Challenger Spotlight: Tina Kociolek (#3 in Series)

Hello!  Welcome to my blog!  My name is Jeanette Paradis and I am a Diamond Coach with Team Beachbody.  A key part of what I do involves running "Challenge Groups" which are secret FB groups where individuals come together to work on our fitness and nutrition.  Today I would like to feature one of my challengers who first contacted me last spring about making some changes with her own health.  I met Tina Kociolek years ago.  She and I share a history of being MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) moms at First Alliance Church.  Tina's time there was just before mine.  As I was entering the group with my firstborn, Tina was just getting ready to "graduate" as her youngest went off to school.  Next I knew Tina through her role at the Experience Erie Children's Museum.  I always appreciated her warm smile and capable approach as our MOPS group planned outings to her place.  Fast forward a few years and I knew Tina through her role as the marketing director at Chick-fil-A.  Again we interacted as I was the MOPS Coordinator and many MOPS moms utilize Chick-fil-A!  Long story short, I have known Tina for a while and she is someone that I have always looked up to as being one-stage-ahead-of-me in motherhood and life.  I like her attitude and approach to things.  

We kept messaging one another this past spring and summer, following that first time when Tina had asked me about challenge groups back in March.  In July, she was ready to begin!  She has been an asset in several of my groups ever since.  Tina began with our 3-Day Refresh program when it was brand-new.  Then she moved on to PiYo as her workout and I had to smile when she posted the following in our "FALL Challenge" group earlier today: "I must profess my love for PiYo.... When I started weeks ago I was jog/ walking and felt reasonably strong cardiowise however my arms, wrists, upper body were SO weak. The first few weeks seemed to be strengthening those areas for me. I think it's so cool that as you get stronger your body adapts to the workouts and then new areas get the chance to tone. Right now for me I can feel my upper back, sides and glutes getting more defined. Love it!" 

I asked Tina a few questions and I really enjoyed hearing her heart on these topics.  THIS is one of my favorite things about being a coach!  These lifestyle changes are about SO much more than losing a few pounds or inches.   

Tell us about yourself... I work part-time as a Marketing Director, happily married with two teenage boys. I was a cheerleader in high school and taught aerobics in college too. After moving to Erie from New Hampshire I stayed at home with our boys and enjoyed working out every day by bringing them to the child watch area; it was a break for me! Fast forward a few years.... Both boys were in school and I was working part-time. Exercise became less of a priority and I gained 20 lbs without really even noticing it. (I seriously think I was wearing my clothes way too lose back then!) 

What prompted you to get started with this lifestyle change? I was struggling with a lack of energy and struggling again with depression. Our boys are older and they don't need my help with everything. I could sleep 10 hours, get them to school, work, and then take a nap every day if I needed to. When summer came and they were home all day I realized just how little energy I had left. 

What has been the biggest surprise so far? Using PiYo has changed my vision of exercise. I used to think of exercising (even while teaching aerobics) only as a means to lose or maintain weight. I'm finally realizing that I really need this to improve my quality of life. 

What have you found to be most rewarding about making these changes? Having more energy makes me a better mom, wife, employee and friend too. I can accomplish so much more when I'm eating clean AND exercising too. 

Any suggestions for those who are on the fence about jumping in themselves? Great question, honestly I think sharing the real struggles that we each have every day helps. I truly believe that you have to be ready and willing to finally do this for yourself. It's hard to convince someone to take that leap of faith. Your posts on Facebook encouraged me and for that I will be forever grateful!

Challenger Spotlight: Pam Nagle (#2 in Series)

I am so excited to feature my friend Pam in today's Challenger Spotlight!  I first met Pam through MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers).  We have since both become homeschooling moms!  I remember that Pam had first contacted me last spring and was interested in doing the 21 Day Fix.  But the timing was not quite right for her.  Fast forward a few months and Pam was ready to jump in when PiYo was released.  Pam was in my very first PiYo Challenge Group and she has had some great results!  I remember back to the very first week of that group.  Pam was getting ready to spend a day taking her youngest son to a medical appointment that was outside of our hometown.  She mentioned within the group that she had grabbed some Greek yogurt and hard-boiled eggs rather than a donut and a muffin.  She was feeling so much better just with making that sort of change in her nutrition.  Pam came home that evening and still made a point to fit in her workout.  I knew from that day that this mom was going to be successful in reaching her goals!  Pam is petite and lost 8% of her body weight while following the PiYo program!  She also said good-bye to 14.5 inches!!  Guess what Pam is planning to do next??  The 21 Day Fix.  I look forward to continuing to work together as we improve our health and the health of our families.  

