My Transformation Journey
Transformations take time. And I am not simply transforming my body, I am transforming my life to live an overall healthier lifestyle. The weight and the unhealhty habits did not appear overnight and so my journey is one of baby steps, but I am on the journey. This page is a snapshot of my journey and like me will continue to tranasform as I move along toward good health and a healthier lifesttyle. The journey continues on my BLOG. Click on the link below.
2016 - I am heading into this summer in the best shape I can be. Are you ready to join me?
Last year at this time I was dealing with the effects of my weight, Diabetes, Cholesterol, Neuropathy and a whole host of health issues and concerns and more medications than I could handle.
I never would have believed that a year later I would not only have lost weight but that my body would be stronger and more fit.
And as great as that is, what is so much better is that I am off all medications with the exception of my allergy controllers because I have reversed my diabetes going from an A1c of 8.4 down to 5.9. I no longer have any cholesterol issues and I have arrested any further damage to my feet from the neuropathy due to the diabetes. I will always have issues with my back and neck, but my core is so much stronger that flare ups are less and less.
It truly is amazing the difference a change in lifestyle can make in what really is a short period of time. I have done it, I am still doing it and I want to help you do it too.
I am passionate about faith, health, fitness, cooking, and living a healthier lifestyle with balance and moderation and this passion has called me to live out a mission to help others achieve their own success in getting results, reaching their goals and in living a healthier and fulfilling lifestyle.
So let me ask you?
- Do you want more energy?
- Do you want to lose weight, maybe a few pounds, tone up or to begin the journey to a significant weight loss like me?
- Do you want to get fit, stronger, healthier?
- Do you want to manage your health better? Get off medications that can be managed by a healthier lifestyle?
- Do you want to live a healthier lifestyle and do things that an unhealthy lifestyle are preventing you from doing now?
If you answered yes to any of these, then let me help you, let’s do this together!
I will provide you with:
- Simple Meal Plans
- 1 on 1 coaching & support
- Inspiration & Motivation
- Recipes & Tips for success
- Daily online chat with group support & accountability
- Access to my private online Challengers Cookbook
You will commit to:
- Setting a goal you want for yourself & sharing it with me
- Following a Beachbody fitness program in your home
- A simple Meal Plan with clean eating, balanced nutrition & portion control
- A Superfood Meal Replacement once a day
- A daily 30 Minute at Home Workout
- Participation in an online focus group that has all the tools for your success
- Remaining accountable to your goals
And if you are looking for an opportunity to help others while remaining accountable to your own healthy lifestyle and earn extra income and build your own business you can join my team and I will teach you how to launch your business, share and not sell, use social media to grow your area of influence and how to start your own challenge group.
Just like your journey to good health, if you are focused on earning some extra income and building a business and committed to making it happen, you will not do it alone, I will be with you every step of the way, we will do it together.
There is a motto in the 21 Day Fix program, “Don’t wish for it, work for it!”
I waited far too long to start. My own will allowed years and years to go by before I was forced to do something and I turned it over. There is no shoulda, woulda, coulda for me today, I am not going backward, I am moving forward. I am where I am today and I am filled with thanksgiving and gratitude to be in this very place.
But I would like to think I am learning lessons and growing along the way. So when I do look back, or when I see an opportunity ahead of me and I ignore it when inside there is a knowing to answer the call and I make the choice to ignore it or downplay it I have learned to look to scripture and the One who guides my days and has carried me every step of the way thus far. Not just in times of trouble or gratitude, in all things the big and the small and all the in-between.
“For he says, "At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation." Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2
I am not always good at following the things I know I should do. I am so thankfully that in this case I finally heeded the call! I am grateful to not only be listening and knowing what I should or need to do, but taking action and doing it!
It is not always easy but it is ALWAYS worth it!
I AM WORTH IT! YOU ARE WORTH IT!!
December 30, 2015
Where do you want to be a year from now?
I have set a number of goals for myself for 2016 in every area of my life and I intend to be a better version of me next year at this time. And that includes a goal of losing 75 pounds over the course of this next year. It is not about the number on the scale really, it is how I feel in my skin, but having a number goal to shoot for helps and slowly one pound at a time I will get there or to where my body says okay we are good! And yup I am putting it out there, because that is what I did when I started my journey this past May.
Last year at our Italian Family Christmas in Texas my beloved and I took the picture on the left. While on that trip I ordered the 21 Day Fix & Shakeology Challenge Pack and signed up to become a Beachbody discount coach.
We came home from Texas I got my package soon afterward, and immediately noticed changes in my eating habits after a month or so of the daily shakes. If you have followed my story, you know the rest. If not, in a nutshell after a medical crisis I needed to get serious about making changes. I picked up the 21 Day fix and along with the Shakeology started my journey with joy to good health at the end of May and I held myself accountable by sharing my journey with you.
By October I had lost weight and inches but by far the best part for me was that my lab results for my type 2 diabetes were below goal bringing my A1c down from 8.4 to 6 and reducing me from 4 pills a day to 1 pill a day and my rising cholesterol took a turn downward reducing the doctors orders to take 2 pills a day to none. And because of the workouts my core was stronger and my back, neck and sciatica issues were less hindering in my day to day.
That all led to a healthier lifestyle and an active role coaching and helping others do the same and running monthly accountability groups. My next one starts on January 4th. I need it, with the holidays, celebrations and events over the past few months I have been able to maintain my weight loss but I am ready to jump start into my new goal of losing that 75 pounds and it starts one pound at a time.
In the past I would think about setting goals, but never got around to them. I put it off, or I started gung ho and then fell off. I can be my own worst enemy. I am no longer working against myself and the motivation I need is a healthy and active life with my beloved and a glance back at an unhealthy looking me.
And I can see an unhealthy me clearly in these two pictures. One taken last year in Texas at Italian Family Christmas with my beloved and one taken this year.
But what I see when I look at these pictures is so much more than weight loss. I see a confidence and a deep joy and acceptance of myself in my smile and a self assurance i have not felt in years. Perhaps because I know that my 2015 picture is one of woman whose faith and prayer life is stronger and who is living a healthy lifestyle and whose mission has become to live her best life with joy and acceptance and who is continuing to build that life and helping others do the same.
We are not guaranteed another day, not up to me. Every day, every moment is grace and a gift. I cannot control things outside of myself and there are things that I would love to change if I could, but I cannot. But my mindset, my attitude and the joy and peace in which I move, I have total control over those things and that is where my focus must be, that and on the one from whom I draw all my strength and with whom I can do nothing without.
I have no idea what 2016 will bring but I do know where I am headed.
I know that whatever comes, with every day, every moment I will accept His grace and will do my best to live freely, fully and peacefully in it and to be the best version of me that I can be, the woman of God that I was created to be and the healthiest version of myself in every aspect of my life that I can be, mind, body, spirit and soul.
Cheers to a passing 2015 and Welcome to a fast approaching 2016.
And prayers for a year ahead of blessings and peace for us all.
December 29, 2015
Are you ready for the NEW YEAR?
2015 was a wonderful year for changes in my life and lifestyle.
I lost over 40 pounds, learned how to eat healthier, maintain my weight loss, gained an appreciation for working out and making my body stronger helping with longtime back issues and ailments, reduced medications and in some cases eliminated the need for medications all together and I have managed my type 2 diabetes and cholesterol by bringing my numbers under goal.
And our lifestyle changes were not just physical and health related. 2015 not only brought about a number of healthy lifestyle changes it also brought an increase in my spiritual life and the desire to pay it forward by starting a new venture helping others to do the same.
With my goals for my health and weight loss and our business for 2016 set, this NEW YEAR is going to be the best yet!
Holiday, vacation and celebration indulging aside I am ready to tackle my 2016 weight loss goals and to help others do the same.
I have a new accountability group starting on Monday, January 4th. A number of our challengers from the last group are continuing on so this group is filling up fast but there is room for 3-4 more people in this group.
If you are ready to commit to making positive changes, living a healthier lifestyle and willing to do the work it takes to get there, I would love to help.
Let's do this together and make 2016 your best year yet!!
Now is the time to act if you want to be ready to start with us on January 4th. Send me a message or comment below "I am ready"
December 13, 2015
I posted a picture this week of my beloved and me before heading out to a work-related party. My post from December 11th has more detail, but I was shopping in my closet again and found an old dress and when I tried it on, it was a little big but I totally rocked it and I felt so good in my skin.
I think before I started this journey in May I had not felt that good in my own skin since my mid-late 20's when I started to gain all that weight.
In my post I shared that I would post a picture of me in the same dress years ago and I found it today.
I am on a journey, And some of you have been following since I started making changed due to some significant health issues back in May.
But my journey goes back long before then for it has been one of not only a physical transformation which has been happening more recently, but one of mind, body, soul and spirit. And that initial transformation started many years ago when I finally fled a dangerous relationship and situation and began to rebuild my life, rediscover my faith, self-confidence, self-worth and dignity. And when by God's immense grace my beloved and I found each other and the gift and grace of true sacramental love.
But the years of that destructive relationship from the past took its toll on my body as I gained more and more weight from the start through the unhealthy years of that relationship. If you have ever struggled with your weight, stuffed your feelings and emotions with food, you may be able to relate.
Although my life has been filled with grace and amazing things for the better part of the past 13 - 14 years, the emotional burden may have lifted but the excess weight, especially as I got older and with increasing medical issues was not going so easily. That is until I started this beautiful journey with joy following a recent medical crisis this May.
Maybe that explains my passion for Beach body and its programs and most especially Shakeology and the 21 Day Fix which have taught me so much about nutrition and fitness and balance and moderation. And that is the key that is leading us on a path to good health and a healthier lifestyle while we continue to embrace life and all its choices, balance all the things we love to do and live authentically.
They say a picture can speak a thousand words. These two pictures side by side speak volumes to me and remind me I am right where I am meant to be. And the picture from last week shouts volumes of love, joy, gratitude and peace.
My heart truly is filled with so much gratitude and joy. I am not only achieving my own goals, working towards new ones and keeping myself accountable. I also get to witness in small and large strides the success of others as they lose weight, adopt healthier habits, fit comfortably into clothes they have not worn for awhile, do things they never thought they could and work towards their own health and fitness goals and lifestyle changes.
Helping others is in this way has become a beautiful mission and I am deeply humbled at the small role I get to play in helping, guiding, motivating and walking alongside others as they journey to good health and for those who want to pursue the business opportunity, as they journey toward financial freedom.
