Category Archives: Beachbody Challenge

Daily Success 5/30/2013 – I was put into the hospital and diagnosed with Anorexia

Most of these stories are about people who lost weight. Mine’s about that, too. But I lost something else that I’ve been battling my whole life—severe, self-destructive depression.
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In high school, I tried to hurt myself, so I was put into the hospital and diagnosed with Anorexia. I wasn’t Anorexic—I was just too depressed to eat. So I spent the next 12 years out of it on 10 different anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, and anti-psychotic medications.

I managed until my husband deployed overseas and I was left alone with our baby. Once again, spiraled so far that I was hospitalized and prescribed medication that made me gain weight. When I became pregnant again, I ended up at 217 pounds—after delivering twins. And I just kept gaining.

I can’t say it crept up on me, but one day when I saw a picture of myself and two of my beautiful, healthy, smiling friends—with me, the fat girl, in the middle. That sent me straight to YouTube. When I saw a Success Story about a girl who did Turbo Fire. She was getting dressed for the day, talking and sharing, and I realized—It wasn’t about getting skinny, it was about LIVING. I needed to just start living.

If I could just make myself want to do the workout, I could do life again. TurboFire got me started. Chalene was so positive. I felt like she was my friend—someone who accepted me and encouraged me and cared about me. When she talked in the video, it felt like she was cheering ME on.

In the first 30 days, I only lost 5 pounds. But the physical change was INCREDIBLE. I went down 4 pant sizes and my energy was AWESOME. I lost a total of 40 pounds with TurboFire!

Even better, the cloud started to lift. I actually felt POSITIVE about my future. So I made a HUGE decision to start letting clean eating and exercise lead my life.

Since then, I’ve lost 80 pounds and 11 pant sizes. I’ve been off all medications and even though I still battle depression and anxiety, I now have healthy ways to deal without chemicals and pills.

Click here to find out more about the Beachbody Challenge and Challenge Groups

My body is better. My health is better. My marriage is better. My life is better. I have a purpose in life. I have a drive to make the most of each and every day—and a new passion for health and fitness.

Thanks Beachbody. You saved my life.

Daily Success 5/2/2013 – the last thing I wanted to do was grow old as a fat

If you want to play Texas football (especially in college), you gotta be BIG—and big I was. I was a 6’ 3” strong muscle machine. But years later, I was still big—yet a lot of that muscle wasn’t muscle anymore. Instead, it was…well…let’s just say, it was the opposite of muscle. I was still in my 20’s and the last thing I wanted to do was grow old as a fat person, popping a bunch of pills to stay “healthy”. No, I wanted to be in shape again so I could be a good role model for my future children. And while I knew what I wanted, all I had to do was change. So I did.
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I ended up losing over 70 lbs. with P90X/INSANITY Hybrid, P90X2, and INSANITY: THE ASYLUM Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. But it wasn’t like the fat just melted away. During my first round of P90X, I didn’t pay any attention to my diet and my results were pretty pathetic. Next go around, I tracked my calories and it really helped me dial in on my nutrition. I had no idea how big of a role food played in my health. But now I do.

After awhile, losing weight became pretty easy, so I began to focus on how to put on some good weight to get my old body back. I took advantage of the “cold months” here in Texas to Beast Up, and boy, I’m so glad I did. Body Beast was amazing and I loved every single workout. I was lifting all the time and putting on a ton of mass. Plus, eating more was a nice change, although consuming that many calories was tougher than I thought.

Tracking my food and drinking Shakeology were my two “difference-makers” during my transformation. By drinking Shakeology daily, I was getting a healthy, all-natural meal without tons of calories or fat. Plus, I had fewer cravings, more energy, and slept better (even though I wake up at 4:40 a.m. to work out).

What Beachbody did for my life inspired me so much that I decided to become a Coach and “pay it forward”. My true passion is to help others and tell them EVERYTHING I know so they can get to where I am, as fast as possible. These Beachbody programs are life changers, as long as you stick with them and give every workout your all.

