That's one of my favorite sayings: Fall down 9 times, get up 10. It means you should never quit, never stop trying. You never know when you get up - you might just stay there!
But this isn't about staying up. This is about falling down. And certainly getting back up.
I've arrived home after a wonderful 8 day vacation with my family at Stone Harbor, NJ. I had intentions of relaxing my nutrition program a bit and fully enjoying myself while still keeping up with a demanding exercise routine. What happened was a realization that I truly am addicted to sugar and other "bad" carbs and my Isagenix program is responsible for my health and well-being.
My first four days were terrific! Followed my nutrition program, ate all my calories, ran 9 miles Sunday, walked 5 miles Monday and biked 14, walked 3 miles Tuesday and participated in my own duathlon on Wednesday running 3.1 miles for legs 1 and 3 and biking 15.25 miles for the middle leg. Plus I worked on my big girl push-ups (still at 6) and chin-ups (no comment. But I'm TRYING!!). I was in heaven with how I felt and what I was getting accomplished! I enjoy a single scoop of ice cream with my kids and feel no ill effects. Happiness exudes from me.
Wednesday we celebrated my daughter's birthday at a seafood restaurant. I was so proud of myself for ordering sensibly (lump crab on a bed of salad with vinegar and oil). Because I had competed my duathlon earlier that day I decided to enjoy my daughter's celebration and have some cake. Plus, I had no ill effects from my ice cream last night, right? So I had my first slice of white sugar, white flour and heavy cream frosting in over 4 months. Then I had my second. Hey, I ran 6 miles and biked 15, right?! Then I had my third. And the excuses kept coming.
Once back at our place I went into full binge mode with the high-glycemic snacks: pretzels - an entire bag. Corn stick snacks - half a bag. Rice stick snacks - half a bag. I ran out of snacks. I went to bed without taking my awesome Ageless Essentials with Product B. I felt really bad about myself. Good thing it was only one day right?
Good intentions at the start of Thursday. Had my shake and a nice long walk. Why not coffee? I really do miss coffee. More than wine!! Shake for lunch. Then lunch. Then a snack. Huge dinner. Ice cream. Carb snacking before bed. Which includes the 1/4 lb of red Swedish fish I bought, 1/4 lb of red licorice laces and 1/4 lb of licorice all-sorts. Now I'm not even trying to get to bed early. I'm up until 1:00 a.m. This feels bad but I can't shake it.
Friday I skip the shakes but do manage to go for a run with my hubby. It was my slowest run in 3 months. And shortest run in 2 months. Hubby pushes me to do my strength exercises and helps me with chin-ups. I feel a bit better so I reward myself with a cup of coffee. I do a shake convincing myself that I'm back on track because I love where I am now. But last night's sugar rush has taken it's grip. I don't argue when hubby suggests a 1/2-gallon of ice cream at home instead of a single cone out. I oblige by picking it up and throwing in pretzels and salted peanuts. I help by finishing off three bowls of ice cream.
Okay, that's enough confessing. It goes on from there and while it doesn't get worse, it doesn't get better either. Yesterday, Sunday, we had my daughter's family party. I consciously allowed myself a day of eating whatever with no guilt. I skipped my run. I just felt so down. I actually couldn't wait until Monday, to start a two day cleanse and get all this ickyness out of me.I wanted the old me back. Not the old, old me but the one who was living her life the way she really wanted.
Here are two observations I made about me. This is not a medical claim. Isagenix does not claim to cure, prevent, diagnose or treat any ailment or disease. But from a personal standpoint, this is what I observed with my body: Before I started with Isagenix I had to take aspirin daily for my head discomfort. This went on for the five weeks prior to adding the cleansing and nutrition program into my life. I also had extreme swelling in my right foot and ankle. My doctors always blew this off as nothing to worry about and I had basically learned to live with a swollen lower leg. Two days after starting Isa I no longer had any of these symptoms. One day after returning to my old habits I had both symptoms return. Hmmmm.
The most positive thing to come out of this bump in my road is that I am able to let go of the guilt. I am able to fall down and get up again. I'm brushing myself off right now, in fact, drinking my Cleanse for Life and looking forward to moving on. Fall down a zillion times, get up a zillion and one... with Isagenix in hand.
