My Beachbody Focus T25 Transformation

Before and After Focus T25

20lbs lost, infinite energy and positivity gained!  

This is the details of my Focus T25 Transformation!

Hi guys and thank you so much for coming!  I hope that my story gives you all the information you could possibly want to know about Focus T25 and how this program plus Beachbody changed my life!  Let’s get the first question I normally get out of the way: “Did it really work?”  YES!!  20lbs lost (55lbs lost over all from Beachbody programs and Shakeology).

Before Focus T25

It took me a VERY long time to actually start using Focus T25.  It sat on my shelf for AGES, I think at least a year, before I picked it up and pressed play.  Please forgive my foggy memory, the reason why I’m not sure of the exact time frame is because of PTSD.

PTSD and guilt pretty much stopped my life in 2013.  I was in a bad shape and I was lost.  I felt guilty over EVERYTHING and like I couldn’t do anything right.  I constantly thought that I wasn’t a good enough daughter, girlfriend, friend, and employee.  The few things that I saw myself as “ok” at, made me so anxious I was physically ill!  It was a dark time for me, one of the darkest in my life. 

I had gained A LOT of weight during this time through comfort eating.  I’m not sure how much I weighed at my heaviest because I had stopped getting on a scale.  I was terrified of what it would say!  I was already buying pants right before I went into work because even my “fat pants” weren’t fitting anymore, no matter how much I sucked my gut in, and I was on the path towards being obese again.  =(

In the middle of all of this chaos, I was going to counseling (and couple’s counseling) on a weekly basis.  These sessions got my head right enough to start doing two things that you’re always told to do when you have depression: eat right and exercise.  I’ve known this for YEARS!  I mean, I started my therapy for PTSD when I was in middle school.  But, like most of us with depression/anxiety related issues, I didn’t listen or, if I started, I didn’t follow through.

The Breaking Point

To be honest, I don’t think there was ANY specific moment.  It could’ve been when I couldn’t fit into any of my favorite jeans any more.  It could’ve been the moment I was driving in my car and I became painfully aware of how my stomach was hanging over my pants and how they were digging into my waist.  It could’ve been after a binger where I downed a tub of Edy’s Chocolate ice cream with brownie bits, a flavor I don’t even really like, without really tasting it.  It could’ve been during my marathon of Supersize vs Superskinny.

All I know is on random Wednesday I decided that I was going to do Focus T25 and I was going to see it through.  I went to the grocery store that day, brought all of the 25 for real foods that I’m not allergic to, and I put the first workout in my PS3.

The Result

I didn’t notice any real change the first few weeks.  I had always been drinking my Shakeology, so I didn’t get the extra energy boost that my dad got when he started drinking.  And I had cut down my sugar having foods to things with only 8g a serving.  So really, I felt WORSE after starting!  I was cranky!  I was sore!  And I just wanted chocolate!

HOWEVER, by week three I had noticed a shift.  My clothes were fitting differently.  The pants I had just purchased before work two weeks prior, were falling off if I didn’t roll them up several times in the waist.  And my mood was starting to shift.

Fast forward to the end of Alpha and I wasn’t modifying all of the workouts anymore and I didn’t miss my sugary fix!  In fact, I was looking forward to exercising, which was a strange thing for me!

By the end of Beta my life had completely changed.  Shaun T has a way of inspiring you and motivating you to make positive changes in your life and to push yourself harder than you thought possible.  I found myself carrying Shaun T's encouragement over into the rest of my life.  I felt that I could achieve my goals and purpose of helping other improve their lives through food and nutrition!

So, I quit my job and went back to college to study the ONE THING I’ve ALWAYS loved talking about (besides video games): food!  I LOVED learning about food and nutrition before I started Focus T25.  It’s something I had started studying when I was 185lbs.  It became a passion…almost an obsession.  So when I told my parents that I was going to quit my full time manager job and go back to school for Nutritional Sciences, they responded with “That makes sense”.  HAHAHA!

My favorite post T25 pants are too big now... T_T

Oh, and I had gone down 20 POUNDS from  exercising 25 MINUTES a day?!  And eating REAL FOOD!  Never feeling hungry!  Eating every three hours!  =P  No big deal, right?!  Haha!  The best part?  I've kept the weight off!  I actually went down 5 more pounds!  Haha!

