Focus T-25

I have too, I just have too...

*Disclaimer: This isn't a sale post...this isn't a "reason you need to buy this post", this is about YOU understanding how important YOU are!

Maybe it's my love-hate relationship (pretty much adoration) with Shaun T.

Maybe it's the fact that it's only 25 minutes a day.

Maybe it's because I had amazing results and it was so worth and I'm going to go crazy if someone doesn't try it.


I love FOCUS T-25! Seriously. My all-time favorite program. Up next on my list? Insanity Max:30 - also by Shaun T. AND a new program coming out this summer called, CIZE. and it's dancing. that's exercise. I can't wait!

However, I really wanted to write a blog post about Focus T-25 because it changed my life.

So, in June of 2014 (has it really been almost a year already??), my friend (and now coach) Jess posted about doing T-25 and I commented on it and I was like, sure, I'll do it!

In the end, I realized that T-25 is the most expensive program that we sell at Beachbody. It's pricey...there are like 10 DVDs, resistance bands, etc. the whole 9 yards! However, the wedding-planning, just graduated from college me (and my fiance at the time, Jared) did not have the extra $180 to spend on this program. Except..I made it work. and I bought it. Without Jared knowing.

When it came in the mail, Jared saw me opening the box and got really upset with me. It was such an awkward part of our relationship where we were just learning how to combine our finances, how to save together, how to spend together, and most importantly how to budget. Eventually, he got over it and he said something I will never forget..."I can't be mad at you for wanting to be healthier."

Little did I know how my life would change!

T-25 is only 25 minutes a day and I started right off the bat working out each morning. I became such a morning person getting up at 5:30 am, getting my workout in, and going on with the rest of my day. BOY, was I the sorest girl in the world! This was the most consistent I had ever been with a program in my entire life. I completed the entire thing, 10 weeks! And I felt amazing!! I lost 12 inches all over my body and you could see it in the way I stood and the way my body looked. This program is definitely worth the cost, it's my alltime favorite program, and it will bring you results. I even started a second round of it that same summer.

So, Alyssa...really, what's the point of this blog other than to tell us about a program that you sell?

As embarassing as this is.....Please take a look at my results...CRAZY.

(**this was last summer.)

Well, let me tell you. ITS WORTH IT (it being...the cost, the time, the energy) TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE! Seriously! Start saving your money, start pocketing it away, decide.

My coach posted something the other day: "Stop waiting for the right time, the right time is now."

Amen. Take that leap! It's time to take time to get healthier for you. You can be a more patient Mama, a happier coworker, a more understanding spouse. Taking a little time for you isn't selfish - in fact, it's the least selfish thing ever, because it truly makes you a better person for others!

I don't know about you...I'm feelin' 22

Hah! I'm 22, today. It's my birthday and I love birthdays. I thought all my fun birthdays were out of the way, you know...turning 5 - kindergarten! turning 10 - double digits! turning 13 - I'm teenager! turning 16 - I can drive! turning 18 - legally an adult! turning 20 - no longer a teenager! turning 21 - I can drink!

...but since T Swizzle's song "22" topped the charts, I've been looking forward to this birthday for such a long time. I even forewarned my students that the song will be on repeat all day...and it definitely was (still not tired of it!). and that I'll be making a video montage of my entire day! I'm celebrating another year of life! I'm celebrating my spunky, fire-cracker, self! I'm celebrating turning 22!

A whole heck of a lot has happened in the past 22 years, and I often find myself reflecting, remembering, and looking back on my life when my birthday rolls around. It's like it's that one day out of the year meant to celebrate you but also to remind you that life goes by SO FAST and that each year gets faster and faster. Getting older never really phased me, I've always treasured every single aspect of age and the different milestones

My 22nd year of life has completely flown by and been filled with some of the most important memories of my life: the majority of my engagement, wedding plans, student teaching, college graduation, my wedding, moving into our first home, my first big girl job, becoming a Beachbody coach, starting a health and fitness journey, the majority of my first year of marriage with my best friend, getting a kitten AND a puppy, and so many more seemingly insignificant things that make this year so significant it's indescribable. I'm so thankful for 22 years of an amazing, God-filled, blessed life that will surely only get sweeter with time. What a year it has been!

