Vegas Baby!

I just got back from one of the most fun trips to Vegas I've been on! I've been to Vegas many times but this was my very first girl trip. And, with 17 other girls at that! A typical Vegas trip for me would probably include a Nascar race and following boys around....boys I'm actually on the trip with of course. 

Two of the girls on the trip were my best friends growing up and I hadn't seen either of them in more than 10 years. Where does the time go? It was so great to reconnect!

This was a drama-free group that was far from lacking in the fun department! Lots of sun, drinks & laughs later....

 

 

I may or may not have had a little too much sun-n-fun in the pool that day and I may or may not have missed the evening at Dick's Last Resort and the NYNY piano bar.  (I'm pretty cool like that ~ boo!)

 

I did manage to get a couple workouts in when I was there and of course did a lot of walking, so I felt okay about indulging in some many adult beverages and food (ummmm......and I was on vaca!). We ate at Benihana the last night there (I think of the Wolf of Wall Street now when I think of Benihana) ~ but the hibachi chef was hilarious and the food & company were awesome!

It is nice to be home and I did have a hard time leaving Brooklyn but it went by way too fast! I'd go again in a heartbeat!

 

(Hope all these pics didn't crash your browser!)



Mommy Guilt

Chances are if you're a mom, you have mommy guilt...often. If you don't, I wanna know your secret!

I've been working on this post for a while now and have rewritten it several times because I have mommy guilt pretty much daily when it comes to my 4-year-old daughter, Brooklyn. The story is constantly changing, but I'm especially struggling this weekend because I'm leaving for Vegas for a few days (and then again in just three weeks) and although I know it's perfectly ok to have some me time & girl time it also is never easy to leave her. It has nothing to do with not trusting anyone else to take care of her....although, I do think she knows how to play her dad.....there will be lots of mac&cheese and yes's! It has more to do with the feeling life is already packed full enough every day when I'm right here.

Since I started Team Beachbody coaching and blogging, I honestly really have been guilty of being too "plugged in" sometimes. Although I try to do the majority of my work and exercise either after she's in bed or before she wakes up for the day (even if it means four hours of sleep), some days I just can't seem to put my phone or laptop down. I know she's right when she says she doesn't want me to be on my laptop anymore. OR, when she says things like "Mommy, you're always working out." It really makes me take a step back and realize how I need to do whatever I can to spend quality time with her. And, although she often practices Zumba with me or even does part of my workouts with me and I think it's important for her to see me be active, I need to spend an equal amount of time playing barbies.

I'm the mom who brings her cell phone to the park. I'm not very good about making her go to bed early. I give in to her requests for candy quite often. I love it when she sleeps in on the weekends...gasp, right??....lol. I love my job and am not at all sure I could stay home full-time but I still feel guilty like I should be home with her. I feel bad for her not having a brother or a sister....especially when she asks if she can have one...as if asking for a new toy...lol. I feel guilty for spending money on myself. I feel SUPER guilty when I don't realize she's watching and I step on the scale. (She still thinks it tells her her age and I hope she keeps that innocence for a long time!) I feel SUPER guilty when she sees me eat like crap. I feel terrible when Daryn & I argue in front of her. And, I feel like it's all my fault when she gets into trouble at daycare.

I tear up every time I re-read this as I get ready to post it.

I will never be the perfect mom. But, I'm not sure there is one. We all do the best we can with what we have.

I will make mistakes when it comes to her. I will put myself first sometimes. And, I may not be able to give her a brother or sister at this point in my life. But, I love her more than anything in the world, I don't even remember what my life was like before her and I'm going to do my best to make sure she grows up to be a confident young lady.

Will I ever not feel guilty when it comes her? Maybe not. But, what I do know is I will do is the best I can.

It's All Good!

I think it's gonna be a good day.

IT'S FRIDAY...and Friday before a long weekend...even better.

My roots are no longer mousey & gray....just in time for Vegas.

I had my first workout for the day done by 6:30 this morning.

The sun is shining.

I drank my first 32 oz of h2o and by 7:00 a.m.

My 4-year-old got herself ready for the day with only minimal prodding.

Oh, AND I remembered to shave the tops of my feet.

Since I'm feeling so awesome today I decided I needed a new challenge. 

