Progress not perfection

So today was not a good day in regards to my 21 Day Fix diet. I did my workout. I even had plans to go to the gym and squeeze in an hour of walking on the treadmill. But it didn't happen. I was tired, the kids seemed tired. It just wasn't going to happen. And did I mention I am out of Shakeology??

Then I saw the chocolate chip cookies. I have gone 24 consecutive days eating nothing but healthy food. The little voice inside my head that justified eating those cookies took center stage. And boy was I listening! Four cookies and half a glass of almond milk later was when the little voice inside my head that keeps me eating real food finally decided to speak up. So I felt bad for a while. Beating myself up for "cheating"... Then I got mad at the mailman for not bringing my Shakeology (which has kept that nasty cookie eating voice in my head quiet for so many days!).

Then I began to think about how far I had come, how many consecutive days I got up, worked out. Pressed play. How many days I had sweat it out in the garage, the hallway, the family room, the living room, even my sons bedroom was an available space to exercise (thank goodness we made the small investment of buying a portable DVD player, right?). How many times I had to pause my workout to help a potty training toddler, get a snack for my preschooler, break up a fight between the two or change the channel for them.

I remembered something my coach had posted on her own Facebook page in regards to her journey. "It's not about perfection, it's about progress". There are going to be days when you think you just can't do it one more day. Not one more workout.  Your legs are so sore you can barely get on the toilet. Not one more healthy eating day. You've Googled a million and one ways to saute' kale. You've consumed so much water you're floating...

And you know what? That's okay. It's okay to want to give up. It's okay to want to eat a cookie. As long as the good days outnumber the bad you will make progress, you will reach your goals.

Face tomorrow as a fresh start. Get up, workout, eat real food and strive for progress, not perfection.

Clean Eating?

Clean eating... I've been hearing this phrase so often over the past 6 months (as I'm sure many of you have as well). It seems like a simple idea and we all know its better for our families than fast food, food loaded with preservatives and food that come from who knows where.  But why is it so difficult to to do consistently without getting stuck in a rut or costing a small fortune?  When did actually preparing food become such a chore that we have opted out for pre-made frozen PB&J (without the crust) for our child connoisseurs.

My children love, beyond love they are obsessed with fruit snacks. The two of them can eat an entire box in one day. Those chewy "fruity" globs of sugar make my kids go bonkers. They can either be a wonderful tool for bribery or a nightmare of me getting hassled all day until I have doled out that last gooey morsel of sugary crack.   

 Fresh fruit and vegetables for snacks, a protein, carbohydrate and vegetable for dinner, That's balanced, right? And of course there is the occasional treat. Because surely you cannot deny yourself all the time and if we deny our children sweets, they would become enthralled with it on Halloween, at birthday parties or any other social gathering where sweets are served (this is why we have had those fruit snacks around). And we certainly don't want our kids to be the ones hanging out by the potato chip bowl!  Well as far as I'm concerned when it comes to diet we can always do better and be better examples to our families.

Before my 21 Day Fix days I thought I was eating relatively clean. However, 21 Day Fix has taught me to eat healthier every single day. Portion sizes are a no brainer and getting in my necessary amount of fats/oils, carbs, protein, fruits and vegetables is a snap. The best part of this entire change is that my children are eating healthier and as a family we are setting an example of what not only healthy eating is but a life filled with activity and exercise.

My daughter is far more of a pickier eater than my son. He'll try almost anything and most of the time likes it. My daughter on the other hand will look at you like an alien from outer space if you even think about serving her something that she thinks she might not like. 21 Day Fix has changed all of that. In 21 days my picky eater has tried and liked cauliflower and asparagus.  She has eaten brown rice and turkey meatloaf that is packed with pureed vegetables.  Both of my children have worked out alongside me and have asked for their water bottles mid workout because they were working so hard!

And as far an coming up with ways to cook or food combinations, my challenge group has been a great inspiration.  Reading each others meal plans and sharing how we prepare foods have kept our meal times new and fresh.  Making a weekly or monthly meal plan has helped us save time and money. There's no more "what on earth am I going to make for dinner" or overspending. If it's not on the meal plan, it's not in the cart! Marking one day on the calendar for food prep has made making these creations as easy as opening up the freezer and taking out a frozen pre-made PB&J! 

I'm so thankful to my coach for introducing me to this program. It has not only helped me shed unwanted weight it has helped me to be better mother, wife and woman.  Let me do the same for you. Contact me if you are interested in learning more about my upcoming challenge group! You won't be disappointed and we can do this, together.

melindabutkus@gmail.com
www.beachbodycoach.com/MELINDABUTKUS
  

Final 21 Day Fix Results!

Well here it is... Day 21 and the official numbers.

 After 21 days of clean eating and daily exercise I am down 9 lbs and 9 inches off of my entire body! I'm so excited and can't wait to see my results after a second 21 days, round 2. My husband was so impressed with the results that he'll be joining me starting tomorrow.