I don't live with regrets, and the challenges I have faced have been opportunities to grow, learn and thrive. Good or bad they have helped to form me. But looking back it took me awhile to get here, when the opportunity to start my journey to good health came around I ignored it, excused it away and pushed it at bay for close to a year until it became a medical crisis for me to take some action.
This journey to a healthier lifestyle it totally attainable. If I can do it, anyone can. And the best part is that you don't have to do it alone. I am here to help.
My current challenge group will be wrapping up in few weeks and I am already planning for the next one as I also set some new goals for myself.
If you want to join us now is the time to reach out to me and make that plan so that you will have everything that you need in time for the start of the next one.
As for the picture. Yup, I am loving the old dress, new look
heart emoticon
What do you think?
December 12, 2015
As Mother Teresa said "Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." I have certainly found this to be true. Change takes time, it does not come overnight. At least it did not for me. It has been a series of baby steps, one day after another, little things; little changes each one a building block to making better "choices" to live a healthier lifestyle.
So welcome to my Joy in the Journey page! I am so happy that you are here. I look forward to sharing the journey to good health and a healthier lifestyle with you.
But first a little about me: I am married to my beloved John, a woman of faith, self-proclaimed foodie, home cook, writer, blogger, independent health and fitness coach and seasoned property management professional.
I created and wrote a cookbook called Made with Love - A Tribute to my Parents to honor the memory and legacy of my parents and to share that legacy, family recipes and my own creations with the younger and future generations of my family. After a limited printing that I gave to family only I created zialinda.com to share our rich family traditions and recipes with our extended family, friends and others who have requested copies of my recipes and the book.
I love Beachbody and the Beachbody products and have experienced the results personally. I started out as a discount coach in December 2014 and began actively coaching and helping others to achieve their goals to a healthier, balanced and fit lifestyle in June 2015 after achieving success in my own health goals.
In addition to losing weight and inches I continue to get stronger, leaner and fit and the best part for me is not the weight loss, stronger body, flexibility, self-confidence in my own skin, and the overall health benefits it is having avoided additional medications and complications from existing medical conditions including Type 2 Diabetes and High Cholesterol. In less than 6 months my A1C went down from 8.4 to 6.1 and I went from having to take 4 metformin diabetes pills a day down to 1 almost reversing my diabetes. Cholesterol is now no longer an issue because my labs are well below goal that the doctor’s requirement to take 2 pills a day to help manage my cholesterol was removed to no pills. And long standing sciatica and back and neck issues have significantly decreased as my core is strengthened and my body becomes more fit.
I am all about finding the right balance to living a healthy and fit lifestyle with faith, love, family, good health and joy in the journey. And that means living authentically and balancing all the things we love in every aspect of our lives. Because of my own experience I have a deep passion for Shakeology and the 21 Day Fix and I am I am proud and honored to part of an organization whose mission is to end the trend of obesity.
The best part is that as I continue along my journey to good health I am able to help others do the same. I have been running challenge groups since I started my own accountability journey and my second round of the 21 Day Fix and have helped others to achieve their goals to lose weight and get healthier.
And my journey continues, as I continue to work on my health transformation, manage a demanding full time job in property management and with my beloved build our own business and create our live by design all while building our team and helping others with similar goals who are willing to work hard to build their business and lives their own lives by design do the same in an organization of other coach business owners who embody the spirit that "a candle does not diminish its light by lighting another candle".
If you are interested in living a healthier lifestyle and proven nutrition and fitness programs that get results or you are looking for more, to change your life, build a business and live your own life by design I am happy to help. Send me a message here or via email at joyinthejourneyls@gmail.com or visit my website at http://www.lindasousa.com/
December 11, 2015
I love shopping in my closet!!!
And last night I wore a dress I have had for at least 18 years. I purchased it to attend a black tie event for my Godchild and niece Carrie in Texas many years ago. I have worn it only a couple of times because it was snug when I purchased it and always felt tight and uncomfortable the couple of times I wore it and then it did not fit and so it has hung in the back of my closet.
Well last night I wore that little black dress to a work related business dinner with the amazing people that I get to work with at my full-time job every day. And because of the ongoing and wonderful results of my part-time business that is not only helping us toward retirement and continued good health it is helping me feel fabulous in my own skin and I rocked that dress!!
It was loose and dare I say a little too big, but it felt so great to wear it knowing where I have been and where I am headed!!
I don't have time this morning to look for it, but I will find a picture of me in that dress "before" and from last night and will post it when I find it so you can see what I am talking about.
Living a healthy lifestyle for us is all about balance and moderation and for someone who used precious little of both where food, fitness and health were concerned for much of my adult life, I am enjoying and embracing these changes. And I am loving this journey.
If you saw my posts from John's birthday you know we did a bit of indulging already this week. So last night I instead of the amazing prime rib that my beloved got and that I was hankering for, I had a delicious baked haddock and wonderful veggies and I enjoyed every delicious bite and I felt comfortable and it felt wonderful to make that choice!!
It is all baby steps. And I am overjoyed at not only the physical changes but our growing business and the ability to help other change their lives, and helping us all to create our lives by design.
It was an amazing evening filled with love and fellowship, and they call this work!!
I am living each day with great great joy in the journey, no matter what the day brings because that joy rests deeply with gratitude and thanksgiving in my heart!! I needed that reminder because I had been giving more attention than I should have to actions of others whose negativity if I would allow it would rob me of my peace. Fortunately I can lift those individuals to the Lord and with His help adjust my mindset to the things that matter and the things that I can change, me. And it all starts with gratitude and thanksgiving for the blessings, good or not so good.
And it truly is the little things! Like the simple fit of a dress that once made me uncomfortable and uneasy in my own skin.
I am embracing change, healthy change is good and I am so grateful that I took that first step toward a healthy lifestyle for it has opened up wide the doors to so much more!! It is helping me be the best version of me that I can be, mind, body and soul!
If you are looking to make some changes in your life, your lifestyle and get healthy.
If you are looking for more financial freedom to do the things you want to do, earn extra income, save for retirement.
If you just want to feel good in your skin and feel great wearing something that just never quite fit right or get into something that has been hanging in your closet that you have never worn.......
I have the perfect plan and can help you get there.
Now is the perfect time to get that plan into action.
Reach out and let me help you get started!
Now I am off to my full-time job. Lots to do today and I get to enjoy and adventure today with my work family! And it is Friday.......
Have a blessed and joyous day!!
November 18, 2015
We spent this past weekend in Maine with a wonderful group of college friends who have been gathering together every year since our college graduation 33 years ago. Last year, unable to go for the whole weekend we joined everyone for breakfast. That is when that picture on the left was taken.
This year we were blessed to be there with everyone for the whole weekend and had a wonderful time. The picture on the right is from this past weekend.
It is both scary and humbling to post this picture! So why do it?
Because a year ago after a health scare I took a chance, I made a leap of faith and I made an investment in my health and dove head first into changing my lifestyle and without realizing it at first helping others do the same.
Perhaps you can relate? You don’t have to be labeled morbidly obese to not feel comfortable in your skin, for clothes to fit a bit too tight and for your body to scream in agony and pain from ailments, a poor diet and lack of activity or exercise.
Living a healthy lifestyle does not come easy for me. My beloved and I are self-proclaimed foodies and pretty good cooks and we love spending time in the kitchen, eating out and entertaining. The great news, the nutrition, fitness and lifestyle change we have made has not changed this. What has changed is the addition of healthier versions of old favorites and portion size as well as the gift of balance and moderation that was sorely lacking in our lifestyle where food and exercise was concerned.
Today I am leaner, stronger, more fit and flexible. I have lost weight and inches and I have impacted my overall health in such a positive way including managing long standing health issues like the amazing reversal of cholesterol issue without medication and a close to reversal of my type 2 diabetes now down from doctor’s orders of 4 pills a day to 1 which may become none in December following my Doctor’s appointment. But this only scratches the surface, if you have been following my journey you know the rest.
I still have a long way to go, but for me it is not a fad and I am not in a race, it is baby steps and long lasting lifestyle change.
Why? Because I found a program that works for me like nothing I have experienced in the past and so this is my new normal. My new normal also includes running and participating in accountability groups also knows as Challenge Groups and this has been a large part of my ongoing success in staying on track and the success of so many others on the same journey to a healthier lifestyle.
The accountability, helpful tips, sharing of recipes, struggles and joys and the encouragement and support along the way makes the going easier as we move toward achieving our individual goals.
And my goal is to keep moving forward living a healthier lifestyle. But it is easy to get off track, especially around the holidays and so I am gearing up for them with a
healthy mindset.
This year I am paying attention and mindfully walking through the holiday season with the goal of enjoying every minute but doing so in way that keeps me on track with my goals. I am not perfect and I don’t want or need to be. I know that I will falter from time to time and fall off the grid. But I do want to be healthy, life a full life, maintain balance and get myself right back on track without missing a beat, no wallowing, no staying stuck, jumping in with renewed determination when I falter.
So we are going to be running a 21 Day Fix Nutrition and workout program of your choice accountability/ challenge group. Preparation week begins on November 23rd and we will start right in on DAY 1 of the 21 Day Fix Nutrition Plan on Monday, November 30th.
Are you ready to……..
*Commit to working out every day from the comfort of your home
*Commit to the 21 Day Fix Nutrition plan and eat real foods
*Include into your daily food plan a delicious superfood meal replacement that is clinically proven to help you lose weight, lower blood pressure, cholesterol, increase energy, help with cravings and
with your overall health.
*Participate in the group and receive motivation & support to help you stay on track and accountable to get the results you want through a closed online FB support group so only the members of
the group can see what is being posted.
*Start living a healthier lifestyle.
Want to join me? I can help you………......
1. Customize your health and fitness goals to meet your needs
2. Choose the best workouts to get there based on your ability level.
3. Create your own customized meal plan
4. Plan the other meals of the day
5. Find new recipes, snack ideas and tips.
6. Hold yourself accountable by participating in our daily post challenges
Bottom line, the results are up to you and your own level of commitment, accountability and follow through in achieving your goals. But if you are serious about making healthy lifestyle changes support, help and accountability is at your disposal in our challenge group.
We are keeping the group small and we start soon so send me a private message or message below if you are interested.