Honestly, it blew my mind!  And that’s when I knew I had to switch from being a discount coach to save 25% on my Shakeology and become a coach to help others get their own transformation.I knew that I had to switch because that program had given me the CONFIDENCE to follow my dreams and had help me CONQUER my PTSD!  

I don't even know when my mind shifted.  I think it was just the combined effects of daily positive messages, workouts, and sound nutrition combined with month counseling sessions.  I give more credit to Beachbody though, because before I started Focus T25 I was having WEEKLY counseling sessions. 

Thank You!!

So, that's my story.  Thank you so much for reading!!  I was very hesitant to put it up because of how personal it is, but if my story can inspire others to make changes in their lives, then I figured I had to post it!

If you'd like to make your own transformation, fill out the form at the top!  :D  I would love to help you!  Already have a program?  Let's get you into another online support group!  ^_^  

Don't forget!  You can always become a coach to help others reach their dreams!

NEW Beachbody 21 Day Fix Support Groups Coming in September!

Hey guys!


I'm excited to share that this September our team will be hosting TWO online support groups for 21 Day Fix with Shakeology in September (AND two MORE in October!)This is HUGE for us and I can't wait to get started!

The groups will be starting Sept 7th and 21st and will last 28 days!  

Seven days will be a "pre-game" where you'll:

• learn how to meal prep

• get some tips and tricks for buying healthy food on a budget

• get healthy, tasty, and FAST recipes to make for you and your family

• learn how to use the container system since there's NO CALORIE COUNTING!

What you get:

• 21 Day Fix work out DVDs 

• Workout calendar (no guessing of what to do which day)

• Nutrition guide and meal plan (no guessing what to eat each day)

• The container system

• One month supply of Shakeology

• A dedicated coach, ME!

• An online support and inspiration group to help you through the program

• Concept of the group Video

Who is this for:

• ANYONE at ANY fitness level!  Every workout has a modifier so don't worry!

• People who want more ENERGY

• Those who are short on time, the workouts are only 30 MINUTES

• Anyone that doesn't want to go through a program alone

Why does this work?

• You're NOT starving yourself to lose weight!  You're eating A LOT of food!

• You're challenging your body differently in each workout so it never has a chance to get used to an exercise

• You're FUELING your body with sound nutrition!  A properly fueled body will get results A LOT faster than one that isn't!

• You're NOT ALONE in the process!  You'll have me, your coach, to reach out to on those especially difficult days, and a group of 10 - 15 people to connect with!  We're a tribe and we'll succeed together!

Does this sound like something you'd be interested in doing?  GREAT!!  Then fill out this form HERE to get started and I'll contact you!

I can't wait for you to join our army!  Together we'll conquer ALL of our GOALS!

Marquita

Fitness and Nutrition Information that Sparks!

I'd like to talk to you about an amazing website I've been using for years: SparkPeople.com!   This website has been around for several years and offers a wide variety of information for anyone trying to improve their health, not just lose weight.  You can access the sites information from any mobile device or PC through a web browser but they also have a app that you can download on an Android based phone or an iPhone.  No matter the device, when you first see the site you're greeted by a deceptively simple layout that highlights the main stories, recipes, or exercises of the day and any new challenges the site has started.  It's a very inviting home page to a site that has a lot to explore!

My favorite, and most used, section of the site is the nutrition tracking.  You can use this tool in three different ways.  It can be a place where you actively track the foods you intake throughout the day under the categories of: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snack; it can be used by you to plan out a meal plan you've made on your own; or it can be auto-populated by the site itself based off of one of Spark People's meal plans.  No matter how you track your food the magic really happens at the bottom of the page.  Here, you can see how on target you are with your macronutrient (carbohydrates, fat, protein, and fiber) and energy intake (calorie) goals.  These values are based off of information you provide the site while making your personalize profile, which includes your health/weight loss goals.

Another great feature of the site comes in the form of graphs.  The visual learners will love these because you can see almost every aspect of your nutrition and fitness life in graph form.  For example, you can track energy intake, inches lost, and even your mood over time!

