Nicole Lost 108 Pounds and Won $1,500!

Meet Nicole McMillin. She lost 59 lbs in 90 days with Beachbody programs, including 21 Day Fix. She entered her results into The Beachbody Challenge, and won $1,500!

Tell us about your life before you started the program. How did you feel about yourself and your body?
Prior to starting 21 Day Fix, I didn’t really give any thought to my daily nutrition or exercise. I have always been healthy and happy; and wasn’t really limited in doing things that I wanted to do, so I just kept telling myself there was no need to change. I have put on weight every year since my Master’s program in college and just kept ignoring it and saying that I didn’t have time to worry about it. While I didn’t allow the weight to negatively affect my self-esteem, I certainly was frustrated from time to time with fashion, energy levels and weight limits. More so, I was concerned about my role modeling as a parent, so I would give my kids the message to love themselves no matter what, but was not teaching nutrition, portion control, exercise…meaning a well rounded lifestyle.

What inspired you to change your life and begin your transformation journey?
In July of 2014, my family and I had a house fire and lost pretty much everything. We bounced around for a few months before finding temporary housing in an apartment. We went from a 1700 sq. foot home on 6 acres, to living in an apartment in town! I knew right away that I had to find some new hobbies, activities and interests to keep myself busy and sane until our new home is completed! I decided that it was the perfect time to learn about proper nutrition and portion control, as well as start exercising. I want to develop a completely new lifestyle so that when I move back to our home, with all of the time required to maintain the house and land, I will continue on this now well-paved journey! I researched programs and hit upon 21 Day Fix so decided to try it, and I never knew that exercise could be so straight forward, enjoyable and rewarding!

What is the greatest challenge you faced before beginning the program? How did the program and Beachbody® help you overcome that challenge?
I had absolutely no idea what proper nutrition and portion control were really about. I lived all of my life in the Midwest where the values of hard work and waste nothing are central. I grew up in a single Mom home, with little money, where we were forced to be in the “clean plate club” because there were “those less fortunate than us” so we couldn’t waste what we were given. Foods were prepared country style, as my Mom grew up on a farm where they needed the meals to really “stick to the ribs”. Celebrations always included food. Lots of flavor, lots of food and lots of calories! So, I continued this trend into my adulthood, and judged a lot of my wife and parent skills by how clean my house was and how well fed my family was. I knew about the daily recommendations and The USDA Choose My Plate portions, but they just didn’t make sense. Reading and following the 21 Day Fix nutrition guide was like a miracle! The haze burned off and then then pounds began to follow!

What in particular did you like about the program you chose?
21 Day Fix was the perfect place for my to start. The exercises were at my level and/or easy to modify. I felt accomplished rather than frustrated. The nutrition guide and containers have been an absolute life saver! The ease of using the containers and the foods lists have taken out all of the confusion so that now I can actually see and understand what foods to eat, how much of them to eat and in what combinations. Amazing! I found that lifting weights has really shaped my body and given me strength and flexibility that I never thought I would have. I have learned so much about proper nutrition for muscle development, and learned about clean eating!

Describe the results you achieved with your Beachbody program. Which achievements are you proud of?
I am so proud of the weight that I have lost and the shape that my body is taking; however, even more awesome is the example that I am showing my kids. They have joined in the workouts occasionally, make better food choices and talk about being healthy. We are having more active fun together and we choose to spend quality time doing active things versus always watching movies and eating junk! My two older ones have just recently joined me to lose 4% of my weight in a month long challenge! Not to mention my 3 year old son loves to workout with Mommy, especially when doing Yoga. Having a mindset of lifetime health and wellness for myself and my family is my greatest achievement to date!

How has your life changed since completing your Beachbody program?
I have so much more physical energy and my mindset is more about a lifestyle of health versus for the moment health. I use exercise to stay healthy physically but also mentally. Really burns off the stress and helps me to escape the confines of my temporary apartment living! My small space seems huge when I working with “my classmates”! I feel strong physically and proud of my body versus weak and jiggly. Paired with my ever present mental strength helps me just feel even more positive about life.

How did participating in a Challenge Group help you reach your goals? How did your group support you and keep you accountable?
My Challenge Group was amazing! I learned several tips along the way, such as proper hydration, scheduling workouts…My support group has kept me accountable and helped me when I needed a boost in mood or some advice to get past an obstacle. Having a Challenge Group at the start of my program really gave me a good start and helped me to secure my day to day routine, accountability and drive to achieve more. I can’t believe that 90 days have gone by already! I have already planned for the next 90!!

How did your Team Beachbody® Coach support you on your journey?
My Coach, Kelly, is super encouraging and supportive. She has always used words of encouragement and education in order to move us/me in the right direction. She makes suggestions and gives options versus saying there is only one way to get it done. I love that she is open to questions and will find answers, and that she seems to generally care about me/the group. I am especially glad that she encouraged me to take pictures along the way as I truly cannot believe my transformation in just a few months of hard work!

How did a Beachbody Supplement or Nutritional Product or Program (such as Shakeology® or Beachbody Ultimate Reset®) support your transformation? What are the greatest benefits you gained? Did you see benefits to your energy, sleep, mood/mental clarity, digestion/regularity?
Shakeology has helped me to eat a meal at lunch versus skip the meal for lack of time. It helps me keep my calories in check while getting in another serving of veggies since I tend to blend in Kale and/or Spinach with a fruit. I love how I can use the Shake as a meal or snack, and yes as a sweet treat occasionally!

Did you achieve any other measurable improvements with a Beachbody Supplement or Nutritional Product or Program? (e.g. Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, triglycerides, etc…)
My blood pressure has gone down since my 2014 physical and is now in the normal range versus the borderline high range. I am also no longer in the risky category for developing Type 2 Diabetes, which runs in my family. The proper nutrition and exercise programs from BB have giving me the prevention I need to stay healthy.

You can change your life, too. Take the Beachbody Challenge for the tools you need to Decide, Commit, and Succeed! Complete any Beachbody program, and enter your results for a free gift and a chance to win cash and prizes.