Is this the Answer?

I had this impression that if I removed gluten – if that was somehow offending my system – I should drop pounds. 

Right?    

The scale wasn’t moving.  The tape measure read the same.

Obviously, removing gluten wasn’t the “secret” to optimal body size & weight.

That was so disappointing.  I had continued for about 2 months, and definitely felt better digestion was happening.  No heartburn ever.  I used to experience that occasionally – especially when I over ate.  Also, when I ate ice cream.  With removing dairy that was eliminated.

That was really the major difference.  I didn’t feel bad when I started this process, so I didn’t feel an overwhelming rush of energy or general sense of well-being as a result of removing gluten.

I was eating better quality foods.  When I started this journey, I vowed to not just go to the “substitution route” with chemically created foods to replace my dairy or gluten products.

I really did want to see a change in the scale or tape measure. 

I Am Worth This Work,

Lisa

Eating In

Fortunately, the Cinch products, I am so fond of, are both gluten-free & soy based.  Breakfast & meal replacements can remain the same.  WooHoo !!

I always use an additional Cinch shake when I am on the run.  It is great to replace either lunch or dinner as a healthy alternative to having to find a meal when I am between appointments.

Dinner has been easier with the summer months.  Grilled chicken, fresh tomato salsa, broccoli & rice is one of my favorite dinners.  I have tried some gluten free pastas – and honestly they are not bad.  I cook two versions if I make a pasta dish.  

My very favorite pasta replacement ……..

Spaghetti Squash !

This shouldn’t be too bad…..

Except……

I wonder how long we can avoid pizza night….hmmm

I Am Worth This Work,

Lisa

Gluten What?

Gluten (from Latin gluten "glue") is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related species, including barley and rye. It gives elasticity to dough, helping it to rise and to keep its shape, and often giving the final product a chewy texture.

In English – No bread, pasta, crackers, cereal, pizza, as we know it.

 



Sounds like a “death” of good food sentence.  

And a real conundrum for this family – with a pasta loving daughter and a husband who’d just as soon have pizza several nights a week if he could & me to cook for them.

I see some changes coming & not just for me.

I Am Worth This Work!

Lisa

No Cheese

No Cheese   L

What?

No Dairy – No Milk – No Problem

No Dairy – No Cheese – Oh No !

No cheeseburger!  No mozzerella!  

No ricotta!        No cream cheese!  

No Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese!

No grilled cheese! 

No baked ziti!  No lasagna!  

This is going to be difficult.  Now that I can’t have it – I really crave it. 

That gooey, stringy, cheesy, comforting, yummy cheese.

It’s a couple weeks – I can do it.  I’m strong.

I Am Worth This Work!

Lisa

Making Changes

First up add some nutrients to support my liver through this detoxifying time.  Shaklee’s Liver DTX – a proprietary blend with Milk Thistle was just the right thing. 

Then I was advised to eliminate some things on a temporary basis. 

Dairy & Gluten !

Although my after school job in high school was milking a herd of 130 dairy cows, I really have kept milk out of my family’s diet.  I have been concerned about the chemicals & hormones that are now prevalent in the standard milk source.  I noticed early on that milk caused congestion in my children – so we just didn’t use it.  That shouldn’t be difficult for me to eliminate.  I stopped drinking coffee a couple years ago, because I really just wanted the cream.  I drink my tea black.  This should be a piece of cake.

Gluten.  

How was I going to eliminate gluten while cooking for a pasta & pizza loving family? 

Making Changes – some are easier than others.

I Am Worth This Work,

Lisa

Itchy & Scratchy

Have you ever had an itch so bad you could scratch til you bled?  This is that itch. 

Not all over – on the back of one leg and on my back.  Really itchy. 

Now, I’m an avid Shaklee user.  I tried everything.  Alfalfa to give that natural antihistamine effect from the inside.  Herbal Blend Multi-Purpose Cream, ( old timers will know it as the Green Cream) which is one of my favorite go-to products.  Even Enfuselle CalmingComplex.  They all offered only temporary relief.

Unfortunately, this was not a temporary problem.

This was not a simple skin irritation.  Something was going on.

After seeking professional attention from my Chiropractor/ Kinesiologist, it was determined that my liver was detoxifying (well that makes sense with the changes I’ve made over the past several months) and it was presenting in this “itch your skin raw” rash.

Now, what to do.

I Am Worth This Work,

Lisa

Is it Stress?

The scale.  The tape measure.  The clothing size. 

They just didn’t seem to be moving.

I am still doing my Cinch Plan.  I am committed to yoga 2-3 times a week.  

Why am I now at a stand still?

Could it be stress?  

I certainly have my share – but I’ve had all the same stressors since I began this journey.  Actually – even eliminated one – with the end to my husbands unemployment.  Yet no progress in the numbers.

