Tis' the season for too much food!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were very nice, my husband's aunt and uncle came from Long Island to spend the holiday with us. We had lots of good food - keeping in mind that my husband is a very good cook!  We had shrimp scampi/salad on Christmas Eve and London broil/twice baked potatoes/green beens/stuffed mushrooms on Christmas Day.  Of course we had cookies etc. (I made pumpkin pies) but I stayed away from those all-together.

After our guests left at 6pm yesterday I felt really sick to my stomach - I had apparently eaten too much food.  Over the last two months I have learned to eat slower, enjoy the quality of food vs the quantitiy. It doesn't take that much food to satisfy me anymore but I just got carried away.  I took some cleanse with a glass of water plan an IsaFlush and went to bed early. 

This morning I weighed myself (no damage there) but I still don't feel that great. So I will do an all-day cleanse today and I know by tomorrow I'll feel great again - the beauty of Isagenix!

2 Month Isagenix Progress - down 33 lbs and 35 inches!

I came back from my Disney trip yesterday and was anxious to get on the scale this morning to see the results. I was confident I didn't gain any weight but not sure if I lost any.  I was really happy to see the results on the scale (-3lbs for the week). I am a third of the way to my goal of losing 100lbs!

Going on vacation with Isagenix was a sure way to stay on track, I made shakes each morning for myself, my mother, mother-in-law and daughter (gave the blender a work-out). Then I packed sandwiches for the family and an Isagenix bar for myself plus apples, Slimcakes, nuts, etc.  Each night I had a big dinner with the family, often times eating out. A few nights I felt like I may have (probably did) eat more than a 600 calorie meal but I wasn't worried because I had my shake to start me off right the next morning. I also did a lot of walking and that may have helped although it wasn't the type of walking that got my heart racing.

The only bad thing was that I had old summer clothes that were really loose (practically falling off). I actually threw away one pair of linen pants the day after I wore them because they looked like clown pants. 

Here is my 60 day progresss photo with the same clothes on. The pants are pretty baggy (don't need to unzip to take them off and really baggy in the legs) so I am not sure you can tell a big difference from the original photo. Next month I will wear something a little more form fitting but I will save this one pair of black pants for the final before and after!

Going on vacation - with Isagenix

I am leaving on Saturday for Disney with my husband, two kids and mother-in-law... meeting up with my brother and his family and my mother and uncle. Things are getting hectic here so this is my last blog until I come back on the 19th.

We are surprising our kids as a Christmas present - they've been wanting to go and haven't been there since we lived in FL when they were 3 and 1 years old.  I am excited as well and not feeling any anxiety about gaining weight on vacation, as is usually the case.

I am bringing a canister of shake and will have that for breakfast each morning (along with my mother and mother-in-law, also on the program). Then I will bring an IsaLean Bar for lunch because we'll be on the go (pack lunches for kids). We'll most likely eat out for dinner.  I'll buy some veggies to snack on and I stocked up on the Slim Cakes (oatmeal cookies). I am not sure if I'll lose weight on vacation but I can be fairly certain I won't gain any. Plus I'll be doing a lot of walking.

When I return I'll take my two-month progress photo. In my last photo I was proud to wear the brown pants that hadn't fit in three years but a few people requested that I wear the same clothes as I wore in the "before" photo. Those black pants are so loose now but I'll keep them as a reminder.

7 Week Progress - down 29 lbs and 31 inches!

Results may vary... the claim we've heard thousands of times. As I meet more and more people using Isagenix and now coach several people I see that it is amazing that people using the same exact products will get different kinds of positive results.  I know a lot of people now who are using the products (some for many years) and they all lost inches and pounds in varying degrees. Some lost way more inches than pounds, some gained weight (don't worry, that last group were body builders and serious athletes).   Dr J's dad lost more weight than his mom but the mom lost more inches.

Most people say they aren't craving junk food at all or as much, many say they sleep better and have less achiness. The common denominator is that when you put top quality nutrition in your body (and there is nothing out there as complete as Isagenix!) - something good is going to happen!  

