Looking Forward and Setting New Goals

As I sit down to write this I can see how far I've come and yet the next part of this journey may prove to be even more challenging. I come to you today to share my success and my failures. On March 6, 2014 I started Isagenix. Around the same time I joined what's called the IsaBody Challenge. This is a 16 week challenge to inspire achieving your goals and a chance to win prizes. I completed this challenge as of last night. In four months, I lost 35 lbs and a total of 23 inches. I planned on adding exercise, but never did quite manage it. So, this release of weight was done without adding fitness.

I dutifully had my husband take my "after" pictures and naturally needed to compare them to the before pictures from March. I'm nervous to post these because there's so much of me in them, but I'm the queen of the over-share so why stop now?

Before and After Photos from March 2014 and June 2014

There you have it. My successes! I am quite proud of myself for sticking it out, but this next leg of the journey I want to make even more changes. Lately, I've done a lot of self-reflecting and I have more willpower and determination that I ever imagined. However, I can see where I really need to put in some serious effort to make lasting changes. My issues with food are far from over. I'm sure my weight loss would have been even more astounding had I managed to better deal with my emotional eating.

I started a new IsaBody Challenge last night. This time I am focusing more on energy and performance than weight loss. Obviously, my ultimate goal is still weight loss, but I need to change my overall focus. This challenge will run until October 18, 2014 and over the next four months I plan to work on my emotional eating as well as getting fit. I've already started a fitness class that I will be doing twice a week for 11 weeks (possibly longer). As for the emotional eating I will be working on awareness and finding new ways to work with my emotions. It took years to develop my emotional eating and it's going to take time to replace bad habits with good ones. I believe support, awareness, and creating a new reward system will be the keys to success in this next part of my journey.

The biggest help to achieving any goal is having a great support system! I'd love to hear about your weight loss journey or struggles with emotional eating. Feel free to contact me anytime! 

I Once Was Blind....

As you know I've been following the Isagenix program and I've lost some weight. I've lost 35 lbs to be exact! The thing is I haven't felt like I've really lost that much. That is until I came across some pictures from my birthday last November.

I guess being so big for so long I still see myself as 35 lbs heavier even though I know I've lost this weight. And a big part of that is also because I've struggled along the way. I have to constantly remind myself that I didn't gain an extra 100 lbs overnight by creating good habits. It's going to take time for me to develop better habits. I made it this far and haven't included regular exercise (although it's always on my to do list).

I've decided to show you what I can finally see. Although, I admit that this is really difficult for me to put out to the vast interweb. I feel like I need to. I need to show you the progress I've made. If only to record this moment in time for myself.

I've still got a long way to go, but I'm going to give myself this moment in time to just be proud of myself for getting this far.

Way to go me! 

Birthday pictures from November 2013 compared to Progress pictures June 2014

This is what I've accomplished in 3 months. My next three months my focus will be more on getting fit. I've signed up for some super intense training. I'm really excited and completely terrified, but I'll share more about my new fitness regime soon! 

Ground Hog Day

Well, it looks like I've gone and done it again. I've left you all hanging. I think I've figured it out though (by it I mean me). Do you remember the old adage "if you don't have anything nice don't day it at all"? I haven't had a lot of nice things to say lately so I've kept to myself. In fact, I haven't spent a lot of time on social media either.

I have to say the past couple of years have really grown and stretched me. I've learned a lot about myself and my goals. There's still a long way to go, but honestly who can say they're finished? Have you accomplished your perfect self? Yeah, I didn't think so. We're works in progress and under construction.

All of this to say....

Hieeeeeeeeeeeeee!

If you've kept up with Being Elle at all, you may remember that I started a program called Isagenix on March 6. Through this process I've given up my favoritest thing in the whole wide world. No, not my kids....I gave up coffee. I've had one cup at a family dinner at the beginning of May, but other than that, no coffee. I dropped it cold turkey too. It's funny, when it's the right time to do something it can be extremely easy. I don't have any explanation as to how I've done it short of it was the right time and this is coming from a now former coffee junkie.

