A Tiger Can't Change its Stripes

I was a Beachbody health and fitness coach for 3 years. I poured my heart and soul into it because I loved my career doing it. It filled my heart with happiness and it gave me a deeper purpose....a purpose of helping other people live healthier lives.

This is something that is so very important to me. Living a healthy life. This is something that was never something I put value on until after I had my first baby. I was so unhealthy my whole life and I just thought that was the way I was - and that was the way it was going to be. It's what I saw. I thought it was in my genes.

Turns out I was grossly mistaken and once I truly took matters into my own hands and finally gave a damn about working towards my health - everything changed.

The girl on the left was me actually about 11 years ago now. She was so very unhealthy and she was sad. She never exercised. Ever. Her nutrition consisted of eating out or food from a box. The only thing she drank was copious amounts of Diet Coke and too much alcohol. She hardly slept because her anxiety and depression kept her up at night. Her stress levels were through the roof. She suffered from migraine headaches all of her life and was sick all of the time. There were never enough sick days at work.

This girl didn't have a clue how to take care of herself. Or maybe she didn't feel she was worth it. She hated looking in the mirror and would avoid it at all costs.
Then I met my husband. Then I had my first daughter and my second.
I didn't want to be that person anymore. I knew not only was I worth taking care of, but now I had a whole family who needed me at my best.
What would I teach these little girls about health and self worth with the way I took care of myself?
So I learned. So I worked really hard and made big changes in my life. Was it easy and super fun all the time? Heck to the no.
But after over three years of daily and CONSISTENT dedication to my health, I'm now that girl on the right. A girl who loves herself enough to want to take care of her body, mind and soul. A wife who loves to feel confident. A mommy who feels proud of the example she sets for her little girls.
I feel 10 years younger than the girl on the left. I can literally feel her pain looking at the picture.
Why share all of this? Because I wasn't always the girl posting about fitness and health. I was a super duper hot mess before. And if I could make changes, literally ANYONE can. I promise you.
And just because I'm not a Beachbody coach anymore, doesn't mean ANYTHING about my passion and what I feel part of my calling is has changed. That's why I still run support groups and spend SO much of my time helping ANYONE who wants it. I don't get any paycheck anymore for one bit of it. I do it because I LOVE it.
When I was coaching - I always told everyone this "Even if I didn't receive a paycheck (and they were pretty lucrative ones after working my booty off) - I would still do what I do."
And if you know me - you know I've followed through on every word of that.
SO this blog is to let you know that I am here. If you are feeling lost in your journey...or lack thereof. If you feel like you could just use a little support, a little guidance...someone who won't let you give up on yourself and keep quitting. I'm here.
I just started a new group and we have about 32 women now who are committed to supporting one another in this journey. There are no strict rules. There is nothing to buy. Just a great group of women, trying to do this thing together with some accountability. If you are interested - shoot me an email to krystajmeyer@gmail.com and I'd love to chat with you and get you in our group.
A true tiger never changes its stripes. I am still the same person I was when I was technically a Beachbody coach - and I'm still here for you. 

The Career Switcher Extraordinaire

We can start this post by pointing out the elephant in the room right away.

I have done a lot of different things. Yes, it's true. Some look negatively upon it - but I am a risk taker, a hard worker and I believe that we should do what is TRUE to us, no matter what other people think.

I have worked since I was 12 years old, consistently. My first 3 years of undergrad I planned on going to law school and then decided I truly had no interest in doing that. So I transferred schools and got a degree in Business with a major in Accounting. Before I graduated I already had a job at a big public accounting firm downtown Grand Rapids in the tax department. I loved it. At first. I was there for a few years and then I didn't love it. But my personal life was kind of a hot mess too, so it was hard to know what was really the problem.

So I was offered a position at a large insurance brokerage firm downtown Chicago in their financial reporting department. I decided to take it and move alone and kind of "start over". I really did love that job. My boss was an amazing teacher and I learned a lot. But my now husband and I were getting very serious and he was still in Grand Rapids. The commuting back and forth was getting annoying and we knew eventually we would get married. So after a couple years in Chicago, my company let me transfer to their Michigan office even though the entire accounting and finance department was in Chicago. And my boss left the company when she moved too. So I didn't love my job anymore and felt very isolated. Then I was offered a position back at the public accounting firm I was at before I moved. They were so good to me, knowing I was going to need time off just a little bit after starting for our 10 day trip to Hawaii to get married. And we got pregnant 2.9 seconds after we got married and my company gives 16 weeks paid maternity leave. It was amazing.

