It's never easy, but it IS possible!

A common misconception is that these workouts are easy for us coaches. Let me tell you, they never get easy- nor should they! Challenging ourselves is what makes us better, faster, stronger, and healthier!

When I started my very first at-home workout program, I put in the DVD, pushed play, and was seriously struggling 5 minutes in! 

I looked at the people on the video and coaches that I knew and assumed it must be so easy for them. I thought that once you got over the initial difficulty of the workouts, it would magically become easy one day. How lucky they must be to be at that point and how easy it must be for them to churn out all of those vertical jumps and push-ups!

The truth is, I DID get stronger in time. I look back over my progress and am amazed by how far I've come.

It did not happen over night and it took consistency with my workouts, challenging myself with one extra rep, pushing through a cardio move a little faster, or picking up a slightly heavier dumbbell. 

It took getting back on track even when I missed a few days or even a few weeks of workouts.

I trained myself how to get back on track when I fell off track. And I trained myself to APPRECIATE my workouts (and I eventually even learned to kind of love them... kind of ;-) ) by constantly reminding myself what this was doing for my health and my life. I began to appreciate all that my body could do for me and realize that it was my biggest cheerleader. 

It didn't feel like it became easy all of a sudden but I do remember all of a sudden realizing how much better I had gotten. I could FEEL the health and vitality re-entering my body. I felt incredible energy. I walked with my shoulders back and head high feeling so STRONG! And I have never looked back :)

It's a long road but it can be made shorter and MUCH more enjoyable by: 

1. Finding a workout program that is the best fit for YOU (not just for your goals, but also something you will enjoy doing- I always say that the best workout program is the one you will actually do)!

2. Getting proper support! I would have never stuck to the workout programs I have done or gotten back on track each time I fell off without the support of the wonderful people in our facebook groups who were also working towards making healthy changes.

3. Learning how to appreciate and love the PROCESS and all that your body can do for you (and already IS doing for you)!!

If you need help, don't hesitate to reach out- I would love to be your support. 

In the meantime, here is a picture of me from my workout today after a 2nd set of floor sprints, head on the floor, trying to mentally gear up for a 3rd round. Use it as a reminder that it is never easy for any of us, but it IS possible. And eventually, it IS possible to love it, even when it's hard. :)

Have a great day, everyone!

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.

What I love about our Health & Fitness Online Challenge Groups

The online challenge groups that our team runs are honestly SO much more to me than just health and fitness. I LOVE the incredible friendships we build in these groups- we get SO much inspiration from each other. I always feel like I'm on a TEAM that's rooting me on and supporting me no matter what (even when I miss a workout or slip from my eating plan). I love knowing I have a place to share my successes and ask for help when I'm struggling. I love the FUN we have (seriously- believe it or not, these groups make working out and eating well FUN!!)- we joke about the not-so-fun parts of the workouts and laugh at ourselves when we can't do all the moves (like the time I accidentally shot a resistance band across the room trying to get into an all-4s position during the pilates workout of 21 Day Fix Extreme)! We share health tips (it's SO helpful having a ton of creative minds to pull from- TONS of good ideas for how to stay on track). All around, these groups are one of my FAVORITE parts of my coaching job!! Couldn't be happier or more honored to be a part of these groups every month with some absolutely incredible people. If you want to know how to get involved, PLEASE- just ask!! I love talking about these groups, I will NEVER pressure you into anything you're not ready for, but I want to make sure everyone knows and understands what they're all about so that you're not missing out on something that might bring you a ton of joy (not to mention health improvements)!! Let's chat ;-)

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.

