Charissa Schwenig Living

When your hair is one giant fall leaf, you gotta play the part. 😉 🍁 🍂
Pc:

Double tap for ‘s calves because those things are unreal. 😳
And tag your bestie who loves you so much they would pull you into a cactus.🌵🥰 (Jk, I lost my balance and almost doomed us, sshhh).
Seriously, I am so grateful for this friendship that I made through coaching. Did you ever totally judge someone when you first met them, and then you actually became great friends?!? I’ll admit it. 🙋🏻‍♀️ Lex and I are such opposites... and I didn’t think I could handle her Type A with my very NOT Type A personality. 😂 But we’ve bonded so much by working closely together and always counseling and seeking advice from each other, and our opposite personalities actually make an awesome team.
So, thank you coaching for bringing this goofball into my life. I miss basking by the pool in AZ with ya. 💕 I can’t wait to see all the dreams we’ve accomplished within the next couple years. 😉😘 @ Phoenix, Arizona

Watching her learn to walk has been SO fun... actually, watching her learn anything new is so fun. ❤️ Wow, I love being a mom. 😭 When did your baby start walking?! Elaina is 13 months and getting interested for the first time!

I’m still daydreaming about this Fall retreat I hosted for the ladies I coach. 😭 ⁣
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People bash social media easily. But I have social media to thank for allowing me to meet these beautiful women, grow a social media community together, stay accountable and push each other daily towards our goals, and to get together and have this day together. ⁣
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I have passions for fitness, leadership, and a love for community, and because of coaching, the Lord has allowed me to use these gifts to their fullest potential. ⁣
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So... Spring 2021 Retreat, ladies?! 😍🌸 @ Kutztown, Pennsylvania

I get to check some new things off my bucket list while on vacation: eating the best biscuits of my life, developing an Okie accent, and... walking across a swinging bridge? 🤔

Of course I got the mom jeans... they were $1.64. 😉

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Christian snapped this photo right before we left early this morning. We’ve never been apart as a little family for this long before. 😩 ⁣
I was so nervous how Elaina would do on our two plane flights, but God answered my prayers completely. On the first flight, Elaina and the man next two us really hit it off, especially after she pinched him for fun on the arm as hard as she could. 😂 and on the second flight, the plane was much emptier and we had two whole seats to ourselves. 😍⁣
I felt so spoiled traveling with a baby. Everyone around us made some sort of effort to be accommodating, like putting their window shades down on the plane when they noticed she was falling asleep, waving across the aisle at her when she was looking at them, or making sure we got what we needed before anyone else. ⁣
I was nervous to go out in public after these long months, but my spirits feel so lifted by the many small interactions we had with so many people. I felt like the Lord was caring for me and Elaina so intentionally today! I wish I could have thanked all those people much more than I did! ❤️⁣

Just a suitcase needing to be filled and one more night shift at the restaurant stand between us and vacation, and boy am I excited! 💕🌸

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In High School, I got obsessed with a diet of counting calories. ⁣
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Towards the end, I was limiting myself to 1,000 calories a day, sometimes less. (For context, I am 5’10”, and that is not even CLOSE to a sustainable amount of calories for my body type, nor for any woman’s body type, actually). ⁣
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Thankfully, I haven’t let myself go to such a dark place since then. But those months set me on track to always struggle with my relationship with food- whether it was the enemy and I had to avoid it, or it was the source of comfort I ran to and binged on.⁣
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I’m not saying that counting calories is wrong, nor am I saying it can’t be a healthy way for people to find success in their journey. Calories play a part and I won’t deny that...⁣
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I’m saying that wasn’t helpful for ME and my past struggles. I didn’t realize fully how beautiful my relationship with food COULD actually be until I got involved with accountability groups 1 1/2 years ago. I saw OTHER women working to have a healthy relationship with food and with their bodies, and it motivated me to want that too... ❤️⁣
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So, to all the ladies in my accountability group... thank you. ⁣
I may be your coach, but it’s YOU ladies I learn from every day, and it’s because of you ladies that I grow healthier and more free by the day. 😭 (you all know who you are 😘)⁣
And if you are someone longing for this sort of knowledge and freedom, my next accountability group starts the 20th. Fill out the “SWEAT WITH ME” link in my bio and we can chat about if this could be a good fit for you. 💕⁣

