Why should we track our progress?

2016-04-23T08:46:00.002-07:00

Why should I track my weight, measurements, and do progress photos of my weight loss/fitness journey? Not all of us have the same fitness goals but no matter what our goal I have learned just how important it is to track our progress using different methods.

When I tracked my progress on past diets that I had tried to lose weight I often found myself discouraged and this would make me want to give up because I wasn't seeing any changes or at least the one's I wanted to see. It seemed that as soon as I finished these that my weight would go right back up as well. This is where I decided to make a lifestyle change back in 2012. I started the Jamie Eason LiveFit Trainer and started tracking more then just my weight. I took before pictures which I hated to look at but it drove me to keep pushing myself. I also took measurements as well as logged my weight. Although instead of focusing SO MUCH on the scale I started to focus more on measurements and progress photos.

I took my measurements and progress photos every week and it amazed me how I could actually see the changes on my body long before it showed on the scale or the measurements. I am now a firm believer in taking before and progress photos. Just focusing on one only gives a small glimpse of your journey whereas taking all three gives you different areas to look at and by taking pictures your actually getting to see the change. Seeing these changes, I feel, gives me the confidence and the drive to keep going and pushing myself because I can see the progress being made. I can actually see parts of my body changing and getting smaller with how I am eating.

This is why I am doing it this time, now that my back injury is healed (thanks to my oldest praying and claiming healing in Jesus name!), and pushing myself to become fit and healthy not only for myself but my two amazing little girls!

I encourage you to track your progress in these ways, no matter what boat your in, so that you can see how your improving in different ways. It really gives you a more clear picture of how your body is changing with your new lifestyle change!

Breakfast IS the most important meal of the day!

2016-04-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know I started the Jamie Eason plan on April 19th and am 3 days in. This morning I did not feel like having a breakfast protein shake and do not want to start disliking them due to having them every morning. So today I decided to do something different and make an egg scramble.

Ingredients:

4 Egg Whites

1/2 of a Bell Pepper

1 C. of Spinach

1 T. Coconut Oil

Place 1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil into pan and place on medium heat. Cube the Bell Pepper up and chop up the Spinach. When the pan is hot drop the Bell Peppers in and cook for a little while then add the Spinach.

Separate the Egg Whites from the yolks, stir and then add to the Bell Pepper and Spinach. Cook to desired consistency (just make sure eggs are cooked through!).

I had 1 slice of Bacon and 1 slice of Ezekiel toast with a little Sugar-Free Strawberry Jam to go with it and 1 serving of my favorite Kombucha! YUMMY DELICIOUSNESS!!!

Major Balancing Act

2016-04-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

Who knew that balancing three college classes, trying to get fit and healthy, homeschooling one child and keeping the other entertained could be so tiring!! It was so crazy and tough last quarter that I severely slacked on trying to eat healthy. After that my workouts became non-existent and eating healthy went out the window. Now that spring quarter has started I am a lot more excited because I only have 3 classes this quarter and the stress level has dropped dramatically for me...YAY!!

Now with spring quarter going I am three days into the Jamie Eason LiveFit Trainer and can't wait to see progress pictures. I do allow myself a dessert once a week but the food plan has me eating a lot of healthy foods which keep me full. So much that I have to force myself to eat as much of my snacks as possible, and same with lunch and dinner. It's a chore to try and eat all the healthy yumminess! But I took some pictures so I could see the changes as I go and have something else to go off of besides the scale and measurements. With school I started having really REALLY late nights as well, which means I have had to work on getting my body back on a good and normal schedule, although my vacation to California last week seems to have put me back on a normal schedule.

I would like to start waking up at 4:30 or 5:00 in the mornings to try and get my workouts in before the girls are up. Although I have not been able to get up quite that early yet. I am determined to slowly work my way to getting up that early and then doing my workouts in the morning instead of at night.

I started the Jamie Eason Livefit Trainer and am 3 days in now. I cannot wait to get my 24-day Challenge from Advocare tomorrow to start that as well! Super excited for the changes ahead and this time I took measurements as well as starting pictures to share along with the progress photo's I will be taking.

Here is to starting (yes again I know) my journey to a new me and to actually pushing myself to make time for myself because I am worth it!