Down 28lbs in 6-1/2 weeks - thank you CLEANSE FOR LIFE

I just finished a two-day deep cleanse (I didn't plan to weigh myself until Sat am - marking 7 weeks using Isagenix) but I peeked this morning. I am now down 28lbs. 

Friends ask questions about "cleanse" days... here is some information:

• On cleanse days I have four "meals" of the cleanse drink plus some approved Isagenix snacks throughout the day (to get the maximum fat burning effect) - don't want to start throwing all kinds of other foods into the digestive system when my liver is working 100% on filtering out toxins.
• Alfalfa is a key componant of the Cleanse For Life juice and one of the most nutrient-rich plants known to man. It contains a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and other nutrients that are crucial to human health.
• Alfalfa has been used as an herbal medicine for over 1,500 years. Alfalfa is high in protein, calcium, plus other minerals, vitamin A, vitamins in the B group, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K.  The reason that alfalfa is so nutrient rich is that its root system can reach upwards of 60 feet into the subsoil to reach prime mineral and trace element content that is otherwise unavailable to most other plants, vegetables and fruits.
• Of course the geniuses at Isagenix use a special ionic alfalfa (some of the smartest formulators/scientists are part of the Isagenix team)

The cleanse is not a colon cleanse and I am not tired or hungry (really, seriously). I actually have more energy on cleanse days due to the B vitamins in the juice.  This is proof positive to me that when my body has the proper nutrition (and it can't get any better than Isagenix) that it will not cry out for food. I was used to always eating large portions until everything was off my plate, now I am able to eat less and feel satisfied.

Being Thankful... losing 26lbs and feeling healthy!

It's day 39, the day before Thanksgiving, and I am extremely thankful that I found Isagenix. I really need to call the nurse and receptionist at my OB/GYN (Clark, Clemments in Albany) to thank them for telling me about it and referring me to Dr. J.!

I had heard that a mentor of mine in FL was in bad health and I got his address and put it aside to write him a note to thank him for all his help and friendship. Unfortunately I did not send the note in time, I found out he had passed away. I was able to write a note to his family in his online guestbook but I still regret that I didn't reach out to him sooner.

I am thankful for my children, husband, mother, mother-in-law, sister, brothers and all extended family (in-laws), cousins, aunts, uncles and friends.

I feel very optimistic about 2010 knowing that my health is getting better everyday.

1 Month Isagenix Progress - 23 lbs gone!

My daughter took this photo of me tonight - now 23lbs less after 30 days using Isagenix. I don't know if the photo shows the difference but the scale and measuring tape show it and I have not been able to fit into these pants for three years. 

How Does Isagenix Work Anyway?
The high level of nutrients in Isagenix products bridge the gap between the low level of real nourishment in regular food and the high level necessary to attain optimum health.


A lot of the food we are eating really has little value in terms of nutrition. Even the produce has been stripped over the years of key minerals that were present decades ago.
If a body isn't receiving the nutrients it needs, it will attempt to get more nutrients by triggering food cravings and hunger pangs. This can lead to overeating, which in turn contributes to obesity and poor health.

The Cleanse is designed to rid the body of toxins (which are accumulating in our fat)  -- once this is accomplished we are able to lose weight more easily!  I am not a scientist but it seems to make sense and the program is working for me and thousands of others!

30-Days - Down 23lbs and 24-1/4 inches but will I keep it off?

I feel great and am excited to continue to my goal of losing 100lbs.

A BIG question that people have, and that I had, is: Will I keep the weight off?

No matter how you lose weight (calorie reduction, exercise regime) you will need to keep doing whatever that is to maintain the weight loss.  First I had to reflect on why I gained weight back on past diets...