So this blog is going to be a party combo of so many things celebrating! Hopefully you'll get to see lots of pictures too! I'm going to include my you tube video montage, my new updated lyrics to Taylor Swift's.

My "new" version of Taylor Swift's lyrics, 22...to perfectly fit my lifestyle at this point. Haha, I wrote these to fit my 22 year old lifestyle at this point...

It feels like a perfect night, to put on my jammies
and go to bed early, uh huh..uh huh
It feels like a perfect night, to watch some TV,
and plan some lessons, uh huh..uh huh
YEAHHHHH, I'm tired of doing laundry all the dang time
It's never ever ending 
oh YEAHHHHH, 
Tonight's the night I'll try to stay up past 9
it's my bedtime
Oh OH!
I don't know about you, I'm feeling 22
I have a puppy who just loves to chew
You don't know about me, but I bet you want too
Supper will be alright, if I don't burn it 
cause I'm 22, oh oh! 22, oh, oh 
It seems like one of those days
My students won't listen, too many snapchats
oh oh, oh oh 
It's going to be one of those days
where I'm so busy
that I just give up
and turn to Pinterest
YEAHHHH, my life is pretty boring, kinda normal
The closest mall is miles away, so YEAHHHH
Tonight's the night that my shows are on anyway
It's time, they're on!
Oh, Oh, I don't know about you
I'm feeling 22
I've got a big old house with a pretty view
You know about me, even if you don't want too
This is a small town so I'm related to you
so now I'm 22, oh oh
22 oh oh
it feels like one of those nights, where we watch the TV
it feels like one of those nights, where I'll be sleeping
It feels like one of those nights, I'll take a selfie, and then I'll post it
and avoid the dishes.

I don't know about you, I'm feelin 22. :)


TODAY WAS AWESOME!
So..I went to school, had amazing fiestas all day, was blown away by cards and well wishes when I returned home, enjoyed a great vanilla coke (my secret love!), went out to dinner with my love for a delicious steak and topped it off with my first ice cream cone of the season! It was a truly fabulous day - the love I felt was palpable!

Here's a video montage of my day :)
Enjoy!!

Thank you all for making this day wonderful! :) You are all great!

Food, Glorious Food.

I LOVE FOOD. and I'm pretty sure most people do. My focus used to be on exercise. I would let myself eat whatever I wanted and then say, "well...I just run for 5 more minutes." or "I'll do 10 more crunches" trying to cancel out those calories that I didn't need in the first place!

Ever since the 21 day fix - which let's be real, you have all followed my journey with Jared on that one! My eating has been forever changed. NO LIE. That sounds like such an exaggeration but it's not, it's seriously been changed for the better (even Jared too!) and we couldn't be happier. We haven't gained a single ounce even though we've been off the 21 day fix for a month now! We are training our bodies and that's the most important thing.

Anyways, like I said, exercise used to be my focus. I was so concerned on fitting it in during those 25 minutes a day. But now - I've totally got that down pat and I wasn't seeing the results I wanted, so I'm dialing in on my nutrition. There's this crazy thing that losing weight/toning up/being healthy is 80% food and 20% exercise, they also say that you need to eat healthy 80% of the time and then allow yourself to indulge 20% of the time. We call this the 80/20 rule :) I think it's a pretty great rule! And this is essentially what Jared and I have been doing for the past month - since we completed the 21 day fix.

BUT NOW - I'm hosting my first ever "7 day Clean Eating Challenge". I've made a calendar, invited people, and have set up a meal plan for eating 6 small meals for 7 days. This is a great introduction into clean eating and how it works - and how full you can be on 6 small meals. Why are six small meals important? Because it keeps your metabolism working! It honestly helps it to speed up, you are never hungry, and then you never overload your metabolism when you have a big meal...because you don't have a big meal! I can feel a difference - no lie. (Also, I'm learning about this stuff as I go. I have no idea about anything and I'm no expert, believe me...8 months ago I had no clue! - but I like to pass on things when I learn them to all of you.)