Okay, so here it goes...the good, the bad and the ugly.

When I started this journey on March 6, 2014 I weighed 267 lbs. This is the heaviest I've ever been and it scared the hell out of me. (I may have gone up to 270 but I hadn't weighed myself regularly.) After my first month following Isagenix I lost 20 lbs. It was fantastic.

And then I hit an emotional wall. I still maintained my weight and lost a pound here and there, but I really wasn't following the way I wanted to. What I did do, however, was reach out to my Isagenix team for support and while I still struggled it definitely helped get me on the right track. I'm overweight for a reason. I didn't put this weight on with good eating habits now did I? And I certainly didn't put this weight on overnight. I need to cut myself a little slack and just keep trying.

As of this morning, I have lost 33 lbs! I've reached one of my biggest goals which was to get below 235 lbs. I was at 235 lbs for a long time until I got pregnant with my daughter (who's almost 7 years old). Now, I've got to work on my self image. I still see myself as 267 lbs. Losing 33 lbs doesn't feel like very much, and yet - it's 33 lbs!

I'm so very thankful for the people around me who support me and encourage me along the way. My family definitely deserves a prize for putting up with me! I think what scared me the most was when people started telling me I was an inspiration to others. Who? Me? No way! Now, I am completely an extrovert, so my reaction was a surprise to me. I've always wanted to be an inspiration to others, but to actually be an inspiration was and is totally terrifying. I think that's why I decided to come out of social media hiding and start sharing my journey again. It's like I'm Punxsutawney Phil poking his (or in my case her) head out. I'm not going to let my shadow scare me back into hiding even with whatever bumps and bruises I may run into along the way. I'm here to stay.

We're getting a group together to do a 30 day challenge to get ready for summer. If you're at all interested I invite you to email me or check out the Facebook page Summer Ready in 30 Days. There's a great group of people to support you!

What have you got to lose other than pounds and inches?

* Enroll with a 30 Day Isagenix Cleansing and Fat Burning System (or equivalent) or have equivalent system on hand prior to May 31 (to start June 2) or June 5 (to start June 9) - you must have active membership. Takes 2 to 3 days to receive product.*

Mental Spring Cleaning

So, I know it's been a couple of weeks since my last update. I sorta got stuck in my own head. I'd been feeling really weighed down by negative thinking. So, I retreated into myself and too stock of where my head was at. 

What I found was that March was a month of changes. I stopped drinking coffee, started eating healthy with the Isagenix program and I started blogging again. I kept myself so busy that what I really want got tangled up with a bunch of other things. 

It's taken me a couple of weeks to work through all of this. I did some mental spring cleaning and figured out what really matters to me versus what I do out of obligation. Once I sorted through the clutter I could clearly see where I want to go from here. 

Through this process I missed a couple of weeks of church and last week I felt like I had to go. I'm so glad that I did. The sermon spoke right to my heart. I totally cried. I talked with a number of friends and a couple of them prayed with me. I left feeling a lot lighter. I forget how cathartic tears can be. 

I think today's been the first really mentally clear day that I've had in a few weeks. I'm so thankful to have the support system that I do have. 

In other news, today marks my 37th day on Isagenix. To date I've lost 22.5 lbs and 12 inches. My clothes are now way too big for me which is both awesome and super annoying. I've got to look into getting some in between clothes. 

I'm excited about the future again. I can't wait until I'm ready to share my dream with the world! 

Have a fantastic weekend! 

Random Thoughts

What a long day. As you may have read in my last post; I had a challenging weekend. I thought I'd worked through most of what I needed to, but today I was hit with a "new" challenge. It's really the same one I've been struggling with for months, but usually something sets me off. Some mishap or maybe even hormones. Alas, there was none of that today. I was completely overcome by a desire to walk out, which of course I couldn't do, so the result was a crying jag in the bathroom. I was able to compose myself until I got home and cried some more until I composed myself and made dinner. My foul mood persisted through most of the evening, but it made me start researching my mystery project again. If I hadn't been feeling so down I may not have found what I've been looking for! My mystery project is within my grasp and at an affordable rate. 