Outside of the tracking portion of the site lies the fitness component.  There are hundreds of free workouts in video or text forms for you to use!  They have videos on weight training, cardio kick boxing, stretching, and more.  No matter your fitness level or the type of equipment you have (I started with no equipment!), they have a video or exercise for you that you can quickly add into your tracker.  If you start a workout program using Sparkpeople let me know!  I'll support you with their system too for free! 

While the food tracking and exercise are a huge part of this site, an equally large side comes in the form of education.  They utilize a blog format and have several nutritionists and dietitians who write blogs for them on a regular basis, as well as motivation coaches and fitness experts.

The most surprising aspect of this site is the community.  It's amazing how supportive everyone on this site is.  You can find community groups set up for almost every faith, age, gender, and sexual orientation.  No matter how you feel in your day to day life, there are people who can very well become your second family in the Spark People community.   I can safely say that I love the Spark People community and I'm happy to see it growing!

I think I would find a way to include this site in every nutrition training I do, and I have in the past.  As a Beachbody coach and I have my clients get an account here.  It's a great tool for them to track their meals so they can see they are meeting their nutrient goals.  It's also a great tool for them to find even more support outside of me and our (bi)weekly check ins.  I also have them use it for the reports.  They post a copy of their meal report and their progress reports to the group so that everyone can encourage each other and share their accomplishments.

Even when I have my own practice (that's my goal), I'll likely have clients sign up for this site because it has motivated me through my weight loss more than a measuring tape ever could.  It gave me ideas of things I could do in my house and outside of the house that would get my heart rate up and put a smile on my face.

(I am affiliated with Sparkpeople.com in NO WAY.  I just really love their site.)

Why a Registered Dietitian? It started with chronic disease symptoms.

My passion for nutrition came about in an interesting way.  

Like most people, I was trying to lose weight but I wanted to do it in a healthy way.  I saw the advertisements for the Special K diet and I thought that it would be a great place to start!  It encouraged eating multiple times a day, I already ate cereal on a daily basis, and I enjoyed their protein bars when I had tried them at my mom's house.  So, I decided to do the Special K challenge.  That was in 2009.

Within four days of doing the challenge I started having all of the symptoms of pre-diabetes: blurred vision, tingling in the fingers and toes, muscle weakness, increased thirst and hunger.   It was a terrifying time and I was so confused!  I saw my doctor and my blood sugar levels were high, she asked me what I had changed because I had been tested for diabetes earlier in the year since I was overweight and everything came back normal.  I told her about the diet.  She told me to get off of it because of the amount of sugar in it.

That's when I decided I needed to take charge of my health and what I was putting in my body.  

I wanted to lose weight, I knew that I needed to, because diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic diseases run in both sides of my family.   My first objective was understanding diabetes since I experienced symptoms of high blood sugar first hand.   That's when I came across an independent documentary on YouTube called Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days.  The documentary follows six people with diabetes, most of them Type 2, over 30 days as they go through a program at a holistic, raw food camp.  I don't want to spoil the video but in the end, those who finished the 30 days lowered their insulin intake requirements, including the man who has Type 1 Diabetes!  

I wasn't sold on the idea of reversing it fully, but the prospect that through diet changes and exercise they could see dramatic health improvements, not weight improvements but HEALTH improvements, got me hooked on the idea of helping others improve their health through food and physical activity!

Fast forward to today and now I'm healthy, in college pursuing a degree to do just that while working a job that improves people's health through diet and exercise!  The topic of diabetes has stuck with me and it's an area I want to focus on during my master's program.  A study, Lifestyle changes may reverse development of the insulin resistance syndrome, posted in the Diabetes Journal supports the results seen in the Simply Raw documentary but the study took place over a year.  They found that diet changes AND exercise is key to lowering insulin resistance and over time this combination could reverse insulin resistance.  Another study, Effects of exercise and diet on chronic disease,  published in the Journal of Applied Physiology also supports this idea of reducing insulin resistance through diet changes and exercise.

