Throw Back to 2013--when it all began

So back in the summer of 2013, I started working out. In the fall, I began coaching. I never looked back! This opportunity started changing my life right from the very beginning and I am amazed at what it's done for me.

For now, let's take a look back at what I posted on my social media back when I was only a few months in...

Hi Everyone!
I’ve been really annoying lately about Beachbody posts, I know. However, the REASON is because I am SO PUMPED about the results I’ve been getting with Shakeology and T25. I literally CANNOT STOP shouting it from the treetops!!! So far, my journey has been this:
July 15, 2013- Started in  a T25 challenge group, run by Lindsay Matway (top coach in Beachbody)
     *In this group I promised to:

• Replace one meal a day with Shakeology

• Eat 5-6 small meals per day 

• Follow the T25 workout schedule (it came with the dvds)

• Post in the challenge group daily & respond to assignments posted by my coach

September 2013- Finished T25 challenge group & realized I had LOST OVER 20lbs.!

• I went from having baby weight leftover from May to having NO EXTRA BABY WEIGHT!!

October 2013- I never stopped working on me! I became a coach on Sept. 29th and started working on
      learning how to be a coach at the beginning of October. Being a coach has done some AMAZING
      things for me already! One month in and here’s what happened:

• I continued to workout and lost 6 more pounds, bringing my total weight loss to: 26 pounds!

• I went from a size 10 to a size 2! I now weigh less than I did when I got pregnant with Abby!!!

• I focused on learning how to run challenge groups- started one as an apprentice coach and had 3 challengers join with me. They are doing great! 

• Started one up with a fellow coach and had 2 of my own challengers join that one. They are also ROCKING IT. And finally,

• I started a one-week challenge group--and those challengers BLEW ME AWAY with their results. Some lost 6 pounds in a week! I am so lucky to have been able to begin to help others realize their potential and begin living a healthier lifestyle.

• Earned over $300 in my first month coaching! 

November 2013- My workouts are continuing. My business is growing. I am SEEING A DIFFERENCE in
     my LIFE! I am THRILLED to be able to stay home with my babies and to see them grow up. I am
     ECSTATIC that I don’t have to sit through SGO training and go through the paperwork nonsense
     that I used to dread at work.
IF YOU want to CHANGE YOUR LIFE like I’ve done and start something NEW that has the potential to help you ACHIEVE RESULTS physically, financially, and emotionally- then talk to me about starting up a program and following in my footsteps, or even becoming a coach yourself! The TIME IS NOW. Make your resolution early and let’s do this together!!!! 

I can't imagine what my life would look like if I hadn't taken a chance and said YES to this opportunity. If you're interested in learning more about this opportunity and what it can do for you, contact me today or apply here to get started!  

Working Out With A Partner aka Miracles DO Happen

I've never been so happy before during my workout.

Here's why:

For the past 5 days, I've been working out with my husband! <3 This has been so thrilling for me, mostly because the past two years have gone something like this...

Me: Will you work out with me?
Hubby: No.
Me: Why not? Please?!
Hubby: No. Because I don't want to.
Me: Why not?!
Hubby: Because I just don't. 

This was a vicious cycle that kept repeating itself. Every few weeks or so I would ask. Every few weeks or so his response was usually the same.

Then one day, the heavens opened, unicorns and rainbows appeared, and the conversation changed! My begging and pleading hadn't worked, but something had changed his mind and my hubby committed to first completing a 21 day reset (gentle cleanse) with me and then working out for 21 days doing the 21 Day Fix workout.

It. Was. A. Miracle.

And so, for the past 5 days, we've not only been consistently working out together...but we've been getting up at 5:30am to do it! We decided that we were going to commit to early morning workouts so that NOTHING would stand in our way. So far, so good!

I'll update you at the end of the 3 weeks with our results, but for now, here's how our 5 days have looked when we've finished:

Brian's Ultimate Results

Ahhhhh! Can I just BRAG on my man right now??? 

I mentioned earlier that Brian and I committed to doing the Ultimate Reset which is 21 days of whole food, organic, clean, plant-based eating. Absolutely NO exercise! 

He made a decision that he wasn't happy and he wanted to make a change. He stuck it out--even when it was TOUGH and will-power was low...Because his WHY-POWER was strong!

Congrats, babe! I love you and I'm so proud of you!

