No Matter What ...

Just got back from Isagenix Celebration and talk about a WOW! experience.  I came away KNOWING that Isagenix is a company based on integrity and a genuine desire to create health and longevity for it's users!

I think the highlight of the trip (aside from shopping at the Isa-store and getting the cutest kitchen magnets ever - did I mention I'm a dork for swag?) was hearing Les Brown speak!  He reminded me there is greatness in every single one of us!

Each of us has a story to tell. NO MATTER WHAT it is there is some unique purpose (or rather a combination of purposes) that is can only be brought into the world by YOU.

What is your Unique Purpose? Think about your story ... what are the elements that belong only you? Ask yourself why, why do you want to be healthy? And I'm not just talking physically, I'm talking mentally, spiritually and financially too ....  Why do you want to be the best you possible?

For me, it's because there's a drive in me.  I can't NOT DO IT. I know that part of the reason I am on this earth is to inspire folks to change their lives.  To challenge them to do better, to be better, to really grow the whole person.
That said my challenge to all of you out there is this ... you are at a crossroads ...  think of something you have been putting off or avoiding.  You can either keep doing things the way you've been doing them and get the results you've been getting ... OR YOU CAN CHANGE.

For me, the place I need to step up is with the exercise ... while I do exercise ... to say I do it regularly is a stretch. Starting here, starting now, that's changing.


REGULAR EXERCISE is my new mantra.  If I have to get my butt out of bed earlier, I pledge to do so.  You know why?  Because NO MATTER WHAT, I am going to be healthy.  NO MATTER WHAT I am going to be successful. NO MATTER WHAT, I am working to bring my gifts to the world.

This week think about where you are and where you want to be. What is your big dream?  Your secret hope? Your deepest desire?  What are you willing to do to achieve those things?  What are you willing to do NO MATTER WHAT to reach your greatness?   Everything is possible!  It's up to you to make it happen!

Have a fantastic week!

Winner! Winner! Winner!

Well, the Isabody Challenge for 2010 is over and guess what?  I finished in the top 10 out of 4000 entrants!  That's right!  I am so excited by this.  First because it's a huge honor to be included among a group of people who have worked so hard to transform their lives.  And second because, I managed to reach a goal! I released 50 pounds in about six months and have kept it off.

And continue to keep it off!  (as well as continue to change my body)

My life is completely different ... my mind, body and spirit have transformed.

I have struggled with my weight since childhood.  My earliest memory of being 'too fat' was age 5!  This has been a monkey on my back that has followed me throughout my life. Somewhere deep inside myself I held on to the belief that because I was not able to set a goal of loosing weight and stick to it, that setting goals in general was an exercise in futility!

THIS IS THE TRANSFORMATION in me!

Here's the secret I learned, some goals are meant to be achieved, others are not.  Others are meant to be failed at, learned from, re-tooled and retried. And the most important lessons are often learned more from the failures than the successes.

The secret is to keep on going, no matter what. If you want something badly enough, no matter what it is, don't stop, don't give up and don't give in!  Remember this and eventually YOU WILL FIND A WAY TO ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS!  This is the strategy of a TRUE WINNER!

Don't Take it Personally

"Don't Take Anything Personally.  Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to opinions and actions of others, you won't be victim to needless suffering." Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements

This week try to not take anything personally. Remember that YOUR path to serenity is made of slow, steady steps and that when you work from your heart and remain resolute in your convictions, the Universe will go ahead and make curved roads straight!

Be Bold ...

"Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." Goethe

Lately I've been beyond bold, in fact I've been bodacious (bold and audacious)! Maybe it's the full moon or that all the planets are all aligned, or maybe it's just that I'm tired of feeling stuck in a rut, but whatever the reason there's something in me that's on fire!

There's a sense of relaxed but intense urgency and a real presence of magic. Like NOW is the time to get healthy.  NOW is the time to grow my business. NOW is the time to be happy and enjoy all that life has to offer.

Goethe was correct ... there is genius and power and magic in the way I'm living today!

So this week BE BOLD! If there's a project you've been dreaming of NOW IS THE TIME TO BEGIN ...  I dare you ... jump in, start, play, have fun ... be afraid and do it anyway!

