21 Days: 100% Commitment

Weekly Update:  This week I am down -4.4lbs for a total of 46.4lbs.  I completed a 3 Day Shakeology cleanse, and I have to say I feel absolutely amazing.  I have so much energy, and I've been sleeping so well!   And for the first time in 7 months I'm actually feeling like I am seeing some noticeable changes.  Since I started Max 30 Last week, it may be a combination of Max 30 and the Cleanse, but I feel ready to CONQUER 2015!

Here are my original photos at 236.6lbs and then ones taken today.  I share these to inspire others who are looking at the big picture - take a step back and look ONE day at a time and learn to love yourself along heh journey.

These represent 7/11/14 - 1/8/15.

If you enjoy my blog, I'd love to have you in my private (women only) Facebook Group dedicated to health, fitness and nutrition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitandHealthyPrivateGroup/ 

With the New Year, so many people make 'resolutions' which often get forgotten after a few weeks.   What I've learned over the past 6 months is that accountability is a huge piece of the success equation.  I love this quote and it's so important to write those goals down, and ideally to tell others about them.    Please don't hesitate to write your goals in the comments of this blog - it really does help to get them down on paper.  

I posted my long and short term goals in the last blog post, but wanted to post some even shorter term goals in this post.  While my eating hasn't been terrible the past few weeks of the holidays, it's been a little bit of a roller coaster with some good days and some really off track days.  I've essentially kept  my weight consistent which I consider to be a success, but I missed my "January 1st" goal of being a total of 50lbs down.

I am hitting the reset button as of this Monday, doing the 3 Day Cleanse (feel free to ask me the details!) and committing 100% to the 21 Day Fix starting Thursday.  The Fix has been the program that has kept me losing weight consistently since July.   In July, I followed the full 21 Day Program and lost 11.5lbs and it taught me so much about balanced and 'clean' eating.  Since July, I've followed the program 75-80% of the time, and I work out at least 20 minutes 6 days a week.   Not hitting my 50lb goal was a reminder that I maybe have been slacking a little more the past few weeks and I decided I will dedicate myself to the plan (see photos below of some of my prepped food!) and get that jump start in my weight loss.  

I love this photo, as it's all about finding that balance in your life.  I feel like I'm finally discovering what I need to do to remain balanced in my health, fitness, personal and work lives.

For me, part of that balance has come with sharing my story.  As you read my blogs, and see the photos that I've posted, you will see that I've really put myself out there.  If my story can help just one person then it was all worth it. Everyone has a different story, and in embracing my story over these past few months, I've been able to gain traction with my physical and emotional health.

As promised, here are those photos - this is some of my meal prep for my 3 Day Cleanse as well as my three day difference.  In the 3 days I lost 3.3lbs but more importantly notice huge changes in my body as well as how I feel.  This is Monday morning vs Thursday!

One thing I love about this cleanse is that I get to eat red peppers and red pepper hummus as my mid-afternoon snack! Something I never think to do usually, but it's tasty and refreshing.

For me, planning is key.  So you see here I have three 'sets' of everything which will get me through the three full days.  This is just some of the food I had, don't get worried!

Here is another thing I made for my cleanse - a cucumber dill salad.  I seriously love this salad so much that I plan to make it for my next social event.

The dressing is super tasty too - herbs, lemon, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and apple cider vinegar.

For later in the week I prepped some Fix-friendly burritos complete with tofu (since I don't eat chicken), multi color peppers, onions, fajita seasoning and a dash of cheese.  I wrapped them in Joseph's wraps - my absolute favorite wraps as they are low calorie, high fiber and don't fall apart when you roll them up!

I also took some time to raid my fridge for ingredients to make a veggie, pasta, ricotta bake.  I love that on the Fix ricotta counts as a protein.  I've learned that I struggle a lot with protein and healthy fats, so the Fix has given me creative ways to get those in.  Here are all the ingredients I used - eggplant, tomato, onion, green pepper, EVOO, shells, mozzarella, ricotta & Italian herbs.