Changing how you eat, Changes how you feel

2014-04-15T12:01:00.003-07:00

I had asked myself this questions many times and would think, "I get all the nutrients I need from the foods I eat". Seems like it would makes sense right? Wrong!

I would like to take you back to last September when I was experiences extreme fatigue, felt like I was in a constant fog, every joint in my body was causing extreme pain, and every time my girls would touch my arms it would hurt. My primary care doctor said it sounded like I had an auto-immune disorder so he ran some tests and sent me straight to a Rheumatologist. Lucky for me it was not an auto-immune disorder, but the Rheumatologist could not find any other cause and diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. It was a misdiagnosis according to my Physiastrist, as my symptoms were in specific spots. He did find out that all the symptoms I was having was due to a severe Vitamin D deficiency. I started taking MNS 3 and Omegaplex several times a day to get it back up and after a few months all my symptoms completely disappeared. Because of this experience I learned the importance of taking supplements.

The supplements are not there to replace real food but to fill in the nutritional gaps that we may have. Our fruits and vegetables are shipped from all over the world which also hinders their nutritional value. As they sit for long periods of time between when they are harvested and when they arrive in stores. Another thing to look at when not buying locally is the fact that they harvest fruits and vegetables weeks and sometimes months before they arrive in the grocery stores, and because they are getting picked so soon they are not able to absorb more nutrients to be more beneficial to consumers.

Also in today's society there are many "processed foods" which we eat. This food is what I grew up on but was not very nutritional at all! I have looked at the labels on the foods that I used to love eating and I cannot even pronounce most of the ingredients not to mention the fact the names sound like chemicals. Through the process of eating better I have learned how bad these foods really are. I now try to eat 80% clean but try to cut down a lot on processed foods. There are those that have a diet that is made up of mostly processed foods and hardly eat vegetables and fruits which is where their vitamin deficiencies can come from (I know mine did!) This is why I turn to supplements in order to fill in those nutritional gaps and get the optimum amount of vitamins and minerals. Now I feel so much better and have so much more energy, no foggy brain, and all the pain is gone! Is eating better worth it...I can now say YES IT IS!

See a Champion...Be a Champion!

2014-03-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

First off I would like to share with you how blessed I am to have such an amazing sister. She has been there for me through everything and encourages me to always push myself to reach my goals. My sister is my best friend, confidant, coach, and moral support. She heard about AdvoCare and decided to do the 24-Day Challenge and let me tell you...after she started it her weight loss journey hasn't stopped!

When she did the 24-Day Challenge she lost 24 lbs. and has continued to use Advocare products. To date my sister has lost 70 lbs. and I am so proud of her for everything she has accomplished! Her results speak for themselves and she worked her butt off to get to where she is today. Way to go sis you are rocking your journey to a healthier fitter you!

I have personally done this challenge and I lost 22lbs. by the end of it!! I was full of energy and felt AMAZING! I absolutely love Advocare products and am so glad they found their way into my life through my sister Nicole. She is definitely a Champion and choosing to live her best life.

Starting the Challenges when we did our weightloss journey was a great way to begin. We saw results within those 24 days and felt truly amazing! The fogginess and fatigue I had left me and I was able to focus so much better in my schoolwork and kept my energy up throughout the whole day. I felt better than I had in a long time and of course my girls welcome the new change and the energy their mommy has.

As Jon Gordon says, "If you don't think you have what it takes to be a champion, think again. Champions aren't born. they are shaped and molded. And as iron sharpens iron you can develop your mindset and the mindset of your team with the right thinking, beliefs, and expectations that lead to powerful actions."

Be the Champion that you have always wanted to be. Be the Champion that I know you are!

Order your 24-Day Challenge and start living your best life!

Advocare Success Story: Ali Grise

2014-03-12T21:06:00.003-07:00

I've lost over 90 pounds in 10 months and I'm not finished yet!*

My name is Ali Grise, and I live in Bettendorf, Iowa. I am a busy, 37 year old mother of four young children, running a licensed daycare and a nonprofit organization. I have always struggled with my weight feeling exhausted all the time.