Peace,
Susan
Monday, August 26, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
Day 104: Cleaning House
I'm on the first day of a two-day cleanse. I love cleansing for several reasons but the top two are it's actually a relief not to have to worry about food for a few days and I feel so much better knowing I'm helping my body become more efficient by giving my insides a "shower" if you will and washing away all the gunk. And there's no better way to cleanse than to clean house. Or clean car, as the case may be.
To put it mildly, my kids are slobs and it's mainly my soon-to-be 7-year-old. In the car I find melted crayons on the seat, books, dvds with no case, and a total of seven (SEVEN) half-full bottles of water stuffed under the seats and two empty bottles. Broken toys, one flip flop, a pair of dress shoes, and then the wrappers. M&Ms, Reese's, gum, Jolly Ranchers, McD's, SlimJims, you name it. Gross!
Somewhere among all this filth it occurs to me... Why is it that I'm saving myself from the toxicity of this crap we call "treats" but I'm giving it to my kids? I think back to all the times before that I've tried to improve my health. I've always complied 100% (at least at first, anyway) but only had my family comply 25% if at all. I'd sit down for dinner with my salad and my kids ate Big Macs with fries. Do I really think I'm the only one worthy of being healthy or is there more to it than that? If I make my kids follow my lifestyle am I denying them some sort of right of passage (or at least popularity among peers) by withholding the Doritos?
I don't think so and it's time to put an end to the double standard. If I continue to allow them to live with a lifestyle exception just because they're kids how can I expect them to enter into an adult life not having the problems I do with food. How can I expect them to grow into healthy adults if I teach them to be unhealthy kids? Yes, it will be painful for both of us to change - them screaming about how unfair it is, me having to listen to what a bad mom I am - but I can deal with that. I'd rather have them "hate" me for "making" them eat healthfully than contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic that abounds in this country.
It's said that my generation will be the first to outlive their children and that breaks my heart! Why would I want to contribute to that? If I can keep my kids from predeceasing me by simply teaching them healthy habits then I can know I've done my best to insure they'll have to bury me first.
That's not to say we all can't have ice cream on the boardwalk or a hot dog at a ball game. But the overly processed stuff every week is no longer an option. The entire family already enjoys meal replacement shakes for breakfast. Time to get the rest of their meals in line.
I've broken it to the kids that they'll be packing lunch this year. I've learned too much about what's in cafeteria food and have serious doubts that there is a qualified person designing the government's food guidelines for school lunches (french fries are NOT a vegetable people!!). As for the fast food well, that's my fault. That's "mom gave up" and "mom didn't plan". I need to get on the ball for my family as well as for myself.
So what about you? Do you try to get healthy and leave your kids in the dust? I'd love to know!
Peace,
Susan
To put it mildly, my kids are slobs and it's mainly my soon-to-be 7-year-old. In the car I find melted crayons on the seat, books, dvds with no case, and a total of seven (SEVEN) half-full bottles of water stuffed under the seats and two empty bottles. Broken toys, one flip flop, a pair of dress shoes, and then the wrappers. M&Ms, Reese's, gum, Jolly Ranchers, McD's, SlimJims, you name it. Gross!
Somewhere among all this filth it occurs to me... Why is it that I'm saving myself from the toxicity of this crap we call "treats" but I'm giving it to my kids? I think back to all the times before that I've tried to improve my health. I've always complied 100% (at least at first, anyway) but only had my family comply 25% if at all. I'd sit down for dinner with my salad and my kids ate Big Macs with fries. Do I really think I'm the only one worthy of being healthy or is there more to it than that? If I make my kids follow my lifestyle am I denying them some sort of right of passage (or at least popularity among peers) by withholding the Doritos?
I don't think so and it's time to put an end to the double standard. If I continue to allow them to live with a lifestyle exception just because they're kids how can I expect them to enter into an adult life not having the problems I do with food. How can I expect them to grow into healthy adults if I teach them to be unhealthy kids? Yes, it will be painful for both of us to change - them screaming about how unfair it is, me having to listen to what a bad mom I am - but I can deal with that. I'd rather have them "hate" me for "making" them eat healthfully than contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic that abounds in this country.
