Thursday, May 27, 2010

Stephanie's Journal Days 9, 10 and 11!

Days 9 and 10 of MNS Max C

I'll be real honest and say that I have been fighting a headache for 3 days. This is why I didn't post yesterday. I have kept up my water but honestly, haven't felt like cooking OR eating.

Our schedule this week has been crazy and we have not had a family dinner since Monday. Everyone has been grabbing quick meals and leftovers on the go. This on top of the nagging headache has made it more difficult to eat healthy. I'll confess that I did have fast food Tuesday night. And it had been a while since I've had any. Yes, it was good! BUT, I felt so sluggish after eating it that I'm not sure I really care to have it again!


I can tell a difference in my appetite. I'm not having the afternoon "I'm starving" feeling around 3:30 or 4:00 like I usually get. When we sit down for meals, I am hungry, but find that I'm done before the food on my plate is gone. I do NOT feel guilty for not eating everything. I'm just full faster. :)

While I LOVE my afternoon strawberry Slam, yesterday I did have a cup of coffee. Today, I will be having the Slam. I could tell a HUGE difference about an hour or so after the coffee. With the Slam, I feel more alert, energized and ready to tackle the next project. Yesterday about an hour or so after my cup of coffee, I just felt sluggish. The headache wasn't helping I'm sure, but I felt worse AFTER the coffee that used to kick start me in the afternoon!

Today, I'm doing a little yoga, drinking lots of water and catching up on some much needed housework!

Hard to believe it is day 11 of 14 days with this product. I'm looking forward to seeing what the next few days hold!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Stephanie's Journal Days 6-8 1/2 Way There!

May 24, 2010

Over the weekend, I did not stop long enough to do a journal entry. So today I'm just going to re-cap day 6 and 7 and then to Check the Scale Monday.

Day 6 & 7

It was hard for me to get my water in this weekend. We had a busy two days and I did not carry enough water bottles with me. That made for three days in a row that I did not meet my personal water goal. :) Today...I'm pretty close to it.

Day 8

That's today and it's Monday so that means it is CHECK THE SCALE day.

I'm happy to say that I have lost a little more than 1/2 a pound. :) Not much, BUT it is a start. Remember, for me this is more about eating healthy and smart and getting on the road to a healthier lifestyle. I feel strongly that as I do this the last 10 pounds will come off.

Thanks to my off and on committment to the Shred over the fall and winter, I'm very happy to report that last years swimsuit is too big! I put it on this morning and well...it was just too big. I had to pull out my standby black tank to take the girls to the pool. It was also too big. It will be okay for sitting in the sun, but there is no way I could get in the water in it!! THAT made me feel good and I'm going to wait a couple of weeks before I purchase a new suit. Very cool!

I'm at the halfway point with the MNS MaxC product.. loving it and the changes I see taking place.

Now, I'm off to finish up the weekend laundry and try to get a walk in.

Happy Monday!
stephanie

Friday, May 21, 2010

Stephanie's Journal Day 5

May 21, 2010

Day 5

Five days in and my weight has gone down. About 1/2 pound. :) I have been good about NOT getting on the scale, but figured I would just see since we are on day 5. I keep reminding myself that this is NOT about weight, but about being healthy. However, I found myself obsessing about the number yesterday and today. Not a good thing for me. I know that I need to set some boundaries SO...

I'm going to make Monday my Check the Scale day. I will be weighing early on Monday mornings from here on out. (This will help me to NOT blow it on the weekend.)

Today was an off day for me. I overslept and my morning routine was off. Instead of having breakfast between 7:00 and 8:00, I did not eat until 9:00. I have not had as much water today and just feel sluggish. I know it's from the crazy morning, so we are turning in early tonight.

We have a pretty busy weekend, planned so I will probably combine day 6 and 7 on Sunday evening.

Thanks for stopping by today! We are so glad you are here.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Stephanie's Journal Day 4

May 20, 2010

Day 4 Today was a bit busier than normal and I'm just now sitting down to journal. It's late and I've got an early morning so forgive my short entry!

Food for today:

Breakfast: Oatmeal, water, coffee
Lunch: Soup/Crackers Water
Dinner: Family was gone so I had a snack dinner. Crackers/cheese and fruit

Water: I got a little more than my 64 ounces today!!!

