Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Free 5-Day Clean Eating Challenge!

We recently just wrapped up a free, 5-day online clean eating group. I LOVE hearing the feedback of happier, healthier clients like this (I especially love the comments that show that people are proud of themselves, empowered, and on board with a healthier lifestyle!!!):


In this group, we provided meal plan guides (plenty of recipe options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner) but we also allowed participants who didn’t want to go full-throttle for the week to just pick one or two things that they eat regularly and could, for the week, replace with something healthier. I gave some suggestions in a “This over that” series (posted below for your convenience)!

I also give plenty of guidelines and suggestions for my own personal tips for healthy eating, weight loss, what “clean eating” really means, and more in this video:


Feel free to follow along with your own challenge to yourself for the next 5 days! You are WORTH it!! If you’d like additional support, you’re welcome to sign up for free coaching with me or check out info on our upcoming groups!

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


THIS OVER THAT Series:

"This over that" day 1!
Salads are always a great option for clean, healthy eating but dressing can be a big downfall of this. Lots of dressings pack a lot of sugars, artificial flavorings/colorings, and partially hydrogenated oils. Even "light" dressings have a lot of not-so-healthy stuff in them.

Making dressings yourself is a great way to take back the power and control exactly what is going into them!

If anyone is interested in specific dressing recipes, I have some super-healthy cookbooks that have a LOT of great options for every type of dressing you might like and I'd be happy to share. Beachbody's Ultimate Reset (a 21 day super healthy food program) also includes some dressing recipes that I LOVE and use regularly!

More info on the Ultimate Reset can be found here:

But I find that the more convenient healthy foods are, the more likely I am to use them! So I posted all of my easy, super simple dressing replacement options below. These are also great things to ask for at a restaurant (every restaurant has the olive oil and vinegar option and if you're at a place with any kind of Mexican food, why not shake things up with a little salsa? also super easy to ask for lemon wedges)! My favorites to put on a salad:

- lemon juice and olive oil (this is my daily go-to- very easy, adds some healthy fat and vitamin c, and the vitamin c also helps with iron absorption from the spinach)
- seasoned olive oil- this Tuscan herb one is delicious
- olive oil and red wine vinegar
- salsa (regular or a peach or mango salsa is fun to mix it up!)
- pesto (be sure to check the ingredients to make sure they are all healthy unless you are making your own)
- not pictured: hummus (I also have a super easy to make hummus recipe if anyone is interested)!



"This over that" day 2!
I LOVE making my own yogurt parfaits! It saves you the added sugar (and/or artificial sweetener), flavorings, and colorings that come in regular yogurt and it's so much more filling and satisfying! My favorite combo is plain organic yogurt with strawberries, raisins, and walnuts. Other fruits, nuts, and coconut are also good toppings. Have fun experimenting!!



“This over that” day 3!
It is very difficult to find a pasta sauce without added sugar. For the longest time, I never considered making my own because I always assumed it was a complicated process! Turns out- it’s not!! Majority of the time it takes to make it is just letting it simmer on the stove. And this recipe is DELICIOUS- I like it so much better than jarred pasta sauce!! It is seriously so simple and easy!!

AND, you get a 2-for-1 today because this recipe also includes my recipe for zucchini noodles!!






“This over that” day 4!
Better carbs!

Again, here is where single ingredient whole foods win out over things like bread, noodles, and canned baked beans that have a variety of additives and are highly processed. I checked the label on a can of baked beans recently- on top of a lot of added sugar, there is also caramel coloring- why is that necessary?? And why should we be putting that in our body?

My own personal favorite carbs are rice, oatmeal, quinoa, and beans. I much prefer zucchini pasta over regular noodles. And a great alternative for things like pancake mixes are to make your own (if anyone is interested, I have a great recipe using coconut flour)!

These are all things we can control :)



“This over that” day 5: YOU PICK IT!
Since today is the last day of our group, we’d love to be able to help out with anything you’d like to replace with a healthier version but are struggling to find a good substitute! Let’s hear it!!

And in the meantime, let me leave you with this quote from Tosca Reno’s “The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged” book. I hope it inspires you to continue incorporating what you learned and implemented in this group!



Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Finding fulfillment: my 4 year coach anniversary

I can’t believe it’s been 4 years since I signed up to be a coach! I have honestly never been happier or more fulfilled in my entire life and it just keeps getting better! There’s not a thing I would change about my journey and experience so far and I am so OPEN and looking forward to what the future holds!!

My first Beachbody Coach Summit (our national conference) back in 2013!
So much has changed since then!!
I share more about what I’ve learned in my 4 years of coaching in this video as well as what I realized I was missing in terms of fulfillment and how I found it:


We run 5 day online coach sneak peeks every month- next one starts Monday. Let me know if you’re interested! These are NO PRESSURE groups! The last thing I would want is for someone to miss out on their DESTINY because they were afraid they would be obligated into something!! Join us for a fun peek behind the scenes!!


And whatever it is that FILLS YOUR SOUL, chase it with all your heart!!!


Sending lots of love and hugs to all of you! Thank you for always supporting me!!


Love,
Katelyn




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.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Around this time 4 years ago...

Around this time 4 years ago, I was losing motivation at my gym. My favorite instructor had moved, I was finding myself doing the same, stale thing every time I went, and I was starting to get tired of how much of my evening time it was eating up.