If you're just starting to follow me, what you maybe don't know is that I LOVE to work out but I also love to eat. And, just to be clear....I don't love to eat just kale and carrots (although, I seriously do really LOVE kale chips!). I love eating out...anywhere. I love pasta. I love pizza. I love junk food. I love sweets. I love Diet Coke. I love beer. What I don't love, however, is the way all that makes me feel (with the exception the kale & carrots of course). First off, it makes me feel guilty. Second, I feel like total crap when I eat like that now. (And, to think that's how I typically ate...for a long time....no wonder.) I feel blah. I feel like I have no energy. I even feel slightly down and depressed. AND, even worse, I feel the need to eat even more of it. 

So, when my sister-in-law mentioned the other day to take pictures of everything you eat in a day vs. journaling I thought it was a wonderful idea. I'm GREAT about tracking my food when I'm doing really well and on the clean eating wagon. But, once I fall off, I stop tracking for a while. And, after thinking about some of my worse days lately, the idea of having to look back at pictures of everything I devoured would be a serious wake-up call. The only hesitation I have is that I'm already obsessed enough with food....I'm really hoping this doesn't perpetuate the problem but I have some HUGE goals that I won't hit if I don't behave!

So, for the next 30 days, I'm challenging myself to take pics of everything I eat & drink. I won't torture everyone with all of them but I may throw up a collage from time to time...both when I may be struggling AND when I'm doing well! Is this going to be easy? Hell no. It could either be a brilliant or insane plan for me...we shall see. But, there's nothing I like better than a challenge.

This means I'm starting today. I already took a picture of my creamer that I had in my coffee before Zumba! 

I just realized what this also means....I have to do this while I'm in Vegas! Ok, what am I thinking.

Beachbody Challenge & Team Impact

For the longest time, I pretty much dreaded Sunday and Monday nights.  Sunday nights of course meant the end of the weekend and I think we all know they're never long enough! Monday nights usually meant being super tired and drained from a combination of catching up from either staying up too late and sleeping in over the weekend and the first day back at work for the week.

For more than six months now, I've been singing a different tune almost every week thanks to Team Beachbody and coaching.

On Sunday nights, I have a video call with my North Dakota Beachbody Team, Team Aspire to Inspire, and instead of ending the weekend wishing it was a day longer, I go to bed, sleep well and wake up excited to start a new work week and a new week of coaching.  And, Monday nights, we have a call with our overall team, Team Impact. I miss the live version of this sometimes but am always sure to listen to the recording as soon as it's posted.

These calls leave me feeling energized, hopeful, and refocused. We listen to people share their triumphs and their struggles. We listen to people share ideas. We listen to people's stories. We listen to people talk about their "why." I am motivated and inspired by at least one fellow coach on these calls every week. It may sound cliché but the coaches on my team truly are amazing and they make me more determined to succeed every day. We are a large group of coaches who believe it isn't just about losing weight or making extra money but about having a network of positive, like-minded people surrounding you every day helping you reach all your dreams and about paying it all forward!

Last night, I spent the better part of an 1-1/2 hour talking to my upline coaches, Val & Erica, and let me tell you these ladies mean more to me than I could ever fully explain. They talk me up. They talk me down. They refocus me. They motivate me. They hold me accountable. And, most importantly they lead me by example.

And, tonight, I had the pleasure of listening to two other coaches on my team whose amazing transformation stories have landed them as finalists in the Beachbody Challenge. I will get to see these two on the big stage at Summit in June. Even though many of us have never met in person, you feel like you know a person from what they post and share on our team pages. Finally meeting them in Vegas in a month is going to be so surreal. And, being on the call tonight, listening to these two rockstars was pretty cool. They are beyond humble. They are normal, real people...like you and me...and they have a shot at winning the titles in their categories. I know my reach with just starting this blog isn't very far but I would love to give them a shout out and ask you for your vote for both of them. You can vote in each category once every 24 hours from now until June 2nd. 

 

Rebecca Privitera is a grand prize finalist with a chance to win $100,000!!!  And, Christian Dimitui is a finalist in the Ultimate Health Transformation challenge and could win $25,000!!! Please click on the image below, check out their transformation stories and cast your votes for them! Today and every day until the 2nd!!

 

One of my goals is to submit my own transformation story to Beachbody someday! I'm getting closer every day and am determined to keep moving! With that, I'll leave y'all with one of the best quotes ever ~ "Everybody has a dream. What's your dream?" Name that movie!!!! Answer will be in my blog post on Friday!! 

SWIMSUIT SHOPPING!

So, yesterday I decided that I’ve already maybe talked big. I blogged in MY STORY about how I’ve let go of comparing myself to others and am just gonna be happy in my own skin.

Well....I may be eating my words a little after this past week.  