I asked Pam to share a bit of her story for this blog entry.  Here it is!   

"My name is Pamela Nagle I am 40 years old with three children. I am a stay at home mom also. I started this program cause I was tired of being overweight. I would do diets and lose a little and just gain it back plus some. I wasn't eating healthy either. I was very surprised at how easy this has been. I am never hungry and usually have too much to eat at one sitting. I love the way I can fit comfortably into my clothes now and how good I feel after I exercise! I love that I am learning what is healthy and what not to eat and how I can tell the difference when I do eat something bad by the way my body feels. I was very hesitant about starting this program but am very glad that I did. If you are thinking about doing something this is the program to do it is very healthy and doesn't take much of your time to do the workouts."

 

Coach Corner: Kara Simpkins (#2 in Series)

Good afternoon!  In today's blog entry, I am so excited to introduce my friend Kara Simpkins!  Kara and I first met two years ago.  Her twins were just celebrating their first birthday and her older daughter was age two!  We met through MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and became friends.  I remember seeing Kara at a couple of activities with her little girls and thought about how she had a great presence of mind and seemed to be unflappable.  I could appreciate her no-nonsense approach and looked forward to getting to know her as a friend.  I remember talking with her the first time that she came to my home for a playdate.  I thought "Wow!  Kara just may be the smartest individual that I know in everyday life!"  I love that Kara is a go-getter and I knew from the start that she would be an excellent asset to our MOPS leadership team.  Kara is now expecting baby #4 and that is perfect as she is the future leader of the entire MOPS group.  She is now "eligible for five more years of MOPS"!  The photo used in the collage above was just taken this afternoon.  Kara has now entered the 2nd trimester of her pregnancy.  She is getting ready to attend a friend's wedding and is looking great!

When I first began my own transformation, Kara was very encouraging and I could tell that she was keeping tabs on things.  When I became a coach five months later, Kara joined my first challenge group and she took on the 21 Day Fix program and had fantastic results!

Kara joined my team as a coach and I love seeing her enthusiasm for helping others.  She is such a knowledgeable person who is able to take technical information and break it down in a way that others can understand it and apply it to their own lives! This new healthy lifestyle has had ripple effects in Kara's household... her husband Brian also got on board and they have now moved on to T25 together.  It is neat to see the many tips, stories and recipes that Kara posts on her blog.  I enjoy keeping up with her perspective there!  Check out Kara's Blog.

I recently asked Kara if I could feature her on my blog.  She shares her own story below.  Thank you Kara!  Congrats on your amazing progress!  I am so happy to have you as a member of my team.  :)

Tell us about yourself...

I am originally from Conway, PA (a small town in Beaver County about 30 minutes west of Pittsburgh). I have my Master’s degree in Bioengineering and a Certificate in Asian Studies. I have three beautiful little girls. A will be five in September and will be starting Pre-K. B and C are twins that turned three in June. Baby number four is due in February 2015. No we aren’t finding out what we are having. I’m married to my best friend Brian. We will be married nine years in October. We moved to Erie three years ago when Brian took a job as the Director of Pharmacy Resident at LECOM. We have had our times of ups and downs but now our marriage is stronger than ever. Moving to Erie was definitely a God thing and brought us closer to one another than I could have ever imagined. We have dates nights in the evening when the girls are in bed. We like to joke and have fun. Most of our free time is spent as a family. We want the girls to know the importance of family and the strong family bond. I love being a stay-at-home mom. With three under four they keep me busier than my full time job.

What prompted you to get started with this lifestyle change yourself?  Why did you become a coach?

