Why I prefer to workout solo...

    The main argument I get from people when they want to start getting healthy is "I don't want to do it alone, I need a workout buddy, I need my husband to do it too, I get bored working out alone." These excuses do NOT fly with me. I have three fabulous women that  tried to use these excuses on me and now they are all losing weight and getting in shape alone, and happily I might add... We will call them W, A, and P. They all used the excuse that they wanted to lose weight, but they wanted/needed their husbands to join them in order to start. After a lot of convincing and reassuring them that all they needed was the will power, that after a week of making it a habit, they would learn to love love love working out alone. Both are now well on their way to a sexier them! 
      My urge to workout alone stems from a long mentality of me doing things on my own. When I did sports in high school I chose to do the ones that required only me, track, tennis, and I played percussion in the band. I also am a retired dancer, but back in my prime I ALWAYS preferred to compete solo, and here is why...
                (Me dancing with Dan Karaty of So You Think You Can Dance)

I only have to rely on MYSELF. If I screw up, it's my fault and mine alone, if I want to do something I don't have to wait around on someone else to decide if they are ready. I don't get the chance to make the excuse, "if they aren't doing it I'm not either." My failure or success is 100% mine. This is how I was led to Beachbody. The programs they have are programs you can do on your own, on your own time and they work! I know this sounds like a plug, but trust me it isn't. I am a stay at home toddler mommy, and a military spouse which leaves little time or flexibility in my schedule to get out and go to a gym so I started Googling (one of my favorite things to do). I asked google "What can I do at home to get me in shape". One of the main things that popped up was the INSANITY program. It sounded a little to hard for me since I was severely overweight, and out of shape, but a friend had it so I borrowed it. My husband was gone for a 6 month away stay so it was just me and my little, so no gym for me. I put in day one and started... honestly it was hard, but so worth it. It was exactly what I needed to get my butt back into shape and this best part was, I could do it while the little slept. 45 minutes and done for the day... the inches just fell off and I felt better and happier everyday. It was also great because I wasn't missing out on anything in my daughter's life and I was doing something just for me. Now, five pants sizes later, I am so glad I did it. I went on to do Turbofire, which is also a Beachbody program, and now I am doing T25, which is absolutely perfect for a mom! 25 minutes a day, and only 5 days a week to get that awesome body! I am smaller than I have been in 8 years and I don't see any stopping in sight, so you can see why I wanted to be a coach, to motivate other awesome mommy's to do it too, all on their own. Us mom's have to empower each other right! So no more making excuses that you CAN'T do it on your own, or WON'T. Excuses don't burn calories, they don't help you lose weight, they only cause regret! Comment if you would like me to help you start your journey, because I live for it!

              Start today, it's a great day to start!
                           Beast Mode Britt

These women are rocking it and making themselves better everyday! You can do it too!

What is YOUR inspiration?

     I wanted to dedicate this post to my personal inspiration. She is the most sassy, happy, smart, and strong little girl I have ever met. She is the light of my life, my sunshine and the reason I keep pushing to be healthier everyday. I want to be around to see her babies have babies, and beyond. The healthier I am the longer I can be around for her, so it is all worth it. This little girl is my Scarlett. 

She recently made the transition from crib to toddler bed, got rid of her beloved sleep Paci and potty trained, all in ONE MONTH. Now, if she can do all of that, I can sure as hell get in shape. I put myself in this unhealthy state so I can whip myself out of it. The road to fit is rocky, it isn't going to be a straight shot. There are going to be bumps, cheeseburgers, slacker days, and beyond. Life happens, but you have to push forward. You have to find YOUR inspiration to keep pushing. Personally if the simple fact that being obese is a SERIOUS risk on your livelyhood, shortening your life span by more than 50% then look inside yourself and find something that inspires you. I have recently been told by so many that I am their inspiration (BLUSHING) some of these people I don't even personally KNOW! That is such a big honor in my eyes and of course keeps me pushing even harder. If I can do it, you can too. That is really saying something too, I am a FRIED food LOVER. I am a EVERYTHING food lover. I am a self proclaimed foodie. I love trying new foods and take pride in my tastes. This love comes with a price. My big fat ass for one. :) I actually take pride in my butt, it is my best asset, I do a LOT of squats to keep in in line, but the food intake never helps. I actually gain most weight in my face and lower stomach. Yuck. 
    I DO NOT COUNT CALORIES. I do not, do not, do not. Added stress. How about we all just have a little self control huh? You don't NEED two cheeseburgers, I know, I know, you want them, but you don't need them. You don't NEED that large pizza or mega fries, but, if you can take it in MODERATION, you can still have the things that make you happy. I have made the choice to incorporate clean eating into my diet. I am not going on a crazy quest to only eat clean, I have way to much love for unclean foods, but for my health and that little girl, I WILL. 