I'm excited to share this with everyone as well. So if you're interested in joining me in a challenge group for 21 Day Fix, let me know! I'd love to have the company and help you reach your fitness goals as well!

21 Days of consistency and effort equals RESULTS!!!

Why Coach? Why Me?

Over the past few days, my husband has asked me why I wanted to become a Beachbody Coach. The answer for me was simple. I want to help people reach their fitness goals. And since I'm still a work in progress, I figured I could help people at the same time they were helping me.

It wasn't until my 30's that I discovered working out regularly. I really enjoyed it and in fact at one point in my life lost 30 lbs. through exercise. Looking back I have to admit that my nutrition during this time probably wasn't the best. Fast forward 10 years and 2 kiddos later, I was out of shape and eating whatever I could in between feeding babies and changing diapers!

In my life B.C. (before children) I went to school to become a teacher. So teaching, working with people, watching them learn and grow has always been my passion. I also worked as an administrator for an early childhood education center. A large part of my job responsibilities were to train and coach teaching staff. So essentially I had been working in this capacity for several years.

And that's why I'm really excited to start this journey helping others to reach their goals. Not only does it utilize my passion to help others succeed, it incorporates fitness and nutrition!  I haven't come across any other programs that not only help you with exercise but teach you how to eat clean and make it part of your everyday life.

It All Started With a Question...

So there I was, standing in line at the checkout. Two young children in tow. The 4 year old was begging for M&M's while the 2 year old was crying to get out of the cart.  I quickly threw my purchases on the counter in an effort to escape the store as quickly as I could when the lady behind me asked me a simple question. "Would you be interested in trying a skinny wrap? Because you know, sometimes after a few kids it's kind of hard to get your figure back..." I just stared at her. Speechless. "Uh... no. Thanks. I'm good".

I didn't put too much thought into what she had said until a few days later. First I was a little ticked off to be honest. Surely I didn't look THAT bad... I had two children 21 months apart. One at age 38, the other at 40. So maybe things didn't look exactly like they used to before kids.  I had already lost 30 lbs from the last baby and had a few more to loose (okay maybe more than a few), but a stranger asking me if I needed to try a skinny wrap?  Then it hit me. I was THAT mom. The one that decided I had done enough. I'm pretty sure on that day I probably had on yoga pants and a t-shirt, no make-up and probably a pony tail. I was the mom that was doing everything for everyone before I even bothered to do a thing for myself.

Enter Beachbody. A close friend of mine had started 21 Day Fix and had recently posted her pictures of her 2 rounds (42 days) of daily exercise and clean eating. I was amazed at her transformation. I was enthralled and even a little jealous!  My friend had decided to become a coach. I watched her posts closely on facebook, read everything she had to say about Beachbody, Shakeology, and the support she was getting from her challenge group.

Days past. At first I told myself she wasn't doing anything I couldn't do on my own. It's simple, eat clean work out everyday and the extra 20 or so pounds will come off. It's basic math, right? After baby # 2 was born, it wasn't too difficult to get to the gym. They had a great playcenter the kids loved, the kids were up early so it wasn't a big deal to get there early and we lived 5 minutes away from the gym. It was simple. But we had sinced moved across town. The baby wasn't a baby anymore, my oldest child now had to be dropped off at preschool then I had to rush to get myself and the 2 year old to the gym on time for my favorite group fitness class to start. And finally for the first time in over 4 years the kids were sleeping past 7:00 a.m.!!!  Getting to the gym wasn't so easy anymore. Not to mention the fact that once I had dropped off the 4 year old at preschool, gotten to the gym, dropped off the 2 year old at the playcenter, worked out, picked up the 2 year old I now had an hour and a half to kill before picking up my preschooler. I didn't want to drive back home just to turn around!

I finally decided that maybe working out at home might not be that bad. Heck, I'll give it a shot. I ordered my 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack through my friend (who is also my awesome coach) and was excited when my package came in the mail.

I started my Beachbody journey on July 8th. In 18 days I lost 8 pounds and over 7 inches off of my body. I was amazed by my results. And my journey isn't over yet. In fact it's just beginning. I plan on doing at least one more round of 21 Day Fix with the help of my coach and challenge group.  I was so amazed by my transformation in such a short time that I too decided to become a coach to help others that are struggling the same way I was and still do each day.

 I plan on continuing my blog and writing about my journey to help inspire others to live a healthy and active lifestyle and we can do this together!  I feel so passionate about this program because not only will you be exercising daily for only a half hour, you'll be fueling your body with proper nutrition. If you're interested in living your life to it's fullest potential and joining me, contact me

I plan to continue writing my blog and sharing about my journey to a healthy and active lifestyle.  If my story inspires you, please don't hesitate to contact me and we can take this journey together, encouraging each other along the way.








www.beachbodycoach.com/MELINDABUTKUS

The proof is in the picture

www.beachbodycoach.com/MELINDABUTKUS

 

One cycle of 21 Day Fix

8 lbs lost

7 inches off my entire body

Round 2 to start on 7/29

Follow my transformation, better yet...join me for your own!