A new year...

2015 is here and it is time to reflect on why I make bad eating choices despite knowing exactly what I need to do to be healthy. Besides the lure and addiction of sugar, there are emotional factors at play. It's not about vanity at this point in life, it's about treating my body well so it lasts a long time.

I previously surrounded myself with like-minded people who I saw several times per week, including going to the gym. Going back to work full time changed that.

To do:
1. Join my "IsaIsland" friends on Facebook for encouragement and do the cleanse with them starting Jan 5
2. "Mindfulness" seems to be a fad right now but I think it has merit and will be employing it more during my day
3. Do some soul searching

Sugar free, wheat free 16 days...

I started eating sugar-free, wheat-free* on May 28 so it's been 16 days. The Isagenix shakes are perfect for this. I am not going to weigh myself until it's been one month so I am about half-way there. I really can't tell how much I've lost but I can almost run up the stairs without holding the railing whereas before I had to hold the railing and slowly walk up.

It seems extreme to totally eliminate sugar and wheat but they are only contributing to ill-health and have not one ounce of anything positive to offer me.

Over the 16 days these foods have been placed in front of me...
apple cider donuts (a favorite)
  birthday cake
    ice cream
      chips
         homemade bread
          pasta
            bagels
              fresh baked cookies
to name a few.

I didn't eat any of these because I knew that one bite would lead to another. It was pretty easy to physically resist all this, even when it's in my own kitchen, because the cravings disappear within a few days. But I still know I love these foods and it's hard... hard to beat an addiction like this when it's everywhere.

*The only wheat I had was croutons on my salad a few times and my lifesavers are the IsaDelight dark chocolate squares (as much sugar as 1/4  of an apple). They are the ONLY dark chocolate that I can eat -- one small square satisfies me. More info about these amazing chocolates.

Wheat Belly??

I know I am addicted to sugar and that I need to have total abstinence (like an alcoholic or other drug addiction). But I also know that wheat (flour) is a cousin to sugar (quickly turning to sugar in the body) and that bagels, tortilla chips, cereal and other carbs without sugar are also causing me to binge.

So in an effort to finally get back on track - for good! - I decided to adopt the major premise of the Wheat Belly Diet (which is, of course, right on track with Isagenix).

I saw the Dr Oz show on Friday, May 24 and the author, Dr Davis, tested women's blood to show how a piece of whole wheat bread can cause blood sugar to spike more than a candy bar.

Dr Davis explained how we have been conditioned to believe that whole wheat products are healthy but that's like saying filtered cigarettes are healthy (yes, when compared to non-filtered). I stopped trying to force my family to eat whole wheat pasta a while ago for this reason (if you're going to eat unhealthy you may as well enjoy it).

How can I give up wheat? It's easier knowing that it's bad for me because it's grown using pesticides. Countries including Japan and South Korea won't import US commercial wheat because it's contaminated and genetically engineered. Link to full article.

So since Tues. May 28, when I started eating healthier, I've been able to almost totally cut out wheat (only had some croutons in my salad and some breadcrumbs on my chicken cutlet). No sugar either - by Friday it was pretty easy to ignore the giant chocolate chip cookie that came with my Panera box lunch salad. I have a long way to go but I already feel much better physically and do not go to bed at night with self loathing over my food choices :)

Sept. 1st, starting fresh

Time to cleanse... and cleanse... and cleanse...
It's been a long time since I last blogged and that's because I haven't been able to go more than two weeks without sugar. I tell myself I can have some in moderation but when you have an real addiction to something, that just doesn't work.

So I have been eating (lots of) really unhealthy food and have regained weight!! In the past I had seen friends gain weight back and thought that would NEVER be me. But I've always said, it's easy to lose weight but difficult to keep it off.


I "started" to eat healthy again on Sept. 1 and feel much better already. It's been only three days and I have a long way to go but I am determined to reach my goal of losing 100 pounds.

Everything I've learned is in this blog so I think I'll take the time and read it all again.
 
I am truly grateful to have the best nutrition in Isagenix and just need to eat that in conjunction with other healthy foods like I did before. And NO SUGAR, period. I also need to cleanse two days per week, I'm thinking twice a month, to get out all the junk I've accumulated.

