Team Beachbody ¡preestreno!Español Guest

I began surfing when I was 8 years old. Through my teens, surfing and the beach lifestyle were part of my everyday existence. Then I graduated high school and moved to Los Angeles to go to college. Well, I dropped out after my first semester and spent the next 10 years bartending and managing nightclubs in LA. This was back in the 80’s and I’ll spare the details, but I can assure you, I wasn’t practicing a healthy lifestyle.

Shortly after my 28th birthday, I had an epiphany, which led me back to my surfer roots and the healthy lifestyle that is my true nature. The years of living life in the fast lane, which included smoking a pack or two of cigarettes a day, had left me out of shape and in poor health. But a journey begins with the first step and I was determined to be healthy: mind, body and soul. By age 42 I had earned a BS in Health Science, with an option in Community Health Education and a minor in Psychology. And I practiced what I preached.

Fast forward 7 years and at the age of 49, I was in the best shape of my life, but I was about to face a big obstacle: MENOPAUSE. This unavoidable hormone imbalance combined with a move away from the ocean, an inconsistent/sometimes nonexistent workout schedule, and some less than ideal food choices led me to put on 29 pounds in a year and a half. Next thing you know, my cholesterol was 268 and my LDL was 194 ~ not good values for someone whose parents died from heart disease. This was a serious wake up call for me. It was time to get back into action!

I had become a Team Beachbody Coach in May 2009, but I hadn’t committed to the workouts. This would change. I went back to P90X and pushed play and I made some important dietary changes. One of them was pretty simple: I stopped drinking 3 cups of decaf coffee a day. The coffee wasn’t the problem ~ it was the half and half. When I added it up, it was about 9 tablespoons, which equals 180 calories and 25% of the Daily Value of saturated fat.

I’m back on track now. I’ve dropped 19 pounds and added some muscle. My cholesterol is still a little elevated, but it’s not serious and it is genetic. It did drop 47 points within 4 months of starting Shakeology. Once I’ve reclaimed my abs, I’ll post my after photo. : ) It might be a couple months yet ~ I’m taking my time and enjoying the journey. I hope you do, too.