November 9, 2015
Getting ready to head to the Gym for TRX training this morning. I have a pulled hamstring and calf muscle in my left leg, but that does not have to stop me from doing what I can for my upper body and from moving and stretching my leg to work out the strain, slow and easy and mindfully to not make it worse, but to help stretch it out.
6 months ago it would have been an excuse to stay in bed and blow off the workout. Not today! I am heading out and creating a positive mindset.
So this morning I posted in my Challenge Group/Accountability group and thought I would share it. Every day we have a challenge question and at the end we have a prize for whoever gets the most points, it is a fun challenge and helps us to get to know each other better too. Well today the question was "What is your favorite workout outfit?"
I posted this picture and wrote:
"Love that I can fit into clothes I would never have worn before and actually feel good in them. Love this sports bra and yoga pants with a workout jacket that I purchased years ago because I loved it but never wore it because it was way way too tight, now it fits loose, and I am actually showing my sports bra, never in a million years would this have happened before Shakeology and the 21 Day Fix! So for today, this is my favorite workout outfit. Give me some more time and I may be sporting some great fashions like those in the workout videos."
6 months ago I would have been full of excuses why I could not get to the workout. 6 months ago I never could have worn this. 6 months ago I never never never would have posted it.
What is that saying from days of old? "You've come a long way baby".
Yup I have, and I am so grateful! God is so good!
Are you looking for a change, looking to do something you have wanted to do but have not been able to get to it, to start it?
I can help, you have to be willing to make the effort, put in the time and invest in yourself and your good health. The results are up to you.
If you are up to the challenge, I will do all I can to give you all the tools and resources that you need to achieve your goals?
My goal is to keep going on my journey and live a healthier lifestyle and to help others do the same.
I am starting a new challenge group soon and will post more about it later. But if you want the details or more information, message me or type "yes" in the comments below and lets continue finding Joy in the Journey together!!
Have an amazing day!
October 24, 2015
Good Morning everyone and happy Saturday!!
I was up early and outside cleaning up the deck, putting plants in the greenhouse and doing a ton of little things before 8AM. Then I came in turned on the gas fireplace and with a coffee and bran muffin settled in to do some personal development reading, praying and collect my thoughts for the day.
Then when I sat down at the computer to do the daily post for today I continued reflecting on the week and something came to mind that I was going to journal privately but then I thought, why not make it an open journal, my challenge group family may also relate to the struggle of staying focused on their goals and keeping balance when it is so easy to lose focus and go off track if we are not vigilant and mindful of what we are doing and where we want to go.
So here is my Saturday morning open journal.........
10/24/15 - Saturday morning and it has been a great week on the Fix, working out has been off the charts and my food and snacks have been on point. My body is feeling stronger and more fit than I can recall in over 20 years. This morning I was checking out my arms in the mirror and those jingala jangalas although still there are firmer and strong and overall I feel so healthy and full of energy.
My yoga paints are starting to feel loose all over and I tried on a sports bra that I purchased this summer that I was not able to get over my head and now it fits perfectly, amazing! And it looks really good too, but there was no way I was going downstairs in the cold house without a cover, so I took a chance and tried on this awesome fitted workout jacket that I have had for about 6 years. It has been hanging in the barn closet, every time I tried it on in the past it was a bit of a struggle to zip up and when I did, you could see these doughnut rolls of not so much delight up my midsection. It zipped up easily and there are no more rolls poking through, YEA!! I am nowhere near where I want to be, and skinny is still not the goal, healthy is, but I am well on my way and I am loving the journey and all the wonderful things that are coming out if that is taking me there!
And who would have thought that I could go out and enjoy an evening with my beloved an impromptu date night after a quick run to food shop after a long busy work week and not have that indulgence lead me down the path to "diet" sabotage. But that is so not the case, why? Because I am not on a "diet" I am making a lifestyle change and the change is as much in my head as in my gut, it is as much in my attitude and my spirit as it is on what I am actually doing to get results. So last night was amazing, always because I am with the love of my life, my beloved and because we can enjoy an impromptu dinner and an awesome indulgence and it carries no guilt. That is because I have been on track and have learned moderation, portion size and balance.
So after food shopping on an empty stomach, never a good idea, but we did awesome, we could not decide what to do. Stay at the loop and go to one of the "chain" restaurants like Not your Average Joe's or come home and exhausted from a long week settle in to make some dinner, or head to Preludes where the food is always fresh, homemade with the best ingredients like we were cooking it ourselves. Yup, easy decision, we ended up at Preludes taking a chance they had a table and they were packed but we got the one open table they had with no wait. Sharon is wonderful and set us right up!
My indulgence began with delicious Chianti that I paired with a perfectly cooked ribeye, mashed potatoes Prelude style and veggies, the Brussel sprouts were amazing, this place never disappoints. And yes, here it comes..........I had their creamy delicious crème Brule with my espresso after dinner.
I indulged but I also exercised a bit of good mindfulness and I cut my healthy portion of Ribeye in half right when I got my dinner so I could set the half aside to bring the rest home keeping my portions in control. Amazing thing is, I have done this in the past, often, and I have eaten the one half and then said screw it and gone after the other half! Not this time, my habits are changing. I have also not eaten mashed potatoes in months mostly because I don't like them unless John or I make them ourselves, cuz if they are not kick ass delicious it is not worth wasting my carbs, I was not intending to eat the mashed potatoes but after tasting them, Tommy Grella can cook me up some mashed potatoes anytime, thankfully the portion was small and eyeballing was about 3/4 of the yellow container so it was not too overboard and it totally hit the spot!
I am over the moon with Beaachbody, Shakeology and the 21 Day Fix, why do I love this program so much? I think it is because it has taught me so much, I am learning about nutrition, about food, combinations of foods, eating cleaner, healthier and in moderation and eating more often during the day and because NOTHING and I mean NOTHING is off limits. It is all choice, moderation, common sense. I am a foodie, we love to cook, make lots of homemade foods and we also love to dine out at good restaurants and this program fits our lifestyle and is helping us to find a healthy balance making it easy to indulge once in a while without sacrificing my goals. I have finally found something to that fits perfectly into our lives.
I have also learned so many ways in which I can dine out and stay on point with my program, making good choices, substitutions when necessary, asking questions about the preparation of the food, holding, omitting or having sauces on the side, double veggies instead of a carb, holding the bread, or just not eating it, unless it is worth it, sticking with chicken, salmon or fish lightly prepared. I knew all this before, I just chose to ignore it, not exercise it when I went out. Now I want to make those modifications when I can, I want to eat healthy I want to eat fresh, I want to eat smart, I crave it, my mindset has shifted and I want to practice the little nuances that can help me lose weight and stay on track with my goals when eating out.
And I love that I can indulge when I want to indulge. And I do like my meat, more often than not, lamb, beef or oso bucco are going to win out. And last night there was no way there was a Ribeye on the menu and I was not having it. We know that Tommy hand picks and chooses the meats himself directly from the butcher and so whatever we get we know it is always going to be fresh. We also love that the menu changes all the time depending on what is fresh and where he went to get the meat, fish, produce for that day. We can't go wrong when we eat at a place where the owner/chef shops and cooks like us, we do the same, and he gets what is fresh and looks good. Bottom line is that the indulgence must be worth it, otherwise these days for me it is a no go, and needless to say our meals were fresh, mouth-watering and with every bite delicious. John got a seafood casserole, the scallops were hugh and cooked to perfection. Food done right makes us both happy!
Close to the end of the meal Tommy came out of the kitchen and over to the table to tell me to check my Facebook, my phone was in my purse, he sent me a message telling me he saw me. He said he saw us but was so busy he was not able to come out and he was just coming out of the kitchen to say hi. He even made a point of commenting about how much weight I am loosing and how can I be doing this and still eating his food. I told him it was easy, we are not giving up his food and we don't have to, it’s about balance, good choices, moderation and exercise. And I am still losing, slowly but steadily.
When I think of it, it sounds so simple. Heck, it is so simple. But you have to do it. That was what I was missing, I knew it, but I was not doing it and if I did, I was not doing it consistently.
If I want this program to work for me I need to keep it simple and I need to be mindful, diligent in sticking to a healthy lifestyle and consistent in making good and healthy choices the MAJORITY of the time. I also need to team that diligence with working out and moving, even if I miss a workout, finding something to do that keeps me moving and active and then getting right back on track. If I don't do these things, I can't indulge and for lack of a better word "feed" my foodie spirit. And my beloved and I like to indulge. And now we have found a way that works for us, has removed us from "stuck in stagnant" to "terrific and thriving"!
And I guess that is why mindfulness, attentiveness and pushing play are not negotiable in my journey. Because if I am not paying attention, those indulgences become the norm, the portions get out of control and the activity remains stagnant and then I will undo all the healthy strides I have made. And nothing is worth having to get back on medication after medication and not feeling this amazing in my skin. I can't even believe that I am writing "out loud" that I feel amazing in my skin with so much more weight to lose. But I do, I feel amazing.
And I am edified when people notice the strides I have made and they can see that I am making those strides and still living the lifestyle that we enjoy.
Remember, one day at a time, slow and steady is a great way to lose weight and help you keep it off. And you get a brand new chance to start over every day, every minute in fact when you are working not only on healthy nutrition and fitness goals, but aligning those goals with a healthy and positive mindset!
Yes, full circle, it has been a great first week of another round of the fix. And it is the beginning of a great weekend.
We are spending the morning working our business and getting ready hopefully to launch the new website soon. A few chores around the house and then heading into town for dinner with friends. I am bringing healthy appetizers and there may be a bit of "indulging" and some wine with dinner so I am planning ahead for tonight.
Tomorrow my hearty, healthy turkey chili is on the menu, it is that kind of fall New England weekend! Football and Chili!!
Want the recipe, let me know.
Peace and blessing my friends for a wonderful weekend.
October 22, 2015
It is amazing how change can sneak up on us, I started this journey back at the end of May and it has been a slow and steady progress. I notice the change in my weight on the scale, and from time to time I am also starting to really see the changes in my body shape and size itself.
It is a slow and steady progress and according to my beloved I am "shrinking". At least that is what he exclaimed this afternoon as he wrapped and linked his arms around me tighter than he has ever been able to before and lifted me off the ground.
