transformation tuesday Archives - Popcorn and Pandas

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 Tuesday: Meet Amy

Amy Results Photos

Meet Amy!

Amy is a fellow Brooklyn Mama who I met when both of our oldest sons were born. We have known each other for the past two+ years, and our sons are now going to preschool together. Our younger sons are also around the same age, and it has been so nice to have a friend in the neighborhood who understands what life is like with two boys and going through everything together at the same time!

I was so excited when Amy reached out about joining my next 21 Day Fix group, and with her passion for fitness, I knew she would love it and do fantastic. She has worked so hard, and her results are proof that hard work pays off.

So without future ado…let me introduce Amy!!!

P + P: Tell us about yourself (where you live, family, hobbies, interests, anything else that you would like to include about yourself)

Amy: My family of 4 lives in Kensington, Brooklyn. It’s a small neighborhood by the bottom of Prospect Park. My husband and I have two boys (2 years old and 7 months old). I’m 41. I like to put my age out there. I feel good about where I am in my life and the things I’ve accomplished.

I’ve lived in NYC for 17 years. Initially, I worked in theater, mostly in PR and marketing. I decided to leave my desk jobs and go to beauty school. I started at Arrojo Studio as an assistant 11 years ago and worked my way up to being a Master Colorist/Texture Specialist. I work for an industry leader and have had the opportunity to travel, teach and grow with the company. My work is my passion and I love being creative and helping people look and feel their best. That’s my day job.

My other full time job (my day and night job), is being a mom to my boys. When I’m not at the salon, I’m with my sons. I love the balance of doing both jobs.

P + P: What is your fitness background?

Amy: I lost 35 pounds my senior year of high school and started managing my diet and exercising. At that point, I was hooked and haven’t lost my motivation since. I went to my college’s gym between classes, joined a gym during my first internship and again when I moved to New York. I always made fitness a priority. I took spinning classes, African dance, pilates and even worked out with personal trainers. One trainer was a friend and I worked out with her for over a year. I have always loved weight lifting and cross training. From her, I learned I had to leave my comfort zone to get results. If I thought I could only do 10 pushups, she made me do 15.

P + P: Why did you decide to try the 21 Day Fix?

Amy: Even though I have always been dedicated to working out, I’ve always carried extra weight on my frame. The weight lifting probably made me look even heavier.

I gained 36 pounds carrying my first son. Our birthdays are two days apart and I was determined to get back in shape for my 40 birthday and his 1^st. I did it, and I felt great even though I was already pregnant again. I never got to enjoy my fit self because I gained 30 pounds carrying my second son. When he was 4 months old, I saw a picture of Gina after she completed her first round of the 21 Day Fix and realized I wasn’t nursing my way into skinny jeans. I said to my husband, “I just want to lose 4 pounds. That’s it and I’ll be happy.”

I contacted Gina, bought the 21 Day Fix program and Shakeology and joined her challenge group. I lost 6 pounds the first round.

Since then, I’ve completed 2 more fitness challenges and I’ve lost another 6 pounds (for a total of 12 pounds) and have my muscle and definition back.

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

Amy: The program is easy to follow. The color coded containers make sense and I don’t feel limited since there are a huge list of food I can choose from. I also started cooking which has been a win for the whole family.

I love the 30 minute workouts. It’s a manageable amount of time when I’m home with my kids. I don’t have to go to a gym to get in shape. I have a yoga mat and weights at home and the 21 Day Fix workout videos make me feel like I’m part of the class. The first time I did a video I could barely make it through, now I’m taking on the 21 Day EXTREME workout for my next round.

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

Amy: The controlled portion sizes are my biggest challenge. I had a decent diet before: No processed foods but I ate out a lot, I’d order in, sometimes have a beer with dinner and probably ate twice the portion than I needed.

The clean eating came easily, but eating smaller amounts were very difficult. I found it hard to resist snacks, especially my kid’s snacks. Why are bunny crackers so appealing?

P + P: 12 pounds and 6 inches from your waist is an incredible accomplishment! How did you stay motivated for those 63 days?

Amy: When I started, I wanted to fit back into my old clothes and feel better. After the first round, I looked so different I wanted to keep going. I wanted to look good, but the potential for looking GREAT was so close.

Friends and co-workers started noticing and everyone was enthusiastic and supportive. The 21 Day Fix became fun, like a fitness game.

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

Amy: I feel completely different than I did before I started the program. I’m fit, feel healthy and I have energy again. The kind of energy I use to have before having kids. At 41, I never thought that was possible. I assumed people just get more tired as they get older but that’s just not true. Doing this program showed me that if I want it, I can make it happen. I put in the effort and I got the result.

Another thing that still surprises me is how much support I am receiving on my health and fitness journey. My husband, friends and co-workers are cheering for me and I inspired them to change themselves. I’ve learned how gratifying it is to lead others as they get fit. It’s the ultimate way to pay it forward and that’s why I became a coach.