Friday will mark Day 30 on Isagenix and, might I add, my 30th day without coffee. It's still amazing to me that I've gone so long without coffee. I've had my moments where I really wanted to just have a nice hot cup of java, but I resisted. I still have some work to do when it comes to potlucks and big family dinners. I also realized that I haven't been turning to food for comfort. I really wanted to today, but I was completely aware that my foul mood was making me want to eat. Writing and talking are my biggest outlets for my emotions. Instead of turning to food I turn to my phone and reach out to those closest to me. When at home, I find it helps to write a blog post or do research on my mystery project. All of these are helping me get over the really bad food habits I've developed over the years. 

Well, I'm off to bed. I've been trying to get to bed at a decent time the last couple of nights. Getting enough sleep is a part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle! *insert eye roll here* But it's true. I need my beauty sleep. 

I'm going to bed feeling a lot better than when I woke up. I call that progress! 

A Very Jekyll and Hyde Weekend

I feel as though I'm at a crossroads of sorts. I went to an Isagenix training Friday night. It was great and it was tough. I was faced with some realities and I think my scaredy lion came roaring back. I feel like tucking my tail between my legs and giving up. You see the speaker at this event is an Isagenix millionaire. Would I like to be a millionaire? Sure. But that's not what I dream about. I dream about being a successful woman. I dream about being a leader in my community. I dream about helping people with my God given talents. And those talents ARE given to me by God. So, what I realized within the first few minutes was that this speaker is all of that. She is a woman. I, however, feel as though I am a mere girl, playing dress up. As the speaker shared her story I pulled so many similarities from my own life. What ultimately blew me away was that we are the same age and this hit me harder than I would have expected.

You see, I've made it to a point in my life that I can honestly say that I love myself. I deserve love and happiness. I am worthy. What has blindsided me is that those feelings of unworthiness have crept back in. Only this time it's related to success and business. I feel unworthy of being successful. There. I said it. All of my doubts and fears are weighing me down. I'm stuck in this in-between place where I know I have these skills. I know I could be really good at it. But I've got all of these doubts. I couldn't run my own business. Why would a client pay me to help them? I'll never make it.

I wrote the above last night. Since then I've had my biggest fan give me one of his speeches. My husband is my biggest supporter and he's always on my side. He tells me the truth, not just what I want to hear. One of the things that I didn't want to hear was that I have too many things on my plate. I know it's true. I just don't want to hear it. I've got too many things on the go and I don't want to drop any of them because I don’t want to disappoint anyone or let anyone down. Here's the thing about juggling too many balls at once a lot of balls get dropped. Because I have too many items on my agenda I'm not able to put in the effort I would like and a lot of things get put off or even forgotten about because something else came up that was a priority. With all of this in mind I came to three decisions. I decided to let one thing go immediately. The second one I will start the stepping back process until I can completely bow out at least at this stage in my life. The last one is to focus more on my health and well-being, which ultimately is the whole idea of letting go of some items on my agenda.

Once I made my decisions I did some spring cleaning to help with my newly decluttered mind. I went through my very cluttered inbox that held over 1200 emails and brought that number down to 59. In the process I rediscovered the Harlem Globe Trotter tickets that I received as a Christmas gift. The event is next Sunday! Can you imagine if I hadn't gone back through my email in time?

Then I moved into the kitchen and organized it as well. You see, we were given a pantry a few days ago and I still hadn't cleaned it out. It's clean now. My spices and baking supplies have filled the pantry! And now I have so much cupboard space!

It's amazing how quickly your viewpoint can open up once you make a decision. What holds me back is the indecision. Indecision leads me to overwhelm and procrastination. What this looks like on the outside is a lot of tv watching and laziness.

I am a woman of many interests and I try to take them all on at once - like any good "superwoman". That is until I gravity pulls me crashing back down to the real world. I can't do it all. I can't learn everything at once. I can't volunteer for everything little thing that interests me.

This weekend was a good bump in the road. It helped me around some hurdles that were blocking me path. I can see clearly again and I am at peace. Or at least my current version of peace. 

