I have changed so much in 30 days...

30 days have passed since I began the journey to "the new me". I will admit, it's surely had it's ups and downs & I'm proud to say...it's mostly DOWNS! Down in weight, down in inches, down in dress size, decreased depression & decreased blood pressure! I say that is a win-win-win situation! I have released 15 pounds and 21.75 inches in just 30 days, & I feel amazing!
Now for the ups.... increased energy, increased concentration & focus, increased cardiovascular fitness and best of all...increased self-esteem! Do I feel great...hell yes I do!
Since becoming an avid Isagenix user, supporter, believer & success, I have had many other changes occur over this last month that I was not anticipating what-so-ever. I was just telling a friend, that essentially, I grew up on Pepsi, Doritos and sweets of all kinds, so it is safe to say that I have a deeply embedded sweet tooth. However, I can now honestly say that I have ZERO cravings (with the exception of my Isalean shakes- I love them!) Don't crave sweets, Pepsi, or crappy & nutritionally bankrupt foods. FOR REAL! I'll bet they would still taste good, but I really no longer have any desire or "need" to have them...it's just gone! Now, when I do eat, everything tastes PHENOMENAL! A friend told me I looked like I was "making love" to a hard boiled egg one day...we laughed at that so hard! But, it tasted soooo delish; a real treat!
I am not depriving myself of anything, I just have a bite or two when items are made that do not fit into my new healthier lifestyle. For example, we had a potluck today at work, and one our fantastic pharmacists/baker made this crazy good flourless chocolate souffle. I cut enough for two small bites, added some fresh strawberry slices to the top and enjoyed eating it. Nothing tastes as wonderful as the first bite anyway, so I had a first & a last bite...it was perfect because I was totally satisfied & since I don't have a need or craving for those types of items any longer, it's not a problem to take a bite, or pass it by. 
I laugh as I sit here writing these things, because I say them with conviction, and I realize that never in my life would I have ever believed I would one day feel as great as this. Sometimes, I wish I would have found Isagenix sooner in life. But then, I was never in the right frame of mind that would have allowed me to accept the things I can not change, and take control over the factors that I can...and now have changed. And now, I am so stoked to be able to help others obtain a healthy cleansing & replenishing lifestyle Fat & unfit America does not need to remain that way- we can change it, one person at a time!
So, eagerly I continue on with my transformation process of mind, body, & soul....and a 6 am workout staring me in the face so I bid you Adieu!

For information on optimal nutrition & a cleansing and replenishing lifestyle, visit my website at http://jamierayewelch.isagenix.com

Pants

I can remember a time in November (not trying to rhyme-I swear) when I was sitting at my desk at work, uncomfortable because the band of my favorite black pants was tight while sitting. When I stood up, they had a feeling of minor tension, but nothing that I had to suck in the gut to button or zip up. After that, I began to avoid wearing those pants, because I didn’t like its restrictive efforts and was displeased with them overall. Last week, I decided that since I’d lost double digit numbers in inches, I would pull them off the hanger and slip them on. Little did I know that they would try to slip right back off! I pulled them up and effortlessly zipped and fastened the button. Immediately, they fell about 1.5 inches down! I stood there in my closet lifting them up and watching as they slid right back down, and I promise the grin on my face was literally ear-to-ear. I wore those suckers to work anyway, and strutted in the office and gleefully announced the revelation to my cohorts. I was on cloud 9 all that day.

I had been keeping this comfy pair of kaki Capri’s in the back of my closet neglecting them for the last 4 to 5 years. Occasionally I would try them on, only to find that they were much too tight, and couldn’t get them buttoned up. For what ever reason or another, I had kept them (perhaps to torment me on days I would rifle through looking for something to wear and realize I could no longer fit into half of what I owned-sick, yes, completely).  Friday, I decided to grab them and see what happened. I pulled on each leg and slipped them up past my ass-back, grasped the waistband, and with the blink of an eye, they were buttoned and buckled! I was TRIPPED out! Then…the true test…I stuck my whole arm right down my pants (hey-don’t judge) and without missing a beat, I ran into the bathroom, one arm in pants, and shouted, “Lilly-look what I can do!” She was so excited! She gave me a high five and we laughed a little.

Over the past 2 weeks, I have lost another 5 lbs, and 5 inches. While these are not numbers I consider to be fabulous for myself, I am taking into consideration the other changes that are coming to me in forms other than the scale and a tape measure.