I will say that today I had an extra cup of coffee. (Only because I met some friends for coffee and to talk Bible study. Two of my favorite things.)

Overall I have felt okay today. Not really hungry at all come to think of it. Probably because we were busy and I was not thinking about what I was fixing for dinner!

I'm very excited about the changes I have made in my life and I look forward to seeing the results!

Talk to you tomorrow!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Stephanie's Journal Day 3

May 19, 2010

Day 3. Maybe because I didn't fall asleep until after 1:00 this morning, or maybe because it is Wednesday...whatever the reason I am dragging today. I will be having a strawberry Slam in an hour or so. Those always give an energy boost!

It could be because I did have a nice walk/run last night while the girls were in Karate. Not sure how far, but I'm almost positive Chad can tell me! I walked/ran the perimeter of our church campus. I have NEVER noticed just how many inclines there are! Goodness.

Overall, I feel good! I'm finding that I am hungry at meal time, but not so much in between. (with the exception of after my walk/run last night..I felt like I could have eaten an entire bucket of fried chicken! BUT, I didn't!)

Today I had: oatmeal, water and coffee at breakfast.

A cup of coffee while I had my quiet time.

For lunch: potato soup and tomato basil wheat thins with water to drink and YES:

I had a small serving of peach cobbler. The cobbler was our American Idol treat last night. I had an even smaller portion last night and you know what? THAT is probably why I had trouble going to sleep!

WATER: Yesterday at this point I was pretty close to getting my water ounces in. Today, not so much. I'm working on my second bottle not sure I will get in the full amount. (My goal is 64 ounces a day)

EXERCISE: Used the Wii Fit plus for Yoga. Also used it for some aerobics. (Ran with Chloe and won!) Taking a walk outside and then working in the yard a little. Yes, I count working in the yard because it's physical and I will sweat. :)

This is the link to the Trim page of the AdvoCare line. In case you are just joining this journey, I'm using the MNS MAX C. This product is focused on core nutrition and appetite control.

Thanks for stopping by today! Leave us a comment and say Hi!!!

Blessings,
stephanie

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Stephanie's Journal Day 2

May 18, 2010

Day 2.

Another day and still feeling strong. Once again, I had oatmeal for breakfast and much to my surprise, was "full" way before I was done.

I have already had 48 ounces of water and working on my next 16 ounces. My goal is to finish this 16 and then get one more 16 ounce bottle in today.

After breakfast and quiet time with the Lord, I spent an hour exercising. It was a combination of yoga and some "fun" exercise with the Wii Fit Plus. I'm struggling with the Shred right now. I seem to be getting a killer headache when I do it, so I'm just finding other ways to get some exercise in.

Tonight, I plan to take a walk while my girls are in karate. Should be able to get in a couple of miles while they are in class.

My Blackberry reminded me at 11:00 to take my 30 min. before lunch packet. I did, but lunch was ready before that 30 minutes was up. I was halfway through my tuna on whole wheat before I realized it. I had only waited 15 minutes. I waited until I completed my meal before I took the "with lunch" packet.

I was hungry at lunchtime today, and ate my entire sandwich. And a SMALL serving of chips. Bad I know. But I didn't go crazy.

I'll just be real honest and say that while I want to drop these 10 pounds, when it comes to diet/exercise I have never ever been this strict with myself. This is new territory for me and I'm asking God to help me NOT obsess over this. I know what a healthy weight is for my height and that is where I want to be.

Okay, the rest of the day:

I'm planning on having a Strawberry Slam around 1:30 or 2:00, IF the girls and I don't make peach smoothies for an afternoon treat.

Dinner tonight will be homemade soup and cheese toast. (On whole wheat bread)

I'll go ahead and say that we will probably have a special treat (aka dessert), during American Idol tonight. My portion will just be smaller than what I would normally eat. :)

After two days, I feel good. Still encouraged and excited to be working toward my goal. I know that this is the start of a lifestyle change for me. I'm serious about becoming healthier. After all, we are only given one body, one life. There are things I want to do and things God has planned for me to do. I want to be a good steward of this body and my life so that I can accomplish those things. It's not about being thin, this journey is about being healthy.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Stephanie's Journal Day 1

Here we go! In true journal fashion, I'm going to share how I'm feeling each day. Also, I'm Making simple notes about meals/snacks and exercise. When these two weeks have passed, I want to be able to look back and this journal and have a good picture of how I felt each day.

