feeling good about yourself naked

Feeling good about yourself naked is a tough topic. It's something we all want but not something easily achieved. Advertisements bombard us each day of images of gorgeous, thin bodies. We all know that they are air brushed and that every imperfection is hidden from our eyes. But at the same time how are we supposed to get a clear idea of what beauty is supposed to look like?

I'm personally obsessed with having a flat tummy. I've struggled with being apple shaped my whole life. I've got a large chest, a big belly and skinny legs. In my opinion, it's not a great body type to have. I feel limited by my clothing options as I struggle with muffin top and not over exposing my very full cup. 

I dream of having an hour glass figure like Scarlett O'Hara or J-Lo. (Totally different models, I know.) To me, the hour glass figure is the essence of femininity and also has a lot of great fashion choices. When I look at myself in the mirror the first thing I look at is my belly. It's the first set of measurements I do when I'm measuring myself and I think about how my stomach looks in my clothing choices.

Now this post is about feeling good naked. How can we feel good about ourselves when naked when we obsess over that one body part that makes us dislike how we look and feel? How do we overcome that negative self talk and give in that we are all uniquely beautiful?

Well for me, it wasn't easy. I knew weight loss was key to get a flatter, smaller tummy and more self confidence. I've seen a lot of progress over the last 6 weeks. I knew I had to do something about it and the ability to change my shape to best of my ability. I got tired of obsessing over what I didn't like and focused on finding ways to change what I could. 

The hard part though was in the doing. Sometimes going after what you want is the hardest thing. It's hard to make healthy choices because it means making changes. Change takes courage and it can set you free.

I'm on my way to being free and loving the body I've been given. I have to work hard for that and that to me is worth it. Each day I try to find improvements in my overall shape and focus on the positive. I'm thankful for the support group I have. People have been sending me encouraging messages and commenting on the changes. This type of support is an important part of transforming yourself.

I will always look at my tummy first when I glance in a mirror but I think that's okay. It will keep me hungry for my version of perfection. I can keep going after that goal of looking better and the changes I see will contribute to an overall feeling of accomplishment. Recognizing progress is essential to feeling good about yourself. I'm not quite in love with the naked me but I'm on my way!

Isagenix one month in review

It's been almost two years since my last posting. In that time, I've had a baby and she's already a year old. Let's just say taking care of myself has been on the back burner for the last two years but I'm back!

Isagenix: Weight loss story (first month)

What a month it has been! As you probably know I was introduced to Isagenix from a dear friend, Logan, who has been using the products since January. In that time, she has dropped several dress sizes, gotten her energy back, developed a whole new lease on life and is making a considerable income. When I heard about the products I was very skeptical at best about how someone could do all of those things in such a short time.

 I had asked her about it in early May because I was also tired of feeling uncomfortable in my clothes and feeling very tired. At the time, I was not ready to start. We had just moved to NJ and I was just not in the right mind set. At the same time, I was looking to find additional sources of income for my family that would not require a full time or even part time capacity. I had explored other opportunities like selling make-up, jewelry and even body wraps that promise weight loss. None of these really spoke to me.

I met up with Logan in late July as I had not seen her in years. When I saw her I was taken aback. She looked amazing! Her aura was so positive and happy. I was really impressed. I started to believe that maybe these products she had been preaching about were something to consider. So I took a leap. It took my almost 3 weeks to convince myself that I should try it.

So on August 19th I ordered my Energy & Performance President's Pak and decided to dive in. The product is really for stellar athletes (which I am not) but the weight loss products were not recommended for nursing moms. Logan assured me that I would still see results. I figured I had 30 days to try it and if it didn't work I'd get my money back.

My goals were two-fold: 1. to look better and drop some inches by January 2014 and 2. to earn some additional income for my family. I decided initially that I wouldn't say too much about it to too many people. I wanted to see if these products worked. So I posted a few things on Facebook and told a few friends and family and went about using the products.

I wish I had more memories of the early days. I remember feeling tired at first. My body was adjusting big time to the what was happening to it. Here I was for the first time infusing my body with all the trace minerals that have been depleted from our nutrition and giving my body the best protein source available where my body can absorb 85% of it. It's like running on high octane! After a few days my energy came in. I felt like the Energizer bunny. It was crazy! At the same time I notice that I was able to fit into clothes that I haven't worn in years. They were still a little snug but at least buttoning.

