Scale: Slave to? Or Accountable To?

 Weightloss.   Everywhere you turn you see ads for quick and easy weight loss.   Pills, shakes, creams, and even laser therapies.  If you have followed me at all, you know I have struggled with my weight since our daughter got sick the first time.   I know I am repeating myself, but I am a major stress eater.  Knowing and understanding your eating habits and eating triggers is critical to success in weight loss.

Fast forward to this spring.   Gyms had been closed for three plus months.  Our business has been drastically affected by this pandemic as well.  That was a recipe for disaster for me.   Food for comfort, beer and pizza, wine, chips and so much more.   The latest health issue in our home if our son hurting his back over a year ago during off season baseball training.  That is another story, but let's just say, unsupervised weight training with young high school athletes is a REALLY bad idea.  He has struggled a lot and missed a lot of baseball as well.  The masses of tests, emergency room visits and so much more has been stressful to say the least.

We trusted so many people and medical professionals to figure out what was going on with his back.  The answer?   I don't know.  His tests are normal.  We finally turned to a long time friend and person trainer Jason Ivesdal.  Jason is the perennial student and is always studying and learning to better service his clients.   Our son started training with Jason and working on building back his strength and mobility.  Of course then COVID hit.  there was no more training with Jason for over 3 months.  But, this isn't about our son.  I always went along to our son's training sessions with Jason.  Jason and I would chat about a lot of different things during those sessions.

One very emotional day for me, I said to him with tears in my eyes, "I can't be like this anymore, I need your help to lose this weight for good.".   His simple answer, "I will help you."

I will write more about the process later, but right now I want to talk about the scale.   I have been a slave to the scale for many years.   If I had a night of beer and pizza, I would step on the scale the next day.  I would get frustrated that the scale would go up significantly and it would take me days to get back to where I was.  I would get frustrated and say things like, "I won't ever be able to eat normal food again.  Every time I eat normal food I gain weight."  "I'm never going to get to my goal weight."  In the past the scale would make me feel like a failure.  It was not a healthy place for me to be so obsessed with the scale.   

The scale does not always reflect where you are in a weight loss journey.  There are other considerations.  For example:   Are you retaining water?  Do you have food allergies?  Are you working out and building lean muscle mass?   The scale is only one piece of a larger wellness puzzle.

So, I changed my focus.  Now I am excited to step on the scale and don't concern myself with how much it goes down. I am looking at the scale as a tool to help keep me on track.  I am learning what foods and what things make the scale go up slightly.  That way I can adjust my "normal" eating habits to not eat those things as frequently.   I also purchased a new scale.  This one has an app (doesn't everything) associated with it that lets you visually track your progress.  As an accountability tool, I make adjustments if I see the scale go up.  This will help me ultimately from rebounding and gaining the weight back.

My scale was also not accurate.  So many home scales are NOT!  That didn't help my cause.  So I decided to splurge on a new scale.  Withings Body Scale

                     

Who would have ever thought I would be excited about a scale?   This bad boy does all this:

• Tracks BMI & Weight Trends
• Up to 8 Users
• Wi Fi Synchronization
• Daily Weather Report
• Works with Multiple Health Apps
• Has a Baby & Pregnancy Mode (I am way beyond that but great for expectant Mother's!)

The hardest thing for me over the last few years is to remember that I AM Worthy.   This is a struggle for so many women.  I have lost weight and regained it more times than I can count anymore.  I know I have said this before, but it is time for ME.  Time to be healthy.  With all the craziness of this pandemic, it is even more important for people to care for the bodies God gave them.  Eat healthy, exercise, get plenty of sleep and have a strong spiritual life.  That will help you stay healthy even through a pandemic!   I will write more about healthy living, but don't fall for quick weight loss scams.  Pills, shakes, etc.  They are not sustainable unless you want to continue purchasing and using those products for the rest of your life?   No gimmicks, no cheats, real food and exercise (full disclosure, I started with shakes, but there is a good reason for that - I only did them for 21 days). 

