Wrapping up 2014......onto 2015

So it's been a while since I posted, well a month & a half but has been so much going on, family, friends, work....you know the daily grind turns into the weekly grind, then the next thing you know the month is over. So let me catch you up!

I have been doing great with my Clean Eating Lifestyle.  I am learning so much each day!  I have been able to get creative with the recipes and I have found that Clean Eating is a WHOLE lot easier than I ever thought it would be.  Don't get me wrong, I am not completely perfect 100% of the time.  There have been some dinners, events, get togethers, moments and such that have led to eating some good 'ol comfort food BUT now, when I do that, I get right back on the horse.  That is something I have never been able to do.

So how did 2014 end?

So during the month of December I continued making good choices, I implemented my Purium Master Aminos & Power Shakes into my daily regimen and I am PROUD to say that by the end of December I was down a total of: 

  With so much going on I forgot to measure myself BUT I know the inches just keep coming off.  How do I know? Duh, my clothes keep getting looser and I can shop out of the boxes of smaller clothes in my basement (good thing for those cause this chic does not have wardrobe $$ right now)  What is cool though is I have checked my weight records (I have them going back 3-4 yrs) and I am smaller now at this weight than I used to be. Did I say that right?  What I mean is I am wearing small clothes now at 246 lbs than I did when I used to weigh this amount.  Which means......thanks to Purium I am keeping my muscle mass and it is truly FAT that is going away.  That in itself is a BIG deal.  I have done SO MANY other programs and NONE of them were able to do that for me, plus none of them were so simple and easy to follow which is what I need right now in my life.  I just don't have the knowledge, time or desire to be making fancy or complicated meals NOR do I want to be eating out of some frozen meal box or a package protein bar.  I want real food, the kind that was meant for our bodies, the kind that heals them and bring them back to a proper functioning machine. How about you?

So what's going on for 2015?

Well thank you for asking, I am approaching this year with a whole new mindset. It's all about "Eating Clean in 2015", that is my first mantra.  It's how I want to approach food. This year is about my health & not about the scale.  I have focused on the numbers on the scale my entire life and look where I still am, so CLEARLY that is not working. 

Think for a moment: We value our cars do we not? We clean them, get oil changes, put in quality gas, would you say you LOVE your car? Some people do but we certainly do appreciate what they do for us and we take care of them. And if they are not 'working' efficiently then we look under the hood to see what is wrong. Do we put soda in the gas tank for fuel? Do we change the oil with crisco? If the engine is knocking do we just take a part of our a generic box labeled "will fix your engine" and place it under the hood?  NO WE WOULD NOT!!!

But yet every day we just put 'junk' into our bodies.  Do we LOVE our body? Of course we do, we wake up every day with a desire to live so we do have a level of love for our body....so WHY are we putting CRAP into them???  You may not like this reality but it's true. We want our body to work for us. We want to walk places, run sometimes, get up & down with ease, dance when our favorite song comes on, twirl when the breeze hits us just right, stop and pose when we see a mirror, jump when we see a puddle. All these things may seem small but they are EVERY DAY actions that many of us just can't do because we are not taking care of our 'engines'. This needs to stop people! And I include myself in this. I

want my body to be a Well Oiled Machine in 2015. I want it to perform in the top of it's class. I want the engine to purrrr and not spit & sputter to get going.

So everyone take this VOW with me:

If we go into 2015 with this mindset then we are all set up for success and failure will not be an option for any of us.  If you agree and vow to do this, please comment below with your approval and share this post with a friend who you feel could use the same encouragement. This journey DOES NOT have to be a lonely one. Together we can support each other to take back our health and really LIVE in 2015!

WHY ??

What is your WHY ?

I was asked this recently about another area of my life and it was an eye opener, but after speaking with a beautiful woman on Sunday who is also in the process of her cleanse we discussed our WHY about this transformation. 
Why are you trying to loose weight?

If you answer this with 'because I want to be a size 6 or get into my high school jeans' I won't believe you.  Oh sure, I personally have said that a MILLION times to myself in the past, I still have my favorite pair of size 10 jeans packed away for 'one day' and some other favorite outfits but that has NEVER been enough.

