I know what you are thinking, “Not another Beachbody post?”

Am I right?

Believe me, I know, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to let you in on a few secrets!

So keep reading.

Yesterday while trolling Facebook I saw quite a few status updates about being “summertime fine,” and it made me realize that summer is right around the corner.

Yes, yes, it is already that time!

If you have not already started to work on your summer bodies, you might want to get started!

Now, with all the workout, nutrition and general health fads available right now, I figured I would talk about one I know reasonably well- Beachbody

What is Beachbody?

I am glad you asked!

If you are not familiar with Beachbody, it’s a program that offers work out plans like 21day fix, P90X, Insanity, and many others. Beachbody has over 30 workout plans, and they all vary by intensity and your overall goal.

However, Beachbody is not just a program full of workouts; it also provides supplements, such as Shakeology, BeachBar, and other nutrition programs.

Wait, that’s not all. Beachbody also has an enormous community of coaches that are around to help push you towards your goal.

All this sounds pretty amazing, huh?

Everything you need wrapped in one program?

Too good to be true?

Not at all – let me explain.

1. Everyone can be Successful

Whether you are looking to sculpt your booty, with the Brazilin Butt Lift program, seriously shred, with the P90X Plus program or maybe you looking for some laid back fun that will still get you moving, with the County Heat program; there is something for everyone. You don’t have to be a 5-star athlete to complete these workouts. You just have to complete them!

Some of these workouts are coupled with specific eating plans to help maximize your results.

The best example I can think of is 21-day Fix. 21-day Fix is a relatively popular Beachbody program that yours truly completed a few years ago.

We will come back to that.

21-day Fix offers a detailed workout plan and portion controlled eating plan. This program can be used whether you are looking to lose weight or build muscle.

The workout has six 30 minute programs and a 10-minute ab program.

• Upper Fix – targeting upper body training
• Lower Fix – targeting lower body training
• Cardio Fix – targeting your burning more calories
• Pilates Fix – targeting your abs and thighs
• Yoga fix – targeting relaxation and stretching through Yoga
• Total Body Cardio Fix – targeting burning more calories
• 10 minute Abs – targets your abs for 10 mins

The eating plan provides 6 colored containers that are different sizes. The number of containers you use will vary, depending on the targeted calorie intake in you want.

• Green container: Vegetables
• Purple container: Fruit
• Red container: Protein sources
• Yellow container: Carbs
• Blue container: Healthy Fats
• Orange container: Seeds and dressing

Now back to me – I started this program in 2015; about 6 months after I gave birth to my daughter.  I was at the heaviest weight I had been my entire life, so I knew I needed to do something – and fast. I heard about the 21-day fix, and honestly, I took a chance.

My primary reason for choosing this plan was to be able to work it around my schedule. Being a first time mom to an infant is much work on its own, but not only was I a full-time mom, but I was also working full time and attending night school to obtain my Associate’s degree. I needed something that didn’t have restrictions on workout times, didn’t require two-plus hours in the gym and didn’t involve me having to chug a shake six times a day for X amount of weeks.

So it is safe to say when I started this program, I was completely out of shape, low on time and determined to be successful.

And I did just that!

Just wait, you’ll see!

So, are you wondering about Shakeology?

Yes, Shakeology was one of the BIG recommendations when completing this program; which leads me to my next point.

2. There is no Magic Shake.

While I cannot sit here and provide you with every nutritional fact about Shakeology, I will say, it is not the enchanted weight loss device that you are looking for.

Cinderella, it is not your Glass slipper, girl!

However, with that being said, I personally enjoyed Shakeology. I order the chocolate flavor. I would usually blend it with a banana and sprinkle in a bit of cinnamon and have it for breakfast.

Keep in mind there are plenty of recipes out there for all the flavors of Shakeology; that was just my preference.

The thing about Shakeology is, that it was just that, a shake – which I used to supplement a meal now and then. It did not miraculously cause me to lose inches or shed pounds. It did not remove every ounce of hunger from my body. However, my consistency with the workouts and dedication to the meal plans helped me do that!

This leads me to the next thing you must know….

3. You have to put in the work.

Most of us just want to lose the weight; we don’t really want to make any significant lifestyle changes that will lead us to our dream bodies. Alternatively, we do want to make these changes, but we don’t want to do the work required, to see those changes unfold.

I am entirely guilty of this!

However, that’s the problem, these programs, not just Beachbody, provide you with tools and you have utilized those tools to achieve our goal. No one and nothing can do it for you.

So skipping on the Monday and Wednesday workouts and sneaking that Juicy Burger has consequences that Shakeology can NOT fix.

There is no sugarcoating it here – you have to put in the work!

Also, no, I’m not saying you will be working to your death; as we discussed earlier, the plan is flexible and completely obtainable, but it requires you to come out of your comfort zone and stay consistent.

With that being said I want to discuss the next secret.

4. You can make tweaks and still be successful.

Much, later on, I learned that I can make some alternations and still get to where I wanted to be or maintain where I was at the time.

As I mentioned in 2015, I had very positive results.

Yes, I am getting to the phots – patience, please.

However, I was getting bored with the same six workouts every week for months. I personally prefer to do different types of exercises here and there. I was scared that if I didn’t follow the plan, I would get out of the groove and lose progress.

However, I took a chance, and I started replacing my cardio workouts with nature hikes and other outdoor activities that would provide a good cardio work out. I also stopped with the Shakeology drinks; they were delicious, but my bank account did not enjoy dishing out roughly $130 every month. I also increased my protein intake (red container) even though that changed my calorie goal.

But you know what? It all worked out fine because I was consistent!

5. It really is a lifestyle change.

Do you know how I mentioned those handy tools that we have to utilize?

Well, I was successful in this program because I learned how to take those tools and fit them into my life! Yes, at first I followed the program to the T, but after learning what worked best for me and discovering what I actually liked, I didn’t need to follow the plan step by step. I just needed to stick to the foundation that was provided for me – active living and clean eating!

Okay now for my results:

Have you used any Beachbody products? If so leave a comment about the product you used and your outcome. If not are you considering trying any of the Beachbody products? Which one? I’d love to hear from you.