But when I went back to work, I had changed. I NEVER envisioned myself anything but a professional working woman. I didn't know if I would ever want to get married or have kids. But now I had this sweet little baby and I just felt like I didn't have enough time for her.

So after about 10 months, I decided I was going to put my 2 weeks notice in and I was going to work at home for a professional recruiter who specializes in accounting and finance. I had my sister in law come to my house to watch my kids while I worked and it was great. 2 days after I put in my notice we found out {{as a huge surprise}} that we were pregnant again :)

But anyway - I worked from home for a while and then I was really itching to be back into the working environment. So I took a job as a financial analyst. But it was 40 minutes from our house. And my husband owns his own business that got really busy. I would leave in the morning way before my little babes would wake up and I would pick them up from daycare and see them for 2 hours a night. It was NOT what we wanted. So my position there did not last long because it was just too much of a strain on our family.

So FINALLY we decided that I would be a STAY.AT.HOME.MOM. Something I NEVER thought would be something I would ever say. Funny how everything you think your life will be like can be totally different.

And soon after I started staying home, I found Beachbody when I started using their programs and products. I fell in love with it. I had never been healthy in my entire life, and in a few short months of being in an accountability group and working out and eating healthy - my life was changing dramatically.  I knew I need to be in on this and help other people. So I went all in. I was a Beachbody coach for 3 years. I loved it, I worked extremely hard at it and it was a very successful venture. What started as something that I thought I would do for fun because I wanted to help people turned into something that replaced my prior full time working out of the home income as a financial analyst. I was blown.away!

But then I got to a point where I didn't love it anymore. Of course I loved the part of helping people. I will always love that and that is why I continue to run support groups and help ANYONE who asks for it. But the business part of the whole thing was just not for me anymore for many reasons. It took me a long time praying over my feelings and wrestling with what to do and how to do it. But finally after months and months of praying and soul searching, I just knew I had to end my relationship with the beachbody business as a coach. I don't need to get into all of those details or thoughts but that chapter needed to be over.

And I wanted something that was MINE. I wanted something that I could build by myself without people telling me what I could and could not do. I didn't want my success to be altered because of the work of other people.

Why a boutique? I wanted to be able to offer clothing to women who LOVE online shopping as much as I do. I'll be real with you - I CANNOT stand to go shopping at stores. Don't get me wrong, I love a good target trip because that place is technically heaven 2.0 - but I hate clothes shopping. And I know there are many women like me. I know many other Moms like me are home with their kids and love the easiness of just shopping for cute stuff online. So I LOVED that I could offer that to people to help people feel confident in their clothing. I love social media - and I love connecting with people through it, especially since I deal with social anxiety and am a work at home mom that doesn't get out much. This is MY thing. MY time. And this is MY way of being social and connecting with others.

And it has been a RIOT. I have fallen in love with my new business and with the relationships I'm building with my customers. People are truly loving their clothes and the repeat customers are showing me that they like what they see so far. I am an entrepreneur at heart and I just know I will always figure stuff out. Especially with the help of my super supportive business minded husband who trusts in my visions and my hard work.

My mission is to offer affordable fashion to women to help them feel comfortable and confident and to be able to express themselves. And that is my goal. And my goal is to show my daughters that you can create your own version of success and it doesn't have to be cookie cutter. I want to show them what is possible with dreaming and working REALLY hard!

Yes - I have had many paths in life. And some could look at it as "just another thing Krysta is doing" - but I believe that life is short. If you have a good idea and a strong work ethic and a dream - you just freaking go for it. There is no such thing as luck in life. Everything is a reflection of what you put into the world and into your work.

And this won't be the last or only thing I do. I plan to keep doing more because I LOVE to create and to dream big. And I encourage others to do the same. Just because you have invested in a certain path, doesn't mean you are stuck there. You can always evolve and change and work towards something else. Does that mean you just abandon everything and live recklessly? Of course not! But you can ALWAYS be taking steps towards change if that is what you crave. Like I said - life is way too short to feel like you are STUCK. You are NOT STUCK. I promise you.

If you have shopped at my boutique... www.joellechic.com I truly hope you have loved your experience so far and I just wanted to give you a little insight as to why I changed paths and how I got here. I appreciate all of my loyal customers so far and I can't wait to meet more of you at my home shopping parties!