21 Days to a New Habit

Don't worry I haven't forgotten about my writing every day challenge. Over the weekend, I realized that I have 28 posts in 22 days. So, I took a break. I've accomplished what I set to do - to reestablish myself as a blogger and to refresh my love of writing. 

Here we are on March 26th and I'm feeling more like myself again. I'm even excited about starting a new phase of Being Elle through video blogging. I'm working out a few more kinks and then I was thinking I'd post a video once a week. 

My first vlog went over really well. I'm so thankful to all of you for your positive comments and encouragement. I really appreciate it. 

So, today is day 21 on Isagenix. They say it takes 21 days to make a habit. I've lost 16 lbs so far and I feel amazing! Okay, a little tired today, but the last two nights I've stayed up beyond late. So, It's a product of my own making. I find everything is just a little bit different. I have more energy. I find I don't yell at the kids nearly as much. Food tastes different. My next video post I will talk about some of those differences. I watch 98% less televison than before. Some of the not so fun parts of my day are a little easier to handle. (Stil not enjoying it though.) All of this and it's only been 21 days. Can you imagine what I'll feel like in 3 months? 6 months? A year? 

The world feels full of possibilities. And I've really gotta get more sleep. I look forward to sharing my journey with you. Maybe some of you will even join me! 

A Day in the Life of Being Elle - IsaGenix Style

Good morning and happy Saturday to you! I hope you enjoy some rest and relaxation today. Here's a glimpse of what we woke up to in Ottawa today.

Nothing says spring quite like a snow storm!

I had grand plans to do another video post today, but it'll have to wait until I've got a tripod for my camera.

After yesterday's post I realized that I rambled on and on about this program called Isagenix, but I didn't really go into the details. So, I thought I'd do a day in the life of my Isagenix plan through pictures.

Isagenix Corner

Welcome to Being Elle's Isagenix Corner. It's my little corner of health and wellness. I keep all of my products together for easy access. The extras I store in a cupboard.

So, let's take a tour of my day with Isagenix.

When I wake up I usually have a cup of water and find my way to the kitchen. I start off with 1 oz of Ionix Supreme and yes, I do take it from a shot glass. Why not make it fun?

Ionix Supreme is a nutrient-rich herbal tonic infused with natural vitamins, minerals and plant-based Adaptogens. 





Then I make my breakfast shake. I use my shaker cup to measure the water and I add a few ice cubes as well. I pour the water and ice into the blender, add two scoops of the IsaLean Shake, and blend for about 30 seconds.

IsaLean Shakes are a complete, 240-calorie meal replacement that perfectly blends 24 grams of no compromise undenatured protein, low-glycemic carbs and healthy fats to reduce your caloric intake without depriving your body of much needed nutrition. 

IsaLean Shakes are clinically shown to: 

• Burn fat and support lean muscle 
• Reduce cravings and keep you full longer 
• Increase energy and recovery 
• Soy-free with active enzymes to aid digestion 
• Less than $3 per meal, no artificial colors or flavors

I also take one Natural Accelerator capsule with my breakfast and one with my afternoon snack.

Support your body’s ability to efficiently metabolize fat with Natural Accelerator. Natural thermogenic ingredients such as cayenne, green tea, cinnamon and ginseng have been shown to possess fat-burning qualities, which can kindle metabolism and support weight loss. 

• Excellent for Cleanse Days 
• Helps reduce appetite 
• Helps boost metabolism and burn fat 
• Stimulant free and will not cause the jitters

I enjoy two shakes a day. One for breakfast and one for lunch.

Now, you may be wondering about snacks. Well, I have a morning snack and an afternoon snack. The snacks don't look like much but they really do work.

Isagenix Snacks are the perfect balance of taste and nutrition. Contain a perfect balance of nutrients to help naturally curb your appetite to keep your weight loss goals on track. These wafers are the perfect balance of taste and nutrition to help take the edge off of hunger. 

