21 Day Fix Extreme Results & Thoughts/Review

WOW!!! Just like that it's been 21 Days and I am a graduate of the 21 Day Fix Extreme (the sequel workout to the 21 Day Fix)!!! Two HUGE accomplishments that came out of this program for me were that I actually was able to stick to my meal plan (I usually stink at following meal plans!) AND I didn't have one single drop of wine in 21 Days!!!! I can say that I'm patting myself on back for that! I learned how will power really plays a role in my health & fitness journey with this program for sure! 

The Real Deal: 

I have done 2 rounds of the 21 Day Fix and let me just tell you Autumn definitely took it up a notch for the Fix Extreme!! And I LOVED every minute of it!! The workouts incorporate cardio and strength, with lots of weight and resistance band work (me and the red band eventually became friends.....see photo below), it's a great mix of the two! AND the best part about it is the workouts are only 30 mins. long!!! Who doesn't have time for a 30 min workout? 

I actually surprised myself because I really really enjoyed the Yoga portion of the Fix Extreme. By the time Sunday came around and it was Yoga day, my body was soooooo ready for it!! 

The 21 Day Fix Extreme definitely did not disappoint, and I am extremely happy I did it!! Best part about it is even though it's an extreme program, if you've completed programs like the 21 Day Fix, Insanity Max30 or T25 you will totally ROCK this program!! 

The Results Are In: 

Drum rolllll please......I have to admit I gained about 3-4 lbs after I finished Insanity Max30. I got comfortable and was indulging a little too much on the weekends and it showed!! 

I am 100000% over the moon about my results with the 21 Day Fix Extreme because I really thought I would struggle with the nutrition and no wine thing! BUT once I set my mind to something I will stick to it! Soooooo even though I don't follow the 21 Day Fix meal plan to a T, I do use the containers for measuring out my food and what I should and shouldn't have each day and I stuck to that! 

My measurements:

Before:                    After: 

Arm: 9.5                    Arm 9.0 

Bust: 29                   Bust28

Waist: 26                    Waist: 24.5

Hips: 34                     Hips: 33

Thighs: 18                    Thighs: 18

Weight: 117.5                    Weight: 114.0

Overall weight loss: 3.5 lbs. and -4 inches all over!! 

I honestly couldn't be happier with the results from this program and am happy to say that I WILL be doing another round ASAP!! I have a photoshoot coming up on May 16th and I know this program will whip me into the shape I need by then!!! Sooooo I am living it up this week and back at it on May 4th! Wanna join me?? I would love to have you join me in my upcoming Challenge Group, the May Confidence Project, starting May 4th......if you wanna join in on all the support/accountability/motivation and FUN fill out the form and/or message me for more details!! 

https://jennstevens.wufoo.com/forms/m1bkz2vn1fbwmht/

Group Starts May 4th!! 

If you have EVER wondered what all this crazy Beachbody/Shakeology is all about, let's chat and see if one of these AMAZING programs would be a good fit for you!!!

-xoxoxoxo

Jenn 

Do NOT Drink Shakeology, IF......

This blog post has been a long time coming.....I have been contemplating it since the middle of January and finally decided that it's finally time to share it! I want to share my Shakeology story/transformation with you today, along with a little warning....do NOT drink Shakeology if you wouldn't enjoy these side effects below.....

WARNING: Side Effects May Include....
*Lasting Weight Loss
*Increased Energy
*Better Digestion
*Healthy Skin & Nails
*Improved ALL around health!!  (a little rundown of what Shakeology is: an all natural meal replacement shake & daily dose of dense nutrition that is jammed packed full of super foods and antioxidants)