The Hard Stuff

There are all sorts of different seasons of "hard" in our lives. We face different trials as we go through this journey and they can all be so different - but the hurt can be the same.

We can all be going through our own crap right now....and there will always be someone out there who has it worse than you. But one thing I've learned is - NEVER feel guilty for FEELING YOUR FEELINGS. All hurt, hurts.

The hard stuff I'm going through right now seems so pale in comparison to other problems in the world - so I can't even really call it "hard". But like I said - hurt is hurt, right?

I'm an over-analyzer, a recovering people pleaser, a deep thinker, I feel ALL the feels. I feel other people's feels, which often hurts worse than feeling my own. I obsess about certain things. I put ALL of myself out there on social media to serve what I truly believe to be one of my callings to help other people. Most of the time my heart is filled with such love and blessings being able to talk to and work with and help so many people over the last few years.

But with the public eye and with dealing with people so much - negativity is bound to happen.

People you thought were your friends might turn against you. And it hurts. Really, really bad. The first thing you feel is betrayal and heartbreak. You feel guilty because you feel like you must have done something wrong. Then you get angry because you feel your character is being attacked. Then you feel guilt again because you let your emotions get the best of you when you got angry. Then you just feel sad again.

Last week I was so knocked down I honestly felt like giving up everything I was doing. Quitting it all and cancelling facebook and EVERYTHING and just go away quietly so I didn't have to get hurt anymore.

But what good would that do? I still feel like I'm called to help people. I LOVE working. I love helping people to live healthier and happier lives. I'm LOVING my new boutique and being able to help women find cute and affordable clothes that they feel confident in without having to go out and go shopping.

So why should I quit any of that because of other people? No way Jose.

But I still have days where my heart feels heavy. Where I obsess about what I might have done wrong. Things I could have done differently. Of course I never claim to be perfect. If anyone does - they are a liar. I make mistakes. I don't always think before I act or before I talk. But one thing I can promise is that my intentions are ALWAYS pure.

I ALWAYS want to see others succeed and I NEVER think that if I have success that it will take away from someone else's.

I do everything I can to lift other people up - especially other women trying to do their own thing.

I've already had a few people come to me asking me for help on starting their own businesses. Businesses that would be JUST like mine. And I am SO FREAKING HAPPY to help them. I will do whatever I can in my life to help other people reach their own success. Because when you see me post things on facebook about lifting others up and empowering other women...I truly mean it and I will walk the walk if I talk the talk. ALWAYS. You can count on that.

I will never get jealous of your success, sister. Never. I will light your candle every single time I'm able to. Because lighting your candle will never dim mine!

I wrote a post on facebook last week when I was very, very hurt from a few (so called) friends who spoke untruths about me. I posted this in the heat of my frustration and hurt heart. Some people didn't think it was kind of me even though I didn't call anyone out by name. So I did take the post down. And for some reason all I can think about today is how much I wish I would have just walked away from my phone and computer and just prayed instead. I apologize if I came across in a negative way or spread any negativity. I don't want to be that person and I will work harder at taking time to process emotions before I act on them.

Just know that if you follow me - I will always be my true self to you. I will share the good and the bad. My huge mess ups and my successes. And I will always be here to help or to listen in any way I can.

I will never claim to have my shit together. But I do promise that I will never give up and I will always be encouraging you to do the same.

Light those lights - and light the person next to you...please!

And be YOURSELF. With integrity and honesty. Thank you for reading loves.

xoxo,
Krysta Joelle

Where's My Place?

I've talked before about how I'm a pretty extreme introvert. Some people find it hard to believe since I live my life so out loud on social media, but if you understand what an introvert really is, you'd realize that having my platform on social media is quite perfect for an introvert like me.

I've really never been a huge social bug. Sure I loved hanging out with my friends in high school. But in college, I wasn't a partier. I spent most of my time with my roommate who became my best friend and then a couple other close friends here and there. Usually hanging out at our dorm or apartment....in my safe space.

I do well with few close friends and don't need a lot of people around me.

And it's not that I don't love people. I really do. I love meeting new people. I love hearing people's stories. I love to learn about different people and I'm fascinated by the lives other people can live. I do NOT like small talk at all. It literally makes me want to poke my eyeballs and run away. Like makes my skin crawl.