My AdvoCare journey started in March of 2013, when a good friend introduced me. I saw a bigger picture of AdvoCare. There was hope, help, support, and a new beginning. My husband and I decided to start on products and became Distributors. We started our first 24-Day Challenge on April 7th, and within days my energy level went through the roof!* On that first challenge I lost 18.6 pounds and 12.5 inches.* That's when I decided to start setting little goals for myself. I focused on losing 10 pounds at a time Well, month after month went by, and I hit my 10 pound goal each month and I felt empowered!* Not only did I feel incredible, but also I knew I could help others while helping myself.

AdvoCare Products are truly second to none! In addition to that, the people who come along to coach, encourage, and assist you are amazing! It is an environment of success like I've never seen before.

Without AdvoCare in my life, I would still be overweight, discouraged, and tired all the time.* Now my kids get the real "ME"! I'm a happy, healthy mommy with great hope for the future. I'm excited about sharing my AdvoCare story and helping others become champions.

Yes, going from a size 22 to a size 12 has been remarkable. I've lost and yet gained so much more! I can now be the person I was truly meant to be, because my self confidence, self worth, and overall outlook on life has never been better! I'm not where I want to be yet, but I'm closer then I have ever been!

Disclaimer: Personal testimonies reflect individual experiences and are not necessarily typical of the results you may obtain. Weight loss varies with individual effort, body composition, eating patterns and exercise. If you have a medical condition or are pregnant or nursing, AdvoCare recommends that you consult your healthcare professional before starting an AdvoCare product regimen.

Carrot Cake Protein Bars

2014-03-11T10:26:00.004-07:00

When I first started Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer I was unsure about making her protein bars and actually eating them. I am glad I did as they are so delicious! Below is Jamie's recipe for making them and here is a link to the site where you can find this recipe as well as a few other yummy recipes! Jamie Eason Carrot Cake Protein Bars

The only thing I change is the protein I use. It is like eating carrot cake for a snack without the frosting. Now I am one of those people that even though I want to eat healthier I hate having to give up certain sweets and the healthier versions are...well...healthier and you can tell! So this recipe was refreshing as it still hits that sweet spot for me.

Ingredients:

1 C. oat flour
2 scoops Muscle Gain
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
4 egg whites
3/4 C. Spenda, Truvia, or Ideal
8 oz. baby food carrots
4 oz. water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour, whey protein, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
Mix egg whites, Splenda, baby food carrots and water (optional) in a bowl.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.
Spray glass pyrex dish with non-stick butter spray.
Pour ingredients into dish.
Bake 20-30 minutes.

Makes 16 squares.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size 2 squares

Amount per serving

Calories 94

Total Fat1.25g

Total Carb10g

Protein10g

AdvoCare Success Story: Brandi

2014-03-09T10:31:00.002-07:00

Here is another great Success story that you can really see great results! Good for motivation through the 24-day challenge as well. Seeing other peoples success stories and how far they come is so encouraging and helps keep me on track.

AdvoCare Success Story: Brandi

In January 2011, I started working at AdvoCare. For a year I had struggled to lose the extra weight I had gained from my pregnancy, so when I found out that AdvoCare distributed weight loss and energy products, I was thrilled and couldn’t wait to get started!

I began taking AdvoCare Spark® and LeptiLean™. I lost 12-15 lbs in about 6-8 weeks and I was feeling better than I had in a long time. I heard all of the success stories with the 24-Day Challenge™ and I had to try it! So far I have lost over 40lbs, and I hope to continue my weight-loss journey with the help of AdvoCare products, boot camps and working with such positive peers. I am very fortunate to be part of such a great company!

Disclaimer: Personal testimonies reflect individual experiences and are not necessarily typical of the results you may obtain. Weight loss varies with individual effort, body composition, eating patterns and exercise. If you have a medical condition or are pregnant or nursing, AdvoCare recommends that you consult your healthcare professional before starting an AdvoCare product regimen.

