Don't starve yourself...

Tuesday was a slow start. I knew I was not going to the gym because I was going for a walk in the evening with a friend. However, I was planning to get up and in to work extremely early to get some things done. Let's just say I have a really comfy bed.

Work was good. It's always good. I feel really privelaged that I love my job. Not a whole lot of people can say that. I've been able to say that often in life. I've had many jobs I enjoy. I've said this before, but I really mean it - I am so ecstatic to be back to my happy-go-lucky self.

My ViSalus Shakes were pineapple and coconut as well as cocoa and banana. That was delicious. I made it for a customer at a Challenge Party the other day and forgot how delicious it is. It tasted like a chocolate-banana milkshake. Yum!

In the evening I went for an hour walk with a friend. I have not seen her in a few years. We keep in touch on Facebook and it was so nice to see her face to face. It was a really nice walk on a nice path by the lake. We will meet up again next week.  I'm looking forward to it.

I noticed yesterday that if I let myself get too hungry that I crave junk food. I dropped by a friend's place after my walk to drop something off and by that time I was famished. I was thinking of fast food. I talked myself out of it because it is so not worth it! I got home and had a small healthy meal and felt so good!

Have a great day everyone! See you tomorrow.

Incredible ViSalus Event

Monday was a great day!

I started my morning with a ViSalus Shake mixed with pineapple and coconut...delicious!!!!

Work was busy but it was a great day. I got a lot accomplished and had fun through the day. In the evening I went to a Group Challenge Party in Ajax opened to the public. I invited many and one person joined me. We had a blast and she was able to see a speak with a few people and hear their stories. It was exciting and inspirational even for me! One lady took the stage - she's lost over 215 pounds in the last 2 years! Incredible!

Seeing people excited over the Challenge and watching their lives transform makes me so happy and honoured to have been introduced to ViSalus and all it has to offer! It blows my mind to get paid so much for something that is already so rewarding!

I feel like I'm on cloud 9 today!

Relaxed...or lazy...weekend

It’s Monday….already. Seems like this weekend flew by, even though I didn’t do much at all. On Saturday I did half of my circuit training as the Chiropractor told me which exercised to skip. I did skip those, but my hip felt a little funny on Sunday so I skipped Sunday’s workout too.

This morning, I decided not to go to the gym as well. My hip is being temperamental and I don’t want to make it angry. However, if it still feels this way tomorrow, I will go regardless. Maybe the mobility will help it (?)  Regardless, I am going for a walk with a friend tomorrow night. I’m looking forward to that. She replied some time ago to my plea for a workout buddy. Unfortunately, we’ve had to reschedule a few times, but tomorrow we are set!!

I thought I was going for a weigh in on Sunday. I did notice that I didn’t have anything booked; however, my doctor takes walk ins. I called in the morning and he was off. Turns out, I knew that. Oops. So I didn’t get the official weigh in and next week is a long weekend and I am not certain if he is working. Either way, I will get weighed in soon and will just stay on track in the meantime.

On the weekend I bought a lot of fruits and vegetables. I am looking forward to my Shakes today. I have fresh pineapple and coconut. I can’t wait to have a “fresh” pina colada shake!

I guess it’s time to head to work now. After work I am attending another ViSalus Group Challenge Party. I have some guests attending as well. What a perfect way for them to find out all about the Challenge and sample some Shakes.

Let's Talk About YOUR Why....

On Friday I woke with a sore hip. It felt like it “popped out”. I couldn’t stop laughing at myself in the day walking around like a frail old lady all limping and hunched a little. That evening I went to the Chiropractor. Unfortunately, he told me to avoid certain exercises…basically half of what I do in Circuit Training (he said for 1-2 weeks…I say we will see – 2 days at least).

Friday night we stumbled across an Auto Show. They closed down some major street and there were a few blocks of Antique Cars being displayed. That’s not usually my type of thing, but I was itching to move around, so we pulled over and spent a few hours walking up and down the streets looking at the cars.

I was home and in bed at an early 11PM. I’m really trying to stick to earlier bedtimes as much as possible. Being a night owl though, I have already decided that weekends don’t count. Ha ha!

This morning I decided to head to the gym. Even though I can only do half of the workout, it’s better than NOTHING!!!