• NutriSystem (1990, lost 60lbs) - eating 100% of their food - it didn't taste that good and wasn't that nutritionally healty, just low in calories, went back to eating regular food and gained weight
• Atkins (1995, lost 30lbs) - couldn't give up bread and carbs forever!
• Weight Watchers (2007, lost 40lbs) - works for a lot of people but for me, all the sugar free foods and snacks were laden with fake sugar substitutes which are really unhealthy and actually kept me craving sugar products so I had no will power against cake, cookies, etc.  I later realized I was a sugar addict and gave up sugar and sugar substitutes entirely in Aug 2008 - no more cravings and willpower is a breeze
• Later tried the WW method but even though I had given up sugar, the weight was stubborn and would not budge (now I know why)

Why do I expect that the Isagenix weight loss will be sustainable?

1. I can see that great nutrition will help my body lose weight naturally so instead of just consuming food to fill up I am thinking about the nutritional content and gylcemic index
2. Following #1, feeling healthy (like I do now) encourges healthy eating - feeling fat and sluggish just made me want to eat more unhealthy food
3. I saw the effects of cleasing to release toxins and how that makes everything else work like it's supposed to (fat burns, joints feel better), the body will heal itself
4. I am learning that the right types of foods and snacks eaten at regular intervals (and it doesn't take much) will keep me satisfied with no hunger pangs
5. I can still eat foods I like (pizza, hamburgers, pancakes) BUT, in moderation... instead of four-five pieces of pizza, two pieces with a salad
6. Stress has caused overeating (especially at night), these products help decrease stress (the whole cortisol thing - not an expert at explaining how it works but it does)
7. Isagenix is not a "diet" (see previous blog entry), it is more like a body fortification system that, in turn, allows the body to do its job of burning fat and building lean muscle tissue 

There is no "diet" or eating plan that is going to let you eat fast food, junk food, cakes and cookies and still lose weight. Even if you eat horribly and mange to maintain weight by exercising your body won't be healty inside, leaving you suseptible to sickness and disease.

So here's my plan to keep it off and it does include Isagenix (I don't see how I would want to give up putting these nutrients into my body):

- Isagenix shake for breakfast (works perfectly with my busy schedule, the best thing I can do for myself in less than 2 minutes)
- Cleanse for Life - as the name suggests, cleansing is going to be part of my life forever (two days per month is what most people do on maintence)

The above products (enough for one shake a day and two full cleanse days per month) is $106 or $3.50 per day - about what I would spend on a latte at Starbucks of Dunkin'. I expect I will be taking several other of the products as well (in place of the vitamin supplements I was taking).

ANYTHING you do to lose weight must be maintained to keep it off.  After many attempts at keeping weight off I am happy I found something that I believe I can continue successfully. So I'll look back at this blog entry for inspiration once I get to my goal weight.

Day 26 - down 21 pounds and 21 inches but this is NOT A DIET!

As I learn more about these great products I am starting to "get it."  To call these weight loss products is like saying an iPhone is just for making a phone call -- they are the best nutritional products available with many proprietary ingredients that can't be duplicated.

How do we know they are not strictly weight loss products?  Because many of the people using the products are athletes - competitive body builders, marathon runners, etc.  I've met some of them personally!  When they take the products they build lean muscle and lower their body fat but don't necessarily lose weight (some gain weight when they add lean muscle).  Dr J and Dale L'Ecuyer, a local mom who is a nutrition guru and has been using the products for 20 months, know a lot about this and have both coached many athletes. Dale's son is the body builder shown in this photo and he uses Isagenix! The company has special Athletes Paks of products which are the same products I take except for IsaPro. 

When our bodies have the proper nutrition (many important minerals are not in the soil of the fruits and vegetables we eat, this includes organics) it works like it should and heals itself.

Isagenix in People Magazine

No, this isn't my "after" photo (but maybe another 80 lbs and a blond dye job?).  This is Nancy O'Dell (from Dancing with the Stars). She was quoted in People Magazine saying she lost weight fast with Isagenix.  Click here for a link to the web page. This stuff is great and I predict you'll be hearing more about it, and not just from me!

I have a cleanse day tomorrow so I'll weigh myself again on Thursday morning. I am so psyched to be wearing my skinny jeans (which do not look skinny to most people - still a "plus" size) but they are skinny to me. After a while these will get too big and one day in 2010 I will be able to shop in the "regular" misses department.