Click here to find out more about the Beachbody Challenge and Challenge Groups

My advice: Don’t focus on the scale or short-term goals. Put in the work and the results will come, no matter what. Don’t get discouraged when the scale doesn’t change much in a week. Keep doing what you are doing, and in the long run, you’ll get the results you want. Trust me! I did. And so can you.

Daily Success 5/1/2013 – “WHAT DID I DO TO MY BODY?!”

I’ve battled being overweight my entire life. But a few years back, I worked really hard to get in shape so I could enlist in the Military. Everything was going great until I injured my knee and was unable to work out with much intensity. Frustrated with the pain and my restricted mobility, I simply stopped caring, ate whatever I wanted, and slept all the time. But after 8 months of this destructive behavior, I packed on the pounds. I couldn’t even run ONE lap in PT without feeling like my heart was going to explode. And while I hated being out of shape, I put up with it until the day I saw a picture of myself in a sleeveless dress and thought, “WHAT DID I DO TO MY BODY?!”
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I knew exactly what I had done to my body. NOTHING! That’s why my 5’ 4” frame tipped the scale at 173 pounds. So I dug out the P90X set that I’d been “saving” for the past two years, and convinced myself that if I could get through just ONE workout, then I could do them all. Fearing that I’d quit after just a few weeks (like I always do) I pre-wrote my Success Story to keep me motivated. I kept imagining myself as “That Girl.”

Apparently it worked, because in 6 months I lost 30 lbs., went from a size 14 to an 8, and for the first time in my life, I’m finally comfortable in my own skin. Gone is the bitter and angry Jamie—and here to stay is a happy, healthy, confident woman who loves talking to strangers about health and fitness. Now every time I go to the gym, I make it a point to grab a 30 lb. dumbbell and do squats or shrugs, just so I can remind myself of how much weight I’ve lost. My next goal is to grab a 50 lb. dumbbell, and do the exact same thing.

Sometimes I still can’t believe that in only 6 months, I went from barely being able to stand for five minutes, to doing P90X’s Plyometrics, and kicking and jumping with INSANITY and Turbo Fire. And even though I have to modify the workouts due to my knee, I’m still getting great results. During my second round of P90X, I even incorporated INSANITY into my workouts—a program I thought I’d NEVER be able to do. See, it just shows you that once you start believing in yourself, amazing things can happen.

Click here to find out more about the Beachbody Challenge and Challenge Groups

I also started using Shakeology at the end of month 2 and immediately saw a reduction in my cravings for carbs and sweets. Now I drink it every night for dinner. I recently did the 3-day Shakeology cleanse and lost 6 lbs. It took away the bloating in my stomach, my whole body felt lighter, and my workouts really began to accelerate.


In these past 6 months, I’ve not only transformed my body, I’ve completely rewired my mind. I’m such a happier, healthier person who’s now incredibly confident and determined to build a strong and healthy future.

Daily Success 4/30/2013 – beer-drinking, overweight Minnesota couch potato

Know what it feels like to be a 51-year-old binge-eating, beer-drinking, overweight Minnesota couch potato who hides under layers of clothes (even in the summer) and fears spending the rest of his short life on multiple prescriptions for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and whatever other ailments plague the obese?

ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE!
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So on January 18, 2013, I started Beachbody’s Ultimate Reset—and all I can say is WOW! In 21 days I lost 26.6 lbs., 7 inches off my waist, 2 inches off my chest and arms, and my body fat dropped from 33% down to 25%. And the best news is, my LDL dropped 72 points and my total cholesterol went from 240, down to 165. WOW!

Before The Reset, I was about 100 pounds overweight. And while I’ve still got a ways to go, doing The Reset and incorporating Shakeologyinto my diet was key to kicking off my weight loss journey. The best thing about The Reset is that it taught me how to eat. The menu was packed with tons of delicious recipes and I was never hungry, even with the smaller portions. They say it takes 21 days to develop a habit. Well, those 21 days have come and gone, and all I can say is that I’m hooked on living healthy.

I joined a Facebook Group for each phase during the 21 days , which helped keep me committed. Being able to talk with others made me realize that if they could pull through and keep resetting their bodies, then I could do it too. And not once did I ever feel like I was going at this alone.