I am going to just weigh myself once a month. So I will post back after Oct. 1 to blog results.

Almost out of the woods...

Last Sat. & Sun. I did a two-day Isagenix cleanse and felt MUCH better on Monday in terms of control over sugar (enemy #1) and I was fine all week. 

I was tested yesterday when I found myself alone in the same room with a huge tray of cookies. AND... I didn't have the slightest urge to take one. No internal dialogue at all and no physical cravings.

It's amazing when I don't have the toxic sugar in my body how easy it is to just pass up cookies, etc. and how impossible it is to pass it up when I do have sugar in my system. 

People say "wow, you have such great willpower!"  Has my willpower suddenly changed?? NO!  It is virtually impossible for my willpower to have any chance of working when the stuff is in my system. So don't beat yourself up for having no willpower -- you DO have willpower but it's being overridden by the addictive nature of sugar/fats.

The road to 100lbs continues...

Last post I was doing GREAT... then on my birthday - Feb. 1 (turned 51) - my colleagues at work got me a cake :(.  They knew of my struggles with sugar but had seen me eating the cookies etc. over the holidays and didn't realize I was "off sugar" again - not their fault. I guess I should have preemptively told them to skip the traditional cake. Anyway, I could have refused it but I didn't. It would have created an awkward situation and is just like me to be empathetic.

So, again proof that I can't just have a bite of something without going back in to a cycle of sugar fixes. I struggled most of Feb., having great days of healthy eating then slips of sugar. Getting bored of this? So am I!

sweet but deadly

A year ago I remember seeing people who had lost a lot of weight with Isagenix gain a lot back and I would just shake my head and say "what's wrong with them?" "How could they do that to themselves, that won't be me." Well it's always been true that it's easier to lose weight than keep it off and that is because when people go back to eating "regular food" that regular food is actually junk and keeps us craving the real stuff (reference Dr Oz's quote below).

So I haven't had sugar in five days... so help me God if I eat any sugar again I will be back writing the same BS. 


The solutions is simple: (Isagenix nutrition) + (7-8 hrs sleep) - (sugar and most grains) = weight loss. Yes, exercise if I have time but I've seen after months at the gym last year that for me it's the food that matters most.

1 week no sugar

I am pretty much out of the woods now... we had a catered box lunch at work which included a giant chocolate chip cookie from Panera! My favorite... one that I would go out of my way to buy.  I put the cookie aside then brought two home for my kids. The cookies were in my bag on the 40 min. ride home and I didn't even remember they were there (they weren't calling out to me). So this is how easy it is when sugar is out of my system. I just can't tell myself that it's ok to have one bite because I would have eaten the whole cookie, then another, then would be looking for more sugar for the rest of the day. It's highly addictive, see my post from 11/1/10 on the book The End of Overeating.

Gave up sugar on MLK day so it's been a solid week and I've lost 10lbs (granted this was pretty easy to do coming off a week of crazy eating). Need to schedule a two-day cleanse, my friend just finished hers and was positively glowing on Facebook.

Three days no sugar...

It's been three days with no sugar and very little white flour (I had a little bit of rice pilaf and a few pretzels). But the key for me is not having sugar. Once I go about 5 days I'll be OK but it's getting past that point to get it out of my system so I don't have a relapse. 

I've already lost 7lbs in two days because I started drinking more water again and eliminated the bad carbs. Of course I AM able to have IsaDelight dark chocolates (about as much sugar as 1/4 of an apple or something like that) -- dark chocolate is mood enhancing, love it and these don't trigger sugar cravings.  Apparently they now have a milk chocolate version for people who don't like dark (for me the darker the better :)

Last Day of 2011

So what happened to me? No, the photo is not of me (see below). Well, if there's one thing that comes between me and being skinny it's sugar. Maybe you are someone who can have one cookie or one bite of cake then get back on track, but that is not me.

Lori Harder - Ms Bikini Universe

But being so close to my goal - everything in my control - I thought I could have a bite of cake (my husband's birthday cake that I made on Oct. 15th). Well, that was a bad idea now just as it was a bad idea last Feb. (the last time I was within 9lbs of my goal). I am a sugar addict like other people are alcoholics.

So I gained about 20lbs back. I swore I wouldn't have to lose the same weight again but I'm sure everyone reading this blog can relate to some extent. But, Isagenix will come to the rescue again to get the bad stuff out and the good stuff in!