Lady of the Rings

When I left the comfort & warmth of my bed this morning, I did not expect to have such a remarkable day! Rick & I chatted as I “put my face on” & attempted to control the mop of limp, lazy & lean hair on my head in preparation for our weekly trip to the grocery store. We cheerfully discussed the noticeable changes that had occurred with my body & the positive benefits on my mental state and overall well-being that were taking place. As he left the room & headed for the garage, I started the search for the day’s jewelry. I opened the door to my jewel locker to select a ring, and happened to pick up two bands that I had not worn in 5 years, & thought I’d give it a shot. I held my hand out & was surprised to find that both rings slipped past the knuckle on my right ring finger with ease, nestling comfortably into proper position; I swear they looked right up at me & said “It’s about damn time!” I tilted my head to one side & let a slight giggle escape between my lips as I quickly slipped them on & off, over & over again. Then, I grabbed my wedding ring, placed it right where it belonged, and much to my surprise, the diamond slipped slowly towards my pinky finger & tried to hide beneath it. I thought, “Now, where do you think you’re going, eh? Get back up here!” I readjusted both items and pranced downstairs, into the garage and plopped down in the passenger seat. Rick followed and was promptly seated behind the steering wheel.  I held up my left hand and said “take my ring off.” Rick looked at me, puzzled. He grasped the golden token of his eternal love and slid it off without a trace of resistance to stop him. He let it fall back into place, “Now look at this”, I stated, holding up my right hand, exposing the two bands he had forgotten I’d had. I then demonstrated that I could remove those just as easily & told him it had been 5 years since I wore them last. We sat there, in the garage, in the car, looking at one another. A large smile washed over both our faces, and he put his fist up…and gave me the “knucks.” I am once again, “Lady of the Rings!”  

Just let all the air out

I sit here tonight in utter disbelief as to what has happened. Measurements took place again last night and really can not believe the results. In a 6 day time period, I released an additional 4 lbs, and 13.25 inches! WOW! I really am noticing a difference in my upper arms, face, and my diaphragm/waist area and I am beginning to feel more comfortable in my daily movements. Things like getting up off the couch, putting on socks and shaving my legs have become noticeably easier, when honestly, I didn’t know I was having some issues with those tasks, so that was a wonderful and semi-scary revelation.

I can really see the change in the way my stomach looks. The firm round apple-ish quality I so loathe now has some indentations, creases and lacks the “fullness” effect to it. In fact, Rick, with his hand lovingly caressing my tummy, stated that I was “deflating”. I laughed because with my God-forsaken stretch marks running top to bottom, it does mildly resemble an over-stretched balloon- you know, the one that was from the birthday party 4 days ago that the kids just had to bring home, only to leave abandoned in the corner of their bedroom with a few Webkins, a naked BRATZ doll whose hair is gnarly and she’s missing an arm, a ponytail holder, and that flip-flop whose mate is still MIA. Spot on, Welch! I took no offense because he meant no harm. A boy’s version of a compliment, I suppose. LOL!

Want More Energy?

You can bet I do! I think back on the last 16 years and how sluggish and lazy I was. The tiredness, laziness and depression grew right along with me as the years passed and I continued to spiral out of control. I can honestly say that these past two weeks on my Isa-program coupled with exercise have impacted more than just my weight and size. I have more energy than I have had since I was 17! That is priceless to me.  

I pop up out of bed in the morning, ready for my workouts. Even though my pillow looks so comfortable and my blankets (and dog) try to tempt me to stay with them a little longer, I resist! That in itself is a huge victory! On a typical weekend in the past, I would spend most of my time trying to do things that required no energy, because I had none to expend. Now, I’m zipping all over the place, being and staying active all day long. It took me until this morning to realize that was happening! Since I have been giving my body premium nutrients, flushing out toxins, drinking water, and exercising, I feel like a million bucks…and have the energy I need to go spend it!!

http://jamierayewelch.isagenix.com

 

My first official “cleanse” day is complete! And guess what? I didn’t die from hunger!

