What's the Catch?

This is the all-time favorite question we like to ask when something seems to create a positive change - as it should be! I am completely in favor in questioning everything, one should always have all the facts possible to ensure making an educated decision.

So, when my sister actually asked this question after I promoted my products on my Facebook Biz page my response was:

There is no catch except it isn't cheap; but, it's natural products to aid in weight loss and creating internal balance. Most people just do the PlexusSlim and accelerator but I also utilize the bio cleanse and ProBio5 because I know my body is in such imbalance that it needs that little extra!  

I still have a long ways to go and I know it's not gonna happen overnight but success stories have shown women who managed to lose enough over the course of 12-18 months to go from Obesity to society's acceptable "normal" size but the true benefits are the health changes that occur. Mine specifically, aside from the weight loss, is no more sugar/carb cravings, lowered blood pressure, decreased anxiety and depression and irritability, no longer suffering from whole-body pain (I've never been diagnosed with Fibermyalgia, but I've wondered and so has my Dr. cause at one point he offered to send me to an endocrinologist; which, I declined until I can't handle it anymore - besides, there's not much that can be done even if one does have the Dx), increased energy levels including having an easier time waking in the morning than I've ever had since before my teens. 

The weight loss is nice but it's just a side-benefit for me (although, it roughly equates 5 pounds a month since I started the products!!

As I mentioned in the quote,  I recently discovered my BP is significantly lower than it has been in my entire life.

Mine was never high but always borderline at 120/80, which is considered average and possibly even "perfect" as long as a person's health doesn't indicate any other reasons to be concerned. Unfortunately, High Blood Pressure runs in my family so I personally have always been a little concerned that mine could potentially border and even cross the border to High Blood Pressure.

So, imagine my delight when I visited my doctor for another reason entirely and was told after the routine physical inventory that my BP was 100/72!!

This is a HUGE deal...even when I managed to lose weight and worked-out on an extremely regular basis I still never managed to get it this low! 

One more benefit of Plexus Products!

Week 4 Update

It's slow going, but at least it's going. Earlier this spring I did Chalean Extreme, faithfully, diligently and with maximum effort and with little to no results. This? is typical for me.

Several years ago I had managed to lose 30-40lbs and even though I had plateaued I was still happy with my results; so, you can imagine how unsettling it was to gain 10lbs in a month despite working out and increased physical outside activity! Despite my best efforts I continued to gain, and with my increased size came increased frustration.

I've said for years I feel as though something is out of balance but cannot prove it. I actually had additional symptoms that indicated thyroid issues. Alas, the test was negative! And, there was no explanation for what was going on in my body and I felt as though the dr more or less shrugged his shoulders. Thankfully, he just stated as long as you're active and healthy.

But active is one thing; everyone's definition of "healthy is a completely different basket of expectations, acceptances, and judgmental opinion.

Anyhow, I digress...

I discovered Plexus a month ago and I feel as though things are more in balance than it's been for years. Halfway through Week 3 I started to work out and for the first time in years it's actually effective. I can only hope to continue seeing these changes and eventually get to my goal weight/size/fitness!

Is the Struggle Over?

I've done Jillian Micheals DVD, Tony Horton's work outs, Turbofire, Chalean Extreme, Hip Hop Abs, and even Insanity. I've run several 5K's with decent timing (PR 34.11) and two half marathons. Yet, I look like I need to get off the couch and do something. On several occasions I've asked professionals for advice and once I've recounted my many physical endeavors their go-to response has always been:  "Well, what are you eating?" 

Seriously? I know diet is a factor but why is it important that I tell you what I eat when no one asks a skinny girl that while she's enjoying donuts, soda/pop and regular visits to fast food joints.

But, I'll play along...

I eat decently. Good helpings of fruits and vegetables, appropriate amounts of lean meats, dairy, whole wheat breads and pastas - and I read the labels! - and I'm not saying my eating habits are perfect, I enjoy sweets or salty pleasures now and again and occasionally play it lazy and hit a fast food joint or order pizza, but not on a regular basis. 

I've been using Supertracker to keep a more vigilant eye on my eating habits just in case I was lieing to myself as these many professionals insinuate is the case. I do not lie when tracking my food, I enter every amount of each food including if I splurge on pop, ice cream, cake, or whatever. This system lets me not only keep track of my calories but also how much of it is empty calories. Grant it, I do go over the recommended daily quota, but not by much. And, certainly not obesity-level over.

