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

Goals, goals, goals!

Weekly Update:  I officially got over the 35 pound marker 'hurdle' after being down then up the same 2 tenths of a pound the past two weeks.  Down 1.4 for a total of 36!  My goal for next week is 8 tenths (or more) to get me under the 200s.  I plan to get there by tracking my food, drinking 100oz of water a day and working our daily.  

If you know me, I'm big on goals.  No matter what your 'ultimate' goal is, you need to set manageable time bound goals to help get you there.  This will help with motivation and long term success.  If I had only set one goal to 'lose 100 pounds' imagine how overwhelming that would be?!  Instead, I go for SMART goal setting to help me get me to my ultimate goal and enjoy the progress along the way.  

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/ 

The SMART acronym is an awesome tool.  It gives you a way to hold yourself accountable in a very easy to follow way.  'Lose 100lbs' is relevant (I need to do it to be healthier) and measurable (100lbs), but it's not very attainable without placing some mini goals along the way.  It's also not specific in what I plan to do to acheive it, nor is it time bound - how long will it take me?? I have a long term goal off 'lose 100 pounds in a year through fitness programs such as the 21 Day Fix, T25 and Body Pump' but it's way too big to consider realistic without some other goals. 

So this led me to set some other goals:

My first goals were set in July when I started this journey.  I wanted to lose 20lbs and waterski by the end of the skiing season (September).  Very specific, time bound, relevant, attainable and measurable.  They were aggressive but I was determined.  I hit both by August 31st, losing 22lbs and skiing several times.  Reaching these goals wasn't as overwheming as the thought of 'losing 100lbs' and achieving them motivated me to keep pushing.  

My second set of goals was to finish the Hartford Half Marathon and get 'below' 200 pounds by Race Day (October 11).  I hit the race goal, and came very close to the weight goal (201.8lbs).  I continue to push towards my goals and feel that I'm being realistic but also pushing myself - the fact that I came so close on my weight goal I consider a huge accomplishment even though I didn't hit the goal.  To me if I am consistently overachieving it means my goals are set high enough to keep pushing me to a stronger, better self.

I now have officially set my 'year end' goals which are a little less aggressive given the holidays (staying attainable). I plan to lose 15 more pounds in the upcoming weeks as well as drink 100oz a day and workout 10-30 minutes at least 6 nights a week.   I am tracking my water intake through a free app 'waterlogged' and using my 'Body Pump' calendar to track my workouts while I complete the 90 Day Pump Challenge.

Here is a photo I found reminding me of what I'm marching towards each day.   I value health most importantly because of the fun opportunities it affords me to participate in!  Here I am zip lining 4 years ago.  I love hiking, waterskiing, running and being adventurous in general.  For those things, I need my health.

Changing subjects to some food news, I made these for a MOMs club event last week and wow were they both easy and delicious! So much that a fellow mom asked me several times for the recipe!  She went and ordered Shakeology through me as a result and I'm so excited that she'll be drinking it as well as making these snacks for her family!  I used almond butter to avoid peanut allergies and they were just as tasty.

And this was a super easy 21 Day Fix friendly fajita salad.  Peppers, onions, tofu (you could do chicken), lettuce, cheese, rice & seasonings! 

Similar to my water challenge a few weeks ago, I'm starting a 7 day 'MOVE IT' challenge which challenges members to move 30 minutes a day for 6 of 7 days.  I Ioved this quote as it's a reminder something is always better than nothing.

More business news, here are some of my favorite mamas and babies in our last outdoor Pilates in the Park series.  Next up, we find an indoor venue!

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

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com

Momentum

This week my big struggle has been momentum.  The past few months, I've been so motivated by my successes that they've been pushing me along.  However, I'm starting to get a little complacent... This actually happens after any half marathon I've ever done, so I'm wondering if that's it.  I'm struggling to be motivated to do my workouts, even though they are only a small portion of my day and I feel a LOT better after I do them.  I'm proud of myself, however, for still 'pushing play' every night even if it's just a 10 minute video.  This week Tony Horton's 10 Minute Trainer has been my secret weapon.  I can't talk myself out of 10 minutes, I mean it's ONLY 10 minutes - there's no excuse in the book that would make up for skipping it.  I was actually really terrified of my weigh in this week, but I know from experience if I skip it, it becomes a really slippery slope and I end up 10 or more pounds in the hole, so I went anyway.  I was actually pretty surprised to have 'only' gone up 0.2 pounds.   I actually attribute this two the fact that I've been hitting my water goal of 100oz a day consistently for 2 weeks now.   That's no excuse, and I'm back on the wagon this week!  I got Les Mills Body Pump in the mail yesterday and started it...I'm already in love!