It's said that my generation will be the first to outlive their children and that breaks my heart! Why would I want to contribute to that? If I can keep my kids from predeceasing me by simply teaching them healthy habits then I can know I've done my best to insure they'll have to bury me first.
That's not to say we all can't have ice cream on the boardwalk or a hot dog at a ball game. But the overly processed stuff every week is no longer an option. The entire family already enjoys meal replacement shakes for breakfast. Time to get the rest of their meals in line.
I've broken it to the kids that they'll be packing lunch this year. I've learned too much about what's in cafeteria food and have serious doubts that there is a qualified person designing the government's food guidelines for school lunches (french fries are NOT a vegetable people!!). As for the fast food well, that's my fault. That's "mom gave up" and "mom didn't plan". I need to get on the ball for my family as well as for myself.
So what about you? Do you try to get healthy and leave your kids in the dust? I'd love to know!
Peace,
Susan
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Day 66: High on Life
First an apology - I seem to be slacking quite a bit in the blogging department. Now that summer is in full swing, so am I with kids, camps, working out, pool time... It can exhaust a person just thinking about it! And while I've "written" several pages in my head, nothing has actually made it to you, dear reader.
So again, I'll play catch up: Even though I'm still not back to running, I participated in the Tex Mex 5K on July 26 in North Wales. This is an absolutely, positively, hands-down, must do race!! I thought I would most likely walk or run/walk it since I hadn't run one lick since the June 9 triathlon and one or two run/walk training sessions with my Sole Sisters group. Of course, you know me by now and have realized I ran the entire thing. It poured which made the race much more bearable than in previous years. Normally it feels like 96 degrees and stifling hot. So, the rain was more than welcome! I finished in 36 minutes, just a few seconds off my last race pace. My leg felt like it was going to break in half but I was pleased that could run the whole course. And why is this a must do race? Mexican food and margaritas at the finish line! Plus it's a great excuse for a girls' night out. There were 7 of us and had a blast!
With running out of play I've been concentrating more on biking. Dare I say I've found a new love? I tackle long rides every weekend, usually one solo and one with the hubby. I enjoy seeing new places and it's much easier on a bike since you can go farther than running (well, unless you're training for a marathon). Because I've been enjoying myself so much, I invested in bike shoes and cleats. Trust me when I say, it only takes a few falls, bruises and scrapes before you remember to unclip at a stop! Never before (even in previous "fit" modes throughout my life) could I imagine coaxing my athletic husband into 30 mile rides as something fun to do instead of simply going out to eat. This energy is beyond amazing. Most days I feel like I'm high but I haven't had any illegal mood enhancers - just great nutrition. Who knew?
When it was time for my Day 60 results, I must admit I was a bit nervous. I still have that voice that tells me I'll either always be fat or Isagenix will stop working for me. In fact, when I got on the scale I'll admit I was disappointed at the number - down a total of 21.8 pounds. Not bad but if I go by how I feel I would have thought that loss would be much greater. Then I did my inches: 32.25 inches released. What? That's huge!! And it hit me - ditch the scale!!
As a society, we're so stuck on that scale number. There has been many days where my mood has been dependent on what that number is. Isn't that ridiculous? When I went into Athleta last week to get some new workout duds and could buy a size 12 right from the rack - something I wasn't able to do for over 3 years - I knew it was the scale that was the liar. Somewhere in our brains we know that muscle weighs more than fat and if we preserve muscle and lose fat then that scale number won't move much. So why do we still go by the scale?! Crazy!!
Other markers of success over 60 days include reducing overall body fat by 6.5% and lowering my BMI by 3.4 points. Plus, I sleep better than ever and have ENERGY!! I swear if I didn't release another pound or inch I would be satisfied so long as I keep the energy! I feel like I'm finally living my life, really participating in it, as opposed to just going along for the ride.
And now, a leap of faith. The visual results of my 60 day journey:
I think I"m most pleased with losing my back fat. Abhor back fat!! Can't wait to see Day 90!