Then I stumbled into online health and fitness coaching and it was P.E.R.F.E.C.T. for me. I could help tons of people with something I am super passionate about - getting/staying healthy....and I could do it all from the comfort of my bubble. #winning

I've come to accept the way I am. I used to be really hard on myself about it. Like I felt something must be wrong with me that I'm so anti-social. Why do I want to be home all the time and not go out and do stuff with people? I'm much better as being kinder to myself these days, but sometimes those thoughts creep in.

And then a lot of times I'll hang out with people and feel so alone. Sometimes I feel like I just can't find my place in this world. Like I'm just too much for this world and for a lot of people. I don't do many "traditional" things like work a normal job and stay there. I speak what's on my mind and rarely hold things back. Sometimes I feel like that is hard for people to handle.

Do you ever feel out of place? Maybe that's another reason I love being at home with my family so much. I know who I am here. I belong here. I am Chad's wife and the girls Mommy. And I know how to do that and be that. But I swear out in the world I can feel so lost. I get worn down by the fact that some people are hard to trust. I get saddened when I put my trust in friendships that turn out to be fake.

I take so much on emotionally that I get purely exhausted by it all. Sometimes I have days where I honestly just think "what is it all for? why am I here? every day just keeps passing and I don't understand the point." And I don't say that in a morbid way like I don't wish to be here. But I seriously wonder those things and want to live with extreme purpose. I don't think we were just put on this Earth to grow up, work, pay bills and die. I can't believe that.

And maybe that's why you always see me chasing dreams. You may see me and think "what in God's sweet name is she doing now?" I'll tell you what I'm not doing.....I'm not going to sit here and say "I WISH"...I'm just going to keep DOING. Because I really believe that we have the world at our fingertips. If you want something, you freaking go for it with all of your heart. I know I'll continue to fail forward and I'll keep finding myself a little more along the way. But it's part of my journey.

I hope that anyone out there who might feel a little (or a lot) lost like me can relate to anything I've said in this jumbled mess of a blog post. Just know you're not alone if you feel....different or out of place.

There is a place for all of us and it doesn't have to be at the popular table. It doesn't have to be at the next big party. It doesn't have to be at your next pinterest worthy kids birthday party. It doesn't have to be any of the things you're not comfortable with. I'll keep doing my thing even if I feel weird and out of place.....because I truly believe we should be ourselves no matter what. Always be authentic to WHO YOU ARE instead of who you think the world wants you to be.

xoxo, krysta joelle

Change is Scary

I don't think I'm alone when I say that change can be scary. We find comfort in the "same". The unknown is feared so sometimes we stay where we are because we'd rather feel safe.

But is just feeling safe really living?

I talk with so many people on a daily basis and I definitely would say that fear of change is the number one thing that holds people back from the things they want in life.

Some people want to be healthier - but they fear changing their nutrition. They fear failure. They fear the unknown. So they figure they will wait until the time is right.

Some people want to make a career change - but they fear making a big life change. Of course this is scary! Even though money isn't the answer to happiness...it is necessary to make sure we can make money to support ourselves.

Some people fear judgement from others - so it paralyzes them from making any decisions at all. "what will they think of me?" I would say this one is surprisingly one of the top fears. We are so concerned with what others might think of our decisions that we just stay where we are. We stay safe.

But let me ask you this...

--> when was the last time someone paid your bills with their opinions?
--> would you rather do the things that you want now or hold regret later in life?

I can promise you this. When you are 90, sitting in your chair...talking with your grandchildren or great-grandchildren - one thing you're NOT going to say is "oh, I'm so glad I didn't decide to start my own business because I was safe from those people judging me".

You are going to wish you did ALL.THE.THINGS. But we can't go back. We have the present time to do the things. And I think we can all agree that time flies. Like super fast. And it gets faster and faster the older you get.

So my advice when it comes to change - don't feel like you need to make all these grand changes all at once. Work towards them gradually if you need to. Let the fear of what other people think of you go. The people that have your back and want to see you succeed will be there.  Focus not on the things you may have to give up - but instead on all that you may gain!

If you ever want to chat about some changes you want to make that are scaring the crap out of you - I'd love to be a listening ear. Reach out to me on facebook or feel free to email me.

xoxo, krysta joelle

I Quit.

Yes, you read that right. I quit.

I am filled with mixed emotions here as I type this but I need to get it out so here goes.

I decided to part ways with Beachbody.