The morning began relatively well. I had my Cleanse drink & packed a few IsaSnacks & 3 celery stalks to take to work with me. When I got to work (which has been a carnival of stress lately,) I found that someone had made a delicious chocolate cake for us all to enjoy as a “reward” for all the hard work we have put in lately. Cake as a reward? Ha! That is EXACTLY the type of thinking that got me into this whole hefty-mess I’m stuck in now. No thank you! May I just say that when one of my co-workers felt the need to point out that the cake was there, even saying, “well, not to tempt you or anything, but…” I lifted my chin and boldly proclaimed “That cake doesn’t look half as good to me as my scale did this morning, so I’ll pass thanks.” And I trotted off down the isle, past the cake & didn’t even glance at it. “Did I just say that, really?” I asked myself.  And, even stranger than the fact those words tumbled out of my mouth, & so quickly, was that I really meant it too! “Right on girl”, I said to myself, feeling more proud than I have in ages. A little secret was that earlier that morning, just 2 days following my post about my 5lbs loss, was that my scale counted me as a full pound lighter! I literally had to look at the needle again because I have not seen it that far away from the 200 mark in years. The 6 points felt like 60 to me…and I was high from it all day. I munched on my IsaSnacks, drank my 4 cleanse drinks, and ate a bit of celery (which ended up tasting like a packet of salt by the afternoon, so I just threw it out) & chugged my 96oz of H20.

So, how did I feel from the cleanse itself? I must preface this answer by stating that I was warned I might not feel well as my body began to release toxins, so I expected to be down & out. In addition, I take a medication for hypertension & 2 of the ingredients in the cleanse drink are known to have a “moderate” interaction with my specific medication. So…to answer. I felt okay. A bit lightheaded & dizzy a few times, but eating an IsaSnack helped make me feel better & took the edge off. The water helped a ton too. The best part  was knowing that someday soon, I’m going to take those BP meds & throw them out the window because I will no longer need them.  I mean it. I will normalize my blood pressure by taking unhealthy weight off, & providing my body with the best nutrition out there. I have 100% faith in that.

I visited the scale again this morning, to see what the result of my cleansing was. The difference from yesterday morning to this morning was 2 lbs! Holy Moley! I got off the scale, picked it up & wiped it off gently, polishing its lovely little window while rays of sunshine were streaming in on my smiling face. It was a magical moment!

Whoa!

Alright, so tonight, Rick offered to take my measurements and compare them to the first set we took , and I was pretty nervous, so I was  him-hawing around the topic. I was afraid to find out what the results were because I was not really expecting to see much, and was thinking that I would be disappointed. But, I gave in and stripped to my chones  (what I call panties). Anyhow, Rick started the process: first the neck, then arms, then shook his head looking at me with a puzzled expression and re-measured.  He jotted down his findings and moved on to my chest and chest again, diaphragm and diaphragm again, repeating  the measurements of each body part twice, each time with the thought that he measured incorrectly.  Once he was finished, he gave me a high-five and tallied the result. The conclusion? I had lost 8.5 inches total!! With this mornings’ scale reading 5 pounds less than it had, coupled with the inches I have lost, I’ve got to say that I am feeling SUPER right now! 

I can’t wait to see what the results are in 2 months, or 4 months from now! I think I am setting myself up for IsaSuccess!! I’m planning to celebrate my 35^th in September with 70 pounds less of me!! It’s a lot, I know, but it is possible, and I CAN make it happen. No-no…I AM making it happen.

Feeling great!!

I have to take a minute to brag. I spent all weekend working out or staying active in some way…and had a great time doing it! Saturday morning I woke up and popped in my Turbo Jam DVD, hit it hard for 30 minutes, then decided that I wanted to take the dogs out for a stroll. My “stroll” turned into a fast paced nearly 4 mile walk! The dogs were pooped once we returned home an hour later! It was great. Then, on Sunday, I got up and did a 20 minute abs DVD (that is a killer) and then another 30 minutes with Turbo Jam. Later that evening, Rick & I decided to take the dogs outside; another 45 minutes in exercise added to my day!

It is so strange because I find that I am really feeling great. I am sleeping better, waking up with more energy & feel like I am more alert. What great benefits! In addition to that…my blood pressure was NORMAL for the first time in months, even since on new BP meds. I really believe I will get myself off of the meds all together! And soon, too.  

I am also continuing on with Isagenix nutrition & cleansing system. I had my doubts, but it is more evident now than ever that I need to be feeding my body proper nutrients and cleanse myself of toxins that have built up over time. Can’t help but think that maybe Isagenix will keep me Cancer free, by cleansing. Wouldn’t that be an awesome thing?

You know, I have always wanted to be involved in helping others achieve health and wellness because I know how it feels not to have it. With Isagenix, I can do that!