If you would have told me a year ago that I would be drinking a meal replacement every day and LOVING it, that I would be cooking healthier and LOVING it, that I would be mindful of my portion sizes and okay, not always loving it, but DOING it, and that I would be making healthy choices over and over again and DELIGHTING in them, that I would be eating 6 times a day MAKING IT A PRIORITY and that I would be working out and LOVING it, I might have thought you were coming down with something!!
I have such a long way to go, but I am on the journey. I/we have created new and healthier habits that fit our lifestyle, love of cooking and our foodie spirit. We are active, working out and taking better care of our bodies. Skinny is not the goal, healthy is.
The changes we are making are welcome and the byproduct is a healthier mindset and the inclination to press play instead of the snooze button or the remote.
We are not doing it perfectly, we don't have to. We are just doing it, one day, one pound at a time.
You can too. Set backs, a bad day, a little over indulgence, an injury and inability to workout or be as active, the list goes on, we all experience them. And we can all overcome them, start fresh the next day, brush off and keep moving forward and pressing play.
It has been a long week already, and a long day. I got my workout in at the gym this morning and am giving my body time to relax tonight. New habits and a healthy lifestyle also means listening to my body and taking good care of myself so I am in the best mindset and physical shape I can be to continue on with great joy in the journey.
Have a good night all, rest well!
Tomorrow our 21 Day Fix Challenge Group begins Day 5 and I am going to be ready to rise and shine and crush another day!
Then I put on one of my go to blouses and could feel the weight of the top and how loose it is now. Yup I will take that one pound gladly, slow and steady, a pound at a time does make a difference.
The pictures from June were on my deck, fresh from a hair appointment! The October pictures are from this morning. I don't always notice, but I felt it this morning and I could clearly see the difference in the pictures. Can you?
If you are working on living a healthier lifestyle and trying to get back into shape, stay in shape or just live healthier, keep going. Relish in that pound or half pound, it adds up.
October 19, 2015
What do you do when you see a great sale? How about getting an amazing haircut or stylist? What do you do when see a movie that touched you or made you laugh until you cried? Do you share it with your family and friends? Do you want them to have that same wonderful deal on that sale, that great haircut or style, that moving experience at the movies?
Well that is what sharing Beachbody, the products and the business opportunity is like for me. I have received a gift and found something that is so incredible; almost too incredible to articulate and in so many ways unbelievable. But I am witnessing first hand people that I know and love achieve personal, spiritual and financial transformations. These programs change lives as does the business opportunity for those who are willing to work towards their goals. This I can tell you from my own personal experience and how it has changed our lives in such a short time.
I started as a discount Coach with Beachbody in December 2014 simply to get the monthly discount on Shakeology, a full meal replacement that John and I love! Because of medical issues and a health crisis I started my journey with the 21 Day Fix an amazing, realistic and easy to follow health and fitness program on May 26th and that was the springboard into starting my Lifestyle coaching business and building a wonderful team of business partners.
Beachbody for me has been the difference between a life of one medical crisis after another to one in that a few short months has reversed my diabetes, managed my cholesterol and is helping me to create a fit, stronger, flexible and healthier body. Now at 55 I am starting a new adventure creating my own business and a new mission to help others and at the same time building something that will bring financial freedom and an early and financially secure retirement.
Are you ready for a new chapter in your life? Send me a message if you want more information on the coaching opportunity with team Joy in the Journey?
And if you would like a sneak peek into coaching there is a new 5 day sneak peek into Coaching starting up tomorrow. Message me if you are interested and I will send you and invite and you can see for yourself what this opportunity is all about.
We will also be hosting a Business Opportunity Webinar on October 28th. More details will be forthcoming but if you are interested in attending send me a message.
Super Saturday, October 17, 2015
October 12, 2015
I have the day off from my full-time plus job today but my beloved has to work. So while he works from home today, I am choosing to do the same and working on our business spending some time doing some business housekeeping.
Amazing how much you can accomplish all before lunch, in your Pj's, with a delicious cup of coffee and the sound of your beloved working beside you!
Joy in the Journey has a new logo, a delicious pot of Chicken, Kale and Vegetable Soup is simmering on the stove and smells amazing, a quick meeting with the contractor who is wrapping our roof and next up on my agenda is building a new website!
A phrase I have heard often lately "creating a life by design" is truly resonating with me today.
Flashback to April 2015, I could not have imagined creating a life by design even as I witnessed the amazing transformations of people I know and love, transformation that went beyond physical, to spiritual and financial. But that was for others not for us. Present day, we totally get it, it is for us and for anyone who wants the opportunity and is willing to work to make it happen.
No bones about it, it takes a lot of effort, determination and a hard working can do attitude. Early mornings before work, late nights, weekends and even holidays like today. We are working towards building a business, our business, one in which our faith is center stage and we are working on building a team of like minded individuals who like us want to live a healthier lifestyle and who also want to help others do the same and at the same time help those who want to create their own life by design do it too.
I am inspired by the goodness, kindness and generosity of the leaders in this industry who move forward every day with the attitude that a "candle does not diminish its light by lighting another candle" and a company whose mission is to end the trend of obesity and who boldly proclaims "everyONE matters" and backs that up in all they do.
Did I drink the Kool-aid, you bet! John and I both drink it every day, its called Shakeology and it opened the door to the 21 Day Fix and a whole host of tools on our wellness journey and that has changed our lives forever.
My life by design includes living a long healthy life with my beloved, one in which we can enjoy time together, with our family, and God willing a financially independent retirement. But none of that matters if I am not around to see it or healthy enough to live and enjoy it.
My journey to a healthier lifestyle has opened so many doors. Some that I thought were closed forever. In very tangible terms it has meant for me the very real difference between a life of one medical crisis after another and more medications than I care to take to one that in a few short months has reversed my diabetes, managed my cholesterol and is helping me to create a fit, stronger, flexible and healthier body.
Sharing my journey, helping others on their own journey and sharing this business opportunity has also reignited my passion for writing. Something that I had put aside other than journaling for so many years. A new cookbook is in the works, one that will give some of my Made With Love - A tribute to my Parents recipes a healthier twist along with some new ones. I am also mulling around something else, motivational in nature and if the spirit moves, I may pull out my old manuscript that has been locked away for years, change the title, revamp some of the characters and finish the story. That is one that will have to re-write itself if it is going to be resurrected, but as I know all too well, all things are possible.
For now, my goals are simple, keep getting healthy and to help others to do the same all the while building a team of business partners who have the same vision.
To that end I best get started on that website!
Whatever you are doing today, may it be filled with blessings and much much Joy in the Journey!!
Well here is the latest update.
It’s a bit of long one, but I am so close to achieving an amazing goal and reversing my diabetes that I cannot breeze past it …………..so you may want to settle in with a comforting beverage.
I went back to the doctor for a follow up visit on October 1st. May last visit was in June.
If you know me, then you know that I have always dreaded my doctor’s appointments, let’s face it, overweight, diabetes, cholesterol jumping up faster than I can track and all those other little issues, like my back, neck, sciatica, asthma, allergies, sleep apnea, breathing issues and some debilitating bouts with vertigo…..the list goes on. And worse than the visits was going to the lab, because that was usually followed by a letter, a call and another prescription. And the only thing I dislike more than doctor’s visits and lab results it taking pills and medications. Have hated it since I was a kid, I typically don’t do what I am supposed to if I even get the prescription filled at all.
Why am I telling you this? Because since I started my journey on May 26th I have been so excited to go to the doctor’s, to have lab tests taken and to see the results. Why? Because I have finally taken charge of my health, I have gotten serious and by God’s grace I am seeing results!
In May I was being admonished by both my doctor and nurse practitioner that NO CHOICE, I needed to start taking the cholesterol medication that had been prescribed over a year ago and I had never filled. That I had NO CHOICE, I had to DOUBLE UP from 2 pills a day to 4 pills a day on my metformin which is a medication that I must take for my diabetes and the only medication aside from my allergy controllers that I take with any regularity.
I was also working with a dietician because of the diabetes, there too I dreaded and was not doing much to improve. Although I was making some changes it was not enough.
Enter Beachbody, Shakeology and the 21 Day Fix. And enough said about this, you can find out all you want on my FB page, my Coach Lifestyle page and on my website Zialinda.com in the tab Joy in the Journey pages.
Why all this back story…..because to understand the impact of the most recent lab results and the spot I am standing in today, you can only do when you see from where I have come. And as tears flow as tears of gratitude flow as I write this, I have really come a long way……and dare I say I still have a long, long way to go.
BUT and that but is big, I have started the journey and more, so much more than that I have started and continue on with JOY IN THE JOURNEY!!
So Wednesday morning October 1st I went to the doctors, it was a follow up with my nurse practitioner who works closely with my doctor and both have been so amazing. I lost 17.3 pounds since my last visit on June 16th when I saw the doctor. At that visit my doctor said that when Joanne, my nurse practitioner finds out about this she is going to do cartwheels, at that time she was delighted with my progress and we were both excited to get my labs taken and the results.
Once again at this appointment they were thrilled and wanted to hear all about what I was doing and again we were all excited about the labs. I know it really is the little things.
Before I left my nurse practitioner came in she wanted to give me a hug and was very proud of what I had accomplished and encouraged me to keep going. Talk about a feel good doctor’s visit! And I could not get to that lab fast enough!
Well the results are in, got them right before my follow up with the dietician yesterday morning. When I went through my food plan and workout program with her and what I have been doing to manage my diabetes she was very impressed, told me I got an A+. Better than that I did not need to schedule a follow up with her.
And the news gets better. Got my lab results, they are amazing. My A1c is down from 8.4 to 6 and I am now down to only 1 pill a day for my diabetes. This was the note on my follow up lab result letter dated October 4th:
“Your sugars have improved so much with your exercise and change in diet. I want you to DECREASE your metformin to just one a day. Take it at supper. Your largest meal. “
“Your LDL cholesterol will get to goal with your continued efforts. Keep up the good work”
I could go on and on…. But I won’t, the lab results speak for themselves as do my progress pictures and yes, me in the flesh, I love when people tell me I am shrinking.
Why am I sharing all of this, it is very personal.
Yes it is very personal. And I have learned in my journey that traveling a road such as this, one for me that is as tough as this is, like all difficult things to do, are lighter, more manageable and so much more successful when it is shared, when you hold yourself accountable and in the end when you do the work. Mostly when there are others on the road with you.
