up and did two workouts with me on the top deck.

Nassau was absolutely beautiful. We walked around the town exploring, went to Junkanoo Beach, treated ourselves with ice cream and Bahama Mamas, and splashed in the crystal clear waters. This was Luca’s first ever trip to the beach, and I’m pretty sure he was a big fan!

Getting to spend quality time with some amazing friends and fellow boss ladies on this trip was fantastic. We hang out online pretty much every day, but to see each other in person, you would never know we had only met face to face ONCE before! These gals push and inspire me daily, and they have become so important to me. It was also a super huge bonus during our team dinner to have Tony Horton come up and entertain my children! He was just as sweet and as funny in real life as he is on DVD 😉 So grateful to have been surrounded by so many positive people each day on our trip.

These smiles pretty much made my vacation! My boys had an awesome time, and I’m so happy I was able to provide this adventure for them! I will never forget it.

And last, but not least…Jamaica Mon! This place was gorgeous, and I definitely plan to return for a longer stay!

Again, I am so grateful to have had this experience with my family and close friends. A year ago, I never would have imagined a Caribbean vacation would be possible with a toddler and 6 month old. What an adventure! So happy to have stumbled upon the opportunity to work for such an amazing company. Looking forward to what is in store for our future!

We are now back to our regularly scheduled programming here in New York. Yesterday was a cold one waking up to a bit of snow on the ground. While I am still dreaming of the islands, it is nice to get back into my normal routine again!

Hope you are all having a great week!

XO,

Gina

Best of Both Worlds

What kind of life do you desire for yourself?

I find that as I get older and time goes on, my priorities have changed. In my twenties, I may have been fine with working late hours, meeting up with friends for an after work drink, crashing late, and doing it all over again the next day.

But now as a mom of two kids, I want to be here to tuck my kids into bed at night, read them stories, and snuggle them to sleep.

Previously, I was okay with a long subway commute. I used it as an excuse to get lots of reading done and was proud at how many books I could finish underground. Now, I do not want to spend a total of 3 hours per day commuting, because that means 15 hours a week extra that I would be spending away from my kiddos on top of a long work day.

My family has become my priority these days. I love being a mom…the good, the bad, and the ugly. The lack of sleep and toddler tantrums have nothing on those newborn snuggles and those slobbery toddler kisses.

That being said…I never saw myself as a stay at home mom. My mom worked hard outside of the home each and every day, and I figured I would follow in those footsteps. I studied hard in school and had dreams of a future and career that involved television and movies and sports and more. I wanted to be successful in my own right, and never have to rely on someone else to pay my bills. Not that those who are stay at home moms are not successful. It’s the hands down HARDEST job I have ever had to date! And I give props to every single stay at home mom out there, because having and raising kids on a daily basis IS definitely success in my book.

But the difference between then and now is that I didn’t realize then that I could be FINANCIALLY successful AND be a stay at home mom at the same time. I could own a business, work from home, AND spend my days raising my children the way I see fit. The best of both worlds in my mind.

Now, I’m not saying that it’s easy. I work HARD…both as a mom and as an entrepreneur. And some days I still feel like I am not quite measuring up in either category…because let’s face it…as mom you never feel like you are doing everything right…I am only human, and I can only do so much and yes, it’s HARD to work from home when you have a toddler…and now with a newborn, it’s even more crazy. But I am making it work, because it’s what’s best for ME and what’s best for my family. I am getting to fulfill something that I always wanted to do by having my own business and creating my own success…and I am not missing out on those opportunities to see my children grow.

The best part is that I have the FREEDOM to work when and how I want. I am able to create my own schedule and hours. I am helping others to reach their goals not only in health and fitness, but by teaching others to build their OWN business as well.

This opportunity is not exclusive to me. Have you ever thought about being a fitness coach? What about being home with your kids more? Or having the freedom to work from wherever you want? Or to stop stressing about money on the regular?

If so, I would love to invite you to join me and Team SPARK on Monday September 28th as we host a sneak peek into our business and share what is that we do on a daily basis. We are looking for 5 hard working, creative, and intelligent individuals who are looking to create more freedom for themselves or for their families. If you have any interest at all in learning more, please comment below and fill out this application to save your spot in our 3 Day Coach Open House group!

https://pandpfitness.wufoo.com/forms/team-spark/

Hope you are having a great week!

XO,

Gina