      Lets take a moment and look for YOUR inspiration. It could be as simple as you wanting to be healthier, you may not even be overweight  but you know you aren't healthy so you make some diet changes. When I started my journey in February I was in the MORBID OBESE category. OMG, those words hit me like a truck. I didn't cry about it, I did something about it. No more being a lazy ass and stress eating, I did something to change it. I found the most HARDCORE workout plan on the market, bought it and got to work. Insanity really REALLY really changed my life. This was LONG LONG LONG before I became a beach body coach. I had no intention of helping others, I was in deep myself. Now GET THIS. During the program (60 days) I only lost 5 pounds. FIVE FREAKING POUNDS. But get this, after those 60 days I was officially in the HEALTHY WEIGHT cateogry! I know you are asking "Brittnee how the hell is that even possible?" Let me tell you. I shrunk. Muscle weighs more MORE more than fat. I am a stocky build so I gain muscle like a bod builder. I went from a size 16 pants (which are at goodwill for good now) to a 9! A size 9 with a 5 pound weight loss. You can see it in my face, my stomach and everywhere in between, thanks you INSANITY. 

    Back to the inspirations... We talked about your health. I talked about my child. How about for your hubby or wife? I know that I feel so so so much sexier now that I don't have so much extra me hanging around. I know they say they love you no matter how fat you are, but why not want to look your best for them? After all you choose them to be the ONE AND ONLY till death do us part, get sexy and spice it up! How about wanting to wear cuter clothes. I know first hand plus size clothing is frumpy. I can't wait to rock a crop top. I will every damn day too.  What about, inspire others? Are there members of your family who could use a lifestyle change? By simply doing it for yourself, you will inspire others to do the same. 
    I have to tell you guys about DAN. Coach Dan to be exact. He and I have NEVER met, but he has inspired me not only to keep pushing me forward, but he is the one who pushed me to become a coach. He noticed that my story was inspiring others. People wanted to follow my lead! Wow how flattering. He found me on instagram. He noticed I had started doing insanity and wanted to offer his free coaching. (something I now offer). I hit the jackpot because he is a personal trainer and nutritionist. He provided me with so much insight and motivation that I am STILL GOING. No stopping in sight. 
     My husband is my final inspiration. When we met almost 10 years ago I was a lot smaller than I am now, and through the years I have just gotten bigger and more unattractive. I know that, looking at photos makes me sick. I have never heard him ever complain about how overweight I was becoming, but I was personally embarrassed  Why would anyone want to look at someone so unattractive for the rest of their lives? He is nothing but supportive and even joins me from time to time. He is in the Military though so he has plenty of physical training under his belt.

  

Friends, it could be anything. Anything that inspires you to start a new healthier life. Just START. I started without any help or support and gained it throughout my journey. I didn't NEED anyone backing me up. I knew in my heart it was time to change. I knew something needed to be done. I looked inside myself and made a change. Are you ready? You already have one supporter. I am HERE FOR YOU. There are ways to contact me on my website. I am here. Don't forget that. 
             CLICK HERE TO VISIT MY WEBSITE

             Thank YOU for inspiring me everyday.
                          Beast Mode Britt

Adventures in Clean Eating Day One!

   Welcome back friends!

         I have made the brave, OK not so much brave, but smart decision to start incorporating clean eating into my daily routine. I ventured out to the base commissary today (grocery store on a military base for civilians) and gathered up my supplies. My total cost for a weeks worth of groceries. You will die, $28.17! I usually spend shy of $90 for that many groceries, but clean eating has some MAJOR perks. You not only feel better, look better, and are overall healthier, but you can save money too? The basics are veggies, fruits, chicken (not fried), lean red meat and fish. Not to many extras, no chips, crackers, starchy side dishes, or things chocked full of preservatives. So that leaves the outer rim of the store. It takes a lot to raise the bill in those areas. Yes, I know, fish is expensive, but you can buy a bag of frozen salmon for the price of only two bags of Lays potato chips, so put that mess back!
      So tonight I made dinner in no time flat. I marinated my chicken the hour before throwing it on the grill. I ventured onto the world wide web and googled "clean eating chicken marinade" and here is what came out...

Clean Eating Chicken Marinade

4-5 chicken breasts

1/8 cup of EVOO

1/4 cup of Soy Sauce

Tablespoon of Montreal Seasoning

I threw it in a bag with the chicken, shook it up and put it in the fridge for an hour. When the hubby got home from work I let him put his grill master skills to work. He fired it up and grilled them to perfection, making the most beautiful glaze on the outside, not to mention it was delicious. So onto the side dishes. I had bought some yellow squash in the frozen section and threw it in a sautee pan with some chopped onion, garlic, and some Olive Oil. All of these things are also considered "clean". This was super simple and turned out tasty. I also made a ceasar salad. This was the only thing that wasn't 100% clean on the plate. While of course, romaine lettuce is clean clean clean, the dressing is not. I don't regret it, it was delicious and had much fewer calories than a starchy baked potato with sour cream and cheese. 

       All in all this meal was tasty, quick and cheap. I love all of these qualities in a meal, and to top it off, it was HEALTHY. 

Here's to your health and your wallet!