It is still baby steps for me, sometimes sprinting forward, sometimes inching back. But that too is all good. There are lessons at every turn and I learn more about me in the process.
And one thing I know for sure is that I am not alone. I know there are others out there struggling with their own health issues and they too are looking to live a healthier lifestyle for their own reasons.
And I know that I can help. The blessing of being a beachbody coach is that I can help others and I have personally witnessed so many people get amazing results. I have also witnessed close friends and family members who have amazing success stories of their own.
But I can only speak of mine, and the results are on this page for all to see. And my heart is so filled with gratitude!! Praise be to God, and in all things to God be the glory!
If you know me, you know that my faith is at the core of everything I do. It is who I am it is not separate from me. I know that I can do nothing without the Lord, it is that simple for me because I know my own human weakness and limitations. I know that getting up early, measuring food, doing workouts when I don’t. want to do them, not me, Him who lives in me and Him from whom I draw my strength. Lest I think it is me that has gotten here I know better, but I also know that it is up to me to do the work and that I have done and that will continue to do. And this little chart of my lab results is proof that it works. My heart overflows with peace, joy, gratitude and thanksgiving.
My friends, if I can do this, anyone can do this. And the blessing is you don’t have to do it alone.
I am starting up a new challenge group next week. If you have any questions, are interested in getting more information or want to join me on another round send me a message.
My next appointment is in December, I really want to see my nurse practitioner do that cartwheel!! (only kidding)
And please continue to pray for me and everyone one of us who is on a journey to good health and a healthier lifestyle!
Thank you for your encouragement and inspiration along the journey, you will never know how much it means and how much it inspires me to keep fighting the good fight to get my health in check and to live a healthy and fit lifestyle!
With much love and gratitude,
Linda
October 5, 2015
Amazing what a difference a year can make.
It was so wonderful to see friends earlier tonight at the closing at St. Basil's and a few commented that they almost did not recognize me.
Looking at these pictures I can see that myself.
Funny how when you are looking in the mirror every day you don't seem to notice all the changes happening in your body and appearance. But if you look back and place a few pictures side by side you really can see the difference.
We are liking whatwe see so we are continuing on with Joy both in the Journey and in our hearts
Are you looking for something simple, that works, is supportive and that has lots of healthy, nutritious and delicious recipes to share! Then think about joining me on my next round of the 21 Day Fix on October 12th when I kick off another 21 Day Fix private accountability and support group.
It is amazing how much the 21 Day Fix and Shakeology has changed my eating habits, my lifestyle and my health. If you have been following my posts, you have been witnessing it firsthand. Much more than the number on the scale these lifestyle changes have positively impacted my diabetes and cholesterol which were getting out of control. It is a new way of life for us, and it has been the greatest blessing.
I have lost over 40 pounds since starting my journey on May 26th. According to my last doctors visit on October 1st I lost 17.3 pound from the prior visit in July. Amazing considering our summer BBQ's, gatherings, Anniversary and vacations. But not so amazing when you have discovered the tools to living and maintaining a balanced healthy lifestyle. So my next goal is to lose 20 pounds by my next doctor’s visit in December. I also want to continue to increase my physical strength and flexibility. A smaller dress size will be a great big bonus but it is not my motivation and never has been, managing my health and reducing medication was my primary motivation!
A big part of my ongoing success has been participation in a Challenge Group. My first was my own accountability of Joy in the Journey and then following an outpouring of interest I started my
first Challenge Group and then eventually my own business and I have doing Challenge Groups, round after round ever since.
On Monday, October 12th we will start with our “pre-planning week”. This week gives us time to plan, to get to know each other and allows anyone waiting for their package to arrive time so that we
can all hit the ground running on Day 1 of the Fix that will begin on Monday, October 19th.
It is such a grace to witness others finding their own joy in the journey and reaching their own health goals. And it is such a blessing to help others along the way, that is the foundation of my
business and that means that as your coach I will do whatever I can to help you attain your goals. I can provide helpful tips, recipes, meal plans, resources, motivation and accountability. I can
also help YOU …………….
1. Set your goals
2. Customize your health and fitness goals to meet your needs
3. Choose the best workouts to get there based on your ability level.
4. Learn how to plan the other meals of the day & create your road map to success.
5. Create your own customized meal plan
6. With 100% accountability so that you can stay on track to get the results that you want
Through our Challenge Group (CG) I will also……….
1. Provide snack ideas, tips and recipes
2. Encouragement, motivation, support and accountability
3. Keep our CG interesting and fun with daily post challenges and prizes
4. Help and guide you as much or as little as you want
The results really are up to you. Bottom line, the effort, the work, the commitment and choices are yours alone. But if you join our Challenge Group all the help, support and resources you need are right at your disposal.
Have any questions? Want to learn more about Shakeology and the 21 Day Fix? Want to join our Challenge Group starting October 13th? Send me a message.
Please keep us all in your prayers for a continued blessed journey.
Peace, blessings and much love on your journey xoxoxo
October 3, 2015
I have been reflecting today on gratitude, how precious life is and on the blessings that flow in abundance whether we see them or not.
And it all started with a crazy busy day yesterday and a project that I needed to get finished. So I worked late last night completely forgetting that I had a nail appointment at 4:00 PM. Several hours later when I cleared papers off my desk and all that paperwork off the top of my calendar I realized I missed my appointment. When I called to apologize she was kind enough to make an appointment for me this morning at 9:30.
Although I did not have plans to go out this morning I was a little excited because it was later in the morning and I thought I might get to sleep in a little before heading out to get my nails done.
What is that they say about plans.............. I came downstairs this morning around 6 AM an then when I was heading back up stairs a short time later the wide sleeve of my robe knocked over a cup of spoons and a large glass mason jar with sugar in the raw by our coffee station as I was walking out of the kitchen.
I should have just gone back up to bed after cleaning that up, but I thought while I was up I might get a little head start on few things for later today and then head back upstairs to bed.
Well that never happened, I ended up going from one thing to another and before I knew it I had cut up all veggies, browned the meat and was ready to set the pot of hearty beef stew I made to simmer on the stove. In addition to the stew I made a watermelon, blackberry, mint and lime salad, fresh garden salad, and a few healthy appetizers for our dinner plans later today with one of my besties and her family.
So no sleep but very accomplished I got ready to head out to my appointment while my beloved was getting ready to start the dough for the half white/half wheat bread bowls for our stew.
As he always does, my beloved walked me to the door and as I left the house I gave him a kiss and told him I loved him. No different than every other time either he or I leave the house without the other. We always walk each other to the door. Guess you could call it our routine or our habit, whatever it is, I am so grateful that we have developed this little habit.
On my way to the salon I was stopped at a red light and the car behind me was going to fast to stop and so I got rear ended.
Thanks be to God no one was hurt. Our car has a dent where she hit me but her car got the worst of it, her hood bent from the impact. Thankfully we both drove away, no one hurt. The shock of the impact left me a little jiggly and as the day has gone on I am a little sore but no worse for the wear.
I of course was late for my appointment...... the least of my worries.
Thanks be to God I have always been appreciative and grateful for the great and little blessings, and most especially those blessings I don't see or don't think about. Because it truly does only take a split second, one instant can change your life and the course of it. Anything could have happened this morning, not much did, thanks be to God. But we never know.
Nothing like a little fender bender that was not serious and could have been so much worse to remind me how grateful I am for these little habits, for saying I love you and for saying it a lot, because I mean it, and because I feel it and know it in my heart, a lot, for taking time to hug, to embrace, to kiss, to smile, to wave goodbye, to whatever....... fill in the blank, you know where I am going.........moment to moment we never, never know. Life changes in an instant, so make that call, say those words, live that love, share that laugh, dance that dance and always be grateful for the blessings, those you see and those you never see coming or never see at all!
I typically love my french manicure but this morning when I got to the salon I decided that it was a Dutch Tulip kind of day.... what do you think? Like the color?
September 30, 2015
I love shopping in my closet!
This morning I found a top that my sister Irma gave me as either a birthday or Christmas gift. I am thinking at the least 5-7 years ago, could even be longer, I can’t recall. I may have worn it once or maybe even twice and I know I wore it with a suit jacket over it because it was a very snug and the arms were so tight and rode up so high that my “wings” were showing so I covered them up along with the tightness of the top by wearing a jacket.
So this rainy, muggy 72 degree end of September morning I had no idea what to wear and this came off the hanger when I went for another shirt. My instinct was to put it right back, but I tried it on! It is loose, the arms don’t ride up and it looks good! And since it is a rainy day I opted to tie up my hair, definitely not one of my most flattering hairdo’s because it shows so much of my face and dare I tell all my secrets, my chin. But I feel so much less self-conscious about it since I have begun to lose weight and can see the changes in my face. And someone already commented today that my hair looks good up, so I am taking the affirmation as a bonus.
Losing the weight and the inches is a amazing, but by far the greater gift is what you don’t see, the self-confidence in my heart and gratitude that I am finally taking my health seriously and doing something about it and that I don’t have to do it perfect, I just have to do it. And by far for me the greatest gift is my overall health, that my diabetes is under control and God willing will keep going in healthy direction and dare I say that cholesterol, well, that cholesterol is no longer an issue and it won’t be as long as I continue on with a healthy lifestyle.
Yes, wine, chocolate, pizza and pasta are still on our menu, just not the staple or the everyday feast, they are the indulgence, the treat and they are balanced by good healthy and nutritious foods and exercise. And for my beloved and I, self proclaimed foodies, that is a lifestyle change we an live with.
Other than curling up on the couch in my PJ's with my beloved and good book or movie, what could be better on an unconventional muggy, warm, rainy New England September day than finding just the perfect “brand new” thing to wear in your own closet. For this girl today, nothing!
Thank you Irma, I love you and I am really digging this top!!!
September 29, 2015
I have been hearing that a lot and in particular over the past couple of weeks as I have been out and about doing inspections at the property I manage and it never gets old!!
And not only does it feel good to hear, it reminds me how grateful I am for the nutrition, fitness and lifestyle changes that have made me leaner, stronger, more fit & flexible and have helped me lose weight and inches and have impacted my overall health in such a positive way, including my diabetes and cholesterol.
I am grateful too because I took a chance. I made a leap of faith and I made an investment in my health and I purchased a challenge package, started drinking Shakeology and then finally after a health scare opened my 21 Day Fix Program that had been sitting on the counter unopened for months and then dove into it head first!