I started coaching in July 2014 and it has been a wild journey. I would NEVER take any of it back and I am so thankful that I followed my heart with this opportunity and worked as hard as I did.

I was very successful with my business. Over the last few years I have helped well over a thousand people begin or continue to lead healthier lives. That was my goal when I started. I didn't start doing it to build a business.....I really just thought it would be fun and I was passionate about it because of how I had seen my life change when I focused on my own health and fitness. But I am an extremely hard worker - and as any good business owner knows, hard work bundled together with extreme consistency can pay off really well. Before I knew it I was making about the same amount of $$ as I was in my previous full time, out-of-the-house career as a financial analyst. AND I was blessed enough to stay home with my girls and didn't have to pay a daycare $450 a week anymore to watch them while I worked.

So it blossomed into something bigger than I had ever imagined - even though I didn't start with that intention.

I have gone to Nashville twice, met all of the celebrity trainers and had pics, autographs, prizes, etc. and received valuable training. I've won several awards for my hard work. I'd earned and went on two all inclusive vacations....so believe me when I say - I was definitely rewarded for all of my hard work.

For a while there, my team was growing and things were on fire. But honestly - being a coach is hard work. I tell anyone who wants to sign up the truth. It's NOT easy money. It takes a ton of heart, consistency, vulnerability, and patience. It's hard enough to convince people that they DO have the time to do a 30 minute workout - let alone try to make people understand that they can make time for coaching others as well. IT.IS.HARD. Can it be worth it? Of course! If your heart it truly into the ENTIRE package of being a coach. It was heart breaking to watch my coaches under me do everything I was doing but not seeing the success that I was experiencing. I desperately wanted them to reap the rewards for their hard work but that wasn't happening.

Coaches on my team came and went. Some have stayed on for the long haul. But I honestly never liked the "recruiting" part of the business. I love running my health and fitness groups and helping people that way - but never felt passionate about the other side of the business. And let's face it - if you don't do both sides of the equation, it will not be sustainable for very long. Those are just the facts.

I started to question myself in the fall of 2016. I honestly didn't know what I wanted. I was feeling strongly like stepping back because my heart just wasn't totally in it anymore. Not into the whole "coaching" package. I felt very overwhelmed with the amount of time I was spending on my business and was letting it consume WAY too much of my time and energy. I was doing this business so I could stay home and focus on my family but I found myself being pulled away from the very thing I had set out to do in the first place. So I decided to do the parts of the business that I enjoyed and not worry about the rest. And my balance in life came back.

So now - how do I feel? Honestly - I feel like a new chapter is beginning. I have plans to start something of my own and all of that will be coming out here soon!! It's just in the works and lots of hard work is going on behind the scenes.  Why can't I still be a coach and do other things?

Because I feel like if I'm not in it 100% - then I would be doing a disservice to myself and to others. I have no interest in growing a coaching business with Beachbody any longer. I do still plan to run groups on facebook and help people with accountability and support, and I will always support Beachbody fitness programs - because they are amazing!!! But I don't need to be a coach to support that.

And - you are not allowed to be a Beachbody coach and be signed up with any other MLM and I don't want to limit myself. There are so many other companies (non-health related and health related) that I am interested in and I really don't want to have to choose one. I understand why the rule is there - but if I'm not here to grow a business, then why stay? Not when I'm interested in other avenues for myself too.

So I have decided to part ways with Beachbody. I will forever be thankful to Beachbody for my journey over the last few years. I will continue to do the fitness programs because like I said - they are incredible! Will I receive backlash and judgement from this decision and for the announcement of my new business ventures? Absolutely. Is that because Beachbody is a bad company? NO. It's because PEOPLE are not perfect and some people will absolutely find ways to speak poorly about me and my decisions. And that is OK! Because what other people think about me has nothing to do with me! We cannot control other people. We can only control OURSELVES.

I will keep spreading love and light into the world. I will not speak poorly of anyone and definitely will not speak poorly of Beachbody. They are a wonderful company that truly does seek to help people live healthier lives. Just because I no longer wish to pursue building a career with the business does not change that.

I will still be here as support for all of my clients that I have been working with over the last few years and I will be here for anyone new who could use some help as well. So please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you need some support starting your health and fitness journey. Nothing has changed as far as my HUGE PASSION goes....the passion for helping people to be healthy, happy and confident. My future {{super soon}} endeavors will always be fueled by this same passion.