Jamie Eason's Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

2014-03-08T17:34:00.000-08:00

I love making these as they are a very filling snack and taste delicious! I tweaked a few things from Jamie Eason's recipe though and will give you the recipe that I came up with. I took out the dry yellow mustard and replaced it with crushed mint instead as they were a little spicy for my family. I also do not use the chipotle pepper spice. I did not have celery when I made it the first time and used bell peppers instead which I have stuck with because I loved how it tastes. Click here for Jamie Eason's Turkey Meatloaf Muffins original recipe if you like having that spicy factor. She also has several other yummy recipes to try!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground turkey
3 egg whites
1 C. quick cooking oats
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. crushed mint
1 tsp. black pepper
2 T. garlic powder (2 cloves minced)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper (yellow or red)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray muffin pan with canola or olive oil.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
Roll mixture into balls and place in muffin pan. They should be the size of a racquetball, and if you are like me you may have to look it up to even see what size it is!
Bake for 40 minutes.

This recipe makes 12.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size 1 muffin

Amount per serving

Calories 182

Total Fat8g

Total Carb4.6g

Protein22.2g

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake

2014-03-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 C. Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 Scoop Muscle Gain Protein Powder
1/2 or 1 Banana (whichever you prefer)
1 T. Peanut Butter
1 t. vanilla
1 t. Dark Chocolate Cocoa powder
6 ice cubes

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients in a blender and enjoy!

I buy the 30 calorie vanilla almond milk by Blue Diamond which already has the vanilla in it so I leave out the vanilla in the recipe. If you just buy the original then you can add the vanilla for taste. My family absolutely loves this recipe and my girls will ask if they can have some too. Ever since I found a recipe for this my mom has made it every morning for breakfast and loves how quick and easy it is. I would have linked to the original recipe I had found but I could not find it anywhere! The original did call for a whole banana but I am not a big fan of the banana flavor and only use half of one so I am still getting the potassium.

I haven't looked at trying to find any other protein shake recipes because I have never gotten sick of this one but I will start trying to find more to share!

Shopping Lists and Menu Planning Oh My!

2014-03-02T23:22:00.001-08:00

How many of you have a hard time not only trying to come up with a yummy dinner menu/shopping list for the week as well as actually following through on food prep? I am one of those people which is why I tried to find a Menu template that allows me to create my menu and shopping list on the same page. Luckily I did not have to search online for very long before I found exactly what I was looking for. Another plus...it is cute and colorful! YAY!! Here it is: Shopping List and Menu Planner by A Feathered Nest blog. This made it a lot easier for me to create a Menu for this week and put my shopping list together.

The one hard thing for me when coming up with a menu is including other meats besides just chicken. I am a big chicken eater although I cannot say the same for others in my family who like to have a variety of meat throughout the week. Now I am going to have to do some food prep tomorrow and make some yummy protein bars, as well as Turkey Meatballs for snacks (which are AMAZING with Bell Peppers).

Kindergarten, College, and Crazy Living

2014-02-21T16:09:00.003-08:00

I am sure there are many that have gone to college and while yes it is stressful have gotten through and moved onto amazing things! I am currently the one that is in college full time, an AdvoCare distributor, a single mother to my two lovely girls, and feel like I am being pulled in so many different directions that I am starting to feel overwhelmed.

I want to point out how AMAZING those single moms are that work full time, go to school full time, and raise their children! I personally don't know how they do it and feel they truly are like super moms. Just thinking about how much they do blows my mind.

My oldest started Kindergarten and loves doing homework and learning how to read. I know...Enjoy her enthusiasm now because it won't last! She is like a sponge and will soak up anything she can when it has to do with school. I wish I had her love for learning. Right now I am at the point that I hate the sight of my college books and I literally do not enjoy reading anymore...not even a random book in my free time. I will return to loving reading books I am sure, although it may just be after I finish my degree! For now I am trying to buckle down and be like my daughter, absorbing any and all information that I can, so that I may further my education for my kids sake as well as my own.

I have been trying to come up with ways of keeping my daughters entertained while I do my homework. I came up with little work folders for them to do so that they can be learning new things like their mommy. I included Reading, Spelling, Writing, & Math for my oldest and for my youngest I included Writing, Numbers, & Math along with some coloring and pattern activities. Luckily all the worksheets I got were free thanks to Teachers Pay Teachers.com! They have many different school worksheets available from Pre-K & up. So far my girls are enjoying these although I may need to come up with a few more things to rotate between.

