If you are just starting to follow along on my new and improved weight loss journey, I recommend starting with these posts from last year first so you can see how it all began (any text that is highlighted orange is a clickable link) – Coming Clean Post Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 7 Week 8 Weeks 9-12 Week 13 Week 14 Week 16 Week 17 Also, make sure you are following along on Instagram, as a lot of the day to day stuff will take place there.
Starting Date: 8/29/16
Starting Weight: 281 lbs
Current Weight: 281 lbs
Pounds Lost: 0
Goal Weight: 180
Goal Date: 8/27/17
Height: 5′ 9″
Saturday was my birthday. My 38th birthday. A full year has passed since I posted my “I’m a Healthy Living Blogger with a Secret…” post. From there I set out on a journey to lose 100 pounds in 1 years time. So how did the last year go? I guess that is determined by how I measure it. In terms of weight loss – awful, but we will get to that. In terms of business – awesome! It was a year of milestones with Peace Love and Low Carb and with Young Living. In terms of life stuff – amazing! Some big things happened for us this past year. I feel a sense of happiness, joy and peace that I’m not sure I have ever felt before. In terms of personal time – perfection. I have learned to take all the personal time that I need and to ditch the guilt I used to feel when I took time to myself. In terms of travel – abundant. 2015 and 2016 have been the years of travel. We have been to a lot of incredible places and met some great people along the way. In terms of life lessons – unfortunately, also abundant. However, I believe that everything in life happens for a reason and is meant to teach us something.
But let’s get to the burning question on everyones minds… Where am I now with my weight loss? I’m still fat! Does that word make your skin crawl? Don’t let it. I am just being honest about my situation. Sugarcoating it won’t change things. Calling myself puffy, thick, or overweight won’t change the reflection in the mirror. In fact, not only am I still fat, but I am starting this all over weighing in 7 pounds heavier than when I started last year. The first few months of my journey started off strong and I put off more than 30 pounds. My year didn’t go as planned, BUT a lot of amazing things did happen and I’m excited to share some of them with you.
In May we went to Hawaii for two weeks. It is my favorite place of all time. We spent some time on the big Island before island hopping over to Maui. There is no place in the world like Maui. Maui No Ka Oi (Maui is the best) The second you set foot on the island, an indescribable peace and calm just wash over you. We will definitely own a vacation property there at some point.
In June we went to Salt Lake City, Utah for the Young Living International Grand Convention. We got to catch up with some amazing out of state friends, learn more about our products and company, as well as walk the stage to be recognized for achieving a new rank within the company.
Over the summer we had a lot of time for family fun. With the kids being out of school, it made for a lot more time for fun adventures together. Our kids really do have the best sense of humor and sarcasm ever. They constantly crack me up and are truly fun to be around. I love the ages they are now. Not yet adults, but not little kids. I love watching them grow into the amazing adults that they will soon be.
Last month we bought a new home. We are all over the moon about it. I’m not sure any of us have ever been happier in any place we have ever lived before. This home was just meant to be ours. The pups are in love with the large backyard and space to run free. The area we live in is full of lots of fun trails and beautiful scenery. So, so happy! I just know that we are going to make a lot of amazing memories here.
One of the first rooms in the new house to be set up was our garage gym. I plan to be spending a fair amount of time in there in the coming months. Especially once fall and winter come and my outdoor options become more limited.
Last month we also went on our 4th annual friend getaway with some of our best friends. These are the people that make my heart sing. They make me laugh until I cry and have always loved me at all sizes and shapes. I am truly blessed to have such amazing people in my life. I’m not sure what I would do without my tribe.
This month I put some pops of blue in my hair. I’m sure that is not very exciting to you, but I have been wanting to do it for years. One of the perks of being my own boss… I can have as many tattoos as I want and I can play around with fun colors in my hair.