Back to the challenge...I have over 60 women in my group who are changing their lives today, because today is day 1! I'm so excited to hear about their results when the time comes on Day 7! They are slowly realizing how simple and easy clean eating is, and how different it is from their normal eating. Today is only day 1 but we have had so much dedication, so many questions, and so much support for one another along this journey.

Until I post our amazing blog on Day 7, I wanted to share this photo with you.

The left picture is from my wedding day on July 12, 2014. I felt like the most beautiful princess in the world (like a Bride is supposed too.. :) ) The right picture was literally taken right now! In both of these pictures I weigh the exact same. To a T. Only difference? (minus the spray tan of course...hahahahaha) is that I'm now a clean eater! Look - the puffiness is gone out of my face completely! My skin has cleared up A TON (which is hard to see in the pictures) and I (meaning my body) look completely different. You would never guess I weigh the same amount.

So, this goes to say...that clean eating does amazing things for your body and the scale is clearly just a number! Have questions about clean eating??? Message me! I'll help you out and get you started :)

Personal Development

I am falling more and more in love...
...with Personal Development.

I know I sound like that freaky lady that consistently reads self help books one after another, battling my way through life, trying to be the best I can be. And yes, I have become that crazy lady. I'm diving head first into a pool full of personal development.
--> However, rather than reading self help books, my personal development books are a little different.
I'm reading books on
1. How to enhance myself, not help myself.
2. How to enrich my self, not make myself rich.
3. How to make myself better, not become someone else.
4. How to bloom where I'm planted, not plant myself elsewhere.
5. How to...well you get the picture!


I'm not self-helping, I'm self-enhancing.
I always hated the term "self-help". I mean, yeah, it looks like you are awesome because you have the initiative to help yourself, but it also makes you look kinda sad...like "My life isn't that great, I'm depressed about (insert subject here), I'm trying to read a book about it to help myself."

My mother was one of those self-help people. She was constantly reading books! My personal favorite books of hers was titled, "How to Have a Better Kid by Friday" and it had this 5 day plan of discipline and structure to have better kids. HAHAHAHAHA, I still laugh out loud at that title! Like we were terrible children or something...haha But anyways, she had multiple books on finances, motherhood, wife life, and just plain out being positive ("The Power of a Positive Mom"). I'm not saying any of these books are bad - they stretched my mom, allowed her to grow, and changed her. I just didn't like the point she had to get to to start reading them. On days when she felt she wasn't positive enough, on days when she felt she wasn't a good mom or a good wife, on days when money was really tight and we didn't know how to pay the bills, on her lowest of lows, she turned to these books.

...I hated personal development and self help books for this very reason. I didn't want to be at my lowest of lows. I didn't want to feel sad enough, depressed enough about something in order to decide that I was ready to help myself. I didn't want to personally develop myself because that meant that I felt like I had something I needed to work on and work on badly.

However, coaching has been changing my brain about personal development. You don't have to be at a low point! You don't have to be at a high point! You could be completely mediocre in life, things are normal, life seems fine, and you could always use an empowering book to inspire you on!

I caved and bought a few recommended reads from my coach friends. "You are a BadAss" and "You're Made for a God-sized Dream". I purposefully bought them at the time I did because I was/am happy with life, I feel content, and I know that I'm not currently in my lowest of lows.

So, in the end, I'm falling in love with personal development because I've come to accept that I always have room to grow and be awesome! I think you should come to terms with that too.. :)


*DISCLAIMER** I am NOT saying that you shouldn't read these in your lowest of lows! I highly recommend it! I'm simply stating that I didn't want to be at that point to have to read them, and I realized I didn't have to be! :)

My Why

Often, as soon as you make a goal or a decision, you have a reason for doing so...

In the Beachbody world we call this your "Why". What is your why? Why are you doing this? Why are you choosing to spend time every evening/all day/in the morning dedicating yourself to wellness, health, and fitness, and changing people's lives? Once you sign up as a coach, you'll be asked your why. (sidenote: I think this is a practice we should do FOR EVERYTHING.)

