HUGE NEWS!

The coaches are coming!!!
The coaches are coming!!!

Beachbody is opening up in the UK! What used to only be available to the US and Canada will now be open to all UK citizens starting THIS fall!!!

Interested in how our workouts and meal plans can help you? Curious about coaching? It will all be available to you SOON!

Email me asap so we can start chatting about your goals and have you ready to run when the UK officially opens!

📧👇📧👇📧👇📧
coachjesskenny83@gmail.com

I don't want to go to work tomorrow

Finishing up meal prep for this week and all I can think about is how much I don’t want to go to work tomorrow.  Not because I’m lazy or because I just want to lie around all day.  Because what I do in my 9-5 career, I have no passion for.  I want to help people, I want to serve them, and as a customer support supervisor/manager I never thought I wouldn’t be able to do that, but I can’t.  A client sent back a survey last week stating my team and I are completely POWERLESS.  She couldn’t have been more accurate.  The company I work for has tied my hands, and I understand that is a necessity since this is the corporate business world, and their eye always has to be on the bottom line.  But I don’t want to live that way. 

I don’t want to deceive people or leave them without the help they need.  I want to help people, build them up, and support them as they work towards their goals.  As a Beachbody coach I’m able to do that!  I’m expected to stand by my clients and my team members and help them reach the goals they set for their health and fitness, and for their future.  It’s exciting to actually be passionate about what I’m doing and it makes me sad that my full time job doesn’t ignite the same feelings. 

Tonight as I dread going back to an office that holds very little for my future (besides grief,) I wonder if any of you feel the same way.  Do you go to work because it pays your bills and not because it’s what you love to do?  Maybe it doesn’t even pay all of your bills…  Do you go to work out of necessity and not out of desire?  Do you want to help people?  Do you want to have time for your family and friends, to be able to travel, to get out of debt, and simply be free to do what sets your soul on fire? 

Me too!  That’s what I’m working towards as a Beachbody coach.  I want you to think long and hard about what you do, how it makes you feel, and if you want more than what your current position is giving you.  If you’re as unhappy as I am, wouldn’t it be worth it to hear what this coaching “thing” is all about?  Wouldn’t it be worth it to bring in some extra money or maybe even replace your current income (with hard work and dedication)?  If you’re not happy with your current position and you’re looking for something more- reach out to me.  This might be for you, it might not, but you’ll never know unless you ask. 

Message me.

***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.***

Currently...

Since I haven't posted in over a month I should probably fill y'all in on what I'm currently up to!

Beachbody:

I'm currently doing the 3 day refresh to help get me back on track!  After the Ultimate Reset I lost 20 lbs and had a new appreciation for food and fueling my body.  But it did not take long for me to backslide into old bad habits; and gain back 5 lbs.  A handful of women on my team are doing the Refresh before we go to Nashville for summit next week (OMG I CAN'T WAIT) so I figured I'd give it a try.  Today is day 2 of 3 so not too bad, nearly 1/2 way done.  Problem is my facebook feed is full of videos of bacon wrapped everything and amazing baked goods and I am kind of struggling to stay on track.  But I figure it's only 3 days- if I can't last 3 days, I'm not nearly as strong as I thought!  So onward and upward.

I'm also in the 7th week of hammer and chisel!  I'm so mad I bought this back in January shortly after becoming a coach and never actually did the workout til last month!  I was so intimated by Sagi and weight lifting, but I LOVE it!  Ladies, don't be afraid of weights!  We need to do some lifting to get those sexy arms- you know what I'm talking about- who doesn't love Jennifer Aniston's arms?!

As I mentioned before I'm getting on a plane to Nashville by myself for the first time ever next week in order to go to the annual Beachbody summit.  I'll get to meet the majority of my team, many of whom I feel like I've known for years but have never seen face to face!  I'll work out with the celebrity trainers.  And best of all, LEARN about this incredible business opportunity that I've been dabbling in!  On top of all that, NASHVILLE Y'ALL I'M GOING TO NASHVILLE!  This is a bucket list location for me and I am jumping out of my skin with excitement about it!

Also- yesterday was the LAST sneak peek of Country Heat on Beachbody on Demand.  The official launch date is 7/27/2016- NEXT WEDNESDAY and I am sooooo excited!  Here is a little video of me getting my grove on in my apartment last night (I'm not a professional dancer so please be kind!)

General Life:

Life is oh so good.  My boyfriend is incredible and does little things like laundry and fix the shower when I don't even ask.  On Saturday I went horseback riding with some friends and when I came back he had built me a wrack for my weights- again completely unprompted.  Sometimes I'm sad that I didn't meet him sooner to get to love him longer, but all the shit I went through before him has made me appreciate every little thing he does that much more!  