In June of 2011 B and C were born at 27 weeks. We spent 60 days in the NICU. They came home and a little over a month later we moved to Erie. With two preemies we weren't really allowed to go anywhere. It was RSV season and winter in Erie. I started to eat for something to do. I didn't have any friends in Erie and was lonely. I ate to cope with the loneliness. I ate to cope with the business of three under three. I ate to cope with the feeling that I wasn’t a good mom. I continued to gain weight till I was as big as I was the day I had the twins. I wasn’t ready to make a change then. It was the Spring of 2012. I just would say I can do it when the kids get older. OR I would try to placate myself and say I didn’t have a problem. In the summer ice cream became a favorite. Every time we went to the beach we'd stop for ice cream on the way home. We were going to the beach at least twice a week so these "treats" were killing me. By January of 2013 the twins were walking. I started to casually work using a website’s workouts. Over the next year I lost 23 pounds and 30 inches. So here it was January 2014 and I was sitting at 186 but still didn’t want to make changes to my diet. Jeanette had been transforming herself with Beachbody products since September of 2013. I had watched her lose weight, become stronger and more of her personality shine even more. She became a coach in February and when she asked me to join her "21 Day Fix" challenge group at the beginning of April I said yes. I figured what did I have to lose. I need more energy. I needed to be able to get up to chase my kids around for longer than ten minutes. I needed to be able to walk up the stairs carrying the twins without huffing wind. After one week I lost 5 pounds. It was so easy to follow. The portion control portion of the program was exactly what I needed. The workouts were challenging, but fun. They also had enough variety that I didn't get bored. When she asked me if I wanted to become a coach I said yes. I was so excited for this new journey in my life. I also knew with the accountability I would be able to lose the weight and keep the weight off with others "watching" me.  I love helping people and I love spending time investing in others’ lives. After my first 21 days I lost 9 lbs and 16.25 inches. I’ve lost a total of 30 pounds and 28 inches before I got pregnant. 

What has been the biggest surprise so far?  What do you find most rewarding about coaching?

I thought it would be a gimmick. I thought there was no way it would work for me. I also thought that there is no way I’d want to drink a Shake every day and enjoy it. I’m a food person so this was my biggest reason for never making the plunge with Beachbody before. I think my Shakeology is now my favorite meal of the day. I love it. As far as coaching I love to see when others hit that “ah ha” moment. The one where they know this is totally doable for them. I also love to see how each person is unique in their why for making the change and then helping them focus on that why to get to their end goal.

Where do you hope to go from here? 

I want to rank advance and continue on with my Beachbody business. I love helping others and want to continue being healthy myself. I’m hoping for a healthy pregnancy. I’m hoping that I can keep my weight gain at a minimum. I’m also hoping to continue my progress once my baby is born. I know that with the support of my team and my drive the sky is the limit. I want to inspire other pregnant women that they can workout during pregnancy too. I also want to inspire others that they can do this no matter where they are at in their life now. 

Any suggestions for those who are on the fence about jumping in themselves?

Jump right in. Don’t hesitate. The only thing you have to lose is the old you. You won’t regret it.

 

Coach Corner: Molly Avondet (#1 in Series)

Hello!  This evening I am beginning the first in a series of posts where I will spotlight one of the coaches on my team!  For tonight I have asked Molly Avondet to share some of her own story.  Molly was the first coach to join my team and this actually happened while I was still pretty new to all of this myself!  I first met Molly three years ago.  She was new to town and I was getting her set up to join our MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group.  From the minute that she and I began talking, I knew that I LOVED this girl!  Talk about a burst of sunshine!  Molly had moved here from Florida and literally brought a warmth with her and this easily extended to everyone she met.  Fast forward a few years and you can see why I was THRILLED to have Molly as the first coach on my growing team.  I knew that with her as an active encourager of others, they would make enjoyable progress on their own fitness journey!!  Molly and I have now run quite a few challenge groups together and this has been great for both of us.  Here she is! 

Tell us about yourself...