Peace,
Susan
So again, I'll play catch up: Even though I'm still not back to running, I participated in the Tex Mex 5K on July 26 in North Wales. This is an absolutely, positively, hands-down, must do race!! I thought I would most likely walk or run/walk it since I hadn't run one lick since the June 9 triathlon and one or two run/walk training sessions with my Sole Sisters group. Of course, you know me by now and have realized I ran the entire thing. It poured which made the race much more bearable than in previous years. Normally it feels like 96 degrees and stifling hot. So, the rain was more than welcome! I finished in 36 minutes, just a few seconds off my last race pace. My leg felt like it was going to break in half but I was pleased that could run the whole course. And why is this a must do race? Mexican food and margaritas at the finish line! Plus it's a great excuse for a girls' night out. There were 7 of us and had a blast!
With running out of play I've been concentrating more on biking. Dare I say I've found a new love? I tackle long rides every weekend, usually one solo and one with the hubby. I enjoy seeing new places and it's much easier on a bike since you can go farther than running (well, unless you're training for a marathon). Because I've been enjoying myself so much, I invested in bike shoes and cleats. Trust me when I say, it only takes a few falls, bruises and scrapes before you remember to unclip at a stop! Never before (even in previous "fit" modes throughout my life) could I imagine coaxing my athletic husband into 30 mile rides as something fun to do instead of simply going out to eat. This energy is beyond amazing. Most days I feel like I'm high but I haven't had any illegal mood enhancers - just great nutrition. Who knew?
When it was time for my Day 60 results, I must admit I was a bit nervous. I still have that voice that tells me I'll either always be fat or Isagenix will stop working for me. In fact, when I got on the scale I'll admit I was disappointed at the number - down a total of 21.8 pounds. Not bad but if I go by how I feel I would have thought that loss would be much greater. Then I did my inches: 32.25 inches released. What? That's huge!! And it hit me - ditch the scale!!
As a society, we're so stuck on that scale number. There has been many days where my mood has been dependent on what that number is. Isn't that ridiculous? When I went into Athleta last week to get some new workout duds and could buy a size 12 right from the rack - something I wasn't able to do for over 3 years - I knew it was the scale that was the liar. Somewhere in our brains we know that muscle weighs more than fat and if we preserve muscle and lose fat then that scale number won't move much. So why do we still go by the scale?! Crazy!!
Other markers of success over 60 days include reducing overall body fat by 6.5% and lowering my BMI by 3.4 points. Plus, I sleep better than ever and have ENERGY!! I swear if I didn't release another pound or inch I would be satisfied so long as I keep the energy! I feel like I'm finally living my life, really participating in it, as opposed to just going along for the ride.
And now, a leap of faith. The visual results of my 60 day journey:
I think I"m most pleased with losing my back fat. Abhor back fat!! Can't wait to see Day 90!
Peace,
Susan
Monday, June 17, 2013
Day 48: Cheater?
It's been 9 days since my last post. Time gets away from all of us sometimes, I suppose. A quick look back.
I finished my triathlon! My two goals for this endeavor were to not drown and to finish, in that order. A secondary goal was to not finish last! I obviously accomplished the first goal as I can assure you I am not typing this from the great beyond! I finished, too (and I have the medal to prove it!).
I originally thought I could finish in 1:40:00. Then when I factored in the transition times I was hoping to make 1:45:00. Then I read that the race would be completely over an hour and fifty-five minutes after my start time. So I was questioning if I could get it all done in 2 hours. Nerves!! Finally time was 1:29:47. And I placed 315 out of 330, so not last! All three goals achieved.
I'd also like to mention my recovery time: ZERO. I attribute this to Isagenix. I was properly fueled and my body had all the nutrients it needed to make adequate repairs. I literally woke up Monday morning with a slightly sore back from the bike portion and by noon it was gone. No analgesics needed. Love it!
A few triathlon thoughts for those of you thinking of trying one:
I finished my triathlon! My two goals for this endeavor were to not drown and to finish, in that order. A secondary goal was to not finish last! I obviously accomplished the first goal as I can assure you I am not typing this from the great beyond! I finished, too (and I have the medal to prove it!).