Below is a collage of the prep steps.  I cut up all the veggies, cooked the pasta - then sauteed the veggies in the olive oil and mixed everything together. Before putting in a pan and topping with the two cheeses.  Needless to say, this dish was absolutely amazing. 

What I love about the Fix is that it's really simple eating, and it inspires me to cook which is something I love and it energizes me to have all these good options ready to go in the fridge. When I cook, I will portion everything out so all I have to do is literally just grab and go - being hungry with 'no options' is never an excuse!

More about me or to order any products:  http://www.beachbodycoach.com/chapmaki

Business Website: http://www.fitandbalancedmom.com/

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Weekly Update:

This week I was up exactly 1lb.  I actually attribute this gain quite a bit to some poor choices (high in sodium) yesterday as a result of eating out for lunch.  That being said, I am confident that I will lose weight next week and I am not discouraged by the gain.  I am still down 42lbs and 42 is much more of an impact than the 1lb gain.  While I did not hit my New Years goal of 50lbs lost, I got pretty darn close in just 6 months time.   Here are my new goals both short and long term:

Short Term (end of February):

✔️ Complete all 60 Days of Insanity Max:30

✔️ Drink 75-100oz of water daily

✔️ Reach 50lb Weight Loss (minimum)

Long Term:

✔️ Hit healthy BMI by July 4th (145lbs) - a year after my journey started 

✔️ Sign up and register for a road race (thinking Manchester, but maybe one prior as well)  

✔️ Continue to motivate and inspire others to find or maintain their health by sharing my passion and story

If you enjoy my blog, I'd love to have you in my private (women only) Facebook Group dedicated to health, fitness and nutrition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitandHealthyPrivateGroup/ 

In other news....

In my head this photo was cuter, but my son came down with a terrible cough, runny nose and double ear infection on the 23rd hence the blurry eyes.  This was a fun spin on leaving cookies for Santa - trying to help him shed some pounds we decided to leave him Shakeology and PiYo :)

Luckily his cold didn't stop his spirit, he totally loved his first Christmas as a toddler.

Halfway through the week I got a photo from a dear friend that I've had the pleasure to coach through her weight loss journey.  She's primarily used the 21 Day Fix paired with PiYo and now is graduating to Insanity Max 30 and 'craving' her workouts! Down 50lbs and now working on toning as she's only a couple pounds from her goal!

One of my favorite Christmas gifts was this bag with my business logo on it.  I officially launch on Tuesday in two locations with a third coming in a couple weeks!  This is all so exciting, I can't wait to meet the new moms that will be coming to my expanded class offerings!

While I was pretty on track this past week, I decided to run a 3 Day cleanse to jumpstart 2015, I can't wait to be back to 'normal' eating as well as to do this with the amazing group of over 20 others who decided to join in on the cleanse with me!  I'll share my results in next week's post.

Due to the extreme interest in the cleanse, I had to buy some Shakeokogy from a fellow coach to fill the orders.  It's always good to meet up with friends 😊

More about me or to order any products:  http://www.beachbodycoach.com/chapmaki

Business Website: http://www.fitandbalancedmom.com/

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com

Back on Track

Weekly Update:

Well this week I got quite off track.   I did SO well last week, and I felt so great!   I had lost enough weight last week to put me into the next calorie bracket (less containers on the 21 Day Fix).  This is a good problem to have, but for me something about it started to cause me to go off the wagon.  While I wasn't eating all my containers, something mentally/emotionally struck me and the change in my routine as a result of the change in containers made me go off course.  Instead of cutting my containers down, I spent a good part of the week going completely off track and eating anything (and I literally mean ANYTHING) I could find.   It wasn't until yesterday that I decided to reach out for help from my network on my Fit & Healthy page that I realized that keeping my calories to the prior amount would actually be beneficial (oddly enough, this is advice I had given a friend but forgotten about!).   Because the lower calorie count was actually causing me to eat significantly more out of rebellion.    So all this being said, this week I wasn't surprised to be up +2.8lbs.  But I still consider it a victory given the masses of food I ate all week as well as the fact that with Thanksgiving week, I'm still DOWN over the past two weeks, and I've still had a total weight loss of over 40lbs (40.2lbs as of today).   I consider this a victory, and a reminder that sometimes you go off course, but it doesn't mean you can't pick back up again instead of staying off course.