Studies like these give me hope for my future clients and patients as a registered dietitian.  My main focus will be preventing chronic diseases like diabetes but to know that we can improve the lives and maybe even reverse insulin resistance leaves me feeling excited for the future.

References:

Roberts CK, Barnard RJ.  Effects of exercise and diet on chronic disease. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2005 Jan; 98: 3-30.  Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15591300. April 19, 2015.

Torjesen PA, Birkeland KI, Anderssen SA, Hjermann I, Holme I, Urdal P. Lifestyle changes may reverse development of the insulin resistance syndrome. The oslo diet and exercise study: a randomized trial. Diabetes Care 1997 Jan; 20(1): 26-31.  Retrieved from http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/20/1/26.short.  April 19, 2015.

Nutrition Anthropometrics Lab and Self-esteem Ramble

We had our anthropometrics lab for my nutrition assessment class.  I went into it knowing that we would be taking measurements of the body (height, weight, body fat%, waist, etc).  I also went into it knowing that I had nothing to prove to any of the men and women in the class because (1) I'm a strong independent woman, (2) I'm older than all of them by almost a decade, (3) I have no one to impress but myself, and (4) I know my body measurements already since I record them with each workout program that I complete.

All was well too.  However, I still have body dysmorphia ad I still see myself prior to starting my weight loss and fitness journey.  The last two weeks didn't help either since I comfort ate my way through midterms and then proceeded to sample all of wares that California had to offer over Spring Break.  

I REGRET NOTHING!  However, it did add back 5lbs and an inch to my waist line...  LOL!

The one downside to come out of that lab however, is the lingering feeling that I'm not good enough because I didn't have the body I "should" have.  Should is in quotations because that body isn't the one that I want!  It's the one that the media advertises and one that I don't even like.  The body I want is one that is athletic.  I don't want to be skinny.  I know that I don't want to be skinny.  However, after leaving that lab I fell back into that mental trap of, "I'm not thin enough.  I'm too fat."  

I feel that I'm not the only one that experiences these moments so I wanted to share mine with you all.  Now that I've had time to think about it and start my mental mantra of "I love myself", I feel better.  I feel almost back to normal.  I've come to realize these thoughts of "needing" to be "thin" may never go away, but I'm getting so much better at handling them.  

I think it helps as well that I know the body that I "think" I want isn't the body that I actually want.  I've actually asked my parents to tell me candidly if I start to lean towards the overly thin because that's not where I want to go and it's not going to help me prime myself for my future. 

Me as a Guinea Pig with Thrive

As a Beachbody coach, I have mixed feelings with trying other company's products but I also can't resist the urge to jump at the opportunity to be in a focus group (aka guinea pig) with something new and exciting and this is very new and exciting to me.

From what I have gathered, this is a nutrient and energy packed system designed to give you the fuel and energy you need to be active.

I'm supposed to work my way up to taking two supplement pills, one shake, and one patch a day.  Today I took one pill and...wow.  The instructions said take it on an empty stomach.  I will never be doing that again.  Too much energy in a short amount of time went into my system.  I didn't crash when I finally came down...but I was highly uncomfortable.  Uncomfortable enough to not even try the patch.

I should also note that I'll be using Shakeology for my shake instead of the Thrive shake because it contains soy, which I'm allergic to.  There doesn't appear to be a soy free option, so this is a double experiment for me.  I know Shakeology aids in weight loss, I've been drinking it for almost a year now, so Thrive could, potentially, increase that.

Tomorrow I will be taking a supplement after eating breakfast and I'll be doing 1/4th of a patch.

The reviews said that people react very differently.  Some people can start with the full doses and not really feel any difference, others (like me) are on the opposite side of the spectrum.  I can certainly say, if I ever need an energy boost those little pills will do the trick and then some!!

Wish me luck!  <3

Love and Light everyone!

Research Quickie: Is working out after fasting a good or bad thing?

This is a question that has been floating around the internet for, what feels like, forever.  It seems like you can read an article that says "YES!  Fasting is the key to SUCCESS in fat loss!" and then turn around and find one that says the polar opposite.  With that in mind, I present my random research into the subject.  Again, I haven't performed a study myself but I have found quite a few.

