Shelli's Whole Life

Every time I get out this little pink Kitchenaid, my 2 year old comes running into the kitchen, her curls bouncing along with her, asking to help me! ⁣
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When I found out I was having a girl, I immediately imagined me and my girl in front of this little pink mixer together, just like I did with my own mom. I hoped that she would enjoy it as much as I do! ⁣
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What hobbies of yours did you hope your kids would love too?

Do I still have rolls & loose skin? YES⁣⁣
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Do I wish I didn’t? YES⁣⁣
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But do I love myself anyway? YES!!⁣⁣
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You can love yourself and want your body to change at the same time. It is possible!⁣⁣
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I tried hating myself thin. It worked in the short term, but the weight always came back.⁣⁣
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But when I started to LOVE myself and treat my body with respect, everything changed! ⁣⁣
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I exercise to give my body the movement it craves - NOT to punish it for the way it looks⁣⁣
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I eat healthy foods to fuel my body and to feel my best. I don’t starve it or eat until I feel sick.⁣⁣
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And most importantly, I speak kindly to myself. Our inner critic can be the worst voice in the world. I work hard to re-write my inner monologue and turn it positive.⁣⁣
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How do you practice self-love?

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I'll never forget how I felt in that before photo. I was smiling, but on the inside I was drowning. ⁣
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Becoming a mom was harder than I expected. So was helplessly watching my dad lose his battle with cancer. There wasn't a day that went by where I didn't end up in tears. ⁣
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I knew I had a lot of weight to lose - I could feel it in everything I did. I couldn't carry my baby up the stairs without stopping to take a break. I had to wear my wedding ring around my neck because it no longer fit my finger. I hated getting dressed every morning when nothing I owned fit.⁣
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So I decided to make a change. I decided that I deserved to be happy and healthy. That my daughter deserved that from me. I decided I was WORTH IT.⁣
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My 30 min workouts became my me-time & my stress-reliever. I started working out instead of eating my feelings. And I found they actually gave me MORE energy!⁣
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I ate whole nutritious foods, and started to feel good again - no more chronic heartburn and upset stomach.⁣
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Most importantly - I found a COMMUNITY. Those other women going through the same thing as me motivated me to push past my excuses and make time for myself. I check into my group every morning and see those women crushing their workouts and it makes me want to keep going! We share our struggles and celebrate our successes together in an uplifting way and it truly made a world of difference in my success. ⁣
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I have 2 spots left in my group this month - If you'd like to learn more send me a DM or fill out the link in my bio.⁣

⛷ Night Ski 🎿⁣
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A full ski day + night skiing + another full ski day in the books! In the past I have always been too tired to go out again for a night ski, but this trip I felt like I could just keep going forever!⁣
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I have spent the last few months following 2 short (just 30 min a day) workout programs that focused heavily on core & lower body and I am definitely feeling the extra strength this ski season! My legs don’t fatigue as easily and I can stay out on the mountain a lot longer than I ever could before!⁣
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When you’re in the middle of changing your body, it can be hard to see all the benefits that will come with time. You fight the snooze button, struggle through the muscle soreness, and think about quitting, but it eventually pays off! You start to realize things are easier for you now than they were before - both everyday things like carrying your toddler around and bigger things like increased ski stamina! ⁣
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You just gotta keep going. One day at a time. One workout at a time. One healthy meal at a time.

