Why Astrid became a Coach
Astrid’s weight loss journey from 126 to 105 lbs with Beachbody
Welcome to my fitness and weight loss blog, Slim Down with Coach Astrid. I am the author, Astrid Bidanec. When I built this website I pondered what my main goal for it would be and I realized that helping others slim down and lead a healthy lifestyle would ultimately help me stay on track with my personal fitness and weight maintenance after years of struggling.
In my case, the pounds did not creep on slowly, but landed more like an avalanche on my 4’11” frame when I got pregnant with my son. Within three weeks I gained 20 pounds in spite of non-stop nausea. I kid you not. It was baffling, but I guess my body did what it had to do to make sure there would be enough ‘food’ for the baby. Fast-forward to the post-pregnancy challenge of losing 30+ pounds–I was able to lose about 20 pounds with daily running and some weight training. But my midsection stayed kinda flabby which was frustrating to say the least.
Then I turned 3o and suddenly my metabolism slowed down to sloth-like levels (ever seen a sloth just hanging on a tree for an entire day, not even moving a toe?–No offense to animal lovers out there!!). Once again I found myself being overweight almost overnight. It would have all made sense if I had been scarfing down donuts and candy all day, but I actually never even had a sweet tooth. The doctors ruled out any health issues and left me with “You are just getting older.” Needless to say, that was hardly comforting.
After extensive research I found the South Beach Diet and successfully lost 30 pounds with it. Unfortunately, my euphoria was short-lived as the stress of my divorce, custody battle and Master’s thesis turned my life into a nightmare and my body into a blob yet again.
Along came a workout program that completely changed my life and propelled me back onto a fit and healthy track: Insanity by Beachbody.
Insanity workouts had the much needed intensity to give my metabolism a CPR-boost. I finally started burning off fat and building lean athletic muscles that totally firmed up my midsection for the first time since I gave birth to my son.
As I gained back my vitality and improved my physique I realized that I wanted to take a more active role in helping others do the same. So I became a Team Beachbody coach in June 2011 and started putting my expertise as fitness & weight loss journalist and former high performance athlete (I used to compete internationally in judo) to good use.
I am now 38 and in the best physical shape of my life thanks to my Beachbody coaching business, which I work full time. I can honestly say that this is the best J-O-B I have ever had because I don’t get stuck behind a desk all day and working out is actually part of my job, plus I get to do it with my customers in my challenge groups and fit clubs.
But the real reward is watching my customers and team members improve their health and financial situation which is the ultimate paycheck of the heart.
It also really feels great to make a difference in the global fight against the obesity epidemic that threatens the future of our children and generations to come.
I would love for you to join this fight. First and foremost for yourself, secondly for your family. Set a great example for your kids to follow with healthy nutrition and regular exercise. You will also inspire others who watch your transformation to make a positive change in their own lives. You can register for a free Team Beachbody account here and automatically get free coaching from me.
If you are as passionate as I am about helping people lead healthier lives I would love for you to join my team of coaches. Together we can reach so many more people and make the most of our combined efforts.
Being a Team Beachbody coach will also help you stay on track with your personal fitness since you have to walk the walk and truly lead by example in order to inspire others to do the same.
No matter where you are on your fitness journey, please feel free to come back here often. This Slim Down with Coach Astrid blog will help you find a new, healthier track to run on, so to speak, by providing inspiration, motivation and vital information on fitness as well as nutrition.
Keep in mind that Rome was not built in one day, but at least we are heading there together. Give yourself enough time to achieve any desired results in weight loss or reshaping your body. There simply is no “quick fix” to being healthy.
Healthy, slim bodies are the result of hard work and commitment to a healthy life style.
