2 Year Full-Time Beachbody Coach Anniversary- THANK YOU!!!

I thought about taking some kind of crazy fitness pic for this post but I decided to go with a pic of me, on a normal day, sitting out in the sun at my favorite work place, happily crunching through some work- because this is honestly the embodiment of what I love to do and why I am so grateful that I get to do this job full-time.

It's been 2 years since my company closed and I lost my job as an engineer that I had done (and loved) for the 7 years prior. Truth be told, I was incredibly sad to say goodbye to that job. The ONLY thing that made it ok was that I had been doing online health and fitness coaching for the year and a half before my company closed and I had been able to build it up big enough that I was able to transition into doing it full-time as soon as my company closed. No stressing about finding another job. I didn't have to temporarily do something I didn't love in order to bridge any financial gaps or make ends meet. The transition was shockingly seamless. AND, I was all of a sudden thrust full-time into something that I absolutely knew was my purpose in life- a way to reach people who were struggling and show them that they weren't alone. It took me almost a full year for me to really feel like "This is my LIFE now! I get to do this all the time!" It felt surreal and I felt like I was on some kind of extended vacation!

But here we are 2 years later. I am still floored by the amount of love and support I have received throughout all of this. I am SO GRATEFUL to my coach Nicole for originally introducing me to this opportunity and being there through lots of laughs and ups and downs along the way. I have an incredibly supportive team that has taught me and helped me through anything I ever wanted to learn or do in this business. And I have an AMAZING team of coaches who took the same crazy leap of faith and jumped on board with me- I THANK YOU for trusting me and all that you do for our team and the world!!

Thank you to ALL of my friends and family and all of you one here who have been supporting me and cheering me on in this incredible journey. Whether you've become a client, a coach yourself, have sent referrals my way, or want nothing to do with Beachbody but have been here for support I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU! I feel like the luckiest person in the world to know all of you and have each and every one of you in my life!!! I get more joy out of my work than I ever thought possible and I thank you ALL for making my dreams come true!!!!

Love,

Katelyn

Visit https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk and http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk for more info!

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach’s income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill. See our Statement of Independent Coach Earnings located in the Coach Online Office for the most recent information on our Coaches’ actual incomes. The Statement of Independent Coach Earnings can be found at http://www.beachbodycoach.com/uploads/fckeditor/mdbody/File/downloads/statement_of_independent_coach_earnings.pdf

Leave space for the possibility that you may someday feel differently

I had a discussion with a friend last night who’s making some AWESOME healthy changes in her life. The one thing she told me is a struggle at this point in her journey (and I can totally relate because I absolutely remember saying the same things a few years ago) is that she feels like it will always be hard to resist unhealthy (yet delicious) food. My advice to her was just to be open to the possibility that she may someday wake up and feel differently about that.

I’m very all-or-nothing when it comes to food so I absolutely remember a time feeling like I had to try SO HARD to avoid temptation. I couldn’t make eye contact with the treats my coworkers would bring into the office. I couldn’t keep junk food in my house at all. If I went to a party, I would try to wait as long as possible before starting on the snacks because once I started, it was nearly impossible for me to stop.

The amazing part is that somewhere along the line in the last few years, that has completely neutralized. It’s not that I don’t still want to snack at parties or have some treats from time to time but my internal feelings about it now are just so…. indifferent.

Over the past 4 years, I have put a lot of systems into place to avoid junk (like not bringing it into the house). I’ve cut WAYYYY back on all processed foods. I eat a much cleaner diet. I drink my Shakeology every.single.day, which means my body is getting fully NOURISHED. I cut out gluten, which was originally due to a sensitivity but also helps me avoid a lot of the things I would tend to overeat.

My taste buds and my brain have literally CHANGED! I no longer crave the things I used to crave. It is much easier for me to have a small treat without it unfolding into a total overboard treat-stuffing session. When I’ve gone to the restaurants I used to go to all the time in college and chose to treat myself to some of my unhealthy favorites from back in the day, they just don’t taste that good to me anymore. During a snowy day last winter I ordered some delivery from a Thai restaurant and the brown sauce that I used to love so much tasted so sweet and artificial to me I couldn’t eat it.  

For ANYTHING that I have struggled with in life, I always forget that there’s another side to it once you’re over the hump. It’s hard to endure the hard parts of making change and we always assume it’s never going to get easier, which makes it really tempting to quit trying. I’m here to tell you that just about ANYTHING gets easier.

