Happy Day

Today was a happy day.  For no reason in particular.  I felt like I was whining a couple of days ago.  So I wanted to share with you how great I feel today.  I have gotten myself back on track with eating healthy food and that is the only change I made.  What a difference a couple of days can make.  

Today I feel inspired and happy.  I have so many creative ideas swirling around in my head.  I'm amazed that food can take all that away.  Last week, I wasn't having creative exciting thoughts.  Today, I am back to having so many inspired ideas that I am writing them down in my notebook.  This is how life is supposed to be.  

For a while I have been thinking about 3 decorating ideas for my home office that I have been remodeling, and today, I found the materials that I need for all three of them.  I'm excited to get to work on them and I will share as soon as I have some results. 

Getting back on track was really easy actually.  For only the past two days, I have had two Isagenix shakes and one regular meal.  For snacks, I had a slim cake (an Isagenix fiber cookie....mmm yummy) and an apple with a little peanut butter.  

After last week, where I had pizza, cake, ice cream, chips, wine and more (it was my birthday after all).  Ugh.  Oh, and Starbucks.  So, simply giving those things up have brought me back to happy.  It's totally worth it.  I'm going to go back to one cheat day a week, where I can eat whatever I want (after 4pm).  If you want to buddy with me with healthy eating, send me an email!  

That damn wagon!

I have fallen off the wagon....again.  What is it about that wagon that makes it so slippery?  I'm talking about food.  I have been eating all the wrong foods for a few weeks, and it's taking it's toll.  Am I addicted to food?  It's possible. I read a study (click here to read it ) that measured the brain activity and the result is that food addiction has brain reactions that they see in drug addicts.  Uh oh.  

I have to say that the more unhealthy food I eat... THE MORE I WANT!   And, the more I eat, the more I feel my control and will power slipping away.  

I've even had some (gasp) fast food!  I've had pizza, chips, cookies, cake, wine, fried foods, goodies (I'm getting hungry again!).

Here is what I have noticed over the past few weeks.  It's way more than those pounds that have shown up or that my clothes feel tight......

*The more I eat the hungrier I get.  Right now, I'm hungry ALL the time. Even when I'm full.  

*The more I eat (unhealthy) the more susceptible I am to suggestion, tv commercials, invites to eat out etc.

*I have lost my "mojo", I don't have the energy I'm used to, and I don't even care.

*I don't have my "happy".  I miss feeling really happy and excited about life.  Now that I am living off the wagon, I don't have that anymore.

*My sleep is not as restful anymore.  I wake up tired.

*My food doesn't taste good.  But, that doesn't stop me from eating it! 

The one saving grace I have kept up with having my protein shake (Isagenix) every morning.  I can't imagine where I would be without it. 

NEWSFLASH!  As I was typing this, hubby came in and invited me to brunch.  I felt like saying yes.  But, I just can't do it anymore.  I need to get back to feeling good.  So, NO it is.  He looked disappointed, but we both need to get back on track.  Life is so much better when we feel good.

I think about how many people never eat healthy.  Somebody is eating all that fast food.  And, people in general, are getting heavier and heavier (and sicker and sicker)...(and tired-er and tired-er).  I wonder if they even know what it is to really feel good.  To feel excited about life.  To have energy and happiness.  I'm sad to think that they are missing these feelings and don't even know it.  This is way more than what size a person is or how much they weigh.  It's about having a zest for life and preventing illness.  Being healthy.

I'm lucky to have tasted that good life and I know that it's worth the discipline that someone like me has to employ to get there.  My daughter teased me and said I need to go to "rehab".  I know that there are many people who can't relate to what I'm saying.  Food has no hold on them.  But, it does on me.  Always has.  

So, now that I told hubby "no" to eating out,  I feel like I've taken that first step back to normal.  Plus, I told YOU about it, so that should keep me honest, right?  Thankfully, I have the Nutritional Cleansing Program that is Isagenix at my fingertips and I can bounce back quickly.  It's such a blessing.  I can remember when I didn't have this healthy simple solution to fall back on.  Those feelings of frustration are still fresh in my memory even now 8 years later (read about it here).  So, Isagenix to the rescue!  Whew.   Isagenix is my wagon and I want back on!

P.S.   Two (Isalean) shakes today and 30 minutes on the treadmill....and I'm feeling sooo much better!  Ah.

My favorite beverage

I just spilled my FULL glass of my favorite beverage on my DESK.  

  

Yep.  Got it on my keyboard, a little on my phone.  It got on my "to do list" and just made a mess.  I jumped up and tried to rescue as much as I could.  

And, that's when I realized how glad I am that my favorite beverage is ......WATER!  

 

This situation could have been a sticky mess.  It could have been a smelly mess.  But, all I had to do was blot it up and dry everything off, then good as new.

I didn't always like water.  In fact, I can remember a time when I NEVER drank water.  When I was little I used to drink milk, kool aid, juice and soda (we called it soda pop).  Water, YUCK.  

When became a bonified grown up, I started reading about healthy eating choices and I kept coming across information that led me to believe that water was the best choice.  

I'm sure that I could find a bunch of studies and reports to share with you about why water is so good for you, but for me it's just common sense.  Water is natural, so it's natural for us to drink it.  If I drink lots of water, I'm not hungry all the time (a huge bonus!).  Water washes the outside of our bodies, I think it does the same thing to the inside.  In fact, it was when I discovered nutritional cleansing by Isagenix that I really started to enjoy (and crave) water.  (read my thoughts about cleansing here.)

