Hit my original weight loss goal today!

I am currently under 155 pounds which was my original weight loss goal!  Isagenix has really been a great program to get started on!  I love their shakes, etc.  The cleanse days are still pretty challenging, but I like to see the results when I am done!  So, this week, I am finishing my cleanse today.  And then i plan on doing one more cleanse session next week as MY NEW GOAL is 148 pounds.  If I can get under 148 pounds that will be better so I have a little room to adjust when I get back on track.  I'll keep you posted with my progress.  :)

Isagenix Update!

Wow!  it has been busy since my last post!  I even went to Vegas during this whole weight loss goal and didn't do too bad at all with my weight loss goals!  On March 9th, I started at 174.8 and now on April the 17th, I weigh 160.4!  That is a weight loss of 14.4 pounds.  I am hoping to lose more as this is my second cleanse day today.  I think if I can get down below 160 for these cleanse days I will do one more cleanse section next week and maintain that weight for a little while.  I am hoping to end at or below 155 next week after the cleanse.  I will post an update as to how my weight is tomorrow after the second cleanse day and then will update you next week on where I am at too!  I cannot believe it, I am actually losing weight!  It is CRAZY!!!

9.2 Pounds Lost as well as 12.5 inches

I just have to say again that since the 9th of March I have lost a total of 9.2 pounds!  WOO HOO!  I am almost halfway to my goal and that is so exciting!  It makes it all worthwhile!

I also started at 349 total inches and I am down to 336.5 inches.  I've lost 12.5 inches.

I am starting to be able to fit into my size ten pants very comfortably now.  Hoping to get back into my size eights!!!!  Gotta keep on keeping on!

WOO HOO For Wednesday!

Well, I can east again and I am so looking forward to my Isagenix shake this morning and I am going to have a super yummy lunch as well!  I am super excited about all of that!!! 

The results are in!!! 

3/19 Weight:  169 pounds and 341 inches
3/21 Weight (after cleanse):  165.6 and 336.5 inches

WOO HOO!  Those numbers will help keep me motivated and allow me to have a GREAT week and give me enough encouragement to do ANOTHER cleanse next Monday and Tuesday!  YIPPY!

UGH! This has been ROUGH!

Well, it is 4:18 PM on Tuesday and almost the end of cleanse day number 2.  I am really hungry and cannot stop thinking about food.  It is a non-stop thought on my mind that I cnanot seem to shake.  I realize that the cleanse is working and I am feeling good and I can notice a difference in my body over-all.  I am losing weight.  But, it has been quite the challenge.  i look forward to getting to the point where I can just do the maintenance and stop worrying about cleanse days every week!  This has been INSANE!  I do notice that I don't ache or hurt and have more energy and sleep better.  All in all, my body is doing pretty good and for that I am sooooo excited!

Cleanse Days

I am back to Cleanse Days.  This is my third cleanse day.  I have been a bit hungry, but I am really looking forward to seeing better results this time!  I gained a little weight back since my last cleanse.  I am currently at 169 ponds and I will be excited to see how much I lose after this cleanse...  Hopefully more than two pounds this time and I hope I can keep it off!!!  That'd be the best!!!  i don't feel quite as hungry today as I did during the first day of last week's cleanse.  I think my body is adjusting.  All I know is that someone made popcorn here at work and all I can think about is munching on popcorn!!!!   It'll pass though!  I'm gonna do this!  I have to think positively about how hard my body is working and cleansing my system!!!  It's good!  OH YEAH!

The weekend has arrived!

Only two more days until I do my second cleanse. Although I am not looking forward to it.... I kind of am! This evening, I rocked out with an intense cardio session on the treadmill for 70 minutes! It was a blast! I had so much energy!

Isagenix gives me so much energy and really helps me fell good! I have noticed that my joints don't ache and when I wake up.... I don't ache all over. I used to wake up in the morning and hurt from sleeping. Not anymore! And when I did my workout tonight it was incredible how much energy and how good I felt!!!

I'm excited! Gonna try to work out everyday that I am not cleansing at least for 25 minutes!

Woo hoo!

I'm FULL!

Today has been a great day!  I am really not feeling too hungry and over-all I feel pretty good except I am still battling an awful sinus cold.  I have a good amount of energy too.  At lunch today, I had steamed broccoli, wild rice and a chicken breast!  It filled me up quick!  I almost started to feel sick because I was full so fast!

That is a good thing!  I am just not super hungry now!  YAY!!!1

Back on track today!