This past year I also got back to doing what I love – CREATING! I wrote 14 weeks of low carb and gluten free meal plans and I also wrote a new ebook. 30 Minute Meals – 30 Recipes Under 30 Minutes from Start to Table. Also, there may just be another full print book in my future. Stay tuned for details…
See, this past year wasn’t a waste. Any day spent above ground could never be a waste. Lots of great things happened. Over the past year, I learned a lot. A lot about life, love, people, myself, everything. In my world knowledge is everything. This comeback doesn’t come with excuses or a sob story. I don’t have an excuse. I simply did not follow through. I took on too much all at once and when things got stressful and rough, I did not make myself and my weight loss a priority. End of story. How will it be different this time? I am coming at it with a much more systematic approach. I have spent the last couple of months gearing up for this and doing everything necessary with my businesses to be able to dedicate a substantial amount of guilt free time solely to my mission to get healthy. This time I’ve got a plan. I’m here. I’m ready. I’m committed. I’m excited to be back. I’m also really excited to get back in the kitchen and crank out some new recipes! I’m giving myself another year and I need all of you to help keep me accountable in documenting my journey.
There will be trolls. I have no doubt. They will say that I lack will power. They will call me names behind their computer screens while silently celebrating what they perceive as failure and rooting for my continued failure going forward. If you don’t believe that this is a real issue, then you haven’t spent much time on the internet and you didn’t read any of my prior journey posts. Check out my “Don’t Feed the Trolls” video from last year. I refuse to look at it as though I have failed. What happens when you tell yourself you have failed at something? You feel like a failure! I don’t need to feel like a failure. I need to feel positive, motivated and empowered. So it didn’t go as I planned… Big deal! However, don’t think that I am taking this lightly or that it isn’t incredibly hard to admit this to all of you. Admitting it again is 10 times harder than it was last year. I can’t tell you how many times I have typed and deleted these words. My heart starts racing when I think about hitting publish on this post. I am putting it all out there in the hopes that it helps even one person. I am being open and vulnerable and I hope that anyone with negative comments will just keep quiet. It is a very raw and exposing feeling to document something like this.
This portion below is an excerpt from my original post last year. Reading it again brings tears to my eyes. It’s as if I am writing it all over again today. If you are feeling sad, alone, invisible, unimportant, self-conscious etc., please know that you are not alone. In fact, you can feel free to reach out to me. We will do this together!
You know what’s hard about being fat? People don’t see you. You take up all that space and yet no one sees you. It’s almost like they are afraid to look… As if being fat is contagious and contracted by a glance or a friendly smile.
When I lost all my weight for what I thought was the last time, I remember asking one of my friends one day if I had something on my face. I asked why everyone was staring at me. Was I just being a paranoid weirdo? She said, “they are looking at you because you are so pretty.” She was being sweet, lighthearted and funny, but it was that very moment that I realized they weren’t staring, I was just visible again. My thick stitched cloke of shame wasn’t there. They were no longer afraid of contracting “big giant fatty-itis” from me and it was now safe to look at me. I was no longer invisible.
Did society make me invisible in the first place, or did my shame? Was I the heavy girl with the slumped forward shoulders who stared at her feet and made herself invisible in a sea of beautiful people? Or was I there with bright eyes, my head held high and a large personality to match my even larger frame? I think I was both of those girls. Maybe I didn’t want to be seen. It was easy to not be seen, just like it was probably easier for people to avert their eyes from me.
After I lost all my weight, being seen made me feel more naked and exposed than being fat ever did. What was I supposed to do with that healthy, “normal” sized body anyway? Well, I am going to get that body back and then I will tell you exactly what I do with it…
What will be the same? What will change?
I’ll try to check in as often as possible, but it may not be daily as it was last time. I really need to make this work for me in order to stay on track. Documenting this journey can’t feel like a full time job or I will burn out like I did last time. When I burned out on documenting everything, it wasn’t long before all my bad habits crept back in.
I’ll be posting even more of the day to day stuff. It is all relative to the journey.
I won’t be doing progress photos every single week, but I will do them at least twice a month. I will still weigh in weekly on Mondays.
I am upping the accountability. Blogging, Diet Bet, Fit Bit – and anything else that helps keep me on track.
Speaking of accountability. We have another Diet Bet starting on September 5th! I added up the total number of pounds lost from the 6 Diet Bets I have hosted prior to this and my mind was blown. The numbers are absolutely incredible.