Could I get a body like Lori Harder (pictured here)? I guess I could but I am not willing to put in the time in the gym :). Check out Lori Harder's story.  She is 2010 Ms Bikini Universe Overall Champion and she swears by Isagenix! It's not diet food or professional athletes wouldn't touch it - they can only put top nutrition in their bodies.


Without sugar I can concur the world - watch what happens in 2012! What is holding you back from getting what you want?

ONLY 8 more pounds to go!

It is slow going but I am able to go down one size in pants so I am continuing to lose inches! Carbs continue to be - and always will be - my downfall. Tonight I broke my excellent streak of healthy eating and overate carbs. Once they are in my system I am addicted. Many people also experience the urge to eat foods with a combination of Fat + Sugar (cookies, cakes, candies) or Fat + Salt (chips, french fries) or Fat + Salt + Sugar (many restaurant foods).

"Foods high in fat, salt and sugar alter the brain's chemistry in ways that compel people to overeat."

Find out more from this best selling book written by former commissioner of the FDA, Davie Kessler. 

Progress Photo - lost 17lbs since July 8th

Summer's been GREAT so sad that it's Labor Day tomorrow. You'll see from my post on July 8th I had 30lbs to go to reach my 100lb goal. I am now only 13lbs away!

From February - July I had an issue with sugar because I felt that after 2-1/2 years without it (and after losing 90lbs) that I could handle it occasionally. Well, I am still, and always will be, addicted to sugar so since July 5th I am back to being sugar free.

Like I said in previous posts, if you're someone who gets hijacked by sweets (sugar + fat) or chips (fat + salt) to the point that you can't eat just one or that these items are "calling" to you from the kitchen, then it's going to be harder to eat these while trying to lose and/or maintain weight. If you eat them in moderation (and I know a lot of people who do) then you are golden!

So I am bike riding a lot and feeling great... Oct 17 I think is my two year anniversary with Isagenix so I WILL be down 100lbs by then. 


I am the picture taker of the family so there are no photos of me, I had to crop myself out of a group photo here (no make-up, in need of hair coloring to cover up the gray). I will take a full length photo soon!

Progress: One Year, 8 Months - 70lbs maintained (30 more to go)

Wow, the time has flown by since I started this journey to lose 100lbs in Oct. 2009. I know it WILL happen (I was only 10lbs away this past Jan then proceeded to just eat too much junk food on and off through the winter/spring). So now I am 20 pounds heavier and have to back-track.

If you can just eat ONE or TWO bites of this then go ahead and indulge. If after you eat this you proceed to have another piece or feel like you ruined the day and keep eating junk then you it's best you avoid it all together if you are still trying to lose weight.

Some friends and I were talking about this habit of not being able to just have "one" of something. Just having one bite of something, one cookie or one handful of chips is not going to lead to massive weight gain, it's when one leads to another which leads to another. My friend and I are of the same mindset that we can't seem to have one (of a sugar-laden item) because it's just too literally addictive. The addictive nature of salt, sugar and fat is explained in the book The End of Overeating.

Anyway, I have kept off 70lbs for over a year now and I have Isagenix to thank for that. It gives my willpower a fighting chance because it gives me the nutrition so my body isn't craving junk. I know this would be another failed diet without this nutrition. The side benefit is that I have SUPERIOR blood work on all counts - yeah.

It's all about LESS CALORIES + MORE NUTRITION + EXERCISE. Isagenix gives me the first two, I do the rest (love bike riding with my ipod).

Addicted to Food - Oprah Winfrey Network

I watched the first episode of Addicted to Food on the new OWN (saw it online), I think it's on Tuesday nights.

When you've found the answer to healthy living and weight management (hallelujah - Isagenix) but you still find yourself sabotaging yourself with bad foods (not at "celebrations" but by yourself) - you have to realize that a lot of food addictions (or problems) are rooted in your emotions. This is a lot of what this show addresses. I am going to watch it.

Gained weight - what to do???

I have gained some weight back - NOT a lot but enough to make me uncomfortable. It is clearer than EVER that the only chance I have of losing and keeping weight off is to stay on Isagenix (not that I have any intention of going without these products in my body). Not just for weight loss, but for having all the essential nutrients my body needs to stay healthy. 