So, I ate a little extra today than I should have.  We were celebrating today and I had a very small piece of pie and it added on to my lunch time calories.  I plan to walk on the treadmill some when I get home tonight to compensate for my 1200 calorie a day overage.  I have to burn 75 calories!  At any rate, I am doing pretty good and am looking forward to losing another 22.6 pounds!!!!!  Although, my original goal was just to lose until I was at 150 pounds.... but I think I can hit 145.  Either way, if I hit 150 I will only have to love 17.6 more pounds!  YAY!!!!

Shake Day!!!!!

I made it through my two cleanse days!!!  Yippy!  I can eat today!!!  HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!  Supposedly, they are supposed to get easier, but I don't see how they can.... but, I will say that I lost a good deal of weight.  Starting out at 174.8 and now weighing 167.6 in only five days is pretty impressive!!!!  I lost 7.2 pounds in 5 days!!!!!!!  That's pretty incredible!  I am excited to see how this week pans out!!!  If I can lose another 7-8 pounds I will be well on my way to my desired weight of 150!!  I only have 17.6 pounds left to lose.  Although, I wouldn't mind getting down to 145.... that would be the ultimate!  I'd love to stay below 150!!!  We'll see how the plan continues to go!  Gotta do a couple stints on the treadmill this week too and burn some too.... nothing too strenuous... just a nice paced walk on the treadmill for half an hour!  I think that once I reach my desired weight I will work out more and get more toned!  I will keep you posted on my week.  I get to have shake-meal-shake days for the next FIVE days!  Woo hoo!!!!   :)

And AGAIN

I started on March 9, 2012 at 174.8

And by March 14, 2012 I weigh 167.6

A LOSS OF 7.2 Pounds!!!!!!

Incredible!

Half way through Cleanse Day 2

So it is halfway through the working day.... I am hanging in pretty good. I am still a bit weak, but the "want more energy" mix helped out tremendously! I emailed my coach to see if I would be able to order more of them as they are awesome! Helps keep the cravings down and gives me a little more oomph! I definitely need the oomph!

I am counting down the hours until tomorrow when I can drink my shake and EAT! I never thought I would be able to last through two days, but I have made it and am hanging in. My coach says that the first day is usually worse than the second and you should never do more than two days consecutively.

Well, tonight is our happy hour mixer at Black Angus and it is gonna be super tough to watch everyone eating and drinking it up all night. I am just gonna make it through and hope for the best.... No food or beverage for me!

Cleanse Day Number 2

Well, this morning, I did not feel as hungry as I did yesterday at all!  It is only 9 AM, but I don't feel that stomach burning and gnawing feeling!  I think I am going to make it through!!!!  The only thing I have noticed is a weak feeling and a bit light headed from time to time... but I brought some "Want more Energy" drink mix with me today and I can use this on cleanse days.  I am gonna try it out and see if it helps me get my strength back!  :)  I'll keep you posted and let you know!!  Once I get through this day I know I am going to start feeling much better about the program as I will get to eat for five days!!!!  :)

Cleanse Day Number 1

Well, it is 10:12 AM and I am HUNGRY!!!!  I feel a bit on the light headed side too.  But, I am just taking it easy and letting my body do it's thing.  I am following this program and am not going to give up.  I am just going to take it easy and make sure to eat enough the day before I cleanse to make sure I can make it through my day.  Right now I feel woozy.  Maybe I will feel better after I drink my next Cleanse drink of 4 OZ.  I'll keep you posted.

End of Pre-Cleanse Shake day number 3

I can't believe I have already been going strong on this Isagenix program for 3 days!!! Tomorrow is my first cleanse day and I am really nervous about it! I am hoping that I don't get too weak not eating anything for two days .... I mean... I am not starving because I am taking the Cleanse for life stuff and snacks and practically putting something in my mouth every 90 minutes or so.... But, I guess the unknown is kinda scary. If others can get through it.... Well, so can I. I am supposed to look at it positively and let me body do all the hard work of getting rid of all the harmful toxins. I look forward to seeing the results! I hope I can still continue to lose weight like I have been over the last three days... Already down 5 lbs. I can't believe it! I'll keep you posted about tomorrow.

Isagenix Day Three

Well, I am on DAY 3 of my Isagenix Pre-Cleanse Shake Days.  Tomorrow I start cleansing for two days!  So far, I have been sticking to the diet strictly!!!  I have had NOTHING to drink but water and shakes.  And, I have eaten 400-600 calorie meals both days so far and will do so again today!  I find it difficult to find enough food to equal a 600 calorie meal and then when I do find a lot of food I find it hard to eat it all!  I definitely get full and don't want to eat that much!!!