-22.2 pounds
-15 inches

‪#‎TogetherWeAreBetter‬ ‪#‎UltimateReset‬ ‪#‎OneFitRevolution‬

My Ultimate Results

I'm smiling in my photos from this morning! You want to know why? Because I did it! And I feel accomplished and proud of myself for sticking to this. 

And yes, I'm looking pretty mad in my day 1 photos--and for good reason. I had made it to my goal in the past and LET IT GO! I'd basically unravelled what I'd worked so hard to achieve because of excuses like visitors from out of town, 2 vacations--one of which being DISNEY and a great meal plan, etc. Can anyone relate? Wouldn't you be mad at yourself too? 

As most of you know, Brian and I have just completed our Ultimate Reset journey—getting healthier in 21 days has never been as tough (we had a lot of bad habits to break) or as rewarding (we feel amazing!). 

If you aren’t quite sure what the Ultimate Reset is…it’s a gentle cleanse where the focus is on eating whole, clean, organic foods and drinking distilled water so as to rid the body of toxins that are polluting our systems. We are bombarded with so many chemicals—in our foods, in our drinking supply, in the air we breathe. It’s nice to be able to flush most of those toxins out so we can “reset” our bodies into a healthier state and function better. 

For the past 21 days, we made a commitment to our health and to ourselves—so there was no cheating going on. We decided that we were going to stick to the plan and see what happens. The main goal was about health, not weight loss, but we ended up losing weight as a natural result of drinking a gallon of distilled water a day, eating only clean, organic foods and eliminating all of the junky, processed foods from our diets. We drank no coffee, soda, wine or beer. We ate no Halloween candy, cookies, ice cream or chips. We barely ate meat (it’s tough for our bodies to break it down and process, so we ate mostly vegan for the 3 weeks so our system could use all its energy to focus on shedding toxins). 

I know this might sound quite technical, but it’s not. We ate healthy, delicious foods. We ate a plant-based diet. We enjoyed it! 

I’ve been dying to share my results, so here they are (I will share Brian’s later…so stay tuned wink emoticon hehe)

-11.75 inches
-15 pounds

ps--No exercise the entire 3 weeks--just goes to show that you can't out exercise a bad diet is TRUE because before this, I was trying to do that and failing miserably. Once my focus shifted to nutrition= results! 

‪#‎UltimateReset‬ ‪#‎ResetYourGoalsResetYourLife‬‪#‎CouldntHaveDoneItWithoutMyBoo‬ ‪#‎TogetherWeAreBetter‬‪#‎OneFitRevolution‬

Put God First--and Get Your Freebie Here!

I think it's so important that I am physically, mentally AND spiritually fit. One way that I stay spiritually fit is by staying in constant communication with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

You may be thinking...why is this relevant? I thought she talked about fitness and clean eating? I do! But I also wanted to share that we are healthiest when we are whole--mind, body and spirit. Something to consider!

Here's a video message that I wanted to share with you--watch this and you'll find out how and why I am a Christian.

Fill out the email form for access to your freebie! My new e-book-- 5 Tips: Put God First. 

Get Your FREE E-Book NOW!

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Time Travel Tuesday

Instead of ‪#‎TransformationTuesday‬, I propose ‪#‎TimeTravelTuesday‬ wink emoticon

Earlier today (on my Facebook page), I posted about how music transports me back in time. Welp, it did it again! Except this time I’m back in 2009 and I am stressed! Yuck. Let’s change the song wink emoticon

But before we do...

I’m staring at an endless mountain of papers to grade (English teacher’s get a raw deal here…not many multiple choice questions!)…thinking about my PD hours…thinking about my upcoming observation…stressing about lesson plans not being done and wondering how I can squeeze it all into a weekend and still find time for my husband (oh and working my part-time job at a restaurant! Let’s not leave out that fun fact.)

I loved teaching—loved the kids and being a cheerleading coach and an advisor for the National Junior Honor Society.

That’s not the point.

The point is, I was overworked and underpaid (like so many professionals!). Did I have a decent paying job? Yes! Did I deserve better than the mountain of work piled on top of the mountain of student loans required to get such a job? Yes! (And I have a ton of student loans—hello bachelor’s and master’s degrees!)

Did I think I had any other option? Sure. I thought that my options were to go through more schooling (aka go into more debt), so that I could become an administrator…and then what? More paperwork?! (and budgets = math) YUCK!

Looking back, if I had known about the coaching opportunity THEN…I would have ran as quickly as I could to sign up. If I had known that I could become my own boss, work on my own terms, and supplement my income (and maybe someday replace it) just by coaching and helping others, I’d have jumped in and never looked back.

