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.

Is a shake real food???

Lots of people don't view a "shake" as "real food."  I was probably one of those people, thinking that you have to chew something for it to be FOOD.  Of course this isn't true, when you consider that the best "food" on the planet is mother's breast milk and it's liquid. It sustains newborns for many months - helping them to grow strong and healthy.

What do you eat for breakfast? Many people believe that eating a bowl of this TOTAL Blueberry Pomegranate Cereal with some skim milk is an ideal breakfast food.  Although it claims "100% nutrition" it doesn't have nearly the nutrition of one IsaLean shake and doesn't contain any fruit!

While the cereal contains no actual blueberries or pomegranates, it does contain eight different sweeteners: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Barley Malt Extract, Brown Sugar Syrup, Malt Syrup, Sucralose, Molasses and Honey. The blueberry-like appearance of small bits in the cereal are accomplished through the use of artificial colors like Red #40 and Blue #2, combined with various oil sand sweeteners such as soybean oil and sugar.

The IsaLean shake on the other hand has ALL 90 essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids PLUS live enzymes to transport all that nutrition. Don't forget the whey protein (from New Zealand - better than organic standards here) plus the balance of healthy fats and carbs. I also add a scoop of Isagenix Greens and a scoop of Isagenix Fruits to my shake (delicious!) so I am getting MANY servings of leafy greens and the best anti-oxidant fruits on top of it. No wonder I feel so good after I drink it!

15 Month Progress: 92 pounds and 91.75 inches

I finally saw the scale move this month, I lost 7 lbs so I only have 8 pounds to go to get to my first goal of 100lbs!

This month I watched what I ate more carefully. Two handfuls of chips doesn't seem that bad but it's 300 calories of nothing (meaning nothing nutritious). 

Today I listened to a great podcast by the wonderful Susan Sly - it was all about getting past weight plateaus (link to listen to audio podcast).  She is a personal trainer and has been using Isagenix and coaching other people for years - this in turn has made her an IsaMillionaire.  I've met her and sat in a briefing with her (and her new baby). She is an amazing woman and mom.

Listen to this podcast if you want a good list of things to do to jump start a plateau. This is what I am doing based on her suggestions:

1. getting at least 7 hours of sleep and going to bed no later than midnight (hard for me, I'm a night owl)
2. today (Monday) I also started tracking the amount of water I am drinking. I know I'm getting 1/2 my body weight in ounces but want to get closer to full body weight in ounces.
3. making all my shakes with 1 scoop of protein + 1 scoop of IsaLean
4. having 1 scoop of greens and fruits everyday

I have to be consistent with this to see if it makes a difference. I LOVE shoveling because it's exercise that is also accomplishing something.  It's been pretty easy with the light snow we've gotten :)

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.

Weight Watchers Changes Point System

I have been on the Weight Watchers system many times in my past and it did work temporarily but all the fat free WW muffins, desserts and fat free cool whip just kept me addicted to sweets. And now I know that all the chemicals and preservatives in all that processed food were not doing my body any good.  Plus, in my opinion as a professional dieter, I have seen that cleansing is the missing link in the weight loss mystery!

Anyone who has been on WW (and who hasn't) knows that things like almonds and olive oil (extremely healthy) are not encouraged because the points are too high (due to the fat). The world of WW is basically lots of artificial sweeteners and with high points for fats like nuts and olive oil.

So news that they have updated their point system to address this was encouraging. An article in today's NYT talks about the changes, they are "based on scientific findings about how the body processes different foods," in other words, processed, fake foods are not as good and therefore are higher in points.

On the old point system, they would consider a large apple (2 points) = to an Oreo(R) pak (2 points).  Under the new point system the apple is 0 points and the cookies are 3 points.

No wonder a lot of people embraced the WW program (including me) - we could eat lots of sugar free pudding with fat free whipped cream, cookies and muffins and think we were in diet heaven.Yes, we lost weight but did it teach us to eat healthy food?  It sure tasted good but had little or NO NUTRITIONAL value.

WW now acknowledges that the type of food you eat will affect energy and feelings of hunger and fullness.  

I have to admit when I was on WW that I thought eating their muffins, cakes, frozen dinners and snacks was too good to be true, I think they have addressed some of this now with the point changes although they still produce lots of processed foods.

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."