Stay tuned for the next episode of:

Adventures in Clean Eating

Starring- Beast Mode Britt

Visit my website and get started on becoming a better you!

www.beachbodycoach.com/beastmodebritt

  

      

So here's the thing, okay maybe two things...

Hi Friends,

       I am so so glad you are back once again to read my blog, I wouldn't write it if it weren't for all the readers... I have had over 600 blog views in the last few months, which may not seem like much, but it means my crazy story is reaching more people.

    So here's the thing, if you have been following my blog, you know that during my workouts I had one , okay two, major problems in my way... like RIGHT in my way. It caused a major amount of back pain and the money I was spending the keep these issues up was getting terrible. But, great news! The dr approved to reduce the size of these issues in order to keep me happy, healthy, and pain free so I can continue on my fitness journey comfortably! I know you are dying to know what I am talking about, unless you already figured it out! I have had a breast REDUCTION!

On June 19th I had the procedure done, and now I am three weeks in recovery. I have been cleared to walk and do light jogging for the past week, but I am DYING to get back into my BEAST MODE workouts! As I told you in the last blog post, I purchased the new T25 program (25 minutes a day 5 days a week) and it is sitting on my shelf taunting me. I go back in a couple of weeks to make sure I am healing well and hopefully he will let me get started! But, back to the recovery process...

Before the procedure I was a size 38 dd, sometimes I could fit into a 38 d. The dr said the total weight on my chest was around 35-40 pounds. That is what was bouncing around during my intense Insanity workouts. Back pain was through the roof! I had the surgery and have been extremely swollen and bruised ever since, can't even get sweaty without swelling up. I hope this part passes soon because I am still the almost the same bra size as when I started. The dr says it is normal and ten weeks from the surgery date I should be feeling much better, ten weeks! That is a long time and I am counting down the days. Until then I will be walking and jogging everyday and dabbling in some yoga. I will keep you posted when more comes of this breast of a tale... I made a funny. ;)

I will still be posting here, I have made a commitment to post once a week from now on. I have a few Scarlett adventures that need to be published so keep checking back! Comment Comment Comment! I love hearing feedback!


                              Live your life to make YOU happy... after all it is all about you.
                                                                  Beast Mode Britt

Progress Since My Last Post... I know, its been way to long.

So friends, I am so sorry I wasn't doing a great job keeping up with my blog posts, but I have GREAT NEWS! I am a much smaller woman since you last saw me! I have been working super duper hard in my workouts!
I COMPLETED Insanity! I did it! That accomplishment makes me so damn proud! I have a smaller body to show for it! Below is my complete program before and after... can you believe it only took 60 days to get this progress?

Cool right? I am pretty excited... I went from a size 16 to a 10 in 60 days with the Insanity program, making better eating choices and swapping soda for water and the occasional tea. I have since become a Beach Body COACH! That's right, I can now help YOU do the same. The final photo was taken a couple of months ago so there is even more progress now! I just purchased T25, Beachbody's new program, that still has my beloved Shaun T, but it is only 25 minutes a day 5 days a week, so no excuses, everyone can find that kind of time in their schedule. I haven't started the new program yet, although I am DYING too... I will tell you why in the next post. 

I did have many slip ups with my eating and drinking, but I never wavered from the program which helped me get the results. If I had only been stronger in healthy eating and I would have been even smaller in the end, but all in all I got great results and I am smaller than I have been in 6 years!! If you want to continue with me in my crazy weight loss journey I would LOVE to help you! The link below will help you get started on your journey, these are programs I really believe in, and they obviously work, (look above if you need proof).

I hate posting photos of how big I was and honestly still am, but if I even motivate ONE person to push and get back to their better self then it was all worth it. I genuinely want to help you get on track and I am happy to answer ANY questions you may have, none are to weird, small, or awkward, that is what I am here for.

                                           Here's to you becoming YOUR better self...
                                                                      B
                                                           AKA Beast Mode Britt

Here is the link I KNOW you are dying to click on...

                    www.beachbodycoach.com/beastmodebritt 

Day 26 and counting...

Yes I know, there isn't much change between week 3 and 4, but it is still a difference, I can feel it, just thought it was time to update the progress photo... Thursday I start my recovery week, which means it will be time to go into BEAST MODE and start month 2 and hopefully there will be crazy changes in those photos, so be patient! Yes I am going to finish the program and possibly choose another one to finish before bikini season, I finish Insanity the first week in April, I will probably take a rest week since it will be Punky's 2nd birthday and then another two month program and hopefully I will look how I want to by my birthday! Happy birthday to me right? I have only been wishing for a new body for years! Check back in, in about a week I will update the photo and have some hilarious stories too...

Thanks for reading!
B

Embarrassing, yet Inspiring.

Hello Friends! This is my newest progress photo! I can't update pounds lost, because, as you can see, I have lost more inches than pounds, and that's due to being built like a body builder! Hope this inspires you and I will keep posting, I am NOT giving up this round and I should be done by the end of May and back in better shape and health!

Thank you for all the support!

Killer B