I originally thought I could finish in 1:40:00. Then when I factored in the transition times I was hoping to make 1:45:00. Then I read that the race would be completely over an hour and fifty-five minutes after my start time. So I was questioning if I could get it all done in 2 hours. Nerves!! Finally time was 1:29:47. And I placed 315 out of 330, so not last! All three goals achieved.
I'd also like to mention my recovery time: ZERO. I attribute this to Isagenix. I was properly fueled and my body had all the nutrients it needed to make adequate repairs. I literally woke up Monday morning with a slightly sore back from the bike portion and by noon it was gone. No analgesics needed. Love it!
A few triathlon thoughts for those of you thinking of trying one:
- If you are weak in the swim portion, practice this the most! I totally slacked and it sucked during the race. Try to avoid traditional freestyle stroking in a pool. Swimming with your head out of the water every 3 or 4 strokes is beneficial. Try to get into open water if you can. With a lot of people. Splashing and bumping you. If you're a great swimmer, do the above any way. You'll just need less practice.
- Learn the rules of biking for a tri. Apparently there are a lot and they throw them all at you the day of the race. Passing? Drafting? 15 second rule? What?!! Oh, and if it's an official USAT event then no music. What?!
- I'm a runner and it was only 2 miles. Even without running for 3 weeks I did my best per mile time this year. If you're not a runner, prepare yourself early, especially because coming off the bike, your legs will be screaming at you, "What are you doing to us?!"
Now on to more recent events and the reason the cheater title. Over the course of the past week, a fair amount of people have been posting on our Isagenix Team Facebook page that they have been "cheating". Ever the philosopher, I've been waxing poetic about letting the past be in the past, you're only human, tomorrow's a new day, blah, blah, blah. Then on Saturday night, it was me! I had been on edge all day leading up to a dinner to celebrate my mom's birthday and Father's Day. I did research the restaurant's menu beforehand and made reasonable (delicious) choices. I ordered wine but really had no desire to drink it so, my husband willing obliged to take it off my hands.
We arrived home, kids and hubby went to bed early. And I promptly ate the leftovers. Then made a couple spoonfuls of chocolate peanut butter. Then hit the chocolate syrup. Oh, caramel syrup. Why not? Having satisfying my urge to eat everything insight I begin with the guilt. Why would I do that? Why would I sabotage what I've been working for. Weight loss notwithstanding, why would I sacrifice the good nutrition Isagenix gives me for the crap in a bottle of Hershey's caramel syrup? And then I did it again the next day!! Although this time is was "just" overeating at dinner and not processed junk.
One of the many things I've learned over this journey (and the many failed diets over the year) is that the adage "it's not what you're eating, it's what's eating you" holds true. A bit of introspection tells me I was on edge Saturday for two reasons: money and family. Not going to go deeper into that here, but those two topics trigger emotions in me. Like a lot of us, I have a hard time facing my emotions. Who likes to feel sad, or hurt or angry? I used to eat over those unpleasant feelings in hopes of stuffing them down. But the problems always remained anyway.
Now that I've figured out what was eating me I noticed those feelings have no power over me today. It truly is a new day and I'm back on track being fabulous healthy and energetic. If I keep at it, I might even grow up to be a pretty cook adult someday!
Peace,
Susan
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Day 39
This is it. I can do this. Can't I?
I'm sitting in a hotel room with my family. I'm wondering how I'm going to sleep tonight. Tomorrow is my first triathlon. A super sprint! Quarter mile swim, ten mile bike and 2 mile run. I'm supposed to walk the run due to my injured right leg. I don't know if you've met me yet, but all bets are on that I end up running it. Running is my thing and it's been killing me that I've had to substitute not only walking, but slow walking for short distances. On the plus side, I've developed an infinity for my bicycle.
I used to hate cycling but couldn't figure out why. Until I got my new bike! Turns out my old bike, which was naively purchased when I was in college, was sized entirely wrong for my frame. It's a men's small; I take a men's large. On the plus side, my son now has a new mountain bike sized perfectly for him. I'm looking forward to the bike leg. And it's a flat course so I'm expecting some hills. If you've ever run the Tex Mex in North Wales you'll know why I wrote that...
