The struggle is less painful than regret.

Listening to personal development the last couple weeks has really helped me look at things a lot differently. I have really started to think about what I really want to do in life, what I want my purpose to be and how I am going to work on getting there. It's amazing how just a few positive actions every day can change your outlook on life.

I want to share with you my struggles in life, and how I will never regret making any of the decisions I did to get to where I am today. The sole purpose of me sharing this is not for you to feel pity for me, because the last thing I want or need is a pity party. I am simply sharing this because I know what it feels like to feel the pain of being neglected, unwanted, rejected, hopeless, to feel taken advantage of, and to feel completely and utterly defeated. But with a positive mindset, and the willingness to keep fighting even when the world is doing everything in its power to knock you down... you will have the strength to stand two feet taller with a huge smile on your face feeling that sense of accomplishment and knowing damn well, you will NEVER be defeated.

So growing up, if you know me, was not all that glamorous. I was the middle child of four girls. We constantly had hand me downs, we shopped at thrift stores regularly, lived on a very tiny budget and moved A LOT. When I say moved a lot, I REALLY MEAN A LOT. Did we have a good enough reason to move all the time, NOT AT ALL... financial issues arose, family matters came about, life got in the way, and there we were - packing up the boxes, on the move again. In all honesty, I felt like we were constantly running from our issues instead of dealing with them.

While I want to share with you all my struggles and the ways I was able to overcome them, it may be a bit overwhelming for me to really dig deep down and share with you these moments. While some I will not share, others I find it important for you to know that other people sometimes struggle with the same thing... and come out of these situations stronger than ever. While this is not all of them, I am going to do these in phases, to hear more -- you will have to come back around!

Struggle: From Kindergarten until 9th grade, I had attended NINE different schools. NINE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS in two different states (Pennsylvania & Tennessee), definitely a struggle. In second grade, I had attended three different schools that year.... how can any child manage this constant change.... I couldn't commit to any sports, cheering (which I LOVED) or any other activities because we were constantly moving. I cheered one year in 3rd grade, tried out for the dance team in 8th grade made the team and then a few days later found out we were moving again so I wasn't able to experience that... I was able to finally try out for cheering at my new High School, made the basketball squad, cheered until I graduated and it is definitely one of my favorite past times. During the three years I cheered, our basketball squad was a competition squad so we did a few competitions and ended up qualifying to cheer in WALT DISNEY WORLD. Talk about being ecstatic, we ended up getting first place in Florida and it was seriously a dream come true, to be on that floor in front of hundreds, if not thousands of other cheerleaders! Most amazing experience ever for my limited cheering career.

Struggle: If I made a friend who I got really close to at a new school, 3 months later we were on the road moving somewhere else and I never saw them again. It wasn't until 9th grade where I finally finished my four years of school at the SAME school. It was the longest we had ever stayed in one place, and this I was very grateful for because I was able to find some of my very best/life long friends. Making friends WAS NOT an easy task either. I was very shy and well, yes... people can be very judgmental and not want to add the "new kid" to their circle of friends. It was definitely rough going into high school not knowing a SINGLE PERSON. Eventually people approached me and I was able to find my small group of friends who were so welcoming and friendly! I absolutely adore my friends to pieces.

Struggle: A very, very small budget does not go very far, especially for a six person family. You need food, hygiene products, have bills to pay, etc., which left little to no money for the fun things such as family vacations, going out with friends, birthday parties, etc. I took my first vacation, one that I had paid for myself a week after graduating high school - Senior Trip to Myrtle Beach. I started working at the age of fourteen to pay for the clothes I wanted, and to be able to actually go hang out with friends. When you don't have a lot of money, you miss out on a lot of fun things but it then that helps you realize the value of a dollar.

While all of these struggles may seem so small, add them all up and you put a lot of mental stress on a person. While as a kid/teenager growing up, it really depresses you and it was difficult getting through this lifestyle.. But here are some of the ways I have overcome these struggles the last couple of years.

Learn to be Grateful: I am grateful I was able to cheer four years during my school years grade school career and experience the excitement it brought to me. I know that there were some families who couldn't afford to let their children do any sports so I am glad I got to experience it for the few years I did.

Appreciate the people in your life: The friends I made during my last four years of high school are still some of my very best friends, and I couldn't imagine my life without them. From being my college roommate, to my gorgeous bridesmaids in my wedding.. the distance between us now means so little when we're all together and reminisce on the great times we had together. We know get to watch each other grow with their families and remain life long friends!!

