October 1 – cleanse is over – let me just say…

Okay. So, it’s been 30 days since I started the Isagenix cleanse. I stopped posting after day 11 because I just wanted to ride it out and see what would happen; if I would lose more weight, if I would be able to maintain the 2 shakes/1 meal a day thing, and the program in general. Good call, Amber…

Here’s the reality – I only made it to day 22 before my world came crashing down and the romance period with this cleanse ended. Why, you ask? I. Got. Super. Duper. Sick. And. Also. Got. The. Worst. Period. Ever.

For reals.

First of all, let me say that I did not get sick BECAUSE of Isagenix – I just…got sick. After being surrounded by a couple of sick roomies, and a sick boyfriend, it was bound to happen, and it did. Strep throat (like really bad), and fever, and then head cold, and I was pretty much in bed and trying to keep it together for most of the week. The cleanse and exercise regime went out the window once the antibiotics came on the scene and my sleep schedule got super wonky. Oh, and then there was the reactive eating because the pendulum of discipline swung the opposite direction, so I started getting into some high calorie comfort food last week c/o of my Spanish lover/personal chef (that’s not even a joke). I put the lid on it pretty quick, but it was a slip for sure.

All of this to say, Isagenix is obviously a great product/system. I did lose 15 inches off my body and lost 7 lbs in the first couple of weeks. Five of those pounds were pounds I had gained back (from 154 to 159), minus 2 pounds after that,  so I’m at 152! That makes me happy, regardless of the fact that I wasn’t able to complete the entire 30 days of cleansing, I know that that first highly disciplined and motivated 2 weeks really got the job done of detoxing my body and getting me out of my plateau. The increased energy I felt also got me jogging again, which I am continuing to do. Just went for a 3 km jog this morning! It was tough because of having been sick and out of commission for the past while, but I know I can do it now, and that makes all of the difference.

I’ve come to the conclusion that, due to my personal makeup and just the way I live my life, any rigid system of dieting or long term cleansing is an extreme challenge for me. I am not a highly disciplined person, although I am a very hard working and persevering person. I can accomplish a lot, but it doesn’t always come through the system that makes the most sense. I’ve come to terms with that fact – I kind of dance to the beat of my own drum. Always have and always will. 🙂

Isagenix was not really my kinda beat, I don’t think. It sure did make me feel awesome though, but it is not something I could sustain for any length of time or really be passionate enough about to stand behind and sell to the masses. Just being real here!

Also, I realized something very important in this whole process – real food is important to me, and my relationship with food is important to me. I want to have a good relationship with food. I want to plan meals that are healthy, cook, create, bake, share meals with others, celebrate the beauty of food – that’s part of who I am. Doing meal replacements became so very very lackluster after 10 or so days; something was missing! Also, I felt like if I wanted to really subscribe to the Isagenix lifestyle, it would become almost a codependent relationship with the products and without them I would be lost. No offences, Isagenix, but that’s how my brain processed it.

The challenge for me still is to refine and balance my relationship with food. I continue to struggle with overeating, portion control, and impulse eating from time to time, and yet I am probably about 80% healthier and more in control than I was 2 or 3 years ago. Progress has been made – big progress – and I feel like if I keep at it I will eventually have a relationship with REAL FOOD that is REALLY HEALTHY and also satisfying on a personal, culinary and social level. That’s the goal for me. Isagenix is just not a good fit in that sense! Me and food still gots shit ta work out!

So, that is my update. I keep it real, peeps! I often fail at things or don’t complete them because I change my mind or give up. But you know what I love and appreciate about myself?????

I never ever stop growing or trying, I let my failures teach me, and I always find my way to the things that matter to me…even if it’s a bit of a windy road.

I went for a 3 km jog this morning, drank my probiotic greens, took my omega-3-6-9s, vitamin D drops, antibiotics (ew – so strange to take probiotics and antibiotics in the same day!) and I’m eating a real yummy fall apple right now! However, about 15 minutes ago, I also ate an amazingly good handmade peanut butter cup that I purchased from a chocolatier at Lonsdale Quay Market yesterday afternoon…

And that’s how I roll. If you wanna pretend like you’ve never eaten chocolate for breakfast, go right ahead. I’ll be honest for the both of us instead! Hee hee!

😉

Ovr’N’Out!

Amber

Isagenix 30 day cleanse – day 5 update

Well, I have made it through the first 2 days of regular cleansing and another 2 days of deep cleansing on the Isagenix 30 Day Fat Loss cleanse. It is now day 5 and….

I. FEEL. AMAZING.

Like really really amazing. I have had good energy levels and feel that my body is healthy and balanced, and have that extra little bounce in my step that a good cleanse always brings. What a great time to be alive. This fall will be a beautiful and enjoyable season for me, and I’m looking forward to it!

