My Story

Hi there! My name is Melissa Renee (obviously) & I'm a SAHM to 3 wildly crazy kids. I'm a total foodie (which you'll definitely find out in the future), love to read, be creative & workout. Although I have to admit that the last one didn't come along until recently.

All of my pregnancies were c-sections. After the first, I bounced back relatively quick. You know, being 24 & only my first child and all. My second, not so much. I wasn't working then & found it far to easy to be lazier. I gained around 60lbs if memory serves me right. In somewhat of a defense, my son was almost 2lbs heavier than my oldest daughter at birth (& he came 2 weeks early?!). But when I got pregnant with my third, I was already at a disadvantage. My pre-pregnancy weight was 20lbs more than my other two. Add in issue after issue, along with being borderline preeclamptic, left me huger than huge. I was severely swollen & just all around miserable. But after a very eventful birth, it seemed like I was well on my way to my already heavier pre-pregnancy weight. Then the scale quit moving. For years! (Thank you lingering high blood pressure.)

I ate healthy in between my fits of brownies & ice cream. I exercised here & there, but nowhere near what I should have. I just didn't have the time. Sure I could still play with my kids, but without that magic number on the scale going down more than a lb or two & none of my clothes fitting a bit looser (or even getting into the ones sitting in my closet for an eternity), it wasn't very motivating to stay focused. I needed a change. I wanted a change. But quite frankly, my follow through sucked because I just wasn't a happy person. 

Over the course of a few years, I was following my mentor on social media. I had seen the way that Beachbody programs helped her, both physically & financially. It took me months, if not a whole year, to be able to get the money to get started. I knew the 21 Day Fix was going to be perfect for me. I also knew that signing up to be a fitness coach myself, would give me that extra little push to stick to it. Why? Because I needed a purpose. Sure, I'm a mom & I love being a mom. But that was all people would see me as. I stayed at home so I basically just sat around watching TV & eating bon-bons. RIGHT?! Uhhh, NO! Not even close. I was on autopilot - cook, clean, eat, cook, clean, eat. I felt that not only had I lost myself physically, but I was slipping away to the world of mundane mediocrity. But deep down inside, I knew I was destined for greatness. Somehow! 

I'm happier now even though I'm still on my fitness journey. Hey, I have goals for myself! But I LOVE being able to help others work on their goals too. Sure the occasional paycheck is nice to help out with groceries, gas or even a teeny tiny bill. But that's not what drives me. I now feel like I have the purpose I was meant for. I'm still a SAHM, but now I get to join others on their fitness journeys as a motivator. I know what it's like, remember. I know that starting is the hardest part. I know how difficult it can be when your family is chowing down on cheeseburgers & french fries (you actually can too by the way, just a healthier version). I know what it's like to stand in a packed closet & wonder what you're going to wear because you didn't do laundry & the only 2 pairs of pants that actually fit are dirty. I know what it's like to avoid the camera at all costs because it shows everything. I know what it's like to want to stop because it seems to hard. Been there, done that. 

So how about we become friends (if we're not already). I'll be sure to post some amazing posts about food, fitness & maybe just life in general from time to time. All I want from you, my friend, is unconditional support. And maybe letting me win a game of tic-tac-toe from time to time too.