Now I have so much more energy and my sleep is ten times more restful. But sometimes I don’t want to sleep I just lay awake, proudly thinking about all I’ve achieved. It’s such an incredible feeling knowing that you took control of your life and finally did something that would add years to it, versus cutting it short. Besides, I got a lot to live for. I’ve been married for 25 years and have 3 wonderful kids who need a dad.

Maintaining this new lifestyle won’t always be easy because life is full of temptations. But I’m moving in the right direction and it makes me so happy that I won’t need drugs to battle health issues and the probability of other illness related to being overweight have diminished. I have so much more self-confidence than ever, and my wife and family are a million times happier now that I am happier with myself. Thanks Beachbody, you saved me.

Daily Success 4/29/2013 – I was far from home, stressed, depressed, totally alone—and massively overweight.

Growing up, I was always super skinny. But after having my second child, I was left weighing 190 lbs. —and I hated it. After running 4-6 miles a day, I lost 10 lbs. but that was it—I hit a plateau I just couldn’t break. I mean, all that running in the hot sun…and nothing. So I gave up.
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I felt totally defeated. But when my Army husband got orders to move to Germany, that’s when my life totally fell apart. Our first three months were in a hotel, so I was far from home, stressed, depressed, totally alone—and massively overweight.

But when I saw an INSANITY infomercial, it suddenly clicked. I love fast-paced exercise. INSANITY sure didn’t look boring. And all that sweat dripping off… My husband ordered, and that became my hotel room workout. At first it was hard—so hard I could barely keep up and barely finish half a workout. But I kept pushing play and doing what I could and found myself getting stronger. The weight was coming off.

So I started my second round, but this time, I fueled up with Shakeology, and my results started coming faster and faster until I was down to 141 lbs.! Now I’m back. I’m happier and more energized than ever. My kids have an active mommy and they know that’s better than having a sluggish one. The best part is that I can actually keep up with my Army husband!!!

Click here to find out more about the Beachbody Challenge and Challenge Groups

After having 2 kids and a C-section, I was scared to try INSANITY because I didn’t think I could keep up. Truth is, I couldn’t at first, but week by week I got stronger and pushed harder. I think every mommy who struggles with weight loss should push themselves hard because losing weight after having kids is a whole new ballgame. But a person will never know what they are capable of until they overcome their fear of failure.

And that’s exactly what doing INSANITY did for me.

Daily Success 4/25/2013 – I started to think I was going to be chubby for the rest of my life

I’ve never been able to maintain a healthy weight. I could lose 10 lbs., but I would gain it all right back. I was still bubbly, optimistic, funny Jennifer—but I was hauling around a major amount of excess weight. I started to think I was going to be chubby for the rest of my life. I wanted to fit into a sexy dress or suit for work, but I never shopped for those things because I didn’t want to be that fat person squeezing their butt into something “too small” or that I “shouldn’t be wearing.” I was restricted… ugh!
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Last year I said, this is it. I’m going to be 30! If I don’t get in shape now, I NEVER WILL. I ordered Slim in 6® and started doing the program on my own schedule. Then I joined my Team Beachbody® Coach’s Fit Team and completed Slim in 6, with amazing results. That program took off just enough weight and gave me enough lean muscle to push on to a higher tier of fitness. I really wanted to zap the rest of the fat on my body, so in early October I ordered TurboFire®.

My biggest challenge was motivation. There were days I felt I might not get my workout in because I was tired, or because I hadn’t seen a change in a week and a half. But my Coach and the Facebook group helped me succeed, as did the people I coach who are counting on me. I made time for my routine, stuck with it, and got amazing results. The rest is history!

Click here to find out more about the Beachbody Challenge and Challenge Groups

TurboFire and Shakeology® changed my life. Shakeology is delicious, and gets me super charged to take on my day. Plus, it makes calorie calculations easy. I am happy I used it in conjunction with TurboFire, since nutrition was a huge part of my success. I loved everything about TurboFire! The music is freakin’ amazing, and the kickboxing makes you feel like such a bad…(you know what)! My knees used to hurt, and my shoulders would get really sore, because my muscles were so weak. Now, lifting things is effortless. My leg muscles are strong enough that my knees aren’t strained. Being 40 lbs. lighter helps, too!

