So…. Guys and Gals… Have you picked out your swimsuits and sunny weather favorites for this summer, yet? Got a cruise or special trip coming up? Each change of the seasons, Donald and I go through clothes with the kids and stow away winter clothes, donate clothes too small, and pull out the summer clothes from the attic to refresh the closet ;-). It’s just how we roll! Pulling out the girls’ swimsuits reminded me that I have YET to pick one out for myself this summer. Last year’s suits WON’T CUT IT because they were already too big at the end of last season (yay for fitness)! But I am still extremely nervous about shopping for a new one… I know – silly — but I remember all too well what it is like to try on suit after suit, feeling frumpy, bumpy, jiggly, and with extra weight or body fat in places still in progress. I also remember being 35lbs heavier not too long ago and absolutely mortified at putting on my old swimsuit from the summer before and feeling so discouraged — there was no time to do anything about it — I had made the choices to put myself there! I was frustrated and I was avoiding the community pool as much as possible.
P.S. I have never been much of a swimmer. Not one at all, actually. I had a great scare when learning as a little girl and therefore never learned how to swim without the slight panic attack pounding in my chest and between my ears. I tend to sun bathe more than go for a dip — but who wants to sunbathe feeling like a blob on the lounge chair? I am not being insensitive. I’m talking about how I felt personally. I was in a constant struggle to hide or camouflage my body.
Anyway!
It was a 4th of July weekend when I was invited to start my very first Beachbody program with some neighborhood moms. We committed to 8 weeks of PiYo by Chalene Johnson together. I was invited by my coach Kat to meet with 3 or 4 others at 5:15 AM in our friend’s living room or garage. Every morning I would rise from bed at 5am while Donald and the kids slept, eat a banana, grab my water bottle and yoga mat, and walk down to my friend’s house by streetlight to get our workout in and finished by 6am. And let me just say that I value my sleep! My husband often teases me that I am not a morning person, incapable of any type of real conversation until I’ve had a cup of coffee and dressed. It was also hard. It was hard work on my body, which was still in pain from previous injuries to my back and neck. It was hard work to help my body heal and get stronger – at times it seemed to be taking SO LONG to see change, progress. I wanted it to happen faster. I wanted to fast forward through the hard part.
But I knew I had to be patient and see the program through. Give it a chance and not give up on myself. I started to imagine that the transformations I saw on Facebook and infomercials and in the challenge groups my coach added me to, that those transformations could also happen for me! They were real mamas and women like me — so why NOT?? If I applied myself and didn’t give up… one day I would see the results, too.
So I STUCK WITH IT. I gave myself the chance to see real, lasting change. To reach somewhere with my health and fitness that I had NEVER been before.
I lost nearly 15lbs lbs with PiYo, I lost another 8 lbs and a FULL dress size (from a size 10 to a size 8) with 21 Day Fix, and as I continued on with P90 and the Portion Fix way of eating, I woke up one Saturday to realize I had lost a total of 35lbs!! Since then I have continued to build strength, endurance, ability, and burn fat with programs like 21 Day Fix Extreme, Max 30, Cize, Hammer & Chisel, and now 22 Minute Hard Corps. I had committed to drink Shakeology daily, started to incorporate more and more of clean eating with the 21 Day Fix/Portion Fix nutrition guide into our family dinners… with the goal in mind to transfer the health and fitness success I’ve been experiencing over to my husband and children, to teach them and raise our kids in the lifestyle of being healthy and strong and fit and full of energy! We aren’t perfect – we have our treats… but by following an 80/20 lifestyle of eating clean, I have helped to transform my own life, my family’s life, and the friends we have made along the way! It’s something that makes you as a human being feel absolutely grateful, empowered, and hopeful for your future in ways you can’t imagine until you experience it yourself.
My personal desire is to empower and teach others how to overcome their own obstacles in life so they can achieve their own personal goals in leading healthy, fulfilling lives. My goal is to teach YOU – moms and dads alike – how to live life fit and balanced. It doesn’t have to be about feeling deprived and giving up everything everything that tastes good …to the point you feel you aren’t really living at all!! NO — It’s about making daily choices that ADD health and joy to your life — so you can finally gain everything you’ve wanted to GET out of life!!
With the summer right here at our doorsteps … I know that we all want to look and feel our best in our summer clothes. But, eek!! Hold up…. we don’t want to give up ice cream, taco night 😉 and lazy family dinners, summer party foods and sweet TREATS! Guess what?! We don’t have to! We can enjoy life to the fullest with peace of mind that we are ALSO still whittling down our waistlines, adding to our body’s ability to heal and feel energetic to be available for everyone who needs our attention, to keep up with the kiddos, the busy long days of summer, and, well, with LIFE!
