I'm a lucky girl!

I'm so proud of my husband!

He's about two weeks into his first 30-day program....and he's down 9 lbs and 10 inches!!!! Amazing!

He tried on a shirt for work this morning and had to change because it was just too big!!! Woot!

And not only is he also so happy for me and the results I'm having....he's 100% supportive of me working to help others reach their goals too!

Through all of this excitement and change....he's also been renovating our main bathroom! Like "tore it out completely and re-built it" renovating!!! I can't wait to see it all done...so close! :)

I certainly am blessed to have such an understanding and motivating partner!

A splendid shopping trip!

We've had another crazy week, but this morning after taking my son to soccer practice, I had a little time to get to the mall.

I have an awards ceremony for work this week, so I was hoping to find something to wear.

Well, not only did I get a dynamite deal on a deep purple satin pencil skirt....but I bought it in TWO sizes smaller than I would have needed to buy only 45 days ago.

I was stunned.

I had a few tears in the change room.

I'm just feeling so blessed. I have loads of energy...I feel great...and every time I turn around, someone I care about is asking my about how Isagenix can help them too.

This is just the beginning of amazing things ahead.

And I can't wait!

Forget the fries...pass me the bag.

So today was both the best of days and the worst of days...

It was awesome because this morning I measured and I'm now down 15 lbs and 47 inches!

Happy Dance!!!! Woot woot!

And now...the bad news...

Today was a bit of a gong show at our house...I left this morning without 3 things I needed for my day.

My husband was to pick me up to make a run to the tile store at lunch to pick out tile for our main bathroom reno. Which would have been much easier if he'd remembered to bring one of the floor tiles. Sigh.

We had some catching up to to today anyway, so we decided to run through a drive-thru, and chat and eat on the way home for the floor tile.

It was a fantastic plan! Very efficient. We were sooooo wrong.

When I first noticed that while using isagenix products I was naturally moving to smaller portions...it didn't realize that my body would full on reject a burger and fries!!!

We made it to the tile store...our main bathroom is going to rock - in case you wondered :) - and I was back to the office and in a staff meeting when it all went south...

There really is nothing like bolting out of a meeting, tossing your cookies in the communal bathroom, and then having to go back into a meeting for another hour. Awesome.

I was very grateful for IsaDelights and cinnamon gum today.


I am officially off fast food.

Charged up to co-create!!!

Okay...so I will admit right now that I had no idea yesterday what the heck co-creation even was!

But today - I'm so excited to make positive changes in our lives...and to share that with others!

I want to see everyone we know...and everyone that they know...feel energized and excited about their lives!

Yesterday my husband and I had the chance to attend a seminar taught by PK Kevin Smith. What an amazing and inspirational speaker!!!

I won't give away the punch line because I really believe that everyone should attend one of these sessions and learn about working together to create wellness and wealth.

On the way home from the session, my husband and I allowed ourselves to dream....big dreams!!!

I've always had goals, but now my mindset matches my mindset.

Time to get to work...to enjoy the riches already present in my life and truly live.

It's just that easy!!!

Fruity and delicious

This morning my shake had a little extra kick to it. 

All thanks to a scoop of IsaFruits! Yummy!

Every time I try a new product, I'm expecting that it will disappoint....and so far I've been dead wrong....every time!

I found that the IsaFruits added a subtle flavour and blended really well into the shake. A perfect option for those mornings when you need a little something special in your shake to start your day off with a smile.

I love how flexible this system is and how well all the products work together!

And in update on my husband's progress...

Last night he was really having some caffeine withdrawal...but this morning he said he's feeling much better.  I think he really likes his IsaBlender...tomorrow he may even let me try it out! Lol!

Put me in, Coach!

Today my husband started his first 30 day Isagenix program. Woot! I'm so excited to support and coach him as we both keep moving towards better health (and some kickin' it bodies too!)

This morning he seemed to have everything under control...and I was perhaps in a bit of a rush. I forgot to ask him if he had any questions. My first coach fail!

When I arrived at work, I had a few text messages on my phone...him asking me how to make his shake. It didn't even occur to me that he hadn't been paying attention when I've been making shakes for the last month.

I felt terrible!

Thank goodness that he's understanding!