I am originally from Cleveland, Ohio and I currently live in Erie, PA. We moved here for my husband's job, a little over three years ago.  I am married to my best friend and better half, Chris.  We have been together for 13 (going on 14) years, and married for seven, although I often feel like we are still dating!  We have date nights often, most of them just being on our patio or on the couch while the boys are sleeping.  We have two boys Finn 3 and Gavin 2, and they are busy!  I am beyond grateful for these three beautiful boys in my life.  I also cherish my time spent with family and friends!  I love nothing more than to laugh and make memories with them!  I am a strong believer that laughter is key to a happy and healthy life!  Before being a mom, I was an early childhood teacher.  I taught preschool in Rhode Island, and first grade in Florida.   I absolutely loved teaching, and I gave it my all, but after Finn was born I became a stay at home mom. Being a stay at home mom is not as easy as I once thought, but a job I wouldn't trade for the world!!! 

What prompted you to get started with this lifestyle change yourself?  Why did you become a coach?

I have had an interest in nutrition and exercise for many years, even before kids, but what I thought was healthy then wasn’t as healthy as I had once thought.  I would focus on low fat, or low calorie foods instead of whole, fresh, low sugar, all natural ingredients.  After Finn was born the baby weight came off fast from stress (but I wasn't toned).  He was born premature so we spent the first couple weeks living in the hospital. I started to focus more on nutrition, knowing that I wanted to provide only the best for this new  and amazing little guy in my life and boy did I learn a lot!  I read a lot about nutrition and did my homework with labels!  We found out we were pregnant with Gavin one week after Finn’s first birthday. I continued to stay active and did my boot camp class at the gym until I was 5 months pregnant, but eventually had to stop due to complications, yet again related to preterm birth.  After Gavin was born healthy and chubby, I didn’t have much time to go to the gym, so I started running again when I could fit it in.  No matter how much I ran though, I just couldn’t tone up the way I wanted to.  I thought I was eating healthy too, so I just couldn’t understand it all.  Why could I not tone up????  In the meantime I kept seeing things on my newsfeed about Beachbody and the 21 Day Fix which was a new workout program.  I decided to give it a try, what did I have to lose?!  After a couple weeks of doing the workouts and drinking Shakeology, I was in love! The 21 Day Fix worked, and I learned although I was eating healthy...I was still over eating those healthy foods!  I knew I wanted to share this experience with others.  I loved it that much! I was a believer, and I wanted others to feel as good as I did.   I became a coach shortly after, and I have never looked back since!  It is one of the best and most rewarding decisions I have ever made!  

What has been the biggest surprise so far?  What do you find most rewarding about coaching?

These programs WORK!  They define your body and produce lean muscle!  The programs are spelled out for you, so there is nothing left to the imagination.  You follow the program, YOU GET RESULTS!  It really is that simple!  No tricks or gimmicks!  It has also been nice to actually see definition in my arms!  Coaching in challenge groups has  been so rewarding!  I am a believer, and I am giver, so I truly believe in each and everyone of my challengers. I believe they can attain their goals with a little hard work, and dedication!  They are the ones that deserve to get all of the credit for their hard work, not me.  I am just their personal cheerleader along the way, and you better believe I am rooting for them!  I want everyone to succeed and reach their goals, because I want everyone to have confidence and feel good! Especially women, because we are just so hard on ourselves sometimes.    

Where do you hope to go from here? 
I will continue coaching, because If I am coaching, I am helping people!  I hope to continue to build my team, so we can continue to inspire others to be the best version of them while also working with an AMAZING organization, Beachbody!  Everyone deserves to feel good about them themselves, and it is truly amazing what exercise does for the mind and body.  I am a firm believer in leading by example, so I practice what I preach.  It is important to me that I create a healthy lifestyle for my family, and I love helping others do the same! I have learned from my mom from an early age to always help others.  This has been a value that has been instilled in me, and I find so much gratification seeing other people laugh and smile. I am ready and will continue to help others SHINE! 

Any suggestions for those who are on the fence about jumping in themselves?

We often let fear get in the way of our dreams because we are afraid to fail.  Who doesn’t want to be healthy?!  Transitioning to a healthy lifestyle is not just for people that are looking to lose weight.  It is for everyone!  We only have one body, so it is our job to take care of it the best we can!  Face your fears, conquer them and get ready to live a lifestyle you deserve.  I recently heard the saying, FAIL FORWARD, and it really sank in.  We are all going to fail at times, but as long as we are failing forward instead of failing backwards, we are moving forward and learning from those failures to be a better us.