4238.5 POUNDS…
Let me just type that number again 4238.5 POUNDS!!! In just 6 games and by 434 people. With numbers like that, you certainly cannot deny the power of accountability.
The next one starts September 5th!! ARE YOU IN?
Feel supported. Chat with like-minded individuals. Get new recipe ideas. Make new friends. Find strength in numbers.
Join us – Here
$25 entry. Guaranteed even money even if everyone meets their goal. As long as you make your goal, you can’t lose. Lose 4% of your body weight in 4 weeks and share the prize! Don’t worry, your weight and weigh in pictures can be made private. People only have to know if you made your goal or not.
It is completely doable. Here is an example – If you weigh 200 pounds, you will need to lose 8 pounds in 4 weeks. (Just 2 lbs per week) to complete the challenge. You can still get all the support without sharing numbers and pictures that might make you uncomfortable.
If you are craving more connection with other like minded people, Join our Peace Love and Low Carb Friends group on Facebook.
MONDAY 8/29/16
Monday 8/29
Daily Gratitude:
I am incredibly grateful for my husband, Jon. His unwavering love, loyalty and faithfulness are like nothing I have ever seen. He truly supports me in everything I do. He never judges. He never puts me down. He is a consistently positive force in my life. I must have done something truly right in this lifetime to deserve his love.
Daily Reflection:
I was at a conference called Highest Potential last week and there were a couple of things that really stood out to me. One of the speakers, Marcella Vonn Harting PhD said that “Your body is a reflection of your standards.” It took me to my knees. I had to fight back the tears. If my body is a reflection of my standards, then my standards must be pretty low. I started applying this to other areas of my life. What does it say about my standards as far as how I will or will not let people treat me? What does it say about what I am willing to tolerate and put up with? Is it also a reflection of what I feel I deserve in life? I need to raise my standards. Do you want to raise your standards right along side me?
Since I put this weight back on and have been rollercoastering (That’s a word. I just made it one), I have had this hole in my heart and this nagging voice in my head that constantly lets me know that my outside appearance doesn’t match whats inside me. I’ve always felt this imbalance. My body is certainly not a reflection of the standards I have for my businesses. It is not a reflection of the standards I maintain in my closest relationships. However, once I began digging deep and getting to some serious truths, I began to see that my body is definitely a reflection of the standards I keep for myself and the level of self-esteem and self-love I have. Why do I always put myself last? I think it’s because buried in that last place is a comfortable place to hide from the hard stuff. This is where the real work begins. Why haven’t I been able to apply the same drive and focus that I have in my business to my health long term? Is there something within me that feels like I don’t deserve it? Is all this weight my protective coating? It’s time to get to the bottom of it once and for all.
Really let that sink in for a moment. How are your standards? Is it time to make some changes?
Self Care Check In:
One area I was lacking in last time was my consistency with my supplementation. I would remember to take them every day for a week and then I would forget for a few days. I am really making it a priority this time around. I’m going for total health and wellness and not just weight loss. Between essential oils, supplements, cleansing protocols and getting my fitness and nutrition dialed in, I should be a brand new me in no time!
Eat All The Foods:
Breakfast was a repeat of one of my favorites. Maple chicken breakfast sausage, sharp cheddar cheese, pastured eggs cooked in butter, salsa verde and bacon queso salsa. SO MUCH YUM!
We had a friend visiting from out of town for the last 5 days and we had a house full of people on Saturday to celebrate my birthday and our housewarming. I really didn’t feel like spending much time in the kitchen, so quick and easy was the name of the game for dinner tonight. Kind of an odd combination, but so, so good! Creamy scallops with mushrooms (from Trader Joes) and meatballs.
Staying Active:
Today was an active day with nearly 22,000 steps and 10 miles. I have been walking almost every day. I am loving exploring our new area and there are a lot of great trails close by.
You can check out my Instagram Account for more pictures of #viewsfrommymorningwalk I love going for long walks. It is so therapeutic.