The great news is that his first day is going well and having our meal today for lunch meant that we went out for lunch together and shared a meal to keep to the program.....which was also a bit romantic!

Sharing food...chatting...it's been a while, and it was really nice to have a little time in the middle of our day to connect. :)

Mmmm...mmmm...soup!

As I move into my next 30 days, I'm hoping to change things up a bit.

The IsaLean tomato soup has been calling my name....especially in the last couple weeks since it's been so cold here! Really cold...feeling-really-badly-for-anyone-with-a-runny-nose-that-will-instantly-freeze-when-they-go-outside cold.

Yesterday, both my isagenix order - that included the soup! - and my husband's first order....a president's pak!....arrived just before lunch.

What perfect timing!!!

It was so lovely to get to stay inside on a cold, blustery day and enjoy my soup! I wasn't sure how tasty it would be, but I was happy to be surprised!

It's a zesty soup that's easy to drink. I let the water cool off from a boil for about 10 mins before I added the soup mix because I didn't want to risk inactivating any of the nutrition in the mix.

And also because I prefer to avoid second degree burns inside my mouth from eating soup that is way too hot!

I'm so glad to have another option for lunch or dinner that keeps me on track to achieve my goals!

I'm also really happy that my husband has decided to join me on this journey and I can't wait to see his results!! (even if I'm a little jealous that I know he'll be able to just think about cleansing and drop 10 lbs...men!)

A photo speaks louder...

And mine is screaming....woo hoo!

Here is my before photo from last September...and then here I am today!

Success tastes so sweet!!!

I am just amazed by how the last 30 days have transformed my body, my energy, and my outlook!!!

Today is definitely a day that I'm celebrating....I resisted temptation, followed the plan and have the results to prove it!!!

Weight from 178.8 to 166.4. Down 12.4 lbs!!!!

Neck from 14 to 13 - down 1"
Upper arm L from 12 to 11.5 - down 0.5"
Upper arm R from 12.5 to 11.5 - down 1"
Chest from 42.5 to 37 - down 5.5"
Diaphragm from 37 to 32 - down 5"
Waist from 40 to 34 - down 6"
Abdomen from 43 to 38 - down 5"
Buttocks from 44 to 39 - down 5"
Upper thigh L from 26 to 21.5 - down 4.5"
Upper thigh R from 26.5 to 21.5 - down 5"
Calf L from 16 to 15 - down 1"
Calf R from 16 to 15 - down 1"
Upper knee L from 17.5 to 16 - down 1.5"
Upper knee R from 17.5 to 16 - down 1.5"

For a grand total of 43.5 inches!!!!!

Am I done now? No way!

I still have a ways to go to get to my goal weight and I will keep at this until I'm there. My intention was only to blog my first 30 days so that I could remember my journey when sharing my story with others, but now, I'm hooked! :)

My husband has decided to begin a 30 day program this week and I can't wait to get fit and fabulous together!

Thank-you Isagenix!!!

Focused on food

Today is the first day of my last cleanse on my 30 day program. So I guess I'm feeling a little reflective...

One of the benefits I've found while using Isagenix is that I am both less focused on food and more appreciative of a great meal.

I had no idea before starting this program that so much of what I was doing in my everyday life revolved around food....meals....snacking...grocery shopping....meal planning (which I'm terrible at doing).

I also didn't realize how much I took food for granted. Eat and run. Just one more snack.

Now I thoughtfully decide what my meal of the day is going to be on shake days...and I savour that meal. I'm making better choices because I want to make sure that I'm making the most of my progress.

Today I was shopping with my oldest son and we went to Chapters on our trip. We were having a fantastic day and I decided to order him a Starbucks hot chocolate, a special treat. I didn't even crave a chai latte. I think that is the first time. So awesome.

I am so grateful that I took the plunge and embraced this program.

From cleanse to cleanse

Wow! That was one busy week!

From hockey games (including our little guys going on the ice with the Toronto Marlies), to a trip to New York City and then Valentine's Day....it has been a whirlwind!

And throughout it all, I have continued to follow the isagenix program. Easy peasy!!

Traveling to New York this week for three days couldn't even throw me off!!! I packed the IsaLean bars, some Slimcakes and of course....IsaDelights! I enjoyed a few lovely dinners in the city and came home to more fantastic results!