I also am struggling to find time to fit workouts into my day, partly because I have a certain workout I am wanting to follow but there are things piled up on the equipment which I am unable to remove myself due to my back becoming weak again. (LAME RIGHT?!) but in all reality I don't have to do those certain exercises so I really need to make time for myself to workout and get it done. I know for a fact I will feel so much better when I do.

Another topic...food prep! I am always reading on how people set aside prep days. I always mean well and set aside Sunday as the day to do it but something always comes up that I have to take care of. Again same as above there is no excuse...who says it HAS to be on Sunday anyway? Well I just always saw everyone else doing it on this day and decided that Sunday is my prep day, although this may have to change. Maybe I will do short prep sessions throughout the week as breaks in between my studying and time with my kids. I am thinking this would be a better option for me for now until my schedule isn't so stressful from both my College classes as well as my eldest daughter's kinder class, and my youngest wild child!

Clean Chicken Cabbage Soup

2014-02-18T01:43:00.000-08:00

I am not a big soup fan so when I do actually have soup its the predictable "Chicken Noodle Soup". When I found this recipe I wasn't sure how it would taste, wondering how good a cabbage soup would even be, but decided to try it anyways and I am so glad I did! It tastes delicious, my whole family loved it as well which is a big plus, and its healthy.

My dad had seen me stirring it when it was getting close to dinner and said how it was probably going to taste gross but when he tried it he was surprised at how good it was. If you knew my dad you would know how hard it is to find a meal made with chicken that he actually likes and enjoys.

We leave out the stewed tomatoes at our house because they don't agree with us. So I just cut the vegetables and do not marinate the chicken overnight since I leave the stewed tomatoes out.

I would definitely recommend checking out her blog as she has many delicious healthy recipes! Here is the recipe for Clean Chicken Cabbage Soup from Little b's healthy habits:

Ingredients:

1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
1 box of low sodium chicken broth
veggies of choice; carrots, celery, and onion (I use the same as Little b)
4 chicken breasts
1 can low sodium stewed tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
pepper to taste

Directions:

Pre-cut all the vegetables the night before so they are ready to go the next morning. Throw chicken in a Ziploc with stewed tomatoes with some oregano so it can marinate.
Put all the ingredients in a crock pot and turn it on low. Let it cook for 8 hours. If your like me you forget and end up cooking it on high for 4 hours!
Shred chicken with a fork. You can leave chicken in while you do it. As little b points out it should be cooked enough that it easily shreds.

I FINALLY did it!

2014-02-15T19:48:00.001-08:00

I have been with AdvoCare for almost a year now and have been going back and forth on whether or not I should create my own website. I am happy to say I DID IT! The nice thing is that with using their web builder plus looking up tutorials on how to use HTML codes to create what your looking for I was able to do it all myself. I don't know about you but I absolutely love that I can use google to look up how to do things myself and not have to pay someone else to do it! Although depending on what you are trying to do things can end up much worse...but I think it turned out awesome and am extremely proud of myself.

The thing I loved the most is finding the things I wanted for both my blog and my website for free and not having to spend money on buying things from people to get the look I wanted. . Who doesn't love free stuff right?! I actually enjoyed putting it all together too. I am thinking I could do this on the side just for fun.

Alright are you ready to see it??? I am just so excited that I keep going back and looking through it haha! Okay...here it is...TA-DA!!

AdvoCare Fit-Girl It-Girl

What are you going to be today? A gym rat or a couch potato....

2014-02-13T15:14:00.000-08:00

Today I woke up and honestly did not feel like starting my workout routine back up. My lower back was aching and I did not want to overdo it but knew I couldn't just skip working out. I kept telling myself I would and kept finding excuses not to the past few weeks. I would think to myself:

I am too busy with school
I am too tired!
The girls will get into trouble if I go work out in the garage
My back is achy
I have a migraine

The list could go on and on....but I realized the only person I am hurting by making the decision to skip my workouts is myself! I am sick of being tired all the time and want to get back into shape. Well, in order to do that I have to make the effort to get myself into my garage "home gym" and do the workouts. We all know sitting around doing very little activity is NOT going to get you the results you want.