I know that a big part of my ongoing success and the success of so many others is participation in a Challenge Group. I have been doing one since I started. My first was my own accountability of Joy in the Journey and then following an outpouring of interest I started my first Challenge Group and then my own business.
Hands down one of the best parts of this journey to a healthier lifestyle is that we are there to help and support each other along the way and that makes the going easier, I know it has for me.
I love witnessing others finding their own joy in the journey. Our current 21 Day Fix Challenge group is AMAZING and so much fun, but it will be coming to an end soon.
Once this group is done the 21 days I will be kicking off another 21 Day Fix private accountability and support group for those of you who are looking for something simple, that works, is supportive and that has lots of healthy, nutritious and delicious recipes to share!
So what is the 21 day challenge?
• The workouts are for any fitness level and can be done in 30 minutes a day from the comfort of your own home.
• You eat real foods and you can even indulge in wine, chocolate and pizza.
• You get to have a delicious superfood meal replacement that is clinically proven to help you lose weight, lower blood pressure, cholesterol, increase energy, help with cravings and with your overall health
• And you will get extra motivation, support, encouragement and 100% accountability to stay on track to get the results you want through a closed online FB support group so only the members of the group can see what is being posted.
Want to join me? I can......
1. Help you customize your health and fitness goals to meet your needs
2. Help you choose the best workouts to get there based on your ability level.
3. Teach you how to plan the other meals of the day
4. Help you create your own customized meal plan
5. Give you recipes, snack ideas and tips.
6. Keep the Challenge Group interesting and fun with daily post challenges and prizes
We will all keep each other accountable.
If you are thinking about making some healthy lifestyle changes of your own......
If you have any questions for are interested in learning more about Shakeology and/or the 21 day fix........
If you want to join my next Challenge Group......
Send me a message!
The results really are up to you, but if you join our Challenge Group all the help and support you need is right at your disposal.
And trust me, if you follow the program and put in the effort, you too will be hearing “wow, you have lost weight”.
Peace, blessings and much love on your journey xoxoxo
Looking at these pictures side by side was shocking to me. I really can see a change, can you? November 2013 vs August 2015…..and yes, I have a bit of a story to go with it.
Seeing this yesterday served as a grateful reminder that I finally made the decision to take my health seriously and make the lifestyle changes that my beloved and I have made to make good health a priority and bring balance into our lives.
This picture also reminds me that my journey to better health really started almost a year ago when I started taking Shakeology daily. I don’t know about you but sometimes life events provide a timeline when looking back so I know exactly when I renewed my license it was in November 2013 just after I got back from Texas and a family cruise where 42 members of my family took the high seas by storm.
In October of 2013 shortly before our family cruise I had been on a spiritual retreat serving our sisters in Framingham. While on the retreat I came down with a tickle in my throat and then a cold that ended up turning into an inner ear infection that brought on a severe case of vertigo. It landed me in the hospital for a few days and after a battery of tests I was left with a severe case of vertigo, headaches, sciatica and a host of other health issues. I was still determined to go on the trip and family cruise and even went to the doctors before I left to make sure that I could go. Prior to boarding the flight down to Texas I was admonished by airport security for having an expired license, fortunately they let me through. Then upon arrival in San Antonio, my sister Anna brought us directly from the airport to the walk in clinic because the vertigo, sciatic pain and health issues I was experiencing were so bad. The next day we traveled to Galvaston and met up with the rest of the family. It was a cautious but blessed trip for me, happy to see my family but still dealing with a host of health issues. The day after we got back home I headed right to the DMV to renew my license. I can tell you never in a million years did I realize just how heavy I was and how much weight I had gained. But it sure hit home when I pulled out my license and then even more when I looked at it side by side with a picture today.
If you have been following my journey you know that I started the 21 Day Fix on May 26th, just three months ago and have lost 38 pounds so far. But what I did not realize until I saw these pictures side by side, is that I have cumulatively lost much more than 38 pounds since November of 2013. But I was not getting on the scale so I can't say for sure, what I do know is that all the success that I have had so far started when I made Shakeology a part of my daily routine. Even when I was not actively doing anything about losing weight and getting healthy, Shakeology was making a difference.
Sometime after the new year in 2014 I saw a program recommending a brown rice protein shake every day to help with weight loss. You know those new years resolutions that flood the airwaves..... well I decided that might be a good thing to do for breakfast. So John and I started going to the vitamin shop and spent a fortune we did not have on products we thought would make the perfect shake to fill our bodies with all the nutrients we needed and to help with cravings. I researched and we added all kinds of things to the protein like ground flax and we even added a pro biotic for healthy digestion. The shake did nothing to help curb my appetite and became part of an otherwise unhealthy at my desk breakfast during the weekday.
Then in March 2014 a friend was raving about the benefits of Shakeology. But I was not easily convinced. I thought the shakes we were making were just as good and full of all the right nutrients because we were putting all kinds of things in them and using fresh fruits and veggies and almond milk which has been a part of my diet for years. It took me a few months and a lot of research to realize that the shakes we were making could not hold a candle to all the multivitamins, super foods, nutrients, antioxidants, pre and pro-biotic that were loaded in one serving of Shakeology. I also learned that Shakeology is not a “protein shake” it is a meal replacement. One scoop of Shakeology is like eating 5 salads along with all the protein, fiber, vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants your body needs all in one meal.
John and I talked about it and we started looking at what we were spending to make our shake as opposed to the cost of Shakeology. To be very honest we were initially concerned about the monthly cost. That was until we added up what we were spending on the shake we were making as well as the food we were eating along with it because the shake did little to curb our appetite. That made Shakeology no more than the cost of fancy cup of coffee every day and that made giving Shakeology a try a no brainer.
We started with half servings, using one full scoop to make two shakes. We did it initially to try and make the bag of Shakeology last. For the first few weeks it was a prudent decision as our bodies got used to the influx of healthy nutrients and began to adjust to the good food we were taking in. Our bodies were not used to taking in good healthy nutrients but they adjusted and soon we were right up to a full scoop each. And both John and I noticed the difference. Shakeology was giving our bodies what they were craving and needed. With over 70 healthy ingredients in every shake I was getting natural energy, decreasing my cravings and stabilizing my blood sugar and for me as a diabetic that was awesome. And the fiber helped to keep me full longer, was helping my digestion and keeping me regular. Now I was not eating with my Shakeology. Instead I was using Shakeology as a meal replacement and I a few hours later I was having a light and sometimes healthy snack. My eating habits were slowly changing.
After a month or so we decided to purchase the 21 Day Fix and Shakeology Challenge Pack. And we decided that in order to get the monthly discount on the Shakeology I would become a Beach Body Coach. At the time I had no intention of getting involved in the business end, we simply wanted the monthly discount on a product that we loved and was part of our healthy daily routine. The business opportunity is a whole other story that I will share another time.
If you have followed my accountability journey you know that I set the 21 Day Fix aside when my Challenge Pack arrived back in December. I never opened the box. We simply focused on taking our shakes faithfully every day. And even without doing so consciously, my eating habits began to change, my cravings lessened, my metabolism got a boost and my immune system which has always been very weak because of my low blood and iron issues began to get stronger. I was getting less colds, not getting sick as much and even my allergies which I still must take controllers for was not as severe.
So where am I going with this and how does it relate to my license renewal picture of November 2013?
When I was changing wallets yesterday seeing my license really made me pause. It made me realize that If I had not taken that first step, I never would have taken the second. My journey really started when I introduced Shakeology into my daily routine. My journey started when we made an investment in our health and I made an investment in myself and purchased the Challenge pack. That was a game changer for me and it has become a game changer for both me and my beloved.
Although I may not have started getting serious about losing weight until my health was in crisis shortly before I started the first round of the 21 day fix on May 26th it really started when I ordered the Challenge Pack. I thought I had all the answers back then, I did not, and I don’t have them all now, but if I had stayed stuck in the place I was in I would not be able to look at these pictures, let alone share them.
And why am I doing that? Well, let me first say I am not happy to share it, it is a vulnerable place to be, but it is not about me, it is and it is not, it is about getting healthy. And it is about helping others along the way. That picture from November 2013 is simply a marker in my journey, the one from today is another, as I continue to lose weight I will continue share more markers along the way. It is also not about my appearance so much as it is the loss of the weight and the health and lifestyle benefits that I gain every time I lose another pound. And that is why my journey continues. But when I look at that license I can really see a drastic change, and until yesterday I have known in my clothes, the loss of inches and weight, the way I feel, but truthfully only seen it in small glimpses in the mirror. Looking at those pictures I clearly see it is much more than a small change and that it makes the gravity of where I was headed all the more real.
I am coming to the end of a third round of the 21 day fix. Truth be told, my very best effort to date was my first round. The second was almost as good as the first. This third round I have been a bit of a slacker, I started out so strong with both Cize and 21 Day Fix workouts and lost my momentum on the workouts, stayed close to the grid with my food but have enjoyed more indulgences than I ever allowed myself during my first two rounds. The grace is that I have continued to maintain the weight loss I have had to date and even lost more weight between my rounds of the 21 Day Fix. No doubt if I had followed the two subsequent rounds as closely as I did the first I would be down even more weight by now. But I am happy with where I am, because I am also living life. I am living a lifestyle change not a diet and I am enjoying the journey and along the way have learned new habits to live a wonderful new healthy lifestyle.
And it is not just appearance and weight. Most important, my overall health is improved, my cholesterol is lower and close to goal if not below. I will find out when they do up a series of blood work following my next Doctor’s appointment in mid-September. I can’t wait to get on their scale because I was at 15 pounds when I was there last. My diabetes is also being managed and I am hoping after these next lab results or perhaps the ones following I can come off my diabetes medication entirely, but one step at a time. My body is stronger and more flexible. Long term sciatia, back and neck issues will always give me some trouble from time to time, but with a strong core, increased flexibility and listening to my body and resting and taking care when I need it and the indulgence of theraputic massage now and again, I can live an active lifestyle and enjoy it.
I can’t reverse the neuropathy that I have in my feet, I really feel it when standing for long periods or doing a lot of walking, these are the effects of waiting too long to take an active role in my health. I can’t undo what damage has already been done, but what I have done by taking control of my health is to arrest the neuropathy from getting worse or going further. For that I am so grateful. God is so good and I see His blessings everywhere I turn and when I find I am in a struggle it is the assurance of my faith that always pulls me through! I have so much to always be thankful of and to give thanksgiving and gratitude for.