I don’t know what is going on….or maybe I do. I did not want to be there once I arrived. I wanted to just go home. I’d start one of the exercises and then let my head think “this is hard, just do it with half of the effort”. But in the back of my head I heard Caity saying “your mind will give up well before your body will”. She’s totally correct with that by the way! I pushed through and forced myself to give it my all and over power my own mind. After the workout, I felt AMAZING. I do totally love that feeling. It’s as if my body is singing and dancing and thanking me for doing something terrific.  I think I know what is going on with me wanting to quit. For one, I am my own worst enemy. As happy-go-lucky as I am, I do have negative thoughts: “I will never do this”, “I am not strong enough”, “I’m just a lazy person”, etc. Secondly, I really, really, really miss working out with Caity. I am not a gym person at all. It’s not for me. I loved working out outside and using my own body as resistance. I felt the best after working out with Caity. I think having her company during the workouts was a big bonus too. That’s NOT an excuse. I still love how I feel after the workout and will still continue to do my circuit training too. I was just making the observation.

After the workout I have a Visalus Vi-Shake mixed with Chocolate Mix-In. Yesterday, both of my Shakes were mixed with Instant Coffee and a Chocolate Mix-In.

This week I have felt incredible all over. I also noticed that my skin is not nearly as dry. I’d like to think that it is the increase in water intake as I know that is good for your skin, but I am still not drinking as much as I should….a LOT more than usual…but not nearly as much as I should be. Maybe it’s the combination of the Vi-Pak?? I really don’t know. All I know is that I feel amazing. If I could bottle my happiness and sell it, I’d be a billionaire.

When I came back from my workout today, I didn’t feel like making my shake. I just wanted to “grab something” on the go. But I have my goals and I made one. It made me shake my head again – honestly folks, it takes seconds to make a Shake. It tastes great and is so much healthier than anything I would have grabbed.

I think having a true “why” also keeps me on track. Having a solid reason for why you want to be healthier makes a lot of difference.

I’ve heard people say “I really should take care of myself better”….but WHY??? If there is no “why”, there is no drive. Be sure to make your “why” about YOU and only YOU.

Here are some examples of how one can change some typical “whys” into personal “whys”:
- I am doing this so my partner finds me more attractive….change to…I am doing this so I feel sexier and more confident
- I want to be around for me kids…change to…I am doing this to be able to participate in activities with the kids and teach them about good health and fitness
- I am doing this to fit back into my ____...change to….I felt amazing when I wore that ____ and I am doing this to feel that amazing feeling again

The “whys” are similar, but with more ownership. Own your reason. Never change yourself or your lifestyle to suit others. Do it for yourself. You will be happier for it and will likely succeed.

That...felt....amazing!

On Tuesday, if you recall, I did circuit training before work and had a tough time focussing all day. I wasn't sure if it was from working out so early or just "one of those days". Yesterday I did the same workout before work and even though I wanted to quit 15 minutes in, I pushed myself the whole time.....and.....I  felt incredible the entire day!

Today I did not work out as it seems my hip/back hurts. I'm going to try to get in to the chiropractor today and if he gives the ok, I will work out tonight.

Yesterday my shakes were both made with instant coffee (the 2nd had a chocolate mix in added).

Last night was a struggle. My husband and I went to an event where appetizers were being circulated. Such yummy, yummy food. I had to remind myself that a taste would suffice. No sense eating 3 sliders. They will all taste the same. In no time I found myself mingling and networking and my mind was off the food.

I really think knowing my problem (my food obsession/addiction) and recognizing the signs help me control myself. I don't like that it's a constant struggle, but I will overcome it. Funny thing - I've been like this all my life; I just now am recognizing it. One thing I enjoy about the ViSalus Shakes is that I feel so much healthier that, often times, even though I think about junk food when it is in front of me I don't actually feel like it. I know it will make me feel gross.

I'm looking forward to my weigh in on Sunday. I think I'll ask my doctor to also write my inches lost.

It is NOT easy....

Let me start by filling you in on yesterday...Wednesday. I took yesterday off from the gym because I had to be at work early to make it to a group Challenge Party a couple of hours away. It was an incredible event! I learned so much and heard/saw so many stories of people who transformed their lives both physically and financially via Visalus.