I had to decide if I wanted to be a couch potato....

Or a gym rat...

I decided I would do my workout while the girls were eating their lunch thinking this would keep them out of trouble. Unfortunately they finished lunch mid workout but thanks to my sister Nicole the girls each had a fun Valentine's day activity they did for the last half of my workout. I will be honest my arms were so shaky afterwards that when I drank some water I thought it was going to just dump all over me!! At least I can look myself in the mirror today and be able to say "I killed that workout!" instead of saying "I really am going to start living a healthier life and start my workouts tomorrow!" I feel so much better about myself just from one 45 minute weightlifting workout. Plus I realized how much I actually missed that feeling I get after my workout...feeling my muscles being sore and tired after a good workout, the energy I get from it, and the excitement for my next work out!

For those of you wondering what made my arms limp noodles, it was Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer which I will link below.

Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer

Do yourself a solid and bust out a workout! It doesn't have to be a really long one, just take baby steps, but I promise your body will love you for it. Taking care of yourself is the best thing you can do for yourself and you deserve to be happy and healthy!

Athletes Trust Advocare! So should you!

2014-01-31T15:58:00.001-08:00

I don't know about you but I get extremely excited every time Advocare has a new Athlete that endorses our products for free!! There are so many of them that use the products because they know they can trust that everything that is on the label is actually in our products with no "fillers". To see all our endorsers please follow the link below:

https://www.advocare.com/130619728/Products/Endorsers/default.aspx

AdvoCare Success Story: Tanner Carroll

2014-01-17T22:23:00.001-08:00

I don't know about you guys but I LOVE hearing about people's Success Stories with Advocare. I love seeing how they have changed their lifestyles and are now living happier healthier lives! It doesn't get any better than that. Awesome job Tanner Carroll!!

All my life I have struggled being overweight. Many times I got made fun of in school, came home very upset, and was weary to return. When football came along, I was the starting center on the varsity football squad and my weight turned into an acceptable thing. When football ended my senior year, I had the same appetite, but less activity to burn the many extra calories I had been accustomed to eating.

I entered my freshman year of college at around 270 pounds. By March of that following year, I weighed in at a whopping 284 pounds. I knew then that I needed to lose weight!

I slowly started looking at different options and finally came across a friend of mine, Adam Gibbons, who had taken the AdvoCare 24-Day Challenge and had amazing success. After consulting with him and learning more about the products, mom, dad, and I started the AdvoCare 24-Day Challenge! On the 24th day, I looked at the scale and was amazed to find that I had lost 24 pounds! I have since continued the products and have lost a total of 80 pounds. I can't express how much AdvoCare has changed my life, and am so happy to tell people more about these amazing products!

Disclaimer: Personal testimonies reflect individual experiences and are not necessarily typical of the results you may obtain. Weight loss varies with individual effort, body composition, eating patterns and exercise. If you have a medical condition or are pregnant or nursing, AdvoCare recommends that you consult your healthcare professional before starting an AdvoCare product regimen.

New Year Advocare 24-Day Challenge!

2014-01-17T14:45:00.002-08:00

It's the new year and I have my back doing better again so time to kick it off with a BANG! This year is the year of change for me. Between my back, going to school full time, and being a full time mommy of two the last 4 months got away from me. Talk about depressing when thinking about how you fell off the wagon! BUT I am not going to dwell on that...I am going to start again and try to have better time management and not take way too many things on at once. I am doing this with a friend so it should be a lot of fun and I am excited to start it with her! I was going to start earlier but she wanted to do it with me so I am waiting for her to get her challenge in the mail so that we can do it together.

I am going to try and eat food that is not processed, or at least limit it to a very small amount. I have heard a lot about the Paleo diet and learning more about what you can and cannot eat on it as well.

Again sorry for the temporary hiatus from posts!