At the end of June we went on a staycation/mini adventure vacation!  We went to a concert, went to 6 Flags Great Adventure, did 3 days in OC, Maryland, a day at Knoebels, ventured into Philly for fireworks (with our dog which was nuts) and again for the art museum, and tried to see our local fireworks in the rain on the 4th of July (we walked to the high school from our place, waited in the rain for an hour, saw nearly the whole crowd start to leave, figured it was canceled, walked back to our place, and heard them going off as we unlocked our door.  I have very bad luck with actually getting to see fireworks, which is sad because they make me so happy!)  Overall, it was a fantastic week!  We had fun on a ton of rides, went jet skiing for the first time, went mini golfing with dinosaurs, had amazing food, and just enjoyed each others company.  Oh and we did karaoke!  Ahhh so much fun!  Here's a little collage of a bunch of things we did:

So that's me in a nutshell!

How are you?  

What's new in your life?

Linking up with The Blush Blonde!

Life Lately

Life has changed a lot since I was posting regularly!

I've become a Beachbody coach- but I think you can tell that from my blog changes!

I moved into my own place- a place that is all mine!  And proved that I not only could live alone but I actually loved living alone.

I have since moved in with my boyfriend and we seem to have made a nice little place for all our furbabies.  (Here is Bella laying in the hall, waiting for him to come home, and Loki and Lil snuggled together on the couches.)

I'm finally in a place where I can enjoy my life, have little indulgences, and be confident that I'm building a productive and strong future!

Now that the torment of a horrible marriage is behind me, I have learned to not only love myself but also love a new and much better man (hence the moving in together.)  I can also enjoy being with my family and friends, without having to be terrorized that I'm spending someone else's money (funny since I was the only one working for most of the relationship) or wasting time with people who are awful (again, funny, since they're the same people who took him in when he was too lazy and immature to pay bills.)  But I will do my best to not dwell on the past and only enjoy the present and look to the future!

Speaking of enjoying the present (or recent past haha.)  My mom and I went back to Painting with a Twist because we loved it so much at her birthday party and painted our furbabies.  I think we did a great job, what do you think?

So that's my update for now.  I hope to be getting back to this a bit more regularly but I've already said that before- we'll see how well I do!

How many times have you moved in your life?  I'm pretty sure I'm over 20 at this point!

Have you ever been to Painting with a Twist or a paint shop like it? I can't get enough of it!

Murder- Something I Never Thought I'd Have to Deal With

Does anyone ever go through life thinking at some point they'll deal with murder?  I didn't!

On March 10, 2016 that changed when 3 murders happened...

One took place here in PA, in Norristown to be exact, when my employee stabbed her step father to death during an argument in their home.  I knew she had a temper, I knew she had a short fuzz, I never thought she'd kill someone.  From what it sounds like, it was self defense and honestly I feel bad for her.  She was always late and I always gave her trouble for it.  They were fighting over the shower- makes me wonder what she had to go through every morning to be able to get to work.

The other two were Eric's cousins- 28 year old Ally and 21 month old Ana.  I never met them but he spoke, and still speaks, of them with pride and admiration.  Ally was the baby of his family and he loved her as well as Ana dearly.  They were beautiful girls and I'm sad I never got a chance to meet and love them the way others do.  Last night their murderer was arrested and it gives me chills to think of this man being brought to justice.  How do you kill a sweet, young woman, let alone a helpless, perfect baby?  Ana's videos bring a smile to anyone who watches them and Ally's singing could bring you to tears with joy.

I'm not really sure what the point of this post is but it's been an emotional day and it's only 9:40 am, so I felt I needed to get this out.  Murder is a traumatizing thing, even for someone so far on the outside like me.  I weep for the families of the lost- people who had futures and who loved with all their hearts.  And I weep for my employee who was wrong to have acted the way she did, but I can't imagine what it's like to be brought to that much anger and feel like you have no other way out.

If you're interested in supporting a good cause, I'd like to suggest Justice For Children Without Voices they've been a huge part of helping support the family during the investigation of Ana and Ally's murders, and they're continuing to be a huge help for many families in similar situations.

Have you ever experienced anything like this?  How did you handle it?

Linked Up with For the Love to

Update- Ultimate Reset day 8

I had planned to post every day or nearly every day on how the reset is going but I am still not used to blogging on a regular basis so please forgive me!