Because I have been actively accountable and paying attention to my health I can tell you that in three month’s I have lost 38 pounds, give or take 2 pounds up and down since I have been on vacation and had a few more “indulgences” than usual. But gratefully, as of this morning I am back to my 38 pound weight loss.
Yet looking at these pictures side by side, I know I have lost much more than 38 pounds since November 2013. My beloved keeps telling me slow and steady is the best for long lasting results. He is right, a few pounds here and there, a pound or two a week, that is an awesome goal and certainly attainable if I am paying attention to my health. I am not in a race I am in this for the long haul. I am in this to live a balanced, healthy and realistic lifestyle. But I must admit, I do love seeing that number go down on the scale!!
Are you looking to get healthy, active, to lose 10 or a 100 pounds, get control over your cholesterol, digestion, diabetes, high blood pressure……..whatever your reason for getting healthy is, I know you can do it. I know because I did it and I am doing it.
If you are ready to take on a challenge, to hold yourself accountable, to make your health a priority and to invest the time and effort into yourself and in making lasting lifestyle changes that will help you to reach your goals, I would love to help you.
I will be starting a new 21 Day Fix Challenge Group on September 8th. The group will go for 30 days. And there is plenty of time now before it starts to start planning so you will be ready to join us come September 8th.
The Challenge Group is all done through a closed online FB support group so only the members of the group can see what is being posted. As your coach I can help you through every day of the meal plan and workouts of the 21 Day Fix.
Depending on your ability level I can help you choose the best workouts to get where you want to be and if meal planning is not your strong suit, I am here to help teach you how to plan your meals and can help you create a customized meal plan, give you recipes, snack ideas, tips, motivation and keep you accountable. We are all on our individual journey, but together we journey stronger. As a Challenge Group we all help each other and work together to achieve our goals and keep each other accountable.
If you are thinking about making some healthy lifestyle changes of your own, have any questions, are interested in learning more about the 21 day fix, Shakeology, or would like to join my next Challenge Group send me a message.
What a difference 21 days makes!!
A brief recap and a little update……..
A little over a month ago following some lab work, a call and letter from my doctor’s office I was told that I needed to double the diabetes medication I was already taking and to start taking the cholesterol medications that I was prescribed over a year earlier that I had never began taking.
Why? I was not doing what I needed to be doing to take better care of my health. And consequently my lab results were escalating.
My results showed that my a1c (diabetes goal) was at 8.4 when below 7.0 is normal and my previous results a year earlier was an a1c of 6.8, not only had it increased, but it did so significantly! My lab results also showed my actual blood sugar and cholesterol at high numbers. Hence the request to increase medications, exercise, eat healthy and lose weight.
At a follow up meeting with my dietician on May 6th I told her that I had the 21 day fix and was thinking of doing it. My follow up appointment with my doctor was scheduled for June 16th so my plan was to start the 21 day fix the day after Memorial Day on May 26th. I had time to prepare and plan and I made a decision to hold myself accountable and if you have been following the journey, you already know the rest!
The weight loss of 15 pounds, loss of inches and overall energy and strength I have felt is tremendous. But in tandem with that is the desire to not have to increase medications and the goal to hopefully get off all medication in the future. That is why I have been anxiously awaiting the lab results. I got them today.
My blood sugar A1c is 7.5, I am down from the high 8.4 of last month and close to my goal of below 7. My actual blood sugar is 124 down from 171 and closer to normal that should be between 65-99. My total cholesterol is 155 down from 205 and very close to my goal between 100-200. My HDL good cholesterol is 37, down from 43 and close to normal which should be between 35-86 and my LDL direct, bad cholesterol is 105.0 down from 123.0 and close to my goal of below 100. Overall this is excellent and it is only going to keep getting better!
I have been maintaining my meal plan but not doing as well on the exercise because of the rash. I need to keep pushing play and work through the heat and the issues with the rash so I can stay on track with my exercise and get out walking in between rounds of the 21 day fix which I plan to start up again in a few weeks for another go at loosing another 15 -20 pounds.
This experience not only continues to be a blessed change in our lifestyle but by sharing my story has given me the joy to witness others doing the same and achieving their goals at a healthier lifestyle. And has opened the door to another beautiful vocation in helping others. I am excited for what the future will bring!
I am coordinating my next start up with a few other people so we can do the 21 day fix together and will be creating a closed challenge group so we can encourage and share our journey with one another.
I will be posting more information as we get closer to starting up so if you have the 21 day fix and are ready for another go round and would like to join us send me a message. If your thinking about a program, have questions, want more information or if this sounds like something you would like to do let me know.
My heart is overflowing with joy, excitement, thankfulness and gratitude! This journey has only begun and already the joy is overwhelming and so much more than I ever could have hoped for!!
Well the 21 Days ended on Monday but I am still for the large part following the fix. Yesterday morning I woke up and for some reason decided to step on the scale. I was down another 1.5 pounds for a total weight loss of 12.1 pounds.
My excitement over this was only slightly tarnished by a growing skin rash that is slowly taking over my body. It is not poison ivy and thankfully not shingles either. I had my doctors appointment at 4:40 pm and went to it hoping to find out what it was and to get some relief from the pain and itch. I showed up at 4:26 pm and checked in early. Unbeknownst to me they did not check me in at all and so come 5:30 I am alone in the waiting room with the cleaning crew and no staff with a locked door to where the nurse and doctor I was still hoping was there. Finally someone came through the door and I raced for it so I could then call down an empty hall to find someone. Of all days, I am never excited to go to a doctors appointment and this day I was so excited to weigh in and have lab work scheduled AND to get some relief from this rash! Gratefully a nurse came to my aid and was horrified to think that I was in the waiting room all that time, they thought I was a no show as I had not been "checked in", thank goodness my paperwork noted that I showed up at 4:26!!
In the past I have always dreaded the scale, but I was happy to get on it last night. According to their scale I was down 15 pounds. I like that better than my 12.1.
I learned that my rash was not shingles but a skin yeast infection. Apparently sweat can cause this and it is common in diabetics. To date I have never experienced this but I tell you I don't ever want to again. I am going to have the fans blowing full steam when I exercise and stay away from doing it when the house is sweltering hot. I took some medication for it and I have a cortisone cream which I wish was helping more but time to suck that up and roll with it. At least for the next few days or until this rash goes away, yoga and lighter exercises are on my agenda.
My doctor was very pleased with my weight loss and exercise program and my progress in making these changes a part of my lifestyle. My new habit. I have been seeing my physician for almost 30 years and we have always had a wonderful rapport. I also have a wonderful Nurse Practitioner in the same practice that I see when my Doctor is not available. They both truly care and are vested in my well being. My doctor has witnessed the yo yo'ing with my weight in the past and wanted to know what it was that clicked this time and so I shared with her the same things I shared with you when I started this journey.
This truly is health driven for me. I want to live a healthy lifestyle and do my best to avoid the complications that are a part of living with diabetes. And with the more recent onset of the issues and rise my cholesterol and the continued requests to get on more medications it was a real wake up. I simply do not want to increase the medications I am already on for the diabetes and I don't want to have to take medications for cholesterol. I hate that I have to be on asthma controllers and allergy medications that are a must and can't imagine having to take more meds.
I needed to do something to change the course I was on because I know that nothing changes if nothing changes!! What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same things over and over again and expecting to get a different result.
I was finally ready for a different result and more important ready to put the time and effort into getting it!!
I have an amazing husband, a blessed life and wonderful family and friends, I want to be healthy and active and live a full and healthy lifestyle. When I began to see that that clearly, change became inevitable and so very welcome!!
As the lab was closed by the time we were done my doctor scheduled my blood and lab tests for this morning which I did before going to work. She told me she was proud of my progress and is excited to get the lab results. She also told me that Joanne ( my nurse practitioner) is going to do summersaults when she hears about this!!
If the rash was not bugging me so much I may have done summersaults all the way home myself!!
Off to serve up a yummy dinner of roast pork with roasted broccoli and cauliflower medley and roasted asparagus and sweet potato for me and white potato for my beloved.
Peace and many blessings!!!
Today is Day 21 of my 21 Day Fix!! Pinch me I still can’t believe that I did this! And that I did so well! It went by so fast and once I finally got started it was so easy to follow!
So I started this morning on the scale. When I saw that I went down I let out an audible yelp and woke up my beloved! The scale has not been my friend; I lost most of my weight at the end of the first week and have been holding at the same weight until this morning! BUT I have definitely lost inches and my body has changed and I feel that so much more than the scale. These 21 days has been a fabulous start.
As of this morning I have lost a total of 10.6 pounds. As I have said it is not about the scale. 10+ pounds is not so bad, but what is even better is that I feel so much better, stronger inside and out! I have also lost as best I can surmise because I did not take all of my measurements on day 1, a conservative 17.25 inches overall I have felt the loss of those inches in my body shape, the way my clothes fit and that I am wearing things I have not worn in years or have had in my closet and never worn because it was snug.
I was disciplined with my food plan and with exercise never missing a day, doubling up on exercises and staying the course during social events, dining out and in the day to day. I have proven to myself that I can do it! I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment and excitement for my next round. And I know the drill now and I know what to expect.
I see my doctor tomorrow, I am excited to see all my numbers go down and I truly believe that they will be down. I will share the good news with you when I get it! With the exception of this prickly rash that is overtaking my neck and back I am feeling stronger and more flexible and able to sustain an exercise program. Yoga is on the agenda for tonight.
My plan is to start my second round with a friend who is starting her first week 2 of the fix this week and who is also planning a second round in a few weeks. We will start our second round together. In the meantime I will continue with either doing the fix workouts, elliptical or walking every day and I will continue with healthy meal planning and portion control as the norm. Although I may indulge and have a treat now and again, that treat will be an indulgence and I will go back to my healthy norm. I have formed a new habit. And I like that habit and what it is doing for me. I am also thinking of doing a three day refresh to rid my body of toxins and to jump start my next round of the 21 Day Fix.
I found a program that really works for me and I am so grateful. My long term goals are to continue with rounds of the 21 day fix until I reach a healthy and comfortable weight for me and more importantly turn around the diabetes and cholesterol. I would love to stop taking medication for my diabetes and to never start the medication that I have been avoiding for my cholesterol. Those goals I truly believe are tangible and in sight!!