So, once again, hitting a frustrating wall of no answers. What's intriguing is I lose weight every time I'm pregnant! Not from sickness. Not from lack of eating. Not from avoiding foods. Not from any other change aside from being pregnant. I manage to keep it off until close to 3-4 months after having my baby then it usually comes in leaps and bounds. The last time was 10lbs in one month! I had the general thyroid test but to no avail then given shrugs and asked once again what I eat in a day. Obviously this is the only answer. And, once again I am insulted that since I'm heavy that automatically equates poor eating habits when I know for a fact that the opposite isn't true:  Being skinny DOES NOT equal good eating habits. If this can be applied to the skinny why can't the opposite be applied to the heavy?

So, I've tried a battering ram of things, continually subjecting myself to society's definition of healthy along with what they consider the solution and nearly buying into the concept that if nothing's working it is because I am so obviously doing something wrong.

Like I've said I've done some extreme work out programs and even managed to run 2 half marathons in the time span of less than 6 months. The fact is, I might look like I don't move much but I am actually a fairly physical person. So, what now?

Well, a friend, who seems to struggle pretty much the same way, had come across an all natural product which sole purpose is more for creating a better balance within the body but often results in weight loss for those who struggle. She didn't say much until after the first week then she posted pictures with results from day one to only one week later. Her results were amazing. I had questions!

Needless to say, less than a few days later I bought my own supply of Plexus and began my own journey. One of the main reasons I was interested was because the products mention candida, which is a non-contagious body yeast that is always present in the body but the body's own natural balance of bacteria keeps it in check. But, when there's an in-balance, for whatever reason, it can create havoc with symptoms that include sugar cravings, depression, fatigue, acne, joint and/or muscle pain and many more, and how it helps balance the body and get rid of it.

 I know I have candida, struggled with it since my teens.
So, I figured what do I have to lose? I'll give it a try and I'm not completely sold on thinness as much as getting balanced: which, I feel my body is so obviously in need.

The main product is Plexus Slim:

"Plexus Slim’s ingredients are all natural i.e. plant extracts, and they are completely safe. Ingredients are – Proprietary Health Blend*, Low Glycemic Index Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Beet Root & Grape Skin extract, Stevia Extract, Lo Han Extract *Proprietary Health Blend: Chlorogenic Acid (plant extract), Citrin K (Garcinia Cambogia), Alpha Lipoic Acid, Oxypregnane Steroidal Glycoside (plant extract), Chromium (Amino Nicotinate GTF). All ingredients are natural with no artificial coloring or flavoring"

I've also been taking the Accelerator, Bio Cleanse, and Pro Bio5 and every one of the are made up of all natural ingredients.

I was going to wait one week, as so many others I've know have done, but I couldn't wait. Since taking a combination I lost a craving for sugar, have no desire for pop or coffee with water being sufficient, and even have woken in the morning, early. Without an alarm clock...and I hate mornings!! I was up on Saturday at 5:15 AM. If you know me you know this? is a BIG deal.

So, I'm here to share:

"Based on the feed-back from people who are taking Plexus Slim, we are hearing four pretty consistent things: first, people say they feel calmer throughout the day; second, people tell us they are sleeping much better at night: third, people notice their appetites are down; fourth, people tell us that they aren't snacking as often; some have told us their snacking, especially sweets like chocolate and candy, has totally stopped."

Yep, found this to be true. And, when I feel the need to snack a handful of grapes is sufficient and I actually crave it now. Only those who've experienced the same as I can fully understand when I state I've always wanted grapes to something I would feel fulfilled when snacking but no matter how hard I tried to train my body in the pattern it wouldn't conform. Now, I don't even have to try, it's natural...as it should be!!

So, can I eat whatever now?

"If you keep on doing what you have always been doing, you will keep on getting what you have always been getting. In reverse, if you want to lose weight permanently, you will need to eat differently than before. Plexus Slim is formulated to help you make a life-style change to your eating habits. Plexus Slim contains natural ingredients that have been shown to reduce appetite. However, some people just ignore their body’s new messages and keep on eating like before."

Again, I believe my eating habits weren't the best but neither were they deplorable...however, I'm still using the supertracker and my empty carb feasting has decreased..

"Most people are trained to eat with their eyes and eat by the clock. What do we mean by that? Has this ever happened to you? You look at the clock and realize it is supper time. You sit down to eat your supper and realize that you really aren’t hungry. But, because it is supper time, you eat your supper anyway. That’s what we mean by eating by the clock. Some people sit down for a meal and fill up their entire plate with food. Then, they eat until everything on the plate is gone. They are not listening to their bodies."