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/ 

These photos are from a friend 90 pounds into her journey, she had this success in just 30 Days doing the 10 Minute Trainer, so I keep telling myself if I can push play for 10 minutes (no matter how unmotivated I am), that I'll still be helping myself to acheive my goals!

Asside from my night workouts, I'm still keeping up with my Pilates in the Park series and on a serious hunt for an indoor venue now that the dark, cold weather is fast approaching.  Please comment if you have suggestions! I've tried churches, elks clubs, libraries, dance studios, parks & rec.... They are all way too expensive or don't have availability.  

Here is my little guy enjoying some snacks whole we set up for class.  This has been a great way to socialize with other moms, get me back into teaching (I taught 7 years before having my son - up until I was 36 weeks pregnant!) and has gotten me so excited in general.

It's funny, with all the fitness stuff I've been up to, I think I'm creating a workout monster, here he his having crawled upstairs and into my workout space.  He picked that 5 pound weight up like it was nothing!  The he kept walking around and grabbing other fitness equipment.  

With all the 'work' we needed some fun too.  Family Day at the Zoo during an unusually warm October day!  We did a lot of walking and had a great time together - it's not always about the prescribed workouts - sometimes family time is just what the doctor ordered :)

Another thing I'm working on is making sure I keep my AFFAA certification up to date, so I decided to sign up for an online continuing education course to maintain my AFAA Personal Trainer certification.  It means diligence and self study - let's just say I'm counting down the modules until I'm DONE!  After this I'm definitely going back to classroom training, the online course work is definitely not exciting.

I've shared this recipe before on my Facebook Fit & Healthy page, but it needs to be shown again because it's that good.  It's 21 Day Fix Friendly (so is regular pizza but you get more of this and it's great!).  Basically instead of 'dough' you use a mixture of cauliflower and egg.  I'm not going to lie and say it tastes like dough, but it definitely holds really well for toppings!

And with that I'll close...next week I WILL break 35 pounds!  I'm currently sitting at 34.6, it's so close I can see it.

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

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com

Hartford Half Marathon

WEEKLY UPDATE:  Down 3.4 this week!! That makes my total 34.8lbs since July First.   I'm so happy that I finally broke my plateau.   I didn't give up and it was well worth it, and if I average this week with the two weeks I remained flat, I'm still down on average over one pound a week which is pretty awesome for over 3 months into my journey.   One thing I did differently this week, I started a 7 Day Water Challenge group where I challenged a group of 20 people to drink 64-96oz of water a day (depending on their current intake and weight, everyone set a daily goal).  As a result of running this group, I started tracking my water and realized I wasn't drinking close to the 100 I should be, I'm sure that's what helped break my plateau.

On to the marathon....

I did it! I finished!!  I really felt like 'me' again - I was even wearing my typical race outfit (a little snugger than usual - but it's my race shirt and yoga pants).   I felt so much clarity being on the road again with all those other runners.   My time was basically double my 'old' race time, but the fact of the matter is, I made my way through 13.1 miles no matter the speed.  I ran with a good friend and we vowed to stay together - I did a lot of running and shuffling the first 10 miles, but then around mile 10 decided to do a little walking too.  It was all downhill from there.  I have to remember that for my next race, walking (especially in the rain) totally kills your momentum!    Regardless, I finished and got my medal.  I was definitely motivated by that medal as silly as it sounds.   

This is a little collage I made to compare a photo from this summer when I was just starting my journey back to fit and then one from this weekend.   At 1/3 of the way there, I'm pretty happy with my progress (both on physical appearance, but more importantly on physical strength!).  Can't wait to post more about my future races!

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 we are pre-race, I was so excited!

...and post race, wet and tired but also very very happy.

I also started a fun new tradition after the race.  As I was driving home (and having difficulty due to foot pain), I decided we needed a much earned reward.   These are two of my all time favorite things - Starbucks Lattes and pedicures!   While the medal was motivating, I think knowing I had these two things at the end of the race would have motivated me even more.   I strongly recommend this combination as a reward after you finish your next fitness endeavor!   

A side note: My feet were really what kept me back on this race, and so I learned my lesson: Never buy shoes based on the color.   I was so excited about this race, that I went and bought the cutest sneakers I could find - bad idea!  My feet are still in pain 4 days later while my leg muscles barely hurt after!

And of course, as all Mom's do, I shared my prized medal with my son.   He was having a ball playing with it.  Although, in the past few days he's retired the medal and is now hooked on the free water bottle I got at the end of the race.  He's very proud of himself for being able to drink out of it all by himself.    Maybe he's the family's next marathoner?