Yesterday's Visalus Shakes were both Vi-Shake mixed with instant offee. I think I may need to switch to decaf coffee. I'm not really a coffee drinker. However, I used to drink a lot of pop in the day and that was probably even more caffeine than these coffee Shakes.

Here's the brutal honesty....
Yesterday I did not want to make my morning shake. Purely just from being lazy. I went down to the main floor and started to see what the restaurants had to offer. All the while I was mumbling to myself that I really didn't want anything they had. Also, my Shake only costs approximately $2, so why was I going to drop $5+ on stuff that would make me feel heavy and blah? I reluctantly decided to go make my shake. From my desk to the kitchen and back with a delicious and satisfying shake was 4 minutes. Less than the time spent downstairs.

When I made my afternoon Shake, I also made my colleague's and we got to chatting about food. I have to be honest here. I think about food constantly. All the time. Wings, nachos, chips, doughnuts, chocolate, burgers - all the junk that is no good for me. I fight with myself everyday, especially when I am hungry. I have it in my head that going through the drive thru will be faster and easier. Know what? It's NOT faster than making a shake. It IS more expensive. It IS unhealthy. So why do I struggle? I don't know. I don't have that answer. What I do have are thing I recognize and small tips.
ViSalus does have a product that helps with hunger control and cravings. But I'm not hungry nor craving anything.

I recognize:
- ViSalus Shakes satisfy me
- the Shakes are delicious
- they are inexpensive
- they make me feel healthier
- they are fast and easy to make
- I now know the difference between hungry and bored or just habit eating

My tips:
- stop and think of your why. Why are you doing this? Is eating that "whatever food" worth the moment of time on your taste buds?
- write your goal down. Otherwise it is a dream and not a goal
- go public. Tell people what you are doing. It will hold you more accountable
- when you have a craving, drink water - go for a walk
- have some carrot sticks or veggies on hand to snack on
- find YOUR why!!! YOUR reason!

I started my day with a one hour circuit training workout. I wanted to quit 15 minutes into it. I was tired and lazy and just wanted to go home and shower and go to work. I reluctantly pushed through. My "why" is too important. I am not doing this to prove anything to anyone. I'm doing this for ME!  If I give up I am giving up on me.

I don't have the answers. I have struggles and I am determined to overcome them. Are you willing to join me in overcoming your struggles?

By the way, I feel amazing now after pushing through that workout.

Undecided...I'll try again Thursday

I noted in the blog I posted this morning that I went to the gym and did an hour of circuit training before work. I like that idea because if I get home at night and don’t feel like doing anything, it’s ok – I already worked out that day. However, I did not like running around like mad to catch the train. That’s my fault though. I should have been 15 minutes earlier and it would have all been fine.

Today at work I was not focussed. I really needed to make an effort with everything I did today. On Thursday I will work out in the morning again and see what happens at work later that day. It might have just been “one of those days”. I’m trying to recall how I felt when I was in Texas. I’d start the day at 5AM at Camp Gladiator and then shower and head to work. Of course, I really hated my job at that time, so it’s not a good comparison. My mood was generally pretty disgusting at that time.

Wednesday will be my day off from working out. I was going to try Zumba in the evening, but now I have a Challenge Party to attend that I am looking forward to. Because it is a few hours away, I won’t have time to work out before work. I also have a Challenge Party on Thursday night, but that is in town, so I will do some circuit training Thursday morning.

After my workout this morning, I had a Visalus Shake with Almond Milk and a Chocolate Mix In. I decided to have lunch and a Shake for dinner. However, I was pleasantly surprised that my husband made me dinner when I got home. So today was just one Shake.

I’ve been doing AWESOME with my water intake the last two days. I am a pop (soda) junkie. I LOVE Pepsi….especially when it is a fountain drink. It had been difficult, but every time I crave a pop, I drink water instead. I have to admit, it is getting easier each day. I just have to remain strong. I am doing all of this work and seeing results and going to waste it by drinking and eating junk? NO WAY!