How to change the default thumbnail on a blog link when posting into Facebook

Hi everyone! This particular message is for anyone who has a blog (specifically through blogger) and is frequently posting links to their blog on other social media sites like Facebook. The default thumbnail that shows up when you copy a link to one of your blog posts into facebook is typically the first picture of your blog post, however, you may not necessarily WANT this to be the thumbnail that shows up. So I made a video to describe the process of how to change the html code of your blog to get Facebook to recognize a different image in your blog post as the default thumbnail. You can set this for as many of your posts as you want. The process is described in the video below and then I have some associated pictures, links, and coding that you will need to use below that (each of these is explained in the video). Hope this helps!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjGOW9K1XSs

Screenshot of my coding which is in the header section of my html code of my blog template:

Code that you will need to copy:

<b:if cond='data:blog.url == &quot;http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-treat-free-challenge-facebook-group.html&quot;'>
<meta content='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNmBrgGf2Pi3erR5iJ6qYkVxkKxghahJc1rWwN1JsAdAD-ooa5NY94tslilI9mMMm2PKbdzM55s0eXrJ424w6Td2AW0Q96YiVmuPBHRZlqG9jm4wgMfrvajw-vLp0yrm7rSk98mzdhao/s320/20151229_103846.jpg' property='og:image'/>
</b:if>

Copy this code word for word- every symbol is important! You will need to replace http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-treat-free-challenge-facebook-group.html in the code with the link to your specific blog post and https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNmBrgGf2Pi3erR5iJ6qYkVxkKxghahJc1rWwN1JsAdAD-ooa5NY94tslilI9mMMm2PKbdzM55s0eXrJ424w6Td2AW0Q96YiVmuPBHRZlqG9jm4wgMfrvajw-vLp0yrm7rSk98mzdhao/s320/20151229_103846.jpg with the link to the image that you want to be the thumbnail that shows up when pasting the link to your blog post in social media. The link to the image can be found in the blogger editor of that specific post as described in the video tutorial.

Debugger used to test your links and check for which picture is showing up as the open graph image:

https://developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/

Good luck! Let me know if you have any questions!

Football or holiday party tips

For me, when I walk into a party and food is EVERYWHERE, that is the toughest situation for me. I easily get caught up in picking at things and going back and forth between salty and sweet (I can literally FEEL dopamine and other brain chemicals kicking in)! It's REALLY tough to maintain will power if the food is going to be out for an extended period of time. These are what I call "high risk situations". I still haven't mastered them but I have learned some tricks that have helped me in these situations:

1. Bring something healthy to the party (at least you know you'll have one healthy option!)

2. Sip on some coffee or tea- it keeps your mouth occupied

3. If I know I have a party like this coming up, I make SURE to do as much as I can around it to stay on track. I eat EXTRA healthy a few days leading up to it, I get my workout in that day so I go into it feeling good, and I have a plan in place to make sure I eat well in the days following (stocked up on healthy food, healthy meals already prepared, schedule a yoga class or other workout meet-up with a friend for the day after)

4. I use my client accountability groups (on facebook) to encourage me and help me devise a plan! Knowing I have to report back to them keeps me on track!

5. I find an accountability partner- preferably someone AT the party, but it also works to have someone on hand that I can text (I've even posted in my facebook groups FROM the party to ask for extra encouragement).

6. Wait as long as possible to eat. The later you start, the more will already be eaten and the less time overall you'll have to maintain your good decisions. Try eating something healthy before the party to keep you full and satisfied for as long as possible before digging in

7. I remind myself that I don't need to try EVERYTHING. Find the indulgences that look the most "worth it". There's nothing worse than eating junk and realizing it wasn't even that good. And by all means, throw away anything you take that ends up not being "worth it"! We don't need to go for clean plate club here.

8. Position myself as far away as possible from the food (preferably in another room)

9. Instead of focusing on what I'm missing out on, I focus on the good, non-food aspects of the party! Here's a perfect chance to get to know your friends and family on a deeper level! When was the last time you asked a relative what were some of their biggest lessons they've learned in life? When was the last time you got down on the floor to be in awe of a cardboard box with your little niece? I had a FANTASTIC business discussion with my mom's cousin's husband at our family reunion recently. Sometimes when you're around people from the time you're little, you forget that they have other interests and skills outside of the family. We both learned a lot from each other and it kept me engaged and not thinking about food the whole time we were talking!

10. Good or bad, don't beat yourself up for anything that happened haha. Guilt will only add to the stress that can trigger us to continue on an unhealthy track. Tomorrow is a fresh start. Get back on the wagon!

Any other tips to add?? I'd love to hear them!