I thank everyone who has been on this journey with me from the very bottom of my heart. And I look forward to sharing the two big projects I'm working on.

xoxo - your biggest supporter forever.....Beachbody coach or not :)

Krysta Joelle

Lent Log: Day 1

It's been quite some time since I gave something up for lent.

I grew up Catholic and used to do this all the time, even starting out as a kid. Some years I would give up candy or certain toys. One year, I gave up playing the Nintendo because I LOVED Mario. I remember that one being the hardest because when my sibling would play, I would want to so bad.

We always abstained from eating meat on Fridays and we had fish fries in our little town.

What is the reason we give up something for Lent?

Well, Lent is the 40 days that precedes Easter. It commemorates the 40 days that Jesus fasted in the desert. It is a time where we can focus turning our minds and hearts more toward God.

We give up things that we love or things that may have some control over us because when you fast from those things - you can develop a better spiritual connection with Jesus by focusing more on him than this "thing" you're giving up.

That's how I view it anyway. Many people fast for spiritual reasons all the time.

So this Lent I decided I would give up all foods with added sugar and meat. Over the next 40 days I'll share more on why I decided on these two things, but I'm looking forward to this journey.

First I'll say that you'd be insanely surprised at just how many of our food items have sugar in the ingredients without you even thinking it would be there. Just take a look at any food in your pantry. I would talk for hours about sugar and the horrible things it does. But I'll share more of my research and reasons soon. I don't want to spill everything right now :)

I gave up meat because honestly I am grossed out by the meat practices in our country and over the last few years I did a cleanse a few times that was completely plant based and I've never felt healthier. I would like to ultimately move to a more plant based diet with some meat thrown in occasionally...not something that I eat every day.

I think this will teach me to be much more intentional about my food. I want to take this time to learn a lot more about meat sourcing and what I want my nutrition to consist of and WHY. I'm going to try new recipe and actually spend more time cooking and preparing beautiful dishes to enjoy.

I want to take this 40 days and pray more. Much more. When I'm craving a piece of chocolate (which lets face it - is bound to happen) - I'm going to turn to prayer instead of candy.

Couple things on my lent journey:

* I will still be drinking shakeology every single day. It is a very important part of my health regimine and I will never stop drinking it. I believe it in whole heartedly and it keeps me healthy!
* I will occasionally eat seafood.
* I will have alcohol on special occasions because we have stuff planned. I understand sugar is in most alcohol - so this is a caveat to my plan and its why I said no FOOD with added sugar.

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So how did day 1 go? Day 1 of 40 was a success. There are still some chocolate muffins on the counter and they look mighty tasty but they will be eaten by the family soon enough :) Or I'll make Chad take them to work to get them out of here.

We went out for dinner tonight and I chose a salmon salad with tons of spinach and garbonzo beans. I gave Chad my breadstick :) I killed my workout today and burned so many calories and never felt any lack of energy today from not eating meat!

I'm going to try to log my food in MyFitnessPal most days so I can keep track of my macros and make sure I'm getting enough protein. If you have never used that before - you should, it's so easy and a great way to keep track of your nutrition. And it's free - and we all like free!

Tomorrow I want to try a new recipe for dinner. I'll share it on here. I can't promise beautiful pictures because I'm no chef - but I'll certainly give it a whirl and share!

I'd love to hear any of your vegetarian / vegan recipes that you love too!!

Thanks for being on this journey with me! <3

ChaLean Extreme

I've finally decided on my next program that I'm going to complete from start to finish and it's CHALEAN EXTREME! 

First of all - let me say that I adore Chalene Johnson, the trainer and creator of the program. She's been one of my favorites since I started doing these at home workouts. She's an amazing motivator and speaker and I love listening to her. So having her train me in my living room for 90 days is something I'm pretty excited about. 

This is me with her at our Coach Summit in Nashville <3 <3

So what is it? ChaLEAN Extreme is a body-sculpting program designed to help you lose up to 60 percent of your body fat in just three months, and see visible results every 30 days. It uses resistance training to increase lean muscle mass, which has been proven to burn calories and raise your metabolism. The result is a lean, firm, well-toned physique. 

Why is it so effective? 

• Because Muscle Burns Fat—when you develop lean muscle, you raise your body’s metabolism, so you’ll burn more fat when you’re working out and even when you’re not. 

• With Chalene Johnson’s Lean Phasing technique, you advance through 3 phases of training, so even those without experience doing resistance exercise can achieve a lean, hard physique. 