You are worth it.   I am worth it.  If you need to talk with someone about this, I am always available.

This post contains affiliate links.  If you purchase a product through an affiliate link I make a small commission at no cost to you.  This small commission keeps my husband happy when I spend too much time on things like this.  Thank you for your support!

Whole Foods Only - You Might Not Like This Post - Day 6

I have had a couple people ask, why are you doing a juice cleanse?  I have done these in the past.   I have also read a lot and watched a couple documentaries on the benefits of juicing.   It is not for the faint of heart.   You need to have  very strong will power for sure.  If you haven't watched it, go check out Fat Sick and Nearly Dead.   If that doesn't inspire you, nothing will.

I also know there are a ton of people working in network marketing that will tell you that they have the solution.   I am also in network marketing with Young Living Essential Oils.  We have a whole line of natural products.  But, that is not why I am writing.   There are many people in network marketing that will tell you that they have the magic solution for weightloss.   I have even heard some people call them their "magic pills".   I don't want to disparage any of my friends and I have had many suggestions made to me on products to try.

If you are anti network marketing, I get that.   I was there too.   You may like my post about network marketing.   You can read it HERE!  But, this is not the point of this post.  Squirrel.

I want to do this with whole foods and for now juicing.

Why?   This is sustainable with me only putting in my body things that God created.  My issue with all the supplements and protein shakes etc is that they want you to drink them everyday (for the rest of your life).   Of course many of these people truly want to help people to live a better life and to make a good living financially.  I do not begrudge them their success.

I just know I need to do something that is sustainable.   No, I am not going to juice for the rest of my life all day every day.   But I am cleaning out my system.  Removing toxins and loosing weight in the process.   When I decide to quit juicing, I will have a plan to keep calories eaten below calories burned.   It is that simple.  Burn more calories than you put in your body.   Don't eat foods that will destroy your health.  Things like processed foods, sugar etc.   Of course I am oversimplifying this.  But eating good whole foods, portion control and exercising are the best way to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Plan for a 80% clean rate and you will sustain your weight and even lose more weight.

My plan is to drop the pounds and not put them back on again.   I don't want to be tied to somebodies products, pills or shakes to make that happen.   I do take supplements to support my wellness, but not for weight loss.   I am not opposed to an occasional protein shake, but make sure you understand the ingredients.   Putting chemicals and processed sugar products back into your body after a juice cleanse is pretty counterproductive.

The other day, my friend, and trainer, Jen Eggum Flynn wrote a great post about one of the weight loss shake products out there.   She said everything I have wanted to say about these products.   Please READ LABELS

Looks good right? Some even say incredibly healthy and amazing and tastes amazing! LOSE WEIGHT, FEEL GREAT!

I see more and more "pop up" nutrition shops, we have one in every town surrounding Jordan and now one even opening here. These shops serve herbalife teas and shakes and are advertised as "healthy". They also hold nutrition seminars, weight loss programs and meal plans.

I'm going to warn you ahead of time that you may not like what you are going to read but as a certified health coach, a certified nutrition coach and someone who is passionate about teaching others what to put in your body....I feel it's my responsibility to tell you what's in these products so that you can decide for yourself and also to warn your kids.

Friends, what you may not realize is what is actually in the product that is being sold as "healthy" "good for you".

Herbalife Protein shakes
(Direct Ingredients from their website):

Sucralose - (AKA splenda) this is how they make sucralose - they start with sugar and then selectively replace three hydrogen groups with three chlorine atoms. The result is an exceptionally stable sweeter that tastes like sugar. So whats wrong with eating something that's been chlorinated? It DESTROYS gut flora. Unhealthy gut flora leads to allergies, weakened immune system and ultimately studies have proven autoimmune disease.
Not to mention, Sucralose still tells your body to produce insulin and when the insulin is not used.... it leads to fat stores. Thus actually adding actual fat weight.

Soy isolate protein- Soy is rich in phytic acid which blocks mineral absorption. It's also rich in goitrogens which negatively impacts the thyroid. It's also rich in phytoestrogens..... mimics estrogen in the body - not a good thing.