This is something I have been trying to retrain my body as well as raise my kids against. I've had an issue with the thought process of eating because it's noon and cleaning your plate because you were raised to do so. My kids are trained to stop eating once they are full. I honestly feel they have a better relationship with food than I ever did and let's face it, the habits and addiction associated with food can be akin to a drug yet unlike other drugs you can't just keep away from it - we need food daily to nourish and energize our bodies.

So, let's just use food to nourish and energize our bodies!

If you have any questions regarding Plexus you can visit my website or call, email, or even Facebook message me and I'll be happy to talk about it to the best of my abilities, I am a newbie afterall.
And, in a couple days I'll post my first week results.

Stats...and Set Backs

Well, I measure myself....okay, I had my husband do the measuring, and compared by before and after 30 stats. I wish I could say I had wonderful results but it's not all sunshine and roses for me despite all the hard work. I did not lose any weight when stepping on the scales, and according to the measurements I lost in some areas in half and full inches while gaining a quarter or half inch in other areas. Also, I was initially limited by the required stats on Beach Body but after some searching found another site that also includes measurements of fore arms, neck, calves, and shoulders.

So, I did a little math subtracting added inches from the lost inches and my grand total of inches loss is 3.75! My actual total loss was 6 for the month, but I gained a half inch here and there so I subtracted that to get the 3.75. Either way, it's pretty awesome.

And? even though the inches doesn't seem like a whole lot especially when figuring that the scales didn't move; but, I've noticed my clothes fit differently - better.

Unfortunately, I'm suffering from a little set-back right now. A virus, actually. It started as a cold and decided to bother my stomach so I didn't work out today. And I have a feeling I won't much feel like doing it tomorrow either. So, I think I'll start next week as week 5 if I can't work out this week. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. I just don't want to take too many days off but continue the program as if I didn't have a break. I'll know better tomorrow.

Week 4 Review

Another week over and gone, I can't believe it. I also, can't believe how far off my schedule I got this past week!

We visited my sister nearly 5 hours away and rocked my work-out schedule just a little bit. Okay, maybe not just a little bit; if I was to be completely honest the mini-vacation demolished my regime!

Because I like to have my house completely clean for my return I had last minute cleaning along with packing the morning of and didn't get to squeeze in a work out on Tuesday morning. I did work out on Wednesday while down there, which I was pretty impressed with myself for it.

I was also impressed that my little trip didn't completely destroy my eating habits. I'm not saying they were perfect, but they could've been a lot worse.

Thursday I played it lazy. Slept in, no work out, played a card game with my sister and eventually my husband joined in, and did a load of laundry (always nice to not have laundry to do when getting home). Eventually, we made the trip home...after a long delay in Harrisburg area.

Friday I returned to my regularly scheduled program and Saturday is a rest day.

Then, I caught a cold...

I'm supposed to work out today, but my nose is stuffy, my eyes are achy, my throat is scratchy, and I'm tired. I'm not sure if I'll get to it eventually or not, because I really feel like I  need some rest and I'm a big believer in good health means taking care of your body which sometimes may mean rest.

I'm supposed to measure myself tomorrow, I'm excited to see what kind of changes have happened and promise to post a report with possibly pictures...we'll see how it strikes my fancy.

Week in Review

I'd like to say it was a busy week but, honestly, not really. We've had a few snow storms blow storms in last week (what state hasn't?) which caused a change in my work schedule, mainly less of it.

You'd think that would mean the extra time equaled extra energy. You'd be wrong. I don't know that I was much more motivated this week than last, during the Yoga Instructor course class on Wednesday I pretty much explained that I just feel drained.

I still shoved the DVD's in and pushed play! I'm getting better, I can already see an improvement in movement and endurance. Recently, I've been following ChaLEAN Extreme's (CLX) work-out with Hip Hop Abs (HHA).

In the meantime, I've been doing a little research on upcoming races on days I won't be working. In the past I've run probably over half a dozen 5K's and 2 Half Marathons. I would love to get back into running again. I found one at the end of April which would give me nearly 6 weeks to train along with the DVD's. I'm leaning towards signing up for it; but I'm hesitant to make the commitment...

And? next week is going to be tough; the kids will be on Easter break and we have plans that will really mess up my daily routine for most of the days. That's without even mentioning the havoc that will undoubtedly be wreaking on my eating habits and choices. Only time will tell.