⛷ 1st day of skiing at Whitefish Mountain! 🎿 ⁣
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The weather here was kind of crazy though. Beautiful and sunny one minute and super foggy the next which made skiing a challenge. Being completely surrounded by fog makes you a little dizzy!⁣
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We love the Montana ski vibe! Big Sky is our usual spot, but we tried a new resort this time to branch out. We are pretty laid back skiers and the atmosphere (and no crowds) here are more our style than the typical Vail-esque resorts.⁣
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Do you ski? Where do you love to go? We are always looking for new places to try out! @ Whitefish Mountain Resort

One day in July, I was sitting in my therapist’s office at one of my regular appointments. After a long conversation she said “I think you need to find something positive to put your energy into.”⁣
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She wanted me to add something to my plate?? I was leading a company with 700+ people in 3 countries. I had a 2 year old at home. I was still sorting through my dad’s complicated estate and recovering from my tummy tuck. I felt like I was too busy to take on something else.⁣
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On the outside my life looked great - I was my own boss, just built the home of our dreams, and got to travel the world. But on the inside I was unhappy and barely keeping it together. She was right - I didn’t have anything positive to focus on that gave me passion and fulfillment.⁣
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That very same week, my coach reached out and asked me if I’d consider doing what she does as a coach. It felt like fate. I loved the programs already and she spoke so highly of the community and friendship and I definitely needed that in my life so I said YES and went for it!⁣
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Now, I have a community where I feel like I belong. I look forward to our video calls, where everyone is smiling, positive, and eager to help each other out! Helping people change their lives gives me purpose and passion and the women that I coach in my groups give me so much motivation and support. I have found that thing my therapist told me I needed 😊⁣
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If you’re interested in seeing if what I do as a coach is right for you, go follow where later this week me and my teammates will be hosting a no obligation coaching information session. I would love to share this opportunity with you!

Mom life is HARD.⁣
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I was home alone with my toddler today. Just me and my crazy 2 year old. I love this girl more than anything in the world, but I am not cut out to be a stay at home mom. I need a break from the chaos and some adult interaction. I need my career to keep me sane.⁣
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She gets me all frustrated and exhausted and it’s everything I can do not to yell at her - a task in which I am only sometimes successful. I know I can’t be the only one who feels like this, right?⁣
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I know hating the “terrible twos” phase doesn’t make me a bad mom, but sometimes I feel that mom guilt over not being super excited to spend the day with her, just us.⁣
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Are you a SAHM or do you work outside the home?

1 year (and a tummy tuck) separate these pictures and I weigh the same in both. That means I have successfully maintained my 50 lb weight loss for over a year now. (Swipe to see where I was before I lost weight)⁣
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Its a strange feeling being in maintenance for so long and not gaining the weight back. Never in my life have I stayed the same weight for a whole year! Here’s how my story went: Crash diet. Lose weight. Give up on the crazy unhealthy diet. Gain the weight back plus some. Repeat. The longest I think I stayed at my “goal weight” was a couple of months.⁣
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So what’s different this time? I follow a SUSTAINABLE nutrition plan. No calorie counting, and no cutting out food groups. It teaches portion control and balanced macros. I learned how to eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies, and still enjoy chocolate and wine in moderation.⁣
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I also found a community to join that gave me that extra support and motivation I needed. Now I coach other women on how to find the same success I did through my monthly accountability groups - Fill out the link in my bio or leave a comment below to learn more! @ Wentzville, Missouri

I think I’ve finally gotten into a groove with my hair. (This is yesterday’s hair, I am far too hungover to do anything with it today!) I’ve been getting more reliable results and less frizz, which is awesome!⁣
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I do wish I could get bigger clumps, it looks a little bit stringy sometimes and I haven’t quite figured that out yet! Any of my fellow curly girls have any tips to get bigger clumpier curls?⁣
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Yesterday I was on a time crunch, so I just did a co-wash with Monat Hydrating conditioner. Then used the curl cream and sculpting taffy, and diffused for about an hour til it was 90% dry and I ran out of time!