I have to say, one thing that is helping me is that there is no question of what to take when.

You can see in this picture that there are four individually wrapped sections. On the reverse side, it says "Take 30 mins. BEFORE breakfast", "Take 30 mins. BEFORE lunch" or "Take WITH breakfast or Lunch". It's "stephanie" proof! :)




May 17,2010

Day 1.

Got up very excited to start the MNSMAX C product.


I got up, took the 30 minutes before breakfast pack, and had some quiet time before breakfast.

Breakfast consisted of oatmeal, coffee and water. I took my with breakfast pack and felt fine.

Almost forgot to take my 30 minutes before lunch pack. SO, I set a reminder on my Blackberry for each day. I know that this particular pack will be the one I have problems remembering.

By the end of lunch (leftover pasta and roasted veggies) I'm done with the supplements for the day. All four packets are empty and I feel good.

It's about 3:15 right now and I am surprisingly not hungry. The girls and I usually have a fruit snack or popcorn in the afternoon, today I really do not want anything.

Over the last week, I have increased the amount of water I drink, and today I'm a little behind what I have gotten used to drinking so I do feel thirsty.

I did weigh this morning, but will NOT be sharing that here!!! Goodness no. :)
I will say again that I'm working on getting rid of the last 10 pounds of "baby" weight.

Exercise. Today I intended to do the Shred level 1. BUT, instead have been working in the yard and attempting to catch up on laundry. I'm thinking the landscaping stones I've been moving most of the morning can be considered weights. :) I'm headed now to do some yoga.

See you Tuesday!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

It's Summer and I'm Getting Serious

Serious about my health. I know we normally see a health awareness push in late December early January, but for me...I feel it in the summer.

This year I've decided that I'm going to do more than just think about shedding the last 10 pounds of baby weight. (It's about time since our babies are 11 and 9!!!)

With that in mind, I ordered this:




She arrived Friday afternoon and I'm ready to start! Come Monday morning I will begin using this product as well as making some changes in my diet and exercise.
Over the next two weeks I will be blogging daily about my experience with this product. I'm looking forward to it!

Thanks for stopping by today! We are so glad you are here. I hope you'll check back in Monday as I start this journey!

Blessings,
stephanie

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

A Healthy Heart! That is What We're After!

Almost two years ago Chad went in for his yearly physical. Imagine our surprise when almost a week later his doctor's office called to schedule an appointment to discuss the results of his lab work. We were floored and didn't know what to expect.

Chad came home the next day with news that absolutely terrified me. He was told to totally change his lifestyle, diet, and step up the exercise. His good cholesterol was practically nonexistent and his bad cholesterol was off the charts. That in combination with a family history of heart disease, he was a heart attack waiting to happen. Things had to change.

SO. We changed our diet. He was already riding his bike, but added running and swimming. We as a family began to make healthier choices. Chad was/is determined to do this without a prescription. His doctor gave us some ideas and Chad took them and ran with it.

Over the last two years he has worked HARD. We were thrilled to discover that so much of what his doctor has suggested he try is available in AdvoCare products. Fish oil was one of the first thing his doctor had him start taking. AdvoCare offers a GREAT product called OmegaPlex.



He has been very pleased with the OmegaPlex. In fact, at his last physical we saw some improvement in all his numbers.

Here are a few tidbits of information on OmegaPlex:

Supplies 1,000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per serving
Contains both EPA and DHA fatty acids
Plays an important role in the transportation of nutrients*
Helps support normal blood flow and healthy blood pressure*
Promotes cardiovascular health in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise*
Helps promote healthy metabolism*
Helps maintain a healthy immune system*
Promotes maintenance of healthy skin, hair and nails*


This journey to a healthy heart is full of choices. The choice to choose grilled fish instead of fried chicken. The choice to get up early for a run instead of sleeping that extra hour. Choices.

We are seeing the results of healthy choices. AdvoCare products like OmegaPlex are working hand in hand with those choices to make a difference in the heart health of my husband.

I pray you never receive news like we received two years ago. But if you do, can I encourage you to take a look at the AdvoCare products? If you have any questions, Chad and I would be honored to help you!

You can learn more about OmegaPlex here.

Blessings,
stephanie