TUESDAY 8/30/16
(photo credit)
Tuesday 8/30
Daily Gratitude:
I am so grateful and appreciative of the simple pleasures in life. One of my all time favorite things right now is to pour my morning coffee, grab my book and sit outside at our patio table. I listen to the birds, feel the sun on my face and watch the dogs run around the back yard. In these moments I find peace and serenity. These are the moments where the ups and downs of daily life can’t touch me. These are the moments that are my own.
Daily Reflection:
I am constantly in awe of what the human body is capable of. It is pretty much the epitome of true love and loyalty. Think of all the ways we as humans punish our bodies with poor food choices, inactivity, drugs, alcohol, chemicals, toxins, etc. and yet our bodies still want to keep running, support life, and even bring new life into the world. It is awe inspiring to think of the things that the human body will bounce back from if shown even a little bit of love and care. I realize that death is inevitable and in some cases so is disease. However, if we were to simply focus on the things that are within our control, and do everything we can to honor our bodies, how much better would everyone look and feel? One of the things in the front of my mind this time around is the concept of honoring my body. For me this means many different things. It means nourishing it with whole, real foods, consistent supplementation where needed, keeping active and focusing on mobility, making restorative sleep a priority, staying hydrated, focusing on skin care, removing exposure to toxins through essential oils and other natural products, limiting screen time, taking time each day for periods of quiet reflection, spending more time with the people that make my heart sing and so much more. I am coming at this with a new set of non-negotiables. For example: I will not skip time with family and friends to work. I will not skip my morning walk for work. I will never again work so much that I do not make myself a priority. I will not say yes to things personally and professionally that are not good for me. I will more generously throw around the word “NO”. There is a quote on this topic that I really love… “When you say yes to others, make sure that you are not saying no to yourself”- Paulo Coelho. I will remove the people and things from my life that do not serve me. Life is too short for negativity and imbalance. It’s okay to choose YOU! It’s okay to love YOU! It’s okay to LET GO! In fact, I think just these three things alone are going to be life changing for me.
Self Care Check In:
Last month I got really bad food poisoning at a sushi restaurant, along with a couple of my friends. I will spare you the details of the few days that followed as it was less than pleasant. Ever since then, my stomach hasn’t really bounced back. It has been very acidic and almost anything I eat or drink makes me feel nauseous. The best way that I can describe the feeling is like having a stomach full of fermented orange juice and then pounding some milk. GR-OSS! At first I was just toughing it out and hoping it went away. Smart huh? But it wasn’t resolving itself. I’ve started taking AlkaLime to help alkalize my body and bring my pH balance back into check. I noticed a difference after drinking it for the first time. The stupid part is that I have had it in my cupboard for over a year. I should have acted sooner.
AlkaLime helps to reduce acid-based yeast and fungus dominance. It is a precisely balanced, acid neutralizing mineral formulation that helps to preserve the body’s proper pH balance. When alkalinity is boosted, yeast and fungus are deprived of the acidic terrain they need to flourish. It contains Tartaric Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Stevia Leaf Extract, Biochemical Cell Salts, Lemon Essential Oil, Lime Essential Oil, and Organic Lemon Powder.
It is really effervescent. You just add a small amount to water and it fizzes up like crazy. Far more than I was expecting it too actually. I made quite the mess. Surprisingly it tastes really good. I wasn’t expecting to like it since I don’t actually like a lot of drinks.
There are a lot of alkalizing foods as well. Here are the top 7! The good news is that many of them are naturally low carb.
Top 7 Alkalizing foods: (Source)
Lemons – Lemons are one of the most alkalizing, a great way to start the day is with a glass of lukewarm water with a fresh squeezed lemon or lime.
Leafy greens – Greens such as: kale, swiss chard, spinach, and turnip greens are very alkalizing for your body and also are packed with rich vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals.
Root Vegetables – such as radishes (black, red or white), beets, rutabaga, horseradish, carrots, and turnips are all highly alkalizing.
Cucumbers and Celery – These are some of the most alkalizing foods you can eat. They quickly neutralize acids and aid in digestion.
