COACHING TESTIMONY: Shannon Fox
MY PERSONAL TESTIMONY
Panic Attacks. Joint Pain. Gut Issues. Fatigue. Poor sleep. Moodiness. Foggy brain. Creeping weight gain.
These are just some of the growing problems that led me to Trim Healthy Mama almost 7 years ago. And honestly, the slow weight gain despite best efforts was the least of my concerns at that point. I no longer recognized myself and felt like I was just getting through each day, not really LIVING life.
I jumped on to plan wholeheartedly – partly because I was desperate for help and partly because I did not want to waste my time on a “fad diet” that wasn’t going to work. Within ONE WEEK, I knew that something was different about THM. Within three months, I KNEW! The Trim Healthy Mama plan was the blueprint and tool box I needed to help myself heal and begin LIVING life again!
A big part of my successful start and ability to stick with making lifestyle changes was the THM official Facebook group. Those first few months in early 2013, there were just 100-500 of us mamas, learning this new plan together, helping one another, encouraging one another, and sharing ideas and recipes. After a year or so of being very engaged there, I was asked to be an official THM Facebook Admin. For the past 5 years, I have mostly helped mamas in the THM Beginner Facebook group and enjoyed running a series of photo quiz posts there for a couple of years. You can still go to that group, type “Quiz Time for Beginners” in the search bar and quiz your own knowledge of the plan – plus get easy meal ideas! The blessing and honor of serving the THM community in that way has had an enormous impact on my life and I am beyond thankful to be a part of the Trim Healthy Mama team in that capacity.
MY COACHING TESTIMONY
The time spent in the Facebook groups was invaluable to me on my journey and I knew once the THM Certified Coaching program launched, I’d want to serve mamas by offering private small group coaching via closed Facebook groups. In these private small groups, I teach, encourage, and support my mamas while praying for them, problem solving with them, and challenging them to make lifestyle changes to support their personal health and wellness goals.
I have seen the amazing effects of groups of focused women working towards health goals together and the beauty of support and love when one mama is struggling, another is there to come alongside and help her up. This is why I love small group coaching, personally, but I also love being able to offer my years of experience and knowledge at a more affordable price than one-on-one coaching allows. It has been a joy to be able to support, serve, and lead many mamas in small groups this past year who may not have otherwise been able to afford one on one coaching help.
I love helping mamas of all ages and stages and needs, but my personal niche is the Stubborn Loser/Stuck Mama! This is the mama who is probably over 40-years old, has tried to be on plan for several months (or even a year or two), but is either having trouble sticking with it OR who is simply struggling in losing weight that just will not budge. I recently wrapped up 2 Stubborn Losers/Stuck Mamas groups.
I love being able to help ladies learn more advanced THM concepts. I am a very slow loser myself and have spent several years now learning more about how to best fuel and live in order to support weight loss and healing as I age and enter a different season of life. I love sharing this info and approach to THM with my clients, who are so ready to be D.O.N.E. with fad diets and ready to fuel their bodies well for healing and vibrant living! Once we take the focus off the scale alone and instead focus our efforts on better habits and eating the Trim Healthy Mama way, our bodies will be ready to trim down and we’ll be on the path to Vibrant Living!
MY TOP 5 TIPS FOR VIBRANT LIVING
It’s not all about food, y’all!
I was asked to share a few tips for busy mamas. And y’all, I know the EZine staff was looking for quick prep and out the door ideas with kids, but can I just say that if mama’s cup is empty and she’s running around on fumes, then snack prep ideas are the least of the problem! Can I get an Amen?!?! 😉 We mamas MUST take care of ourselves! It’s NOT selfish because when we take care of ourselves, we can better care for those who depend upon us and do so with a restful, joy-filled spirit and demeanor. So here are my tips for all of us busy mamas, and yes… I’m preaching to myself with these, too!
1. Get offline by nine! At 9 pm, put down the phone, walk away from the computer, and let your brain get a break in order to prepare for restful sleep.
2. Move with purpose every day for 20 minutes – preferably outdoors if possible. Get the blood pumping, the oxygen flowing, the joints and muscles going, and make some vitamin D from the sun for an extra bonus!
3. Stay hydrated with plenty of non-caffeinated fluids. Dehydration is so hard on the body and WILL contribute to weight stalls.
4. Choose to be thankful and joyful in ALL things. The mind-spirit-body connection is STRONG and real. It matters what you think and what you say back to yourself.
5. Take time to REST. This is my hardest one of all, but we MUST build in times of rest and margin into our busy, over scheduled lives. Stressed out mamas are not healthy mamas!
My next Stuck Mama/Stubborn Loser group will start up after the holidays in early 2020 and I’d love to have you join us! Here’s where you can find me and be sure to hear details about this next small group: https://www.facebook.com/trimhealthyfox/
You can also email me at [email protected]
Mama Fox’ Spicy Light Chili recipe can be found in this edition of the Trim Healthy Living EZine here!