This morning, even though I am supposed to wait until tomorrow morning to weigh myself.... i weighed myself and I am at:
169.6

I cannot even believe that almost five pounds in three days!!!!!!!!!  WOW!  I'll get back on here and let you know how cleansing days go!!!  So far, he program is very manageable.  The only thing I notice is I get very sleepy at night... but, I do seem to sleep pretty good!!!

Isagenix Day One: 7 PM

I am definitely missing dinner. I was doing pretty good up until about an hour ago. My coach said my body would be playing tricks on me and telling me I should be eating right now! That is all this is. I am finally going to eat two almonds with an Isagenix Snacks. Then I am done for the night. I am feeling super sleepy... Of course, I just took a bath in sleepy time Epsom salts and they contain lavender oils and I am feeling super duper sleepy. Watching Food Matters and heading to bed. I think I am gonna get a good nights sleep finally.

Isagenix Day One: 3 PM

Well, it is almost 3 PM and I am absolutely amazed at how well my first day is going so far.  For lunch, I went to Subway and got a 6 Inch Turkey sandwich on whole wheat bun with lettuce, pickles, mustard and very little mayo. I also had some three bean salad and my lunch was about 500 calories and I could BARELY eat it all!  I was not hungry AT ALL!  It was crazy!  Usually by lunch, I can eat and eat and eat!!!  This afternoon has gone by pretty quick.... except usually by this point I am looking for goodies to snack on and get restless and "snacky."  I just had an afternoon Isagenix Snacks.  I am allowed two Snacks before dinner and I don't think I am going to need both.  I did not eat the almonds (which are suggested in case I get hungry) and I didn't need the Isagenix snacks this AM... well, I had one between my shake and lunch, but it has been pretty easy going!  Woo Hoo!

Isagenix Day One: Noon Time Report

WOW!  I cannot believe how I am feeling.  My cold is still lingering, but I am feeling more energized today and I have not been hungry all morning!  It is NOON and all I have had today is my accelerator capsule, my ionix supreme and my chocolate isalean shake and ONE snack!  I do not feel like I am dying for something to eat and I am happy to think that this is a program I can stick with because I am already starting to feel good!!!  Let's see how the rest of the day goes!  Afternoons are always a lot more difficult for me for snacking.... so we will see...... I'll keep ya posted

Isagenix Day One

Last night, I got all of my "BEFORE" pictures taken and measurements.  I set up all of my supplies in a convenient spot and this morning I have already started my new program and Isagenix lifestyle!  I first put 1/8 teaspoon of ground sea salt under my tongue nnd drank some water and took my first accelerator capsule and drank my first 1 oz of Ionix Supreme!  I still have a nasty cold so I was not able to taste the Ionix Supreme very well.  However, the flavor (from what I could tell) was different than anything I have ever tasted before.  It wasn't too bad though and now, my day is about to begin!  I am pretty excited about this whole program and will keep you posted!  :)

My starting weight is 174.8.

Ready to Begin

Tomorrow morning I will start the Isagenix program!  For the next 40 days, I will be on a strict shake cleanse shake schedule.  I am super excited to get started and cannot wait to start feeling better!  Hopefully, I can lose all the weight I am looking to lose and can start the maintenance program after the 40 days...

Tonight, I will be going home, doing measurements, getting my products organized and making sure I am psycologically geared up to do my best and NOT cheat AT ALL!!!!!  I want to follow the program very strictly and I know it is going to take a lot of will-power, but I CAN DO IT!

So for the next three days I am on shake days.  On these days, I basically take a shake in the morning for breakfast after taking 1oz of the Ionix Supreme which is like a nutrition type of a drink and also is supposed to boost the metabolism.  You also take an accelerator pill in the AM.  And then throughout the day I take an Isagenix Snacks and a couple almonds if needed to satisfy hunger cravings.  Then, at lunch I have a 600 calorie meal of my choice.  Good rule of thumb here is to keep the protiens high and also have some sort of vegetable.  Fish, chicken... etc. 
Then until dinner I can have a couple more of the Isagenix Snacks.  At dinner time, I have another shake and can have the Isagenix snacks in the evening.  Keep in mind, the isgenix snacks are not actually snacks, but are all natural supplements that I can take to help curb my cravings.  i also take another accelerator capsule to make sure my metabolism stays high and I must take that accelerator before 2 pm on shake days, but not with lunch!

I must also drink half of my body weight in waiter.  So, that means 87 ozs of water a DAY!  WOW!  I must grind down sea salt and put 1/8 teaspoon on my tongue before drinking 16 oz of water.  The Sea Salt helps me to get my cells into taking in the nutrients better!

Isagenix Supplies have arrived for my first 30 Days!

