Why I Choose Shakeology... and ALWAYS Will!

HEY everyone!

It has been quite a while since I have written an update other than recipes for you guys, so I will definitely get to that in a bit! But in the meantime, I felt very compelled to write this blog post after scrolling through Facebook over the last few days and seeing so many negative jabs at Shakeology (which if you know me, you know how much I TREASURE this stuff).

I know I've written about Shakeology before, but I wanted to take the chance to really revisit WHY I love Shakeology so much and WHY I have chosen it over many other products. And really, why I still continue to drink it daily even though I am in good shape and exercise regularly and eat clean the majority of the time. I would never ever be one to down what someone else believes in or is using to work towards their goals, so that will NOT be what this post is about. But rather, why I took the path I did and why I will continue to for as long as Shakeology and all other Beachbody products are around!

So before I go into my reasonings, I wanted to first share some of the jabs I have read towards Shakeology:

1) "All you need to do to lose weight is exercise and eat clean. You don't need that Shakeology crap."

2) "Don't waste your money on that stuff. You can just go to Walmart and get their protein powder for way cheaper."

3) "It's just a meal replacement shake, so go buy a different meal replacement shake for cheaper and you'll be fine."

These are just some of the comments that I have read about it over the last year, and while it makes me want to bang my head against the wall, I know that SO much of it has to do with not understanding. These comments were made by people that have never even tried Shakeology before, or have maybe once or twice but never fully understood the value of it.

One of my favorite activities... enjoying a shake on my porch in the sunshine!

I just want another chance to have people understand how life changing Shakeology has been for me and that it is NOT just about weight loss. Shakeology is the FURTHEST thing from a sketchy weight loss shake, but we will get into that. This nutrient dense meal replacement shake is one of the main reasons I became a Beachbody coach in the first place, and my undying love for it (lol) I KNOW has been one of the biggest factors for my success in this business. When I talk about it, I'm not just making some fluff up or reading straight from a salesy pamphlet that Beachbody gave me in the hopes of selling it and making some cash. Nada. I am speaking from my HEART and from my personal experiences, and I know that people know and sense that. I know that's why people trust me and have joined me, because they watch me and know me and know that this stuff is legit. I am not in this business for me, I'm in it for you. Now, I continue to drink Shakeology for me, but when I share it via social media with all my little redundant shake pictures (haha), THAT is for YOU. So you can KNOW how GOOD you're made to feel and that THAT is what Shakeology has done for me. So I share it in the hopes that it can help someone else. If not, that's ok. I know it's not for everyone. But if I can find even a few that it IS for... I know that I'll have served my purpose!

So, as for the first jab ("All you need to do to lose weight is exercise and eat clean. You don't need that Shakeology crap.") I took this a little bit to heart. Not just for me, but for those of you out there that have truly struggled with weight loss like me. Of course losing weight is as simple as exercising and eating better- simple calorie deficit, right? But is it REALLY that simple? You see, because I remember the days of waking up and going to the gym, eating a healthy breakfast, and then struggling all day because my cravings for sweets were horrifyingly strong. I know that may seem silly to some, but others of you out there... you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's like it's in the back of your mind no matter what you're doing. You're just wondering when the next time you can get your hand on a brownie or Reese's cup will be. It may sound stupid, but it was extremely painful and real. Then comes the time to get dressed and go to work, or class, or what have you. That's when more pain sets in as it takes hours to find something you even like to look at yourself in, and it usually results in tears and hatred for yourself. And, what does that usually result in? Turning to the sweets you were longing for to ease the pain, satisfy the craving, and then start the cycle all over again.

