DN: What’s your name?
Karma: Karma Garavaglia
DN: Please tell the viewers a little bit about yourself!
Karma: I’m 43 years old. I’m a wife. I’m a mother of 3 and I have generally always been into health. I’ve had ups and downs, as a lot of people. You fall off and then you get back on. But I’m also super busy as I work in Human Resources and always multiple hats…always things up-in-the-air at one time. We all know that the work-life balance affects everybody and especially as society has gone more fast-paced, you know with technology it can be overwhelming. So trying to find a balance, and somebody told me that there’s no such thing, it’s kind of hard to manage all areas. Essentially, I have had to manage being a working-mom like a lot of people out there and just find time for me.
DN: When did the decision come to recharge your health?
Karma: Back in March, I was going through a lot. My Dad passed away two years ago. So anytime you lose someone, it gives you time for self-reflection, thinking about your own health and your family. I’m thankful I have a family, of course, because I can lean on my children and husband and be thankful for what I have. It really helps you to think “How can I do better” So that, coupled with the fact that in March I was going through a lot. Work was very, very stressful. I was essentially doing two jobs at one time because we were going through a transition. We were being acquired by a company. So only a part of the company was acquired and I was essentially doing HR functions for the part of the company that was not acquired and then now also ramping up as we were getting implemented into this new company system. It was a lot! Then, on top of that, my mother-in-law suddenly passed away so literally this was right before quarantine. So I was stressed beyond belief. I wanted to get my energy back because I was essentially falling asleep every night while putting my kids to bed and my husband was just hanging out by himself and I’m like, “Sorry.” So I had no energy and that was my first goal and I had been working out so that was the crazy part. I had been working out for over a year with a personal trainer. I was doing great. He had like a lab and I was really testing my oxygen levels and all of those things to not just necessarily losing weight but to see how I was doing on the inside and how I was functioning. I needed to change something and that’s when I knew that I couldn’t take it anymore. The stress was getting to me and I needed to be able to do something different. Whatever I was doing then wasn’t working. I hadn’t lost a lot of weight at all. I wasn’t really feeling great. So it was about feeling great and getting my energy.
DN: What diet(s) did you try and which one worked best for you?
Karma: Honestly, it wasn’t a specific diet. It was more of looking at your current weight, how much you want to lose, and what your fitness goals are. Taking it as calories, in portions. How many calories you should have whether it’s your proteins and your carbs. It was definitely a challenge. I can’t say that I was really 100% on, but one thing I was doing, that might turn your head, was these shakes. And so, which is kinda funny, with our own community we have our own shakes, which are amazing and they are a lot cheaper. But that really helped. I feel like it’s hard to be on your nutrition 100%. Even if we are, just with the way food is manufactured today, there is just no way that we can get everything in possibly. With these shakes, there are a lot of great things live avacado and sweet potato. There’s all of this goodness and I always felt good about that. So it was just more of following a meal plan based on what my goals were. It wasn’t a specific diet, like the Keto diet. I have never really done any of those fad diets. I was really just being mindful of what I was eating.
DN: Were there times when you “cheated” on your diet? If so, how did you bounce back?
Karma: Anytime that I have ever been on a meal plan, there’s always a “cheat day”. Or, if you really want to be strict, you’d have a “cheat meal”. Let’s say that if you’re restricted, you’re just not gonna want to stick with something. So if you want to allow yourself some allowances, whether it’s a cheat day or a cheat meal then that definitely helps. So I never fell off, thinking “Oh my gosh!!”. I think it’s more just being in tune in realizing that it’s a journey. It’s not like it’s a fast-track, where we are gonna reach our goal and that’s it. It changes your relationship with food. It’s kinda like “food freedom”, knowing that you have to have that cheat. If you want that donut or if you want that pizza, then you need to just go ahead and have it. You’ll feel better and not feel guilty. Get it out of my system and move on. If you restrict yourself too much, you’re gonna want to just shovel all of the potato chips into your mouth and everything else that’s on your mind. You’re gonna feel guilty and say, “Oh well I’ve done that. I might as well eat the whole bag” kind of a thing. So I never really had that, but I definitely suggest having a cheat. I feel like 80-20 is a good meal plan for your nutrition. As long as you’re doing good most of the time, you need to indulge. Life is short.
DN: For exercising, did you do workout at home or go to a gym?