Then there's the swim. I love the water! The pool with the kids, the waves at the beach. Yes, I love the water. Swimming? Not so much. I have trained over the past several months but not near as much as I probably should have. Which led to much anxiety on the way down to Delaware this morning.
Fortunately, I had the foresight to sign up for the swim safety and warm-up clinic. Unfortunately, the clinic talked about drowning and how swimming is the most dangerous leg of the tri. About pulling people out of the race so they wouldn't be a hazard to other participants. That if you had to you *could* hold onto a kayak or buoy and try to continue. And try to avoid floating on your back to catch your breathe because that makes you look like a floater and they'll try to rescue you. Uh, thanks guys. And to think I was mostly concerned about the water temp.
Now panicked, I'm allowed to swim a short portion of tomorrow's swim. The water is blessedly warm, about 72-74 degrees. No wetsuit - WooHoo! People start their practice swims and I'm frozen, shin-deep in water. After a few minutes I think, "What the hell." And wade in further so I can dive under. My first lap is horrible as I'm all panicked and rushing and forgetting all I learned about swimming. My second lap I take my time and feel much better. Lets hope tomorrow's swim mimics lap #2.
All in all, I'm looking forward to this experience tomorrow. I have my Isagenix nutrition with me and will be using the e+ shot for the first time tomorrow for a little boost. Assuming I actually fall asleep, I'll be up around 4-4:30 a.m. and at the course between 5:30-6:00 a.m. to set up my transition area and get marked up. My wave goes at 8:30 a.m. I plan on doing my best and have faith that I've prepared enough. But for right now, I plan on trying to sleep.
Peace,
Susan
I'm sitting in a hotel room with my family. I'm wondering how I'm going to sleep tonight. Tomorrow is my first triathlon. A super sprint! Quarter mile swim, ten mile bike and 2 mile run. I'm supposed to walk the run due to my injured right leg. I don't know if you've met me yet, but all bets are on that I end up running it. Running is my thing and it's been killing me that I've had to substitute not only walking, but slow walking for short distances. On the plus side, I've developed an infinity for my bicycle.
I used to hate cycling but couldn't figure out why. Until I got my new bike! Turns out my old bike, which was naively purchased when I was in college, was sized entirely wrong for my frame. It's a men's small; I take a men's large. On the plus side, my son now has a new mountain bike sized perfectly for him. I'm looking forward to the bike leg. And it's a flat course so I'm expecting some hills. If you've ever run the Tex Mex in North Wales you'll know why I wrote that...
Then there's the swim. I love the water! The pool with the kids, the waves at the beach. Yes, I love the water. Swimming? Not so much. I have trained over the past several months but not near as much as I probably should have. Which led to much anxiety on the way down to Delaware this morning.
Fortunately, I had the foresight to sign up for the swim safety and warm-up clinic. Unfortunately, the clinic talked about drowning and how swimming is the most dangerous leg of the tri. About pulling people out of the race so they wouldn't be a hazard to other participants. That if you had to you *could* hold onto a kayak or buoy and try to continue. And try to avoid floating on your back to catch your breathe because that makes you look like a floater and they'll try to rescue you. Uh, thanks guys. And to think I was mostly concerned about the water temp.
Now panicked, I'm allowed to swim a short portion of tomorrow's swim. The water is blessedly warm, about 72-74 degrees. No wetsuit - WooHoo! People start their practice swims and I'm frozen, shin-deep in water. After a few minutes I think, "What the hell." And wade in further so I can dive under. My first lap is horrible as I'm all panicked and rushing and forgetting all I learned about swimming. My second lap I take my time and feel much better. Lets hope tomorrow's swim mimics lap #2.
All in all, I'm looking forward to this experience tomorrow. I have my Isagenix nutrition with me and will be using the e+ shot for the first time tomorrow for a little boost. Assuming I actually fall asleep, I'll be up around 4-4:30 a.m. and at the course between 5:30-6:00 a.m. to set up my transition area and get marked up. My wave goes at 8:30 a.m. I plan on doing my best and have faith that I've prepared enough. But for right now, I plan on trying to sleep.