My whole body is a rockin’ machine now. I can do 3 sets of full body push-ups. When I take a jog, I feel like I’m running on air, like I’m a feather—well, a feather with a ton of strength and lean muscle! I have NEVER before been a size 6, and my face has slimmed so much, I can see my dimples. Getting physically fit has given me confidence to try new things and achieve new goals. In August 2013, I will graduate with my Master’s degree in Social Work, and I recently got a new job. I even told my husband, “I’m feeling so good, like I can conquer the world, like anything is possible!” I’m living my dream and the sky is the limit. I’m stronger, leaner, longer, sexier, healthier, bouncier, more confident, and have SO MUCH ENERGY! I’m a Beachbody Customer, for life!

Daily Success 4/24/2013 – I started to gain weight due to lack of exercise and eating fast food all the time.

I was always the skinny kid growing up, and spent lots of time playing sports. For the 7 years I was in the US Army, I was also generally fit. But upon leaving the Army in 2003, I started to gain weight due to lack of exercise and eating fast food all the time. Every morning I would grab a chicken biscuit (hey, I was eating chicken, that’s healthy, right?) a soda, and hash browns or fries for breakfast. Then I’d go out for lunch, get the biggest burger on the menu, and eat the entire thing. On the way home, I’d stop at a fast food place or order pizza for dinner. Before I knew it, I had ballooned to 240 lbs. and was always tired.
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One day I woke up completely out of breath, like I had been underwater for hours. I knew I had sleep apnea, and at some point I had probably stopped breathing. Luckily, that time I woke up. I will never forget that turning point, when I knew something was wrong and decided to change my life.

I chose P90X® because I’d seen the infomercials multiple times and figured, “If these guys can do it, so can I.” I liked the fact that P90X is a total-body program, and I didn’t have to buy a bunch of weights or equipment. The greatest challenge I faced was finding the motivation to change my exercise and eating habits. I would start P90X and quit a couple of weeks later, start back up, and then quit again. I did this about 3 times. I finally committed fully when I was invited to Jon Congdon’s “Comeback Kids” P90X Challenge Group by my Beachbody Coach. That time, I completed the entire program.

Click here to find out more about the Beachbody Challenge and Challenge Groups

The motivation and support from Challenge Groups is phenomenal! Posting motivational pictures and quotes on social media sites, as well as seeing others’ results, kept me accountable and helped me reach every goal I set. I drink Shakeology® every morning after I workout, and it’s also played a key role in my transformation. It leaves me feeling full, and gives me tons of energy throughout the day so that I can accomplish all my tasks. I definitely sleep better, and my mood is better than it has been in years.


To date, I have lost 62 lbs. and 22 inches off my body, and am in the best shape of my life. Even when I was in the US Army, running and exercising every day, I never had the definition in my abs, arms, shoulders, and legs that I have now. I’m more active, have more energy, and can accomplish things I only dreamed of when I was overweight. I’ve completed an 11-mile mud run (with more to come!), and am a better employee, husband, and father.

Daily Success 4/23/2013 – I would sit on the couch, eat junk food, watch television, and barely move.

Negativity surrounded my life, and I was depressed. After a long day at work, I would sit on the couch, eat junk food, watch television, and barely move. I was sad, unconfident, had no energy, and was always asking myself, “Why am I alive?” One day eating bad fast food landed me in the hospital, on the verge of kidney failure, with the worst infection they’d ever seen. I was scared out of my mind. Fortunately my boyfriend took care of me, but when I got out of the hospital on his birthday, we couldn’t celebrate the way we’d planned because I was hooked up to an IV.
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That changed my life forever. My boyfriend had already lost his mother, and I realized it scared him to see how sick I was. I decided that was the last day he would ever see me like that. I chose P90X because so many people were doing it and getting in the best shape of their lives.