21 days/3 Weeks - 20lbs lost!

Any changes you make in your eating to move to a healthier place are going to take some sacrifice but I can say my body doesn't feel deprived because it isn't being deprived of nutrition. Any cravings for junk food someone would have I think would be emotional - I am so motivated to lose this weight that I am not having this problem. Check out this 2 minute video, Channel 10 in South Florida had a segment on Isagenix

yesterday's menu:

• 1oz IonicSupreme (has the taste of blackstrap molasses, one of the ingredients, I just down it like medicine)
• Vanilla shake for breakfast (love it, especially how quick and easy it is to put something so nutritious in my body)
• Fresh cut pineapple and green grapes
• IsaSnack (chocolate fiber wafer)
• Tuna fish sandwich with mayo on seedless rye, a handful of potatoe chips (haven't had any in three weeks and felt like having some, just didn't eat from the bag, put some on my plate)
• IsaSnack (chocolate fiber wafer)
• Chocolate shake with 2" piece of frozen banana added - I still used the two scoops of shake mix but made it in my big blender (instead of the small IsaBlender) buy using mostly ice. So it became a huge frozen shake that I ate with a spoon. My daughter tried it and loved the taste. The shakes have to be eaten in 10 minutes because they contain live enzymes so this was a bit of a challenge due to the thickness
• IsaDelight - dark chocolate square

Of course, water all day long. I've mostly been eating my meals at dinner time with my family but sometimes I eat it at lunch.  The most important thing if you eat your main meal at night is not to eat too late because there is no time for your body to work it off.  We eat dinner at 5-5:30 so it's worked for me.

A funny thing is happening...

A funny thing is happening... I am so in love with these products that I am becoming an ambassador, wanting everyone else to experience them and get the same benefits.  This is not unusual I found out -- everyone I met who's been using the products has had amazing results and is super enthusiastic, like me.  I still don't even know how the business side of this thing works because weight loss and better health are my goals.  I straight out told Dr J when I met him that I didn't have time to tell other people about it but I find it's just something that I am so psyched about that it's happening naturally.

My sister has been really trying to lose weight and it's been difficult so of course I told her that this is "it."  I am so excited for her to start next week and can't wait to see her experience the same results.

My husband has lots of aches and pains from several injuries and I really want him to feel his best so I offered him to try some of my shakes and Cleanse. He will go for a week with 1 shake in the morning and some of the cleanse at night and that's it, we'll see how he does.

Day 19 - Down 19 lbs and feeling great!

I had a one-day cleanse yesterday and weighed myself this morning and was excited to see the scale drop again, I've now lost 19 pounds of fat! I didn't measure but I will do that at the end of a month on the program (Fri the 13th).  I can see that my clothes are continuing to feel looser and I have a lot of energy - even on my cleanse day, my son and I walked to the post office then to the town hall to vote.

I felt a little worried at first that after the bigger losses after cleansing I would gain some back on the shake days when I am eating meals but that hasn't happend, I've continued to loose weight - yeah!

Why the photo of the hamburger?  Well, on the days when I have two Isalean shakes as meal replacements I eat a sensible meal of 400-600 calories and twice we've had hamburgers for dinner (I gave up the high calorie cheese and had a salad with it), twice had pizza, also had meatloaf for dinner and the meat/tomato sauce which I love so it's not all broiled chicken.  We eat pretty healthy already (no fast food, no prepared foods, no transfat, or high fructose corn syrup) but we do eat red meat. I am increasingly disgusted about what I read about the beef industry and reading about people dying from tainted meat but am not ready to totally give it up. I only buy the angus beef because it tastes better.  The Isagenix healthy meal planner suggests only lean protein (chicken, fish) for the best results and while we do eat chicken and usually a green vegetable at every meal I am in this for the long haul and it's not realistic to think I can give up pizza and burgers forever, I am just being more sensible about portions.

Post Halloween tales...