Let go and fly and be AUDACIOUS and open and fully experience all the genius and power and magic life has to offer!

The Art of Imperfection

"Imagine a different world, one in which people do not spend an inordinate amount of energy fuming against their fate each time the make a mistake."  Veronique Vienne

Many of us in today's society are so obsessed with getting it right, that we forget that while right is good, sometimes accepting imperfection can be so much more fun! I used to be one of those women. I had to do everything perfectly or I wouldn't do it at all.

The result was for me, either a. doing everything right, but being so stressed out that no one wanted to be near me or b. I'd abandon the project for fear of making a mistake leaving way too much undone.

This is no way to live. I don't remember when, but one day I woke up. A friend invited me to see a movie and I said I couldn't go because I had laundry to do. Then  I looked at a pile of unfolded laundry and said  'so what.'  A hundred years from now, is anyone really gonna care?  Is anyone really gonna care that my laundry isn't completely done?

The answer, for those of you who are wondering, is no.  Then I called me friend back and said yes to the movie.  This made her day.  Later she told me she couldn't believe I would have chosen laundry over her. Then she made fun of me and we laughed at my obsessive need for perfection.

I learned something that day.  Life is meant to be imperfect. This week, let go of the obsessive need for perfection, learn to laugh at your mistakes and keep dancing when you misstep and see how much more fun your life becomes!

The Joy of Meditation

Yesterday was my friend Joy Kingsborough's birthday  and we spent hour talking about meditation and energy and allowing. She said the Universe wants to support us in our endeavors. And that when we align with our heart, life just seems to flow. You can attract what you desire by putting you attention on it. It's that simple, if you let it be.
(http://howtobewellnow.com)

It was THE MOST incredible hour!  She reminded me of so many things I needed to remember. First, no one is too busy to meditate.  In fact, if you ARE too busy, it's TIME TO MEDITATE. Stopping and getting clear is the biggest gift you can give to yourself and the world around you.

Lately I've been too busy to focus on writing my blog. Or so I thought. Really what was happening was just a shift.  In my mind unexpressed was this thought, 'The official Isabody Challenge is over, now what?'

I felt like I had nothing more to share. This is so not true.  With a few minutes of silence and stillness, it came to me that I still have a journey to share.  I still have inspiration to give. There is much more to learn.

Here is  the lesson for the day.  There is light in each and every one of us, it's time to let it shine. Everyone has a unique message, so get out there (however that looks for you), let the world see how wonderful you really are.

I'm dedicating the next six months to releasing old thinking.  It's time to change!  Out the the old driven 'do, do, do, do. model and in the with new 'allow, be, enjoy' model.

Have a fantastic day!

Perseverance


"You've got to say, if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it." That's what Lee Iococca called perseverance. 

It's a mantra I've been repeating to myself a lot lately. I've reached the 50 lb mark and have been a little stuck for almost a month. I've been struggling to stick to the program, to adapt to the change in my body and to get past this HUGE (and amazing) milestone! 


And to not sink into old eating patterns. Aahh the slippery slope that starts with just one... just one cupcake or one drink or one pizza or one ... way too many 'just ones' = weight creeping on again. I can feel it happening.  (But just a little) I am mindful of the fit of my new 'skinny' jeans. Today there was less of them and more of my body. 


A friend once told me that I couldn't handle being thin. He was right, in a way. I can't. Well, I couldn't.  But I'm learning. As a fat person, I am invisible. Unseen. A cellophane observer of the turning world around me. 

But now, the invisibility cloak of chub has worn thin. People can see me again for the first time in years. I am no longer invisible. There is a certain danger in this that's been causing me to eat more again. On a subconscious level it seems I am anxious to restore my own non-existence. I think this is the reason for the yo-yo effect.


But I am determined to stop it this time. 

Perseverance is the key. That along with motivation and courage. And the willingness to face head on whatever fears and shadows are lurking in the psyche.


FEAR.  False Evidence Appearing Real  (I just learned that from Karynne Boese of dreamliving.org, isn't it fabulous???)  


Fear, like shadow, disappears when light is shined on it. 

Knowing this is the key to reaching all your goals in life. So today, remember this ... no matter what your goals are, YOU CAN ACHIEVE THEM!  Just keep going, even when you think you can't go any further ... take one more step!