Today is day 8!  I'm down 4 lbs and feeling pretty good.  I still have a headache from time to time, but that could be from work, and I am a little sore, but that's probably from moving.  My biggest struggles are :

1. Watching others eat when I can't!  I'm in a baking group and this weekend we did Cupcake Wars.  I have to admit, I splurged and at the quarter of each cupcake I was offered.  It was delicious, I'm so impressed by these girls, but I regretted it later and I HATE that feeling.  Plus my mom's 60th birthday was this weekend and nearly my entirely family was in from CT.  I had to eat with everyone at the restaurant but at least I made good choices- instead of the cheeseburger I really wanted!

2. Trying new foods.  So far I've forced myself to eat my vegetables which is tolerable but not delightful, and I've tried Braggs Liquid Aminos which looks intimating but tastes nearly exactly like soy sauce.  I have yet to try tempeh, it just sits in my fridge, starring at me, mocking me.  I really should eat it or the beans it offers as a substitute since I'm sure I'm missing out on protein that would be helpful for IDK living... but I can't.

I'm surprisingly not struggling with not having bread or cheese or meat.  I miss it and I'm dreaming of my birthday- where I plan to have steak and a baked potato with cheese and bacon YUM!  But I don't find myself having trouble when I'm home at night and wanting to snack.  In fact I'm generally not hungry and struggle to eat the entire meal that's laid out in the meal plan.  Oh and I LOVE the meal plan!  I mean I'm terrified of some of the things they suggest to eat but I love that they laid out 21 days of meals with recipes and a shopping list, including a "crunch" plan for people on the go or with budget restrictions.

Over all I'm excited and I'm really looking forward to seeing where I'm at when the full 21 days are through.

If you're interested in doing the ultimate reset, check out the details here.

New Look!

Hello, Friends!

I'm so excited to send out my first post after my blog makeover!  (New domain name still to come!)

What do you think?  Isn't it beautiful!  I always said, I'm not a fan of pink, but really I love pink and I was just fighting it.  I've given in and so happy I did.

Ashley at the Grits Blog designed this look and my previous look, and both times I was over the moon!  Now my blog will look beautiful and be professional, AND match my twitter and facebook as I move forward with my Beachbody business.

Be on the look out for tons of healthy recipes, talk about fitness challenges, and a little bit about my life in general!

Getting emotional on periscope

I've been trying out this app called Periscope.  Is anyone else on it? It's fun and my fellow beachbody coaches are finding it pretty useful for connecting with each other, clients, and new people who want to learn more about our programs.
Well on Monday I was super emotional.  I didn't get enough sleep.  I didn't want to go to work.  I hated the day and it was only 6 am.  I started crying during my work out!  Not because I was having trouble, although it was pushing me, but because I just had all this balled up emotion inside of me.  I hit a set back in my weight loss, I got awful news from work, I just wanted to fast forward a year or 2 and be successful already!  Needless to say it wasn't my best moment!

But then I thought it wasn't so bad to have this out there for people to see because it shows that the struggle is real and that you have to struggle in order to progress.  I'm not in crazy good shape and super successful now but I JUST STARTED!  These things take time, and that's ok!
So here is my video if you are intrigued by what I actually cried about.  You can find me on periscope at stumbling_along (sorry I couldn't figure out how to link it here!) I'd love for you to follow me and I'll be happy to follow back.

June!

So I have been awful at keeping everything updated on the weight loss attempts and the Proclamation 31 (my goals for my 31st year!) and I really do want to get back on track with that.... but today I can only think about one thing.... JUNE!

Can it just be June already? I HATE focusing on the future and feeling like I'm not living in the here and now.  BUT June is going to be huge, y'all!  3 massive weekends, that will no doubt be fabulous and fun! 1- My 32nd birthday!  I have changed to much in the past year and I'm really feeling like I'm coming into my own.  When I turned 30 and 31 I felt like my life was paused and nothing was going right, but now I feel like I'm on a good, strong path and I can't wait to see what the next year has in store for me.  I will completely enjoy the last few months of being 31 but I challenge 32 to be an even better year than I'm already having!

2- NKOTB!!  Girls weekend in NJ/NY to New Kids on the Block!  I have wanted to see them in concert since I was 5- FIVE!!!!!  I CAN NOT WAIT!

3- Dave Matthews Band!  I'm not a huge fan, but I'm going to his concert at the end of the month and I know it will be incredible.  Good music.  Good company.  Doesn't get better than that!

What are some things that are coming up in your future that you're really looking forward to?

