1 Month in

February 3 2015.  I've had enough.  


I've committed to change and I'm roaring like a lion.  I'm done with cringing at my pictures and not even recognizing myself outside of a strategically placed selfie.  Northern Virginia is no longer my excuse, it's my reality.  I have to come to terms that I'm not moving back to Florida in the near future no matter how many times I drop the hint that I will go back tomorrow and won't even waste time packing a bag.  Seasons are a fact, there will be cold, white crap (snow), ice, wind.. but there will also be warm days, warm breezes, soft grass below my feet, and reasonable humidity.  The gym is a reality.. my gym is no longer my back yard for 365 days.  I have to take advantage of climate controlled places that keep me motivated.  The weekly workout at home is a reality no matter how many people are walking in and out of the house.  It's my house too.  No more excuses, no more self pity, no more.  I've become a Beach Body Coach, I'm committing to drinking Shakeology every day for 1 month.  I've committed to eating a whole food diet 80% of the time.  I receive my first shipment of Shakeology on 2/6.  I weigh and measure myself and document my measurements.  I will not rely on the scale to tell me my progress or self worth (ok, I want good number still, let's be honest). 


March 1st.  First Sunday of the month and almost 1 month into Shakeology.  

I've not said much in this first month of using Shakeology.  I have made a few mentions in Facebook and have had a few people interested in learning more.  But it's hard to give a full stamp of approval if I've yet to see the full benefits.  So I've decided to explain my first month of Shakeology. 

Week 1 Feb 7-13

This was exciting.  I was all about trying new concoctions and recipes.  Week 1 of anything is always a good week because of the newness.  The draw of something different.  I tried a few recipes I really liked: Vanilla Latte, Chocolate w/ banana and peanut butter, Chocolate w/ frozen strawberries, Vanilla w/ frozen mixed berries.  Then there was one that I really reallly didn't like; Chocolate w/ too much ice.  Gross by the way, too much doesn't allow the powder to dissolve and you might as well be drinking chalk.  But the adventure was still exciting and I made my shake every morning even when I was running late.

The changes I experienced:

• With the exception of the Vanilla Latte and Mocha Recipe, I pretty much eliminated my coffee intake.  Except for the occasional Fika (I work for a Swedish company, means afternoon coffee break w/ coworkers) and that was because I was being social.  
• I was genuinely awake even during the full days of darkness that is Northern VA in February.  I had enough energy to get me to the gym on the way home from work and then go home and cook dinner
• I drank water.  Now this shouldn't be a change but for me, this is HUGE.  I cut out Soda's and other sugary prepackaged beverages about a year ago.  I did however fill up my day with coffee and Starbucks (the worst sugary beverage but it tastes so good) 

Week 2 Feb 14-20
Week 2 is always a tricky one.  Changes are still exciting but sometimes it's really easy to get back into old routines.   But I'm finding myself still looking forward to taking the time to make my shake in the morning.  This is a new thing for me.  I usually go gung ho and then fizzle.  But I don't question it, I run with it.  I stuck to the same recipes I discovered the first week because that's what was in my house already.  I discovered that I don't mind Almond milk.  It's very hard to find Almond milk though that's in it's purest form.  I really would be into making my own but I'm already in the middle of the month and that's not exactly in the budget when there are 5 people living in the house.  4 of which are adults.  I'm still experiencing the same energy that I felt in the first week and I don't miss a day getting in my fitness.  I am now curious about my physical progress though and realize my phone will track steps but not overall energy.  I recharge my interest in getting one of those wearable fitness trackers that I've been looking into for the past few months.

The changes I experienced:

• I'm now hungrier.  My normal portions before just aren't cutting it the same way. I am exuding more energy and I know I need to feed my body. I'm needing to up my fiber/protein intake and thank goodness my Shakeology is giving me a boost first thing in the morning. 
• I've made it to the goal of 64 ounces of water.  I know my body needs more for my weight but this is a huge step that I'm proud of.  I want more water.  I need more water.  
• I'm sleeping harder.  I find myself more rested in the morning and I'm going to bed about the same time.  I'm also finding myself less congested and lethargic when I wake up.  It's a little easier to get out of bed.

Week 3 Feb 21-28
Week 3.. Oh you pesky week 3.  Wait.... IT'S ALREADY WEEK 3????  This is exciting.  Anytime in the past that I've gotten on a kick, by week 3 it's a chore.  I didn't even realize it was week 3.  Go me!!  I am still going strong and craving my Shakeo first thing in the morning.  I NEEEEEED it.  I still love the taste, I'm not bored with the flavor or consistency, I'm still excited about this.  Only one problem.. I shared too many packets.. I don't know if you noticed but I extended the week into Saturday.  Saturday was my last packet.  I was very sad.  I savored every sip of my chocolate, banana, peanut butter shake.  I even licked the lid to my cup.  It's true.  I did express order the next box and it will be here today but I've now gone 2 days without my shake.  When I got up this morning, I looked to see what I could whip up to give me the same vitamin boost and ended up deciding to get a green smoothie from a local smoothie place.  It tasted ok.. I like the green drinks I make more.. it just needed ginger and lemon.










So now I just need to get through today without my shake and 1 more week before re-measuring everything.  I will say I cheated yesterday and I'm liking what I see.  The scale just needs to start cooperating too.  

"It's a new life, a new day... and I'm feeling goood"

Well the chances of me sticking to this blog are slim to none but it would be nice to have something to look back on. 