I am so incredibly proud of Amy for her hard work and dedication. As a brand new coach, she has already inspired 9 new people to start their own fitness journey. It’s clear that whatever challenge Amy takes on in life, she goes at it full-on…whether it’s as a Master Colorist/Texture Specialist, a Mama of two, or a Fitness Coach, Amy does it well and with great success! Thank you so much, Amy, for sharing your story here with us!

Hope you are all having a great week so far. It’s been unusually nice outside for February after we just had a major snow storm, but I’m certainly not complaining!!!

XO,

Gina

Transformation Tuesday: 21 Day Fix Post-Pregnancy

Remember this photo? This was me at 38 weeks pregnant, right before my little Luca decided to make his grand entrance! As most of you know, I was active throughout the majority of my pregnancy (aside from some 1st trimester morning sickness days and at the very end, I admit I was starting to lose some mobility!) I did feel a huge difference this time around in regard to my health and fitness compared to my last pregnancy. While I did walk a ton with my son, Nico, I definitely did not do any other strength activity as I did this time around. I managed to complete the entire PiYo program (combo of pilates/yoga), dabbled in some Turbo Jam (dance/kickboxing) and even CIZED it Up (hip hop dance) while 34+ weeks pregnant! It was a lot of fun, and I am so glad I did. I also think it helped me in regard to labor and delivery (which went super smoothly), recovery (which was quick), shedding a lot of baby weight, and being able to jump back into things quickly after.

I suppose that also has something to do with having a toddler. Toddlers do not exactly let you sit around and REST 😉

So combined with a healthy-ish diet, walking around Brooklyn, and chasing my toddler, and nursing my newborn, I was able to shed 20 lbs of baby weight after 6 weeks post-partum.

I was very eager to get active again, and I decided to start with the 21 Day Fix Program that is so well-known and loved in my industry. After seeing challenger after challenger have success with this program and continue a healthy lifestyle going forward, I thought this would be the perfect way to not only kickstart my fitness journey again, but really get my nutrition in check for the long haul. The portion control containers REALLY opened my eyes to what I was eating on a daily basis and what I SHOULD be eating. I did eat well throughout most of my pregnancy…but you know…those pregnancy cravings…

I dove into the 21 Day Fix full force planning out my meals for the week and pressing play every.single.day. I was very determined to stay on track, and I am happy with the end result. I do have to remember that it took me 9 MONTHS to look the way I did when I was carrying Luca, so of course things are not all magically going to go back to normal after 21 days. It’s all about progress, not perfection. But I am happy to say that it’s working, and I am on my way back to my healthy, fit self again.

The “Before” photos were taken 6 weeks post-partum, and the “After” shots were taken on Sunday…21 days later. 4 pounds and 6.25 inches may not seem like a lot to some, but on my short frame, it’s actually quite a lot. And trust me…it was NOT easy for me to share these. Although I live my life on social media…I am still embarrassed and shy about putting something like this out where I don’t necessarily feel comfortable in my own skin just yet. But I think it’s important to show that it is a process, and if you keep at it, you will reach your goals. It’s only been 21 days, and I know this is not a huge transformation, but I still have work to do. Hopefully I will be able to incorporate more ab exercises back in soon (as I have ab separation from my pregnancy and cannot do crunches, etc.) I am planning on doing another round of the 21 Day Fix starting up November 2nd, and I’m already planning out my programs for the new year. Who’s with me? Comment below with your e-mail, and I would be happy to send you more info!

I thought it would be terribly difficult to get my workout in with two little ones and working from home, but all it takes is a commitment. It’s all a mindset, and if you make yourself a priority for 30 minutes each day, you will get it done.

Hope you are all having an awesome week so far!

XO,

Gina

Transformation Tuesday: A P90X3 Story

Meet Caitlin!!!

She joined my Challenge group in May of this year, and dove right into the fitness and nutrition plan for P90X3. I met Caitlin in high school back in Maryland (her brother was in my class), and she was always active and fit. However, as many of us women know, having a baby can take a toll on our bodies. She has a beautiful baby boy to show for it, but Caitlin was eager to get her post-baby body back. Plus, working as a pastry chef, it was hard for her to keep her hand out of the cookie jar if you will. I don’t blame her! I was so happy to have her join my group. She worked so hard, and has incredible results to show for us and has adopted a healthy lifestyle for herself and for her family.

Okay enough chatter from me…let me introduce you to Caitlin and let her tell you about her journey herself!

P+P: Tell us about yourself (where you live, family, hobbies, interests, anything else that you would like to include about yourself)

Caitlin: I live in Baltimore, MD with my husband, Matt, 9 1/2 month old son, Max, and dog, Buck! I went to the Ohio State University and studied Athletic Training. I did that for a few years but burned out quickly and decided to pursue my passion in baking and pastries! I went to culinary school and I am a pastry chef – which makes it hard to resist my sweet tooth since I am surrounded by goodies all day!

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P+P: What is your fitness background?

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Caitlin: I was always an athlete and have always loved to workout. I played softball, ice hockey, and when I was younger did everything from basketball to soccer to ballet! I love sports and have never had a problem working out (well sometimes the motivation isn’t always there but once I get going i’m good!). During my pregnancy I tried to stay active though I did not have a set workout routine. I stuck to mostly walking but made sure I did it daily! I still gained weight, as you are supposed to during pregnancy, but it was hard to lose after!