I was not able to commit to a consistent exercising routine in the first month. I basically walked when I could, baby wore Miss Bea and follow the Isagenix regime. The regime includes a IsaLean shake for breakfast, a healthy snack around mid morning like almonds, fruits or veggies, an IsaLean shake for lunch or dinner, another snack midday and a nutritious meal for lunch or dinner that ranges from 400-600 calories.

I soon became so excited about these products that I wanted to share the news with everyone. I got my best friend, Carmen into it who got her boyfriend into it. I got Jason on the products, my mom and one of her colleagues. My sister even tried it while staying with me and felt her clothes much looser in just 4 days.

Four weeks later and I am so excited about the opportunity to share Isagenix with everyone I know. I've lost 5 pounds and almost 18 inches on my body overall. I'm so happy to have found something that is healthy, affordable and easy to follow. I can't say enough good things about the experience I'm having. By introducing the products to friends and family I have already made way more than I have invested in just under 1 month.

My goals for the next month are to continue the same regime but to also incorporate more exercising. I feel with exercise I will see better results and feel better overall. I need to focus on toning by body.

Thanks for reading and I hope you will continue to follow my progress. If and when you are ready to start just let me know! You won't regret investing in yourself.

Photos below are from Day 1(8/24/13), Day 14 (9/7/13) and Day 28 (9/22/13).

My belly shrank from looking pregnant still to getting closer to flat.

My face looks like a chipmunk in the first picture to much slimmer at the end of the 28 days.

Belly is shrinking and will one day have less rolls than a bakery! :)

Diet Schmiet!

So I've been thinking a lot lately about food and portions. What a stressful subject. I know I eat right. I eat a lot of fruits and a good amount of veggies. I know that is the right thing for me. After the live foods I get a bit confused. How much protein do I really need? What's the right source of protein? What carbs and how much of it do I need? what are some good grain options? Ugh! It's a nightmare.

I'm also going back and forth about should I re-join Weight Watchers or not? I'm not too into the idea of joining Weight Watchers. While I was successful on the plan the weekly meetings and weigh in are a bit depressing. I don't care about the number on the scale. I care about how I feel in my clothes and how I look. I also have a hard time listening to other people's food problems. A lot of times it's not the same problems that I have and it's not helpful. I do enjoy talking about recipes or low fat options. But it's not worth the monthly fee and the stress of having to add something else to my calendar.

I am still into the idea of doing something that works for me. I want to learn how to eat right so that I can stay at a comfortable size. I've been thinking that I always set reasonable goals when I'm wanting to lose weight. Like I'll say I want to lose 25 pounds by next summer. Of course, I can do that but it's such a long term goal. I feel like I've set myself up for failure when I do that because I become bored and lose committed. I've been thinking that maybe it's time to shake things up for myself and really challenge myself. So I set a really hard goal. It's not impossible it's just very difficult. I'm not trying to lose an unhealthy amount per week.

I've decided that I'm going to try and lose XX pounds by Labor Day. I'm not going to say the number because it doesn't matter. I know what the number is but I won't type it. I'm not going to weigh myself either. I'm going to solely do it on measuring myself and seeing how my clothes fit. I'm a bit excited about this challenge. It's going to require a lot of working out and eating right. I will keep my readers posted on my results!

I am a garden

Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners; so that if we will plant nettles or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up thyme, supply it with one gender of herbs or distract it with many, either to have it sterile with idleness, or manured with industry -- why, the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills.

My boss saw this quote while visiting the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens recently. He said it made him think about me and my blog. Besides feeling warm and fuzzy that my boss thought of me it really got me thinking...

During my journey I've really come to recognize how our bodies are so fragile and responsive to our environment. Just like a tree, if you over water it it will drown. If you under water it it will dry out. Our bodies react the same way. Drink too much booze, you get sick. Eat too much you will mess with your digestion. Sleep too little and suffer all the next day. What you put into yourself you get back.