If you enjoy my blog, I'd love to have you in my private (women only) Facebook Group dedicated to health, fitness and nutrition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitandHealthyPrivateGroup/ 

This quote is great, it's a reminder that you need to make a change to see change - complaining about being off track wouldn't help me, but getting back ON track will!   I actually felt so gross and lethargic this week, it was enough to scare me into wanting to eat well again!

I took the opportunity to find a non-scale victory after my weigh-in.  Instead of getting down on myself, I realized the coat I was wearing was my 'weight loss reward' coat that I purchased several week's back.  The coat was snug in the store but zipped, just a few weeks later it's feeling bigger and I'm loving what it represents.  It's nothing fancy, but it is one of those coats that goes just above your knees so I feel really good that I can zip it comfortably over my legs, hips, waist and chest with no struggle!

Some other fun things from this week, included a holiday brunch/crafts show with our mommy friends.  This get together was a reminder that we no longer have little babies!  Our first brunches last year consisted of sleeping babies, or ones that would lay on their backs on the ground while we all chatted.  Those days are long gone!  We were all running around after screaming toddlers who kept trying to do things like run up the stairs!

Going to the holiday brunch got me in the Christmas mood  (I had been avoiding decorating like a real Grinch).  We went out and got ourselves a tree and put on music and spent some time decorating it!   I actually had a lot of fun.

And on to the fitness news!   We had class again at the library, and our little Delia decided to bust into a downward dog pose.  This girl is hilarious - she is also a big fan of plank (and she's only 14 months old!)

My friend Katie also had a fun experience this week running her first 'Shake and Share' - sharing all about some of the products that have worked so well for a bunch of us mommies including Shakeology and the 21 Day Fix.  

In food news...

I saw this idea and LOVE it.  I think I have to do it for my next holiday party.  I may decorate the tree with things like cucumbers too and maybe instead of carrots put red peppers around the outside (I love red peppers), but in general I thought this was a creative and festive healthy appetizer.

I also saw this idea, and love it for work.  We have so many mason jars from various things and this is a perfect use for them.

More about me or to order any products:  http://www.beachbodycoach.com/chapmaki

Business Website: http://www.fitandbalancedmom.com/

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com

Refreshed

I'm so excited this week to announce a -3.6lb loss! That puts me at a 43lb total which is 3 pounds more than my goal 'loss' for the week (I had set a goal of losing 0.6lbs so I could 'hit' 40 as my running total).  I'm still marching towards a 50lb loss by New Years, which I realize is aggressive but I'll do my best!   I feel so empowered by this week's loss especially given the holiday. 

This week, I was good leading up to the holiday and then stuck within some basic guidelines for Thanksgiving dinner.  My problem was with the leftovers phase of the day. What's interesting is that I could have totally avoided the leftovers as I wasn't even thinking about them, but my cousin was staying over and made herself a plate.  So after feeling great, I decided to make plate too..then my mother remembered she forgot to put out the blueberry pie, so I had a slice (and then another) of that.  Needless to say, I had a whopping stomach ache as a result.

Friday we hit the road early in the morning for a road trip to see family in North Carolina - I've actually learned how to eat well on road trips thanks to the 21 Day Fix, so I was pretty proud of my choices during our 14 hour drive.   Then Saturday and Sunday I stayed on track and Monday-Wednesday I committed to doing the '3 Day Refresh' which was awesome - 

In light of the holidays, I wanted to share a photo I saw earlier in the week.  I absolutely love what it says.  Something I struggle with historically is throwing in the towel when I slip up, but that's the best time to get back on the saddle.   "Avoiding" reality has never made me lose weight, get stronger, or get fitter - and even worse as the time passes it makes me GAIN weight, LOSE strength and LOSE endurance.   Making progress, even if it's slow and even if it's up and down is still progress.  I'm really working on looking at the big picture this time around and hoping to make it my LAST weight loss story.