So Halloween and all the candy wasn't a big deal for me as I had already given up sugar over a year ago - thank goodness there is no temptation there because my two kids combined have about 175 pieces of candy. Today I let them have three pieces at different points in the day but we'll normally just do 1 piece a day. How are we going to get rid of it all?  I warned them that if they sneak candy without asking or if I find wrappers on the floor (a big pet peeve of mine) that the candy will be thrown out. I told them don't test it because I am looking for a reason to get rid of it. Tell your kids that story when they accuse you of being a mean mom. (Photo of Isagenix logo carved pumpkin is from the facebook site I joined of the founder/formulator, there are over 3,500 friends who post questions and answers, great tips).

I wasn't thinking at all of the end of DST, I mean I knew I had to move my clock back an hour but didn't realize until later today that I wasn't prepared for it in terms of my eating schedule.  I had my shake at 10am because I slept late then some fruit at 11:30. Then at 1:30 I was really hungry and couldn't understand why, then I remembered that my body thought it was actually 2:30 and I hadn't eaten lunch yet. So I got off schedule a little today and ended up only doing the shake at breakfast and had solid food at lunch and dinner. It's hard on the weekends because I sleep later and much easier on school days when I'm up at 7:15.  I'll weigh myself again on Wed. but I feel really good and don't have the achiness I usually do when I get out of bed in the morning.

Day 12 - down 14.5 pounds and 16.5 inches!

After 11 days on the Isagenix program I have lost 14.5lbs and 16.5 inches! Wow, it's hard to believe but gratifying to see results. I have lots more energy and when I get out of bed in the morning I am not stiff like I used to be...hmm.

Why the purse made out of measuring tapes? Because when you loose body fat you loose inches so Isagenix stresses these measurements in addition to the numbers on the scale. Quick weight loss by starving will show on the scale temporarily but not as much in inches.

So this morning I couldn't wait to weigh myself and wanted to document it in this blog even before I had my shake for breakfast. Strange since I was cleansing for the last two days that I wasn't starving. Also strange, as much as I wanted that pasta and meat sauce last night all I wanted this morning was my shake. So I made myself drink the shake before I sat down to do this.

I have a long way to go but am really determined, plus I have that contest to win.
Link to tape measure collection of purses for sale on etsy - pretty cool.

Day 11, Cleansing

Today is the second day of a two-day cleanse. I had a doctor's appointment with my endocrinologist (long overdue to check the nodules on my thyroid). Anyway, I didn't have enough snacks to tide me over until I got back home (they ended up doing a sonogram and blood work on-site, which was nice*). So I felt some hunger but because I didn't have my snacks. Having something every 1-1/2 hour is what works so I don't feel hungry.

My husband made my favorite meat sauce yesterday so tonight the family had that with whole grain rotini pasta. I was really wishing it wasn't my fast day because I LOVE that but there is some left so I'll have it tomorrow.

Tomorrow I get to weigh and measure myself again!

*Aside: I hadn't had a scan on my nodules since June of 2008 and it's supposed to be scanned at least once a year (bad Debbie). They saw that one of them was 2 centimeters so they want to biopsy. It's not a big deal, I've had these for about 7 years and the Dr have always said they are not cancerous but want to check as a precaution (a first cousin had thyroid cancer so that was a consideration) - the biopsy is scheduled for Dec 22

Starting Second 2-Day Cleanse

Monday, Oct. 26 - I am starting my second cleanse (Mon & Tues last week were my first two after which I lost 8 lbs). I love cleanse days and can't wait to weigh myself on Wed. I am not getting hunger pains of any kind so it helps not miss food (the day goes by fast).

Both of my kids caught the flu at school last week - yesterday they both had fever, aches, tiredness, dry cough - they have been coughing all over me so I got extra sleep this am when they stayed home from school. I figured the extra sleep would help keep me healthy because I usually get no more than 6 hours. I don't have any symptoms so far. I have been getting so many B vitamins (plus 100 other vitamins, minerals and plant extracts) with Isagenix that I don't think I'll catch it. The key is sleep though so I have to make sure to go to bed and not fall asleep on the couch watching TV!