In the beginning, my "why" was a standard one. I wanted to be healthy and fit. But recently, I was asked again about what my "why" was and I thought about it, I dug deeper, and I got to the heart of the matter.

My WHY was rooted with the fact that I'd be helping people change their lives and I knew that in helping people, I would be challenged to do the same thing for myself. I would be challenged to eat healthy, to workout every day, to look for new ways to take care of myself, to remain positive, to be an example. When I became a leader, a coach, it meant that I had to walk this same journey with you all and it meant there was no backing down.

 Rereading that paragraph, it looks a bit selfish - but it's truthful! My why is personal, it's my reasoning, and it makes sense to me.

 

It meant that on those days that I didn't want to work out, on those days that I didn't want to eat healthy - I was going to! I was going to do it for you guys because maybe those days you felt the same and you needed an example.

This brings me back to my coach, Jessica. Jessica and I met when I was a practicum teaching student in her classroom. We clicked instantly. After pulling a few strings, we were able to get paired up and she was my cooperating teacher while I taught in her Kindergarten classroom. SHE IS AN AMAZING TEACHER, someone I aspire to be daily. I loved every minute with her and her class and we both cried on my last day at the end of February. I remember her saying, " I feel like I'm breaking up with someone.." hahahaha! I can't believe it's been a year that I've been in that wonderful room and been with Jessica!

Anyways, Jessica became someone I came to with teaching questions, life advice, and someone I trusted. I remember talking to her about how crazy similar our lives were - both the oldest of three girls, OCD and organization to the max, etc. I trusted her completely (and still do!) After I left her classroom, I started seeing some of her posts on Facebook around April. Apparently she had started a workout program in March and was seeing amazing results. In fact, I got to celebrate with her a couple of months ago when she reached 30 pounds lost! I must've commented on one of her things about getting ready for my upcoming wedding. Immediately she messaged me! She was starting a challenge group and she wanted me in. She answered all of my crazy questions and I joined.

BEST TEN WEEKS EVER! I lost 13 inches on my body, gained amazing friendships from my fellow challenge group ladies, and I felt empowered. I felt strong, I felt able. I had a new energy and a new positive outlook. She asked if I wanted to coach...what?! me?! One more thing to had to my newly married, just graduated, don't have a job yet, plate?

I said yes. :) (After some conversation with Jared of course) I remember telling Jared..."If I am encouraging people to workout, it'll make me workout too!" I guess that must've worked, or maybe it was my incessant whining, but he let me join!

So, recap: Shout out to Jessica - the best woman out there. We are in contact every day! And without her, I wouldn't have established my why.

Recently, I've been even more empowered. As some of you are seeing my successes and my progress, you've been messaging me, commenting, asking me questions -and this is what spurs me on! That fact that my life is making a difference in others, challenging others, making you think, making you question...making you change :) My WHY is because I'm changed by leading you all just as much as you are changed by being led.

The 21 Day Fix: It's all in the Preparation

So, in a normal week, I'd only post once! But! I felt so strongly about the support system thing, I HAD to post it and then I was like, "Wait a minute Alyssa! You and Jared are starting the 21 day fix on Monday so you have to post about that too!"

And yes...I'm starting the 21 day fix tomorrow, and yes, Jared is doing it with me, and yes, I couldn't be happier to have a clean eating and workout buddy who I just so happen to be married too.

I'm sure there are multiple questions filling your head - What exactly is the 21 day fix? It sounds terrible, but it's only 21 days, etc. :)

Well, that's why I'm blogging! This blog is going to be about what the 21 day fix is, how you can use it in YOUR life, and how to prep and begin for it. I think I refused to do this program because I didn't think I could give the time commitment to the preparation and the organization of the food - but alas, I once again have been proven wrong and now it's time to explain it all.