Elaina makes this scrunch-nosed face lately. Usually she does it when she’s being playful and chasing me around the house, and sometimes she makes it when she’s had enough of mommy’s Instagram photos. 😂 Lately her temper is coming out, mainly when she’s getting her diaper changed or when I put the Puffs away. I’m obviously trying to teach her “no,” but girlfriend thinks I’m joking with her and starts cracking up. I guess I’d better get used to it though, since this is only the beginning. 🙃

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Jobs have always been a “have to” for me. ⁣
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I have to go to work tonight. ⁣
Sorry, I can’t, have to work.⁣
Ugh, I wish, but I have to work... ⁣
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Today, I spent a few hours of nonstop working on my coaching business, getting new ladies plugged in for the launch of our newest fitness program. I don’t usually work that much time at once, but I absolutely loved every minute of it and lost track of time before I decided to “clock out” and go take a nap. 😉⁣
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Because NOW, work feels like a “get to.” ⁣
I get to help women change their lives every single day. I get to show up for my health every day, to exercise 30 minutes a day in my living room, and check in with an amazing group of ladies. I get to be a part of a community of women of all different sizes, personalities, lifestyles, and passions, who lift each other up daily to grow and be the best they can be. ⁣
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With the launch of this new fitness program, I get to invite new ladies to see what they can make of a simple lifestyle that will completely transform their life. Does it get any better than this?! ⁣
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Now THIS is a job I can love for the rest of my life... ❤️

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Today I pressed play from my living room on Week 5, Day 1 of a very hard lifting program I’ve been doing. ⁣
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But actually, it was day 886 since I stumbled across a random home workout program and started trying two workouts a week. ⁣
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886 days since, I haven’t stopped. ⁣
Through my first pregnancy, I continued to show up,⁣
And now 9 months since having our little girl, I’ve continued to work out in my living room, basement, my parents’ house, on vacation, outside in my yard, through many sicknesses, the darkest depression of my life, many different seasons of life, and heck, through a world pandemic! ...and I haven’t stepped foot in a gym in all this time. ⁣
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On the easy days AND on the hard days, I’ve continued to reject the idea that I’m working towards a quick and easy fix, and leaned in each day to pursue simple choices to become a healthier and more joyful person, wife, and mama. ⁣
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Today, I am grateful for 2018 Charissa that decided to give this a try (even though I was clueless of what I was actually getting into 🤷🏻‍♀️). ⁣
Today I am grateful for 2020 Charissa who hasn’t given up ever since, and has gotten in the best shape of her life.

Before the quarantine, I wanted to wear this dress but I couldn’t even fit it over my hips to wear. 🙃 I was bummed because this is one of my favorite dresses.
Today, our church began meeting again for the first time since quarantine, and I immediately grabbed this dress from the back of my closet and it slipped right on. 😌 Thank goodness too, because it’s a mom-friendly style with its length and not being too low-cut, something I wasn’t exactly focused on when I bought it while pregnant, but now I’m glad I did! I shared the picture in my stories of when I wore it pregnant. 😍
Elaina and I are leaving for vacation in ONE WEEK!! I’m so excited, but also nervous because Elaina naps exclusively in her crib, and I was reminded of that when she cried the entire church service this morning in the sling instead of nap...
Any tips for flying with a baby are MUCH appreciated. 😅👇🏼

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Honestly, I didn’t know if I had it in me today. ⁣
I barely got myself out of bed after staying up late with a drink, ⁣
Drank my pre workout with half-open eyes, ⁣
Stared at my workout on the tv for about 15 minutes before finally starting,⁣
And after my workout and shower I had an emotional morning with my heart feeling heavy,⁣
And just to make everything better, Elaina didn’t nap all afternoon and cried instead before I left to work at the restaurant. ⁣
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Lately I’ve been having a lot of these mornings where I wake up and don’t feel the strength needed for the day. As a mama, I feel like I have been stretched too thin and don’t know how to carry it all. There are so many burdens to carry, but I don’t feel qualified or capable. But this man is a quiet, patient force who always looks out for me and our little girl. I don’t know how single moms do it, because Christian has saved me from drowning in discouragement too many times to count. ⁣
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Thank you for being an incredible husband and father, babe. You balance out my emotional self with your steady strength and humility, and I’m so grateful for you. ❤️