I remember times in my life where I HATED push-ups. I remember Chalene saying during ChaLEAN Extreme that she used to hate push-ups because she never did them. Now she does them all the time and she loves them. I CHOSE to believe her. And you know what? I love them now too. There used to be things I would worry about constantly with my old job (the direction our company was going, if we’d have funding to continue, if I’d have a job, etc) and even worried about some similar things when I first started as a Beachbody coach. Somewhere along the line, I was shown enough times that things always have a way of working out that I just stopped worrying and learned to trust the process! There are things I do regularly as a coach that I thought I’d NEVER be good at or that it would always take a lot of discipline for me to keep at it- now those things are second nature! I remember many heart breaks and disappointments in relationships that I thought I’d never feel ok about. Each one of those has found a way to sort itself out in time and be replaced with peace about the situation.

During the hard parts, make sure you are giving yourself credit for how far you’ve already come. And more importantly, remember that IT WILL GET EASIER. I, of all people, know that it can be HARD to believe there will ever be a day where you feel differently or it feels easier. But promise me you’ll leave space for that possibility. Be open to the possibility that it MAY someday get easier, feel better, or be different. Because YOU will have changed and grown without even realizing it :)

Visit https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk and http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk for more info!

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

This is what a challenge group feels like!

I have a lot of people that still ask me what challenge groups are all about and what we actually do in these online (Facebook) groups. It's a difficult concept to explain and a lot of people have misconceptions that we meet in person or that there are calls involved or that it's something where you REALLY have to be committed 100% to a fitness or nutrition plan in some kind of extreme way.

If you follow me on Facebook and saw my posts on Friday when I was running the buffalo hill in South Park, that might give you a better idea of what the challenge groups are all about because the interactions were very similar in a lot of ways.

The groups can be utilized in any way a participant pleases but I like to utilize them for encouragement and motivation to get my workouts in. When I was posting about my hill workout, I was LITERALLY posting DURING the workout (mainly when I was recovering walking down the hill). It gives me accountability to continue when I put it out there what my goal is, and the huge amount of encouragement I received during my workout really kept me going. I probably would not have even done half as many hill repeats without all of your support!

The groups are very similar. Even though we are working out at home, on our own time frames, we post when we need motivation to get started and the whole group cheers us on virtually in the Facebook group (just like you may have seen people doing on my buffalo hill posts). We share healthy recipe ideas, tips for how to make healthy decisions at restaurants, motivational stories, our goals and reasons for wanting to hit them, and more. The feeling of being on a TEAM is what keeps us all going- and more importantly, in a way that feels GOOD! I WANT to get my workout in and eat well when I know I have other people supporting me and trying to do the same. It's amazing what that can do psychologically for motivation.

The Facebook groups (aka challenge groups) are all private meaning that the only people who can see your posts or see that you're even in the group are the other people who are in the group as well. It's important to me to create a safe environment where everyone feels comfortable to share openly.

Even if you don't think you like to workout or don't believe you have the motivation to eat a little more healthily, you may be surprised what these groups can do! If you have any interest in trying one out, contact me or your coach! We have new groups starting every month and our next 3 week group starts tomorrow, May 9th!

Visit https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk and http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk for more info!

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Be one of the brave ones

The Biggest Loser article has sparked a lot of conversation on drastic weight loss and the after-effects of that. In my almost 4 years of coaching, I have seen a lot of people take drastic measures time and time again then fall off the wagon. I'm sure we have all done that at some point! It's EASY to be motivated by a short-term vision and taking extreme measures in any area of our lives gives us a sense of control. It's actually HARDER in any area of our lives (health, relationships, business, finances, etc) to stay motivated by a long-term vision. In terms of quick-fixes with health, I PROMISE that long-term, slow and steady, SUSTAINABLE lifestyle changes will get you to your goal (and keep you there!) much more effectively than short-term drastic measures.

For me and all of my clients who I have seen successfully transform their health, it took patience. It took work. It took time. And it took a shift in PERSPECTIVE. We MUST learn to love ourselves in the process. That is the only way we can stay on the long-term track.

I rarely workout at 100%. I'm usually somewhere around 80%. And that's what I promote. Why? Because I'd rather get a decent workout in and want to come back tomorrow than kill myself in a workout and not want to do it ever again and/or associate dread with moving my body. When it comes to nutrition, I focus on getting lots of healthy foods that I love in my body rather than being terrified of tempting junk food. I focus on what I APPRECIATE about my body and all that it can do for me.