1) WHAT is the 21 day fix:
So, you can read the professional description here:
 http://www.teambeachbody.com/workout-routines/21-day-fix-workout
but, my description: It's a workout and portion control program. You get different colored and sized containers (each container is basically a food group), after doing some math you figure out your caloric needs which tells you how many of each container you should have a day. From there, you read the foods you can eat and make a meal plan! If you eat all the containers you need a day, you'll be full - this isn't a "hungry" situation. It also comes with a workout plan that's about a half an hour a day. Do this for 21 days :)

2) HOW it works: basically it's teaching us portion control. As Americans we tend to eat until we are full and we eat three really really big meals. With the 21 day fix, I'm eating six small meals a day! They say (and by that I mean the professional creators of this program) that eventually our bodies will get used to the normal sized and smaller portions we are supposed to eat! Eventually we will only be able to eat so much, eventually our bodies will get rid of these silly "super sized" tendencies! Plus, we are getting a good workout in - so you are sure to lose weight!

3) WHY it works: it becomes a lifestyle - you can apply it to ANYTHING. Birthday party? Portion out your foods. School day? Plan your snacks accordingly for in between classes.

4) HOW to set it up and organize it!
---now this is where I come in! I've spent a lot of time pinteresting, researching, and trying to find the BEST POSSIBLE way to plan for a busy schedule (and I don't even have kids, so I can only imagine!) I combined a bunch of different methods and made them my own. I definitely spent about half a day on my planning and just trying to figure out HOW to make it work. And in the beginning, it's going to take you that long too - just because it's a new thing and you are completely altering your lifestyle and your eating habits. However, now that I have my plan, I'm set for each week and it's easy to write my grocery list, get the food, and be done!
So...here's where I started.

FIRST: I recommend having a way that's easy to document your progress. This will keep you going and help you survive.
I made this :)

As you can see this is how Jared and I will document our weight and our inches lost. We will use pictures for all the rest. Later on, after making this, I used the bottom to figure out all of the math. Jared and I are obviously different sizes meaning we will have different caloric needs. This means our containers and amount of them we get differs as well - but I managed to make it work.

NEXT: Do the math - figure out the number of colored containers you'll each need. Jared isn't a super huge veggie and fruit eater, so I made a list off of the book of the stuff he actually liked.  

I knew how much he needed of each colored container and I divided that up throughout the day, making sure it made sense with the meals. For example, he needed 6 green containers (green = vegetables) and with three main meals and three snacks I was going to give him one green container at each meal. But he didn't like the idea of having vegetables at breakfast. So instead, we doubled up his vegetables at lunch when he eats his tortilla sandwich!

I made a chart like this!

I color coated each food group to have to deal with the containers, so that way I knew we were covered! Finally...

THIRD: I knew he and I weren't home together during the day, so I leave a little note card each day with what he can eat and by color coding it, then he knows what container to measure it with! The creator recommends measuring with the containers, but then putting everything on a plate instead of eating from the containers. In this way, our body begins to recognize how full our plate should actually be.

Finally, I went grocery shopping and this is where I WAS FLOORED. I normally dread buying fresh fruits and veggies - it's costly. But since I had a plan, went in with my list, and bought only things on that list, I came out spending $50 less than I normally do and I'm feeding me AND MY HUSBAND 6 meals a day for the next 7 days...

NOW THAT IS INSANITY.

my cart was only half full!

SO. WE ARE READY! You are probably looking at my calendar of food and thinking, "That is a ton of food!" and it really is! The creator of the program says we probably won't be hungry enough to finish everything. It looks like alot because when we nourish our bodies with processed foods we don't need as much, but since it's almost 100% organic then we need to eat way more!

I'm excited for this week and for our results. I'm even more excited because Jared is doing it with me!!

Next week's blog will be about our first week's results and our plan for the upcoming week! 

In other news...I've set up my Coaching office and I'm ready to kick some butt for the year!

Taking the Plunge: Spending money on a healthy lifestyle

I've only been a coach for a few months, but even so the biggest problem I've run into (which I'm sure even the best of the best coaches run into too) can be summed up into one sentence..."Wow, that's a lot of money and I don't think I can spend that right now."

That was me..

