My Journey, Despite Adversity!

It is Well With My Soul

What a beautiful morning with Jesus. ☕☕
So much perspective he's given me. I was looking back in some old notes from last fall--- and reading 1Thessalonians-- so many things spoke to me. 
I've experienced a time of growth in a way the last few months, or a time to grow from we shall say --as long as I Let God take over, isn't that always it? Putting him back on the throne ��������instead of me?
I always write everything down, thoughts, questions, it's how my brain processes, are you that way? ✴
I think it's not as common, my scattered notes to no end typically leave people smiling in confusion... But I always draw the arrows and word pictures that work in my own mind and it helps my memory and thoughts process. Even with Math I remember creating my own word problems for comprehension.
Rabbit trail: back to my point ����❤
It's crazy how you can quote things in your mind like "seek approval from God not Man" as life is rushing by, but until the Time is quiet and the Holy Spirit's peace and presence is felt, it doesn't register in my heart and change me.
This selfie is a moment not of narcacism but of freedom, in his peace, presence and life he gives me. Owning my imperfections and knowing my inside has to be beautiful and from him so that my outside can show Joy instead of hurt, anxiety , fear or confusion.
I am excited about this week, excited to renew my mind and body. It's time������

Name:  Jen Zakaras

Give me a short paragraph about yourself:  I am a loan officer, mom of 7 year old girl and 10 year old boy… I am a EEK “Dance Mom” … I have lost 30 pounds so far with Beachbody programs since Sep 2013 … I tend to lose 10 and stay the same ---- I have endometriosis so I can be off a week of the month but I never really fall to old habits.  I did have some steroid/adrenal issues last summer that caused me to gain 10 pounds so I’ve lost 40 because I lost 10 again with insanity :0) I just have to be really strict to lose weight.  I love working out/eating healthy and have done so since 1997.  I used to be a little body builder girl before I got married and had kids but have struggled with weight my entire life.

Why are you doing the 21 Day Fix (Extreme) Group?  It’s time to stop the “lifestyle” method and go hard core.  Do it til it’s gone … and I need this right now, I’m ready!  I’ve done slow and steady and YES made a TON of changes but it’s time to make a HUGE change in a short period of time.  I need it.  As a coach I need it too.  Seeing myself in a few pictures…. Was eye opening.  It’s like, wow.. in my mirror I didn’t look that bad!  Why do I look so different in real life?  It’s motivating for sure and I want to look like what my personality is on the inside.  I was able to meet Shaun T recently and I had a great time but would have had SO much more fun if I wasn’t the only overweight person there.  I wanted to scream “but you don’t know what I’ve accomplished”  you don’t know how I love to do insanity and I am the one kicking everyone else in the booty to do it!  It’s hard looking so different than how you feel.

Choose a goal to reach one week from your start date:  My goal is to follow the program exactly and that’s it.  I found if I make weight goals that doesn’t work for me because sometimes my body loses tons of inches and not weight and other times it’s weight I lose and either way it’s a success if I did what I was supposed to.  Specifically I also want to journal all my food and put it on my like page which I haven’t shared to the public yet J

What is your week 2 goal:  stick with it with the same intensity as week one.  Have a complete calendar and meal plan in place and purchased and prepared by Sunday.  Workouts scheduled.

What is your week 3 goal:  After 21 days I am hoping I have lost at least 10 pounds.  I’m not sure what that brings me to because today my weigh in was 5 pounds more because I am having my cycle and endo this month so I had to take medicine that messes with my body and makes me gain temporary weight.  I also want to follow the countdown to competition plan the last week.

What is your week 4 goal: Start another round and not allow extra’s. I want two successful rounds.  I am going to have one date night/cheat in between rounds so I have something to look forward to.

What is the biggest challenge for you and why do you want to do this challenge?

My biggest challenge is too much going on at once and stress.  I like to eat healthy and work out….. it’s fun for me.  Between coaching and my full time job I get overwhelmed with everything I should be doing.  I need to keep this most important.  Also just not ever having wine etc.  I don’t drink a ton but I like to have that to look forward to on weekends but I know it’s what keeps me the same weight.  I lost 10 pounds the first month of Insanity and I didn’t’ even want wine anymore and then the holidays and my birthday etc came and slowly came back.  I liked that empowering feeling.