Lessons from the Past

Funny how the Universe brings people back into your life at the perfect moment. I've been struggling with some very core issues regarding my weight.

Ideas that somehow solidified back in 6th grade and stuck.

Things like I'm a FAT (I was teased mercilessly by two mean boys in my class - who taunted me and called me ELEPHANT on a daily basis) And my other favorite, because I couldn't stick to a diet I was a failure, unable to achieve any goal I set.

Yep. I spent much of my life under the shadows of this stuff! It sucks growing up large in LA.

But alas, I've done the work and those ghosts have long gone, or so I thought. While cleansing, there are occasions when these thoughts still rear their ugly heads.  Here's where Universal timing comes in.

A few weeks ago, while I was knee deep in the muck of my past, I got a call out of the blue from my 6th grade friend Kim P.  (We'd re-connected on Facebook, which was very cool!)  We talked for about 45 minutes.

Here's the irony.  I remembered myself as the fat girl who was a sloth and did nothing.  She remembered an athletic girl who wasn't rail skinny, but who was thin and active and healthy.  She reminded me I was always swimming and riding horses! Seriously, her perception of me was 180 degrees of what I thought of myself.  As mine was of her.

I always thought she was so thin.  She had these long, lean legs and to my recollection was seriously skinny!  But in her mind, she was the fat one!  Can you believe it?

She also reminded me that when I left in 7th grade and came back to visit, I was 'totally skinny.'  She was right, it was after my first ever crash diet .... at age 13 I created the Dexatrim and Tab cola and Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup diet!  Yep, I wouldn't eat all day, I'd take Dexatrim and drink Tab to suppress my appetite and finally, at dinner eat a can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup!  My poor parents!  I remember being perpetually hungry and mean as a rabid dog!  Hey, but I was thin! LOL!

Can you say not sustainable???  Thankfully now, I am an adult making better choices.  My paradigm has shifted ... from THIN to HEALTHY.  I am grateful to Isagenix every day for providing me with a healthy option to release not only the weight, but also the baggage from my past!

Anyone else out there want to share their craziest crash diet??

Groovy Exercise

Yesterday was about the struggle, today is about the triumph!  I've started exercising.  I made it a game.  Burst training is AWESOME!  For me, there's no excuse for not being able to do 10 minutes a day every other day, none.  I've been at it consistently for about a week and a half, and it's so much FUN!

I LOVE jumping rope.  It's my thing.  It has been since I was a kid. In fact my neighbor and her daughters joined me yesterday.  We had a jump-fest, which was followed by a little hula hoop action!  So much fun.

Last week I walked the stairs in Santa Monica for the first time with my friend and fellow Isa-teammate Beth, her her hubby-to-be Randy and my Staffie Molly. Again, so much fun!  It was something new.  Going to the beach, breathing fresh air, meeting new people and hoofing it up and down a gazillion stairs!

To make it even better, we went on Friday midday -- so it felt a bit like I was ditching -- the naughty aspect of this appealed to my impish nature!

Tomorrow I'm planning to hike in Griffith Park.  I'm working it into my schedule.  I book it like it's an appointment with a client.  So far so good.

So here's my tip for those of you like me, exercise-resistant.  Make it a game.  Phone a friend. Listen to your favorite music. (preferably something with a beat)  Bribe yourself.  But do whatever it takes to get moving!  Have a fantastic day!

Struggling with Eating (Part 1 of 5)

I haven't written in a while because I've been struggling with the eating. Not exactly the strong finish I wanted for the Isabody Challenge, but it is what it is ...

I feel like the hero at the end of the journey ... you know the one who comes so far and must face the final ordeal before crossing to the next level.  That's where I'm at.

First of all, what is it with the feeling of never being full, the concept of never enough or not 'done'?

Ever since I wrote about emotional eating, it seems the ghosts of the past have haunted me.

Don't get me wrong, amazing things have happened too ..