2015

There are a million things that I want to do this year! 2013 ended horribly.
2014 started out rocky but ended with me seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.
I'm not going to write a big long post about what I'm hoping to accomplish this year.  My blog will serve as a way for me to show the world what I'm doing with my life- the list can be kept on my bedroom wall where it will serve as a constant reminder.
The only thing I'm going to post here is this:

I will make this happy. Happy 2015!

Merry Christmas!

Hey y'all! So I know I kind of pooped on the blogging challenge but the last few days weren't really things that I could write about- but I'm proud of myself for getting out as many posts as I did.  I'm also wicked excited for next year.  I have a lot of ideas and can't wait to get back to writing about what's on my mind and what's going on.

Just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and I hope you had a very Happy Hanukkah, if you celebrate!

Holiday Books 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BLOGGING CHALLENGE DAY #8

This is a tough one! I don't read very much and when I do it's junk like Twilight or 50 Shades!  Plus I don't have children, so I'm not even sure where to begin with suggesting holiday books, but I'm going to try! The first book I thought of when I read today's challenge was Little Women!  I love, love, LOVE this book!  However, I'm almost positive it doesn't count as a holiday book with the exception that there are mentions of Christmas through out the years. I did a google/amazon search for some more child friendly books and these are the ones that I would buy, if I had kids or nieces/nephews.

1. God Gave us Christmas 2. The Polar Express (Classic!)  3. Latke, the Lucky Dog 4. Blues Clues Holiday (is Blue still cool?

Gifts for the Fat Girl Who Wants to be Thin 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BLOGGING CHALLENGE DAY #7 (aka High Five for Friday!)

Before we get started, can I get a high five for longest blog title ever!? Ok, thank you! Now then- part of the blogging challenge is to do a list of gift ideas.  I honestly don't know if this list will appeal to everyone out there but I know that while I'm trying to lose weight these are the top five things that I would LOVE to get this year!  

1. A Bosu Ball I had one work out class with this and it was incredible!  Never have I ever had such a good ab work out, really it was a full body work out.  I love to watch TV so to have this at home, I could make better use of that TV time! 2. Shakeology A friend of mine works for Beach body and sells these shakes as well as the P90X series.  So many of our friends have had incredible success with jump starting their weight loss journeys with these products.  I want to try but it's so expensive!  Really- if I stopped going to wawa and making dumb side purchases, I'd have more than enough money to afford it, but getting it as a gift would also be incredible! 3. Work out gear As I mentioned not too long ago, finding cute and comfortable work out gear at my size (ranging from 1-3X) at an affordable price is not easy.  I've found Wal-mart to be the best for this, check out how cute this outfit is! 4. Fitbit! I don't trust the machines at the gym to give me an accurate account of how many calories I'm burning and I have no way of tracking what I burn while I'm doing weights, so I feel like this is a must!  They range in sizes and shapes, the link is the one that I personally think is the best. 5. Body Wraps I'm seeing a lot of success with these in helping to get rid of cellulite and tighten up that extra skin you have once you start losing weight.  I want to try it! What's on your Christmas wish list this year? Have you tried any of these products? Have any other recommendations for assisting in weight lose?

Beauty Must-Haves 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BLOGGING CHALLENGE DAY #6