The greatest challenge I faced was Pushing Play and sticking to the 90-day program. Being in a Challenge Group taught me what healthy eating was, and motivated me to work out. I felt if I didn’t work out or eat healthy meals, then I would get kicked out of the group—even though that wasn’t really the case. Logging in my workouts in the SuperGym made it easier to coordinate my daily plans, because then I knew which workout was next and how long it was. I liked that P90X switched the workouts constantly, using Muscle Confusion to get me the best results possible.

Click here to find out more about the Beachbody Challenge and Challenge Groups

P90X took me from size 8 and 143 pounds to size 2 and 118 pounds, and completely changed my life. Now I’m proud to go shopping and wear my clothes with confidence—and without my belly showing! I am so positive and try to inspire others to live a healthier life in all aspects, including fitness, nutrition, goal setting, financial freedom, and motivation to attain their dreams. That’s why I became Beachbody Coach and created my team, Nutritious Fitness. I now have positive and supportive friends all over the country! This Beachbody program saved my life, and now I am sharing my story so I can help save others.

Daily Success 4/22/2013 – I was stuck in a rut, worrying about how life was passing me by

All my adult life, I’ve been consumed by my work. I neglected my family. Put my family on the back burner. I neglected my health. I didn’t sleep. Didn’t really eat much—although I managed to keep putting on weight. But when my father died on his 80th birthday, it made me realize that we can’t control the way we die.

But we can definitely control the way we live.
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So one day, while I was stuck in a rut, worrying about how life was passing me by, I heard about the Ultimate Reset™ and made a promise right then that I’d change. After all, the Ultimate Reset seemed perfect. I knew I had to start eating better. And the Reset was something I could do with my wife. Plus it was only 21 days. Anybody can do 21 days.

When I started, I was hoping to lose 8 to 10 pounds. I ended up losing 14 and took 30 points off my total cholesterol. My wife lost 24 pounds and we gained something even more important cooking together. Doing the Reset really brought us closer together—shopping, talking in the kitchen with our aprons on while we prepared the fresh fruits and vegetables. Preparing the fresh fruits and vegetables, talking in the kitchen with our aprons. It was an eye-opener.

The Reset didn’t just help my marriage. I feel so much more alive now that I’ve learned how to eat healthy. I no longer let my business consume me. I have enough energy to accomplish in 8 hours what used to take 12. And now I realize that I lost my Dad because poor health choices took him too soon. I’ve committed to live the most healthy life possible so I can be around my family for as long as possible.

I’ve been given the most ultimate gift—the chance to reset my life before it’s too late. Thanks Beachbody.

Click here to find out more about the Beachbody Challenge and Challenge Groups

Daily Success 4/23/2013 – I hated my body—especially my belly fat.

Like most people who are overweight, I hated my body—especially my belly fat. I had horrible eating habits. I had clinical depression, excruciating pains in my feet, which made it impossible (I thought) to exercise. And my job didn’t help, either. As the manager of the dining room at a local country club, I was able to pick at food all day long.
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Luckily, I had one thing going for me—my daughter became a Beachbody Coach. So being the nice mom that I am, I decided to sign up. She talked to me about Beachbody workouts and I chose Body Gospel® to help me lose weight, get in shape, and refocus on what’s important in my life—a deep faith and being healthy.

Body Gospel seemed like a perfect fit for me at my age. I loved the music and I started out slow because I hadn’t worked out for 30 years (although in my mid-twenties, I trained for the Miss Pittsburgh Body building competition). The first week, I modified a lot, but pretty soon I was keeping up.

Click here to find out more about the Beachbody Challenge and Challenge Groups

And then I discovered Shakeology. After about 5 days, I noticed that something was different. The pain that I had always felt in my feet and joints was gone. My headaches went away. And my mood was so elevated it was amazing. Now I can’t go a day without my Shakeology!!!!! I LOVE IT!

Best of all, everything has changed. I’ve lost 12 pounds. I have more energy than ever. I sleep well, wake up excited and ready for my day. And all my pains are GONE, GONE, GONE! And I have all the energy I need to play with my grandbabies and live a happy and healthy life!

I can’t give enough praise—Body Gospel and Shakeology have been a real godsend to me!