I’m so grateful that I know now and that’s why I’m sharing this with all of you. There is an opportunity here. I’m speaking to you if:

—You love your job, but hate the time it takes you away from your family
—You have time but no money
—You have money but no time
—You are unhappy
—You need a change
—You are willing to take a small risk (what’s $40 if it could save your life?)

Remember: “The first step to getting what you want is having the courage to get rid of what you don’t.”

If you want to sign up to be a coach today and change your life...APPLY HERE! 

Body Beast Results

Here's just 3 weeks of progress with Body Beast...I can't wait to show you the final results!

Nothing like taking progress pics so I can see how I'm doing...I feel better now because the scale isn't moving, but that's not my only indicator! Don't just focus on the scale--focus on how your clothes fit and how you're feeling, too! 

How Much Time do You Need to be a coach?

This is the question that a lot of people ask me...

And here is my answer:

https://youtu.be/QWPLypaN8OY

Help Wanted ;)

How would you like to make some amazing new friends, share in fun adventures and build a life you love all while having a team to support you, encourage you and love you? Sounds amazing, right? 

Well, I'm mentoring only 5 women this month--will you be one of them? Busy moms with a desire to make a change should face their fears and try something new. This could be the opportunity you've been missing in your life. heart emoticon

Apply here and join the revolution: http://bit.ly/OneFitRevCoach

Becoming a One Fit Revolution coach means that you will learn from top coaches in the Bombshell Dynasty (#1 and #2 team in Beachbody the past 2 years) as well as have the support of a smaller family unit within the dynasty (One Fit Revolution).

We travel together. We get photo shoots together. We love each other. We encourage one another. We pray for each other. We make each other laugh. We spend time with one another--weekly video chats we look forward to because we get to learn and strategize with our friends!

Creamy Chicken Salad Recipe

So I posted the following pic on my Facebook page and Instagram...

...and got numerous requests for the recipe and so I wanted to share it here for all of you to save, pin, and make! It's delicious! If you want to purchase the cookbook "Fixate" by Autumn Calabrese (where this recipe is from) then CLICK HERE and get it without containers or if you need a set, click here instead! You won't regret it and all of your container equivalents are written out for each recipe.


"Fixate" Creamy Chicken Salad
Serves 4 (1 1/4 cup each- calories: 312)
Containers: 1 green, 1/2 purple, 1 red, 1/2 blue, 1/2 orange

3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken (boneless, skinless)
1/2 cup chopped green apple
1/2 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 cup raw slivered almonds
2 green onions, sliced
2 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon (this has a strong taste to it, so use less or omit if you're not a fan)
1/4 cup honey mustard salad dressing (see below for recipe)
8 cups shredded romaine lettuce

1. Combine all ingredients except for the lettuce and refrigerate, covered, for 2 hours or more
2. Serve 1 1/4 cups of creamy chicken salad over 2 cups of lettuce per serving.

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
Serves 8 (2 tbsp. each- calories: 102)
Containers: 1 orange

1/2 cup reduced fat plain Greek yogurt
3 tbsp. dijon mustard, gluten free
3 tbsp. raw honey
3 tbsp. rice vinegar
1/4 cup EVOO
Sea Salt (to taste)

1. Combine all but EVOO and mix well
2. Slowly add in oil, whisking until blended.

Not "Just" A Small Business Owner

Posted on my Facebook page on 5/15/15: 

I work HARD at what I do. I am not "just" a small business owner. I work long hours to continue to help other people feel good about themselves and lead long healthy, and fulfilling lives. I spend my time coming up with content to share that adds VALUE to other people's lives. I give away advice and coaching for FREE - even if people don't buy from me or pay a dime- and I help people find the most cost-effective solution to help them meet their goals.

-I am an entrepreneur
-I help people go after their hopes and dreams
-I encourage, inspire, and motivate
-I support action over inaction
-I help others create their vision and develop a plan of attack for it
-I encourage SMART goals- specific and measurable with a deadline!
-I lift people up
-I go out of my way to cheer up others when they're feeling low
-I offer my time and my prayers
-I serve others.

Please, do not for one second think that:
1. I don't love or care about you
2. That I am selfish
3. That I am ungrateful
4. That I do not have good intentions
5. That I do not have your best interests at heart

In my personal opinion, we should be supporting and encouraging one another to go after our dreams! We shouldn't tear others down or make them feel "less" because they don't have the typical job or because they "annoy" you with their posts.