I'm starting the program this Friday! I've got a call with my coach today to go over all the details! I'm looking forward to getting started!

Magic Bullet

In preparation for the Isagenix program, I got a great deal on the Magic Bullet Blenders.... Buy one get one free! So, I have one at work and one at home also! They'll make shake time a breeze!

Immune System and Health & Fitness Goals

My immune system is low and I find myself constantly getting sick with either a cold or some stupid sinus infection or stomach bug.  I know that I have allergies and the wind and dust out here in the AV does not help too much!  I think it is a vicious cycle.... wind=allergies=sinus infection= meds=stomach issues.    The only time I didn't get sick was when I was consistently juicing daily.  I have been lazy and stopped juicing daily and noticed the effects.  When I was juicing, I didn't need any coffee and had so much more energy.  When I stopped the juicing, i felt more fatique and needed that extra bot of coffee in the morning to get me going.

My goal: to boost my immune system, quit taking antibiotics when I get sick (potentially prevent getting sick all together) and live an over all healthier lifestyle.  There are a few ways I plan to accomplish this goal...  First off, I MUST change they way I eat!  Travis and I have been eating much healthier than we used to and now we eat junk a lot less often.  However, my downfall has always been sweets!  Those have been my biggest vice.... I love cherry pie, apple pie, brownies, cookies, cakes, sugary candies, chocolate candies, Etc.  If someone were to ask me what my biggest vice is: SWEETS and SUGAR would be the answer definitely!  So, the first step is to cut out all the sweets.  Secondly, I need to get enough vitamins/minerals and need to make sure my body is getting these, absorbing them and in conjunction with eating right I should start to feel better too. 

That brings me to my next goal/topic which is a program called IsAgenix!  A couple of my friends have started using IsAgenix products and have had amazing results.  So, I figured it wouldn't hurt me to try and the more and more that I am learning about their products, the more I have decided to do their program.  I want to lose about 30 pounds and want to have better lean muscle, better skin elasticity a better immune system too!  And with Isagenix, it seems it will help me in all of those areas.  I have spoken with an Isagenix cleansing coach and should be getting my product today!  So most likely, I will start the program either tomorrow or Friday if it all works out.  My coach explained to me that the first 40 days of the program you do the regular shake days where you have a shake for breakfast and a shake for dinner and eat a lunch between 400-600 calories.  You have five shake days and then you have two cleanse days!  According to the info, the cleanse days are where you really start to see results and feel different. 

I am really excited to get started and begin seeing terrific results.  I will be blogging about the first 40 days of my IsAgenix program....and I will continue to blog about the program after the first 40 days as I will either do another 5 day shake/2 day cleanse routine for 30 days... or maintenance where you do one shake per day (pref dinner) and cleanse once a month! 

I will spell everything out and blog about my results, Etc. 

I am 5'10.  Today I weigh 174.4 pounds.  I wear a tight size 10 and fit very comfortably in a size 12 pair of pants.  My goal is to drop down to an 8 again and possibly a 6 if I can!  My weight goal is just to get to 150 pounds. 

I can't wait to get started!  I am super excited!  I will continue to juice and find healthy food choices, Etc.  I am looking forward to feeling better and looking healthier!!!!  :)

Day One P90X and Week One of Spanish

Well, Travis and I kicked off our Tuesday evening with P90X!  We did the chest and back routine.

Yikes!  I know I am gonna feel that one tomorrow and the next day for sure!!! 

Travis is making dinner now and I have been studying my spanish lessons on Rosetta Stone and am just getting ready to start going through my textbook and work on grammar and verb conjugations!  Gotta study some vocabulary too!!!

I am having a blast!  Onward!

End of the month Wrap-Up

Wow, I can hardly believe this month is almost over!  The weather has been fantastic this year!  SO WARM!  It hardly feels like winter at all.  This morning, I started my day off with a kale, pineapple, strawberry and apple juice.  I then went to work on some original songs for the first time with a few talented musicians and have since come home and worked on learning Spanish.  I have not said too much about this yet, but earlier this week I started to think about how nice it would be to speak Spanish.  I have a few employees who speak English as a second language and it inspired me to learn Spanish and be able to communicate in both languages.  If they can learn English, I can learn Spanish!

Ten years ago, I had learned quite a bit of Spanish and had gotten to a point where I could understand a decent amount.  Since then, I stopped practicing and learning and had forgotten most of it.  So, I pulled the dictionary and old textbooks and notebooks out and reviewed my notes.  Friday evening, I bought the first software set out of five in the Rosetta Stone Totale language learning program for Latin American Spanish.  Friday evening, Saturday and today I have been working through the software, and also making note cards to refresh my memory as well as get back on track and learn more.  I was super excited today when I got to the end of unit 1 and looked at several short stories based on the unit one vocabulary and I was actually able to read all of the stories and translate them into English!!  It felt so good to see that I was actually making progress!

