I am Amy Schulz and live in Rosemount, MN. My husband, Eric and I will celebrate our 18 year anniversary in August. We have 2 children, Cameron age 13 and Kendall age 10. I am a stay-at-home Mom and a business owner, which allows me to work from home. I have many loves in my life, but the most important in my life is the time in which we spend at our cabin with our family and friends. One of my mottos is “The more the merrier!” So you can imagine how much fun we have, when all our family and cabin friends hang out!

Historically I have never been on a diet, have I changed the way we eat? Yes. About 6 years ago, I accompanied my husband, Eric during a time when he felt the determination to get his health and fitness in control. Eric lost 80 pounds through a combined effort of me changing the way I grocery shop, to how we cook and our expectations of what a meal consists of.

In December, I knew that January was going to be my turn. After a wonderful summer at the cabin and being on vacation too much, I was not happy with weight I had put on. (I call it my summer weight ie: what happens at the cabin with too much good food and drinks!) My father was also ready for a health change, so why not some friendly competition? He and I set goals, I joined the January challenge at The Warehouse in Rosemount and I hit the ground running. I was committed and determined, as I am slightly competitive. J I weighed myself every Monday AM and wrote my weight down on a chart hanging in my kitchen. My kids were involved, Eric, my Mom and my Dad. I had many cheerleaders! I was on a strict eat clean regimen, I did not eat carbs including bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and tried to stick with 1-2 fruits a day. I also did not enjoy my wine or other cocktails. I lost 10 pounds from January 6th to January 31st! I was ecstatic!

Now did all that weight drop off easily? What did my body feel like? Yes the weight came off easily and it worked for me, as my brain was set and dialed in, I was not cheating! However, my body was freaking out, certain parts of me were not regular so therefore trying to eat things to keep me regular. I was sometimes embarrassed by how my body reacted in unpleasant sensory ways. Are you picking up what I am discreetly saying? Also emotionally I was a wreck as I was crabby, unmotivated and just felt in a slump.

February comes along and the next challenge at The Warehouse is “Drop 10 with a friend.” I convince Eric to join me in this challenge which was similar to the January challenge, but a food plan would be provided. We were given a menu of real food, including fruits and carbs, can you sense my excitement? The other part was that I had to incorporate Shakeology into my day. I do not jump on band wagons, don’t follow crowds and a bit of a sceptic, so this was not sitting easy. However, I was surrounded by new friends at The Warehouse and wonderful supporters, so I trusted them and bought my first bag of Shakeology. I made my first shake and the kids immediately asked for their own. So here comes my February game changer! After about 4 days of having shakeology as my breakfast, my body was regular and I was not afraid of sensory issues. J The garbage was washed out and my body was running clean! I felt great and I did not need to worry about eating fiber that would make me bloated or stinky!! Also I was happier, more patient, great energy and I was sleeping great!

Sometimes it is the unexpected that makes us the most proud…My son Cameron, unsolicited announced one morning over his daily breakfast of shakeology that he used to be starving at school before lunch. He told me that since he has had shakeology for breakfast that he has no problem making it until lunch. I was proud of myself for the way, my change impacted me, but also the fact that my 7th grader is now able to sit in school and focus on learning rather than hunger. I have accomplished many great things in my life and have many proud moments. With that being said it makes me so proud to know the changes I made for my health and nutrition have also hugely benefited my family. I have made a positive impact on my family and their nutrition. My friends and acquaintances come to me and ask me what I have done. People are asking me for advice! This is not who I used to be, I have never wanted this or seeked it out. Now that I am here, I am LOVING it! There is nothing more satisfying then to help others with their fight towards nutrition.

Getting back to Eric and the February “Drop 10 with a friend” challenge. He was not excited about this, as he stated “ I do not like group fitness”, but he decided to do the short challenge to try it. He would tell you that he surprised himself and found out that group fitness, especially the classes at The Warehouse are motivating and fun! Eric and I started attending Monday-Friday early am classes together. He also fell in love with shakeology and has one for breakfast every AM and sometimes has a second one during the day for a fast lunch at work or before his hobby, flying! His results have been amazing with losing 50 pounds and weighing less than 200 pounds for the first time since High School.

Where am I now? It is amazing to look back at the past year and how I have changed. My goal was to lose 6-8 pounds back in January, as that is what I thought I needed to lose. Exercising and the changes in my nutrition have also brought me huge success with a 20 pound weight loss! I truly never thought I needed to lose that much, but I feel great where I am today. My goal for myself now is to maintain where I currently am, I really would like to get rid of the scale as I like to let my clothes be the judge. I know how great I feel when I eat healthy and miss that feeling when I let myself splurge many days in a row.

What this means for you? Set a 1 month goal, like I did and see what changes you see. I am here to help track your goals, provide accountability and to be a fitness buddy! So let’s challenge each other! It will make all the difference!

Big High Five’s to you all!

Amy