Now I just need to find a way to keep myself from hopping on the scale every day. It’s not healthy! I was very sad to see I never lost any weight at all since Sunday…so far. However, I also know that in the past I never lost any weight on the 90 Day Challenge for two weeks in a row; however, I lost a few inches over those two weeks. I am neither concerned nor disappointed. I feel so much healthier already! Oh…before I forget again…yesterday I started taking the Vi-Pak. I don’t know what to expect with that, so I will just see if I feel any different than I did doing just the Vi-Shake and I’ll let you know.

Marvelous Monday

Monday was a great day at work. I really don't regret coming out of retirement so soon as I truly love my job and the people in the office.

I have been having one Visalus shake with a colleague and one on my own. She enjoys the same shake each day much like I have. So everyday, the morning shake is Visalus mixed with hot instant coffee. My second shake yesterday was Visalus mixed with Vi-Defy. 

Last night I pushed myself. I got tired of lame excuses about not being motivated and I went to the gym. It was incredible! I did one hour of circuit training. Oh, sure, I wanted to quit many times in that hour. I was "too tired" and "it was boring" and many other reasons. But I know better, so I pushed on and am so glad I did! What an amazing feeling!

I also went to bed early last night. I am going to try to get 6-8 hours of sleep each night. I know that it is extremely important for your body to rest. I'm no spring chicken anymore and my usual 3-4 hours of sleep isn't healthy. I was in bed at 10PM and up at 5:45AM.  Then.....I hit the gym!!! Another 1 hour circuit training. I am going to try mornings. That way, no matter how tired or lazy I feel at night, I already got a great workout in for the day.

I'm curious how I will feel throughout the day today. Tomorrow, however, I might try Zumba in the evening. Also, the next morning workout needs to start a little earlier. I was rushed getting ready today in order to make the train (which I did and am updating this on the way in). My shifts are flexible, but I'm going to start getting into a routine. I think it will help my sleep patterns too.

Official Weigh In...and looking for motivation...

Sunday is a cleaning day. Not a whole lot going on other than cleaning and preparing some lunches for the week.

Lately, the evenings have been quite cool; which is just fine by me! I already have the music picked out that I will walk to. I am looking forward to going for a long walk. It is so much easier to walk faster and longer for me when I am distracted by my music. I don’t even realize how long I’ve been walking for.

I am doubting you are reading this to find out about my cleaning and walking. So…here are the results…I am down another six pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A total of 13 pounds in 3 weeks! Unfortunately, I did leave my note from my doctor in his office. However, I will be back for another weigh in on Sunday and you will see for yourself that it is even more weight loss at that time.

Right now I am taking a break from cleaning to write this and then make a schedule for hitting the gym. When I was working out with Caity I was addicted. I loved working out. It felt incredible! I want that feeling back. I am having such a hard time getting back out there on my own. I did pull out my Camp Gladiator mat so it is ready to go….now I just need to GO!

Weekend condensed...know what today is?

Friday was a great day. I was extremely busy at work, but that is my favourite way to be.

Immediately after work I had a Challenge Party. Something about those parties makes me in a great mood. I think it may be seeing everyone have so much fun and knowing that I am helping to motivate them to work towards a healthier lifestyle.

At work I had both Shakes and both were made with Visalus Shake Mix and Instant Coffee. That seems to be something I have been enjoying for a little while now.

Saturday was a busy day. I had my hair done and in the evening I went to a Networking Barbeque. It was probably the best networking event I have attended in a long time. I met so many wonderful people. I had four people comment on how personable I am. It makes me smile and still throws me off guard a little. I always thought I was shy….apparently not!

On Saturday I only had one Visalus Shake. It was mixed with fresh blueberries.

Today is Sunday…the big day! The day I get my official weigh in from the doctor’s office. I am so excited. WOW…being excited to see my weight…incredible!

I get paid to party!!!

Thursday was a great day. I had an amazing day at work and an amazing 90 Day Challenge Party after work. I met a lot of great people and it’s always fun to have them sample different Visalus Shakes. I forgot how many creative recipes there are. We tried Strawberry Cheesecake, S’mores, Iced Coffee and a new one for me – Strawberry Rhubarb! That was really good. I’m not sure I will have it at home myself as I never have rhubarb on hand. As with all Challenge Parties, I bring everything including ingredients. However, these folks were so excited to try more Shakes that they wanted to try their own creations.