What a Difference a Year Makes--- My Weight Loss changes with Beachbody Programs

Ahhhhh Cafe Americano...... Thank you to the HUBBY... So in light of my shirt feeling like a dress yesterday I decided to look back at the last year and see if I really made that many changes... sometimes as you're working hard each day through life's up and downs you can forget what you accomplish in the day to day.... The Compound Effect over time.
I still get tears in my eyes.... Still am SO thankful for the amazing results you get when you don't leave anything out!
Yes we need to eat healthy, yes we need to exercise.... but how many of us know that already? I'm guessing everyone... IT'S DOING IT that is the REAL LIFE STRUGGLE!
SO THIS is the MAGIC... This is where it's at...... This is what makes a difference... Someone to encourage you.... Accountability with others.... Posting each day what my day was like good or bad in a private group, sharing the struggles and joys. Advice when needed... Education and fun for Delicious easy food to eat, and workouts done in less than 30 minutes a day that are MORE effective than the hours I've spent at the gym since 1998. Nowhere to drive, no excuses.. Just PUSHING PLAY! And on the days I don't want to? I have an ENTIRE group that does want to! I don't know HOW many times just seeing one post made me pop that DVD in before I could think twice, or say NO to the temptations of mindless eating that just makes you miserable.
I am truly thankful for not only the changes in my appearance and how I feel but my health changes as well.... and THIS is why I am so passionate about it! Because NO WHERE ELSE gets it ALL Right! I've DONE IT ALL!
Personal trainers, weight watchers, nutritionist at the Dr.... but THIS is the secret... NO MAGIC PILL...
But ME, your coach, believing in you... along with a group of people that you will MISS when you have a bad time.. and WILL come back.
I'm Thankful so much for everyone's support of my journey and my Dreams of helping others never feel small.... or alone like I felt last year, not wanting to leave my house embarrassed at how I looked and felt. This is why I WILL NOT GIVE UP ON YOU!
It's time to start thinking of what you want your year to look like, what do YOU want for your life in Dec of 2015? If you would like to lose weight, improve your health talk to me about how I can help!
OR maybe YOU have a passion for helping others in the area of health or fitness---even if you have to learn how.... and would like to join my Team in encouraging people while working on your journey at the same time and making a little extra money..... Message me and I would LOVE to support you and answer questions!
What a wonderful reflection of a year that had some really hard times.... but a blessing through it all! 

No Excuses! Don't let discouragement get you down....

Ahaaa love this---Made me laugh  

Since my cortisone shots (feelin puffy). And rot cuff
issues I have TOTALLY let the excuses creep in! 

I don't know what is up
with me but when I can't do everything I have a hard time doing
ANYTHING...Crazy Right??!! 

For example just legs and cardio and not upper
body will STILL make progress but it's more of a mental block. I'm too much
of a perfectionist and I like to know I'm doing everything that works.
Which is frankly STUPID! Lower fix and abs today felt amazing and I can't
wait until tomorrow to get an extra mile in my walk prep for "Spicy" (a
relay I am doing with my friend in 30 days along the Oregon coast) and heal
with Pilates.

 Do you need a wake up? ✅ 

I know I know... but I totally did
too, we're human !! Just start.. do something today, a walk... anything and
if you'd like some extra encouragement message me @
https://www.facebook.com/jenzakaras    Have an amazing day!  