Hi, I'm Dina, and I compared myself to a Victoria Secret model the other day.  EEEK.  As if. 

I've been on a swimsuit buying mission for the past month, so I spent my lunch hour the other day trying on suits that I ordered online from VS. Yes, the models are airbrushed and likely photoshopped but we all know they must look HOT(T) in person, too. 

I’ve mentioned it on my fitness page but probably not here. I have two trips to Vegas coming up…the first in just a few weeks and the other in the middle of June. And, if you’ve been to Vegas…hell, you don’t even need to have been to Vegas in May or June to know it will be hot. And, for those of you who don’t know me, I could literally spend the entire day just by or in a pool on a floaty….with a drink in my hand.  Seriously. All day. So, a swimsuit for me is a must.

My first trip is with two of my best friends from high school and a bunch of other chics from back home and the second is my first ever trip to Beachbody’s annual Coach Summit. I’m beyond excited about both! I haven’t seen my girlfriends in years and am excited to reconnect and get to know the others who are going better. AND, this whole Beachbody gig is LEGIT. I love it. I love my team. I love the trainers (I actually get to have my pic taken with at least one of them while I'm there btw!!!!!!!!). It’s gonna be an amazing experience!

So, shit got real for me this week. I have less than two weeks to find something that works. When I think of Vegas in the 90s, I think of those DAMN Victoria Secret types walking around in string bikinis. I think of BEACHBODIES! And, I am honestly a little disappointed in myself because…and just keepin’ it real…I’ve pretty much sucked it up when it comes to nutrition…quite often lately…and I’m just not where I wanted to would be. And, yes…it’s my own fault. But, the thing that really sucks is prior to this week I was honestly pretty excited about finding suits. They looked super cute online….again, on those DAMN Victoria Secret models. And, I’ve been pretty excited about the progress I’ve made with weight loss and toning. AND, I’ve even been pretty excited because I swore my cellulite was diminishing. But, again, enter in trying on swimsuits. Maybe there are worse things…or at least equally as bad…the dentist…the DMV…public speaking…the stomach flu. Ok, maybe still not as bad as swimsuit shopping…lol. (I hate “lol” btw….I’m so much more of a HA person…but lol seems to flow better in writing…right?…lol?)

Here are the three choices! 

I’m probably going to just keep all three of them and see how my mood suits me when I’m there.

Oh, and I decided that in keeping with my goals and this whole stepping out of my comfort zone thing that I’m going to get in a bikini by this time next year. I’m going to be HAPPY AND COMFORTABLE in it. Will I look like a Victoria Secret model by then?...or EVER?....ummmm no...but that's okay. I’m going to post it up here anyway and for the whole damn world to see. Why?? Because thanks to Beachbody and all the amazing women…and a few guys… who have supported me in my coaching and personal journey, I’m taking my sister to Cancun on a Success Club trip I've earned! I know she’ll be in a bikini and I wanna be, too! I’m not gonna sacrifice a minute of fun by worrying about my body on that trip either!

So, I basically have two choices at this point. I can suck it up in the swimsuits and the BODY I have and decide to just be comfortable and happy or I can let it derail some of my fun. I’ll think go with the first!

Oh, and, get really drunk of course.

Workout ADD & Comfort Zones

A fitness trainer told me last year that she thought I had "workout ADD" after sending her an example of a few week's worth of my exercise schedule in preparation to me signing up as a client. After getting over being mildly offended, I realized she was totally right. For a long time, I had chalked my crazy exercise schedule up to it just meaning I really liked a LOT of different types of exercise...but after she said it, I took a step back and thought...um, yeah, I'm all over the place. 

At the time, I was practicing Zumba and just getting ready to go live with my classes, I was doing Jillian Michaels Body Revolution and was going to start ChaLean Extreme (for more strength training) and I ran occasionally. It was nothing for me at the time to work out 2 or 3 times a day. So, she tailored a schedule which involved her circuit workouts...just once a day mind you...with a few HIIT sessions each week and left my Zumba in place. Her workouts would come via email. A lot of the circuit moves I didn't even know what they were, so I spent a ton of time googling and watching videos for how-tos. These workouts were no joke and I know they would've worked for me but for whatever reason for me it was a stressful way to work out. I didn't like not being able to watch someone for proper form and I missed my videos where I had someone encouraging me or could follow a modifier when it got hard....or COUNT for me ;) I honestly didn't even get a full week of those circuit workouts in before I went back to my previous schedule.