Short term I am looking forward to an active, balanced and healthy summer perfecting my golf game with John on the links, relaxing and entertaining with my beloved, family and friends in the backyard oasis, working on some home improvement projects, getting to the beach and wonderful vitamin D as often as we can and making time to read the library of personal development books I downloaded.
Your support, encouragement and love is overwhelming and inspiring. It has helped to keep me focused, accountable and motivated on this journey and I am so grateful and appreciative!!
My beloved and I have embarked on a journey to a lifestyle that is so much healthier for us both. I am determined not to lose any of the ground that I have gained these past 21 days.
I have come to see and understand that this is in no way the end, but the beginning of the journey and there is much joy to be had!!
With He who helps me to do all things, I am marching onward!!
June 3, 2015
I am learning to listen to my body and to slow down and get rest when I need to. I was up into the early hours of he morning last night working on a project. I had not eaten my snack and was hungry and so at 11:30 pm which was too late I had my snack, but instead of having one purple container of watermelon I had two and a half totally over indulging in the watermelon while I sat at the computer working. Guess I am learning first hand what I should not be doing.
But I am also learning to listen to my body and to slow down when I need to and get the rest I need when I need it. Today was one of those days and I needed the rest and that is what I did. And I am grateful, because of it I am feeling strong and full of purpose.
I have been much more diligent in checking my blood levels which until yesterday were still relatively high. I tested myself around noon today before eating and my level was so much lower than it has ever been. Not only am I seeing the results in my body externally, I am now seeing them internally which is one of the reasons I knew I needed to make this change in my life.
SO....Day 9 and the 21 Day Fix is becoming a habit, one that I am actually enjoying as I see and feel my body inside and out responding to the exercise and the healthy food plan. Yesterday was also a reminder that I need to pay more attention to getting to bed earlier and getting a good nights rest.
I am also enjoying preparing foods like couscous and quinoa that we did not have often in our meal plan. And I think that John is enjoying the variety as well. Last night we had a delicious poached salmon with couscous and cabbage.
Today for lunch I had my new favorite, turkey sandwich with goat cheese, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives and basil on Lavash bread. And I will soon be making a pizza with the Lavash bread. I took a picture of my sandwich before I rolled it and thought it would make a yummy pizza if I put it in the oven just as it was. Imagine a light sauce, fresh basil and some buffalo mozzarella. Yes, we may be keeping Friday as pizza night, Lavash style. I will keep you posted. And dinner tonight was fresh herb and lemon chicken with quinoa and roasted brocolli and cauliflower.
The variety of food that is allowed on the 21 Day Fix and the measuring of the portions have been such a blessing. Although I prefer to do my exercise in the morning I will be doing my Upper fix right after this post..... can't even believe that I am looking forward to it! Here goes nothing!! And hopefully with it a few more pounds
May 31, 2015
So I did say this is not about "weight" and about getting fit and healthy, but this morning I am a little giddy about the "weight" I got on the scale and have lost 8.1 pounds since I weighted myself on Monday in preparation for starting the Fix on Tuesday. So I am into Day 6 of the 21 Day Fix and I have lost 8.1 pounds! So here is what I have learned this far.......
I am stronger than my excuses and I can do more than I dream possible. I also know that nothing I do is under my own steam for I draw all of my strength from God......
I have found a program that works for me. I love that it is all spelled out for me. It is not easy, it takes work to prepare and plan. BUT the time spent doing that sets me up for success, I have go to healthy snacks, I am not going hungry and filling that "space" with unhealthy choices and I am eating what I like and not feeling deprived in any way and for me that is key. Deny me what I want and I will eventually go for that and so much more before I get to it. The grace here is that there is nothing that I am craving and I credit that to the Shakeology.
This program is flexible, not ridgid. I like flexible, yesterday I ate out and was able to stay right within my fix and enjoyed every bite and it filled me up. Then last night we went to a party with wonderful friends, our hosts, lovingly welcoming us into their beautiful home we were surrounded by wonderful friends, great wine and amazing food with so very many many healthy choices helping me to stay on track and I was able to have a fix splurge and had a half a glass of delicious Martin Ulisse Merlot! And I still woke up this morning to an 8.1 weight loss..... I have learned that I got this, I can do this and I am taking control over food instead of it over me..... that has been my challenge!
I have also learned that I need to listen to my body.... what I have not shared before but am now putting out there is that was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes almost two years ago and have been dealing with some neouropathy in my feet and more recently have cholesterol issues. I have been on medication for the diabetes and at one point had gotten my Ac1 down to 6.8. The Ac1 is a test that monitors the average of blood sugar and for those with diabetes it is suggested to keep this under 7. Mine was above 8 and with diet, medication and NO exercise I managed it and got it down to 6.8 but then I got cocky and stopped watching as closely and recently shot back up as did my cholesterol and my weight. I have been working with a dietician and told her that have been on the Shakeology since December which is helping my energy and cravings but I have not been exercising regularly and had the 21 day fix, that was over a month ago and we made a plan for me to start on May 26th as my follow up Doctors appointment is in mid June. I also had a lot of blood work done that day an got a call and letter from the Doctor to up my diabetes medication and to start taking the cholesterol medication that was prescribed last year that I had yet to start taking. I also have arthritis in my back and spine, sciatia, lower back and neck pain from a bulging disk that I have managed for many many years with on/off physical therapy and on occasion cortisone shots early on avoiding surgery. I have not actively been treated for it lately because I have come to the place that it is what it is and I am not having surgery. I need to get moving, strengthen my core, that has worked in the past. Problem is I have not gotten moving for any consistent period of time, I do well and then I stop. I have also for the past several years have had on again/ off again sometimes very severe vertigo. The most recent bout has subsided as I suspect the crystals have moved back into place, again I opted out of treatment preferring to let time work it out. And thanks be to God it seems to have passed for the time being and I am most grateful. And lastly I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, after a year plus of fighting it I finally got the machine and then came almost another year of having and not using it, I am much better at using it but still have my issues, mostly because of my asthma, allergies and breathing issues, but when I do use the CPAP it helps a lot and I am so much better at it and getting better every day, now not avoiding something that I know truly does help. All in all I have not been as active as I should be and the times in between when I was not physically able to do the exercise, I could have gotten started on a better eating plan and walking to lose some weight which may have helped, instead I stayed stuck and did nothing. I have dealt with the sleep apnea unknowingly for years and the back issues for even longer. The trigger for me should have been the diabetes but I thought I had that managed and then came the cholesterol......... and with this more pills.
SO I am out of the clouds and into the clear blue sky and I am taking charge of the direction I want my life to go. I have an amazing husband and family and I want to be around and not just around, I want to be as healthy as I can be. That for me does not mean skinny, that is not where I am headed, I am headed for the body that my body should be. The one that was intended for me before I allowed difficult events in my life to move food from the wonderful purpose my parents raised us to enjoy in abondanza moderation with familia to become my every comfort to fill the voids. There are no voids to fill and yet there is a body with years of filling and stuffing that needs to be reshaped into the healthy spiritual woman of God that I was created to be. I am in a blessed place, surrounded by grace and my eyes are wide open to shift I need to make to get there.
I am a new creation and this new creation is looking forward to bringing back the Linda that loved to play tennis, horseback ride, snow ski, do yoga exercises and was much more active. I took a golf lesson when I was younger and never did much although I am from a family of golfer. Now my beloved is a golfer and I am really getting into it too, so I see new challenges and paths ahead and to think this crave for activity all started with a little 21 day fix and a heavy dose of reality in the work I need to do to live a healthier lifesytle.......
So its all out there...... sorry for the long post but I figured I would bare it all, if you are joining me for the journey you should know why I am here and where I am headed.
I will be adding this daily blog to a Joy in the Journey tab in my website zialinda.com. You may think when you see the site, all this rich food and she is blogging too about Shakeology and 21 day fix? Yes, it is who I am, I am about love, family and food and the wonderful experiences and memories that we create around the table with those we love. This for me is a new adventure to bring the two together for a healthy lifestyle that embraces and fits my life and every aspect of it.
Today my workout is the Dirty Thirty, I had planned to do it before Mass but this blog was longer than I anticipated when I started out... so I know Dirty Thirty, Mass, Shakeology and delicious fix food and maybe some planting that I did not get to this week and my food planning for the week is on the agenda, just maybe not in that order.
Have a blessed and glorious Sunday!!!
May 25, 2015
Guess you could call this my accountability blog. I purchased a BeachBody Challenge pack in December. It came with the Shakeology and the 21 Day Fix. Since then, John and I have been faithfully enjoying our Shakeology every day! And I have mostly avoided doing anything with the 21 Day Fix. In March I spent hours upon hours on youtube watching a myriad of videos on how people prepare and go about the program and I have read countless success stories on FB from friends and friends of friends and in Team Drop the Cookie groups. I researched, organized and planned to do it soon. Then came some follow up blood work about a month ago and a wake up call to do more than research. So the plan was set in motion to start on Tuesday, May 26th. And low and behold, I am sticking to that plan. What has helped tremendously is that I love love love the Shakeology and that has given my body great nutrients and vitamins and helped curb my appetite. You can ask those I work with, my snacking during the day has changed dramatically since I have been on Shakeology. And although we continue to dine out and in and enjoy rich delicious foods like making homemade pasta's and breads, these habits too are taking a healthier turn. It is all good! In moderation that is! For me since Shakeology the cravings are less and I have more energy and it has been a great boost to my immune system during the flu season. And now that I am feeling a little less bulky I am working on getting more active, or we, I should say are working on getting more active. I am feeling better than I have in awhile and looking forward to trying this challenge. I also love that the eating plan with the 21 day fix comes with a great exercise plan, I did scope that out already and even have done it a few times. They have a modifier which is great for me. I am rusty not having been to the gym or worked out seriously in a long time. But I am looking forward to following the exercise plan and getting back on my eliptical which in the past I grew to love. I also took some before pictures earlier this morning after I got off the scale......yea, none of that is getting posted yet, I am stepping out of my comfort zone in baby steps....... I am on the slow and steady course, not running a race, not looking to drop major major weight. Stronger, healthier, fit and balanced is where I am headed. And if a slender me comes with it, I won't turn it away!! And above all things, I am choosing to find Joy in the Journey!!
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