12 Month Progress: 83 pounds and 85.5 inches!

It's now been 1 year and a few days that I've been taking this great nutrition!  I am not at my goal of 100lbs yet (and have actually gained 6 pounds since my 11 month progress) but I have done something really important to secure my future health. I have committed to working out three days per week at the gym.

I had started walking at the track with my friend Dale last May and we continued through the summer early fall. But then we had many days of rain and cold weather and decided to join a gym. Luckily we have a Planet Fitness nearby and the cost is only $10 per month (no contract). 

Now another friend, Dawna, has joined us and her transformation in the last month is unbelievable!  She went from intense pain all over her body and having a very hard time walking to now keep up with us at the gym - pain free! She still can't believe how good she feels. And now she and I are trying to lose the last pounds together. She is a great inspiration to me and reminds me why I love what I am doing by sharing this with people!!

We had a trainer come to the gym to help us put together a routine. We do 5 min of cardio warm up on the treadmill; 30 min of strength training (he showed us various things for arms, legs, abdomen); 20 min of good cardio then final stretch.  Vinny, our trainer, actually has an elaborate computer program which can customize menus, grocery lists (including Isagenix products) with the exercise factored in to help people reach their weekly weight loss goals. I am still doing my own menu planning right now but may consider it later. He can do this in person or on the phone so anyone that wants this level of help can get it in conjunction with their Isagenix nutrition.

I am not happy about the weight fluctuation but not at all worried -- my body is settling in to the new exercise routine and I did get hungrier in the beginning. As my work-outs have increased in intensity I am less hungry.

Question: Are You Still Taking "Those Shakes??"

Someone recently asked me this question. They knew that part of my weight loss involved shakes. And YES, I am and will thankfully be taking "those shakes" F O R E V E R!

Why will I take them forever? A very good question...

1. If you never exercised, then started working out 3-5x per week and then lost weight... what would happen if you stopped exercising all together? If you ate horrible food, then switched to more healthy food and then lost weight... what would happen if you went back to junk food?

Exactly - whatever healthy habits you employ to lose weight and get healthy HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED if you want to maintain your results!  So that's why a cabbage soup, no carb, starvation or cookie "diet" or some other extreme will have little chance of long term success.

 2. The IsaLean Shakes are not just a nutrition-packed meal replacement at 245 calories, they are the most complete food on the planet with all 90 nutrients (60 organic minerals, vitamins,  and amino acids) our bodies need for healthy cells.  So regardless of weight loss, once I understood the amazing ingredients in those shakes I knew that they would be as important to my health as brushing my teeth each day. If I had to go to the health food store and buy all the ingredients for this shake (the exact ingredients aren't even for sale but let's say they were) - I would be spending maybe 10x more than the $2.60 I spend now per shake. 

FACT: We all seem to be striving to be thin but being thin doesn't = being healthy - I know lots of thin people who are sick (anemic, tired, aches, pains, low energy and other chronic conditions). While they are "thin," they are not healthy - including that fact that EVERYONE has an overload of toxic chemicals that our body cannot cleanse out (visit the Center for Disease Control web site to see the latest report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals -- 212 chemicals were measured in blood and urine samples, only a fraction of the thousands of different toxins we are exposed to).

So dieting does not = health.  

Dependence on prescription drugs does not = health (nothing is "cured," only symptoms are lessened).  

I believe that super nutrition + cleansing toxins is the key to getting our bodies to be in balance so they can right what is wrong... so yes, me and several hundred thousand others are still happily taking those shakes!

 

Pharmer's Market on Most of Americans' Plates

Haven't posted in a while - but busy... just joined Planet Fitness with some friends (for $10/month you can't beat it).

WATCH THIS FUNNY BILL MAHER CLIP ON WHY PEOPLE ARE SICK!

A friend recently posted this to her facebook page and it is really funny but true as only Bill can tell it!!    I don't agree with everything Bill Maher says but this time he is soooo RIGHT!   It is hard to talk to some people about good nutrition -- many people will take any drug their Dr recommends (along with the horrible side effects which cause symptoms that require more drugs) without even checking out what they are putting into their body.  

There are enough people out there who get it.  I would guess that anyone reading this does get it. :-)   For those that put their health into the hands of big pharma, watch this then take a look at the Natural News site as well, one of my favorites!

I always thought I was fat because I didn't have willpower, now I know that it is the sugar/salt/fatty foods that take away our willpower because they are addictive. Put good nutrition in your body and you'll find your willpower again.  If you've ever had a piece of cake calling you from the kitchen then you know what I mean.