Confession time: I went completely off the rails Christmas week 😬 I ate ALL the cookies and was even back to drinking soda 😳⁣
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But it’s OK. I no longer beat myself up over and over for how I ate. Yesterday is over and today is a new day. ⁣
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To help break those bad habits that crept back in, I did another refresh - 3 days of vegan eating. Fruits, veggies, healthy fats, and shakes to reset my sugar cravings and cut all my bloat out - 7 lbs of it! I’m back to where I was pre-holidays and ready to get back to my normal nutrition routine!⁣
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This reset is a tool I use when I feel like I am out of control and can’t get a handle on my eating. I use it to jumpstart myself back into my healthy habits. ⁣
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If you need a post-holiday reset - comment below (or send me a message) and I’ll get ya more details on what I did! @ Wentzville, Missouri

Swipe to see my 6 month Tummy Tuck progression⁣⁣
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Having this surgery was definitely the hardest but BEST thing I did in 2019. All the pain of recovery was 100% worth the results.⁣⁣
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I gained a lot of weight during my pregnancy, and was already overweight before. At 9 months postpartum I was still getting asked when I was due regularly. I was tired all the time and drowning in my responsibilities of running an international company, caring for a new baby, and taking care of my dying father. I was putting everyone else first. Eventually I came to a point where I had to do something to take care of myself first so that I could better care for others. I changed my nutrition, and I started working out at home and I found a community of women doing the same. ⁣⁣
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I lost 50 lbs and with that came loose and sagging skin. I loved my body and treated it with respect, but also wanted it to change. So I decided to go back to my surgeon (who did my breast augmentation in 2010) and get that body I worked so hard for! ⁣⁣
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I had an extended tummy tuck with muscle tightening and lipo, as well as a breast lift and re-augmentation. ⁣
⁣prada did a phenomenal job, and I could not be happier with my results! @ St. Louis Cosmetic Surgery

🎄 Juliana and Sean’s Christmas Tradition! ⁣
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Every year growing up Sean’s mom took a picture of him putting a special bell or ornament on the tree. ⁣
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When Juliana was born, Sean’s parents got her a bell ornament on her own and we continued the tradition with her, just like her daddy did.⁣
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It’s really neat to look back on the photos each year and see how she grows. This is her 3rd Christmas! I love little special traditions like this! 💕 ⁣
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What traditions do you have? @ Wentzville, Missouri

Curly hair through the year. Man I miss my long hair! I’m growing it back out now because I miss it. Short hair was nice through my surgery and the summer, but I want my long curls back now.⁣
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I started following the curly girl method in February, and have been pretty surprised at how curly my hair actually is. I always thought it was wavy and just a mess all the time, but reallyI just needed to treat it differently. Also, how did they look so good in September? Been struggling to get that level of definition lately.

6 months post Mommy Makeover!⁣
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I almost can’t believe its been 6 months already. Once I got past the 6 week mark, it seemed to go by so fast. Those first 3 weeks were HELL, and the next 3 sucked too. But at week 6, I was cleared for all exercise and just went full steam ahead without looking back and all of the sudden I’m 6 months post op. ⁣
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Recovery has been very smooth and my core is feeling super strong. I could not be happier with how things have turned out, and it was the BEST decision to have this work done!⁣
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Check out my stories for what my scar looks like today.⁣
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What I had done:⁣
-tummy tuck with muscle tightening & lipo⁣
-breast lift with pocket adjustment (to push them closer together)⁣
-removal of saline implants and replacement with silicone ⁣

Our little family is looking better and better every year! ⁣
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I started this journey for myself. I had to decide I wanted this new lifestyle and make it happen for me. I couldn’t wait on my husband or someone else to do it with me. Sean has always been supportive of me making changes for myself. He has always been willing to cook whatever I plan out for dinners - and I so grateful for that- but he has never wanted to go ALL IN with me or be my workout buddy.⁣
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And that’s OK. You can’t force someone else to change if they don’t want to, but you can learn to influence what your family eats together. (And they might see some progress as a result!) You CAN decide to be healthy on your own. You CAN decide to exercise by yourself. And when you have the support from a community of women all doing the same, it makes it easier to keep going when you don’t have that extra support at home.⁣
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Do you need a little extra support and guidance to make a change in 2020? Come join our community! Send me a message and we can find a program that’s right for you.⁣