These essential nutrients could all be purchased separately and very expensively at the health food store but that isn't practical.

I am grateful for all the support withing this organization - a great call I just listened to on weight-loss plateaus tells me again that it's the excess carbs that are doing me in. I've heard this time and time again - especially for people that are addicted to sugar. I have to steer more towards greens and away from too much fruit. Listen.

I made a vow to my mom today that when I see her again on Mother's Day - 6 weeks from now - that I will have reached my 100lb weight loss goal. I know what I have to do and I know it will work - I just have to want it more than I want the temporary pleasure of basically "junk" food. 

Why the muffin photo?? I used to eat a lot of muffins before I quit eating sugar (a year prior to Isagenix). Muffins are essentially like cake but not as embarrassing to buy when you weigh 250+lbs. I guess they just seem more legitimate... a way I justified eating junk. Now I guess I am eating some corn chips figuring they are somewhat healthy but, again, a faulty justification.

Good News - maintaining... Bad News - struggling to lose more

So I've haven't had much trouble maintaining the 90lbs I've lost but can't seem to lose more. I have good days then not so good days.

One thing I DO know, I feel fantastic on days when I eat lots of Isagenix plus raw, natural, live foods and feel like crap inside when I have processed, dead foods.  It further illustrates to me that eating clean is the way to go to feel my best.

I am having feelings of wanting to give up meat, I really don't enjoy it that much. It is SO crystal clear what my body is happy with and I have to listen to that! 

Thanks to my friend Dawna, she and I are calling each other every day (multiple times) to keep each other on track (we've both had problems with food addictions). Tomorrow we are doing a one-day cleanse.

Going to Bed Earlier - the Biggest Struggle that I've Got to Overcome to Lose Weight!

Craving carbs, feeling hungry later in the evening, stubborn fat loss??  

These are all things I experience when I don't get enough sleep or get to sleep too late.

These are all signs of lack of sleep and one of my major problems - I go to bed too late all to frequently!  I KNOW this is bad for me but can't seem to stop doing it... staying up until 1am+ then having to get up at 7:30 - giving me less than 8 hrs I need to lose weight. 

This video explains it all and I had to watch it just to reconfirm what I already know.  On days when I go to bed really late I wake up and am craving carbs and am hungrier all day.

I've also seen A LOT of info about the importance of getting sleep between 10 pm and 2 am -- it is said that sleeping between these four hours is MUCH more restful and beneficial for our health (and weight loss) than, for instance, getting more hours after 1am or 2am. 

Last night I went to bed at 11:30 but I need to aim for 11pm or earlier. I think that 11pm is about the earliest I can do right now (I've always been a "late night" person). I am committing to getting to bed by 11pm and will report back on how I feel and if this helps me break this plateau I'm on.

Milestone approaching...

My 50th birthday is fast approaching - Feb. 1st.  I AM going to reach my goal of losing 100lbs by this milestone, then I still have an additional goal of 20-25 more lbs to go!  Posting it here brings me that much closer to accomplishing it (the reason I started this blog) because putting something in writing/saying it out loud/committing to it makes it more likely to happen - "what you think about you bring about."

Yesterday was Christmas and I didn't have a shake all day (we had a special "waffle Santa" breakfast) - how did I feel at the end of the day? Yuk, my body was not smiling inside.  Luckily today is a new day and I have everything I need to continue on... 

I have the New Year's Resolution "Solution" with Isagenix but I need to commit to a few other things...

1. going to bed no later than 11:30pm to ensure I am getting at least 7 hrs of sleep (as simple as this sounds in comparison to eating healthy, it's the hardest for me)

2. getting at least 8 of my 20oz water bottles each day - this is close to my body weight in ounces (relatively easy for me, I always get at least 1/2 my body weight in ounces but want to get more)

3. watching my snacks (make them more frequent and lower in calories)

Other things I am trying are mixing IsaPro with the regular shake and taking the IsaPro with IsaCalcium at night before (the later is not something I've been able to do - don't like the taste of the strawberry taste of the calcium, too sweet) but that has been reported to be a boost in stubborn fat loss.