Therefore, YES, I understand that losing weight is about exercising and eating clean, which is what I love that Beachbody represents and stands for. But for me, I literally had to have something else that would help. I needed something that would curb my cravings but in a healthy way; something that would satisfy my need for sweets and fill me up but not loaded with fake sugars and other artificial ingredients. I had been down the road of jittery pills that make you not want to eat and that was NOT the way I was turning again. When I read that along with the other many incredible side effects Shakeology had, that curbing cravings was one of them, I was immediately intrigued. And it IMMEDIATELY did. I remember after the first time I drank it, I sat there waiting for when I was going to want sweets. And when I didn't the entire day, I was like, "Hey self, are you sure you don't want any sweets? Because donuts are in the work kitchen and you know... we can go over there right now, if you want." But I never did and I was so beyond empowered!

A quick look at what ONE measly serving of Shakeology can equal to in your body. Want some yet?! :)

I know it seems like Shakeology must have all of these hidden unhealthy ingredients to do something so magical then, right? Wrong. I have no problem with sending you a picture of every ingredient in Shakeology right now- I'd do so happily and proudly! Beachbody Corporate wouldn't even have a problem showing you around their offices and labs to see how it's made. They also have a wall of every single ingredient in Shakeology (shown below)! The magic happens when your body is FINALLY, for the first time, enriched with every single ingredient, vitamin, nutrient, etc. that it needs to function and craves. When your body tells you you need a greasy cheeseburger and a coke, or a hot fudge sundae, it's not because you actually need those things. It's because your body is actually deficient in a certain nutrient and we are so dang addicted to those foods, that those are the trigger foods you crave. There's actually ways you can translate your cravings to see what you literally need, but I know it can be hard to go for a handful of almonds and blueberries when you're dying for a piece of pizza. So, I like to use this delicious shake to cut the problem at the source and not get the cravings to begin with! Just think of it that way: your body is finally fulfilled and the switch for nasty foods is turned off, because chemically, your body literally doesn't sense that it needs those things anymore. Now, not only have I been able to really lose weight and get in great shape, but it is also what has helped me maintain this for an entire year- the first time I've ever been able to do that without major fluctuations!

The Shakeology ingredient wall at Beachbody Corporate in CA! Isn't it beautiful? The creators took YEARS to perfect each flavor of Shakeology!

And I'm not joking that when I say it's been a year since I've had those insatiable cravings for sweets and since I also started drinking Shakeology every day. Ask family and friends. ;) Shakeology SAVED me. Now, do I still have cheat meals? HECK YEAH, I do! But I can never eat as much as I used to and I don't enjoy them quite as much, which is ok with me. It makes it so much easier to continue on with my new healthy lifestyle when it's over!

Now, we're going to cut to number two and three jabs in one sitting (i.e. "You can go to Walmart and get their cheap protein powder/meal replacements and it'll be the same thing).

Ok, so my number one objection to Shakeology is always: the cost. And you know what? I totally get it. It seems ridiculous at first to pay $130 (or $97 as a coach/$115 as a club member) for a 30 day supply of a powdered meal substance. Uhhh, come again? I thought the same exact thing. But here's what we all need to remember: You will never have a million dollar body by constantly eating off of the dollar menu. Basically, you eat fast, greasy, cheap foods- what do you think you're going to get? You're definitely not going to walk out looking like a supermodel! The same goes for Shakeology, in my opinion. It may cost a little bit more to supply my body with the things that it truly needs and that's going to fuel it, and that's ok in my book. I know that I'm either going to pay for it now, or big time later when I'm going to the doctor for all kinds of complications.

Another thing to remember, is that this is a legit month of meals. Even if you went to Walmart, don't you think you'd be spending at least $130 on a month of meals in bulk? Pretty much! Shakeology seriously cuts my grocery bill down. It's not an added expense, it's a replacement. And honestly, I drink it multiple times a day which cuts it down even more! Sure, I'll add some spinach and fruit to it, but that's really the only time I eat fruits in a day at all, so still... not adding to my grocery bill. I also spend way less because:

a) Shakeology has all of the vitamins and supplements in it that I need. I no longer buy anything extra at the store. Honestly, you wouldn't even want to because you can OD on vitamins too! It's super safe for pregnant women as well, but you know it's got a lot of vitamins when your doc tells you to replace your prenatal with Shakeology and just add a folic acid to it. (No I'm not pregnant, but that's what all the Shakeology mommas tell me!)