Let's start with the tough stuff and get it out of the way... I have a potato chip obsession. In the past two weeks on three separate occasions, I've eaten a whole bag of Lay's Potato Chips!  (I can't believe I'm confessing this in public, but here it is... )   I call it Food Temper Tantrums ... acting out.  I was angry, I didn't even know at what ... maybe it was at life, maybe it was at the constant challenges of being an entrepreneur, maybe it was because I just wanted to be done with the diet.  Oops, done with the diet???

Seriously, did I just say that???  Goes to show you how deeply damaged my 'fat' head is.  Isagenix isn't a diet. It's a way of life.  It's a way of putting balanced nutrition into your body, so your brain chemistry is prepared to deal with the struggles of weight release.  Not everyone is like me, broken with a 'fat' head.

But for those of you who are, you understand where I've been at. Struggling to really confront the past and face it head on, to call out the shadows of the secret trough eating society,  and to figure out the mystery of not enough and never done.  I'll let you know when I have answers, because to date ... still there's nothing.

I will say that one moment at time, I'm fighting this battle. I'm counting successes not failures.

Like yesterday .. in Rite Aid, and all of a sudden straight in front of me - Doritos Nacho Cheese  - my high school go-to food drug!  Weirdness happened.  I'm transported to being 15 again, and making a beeline for the chips!  Seriously!  My inner teenager almost commandeered my brain and my wallet.  ALMOST.

Until the adult me, wearing the healthy well-fed, chemically balanced Isagenix brain put a stop to it.

Just like that. No the answer was no. Not no never, ever, ever ... just no not today. For some reason that made a difference.  Small shifts, consistent mindfulness ... this is how to meet weight-release goals.

One situation at time, one challenge at a time, one choice at a time.

I'll be back with more on this soon. Part 2 is about exercise ... and making it fun!

Burst Training

 I'm down to the final four weeks of the Isabody Challenge and it's crunch time.  Serious crunch time.  No more excuses for not exercising!

I started burst training today ... totally challenging and completely fun! Everyone's asking me it is exactly and how is differs from traditional training ... Well, it's a high intensity workout for short intervals of time. It's much easier for me to be motivated when I know it can be over in about 5-10 minutes!  There's no excuses with this kind of training!  It's only 5 minutes!

It can be running, swimming or like for me, jumping rope!  Anything that gets your heart pumping quickly!  I'm a huge fan of jumping!  I put on the Ipod and just let myself go!

With summer coming why not give it a try?  What have you got to lose but 5 minutes of your day?

Spring Cleaning

Spring is here and it's time for a little cleaning. The emotional kind!  Yep that's right, this past week has been all about dealing with emotional challenges without eating!  (OMG, this is a transformation!)


I'm calling this Spring Cleaning ... it's the process of recognizing the emotion behind the eating and working to really understand it and bring it to light. Emotional eating is a shadowy subject.  But a few things are known for sure.

When you're craving salt many times it's because you're angry.  When you're craving sugar it's to mask some kind of sadness.  Usually I crave both!  Like yesterday at Trader Joe's ... it was one of the frustrating days in general, where nothing goes according to plan, where parking is a struggle, the store is packed and has nothing I came for save for organic apples!

Suddenly I heard the evil muppets saying, 'just take a look around.  oooh there are some yummy salt and vinegar chips .... aaahhh and some Druid circles ... those would be good right now.  At least this trip won't be for nothing. "  Yikes!  I almost fell for it!

Then I stopped for a moment and realized, ok, I'm sad they don't have Daffodils for my Mom and I'm pissed off because I have to get up and go tomorrow at the crack of dawn to get them!  (hence the sugar and salt)  Once I shined a light on the emotions the voices of the muppets all but disappeared!  And miracle of miracles, I chose NOT TO EAT!

Thanks to my new-found awareness, I was able to sweep away the cravings and stay on track.  My 'willpower' was fortified with knowledge of my emotional makeup.  This is the purpose of Spring Cleaning!

How will you clean your emotional closets this season?

Road to Inspiration ...

I am coming up on the final four weeks of the Isabody Challenge, and to tell you the truth, I feel like I've already won!  I have released 43 pounds and counting.  And while this number may not be as stunning as some who have released more than a hundred pounds, my transformation is just as miraculous, nonetheless!

Somewhere along the line my paradigm shifted ... I started wanting a  healthy body instead of a thin one!  Who knew that  making conscious efforts to put good nutrition in my body and surround myself with other healthy positive folks would be the key?