For the Love of Dark Chocolate

One of the nice things about Isagenix is that it is founded on the basis of healthy nutrients and minerals, etc. As you many know, dark chocolate (with a high percent cocoa) is healthy (antioxidants) and so dark chocolate is a part of their nutritional eating program.

IsaDelights are a snack I can have up to four times a day (even on "cleanse" days when you basically are on liquids all day). They almost are like a sedative and, unlike regular chocolate, you don't feel the urge to eat the whole bag or even more than one at a time.

They are 40 calories and have added amino acids plus B vitamins and minerals. I am so happy to have these (Dr. J told me the trick is to let it melt in your mouth so it lasts longer). I actually break mine into 4 pieces so I have four little bites. Because this doesn't have a lot of sugar in it (not sure if any or how much, it's mostly cocoa), it doesn't send me into sugar cravings.  Here is a link to a web page with a short video about why these little chocolates are the best!

Maybe I'll win $5,000

Isagenix has a weight loss challenge each year based on your own 24-week period. I started mine on Oct 20 (registered on the site) and had to take before photos including one with a newspaper to prove the start date. At the end I'll have to take the after photos. I bought a few sports bras and a pair of black stretch leggings so you can imagine how "good" my before pictures look - all the better to show the comparison after 6 months using Isagenix products.

They don't just pick winners based on total weight loss, you have to write a short essay to say how you've changed your life.

My coach, Dr. J's dad Joe (who I mentioned I met at his office) won in 2008 in his age category! He is pictured among the finalists on the web site CLICK HERE to view (click on 2008 tab then scroll down, look for "Joe B." on his motorcycle).

So that's another thing motivating me... I am really competitive and like to win!

Day 5 - 8lbs lost

I was excited to see the scale go down 8lbs and lost 6-1/2"!! As much as I have dieted (forgoing all sugar and close to 100 occasions over the past year where something with sugar was served), I've never lost weight this quickly while at the same time not feeling hungry. As Isagenix promised, I also have great energy.

When I told my daughter this am that I was surprised I didn't wake up feeling hungry after two days of cleansing she reminded me that my body got all the nutrition it needed, just not in the form of solid food. She is so smart - where does she get it from?

Day 4, this is pretty easy

I am starting day 4 (the first two days were pre-cleanse, two shakes plus 400-600 calorie meals plus snacks). I felt a few brief hunger pangs on the shake days so I was wondering how I would feel on the cleanse day...

Well, yesterday was my first cleanse day and it was really easy, no hunger pains at all. I was peeing a lot all day as I was drinking the Cleanse for Life and water. The dark chocolate I eat in between the cleanse drinks keep my blood sugar and cravings stable and I guess that's why I didn't feel hungry. Tomorrow I weigh myself...

This is a good video which explains a little about the philosophy behind Isagenix - CLICK HERE

End of Day 1

Well, it's end of day 1 and it was pretty easy - I especially like the Isadelights, dark chocolate squares that you let melt in your mouth. According to the schedule I was eating a little something every 1-1/2 hours so I was never really hungry. There is a 400-600 calorie lunch and shakes for breakfast and dinner plus the snacks. I am looking forward to the cleanse days because I know there's got to be a lot of toxins and who knows what else in my body. Dr. J. called to see how I was doing and if I had any questions, which was nice.

Oh yes, and I had to use the tape measure that came with the kit to measure all parts of my body, that was something I had never done before. I have not totalled up all the inches yet...I am supposed to take them again on the start of day 5 (after two days of the shakes and two days of cleansing). I will post results.

Tomorrow's the day...

Here is my "before" photo - I am so used to sucking in my stomach when my photo's being taken, it was a weird sensation to actually not do that.


I went to meet with Dr J today to get my orientation - he wasn't able to meet so I met with Dore Ramos, the Office Manage, also an Isagenix Consultant. Dore told me that she started using the products 9 months ago and lost 37lbs and 47"! She gave me an easy to follow schedule for "cleanse days" and "shake days." On the cleanse days you are not eating store bought food (it's a cleanse, after all), but the schedule includes drinks and snacks every 1-2 hours. On the shake day you basically use the shake as a meal replacement then eat one healthy meal (plus lots of small snacks throughout the day). I'll know more once I actually start using it - tomorrow!