The last 2 days when I was doing the deep cleansing days (in which you don’t eat a regular shake meal or food lunch, but take the Isagenix supplements and mineral drinks and Isagenix snacks instead) I felt very light and I wasn’t even hungry. I think there is something about REPLENISHING your body while you detox with the Isagenix program that causes less hunger pangs. Brilliant!

Here is the crazy part. Well, more like the AWESOME part.

I have lost a total of 13.5 inches off my body in 4 DAYS. I kid you not.

13.5 inches…gone!

Pictures to come in the next couple of days. Honestly, I’ve just been lazy about taking them!

I am so happy with the results so far, and the fact that I feel even better than I look. This is a great system, and I am absolutely positive I will get to a whole new level of health from continuing with the full 30 day cleanse.

So that’s my update so far. Thanks for your support from near and far!

 

Ovr’N’Out!

 

Amber

August update #2…let the cleanse begin!

Good morning, all.

I have gathered all of my wits about me in the past few days and am getting organized and mentally/physically prepared to start my 30-day Isagenix cleanse.  I ended up needing a few more weeks in August to place my Isagenix order, have it shipped, take some vacation time on a beautiful West Coast island , and refocus myself before diving in.

Today is the last day of August, there is a very noticeable chill in the air rushing in through the open window in my office, and I can almost see autumn walking down the road towards us, ready to relieve summer of her duties and take his place in the changing of the seasonal guard.

With each new season I make a goal for health and personal growth, and the 30-day Isagenix cleanse will be a part of my goals for this season. As I mentioned in my August Update post, I feel that I have reached a plateau in weight loss, now hovering around 154-158 (give or take, depending on water weight and what I ate that day) for a while now. But more than that, I finally feel healthy enough emotionally and physically (that combination being an important one to master!) to take on a cleanse and face it with the right attitude  from start to finish – one that will contribute to me having very good results and staying grounded in the process.

For the most part, I do not promote dietary cleansing for longer than a few days because I think there is too great a margin for error in terms of depleting your body of necessary vitamins and minerals and losing muscle mass. People can make themselves even more unhealthy from doing a cleanse – especially an unsupervised cleanse based on a the lastest fad, and one that is done SOLELY with weight loss in mind.

Weight loss, in my opinion, is the byproduct of a healthy balanced lifestyle that includes an abundance of nourishing foods and energizing activities. There are no short cuts or quick fixes. It is a steady and sometimes lengthy process that involves a deep commitment to loving yourself at every step of the journey and making healthy choices from a LOVING and WHOLE place inside of you.

That is the place I am operating from at this point in my weight loss journey, and that is why I am comfortable trying a cleanse program at this point. I have been wanting to do a nutritional cleanse to detox my body and start to release some areas of stored fat I have held onto for a long time. The Isagenix cleansing program is a replenishing program as well as a detox, which is why I think it is so awesome! It doesn’t just detox you and leave you depleted, it gives your body all of the essential vitamins, nutrients, and enzymes it needs to function and have increased vitality at the very same time. That is fantastic and safe and a great program for someone in my position.

I will be starting the cleanse tomorrow, September 1, and it will run for 30 days. I will use this blog as a platform to track my progress and weight loss throughout. During this cleanse I’ll also be taking up hot yoga again as of mid-September, so that will be a great added benefit to me in terms of building my muscles up again and sweating out as much grossness as possible!

Yay autumn, I am going to be my healthiest ever, come Christmas 2012!

My goal is to lose 12 to 15 lb in the next 2 months. I am assuming most of that weight will come off during the 30-day cleanse, but after that when I am maintaining and back to incorporating a regular healthy diet, I am going to really focus on the exercise part of my health routine and begin toning and cardio again. Those beautiful trails around here are just begging for me to jog them! Wahoo!

Thanks, again, for reading and supporting me. I have been the tortoise when it comes to weight loss – slowly making progress to a desired end, learning to believe in myself and gain new confidence and strength in the process. I am gaining some speed at this point, but the approach is generally the same.

Never rush yourself. Some people get to the finish line before everybody else – true – but they get there without having learned anything about themselves and fall back into old habits. In a culture that equates being thin to being successful, I go against the grain. I believe that success, if we even want to call it that, comes the moment you fully accept yourself, allow love to penetrate your life, and feel grateful for everything you are and everything you have. Whatever happens above and beyond that, weight loss included, is just the icing on the proverbial cake of life…the proof, if you will, of the goodness you are calling into your own life and the lives of those around you.

So, bring on the cleanse, dump on the icing, and let’s go!

Ovr’N’Out!

Amber