I am now down 10 lbs (gained back 1)....and the best part...I am down 39 inches...39!!!!!!!

Tomorrow I start my last cleanse of my first 30 day program....I can't wait to see my final numbers on Monday.

This program is life-changing.

The abominable snowblower

Yesterday you could see our lawn. Today the snow drifts were well over the top of our ancient, hand-me-down snowblower!

My husband has been away for work all week, and still wasn't home when I realized that I had to get out and actually clear some of the snow out of our driveway.

I was pretty proud of myself for battling the angry snowblower (it was blowing very dark smoke tonight) and managing to keep the kids playing in the snow on the other side of the yard.

Then it happened. The snowblower died. And it couldn't happen near the garage.....nooooo....it had to die at the bottom of the driveway. Excellent.

So I muscle/wrestle/pull the beast back into the garage and as my boots hit the painted garage floor...boom I fell right on my butt/tailbone. No fun at all.

Thank goodness for fantastic neighbours!!! One of ours finished the drive way for me!

I made an attempt at clearing the walkway, only to realize that shovelling at least a foot of snow on day 2 of a cleanse is a dumb idea. Really dumb.

I did the best I could and then headed into the house to feed the kids and get them off to bed. Then I rewarded myself with an IsaDelight. Yummy.

I won't have any trouble sleeping tonight!

It's here!!!

My Isa order arrived today!

It was a cardboard box of health and energy waiting for me when I got home today.

And besides, who doesn't like getting mail that isn't a bill? Woot!

In the box: cleanse for life....just in time for tomorrow!, 2 kinds of the IsaLean bars, Slimcakes and the BEST part....IsaDelight - dark chocolate....mmmmm

I am so excited to get to eat chocolate on my cleanse tomorrow and Friday.

And even better....I'm confident that I can travel next week and stay on track and on the program.

This is rocking my world.

"All you can eat" has lost it's charm

Portion sizes.

I've been trying to control my portion sizes for years! Just one more helping....a larger soft drink....bah!

And the concept of the buffet....it's a mine field for people trying to make healthy choices. By the time I've add "just a taste" of most of what's on a buffet I have a heaping plate of bad choices on my hands....and hips!

So this brings us to my son's birthday party and his requested meal....spaghetti and meatballs. How do you serve this to almost 30 people, half of whom are kids and like sauce, don't like sauce, etc.? Buffet. Sigh.

There I was...my plate heaped with pasta, sauce, meatballs, cheese, Ceasar salad and a fresh dinner roll and then an amazing thing happened. I stopped eating when I was full! Not stuffed, just full!!!

There was still food on my plate and I didn't feel the need to finish it all. Amazing.

I expected isagenix to do a lot of things for me like increase my energy and help me lose weight, but this is a truly life changing effect!

Love it!

People are noticing

It seems that people are starting to notice that I'm losing weight. Woo Hoo!

And the really great part about that is that I get to share my experience using isagenix!!

Today I spoke to 3 others who showed more than passing interest in joining me on this journey!

And...I also had the chance to try the oatmeal raisin IsaLean bars today! Not too sweet! I definitely think that they will be a breakfast go to for me.

Our kids are in a hockey tournament this weekend and it seems all the cheering...very loud cheering...has left me without much of a voice tonight. Time to hit the hay and rest my voice so that I can keep sharing my story with our friends and family! And of course cheering for the kids in their last game tomorrow!

Planning for success

Today I've been thinking a lot about my next moves....well, more about my next isagenix order.

I need to order more Cleanse For Life and I think I'm going to add some of the IsaLean Bars and IsaDelight chocolates to my order.

While I like the taste of the cleanse drink....I'm still on shaky (tee hee) ground with the shakes since last week.

At my friend's recommendation, I'm made them less thick. Then I found if I added come frozen fruit instead of ice...much better. But, I also have to travel in a week or so...not sure that anyone at the border would appreciate some vanilla and chocolate powder in my carry on luggage! The bars seem like the best option for travel.

But my real dilemma is which ones to buy??? I've tried the chocolate cream crisp and the lemon passion...both fantastic. The oatmeal raisin sounds more breakfast-like, but I haven't tried it...

As another friend of mine likes to say....these are first world problems.

Off to flip a coin and then head to bed.