I was that person...

I said those same things...

That's why today I wanted to share a detailed look of "the moment". The moment I said yes, the moment I typed in my debit card number, and the moment I made the decision to spend an amount of money that seemed to me WAY to expensive for my wedding-planning, house fixing, just graduated-about to pay my debt -self.

I had actually reached out to a coach during my second year of college. I saw her posts, I saw her own fitness story, and I wanted to be in on it. Then I saw the cost. I saw the time commitment. I refused, I just couldn't. To me, this was impossible.

Fast forward two years and an engagement later and I was determined to get fit for my wedding. I had been running daily, but nothing much more than that. My teacher from my student teaching had just become a Beachbody coach and I was slowly watching her transform through her photos and posts. She became an inspiration and when I commented on one of her posts, she messaged me immediately trying to answer all of my questions. And obviously it came down to cost...

She was beginning a challenge group and the program was going to be T-25. T-25 is already a super expensive program as it is - $120.00...that's a lot. Since I had no money and I was engaged and planning a wedding, I obviously had to ask my fiance at the time, Jared. Jared was pretty much against it from the beginning, we didn't have that extra to spend...and he kept glancing over to my "workout" basket where I keep multiple DVDs that I've bought over the years with good intentions. So, I wasn't really gaining about brownie points with that.

After a few days of her giving me more info and me bugging Jared, I finally just bought it - without telling Jared. It came in the mail and he was upset - I was upset, because he was upset and I knew I shouldn't have done it. I'll never forget what he finally said to me, "If you want to take care of yourself and be healthy, then I can't be mad about that." I felt so relieved! I had his blessing to atleast begin a program!

Next comes healthy eating. Everyone knows buying fresh fruit and vegetables, getting the more organic things, and just eating plain healthy can be more expensive! But there are ways to save money and eat healthy, it just takes time. I remember my grocery bill being $200 for just the two of us each week when I started trying to cook healthier. It took a few months but eventually Jared and I figured out how much fruit and veggies we could eat, what we needed when, etc. and now my grocery bill waivers between $90 and $120 a week.

Finally, my shakeology plunge. Shortly after becoming a coach, I knew I needed to start drinking Shakeology. I needed to practice what I preached!  I had been avoiding Shakeology because it is pretty costly each month - $130! Signing up as a coach allowed me to get a discount (which was a benefit) but I finally decided that I needed to do this FOR ME. I needed to spend this amount of money on me each month to make me HEALTHY, FIT, and HAPPY.

This whole "taking the plunge" thing hit me this week as I try to build my team. A lot of people are afraid to spend that much on one thing. I was afraid too! I was terrified actually, and I almost felt selfish. In some way or another, our finances worked out. My shakeology and fitness expenses were covered by my coaching profit - and I was making a little extra on the side! I babysat for a little extra income and put that towards my shakeology. Now, I don't even notice when the amount gets taken from my account!

In the end, I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's worth it. YOU are worth it. YOUR HEALTH is worth it. I was you once, I remember not knowing if I could pay for gas for school the next week if I bought this workout program. But I promise, I won't give up on you and your results will be worth far more than the money it took to buy your workout program, to buy the healthy foods, to buy the Shakeology.
Take the plunge!

Never miss a Monday....

When I had first joined a challenge group, my coach would post her "sweaty selfie" and say, "Never miss a Monday!!" I think this came from our Focus T-25 workout program. Either way, I kinda associated it with her and her positive Monday talk...

..I'm not gonna lie..I hate Mondays. Don't we all? It means we have to get up early, restart the work week, count the days until another weekend. We were supposed to spend our weekend recharging, however we spent it using up the last of our battery life by staying up late, sleeping in, revamping our sleep schedules for a mere two days just to have more fun - only making Monday look worse and worse and dreading the alarm that would wake us up at an ungodly hour.

I kinda always felt bad for Monday. It wasn't Monday's fault that it was placed as the start of the week again.

...off on a rant there.

Anyway, never miss a Monday rings truer than ever in the weightloss, health and fitness world. Monday sets the tone for the week. It's where we reestablish those habits that we've set to help us continue them into the week.