• Great for Cleanse Days or any day of the week 
• Naturally curbs appetite 
• Maximizes weight loss 
• Dairy-free option also available

The IsaDelights are the most amazing part of this whole system. These chocolates have saved me through this journey. I don't feel deprived because I still get to eat chocolate. Currently I've got the dark chocolate, but next time I'm going with the milk chocolate. I've tried both and while I'm a huge dark chocolate fan I'm finding I like the milk chocolate IsaDelights a little more.

IsaDelight Plus are a delicious, guilt-free chocolate that satisfies hunger and sugar cravings. Milk or Dark Chocolate. Your Choice. When your brain is low on “feel-good” chemicals, it seeks out sugar, junk food and caffeine to artificially boost your energy and mood levels. IsaDelight Plus is specially formulated with green tea extract, amino acids, antioxidants, B vitamins and minerals to help ease those cravings. The creamy Milk Chocolate and delicious Dark Chocolate squares also boost your energy, mood and fire up your fat-burning potential. 

• Curbs cravings on Cleanse Days or any day 
• Low in sugar, equal to 1/8 of an apple 
• Helps burn fat 
• Only 60 calories per treat

So, there you have it. A day in the life of me. Dinner is whatever I make, but I try my best to stick within the Isagenix recommendations. I make sure to load up on the veggies at dinner and I don't snack in the evening at all. I drink a lot of water throughout the day and a lot of herbal tea. In fact, herbal tea has become my new obsession. It's been a journey just to find the right herbal tea but I think I finally have. Through the process though I've amassed a lot of tea. Maybe I need to have a tea party!

My favorites are the Peach Mango White and the Chocolate Orange

Vlog: An Overview of my Introduction to Isagenix

So, here it is. My first official vlog. (Okay, it might be the second attempt.) I decided that I would start posting videos about my Isagenix journey. Sometimes it's easier to talk about than to write about. Although in this case maybe I should have written about it. At least I could have edited my words a little better. This is me...au naturel...No editing. No retakes. It's 6 minutes and 12 seconds long. If you can sit still long enough to watch me embarrass myself.

If you can't get the video to work go to this link: http://youtu.be/NsrtJ01DdE0

Okay. Okay. Go ahead and laugh. It's really awkward watching yourself talk. Ah my favorite embarrassing moments to mention are when I say "Jump in with both feet head first" and then while talking about energy I actually say "I'm full of it".

Yeah, I'm full of something alright. I think I advertised Blackberry quite nicely even though it wasn't intentional. It's just my biggest cup these days.

All in all. I feel really awkward, but I'm gonna post this anyway. Why not jump in with both feet head first?  

Isa Update - Day 11

Good afternoon! What an amazing day. It's a beautiful and chilly day outside. For those of you keeping track. Today is Day 11 on the Isagenix program. It's also my 11th day without coffee! Day 11 is the first official weigh and measure day since starting the program.



I've lost 12.5 lbs and 8 inches!

I am so happy! This has been such a great journey so far and it's only been 11 days! I have so much energy. My positivity is at an all time high. And let's face it. It feels so good to say I've lost 12.5 lbs!

Friday I did my first cleanse day. It was quite challenging. I did okay for most of the day. The real challenge was feeling hungry through the evening. Thankfully, a friend called and I went to visit her which helped occupy my mind.

Saturday I learned something that totally amazes me. I had my usual shake for breakfast, a.m. snack, shake for lunch, p.m. snack and then I went to my small group for a potluck dinner. Here's what I've learned from this experience. Number 1...don't plan a cleanse day before a potluck (maybe cleanse days should be the day after a potluck). Number 2...eating a little of everything would have been enough. I guess the combination of feeling deprived for a day and a lot of really good food was just too much temptation. Number 3...being overfull changed my entire mood. I wasn't bouncy anymore. I was left feeling lethargic and ho-hum. Thankfully, today I am right back on top of things and feeling amazing. But seeing how my whole being was totally off after such a big meal really opened my eyes to what I've been doing to myself all these years. That is what amazes me. That I could see the difference so quickly and so thoroughly.

I'm off to enjoy my shake for lunch and run some errands before I get to making a beautiful dinner for my family and a guest tonight. So, have a great day! I'll see y'all tomorrow!