• And breakdown sets allow you to push past failure, stimulating more fatburning lean muscle with every workout.

What makes ChaLEAN Extreme unique? 

• Cardio-only workouts burn calories while you’re exercising. But ChaLEAN Extreme incorporates resistance training to build lean muscle, so you burn more fat during each workout and supercharge your metabolism throughout the day. 

• While gym-based resistance-training workouts often focus on building large muscles, ChaLEAN Extreme gives women a lean, strong, well-defined body, not a big, bulky physique.

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What does the 3 month program look like??

There are 3 phases to the program.

The first phase is the Burn Phase and it looks like this:::::

• Day 1 – Burn Circuit 1
• Day 2 – Rest
• Day 3 – Burn Circuit 2
• Day 4 – Burn Intervals & Ab Burner
• Day 5 – Burn Circuit 3
• Day 6 – Burn It Off! & Recharge
• Day 7 – Rest

Burn Circuit 1 (approx 36 min) – This first workout of the ChaLEAN Extreme® program is pretty intense and uses compound exercises to work your chest, shoulders and legs. 

Burn Circuit 2 (approx 38 min) – Works both the upper and lower body, similarly to Burn Circuit 1. Focuses on the biceps, triceps, legs and back. 

Burn Intervals (approx 50 min) – A super intense workout using interval training, switching it up between cardio and strength “recovery” sets. 

Ab Burner (approx 10 min) – Short and sweet ab workout, and very effective. 

Burn Circuit 3 (approx 35 min) – Similar in time and format to Burn Circuits 1 & 2, 3 focuses even more heavily on the legs and shoulders.

Burn It Off! (approx 35 min) – Broken down into two “sets” of exercises with a 1 min break in between, these cardio exercises are intense and set up in an interval fashion to give you the highest heart rate possible. After Burn Circuit 3, these exercises are tough on the legs and really bring on the progress. A great and effective cardio workout!

Recharge (approx 21 min) – This workout emphasizes the importance of stretching and flexibility. Recharge is a welcomed gift and uses some (very) simple yoga poses to lubricate your muscles after an intense week of training.

The second phase is the Push Phase and it looks like this:::::

• Day 1 – Push Circuit 1
• Day 2 – Rest
• Day 3 – Push Circuit 2
• Day 4 – Burn Intervals & Ab Burner/Extreme Abs
• Day 5 – Push Circuit 3
• Day 6 – Burn It Off! & Recharge
• Day 7 – Rest

Which, as you can see – is basically the same format as the Burn Phase, but with a switch to the Push DVDs. It’s a great schedule, with sufficient time for your body to recuperate after such hard work!

Here’s what the workouts look like:

Push Circuit 1 (approx 34 min) – Along with the schedule itself being similar in this month, the format of the circuit workouts is very similar as well. The goal in this circuit is to fail at 6-8 reps, in contrast to the 10-12 reps from the Burn Phase. This workout focuses on arms and shoulders primarily, but like all CX workouts, there is plenty of leg action as well. Hellooooo squats!

Push Circuit 2 (approx 35 min) – More high weight, low rep training focusing on lats, delts, shoulders and legs. It’s really a lot of the same idea in this program – just different exercises to do in each Circuit!

Burn Intervals (approx 50 min) – Same program as reviewed in the Burn Phase

Ab Burner (approx 10 min) – Same program as reviewed in the Burn Phase

Extreme Abs (approx 17 min) – Another short and quick Ab routine, but much more intense than Ab Burner.

Push Circuit 3 (approx 33 min) – Another workout similar to Circuits 1 & 2 – focusing on arms and legs.

Burn It Off! (approx 35 min) – Same program as reviewed in the Burn Phase

Recharge (approx 20 min) – Same program as reviewed in the Burn Phase

And then the last phase is the Lean Phase which looks like this::::

• Day 1 – Lean Circuit 1
• Day 2 – Rest
• Day 3 – Lean Circuit 2
• Day 4 – Burn Intervals & Ab Burner/Extreme Abs
• Day 5 – Lean Circuit 3
• Day 6 – Burn It Off! & Recharge
• Day 7 – Rest

I will replace Burn Intervals with Lean Intervals, I’ve Got Abs for Ab Burner & Extreme Abs, and the Fat-Burn Challenge for Burn it Off! These are from the deluxe workouts to give some more variety!

