My Story

Hey there, welcome to my blog! My name is Melissa Powell and I am a stay-at-home mom that lives about 45 minutes north of Minneapolis MN.

I've been married since 2000 to my amazing husband Eric. We survived 5 years in the Marine Corp, the desert of 29 Palms and moved back to MN in 2005. We have 3 beautiful children who keep our lives very entertaining! We enjoy spending time together, camping, road trips - oh and HOCKEY (We ARE in MN). In my spare time I enjoy reading, cooking, remodeling, woodworking and exercise. I also homeschool my kids. I was homeschooled for my 10th grade year. I also attended a public school and a private school and with experiencing all 3 different learning environments I knew I wanted to homeschool my own children. I have been blessed with being able to stay home with my children and so thankful that my husband wanted the same.

I started my health journey about 10 years ago. I read a book called the Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin. It opened my eyes up to what was really in our food and it started me on a new path. Before reading this book I ate a typical SAD (Standard American Diet) and I thought since I cooked at home it was healthy even though it was a lot of packaged/canned or frozen foods. I thought only hippie, crunchy (weird) people ate organic everything, tons of green stuff and almond milk. LOL ~ Oh what I didn't know - Now that is me! Over the years I have tried different ways of eating, I went vegetarian for about 5 months. I didn't feel well and really missed meat so that ended quickly. I tried to eat only raw and I made it about 2 weeks. I'm sorry but I like my food warm:-) I've also done the SCD diet and tried GAPS but I ended up following mostly Paleo.

I thought since I was eating healthy I should start exercising and my sister was exercising so she got me motivated. So I started running in 2011. I wanted to get my body toned since I had my last baby and I knew that we were done having more kids. I ran my first 5k and I was thrilled to finish it. I had a lot of joint problems at the time but I ignored it thinking it was just from the training. I decided I wanted to run a half marathon the next summer in 2012 and while I was training I made it to 6 miles and my joints got so bad I couldn't even run half a mile anymore. I was very defeated and upset. I went and saw a sports medicine doctor and he said I had a torn meniscus and if I wanted to keep running I needed surgery. So I quit running.

After that I thought maybe I just shouldn't run so I tried working out to P90X with my husband and I felt terrible. My joints would hurt worse after every workout. I had absolutely no energy. So I would quit. I kept trying every few months and I would quit again. I signed up to be a Beachbody coach back in March of 2014 because I wanted to get Shakeology with a discount. It gave me more energy than I had felt in a really long time. So I got motivated to work out again and I bought PiYo thinking this is low impact and I should be able to do it. I made it a couple of weeks and quit again. My body hurt everywhere! After doing push-ups I couldn't bend my elbows the next day. So I stayed on Shakeology - I had energy, my seasonal allergies cleared up (nice surprise) and I knew I was getting nutrients I couldn't get in my diet.

In January 2015 my mom recommended a naturopathic doctor she found and liked. So I went to see her hoping she could just help me feel better because my whole body hurt and I never felt good. It turns out I had a number of things going on like Lyme's Disease, parasites and a bacterial infection in my gut. I've been working with her and starting to feel so much better.

So in June I hesitantly tried the 21 Day Fix thinking I wouldn't be able to do it. AND - I FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS PROGRAM. WOW!! I didn't think I would like the weight lifting part and I've always avoided workouts like that. Turns out it's my favorite part! The meal plan really helped me to eat the correct portions. Following a Paleo lifestyle I eat pretty healthy. But I think we all gravitate toward our favorite foods and eat more of those. So I was loading up on sweet potatoes and fruit but not getting in enough greens or protein. Now I have an excel sheet were I can just check off my containers daily = super easy!  I really like Autumn as a trainer, she is motivating and not annoying! I've bought other workout programs where after 1 week I can't bring myself to play it again. My body has been healthy enough to be able to do this workout and I feel great. I love pushing myself and seeing the improvement physically and mentally.

I don't have a huge weight loss story - not a normal Beachbody transformation. I do feel more toned and I've lost about 4 lbs and 6 inches and I can tell my endurance has improved. BUT - My transformation has been on the inside and is still a work in progress. I've come to realize I needed to work on myself! (Which I think is hard for moms when you take care of everyone else first!) I need to be the best person I can be to: myself, family, friends & strangers! That means making time for myself. My 30 minute workout helps me to de-stress and feel prepared for the day. It has taught me accountability and consistency. I've gained back confidence in myself that I lost over the years and in my body. I believe this will make me a better wife & mother and for that I am grateful. Fitness has taught me that if you are accountable, driven, and stay committed you can achieve anything! Re-shaping your body and MIND is the best way to be the most healthy/successful you!

If you are ready to start your health and fitness journey apply to join one of my challenge groups - they start the first Monday of each month. I would be honored to be your coach and new friend!