Water is good.

It's free.  You don't have to "make it" or mix it.  You don't have to open a can or wonder if it's spoiled.  No calories. No sugar.  No salt.  Unless you buy the bottled water that has actually gone to the trouble to add those things to it.  Why would they do that?  Yuck. 

I like to filter my water.  Actually, I have two filters (is that overkill?).  My filtered waters tastes better than any other water I've had.  I like to pour out water in a water bottle and fill it with my own clean water.  

It makes me feel good to drink water.  I try to get in the recommended amount, which is half your body weight in ounces.  Or 8 glasses, that's good too.  

Yes.  I do drink other things. Yes, I do enjoy a glass of wine sometimes.  But, my go to drink, is water.  How about you?

All this talk of water has made me thirsty!

A case of the Blahs

Do you ever just feel "blah" for no reason?  I was feeling that way this morning.  I would way rather feel happy.  I don't have any reason to feel blah.  I have lots of reasons to be happy.  But, sometimes you can't reason your way to feeling good.  Can you?  

I started thinking....  What can I do to switch the channel and be happy?  Then it hit me.  Happy Chocolate by Isagenix.  So I ate one of these.  

Wait 10 minutes.  Happy?  Happy-er?

actual time....Twelve minutes later.  Yep.  Much happier.  I think I will have another!

10 more minutes.  Wowzer.  I banished the blahs and got so distracted that I don't remember finishing the second Isadelight.  I might have set it down.  I walked in to my office that I'm redecorating and decided to "tweet" about it.  (my first one! find me: luluscottage)

Happy Chocolate. How cool is that?  My BFF eats these everyday.  She goes crazy if she runs out.  No wonder she is always happy!!

Where do I get these?  I get them from my online Isagenix store.  Check it out: click here.  And if you want some, don't buy on my website, I can get you a better price if you email me!

I ate too much...RESET please!

Help!  I'm out of control!  Willpower?  What's that?  Healthy portions?  Whose counting?

I read a story this week about a guy who was halfway through a 6,000 calorie meal at a place called the "Heart Attack Grille" in Las Vegas.  And, guess what?  He had a heart attack.  (I hope he's recovering!)  

I can't really sit in judgement of him today.  I have been eating and eating and eating this week.  What can I say?  I love to eat!  We had a lovely Valentines Day Dinner of steak and lobster and the most scrumptious dessert, and I ate too much, oh my! 

Just yesterday I attended a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new business and they had my favorite Chinese food.  I left there to go to a reception for a friend of mine and the buffet table was incredible!  The desserts were so tempting that many of us (ME) had to try SEVERAL!

I ask you.  Was it worth it?  Today, when I have to pay the price, NO it's not worth it.  That "party in my mouth" was over in a flash.  Getting those extra pounds off is not as fun!  

But.

I have a reset button.  

This might be a good time to tell you about my skinny business.  I have always had a love affair with food and a complete disregard for healthy portions.  I envy those people who can have just one cookie (and not the whole box!).  That person just isn't me.  And, I hate DIETS! (what are the first 3 letters of diet?)

Eight years ago, I found a program that took me from a size 18 to a 10 in a relatively short period of time.  And, that same system has helped me to maintain a healthy weight year after year after year.


It's a nutritional cleansing program.  And, today, I am taking full advantage of the program!  It's a perfect reset button.  Not just for my weight.  All those calories that I ate were NOT healthy ones!  My body is burdened by the sugar, salt and impurities that I have recently subjected it to.  So, today, I will give my body a rest.  

This nutritional cleanse program is simple, yummy and easy to follow.  And, no it's not a colon cleanse (yuck).  I will drink a healthy (and delicious) Cleanse for Life drink all day and poof!  Just like that I will return to normal.  I think of it like the rubber band on your wrist that reminds you about something.  This healthy day will remind me how GOOD I can feel.  It's that really good feeling that also reminds me that I don't really want to eat the crappy stuff all that often.  It's really not worth it.  

Oh and if you want to read my journey to health story, click here:  www.myskinnystory.com

Food WON the Battle this weekend

Ugh.  Wish I could go back in time and slap my hand before eating those cookies.  And that cake.  Oh, and the Chinese food.  I had zero willpower. 

Dang you FOOD.  Why do you always do that to me?  You and your alluring ways.  Just wave a goodie under my nose and it appears that I will follow you anywhere!!

 Not today.

Today, I'm fighting back. Round 2 (or 2 million and 2!).  The good news is that my shameful weekend did not show up on the scale.  I'm not letting that tempt me in to thinking that all is well, because I can feel the effects of all that sugar in my body.  And, it's not a good feeling. 

That's one of the reasons I love Mondays.  It's like a reset button to me.  All things are possible on a Monday.  Do over.  Start again.  Make better choices.  Get organized.  Plan the week.  Take on the day.  You get the picture.

I had a choice and I made it.  Time to take a different road.

My healthy life feels better than any cookie tastes!  Please remind me of that when the next goodie arrives to tempt me.

Ah.  Now this is more like it.  My morning cuppa.  And, it's not Joe!

Yum.  Feeling better already.   Yeah.  It's that good.