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Just when I thought it couldn't get any better Beach Body does it again!! The new VEGAN Tropical Strawberry is just PERFECT! IT tastes great, and the vegan mixture makes it perfect for those who try and maintain a vegan diet or like me, just don't do very well with dairy.

One hint: I discovered that it is slightly chalky, and at first I wasn't crazy about that. It still tasted great, and my tummy loved it, but the chalkieness was slighty annoying. NOTHING like the old body builders protein shakes from back in the 80's, but still, slightly chalky.

I found by mixing with frozen fruit(I like the Costco Fietsa Blend.) it takes all that chalkieness away, plus it tastes GREAT!! So good in fact, I have to double my auto ship orders as the rest of the family are regularly drinking them now too! YUM!

I am SO excited over Beachbody's new Energy and Endurance formula! I just tried it this morning for the first time and am just thrilled.

Of course it does what it promises, most pre-workout forumulas do deliver. BUT, most formulas also use artificial sweetners which my body reacts very badly to. BUT, Beachbody is at the top of their game by using Stevia, an all natural sweetner!

I can actually use this and not risk the side effects my body normally endures from other formulas.

I am very excited to use this regularly myself on workout days and happy that I can offer friends, family and customers something I am confident wont do their bodies any harm!

BRAVO to you Beachbody! I am excited and anxious to see what you come out with next!

I have been at various times of my life, both overweight and underweight. I've kept it no secret here and elsewhere that I've spent a great deal of my life struggling with body image issues and finding a healthy balance when it comes to a healthy lifestyle.

That is the number one thing I think I am most grateful for to Beachbody is helping me achieve that balance. I no longer strive to be skinny, but healthy. I no longer strive to see a certain number on a scale or freak out if that number climbs a little. I now know that true health and fitness can't be measured by numbers alone, whether those numbers are on a scale or a pair of jeans.

Rather than desiring to be super model, super skinny, I now long for biceps and quads.

I stopped "dieting" about the time I found Beachbody. I learned I can make healthy food choices year round and jump off the diet merry-go-round. I don't punish myself with exercise or reward myself with unhealthy food treats. It has taken me my whole life to get to this point, and while there's always room for improvement, I am finally at 42 years old at a place where I am content with myself, both inside and outside.

It has been a process, a journey, and came with lots of hard work, and sweat! It has been a struggle as much emotionally as physically.

So, I really need to vent and say that I take great offense when someone sees me measure a food item and sarcastically comment that, " you must be on a diet, again." No, I am not on a "diet" I will never be on a diet again. I measure that new to me snack, so that I have a visual of what one serving actually looks like. My own husband takes a baggie and fills it with chips and thinks that is a serving. I took said chips yesterday and measured out a serving so I can show myself and him, what a serving actually looked like. It was one fourth of what he had thought.

That is not a diet, that is making informed, fact based choices about the food I am going to put into my body as fuel.

The other frequent comment I take offense to is; "your so skinny"(or thin) NO, I am not, nor am I trying to be. Skinny is not attractive, and in most cases healthy. I am trying to be healthy. I work very hard and it takes a certain amount of self discipline and dedication to achieve what I try to achieve and perhaps while meant as a compliment(though I'm not sure), I take that as an insult.

The last offense, is; "you must naturally be thin, you're so lucky." Luck has nothing to do with it. It was/is hard work. No, it's not natural, I have been FOUR pants sizes larger than I am now. I have also been TWO smaller than I am and was no more healthy then, than I was at the larger size.

Maybe wishing it was a natural occurance makes you feel better about your lack of desire or motivation to change your health, but it takes away from what I've worked years to achieve, as I said, emotionally and mentally as well as physically.

I am not perfect, my body is far from "ideal." But, at 42 years old, after giving birth to four of my five children, I can honestly say I am in the best shape and best health of my entire life. While I may still have a way to go before I have an "ideal" body appearence wise, this body the way it is now can see me through this life. I can carry my own  40-50lb feed bags instead of waiting for my husband to come home and do it for me. I can physically keep up with my kids.  I don't tire out mid-day and need a "nap" like so many others seem to. I eat right to keep my body properly fueled through out the day so I don't have that crash and burn I use to experience.

When you suggest I am on a "diet" or that I must be "naturally" thin, or even suggest I am skinny, you hurt my feelings. You take away from years of truly hard work. You insult me.

While your comments may make you feel better about yourself, they hurt me. Rather than insult me, to only temporarily make yourself feel better, why not ask me how I got to where I am, and how I can help you? I love to help others feel better about themselves and acheive their heatlh and fitness goals. That way we can both feel better, without having to hurt someone else. Words are powerful tools, that can be used for good, or evil, be sure to choose yours wisely and with thought and consideration to those whom you are speaking them to!

My four sons always seem to be really good at reminding me of "why" I do what I do in regards to my workouts. This time it came from my youngest, just barely five.

I was trying to encourage him to eat his breakfast yesterday, and pulled the famous; "don't you want to be strong like big brother" and he replied "No, I want to be strong like you, Mom!"

Makes pushing play easy each day with compliments like that from those who I love the most!

I am more than bummed! Thursday while working out(I should note here, that I ALWAYS workout in bare feet, even insane programs like Insanity or P90X, just my preference) I took a brief break to turn around and throw some more wood into my fire place. And can you believe it? All these years of working out barefooted, even around weights, I've never had an injury, until now...and it wasn't even caused by the workout, I went to put the wood into the fire and stubbed/jammed my toe on the brick in front of the fire. OUCH!!!

It didn't take long to figure out it is most likely broke. OUCH!! And me, what am I worried about? How many workouts will this cause me to miss? I was already trying to lean out a bit after an over 5lb weight gain and to be sidelined like this, this time of year?

After feeling really sorry for myself for a day, I've come up with a new game plan.

This is hard for me who tends to be a very literal all or nothing type person in my thinking. But, I refuse to allow this to stop me from working towards and achieving my goals.

Later, I will come back and share my game plan, as I am still working out the fine details.

But can I just say one more time, if you will allow me the induldence? OUCH!!