It's true, losing weight is a by-product.  This is the secret of the genie in the lamp ... I wished to be thin and instead got the tools to become healthy!  I just love it when people say to me, but you only drink shakes!  When you stop, you'll gain it all back again!

Oh, to you naysayers, this is my response -- first of all ... I love the taste and convenience of the shakes ... when I forget to plan ahead and all of a sudden I'm starving, some ice and a blender and an Isalean shake saves me from making a bad choice!  It's instant gratification, which, truthfully, I'm all about a lot of the time!  There I said it.  I like things quick and I like things easy!

Since I began this journey in November, I've attracted so many new and wonderful friends!  They have shared with me tips for quick and healthy eating with very little forethought and prep time! Each and every one has the same focus as myself!  - To live a healthy and prosperous life!  From them I have learned how important it is to EAT properly ... to eat organic ... to chose an apple instead of a bag of chips and to have an IsaDelight instead of a Snickers!


I eat better now that I am doing a nutritional cleanse than I ever have in my life!  And I want to shout it out so the world can hear!

Anyone feeling inspired yet?  I know I am!

Here's a link to my friend Beth's blog ... she distributes Horizon Foods meats and is a goddess of quick and easy gourmet meals!  http://bethshealthyliving.blogspot.com

Check her out and join her mailing list ...

Inspiration for the Day ...

Found this tree while looking for inspirational images ... doesn't it look like it's dancing!  Mother Nature is the most amazing thing!  She doesn't try, she just does.

(they swear it's not photoshopped!)

I'm adopting this attitude toward exercise .... I want to dance like the tree ... naturally with beauty and grace!

I've got five weeks left in the IsaBody Challenge ... so I'm really kicking the exercise into gear!  I could use a little cheering on though .. anyone got cardio that's fun and easy to do?   If you do, please share!

It's time to motivate and get REALLY CREATIVE!

100th Post

This week I celebrated my 100th post!  Not sure how much weight I've released (you know I stay away from the scales) but I know it's more than 40 pounds!

People are stopping me on the street asking me for my secret ... I tell them, no secret, it's Isagenix!

After 10,000 days of wishing, I finally stopped dreaming and started doing!  This is the first year in a VERY LONG TIME I'm looking forward to summer!

Happiness is in Your Hand

Last week was a toughie ... but then I got to a point where I'd had enough of the struggle. I decided to stop and just be happy. And you know what, I became happy. More like myself again. You see, I'd forgotten that no matter what life throws at you, happiness is in your hand. The choice is yours.

I was reminded of that. Now I choose to smile, I choose to be grateful, I choose to be happy ... Sure things are still challenging, but that's the fun of life. My friend Mona May says when we grow older, we won't remember the minutia of what our struggles were. What we WILL remember is that we kept going, we continued to participate and we challenged ourselves to live life to the fullest!

This is the juice! Your life, your way!

Hope you live your life to the fullest today!

Wish for Happiness

When I was a kid dandelions were my favorite because each one grew with a wish!

This week's wish is for happiness and smooth sailing, what's yours?

Just Because ...

Challenging Week ...

This has been a challenging week .. food-wise, work-wise, life-wise ... It felt like every possible roadblock to my success appeared! There were barriers every which way I turned.

Hot button eating emotions in my life ... doubt, insecurity, self-loathing , rebellion and more ... were all triggered - SIMULTANEOUSLY! The result was eating Taco Bell and drinking lattes for four days in a row ... I was still conscious and controlled, eating 3 crunchy tacos at 173 calories each = 519 calories ... a latte with 4 tbsp of half and half and Splenda = 100 calories ... so calorie-wise this wasn't so bad, but health-wise, well not so much ...

I recognize what this is ... SABOTAGE, self-sabotage! It's happened to me before ... I've gotten so far in the weight-release journey, but there's still a long way to go ... and suddenly, in front of me I see nothing but blocks. And, I find myself taking the wrong turns. Making small choices at first ... a latte here, a taco there ... then the next thing I know, I'm completely off program!

But this is not the case this time. This time I'm choosing a different path. Even though I had a really challenging week, I didn't let the barriers sidetrack me completely.