I started drinking Shakeology a little less than a year ago......but I want to rewind about 10 years ago. So, we as women go to the ob/gyn every year (well at least you should and if you are not I encourage you to do so!) for an annual check up. Up until I was about 23 years old my annual check ups were always easy and non-stressful. That ALL changed when I went for my yearly check up the year of my 23rd birthday and about 2 weeks later got the call that no woman wants to get.....'we have your results, your test came back abnormal, we will need to do further testing'! WHAT??? My heart instantly sunk and I started questioning everything, 'why me', 'how could this happen', 'what is wrong with me' and about a million other things went through my mind. So I scheduled my next appointment and test (a colposcopy) with my doctor and waited. Come appointment day I was a ball full of nerves and still so so confused, my doctor was amazing, I have been with her since I was 16 yrs old and she made sure I understood everything that was going on and reassured me that 'this happens and it'll be ok'! This test I was having is a little more invasive so afterward I was given my instructions and sent on my way, of course still a nervous mess! Fast forward 2 weeks and my phone rings and it's my doctors office and this time it wasn't a dreaded call, it was a call saying that the results from the test were 'normal'! I instantly felt like I could breathe again and that a huge weight had been lifted! BUT I did need to come back for a follow up in 6 months rather than the normal every year! I was ok with that as long as I was ok! Or so I thought......

We are going to fast forward 6 months to that next appointment.....it was a routine appointment like always and then 2 weeks later, I got that dreaded call AGAIN 'your results came back abnormal, we need to do further testing'! Again my heart sunk and I began to question everything AGAIN!!! Of course I scheduled the next appointment and test and AGAIN this test came back 'normal'! I began to wonder what the heck is going on inside of me? Well at the time I wasn't living a healthy lifestyle, I was drinking like a fish and eating out any chance I got! This process of abnormal results, then further testing went on for about 10 yrs (YES you read that correctly, 10 yrs!) until I finally decided that something needed to change with ME! 

This brings me to my Shakeology story and transformation! 
Last March (2014) my husband and I really buckled down and started living a healthy lifestyle. We were both at our heaviest weights and we were just unhappy and wanted a change! We started a Beachbody workout program together called FocusT25 and started planning/prepping our meals with the correct portions, and eating more clean! This program was 10 weeks long and we both had AAAHHHHH-Mazing results from the program and our new found clean eating lifestyle, my husband lost 20 lbs. and I lost about 5 lbs. but totally defined and toned by body BUT most importantly we FELT GREAT inside and out!! I wanted more of this feeling so I reached out to my Beachbody Coach about Shakeology and what I needed to do to become a coach. So I purchased Shakeology and signed up to become a Team Beachbody Coach,(over the last 11 months I have drank Shakeology everyday and have completed FocusT25, PiYo, the 21 Day Fix, P90, Insanity Max30 and the 21 Day Fix Extreme workout programs and have lost about 18-20lbs.), I would've never thought that day when I made that choice, that our lives would be forever changed! 

Brad (my husband's FocusT25 transformation)

My FocusT25 Transformation

Fast forward to this year, the year of my 34th birthday, I was scheduled for my yearly ob/gyn appointment in January (2015). I go to the appointment, not as on edge as I usually am, because I can feel a HUGE difference in my body and all the changes that I have made over the last several months. The appointment goes as usual, but one thing that my doctor asks is 'how did you lose 18 lbs. in the course of a year and not look sick'? I said to her 'my husband and I have been drinking Shakeology, eating healthy and doing Beachbody workout programs daily', she was very proud and said 'well good for you'! Appointment was over and I was on my way, I had a good feeling and for the 1st time in a LONG time couldn't wait to see what those results were going to be in a few weeks! 2 weeks went by and nothing, I started to get worried and told my husband I hadn't heard anything, could that be a good sign or a bad sign? Well that day, in February I received the call I've been wanting for a very long time, it was the doctors office assuring me that the results were NORMAL and that no further testing will be necessary!! To some that may not be a big deal but this was HUGE for me, for us, we have been battling this on going and stressful process for the last 10 years and it finally ended!

Next month,  May 28th to be exact, it will be one year that I have been drinking Shakeology and living a healthy lifestyle and the changes I have seen over this last year from these (simple) lifestyle changes is beyond words! Shakeology daily, eating healthy and working out daily gave me my life back!! I am not saying 100% that Shakeology was the reason for these good/normal results BUT what I am saying is that it has changed my body inside and out and I know that it was a combination of just drinking Shakeology and living a healthier life that gave me these results and for that I will forever be grateful!