Canola oil - canola oil is a rancid industrial oil that undergoes an unbelievable amount of processing. All the cells you are trying to improve with eating nutritient rich foods... is being destroyed by putting tiny little holes into your cells with Canola oil.

MSG - is hidden in this powder labeled as "natural flavors" and maltodextrin. The body does not process glutamate the same as naturally occurring glutamic acid. MSG also causes cravings and overeating.

Carrageenan - is a food additive from seaweed. It is what thickens the product when mixed. It has been scientifically proven to cause colitis, ulcers and gut and digestive tract problems.

Not to mention other ingredients like corn syrup, wheat protein, utilized yeast extract and don't get me started on the horrible types of fiber they add in to these products.

Bottom line... be very very careful. These healthy drinks and teas (which have the same horrible ingredients) are NOT actually healthy.

So how do they get away with it? It's not FDA regulated. which means they don't need to tell you that it could be harmful to your health.
Also be cautious of these shops that offer nutrition advice and meal plans. Most (not all) are not certified and typically not educated at all in nutrition. It's a marketing tool used to sell... yep more product that goes into the recipe.

Lastly, this is not an I hate herbalife post. I get that these companies are in it for the business and to make money. Most of these shops will not last 3-5 years in the same location. They move in quick make a ton of money and move out. And if you are the business owner, I get that you need something to support your family and at first glance it seems like a great way to do so. I on the other hand have been on the receiving end of bad products, bad advice and my health has been affected. So I will pass along information for the public to learn about these products and and then decide what they choose to put into their body. Who knows maybe I will even get these business owners to think twice and choose a product that actually is good for your health because there are some out there.

 

You can check out Jenny's amazing Facebook page HERE!

About Jen:   Jen uses her own journey of obesity, depression, tragedy and how she overcame and won the battle to Coach others how to live a healthy lifestyle through the use of real food, appropriate exercise and learning how to live with purpose and passion.

Feel free to reach out to Jen for coaching opportunities!

#THISISMYJOURNEY
#IAMWORTHY

Do You Love Yourself? I Didn't. - Day 3

If you read my first post, you know that I have known I needed to clean up my diet and get rid of some extra fat I have been carrying around for a while.   What made me decide to finally take the plunge and get started?   It wasn't just one thing.   It wasn't just the horrible words that were spoken about me.   It has been a series of events over a number of months.

One of those eye opening moments was when I was doing an online affirmation.  When I started the affirmation, it told me to have my phone ready and to go to the camera.  I really didn't know what that meant or what I was in for. 

Let's talk about affirmations for a minute.   I have been learning and studying the affects of positive language and mindset on the brain and on your life.   It is really incredible how it all works and the benefits of having a positive attitude.

We have already talked about the benefits of starting your day with writing in a gratitude journal.   I will talk more about that in another post and the amazing health benefits that come through gratitude and meditation.    Yikes.   I have so much I want to share with you.   Look squirrel. 

Back to those affirmations and the wonderful woman that wanted me to have my camera ready.   It was an entire affirmation about loving yourself.   I went through the paces, listened to all the things she said and even said the mantras along with her.   I don't think my heart was in it.  At the end?  She said turn your camera on and flip it towards yourself.  Her instructions:

Look yourself in the eye and say, 'I Am Worthy Of Love'.

I COULDN'T DO IT.   I could not tell myself I was worthy of love.   What an eye opening experience.   I cried.  I seriously cried.   Clearly something is going on with me right?  Everyone is worthy of love.  I did a lot of praying, a lot of reading and meditating.   Of course, my feelings became true when that wonderful person said about me, "Did You See How Fat She Is?".   You can read about those fateful words HERE.  I told my family about this and my daughter gave me this...

This week as I started the next phase of my wellness journey, I am not focusing just on getting rid of some of the extra fat I am carrying on my God given body.  I am also focusing on my spiritual and mental wellness.   I believe one of the reasons I have not been able to lose the weight and keep it off is because I didn't think I was worthy of love.