Karma: I’ve always worked out at a gym. I’ve always had a gym membership since I graduated from college. I was grandfathered in, keeping the price at $10 a month. So I’ve always been a gym-person. Now I’ve joined this community with, called BeachBody, in March when I decided that I needed to change. I never worked out at home and I was like, “Ok.” So now I work out at home and the great thing I love about at-home workouts is 1.) They’re convenient 2.) They’re pretty quick. Their average is about 30 minutes. When you’re busy, whatever your lifestyle looks like, you need to be able to get in and get out so I do my workouts in the morning before anybody wakes up. It’s the flexibility. You can work out whenever you want. When you’re at the gym, you’re bound by their hours. We don’t get our workout in on the same time everyday. But (with the BeachBody workout) you can literally just plug in, push play, and go. So that’s what I love. A bit piece too is just getting the workouts in.
DN: So, of course, people may or may not know that you do these pre-workout dances. Where did that come from?
Karma: I’ll say that the biggest thing that was missing for me, and this is where it comes from and stems into that, is the accountability. The nutrition is where you make or break your results. I needed accountability and that’s where I have gotten this accountability is by joining this community (BeachBody). The biggest piece is that I have this level of accountability as a coach. I had amazing results just in a short time that I was with BeachBody and I decided to become a coach. So when I’m on social media, I wanna do something fun. I’d watch my coach and other people in our community doing things and so I was like, “You know what?!” I love to dance. Dancing gives me joy, gives me energy, and it pumps me up really for my own workout. So people enjoy watching me because it maybe helps get them pumped up too. So this became my thing and I’ve been doing this literally everyday since I started my journey back in March. So when I don’t do it, people will be like, “Hey! You didn’t do your pre-workout dance!!” I’d say, “I know! I didn’t get in my pre-workout dance today. I was pressed for time that day.” So I would do a post-workout dance. I feel that music is so key to life and it invokes emotion and gets you pumped up. I can’t workout without music. So that pumps me up and other people enjoy it too because it gets you pumped up. And you’re showing up. So showing up and inspiring other people has been a big piece. So I’m accountable telling you, “This is what I’m doing and this is what works and I’m not going to tell you something that I’m not going to do.” So that has been a huge accountability piece in my community with people who join me or just within my coaching team as well just because you’re always showing up and saying, “I’m getting my workouts in!” and you gotta deliver.
DN: How often did you begin to workout?
Karma: I started doing them in the morning, just to get some quiet “me time” out of the way before the kids wake up. I really just picked a program. For those who don’t know, BeachBody is the Netflix of fitness. There’s a whole catalog of programs you can literally view by fitness level and what you’re into. So I started picking out a program and I think that that’s also another piece of accomplishment of starting and ending a program. You have accountability and you can check-off as you go. They still average around 30 minutes each. But if you’re looking for high-intensity plus high-impact or something high-intensity and low-impact. I was looking for something high-intensity and low-impact because I have an issue with my knee. So I picked a great program called Bar-Blend and it’s a mix of ballet, pilates, and some cardio. I was actually shocked that I got some amazing results. I didn’t think it would happen. I was like, “There are no weights with this!” I was always someone who likes to lift so I was actually shocked! It was an 8-week program. Some programs vary. Some are 4 weeks, some are 3, and some are 6. It really depends on what you’re looking for and working with your coach to determine what your fitness goals are and what would be a good fit for you.
DN: Are the workouts everyday or every other day?
Karma: Most of the programs have at least one or two rest days. For me, it was 5 days a week. So 30-minute workouts…5 days a week. You can choose when to have your rest days. It’s not necessarily like you have to go in order of the rest days. But just doing the strength training, or whatever those workouts are, in order and then choosing your rest days. So I wanted to start with something not so high in intesity because I didn’t know what to expect.
DN: Are there any exercise plans that helped you?
Karma: BeachBody.com
DN: Did you have a support group, to keep you motivated?
Karma: I didn’t have a support group (before BeachBody). I just had my trainer. He was great. He does the Mind, Body, and Spirit. (With BeachBody) I talk to and engage with my community everyday. My coaching team, we are very, very close. We keep each other leveled up. We keep each other going. That’s motivating. But then also, the people in my challenge groups, they inspire me because just being able to help them and see them get their own results. I see them showing up because we check-in everyday after our workouts and that’s been key too. We check-in, whether you’re checking in with your challenge group itself or just checking in with me. We use a platform on Facebook and not everyone is on Facebook, which is fine. But we’re moving over to the app for BeachBody for our challenge groups. And sometimes there’s texting, but just having that check-in, for the accountability, that’s been huge.