Great work ethic: Growing up living on a tight budget, it helps you appreciate the things you do have in life. I always paid for everything after I got my job because I did not want to have that burden on my mom having to scrape up the change to be able to purchase things for my siblings. Not having to pay for my school clothes or anything else, helped her have more spending money for the other three girls. You learn that you must work hard for the things you want in life. If you can't get it at a certain point in your life, you are determined to work extra hard to make sure you will get it in the near future. In the end this makes you a FIGHTER.

Why am I telling you all this... because experiencing a crazy life growing up, I feel I came to be quite successful. I am happily married, living with my husband, puppy and kitty! I was able to purchase my first brand new car with ZERO miles on it back in 2012, I have a decent paying job, I put myself through college... every single penny of the way and I am finding ways to live my life better every single day. I may have went through a rough time to get here, always said "why me, why me" but now, I am saying "why not me" and there is no one stopping me from reaching my goals. I want you to know it's okay to not like these past events in your life, but when you overcome them you become that much stronger. You have to keep fighting like the warrior you are. Eventually, you will get there.

"We cannot allow the past to affect where we are or where we are going. Some of us had been chipped away at, but we can be whole again if we just put the past behind us. Stay in the darkness or find the light." - Craig Holiday

If you would like to chat with me about anything or even have any questions - please comment you email below. 

For more motivation, inspiration and health tips: 
Follow me on Instagram: @maketodayyourotmorrow
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Email: tbbcoachsteph87@gmail.com

Take a risk. Take a Chance.

What if one day you woke up and you said you know what, today is the day. Today is the day I am going to put me first, I am going to work really hard to reach my goals, and I won’t stop until I get there.

What if you looked back a year to date, and saw someone in the mirror who you never imagined being. You saw someone more confident; saw someone who had bigger dreams, and bigger goals. You saw yourself growing into this ray of sunshine who transformed into an optimist instead of a pessimist. There wasn't that person who thought you would always be overweight, you would never look good in a pair of skinny jeans, and no one would ever want to be with me. Here you are a year later, such pounds lighter, not only rocking skinny jeans but even wearing a two piece, AND you met someone who is as passionate about reaching for their dreams as you are.

It only takes that one day; that one moment where you've been pushed so far over the edge that you know change is necessary. Stop saying tomorrow, and just do it today. The sky is the limit – the road may not be smooth sailing the entire way, but each bump and detour along the way – you CAN and will be that person you saw in your dreams. If you are ready to make that change, comment your email below and let’s get started on CREATING YOU. 

As they say, “Life isn't about finding yourself; it’s about CREATING yourself.”

For more motivation, inspiration and/or if you have any questions, please reach out to me at:

Instagram: @maketodayyourtomorrow

Facebook: Make Today Your Tomorrow

Email: pghfitnessgirl@gmail.com

GOAL WEIGHT ACHIEVED

Some people set out on a journey to better their lives, better their health which in the end will help them come to a peace of mind with the way they feel about themselves and the life they live.  Some people get scared and back down, some get half way - step back and look at their achievements and just stop, and then there are people who keep pushing and fighting every single day to make the best of themselves and really prevail! I am so beyond to say I am the latter...

For the last 15 months, I have been working towards the "typical new year's resolution" every person tends to make at least once, if not more, in their lives! To LOSE WEIGHT and I FINALLY DID IT!!!  January 1, 2013 I made the resolution that I will get my butt to the gym, I will workout and I will reach my goal weight! My biggest motivation was being engaged, and knowing that for one day - all eyes would be on me. That is what pushed me towards my weekly/daily/monthly/overall goals. 

Let's start with a little bit of background about my struggle with my weight/self confidence... 

I always felt like I was the girl who everyone looked past, who was too chubby to be chosen for a certain team or someone who just wasn't pretty enough. It made me always hate the body I was living in and in turn I would run to food to ease my emotions. I didn't feel pretty dressing up, I hated taking pictures and I always felt like I was left out. But that HAD to change.. And I knew I had to stop letting what others thought of me affect my self confidence levels and be happy with myself.

During the first year, life was crazy.. It was hard trying to accommodate my eating habits with my fiancé and declining happy hours, nights out on the town with friends and my healthy lifestyle. Now I didn't give up EVERYTHING the entire year, it was kind of like learning to run... First you scoot, then you crawl, walk and finally you're off full speed running! That's exactly what this journey taught me... It takes time and eventually it can be done if you have the willpower. Now I'm not saying you have to give up everything, just do/have some of the "not so healthy" things in moderation! If you deprive yourself it may cause you to fall completely off track and lose your sight of where you want to go.