❄️ SNOW DAY! ⛄️ ⁣
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We got out today for some family fun in the snow today! Juliana LOVES the snow and seeing her roll around and play in it is the cutest! It’s been snowing here all day and still going!⁣
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Is it snowing where you are? @ Wentzville, Missouri

As I sit on yet another trans-pacific flight, I wanted to share my TOP 5 TIPS for surviving a 12+ hour flight. I fly mostly business class these days, but that wasn’t always the case - I spent many many years flying back in coach and these tips apply to wherever you are sitting on the plane.⁣
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✈️ NOISE CANCELING HEADPHONES - make sure they are comfortable because you’ll be wearing them A LOT. I have tried so many different ones, but the QC 35 is what I wear now.⁣
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✈️ COMFY CLOTHES - I am not a fashionista by any means, but a long flight is no place for jeans and heels in my opinion (even though I see people doing that a lot!) And LAYERS. You never know if it will be hot or cold on the plane sometimes you get both on a long flight. If I am back in coach I bring my own travel blanket as well (they provide blankets in business class)⁣
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✈️ HYDRATE - Bring your own water because they never come around often enough with it. To fight swelling and help jet lag lots of water is a MUST⁣
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✈️ MOVE - when you aren’t sleeping, get up and walk around every hour. It seems weird at first to pace the aisles, but as long as the seatbelt sign is off it’s totally OK and is great for your circulation. Bonus: if you’re drinking enough water you’ll have to get up ever hour to use the restroom anyway 😉 ⁣
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✈️ SLEEP on the time zone your headed to - set your watch by the time zone you’re going to and the your best to sleep when you should be sleeping there. This sometimes means skipping a movie to sleep OR having some coffee to stay awake. It’s HARD but it will help jet lag tremendously!⁣
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Have you ever taken a 12+ hour flight? Tell me where!

All dressed up for my work holiday party. Juliana hates posing for photos, so we settled on cute photo booth pics, which she loved!⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I just love this little family of mine! 💕

A few highlights from our Thanksgiving getaway to Puerto Rico! We spent lots of time at the beach and pool, hiked the rainforest, went to the Fort in San Juan, and drank lots of Piña Coladas.⁣
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Every other year or so we get out of town for the holidays, this year we brought our parents so it was the best of both worlds!⁣
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Do you travel on the holidays or stay in town? @ San Juan, Puerto Rico

🦷🦷🦷 I am officially DONE with Invisalign today! Swipe to see my before and after 🤩 Got my little buttons taken off and new photos taken 😁 And what a difference! ⁣
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19 trays & 38 weeks is all it took to fix my smile! My front teeth no longer touch, which means they won’t get chipped and worn down anymore! Overall it was an annoyance, not too much pain after the first 2 weeks, and the time really flew by pretty quickly.⁣
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Now I just have a few months of retainers left before I am completely done - 24/7 for a bit then only at night, and the retainers are so much less annoying than those bumps I had attached to my teeth! ⁣
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And I can start whitening them now too! So excited that I’ve got my new smile for Christmas! @ Creative Smiles at WingHaven

2 years ago on our Thanksgiving beach vacay ➡️ this year’s Thanksgiving getaway.⁣
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It’s not about the 50lbs I’ve lost. It’s not about the tummy tuck, or the muscles I’ve built. The real change is in my confidence and self-worth. I mean just look at how closed off I was! I can hardly find a photo from back then where I am not hiding behind my arms or someone or something else.⁣
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And that attitude didn’t come from how I look now, because believe me I can still find things to tear myself apart over if I let my mind go there. It’s from finally pouring into myself first. Deciding that I was worth loving myself and treating my body with respect. It’s from hearing my trainers tell me every single day how much I am strong and capable and worth it until I finally believed it myself.⁣
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Loving your body has nothing to do with your size or shape. You can’t hate yourself thin either, we’ve all tried that before and it doesn’t last. But once you learn to exercise and eat nutritious foods not as punishment but as a reward to your body, then the magic happens.⁣
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There is a new low-impact/high-intensity Barre program releasing soon, and it has a strong component of positive affirmations and self-love principles, which is right up my alley! I am super excited to re-commit to my self love journey and try some new exercises when it releases next month! If you wanna do this with me, just fill out the link in my bio and I’ll tell ya more about it!

