A reminder about course-correction and not being able to do it ALL

I posted these 2 pictures on social media recently. The picture from the Ab Challenge post (left) was from about a year ago. The picture in the blue sports bra (right) was from a few days ago, and whether you can tell or not, I’m actually about 10 pounds heavier currently than I was in the Ab Challenge picture.

Here’s the thing. I often hear people talking about how they’ve gained weight as if they’ve somehow “gone backwards” in their life progress. My philosophy is this: YOU HAVE NEVER GONE BACKWARDS! Impossible! I CHOOSE to believe I’ve never been better than I am today. And neither are you! And you know what else? We just keep getting better!!! With each new day comes more experience, wisdom, memories, and life lessons!

I might not be quite as fit as I was at this time last year but we HAVE to stop looking at this as an isolated category. I’ve grown light years in my own personal development, my business, and new friendships. I’ve gone on several amazing trips and made AMAZING memories! I saw 2 new countries in this past year. I joined a leadership group, a toastmasters group, and a business mastermind group. I’ve made incredible new friends and built upon the friendships of the awesome people already in my life. I’ve learned some good lessons and some tough lessons and I’ve GROWN because of it. I’ve been exposed to new experiences, connections, and opportunities. I’ve been able to coach more people than ever and hopefully have helped them see their OWN WORTH (which means more to me than anything)!! I’ve watched the Pens win and Stanley Cup and got to celebrate with the whole city! I’ve spent time in nature! I’ve spent quality time that I wouldn’t trade for the world with my family! I’ve tested my limits physically and tapped into my adventurous side. I’ve made mistakes, I’ve failed, I’ve learned, I’ve succeeded, I’ve EXPANDED! I’ve met new people who have given me new perspectives of life and what’s possible! I’ve done lots of great work on my health and my digestive system. I’ve read books and listened to countless hours of motivational personal development! I’ve expanded in my meditation and prayer practice and grown my faith because of it. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve had fun, I’ve made incredible memories, and I’ve been grateful about ALL of it!!

If you aren’t exactly where you want to be in your health and fitness, I want you to take a second to think about all the EXPERIENCES you’ve had, what you’ve LEARNED, and what you’re GRATEFUL for! A number on the scale pales in comparison to what really makes up a LIFE WORTH LIVING!!

Any time I feel a little too far off track with my health and fitness, I remind myself of these things that I’m grateful for. I also remind myself that it is OK TO NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT *ALL*!  We HAVE to stop holding ourselves to that impossible standard then crumbling under the pressure then feeling guilty if we don’t succeed at being EXACTLY where we want in ALL areas of our lives. Let’s start being gentle with ourselves and loving ourselves right where we are! Then, once we are in that space of love, we can evaluate where we want to COURSE-CORRECT! In my book, it’s not about perfection. Sometimes I need to reel things in a little in certain areas of my life, let go of things in other areas of my life, and remind myself that I’m doing the best that I can. For example, after the Pens playoffs, I had to let go of eating at restaurants (and drinking wine) so frequently and focus a little more on my workout routine. Was it an extreme, drastic change? No. Just a little course-correction! If we’re gentle with ourselves, we can make this whole “life” thing EASY!

No matter where you think you’re at in life, remember, you’ve never been better! Keep on shining, rock star!!!!!!

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.

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.

My personal financial story with Team Beachbody

The top picture was my final paycheck from my old company right before the company closed in May of 2014. This was my take-home pay every 2 weeks after 7 years of being an engineer there. I felt fairly compensated, I loved the job, I loved working on the development of our medical device and representing our company and product internationally, I felt privileged to work with incredibly talented surgeons from around the world, it was an honor to learn from the incredible people I was lucky enough to work with, and my time there will always hold a special place in my heart.