So my “typical” Lean Circuit weeks should look like this:

• Day 1 – Lean Circuit 1
• Day 2 – Rest
• Day 3 – Lean Circuit 2
• Day 4 – Lean Intervals & I’ve Got Abs!
• Day 5 – Lean Circuit 3
• Day 6 – Fat-Burn Challenge & Recharge
• Day 7 – Rest

Also included in the Deluxe Upgrade Kit (if purchased separately) are four other amazing workouts that I’m very excited to try out Lower Body Extreme Zone, Extreme Core Circuit, Extreme Intervals, and Dynamic Flow Yoga.

Here’s what the workouts look like:

Lean Circuit 1 (approx 45 minutes) – This workout is a bit longer than the previous circuits, but that’s really only because you are taking your time. In the Lean month, you’re focusing on working your upper and lower body together at the same time, which is great for an additional cardio effect. This circuit focuses on biceps and triceps, along with your core and lower body. You take the time to work each muscle to failure (this month failure is between 10-12 reps) and you “go extreme” after every set. 

Lean Circuit 2 (approx 40 minutes) – Focusing more on lats and delts, this workout is not easy! Working from runners lunge and plank poses really get your body pushing through this intense workout.

Lean Intervals (approx 42 minutes) – Similar to Burn Intervals, Lean Intervals is a cardio and strength training interval routine. However, unlike Burn Intervals, you work the upper and lower body together – which really gets your heart rate going. From kickboxing drills, jump rope drills, plyo plank jumps, to mountain climbers, you’ll be pouring sweat by the time 40 minutes passes.

I’ve Got Abs! (approx 15 minutes) – This routine is short and sweet, but very intense. Weighted crunches, planks, back extensions and more will get your abs worked in no time.

Lean Circuit 3 (approx 40 minites) – Another tough and intense circuit, this workout focuses on chest and shoulders mainly, but like the other circuits in the Lean Phase, it works both upper and lower body at the same time. The workouts are intense, but boy do they work!

Fat-Burn Challenge (approx 30 minutes) – If you’re looking for a quick and very effective cardio routine, this is the one for you. This workout is short and very intense, and you will drip with sweat by the time its over with. Burpees, prison lunges, leaps and jumping jacks are just some of what’s included.

Recharge (approx 20 min) – Same program as reviewed in the Burn Phase

***I will be streaming this using our all new ALL-ACCESS ON DEMAND PACKAGE that we just rolled out. I love that I can literally stream it from anywhere as long as I have a device and an internet connection. You sign up and get access to EVERY.SINGLE workout that Beachbody has ever come out with for an entire year. This even includes new releases throughout the year!!

If you want to join me in this program - let me know and we can do it together in a private group!

Goodbye 2016

I haven't blogged lately and I don't really know why. I love coming here to write and share. I guess I haven't been insanely inspired lately to write and just been kind of going through the motions and figuring stuff out. I think we all go through those phases of life, right?

But first off - where in the monkeys did 2016 go? Seriously - that year flew by SO FAST.

I guess each year feels faster and faster though.

I still remember writing 1995 on my school papers. How is it 2017? Seriously when we tell our future grandchildren what year we were born - they are going to think we are ancient dinosaurs. You were born in 1982?!? Wow, the 1900s!

But you are only as old as you feel and I plan to always take great care of myself to feel as young as possible. And honestly I feel 829% better at 34 than I did at 24, so I don't care about age!

I have some really big goals for 2017 and I can't wait to share more publicly when the time is right :) I also have more goals for the year and want to get my thoughts organized!

What are your goals? I understand that not everyone has health and fitness goals - but I do know that many people think about these kinds of things at the start of the New Year more than any other time. Something about the brand new start, the big shiny January 1st and great expectations.

So many people just want to be healthier and happier. (trust me, being healthier makes you happier)

I am running a group that starts on January 9th - it's a private group where we support one another in our health and fitness goals and we also talk about personal development as well. We share what workouts we are doing, what our nutrition plans look like and we just sincerely encourage and support one another.

The number 1 reason people end up failing at reaching their health and fitness goals is because they lose the motivation they had at the beginning (very fast) and they don't have a strong support system or people to hold them accountable. That is the greatest thing about these groups I run - people stay in them because the accountability is life changing for them.

If this sounds like something that could help you - I'd love to chat more about it and how it all works.

You can message me on facebook HERE or you can email me HERE.

Let's be healthy in 2017 together! :)