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When I first started coaching, I didn’t think things like this would actually happen.⁣
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Well, I knew that these programs had changed my life and that I wanted to share the health and joy that I had discovered with other women. But I wasn’t sure if other ladies would catch on like I had, and I sure as heck felt unqualified to be trusted to lead them. ⁣
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It turns out, women have been catching on to this lifestyle since I began coaching 1 1/2 years ago. I have to shout out this incredible mama. 😍⁣
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Carrie joined me last month, and today she finished her first 3-week program losing 10 pounds. She committed to home workouts, a nutrition plan, and checked in daily with our accountability group. She has her hands full with two littles, and could have made every excuse in the book, but she decided to show up regardless. ⁣
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I am so proud of all of the ladies in my accountability group, but today I am especially celebrating you, Carrie, for knowing you needed a change and putting in the work. ⁣
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Can you believe she got these results in 3 weeks with home workouts?! When I tell brand new ladies that they will get the BEST results by staying accountable to our group... I mean it. 😏⁣
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If you are looking to make a change like Carrie, enrollment for my next challenge group is OPEN. We are going to be going through a brand-new 3 week program together, so if you want more details, fill out the link “MBF Test Group” in my bio to see if this could be a good fit for you. 😘⁣

Wow, can we just enjoy this time hop? 😭 One year ago I had this munchkin in my belly still at . 😳💙 And now she’s out here waving at everyone and pretty much the cutest thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on.
Also, let me just say that NOT being pregnant on a 92 degree summer day is a luxury. I’m enjoying this summer quite a lot more than last summer. 😂
Happy 4th, sweet friends! Enjoy this time with family and the blessing of the beautiful freedom God has blessed us with in our country.

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Binge eating has always been a big struggle of mine. Especially on holidays when there’s free food everywhere in sight... oh man, forget it. I could inhale junk and desserts all day without thinking twice about it. And then I end up feeling sick, getting a headache, not being able to move off the couch, and honestly... not enjoying the holiday too much. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Anybody else? (Hoping I’m not alone in this. 🙊)⁣
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Ever since being a fitness coach, my habits have gradually changed, but in a HUGE way. I‘m definitely not a health nut, because hellooo ice cream and pizza. We will never break up. 💕🍕🍦 ⁣
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But I DO like feeling good and enjoying time with family. Plus, when your baby is a literal blur crawling and getting into EVERYTHING, I don’t want to feel totally sick and pooped trying to keep up with her. 😅⁣
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Here are some ways I like to enjoy the holiday without ending the day in a miserable food coma like the old Charissa always did:⁣
-do 30 minutes of exercise! Just like every other day, getting my workout done makes me feel so energized for the rest of the day. ⁣
-drink TONS of water, and sloowwlyy enjoy the adult beverages.😉⁣
-hog the veggie tray, and enjoy the dip that comes with! ⁣
-eat small portions, and chances are you’ll get distracted and forget to go back for more anyways. ⁣
-enjoy the treats too! Don’t restrict yourself, or if you’re like me, you’ll end up feeling left out and then overindulging in secret. Not a good setup. 😬⁣
-enjoy the amazing food and let it fuel your enjoyment of family and friends. ⁣
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What are you doing for the holidays?! ❤️🤍💙

It was a good day to bum it and have ice cream. 💕

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Wow. 😭⁣
If you’ve been feeling stuck lately, this is for you. 💕⁣
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I’ve been feeling stuck for a while now... ⁣
or so I thought. These pictures are exactly two months apart. ⁣
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I’ve been wondering why I wasn’t seeing more progress the past couple months, wondering why the scale was actually going up a little, and feeling like I didn’t have anything exciting to share with y’all in terms of my fitness journey. Even though I’ve been going all out lately and having an absolute blast, waking up feeling insanely excited about the lifting program I’m doing... I still didn’t feel worthy. 😕⁣
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And then I put these photos side-by-side, and I am so amazed. 😭 ⁣
Not because there’s a dramatic difference, but because I’m the strongest I’ve ever been before. I haven’t gone backwards in my progress like I kept telling myself, but I’ve continued getting results I’m so dang proud of because I haven’t once quit showing up Every. Single. Day. ⁣
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This is why I have all my clients send me progress photos. You just never know. 😳⁣
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If you want to join me and get fit this July, it’s going to be one of the coolest months yet with the launch of a brand new program based on building muscle and burning fat. I’m only opening up a few spots, so you’re going to want to get in on this ASAP. 😍😉⁣