Eating carbohydrates 30 minutes before exercise, in Coyle, E and team’s 1983 study, resulted in a faster decrease in muscle glycogen and blood glucose concentration during exercise. This would in turn, result in less endurance during prolonged exercise. The team suspects that cause of the loss of endurance is from the process the body goes through following a carbohydrate meal, i.e. increase in insulin levels. Interestingly to me, their study, amongst others, found that providing carbohydrates during exercise frequently delayed the onset of fatigue.

What is muscle glycogen? (Elmhurst College)
* The storage form of glucose in the muscles. Glucose is one of the monosaccharides absorbed by the body when breaking down plant based material. The other two are fructose and galactose. In a nut shell, glucose is sugar. During intense exercise, when he energy stores in the form of fat aren’t enough, the glycogen stored in the muscle is converted back into glucose for immediate use via the bloodstream.

Carbohydrates are a key fuel source for exercise, with the major source during exercise being the muscle glycogen stores (Ivy, 1991). “The greater the muscle glycogen stores, the longer the exercise time to exhaustion.” After its depletion during exercise, assuming you eat an adequate amount of carbohydrates, muscle glycogen levels return to pre-exercise levels within 24 hours. “For the average endurance athlete, a daily carbohydrate consumption of 500 to 600g is required.”

Now, you’re probably saying “But these are all talking about endurance exercises! What about me?!” Well, I have news for you, you can choose to eat nothing or to eat something. The difference for the rest of us isn't large enough to matter, in my opinion. According to the recap of a 2010 Belgian study, by Jennifer Sygo (2013), a registered dietitian and sports nutritionist, the group that fasted before exercise had the best results in weight management at the end of the study while the people who didn't fast had gained weight but more endurance by the end. I would like to point out that the men in this study consumed a breakfast high in fat. If you’re not consuming a breakfast high in fat then...well you’re likely still fine having breakfast before the workout. If you do have a high fat breakfast, then I would suggest exercising and then eating.

Another study by Paoli and team (2011), found that people who ate before exercising burned more calories throughout the day vs those that fasted. So this is something else to keep in mind.
In my opinion, for what it’s worth since I’m not a medical professional…YET!, if you’re doing to be doing light to moderate exercise and you’re not hungry then don’t even worry about it. If you’re going to be running a marathon or doing an intense program like P90X3 or Insanity then I would suggest you eat
first and wait an hour for the insulin spike to normalize before working out and then, during the breaks, munch on some carbs (veggies or fruits, ideally) or have a well-rounded protein shake.

Personally, I have a protein shake or a smoothie with some Greek yogurt and wait at least 25 minutes before I workout. It’s not a meal high in fat and since it’s liquid, it gets into my system faster, so I don’t see a problem. I find that when I don’t have something before I start I am sluggish and don’t push as hard as I could.

Let me know if there's a topic you'd like me to cover next Monday!  This topic was suggested by my friend Pam.

Belgium study recapped by Jennifer Sygo: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3002457/

References

Coyle, E., Hagberb, J., Hurley, B., Martin, W., Ehsani, A., & Holloszy, J. (February 4, 1983). Carbohydrate feeding during prolonged strenuous exercise can delay fatigue.

Elmhurst College (2003). Glycogen. Retrieved from http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/547glycogen.html.

Ivy, J. (January 1991). Muscle glycogen synthesis before and after exercise. Department of Kinesiology, University of Texas, Austin.

Kravitz, L. (n.d.). Eating or fasting for fat loss: A controversy resolved. Retrieved from http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/fasting.html.

Krssak, M., Petersen, K., Bergeron, R., Price, T., Laurent, D., Rotheman, D., Roden, M., & Shulman, G. (October 27, 1999). Intramuscular glycogen and intramyocellular lipid utilization during prolonged exercise and recovery in a man: A10C and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. Retrieved from http://press.endocrine.org/doi/abs/10.1210/jcem.85.2.6354.

Sygo, J. (February 7, 2013). Fasting and fitness: Should I eat before I exercise? It depends on your workout goals. Retrieved from http://life.nationalpost.com/2013/02/07/fasting-and-fitness-should-i-eat-before-i-exercise-it-depends-on-your-workout-goals/.