Resist old eating habits that drag you down, and find creative ways to embrace healthier ones that strengthen & empower you!
So, let’s do it! Here’s a peek at what I’m going to share with you…
~ I have been able to take family trips out of town without feeling like a complete blob, without gaining weight from unhealthy choices by the time we get back home.
~ I have learned and come up with some tasty cleaned-up versions of our favorite summer treats. (ice cream, brownies, mexican nights, french toast, potato chips, popcorn movie nights, and more)! Restaurants & Fast food options included!!
~ I have learned how to choose my fitness programs based on the results on want that fit my lifestyle best so I will actually stick to it and know that I have NO excuses not to follow through.
~ I live and eat by an 80/20 “life smart” eating mindset — I plan to eat clean at least 80% of the time and allow myself to enjoy “other foods” up to 20% of the time (without erasing all my hard-earned efforts in the rest of the week).
~ I am committed to sharing and teaching you how to do it in YOUR life, too!
If you are looking to KICKSTART your own health and fitness transformation, or you want to break through a stubborn plateau ….then this is for you!
My team and I are bringing to YOU the Summer Ready Accountability & Support Groups on May 31st! For 30 days you and I will work together on your personal health and fitness goals… what kind of changes do you want to see?? I will share with you my tried and true meal plans, give you family-friendly recipes and meal ideas, eating out and travel ideas, healthy snacks and treats that make you feel like you’re “cheating” but you’re not ;-), daily accountability and motivation, a workout program that will fits your needs and your ability level, and a well balanced nutrition plan! You are going to have an entire community of support at your back! We will work together each day through your program of choice! And the good news is that this group is meant to teach you how to keep it going for LIFE… this is NOT A CRASH DIET that you’ll just yo-yo back from… you will learn ways to eat and feed your family for LIFE health that stays with you beyond our 30 day challenge. This will become a part of your NEW way of eating and living healthfully – who you WANT to be for a healthier, happier, more confident summer and LIFE !
ARE YOU SUMMER READY? No? Then are you DECIDEDLY READY to DO SOMETHING about it?! Need the accountability and support to get you started and see you through?? Tired of picking up new diets, new gym memberships, new gimmicks that never work and leave you in regret??
THEN SPEND THE SUMMER WITH ME as your coach and let’s do this! We will set realistic, measurable, achievable goals, and we will TOGETHER start AND FINISH the program STRONG— no looking back because you aren’t going there! Forward progress only!! You can do it!
Fill out the application below to be considered for a spot in one of my team’s exclusive groups!
~ The Summer Ready Fine & Flabuless Challenge is our portion control–focused group
~ The Summer Ready Body+Soul Stronger Faith & Fitness Challenge adds to your experience a daily devotional to support you spirit, soul, AND body!
-Our groups will start on the May 31st — with one week of plan and prep. We will do some goal setting, take your pics and measurements, learn about meal planning and prep with proper portion control, scheduling our workouts, and more.
-We will officially begin our program’s workouts on June 7th. Final date to join is June 5th… but don’t wait til then if you don’t want to miss prep week!!
-You will receive your fitness program in the mail PLUS have access to the online Beachbody Library {21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, Cize, Insanity Max 30, PiYo, TurboFire, P90X3, Hammer & Chisel, 22 Minute Hard Corps, AND MORE}
-You will be asked to replace one meal a day with Shakeology for the duration of the group. Besides the fact that this is one meal a day that you don’t have to think about “trying” to “make” healthy… It’s a meal that is perfectly portioned macronutrients to support your body healing, losing weight, giving you natural energy, easing your digestion, helping your muscle recover, and more! You can workout everyday and not see the full results if you’re not eating healthy and filling your body with the right nutrients. Shakeology is what tells you body “I’ve got what I need, unload the rest” and you see the fat come off. This isn’t a super pill that works by magic! This is a whole foods-based drink that conditions the body to be strong and healthy while you exercise. You don’t lose weight by starving your body of food but by only giving it the right food! Stop going hungry while resisting cravings, and instead choose this shake that helps keep you healthy during your journey to getting fit!
-You will need to make me your coach! If you already work with a coach please give them the courtesy of reaching out to your coach to see what groups they are currently running for you to plug into for support.
-You will also be asked to check in daily, to stay accountable to me and the group, and to start and complete the program with me! ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE if you will just BELIEVE with me that you CAN DO THIS — together we can and we will!!
So are you in?! Now is the time!!
Can’t wait to meet you and welcome you into the group!!
Angel Ballance 