How do I know it's not enough? Because I am STILL not wearing them and STILL trying to get into them!  If a smaller size was enough motivation to loose the weight then NONE of us would be overweight, 

so clearly it's NOT our WHY.

So you need to drill down, ask yourself questions and if you can't do that get a good friend or email ME and I will help you. There is a deeper reason you need to find in order to 'flip the switch' and transform your life.  You need to find out what it is that is truly bothering you and when you do find your WHY, it will make you CRY.  Mine certainly did.

 Whether you have 5 lbs, 25 lbs, 50lbs or 100+ like me we all want to be healthier and behind those skinny jeans (or a tailored suit for you guys) there are more substantial & deeper feelings, an intense burning desire for something else and when you figure out what that is the light-bulb will go off and suddenly it will click, and when it does....WATCH OUT!

It's clicking for me now. For over a year now I have learned a lot about the "D" word (diets), clean eating, eating green and a healthier life style and I FINALLY GET IT!  I have discovered what it is I want, not on the outside but the INSIDE and guess what.....it's the real motivator.  It all started with a wonderful friend introducing me to my cleanse and from there it exploded!  It truly was a TRANSFORMATION of more than just the body, but of my mind & heart of how I wanted to feel in so many areas of my life, taking control of it and MAKING IT HAPPEN.

How do you feel right now? I want you to stop and think for a moment, write your answers on a piece of paper to these questions: 

• How do I feel about my health?
• How do I feel about where I am in taking care of myself and my family?
• Am I truly happy with where I am?

Your answers to those questions are going to start your journey to taking back control of your health AND your life and when you do, you are going to be AMAZED at how good you feel and what you can accomplish.

I had a small victory this morning which inspired me to share all this with you.  I get it now and I don't want it to stop, but MORE than that, I want to help others get HERE. I want to share what it has taken me SO LONG to figure out so you don't have to suffer like I did. 

WE CAN DO THIS TOGETHER and I hope you will let me help. Feel free to comment or email me at any time, take the first step to reach out and ask for help. Someone did that for me and it has changed everything.

Have a great day and LOVE YOURSELF!

10 DAYS WHAT A DIFFERENCE!

So I did it! I completed my 10 Day Cleanse and I feel amazing!  I haven't felt this good physically in a long time, all those things I listed at the 5 day mark are still hanging on and even better. (I am actually writing this 4 days post cleanse)  I have been eating clean since I finished and still loosing weight.

This transformation was the healthiest thing I have ever done for my body and the benefits are overwhelming. I feel awesome and will continue down this path from now on.

Ok, ok, I know, you are waiting to here the final results right?

Total lbs lost in 10 days:  15.2

Total inches lost in 10 days:  8

Can you believe that? I can't. It took me almost 2 months last year to reach those numbers and I did not feel as healthy & vibrant as I do now.  There is really something to this.  So now here are some of my before & after pics where you can see the differences:

Look how my face thinned & my cheeks "de-puffed" (is that a word) you can now see my ears, bring on the earrings!  Haha

Here is my favorite, I lost a lot in my neck (double chin) and my profile is leaner. Plus look how my skinned cleared up, really happy about that perk. This one made me smile, I though "now there's Donna, where has she been hiding". 

Bye, bye tummy, now it doesn't stick out further than my chest and my back smoothed way down too. The majority of my inches lost were from the waist up, and speaking of waist.........

While I'm not thrilled about showing off this shot (sport bra people) it really shows how my waist went down (you can see the wall through my arms) and look at my shoulders to my neck, more definition.

I realize that I am a large woman, so 15 lbs will not be as dramatic on me as someone who is a size 10 or 14 BUT HEY...I think it looks pretty darn good and my clothes fit so much better and also I FEEL better and isn't that what it's really all about?? 

I will be starting another 10 day cleanse on November 1st......Who's with me?  Don't you want to feel better? Don't you want to look better?  What have I been saying all along.....