I reached out to a high school friend who I saw doing the Beachbody programs. We chatted about what program would be best for me and I immediately felt reinvigorated by the idea of taking control of my health by starting a new strength training program, called Chalean Extreme. I had been saying for YEARS at my old gym that I needed to do more strength training but didn't have the know-how or motivation to take myself beyond the same few moves that I was comfortable with... the kind you'd see being advertised in a Shape magazine to "get your arms tank-top ready."

She put me into a facebook group with about 7 other women. We worked out at home at whatever time we wanted using the DVD-based program but we would share in the group when we gotten our workout done and encourage the others who still had to do their workout. We even cracked jokes about the people in the program ("did Toni really have 7 kids?? Get outta here, Toni!") and made fun of ourselves doing the moves we weren't so good at ("I almost snapped a workout band during interval day!").

It made the workouts fun and light-hearted. It made eating right a team sport. And it made me feel like I was part of something BIGGER! I was in love!!

When Nicole asked me if I had ever thought about coaching myself, I was in shock. What?? I can do this TOO??? I was flattered that she had asked, excited, and ready to jump in.

I wanted to help people in the same way she helped me. I wanted to reinvigorate others the way I had been reinvigorated by my workout program. I wanted to make others feel like they were a part of a team and a family the way I had felt in our group.


There's more to this story that I will share on my OFFICIAL 4 year coach anniversary in a week and a half, but I really want to take some time today to highlight Nicole. I don't know where I'd be if she hadn't been sharing her journey, if she hadn't been brave enough to share it with me, and if she hadn't put together one of the most kick-butt groups of women that got my journey started off in an amazing way. She has been here for me in so many ways over the last 4 years but what I'm grateful for started way before that. I'm glad SHE took the plunge when she did. I'm glad SHE took a risk with this thing called Beachbody. I'm glad SHE put in the work. All of that was the only reason I found this in the first place. And my life has been changed for the better ever since.

The lower right picture is when her and I met Shaun T at our first Beachbody Summit (Beachbody's annual national conference). Of course we were PSYCHED and meeting the celebrity trainers is STILL awesome. But it's a small, small part of why this whole thing is SOOOO amazing for me. The people I've gotten to meet because of it- other coaches as well as clients as well as awesome people who have simply reached out to thank me for my positive posts- it's incredible. I APPRECIATE every single one of you!!! And it's hard to even put into words how much I've changed and grown as a person over the last 4 years. I am SO grateful for that. It's made the parts of me that I am most proud of. And of course it's given me a job that's also my life's passion! But I would do it for free. You've got my heart and soul, Beachbody.

Thank you, Nicole, for taking that leap and for helping me do the same!!! I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't! Love you!!!



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.

Monday, August 1, 2016

Country Heat Day 1



Can you relate to this? The past couple months, I've been feeling like I just can't get ahead. I've been fairly consistent with my workouts, but the summer brings a LOT of parties, get-togethers, and trips and I find that just when I start to feel like I'm getting back to normal, something comes up to derail my progress. Don't get me wrong, I am ALL FOR living life to the fullest and enjoying fun dinners with friends, some wine, and sharing in the joy of life that social activities bring, but sometimes it can be really hard to keep your health and fitness on track at the same time! This summer my clothes have been fitting tighter, my digestive system has felt off, and I just haven't been feeling as good as I normally do. It's hard to feel your best in LIFE when you don't feel physically as good!

Just to be clear, I am ALL about loving myself at every point in the journey. Even when my weight creeps up and my clothes are fitting tighter, I love myself for all that my body is capable of doing, I appreciate my health, and I remind myself that sometimes with all we have going on in life, it's just not possible to do it all (but I AM proud of what I AM doing)! But you know when you just feel yourself needing to reel it in a bit? Yep, that's where I am. I can still love myself and be gentle with myself, while DECIDING to focus more diligently on my fitness and nutrition. It's time to course-correct and improve in that area of my life. I was talking to my friend and coach, Nicole, yesterday and I told her I am feeling FOCUSED and DETERMINED! I'm ready to take this next 30 days by storm!!

Now some of you might think that a program like Country Heat may not be the best way to really crack down on your fitness and/or lose weight (that's what I thought at first too). WRONG! I have been seeing the test group results as they've become available and have been BLOWN AWAY! My coach, Jennifer, was in the test group and I got to see her go through her 30 day transformation. Not having a lot of weight to lose in the first place, I was amazed by how she still lost 7.5 lbs in the 30 day program! Then I just kept seeing result after result from the people I knew in the test group: 10 lbs, 18 lbs, 5 lbs, 17 lbs, 16 lbs, 7 lbs, 9 lbs, 13 lbs and the before/after pics looked amazing!! Autumn said there were even 3 or 4 people from the test group that continued on with 2 more rounds of the program and lost 60 lbs!!! 

The other thing I LOVE about this program is that it's FUN! There's no equipment, no burpees, no extreme workout. I can work up the motivation to do just about any workout but I didn't have to go through that mental process this morning when I geared up to do it because I was actually looking FORWARD to it!! I tried 2 of the sneak peeks recently and already knew how much the music in the program motivated me to go all-out with the moves (and I would all of a sudden notice I had been SMILING the whole time)!!

Here's my day 1 "before" picture! I am ready to rock and roll and see what I can do over the next 30 days! More importantly, I'm excited to get back to feeling GOOD and have FUN in the process!! I will keep you posted- you'll certainly be along for the ride with me! Clip from my first workout will be posted shortly :) AND, if you'd like to join too, I would love to have you in on the action!! We have a Country Heat group starting next MONDAY!! 



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.

Monday, July 11, 2016

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!!!!!!




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.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

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 ;-)


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.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

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





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

Friday, May 13, 2016

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 :)



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.