b) Again, it cuts my cravings like crazy so I'm not mindlessly munching throughout the day, which saves me a lot of money again at the store and also while I'm out and about!

c) This is unrelated to me, but I have been in awe at the amount of customers and coaches of mine that have been taken off of multiple medications because of what Shakeology has done for them. They started drinking it daily and after weeks or months they were totally off medications (for anxiety, diabetes, blood pressure, hyper/hyopglycemia, even many autoimmune disease symptoms have practically vanished. Read here for some firsthand stories.)

Also, with the exception of a stomach virus I just caught this past week (BLEH), I haven't been sick in close to two years since starting to drink it. I was drinking it daily long before becoming a coach, in case those numbers didn't quite line up correctly! I was working at a daycare teaching Pre-K, so you can imagine the cooties I was surrounded by daily. I went from being sick, no joke, multiple times a week with what have you to ZILCH. I remember laughing at it almost being a curse because I'd be one of the only teachers NOT calling out sick and getting all of the kiddos when we were short staffed! But that also brings me to the fact that if a super broke Pre-K teacher could afford it, trust me, you can too! I never even noticed a difference in my bank account. If you are drinking a Starbucks drink or getting a fast food meal every day, you are already spending way more a month on those purchases than you would be on Shakeology a month. This would help you cut all of that out anyway, saving even more!

Shakeology has also helped me with extensive hair and nail growth (and thickness), IBS symptoms (won't go too into detail with that... but the probiotics and digestive enzymes in it are incredible. Let me know if you suffer from IBS and I will share my story with you!), energy levels (went from coffee 3x a day to none), and so much more that I just can't think of off the top of my head right now. ;)


Me prior to Beachbody/Shakeology.                         Me currently using Beachbody programs and Shakeology.

My only hope is that this post will help shed some light on why so many people, like me, are so defensive and protective over their Shakeo! Yes, it has been proven to help aid in weight loss, lowering blood pressure and glucose levels, and more.... but it is SO much more than that. I know I didn't go very much into my weight loss story with is, but yes, my results really did skyrocket when I added it in to just my 30 minute workouts a day. I typically drink it as both my breakfast and post workout shake, and it has done wonders. I obviously recommend it. Haha!

Please know that there are also so many ways to get it for a great deal! There are combos called Challenge Packs that let you purchase an entire Beachbody program with Shakeology for a big fraction of the cost of them separately, which at least lets you get your first month supply for at least $30 cheaper, and you can see then if you like it or not. Also, as mentioned before, creating a coach account will save you about $30 as well, and active duty military members, their spouses, and veterans can sign up with a totally free coaching account, which is beyond amazing!

I also always recommend getting it through a coach that you know, because if you purchase it from Amazon, 1) you are still technically purchasing it through Beachbody so that doesn't make a difference, and 2) if you purchase it from someone selling it cheap on a sale sight or something, you cannot guarantee it's freshness. Shakeology expires just like real food because it is real food. Also, by purchasing through a coach and Beachbody, you actually get a bottom of the bag money back guarantee. Meaning, you can consume the entire bag and if it didn't help you or you didn't like it, you can return the bag for your full refund, no questions asked. I swear by it!

As always, love you guys and I will be updating on my fitness progress and life in general shortly! I have exciting P90X3 progress and will be doing a hardcore round of 21 Day Fix before my Cancun trip with Beachbody on April 15! Ah!

Also, some super exciting promotions this month are:

PiYo with Shakeology for only $140 (that's getting the program for just $10!)

P90X3 with Shakeology for $160! (this is HUGE you guys- just the program itself is $120! That's a savings of over $100!!! Ahhhh!!! GRAB THIS, YO!)

Leave some love on here, find me on Facebook, or shoot me an e-mail if you ever have any other questions or need help getting started on your health and fitness journey!


Til next time, friends!

Amanda James