Team Beachbody ¡preestreno!Español Guest

Growing up, I had always been very active. I was a gymnast for the majority of my childhood and a tennis player throughout high school. About five years ago, I met the man I was going to marry and through no one's fault but my own, I started to ignore the importance of a healthy diet and exercise. When I complained about the weight I was gaining, people told me this was "happy fat", the result of being in a stable and happy relationship. This is a very nice definition, but this fat that people were calling happy made me feel quite the opposite. The weeks leading up to January 2008, I had become someone I didn't recognize, not only in the way my clothes fit but mainly my moods toward the people I care about.

I began my weight loss journey at 146 lbs. I had never seen anything past 115 lbs. on the scale so this number was difficult to see. The number on the scale was only half the problem. My energy levels were gone along with my confidence. My mindset was not the mindset of the determined and hardworking person I had once been.

On New Years Day of 2008, I stopped feeling sorry for myself and got to work on losing the 30 pounds I had gained and said goodbye to the unhappiness that came along with those pounds.

By the time April had rolled around I had lost about 15 pounds, but there was no structure to my diet and exercise routine. I would try different things with my diet with the help of some cookbooks and I had yet to find a workout I could fully commit to. The number on the scale was staying the same and I was getting frustrated.

In April of 2008 I met the person who would introduce me to Beachbody, become my coach, and ultimately help me achieve my weight loss goals. With her guidance, I learned how I should be eating and focused on a diet that consisted of 55% carbs, 30% protein, and 15% fat. The biggest change I made was finding a workout that was right for me and making sure I committed to it at least 5 to 6 days a week.

I began my Beachbody journey with Slim in Six and was very pleased with the results. By this point, I didn't have many pounds to lose, but I really wanted to tone up. Well this program definitely helped me accomplish that. I lost 2% body fat and 6.5 inches off my body. I was starting to see definition in my arms and my abs and I was ready for more of what Beachbody had to offer. I wasn't going to stop here!

I moved on to Turbo Jam and loved every second of this high energy workout. About a year had gone by and I had reached my goal of 115 lbs. I think I could have reached my goal sooner if I had been introduced to Beachbody sooner!

In January 2009, I went on a cruise with my boyfriend and returned home a week later as his fiance! I had gained a few pounds while I was on vacation and even with the thought of fitting in a wedding dress, I had a really hard time getting back on track. I was still working out and trying to eat healthy, but I wasn't fully committed. In the middle of March I was surprised that the two pounds I had gained on vacation had turned into eight pounds. Seeing that was enough. I went back to eating right, allowing one cheat meal a week and I began a new round of Slim in Six.

The weight came off easier this time. Within a month I had lost most of the weight but I wanted to be at my fittest by the time my wedding day came.

That is when I started Chalean Extreme and on my wedding day, October 4, 2009, I was not only at my goal weight, but my body and attitude had completely transformed. I felt strong and fit and I had finally gained back the confidence I had lost in myself. It was amazing how working on my outer appearance helped what mattered the most...my inner strength.

In August 2010, Ryan Scott entered my world and being a mom has been the most rewarding experience of my life.

Through the pregnancy I gained 70 pounds, much more than I had ever imagined I would gain, pregnant or not. I never thought I would let myself go after everything I had learned but the scale didn't lie.

My son is now almost three months old and I have lost 40 of the 70 pounds. With 30 more pounds I can officially say I am back to where I started this weight loss journey.

It is time to recommit and instead of losing weight to fit into a wedding dress or my pre-pregnancy jeans, I have a new motivation-to become healthy and happy for my son.