Did I jump ship because of my ADD? Maybe. Do I regret not giving it more of a chance? Not really. I think we each have such a different idea of what we like and what we feel works for us that sometimes you really do know right away....other times putting in more time & effort to something you're not sure of in the beginning is a good idea. Had I been new to working out, I probably would've stuck it out for longer and very likely ended up loving it. But, I honestly really enjoy my workout schedule. I need variety. I don't ever get bored. I listen to my body. I fit in my yoga/stretching workouts at least once a week. I make it a point to do whatever I can do take one complete rest day every week. I drink lots of water. AND, I mostly work out once or twice a day....unless I have Zumba...then I guess sometimes it ends up being three! Ooops...ha.

On that note, for anyone that knows me, you know I feed my ADD with an insane library of workouts programs.  I have tried the FIRM, TONS of different Jillian Michaels programs (several of her Shred workouts, Ripped in 30, Yoga, Body Revolution), the Zumba Exhilerate set, and a ton of Beachbody programs...several from even before I started coaching or knew there was such as a thing or that I could actually a discount!  I have TurboJam & TurboFire, P90X3, ChaLean Extreme as mentioned above, 21 Day Fix, Brazil Butt Lift, Les Mills Body Pump and Les Mills Combat is on the way....oh, AND, I'm ordering Piyo the minute it comes out!! And of all the programs I list above and have tried (haven't tried BBL or Combat yet), there isn't one I didn't like. And, a lot of the reason for that is because each program is so different and transforms your body in different ways that unless you seriously can't stand a trainer or are limited physically, there's nothing not to like....in my opinion of course!! 

I really am going somewhere with this...ha, maybe workout ADD is the only ADD I have!?  Anyhoo, when I say above that I own and have tried most all of the workouts except the ones I've recently added, I've only officially completed Body Revolution & ChaLean Extreme. And, it's not because I stop working out but usually because I assume I can get BETTER results with the latest & greatest. WELL, no more!  I've committed to seeing programs through. I'm just finishing up Body Pump Phase 1 and well into 10k training and although I haven't lost much for weight in this first phase, I am definitely starting to see more definition. And, I LOVE the Pump workouts ~ great music, great energy from the trainers, and since strength training is my fav, it's a perfect fit. After Pump, I'm going to do a full round of the 21 Day Fix. I have completed 21 days of the eating, including the 3-day option at the end, but I was still doing P90X3 at the time and am posting my before & "during" pics below. It probably goes without saying but this is another HUGE step out of my comfort zone. Once again I feel sick to my stomach BUT I feel like I can push for my goals even harder if I put these out there with the ultimate goal of an after pic I don't have to have shots before I post...j/k...no shots...beer...lots of beer...j/k...no beer either!

These pics are after almost 90 days of P90X3 and 21 days of the Fix eating. I definitely had some setbacks during X3, including a work trip to Florida where I ate and drank anything I damn well pleased while doing no working out whatsoever. It took me quite a while to recover and get back to where I was after the trip but it sure was fun! (One thing you will get from me here is I'm not afraid to say when I totally suck. I'm a work in progress and I don't believe in complete deprivation or being perfect. I'd really go off the deep-end!)  Here's what I posted to one of my challenge groups back in April:  "My highlights are that I've lost 4 inches off my waist measurement, 3 inches off my chest, 2 inches off my hips & 2 inches of my biceps since starting P90X3....and 15 lbs overall, 10 of that since I started the Fix eating! And, during the Fix with X3, I lost 4 inches off my shoulder/back measurement???! What??! Hello X3's upper body focus!"

The moral of this post?? Sometimes it's ok to have ADD...that's what I tell myself anyway...lol.  AND, it's empowering to take a step out of your comfort zone every now & again. DO something TODAY to step out! And, if you do, I'd love to hear about it! Comment below!!

Running

(**WARNING: This post is long and all over the place!...a lot to talk about apparently and not enuf time to edit and get it posted!**)

In high school, the most running I did was in basketball.  I absolutely LOVED basketball…but I was not an overachiever who went out running a month before practice started and got some sprints or distance in to condition!  I would wait until that first day of practice and cuss out those crushers under my breath and walk around like an 80-year-old for the first week….what do they even call crushers now because I said it around a high school kid not too long ago and pretty sure they had no idea what I was talking about.

So, after high school and basketball was gone, I pretty much sucked.  Sure, I played co-ed volleyball but any calories I may have burned during that were easily erased by our celebrating afterward…we weren’t necessarily always celebrating winning…..but it was celebrating none-the-less.

