Spanx um No Thanx
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Spanx um no thanx

Came across this pic last night and gasped. I actually had spanx on. DISCLAIMER: this is not to offend. I think making under garments to make women feel amazing in their clothes is great. But this is some bull.

I’m looking to feel good without having to cover up, suck it in. To truly feel good in the skin I’m in clothes and in the nude.

On Feb 15, 2015 my hubby threw me a bday party with friends and family. I remember leading up to my birthday not having any motivation to do better.

I don’t know how ppl do it and pls this is not an opportunity to school me on spanx. What size I should’ve got ect. Save it! This thing kept on rolling down and I was super uncomfortable. This was for my birthday and I wanted to feel amazing on my birthday.

I didn’t. The spanx were a nuisance. It didn’t make me feel great. It reminded me how I messed up! How I let my weight get out of hand and how I let my excuses come between taking care of myself.

Thankfully this was my last straw... while I couldn’t get up the motivation to get back to feeling great in my skin for my birthday which is crazy to me cause what better occasion to do so but this just goes to show how demotivating negative self talk can be. How crippling laying in a bed of excuses can be.

There were so many times I wanted to workout/ go to the gym but just didn’t make the time to in fact I kept putting it off until a week before my birthday came around and I had to scurry to the mall and get something for my fitted dress so it wouldn’t show all the parts of me I was ashamed about. This wasn’t post baby weight Axis was 4.5. No excuse!

How many of us keep pushing our start dates back further and further? Where has that left you? Well it left me spending about $100 on an item that made me feel worst than better and Id wear only once! But was also enough motivation to get my life and do what I had to do to feel like me again! 

For more info on what I've been doing as a fitness coach, how it's helped me stay accountable and on track of my goals and maybe how it can help you contact me by filling out form https://goo.gl/forms/lOwFWR1cIAzRzivz1

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In a post I made using some of these same images on March 3, 2016 one year into making real changes while on my journey I wrote...

Be the change you wish to see! It all starts with YOU! I struggle with this many times, I must admit I’M HUMAN. Sometimes people people fitness influencers, fitness motivators, trainers / coaches don’t struggle. I believe we all struggle differently.

I secretly struggled with weight and I didn't even realize it until I became a coach and started documenting my health and wellness journey. I would go on binge diets for an occasion or an event. Go running for summer time fine. I didn’t have the marathon mindset. It was always for the short term. Fitness has always been a love of mine BUT like with any love you can fall short. MY wellness journey has been more than weight loss. Its been life changing and life saving. It's a journey of me picking up all those broken pieces and putting them together again or often times feeling like the first time.

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Cathleen BenjaminComment
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Not the best lighting for this B girl buttt I still love what hubby has on lol.

So many people ask us how we first met. People always want to know our story. Long story long... lol we went to grade school together. I’ve loved Kurt since I was a little younger than our first child together. I was 12-13 and I had a school girl crush on him. We shortly became bf/gf after that.

About 2 yrs later he would move to FL and we’d completely lose touch.

I remember sending him letters while he was in FL and I never got a letter back. SO we did what anyone would do, we both moved on with our lives.

I had heard around town that he was back but I hadn’t seen him and I didn’t ask about him. I wondered for a short while but never entertained the subject. We were finished. That was the past. I have to admit I was over the fact that he never tried to reach out to me. And besides we were both different ppl by than and had moved on.

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Fast forward to 8 long years later, a marriage, two children, a separation I heard once after relocating once again he was back in town. A cousin of mine, said hey Kurts back in town…I immediately responded what that have to do with me? She said I’m going to give him a call maybe we can grab a bite to eat…I entertained it and said whatever why not. She called. He answered lol I hear her say as I’m walking around the house I have a surprise for you someone you might recognize and my eyes bug out and I’m like I don’t want to talk to him…hands phone over and I kid you not from hello he has me cracking up. Nonstop laughing. I wasn’t ready for all that I had a long day dealing with a my past and you sometimes when you don’t even want to laugh, like let me be upset and in my emotions. Nope. We did some catching up, me mostly laughing. That night the three of us went out to eat. I literally made my mind up that evening I had to be done with an abusive and mentally draining relationship. I cant remember laughing this much in so long.

No one knew how chaotic my relationship was until that day while at dinner. I remember being totally mortified that on the first day since we’ve seen each other in years here I am nestled in drama. But something struck me when towards the end of our dinner he said I hope you’re not going back with dude. I literally wanted to slide out the booth and disappear I don’t even remember what my response was but I remember what his following words were, “if ever you need something to take your mind off that... call me, no attachments, just as a friend”. We can go out to eat, whatever or we could just talk…just not that. While this gesture was beautiful, in my mind I thought I’d never call Kurt again, esp not for dinner or to hang out alone. I was not looking for a relationship, he had two small children that he was sole caretaker for. I thought I don’t even trust this guy... in front of me was the first guy who broke my heart and left me so many years ago.

Fastforward to our first official date :p I remember him bringing up stories about his life while living in FL, stating that no one contacted him, he felt abandoned...I learned that he went against his will. Found out mid school yr that his family had made the decision to move to FL but to send him first. I let him go on and at that point I said wait I wrote you...he looked puzzled and responded I would’ve remembered you writing me. I stated I wrote you several times and never got a response and I sent one last letter saying I was moving on and that I’d wait if he wrote back.
He never got my letters. For years I wondered why he never wrote me back.