At any rate, I'm on Day 22, which means I get to take photos and measurements for my Progress report soon. The scale hasn't seemed to have budged any. I don't make a daily habit of hopping on the scales, especially when starting a work out program because occasionally those first few weeks will show an increase in numbers, but I had a doctor appointment last week and the numbers on the scale were kind of unsettling so I had to get on my to compare since that's the one I report from.

However, my jeans fit much better! So, that's always hopeful.

I've also increased my consistency in drinking Shakeology. I use our raw goat's milk and a little Peanut Butter and whip it together with a hand blender for breakfast. I find not only does it make a great breakfast supplement but I feel full for a really long time, well into the afternoon which makes me eat less and make better choices for lunch. Which, in turn, help with drinking more water versus my typical favorite to grab - pop.

All in all, I'm just feeling better all the way around. In fact, despite driving to the doctor's in a snow storm, my blood pressure was still down from the previous visit nearly 2 months prior! Now that's improvement worth getting excited over!! I'd like to say I'm sleeping better, but I'm still waiting for my back to improve completely before I manage to get that.

Here's to starting another week!

Week in Review

I'm on day 14..or is it 15 of ChaLEAN Extreme (CLX). Unfortunately, I missed two days last week, partly due to busy schedule, partly due to lack of motivation. Either way, it's an excuse to say the very least.

Actually, I also had a little mental/emotional interruption in my life and knocked me down a little into depression. It turned out to be nothing, but it still managed to effect how I approached everyday and I only solidified how any form of stress, including emotional, can influence how I feel right down to the types of foods I crave.
It's a known fact that stress can have that kind of effect on the body, but there's a huge difference in knowing about it and actually analyzing it while coming out of the hole of depression - for lack of a better word.

I can't say that I was really feeling much like doing anything today, but I didn't want to get behind in any way especially when I've been feeling so good in these last two weeks. So, against my inner voice of laziness, I slowly dressed for my work out, slowly put on my shoes, slowly put in the DVD, slowly rounded up my resistance bands, slowly poured a large glass of water, and eventually made my way back to push Play!

It felt good!

I also have Hip Hop Abs from when Beach Body had it on sale and have been wanting to try it out but have been too busy...but once I got started I had the urge to do a little more, so I popped it in the player and did the Ab Cardio Burn.

It was fun. As much as I like to dance it still took a little bit to get in a rhythm and not feel little like a fool. Once I got past myself, it was fun. I really enjoyed it and look forward to doing it again.

Hopefully, this is the beginning of having a better week than last week. I'm halfway to measuring my 30 progress and I'm kind of excited to see the changes...Stay tuned!

Procrastination

Every morning my alarm goes off and I flop my hand around like a fish out of water willing it to connect with the snooze button. Again. And again. And again.

It's a terrible habit, I know but I really hate mornings! I'm definitely a night owl, I thrive late into the night but am forced by the iron claws of society to wake up early every single morning to start my day.

After nearly half an hour of hitting the snooze, I finally slump out of bed with a list in my head that starts with packing kids' lunches, brushing my own teeth, and some how managing to fit in a lil time for sweating before getting ready for the day.

The worst days are the ones I don't have to be to work early, cause then I put my work-outs off with as much earnest as I slap at my snooze button.

I don't know why, though. I always feel so good after I even begin. Several minutes in and even I'm questioning myself why I kept putting it off.

Either way, I'm halfway through my second week; I don't exactly see any changes but I've had a few people comment on what they've noticed, so that's exciting. Maybe tomorrow I won't hit the snooze button......as much.

P90X March Sale

It's nearly spring, which means it's just one season from Summer. One season shy of skin-showing weather. One season left to feel better about your body before shedding all the bulky clothing of winter that we all hate but also love cause it covers what the holidays has gifted us.

So, now's the time. And, if you've ever thought about trying P90X but never got around to it for whatever reason, there's no time like the present because it's on sale.

Actually, those who take advantage in March could save just a little over $80 in savings.

So, what are you waiting for? click on the banner and begin  your fitness journey now!

Week One

I managed to complete the first week of my ChaLEAN Extreme.

I measured my body here, there, and seemingly everywhere.

Had my husband snap a few before pictures as I posed and wanted to reject every.single.picure!

I've lunged, squatted, and stretched my resistance bands.

I've moaned, groaned, and sweated.

And I succeeded actually surviving my first week of a 90 day challenge.

My arms are sore. My hamstrings a very sore. My butt muscles are really, really sore...all signs of doing a good job!

Tomorrow is a rest day; it's also my craziest, busiest work days that includes a couple hours in the car at a time. I'm planning on finishing the work day shopping and eating with a friend!