Death by Pizza

I have been offered a chance to travel over the next six weeks to NYC...so very excited about that adventure! However, I wanted to make sure that my isagenix program and my life can mesh without too much grief.

So last night I had a look at my schedule for February and realized that I would have to move my cleanse days (that had been postponed due to that inconvenient flu) to today and tomorrow.

And what does my family want to eat tonight for dinner? Pizza!!!! Oh man...so very hard to resist. It smelled soooo good!

I enacted my only defence and retreated to my ensuite bathroom for a hot bath. As far away from my family and their fantastic smelling pizza as I could get.

Mind over matter.

I'm strong. I won. Woot woot!!

Chocolate? Yes, please!

Another successful shake day! I feel fantastic and am definitely enjoying the results I've seen so far!

I thought I would take a quick inventory of the changes I've noticed since I began this journey.

- I am sleeping well at night. No wake ups!
- I can get up easily in the morning. So happy to not be foggy-headed and dragging around.
- I have tons of energy during the day.
- I have been so much more productive.
- I have lost 7.2 lbs and 22.5 inches as of this morning!!!!
- Clothes I haven't been able to wear in a year are loose on me.

Today I also tried the IsaDelight dark chocolate. It was fantastic. So so yummy. I am adding those to my next order!

Another wonderful day in my new isagenix life.

Can you tell I'm feeling inspired today? :)

Back in the saddle!

Finally!

Today I'm back to my regular shake days! It was supposed to be a cleanse day for me, but with all the flu action, I decided not to push it and will get a few more shake days in before I plan my next cleanse.

And although I missed my Day 11 measurements...today is 12 days since I started so I did them this morning.

Here are the results:


Weight - 172.4lbs Still at 6.4lbs lost
Neck - 13.5 Down .5"
Upper arm L - 12 Same
Upper arm R - 12 Down .5"
Chest - 40 Down 2.5"
Diaphragm - 34.5 Down 2.5"
Waist - 36.5 Down 3.5"
Abdomen - 40 Down 3"
Buttocks - 41 Down 3"
Upper thigh L - 24 Down 2"
Upper thigh R - 24.5. Down 2"
Calf L - 15.5. Down .5"
Calf R - 15.5 Down .5"
Upper knee L - 16.5 Down 1"
Upper knee R - 16.5. Down 1"


So while my weight is sort of stuck, I'm down a total of 22.5 inches overall!!!!

I knew that my pants were fitting differently, but I thought maybe that I was hoping a little too hard!!! So very excited by these numbers!!!

Results are so motivating!

Happy Tuesday!

In a holding pattern

Today was a day of rest.

I was still ill this morning, but I seem to be on the mend tonight. I have managed to keep some toast down and I've drank several cans of ginger ale.

Tomorrow I plan to get back to my shake day, as scheduled.

I'm hoping that this angry gastro bug (too quick to be true flu) a hasn't de-railed my progress.

One good thing was that I was able to make dinner for my men and not be jealous of their meals...now, food and I are still on shaky terms, so maybe not a good comparison, but I thought it was a silver lining.

It's amazing how much energy it takes to just lie around. I'm beat. Time for bed.

The F word

Flu.

I have it. And it's not been a fun day.

I wasn't able to even contemplate a shake this morning. And then at work I was very grateful to find a large plastic container in the lunch room at work. And as soon as I realized I was insane to be sitting at my desk with a puke pail, I headed home.

Most sad about having to cancel my youngest son's birthday party tomorrow. But I'm pretty sure that none of our friends and family want to eat flu infested food and cake.

Suffice to say that I've had to hit pause on my Isagenix program for a day or two.

Parched and peeved

I'm annoyed today. And it's all my own fault. Which is even more annoying. I want to blame someone else and there's never a scapegoat around when you need one.

To be fair I woke up feeling a little off. I was drinking my morning shake and when it was 3/4 gone I knew I wasn't going to be able to drink anymore. I thought could be fighting something. We've been exceptionally lucky this flu season. Most people we know have had multiple rounds of illness. It went through our kids before Christmas, but since then, nothing!

And then I did the dumbest thing I've done in a while. I got into my day and didn't keep up with my water intake.