"If you take care of the inside the outside will follow"

and that is what I am doing. 100% Vegan, 100% Organic, No GMOs, nothing but good for you.  So please, if you want to feel better on the inside and feel better about what you are doing for your body then comment below, send me a message, email me and tell me you want to join me on Nov. 1 and TOGETHER we can support each other and loose another 5-20 lbs.  A dear friend got me started & gave me a $50 gift card off my first purchase and I want to pass that along to you, so join me in November (even if you can make the 1st) cause I will be traveling this path for well.........forever!

LET'S  DO  THIS.........TOGETHER !

5 Days down and 5 TO GO......

So I promised to keep you updated along the way and I am HAPPY to report that I am seeing positive changes in my health with this cleanse.  Here are some of the wonderful changes I have noticed:

• Cravings have subsided
• my dizzy spells have stopped 98%
• my mental clarity is better & my overall well-being feels great
• my back hurts less as the inflammation in my body has reduced
• I have natural energy, no sluggish all the time
• I look forward to healthy foods
• my skin is clearing up
• I have slept like a baby EVERY night
• oh and did I mention my cravings have practically stopped!!!

Don't get me wrong, when one of those pizza or restaurant commercials come on I think "Boy, that looks so yummy" but then my mind immediately goes, do I want to put that in my body???"   And that my friends is so empowering.

Ok, so here is what you really want to know, did cleaning out my system and nourishing is so well for 5 days have any result on my weight?................YES  IT  DID !  See for yourself:

Here is my weight beginning on Day 1

Now here it is on the morning of Day 6 

(just 5 short days later) 

Do I need to do the the math for you.. 11.2 lbs in 5 days.

Let me say that again. 11.2 lbs in 5 days  and I feel amazing. I am so proud of myself, not only do I feel good on the inside but mentally I feel so much better and what have I been saying, "when you take care of the inside the outside will follow".

So if you want to no miss out in a few days when I post my before & after pic including the amount of weight and inches I have lost, please sign up for my updates or save my page. And if you would like to know more about what I am doing contact me as well. I am not done, I will be doing this for a while and we can do it together. I am hoping I can help others who struggle just like me to overcome these feelings & cravings to take back control of their life and their health 1 day at a time!

Day 1 of 10 to Cleanse

So my new journey has begun but this time it is TOTALLY different than any other time. This time I am going about it in such a healthy way. A CLEAN way. A way that will leave me healthier than I have ever been in my life.

Here I am, so excited to have all my supplies and ready to start!

I'm starting my process this time with a cleanse.  I'm giving back to myself by taking 10 days to clean out all the sugar, fat, processed foods, GMOs and more out of my system.  This will help me BREAK the addiction roller coaster.  Now it doesn't mean I will be "all better" from my food addiction BUT it will help to break the craving cycle that only complicates my addiction.  

I'll keep you updated with my progress, I have some great before photos that will go up with my after photos 10 days from now.  In the meantime I will check in at the half way point to let you know how I'm feeling.

There is no going back, it's time to take my health back and feed my cells the way they deserve to be treated. I'm gonna take care of ME from the inside and the outside will follow!

Now don't worry, don't think that it's only going to take 10 days to heal the inside, THIS is only the beginning, I already have a plan in place after the 10 days are up, nutrition & clean eating are my game plan, but these first 10 days will be my "Starting Line" so to speak for a whole new race!

The 6 Week Milestone

6 WEEKS !!  WooHoo !!  

     Well it has been a few days since I posted, my last one was really hard to put out there and my bad day has had it's residual effects.  I took the weekend to just decompress.  I had been go, go, going so much with work, training, trying to get trained on a small work-from-home PT gig to help with the money situation and I think it all just took a toll on me.  So I literally did NOTHING on Saturday (didn't even get dressed) and my brained needed it.

     So Monday rolled around and I said, "get right back on that horse".  It's not like I really "fell off" so to speak but I just lost my 'Umph"  you know.  I have not been able to stick to any sort of 'diet' plan (yeah I said the D word but only for description sake, we ALL KNOW this is a lifestyle) for more than 2 weeks so to make it to the 6 week mark is a big deal. Monday night was boot camp and I have some great pictures from that. It was a great workout, my chest was on FIRE from the intense Thunder/Lightening round on the elliptical. Then we went to floor work where we worked our chest, arms & abs.  What a great workout, it's Wednesday and my abs are still feeling it!

