Team Beachbody Guest

Hi, my name is Cass and for the majority of my life as a teenager & adult, I
have been fairly sedentary. I am a person that didn’t particularly care for gym
class after the middle school years. I didn’t participate in sports growing up
either. I have become more fitness minded as an adult in my mid 30’s. I’ve
become interested in good nutrition and supplementation during the last 10-
15 years because I just haven’t felt “right” or good. My interest in fitness has
come and gone during this time period as well, but the actual practice has
always been short-lived. This is mostly because I have felt run down and tired
for YEARS and having been without health insurance from the time I
graduated from college in ’97 until about 2 years ago, I tried to take matters
into my own hands by reading about nutrition and health related topics. I
have been largely a lacto-ovo vegetarian (I’m eating fish now too) since I was
about 18. However, my diet was probably overly carb heavy. I have been
tested a few times for thyroid, diabetes, and anemia and the results were
negative each time. Years ago a doctor told me that I likely had chronic
fatigue syndrome and that I should exercise in order to raise my energy
levels. That seemed easier said than done and I didn’t follow through.
Remarkably, though my 80 year old grandmother could run circles around
me, I had a relatively slim physique into my early 20’s until I became
pregnant with my daughter. I never did lose all of the pregnancy weight from
9 years ago. I joined a gym when my daughter was a toddler, but it was
costly, inconvenient, and they charged extra to watch my daughter while I
worked out. Plus, she cried while she was there making me feel guilty. So,
that membership was a waste and I cancelled it after being out a years worth
of dues. Then I tried Weight Watchers and didn’t have much success with that
either. Though I did get down to within 10 or so pounds of my pre-
pregnancy weight at one point, I still had that “mama pooch.”

Fast forward a few years and I went back to college to get licensed as an art
teacher. Then, as art teacher positions were scarce, I had to substitute teach
for a few years and subside on an unpredictable income & the bills seemed
never ending. Since, I've had the stress of searching for & changing jobs
quite a few times in the last 5 years due to budget cuts. As a single mother, I
juggle a full time job, after work lesson prep, my daughter's school work &
extra-curricular activities, & a home and yard to care for. It doesn’t leave a
lot of time for taking care of myself. The daily grind alone wears me out; I
get tired just thinking about it all! I’ve had all this on my plate, plus I just
wasn’t waking up rested after a full night of sleep. Looking into my fatigue
and other health complaints, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2008,
although knowing it hasn’t made a significant difference. All these issues
caused me to be stressed and in this economy with a constant flow of bills,
I’ve become somewhat depressed as well. These are too many things for one
tired, stressed, and depressed person to deal with. Couple all that with the
fact that I’m living away from many of my closest friends, a great support
system, which also brings my spirit down.

In 2007, these issues led to more weight gain, which brought me to my all
time high weight of about 165 pounds (except for during my actual
pregnancy, which peaked at 175) about a year ago. Though in my teens and
early 20’s I thought I had the thin genes, I’ve come to realize that the adult
women in my family tend to be apple shaped: thicker in the middle. I am no
exception. I realized that that layer of visceral fat could cause problems
down the road with heart disease & having felt occasional chest pains,
realized I needed to do something to lessen the risks before the risk factors
worsen. Plus, the belly fat makes clothes uncomfortable and unflattering.
How depressing to try on 10-15 different shirts or pants in effort to find
something that doesn’t showcase the “muffin top.” In late summer of ‘07, as
it started to get cool at night and the temps necessitated a move from shorts
to pants, I realized that I couldn’t even fit into ONE pair of the jeans or pants I
owned! This was bad news! It became so depressing (and exhausting) that I
would turn down invitations to go out or simply avoid being social because I
didn’t feel comfortable or attractive in my clothes. I felt bloated and fat and
after a meal, I even looked pregnant. That was not a feeling I wanted to get
used to.

So, needless to say, I've become accustomed to running on empty. It’s
certainly not a feeling that I like and I know I haven't been able to live life
fully as a result. I don’t merely want to exist; I want to LIVE & experience all
that a healthy life has to offer! So, being sick & tired of being sick & tired, I
decided to do something about it! I saw the infomercial for P90X, but having
been inactive for so long, decided to start with Power 90 first. I ordered Power
90 and started it in the fall of ’07. I was very inconsistent in using Power 90,
getting derailed by my new job, busy schedule, and winter illnesses.
However, despite my inconsistent dedication I still lost over 10 pounds!
Unfortunately, when I stopped exercising altogether for a few months and fell
back into that depression a bit, I gained a few pounds back. What I have come
to realize, however, is that it is about progress, not perfection. We can’t beat
ourselves up and toss in the towel completely, when we miss a day or give
into food that isn’t so healthy. We must just get right back on track and
continue reaching toward our goals. Last summer, I moved onto P90X, was
derailed again by the onset of the school year and off & on illnesses, but still
lost an additional five pounds and put on lean muscle mass. I noticed that I
felt more strength and endurance with each workout. P90X is a challenge for
sure, but well worth it! Late last summer I became an Independent Beachbody
Coach because I’m so excited about the products Beachbody has to offer and
even more elated by the astounding results that real people are achieving by
using them. We all have the opportunity to become a Beachbody success
story. However, we need to stop putting ourselves last. Its important to continually renew my dedication to myself, my health, and to “Pushing
Play” everyday. I’m not at my goal weight yet, but I’m reaching closer with
each workout. I love ChaLEAN Extreme and I'm still using it, along with Turbo Jam, as I await the release of Shaun T's INSANITY in July! I can't wait to see
the results that it’ll deliver with consistent effort...in just 60 days! Thanks to Beachbody, we
have more accountability in completing our daily workouts because of the
great peer support network. As I continue to experience success with
Beachbody products, I hope to help motivate others to reach their fitness &
health goals as well. Let’s Bring It…together!!!