By lunch time I was tired and cranky. And then when we got home we had to rush out the door to hockey and it was after 7pm before we got home and I could even contemplate a shake. Instead I had an IsaLean bar - the chocolate cream crisp. It saved the night! Like eating chocolate chip cookie dough. Mmm

So now I'm trying to rehydrate...and not be parched or peeved any more today!

Lesson learned!

Treading lightly

Today I'm back to a shake day. Yay!

I have never looked forward to a meal in my life like I did for my lunch today! I'm trying as much as possible to eat my healthy meal of the day at lunch since it's recommended for best results. Who doesn't want best results?

And the great news! The numbers on the scale keep dropping! Results are so motivating!

I was chatting with J this morning who mentioned that post-cleanse I may see the scale rise a bit, but that it will be a downward trend overall.

Wait a minute...that's kinda sucky. So...how do I counteract this? I'm not giving up my super fantastic lunch!

Then it hit me...I could exercise!

But I hate exercise.

But I REALLY want to see the scale continue to drop.

So I shocked the hell out of my lululemon running skirt and tank top. I put them on to walk/jog on our treadmill tonight. I'm fairly certain that those cute workout clothes had no idea what had hit them! They are so used to just hanging around the house...lounging on the couch and such.

And after my workout...I felt great! A little jelly legged, but that's okay! I may even do it again tomorrow!

Almond joy

I've never really been a fan of the almond. It's a decent nut to be sure, but nuts aren't my go to snack. Ever.

I've always been more of a cheese and crackers kind of girl. Or just the cheese. Mmmm...cheese.

So today, on my second cleanse day, I discovered how to savour an almond. I mean really savour those almonds! I even caught myself sucking on one of my allotted morsels just to make it last longer!

And the best trick yet...shared by my friend and coach - J...is to pop the almonds into my mouth with my Isasnack and it tastes like chocolate covered almonds. Also yummy!

I was certain that I'd be just dragging my butt around today. But I was wrong! I feel freaking amazing today....full of energy and am even sadistically enjoying all the food smells that have been assaulting my nose. I had no idea that toast smelled so fantastic!

And even better...the scale shows that in just 5 days I'm losing weight!!! I'm still not ready to share in case I jinx it somehow. But I saw a number on that dreaded scale today that I haven't seen in at least a year.

I'm loving this program.

It's not easy...being clean (or cleansing)

My first cleanse day.

It was sooooo hard not to give in a run to buy a cheeseburger. Or really anything that is food! Lol

I'm fully immersed in the mind over matter struggle today. Because the reality is....I'm not truly hungry. I'm just so used to eating crappy food all the time that I'm still craving it.

Add that to the fact that my sense of smell seems to be on steroids and I can smell everything that everyone around me is eating.....and it all smells so yummy. And that's how I almost wrestled a piece of licorice out of my 3 year old's hand and stuffed it in my face earlier tonight.

So it's time to make a list.

Reasons Why I Will Not Sabotage My Success

1 - I will still have to wear that damn bridesmaid dress
2 - I want to be able to wear a bathing suit without shame by my birthday. ( and I'll settle for a one-piece at this point)
3 - I want to be healthier
4 - It's only one more day! I'm already half way through this cleanse.
5 - I CAN DO THIS!!!

Okay...I was reaching at the end there...I think my best option is to head to bed and take tomorrow one hour at a time! :)

Small victories...and the bacon resistance.

I'm finding that I'm very grateful for the small victories as I move forward on this journey.

Things like...remembering to take a snack of cucumbers with me to Home Depot yesterday afternoon. I would have been so tempted to eat something bad for me if I hadn't had that snack.

And being tired at night. Let's face it...I've been dragging myself around all day every day for a while. But no matter how tired I am all day, I rarely sleep well. Until now. I have fallen asleep easily...stayed asleep...and most importantly - I don't feel like a zombie I the morning. Amazing!!! Only two nights and I'm already feeling pretty awesome.

And feeling full without feeling all bloated and gross. That is awesome.

And finally....my big win...

Yesterday I was trying to get my kids to eat something...anything...before hockey. Grilled cheese? No. Peanut butter sandwich? No. Cheese and crackers? No.

What do they decide that they they HAVE to eat for lunch? Bacon and toast. Seriously??? I'm on a program and they want me to cook them bacon and not eat some?!?!