If you enjoy my blog, I'd love to have you in my private (women only) Facebook Group dedicated to health, fitness and nutrition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitandHealthyPrivateGroup/ 

Here is a picture of my plate on Thanksgiving.   I did go up for seconds, but for much less than what is pictured here.   What you see: green beans, twice baked potato, squash, broccoli casserole, sweet potato, carrots, quinoa stuffing (and the Turkey was for my son).  Not terrible seeing as none of the veggies had butter!

And one thing I've consistently done since starting this journey in July, is "push play".  We talk about pushing play a lot in Beachbody, and it's so simple, yet so effective.   For you it may not be 'pushing play' it may be hitting the road if you're a runner, or getting in the car if you go to a gym.  Regardless, it's that FIRST small step that is the hardest but once you make it your workout is already a success.  Not once have I pushed play then quit.  Not once have I gotten in the car to go to the gym and decided to go to a drive thru instead.  Not once have I put on my running sneakers and gotten on the pavement and turned back.  Regardless of how long or hard you go, doing something is still better than nothing.  This photo is of my teeny, tiny, mini DVD player that I bring with me literally everywhere.   Since we drove, I was also able to bring my barbell (love love love my barbell).  I did a Body Pump DVD or a 45 minute walk (or both) each and every day we were in NC.

A week (and road trip) wouldn't be complete with out my Starbucks.  I know it's not the healthiest thing, but it's what keeps me on the straight and narrow. I know I'll get my Starbucks once a day, so it keeps me from eating things off the snack table at work, or other 'treats' that pop up over the course of a day.   This photo was taken at one of our rest stops, when they decided "Kem" was a better name for me then "Kim".

Being on vacation, I had some time to go through some photos.  I love this collage I created as it really explains my journey.  The photo on the left is of me waterskiing a few years after college.  It's a bit blurry, but I have a huge grin on my face.  This photo was taken after a 60 pound weight loss. I had been overweight my entire childhood and lost 60 pounds in college on Weight Watchers.   Fast forward to the middle photo, I was 2 months away from giving birth to the best gift in the world.  During my pregnancy I thought it meant I could eat whatever I wanted - despite what the doctors told me.  I don't know how much I gained during my pregnancy, but in the months that followed I continued those terrible habits with my sleep depravation and stress.   Then this summer, when I tried to ski in July I couldn't get up. It tore me apart.  Even at my heaviest as a child, I was always able to ski, but with pregnancy/post pregnancy gain I had put on so much weight that my body literally got in the way and I couldn't get small enough to get my hands on the rope with a good grip.   In the water, teary eyed and angry, I vowed to lose 20 pounds and get up on my skis by the end of the summer.  So on my son's first birthday, we went up and I gave it my all.  I was down 22lbs and determined.   The photo on the right is me skiing on that day - this was my first goal and the most important that I've hit so far in this journey to shed 100 pounds.

In food news, I shared that this week I did what's called the 3 Day Refresh. I've done this 3 times so far and love it.  It involves a combination of nutrient dense shakes as well as real foods (but no animal proteins) and is done over the course of 3 days to reset your body.  I love how I feel on it (although this round I had a bit of a caffeine withdrawal), and I love how I feel after.  I spent Sunday doing a little meal prep and here is my food for the 3 days!

I ended the week with another great victory - wrapping a 'small' beach towel all the way around my waist.  For those of you who have struggled with weight, you will understand just how huge of an accomplishment this is.  

More about me or to order any products:  http://www.beachbodycoach.com/chapmaki

Business Website: http://www.fitandbalancedmom.com/

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com

Thankful!

In light of Thanksgiving, I have decided to share some 'exposed' photos of myself.  I'm typically a very modest person, but I thought it was important to share these photos as a reminder to everyone out there that you CAN do it.   