The point of this blog post was to show you the absolute IMPORTANCE to living healthy and just exactly WHY I love and believe in Shakeology so so much! Sharing this very personal information isn't easy and it brings back alot of heartache and frustration within myself BUT if I can reach 1 person through sharing my struggles & my story, then it was worth it! I encourage you first and foremost to TAKE CARE OF YOU!!! God gave us 1 life and body to live in, we need to cherish it, I am so happy that I took my life back and made a change and I will never go back to where I was! And secondly, if you have ever thought about, had questions about, wanted to try Shakeology or have NO CLUE what Shakeology is, reach out to me I'd be happy to tell you more and help you get started on your healthy LIFE journey!
Thank you for taking the time to read my story!!


-xoxoxoxo
Jenn

May Confidence Project

So you guys........I am working on a little project ------->>>> MYSELF!! And I would love for you to join me!!! I'm here to tell ya, the BEST project you can work on is yourself!! 

I wanna know......do you have some awesome plans for this summer? Vacations or weddings? OR are you just tired of being sick & tired and ready for a change? WHATEVER your reason may be…..what are you waiting for? YOU CAN DO THIS and you deserve to do this for YOU! AND we can do it together!!! 

I will be hitting up Nashville, TN in July and I cannot wait!! Soooooo I am on a mission to be in the BEST shape of my life & be my most CONFIDENT self!! BUT I need your help ------ You’re probably thinking ‘how the heck can I help her?’------ WELL you can be my accountability partner that’s how!!! I need the motivation and accountability to keep me going……I am only human and I still struggle daily when it comes to diet, exercise and most of all CONFIDENCE!!

Soooooo starting May 4th I am opening up my {{May Confidence Project}} and I’d love to have you join me so we can hold each other accountable to our health & fitness goals!!! AND we can become proud and confident of ourselves!!! Sound like a plan to you?

How its gonna work >>>>>> Accountability, Motivation, Group & Coach support, Healthy recipes /tips and FUN (of course, I’m all about the fun!) and much MORE!!

Are you ready to make a change? JOIN ME and start NOW to work on your best project to date ------->>> YOU!!! Fill out this form below and we will chat about how to get you started!! 

https://jennstevens.wufoo.com/forms/m1bkz2vn1fbwmht/

-xoxoxoxo
Jenn 

5 Tips for a Hoppin', Happy & Healthy Easter

I seriously cannot believe that we are only a few days away from Easter??? Crazy to me, where the heck did March fly away to? That month came and went so fast!!! BUT we are here, I am super excited for Easter Sunday and to get to spend time with family AND that we are getting closer to Spring & Summer!! I don't know about you but I am OVER this winter and cold weather!! 

Sooooooo with that being said, we all know that holidays are great, but with the holidays comes indulging and splurging on foods we don't always eat on a daily basis. I get that, I totally do, because I definitely live by the 80/20 rule when it comes to nutrition.....because let's be honest if you restrict yourself, you will start to dislike what you are doing and not stick to it.....moderation with everything is KEY in my opinion! 

I want to share with you my 5 Tips that keep me on track during holidays like Easter!! Even though I LOVE to have a little indulgence and treat here and there, I always feel tired and sick after overeating! To me it's just not worth it BUT I have a few tips to help you fight those indulges and not over do it this Easter holiday! 

• Exercise!! Make sure to mark off some time on your schedule for some exercise this week/weekend before the Sunday Holiday! Even if it’s just a few short minutes, this will help you burn off excess calories!
• Balance Your Meals Out: Don’t be tempted to fill up your plate with rich, high caloric food. Instead have a tiny bit of everything, including fruits & veggies! Doing this will still get you that little bit of indulgence in moderation! 
• Prepare for outings: There is no reason to totally give up your healthy eating during the holidays, all we have to do is learn to manage it a bit more carefully over the holidays! 
• Stock up on Healthy Snacks: Be sure to have some healthy snacks on hand at home, that way when you are tempted you can just grab one of those to curb your craving! Also about a 1/2 hour before you leave for your event or party, have a small snack to hold you over and keep you somewhat full until dinner so you don’t find yourself munching on chips or sweets! 
• Don’t over eat: I know we have always been told that we should eat everything on our plates but you are an adult now, don’t feel obligated to lick your plate clean. When you feel full, stop eating, it’s that simple! 

I hope these tips will be useful and help you stay on track for this upcoming Easter Holiday and remember, everything in moderation, moderation is KEY to success in your journey! 

**HAPPY EASTER!!**

-xoxoxxoxox

Jenn