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It’s sort of like that feeling right before you walk on stage,⁣
Or when the game is about to start,⁣
Or when you can’t wait for Christmas.⁣
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Yep, I get THIS excited when my company launches a brand new fitness program. 😂 I got to try the sample workout this morning and I am ALREADY sore. 😳 it’s going to be based on lifting heavy to build muscle and burn fat. 🔥😍 ⁣
I am constantly switching up what I’m doing for my fitness, and I ALWAYS finish a program that I start. This one will be no different. I’ve recently gotten back into lifting if you haven’t noticed from my stories, and I am LOVING. IT. 💪🏼 So it feels perfect to keep that up and dive into a 3-week program based on lifting and shredding muscle. ⁣
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Want to try the sample workout for free and see what the hype is about?! Drop your email below if DM it to me and I’ll get you the link ASAP. 😘

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Today Christian and I brought Elaina up to the fountains on campus, and afterwards drove around the college town thinking about all the memories we’ve shared here for the past 6 years. ⁣
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We both fell in love with Jesus here, we met and fell in love with each other... and this evening we experienced a beautiful full-circle moment thinking about all God has done in our lives in this small town. And we got to bring our little girl along with us. 💕⁣
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I have so many dreams. At the top of that list is being a wife and a mama. I love being a mom more than anything. I love being a coach and making this dream of raising children become a reality. I never want to have to leave them to go to work, and coaching gives me the opportunity to dream big without being afraid of such a thought. ⁣
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I choke up often when I think about how much the Lord has done in our lives, in our little family, with this opportunity to build an income by coaching, and to raise children who will hopefully love Jesus someday too. ⁣
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Thank you, Father. ❤️

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You might not know this about me, but right when I started coaching, I lost a whopping... 5 pounds, maybe. Probably solely because I started eating vegetables every day for the first time in my life. No more bagels and cereal for dinner, Charissa. 😅⁣
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Seriously though, there’s this belief that to be a health and fitness coach, you first need to have a cool success story. My own story is proof that this is completely false. My business exploded because I fell in love with the way I was feeling and I wouldn’t shut up about it on my social media. (Still haven’t shut up about it 1 1/2 years later, if you couldn’t tell). ⁣
I helped 10 new ladies get started on their own journey within a couple weeks of starting, and all the coaches on my team were like, “who the heck is this girl anyways?!” 😂 ⁣
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So just in case you were thinking, “I’d LOVE to try this coaching thing, but I’m not even where I want to be, so how could I inspire others?” My coaching success is 99% from showing up every day in my stories to do my workout and work on myself, and then I help other ladies do the same. ⁣
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I’m hosting a 1-hour training tomorrow to explain more about this coaching opportunity, so if you have a little pinch (or big handful 🤔) of curiosity, fill out the “WORK WITH ME” link in my bio or message me and I’ll add ya in!

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I felt absolutely beautiful one week after delivering a baby JUST as much as I do nine months later. ⁣
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Hear me on this. 👇🏼⁣
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I didn’t NEED to lose weight nine months ago. ⁣
I didn’t NEED to start exercising again, or to make healthy choices, or to push myself. ⁣
I didn’t NEED to lose the baby weight and “feel good” in my skin again, because I felt so confident and beautiful in my skin already. Do you believe me?⁣
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What I DID need... was to GROW. 🌸 ⁣
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I needed to challenge myself every day more than the one before so that I didn’t sit at where I was and never make progress. Just like when you work at a new job, you aren’t going to get promoted and make more money if you decide you’re going to be the same employee every week as you were on your first day. ⁣
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I’m challenging you today. You don’t HAVE to... lose weight, get strong, make healthier choices... but what ARE you doing then? Remaining stagnant? Are you being better than you were last week? Last month? A year ago? If not, it’s time to re-evaluate and step the heck up. I didn’t get these results by sitting on the sidelines, sister, and neither will you. ⁣
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Fill out the link in my bio or message me if you are ready to level up with me this July. 💪🏼 🔥 ⁣

