Who Am I?

Do you ever have those days where you ask yourself "Who I am?" Well I'm having one today, so I decided to write my thoughts down and see if it would help me answer this question.

Where to begin? Several conversations lately have left me wondering if I am doing what I should be doing with my life. So I have had a few restless nights of sleep, doubted myself and even cried about it and so here I am trying to figure it out. Who I am I?

I am an almost 50 year old woman who is on a journey to be as healthy as I can be. I am a mother of four beautiful adults, ages 27, 25, 22 and 20 and a Gigi to 7 wonderful grandchildren, 4 girls, 3 boys and 1 on the way. I am a wife, a sister, a daughter, a sister in law, a daughter in law, and a mother in law who loves her family with all her heart, although we are not as close as I would like. I've made mistakes and will make more, I am Human.

I work from home, I am a Beachbody coach. I am an empty nester. So, what do I do? Hmmmmmm, I work out! I am addicted. I love the feeling after a workout, it's such a high and I can't get enough of it. I post about it on my social media sites not to brag but to encourage and motivate. I want everyone to know that it doesn't matter how much weight you have to lose or how out of shape you are you can do it too! I share with you what I'm doing and what's working for me, because as a "older" woman going through the changes of life losing weight is not easy but it is doable. I am not perfect, I do have days where I don't eat as well as I would like and I do miss a workout occasionally. Like I said "I'm Human" I am a woman who is very focused on changing my genetics and not having the same health issues that many of my family members face. Watching my dad have several heart attacks and now dealing with diabetes and my mom having Emphysema‎ has made me more determined than ever to do whatever is necessary.

I have always been one to try and see the positives in every situation, so you will not see me sharing my troubles on social media I keep those very close to my heart. Besides we all have troubles and don't need to read about everyone else's on a daily basis. I will share with you pictures of my children and their children, cause let's face it they are adorable. :) If my husband and I go do something fun, I will more than likely share that, but not always. We don't really drink, so no pictures hanging out at the bar having drinks with friends. We do go to the lake and hang out with our friends but I don't take a lot of pictures because it's hard to from the back of a jet sky. We shoot pool, but honestly pictures of that are not real interesting. I like to fish, but don't go much during the summer, Texas heat is hard on the body. So I guess you could say working out is my hobby.

This who I am!!!! Me, no one else,just me! And that really is just enough!

I just realized that I had set up this blog some 3 years ago and I was really surprised to find it. Sorry it has been so long since I blogged. As I was sitting here thinking about what I could blog about I decided to share with you what I have learned the last 30 days as I read the book "PUSH: 30 DAYS TO TURBOCHARGED HABITS, A BANGING BODY, and the LIFE YOU DESERVE!" by Chalene Johnson First and formost, let me say Chalene is one of the most down to earth real people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Not that I know, know her, but from doing 90 days of Turbo Fire, reading this book and following her on Social Media I feel like I know her. Her book and programs have taught me to believe in myself, to trust that I CAN DO whatever I set my mind to do and to not be afraid to reach out and ask for help. "Push" has taught me how to define my priorities, and my goals and how to take the necessary steps to make them happen. Push has also taught me the importance of always making sure that everything I do is in alignment with my "Push" goal. If it doesn't support by goal than it is not something I need to be doing. That includes my goal for my life and fitness. Chalene breaks this task down to small daily steps to help teach you and show you how easy it is to set dream big goals and to make them happen. This is one book that I highly recommend and will be referring back to often. Here is a link to the book if you'd like to check it out.

Motivation

I'm taking part in a Challenge over the next 9 weeks to see who can lose the most weight each week and after week one I knew I was really slacking. But the leader of the contest asked a really good question this morning and it really made me do some thinking. I decided to share my response publicly to help keep me accountable and get me back on track. Here's the question: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT BEING AT YOUR GOAL WEIGHT????

What am I looking forward to about being at my goal weight? That's a really good question.