If you sell fitness or health products, nail wraps, purses or bags, jewelry, kitchen appliances/cookware, candles, food, lashes, oils...any of these things- I APPLAUD YOU for taking a leap into the harsh and cruel world that can sometimes greet the unsuspecting entrepreneur. I applaud you and I support you for trying to provide for your family and create financial freedom and a better life for them. I encourage you to ignore the haters, the ones that claim to be your friends and then bash you and your efforts- as if you haven't been pouring your heart, soul and sweat into your business. They act as if your business wasn't as worthy as their line of work. I know how hurtful and offensive those people can be...and for that, I apologize on their behalf. Do not let them discourage you. No one can take your dreams from you.

I just want to say that whoever you are & wherever you are- if you're a mompreneur looking to create a better life for your family, know this: I love you. I applaud you. Keep on keeping on, mommas, because if we can't support each other with love, or at the very least scroll on by without judgement...then what does that say about us?

Are You Dealing With Difficulties, too?

I've been overwhelmed lately with my situation, and I think I've figured out a good way to deal with how I'm feeling, so I wanted to create a video and share in case others are feeling the same as me.

If this helps even one other person, then it was worth it to share from my heart!

Baked Bay Scallops with Spinach

Baked Bay Scallops with Spinach Recipe

Serves: 4

Approx. 450 calories/serving 

Ingredients:

1 pound bay scallops
2 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp butter
Pink Himalayan sea salt & pepper
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

2 cups baby spinach, set aside

2 cups cooked brown rice, set aside

Directions: 

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a casserole dish and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and add in 2 cups of baby spinach. Mix to combine and bake for 5 additional minutes.

Serve over brown rice.

Welcome! Welcome!

Any time I have a new coach sign up for my team, I get SO EXCITED for them! My energy goes through the roof and I have butterflies in my stomach...why? you ask...because I KNOW the potential that they have and I know the opportunity this business provides and if they're willing to put in the work, well, their success will be limitless!

A new coach means:

• That coach is making a commitment to their own health and fitness
• That coach will be helping so many people get healthy and fit
• We are one step closer to ending the trend of obesity
• We are one step closer to creating a community of health and wealth
• A new generation of leadership is being born

Please join me in welcoming my new team members from the past 30 days. They are amazing people with wonderful stories that will inspire you and I just know that they are going to do great things!

And if you want to learn more about joining my team, CHECK IT OUT HERE! 

Join the Revolution

Recently, I started listening to the Wicked soundtrack (again). For those of you who don’t know, I’m a Broadway junkie. I LOVE live theater and getting to go see a show...I have an official Playbill binder where I keep my stash of Playbills from all the shows that I have attended...but that’s not what’s important.

Here’s the key--> I think we can learn a lot from lyrics; they are a reflection of the character who sings them...and I see a lot of myself in this character, Elphaba. Yes, she’s the Wicked witch, but she’s so much more than that! She is someone who is NOT willing to SETTLE. NO WAY! She isn’t going to accept anyone else’s definition of who she is and she learns not to run from her differences, but to embrace them as her strengths. She’s also kind of a bada** and I love that she doesn’t take any bull from anyone. She is strong and she is defiant- defying even gravity because nothing is going to get in the way of what she wants. I can relate to that- because that’s the kind of confidence that I have in myself and in my business.

I KNOW that I am helping people achieve their goals--> 

• to lose weight
• to feel more confident
• to break bad habits
• to make new friends
• to get out of debt
• to build a business
• to stay home with their families
• to travel

All of these goals AND MORE are being realized daily by my challengers and my coaches. You might be sitting here thinking “good for them” and feeling slightly jealous...but I want to ask you, if any of these goals resonate with you and if you feel that you want to do something MORE with your life than what you’ve been dealing with now and you want to make a CHANGE, then WHY NOT YOU? Join the revolution and let’s defy gravity together!

Apply here for my challenge or for my team (or both!). You decide. You have the power. YOU have the potential to be great. I believe in you. Let’s do this!

Say NO THANKS to Poison in Your Shake!

UGH! I need to rant for like, one tiny second please! I have been watching some of my friends put pure JUNK into their bodies and I just hate that they don't realize that there are toxins and poisons in the cheaper shakes that they are choosing to drink...I'm not usually one to go on a rant or a comparison between shakes, because I like to speak from experience, but I hate watching people put unnecessary junk into their bodies that isn't going to help them in any way. Sure, they may lose weight, but poison will help you do that (I guess).