 My journey is much like anyone else's that has struggled with their weight and health for any given amount of time.  Full of ups, downs, victories, and failures.  And each time I hit a milestone, I turned around and doubled what I had taken off. 

My struggle began in 1999... my first desk job.  Before that my job was on my feet running around chaotically at any given time but finally a desk job where all I have to do is answer phones and eat.  Fast forward about a year and 40 lbs.  I looked at some pictures at my going away party and I wanted to cry.  Who was that person??  I ended up dropping about 20 pounds by 2003 and by 2006 I was pretty close to my high school weight. Close enough for me anyway.  I felt great, looked great, and was free and happy.  Fast forward to 2008.. the job market crashed in FL, my (now) fiancé picked up his bags and moved back to his hometown in Virginia.  I stayed back hoping that he would find something again in FL and return but that wasn't meant to be.  In the year between when he left and when I was laid off of my job, I started working the overnight shift again and went back to habits I had in 2003.  I gained everything back.  2009 I came up to visit, had no job and was stressed out of my mind but as fate kicked in, I had an interview on that trip, landed the job, and a few short weeks later  I packed everything up and made the 16 hour drive to where I now call home. 

The move was difficult for me.  It is cold here, and there's white crap, and nothing to do.  It's 3 hours to the closest beach and no family anywhere close to me.  To kill the boredom and de-stress, I took up crocheting and knitting to distress and do something "useful" with my time.  In 2013 we moved to a new home and right across the street there is a gym.  I can and have walked to it during the summer.  I put my foot down and said enough is enough.  I'm joining this gym, hiring a personal trainer.. no more playing around.  I saw my trainer 3 times a week for about 4 months-ish.  I was food logging, watching my portions like a hawk, and killing myself in the gym.  The scale barely budged.  I said, ok.. fine.. maybe it's that I'm gaining muscle.  But my clothes didn't feel any different, I just felt exhausted and sore and defeated.  There must be something wrong with me.  I went to the Dr.  and had blood tests ran and got a full physical.  Surely something inside must be out of whack.  I just knew it.. At this point I stopped paying for the trainer. 

While waiting for my blood results to come back, I came across a blog "The Food Babe" and to my astonishment I felt like I found what the link was.  Why I was always tired, why I couldn't lose the weight.. I feverishly clicked through each article and realized that my entire diet was based on trust in the food companies.  I had heard before to only shop on the outside of the grocery store but I was still eating my cereal, binging on ice cream from time to time, and various other staples that I just have always had in the house.  Peanut butter (that’s healthy), pancake syrup (note, not real maple.. that stuff is expensive I justified), “healthy” frozen dinners for lunch that always kept me hungry, etc.  My blood results came back.. perfectly normal.  There were a few things that indicated that I needed to make some changes now but nothing to be alarmed about.  That was not the answer I was looking for by the way.  I was practically begging for them to tell me that my thyroid is out of whack.  So now, stumped again but the light was starting to turn on.  I decided to go see a nutritionist.  Because of some of the things I’ve found on the internet, I didn’t fully agree with her on some things but took away some great knowledge.  Although (I’m NOT a knowitall btw) I felt like I was teaching her a few things.  So I moved on to another nutritionist.  I found her waiting in the urgent care one night and they had a board that had all their doctors at that practice.  I looked her up.. she lives on a farm, has her own animals and garden for food, believes in organic and whole foods, etc… everything that I wanted to know more about.  My meeting with her was phenominal and enlightening.  She gave me great articles to read and told me about how important magnesium is.  I will be honest, I’ve not followed her recommendations to the T since I saw her last but I have incorporated a lot into my every day life.  I only eat foods that I can pronounce, I buy organic whenever possible, I do like to juice and blend green drinks, and I’m all about coconut and almond oil in/on everything.  Only problem is, I was still beat at the end of the day.  I needed a coffee pick-me-up on my way home from work to deal with the chaos when I got home, and just felt blah…

Enter Christmas this year.. My friend just had a baby and she was on Facebook blasting her new diet plan which included Shakeology.  I had heard about it before but because of this revelation that everything processed in some way is bad, I blocked it out.  It wasn’t for me.  She invited me to join a weight loss kickstart group on FB to which I agreed.  I’m all about supporting my friends and I love learning new things.  And she just kept on and on and on about this Shakeology thing.. so I bit.  I asked her what it was.. she gave me some links to look at and I spent a good month and a half learning about it before admitting I was hesitant because I didn’t want to buy a full bag without knowing how it tastes.  She sent me 2 samples.  Vanilla and Chocolate.  I was hooked.  Just those 2 days changed everything for me.  I was alert at work.. I wasn’t dragging, and it was a new sense of energy that I hadn’t felt for a while.  While yes, I am a coach and I will be happy to tell you more about Shakeology if you inquire, that’s NOT what this post is about.  I just want to throw that out there.  The point is, now that I’ve perked up.. my body was now getting something that I was unable to provide it before, I’m excited about getting busy again.  Getting active.  I’ve been using the shake for about a month now.  2 weeks into drinking it in the morning, I went back to the gym, reactivated my account, and haven’t missed a day of exercise.  I don’t always work out at the gym but I have a new found appreciation for being active. 

After about 2 months of research (actually more but the past 2 months, it’s been an obsession) I finally decided on getting a fitness band.  I got the fitbit charge.  I’ve had it about 24 hours now and so far I’m impressed.  Let’s see how it helps me in this next chapter of the journey.. and if you made it this far into this ramble, thank you for taking the time. 

Until next time….