It’s no telling that when something is for you whether it’s a love, a job, a home, a goal, a dream if it is meant for you it will always be yours....

No matter time, distance, other relationships or situations ect it does not matter.

A few months ago while at a Master Mind Seminar together hundreds of us did an exercise... the room was separated into two groups my group had their eyes closed, Kurt’s group had to walk around the room and tell someone something you’ve always needed to hear or something you know someone needs to hear.

I nearly fell out when I heard someone whisper “I never forgot about you” eyes still closed tears started rolling. I never realized how much I or my younger self needed to hear those words.

So thank you for always saying the things I need to hear even when I don’t realize how much I need it. How much it will change the direction of my life.

Thank you for being just a stand up guy. A God fearing man. A man who works hard, and is cool AF and can be entirely who you are wherever you are in any given circumstance.

Thank you for growing with me through this journey and loving and honoring me in each stage of our journey together.

So happy I get to do life with you.

T is for Transformation -- A Glimpse into ShaunT’s new Workout Program

What you really want to know about this new program?

  • 6 week guided program

  • 6 days a week

  • modified moves are included

  • its 20 mins long!!! YUP THATS IT!!!

  • If you love step aerobics?! This is right up your alley

  • Step can be purchased through Beachbody w/ launch of program or use your own

  • No Step no problem!

Transform:20 is perfect for you, if you…

  • Want to get Toned & get defined muscles

  • Want a great sweat

  • love step aerobics / cardio

  • low on time

  • wants a no excuse workout

  • no weights no problem

  • need a total body workout

Want to start your journey and get ready for this launch...or just get in the best shape of your life?

Don’t wait until January to get started. Click the links below for  some of my favorite workouts to get you READY for this launch in January!! We’re throwing the whole idea of New Year Resolutions away and starting right where you are!

LIIFT4

Shift Shop (on sale now)

80 Day Obsession

Focus T25

Mes de Más habla español?

Insanity

Insanity Max:30

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Happy Thursday Beautiful People,

This past June, while on one of my companies annual business trips called Coach Summit, I sat in the audience at the Lucas Oil Stadium amongst over 20,000+ health & fitness coaches and CEOs in Indinapolis, right beside my husband. All of a sudden the screen cuts to the 20th Anniversary where CEO of Beachbody, Carl Diakeler begins to announce saying this man needs no introduction then goes off to this reel about some new and exciting news and the crowd goes WILD.

Just when there were rumors that ShaunT was doing his own thing and leaving Beachbody. ShaunT’s coming out with a New Workout Program!!! I listened to ShaunT speak about the development of this new 20 min workout and his excitement was through the roof, the room was roaring everyone cheering. I immediately said to myself OMG I can’t wait to do this workout. Than followed that up with I want to be part of the cast. Yup that’s definitely a goal of mine to see myself on the screen empowering and inspiring people to move their bodies and get out of their heads and transform on all levels.

I might have told anyone who brought up this new news over the course of this weekend. Every time someone said something about this new release, I told them I can’t wait for it I want to be apart of the cast. Then talks of Test Groups came up…

We’ll as we enter October I have to say September was so good! So many new and exciting things happened. And out of over 400,000 Beachbody coaches, from the US, UK & Canada your girl has been selected to be one of the coaches of this Pilot Test Group. What is a Pilot Test Group you say? The good people at corporate chose some bad azz coaches if I say so myself and give you LIVE access to the workouts while still filming and say here we want to see if this is going to work for your clients, challengers and people all over the world lol.

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I get to finally share that I’ve been selected as part of the Pilot Test Group for the NEW ShaunT workout that doesn’t launch until JANUARY 2019! Talk about ending the 4th quarter of 2018 on a high note!! That’s right you can’t find it anywhere until it launches. 
Friends can I just say that I’m over the moon with excitement! I’m just happy to be here! 

Your virtual soul sista & mood shifter is so geeked out... I wasn’t sure when I was going to be able to share since I’ve been literally sworn to secrecy lol 🤐 I’ll be sharing weekly what I can about my experience. Cause it’s MAJOR.

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Keep me lifted! I represent YOU! I’m gonna go hard for us.

Feel free to fill out my form below about more info about my accountability & support group Better! Not Perfect Project helping you get toward the best version of YOU! https://goo.gl/forms/aFtiwTJgTEbucwKC3


Cheers to a Transformed Mindset, a Transformed Body and a Transformed Life.

xo

Cathy

Live for Now

There are 273 days left depending where you are in the world it may be 272 already. 

It’s the fourth quarter and you have to ask yourself what are you walking towards, walking away from to take you towards your next chapter on a strong foot? 

I’ve walked away from so many things, situations that didn’t serve me and what I know in my heart of hearts is to be continuously honest in my assignment I have to keep a walking by faith, unafraid of what I’ve left behind in 2018 to welcome more grace and blessings 2019. 

Sometimes you have walk away, let go and just trust that your next move is a power move.  

At times we believe we have to barter our happiness in place of the what ifs and not know the sooner we let go, surrender or take a step this can potentially set us free from bondage. 

We owe ourselves time to heal

We owe ourselves clarity 

2nd chances, abundance, a beautiful life 

We owe ourselves more than the easy way out 

We owe it to ourselves to live out dreams 

We owe ourselves truth not masked by excuses. 

Don’t let your past or your right now dictate you walking away from what will not serve you tomorrow. Live for now.