I am going to say that again.   This is important! 

ONE OF THE REASONS I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO LOSE THE WEIGHT AND KEEP IT OFF IS BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK I WAS WORTHY OF LOVE.

Fast forward to today.   I am on Day 4 of a Juice Cleanse.  But I am also cleansing my mind and my spirit.  I am doing an essential oil protocol twice a day.   We already know I am starting each day with a devotion and a gratitude journal. 

My current affirmation?   I AM WORTHY OF LOVE, I AM STRONG AND LEAD AN ABUNDANT LIFE.

This morning when I did my oil regimen and said my affirmation out loud multiple times, I was able to look at myself in the mirror and without thinking about it....   I SMILED.  It was not forced.   It just happened.   I smiled at myself when I said I Am Worthy Of Love.

I get the chills just typing this.  Remember three months ago, I could not even say it!  Literally my throat closed up and I could not make myself say the words.   It was the strangest thing to experience.

I know this is a huge win for me on my journey.   I have a small group where I have done some guided meditations with them on Facebook.  I am going to start that group up again.  If you want an invite, let me know!

Have you had any moments like this?  AHA moments?   Send me a message or comment here!  I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Cleanse Update

No night sweats at all last night!  Energy levels seem to be improving.  Hunger pains have minimized.   Scale has moved quite a bit, but I am not focusing on the scale.  I know the first bits of weight loss will be primarily water weight.

Exercise Update

We did go to the gym yesterday afternoon and I did 55 minutes on the recumbent bike.   After we got home, Elsie asked if I wanted to go on a bike ride.  Time with teen children is precious so I said yes.  We went for an hour ride.   I may regret that later.  But I am moving and burning calories.

#IAMWORTHY
#THISISMYJOURNEY

I Had a Hunch - Day One Is In The Books - Day 2 Juice Cleanse

Holy cow.   I had a hunch that many other people, especially Moms, might be in the same boat as I am.   I HAD NO IDEA.   The outpouring from everyone, friends, family, and even strangers is AMAZING.  I have been told numerous stories from people that are fighting the same battles.   Long time weight issues, gaining weight after the death of a loved one and so much more.

I published my first post about this journey Sunday night about 8:00 p.m. Central Standard Time.   As of noon Monday my post had over 1500 views.  This morning, the views are almost 1800!

Let's just think about that for moment.   In my small circle of influence almost 1800 people read my post.   Now, I would love to think that it was my amazing writing capabilities, my fabulous wit and wisdom, but I highly doubt it.

What it says to me, is that many people have similar issues!  What I know is that every person has what it takes inside them to do something about it.

So, what do I do with that information?   I am not completely sure yet.   I can tell you it has my  mind spinning.   I said to David, my husband, what if I could help even 1% of those 1800?  What if we could create community and do this together.  What if we could do it without all the hype, products, etc?   How AMAZING would that be?  What if we could make the world a little bit better place for people?

Cleanse Update

I took all my measurements yesterday and scale weight.   I will share my progress at the end of the 10 days in pounds and inches lost.   I do not have the ability to do body fat analysis and it is just a number to me.   If I feel good, that is enough for me.

Elsie had a pretty bad headache and slept a lot last night.  She woke up again this morning with a headache.   I will write more about this tomorrow.   I truly believe this is a sugar detox for her.  She doesn't eat a lot of sugar due to her intestinal issues, but before we started the cleanse she had quite a bit.

Yesterday afternoon, between 3 and 4, I just wanted to sleep.   Tiny headache but not a big one.   I know I did not drink enough water yesterday.  I was hungry, but it was not unbearable.

Improvements

I am post menopausal, but I still suffer from night sweats.   I believe the night sweats are more a function of toxins in my body and the extra weight I am carrying.  Last night's night sweats were VERY minimal and I really felt that I slept better and felt more rested this morning.

Self Discovery!

