(I am a little behind on my posting. This is from last Thursday. I will try to get caught up very soon)
March 18
Thursday. My first weekly weigh-in. I was excited because I knew I had lost weight! How did I know? I cheated, of course. I was on the scale almost daily, which is really not recommended, but hey, I was excited.
Still, it was not without some anticipation that I weighed in on Thursday. I have been on the plan for one week only, and, as I mentioned earlier, I was easing into it slowly. Drinking only one shake a day, eating a light lunch and sensible, low calorie snacks. But for dinner, it was anything goes! I’m not very good at counting calories. I guess the point I am trying to make is, that I have not put a huge amount of effort into the plan as yet. And with just a little more effort, I could get even faster results.
So, with that in mind, I prepared to weigh myself. I had a ridiculous internal dialog running before I got on the scale. “Well, I should definitely shower first,--oil, dead skin cells, hairspray--that all must weigh something. And absolutely I should dry my hair. Wet hair is much heavier. I should probably floss my teeth as well.”
I seriously had these things in my head! Crazy, I know, but in the end I settled on the shower, the dry hair and brushing my teeth, but foregoing the flossing. Then the moment of truth!
I stepped on the scale and, saw three beautiful numbers 2….0…1…!
I was hoping to break 200, but this was a great start! Down almost 5 pounds in the first week.
Another notable effect was that I was sleeping a little better. No more falling asleep at my desk during the day. No more caffeine monkey on my back. Coffee was now optional instead of compulsory. I had more energy. And boy did I need it!
Next steps: incorporate more 2 shake days into the week, as well as ½ day cleanses. Also, I am starting a yoga workout and practicing Buteyko breathing (I think that is misspelled, but I will go into more detail about the technique at a later date, and I promise to spell it right when I do).
To your health!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
March 15
So, I made it through my first weekend on the Isagenix system. It was not as hard as I had feared. I still had my shake in the morning, foregoing my usual pancake breakfast. Lunch Saturday was hearty but healthy, with leftover chicken with salad for dinner.
I have to admit, I “suffered” a moment of weakness on Sunday morning when I met with my writer’s group in a local deli. Seeing the others chowing down on pastries and sandwiches made me hungry. Or so my brain was trying to convince me. But instead of giving in to the urge, I did a quick mental scan of my body and found I was not in the least bit hungry. I had drunk my shake before I arrived, and I felt full and satisfied. It was a simple conditioned response to seeing my peers eat. I had become “Pavlov’s dog.”
Time to change my relationship with food. Shift it from the emotional to the physical level. Like so many of us, I am an emotional eater, and that almost always spells disaster. Think about it. If you had a close friend who was involved in an abusive relationship, you would do all you could to encourage her to leave her partner and choose a healthier and happier life. Same with food! Time to “break up” with my unhealthy eating habits, and embrace a new love….my health!
Try this next time you are offered a tempting snack, or there is free pizza in the lunch room at work. Your mouth may water, and the pleasure centers in your brain may fire on all circuits, but stop and check in with your gut. Do you really feel hungry? Do you need that greasy pizza weighing you down all afternoon, or the spike-and-crash sugar high calling from that box of donuts? Chances are your stomach is just fine, not too full, not empty or complaining. Pour yourself a big glass of water or tea instead. Then walk away feeling good about yourself for making a choice that promotes your health and happiness.
That’s it for now. Tune in next time and I’ll talk about energy. And Thursday is my one week weigh in, or as I like to think of it, payoff!
So, I made it through my first weekend on the Isagenix system. It was not as hard as I had feared. I still had my shake in the morning, foregoing my usual pancake breakfast. Lunch Saturday was hearty but healthy, with leftover chicken with salad for dinner.
I have to admit, I “suffered” a moment of weakness on Sunday morning when I met with my writer’s group in a local deli. Seeing the others chowing down on pastries and sandwiches made me hungry. Or so my brain was trying to convince me. But instead of giving in to the urge, I did a quick mental scan of my body and found I was not in the least bit hungry. I had drunk my shake before I arrived, and I felt full and satisfied. It was a simple conditioned response to seeing my peers eat. I had become “Pavlov’s dog.”