Have patience. Love yourself or at least TRY to start finding things about your body and your health that you appreciate. Turn the conversation around. It starts with US. Let us be one of the brave ones that takes the hard path and really truly focuses on health.

I believe that as we all increase our self-confidence and belief in ourselves, we are better able to lift others up! There is more room for love and kindness when we love and are kind to ourselves. We literally MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE! Don't we all want that?? Don't we all want to FEEL GOOD?? Don't we all want to know that we are ENOUGH?? We have that in our power! We are more than enough. We are doing enough. Let's all try to love ourselves a little more!!

Be one of the brave ones. Turn the conversation around. BREAK the cycle!!!!

Visit https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk and http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk for more info!

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Why it’s so important to me to make sure nobody ever feels alone in this life: Part 2

Every single person on this planet has immense value to offer.

As I said in part 1 of this post (http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2016/05/why-its-so-important-to-me-to-make-sure.html), every single person on this planet has immense value to offer. Whether you realize it or not, you have the power and potential to be a world changer. There is HUGE power in the simplest gestures of love and kindness. Small spoken words can change the trajectory of another person’s life and there is an incredible ripple effect produced by that. I’ve learned that it’s extremely important in life to create a support system that will empower you in the tough times and that it’s just as important to BE one of those people who will do that for others in their tough times. It all starts with a willingness to be open, show that you care, and show love in whatever ways you can.

When I was going through a REALLY tough period in my old job (I was stressed out a lot, feeling disconnected from myself, dealing with constant anxiety, and wondering how much longer I could go on - you can read more about it here if you’d like:

http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2016/03/gratitude-for-my-story-as-coach.html), I had a lot of friends who really stepped up to show me support in that time. I had friends who frequently called or texted me to check in. My friends that I hung out with most frequently were so supportive and accommodating in dealing with a lot of the control issues that had developed for me because of all the anxiety I was going through, especially due to a lot of the work traveling I was doing at the time. They knew that if I was going to hang out with them, I had to feel like I could leave anytime I wanted. If I felt anxiety rising up and wanted to go, they knew not to push me to stay out. They were extremely nurturing and made me feel safe and supported. And despite all the weird rules I had at that time about what I had to do to make sure I could feel ok in social situations, they stayed by my side as friends anyway. My friend, Chelsea, constantly reminded me that “your struggle is your struggle” and even though I knew I had not been through anything that society would have considered tragic, I was allowed to feel how I was feeling about it. I had my go-to friends who I could call anytime that would make me see the lighter side of things and remind me to relax. My friend, Nilo, talked me through some tough things I was dealing with with some of the people I had to work with at the time (these were not people who worked directly for my company; my coworkers and bosses were great and always had my back). He taught me some important lessons about setting boundaries and being assertive. My friend, Diego, shared with me during a marathon training run a list of 50 life secrets and tips (http://highexistence.com/life-secrets-and-tips/). The books I read because of that list were some of the first to set me on my journey of personal and spiritual growth.  

Some of the people who REALLY helped me through some tough times may not even know how big of an impact they had. During this time of personal/life/identity crisis, I remember OBSESSIVELY wanting to figure out my purpose in life. I contemplated daily what I would do with my life if I had to quit my job if the stress became too much. All I wanted to do was help people. I did a ton of research on starting a nonprofit but felt stuck in finding a cause that felt like the “right” one (not surprising since my approach was a little backwards- I was really seeking fulfillment and purpose more than anything, not necessarily starting with a cause that was close to my heart). I remember a HUGELY impactful conversation I had with a friend of mine who at the time was going through a tough battle with cancer. I was talking to her to try to get ideas for ways I could help or what I could do with my life. She said to me, “Katelyn, what I’ve learned is that if you’re the type of person who wants to help people, you will help people no matter what you do,” then shared with me the story of how much her hair dresser helped her by giving her support and comfort when she was going through the process of losing her hair during her chemo and radiation treatments. In an instant she gave me peace over my obsessive search for finding my life’s purpose with that simple statement and story. I will never forget how much of an impact that had. I share that story all the time. And I always remember that no matter what I’m doing in life, whether I’m doing everything perfectly or doing a terrible job juggling priorities, I don’t need to be doing everything “right”, but there is ALWAYS an opportunity to help just by showing the people I come in contact with that I care. BE LOVE, and you will always be helping, you will always be living a purpose.