For my own Shakes I had:
- hot instant coffee mixed with Visalus Shake Mix
- fresh fruit mixed with Visalus Shake Mix and sugar free caramel sauce…just to hit my sweet tooth.

My Challenge Party was in Bolton, which isn’t all that far, but I was sleepy when I got home. I am finding it interesting that my body is changing over the years. This isn’t necessarily a Visalus observation, just an observation in general: I find that I am getting 6-7 hours of sleep per night. QUALITY sleep! This is such a change from my usual 2-3 hours per night. It is a welcomed change for sure. While I don’t recall the reasons why, I do recall being told and seeing online that a good night’s sleep aids in the weight loss process.

This weekend I have another Challenge Party and perhaps some shopping. My pants are getting looser. Hmmmm…I wonder why!

On a business note (and I have not done this on my blog before), I would like to suggest that if you are looking for an exciting career where you can: meet some incredible people; help people transform their lives; receive some huge bonuses; get paid for having fun and potentially being paid more than enough to retire on, then I suggest you seriously look into ViSalus.

ViSalus is really going places. Do your research!! Check out my Website: www.bbvcid.com
If you have any questions, I’d be happy to assist you.

Tried a new way to use the Visalus shakes...

Yesterday was another great day! I started my day off with ViSalus blueberry pancakes. The flavour was good, but I'm a picky eater and they were too fluffy. I know most love fluffy pancakes, but I like mine flat.

I took a bunch of fresh fruit to work and used my Vitamix to make my Visalus Shake. It was a lot less work than the juicer and tasted just as good.

I hurt my back yesterday and I'm not even sure how. After a visit to the Chiropractor my husband and I spontaneously went out for dinner with some of my family. Sushi! It was great seeing them.

When I got home my back was still so stiff and sore. I still put on my shoes and went for a power walk....which turned out to be quite a slow walk. This morning my back is stiff, but not sore. They do say movement is a good thing!

Lately,  I have been having a lot of athletes approach me for Visalus. It's wonderful to see so many different body types and such a wide range of health and fitness goals. What's even more exciting is seeing everyone transform their bodies and love their results! I love this business!!

Monday Weigh In Results Are.........

…didn’t happen. There was a mix up at the Doctor’s office between what time my appointment was and what time I was heading in. By that, I mean I was late because I was confused on the time. Oh well. I am rescheduled for Sunday and I can’t wait!!! I hopped on the scale and am beaming! I LOVE my ViSalus!!! I’d tell you what I lost, but I prefer to use the Doctor’s scale as my official weight – just to keep it consistent.

Monday was a good day; however, I did do a big no-no. After work, my husband and I went shopping at Costco and loaded up on healthy food (a LOT of fruits and vegetables). I was already tired by the time we got home and he made me dinner. YUM! Shortly after I ate, I went to bed - An early night for me (approximately 10:30 PM). You should NEVER to that! Never eat and go to bed. But I was soooooooo tired!

Today I woke up very well rested. I started the day by pulling out my juicer and making a glass of juice consisting of Pineapple, Watermelon, Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Grapes, Cantaloupe and Honey Dew Melons and then mixed it with my ViSalus Shake Mix. Delicious!! BUT…very time consuming and you use a LOT of fruit to make one glass of juice. Also, it was a bit of work to clean it all up and I should not have started before work. I think that I will just take the fruit with me tomorrow and use my Vitamix (that’s a “blender” and not a ViSalus product – in case you were wondering).

At work I was very conscious about drinking a lot more water through the day. I am still struggling with that, but make a lot more of an effort. I also had a big glass of Vi-Defy (the promotional juice I was telling you about before from ViSalus). I’m not sold on that flavour yet. It’s not “bad”; I just expected a completely different flavour. But the ingredients are unbelievable, so I am going to continue to drink it. The flavour is ok…again, not what I expected.

I packed healthy snacks and felt really energized at work today. In the afternoon there was a function at work and a lot of people were pouring and drinking coffee. I don’t drink coffee often at all, but it smelled so good. So I put my ViSalus Shake Mix at the bottom of the cup and poured the hot coffee over it. Again…delicious!