I am also going to do the Peak 8 workout - I heard about this from a few places and my friend Dale's son (a personal trainer) told us about it. It's only 20 minutes 3x per week but it will get you in top shape - click above to view a video that makes it easy to understand.

Weight Watchers practically invented accountability... but Isagenix has personalized it

I had a few more thoughts on Weight Watchers - in my last post I talked about why it didn't work for me and why it really wasn't a sound nutrition-based weight loss plan.

Today I started thinking about what I believe to be the BEST thing that WW has done over the years that has proven successful:

She doesn't look like anyone I ever saw at a WW meeting.

Accountability - WW invented the concept of people going to weekly meetings to weigh in. While it embarrasses some people (thankfully I always had non-judgmental WW counselors), it works to keep people on track! WW also made a point of applauding those who got results and supporting those who needed extra encouragement. The meetings, more than the points, I feel is what has made WW the most popular weight loss plan.  I also did the WW plan online as others do but that also has it's own built-in accountability.

It's probably no coincidence that one of the reasons people love Isagenix is because there is so much accountability and support. It is purposely NOT sold at retail because people do best when they are helped by someone who wants them to succeed (like WW). Personally I was accountable to Dr J (my "coach") then I got tremendous support from his parents, Dale and others I met when I went to some local meetings. I was applauded at meetings for losing weight (who doesn't like that) then of course I won 2nd place in the IsaBody Challenge. Right now I find a lot of support and encouragement from Isagenix people all across the country... I am friends with many on FaceBook, belong to the FB IsaBody Accountability Group and enjoy Jean Faber's Call for Hope each Wed. 9:30pm 218-862-1300 Access Code 98421. Jean has lost over 200lbs and came in 1st in the IsaBody Challenge for women age 50+. 

There is a lot of personal accountability and support within the Isagenix community IF you choose it. There are people who've suffered personal loss and tragedies that led to weight gain, others who are athletes trying to perfect their bodies, others who are emotional eaters like me - there are many tribes of Isagenix people out there who connect and support each other.

What I'm Thankful For...

I am of course thankful for my family and loved ones, for the comforts of a warm and dry house (and grateful to my husband who was able to put a new roof on the back room when it started leaking last week).

This past year my health has improved tremendously and I feel younger now at 49 than I was 20 years ago. So a big thanks to Isagenix for that.  GOOD NEWS! I lost 90lbs as of Tuesday and weighed myself again this am (post Thanksgiving) and maintained so I am determined NOT to see that scale go up again - I need to reach my 100lb goal!

So beyond those basic things I am most grateful for... here is my top 10 list:

1. $10/month at Planet Fitness (no contract - can't beat that -- today I stayed 1 hour on the elliptical machine and skipped the weights so I could watch the lost footage of the Atlanta Housewives :-) 
2. Black Champion brand yoga pants from Target - they look good at the gym and are comfortable and stylish enough to wear around town (stretchy so still fit as I lose weight) and under $20
3. Friends who thank me (sometimes with tears in their eyes) for introducing them to Isagenix - it solidifies my decision to keep sharing this with people
4. DVRs - there are shows I really like to watch and rarely get to see them in real time so the DVR comes to the rescue and I can watch my shows later and fast forward through the commercials
5. Internet - although sometimes a big time-waster, it has allowed me to connect with old friends and make new ones across the miles. A college roommate just found me on FaceBook - she is a specialty costumer in Hollywood. Because of the Internet I got to see her resume and all the movies she has worked on - pretty cool.
6. This may sound crazy but I am really thankful for good clean filtered water to drink everyday that comes from my own well!
7. I am thankful that my kids are getting more self-sufficient and allowing me more time- freedom. It was a hard adjustment to have kids at age 38 and 40 because I had led such an independent life.
8. I know I already said I was thankful for family and loved ones but my mom deserves an extra shout-out - she is the best role model I could ask for and I am eternally grateful for her love and support!
9. My Isagenix Citibank VISA card is convenient and has come in handy to pay for things that I wouldn't necessarily be able to justify. The company loads the card each Monday as commissions are earned and an email shows up in my inbox to notify me.
10. Finally, I am grateful to have the opportunity to earn an unlimited stream of additional income while working from home at my own pace while helping other people get healthy! I can't really call it "work."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So dieting does not = health.  

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

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