Some of the people I learned from were not people that I knew personally. I listened to a Tony Robbins CD on repeat just to get through the day sometimes and ended up going to his incredible Unleash the Power Within conference. Through a Wayne Dyer book, I discovered the world of Hay House publishing company and the wonderful other authors that are connected with them. I went to several of their conferences as well and listened to their Hay House Radio app anytime I needed a boost. Several times a year they host a free online world summit (there is one coming up on May 7, 2016- https://www.hayhouseworldsummit.com/). The first one of these that I listened to back in 2013 was life-changing and extremely spiritually opening. I am so grateful to these authors for sharing so openly about their lives in a way that has made such an impact on me that I am determined to pass that on with my own willingness to be fearlessly open, even when talking about things that are tough to share.

In more recent years, I have had friends willing to spend hours on the phone with me helping me grow my own self-awareness. We learn together and from each other. We share our struggles so openly and we create an environment where we feel heard and understood and safe. These friends are willing to challenge me in a safe way. They make me feel incredibly understood while also suggesting other perspectives or other things that I could work on. They are real, they are honest, and they don’t hold back. They love me for who I am, all that I am and all that I am not, while also empowering to live to live aligned to my highest truth and my higher self.

I learned some of these lessons all over again just this past week. From what I could tell, it seemed like a LOT of people were struggling this past week or so- definitely some intense energy and things happening in the universe. But what kept me grounded was the love and support from people who I know always have my back. A little over a week ago, I ran into an old friend who REALLY spoke a lot of belief in me. I wrote about the experience here: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2016/04/baby-steps-releasing-pressure.html. It really made  a profound impact on me. On Wednesday we had our bimonthly L3 Leadership small group meeting. Just being in the presence of the people in that group remind me of my value and what I deserve and that I’m supported. It’s incredible. Later in the week, I got the exact clarity and reminder I needed from a blog post on my friend, Doug Smith’s website (http://dougsmithlive.com/what-if-you-knew-it-would-happen/ - read it, trust me). I got to spend the weekend connecting with some really special friends who were in town who have always reminded me of what’s really important in life. They are the type of people who truly CARE about people. Being around people like that reminds me that there will always be people in life who support me no matter what. It makes me feel connected and loved and special. I hope I am able to do the same for them.

Interestingly enough, I also got to spend some time with my friend who had originally told me that big message about helping people. I’m happy to report she has made a full recovery and her cancer is gone and her health is excellent. But she told me it took her a long time after that experience to emotionally heal. And of course she had a big message that completely hit home for me again. She was passing on the words of a yoga teacher of hers who told her when she was trying to figure out what to do to help herself get better emotionally, “Heal first. Then you will know what to do.” Wow. Let that sink in. How many times have I struggled in life where I obsessively tried to fix it and feel better?? That statement reminded me that the healing process of whatever we’re going through IS already taking place. We just need to trust in the process and know that we will know what to do as it all unfolds.

Those were just some of the people who have helped shape my life in big ways and make me who I am today. I am so incredibly grateful for ALL the people in my life who show others, including me, care and support. And it is so incredibly important to me that I am able to do that for others as well. Cheers to the world changers! And know that we are ALL world changers! You absolutely have the ability to change someone’s life (and the world!) as much as anyone else on this planet! I hope you see your own incredible, unique value!! And like I said in my previous blog, whatever you are going through in life right now- whether it feels like a complete struggle or a total high point, know that we are all on this journey together!! You are never alone!! And I care about each and every one of you reading this!!!

Visit https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk and http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk for more info!

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Why it’s so important to me to make sure nobody ever feels alone in this life: Part 1

It has always been extremely important to me for others to not feel alone in whatever struggle they are going through in life. I find deep connection in the vulnerability that comes with sharing struggles with each other. I have become even more conscious of that in the past 4 or so years, both in struggles that I’ve had personally and experiencing first-hand the incredibly impactful and supportive effects of having someone reach out a hand to me and show me that I’m not alone and in having others come to me as a coach (I’ve been an online health and fitness coach for the past 3.5 years) and confide in me about what they are going through- I can’t even begin to describe the amazing feeling I get when I can share something with them I’ve struggled with and we BOTH shift into a better place knowing we are more similar than we realized. I am also very cognizant of the role that social media plays in this platform. I take my job as a coach very seriously and it is important to me to do my best to not just share my triumphs but my struggles too.

Because I struggle too.