DN: How long did it take you to become 100% committed to the process?
Karma: Honestly, that happened pretty quickly because I knew that I’m a coach and I’m accountable. There are no days where you are not doing your workout. Trust me. There were days when I was like, “I don’t feel like working out today”, but I knew in my mind, if I don’t get my workout in then I’m not going to ask my group to do something that I’m not doing. So that guilt, if that’s what you want to call it, it’s accountability and that’s what was missing. So, knowing that people are showing up for their workouts, if I’m slow that day and can’t get it together I still do my workout. It may be a couple of hours later, but I know because I gotta check in with everyone who joined up with me and they’re getting their workouts in and they gotta check-in. I’m checking in with them just like they’re checking in with me. I’m a coach, but I need to be held to the same accountability as they do.
DN: When did you have the “Ohhh, snap!” moment, where you noticed results?
Karma: The first program I did was this Bar Blend, which was 8 weeks, and then I went right into a boxing & lifting program, which I loved, that was 6 weeks. You would always check-in, do your measurements, take pictures. Even if you don’t share the pictures with anybody, you can have them for yourself, which is helpful to see where you started and your end results. I don’t really pay attention about the weight. It’s more about how I’m feeling and also the measurements because I feel that’s key. Two people can be the same weight and be two different body sets so it’s just a number. So, right after the two-month mark, I had my “Aha!” moment. I realized that I have been working out for over a year with a personal trainer, paying way more, and I lost more weight in two months with BeachBody, with their shakes and nutrition. With the first program, I lost maybe three or four pounds. And then with BeachBody, I lost over twelve pounds! It was insane! So the accountability and the Superfoods shakes have been amazing. That has been key. They have put so much into these shakes and it’s always evolving to what they can also add into these shakes. So that was my “Aha!” moment!
DN: Do you have any tips for the viewers who are in their beginning stages?
Karma: Whether they are joining the BeachBody community or not, I think it’s important to get some kind of accountability partner. That has been huge. Don’t be intimidated by a new program because for me I’ve tried new things and I’m like, “Guess what?! I’m still here!!!” You don’t have to rush into a program. You can have modified moves and that’s what I like about the community with BeachBody is that no matter how intense one of their programs is they will always show you a modified version of it. So you do what’s best for you. You’re not trying to keep up with your personal trainer. You’re just doing your personal best. Like we always say, “It’s progress, not perfection”. So I would say just start. Starting is always the hardest part. Once you start into your routine, then it becomes easy. It just becomes second nature. But definitely getting an accountability partner, whether it’s through a support group like I have or with someone who’s gonna keep up with you.
DN: Do you have any social media pages or businesses that you would like to promote?
Karma: It’s teambeachbody.com. So that’s where you would go. The biggest thing I would say is that everyone joins up, whether they want to coach or get the discount because you’re gonna be using the products, which also give you the discounts on early releases of programs before they launch for everybody else. Everyone typically gets started with a challenge pack because that’s the total solution. You get the year of your workouts. You get the nutrition. You get the accountability so if you’re joining up with a coach that’s really the best way because you’re gonna access the community. You’re gonna access challenge groups. You’re gonna access all that you get to support each other to get to that extra level. You’re gonna get the most bang for your buck. I mean, what you get in a challenge pack is probably worth $500 to $600 depending on which one you pick and you’re getting it on sale (with BeachBody) for $160. It’s just insane. The best part about it is, as recently as the newest launch in July, it’s called “#MBF” (Muscle Burns Fat). You’re getting access to both of our nutrition plans, which is insane because they’ve never done that. Those programs are worth $150 to $200. There are two different programs, and they’re popular. One is called “Ultimate Portion Fix”. It helps you to know what a proper portion is. The other one is emotional eating and teaches you how to have a better relationship with your food and it’s called “2B Mindset”. On top of that, you get to try 30 days of products for free. So the shakes, which is the #1 selling product for a reason, which is called “Shakeology”. Or you can try the Performance Stack and so that’s the pre-workout drink called “Energize”, and that’s what gives me my natural energy. Then they have the post-workout drink, which is called “Recover”. So you get your choice between Shakeology and the Performance Stack.