And for you parents out there...March Break is OVER! Yes! WOOT! Kids are back to school tomorrow! I don't know about you, but my kids NEED to get back into their normal routine.

Happy End of March Break!

March 16: Do What You Can (Chapter Six)

This post is part of the Balanced challenge with Tricia Goyer—and you can join, too!

Do you have an extra fifteen minutes before you need to hop in the car to pick up your kids? Make the most of them! Do a little laundry, organize a stack of papers, do a quick sweep of the kitchen. Those five, ten, and fifteen minutes add up throughout the day! Take advantage of them today and write about your experience and all you got done in today’s blog post.

Well, today is Sunday so it's already a little less harried than a regular week day. I woke earlier than I usually would and decided to stay up instead of going back to bed for an hour since I did get enough sleep. Today was weigh and measure day for the Isagenix program that I'm following. So, I did that first thing. Then I organized the mess in the kitchen so at least the dishes are soaking and the kitchen looks clean. By this time the kids woke and I set them up with some cartoons. I have a friend coming for dinner tonight so I've taken the meat out of the freezer. Brought up the clean laundry and started the washer to rewash the forgotten load that was in there. Now I'm back to organizing my workspace again. We got a new desk and I now have a real space to work at. I managed to get some of it done, but I still have some stuff to go through.

And now we're off to church. Have a blessed day!

A Mass Update - Writing/Isagenix/Balanced Challenge

Balanced Challenge
I've been reading another Tricia Goyer book, Balanced - Finding Center as a Work-at-Home Mom. She's such a fantastic writer and so down to earth. Tricia really is my kind of woman - completely imperfect but she is an inspiration because of these imperfections. This book isn't just for the work-at-home moms. It's really for any parent who is trying to find that balanced life.  For the next eleven days I'll be posting my personal answers to questions from each chapter.

Writing Challenge
So, for those of you who are keeping up...Yes. I am doing a challenge within a challenge within a challenge. (31 Days of Writing Challenge, 12 Week IsaBody Challenge, and 11 Day Balanced Challenge) This of course is on top of all the other things I do...I work full time, have three kids and a husband. Plus there's church things, and a board of directors I'm involved with. Plus there's the mystery thing I'm working on too.

I'm starting to think I may need to scale down on some things.

Hmm.

Isagenix Update
I have to say today's been a pretty amazing day. I was pretty tired this morning, but I've had so much creativity today it's insane! I spent my 30 minute lunch break working on my mystery project. And the creativity just keeps on coming. You know the last three days I've actually done a little bit of house work. Yes. For me, that IS a big deal. It's not even like I set out to do these extra things on purpose. I've just been doing them. It's like I'm seeing things differently. This is pretty fantastic.

Isagenix where've you been for the last 9 years?!

My Motivation to Start Isagenix (Writing Challenge - Day 9)

Well, it's Sunday. It's day 4 of Isagenix and Day 9 of my Writing Challenge. I have to tell you that today I feel good. I won't go as far as to say I feel great because I still have a sore throat and my head is still a bit foggy. But I feel GOOD. I feel positive. So, I though today would be a good day to write about my motivations and my previous challenges.

I haven't always been overweight. Most of my childhood I was average size. It wasn't until high school that I started to gain weight. At first I was just chubby (the good Lord knows I hate this word). Then in college the weight just started to pile on, eventually I went from overweight to obese while pregnant with my first child. Between my first and second child I managed to lose weight and keep it off. I felt amazing and looked pretty good. Then I got pregnant with my second and third children and haven't been able to really stick with anything for long. I've had some good runs, some almost there's, but ultimately I've ended up being overweight and at the heaviest I've ever been. I've been overweight for about half of my life and definitely most of my adult life.

Here's the thing. While I was growing up I always saw myself as fat. I saw myself as ugly, unlovable and stupid. It's taken me a lot of years to finally see myself as pretty - to know that I am smart. Did you know that I never went to university because I didn't think I was smart enough? How sad is that?

