Real Life Transformation: Carla

1. Tell us, what’s your name?

My name I'd Carla Da Silva and yes I am Portuguese:)

2. Since the start of your transformation, how many inches/pounds have you lost and how long did it take you?

Since I started my transformation in July of 2013 I have lost about 40lbs. I started my journey at a size 14 and now I am a size 6. It took about 6 months to lose all the weight and inches.

3. Why did you choose to make a change in your life?

I think I was tired of trying to lose weight and failing. I saw that Samantha had some success with Beachbody and I was like why not me? I was not comfortable in my own skin and I was tired of being the chubby girl with a cute face.

4. What methods did you use to lose the weight and inches?

With the help of Samantha as my coach, Chalean Extreme and deciding this was going to be a life change and not just something temporary I was able to hit my goals and surpass them.

5. How hard was it to change your eating habits?

I thought it would be difficult to change my eating habits as that was the biggest struggle for me in the past. It was a fairly easy transition because I followed the meal plan in the CLX nutritional guide. I actually find it harder to stay on track now then it was starting out. I had something to prove to people that said I couldn't do it.

6. What sort of support did you have to help you through this new journey?
The challenge group I think was the key component to my success. I am very competitive so the idea of getting a prize for losing weight and participating in group challenges fuelled my fire. I didn't have a lot of support from family at first but now they are on board! I've got everyone making healthier choices!

7. What was the hardest part about this journey?
The hardest part about making the change was going to family functions and not eating everything in sight. I have a big Portuguese family and everything revolves around food!

8. What has kept you motivated to keep going?
Seeing results kept me going and then of course once you create a routine you build a habit. I started out working out 5 days a week with 2 rest days and now I make an effort to work out or do something active daily!

9. What changes do you love most about your new body/life?
I love that I feel so much better! I use to have stomach aches all the time and I had NO energy. I like that I can wear things with confidence now and that I can find clothes in almost any store. Most of all I am happy that I could inspire others to do the same. There is nothing better then paying it forward!

10. So what can we expect from you next?
I am going to start the Body Beast program next so for me the next phase is seeing more muscle definition. I would also like very much to be a certified nutritionist. Nutrition is so important for overall weight loss and people have so many misconceptions about food.


Discover the life changing program that started Carla's journey here:

The Fit Package: 30 Day Challenge

We all have goals in life, whether it's to lose 5 pounds, 20 pounds, or 100 lbs. It may be to lose no weight, but to gain. Or maintain your current weight & tone your body instead… whatever your goals are, I'm here to help. 

Weight loss is simple. It is! Once you put work into it, you realize it’s deeper than counting calories and working out. It’s all about the complete package.

NUTRITION + FITNESS + SUPPORT = SUCCESS. 

So, what if I gave you the complete package for success? I'm talking to YOU – the normal person who is unhappy with where you are, the person who can’t find the motivation, the person who doesn’t feel like they have support, the person who doesn’t know where to start. That normal person who just wants to feel normal again. 

Is that you? Then this group is for you… RSVP and message me for details & let's get you started on your 30-Day journey, a journey that will become so much longer than 30 days!

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Why I Choose Double Workouts over Double Fisting

As I look back on photos from my ‘party hard’ days, I see a girl I used to know – a girl who had fun, a girl who smiled, a girl who made great friends with alcohol. I have no regrets about those days, but I now look at that girl and I don’t recognize her. I look back and remember how I drank to suppress memories I didn’t want to think about anymore, to forget the fact that all of my friends rocked their bikinis while I had to lie and tell them I forgot my bathing suit, how I spent countless dollars shopping for clothes to keep up with appearances while at the same time having battles with myself in every single change room. I look back now and I feel sad for myself. I spent so many years fighting over something that could have been fixed with just a few small changes, but instead I turned to something that just harmed me further for years.