Here we are all doing "6 inches" which means we have to lift our legs 6 in. off the ground while touching our neighbors feet and hold it.

Believe me it was a lot harder than it looks!

We all have 25 lb weights in our hands and we
would lift them for 60 seconds THEN hold
them up while we lifted and lowered our legs.

THIS is what got to my abs!

Lastly just a close up of me while lifting the weight, yeah I know it's a little blurry BUT I
was movin' to get the reps in !

My arms were feeling it!

All in all it was a good day. 

I still have this weird nagging in the back of my mind.

Not sure what it is but I need to stay positive and start focusing on the big picture and my goal that is just around the corner. Oh yeah, which brings me to a subject I need some help with.  All my life I would reward myself with dinner, ice cream stuff like that.  

Well I need to find some new rewards, things that would be fun and really help me feel special for reaching a milestone. 

What I want is for YOU GUYS to help pick my rewards.  So please comment below what you think would be a good reward at different milestones.  

So here are my results after 6 weeks:

Start Weight:  292.4                Current: 270.4

22 pounds gone !

I shared my inches in the last post but just in case:

Arms: 19 in                  17.5 in
Chest: 53 in                     49 in

Waist: 50 in                     45 in

Hips: 60 in                   57.5 in

Thigh: 34 in                    33 in

14 inches gone !

My first goal was to loose 25 lbs, that goal is just around the corner. I would have loved to have done that in 6 weeks but I had not thought that originally so I am not going to stress.

So:

Goal #1:  Loose 25 lbs.                    Get a pedicure!

Now many of you will say, "what that is not much of a reward, I get those all the time". Well funds have been VERY tight for our family and I haven't had one in almost 2 years. Yep I said it, my little piggies need some tending and I am only 3 lbs away from a pampering day. So I can't wait for that.

I have no other goals other than the obvious weight milestones, so can y'all help me please!!!

Whew! It just got real!

Today was my second one-on-one with Jumaane, the first was my assessment so this one was the plan to get me in shape.  All I have to say is tomorrow my arms will be feeling it!  haha

Let me say that I am so happy with Jumaane. He made sure I had good form (so I didn't hurt myself) before we started any reps.

Then we get started and I can see this is going to be a beautiful relationship!

I would love to tell you all the different areas we worked in the order we did them, but honestly, I can't remember all the technical terms. But here we are working on those ugly arm flaps that hang down when you wave. Ok, I know, I believe the muscles hidden under there are my triceps, but as of the moment, I see no muscle in that area............but if I keep this up it won't be long!

We did intervals too, I would go from machine to a resistance band to work on another muscle area in the arm.  I believe that the short spurts are to help get and keep my heart rate up because ladies ..... we needs the cardio for them hips! (yes I know that my grammar is not proper but I am trying to keep it light without getting to emotional)

When you are working out and pushing yourself, it's CRAZY how the emotions surface and there is that urge to cry. I did that Monday, today I wanted to get MAD!  You will be able to see that in one of my pictures below. 

We used 3 different machines and then used the bar in the end. With the barbell he did the same exercises as me, 

10 reps, 9 reps, 8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1......WE ARE DONE!   

What?? I'm not done?

NOPE, he wanted me to burn at least 150 calories on a cardio machine of my choice.  Well I only had like 15-18 min before I had to leave to get my daughter so I hit the elliptical, cranked up the tunes and did just that. 151 calories in 15.5 min.  Yeah Me!!!!!

So even thought I am posting and keeping you up to date as to what is going on, he is doing the same on his FB page and on Instagram, so if you would like to follow any of his posts and see the other photos that he will put out there and here his reports, please feel free to check out his page and follow along.

DJTTH for his FB fitness page

Mr. DJTTH to follow Jumaane on Instagram

Follow me on Instagram

And of course you can get email updates on my blog by clicking follow or entering your email above.

I will let you know this weekend how I am feeling, but...

....IT JUST GOT REAL !