So here's how I reached my goal weight....

Beginning my journey at the unthinkable 166.8 pounds -- I started switching up my diet, not eating out as much and getting in cardio at the gym. Within the first few months I was down about 10 pounds or so and I was happy I had lost that much but I knew I still wasn't where I wanted to be. 

***here's a small fun fact about how determined I was to reach my goal weight... I went dress shopping for my wedding gown at the end of March and I found my beautiful Maggie Sottero gown at MB Bride... My consultant who measured me told me I need to get said size so obviously I did... I got home and was thinking and knew how determined I was, and told them I wanted to change my size down to the smaller size. They said they didn't normally do that, and would have to get management approval, BUT THEY DID IT FOR ME!! So I had my dress ordered in the smaller size, so that was a little motivation to keep going!***

In March I tried drinking Body By Vi, which is a meal replacement and you have 2 shakes a day. ViSalus helped me for about a month and I dropped 8 pounds but I just couldn't keep up with the shakes because I missed actual solid foods and felt like I wasn't getting enough proper nutrition. Now don't think I'm bashing BBVi because it has helped numerous people get to their goals and whatnot, but everyone is different. This just wasn't my path... so I moved on.

After ending my journey with ViSalus, I then got back to monitoring what I ate and thought I was doing good with my diet and whatnot lost a few pounds then got stuck at a plateau for a good 6 months, it was getting extremely frustrating! I didn't know what to do!! I tried everything, weight loss pills, ViSalus shakes here and there, working out hours a day, whatever you can think of I did it. I kept fluctuating between 144-148 and had no idea what I needed to do. I started looking into weight training because my wedding was quickly approaching and I needed to do something. I was so close to my goal weight that I just didn't want to give up, and knowing I had my dress fitting eventually coming up, that helped a little.

***Another progress reporting here, in August my wedding gown had finally come in and it was kind of an oh crap kind of moment... Going to try on my dress, would it fit or not. Well I went and tried it on and it fit PERFECTLY!! Like it was designed just for my body! I was beyond ecstatic!***

So beginning to be hopeless that I wouldn't reach my goal weight, I was approached about becoming a Beachbody coach and I turned it down multiple times because I thought I knew what I was doing and didn't want to spend any money on that stuff. BUT At the end of January 2014, I had a little change of heart -- I decided to join Beachbody and give it a go since I've been following a ton of BB challengers and coaches and all their results were INSANE. I started drinking Shakeology daily and working out with the one and only Shaun T doing T25!! I also started eating "clean" and avoiding a lot of things I absolutely loved in the past months and going for different options. I traded All Natural Peanut Butter for PB2, traded my chips for a piece of fruit, and started watching my portions more closely. The 5 weeks of T25 Alpha Phase went extremely fast and I was only down 3 pounds but I had lost 6 inches overall!! I was beyond ecstatic! 

After T25 I was still determined to lose a few more pounds because I was about 3 pounds out from my goal weight and had my first dress fitting appointment a couple weeks after so had to make sure I was as close to my goal weight as possible. I started working out with the newest addition to BB, Autumn Calabrese doing the 21 day Fix. I was a bit apprehensive because I didn't want to drop a ton of weight just wanted to tone up and whatnot. I didn't follow the meal plan/workout to a T so I don't have my results to share with that but plan on doing the full workout and following the meal plan after the wedding.

***March 19 comes around and it's the day of my first dress fitting and the dress fit PERFECTLY a little lose in the bust but that was always a typical area that needed some attention with all my dresses I've ever purchased. But there really wasn't any more room for the back to be pulled together. The seamstress said it was a very smart choice to order the smaller size and that the weight loss had to stop!  SAY WHAT... This is what I do, this is what I love, I have a goal to get too! I was a little sad because I didn't think I'd be able to do the workouts I've come to love! But after talking to some friends and my team I got an understanding of what would need to be done!!***

So now it is April and I just finished up my three day Shakeology cleanse, it helped me out a ton because I ate crap food after I heard my dress was perfect and didn't need any other alterations and I needed to stay where I was, but I had a goal to reach and I knew I had an appointment or two for alterations before my wedding so I wasn't too concerned about it. The dress could be taken in more with the amount of time left for the wedding!! So here it is, as of April 2nd I have officially hit my goal weight of 135 pounds!!!