If you are following my journey, you know prior to having my son I was extremely fit, weighing in at 130 pounds and running half marathons, hiking mountains, teaching 2-3 fitness classes a day.  You name it, I did it!   This fitness came after a 60 pound weight loss in college after being overweight my entire childhood.   When I became 'fit' in college, I was always looking to lose that extra pound, never satisfied.   Having never been fit before, I guess I didn't quite know how to be thankful for where I was.   

Fast forward, a baby, lack of sleep, stress, and full attention to my son's health, I regained that 60 pounds, plus 40 more over the course of a year.   The past 5 month's I've been chipping away at my goals day by day and really being Thankful for the person I am becoming.  There is no looking back, only looking forward.

These photos show a lot more skin then I'm typically comfortable with, but I am sharing them in hopes to inspire at least one person. You can do it, you aren't alone, and you have support!  What's interesting about these photos is that my current "after" is at the weight I started my original weight loss journey at in college.  Yet, I've never been so comfortable and proud of my body.   

I have carried a baby for almost a year in this body.  

I have used this body to care for my son. 

I have fought to regain strength for this body.  

I am PROUD of what this body can do that it couldn't 5 months ago.  

I am here for you, through Mommy & Me classes, through personal 1:1 conversations, through private accountability groups.  My goal is to help other Mother's find Balance in their health regardless of where they are starting, where they used to be, or what they are hoping to accomplish!

• - 39.4lbs
• -37.5 inches

Looking forward to the next 40lbs!

If you enjoy my blog, I'd love to have you in my private (women only) Facebook Group dedicated to health, fitness and nutrition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitandHealthyPrivateGroup/ 

More about me or to order any products:  http://www.beachbodycoach.com/chapmaki

Business Website: http://www.fitandbalancedmom.com/

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com

Courage & Conviction

Weekly Update:  This week is an exciting one.  I am down 1.8lbs this week, but that's not what i am excited about.  What's so exciting is the fact that I'm UNDER 200.   Now, this might not seem like a huge accomplishment for those who have never weighed more than 200 pounds, but believe me - it is extremely empowering and feels like I'm getting closer to 'normal people fat' if that makes sense!   I still have a ways to go, but wahoo, even with holidays upon us I'm under 200! My goal is to never get over 200 again (unless I end up pregnant with triplets at some point!).   My new total is 37.2 pounds.   I am very close to where I was in college weight wise when I started my first weight loss journey.  At that point, I had been overweight my entire life, and went to Weight Watchers for the first time weighing in at 190.6lbs (a number I will never forget).  Over the course of 18 months, I crept my weight down to 130.0 flat.   In my head, once I get back to 190.6 I KNOW I can continue because it's a battle I already fought and won once.   I am so close to that starting point and feel so proud of myself for the 37.2 that I've already lost.  I have been the most mentally clear over this journey than ever before with my weight loss in prior years.  I feel 'level' for once.  I owe a lot of that to the way the 21 Day Fix has made me think about food, I no longer starve myself to 'save' up for big meals and I never really feel deprived either.   I also have such a different perspective on weight, weight loss and goals this time around.  I have an amazing support system through my Facebook Group (Fit & Healthy - a group for women) that motivate me on a daily basis to continue with my journey.

I loved this quote, I think I snagged it from someone's Instagram.  Really, it doesn't matter where I got it just that I did!  It says a lot for where I am in my life right now.  I have been searching for years (since maybe  I was a junior in high school looking at colleges and having to pick my career path at the age of 17).   We all struggle with this, I'm sure (except maybe a few lucky ducks out there).   I went on a retreat on an island off of Boston Harbor in college called "Halftime" that was dedicated to Sophomores finding the right fit for themselves in the future.  While, at the time, I didn't really know what to do with the information I was learning, it always stuck with me.  At this point I was still pushing 200 pounds and had been since I was about 13.  I had never found the 'fit' me, I had never seen what being strong could do for my body and soul.   What stuck with me from this conference was three questions they kept asking us to answer:

1. What brings you joy?

2. What are you good at?

3. What do people need you to do?

These questions I find to be so powerful.  Think about them, think about your current job and think about how you would answer these questions.  I think most of us settle for two of the three, often tomes the latter two.   The third one obviously is most aimed at the making a living aspect of your career choice.  I may be excellent at flicking pennies and it may bring me joy, but if no one needs me to do it I'll have a really hard time making a living, right?   I challenge you to think about these three questions, as I have almost daily from the day I left that retreat.   I am still working to find my answers, but as I embark on my new endeavor as "Fit and Balanced Mom" I am getting closer and closer to that goal.   What brings me joy in life is helping others - in any aspect that I have knowledge I love to help others. I am motivated by helping others establish and reach their goals (and not just in fitness & health - if I have knowledge that can help someone, I am the first to be a helping hand).   What I am passionate about, however, is fitness and health.  I have had a long and not always easy journey.  I have been fat. I have been fit.  I have been 'fat fit' (fat but strong) and I have been just plain old fat.   I have had motivation, and I have lacked motivation.  I have lost weight and gained it. I have run half marathons and hiked countless mountains, but I have also struggled to get up off the floor due to excess weight on my joints.   It is all of these experiences and how I have overcome them that give me the knowledge and passion to help others in their health and fitness goals.   And I truly believe that I am good at it.   I am genuine and patient and non judgmental.   

If you enjoy my blog, I'd love to have you in my private (women only) Facebook Group dedicated to health, fitness and nutrition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitandHealthyPrivateGroup/ 

In light of all this, I want to remind each and every one of my readers one thing.  Regardless of your challenges, goals or struggles YOU MATTER.   That is the number one thing you need to remember.   You matter, and you deserve it.    I love this photo, from a summer camp friend of mine running an amazing project (Look for the Good) reminding people to find gratitude in their day.  Take a minute to remind yourself that YOU MATTER, once you can accept that you have the power to do anything.

I'd also like to take a few minutes to touch on my week this week.  One of the most exciting parts of it was attending Bikram Yoga at my favorite studio in Downtown Hartford.   This studio is where I found lot of my inner strength in the year leading up to my pregnancy.   On a whim (after trying Bikram here and there a few times), I decided to buy a Groupon for a new local studio.   I bought it with friends, which made me more likely to actually go.  I started going slowly here and there (it was a 3 month membership that I purchased), then after about 4 or 5 classes something clicked in me, and I started to crave that hot room and the 90 minutes of open eyed meditation.  For those of you that know me, you know I am always moving, thinking and doing. I can't sit still to save my life.  For this Yoga always irks me.  I'm sorry to admit it because I know how many benefits there are to yoga, but I just can't relax enough to feel the benefits.  Something is different with Bikram.  Maybe it's the heat or the sweat, but it forces me to find that inner calm and push myself.   It's just me and my body when I'm in class.  What I loved about it when I was going regularly (eventually 5-7 times a week at my peak) was that every day my body brought me different treasures.  Every day I could do something different that the day before seemed impossible.  I saw that progress and built up confidence along the way.   While I'm still working to find the time to fit in the 2.5 hours on a more regular basis (90 minute class, much needed shower and 20 minute commute each way), it was nothing short of a delight to fit in class this past weekend.

And a quick update on my beloved new LLC - here is one of our Spring/Summer sites, and as you can see, my little guy is a total explorer enjoying his surroundings!

Every day something new happens that brings me more excitement.  I am trying to quite the voice in my head that feels overwhelmed here and there, and engage the one that gives me those butterflies in my stomach when I make a new step towards my goal.   Here are my new business cards, complete with my wonderful logo made by a close childhood friend.   I feel so fortunate!

More about me or to order any products:  http://www.beachbodycoach.com/chapmaki

Business Website: http://www.fitandbalancedmom.com/

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com

Plan, Plan, Plan!

Well here it is!   