For nearly ten years I've been with a man who loves me no matter what size I am but it's only been within the last year that I've been able to say I love myself and mean it.

Food has been my comfort in life. Food's always been there for me. It's never judged me. I would eat when I was stressed, or happy, or sad, or angry, or bored. Whatever emotion I was feeling I would eat.

One of my biggest challenges has been how to eat vegetables with a house full of picky eaters. It just became easier to not eat veggies. The thing is I enjoy eating vegetables. I just got into the bad habit of not eating them.

Now that I’ve worked on my emotional well-being I no longer need food for comfort. However, I’ve been doing the same thing for so long it's really difficult to break the cycle.

I've tried counting points, counting calories, intermittent fasting, fad diets - you name it. I have a few before pictures and zero after pictures. I'm really good at starting diets and really bad at sticking with them. I always start the same way - "This time feels different."  "This will be the one that works." And then exhaustion sets in or old habits take over and I'm right back where I started.   

This is where Isagenix comes in. I’ve seen friends’ lives transformed. I’ve seen this vitality and rejuvenation in them and it has sparked a fire within me. I want what they have. I want so much energy that my husband and kids have to keep up with me.

There’s a new life out there that's just waiting for me to wake up and join the race.  

Writing Challenge Day 8

Today marks my 3rd day on Isagenix. No headache today! I'm doing fairly well without the coffee. I did pass out for 45 min this afternoon, but who doesn't enjoy a nice Saturday afternoon nap? It's only been three days, but I'm sticking to it surprisingly. The added incentive of not wanting to waste my money must be helping. That's not to say I'm not tempted all day long, because I am. The hardest moment today was while talking on the phone. I guess I'm a fridge scrounger while talking on the phone. I opened the fridge door several times during my phone call. Thankfully I was able to resist. I think evenings will continue to be a challenge until my body gets used to eating less.

I joined the IsaBody Challenge today. It's runs for 16 weeks so my end date will be June 28, 2014. I decided I'm not going to post my before pictures until there's some progress pictures to compare to. I will, however, admit that when I started Isagenix on March 6th I weighed 266.9 lbs. A little less than my heaviest which was at the 270 lbs mark the last time I weighed myself and it's been a while. Right now my goals are simple:

• Stick to the program for one month
• Gain some much needed energy
• Start working out in a couple of weeks
• Complete the 16 week challenge

As for any ultimate goals? I'm not ready to talk about those yet. I want to be able to say that this is working before I try to give myself some final goal that seems impossible.

Until tomorrow my faithful readers! This gal is headed to bed shortly.

Writing Challenge Day 7

Happy Friday! It's now Day 7 of my daily writing challenge. This post marks my 9th in 7 days. I think that's something worth celebrating.

I'm on my second day of Isagenix and it's been quite difficult. I shared my struggles from last night. This morning most of the problems stem from my head cold. I woke with a very sore and swollen throat. My skirt had a tear in the back. And I just had this complete mental fog all day long. There were a few moments at work today where I wasn't quite sure what I was doing. However, as always I found a way to get to everything done.

My hunger level while at work was okay for the most part. I am finding this afternoon quite challenging. My kids asked for some popcorn as a snack and I didn't eat ONE kernel of popcorn! I wanted to so badly! Even the cold mac and cheese my kids left uneaten from their lunch looks tempting. Gross, but still tempting. I will prevail. I'm glad it's the weekend. I'm hoping a couple of days off will help my body get used to eating less.

I've had a headache for most of the day, but it's just a dull ache now. Here's hoping tomorrow I won't have one at all. At this point I'm not sure what is head cold and what is toxins leaving my body. Either way it's a pain in the neck. I've been told it's all worth it. A few days of misery to get to feel amazing? Come on, I've GOT to be able to handle that!

I mentioned that I would think about posting my measurements for the world to see. I've decided I will, but not yet. I'll either put the details up with a post about starting the IsaBody Challenege or I might wait until the end of 1 month to post the differences.

Well, that's all I've got for now. Have a great weekend.

Isagenix Day 1 - Writing Challenge Day 6

Okay, so my titles are getting a little long...I may need to rethink those.