This evening, I was still full of energy. I did laundry, dishes, made dinner, did some research, returned phone calls and sent out some ViSalus samples. I was about to update my Blog, but stopped to jump on the scale. My eyes bulged out of my head! It seems I really forgot how ViSalus truly works! I was pumped at the number I saw and decided it was time to speed walk; I dug out the shoes I bought in Texas and wore them for the first time. It was like walking on a cloud and I power walked to my music for 45 minutes. Everyone, it is so easy to find time to do even a little exercise….something I “forget”…er…make excuses for constantly.

I have to say, I love my energy levels, my overall happier mood AND…ready for this? My eczema on my finger = GONE!

I can’t wait to weigh in on Sunday. I put the scale away for now because it is not healthy to be addicted to it on a daily basis. But I am so happy every time I check and it goes down even a little…it’ll be hard to not want to peek!

Relaxing and Reflective weekend...

What a productive weekend…even with all the relaxing and visiting.

Saturday was a much enjoyed Spa Day. Ahhhhhh…pedicure, facial, massage…sooooo nice!!! Followed by dinner at a family member’s house.

Sunday, I started that day with a Visalus Challenge Party. I really love them. It’s fun to have people try different shakes and see what they think. It was especially helpful today as it motivated me for the week! While sharing some of my struggles, it made me realize some area I can focus on AND I even came up with some tips for myself to help me in some weak areas.

It’s hard for me sometimes to update my blog – to admit that I am struggling from time to time. Today, I was made aware from two separate people how my blog has helped them realize they are not the only one struggling. They both mentioned that they see my physical changes and think “Sheila did it and she struggled along the way. I can do it too.” WOW! Goes to show I never really know who is reading this or what they are getting out of it.
I am so glad I am helping people in some way, shape of form. This blog also helps me. By typing it out and sharing it with the world, I am able to see the areas that are my weak spot more clearly.

Sometimes it is easy to think that if you don’t let others know you’ve fallen a bit, you can get away with it. In worst case scenarios, one might continue to fall and hide their struggles – rest assured, they are only fooling themselves. So while I find it hard to admit my setbacks openly, I know that I am not fooling anyone if I don’t say a word. It would be noticed. Just as my successes will be too!

Every pound lost is a pound in the right direction...

Today was a much better day than yesterday, that’s for sure!

I have increased my water intake quite a bit, but still am not up to what I should be. I’m surprised what a struggle that is for me. It sounds so easy, but I just haven’t been able to master it…..yet.

I want to thank everyone for their input on what promotional offers I should implement. Very creative ideas. I will have my new promotion on my website in the beginning of the week.

This week wasn’t one of my “best”: some days only one shake in the day; some days with no exercise; and then there is the three brownie day…ugh. However, I got on the scale for a sneak peek...yay! Looking forward to my next weight in on Monday. I do have three days left, but I don’t think it will be as large a loss as last week. I am not at all disappointed with what I saw today. Every pound less is a pound towards my goal.

This weekend I am going to increase my physical fitness and enjoy the outdoors, regardless of the weather.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Uh oh! Let's not do THIS again....

I blew it today. Not a little. A lot…a whole lot.

My husband made some brownies for me to take to work. I took them and shared them. That was the point, right? But to “share”, one needs to partake….don’t they? Otherwise it is “giving away” and not “sharing”.  Ok, ok…you caught me. That was a stretch and a half for an excuse. All that to say…I ate brownies today. Not one…not two….THREE! Three too many!

That wasn’t all. After work my husband and I picked up his step mom and took her to an all you can eat Italian Buffet. Now, buffets are not too bad for me. I really don’t eat much at them anymore. However, I only had one Visalus shake today. (Visalus shake with Grape Tropicana juice.)

Now I am exhausted and it is pouring rain and I am not going to get any exercising in before I head to bed in a couple of minutes.

Am I angry or feeling defeated? Not really. I am disappointed that I didn’t listen to my inner voice. I knew better and never even tried to control myself. I am definitely disappointed, but I know that tomorrow is another day. I am not too distraught as I do think that we need to indulge every now and again. However, three brownies was a bit much!

I do have to keep a few things in mind:

1)    Eating right and exercising is a lifestyle change. One bad day should be just that…ONE bad day.

2)    I should not be surprised by poor weight loss results this week.

3)    I am supposed to be setting an example and this is a poor example to set.