In the summer of 2012, I was laying on the couch with my dog. She was whining to go for a walk, and I remember not even having the energy to get up off the couch to let her outside. It was incredibly embarrassing. I knew I needed to do something, I just didn’t know what I needed to do. Now, I’m not huge into ‘fate’ but at that moment, I saw an infomercial that literally changed my life. This little blonde woman was jumping around, kicking, punching, dancing, and I remember thinking “is this actually a workout?” I was so intrigued, I watched the entire 30 minutes. What was this phenomenon called Turbo Fire? Who the heck is Chalene Johnson? I hadn’t ever seen her before! I had to find out more! Within 20 minutes of my research, Turbo Fire was purchased and on its way to me.

And then came the FREAK OUT! Me? Working out? Jumping, kicking, punching? Ha! No way! Nope! Not me! Why did I even order this? Am I a total idiot? What a stupid purchase I just made! I had a week full of mini heart attacks waiting for my package to arrive. When it finally came, I opened it up, read, and pressed play. And that was it.

The workouts were completely out of my comfort zone. I did them anyway.

I couldn’t jump very high. I jumped anyway.

My arms got tired of punching within the first 5 minutes. I punched with everything I could anyway.

There was the need for coordination I didn’t have. I tried anyway.

I didn’t have the strength to do bicep curls. I did as many sets as I could anyway.

I struggled for 3 weeks to get the moves down, and it was SO tough. I danced for a few years and I can count beats like nobody’s business, but this was different. It was coordination I wasn’t used to, it was fast, there were moves my body hadn’t done in so many years, I got tired easily, and it made me sweat a LOT more than dance ever did! It created this really weird high I wasn’t used to. I had heard of ‘runner’s high’ but never really believed in it – until I found this workout.

Turbo Fire was the beginning to the rest of my life (so cheesy!)... but seriously. I never imagined I would look forward to working out. I never knew my body was capable of getting up at 5am every morning to SWEAT before work. I didn’t even know this much energy could come out of one person. I always thought those happy, energetic people just had different happy genes, ones that I was never born with. Doesn’t that sound sad? That’s because IT IS SAD!

 The fire inside you that working out creates is something that’s impossible to turn back on. My workouts and routine aren’t perfect, nor would I ever expect that of myself. I let life get in the way something, because I am human, I am still learning, and I want to LIVE my life rather than let life live me. All I know is that when I wake up on a Sunday morning and push my legs as hard as they can with a jog before I come home to lift weights, it feels a LOT better after a night of double fisting beer!

Clean Oatmeal Blueberry Cookies!

Picture this: It’s Friday night, you’ve chosen to stay at home instead of spoiling all your accomplishments during the week with booze and fried foods, BUT you still have a sweet tooth. Insert CLEAN treats!

If you’re anything like me, you’re already thinking about dessert before you’ve even started dinner! This weekend I needed something sweet to satisfy my cravings, but I wanted to keep it CLEAN so I stayed in line with my goal of eating clean, unprocessed foods.

So I took to the kitchen (and Pinterest!) to find something that was clean and made from ingredients I enjoyed and had in the kitchen.

Knowing that I could eat 10 cookies in 2 minutes, I knew I needed to start there! Instead one of my favorite fruits – blueberries – and I’m sold! And then, like magic, my oven popped out some Clean Oatmeal Blueberry Cookies!

(I swear there wasn’t a hair on my cookie even though it looks like it!)

Ingredients:

• - 1 cup quick rolled oats
• - ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• - 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• - ½ tsp. ground cinnamon (use a tad more if you lovvvvve cinnamon!)
• - 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• - 2 tbsp. coconut oil (melt first)
• - 1 whole egg at room temperature
• - 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• - ½ cup all-natural honey
• - ¼ cup dried blueberries

Preparation:

1. Use a medium bowl to whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the honey to the wet ingredients until fully mixed together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir together. Fold in the blueberries. Put the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops on the baking sheet.
4. Bake at 325°F for 13-15 minutes.
5. Cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.