How I Failed at the 21 Day Fix

You read that right. This is the story of how I failed at my attempt at the 21 Day Fix six weeks after having a baby. 

I started off the week strong. I had my meal plan all ready to go, and what I thought was enough food in the house. Hillary kept her cool during my workouts, making the perfect little cheerleader!

By the middle of the week, she would stay napping after our afternoon walks long enough for me to breeze through Autumn's 30 minute videos.

Towards the end of the week, I started having problems. I couldn't eat all of the food. Say what?! Yeah, it was too much food. I wasn't getting in my allotted intake, which left me feeling like a failure. It's not that I wasn't hungry, it's that I was trying to manage a fussy baby, while trying to eat almost every 3 hours just to get all of the food in. Overwhelmed was the perfect way to describe how I was feeling. 

Then Hillary decided she didn't want to let Mom have her 30 minute sweat sessions. I was being interrupted constantly, turning a quick workout into a constant try to workout-pause-try again-pause.

Even though I struggled with my food and continuous exercising, I still managed to lose 4 pounds in that first week!

The following week I tried. Really, I did! Exhaustion and a deep feeling of being overwhelmed got the best of me, though. I gave up. 100% honesty here! I'm not perfect (just in case any of you are thinking I am). I have my ups and downs, and motherhood is getting the best of me. I had every intention of going back to work being almost at my pre-baby weight. Not even close, and I start work Tuesday. But I'm not going to let that initial failure keep me down! 

This time I have an easy meal plan in place. All foods that I've prepared ahead of time and are easy to eat with one hand. A busy mom has to learn how to adjust with a finicky infant in her arms! My first attempt was a learning experience. Just because I'm home with Hillary doesn't necessarily mean I have time to cook fantastic meals. But it does mean I can still eat healthy, easy, quick meals that are good for both of us! 

Here is my meal plan for the coming week. It's very boring, but I know these foods will be super easy for me to stick with. I have my egg muffins, chicken, venison, and quinoa bars already made. Some days I don't get all of the allotted food in, but I'm not letting that stress me out. I'm plugged in to a higher calorie bracket due to the fact that I'm nursing, so I feel like there's a little wiggle room. I'm also "splurging" and eating a serving of lactation cookies every night. I'm trying to amp up my milk production since Hillary will be in daycare two days a week and my body doesn't respond well to the pump. 

So there you have it. I lost a grand total of 7 pounds in 21 days. (Thank goodness for breastfeeding.. what I'm chalking those other 3 pounds up to.) I'm not going to get down on myself, though. I'm only human. And I have this tiny human to care for (while keeping my sanity), who is far more important than losing X amount of weight in 3 weeks. My new goal? Successfully complete the 21 Day Fix, feel more confident, and don't be too hard on myself!

New Addition and Maternity Leave

At 4:30am on Tuesday, July 29, 2014, my water officially broke. Finally!! Nearly 40 long weeks later, we have action!! I labored at home for several hours, leaving us with the hour drive to the hospital. That was fun... Long story short, by 9:18pm, our family had increased by one!

In active labor at this point.

Meet Miss Hillary Jane! She entered the world screaming, but calmed down long enough for an adorable photo. She weighed 7lbs 10oz and was 20 1/4in long. I will be honest in saying we were totally expecting a boy, so she was a HUGE surprise!

Miss Hillary Jane

 Now our world is filled with pink, purple, and all things girly! 

Sleeping during tummy time

I am loving my maternity leave and being able to watch her grow a little bit every day. It's so crazy to see the changes she makes from one day to the next. At 7 weeks old, she is getting to the point where she wants to smile and interact more. So what do we do while Dad is at work? Watch the 21 Day Fix infomercial! Girlfriend loved learning a bit about what Mom does (see that smile?!).

Lazy Sunday with my love

Initially, Mike and I were super nervous about my nine week maternity leave. We have always used my income from Beachbody to pay off debt. Our steady paychecks from working traditional jobs pay for day living/bills, so it's nice to have supplemental income to chip away at those loans at a faster rate. 

Well, lucky for us, I am able to work from home while watching our little princess. I continue to run challenge/accountability groups, while helping others reach their health and fitness goals. Having this once supplemental income be enough to subsidize my paychecks takes a huge weight off of our shoulders. We are continuing with our usual bills, as well as medical bill incurred while hospitalized. All from the comfort of my own home, while loving on a newborn. I am BEYOND lucky for this opportunity!

Maternity Paychecks

Now I don't show this to brag, as there are many coaches earning far more than me. I'm displaying this so you can see what is possible. What would you do with an extra $200 a week? What about more? Would you choose to stay home with your kids? Travel? Pay off debt? I am able to enjoy my maternity leave thanks to Beachbody. Then, once that is over, I will continue to pay off debt. 

Even greater than this, I am helping people change their lives! With each of these paychecks, it shows the individuals who are choosing to live a healthy lifestyle. They are eating well, exercising, and enjoying life. (Seriously... they tell me they this!) 

If you have a passion for health and fitness and want to change lives, Beachbody is the company for you! Take control and be your own boss! I promise, you won't regret it!!

Apply here to be a coach on my team!