* 60 days* 100% clean-eating, 6 workouts per week* COMPLETED*

It feels absolutely amazing to say that my 60 day is complete!!! I feel incredible. I feel strong.  

I have thoroughly enjoyed this journey. I am so happy and blessed to share this with you all. As a Beachbody coach, I am able to motivate/inspire/support others who want to lead their own fitness journey. I am absolutely, 100% thankful every single day that God has let me share myself and my story. I am so insanely thankful that He has given me a new profession and love in life (Beachbody coaching is incredibly wonderful).

 I am a former bulimic. I was addicted to pills, diets, binges, and laxatives. I had ZERO self confidence. I had ZERO belief in myself. I thought I was NOTHING and NOBODY.

I  feel AMAZING. I feel stronger than ever. I am confident in myself and my direction in life. I am a strong, unwavering believer in our LORD. He has given us so much and I am forever living my life for Him. And I am so wonderfully thankful for Beachbody.

 For 60 days, I followed the eating and fitness program called PiYo. The PiYo program was surprisingly easy! I followed the meal and fitness plan exactly (ok, ok, so maybe I ate a few more toffee peanuts than I should...darn those things are addicting!-- I also put half and half in my coffee--- we can not all be perfect!) I also followed the fitness program weekly workout rotation except for the day off. The program called for Thursdays off for rest days. I took Tuesdays off since Tuesday was my busy night for blogging and coach training. Essentially, I still worked out 6 days per week.

I promise you---- all I did was follow the program. I did not get crazy with it. I did not run 10 miles and then do the PiYo workout. I trusted the program and seriously just followed it exactly to just 'see what happens.' I am pleasantly surprised by the results. I RECOMMEND TAKING PHOTOS!!  I seriously did not think my body changed that much! I feel incredible, but I did not think my body would change that much!!!  (Disclaimer: I darkened my hair yesterday (11/21) I also went tanning last week. THERE IS NO FILTER ON THESE PHOTOS. I wanted these to be REAL.) 

   Before this program, I had no idea about appropriate portion control. I ate way too much for what I actually needed. The program categories all the foods that we eat (primary vegetables, secondary, lean protein, healthy fats and fruits.) To see the best results for my body, I was directed to follow a specific plan for serving sizes per category (example: in 1 day, I am to eay 7 servings of primary vegetables. By using a chart provided by the program, I chose what primary vegetables and how much.)

 During this program, I did not deplete my body of any nutrients... I simply ATE MORE NUTRITIOUS FOOD. I ate A LOT of veggies and boiled eggs. Green Giant frozen veggie sides are now my best friend (Kroger has them on a regular basis 10 for $10!) I basically ate no breads (this was my choice. The program does allow you to eat breads if you would like to.) I actually have a wheat allergy (if you feel tired after eating wheat products then you probably do to!) so I opted to not include wheat/yeast products in this challenge.

Through the PiYo clean-eating program, I learned to eat MORE OFTEN. Say what?! Yes, that is correct! I ate every 2-3 hours. That way, I was never hungry. And no joke, I was NEVER hungry with this program. 

 Before this program, I used to indulge myself when I would get home from work. I had nothing prepped. Through this program, I absolutely understand the importance of prepping. I pack/prep ALL of my meals for the beginning to middle of the week on Sunday. I would finish up those meals by Thursday, so on Thursday, I would prep again. PREP and PLAN!

Shakeology is a product of Beachbody.

I also understand how to control and OVERPOWER the cravings! Yes, I have a sweet tooth. I, no doubt, contribute the lack of cravings to Shakeology. Every morning, I would mix half a scoop of Shakeology with a scoop of whey protein, 8 oz almond milk, and 8 ice cubes. The mixture made enough so that I would bring 1/4 of it to work with me for an mid-morning snack. I am going to continue drinking this for as long as I can! Shakeology is packed with so many nutrients and super expensive foods! I love this stuff (especially chocolate )


   I went out to eat with my husband today. I was telling him that today is the end of my 60 day challenge (he actually already knew this...he has been so supportive this whole time. I just love him so much!!!) MOST IMPORTANTLY, I told him that I do not really see myself going back to the "old" way of eating. This is now my lifestyle.

I did not "cheat" at all during my 60 days. I am not boosting, I just did not want to allow myself to fall short of my goal. 

The holidays are coming up=  MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR.  Andrew is already annoyed by how much I talk about the holidays. Ohh well, he married me! I am going to allow myself to drink some wine (ohhhh yes, I will drink some wine!!! ) I am making red velvet cookies for the family. But I am also making vegan/gluten-free chocolate coconut tarte, butternut squash with cranberries and feta, and sweet potato casserole (sans marshmallows) I have a new love for unprocessed foods. I want my body to continue to feel this way. Sugars and processed foods simply pollute my body and my mind.