I've lived through this, I've experienced it.

I miss a workout on a Monday. On Tuesday, it's really really hard to push myself to workout - and I'll probably do it half-heartedly if I do. By Wednesday, I've already decided that Monday and Tuesday didn't go great, so why bother finishing the rest of the week.

NEVER EVER MISS A MONDAY. Even if that means you have to get up a little earlier, be a little crankier (which in the end you won't be because exercise produces endorphins and endorphins make you happy), drink a little more coffee, stay up later, rearrange your schedule, set 5 alarms (that's me!) NEVER EVER MISS A MONDAY.

Monday's are important. Today, my alarm went off and I hit the snooze. Next thing I knew, I was in a hurry and it was time for me to leave for work with no time to workout and shower. I knew this could set me off for the whole week - I knew not waking up on time would make my day shift. So right away (as soon as I was coherent enough to wake up and realize I missed my workout) I planned my day, switched a few things, and scheduled in times for my butt workout!

So, I end with this..
What did you do to NOT miss your Monday? It could be the simplest of things - taking the stairs, ordering a salad instead of a burger, etc.

Today: I drank my Shakeology for breakfast and I'm just about to complete my butt exercises for my "Drop it like a Squat" (hilarious name!) challenge group!

Remember... :)

My fitness journey...

I'm only 5'3" and I've always been a little more on the athletic/thicker build side. This has made me consistently in the "overweight/obese" category simply because of my height. I went through the awkward puberty stage like most people.

The summer before my senior year of high school, I spent the summer as a camp counselor. I gained ten pounds in six weeks eating camp food. Most people think you'll lose weight at camp due to the constant activities - which I guess is partially true. Most people also think camp food isn't that great. However, MY CAMP has cooks that make delicious homemade food for all meals of the day and I loved indulging myself in bacon every morning, scrumptious sandwiches at lunch time, and roast beef and mashed potatoes at dinner. All homemade, all mouth watering, all not so great for you...

When I returned home from that summer at camp, I was ten pounds heavier and it was noticeable. I was at the heaviest weight I have ever been in my entire life, 176 pounds.

 It was so easy for my weight to fluctuate. I felt like a bloated whale. I was also slightly depressed. My family had just taken in a homeless girl who had my room, this was my first summer "away" and it seemed like my friends had changed and moved on, and it was my senior year and I was supposed to be making decisions that would affect the rest of my life. My mom had noticed my weight gain ( I mean, who didn't...) and mentioned something. It wasn't a rude comment, rather an observation. The fact that someone had observed and then said something cut me to the core and I made a decision then and there to change this for the better.

I started eating a hard boiled egg for breakfast, a salad at lunch at school, and then simply watching my portions with my family at dinner. Senior year was BUSY - I was running around doing everything with everyone that I didn't' really think about snacking outside of meal time. I also dusted off those Seventeen Magazine fitness pull outs I had saved from years of subscribing. I did the easy exercises (lunges, squats, different types of crunches/pushups etc.) twice a day - once in the morning, once at night. Within three or four weeks time, I had lost 16 pounds! New weight: 160 lbs. WHAT.  I couldn't have been happier! Getting elected to the homecoming court really encouraged me to continue with my habits.

Senior year continued, I graduated, life moved on, and I returned to summer camp determined to not gain weight. I ran often with some other counselors, limited my portions, made healthier choices, and had a crush on a guy that helped me to keep my figure in check! I was down 10 pounds that summer and in the best shape I had been in awhile. I felt pretty, comfortable in my body, and good about myself.

My "crush" and I started dating at the end of the summer, a month before I was to head to college about three hours away. Because we had just started dating, we went out on dates to restaurants and movies, ice cream, - all the fun stuff. However, I made healthier choices and was able to remain the same weight.

College...oh college. Everyone says you'll gain the freshman fifteen. It's definitely true and possible! However, I was blessed with roommates that enjoyed exercise and we worked out almost every day freshman year.

This is my crew - my roomies!