The only type of meal that I like to fuel my body with is a healthy one- isn't it better to fight off disease by eating real food or food from a real food source instead of something chemical? Or by fueling your body with dense nutrition that is made up of superfoods that will help lower cholesterol, ward off disease, increase your energy, help aid in weight loss, and my list could go on and on...

I would much rather pay more now for a shake that I KNOW is good for me, versus less now for one that is questionable and have to pay for medical bills later on in life. Of course, as a stay-at-home mom of two who lives in a one-income household, of course I like to save money wherever I can...but my health is not the place to do it!

If you would, humor me and watch this video on Shakeology and you'll see WHY I choose to drink it as my DAILY dose of dense nutrition. I credit this shake for helping with my weight loss AND for being the reason why I rarely, if ever, get sick. It's definitely worth a look!

Surprise! What's coming next...

So Beachbody (you know that company that puts out great programs like Insanity, P90X and 21 Day Fix?!) has come up with some new releases, coming July 2015.

If you love Zumba, you're going to love this! If you love having fun, this is for you! If you love to dance, sign up now! Haha I'm not kidding, this is not even going to feel like working out and you will be ready for your music video at the end of it. Even if you're uncoordinated, you will still have a blast and burn some calories...so check this out: 

https://youtu.be/U10wCKHJLiY

And of course, if that wasn't exciting enough news for you...there's a new performance line coming out. All natural. Scientifically proven. A healthy way to maximize your results and get in shape (while increasing energy and reducing soreness). Where do I sign up NOW?! haha!

You can find out the details here: 

https://youtu.be/ZOHMnz9oQCY

Now, stay tuned for when these drop in July because they'll sell out fast! If you want to get all the details on the release of these programs, sign up for a free account with me and I will keep you in the loop! 

To do so, go here: http://bit.ly/OneFitRevFREEAccount

Cancun, here I come!

I am sitting here, finishing up my packing, and thanking God that He led me to this amazing company that is sending me, for FREE, to the Moon Palace Resort and Spa in Cancun, Mexico, just for doing my job well and for helping other people. That's crazy to me that a company would do that! Can someone please pinch me? Is this real?!

My Destination for the rest of the week: 

And if a beach vacation with my coaching BFF's (THE BEST part about Beachbody is that I have made some amazing friends!) isn't enough, I get to have Shaun T., Autumn Calabrese, and Tony Horton as my personal trainers for the week! That is THE BEST PART of this whole trip, in my opinion. 

Next year, my goal is to have a bunch of my coaches on the trip with me!!! Will you be one of them? If you'd like to join the revolution and be a part of an amazing team that's helping lift people up and live a life they love, then CLICK HERE to fill out an application and let's get started making your dreams a reality! 

30 Days of Insanity Max 30

I used to be afraid of the insanity workout- and for good reason! It's tough physically and you need mental toughness to finish it. The same holds true for Max 30, but the 30 minute workouts seemed ideal to me so I figured I would give them a shot...boy am I glad that I did!

Here are my results: 30 days of hardcore working out & my nutrition wasn't the greatest because I didn't strictly follow the meal plan and I had a few too many cheats...but I'm proud of what I've achieved with this program so far and I cannot wait to see what I can do with my next 30 days!

Who doesn't love FREE stuff?

I think I need some Brazil Butt Lift in my life since I have to be in a bathing suit in 19 days...Cancun, Mexico with other Beachbody coaches, soaking up some sun and getting in LIVE workouts with Shaun T., Tony Horton & Autumn Calabrese. My version of heaven on earth for sure. 

Want to join me and do Brazil Butt Lift for FREE this month? (sorry, I can't invite you to join me in Mexico LOL our resort is sold out...) 

How would you like to have a FREE 30 Day Trial of Beachbody On Demand and the Beachbody club? Access Brazil Butt Lift and 10 other full Beachbody programs instantly. No payment necessary to try this out. 

Here's how to get the offer: 

Click here: FREE ON DEMAND ACCESS and put my name: Stephanie Bendel w/coach ID# 297792 as your coach referral for instant access to start streaming NOW!

That's it! Your done! Get in touch with me and let me know you signed up and I can add you to my private Facebook group for added support and motivation. Feel free to share this post with your friends and family and get them started on their free trial, too. Let's start a revolution. A fit revolution!