I've seen a huge improvement in my overall health since I started this journey. I used to eat way too much and my stomach would hurt. I used to feel very tired all the time. Now I feel alive and energetic (except when my PT has kicked my butt at the gym). I definitely feel like I'm reaping what I sow.

This journey has also taught me how to build my soul through personal health. This weekend I devoted my exercise activities to worthy charities. I ran in my first 10K for Kidneys and did the AIDS walk. The 10K race was extremely challenging. My strength and stamina were tested in a way I've never experienced. As I crossed the finish line I felt so much inspiration and emotion. I almost started to cry. I am going to attempt a different race each month.

The AIDS walk was a personal triumph as I was able to fulfill a dream. My uncle died of AIDS in 1987 and I always wanted to walk in his honor. The AIDS walk was another 10K but at a much slower pace. The kidney race took me 67 minutes but the AIDS walk took 3.5 hours to complete. I became very emotional at the race so to have that level of emotion sustain for that long period of time it was exhausting for me. Once it was over I felt like I really had accomplished something good.

Exercise has always been to me something I had to do to not be fat. Now it feels like a way to improve my overall wellbeing and do something good for my soul. Finding a way to channel your interests into something you dread definitely makes it all the more fun and interesting. I feel like the races are a great way for me to do that. I can't wait for my next one in June!

What's next?

Wednesday is the conclusion of my fantastic 12 pack of personal training sessions. I'm really excited about what I learned from it. It has been really amazing to learn how to train my body. I think I've been able to understand how to push myself and focusing on muscle groups. I also cannot afford more since I got a sweet deal the first time around.

What I need to do is up my cardio game. I've spent a lot of time weight lifting so I feel a lot stronger. I think I'll segregate my workouts into 4 days: 2 days cardio, 2 days weight training. I'm going to attempt to do 5 hours a week of exercise total.

I'm still training for the 10K which is about 2 weeks away. It should be interesting how that turns out. I think if I can do it in 90 minutes or less I will be happy. It's a lot of running. I've been training on the treadmill mostly. It's hard to gauge what my actual pace is on the treadmill. I think I can run faster on my own but I haven't gotten the motivation to take the running outside. I'll try and accomplish that soon!!

Also, I lost 8.75 inches all over my body in the last 5 weeks. I'm psyched!!

The fear of after

My fitness journey has been the same story over and over. Here it is in 7 sentences: Get motivated. Get fit. Eat Better. Lose Weight. Become complacent. Gain weight. Start again. I'm tired of this vicious cycle I keep putting myself through.

I am not afraid of the first four sentences of my story. That's the part I know how to do really well. What I don't know how to do is maintain (for life) the new journey I want to take on. Stay fit. Eat well. Look great always.

I'm good at being patient for results and on a plan. But once I get to a place that I'm happy with I lose touch with what I was trying to accomplish in the first place. It's hard. I know everyone says it's a lifestyle change and that you have to stay committed. It's not that easy.

When you focus on weight loss and getting into shape it's very easy to stay focused almost like tunnel vision. Once it's over and you have to adjust your tunnel vision. It's easy though to get wrapped up into your hard work and good looks. You think, "well I can play a bit now that I'm feeling better and looking great." That's where the danger comes in. And that's the part I fear. How does the transition from weight loss to life happen? I'm a ways from it but it feels like the big end post waiting for me out there. It's scary...

Starting to feel a difference!

So it's been a full month since I've been making these positive changes in my life and I'm feeling really good. I have to admit that I don't see any changes yet but that's not a bad thing. I have been taking my measurements for the last two weeks and I've lost over 5 inches all over. So there definitely is change but it's hard for me to visualize.

Overall, I'm really excited about where I'm heading with my goals. I worked out every day this week. I am planning on walking tomorrow and flying to FL on Sunday. I'm a bit scared that I'll lose some of my momentum when I get there. Florida tends to be about relaxation and being pampered. I need to remind myself that exercise must be part of my daily activity and that I need to follow my diet.

In terms of my diet, I'm feeling so much better. I have not had an upset stomach in weeks!! I got through the no booze challenge just fine. It wasn't that hard. I am glad that it was easy to go four weeks without any alcohol. It made me feel like I can do anything I set my mind to.

Things are really positive and Jason is super supportive of me. I'm a lucky lady. I just need to stay focused!