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P+P: Why did you decide to try P90X3?

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I decided on P90X3 for several reasons. One, I had already done P90X and loved the routines, but they were quite long. Since I liked them, Gina recommend P90X3! I wanted something that was high intensity and had a lot of variety which is exactly what P90X3 offers. Lastly, I needed something that was short and sweet. I do not have enough time between work and being home with my very active son, to fit in a long gym sesh. Having 30 minute workouts that I could do at home was clutch (and honestly the only way I could workout and stay sane!)

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

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I loved that the DVDs were only 30 minutes long. Like I said I have very little time and working out during my son’s nap is not an option. I nap when he does because I go in to work at 3 am in order to stay home with him. He is great at self play but gets bored quickly, so 30 minutes is the perfect time for me to get in a good sweat. I also loved the variety. There was a bit of lifting, some cardio, and my favorite – MMX (a mixed martial arts DVD Tony Horton style!)

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P+P: What was tough or challenging for you? (Particular workouts? Sticking to nutrition? Anything else?)

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The toughest part for me was nutrition. The workouts were no brainers, and it was easy to press play everyday. I think mostly because I have always loved to work out and also because the DVDs got me excited (gotta love those endorphins!) The nutrition part was a struggle because I am such a sweet tooth and am surrounded by all the bad (but oh so good!) stuff every day. I found however the more I worked out, the less I craved the sweets (well the more I thought about what I ate because I didn’t want to ruin the hard work I put in that day!)

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P+P: 17 lbs and 3 pants sizes is an incredible accomplishment! How did you stay motivated for those 90 days?

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My motivation came from several places. One – my support group and coach! It was awesome to see and hear from other ladies going through the same struggles and accomplishments that I went through! It also held me accountable knowing I was going to check in with them later and couldn’t lie! Also seeing the results motivated me big time! It wasn’t even what I saw on the scale – it was seeing little changes – my arms toning up – my legs slimming out – my tummy getting tighter. It started with small differences. Then I took the picture at 60 days and compared it to day 1. I could not believe what I saw! When it comes off slowly you almost forget where you started! I was so glad I took that before picture because it really put things into perspective! That then gave me the courage to try on an old pair of shorts that I had from HIGH SCHOOL! I could not believe they fit! Now 90+ days out those shorts are getting BIG! Yea I still can’t believe it! I also was very highly motivated by my son. I did not want to be self conscious and pass that on! I wanted to be fit and active and have better eating habits for him to learn! I wanted to be able to go to the beach and be happy swimming in the water and playing in the sand with him without any thoughts of “oh I bet people are looking at my belly” Plus just waking up and seeing his cute smile was all the motivation I needed to be healthy and be there for him!

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

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Today I feel amazing and almost in disbelief. I know everyone says they want to lose weight, or tone up, or run that marathon – but there is always that self doubt. will I actually be able to do it? Can I do it? Now I do not even consider those questions! Yes, I CAN do it and I WILL do it! I am happier, healthier, thinner, more toned, can keep up with my son, and feel fantastic in anything I wear! My goals moving forward are to continue to create healthy habits. I feel like I am addicted to working out now so I want to try new things! I want to start lifting heavier and get more definition! I want this to be my lifestyle, a habit, something I don’t have to think about – just something I do, everyday, no questions asked!

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Caitlin (continued):

I have had such amazing results that I am now officially addicted! I jumped right into the 21 Day Fix and have plans on doing another program set to come out in December. I also am going to start training for the Baltimore Half Marathon in October (YIKES!)! I know what exercise, nutrition, and support has done for me, so I want to share that with others. It was pretty much a no brainer when you approached me about the coaching opportunity! I was already doing the workouts and working hard on the nutrition and I LOVED the challenge groups. So the transition into actually helping others do it was so easy! I have always loved to help and inspire others in any way that I can. Becoming a coach just gave me that opportunity.It also help hold me accountable! How can I help others if I am not doing it!? It was all the more reason to become a coach. I also had major support from my husband who knew this was something I wanted and something I would be good at! My son played a major role in my future as well. I want to be able to stay home with him but still provide financially for the family! Becoming a Beachbody Coach has me on the path to that lifestyle – all while keeping me healthy (and my family!) My future is filled with helping others and maintaining this healthy lifestyle – this isn’t a fad, its not a quick fix – it is hard work that I have made in to long lasting habits and I want to help as many people as I can do the same!

I am so proud of Caitlin and all the hard work she has put into creating a better life for herself physically, mentally, and financially. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us! I am excited to see what you accomplish for yourself and your family in the next year, and I know you will help and inspire so many others along the way!

Hope you are all having a great week so far. I am on Day 2 of being on my own with my two boys. So far, it’s going pretty well! I am surprised I have actually been productive. I was able to get out of the house two days in a row, get Nico down for his naps, get 2-3 hours of work done each day, and not have the house be a complete disaster upon Zack’s return home. #winning! Beginner’s luck? We shall see how long it lasts 😉

XO,

Gina