Chips are worse than candy bars - say it isn't so!!

Since I quit sugar over two years ago I fell back on potato chips - the relatively "healthy" ones (in moderation) as my junk food.  Well, as the saying goes, you can't eat just one and I think those innocent handfuls of chips have been largely responsible for my weight-loss plateau :(

Well, it seems the party is over when it comes to chips... this week I learned two things:

1. I read an article from Dr Mercola there is no such thing as a healthy chip - ALL chips are bad (not because of the calories) but because when carbohydrate-rich foods like potatoes are cooked at high temperatures (including the "healthier" baked chips),  acrylamide -- a tasteless, invisible chemical byproduct -- is formed. Animal studies have shown that exposure to acrylamide increases the risk of several types of cancer, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer considers acrylamide a "probable human carcinogen."

2. The genius nutritionist Jim Rhoades (who I met through Isagenix) said tonight when counseling a diabetic person that "chips are worse than candy bars" in terms of their affect on blood sugar. While I never had any blood sugar issues (even at my highest weight), he explained that chips are converted even more quickly into sugar, which affects insulin (too much and those chips get stored as fat) and that is not something I want to do to my body.

Am I saying I will never have another chip? No. But I need to change my thinking about them for myself and my family. I already know it's one of the reasons that I've plateaued.

Oprah Magazine Shakeology, May 2011 Issue

I get Oprah magazine but rarely have time to read it, I save them and hopefully get to read them at some point...

But when I got the May issue of Oprah the other day, something on the cover caught my eye:

6 Superfoods that Will Change the Way you Eat

Of course I had to find out what these where but I was pretty much already sure they are in the Isagenix super foods I already take.

On page 214 it talks about Darin Olien - he traveled around to get all good stuff to eat then made a shake out of it - sounds familiar, doesn't it? That's what our founder, John Anderson, did.

I am so glad to see this article because it will help to educate people about what great health benefits we can get from plants!

Is it sold in stores? No, it appears to be a similar set-up to Isagenix: "...you can't buy it in stores, but you can purchase it from one of our thousands of authorized Coaches."

Shakeology vs Isagenix: I can't say I know everything about Shakeology but I can say Isagenix products have even more ingredients with all 90 nutrients the body needs plus Chinese adaptogens and way too much to write here.  The Shakeology site doesn't say where their whey protein comes from, ours is from New Zealand where the cows are 100% grass fed; no chemicals put on the grass AND the whey is undenatured (very important to preserve the nutritional benefits). I also appreciate all the other stuff I get from Isagenix; the Cleanse for Life, which is aloe vera juice, the Ionix with shilajit... I could go on and on.

Lastly, a Shakeology shake cost $4.00 per serving, an IsaLean shake costs $2.75!

Dr John Gray Marriage Smoothie on Dr Oz

Link to more product info

Dr John Gray (Men are from Mars/Women are from Venus) was on the Dr Oz show today (April 6, 2011) talking about relationships. The audience was comprised of all married couples. As usual, Dr John Gray has the insight to why men come home from work and want to veg on the sofa and how our hormones affect our relationship with our spouses.

He talks about a super "marriage smoothie" that has all good stuff in it from the health food store (save yourself the time and money and buy the shake he has designed that is sold through Isagenix). It maintains blood sugar all day and is a great health booster.

These are John Gray's products that are exclusively sold through Isagenix. I have seen people with mood/brain issues get fantastic results!

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.

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!