I wanted to give an update! I weighed myself today because I haven't for awhile and wanted a "starting point" for the fix and my eating clean this week--- plus with superbowl etc I was a little nervous about it. I was down two pounds from my low! So I already got to move 2 hearts from Funky to Spunky 

This is something I saw a month or so ago and have wanted to do it since, today I decided I wasn't putting it off any longer! So this is an example but many people use Marbles (I almost did). Someone else I saw used Nails for "nailed it" in T25. I went to the dollar store and got some fun things. For me... as I've been on this journey, a fun part is feeling like myself again... getting my "spunk" back, my personality! A fun inspiration for me is to once again feel fashionable, look like I feel on the inside, wear things I love---that are really my style. Feel like I can do a "hot" date night with my hubby and feel like it! I am fun, I am spunky.. and somehow I became an introvert these past few years! If you knew me you wouldn't think this was possible! I LOVE our challenge groups and the friends I've made because I realize a part of that was just missing friends. A fun assignment today is try to create some sort of goal for you, if you do not have a lot of weight to lose maybe it's how many times you work out this month, or maybe it's a health goal like how many times you bypassed soda or drank your shakeology... whatever it is try to create a visual! I am so excited to lose my first pound and put it in my FAB glass ! Bring on the heels! 




Happy Friday! A great day so far, I think I may have FINALLY figured out the right combination of workouts to do with my shoulder... YAYY! The 10 minute stretch literally works all my wounded areas in a help not hurt way. Today I made myself go to the firestarter class and learn the moves really well, me with my impatience loves the super high speed Turbo 30. In the middle I was a bit frustrated with my lack of coordination and RIGHT at that time Chalene Says something to the effect of: You think you are uncoordinated? You won't get this? Those are just LABELS you tell yourself. Don't use negative labels for yourself!! That's NOT YOU! And it's not true, unless you convince yourself it is! I was also starting to get them down and SUPER excited about it! So remember, to feel accomplished and experience the joy of that it can't be easy! Seriously AWESOME Takeaway from this morning and applies to ANY area of your life! Make it a great day and tell yourself YOU CAN!



First week of P90x3 in the bag. I love this workout! Warrior is done... with the exception of a major emotional breakdown tantrum during one arm one leg pushups. My body was not into it today and I was mad! lol. I do not workout well at night, but it got done! It's funny I was hearing the 80's song "i am the warrior when I started" when he said he did sets of 4 I love that, that's what I do at the gym when I go and it's so successful... so of course this is the workout that killed me. I think next week I will do much better and in the MORNING  This is what I have to go on today....

Remember the scale doesn't always tell you the truth this is way more fun--my weight has been going down but muscle really burns fat! On top of it each day the last two days someone has told me wow look at those legs and yesterday what are you doing? ️ and I tried on an outfit I didn't think I could wear for my Christmas party tonight and it looks awesome and feels amazing! Yayy! I've had fun times I've not been perfect and it just shows that consistency not perfection will bring results and this is real life stuff!! No fad diets here!

 

 

The magic of pulling a jacket out that hasn't looked nice in years, Telling yourself it will probably still not look ok, and it fits! all I've wanted since My surgeries is to just throw on a jacket and feel like myself. I know I have a long ways to go but it's so fun to feel like me! The scale would tell me that this shouldn't fit ----but muscle burns fat baby!!!!

9 29 13 I started a 30 day Shakeology challenge.  

10 22 13 start Chalene Extreme. 

11 12 13 finally looked at my pictures. 

11 20 13 30 days Chalene Extreme. 

During this time I had severe back and pelvic pain, was in the ER and ICU for a few days, My husband's Grandma died and there are emotional issues with his family, and his mom broke her hip. Normally these are things that would distract me and I would focus "the next day"... not with my challenge group! You are in for a treat and I can't wait for my pictures in 30 days! Push 1 goes TOMORROW! (p.s.) This is very brave of me... my personality is I love working out and eating healthy but rarely have success, just successful medical records. When I looked at my before last week I was so stunned I did my workout and couldn't smile! I know it sounds crazy.. but that's HOW SURPRISED I WAS that I ACTUALLY LOST WEIGHT! I NEVER DO! So there you have it  Now to get the courage to share the pictures with others... the before is SO embarrasing! (there are 4 pictures....)

Nov 12 2013







I cried when I saw my picture from three weeks ago..... It took 15 minutes to get over it and just started week 4. I used to work out double the time and drive to the gym to get there and I did so much. Had this workout for years and thought it wasn't enough for me. Thank goodness I could get over my own self to just do what it says. Twice the results half the time and healing my body instead of hurting it. Happy day, I really just can't smile, i'm still in shock.....4 week pics coming soon, if I'm brave!!