Feeling very discouraged and knowing I need to seek some answers.  I am starting to think about some of the other things in my diet.

But first – I have a problem to take care of.

I Am Worth This Work,

Lisa

I'm Back

Wondering where I’ve been?

 I’ve learned – correction – I am learning that I need to take some things off my plate – so to speak.  I am definitely a work in progress.

What’s important?  What are must dos?  

What can I let slide?  What do I choose to let go?

Questions I continue to ask myself every day. 

Obviously, I did let blogging slide.  It’s ok.  Blogging wasn’t a “must do”.  I feel like it is time to venture back.

Allow me to fill you in on the past months.

I’m Back

I Am Worth This Work!

Lisa

They Say a Picture is Worth 1000 Words

They say a picture is worth 1000 words.    

You tell me.

You might remember the pictures I shared with you when I first started this process and my blog.

While discussing the changes in my body with my husband and talking about doing a before & after (for now) picture, he said how he always doubts those before & after pictures in advertisements.  Different clothes.  Different Angles. 

Well, we are not professional photographers.  We did the best we could with the angle.  I pulled out that swim suit cover-up so you & I could get the same perspective.

Ready.

They say a picture is worth 1000 words.

You tell me.

I'd say Cinch & Just 10 LBS is working !!

I Am Worth This Work!

Lisa

Mizu….Agua….Water !!!!!!

Necessary for us all ! 

Imperative to your health !

I have been fortunate that water is my drink of choice.  I’ve been drinking good high quality water for years.  Water is great for removing toxins and helps with weight loss.

Everyone knows water is important.  Unfortunately, many people don’t like the taste of water.  They choose other things to drink.  High calorie, sugar laden &/or artificially sweetened beverages are detrimental to our health.

What do you do?

I filter my water at home to make great tasting, safe, water.  The Get Clean Water Pitcher is a great option.  I sent my daughter to college with one.  They are great for the office too.  

My daughter brought some friends home from college.  I overheard one of her friends say “this is good water”.  If the water is good, they will drink it.:)

If you or your family is not drinking enough water, maybe you need to change the water your drinking. 

Give it a try.

Buy a Get Clean® Water Starter Pack and get a FREE Get Clean Water Filter Refill

http://healthmatters4u.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=59736

Not a Shaklee member.  For a limited time, you receive a FREE Shaklee Membership with this purchase.

With Earth Day coming up this month, this is a great way to minimize those plastic water bottles.  Use the Get Clean Water Pitcher with your own refillable bottle to take on the go!

I Am Worth This Work !

Onward,

Lisa

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

When my son was little and he changed whether he liked a food or didn’t, he would explain it by saying…

“My taste budgets have changed”.

Well, My taste budgets have changed !

Now I am always thinking…Can jalapenos go on or in this meal?  I love them!

I never remember eating them before.  

"Add the spice - Release the salt"  

This just might be my new mantra.

I AM WORTH THIS WORK !

Onward,

Lisa

Spring….it is a coming!

The sun is shining.  The daffodils are starting to get ready to bloom in my yard.  Spring….it is a coming!

I’ve been antsy.  I want my spring & summer clothes.  Although it was 34 degrees when I left my house this morning, I pulled out a spring top to wear with my new “size 10” jeans as I planned for a day of networking.  To my shock, this top fits differently then when I packed it away last fall.  Why shouldn’t it?  I am transforming my body.  It flows over, instead of clinging to my body.

I’ve always been one of those people that doesn’t like to see myself in pictures.  I see the flaws. Lately, I notice myself taking and posting more pictures of myself.   Instead of seeing the things I don’t like ( like those freckles, double chins etc…), I am focusing on what I do like.  For me, a sign of me being at my best is the definition line of my collar bone & the definition in my arms. 

I can’t wait for more spring weather and to rediscover clothes I’ve packed away. 

I Am Worth This Work!

Onward,

Lisa

What's Your Sign ?

I love symbols.  They help me to stay focused. 

On my right wrist, I wear a “God Bless My Marine” rubber bracelet. I have worn it since my son’s marine boot camp graduation in February 2008.  It used to be red….now very faded.  I’ll wear it until his service is complete.

Before my daughter left for college, she gave me a beautiful silver bracelet that I also wear on my right wrist.  It helps me feel close to her, even though she’s not living home.

My yoga mat has a tree on it.  The tree is a popular yoga pose.  That tree helps me focus on my strength, balance & stamina during class.  When I feel like releasing a pose, I focus on that tree.

Reminds me of a t-shirt I came across.  

Advice From A Tree 

 Stand Tall and Proud, Sink Your Roots Deep into the Earth

Be Content with Your Natural Beauty, Go Out on a Limb

Drink Plenty of Water, Remember Your Roots,

Enjoy the View !

I Am Worth This Work !