 

My morning started off with the Ionix Supreme, an IsaLean Shake and a natural accelerator. Followed by 500 mL of water. At work I had 500 mL of Energenix, an herbal tea (blueberry pomegranate) and I had two Isagenix Snacks. I've included a picture because it's a little weird eating what looks like large chewable vitamins as a snack.

 

 

As far as the taste of everything...I can't say it tastes great, but it's not awful. It's definitely doable and who knows after a month I may enjoy the taste. I've definitely had similar products from other companies that were horrendous.

 

It's currently 11:30 and I'm feeling peckish. Hoping to hold off till 12:00-12:30. What is really challenging is that someone brought me a homemade muffin and I found Oreos in my desk I should have eaten yesterday so I've had to get drastic and put everything in a box and tape it shut. And I thought the coffee would be my biggest worry.  I'll post about the rest of my day later.

 

Starting Isagenix Tomorrow

This writing challenge must be working because I'm already back for more...I should totally wait until midnight to post this.

Remember how I mentioned I'd soon be starting this Isagenix program? Well, my products arrived today and I'm jumping right in. I'm starting the program tomorrow, March 6, 2014. In preparation I drank three cups of coffee and stuffed my face with several Oreo cookies.

This evening I had a teleconference with a couple of people who are (I'm not sure what to call them) part of the Isagenix team. Everyone I'm talked to through Isagenix has been so helpful and positive. I really do feel like I have a whole team of people behind me supporting me and this is beyond my usual support system of family and friends. I have to say it's a little overwhelming and completely awesome.

This is all of the products that came in the box.

So, here's what I've learned so far about the products that came in my kit. I watched a video and took notes so that I could figure out what each product is for.  

 

Cleanse for Life: a nutritional drink that heightens the body's ability to break down and release harmful substances

 

IsaLean Shake: a well balanced complete meal replacement

 

Natural Accelerator: helps facilitate the cleansing process also increases fat burning and energy

 

Isagenix Snacks: well balanced snack to curb cravings

 

Isaflush: to address constipation

 

Energenix: included to help on those days you need a little more energy

 

Ionix Supreme: a nutritional drink that aids the body in combating stress with over 100 active ingredients from super foods

 

And a little gift to help get me started. This is the Isagenix Shaker and it has this neat little "BlenderBall" that is supposed to work really well. It looks pretty awesome, but I'll let you know tomorrow how it works.



Thank you to my friends who gave me a welcome to Isagenix!

Wish me luck! Tomorrow is start day and the first time I'll be without coffee in I don't know how long. I'm debating whether to share my measurements and weight...I'll sleep on it and decide tomorrow. Ta ta for now! Have a good night! 

Isagenix (Writing Challenge - Day 4)

I swear I wrote most of this yesterday! I had a rough day so by the time I got home I was just plain done. So, here's my post meant for yesterday and yes I'll post another for today.

So, in a few days I'm going to be starting to follow the Isagenix program. I'm still learning about it so I won't go into a lot of details. I'll save that for when I've tried the program so I can give you my informed and tested opinion.

However, what's led me to try it is I know several people who are on it and I've seen a change in them. Mostly I've seen their energy level go through the roof. It's helped one friend come out of his shell and really start to promote the products. Not to mention the weight I've seen some people lose.

My first impression is how pricey it is for a month. But then I've tried a lot of other methods to lose weight and have probably spent triple at times.

My main goal here is to just try it for a month and see what happens. Worst case I go back to what I've been doing which isn't working anyway. Best case scenario I have energy and lose weight....hmm let me think about that one? Okay sign me up. Haha. I watched some videos and talked with people who represent the system. If it is as they say then I've got nothing to lose but weight and I'll gain so much more - energy, health, vitality.

Stay tuned. I'll post when I get my starter kit and we can take this journey together. Oh, and my biggest fear? Not drinking coffee. I have to admit that's the one part of this program that scares me. Although, if I'm being honest...I could totally do with less caffeine in my life.

Okay, that's it for what was supposed to be yesterday's post. I'll be back with today's.