I didn't even flinch! Well, not much. I ate an IsaLean bar (the Lemon Passion Crunch one - in case you care) and managed to resist the bacon!!! There were two glorious slices of bacon left over and I left them for my husband!

Unheard of. Hear me roar!

Watch out world...

I came down with a brutal headache yesterday afternoon. The kind that makes you feel like your head may very well explode. And you would be a little grateful for that release of pressure.

I'm fairly certain that my body has no idea what's hit it....and is launching a rebellion. I think that the sudden and sharp decrease in my diet Pepsi consumption has really pissed my body off.

I made it through the jewellery party last night and then almost ran for my migraine medication. A drugged night of sleep really seems to have helped. Although this morning I seem to be in raging bitch mode.

My poor husband caught hell for telling me that I had forgotten to switch over the laundry. And my kids have been playing "too loudly". Sigh.

But in good news...I'm shocked that I haven't been hungry on the Isagenix system. Not at all!!
And last night I was able to resist "normal" party snacking and stick to it. So awesome. And I felt a lot better this morning after having shot back my dose of Ionix Supreme.

I'm going to try one of the "want more energy" mixes today before we have to take the kids to hockey...and my family kicks me out for being a jerk.

I'm on my way!

I spent last night getting organized. I sorted through my 30-day box of Isagenix goodies and planning my program.

I opted to start today, to take advantage of the momentum I'm feeling and get right to it. Especially since I tend to have some trouble sticking to a plan, I knew that organization was my key to commitment.

I did my measurements last night. And it's not pretty. Actually, it was rather depressing. But, I'm doing this for change. As you can see...change is needed!

Weight - 178.8 lbs

All other measurements are in inches
Neck - 14
Upper arm L - 12
Upper arm R - 12.5
Chest - 42.5
Diaphragm - 37
Waist - 40
Abdomen - 43
Buttocks - 44
Upper thigh L - 26
Upper thigh R - 26.5
Calf L - 16
Calf R - 16
Upper knee L - 17.5
Upper knee R - 17.5

So...I'm basically a cylinder! LOL! I've never been one of those curvy girls...even when I was in university and a skinny wee thing. But looking at these numbers last night had me just shaking my head. What the heck have I been thinking?

I started my day with a shot of the Ionix Supreme (I opted for the liquid) and 16 oz of water. I will admit that I stood in my kitchen and stared at the thick greenish liquid for a good 2 minutes before I found the courage to suck it back. I have no idea why that first step was so hard for me. I've definitely had alcohol shots that were much nastier...the prairie fire comes to mind, for instance. It was actually kinda fruity...not nearly as yucky as I had imagined!

And then on my way into work I had my first IsaLean Shake. It totally shocked me!!! YUMMY! I wasn't expecting it to taste that good. I mean, I'm doing this for my health and to lose weight, the shake should not logically taste like I'm having a chocolate milkshake at 7:30am, right??? I'm glad to be wrong about that! ( and I don't say that very often!)

Today I'm planning to have my meal of the day at lunch and then tonight I'll have my second shake for dinner. I'm hosting an in-home jewellery party tonight, so I'll likely have a little snack at the party, but hosting should keep me busy and chatting instead of stuffing my face!

There has to be a better way...

It took me a long time to get here. It's been over a year since I first chatted with my friend, J, about Isagenix products. She had been using them for a while and her transformation was just amazing. I wanted in!!!

But, I wasn't ready to commit.

In the meantime, I didn't do myself any favours. I fell off the exercise bandwagon...again. I made terrible food choices.  And I managed to gain another 15 pounds. I've sat by...making terrible choices as my energy level plummeted and my digestive system went haywire. I've been through a bunch medical testing and there is no obvious reason for the abdominal pain and digestive circus I have going on.

So what finally turned the tide for me, you ask?

It was a bridesmaid dress.

The photo my friend emailed me on Monday, only 3 days ago, of the dress I am to wear on her happiest day. A dress that made even the size 0 model look a little large around the bottom!

It was my  wake up call...my rock bottom.

I am heavier today than I ever was 9 months pregnant, and I've been there twice. I NEED something to change. I am ready.

Today my Isagenix 30-Day System arrived at my door!!! I am so excited to begin this journey; to transform my body and reap the health benefits of  these fantastic products!