Weekly update:  I keep doing this on again off again thing where I am good, then get confident and lose momentum by having one cheat too many.  This week with Halloween I was pretty nervous because I went off course way more than anticipated.  I wasn't surprised this week when I went up 0.6lbs.  I'm actually pretty happy with that gain (it's the biggest gain I've had since starting this journey which is also pretty cool). I consider it close to a maintain and I am back on track this week starting today - I usually allow myself some 'fun' on weigh in days, but today I kept it to my daily latte treat and didn't go overboard.   My total is still over 35, and I'm excited to see how next week goes!

Here's this week's post...

With the holidays ahead I'm really trying to map out a plan.  I do best with a plan and it gives me an easy way to succeed.  Most importantly, it will keep me from feeling discouraged during the upcoming holidays.  

I plan to be realistic in my planning so that I don't set myself up for 'perfection' which will inevitably result in failure and discouragement (I mean, who can be 100% perfect over the holidays?!). By being realistic and consistent I am setting myself up for less stress and more success!  

So here goes, here's my plan: 

🔹 Between the holidays follow the 80/20 rule, which means I'll follow healthy habits 80% of the time but allow for the potential of up to 20% of cheating. My cheating is generally one latte a day as a 'treat' which keeps me on track the rest of the day.

🔹 Each holiday (Thanksgiving, New Years, Christmas), allow myself to cheat up to 80% of the day while still being healthy 20% of the day.  For example, don't skip my workouts even if I eat poorly! I'm ok with this as its only 3 days of the next 2 months.

If you enjoy my blog, I'd love to have you in my private (women only) Facebook Group dedicated to health, fitness and nutrition: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitandHealthyPrivateGroup/ 

This will be my motto when sticking to my plan despite the temptation of cookies and other holiday treats!  I posted this exactly a year ago about becoming a parent, and it's only fitting that a year later it describes my health and fitness journey.

I've recently been on a bit of a rampage on Facebook and Instagram, and posts like this truly inspire me.  This woman, also a mother, decided she needed to make a change in her life.  Thanks to Shakeology, her Beachbody Coach and the 21 Day Fix she's lost over 100 pounds, 90 of which were in her first 9 months!  This is a reminder that I can see the same success!

I do this through keeping myself accountable, through this blog, my Facebook page and my workout calendars like this one.  It's nothing fancy, but it does the trick! I put a post it on each workout day - I hate having blank days so it keeps me honest with my workouts!

In other news, I'm beyond excited for this month's Beachbody challenge pack!  Beachbody has paired PiYo with the 3 Day Refresh (one of my favorite products along with the 21 Day Fix and Shakeology), and Shakeology.   Here are some more details, but I'm always happy to answer specific questions as well.  Please be sure to email me or use my link below if you are interested!

Here's what it includes: 

🔹 PiYo: A Pilates & Yoga infused workout program.  Gets your heart pumping and muscles working to tone with no impact.  Think: Functional Flexibility!  This program is great for literally everyone.

🔹 3 Day Refresh: A 3 day cleanse which incorporates real foods.

🔹 Shakeology: A nutrient packed drink full of natural super foods, amino acids, proteins, prebiotics and probiotics.

🔹 Personalized support and accountability with me as your coach.

While I had some major slip ups (mainly a few terrible meals at restaurants), I also had some good decisions this week.  Below are two of my favorites.   The first one is a 'protein bistro box' from Starbucks.  If you know me, you know I'm obsessed with Starbucks, so while I was there for my afternoon latte and eyeing the cake pops in starvation, I saw this gem in the refrigerator.  Best part is that it was totally 21 Day Fix appropriate!

And then there was this one, also 21 Day Fix appropriate - a yummy salad with Thyme Vinegarette. 

And now for the MOST EXCITING news.   It's officially official!  I got word from the Secretary of State, I'm an LLC!!!  Here is a sneak peak at my logo and workout wear.  Classes are currently running Tuesday nights and soon to be on Friday mornings as well!  This is happening!

More about me:  http://www.beachbodycoach.com/chapmaki

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com