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!

2nd 10 Day Cleanse, Check it out!

A 2nd cleanse? You heard it right. The 10 Day Transformation Cleanse is so healthy for your body AND safe you can do them back to back if you want.  I took a little break between as you know, 2 1/2 weeks to be precise 

(and went on a 4 nt cruise in those 2 wks).

Are YOU happy with YOUR success?

     What is success?  When asked what makes a person successful many start to list money, career, family, homes, cars.....blah blah blah!   BLAH?  So many people strive for those things THEIR ENTIRE LIVES only to fall short, or at least they never get ALL that they want so they feel like a failure. What an awful way to live your life.
Now don't get me wrong, sure it's nice to be financially independent, have a beautiful home & family and some nice wheels, but something I have learned over the years is, You can't be happy with a lot until you are happy with a little.

     This is not a new comparison, that thought process has proved true for years (and I mean years) even in the bible, "faithful in little....faithful in much".   So why do I ask if you are happy with your success?  Because TODAY I reached a milestone, a small one in my long journey BUT none the less a milestone and I am HAPPY.  I am over the moon with excitement and I want to share it with the world!
     For so many years I would always look at the big picture, 120+ lbs to loose "ugh".  I've only lost 10 lbs "ugh".  So my pants zip now "ugh"  GET THE IDEA!
      
     I didn't appreciate the hard work I had done because I kept looking at all I still had to do and that is the WRONG way to do this.  We cannot keep doing this to ourselves.  Getting healthy and losing weight will not happen overnight but it WILL happen.  Each day has to be a triumph.  What did that penguin in Happy Feet say, "give it a Try & follow with a great big UMPH" (or something like that) You have to appreciate your small victories EVERY DAY in order to REACH the big ones.  I wish someone had really explained that to me or just took the time to help me celebrate them. And NOT celebrate them with food, just be happy in the moment.  Realize that 2 weeks ago you could not zip those pants and today you are wearing them out. That is HUGE, don't you think so? 

Now here is the kicker, tell me 

Would you be happy for ME if I told you that?  Would You?

SO WHY ARE YOU NOT HAPPY FOR YOURSELF???

(think about that for a minute)

We will encourage, rejoice, compliment, congratulate & celebrate our friends smallest accomplishments but then 'poopoo' on our own.  How mean are we to ourselves? Getting healthy & loosing weight is a kind & loving thing to do for your body. So why would you not Celebrate & Congratulate yourself for ANY step or accomplishment you have?  WHY???

So here is my Compliment to me, "I am so proud of you Donna, today you have lost 20.6 lbs since Oct. 7 and in those 5 1/2 weeks you even went on a week cruise, you stuck to it, made good choices, gave it your all and SUCCEEDED in getting healthier. You are beautiful & loving and I know you will keep it going by taking care of this body you have been given. I AM PROUD OF YOU and you DESERVE every bit of this."

Today is November 14, I want all of you to sit back and think about at least 1 good thing you did since Nov. 1, go back further if you need to, then take out a piece of paper and write down how PROUD you are of yourself, just like I did above. Address it to yourself like I did and put it on your bathroom mirror (I will to) and every day we will look at it and be PROUD of ourselves for the previous day and strive to do something healthy for this new day to come.

Have a beautiful day everyone, 

you are all amazing & strong and are fighting just like I am. 

Let's do this together and get a jump start on 2015 and make 

it the Year of Transformations!

My 10 Day Cleanse Day-by-Day

So one of the things I decided to do during my Transformation was to make a small video clip at the end of each day just describing it's events. My feelings, my emotions & my struggles so I could go back and reflect on how it was for me AND in case anyone else was curious about what it was like day to day, they could also see.

After each video I watched it back and a couple of times I found myself getting drawn into what I was saying and tears would form.  As I watched each clip I saw a woman that was foreign to me.  For a few years now every time I saw a picture of myself, most times I would delete it or just be the photographer cause, well, I hated the way I looked. So seeing myself talk back to me was more than I was ready for.  I saw my expressions and gestures (that my husband says I can't speak without) that I use on a daily basis but what was really difficult is I saw a woman who was of NO reflection of how I felt deep down inside.  So as I would watch & listen to myself speak it was like listening to someone else whom I could relate to and in the end, when she said "You can do this too" it was ME telling MYSELF that I CAN DO THIS.  

I'm so proud of myself for stepping out of the box and recording each day. I am not an elegant speaker and clearly I am not a "movie ready" kind of gal but who cares. It's just me.  It's just the most honest way this 41 year old woman could emotionally convey what I experienced each day and if just 1 person is able to benefit and find their inner strength to get healthy, then it was all worth it REGARDLESS of how unflattering the video is.  So please be kind, I'm not trying to win any Emmys here, just an honest & raw video of my 10 Day Transformation Cleanse.

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!

IT'S A GOOD DAY :)

Well today has been a good day thus far.  I made it to the gym for my workout with my trainer, he will probably have that video up soon on Facebook and I will try to post it here.  I was feeling really good today, got on the scale and lost a little which made me FINALLY  break through the 261.2 mark!!  So I got dressed and headed out the door and just focused on feeling good and getting out.  

That is how we have to look at this, we can't pick a date or event to loose weight by. We shouldn't even pick that "perfect number" we have

to reach on the scale.  Sure we have to be realistic and recognize a healthy weight for our bodies but it's about making good choices.  Every day I say, "today I will do my best"  even if I have something that may be...well....not the healthiest choice IT'S OK!  Cause 1 cookie, or slice of cake or bowl of chips is not going to wreck my progress.

It's the BAG of cookies, the HALF of a cake or the BAG of chips for day after day that will do it.  

So we have to quit punishing ourselves and just make small changes. Quit focusing on what the end results will be and FOCUS ON TODAY.  Focus on each and every little change you make, APPLAUD yourself for making it and look forward to the next. When we do that we WILL get results but more importantly we will learn to love and be proud of ourselves along the way.

Isn't' that what we really want, to be happy with who we are and what we do each day?  That is what I want, to be happy with me.

So I applaud all of you, I pat you on the back and say "Good Job" and I send you (((Hugs))) because I know how hard this is and I know how falling down sucks and I know what it feels like to "start again" ...  BUT  ...  we did start again, we did pick ourselves up and we WILL be successful .........

TOGETHER.......