4)    Now that I’ve gone public, I know my “haters” are watching with anticipation of me failing and the opportunity to criticize me…they won’t win in the end! I will!!

The one thought I want everyone to remember doesn’t necessarily relate to working out, nor eating healthy…you can relate this to any aspect of your life: Do NOT be upset with the results you didn’t get with the work you didn’t do!!! Tomorrow…I will “work”!

Looking for YOUR ideas and input....

Wednesday was another full day. At least these days I know what I am spending time doing. It used to be that everyone would say “you are always so busy!” and while it was true, I had no idea what I was doing every day to be out so late and never home. I do now though.

While I LOVE my job so much, I can’t ignore that fact that I am in excruciating pain almost every day. It’s kind of hard to ignore that. I’ve been trying to play with my work station and sit in a way that my neck, shoulder and arm don’t seize up, but I can’t seem to get it right. The pain was so bad yesterday that I went to the chiropractor right after work. He reminded me of best practices for setting up my work station and now I see what I was doing wrong. WHEW! When I get in to work I will make the changes right away. It’s been a painful experience.

By the time I got home, I was exhausted and went to bed. In my head I was thinking how I was in so much pain that it was “ok” that I didn’t work out….and maybe it was ok. However, I am also starting to notice that I am getting trickier with my excuses. I am starting to really make the excuses convincing to myself. Shoulder and neck pain do NOT mean I cannot at least power walk. Of course, I didn’t clue into this until morning, so that’s what I did. I went out and power walked. I need to figure out why I am so reluctant to get moving…then regret not moving because I wish I had of. Lazy, I suppose.

Yesterday I had my Visalus shakes with POM juice. Boring! While I have enjoyed the flavour in the past, I think I need to start being more creative.

My colleague was all excited talking about his Vitamix he just got and I was telling him all kinds of recipes he can try and even pointed out to him that I have mine at work. Well, DUH! Then I should use it for what it does best…blend anything and everything down to smooooooothness! I will get from fresh fruit and veggies tonight and start getting creative again with the Shakes.

I had a Visalus Challenge Party last night. I don’t generally mention them in the blog, but it was so much fun!  I also gave the host my promotional Magic Bullet Deluxe Kit that they qualified for. It got me to thinking….I really want to change my promotional offer. View my current promotion on my website: www.bbvcid.com and let me know your thoughts on what I should promote. Inbox me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/visalus2 or via email at info@bbvcid.com

I’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions.

Easier Than Expected

Ahhhhhhhh...huge sigh of relief!!

Last night we rented a UHAUL and moved out the queen sized bed, futon, coffee table, kitchen table ans chairs, as well as some "this and that".

What a relief! I've been storing things until my niece or nephew moved out, but it's time just to get rid of stuff now.

Our next renovation plan is to gut one of the back bedrooms and make a new office for my Visalus business. I can't wait!! It's going to look awesome!

After the move last night we ended up going for a nice cool swim. It was so refreshing. I was just relaxing and puttering around when it hit me - what a great workout opportunity. So off I went! I did 20 laps of the pool and then incorporated some exercises I recall from aquafit, including ab crunches as a treat since I love them. I felt a lot better after - partially because I was smart enough to recognize such an opportunity.

As tired as I am already today (from lack of sleep the last two days), I am going to try to hit the gym tonight. If not, I will definitely go for a power walk and then pull out one of the more recent workouts that Caity and I did together.

 I have to remind myself "babysteps". The weight won't fall off over night. Sometimes that frustrates me. But good things come to those who work for it!

Perfect End to a Long Weekend - a weigh in!

It’s been a jam packed long weekend…packed with relaxation! My favourite kind of weekend.

Friday night I went out for dinner with my sister. We went to the Mandarin. A buffet…or as my friend calls it “an all you can keep down” restaurant. A place that it so easy for me to overeat. I was good though! I had a salad plate and a dinner plate…and because I don’t like my food to touch it was easy for me to not overeat.

Saturday was a hot one. Ugh! I don’t do heat! We headed back to my sister’s and relaxed with a nice cool swim and then ordered Thai food and watched the storm pass through. It was very relaxing indeed.

I can’t even remember what I did Sunday…as sad as that sounds. But I know what we didn’t do…we didn’t move the furniture. That was postponed to Tuesday evening.