Time to change my relationship with food. Shift it from the emotional to the physical level. Like so many of us, I am an emotional eater, and that almost always spells disaster. Think about it. If you had a close friend who was involved in an abusive relationship, you would do all you could to encourage her to leave her partner and choose a healthier and happier life. Same with food! Time to “break up” with my unhealthy eating habits, and embrace a new love….my health!
Try this next time you are offered a tempting snack, or there is free pizza in the lunch room at work. Your mouth may water, and the pleasure centers in your brain may fire on all circuits, but stop and check in with your gut. Do you really feel hungry? Do you need that greasy pizza weighing you down all afternoon, or the spike-and-crash sugar high calling from that box of donuts? Chances are your stomach is just fine, not too full, not empty or complaining. Pour yourself a big glass of water or tea instead. Then walk away feeling good about yourself for making a choice that promotes your health and happiness.
That’s it for now. Tune in next time and I’ll talk about energy. And Thursday is my one week weigh in, or as I like to think of it, payoff!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
3/13-2010
My stats.
March 10, 2010
Age: 50
Height 5’ 8”
Weight: 205.6
BMI: 43
Arms: 13.5”
Bust: 47”
Waist at Navel: 43”
Hips: 47.5”
Thighs: 27.5”
Calf 15.5”
My story.
It’s hard to write your own story. How do I summarize, hit the highlights without bogging the reader down in the details? I think I will start with my health concerns.
First, I have severe sleep apnea, and find I cannot use the C-pap machine with any measure of comfort or success. So, as a consequence, I get very little, and very poor quality, sleep. Not only does this result in me spending my nights tossing and turning, but also with me trying to get through my day in a mind-numbing fog. And the real kicker is that this condition puts me at high risk for heart disease and stroke!
Second, I have a dangerously high blood sugar content. This is a precursor for diabetes, which my naturopath assures me is the road I am on if I don’t kick the sweet stuff.
Third, chronic back, hip joint and leg pain. This is a family curse. I don’t think there is anyone in my family who does not suffer from back, joint or leg pain.
Fourth, when my naturopath found out I had been on birth control pills for over two decades, he freaked! He told me to stop taking them immediately. I protested, knowing what the sudden shift in hormones would do to my system. But he assured me that I would not suffer the afflictions associated with menopause because I was following his custom diet at the time. WRONG! I thought I would die before I finally found a doctor who felt comfortable putting me on bio-identical hormone therapy. But even this carries risk, according to recent studies.
There is one common thread that ties these maladies together. One single thing I can do that will improve each of these conditions, and restore the quality of life that I used to enjoy. And that one thing is to lose weight!
So with this in mind, I am setting my initial weight loss goal at 50 lbs. At this time I am leaving the timeline a little open. Certainly within one years time, but I am hoping to accelerate that timeline after I have used the Isagenix system for at least a month and am able to evaluate how well it is working for me. So stay tuned…!
My stats.
March 10, 2010
Age: 50
Height 5’ 8”
Weight: 205.6
BMI: 43
Arms: 13.5”
Bust: 47”
Waist at Navel: 43”
Hips: 47.5”
Thighs: 27.5”
Calf 15.5”
My story.
It’s hard to write your own story. How do I summarize, hit the highlights without bogging the reader down in the details? I think I will start with my health concerns.
First, I have severe sleep apnea, and find I cannot use the C-pap machine with any measure of comfort or success. So, as a consequence, I get very little, and very poor quality, sleep. Not only does this result in me spending my nights tossing and turning, but also with me trying to get through my day in a mind-numbing fog. And the real kicker is that this condition puts me at high risk for heart disease and stroke!
Second, I have a dangerously high blood sugar content. This is a precursor for diabetes, which my naturopath assures me is the road I am on if I don’t kick the sweet stuff.
Third, chronic back, hip joint and leg pain. This is a family curse. I don’t think there is anyone in my family who does not suffer from back, joint or leg pain.