In fact, Saturday was my birthday and I'd given my self the option to have cake if I wanted it, only to find out, I really didn't want it. Imagine that!

Now that's some serious growth! So here it is, advice for the week ... no matter what barriers you are facing, no matter how far you feel you have to go, hang in there. Dig deep, you have it within you to keep moving forward through!

Emotional Odyssey

Small choices make a difference. Today was another potential day of emotional eating. I'm working on a memoir, which is challenging for me. My inner critic was kicking and screaming, 'you'll never be about to write 10,ooo words. who are you kidding? you suck at this writing thing. give it up.' This made me want to eat, eat, eat.

Then I realized, ah, this is self-doubt, this is inadequacy ... Couple that with the Oscars and a night of celebration could lead to massive over-eating. I ended up having my friend Poppy over ... and we had hors d'oeurves ... hummus, carrots, celery ... that part wasn't so bad, but the brie and the Ak Mak, that was a calorie extravagance. We didn't have drinks, just water and green tea. But I did break my coffee embargo and used my Nespresso machine to make lattes with half and half for desert!

Earlier in the day I'd been craving (and almost gave in to) Taco Bell. Yes, I know this is gross, but there's some times when nothing but a Taco Bell crunchy taco will do! Today would have been one of those days. In fact, I was headed to TB for a stress-induced bag of tacos when i thought, stop ... you're already planning to have brie and crackers and a latte (OMG - it was PERFECTION!!!) tonight, probably should not have tacos for lunch.

That's what I mean by small decisions making a difference. Today, even though I was battling insecurities, I didn't take the easy path and mindlessly turn to food.

Instead I made conscious choices. And in the end, this will make all the difference!

Emotional Eating

"A Clear Understanding of Negative Emotions Dismisses them." Vernon Howard

Yesterday I gave in and did some emotional eating. Only a little bit ... but still, I did it. I've been struggling and yesterday a ghost from my past snuck up on me triggered it. Major difference this time, I recognized it as it was happening. I was completely conscious of what I was doing.

I knew when I was shopping in Trader Joe's I was going to eat. I chose white cheddar popcorn -- knowing the whole bag was less calories than a bag of chips. I hadn't intended to buy it when I walked in, but it ended up in my basket anyway.

At home I talked myself through the whole process -- is this going to serve your goal of winning the Isabody Challenge? No. Ok, well then leave them alone. I repeated this conversation and circled my kitchen like a shark after blood. Opening the bag, closing the bag. Opening the bag, eating a little, putting it away. Finally I was like, "just eat the bag, do it and be done." So I did -- and you know what -- I enjoyed it, a lot!

But here's the key differences between this time and all the times before -- I didn't beat myself up. I didn't keep going. I had a shake for dinner and was right back on the program. I also recognized the feeling of inadequacy made me turn to the comfort of food. So courtesy of my friend and client Nancy Mendell ... I came up with strategies to try next time ... walk the dog, journal, do some art ... try one of these things before settling in and stuffing it down.

What strategies do you have in place for your next struggle with emotional eating?

Clear Skies

You know what it's like right after a storm? When the skies finally clear and the air is cool and crisp and clean, and the sun is not just shining, but sparkling ... That's how I felt this morning when I got up.

Like I'd weathered this dramatic storm and the reward was clear blue skies! Yesterday was just a test ...

I did not give in to the foods that were calling me. I rallied strength from my coaches and friends. (thank you Beth for recognizing the little waver in my voice and calling me right away!) Then I realized, this is the Isagenix difference. The personal coaching. The bonds you form and the friends you make over challenges that are unique but the same to all of us.

David Wood says when you're feeling doubt, uncertainty, fear or apprehension, those are signs you're being challenged. Yesterday I thanked him (repeatedly) for those words of wisdom because I was living a day FULL OF CHALLENGE! I remembered that an uncomfortable state is natural -- I call it growing pains -- "Here I grow again" is one of David's favorite mantras ... Now I understand why!

So next time you're in the middle your own personal storm, remember what I learned from yesterday ... 1. it'll pass and 2. say to yourself 'here i grow again' ... know that the bad weather doesn't last forever ... clouds will pass and skies will clear! The rewards for sticking it out are unlimited! Have a fantastic day!