This year we jetted off to Puerto Rico for the Thanksgiving holiday with our parents! This was Juliana’s first flight in her own seat which was so nice compared to the 30+ flights she has taken on my lap! ⁣
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Swipe to see her very first flight at 2 months old!⁣ back when she would sleep the whole time!
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Thankful to be able to travel on the holidays and get away from all the hustle and bustle of everyday life.⁣
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Tomorrow we’ll be celebrating by relaxing together on the beach! @ San Juan, Puerto Rico

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I thought about deleting this picture so many times because of the way my stomach looks, but this is REAL, so I am sharing this part too.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Abs are so dependent on positions and angles and lighting and time of day. A soft tummy is NORMAL even after a tummy tuck! I had surgery to remove loose skin and repair my muscles, but I’ve still got rolls and scars and stretch marks. It didn’t magically give me abs 100% of the time, and I didn’t expect it to. ⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Don’t get caught up in comparing yourself to someone else’s perfectly posed picture. There is always going to be something you wish was better about yourself, the trick is figuring out how to love your body despite those things. That starts with the words you say to yourself in your head. For everything negative thing you think, say 3 positive things to yourself to counteract that energy.⁣

Documenting that I actually washed and styled these curls...⁣
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Its so easy to feel inferior as a “curly girl” when I don’t have the energy to do anything but pull it back into a ponytail. Its so easy to get caught up in the comparison trap! But I am proud of these curls when I actually do them, and I’m holding onto that, and I’m still a curly girl even when I hide them in a ponytail 🙂⁣
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First pic: Wash Day - Today⁣
Second Pic: Wet Curls⁣
Third Pic: Pre-Wash - Day 3 - Product Free hair, barely wavy!⁣
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Today I used Monat Renew Shampoo & Conditioner, Deva Curl Leave-In Decadence, and Monat Air Dry Cream⁣
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I also think my super hard Missouri well water is messing with my hair... I really need to get a water softener! @ Maryland Heights, Missouri

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I am a huge introvert! Would you have guessed that about me? Maybe not, but it’s true - I was so shy growing up that my elementary school teachers told my parents they had to do something about it and get me into team sports. 😬 Soccer, softball, basketball, gymnastics, dance, cheerleading... all short lived. I especially hated when my dad decided to become my softball coach!! But it didn’t really make me less shy. 🤷🏼‍♀️⁣
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I still fight the urge to withdraw, stay home, and find excuses to get out of plans I made. I get anxious about events with lots of people. I obsess over meetings and parties before they happen (and afterwards). Joining a sorority in college helped me learn to hide it but it was still really difficult for me to try and be outgoing.⁣
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BUT, I see something shifting in myself lately. I find myself saying YES to things more, seeking out friendships, doing things outside my house, and even striking up conversations with strangers! 😳 Still makes me anxious, but it’s getting better over time.⁣
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It is no doubt connected to me finding this community and becoming a coach. My teammates are positive and uplifting. There is a HUGE focus on personal development, which has helped me heal and grow as a person. I WANT to make it onto our video calls every week. I want to go to events and meet in person with women I’ve only met through coaching. I LOVE being a part of this!⁣
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We are all like-minded women working together to change people’s lives by sharing the programs that changed us. You don’t have to be outgoing or good at sales, because I definitely am NOT and am able to be successful! If you want to be a part of this community too, there is always room for more! Send me a message; I’d love to chat 🙂