While I don't recommend the Rosetta Stone on it's own (although it is a very outstanding program).... I think it is a super way to supplement other sources (classes, text that really explain grammar, Etc).

So, I plan to continue to learn Spanish and hopefully become a fluent Spanish speaker one of these days! 

The other thing I am excited about is that Travis and I have decided to get back into the P90X workouts.  We are not going to do the 6 days in a row routine as we just cannot seem to fit that into our schedules.  Instead, we are going to do three workouts a week.  On two of the days we are not doing P90X, I am going to do some cardio and use the treadmill.  The insanity begins this Tuesday.

That just about wraps up my month of January.  The Breville juicer is working like a champ and I have juiced every day since (except two) since I purchased it.  The Rosetta Stone and other Spanish textbooks I have are helping me achieve my language learning goals.  I am playing music again and LOVING it!  So, all in all, I'd have to say.... LIFE IS GOOD!

Getting back into an Exercise Routine

This morning I had a delicious juice and I ran into work early.  I keep telling myself I am going to get back on the treadmill and get back into working out and it seems like something always comes up and I let it become an excuse for not working out.  So, when I got home from work today I decided it was time to get back into a workout routine.  I got on the treadmill for an hour and a half and went about 4.25 miles with a decent incline.  I have to ease back into things with my poor aching knees.  I have to say that I love working out on the treadmill so much more than working out on the elliptical I had before.  So, I am back into the swing of things and now I just need to keep it up and build my strength and add other routines in as well.  I am proud of today's accomplishment and look forward to future workouts!

Today's Juicing Recipe

Today's recipe:

This juice was very interesting.... The ginger was really strong.... But it tasted pretty good!

Kale: 5 leaves
Spinach: large bunch
Celery: 1 1/2 large stalks
Apples: one red and one granny smith
Carrots
Strawberries
Ginger root

This morning's juice recipe

Five leaves of kale
Two carrots
Celery
Two green apples
One peeled orange
Six slices of pineapple

My grocery store trips mainly consist of....

Fruits and veggies.

I have been making some killer juices in the mornings and it has been an adventure in flavors. Strawberries, pineapples, carrots, apples, oranges.... Oh my! So many different options!

This is the juicer that makes my morning juicing routine easy! It's the Breville Juice Fountain Plus! This thing is an 850 Watt mean juicing machine!

And so, it begins....

Tomorrow is the beginning of a new week and it is time for me to get back on track with my health. This week, I am going to continue juicing which has been going really well for the last week and a half. I have been feeling a lot healthier and even though I have been getting over this cold, I am feeling like I have more energy and a sense of health that I cannot seem to explain. Maybe it is all in my mind? I don't think so.

I need to get back on track because I ate a bunch of junk... Even though I was drinking the juice. This week, no more excuses and no cheating. I will be sticking to a 1200-1300 calorie diet daily and will be juicing every breakfast and lunch although I will also be eating a little at each of those meals as well as a decent dinner.

So, on top of tho healthier eating, I will get back to working out. I am going to start off slow and use the treadmill three days this week. This is the week to work toward a healthier lifestyle. I really need to start looking into gardening techniques and tips. With all of this juicing, I have been making many trips to the grocery store. Travis and I prepped the yard for a garden last summer and we are planning to plant a bunch of veggies this spring. We need to get started. I have been using all the pulp from the juice I've been making and throwing it ino our compost bin. That will come in handy for spring too!

On again, off again.

It seems like I keep going in cycles and this time of year always seems to be when I start thinking about the year ahead.... I think about house projects, goals I have accomplished and goals that I have not even come close to accomplishing.

I find that writing my goals down helps me to achieve them. So here they are for 2012:

Plant a garden

Continue juicing and complete two three day juice detoxes.

Go on three good hikes this spring.

Do P90X workouts. Goal is to do at least two per month although I would like to do one or two per week. Baby steps....

Use treadmill or walk/run outside 3x week at minimum.

Pay off more student loan debt... Make a conscious effort to work on that.

So, those are my goals this year. I am excited.

The beginning of 2012 has been a little rough on me. I have had this gnarly cold/flu virus since before christmas and I have a lot of sinus pain.... I have been tring to get over all that before going hung no on the workouts and all.

I am finally starting to feel better and am ready to ease my way back into the groove.