1. Being smaller than I have been in about 25 years, close to high school weight.
2. Knowing that I am no longer considered obese
3. Being able to shop anywhere I want to for clothes
4. Knowing I did what it took to reduce my risk of a heart attack and of getting diabetes. Knowing my kids don't have to worry about my health the way I worry about my parents.
5. Being smaller than my sister in law who always parades around like the queen of sheba at family events. Knowing I did the hard way and she paid for her tummy tuck.
6. Feeling what it will feel like to be in my husbands arms, smaller than I have ever been in our marriage. Seeing myself thru his eyes. (I really can't wait for this one)

WoW! Something about seeing your why in writing! I can do this, I know how to do this, now I just need to push and get it done! Please feel free to add your own answers to this question and join me, I really love to help you as I help myself.

Shakeology and Menopause

First and foremost let me say, everyone's results will be different and these are only my experiences. But it has been amazing so I really thought I would share with you.

About 2 months ago I started noticing some changes in the my cycle or lack there of and I thought to myself, ahhhh if this is menopause welcome to my world and completely embraced it. That was June!

Then July came around. UGGGGGGGG is all I can say. Not only did it come back but with a vengeance, cramps, heavy, moody, add any other negative term you can think of....... And to top it off I was really depressed, not wanting to get out of bed, eating horribly, crying over nothing and hot flashes??? Really hot flashes in July, that is just evil. How do I describe the hot flashes, hmmmmmmmm. Well it wasn't really a feeling of being hot, but one of my skin crawling up and down my body, and sweat rolling the opposite direction and literally feeling pain. Not bad pain, but uncomfortable. The most uncomfortable feeling ever!

I started researching menopause and some natural ways to deal with the symptoms and I quickly began to think that's in Shakeology, and that and that....then the light bulb came back on. Let me preface this with I was really been eating poorly and not drinking Shakeology on a regular basis. So the last week of July I started drinking Shakeology every single day and I am shocked. The hot flashes have disappeared completely, and I have noticed a huge difference in my moods. I will give Shakeology full credit for the difference in how I feel since nothing else is really different. And again the cravings are getting less and less, I'm beginning to have energy again, working out again, and def. thinking clearer.

If you'd like more info or want to talk in more detail about my experiences I'd be more than happy to talk with you.

Leah: The Kind Weight Watcher: 150 Followers GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!

Leah: The Kind Weight Watcher: 150 Followers GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!

Shakeology 3 Day Cleanse

June 8th was day 3 of my 3 day cleanse. Started the day off with a shake, then my daughter and I took a hike, ended up doing about 10 miles. Wow, I was really shocked that I was able to do it, but I did and it was so much fun. Had another shake for lunch and went for a job interview. Still felt really good and energized. Dinner was baked Talapia and salad. I was so full I never did have my 3rd shake and I guess from the hike I slept like a baby.

I was really nervous to get on the scale this morning, I really did not what to expect. So my starting weight for this cleanse was 181.8 and today the scale said 177.2 that's a total loss of 4.6 pounds in 3 days. But the thing I am most excited about is since Dec. 2010 I have lost 47.8 pounds total.

I'm so grateful for Team Beachbody and what I have learned since joining this great company. Without the help of all the great friends I have made and all that I have learned I know this would not have been possible. I'd really love to share this opportunity with you as well, please contact me if you are interested.

Shakeology 3 Day Cleanse

Tuesday, Day 2 of 3 day cleanse has been a little tougher than yesterday. Not the cleanse itself but my activities made it tougher. I did great w/breakfast and lunch and had planned on having a shake for afternoon snack then my salad and fish for dinner but my daughter had an interview at 2:00. No big deal right? Except they hired her and sent her to have a drug test, still no big deal. Except she couldn't pee so we were stuck at the hospital waiting and waiting. Of course they were pushing her to drink water, and tea so she could but that made her sick to her stomach so she got sick several times at the hospital. And I was stuck with nothing to eat, not that I wanted to) but I was starving. This went on for 3 hours. I finally broke down and bought some peanuts and ate them. Got home around 7 this evening had a salad and my final shake. I pray the peanuts did not kill my success from yesterday.

Tomorrow is the final day and I'll post my results on Thursday!