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

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com

Grattitude

Weekly Update: This week, similar to last, it appears I'm at a bit of a plateau.  While I expected it last week, I wasn't expecting it quite so much this week.  I am down .2, and in my prior life would have used that as an excuse to go off course, have a pity party and ultimately sabotage myself.

What I am most proud of myself for is not letting this get me down, frustrate me, or cause me to lose sight of the goal.    This week I took some time to think about what things I'm grateful for despite the lack of a 'big loss'.  I'm grateful that I did not gain weight and the fact that I am down over 30 pounds in total.  I am grateful for the physical strength I'm continuing to build every day.   Just yesterday, I found myself using 12 pound weights for an entire 30 minute workout.  A short two months ago during the same workout I was struggling using 5 pound weights.  The number on the scale is what we typically use to measure that strength, but I'm realizing that a number doesn't tell close to near the whole 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/ 

An example of this is something I plan to do on Saturday.  This weekend will mark my 5th and slowest half marathon ever.  What makes this race different from any other is the journey it represents for me.  This race will involve running, but it will also involve walking and probably plenty of it.  It may involve tears, but it will also involve extreme pride and a sense of accomplishment.  In the past my half marathons have always been either a couple seconds above or below the 2 hour marker.   My goal for Saturday is different.  My only goal is to finish and I have accepted the fact that it will potentially take me up to 4 hours (well past when the water stations close, and the finish line is wrapped up).   I am OK with that, because for me this marks a huge milestone in my journey back to fit.  Prior to becoming pregnant, running was one of the things that defined me.  I loved running, I would run for miles to clear my head and I was always looking for the next race to get involved with.   Finishing the Hartford Half Marathon on Saturday is a symbol of the 'new' me reconnecting with the 'old' pre baby me.  I can't wait to update the blog next Thursday with how I did!

I love this quote, and it is so true.  Even with the prior races I have run, you always have a journey and it's unique to you and often varies from run to run.   My journey on Saturday may involve tears of physical pain and will most likely also involve tears of emotional joy.   I love the spirit involved in races, knowing everyone there is running for their personal journey, and they have miles and miles of time with themselves to discover what that is.

While I haven't specifically trained for the race like in prior years (building up mileage every week one mile at a time), I have been training daily in my home office and I am confident the workouts will pay off.   I signed up for the race about a month ago, 20 pounds into my weight loss journey (now down 31.4 with much more to go).  I knew I didn't have time to 'train' in my typical fashion and that I wouldn't be running the whole race, but even walking it would be an accomplishment from where I was only a few months ago.   

Below is my workout studio, it's not big but it's exactly what I need to get this body back into shape.   What you see on the walls are my accountability calendars, marking each day of my workouts (I love sticky notes to prove I did a workout!)

In addition to my nightly workouts, I also spend about a half hour to an hour every night working on motivating others and engaging with my Fit & Healthy Facebook page.  I recently got this shirt in the mail as a free gift from Beachbody.  It makes me happy just to look at it!

Here is a quick little photo of my little guy, reminding me what this blog and my journey is all about.  He is my reason for pushing play every night on that DVD player, he is the reason I make sure I pick up the water and drink 100oz daily, he is the reason I spend time researching recipes and balancing our meal plans.  I want to be there as a role model for him for many years to come!

In other news, things are starting to move along nicely with my business (name to be disclosed as soon as the Secretary of State makes it official!).  While I'm extremely anxious, I'm trying out a new 'me' where I don't let the 'what ifs' stop me from doing something I know I'm good at and I know I'm passionate about.   I'm not going to play it safe and never try to follow my dreams.  I'm going to try my hardest and see where it lands me!   I took the plunge on Tuesday and officially filed with the State of CT for my LLC, as well as finalized my logo (a good friend of mine is working on it for me).  

It feels so weird that I'm doing this!  It sort of reminds me of when I first became a mother.  That feeling when you realize they are going to let you go home with this precious little commodity and the doctors completely trust you to take care of him.   The thing about that day in the hospital, is that they were right - I WAS capable of being a good mother, and I am a loving, caring, and sometimes exhausted mother every single day.   I have to remind myself that I can do this too.  I know I can teach and motivate others, and I know I'm good at it. I am lucky in that I already have a small following of friends who have pushed me to pursue this dream.  I already have clients which is such a cool way to start out!

My next endeavor is to work on finding an indoor space for this winter so we can keep our fitness classes going.   I'll be on the look out, but would love any suggestions!  Please feel free to comment or email me at fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com.

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

Contact: fitandbalancedmom@gmail.com