I made egg rolls for David for dinner last night and I learned something about myself.  I eat because it is there, not because I am hungry.   When I get home from work, I would usually eat something.   That something would most likely NOT have been fruits or veggies.   Also while cooking, I tend to munch on what I am preparing.  These are good things for me to learn, because it is about habits and making the habits healthy not destructive.

Exercise

I have not yet resumed my exercise routine.   I do have my workout clothes here at the office with me this morning and we are going to the gym this afternoon.

#THISISMYJOURNEY
#IAMWORTHY

Fall & Winter Creepy Crawly Pests

Do Creepy Crawlies Give You The Heebie Jeebies?

This fall, as it has gotten cold, the mice have decided to make our home theirs.  Well let me tell you, they are not welcome!  We have heard this from our neighbors as well.  I guess I can't blame them.  A nice warm house vs. snow, and freezing temps?  Good choice.

It also seems that our normal spider population increases as it gets cold.

Of course you can purchase traps, and rodent or insect repellents but of course those repellents are loaded with chemicals.  And I sure don't want to be looking at dead mice with bulging eyes!  Sorry for the visual there.  Our fat cat, Tigger really is not much help.  He is more of a lounger than a hunter.

 Young Living essential oils to the rescue.   Of course the oils are all natural with no harsh side affects.  

Mice: Our little visitors must have a route in our house.  We are finding them in our cupboard that holds all our pots and pains.  They are attracted to food.  Little crumbs, scraps, candy, and stored food. The worst thing possible is to find mouse droppings in your cupboard!  They will also chew on boxes, woodwork and even furniture.

Did you know mice do not like peppermint!   You can make an all natural peppermint spray with Young Living Peppermint Oil.  Mix together 2 cups water with 3 teaspoons of peppermint essential oil and spray it throughout your home. You can also saturate a rag or cotton balls and place them in areas you think the mice may be entering or where you find evidence of mice.

Here is the other great advantage, spiders also hate peppermint oil!  We have a lot of trees where we live and spiders can be a real problem.  We used to hire an expensive exterminator to come in and spray both inside and outside the house numerous times per year.  Not only was it expensive but again loaded with chemicals.  We have kids, dogs and a cat!  I didn't want them inhaling or getting into all those chemicals.

You can use the same mixture and spray windows, door frames etc. to deter those 8 legged nasties!

Peppermint oil is a real staple in our house.  We use it for many thing besides mice and spider!  Peppermint oil helps with concentration, head aches, stress, bad breath, muscle soreness and so much more.  Be sure that you only get the best peppermint oil.  Remember (I have told you this before) that the FDA does not regulate peppermint.  It is only required that 5% of the extract of the plant be in peppermint essential oils to label it as natural/organic.  Guess what the other 95% can be?  Fillers and chemicals.  If you find cheap oils at the grocery store, that is what they are CHEAP!  I only recommend 100% pure and natural Young Living Essential oils.

You can read about my story here Why I Chose Young Living.  Oh and here is a wonderful home recipe for whipped body butter that is amazing for that horrible winter dry skin...Whipped Peppermint Body Butter

Visit my website or ask me how to get these amazing Young Living oils for 24% off retail through a wholesale membership!   www.lorihanken.vibrantscents.com

If Spring ever comes back to MN - stay tuned for more posts about spring and summer pests!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Skeptically Optimistic - Why I Chose Young Living - Why I Am Staying With Young Living

You may have read my post about how we got started with Young Living essential oils.  For a brief synopsis, we were looking for alternatives to Ibuprofen for my daughter.  We were very uncomfortable with the side affects of Ibuprofen.  We were introduced to the oils and thought for the minimal investment it was certainly worth the effort to jump in and give them a try.

They sounded too good to be true with all the testimonials I had been reading.  I WAS VERY SKEPTICAL.  Although I have to say my daughter was even more skeptical than me.

What I have found is that they continue to amaze and surprise me when they work on the next thing we try them on!

I am going to go a little different direction than so many of the blogs I see out there.  I want to focus on the positive and tell you why I chose Young Living and more importantly why I stay with Young Living!