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🎉 100 workouts ✅ On the left is Day 1. On the right Day 112. It took me longer than 100 days to complete this and that’s OK.⁣
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There’s not a huge difference in these photos, but I wasn’t going for weightloss. I actually GAINED 8 pounds, mostly muscle I assume, but I also GAINED energy, strength & endurance. And I don’t pay much attention to that scale anymore. Also super pleased with what this program did for my 🍑! (Swipe to see side and back pics)⁣
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I started this program 6.5 weeks post op from my ‘mommy makeover’ (tummy tuck & breast lift). I was basically starting over with my fitness, modifying everything, and still recovering from having my abs stitched together. And let me tell you I was SCARED of this program. I wasn’t confident that I could do it so close to surgery. But I didn’t listen to the self-doubt creeping back in. My doctor cleared me for all exercise and this program had 2 levels of modifiers I could follow. It also progressed in difficulty from day 1 to 100. That made it PERFECT for my recovery journey!⁣
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So if you’re recovering from a surgery, or just getting started on your fitness journey, I can help you with one of these programs! With my support and our group accountability you can reach your goals even through the busy holiday season! Send me a DM or fill out the link my bio for more info. 🙂 @ Wentzville, Missouri

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How to stay healthy on DATE NIGHT! 💕 ⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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❤️ Look up the menu ahead of time to figure out what you can eat that won’t throw you off track. Have a plan and stick to it.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🧡 Order simply grilled chicken or fish (most restaurants will do this for you if it’s not already on the menu) and get 2 veggies as your side items. The potato sides often have heavy cream or cheese hidden in them!⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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💛 Ask the waiter not to bring the bread basket so you aren’t tempted.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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💚 Cut your food in half immediately (or into whatever portion size you plan on eating). That way you don’t eat more than you intend. Restaurant portions are huge! When there is a line drawn in my food it helps me to not overeat.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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💙 Order soda water with lemon or lime instead of a cocktail. Still feels fancy but no added empty calories (and its free!)⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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💜 Do I even have to say turn down the dessert menu? Have fruit at home instead!

⚡️How do you stay motivated?⚡️⁣
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💪🏻 Changing your body is hard. ⁣
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⏰ Getting up early to workout is hard.⁣
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🍰 Turning down that extra piece of cake is hard.⁣
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But you know what is also hard?⁣
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💔 Hating yourself.⁣
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😴 Being tired ALL the time.⁣
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🔥 Having heartburn, high blood pressure, and achy knees from that extra weight. ⁣
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👶🏻 Not being able to be there for your kids.⁣
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You gotta choose your hard. The hard things ARE what motivates me. Those are the things that keep me going EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. ⁣
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That and the support from an amazing group of ladies 😁⁣
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What motivates you?

38 weeks pregnant ➡️ 50 lbs lost ➡️ 5 months post tummy tuck⁣⁣
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I had a rough pregnancy, and a rough postpartum phase. I hated every inch of myself. That level of self-hatred is hard to overcome. It takes practice and work every single day. But I learned to treat my body with LOVE (even though I wanted it to change), which meant exercising and eating healthy foods and making a conscious effort to speak kindly to myself every day.⁣⁣
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The exercise and nutrition programs I follow helped me heal, and lose not only that extra weight, but the negativity as well. They gave me confidence and energy, and they gave me the tools I needed to succeed and maintain my mind & body. ⁣⁣
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I love to share the tools I used with other women who want to change, so I’ve got 4 spots left in my next group:⁣⁣
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💪🏻 30 min workouts ⁣⁣
🍎 Easy meal plan⁣⁣
🎄 Healthy holiday recipes⁣⁣
🦋 Daily motivation ⁣⁣
👯‍♀️ Support & Accountability ⁣⁣
❤️ Me as your coach every step of the way⁣⁣
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Drop a ❤️ and I’ll send ya a message with more info!⁣
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