I would get a wild hair every so often and try to go out and run a mile….and then I would remember why I that wasn't something I did often.

So, when one of my best friends, Lisa, suggested we try the Couch to 5k program MANY years later, I thought she was crazy. I wasn’t a runner. I didn’t even remotely have a desire to BECOME a runner. I did, however, have a BURNING desire to not buy bigger jeans. So….I took the plunge. It really is a GREAT program for starting out.  I remember the first time I ran 60 seconds straight. It was HARD. It was no joke. And, it was ONE FREAKING MINUTE but it felt like forever. I remember feeling VERY defeated…on many occasions. But, day after day and run after run got a little bit easier. In week 5, you have your first run without any walking intervals. You run for 20 minutes….straight. You would’ve thought someone had told me to go out and run 5 miles. I was honestly so nervous about it because I was certain I wouldn’t be able to do it and I’d quit running all together because I failed. Something happened that day though. I made it. I ran the entire 20 minutes! The rest of the program actually went pretty well after I got through that first run without intervals. Some runs were better than others but I finished.

Since my first 5k training, I’ve ran several races ~ several 5ks, a 10k, a marathon relay and a half marathon. And, after I had Brooklyn, my sister was a HUGE reason I was able to keep running and training. She IS a true runner and the more I watched her run, the more I wanted to. She would often watch Brooklyn for me while I was on her treadmill or outside. She even went on a few runs with me and listened to me complain...probably the whole time. Yes, I was a COMPLAINER for sure and it was probably like snail's pace for her but she was patient and stuck it out with me. I'm over the incessant complaining now but back then if the conditions weren't perfect or I was hurting, you heard about it! It's almost embarrassing to think about what a little baby I was out there!

I think running is the most mentally exhausting yet most exhilarating exercises there is. In the marathon relay, my leg consisted of a mile-long incline to the University of Mary. I’m not even kidding…that thing is a mile long. My headband read “It’s just a hill….get over it.” I ran slow. I ran backwards. I did whatever I could think of and guess what....I got over it and I ended up with a really good time….for me….with those 6+ miles. And, my runners high afterward was seriously amazing. It felt great to look at that thing as we drove back down it later and know I conquered it.

My marathon relay team!

I write about running this week because of the Fargo marathon coming up this weekend. I’m not going this year but ever since doing the Color Dash 5k last weekend, I’m bummed I didn’t decide to try make it work. I instead am going to cheer on some pretty amazing women from afar. My running partner from above, Lisa, is going to be running the half, as are my friends Heather & Debbie. This will be Lisa’s THIRD half marathon! Her first we did together with Courtney & Kaili. (You can read some about Kaili here.)  

 It was one of the best experiences of my life! When we were waiting to start the race and the Star Spangled Banner played, I had tears. And, running through the residential areas of Fargo where people were in their yards & driveways cheering you on with signs and high fives and music was pretty cool. There were people handing out jolly ranchers and orange slices and people who had BEER and Caesar stands! The last 2 or 3 miles of that race were excruciating. I was so close to walking…but I sucked it up and kept running. It was an awesome, amazing feeling running into the Dome to cross the finish line. I can still remember how it felt it and get butterflies to this day when I think of it. Lisa & I ran side by side all 13.1 miles....even though I still say she could’ve easily went ahead of my pace.  

BEERS for our post-race celebrating!

Lisa's second half marathon is a neat story.  She was registered to run in Bismarck but after being derailed from being able to go, she decided she wasn’t going to let all that training end unfinished. So, she mapped out a plan to run the streets of our home town instead. She had a group of followers who cheered her on that day…some even ran parts of it with her. I happened to be out of town for work so I missed it but after the initial disappointment of the original race, I think her race day ended up being pretty awesome. 

 At the FINISH line!

She’s running her third half tomorrow and hasn’t felt like she’s ready but I know she can do it.  It really is true the adrenaline of the experience and the atmosphere will push you. And, she’s always had amazing endurance. AND, I’m of the mindset when it comes to a half marathon, FINISHING is all that matters.

And, I really have to give a shout out to Heather!  She's going to try run even though she's in some pain right now.  AND, Debbie is running for an awesome cause!  Check this out! 

So proud of you ladies and can't wait to follow you on Endomondo tomorrow!

This weekend's runs will be a bittersweet day as everyone finishes another race and celebrates Kaili. I wish I could be there to see everyone running in her honor and celebrating her life. See, she ran the MARATHON there last year. I so admired her for committing to that goal and for knocking out those 26.2 miles! Seriously….just amazing to me.