It was a pleasure to also meet Dr J's dad, Joe, when he stopped by the office. He is a real genuine guy and told me his own story of how he (and his wife) lost weight and how great he feels and how many other people he's helped since using Isagenix. He had some amazing photos of his before and after and was very encouraging. Thanks Joe!

Going to meet with my coach today!

A week has gone by since I met with Dr J and learned about Isagenix. My products were delivered on Wed and Dr J and I are meeting today so he can take me through the program (reviewing the schedules they have for using the products). That is invaluable as I wouldn't know where to begin (haven't even opened the box yet).

So I am going to officially start the program tomorrow!! Have to get my "before" photo taken.

I can't blame Mom for being a bit skeptical

Although I am excited about starting the Isagenix program (my products have been ordered and I should be getting them this week), I have not told everyone about it yet because, frankly I don't know that much. Dr. J. is having me bring my products in as soon as I get them so he can get me off on the right start before I begin the program.

I did tell my mom about it, she has been invested in my weight since I was in kindergarten (the chubbier of two sisters). She has been always hopeful that I would lose weight and get healthy but is of course skeptical that this will be it. She was encouraging and supportive and said something like "I hope it works," to which I replied, "it's going to work."

I am also a very skeptical person, I don't believe anything until I see it myself. For some reason though, I am feeling super positive about the Isagenix program. I guess it's a combination of the testimonials I've read, the product formulation, having Dr J. as my coach and belief that I've finally found a healthy way to lose weight.

Have I actually found a healthy way to lose weight?

Although I am always trying to lose weight, I wasn't necessarily looking for a new diet or program... I am pretty knowledgeable about food and nutrition and know how to lose weight but just felt I wasn't trying hard enough. Although I totally gave up sugar (including sugar substitutes) over a year ago, it hasn't been enough to sustain weight loss.

I was a size 6-8 in high school (trying to get down to a size 4) but after I got married I gained weight steadily to the point that I am 100lbs more than when I got married 21 years ago!

At my annual GYN appointment last week my doctor mentioned that a few of her patients were losing weight with Mediafast. So at the check-out desk I asked the receptionist if she knew where they sold it. She and the other receptionist told me they tried it and didn't like the taste at ALL. They mentioned that one of the nurses there was using a program that had great results and asked if I wanted to talk to her (of course I did!). Lisa explained that she liked the Isagenix Cleanse program and said I could find out more about it by calling a Dr. that lived near me.

Right when I went home I started searching for information on the Internet about Isagenix. At first I was a little disappointed to see that the product is distributed by network marketing - was this for real or was it a scam? I have a history of market research so I spent a few hours looking at all types of sites. I read some of the info on direct marketing but since my goal is losing weight and not adding another "to do" on my list, I concentrated on the weight loss reviews. I was relieved to see many, many links to stories about how Isagenix really worked to help people feel better and lose weight. came away with a very positive feeling about the company and its products.

I met with "Dr. J." (Jeffrey Beury) at his Chatham chiropractic office on Thursday, Oct. 8th. Once I told the receptionist the purpose of my visit she told me she has been using Isagenix and lost 40lbs (or thereabout). Then a woman came out who I recognized as the mother of one of my daughter's classmates. She looked great and after small talk about her daughter's new school, I found out she was using Isagenix too.

I really liked Dr. J. - he told me about the success he (and his parents and some patients) had with the Isagenix products and about the philosophy of the company. The products are rich in nutrients and minerals and the cleanse rids your body of toxins (NOT the kind of cleanse where you are in the bathroom all day). Best of all, he is going to be my coach through this journey and I am feeling so confident that I decided to chronicle my weight loss journey as I lose 100lbs over the next 12 months (yes, I am that optimistic -- if I follow the plan I know it will work)!