When it comes to my coaching, I try to show my clients that I rely as much on them as they do on me! My workout routine isn’t always perfect. I fall off the wagon. My healthy eating sometimes gets side-lined by trying to balance social activities that include frequent meals at restaurants. It has taken me years to realize that there may not be such a thing as “finding a balance” but rather I can be ok with accepting the ebbs and flows and doing my best to course-correct as I go. Life gets in the way of this all the time for me. And that’s OK.

I struggle in relationships. It’s the area of my life where I have the most trouble believing that what I desire is possible. I have baggage in the form of limiting beliefs based on past experiences. I have a fear of being left. On the one hand, I am at a point in my life to have the confidence to know that I am fine either way. I love my life on my own. I’ll be good no matter what happens. But when I care about someone, I care very deeply and with that comes the worry of it somehow being pulled away. I have a natural resistance to that feeling of disconnecting from someone else’s energy. I care about all people. I have compassion for whatever someone is going through that is driving their behaviors and their goals/priorities in life. I know that doesn’t always align between two people and that is ok. I can have love for a person even if a relationship doesn’t continue and I know I’ll be ok on the other side. But my heart naturally still wants to show that person I love and that pull-away can be very challenging for me.

I struggle with anxiety. I have anxiety over traveling, over being overwhelmed, over being out of routine and my good “flow”, and sometimes I have anxiety for no real reason at all. It often manifests physically in a disorder that I struggle with (http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2015/02/by-far-scariest-post-i-have-ever-written.html). I often have vivid, stressful dreams and I get frustrated waking up feeling like I’m already behind in dealing with the day. I worry about little things that don’t seem to bother most people- typically those things revolve around the worry of not feeling well if I’m on a trip or out somewhere. It’s not a big worry, just a nuisance that I resist. I have digestive problems and I know my stress plays off of that and vice versa. It’s a cycle that I struggle to control and release and surrender. My default is to try to control and I’m still learning to trust in the surrender. I’m getting better. I’ve learned to become friends with my anxiety. I like what it teaches me. I’m proud of the coping mechanisms I’ve learned because of having to deal with it.

When I am in the grip of any of these things, it is hard to stay grounded and at peace. What helps me is the knowledge that I KNOW when coming into this life if God would have asked me, “Do you want the easy way or do you want the hard way that is going to grow your soul more than you ever thought possible?” I know I would have responded with, “Bring on the hard way!!” I would rather be pulled through the fire than go through the motions of life asleep. Any time in my past where I’ve really struggled with anxiety, heartbreak, or finding purpose in life have also been the times that I have grown the most. Struggle challenges me to increase my faith and spiritual connection. I love how I can share what I’ve learned with others, especially the people I coach who are so WILLING to be open with me and share what they are going through. I admire people SO MUCH who are willing to be open and willing to grow. We are all in this together. It is a learning and growth experience for all of us. Every single person on this planet has immense value to offer but we have to be WILLING to let our walls down, to share our truth, to be vulnerable, and to trust. THAT is how we discover the oneness- step by step, each moment of vulnerability, seeing that we are more alike than different.

In part 2 of this post (http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2016/05/why-its-so-important-to-me-to-make-sure_3.html) I will be sharing some of the lessons I’ve learned from the people who were willing to reach out a hand when I was struggling and show me that I was not alone. I am eternally grateful for their support and I want to pass their lessons along.

And my biggest message of this is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Whatever it is you are going through, I am here, walking beside you, and rooting you on in this beautiful, crazy, painful, incredible, challenging, enlightening journey of life. Together we can remember that it is ALL for our greatest good (what we label the good and the bad). Though the growth and expansion can feel hard, we can make it ok TOGETHER. Our challenges may look vastly different on the surface but the EMOTIONS are the same. We are all seeking love and understanding. We all struggle at times to feel good enough or to believe that things are ever going to work out. Struggle is struggle. It is all relative. There is no need to downplay the tough emotions that come from even what we consider small situations in life. You never know what is going to feel hard until you’re in it.

So please know that I am virtually sending you all love, lots of big hugs, and stretching out a hand for you to hold in your hardest times. Love and compassion are what it’s all about. You are not alone. And you will never be alone.

I post frequently about my struggles here on my blog as well as my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/kate37721 (specifically under “positivity project, tips for personal growth”). I also have more info about what has helped me along the way in my fear-releasing workshop, which can be found here on my blog http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2015/11/fear-releasing-workshop-and-lantern.html or on my youtube under the “workshops” section. Feel free to connect with me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk!

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.