Every day being your mama gets even better than before. 💕
I have always wanted to be a mother, even though I could have had no idea how hard the responsibility of caring for a new human would be. I just always knew it was what I wanted to do.
I feel like people speak more easily about the trials of being a parent, but there’s so much to love about it that I wonder why I don’t hear about the good parts more? Every day I feel like I could explode with gratitude that God gave this little beauty to me. Maybe I’m still new and ignorant since Elaina is only 9 months... but so far, this journey of motherhood only seems to get more fulfilling by the day. ❤️

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My fashion moves between full makeup, colorful lipstick, floral dress and braided hair, ⁣..to no makeup (currently complete with breakouts from wearing my mask), flat hair, black spandex, and a boring top. And apparently pour tan lines. ⁣
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Can you guess which one I am today? 😂 ⁣
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Hey, it was a very full day of coach work over here, and I ain’t mad being able to do what I love while living in my comfy clothes. 😉 ⁣
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Now that my county is finally (finally!!!) opening up and I have an amazing July filled with seeing my two best friends, going on vacation, and a wedding celebration, I’m suddenly looking at my current wardrobe and feeling pretty unimpressed... I need help!! 😅⁣
What are your all-time favorite places to find your cute summer clothes?? Looking for any and all suggestions. 👇🏼

How is my little lady 9 months old?? 😭
Every day, more of her personality blossoms and we fall more in love with the way God created her. 💜

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A day in the life...⁣
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Our 4:30 alarm was brutal. ⁣
Said goodbye to Christian and crushed leg day from week 3 of the hardest fitness program I’ve ever gone through. ⁣
Played with Elaina and took her to the park after breakfast. ⁣
Cranked out coach work while she took her morning nap. ⁣
Gave a live training to the babes in my coach mentorship on how to hit your first rank as a coach and make more money. 🤙🏼💵 ⁣
Played with Elaina, who was being the cutest little munchkin ever and I couldn’t stop spamming my Instagram stories with her preciousness. 🥰 ⁣
Cranked out some more coach work during afternoon nap before heading out to work the rest of the evening at the restaurant. ⁣
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Maybe life won’t always look like this, but for now I’m working in the little pockets of time I have to build an income as a coach that will bring me home full-time with my little family...⁣
and there is NOTHING more motivating to me than that. 💕

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Before the pandemic, I was struggling in a dry season of my faith. I wasn’t reading or praying very much, I felt distant from the Lord, disconnected from other Christians, and I felt alone in my struggles. ⁣
I’ve grown a lot in these last few months in ways I did not expect. I am so thirsty for God’s word and to know what He is saying amidst the chaos and division in our country right now. Christian and I have had long, hard conversations that often go late into the night. I wake up afraid and anxious almost every day in a way I’ve never felt before, and turning to Jesus is the only hope I feel anymore. ⁣
Yes, it’s so important to fuel our body with exercise and correct nutrition and community. You know I preach this like crazy in my social media. ⁣
But even more important is to feed our souls with the hope we have in Jesus. Our souls are eternal, and I feel an urgency to nurture my faith more than ever lately. ⁣
Did you grow stronger through these long months of the quarantine, and if you did, are you a little surprised?! I know I did not expect this, but as crazy as it is to admit... I’m so grateful it happened.

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Both pictures said the same number on the scale. Both pictures are drastically different. ⁣
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When I first began to coach, I was mostly looking to feel better, to heal myself from the inside out from my constant nausea and chronic pain, and to feel confident with how I was taking care of my body. But when I began, I was certain I was supposed to lose weight to inspire anyone. I would stare at pictures of skinny, fit girls and believe that should be my goal. ⁣
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I’ve learned in the two years since the photo on the left that I don’t need to look skinnier to be able to coach other women. Now, I fight to become stronger and healthier, without being too concerned about a certain body type or weight. I don’t even bother letting myself look at photos of other women, because as soon as I focus on loving my workouts and healthy choices, I feel FREE to be more confident and to coach all the women who join me. ⁣
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Do you long for this type of freedom? Consider how much your life could change by just pouring into your journey rather than aiming for an ideal beauty that society tells you... ❤️

Happy First Father’s Day to this amazing man and daddy to Elaina Grace. I love watching you care for her and how much you care for our family. 💕