Garlic – Garlic is not only highly alkalizing it is also very important for overall health as it boosts the immune system, is antibacterial and anti-fungal. Raw garlic is even more beneficial, see my post on the importance of raw garlic in your diet.
Cruciferous Vegetables – such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and cabbage.
Avocados – Are also at the top of the list of alkalizing foods. You can see my recent post on the health benefits of avocados and how to ripen avocados. Avocados contain high amounts of essential vitamins, fatty acids, and amino acids.
It’s a good thing that many of these foods are naturally lower in carbs. I have a ton of avocado recipes on my site, as they just so happen to be one of my favorite foods. Also, I am surprised I haven’t turned into a bulb of garlic with the amount of garlic I eat. This just sounds like an excuse to eat even more! Good thing that Jon likes it also.
I have been diffusing Stress Away and Sacred Mountain in my office over the last couple of days. This combination helps keep me feeling strong, empowered, relaxed, stress free and ready to tackle anything that comes my way. Not to mention that is just smells amazing. In fact when I took this picture, I just stood with my nose over the diffuser for a couple seconds. Heavenly. These two blends will definitely help me keep all the emotional stuff in check and stay grounded as I tackle the inevitable ups and downs of this journey. Anything I can do to keep my cortisol (stress hormone) levels low is a must! And why not do that naturally. Part of honoring my body as I was talking about above. Elevated cortisol levels can interfere with learning and memory, lower immune function and increase the risk of disease, lowers bone density, causes weight gain, raises blood pressure, raises cholesterol, and increases the risk for heart disease. Chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels also increase risk for depression, mental illness, and lower life expectancy. I’m pretty sure I don’t want any of those things in my life. Time to oil up!
Stress Away is a blend of Copaiba, Lavender, Cedarwood, Ocotea, Lime, Vanilla. It helps to induce relaxation and reduce occasional nervous tension. Vanilla contains eugenol which may combat nervous tension, while cedrol found in Cedarwood essential oil helps to induce relaxation.
Fun fact about Cedarwood Essential oil: It is high in sesquiterpenes which stimulate the limbic part of the brain, the center of emotions and memory. It stimulates the pineal gland which releases melatonin helping improve thought, cognition, and memory. It is also very grounding and stabilizing
Sacred Mountain – Is a blend of Spruce, Ylang Ylang, Idaho Balsam Fir, and Cedarwood. This blend promotes feeling of strength, empowerment, grounding and protection. Some of it’s uses include: Supports self empowerment, calms frustration, helps cope with grief and sorrow, aids in dealing with jealousy, curbs obsessive behaviors, supports personal change, aids in meditation and prayer, reduces restlessness, promotes self security, reduces “spacing out”, spiritually uplifting, reduces stress, aids in trauma recovery.
Learn more about essential oils in my Peace Love and Essential Oils group on Facebook or on my site here.
Eat All The Foods:
I started my day off with a bullet proof style coffee. I like to make mine with dark roast coffee, organic coconut oil, grass-fed butter, erythritol sweetened salted caramel syrup, a splash of heavy cream and grass-fed collagen. Are you adding collagen into your daily routine? If not, you definitely should. Grab some here. If you don’t want to add it to your coffee, check out these healthy low carb gummies I make. Ningxia Red Gummy Bears.
10 Health Benefits of Grass-fed Gelatin:
Amazing for healthy hair, skin and nails
Improves joint health and reduces inflammation
Supports strong and healthy bones
Improves gut health and digestive strength
Boosts collagen production, helping with skin elasticity, firmness and reducing cellulite
Improves your quality of sleep
Aids in liver detoxification
Supports healthy adrenal function
Helps fight premature aging
Supports healthy weight loss
For lunch I had my favorite chicken salad from a grocery store local to us. It has rotisserie chicken, onion, celery, mayo, dill and other seasonings. With the amount of money I have been spending on it, I should definitely be making my own version. I should get on that. Stay tuned…
Dinner was delicious. I felt like it was really the first home cooked full dinner we have made in the new house. We have been eating out a ton or just whipping up whatever is quickest. I pan fried organic chicken breasts in grass fed butter and then made a quick pan sauce using the drippings, cream, lemon juice, capers, tomatoes and a variety of seasonings. Then I topped it with just a touch of balsamic glaze. I served it with roasted cauliflower and green beans. It was YUMMY! I made sure to make double the amount we needed so that we would have leftovers.