 We used our free gym privileges with ease and you could often find us either working out to Jillian Michael's before class in the morning or in the evening hitting up the elliptical.We joined Zumba classes and had a lot of fun. I gained about five pounds my freshman year, but I'm going to say it was all muscle... even my sister said I looked good! ;)

This was at the end of my freshman year of college. DANG ;)

Sophomore year is when it all started going downhill. I don't think adults remember what college is like once you get into harder classes. I HAD NO TIME. I was barely sleeping let alone working out. I am one the most organized and prepared people I know, but in between school, work, and homework, all I wanted to do was socialize for an hour or so during mealtime. I didn't want to/didn't see the possibility of getting up earlier than I already was in order to workout. I gained some weight (I'd say my sophomore 15) putting me back up at 180)

I graduated college a year early so my junior and senior years were "together". This year, I pretty much hovered around the same weight. My crush turned boyfriend from camp asked me to marry him in October! I was engaged, getting ready to graduate, and preparing for my student teaching semester. Life couldn't have been better! Upon graduation, I moved into the house we would live in together after our wedding. I stepped on the scale and saw that I had gained a little weight and was up to 187 lbs. I wanted to be in shape for the wedding - that was my original plan -  but my life had literally just been CRAZY! Student teaching, graduation, and wedding planning - along with all those parties since we had graduated. I was searching for a job WHILE planning my wedding WHILE fixing up/painting our home WHILE figuring out my life. It was an intense time for my body and my brain. I wasn't eating that much at all because I was so busy and that made it worse for my body.

I started running. We live in a beautiful countryside and the mornings are simply gorgeous so I started running. Well,...first I walked. Then I jogged. And slowly but surely it turned into something I NEEDED to do. My cooperating teacher that I worked with while student teaching, Jessica, had become a Beachbody coach and asked if I would be interested in any of her programs to get ready for the wedding. I chose Focus T-25 with Shaun T. It seemed like the best program for me because it was only 25 minutes a day! Throughout the next ten weeks, I lost 12 inches! 12 INCHES on my body!! I didn't lose a single pound and that was okay because I realized the scale is just a number. I dropped a pants size and have never felt better. My weight might have not changed but my body was changing and I felt amazing on my wedding day.

Honeymoon over and now I'm back at home with my new husband trying to figure out how to live with a boy and make it work. I wanted him to love my cooking so I made every possible thing I could that was delicious and potatoey and filled with butter. I guess you could call me Paula Dean :) This wasn't good for either of us. On top of that, the stress of all those life events of mine within a 3 month period (student teaching, graduation, wedding planning, wedding, home, expenses, learning to live with a boy, job searching) had caught up with my body and I was sick. My stomach hurt, I was nauseous, I was extremely exhausted and napped every afternoon. My stomach was puffy and looked like a 6 month pregnant belly. My first thought was...have I pooped recently? yes. My second thought was...am I pregnant? 8 negative pregnancy tests later I accepted I wasn't pregnant but I still wasn't getting my time of the month.

Ladies, this messes with your body!!! I'm still struggling with my monthly today and it's been so hard getting back on track and handling my body along with it. It caused me to feel bloated, gain water weight, and at one point I was up to 200 pounds, 200 pounds?! I cried that day. I also cried when a lady at the grocery store asked when my baby was due. That is how pregnant and bloated I looked, that is how bad I felt.

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The most current photo of me (taken...three days ago!) - ignore the "R", it was for a craft project :)

SO - my whole story has been told. "But Alyssa, where are you now?!" I'm working on it! I'm figuring out my body, I'm getting further and further away from that 200 number and I'm bringing others with me. This story is so new, so vivid, and so real to me because it wasn't that long ago... My 200 number happened just last month. My body has been through the ringer lately. Sometimes that means I have to know my stress limits, sometimes that means I have to care a little less, and sometimes that means I have to say no. My weight loss journey has been a roller coaster and I'm more than prepared for 2015 to be the year that I meet my goal!

Join me! I'm not perfect, I like chocolate, and I'm just like you. Let's make 2015 OUR YEAR!