Peace,
Susan
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Month 2, Day 3
I began my second month with a 2-day deep cleanse. I really like cleansing! I know, this seems weird. Two days of drinking adaptogens, botanicals, herbs, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. The only solid thing I eat are Isa Snacks - those little wafer things I couldn't describe in the beginning. Turns out they're kind of like astronaut ice cream! - and IsaDelights. I purposely save the IsaDelights for only cleanse days. Maybe that's why I think these days are special? But besides those little chocolate squares of joy, I feel free.
Two whole days of being free from making choices. To just take it slow and do my body some good. For how little I take in, I have pretty much energy. The first day I usually have to hold myself back from doing exercise. This time around we had a graduation party on my second cleanse day. I'm not going to lie. It was tough. I can still smell the food. Some of it healthy, some of it not, all of it gorgeous! But I made it through with pre-planning and a sense of priority. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I was there to celebrate the graduate and her accomplishments, not the food.
Now after my last two cleanses I've had a ton of energy the following day. I wake up, take my Ionix, drink a shake and go for a run or bike ride of a respectable distance. This morning I just wanted to lay around and read (truth be told, it's a really good book!). Yes, I just didn't feel like myself. I was lethargic in fact. Or so I thought. Because even though I continued to feel lethargic on my bike ride, I rode the farthest I've ever gone and posted my best time. When I got home? I took the dog on a 2+ mile walk. Uphill.
Needless, to say, I'm enjoying this journey. I still can't get over the fact that I am very rarely hungry. In fact, I wasn't able to get in all my calories today (which is a bad thing!). I'm going to have to do better with that, especially with my first triathlon right around the corner. I'm excited and nervous. (Please, God, I just don't want to be last!)
Tomorrow is a new day. Even though the energy was there for my exercise, I'm hoping the lethargic feeling (For whatever reason I have it) passes for tomorrow. I'm going to go through my own triathlon staging to get the feel and transitions down. Maybe I'll sneak in an IsaDelight even if it isn't a cleanse day.
Peace,
Susan
PS if you aren't a Facebook friend then you don't know my results. In 30 days I released 14 pounds and 20.25 inches! My body fat was down 3.3% and I dropped 2+ BMI points so I am no longer considered "obese". Now I'm merely "overweight". Duh!
Two whole days of being free from making choices. To just take it slow and do my body some good. For how little I take in, I have pretty much energy. The first day I usually have to hold myself back from doing exercise. This time around we had a graduation party on my second cleanse day. I'm not going to lie. It was tough. I can still smell the food. Some of it healthy, some of it not, all of it gorgeous! But I made it through with pre-planning and a sense of priority. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I was there to celebrate the graduate and her accomplishments, not the food.
Now after my last two cleanses I've had a ton of energy the following day. I wake up, take my Ionix, drink a shake and go for a run or bike ride of a respectable distance. This morning I just wanted to lay around and read (truth be told, it's a really good book!). Yes, I just didn't feel like myself. I was lethargic in fact. Or so I thought. Because even though I continued to feel lethargic on my bike ride, I rode the farthest I've ever gone and posted my best time. When I got home? I took the dog on a 2+ mile walk. Uphill.
Needless, to say, I'm enjoying this journey. I still can't get over the fact that I am very rarely hungry. In fact, I wasn't able to get in all my calories today (which is a bad thing!). I'm going to have to do better with that, especially with my first triathlon right around the corner. I'm excited and nervous. (Please, God, I just don't want to be last!)
Tomorrow is a new day. Even though the energy was there for my exercise, I'm hoping the lethargic feeling (For whatever reason I have it) passes for tomorrow. I'm going to go through my own triathlon staging to get the feel and transitions down. Maybe I'll sneak in an IsaDelight even if it isn't a cleanse day.
Peace,
Susan
PS if you aren't a Facebook friend then you don't know my results. In 30 days I released 14 pounds and 20.25 inches! My body fat was down 3.3% and I dropped 2+ BMI points so I am no longer considered "obese". Now I'm merely "overweight". Duh!
Monday, May 27, 2013
Day 27: Beware of Sabotage
It's been a week. Things are going well. Except for the pharmacy mix-up of my meds (that's another story!), I'm loving life! But one thing I'm aware of as my energy remains high and I start to noticeably slim down is that sometimes others try to sabotage my efforts.