Today is Monday and I went to the doctor for my official weigh in….ready for this??
I LOST SEVEN POUNDS IN ONE WEEK!
My doctor wrote my weight loss on his prescription paper. However, I forgot to ask him if it was okay to include his name and clinic information on my blog and Facebook, so for now I will not include that information.

I am so excited! I also didn’t put in much of an effort this week other than drinking my Visalus Shakes. But I am so excited to rid of this furniture and other household items on Tuesday so I can start hitting the gym on Wednesday.

I love losing weight…more importantly, I love feeling healthier.

Energy? Check. Sleep? Check.

Generally speaking, I have been updating my blog at the end of the day right before I head to bed. This blog is being updated Friday morning for Thursday. Why?? Because I was in bed at 9pm last night!! That is almost unheard of. But it was WONDERFUL!

Thursday, I was up early and decided that since I’d be moving and packing in the evening, I’d go for a power walk. Let me tell you….I am loving having me energy back! However, after a full day of working my butt of at work, I was sleepy when I got home. Not much packing got done. Ok…none did.

Yesterday I only had one Shake…Visalus Shake mixed with Vi-Defy. Time just passed me yesterday and I was so enthralled in my workload and meeting my deadlines that I never thought to eat, nor drink my shakes. I did, however, manage to drink more water.

This weekend is a long weekend here in Ontario and because I met my deadline, I get to have it off too…woohooooo. Actually, I don’t mind if my long weekend is this weekend or next, as long as I have a long weekend in there somewhere.

Saturday morning I will be delivering the furniture and items that I’ve been packing up. Oh to have my basement back and my old furniture gone!! What a wonderful feeling. With that space in the basement, we can then move things downstairs to empty upstairs and continue with renovations! With the extra income from Visalus, we have changes the tile in the entrance hall, some of our doors and completely gutted the upstairs bathroom down to the bare bones and redid it all. I have me a soaker tub now! Next we want to redo the floors and doors in each bedroom and paint the while upper level. We are also going to make an office for my Visalus business. I can’t wait!

Part of the reason I am so excited over renovations is that I don’t do any of it. I hire someone. People tell me all the time that it is so satisfying when you do your own renovations. A sense of accomplishment. I totally get that and agree it would feel awesome. I like going to work and then coming home and seeing everything done! That’s MY way of renovating.

All that to say….have a safe and fun long weekend. I only have plans for Saturday morning and then it will be spontaneous day trips and events for me the rest of the weekends. LOVE IT!

Ahhhh...there's that energy I used to have!

Another day - another two glasses of water. I also mixed my shakes today with water, but I am not sure if that counts.

My Visalus shakes today were mixed with Vi-Defy. This was a limited time offer product from Visalus which consist of super fruits. I was expecting a very different taste. It reminded me of the raspberry neuro. I like the raspberry neuro, but I really thought this was going to be more fruity. I am going to try the Vi-Defy with plain water tomorrow to see what I think.

I forgot how much energy the Visalus Shakes give me. I now recall that after only a few days I was bursting with energy. Of course, I only recall this because sure enough, today I noticed I was again bursting with energy!

I’m totally pumped about this mini challenge as well as the full 90 Day Challenge. I was teasing back and forth with my cousin over text today. It’s a lot more fun when you are doing a challenge with someone else. It doesn’t even matter if they are the same goals or completely different. It appears that it keeps everyone more focussed.

Over the next few days I will be spending several hours after work each night packing and moving furniture. Not sure I will get much exercising done in that time…HOWEVER…I have put together a schedule of classes that I have an interest in at the YMCA. That way, if I am not motivated to go it alone, I will have a schedule of different exercise classes I can attend.

I have a really good feeling about this Challenge. Thanks for keeping me company along the way. I am even more pleased to see how many people are emailing me and supporting me on this journey! WOW!
Caity was awesome today…I told her of a craving I had for a cheese tea biscuit and she went home and found me a recipe for a healthier choice. Such support!!

How about you? Are you making any changes in your lifestyle to be healthier? I’d absolutely love to hear about it!

As a side note, have you seen my website lately? Some new information and pictures have been added. www.bbvcid.com

Have a great night everyone!