So how do I feel... I feel amazing. I feel more confident, I feel like I can reach any goal I set out for myself. Over the last 15 months I did some of the things I NEVER thought I would do... I ran my first half marathon, signed up for my second, stepped out of my comfort zone and bought my first and SECOND pair of skinny jeans, also did an in home workout (I'm a gymrat so I was a little apprehensive here), I'm no longer embarrassed of what I look like, I feel happier, healthier,

more motivated, and best of all I feel accomplished for putting forth the long hours at the gym, pouring sweat, trading those fried foods for a yummy Shakeology, and getting up at the crack of daylight to get my workouts in!! It was all soooo worth it and I could not be anymore excited for this journey.

So what's next some will ask, maintaining and trying to time up for my upcoming wedding and then after the wedding who knows!!  :-)

I am a beachbody coach and I do have a challenge group opening up within the next couple weeks - if you want to join me - send me a quick message and will chat about what all it entails! I did and I know you can too! Having an amazing support system and the drive is exactly what it takes to be successful and I will make you be successful!! For more information about Beachbody go to teambeachbody.com/StephClemmer

RESULTS ARE IN!!!

For the very first time in my life... I stuck with an at home workout and didn't miss a single workout! I have always struggled with being extremely bored with them or just wanted to see results instantly! Well, obviously we know that can't and won't happen... so you must put in the time, sweat and pain to get the results you want to see! Well that is exactly what I did!

For the last 5 weeks - everyday I have had a date with Shaun T doing the Alpha Phase of T25!! I have to say I love this workout being of many many reasons... 

1. It offers a modifier (Tonya) and if you feel that you aren't ready to "Dig Deeper" just yet as Shaun T would say, she's there to provide you with a modified movement. IMO, this was great during Total Body Circuit because you're using a lot of power so when you think you may just die, you look to her for the support!!

2. It is TWENTY FIVE MINUTES A DAY!!! The amount of time I use to spend in the gym compared to the time I spend there now is incredible because I've seen inches fall come off way easier than getting in those HOURS at the gym everyday. In 25 mins I was sweating just as much as I was if I were to run for 5 miles, it is amazing!!

3. Shaun T - he is honestly a great fitness instructor and always motivates you throughout the entire workout and provides you with tips on how to make sure you get the correct form down for each movement. He made it so much easier to keep going when I wanted to just say screw it, haha.

4. THE BEST REASON I LOVE THIS WORKOUT - the RESULTS I got!!! I couldn't believe the results I got when I finished this workout. For the last 15 months I've been striving to get to my goal weight and T25 has dramatically helped over the last 5 weeks. It was incredible having people say that they can tell I'm losing weight and I look great AND OHHHHH - stepping out of my comfort zone and buying a pair of SKINNY JEANS!! This has been an INCREDIBLE 5 week journey and I want you all to know - it took dedication and the willpower to push play every single day! I know that if I can do it - ANYONE can!

Now you all are probably wondering... well what are your results - ok so here they are!!

Beginning on February 4th - I weighed 140.2 lbs and weighing in today at 137.2 so I lost a total of 3 lbs... No it doesn't seem like a lot - but here's the best part... I think I lost an incredible amount of inches in just 5 weeks...

Waist - Down 1.4 inches

Bust - Down 1.15 inches

Hips - Down 1.1 inches

Left Arm - Down .25 inches

Right Arm - Down .3 inches

Left Thigh - Down .25 inches

Right Thigh - Down .5 inches

Lovehandles🙊 - Down 1 inch

For a total of 5.95 inches and 3 lbs gone in just 5 weeks!!! I feel absolutely incredible after this journey. I'm sure there are some of you saying well 3 lbs isn't a lot so I'm not gonna try this but what I've learned is that you are burning fat and losing inches and essentially building muscle!! Yes I was totally bummed I didn't drop like 10 lbs over the last 5 weeks but that's ok because I'm fitting into smaller jeans and feel better in clothes and I think it was all totally worth it.  And I am so thankful that I was able to share this with you all. 

I want to give a HUGE shoutout to my Beachbody Coach, Amie DeSanzo, for kind of convincing me to do it everyday because it'll show better results and another huge shoutout to my amazing fiancé, Craig!! Even on the days where I just wanted to go lay down instead of dealing with Shaun T - he made me get up and realize what I wanted! I couldn't thank him enough for being my biggest supporter and motivator!! Thank you Amie & Craig for you continuous motivation and support through this journey!!

Below these pictures are taken about 11 months apart - this was March of 2013 on the left and the right was Mid-February 2014 when I bought my first pair of skinny jeans!!!!😉

If you have any questions about anything, please feel free to contact me on Facebook: 2 B F.I.T, email me at pghfitnessgirl@gmail.com or teambeachbody.com/stephclemmer