When we started looking at essential oils I had NO loyalty to any particular brand.  I am not going to tell you what is bad about other brands.  I am not even going to name them.  Honestly I have no experience with other oils so I can't speak ill of them can I?  You may know who some of them are, but please, this is simply my opinion.

Here is what was important to me.

TIME ON THE MARKET

As of July 2014 Young Living has been in business for 20 years!  That is a long time.  That means a ton of research, knowledge and product information is coming my way.  They have refined their business processes and know what they are doing.  Young Living's largest competitor was founded in 2008.

There are MANY, MANY, MANY smaller oil companies out there.  I don't know about all of them but I know the majority have not been in business for 20 years.   Personally I was very wary of start ups.  I was wary of companies that are offering "free" startup kits.  That, as a business owner, sounds pretty risky to me.

Chart Source

BREADTH OF PRODUCT OFFERINGS

Here are a couple numbers to compare.  All data is based on what is on their websites today.

Young Living

Singles:  85 (that doesn't include some oils that are available only in kits)
Blends:  72

Largest competitor

Singles:  40 (they listed coconut oil - I didn't count that :)
Blends:  20

Common Health Food Store Brand

Singles:  69 (this was hard to verify because they listed many oils twice in their product listings)
Blends:  10

Another Popular Brand Claiming 100% pure essential oils

Singles:  77  (again very misleading.  If you count them all there were 96.  Many oils had 2 listings one for regular oils and one for organic)
Blends:  43

These numbers may not be exact but you get the picture.  Young Living has a number of kits that have oils that are not available individually at this time so they aren't included in my counts.


What this equated to, for me, is that everyone else will always be playing catch up with Young Living.  EVEN if they do produce a good quality oil the depth and breadth of their product line will most likely never compare.

Young Living is not just oils.  It includes things like personal care products, beauty products, supplements, cleaning products and more.  All are CHEMICAL free and good for you!  You can visit my website to learn more about all the products available.

My Young Living Website or Young Living Product Information

PURITY

This is a real hot button in the industry.  Everyone says their oils are the "only" pure oils out there.  I am not even going to make that claim.  I have no way of knowing that.  What I know, is I personally trust Young Living and here is why.

Young Living has a Seed to Seal Promise.  This is not marketing hype, this is not a made up certification.  This is a quality process that they have put into place for every single oil.

You can check out Seed To Seal Promise for more information.

They currently have 7 farms and have just added an 8th in Canada.  They control the entire growth process.  Is this true for every single oil?  No of course not, but a large portion of the oils are grown on Young Living owned farms.  If they are partner farms Young Living is deeply involved in the growth process.

TESTING

Young Living is the only essential oil company that I know that has their own testing facility.  They test every batch of oils themselves internally.  If oils do not meet their rigorous testing standards, they are rejected and not released to their customers and members.

IMITATION

When you compare other company's blends to Young Living you will see the ingredient list is very close.  Usually there is only 1 oil that is different.   For example they might use orange instead of lemon.

If you trust a brand why would you want to buy an imitator?  Especially a cheap imitator?

When it comes to my families' health, I want the original.


RESULTS

The bottom line is every time we have used the oils for something, they have worked.  If that had not been the case, I would have tried something else.  These oils never cease to amaze me!  I trust the quality of the Young Living oils.  I don't trust oils that are really cheap. If there was a way to make the oils that much less expensive don't you think our largest competitor would be priced far under us?

I like to say now, that I continue to be Skeptically Optimistic.  I am always skeptical and hopeful at the same time.  I am a glass half full kind of girl.  But I have not been disappointed yet!

Do your own homework and if I can help, I am here.

Curious about the oils?  Check out my Facebook event next week.  RSVP on Facebook and learn about the oils from your smart phone, tablet or computer.  Can't make it?  RSVP anyway and come back to review the content when you want!  "See" you there.

Facebook Oils Free Workshop - RSVP Here!

If someone has introduced you to Young Living, please reach out to them.  If not, I am happy to help!  Email me at lhanken96@gmail.com

~Blessings, Health & Abundance

Lori