WEDNESDAY 8/31/16
(Source)
Wednesday 8/31
Daily Gratitude:
Today I am grateful for days spent catching up and reconnecting. My sister was stopping by to see the new house for the first time today and we ended up spending 12 hours together. It took my day off course and I didn’t get in as much activity as I would have liked, but I wouldn’t trade that time for the world.
Daily Reflection:
I’ve really thinking a lot about the concept of starting over. All the stops and starts of a weight loss journey and all the stops and starts in life in general. Human psychology is fascinating to me. I love exploring what makes us tick. Why does it always seem easier to start on a Monday? Or the first of the month? Or that jackpot lottery day when the first of the month actually falls on a Monday? How many times have you started the day off with bad choices and then just chosen to make a free for all out it of and start over the next day? What about if that day happens to be a Friday? Well then naturally starting over on Monday makes the most sense. (insert sarcasm here) What if you just re-comitted right then and there? What it after that less than ideal breakfast, you just decided to get back on track with a healthy lunch? If you changed just this one habit, how much progress could you make? I am asking myself this very same question. What if we all just took pause, hit the reset button and course corrected? This reminds me of a Darren Daily post by Darren Hardy.
The Ultimate Reset Button
You can fix anything, as soon as you take responsibility.
No matter what’s happened…
No matter what you’ve done or not done…
No matter the problem you have or current situation you find yourself in…
There is a button you can hit at anytime to fix it.
The Reset Button:
That’s it. Every problem or circumstance you face can be fixed by this button. Carry it around with you. (metaphorically speaking)
Whenever you start to whine, complain or make excuses – hit the button.
Someone “making” you mad or frustrated – hit the button.
Fall off your diet – hit the button.
Someone not treating you fairly –hit the button.
Feeling stressed out –hit the button.
-how up late because “your kids”, “traffic” or the “line at the copier” –hit the button.
Too busy to workout today –hit the button.
Distractions keep you from making your prospecting calls –hit the button.
Your kids not behaving properly –hit the button.
Arguing with your spouse –hit the button.
Not making enough progress on your goals –hit the button.
You can fix anything, as soon as you take responsibility.
Action for Today:
Carry this button around with you today.
Find a way to hit it at least three times.
Every time you start to explain, justify or make an excuse – hit the button.
Every time you get distracted, start drifting off your written plan for the day, stop, pull out the button and hit it.
Then get back on course.
Remember, the difference between success and failure has nothing to do with what happens to you. What happens to you happens to all of us (in some form or fashion).
It’s only how you choose to RESPOND to what happens to you that ultimately determines your success, or eventual failure.
Meaning, no matter what happens – YOU are responsible.
Self Care Check In:
After all the bad food I ate over the summer and the shear quantity of it, I decided to do a 4 part cleanse. Part 1 of the cleanse starts today. It is a colon cleanse. If you would like to do these cleanses along with me, the protocol for Step 1 is outlined below. These protocols can be found in the book “Inner Transformations Using Essential Oils” By Dr. Leanne Dearduff, DC and Dr. David Dearduff, DC (Grab a copy – here)
The Colon Cleanse Protocol:
Products Needed: Comfortone, ICP, Detoxzyme, ParaFree
Want to hear a gross fact? Like the type of fact you never expected to come here and read today? Did you know that the average person carries around 7 pounds of stagnant, impacted fecal matter in their colons?
The goal for a good colon cleanse is 2-3 good bowel movements per day that are easy to pass, well formed and float in the toilet. You probably eat 3 meals a day, so why shouldn’t you be having 3 bowel movements a day? You should! If you aren’t, where do you think all of that food is going?
Who is this for? Anyone dealing with troubles eliminating, parasites, problems with digestion, anyone just looking to cleanse the organs and clean the pipes. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2/72x72/1f642.png" alt="