The best thing about this journey was being able to share it with you all. I am so very thankful for all your support. Most importantly, I am so incredibly thankful for those who have allowed me to enter into their lives and support them on their own fitness and life journey. It makes me happy beyond words to talk to you and know that you are so happy with the results that YOU are making. I seriously get teary-eyed just typing this. You all can do INCREDIBLE things... you just need a little support and direction. I am just over-the-moon to be a small spec in your transformations <3

I am going to continue to blog about my life. I love being able to just tell it like it is. This is my life. THIS IS A LIFESTYLE. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LOVE, PRAYERS AND SUPPORT. YOU ARE INCREDIBLE!

**Starting January 1, 2015, I am starting P90x...join me.

Who just want to have a healthy LIFESTYLE?!

It is the last week of my 60 day PiYo journey. Wow, I can not believe how fast the time has gone! I will write the overall results and feelings about the program next week (almost there!--- but PS: this has been an incredible experience.

My post tonight is about some thoughts I had when getting out of the shower tonight. Yea, I know, random.

I thought to myself "how many people just want to have a healthy lifestyle?  No crossfit junkies, no bodybuilding-steriod pumping lovers, no hungry-angry dieters! But people who genuinely want to lose weight, be HAPPY AND HEALTHY, but do not want the time constraint of spending 5 hours at the gym and endless amounts of money on supplements and personal trainers." I bet a lot of us do!

I know I do! I want to do the minimal amount of work possible to feel and look incredible. Call me "efficient" but I want to be smart with MY time and MY life. I have spent countless hours and YEARS at the gym, trying to sculpt my body. With little to no changes. Like how frustrating!!! After doing PiYO, drinking Shakeology and following the PiYo eating plan, I feel stronger in 2 months than I have in 7 years. WHAT!!! I also eat MORE than I have EVER and I am losing weight. WHAT! (Does anyone else hear Lil John yelling "what!" or is that just me...)

I have not been to the gym once (yay no gym membership fees!) No supplements. No calorie counting. Is it too a hoax? But this is MY chance to have a personal trainer, AT MY HOME, telling me what to eat and how to workout...and it has never felt so good!

Earlier, say around 3 months ago, when I really started thinking about strengthening my body, I reached out to a old high school friend. She is a professional fitness competitor. I said to her "Hey! I am thinking about competing, could I get more information from you." Her response " This is not for everyone...it is really expensive...it takes up a lot of your time and is really tough...you can talk to my trainer if you want..." HARD PASS. Like what is that? It is expensive, takes a lot of your time and money... I mean what is that!

This is why I love Beachbody. I have only been with the company for a little over 3 months...but I am head-over-heels about EVERYTHING this company represents--the products and the profession. As a coach, I work day after day just TALKING TO PEOPLE AND SUPPORTING PEOPLE. That's right... I have an opportunity for an insane amount of income to talk to people about living a healthy and happy life through fitness. LIKE HOW CRAZY IS THAT! WHAT A BLESSING!!!!


If you want to change your LIFESTYLE, please connect with me or a coach that you know. This is an amazing feeling to have and you want to feel this way <3

email me @  andrealyss@beachbodycoach.com

Day 30: This is a journey...not a weekend getaway.

This is day 30 of my journey!!! 

For this monumental day, I took "Day 1" vs "Day 30" photos. And I will be honest ( as I always am), I was pretty disappointed with the results. Let me explain why...

I feel amazing! I feel strong, mentally and physically. I am determined and dedicated to what I am doing. I feel such an electricity in side of me when I open my life up to people around me!

But it is because I feel so great that I also feel disappointment from the photos. See, I feel better than I look. I expected to see this ripped, toned body in the photo and all I saw was literally the same person from a month ago. WTF!

Granted, I have no attention to detail. Ok, so I have some but very little.---Like I do not put it on my resume that I am "detail-oriented." Nope, not me!!

I was so upset at the photos that I blamed my husband (who took the photos) for the fact that he took only one and that I wasn't even "flexing." Yikes!

I teared up a little... and then used that disappointment as fuel for kick @$$ workout. I busted butt tonight. If I want more results, I have to work for them! I did not wallow in my lack of result...no no no. I had a great workout and shock it off!! (Darn it, now I have that Taylor Swift song in my head...PS which is a GREAT song...and I do "shake it off" ...every time.)

I expected more from my body. I have high expectations for my body. And I will get there. This is a journey...not a weekend getaway.

This post today was an eye-opener for me...but...

I will not quit. I will not settle. Change does not happen over night. And what I expect from  my body will not be done in 1 month...it may not be done in 2 months (it most likely with take A LOT longer than that.)  I will continue to have high expectations!!! 

You have no idea how disgusting Taco Bell smells while you exercise.

I reached the 21st day of my journey yesterday.

It is so insanely crazy how fast time goes. I feel great. I feel challenged. I also feel that there is a long way to go in my fitness journey. And that is the exciting thing about fitness... I can ALWAYS improve. I can ALWAYS develop and strive to reach my goals!!!