 So, for those running.....especially those running in memory of Kai....

remember this if it gets tough out there ~

Impact

Ok, here goes my first official blog entry!  If you haven’t already ready My Story, click HERE.

To kick this blog off, I’d like to talk about two words ~ REJECTION & IMPACT.

If you still haven’t read My Story (see above), what you don’t know is that it’s taken me a LONG long time to get to the point where I could write….where I could SHARE….on this blog. Among so many other fears, one of my biggest is the fear of rejection. Most of you out there are probably thinking….UMMM, YEAH, who ISN’T afraid of being rejected??? Ok, granted…it’s a common fear!  But, I finally woke up one day and decided I wasn’t going to let that fear hold me back anymore. I decided it was sad to think I wouldn’t do things because I was scared and intimated and worried what people would think. I decided it was a necessary step in my journey of rediscovery (yep, I can be lame and cliché…..among other things…so there’s your warning).  I decided it would make me stronger. I decided in most cases, even if I do get rejected, it’s not personal. AND, I decided if I took the first step, maybe….just maybe…it would help someone else out there decide to let go of the fear and take a step, too.

 

I had to talk a little about rejection and my hang-ups before I could talk about IMPACT.

I will be talking about a lot of people who have had an impact on me over the years, with their permission of course ;). The person I wanted to talk about in my first post was someone who I didn’t really even know 5 years ago but was someone who turned out to be a huge reason why I even wanted to start a blog and become healthier and become a Zumba instructor and maybe even become a Beachbody coach. Her name is Kaili. I have tears as I write this… the world actually lost Kaili last November. She was young. She was vibrant. She was successful. She was caring. She was hilarious. She was determined. And, as the saying goes, she had the kind of smile that would light up the room. I think it’s safe to say everyone who knew her loved her. Our relationship was mostly forged thru emails and texts. And, thank goodness I’m a saver, because I often will go back to a message I got from her when I need a pick-me-up. We shared a common interest in health & fitness. She was a nurse practitioner, specializing in diabetic care, and I was just someone who wanted to stop stuffing my face with chips & candy bars. She would send me recipes and ideas on making healthy snacks….did you know you can make a healthier ranch dressing by using pureed cottage cheese? I did not. ;) She was the one who told me about kale chips and now it’s one of my fav snacks. Or flavored olive oils. Or fooducate.com (check it out ~ there's even an app for that!). We also shared a passion for running and I ran my first…well only…half marathon with her, her sister (and my friend) Courtney, and my friend Lisa. During our training, she would send me messages asking how my run went or would send me pep talks on Endomondo as I went.  It was one of the best experiences of my life and I’m glad she was a part of it. AND, we shared a common interest in a few fitness bloggers. We would have days where we loved a post from one of them and the next post would drive us a little crazy ;) But, we both agreed that we were more committed & focused when we read them ~ They were inspirational & motivating & funny. So, I mentioned to Kaili that I wanted to start my own blog and of course she said to go for it….and I still did nothing…until a few months later when she asked if I had it going yet because she knew she would want to read it. It was the nudge I needed. I got in touch with the same guy who designed the blogs we’d been following and here we are….half a year later or whatever it is…ha…and I’m actually FINALLY doing it. When I said I was nervous to actually start my Zumba classes….after being licensed for 5 months and doing nothing….she said “You have done so awesome, you should be proud of yourself!” And, let me tell ya….I was SO beyond nervous my first class I could barely talk or focus and I made PLENTY of mistakes….still do almost 7 months later!  BUT,  what really matters is I’m doing it.  So, I know it still took me a while to follow thru with those things we often talked about but Kaili was a positive, encouraging influence for me and the things I wanted to do.  And, I know we ultimately make our decisions and take our own paths and challenge ourselves but when there are people like Kaili along the way who influence and IMPACT those decisions and paths and challenges for the better it sure helps.

When I joined Team Beachbody, I joined a team called TEAM IMPACT. And, since then, I’ve just really decided it was fate. As a coach, one of the first things you get is an accountability partner, and what I realize now is that I’m very fortunate to have found this opportunity because I lost my accountability partner when we lost Kaili. And, although one of our main goals as a coach is to help others, I need this just as much as anyone I can help. I’m sure I will always be afraid of rejection with blogging and coaching and in life in general but I’m gonna GO FOR IT anyway!  Kaili didn't let anything stop her from reaching her dreams and goals and I'm not going to either.