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm no expert when it comes to fashion and I'm even less of an expert with it comes to beauty.  However, I have found some products that seem to work for me- hopefully they'll work for you too! 1. Almay Intense I-Color Compacts- I'm still learning to do my makeup and having a compact with a million colors in it is just not conducive to my abilities.  These are the perfect solution to that conundrum because they're set up to accentuate your eye color and they come with instructions on exactly how to apply each color.  There is pretty much no way to mess it up! 2. Almay Intense I-Color Eyeliner- Just like with the eye shadow this is a no brainer since you choose colors based on your eye color.  It's also super easy to apply! 3. L'Oreal Power Volume Collagen Mascara- it's waterproof!  I love it because I have a lot of eye lashes but they're not very dark so this makes your eye lashes pop but it doesn't clump up and end up looking like spider eyes.  Another product that's easy to apply! 4. Garnier Ultra Lift Transformer- Originally, I bought this only because it was randomly on sale at Wal-Mart, but I'm so glad that I did.  It's slightly tinted (something I didn't realize when I first put it on and just slathered it on) so I use it as a base/foundation.  It really does even out your skin and feels light, I hate feeling like I have makeup caked on my face!  Plus it has SPF protection, which I never use and probably should start before I get anymore wrinkles! 5. Eye shadow Brush Kit- The one in the picture I grabbed on a late night, impulse buy from Wal-Mart, the one in the link is the closest I could find to it.  I personally don't believe that you have to have the most expensive, designer brushes.  You just need a set that will help you apply your makeup evenly, something I can't accomplish with the sponge applicators that come in the compacts.  But I'm not a professional, so don't take my word for it.  Maybe just start with a small, cheap kit like mine until you branch out and learn more about application. 6. Eye lash curler- this should go without an explanation.  I feel like this is something everyone should use to accentuate their lackluster lashes.  A trick I learned in college was to hit the curler with heat from your blow dryer for a few seconds before using it- be very careful NOT to burn yourself.  It will help the curl be more dramatic and last longer. 7. Duck bill clips- If your hair is super thick, like mine, and it takes you a while to dry, or you like to curl your hair, or your trying to style it with a tutorial you found on youtube, you need these!  I used to separate my hair into sections with hair ties/rubber bands, but they rip my hair and leave dents in my hair, plus sometimes you need a lot of little pieces sectioned off.  It just makes sense to have these because of how much easier they make styling your mane! 8. Vaseline Intensive Care Moisturizer- (not pictures) My skin is always dry, but especially in the winter!  I find this helps best, it doesn't burn my skin, and it does leave a nice glow.  I use it every morning after my shower and every night when I go to bed and it helps keep the ashy skin and rough elbows/knees at bay. 9. Aussie Dual Personality Hair Spray, Hi Hold + Hi Shine, Maximum Hold- I love this hair spray because it holds so well and it makes my hair shiny but not greasy.  No matter what shampoo, conditioner, treatment, etc... I use on my hair, it always looks dull and frizzy, so I love how healthy this makes my hair look! 10. Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely- My current favorite perfume.  It's light but elegant.  I'm not good with picking out the different scents that combine to create one but I can tell you that I feel sophisticated when I wear it and I'm always complimented on it!

Holiday Fashion for the Big Girl, always accessorize! 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BLOGGING CHALLENGE DAY #5

I want to preface this post with the fact that I am NOT a fashion blogger, in fact I don't consider myself to be very fashionable in general.  As a plus sized girl I have a lot of difficulty finding clothes that I love and actually look good on me.  However, I have stumbled on to some looks that are particularly flattering, easy on the wallet (!) and will be incredible for upcoming holiday activities. The best thing I've learned as a "big girl" is that Torrid and Lane Bryant are not our only options!  You can find a lot of their clothes and other designers at places like TJ Maxx, Mashalls, and Burlington Coat Factory.  I cannot stand the idea of paying double the price just because I'm a big girl!  I get that there is more material but come on, fat tax is not cool!  Shopping at these discount stores is much better, getting things marked down to regular prices or even further down when they're on discount, my favorite! I recently snatched up this dress and LOVE it!   Sorry I don't have a pic of myself in it, the website pic will have to do! I'm planning on wearing it for Christmas Eve though, so I'm sure it'll be on my instagram feed!

(get it here for $24.99!)

It fits me perfectly and can be dressed up or down, based on the event I'm going to.

When your clothes don't make you feel incredible, your accessories should!  I've recently fallen in love with metallic headbands and found one in the local drugstore that wrapped around your head so it could create this look:

(from pinterest)

However, it had a foam/sponge wrapping on the band that made it slip out of my hair and the twisted band that was supposed to be seen kept twisting on it's self and showing the boring underside.  If you're going to go for a metallic look I strong recommend getting a basic band or at least one like in the picture that doesn't have the foam/sponge part- it was a wasted $9.99.  (Of course I can't remember the brand and the wrapping is gone, when I go back to the store, I'll check and post about it so you'll know to stay away!)

Metal Marvels is a fantastic store to get headbands and other accessories from!  

These are my current favorite headbands from their site:

If you're not into headbands but love delicate, and again inexpensive, jewelry like me then you'll love Lauren Conrads collection- LC Lauren Conrad at Kohl's.  I have at least 10 pairs of her earrings, several of her necklaces, and even a few rings.  These are my personal favorite:

And of course, we can't forget the shoes!  DSW and Burlington are my current favorite places to find good deals.  I recently purchased these, but they have studs on them AND they were on clearance for $10!  You just can't beat that!  Plus I'm tough on my shoes, I assume it's because I'm so big, so when I get great shoes on the cheap I don't feel so horrible when I ruin them.

(buy them here!)

Plus DSW has this amazing section full of boots under $45!  What?!

This is just a sampling of what they have to offer:

What are you wearing for the holidays?

Are you a plus sized girl?  Any tips you have to offer are ALWAYS welcomed!

Are you as big a fan of accessories as I am?

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