Onward,

Lisa

Countdown.....

      

          14……

          12…...

          10 !

When I started this process I was wearing size 14 jeans.  Then I shopped in my closet for the size 12, when the size 14 became too baggy.  Recently the comments regarding my baggy pants have increased.  Time to take action.

Today I bought a new pair…..size 10!

Why did I only buy one pair?

I’m not stopping here.  This is a process.  I thought I would ride out the baggy jeans with summer clothes…however snow on April 1^st made me rethink my strategy.

Reminds me of a statement I’ve heard….”It’s about goal jeans.”

I Am Worth This Work !

Onward,

Lisa

A Journey of 10,000 Steps

One of the components of the Cinch Plan is to walk 10,000 steps a day.

One of the components of the Just 10 LBS program is to do a moving meditation daily.

Hmmmm.

I love walking.

This was a good day. 

11,493 steps !

It’s not always easy to walk 10,000 steps in a day.   

You have to make it happen.

Have you tried?  How many steps do you walk in a day?  

You might be surprised to see how little most of us walk every day, without really measuring.

Wear a pedometer. It’s actually fun to see.  Get competitive with a spouse or friend.

A suggestion I’ve heard is to wear a pedometer doing your normal routine (whether it includes a walk or not) for a week, recording the number of steps.   Don’t panic if you are several thousand away from 10,000. 

Take an average, then add 10% to set your daily goal.   Repeat this every week until you are walking 10,000 steps a day.

If you are interested in getting $100 of FREE Cinch Products, today is the last opportunity.

I Am Worth This Work !

Onward,

Lisa

Emotional Eater + Stress = Challenge

I am so grateful to be able to rely on the Cinch products.  It has been so helpful to start my day with a Cinch Shake and to always have a Cinch Snack Bar available if I am out & about....or have a snack attack!

This special is available for a few more days....til March 31, 2011. 

If you are not a member of Shaklee:

Get started on Vitalizer and become a member

Purchase 2 Cinch Shake Canisters and become a member

   &

Receive over $100 in FREE Cinch products.

The Cinch Sampler Pack will be sent to you FREE.

Already a Shaklee Member?

You can purchased the Cinch Sampler Pack. 

This is a great value to try the products.

I just came across this article from the Cinch Program materials.  What a great message it has! 

 I AM WORTH THIS WORK!

Onward,

Lisa

Getting Moving.....

Throughout these past couple of weeks, I just haven’t been able to get myself to yoga class, do my callanetics tape……one day I barely got off the couch.  I just wanted to bury my head under the covers for a day….so I did.

My BFF acknowledged all that has been happening….she gave me the ok….for a day.  

Over the next few days, I got out for a little walk, did a portion of a yoga tape over a couple of days….started moving again.

What a difference! 

I felt clearer.

I felt more energized. 

I felt less stressed.

Now I’ve been getting back to yoga class.  I’ve been getting out for longer walks

like this one my husband and I took on Friday.

74 degrees!   Yes, that is snow you see over my shoulder.  

Got to love that juxtaposition!

I Am Worth This Work!

Onward,

Lisa

Stress.....

Funny cartoon…right? 

Except when it’s you.  I am trying to manage my stress.  It’s the reason I’ve been hiding out.  It’s the way I deal…..go inside.  I am trying to change that.

So what’s been going on with this emotional eater while I’ve been feeling the stress these past few weeks?

I’ve continued Cinch’ ing every morning and often for lunch.  

I’ve eaten a normal dinner – leaning towards those comfort foods.  More cheese please!

I’ve continued to lessen my salt by replacing with garlic, spicy garlic with chili’s, hot pepper flakes & jalapenos.  (Seeing a pattern?  Lol)

What haven’t I done? 

Not even once. 

I did not dive into a bag of cookies and come up when they are gone.  Not that I didn’t want to.  I could have, but I refused to buy any.   

I consider that a SUCCESS!

I Am Worth This Work!

Onward,

Lisa

Ollie, Ollie Oxen Free!

Here I am !

Have you been wondering?  I don’t blame you.

Here I am ! 

Still on this journey.

I found in order to continue I needed to take some things off my plate. (Pun Intended) 

Here I am !!!

I Am Worth This Work!

Onward,

Lisa

Outside!

We took the opportunity of a beautiful February Day to get outside! 

After a long week on our house project, anywhere but Home Depot would have worked. 

We headed to two of our favorite “nice weather” motorcycle stops.  

Bull’s Bridge & Kent Falls in Kent were both GORGEOUS

with all the water running through the ice .

Upstream from Bull's Bridge

Kent Falls behind us.

There is something about being in the outdoors that just makes you go “AAAAAAHHHH!”

I am so glad we took advantage of the day.  What a great boost to the week!

I Am Worth This Work!

Onward,

Lisa