There are a few things that I have learned throughout my journey that I would like to share with you---

1. Just because other people eat poorly, does not mean you have to eat poorly as well.
    I was doing my Piyo workout on Saturday morning when my lovely husband comes home with "fresh" Taco Bell... and I almost vomited. You would think that it would upset me that he came home and rubbed this fast food feast in front of my face. Just the contrary, it made me happy that I was not putting that *hit in my mouth. Literally, it made our apartment smell like a dirty, sweaty Mexican rice bowl ( I am not knocking Taco Bell...but the mix of it and my sweat from working out just did not please my senses)

 There are two positives to this story:
1. He did not bring any home for me.
2. He called me first to make sure it was okay that he brought some home for himself.  He knows that I am doing this clean eating challenge so he wanted to make sure that I approved of this delivery. I can handle the temptation, but I was not thrilled that he was eating it.

I am dedicated enough to this challenge that I will not stray from it. I am stronger than someone else's temptations. Do not let other people tempt you with their non-nutritional food--- you tempt them with enjoying your nutritious food. If you want to be different... eat a salad for lunch, not a Big Mac. 


2. Stay motivated and inspired
1. Our motivation must come from inside ourselves (see my video on Youtube titled "My Story")
2. You must have a big enough reason "why"
3. You need to believe your goal is attainable.
4. Your environment is a BIG influence on motivation. Surround yourself with support!
5. Inspire others, and they, in turn, will inspire you. (THIS IS FACT AND IT IS HAPPENING TO ME NOW!)

Let me clarify... I am NOT doing this for people's approval. This is alllll me! This is my desire to take my body where it has never been before (yikes... did not see quotations about space coming into play tonight but let's just roll with it, shall we?)  But it is pretty incredible to know that I am strong enough to do this.

And people are supporting me. My amazing husband understands what I am going through and gives a lot of positive reinforcement for me! What is even better is that people are changing their lives because of something I said, posted, or talked to them about. (Eating a healthier lunch is a big step people so do not down play the little things you do!)

3. Portion control is a shocking revelation
This is the biggest part of my eating plan and holy smokes is it important!!!! My portions are very specific regarding lean protein, healthy fats, veggies and fruits.

Look at this interesting graph about obesity and large portion sizes (www.nature.com):

4. Take photos

If it was not for my stomach, I would not be able to tell any difference in my body. I just do not see it! It is probably because I am not nearly as chiseled as I want to be. But I took "Day 1 vs Day 14" photos and it really motivated me! I also took my measurements in the beginning on my journey so that I can see specifically how my body was influenced by my dedication.



I have loved this journey so far. I love having a blog and being able to share my story. Thank you all for your love and support! <3

(Insert "Devil Wears Prada" joke here)

We all have our vices. For some people its alcohol...for some its chocolate...for some its wine...for some its all of the above! I am a coffee lover... there I said it! Are you happy now?! 

A cup of warm coffee in the morning brings such comfort and happiness to me. It is like the world stands still, I am the only person awake (this is clearly and obviously untrue), and I have a feeling that I can take on the world!...





Then I hit traffic going into work.... sigh....

You may be wondering what this blog is about tonight. I will not bore you with my love for coffee...

_________________________________________________________________________________

I have reached the 2 Week Mark for my clean eating and fitness journey. Boy, did those 2 weeks go fast! Oddly and surprisingly enough, this journey has been pretty easy so far (the eating part... the workouts kick my ass). This eating plan ( 3 meals, 2 snacks; lots of lean protein, veggies and Shakeology...ohhh and I am allowed endless amounts of black coffee) provides enough NUTRITIOUS energy to keep me going all day! Not once have I felt like I was going to faint or pass out ("Well I don't eat anything, and when I am about to faint, I eat a cube of cheese"....Devil Wears Prade joke...NAILED IT!) My body just feels better because there is nothing but clean fuel going into it. It is a pretty addictive feeling. Food just tastes better now. My taste buds go wild over sweet potatoes now. Since I can not have much sugar (2 servings of fruit a day), the sweet potatoes taste even sweeter. I am telling you what, sweet potato is like a dessert to me now..but better!

I exercise 6 days-a-week with the Piyo workout plan (Beachbody). The workouts are approximately 30 minutes each. I workout right when I get home (There is better success rates for those who stick to schedules) These Piyo workouts are specifically designed to push my body's limits and to really, REALLY work my muscles by strengthening and stretching them. And they fit perfectly with the eating plan. My body's flexibility is getting better and better.

I posted Day 1 vs Day 14 results in a photo yesterday. I can already see a difference! But I am no where close to wear I want my body to be.

I am absolutely in love with the process so far. I feel dedicated and empowered. I went out to eat with my husband and did not cheat (so long Max n Erma's Tortilla soup). I am keenly aware of what an appropriate and healthy portion should look like. I am training my mind to see what a correct portion is so that I will not over eat in the future.

I can not express how inspired I am to talk to you guys through face-2-face conversations, Facebook messages, Facebook comments and texts. It makes so me crazy happy to hear your support, or how I am inspiring you to change for a more healthier lifestyle!!!