Fourth, when my naturopath found out I had been on birth control pills for over two decades, he freaked! He told me to stop taking them immediately. I protested, knowing what the sudden shift in hormones would do to my system. But he assured me that I would not suffer the afflictions associated with menopause because I was following his custom diet at the time. WRONG! I thought I would die before I finally found a doctor who felt comfortable putting me on bio-identical hormone therapy. But even this carries risk, according to recent studies.
There is one common thread that ties these maladies together. One single thing I can do that will improve each of these conditions, and restore the quality of life that I used to enjoy. And that one thing is to lose weight!
So with this in mind, I am setting my initial weight loss goal at 50 lbs. At this time I am leaving the timeline a little open. Certainly within one years time, but I am hoping to accelerate that timeline after I have used the Isagenix system for at least a month and am able to evaluate how well it is working for me. So stay tuned…!
March 10, 2010
One week after informing a friend that I would never want to be part of any multilevel marketing plan, I signed up for one. How did this happen? It all started with a simple question: “Have you seen Lee, lately?”
I was having breakfast with my mother, sister and best friend, when said friend casually asked me if I had seen my friend Lee lately. I said no, I hadn’t seen her in a couple of months. Then the stats started flying from around the table:
“Oh my God! She’s lost like 20 pounds in just two months!”
“She has even lost inches in her hips and thighs. Those were always her problem areas.”
“She says she feels better than she has in years.”
“She has so much energy!”
“And she hasn’t even been working out.”
That was enough for me! Lose weight AND feel energetic and healthy? Sign me up! I called her as soon as I got home that night, “Lee, your name came up at breakfast. What are you doing, and how can I do it too?”
I’ve known Lee for many, many years. I’ve seen the struggle she has had with her weight and her health. She’s tried all the top diet programs and products. Some left her feeling dizzy and weak, others just made her feel bad. She had varying levels of success with these products and plans, but none was lasting. Until now.
Lee told me she had been on the Isagenix plan, and outlined the product and the plan briefly for me. I did some research on the internet, and within a couple of days, I had signed up for the plan myself.
Yesterday I started the plan. I’m starting slowly, just one shake a day plus the daily cleanse. I am keeping this online diary to track my progress. Tomorrow I will give you my beginning stats, weight, height, measurements, etc. But it ain’t pretty!
I will also periodically post kitchen-tested (my kitchen) recipes for low calorie, healthy snacks for shake days. Come back often to track my progress, get tips for your own success, and post questions or comments.
Cheers!
One week after informing a friend that I would never want to be part of any multilevel marketing plan, I signed up for one. How did this happen? It all started with a simple question: “Have you seen Lee, lately?”
I was having breakfast with my mother, sister and best friend, when said friend casually asked me if I had seen my friend Lee lately. I said no, I hadn’t seen her in a couple of months. Then the stats started flying from around the table:
“Oh my God! She’s lost like 20 pounds in just two months!”
“She has even lost inches in her hips and thighs. Those were always her problem areas.”
“She says she feels better than she has in years.”
“She has so much energy!”
“And she hasn’t even been working out.”
That was enough for me! Lose weight AND feel energetic and healthy? Sign me up! I called her as soon as I got home that night, “Lee, your name came up at breakfast. What are you doing, and how can I do it too?”
I’ve known Lee for many, many years. I’ve seen the struggle she has had with her weight and her health. She’s tried all the top diet programs and products. Some left her feeling dizzy and weak, others just made her feel bad. She had varying levels of success with these products and plans, but none was lasting. Until now.
Lee told me she had been on the Isagenix plan, and outlined the product and the plan briefly for me. I did some research on the internet, and within a couple of days, I had signed up for the plan myself.
Yesterday I started the plan. I’m starting slowly, just one shake a day plus the daily cleanse. I am keeping this online diary to track my progress. Tomorrow I will give you my beginning stats, weight, height, measurements, etc. But it ain’t pretty!
I will also periodically post kitchen-tested (my kitchen) recipes for low calorie, healthy snacks for shake days. Come back often to track my progress, get tips for your own success, and post questions or comments.
Cheers!
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