Nothing confirms that more than a holiday weekend. To be perfectly honest, I don't have any cravings for sugary, fatty or junky foods anymore. True story!! In the past I would occasionally have a diet soda as a "treat" but even imagining drinking an icy cold diet Pepsi or Coke evokes no yearnings. Making s;mores by the fire? Nope! And I've let those around me know that not only do I want to live a healthy lifestyle, I have no desire to go back to what I was doing before. It obviously didn't work!
So why do my kids ask me, "Mom, want a bite of my cupcake?" "Have a piece of my candy!" My husband, "I'm running to the store. Want me to pick up a diet soda for you? It's a holiday weekend." My dad, "Just have one little bite. It won't hurt you." Yet it has hurt me in the past. One bite leads to two. Two to three. Then I spend a month bingeing.
I'm not saying these acts of sabotage are mindful or purposeful. Maybe people are just trying to be nice. I'd like to think I've raised my kids to share. My parents polite. But why is it when someone is eating healthfully that others feel the need to offer something less than nutritious? Do they feel I'm missing out and don't know it so their pointing it out to be helpful? As someone who eats healthfully, I can never imagine myself going up to someone and saying, "You're eating potato chips? Want a carrot?" "How about an IsaLean Bar instead of that apple pie? It's a holiday after all!" I would think that if anyone is entitled to interfere with another's eating habits it would be the healthy eater interfering with the junk food eater.
If you are reading this and you're on the road to health, your best bet is a plan of action. Because sometimes we are tempted. I'm fortunate enough that Isagenix affects me in such a way that I no longer crave those things that made my moods fluctuate and my weight soar. But if you have a hard time saying, "no", a plan is the way to go.
I'm gathering with my family this afternoon. They'll be enjoying their cookout (with organic, all-natural hot dogs and burgers on organic whole-wheat rolls). My plan? Garlic Tilapia with Wilted Greens and Blueberries. What better way to pay tribute to the men and women who died securing freedom than to live the best possible life I can? It's time to celebrate the reason for the holiday, not the food.
Peace,
Susan
Nothing confirms that more than a holiday weekend. To be perfectly honest, I don't have any cravings for sugary, fatty or junky foods anymore. True story!! In the past I would occasionally have a diet soda as a "treat" but even imagining drinking an icy cold diet Pepsi or Coke evokes no yearnings. Making s;mores by the fire? Nope! And I've let those around me know that not only do I want to live a healthy lifestyle, I have no desire to go back to what I was doing before. It obviously didn't work!
So why do my kids ask me, "Mom, want a bite of my cupcake?" "Have a piece of my candy!" My husband, "I'm running to the store. Want me to pick up a diet soda for you? It's a holiday weekend." My dad, "Just have one little bite. It won't hurt you." Yet it has hurt me in the past. One bite leads to two. Two to three. Then I spend a month bingeing.
I'm not saying these acts of sabotage are mindful or purposeful. Maybe people are just trying to be nice. I'd like to think I've raised my kids to share. My parents polite. But why is it when someone is eating healthfully that others feel the need to offer something less than nutritious? Do they feel I'm missing out and don't know it so their pointing it out to be helpful? As someone who eats healthfully, I can never imagine myself going up to someone and saying, "You're eating potato chips? Want a carrot?" "How about an IsaLean Bar instead of that apple pie? It's a holiday after all!" I would think that if anyone is entitled to interfere with another's eating habits it would be the healthy eater interfering with the junk food eater.
If you are reading this and you're on the road to health, your best bet is a plan of action. Because sometimes we are tempted. I'm fortunate enough that Isagenix affects me in such a way that I no longer crave those things that made my moods fluctuate and my weight soar. But if you have a hard time saying, "no", a plan is the way to go.
I'm gathering with my family this afternoon. They'll be enjoying their cookout (with organic, all-natural hot dogs and burgers on organic whole-wheat rolls). My plan? Garlic Tilapia with Wilted Greens and Blueberries. What better way to pay tribute to the men and women who died securing freedom than to live the best possible life I can? It's time to celebrate the reason for the holiday, not the food.
Peace,
Susan
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