On the Edge ...

Today was kind of a bad day. Well parts of it were anyway. Things got so bad they were laughable about an hour ago ... but that's when I almost went over the edge. Pizza and beer at Dino's was calling my name! LOUDLY!

You see today I did something really stupid. I weighed myself while having a horrible day, in the middle of the afternoon, after have a shake for breakfast, chicken and cabbage stir fry for lunch and a shake at 4pm. Oops! Seriously oops.

So here's something many of you may not know about me. I've had a long and tumultuous relationship with the scale. It's taken me many, many years to shrink my fat head. And just when I thought it was safe ...

Weighing myself today, while already in the midst of an already emotionally stormy day, was an interesting form of self-sabotage.

The scale said I've only lost 3 pounds in a week and a half.

This after the weekend cleanse struggle made me instantly go to the 'What's the Use' place. You know the place. It's on 'I Should Just Give Up' street in the town of 'This'll Never Work." Anyone else ever visited here?

Luckily, I had Isagenix teammates and coaches to call and they encouraged me to get out of that place right away. And while at the moment I'm still on edge, I'm no longer on THE Edge, ya know?

Their support has made all the difference!

Peace!

Full Moon

Tonight is a full moon! Perfect for wishing. But wishing on it's own isn't enough. Wishes with action, now there's the magic!

I made it through my through the second day of my cleanse. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do it, but then this morning I had a breakthrough. The cleaner, leaner me realized that when you feel like you can't go on, when you feel like giving up, if you hold on and see it through, miracles will happen. You're headed for a deeper level of clarity.

Trust me. You have the power to create your own magic!

Weekend Cleanse

I've been doing back to back nine days(race to maintenance) pretty easily ... shakes days during the week, cleanse days on the weekends. But this weekend it was a little tough to get into.

One thing that's saved me this weekend is Michelle William's tip about eating cucumbers. Just gotta love that vegetable!

For some reason, today I needed to graze on something. Luckily Michelle had shared with me her trick about cucumbers ... she cuts them up and puts Balsamic Vinegar on them and munches on them during a cleanse day.

I cut them up and used Rice Wine Vinegar and the tiniest splash of sesame oil. My own simple sunomono salad! Yum! This seems to be working.

And although apparently my brain is going through a rebellious phase ... I'm working my way through it. Anyone else got tips they want to share?

Healthy Living with Beth

It's Friday and I'm grateful. Extremely grateful. Am looking forward to another day of work tomorrow, which is always fun since basically, I work with my friends!

One friend, Beth Kandell, has this great new blog.

Beth is all about quick and easy, healthy gourmet meals! Perfect for the time-challenged! Her meals take about 5 minutes to prepare, 30 minutes total time with cooking -- giving you far more time for this ... And really, who doesn't need more of this???

On the menu for this weekend ... Chilean Sea Bass w/ Mixed Green Salad and Roasted Asparagus!

Check her out at bkhealthyliving.wordpress.com!

Who Am I?

So today at 7:40 in the morning as I was driving to a networking meeting for Women Entrepreneurs, it hit me. I was up before 9, and functioning, and clear-headed, and not drinking coffee, and driving on the 101 freeway HAPPILY. Talk about total transformation. I mean, who am I??! WOW!

In my life, I swear, I never thought the person I just described would be me. I even was up til way after midnight last night and got up easily this morning at 6am without an alarm!!! Seriously, who am I??? I am a totally different person. With totally different energy and a totally different outlook on life.

Somewhere along this journey a paradigm shift has occurred. Inside my head I went from being the 'fat girl' with a heavy mind and heart, to the person I am at this moment. Somewhere along the line, I started to believe. I mean, really believe that a life shift was possible.

Now I know that I can let go of the multitudes of past weight loss failures and eating issues and all that other junk that's been weighing me down. That I can have a healthy future. That I can change my life and the lives of countless others by just doing what I'm doing.

So who am I now? I am the woman who is finally, finally, finally shedding the fat cocoon she's spent her life hiding in and grown new wings to fly! I am the woman transformed.

I wish you peace and the strength to make your own transformation!