But I am also proud of this:

*  I am proud of listening to my gut when my coach asked me back in 2012 if I ever considered becoming a coach. I didn’t have a clue what would come out of it but I jumped all-in because it was something I absolutely loved doing. There was definitely a small voice within me that told me I was entering into something significant in my life :)

* I am proud that despite having the same fears that anyone would when starting something new, I stayed connected to the bigger picture and put my heart out there as best as I could. I knew there was a chance that some might interpret what I was doing as salesy, annoying, or even a little crazy, but did that really matter if there were people out there that I was helping? I learned to ignore any doubts with the first message I received letting me know that I helped someone BELIEVE in herself <3

* I am proud of myself for following my heart and taking a plunge into a career that was a complete 180 from what my degree, previous work experience, and training was in (although to be honest, I think coaching is more aligned with what I REALLY wanted out of Bioengineering, which was to help improve the quality of people’s lives and make the world a better place). There were a lot of people who suggested I should get another job in engineering or questioned if I worried about not being able to find another job in engineering down the road if I stepped away from it. The truth? No, I didn’t worry. Job-wise, I knew my skill set was more marketable than ever. But throughout all of this, if there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that if you stay ALIGNED with your truth and your joy, the BEST opportunities for you come your way. I never could have foreseen this opportunity coming and I learned a long time ago to trust that things are ALWAYS working out for the best. I have never felt more fulfilled or ALIVE in my life and I know in my heart this is what I was meant to do. Trust me, I’m not looking back! :)

* I am proud of what I have done with this “fun little opportunity”. I LOVE my team- some of the most incredible souls I have ever encountered. I am proud that I have really found my voice and my message in all of this. I have worked with a lot of people and seeing where we all struggle and what helps us all has really helped me learn a TON - and I can use that to help others! I love that we’re all in this together, trying to improve ourselves one day at a time!

And that brings me to my final point: I am proud of the financial success I have built with this too. I know some people feel weird about sharing income information but when I was originally contemplating becoming a Beachbody coach, seeing things like this totally INSPIRED me! I do this to show others what is possible AND because I pour my heart and soul into this business and I like to celebrate my accomplishments along the way! These numbers represent a lot more than just finances to me. This business is a representation of the things that are most meaningful to me: my passions, people I care deeply about, and my dreams! Despite the cultural stigmas attached, I think we should ALL celebrate our successes more often! So here is mine. Here is what I’ve built. And I’m not stopping here- this is just the beginning ;)

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

Are Beachbody workouts the only workouts you do? My fully transparent workout plan

Are Beachbody workouts the only workouts you do?

My fully transparent workout plan:

I had a client ask me recently if Beachbody workouts are the only workouts I do. YES! They absolutely work and I've stayed in shape, created a lot more strength and muscle tone, and lost weight using the Beachbody workout programs as my primary programs for the past 3.5 years! (full progress and transformation here: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2015/08/now-and-then-slow-and-steady-lifestyle.html). I love being active so I occasionally throw in other workouts but I can promise you that I'm not posting about Beachbody workouts then doing some other hardcore training program behind the scenes. The Beachbody programs ARE my hardcore training program! :)

The funny thing is, I actually post MORE about the other things I do. I assume it would be boring to post about my Beachbody workout everyday when I'm following a workout calendar, but the other stuff gives me a reason to post-brag like, "look at me! I'm being a good coach and being active!" haha. So I can pretty much guarantee that anything I've done other than BB programs has been publicly displayed here on FB for all of you to see. But in case you missed it, here's the official list for the record.

Other things I do:

- Runs. Never more than once a week. And even that has only been recently. Prior to that, I went about a year with no more than 2-3 runs total due to some running overuse injuries

- Walks. Lots when the weather is nice (that's where I listen to a ton of personal development or clear my mind!) but when the weather gets cold, hate to say it, but hardly at all

- Yoga, dance, fitness classes. I still love a good class- especially when it's something fun or different! Yoga makes me feel at peace, dance connects me to my soul, and I have fun trying other new/different classes. But it's rare that my schedule allows for more than 1-2 of these a month

So there you have it! My fully transparent workout plan! Oh, and one other thing I forgot to mention- I also have a little of Kanye's workout plan on my ipod ;) "that's right, put in work, move your a$$, go berserk" Who else likes to work out to that song haha??


Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.