Products I Love

2014-01-01T02:36:00.000-08:00

AdvoCare Success Story: Spencer McAdams

2013-12-01T11:01:00.000-08:00

Feb 23, 2013 I attended my first mixer, I was the heaviest and as miserable as I've ever been. I weighed 300 pounds, was in a size 48 pants, and 3X shirt (that's a 3X compression shirt in my before pic). I needed help. Then 4 amazing friends shared AdvoCare with me. My life has never been the same. I started my first 24-Day Challenge on February 25th, 2013 and lost 26 pounds and 10 inches in my waist. I took that snowball of momentum and turned it into an avalanche meeting milestone after milestone. Ran my very FIRST 5K in August when I was down 80 pounds (ran it in 29 minutes!). I have turned into a workout machine. January 17th of this year I hit a milestone that is still surreal to me, 100 pounds. I am now in a Large shirt size and 34 pant size.

I am the happiest and healthiest I've ever been in my life, I am truly living a life I only dreamed of a year ago. If AdvoCare has taught me one thing it's not to put a limit on your dreams, because anything is truly possible if you have a vision and determination. My journey has only begun, this is just the start of the life I was meant to live, and I am not looking back.

Disclaimer: Personal testimonies reflect individual experiences and are not necessarily typical of the results you may obtain. Weight loss varies with individual effort, body composition, eating patterns and exercise. If you have a medical condition or are pregnant or nursing, AdvoCare recommends that you consult your healthcare professional before starting an AdvoCare product regimen.

AdvoCare Success Story: Toni Pearson

2013-11-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

My journey with AdvoCare began June 13, 2012. I was tired, overweight and knew I needed to make a change in my life but I didn't know where to begin. I weighted 408 pounds and thought that nothing was going to work, but thanks to AdvoCare I have taken back my life and love every minute of it. So far, I have lost 175 pounds and 110 inches in 16 months. I have gained back my self confidence and love to share my story with others to let them know that with AdvoCare it IS possible.

Aha moment after Ladies Night

2013-08-19T22:52:00.002-07:00

Wow I don't know how to describe how awesome the ladies that spoke tonight really are but I was so drawn in by all of their stories and how they got to where they are today and I LOVED each one. All I could think of was this could be me someday and using Advocare as a vehicle for what God has planned for me!

I will be honest I have been so afraid of failing at anything that I really have limited myself to what I think I am capable of doing. I learned tonight that I am CHOOSING to stay where I am in life because I am scared of failing, but by not ever starting I am doing what I fear most and am failing and I don't want to be that example to my children. I have given up so much of who I am and what I want, loosing my drive in life, saying well my girls come first or making up some other excuse as to why I couldn't do something but the reality is that I CAN do whatever I set my mind to! I need to start building myself up instead of tearing myself or my ideas down.

On my way home I was contemplating what I heard tonight and was listening to the Fish Christian Radio station and this song called "Overcomer" by Mandisa came on and it just hit me on such a personal level. I can overcome this hand that I was dealt and I could choose to fight because my girls and myself are worth fighting for! I need to grow as a person and step out of my comfort zone and move forward, moving my life in the direction that it was meant to go and on the path that Jesus has for me and my family.

Texas here I come!

2013-08-19T22:40:00.000-07:00

So I know this post is a little late but I thought I would cover what has gone on the past week or so. The last post was about my back flare up which was pretty dang bad but thanks to my deep tissue chiropractor, who works miracles, I was able to go to Texas last thursday!! My friends, sister, and myself were just waiting for my back to act up but the flight went so smoothly once we actually took off.

Wednesday I got my awesome Advocare gear JUST in time for Success School that weekend and was extremely excited to use them. I got my stuff all packed and ready to go wednesday and then I was off to the airport at 3:00 pm. We had to hang out for a bit due to our plane being delayed because the flight crew were late....thank you Spirit Airlines!...apparently its a regular thing according to a waitress at the airport restaurant we were at. They are by far the worst airlines I have flown on. Their tickets are cheap but you have to pay for all your bags, your seat if you want to get a seat next to who your flying with, and charge you for water! Needless to say I will try avoid flying through them at all costs anytime I have to fly.

We got to the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport at 12:30 at night and it was 94 degrees! Holy moly and I was in a sweatshirt and thought I was going to die. We had issues getting our car rental but luckily someone else from Advocare had made extra reservations and we were able to use one of his. As we were leaving one of my friends threw out, "You guys want to know what my imagination is telling me.....", sure what are those voices tellin ya?! LOL good times and that was the running joke of the weekend. This is what happens when your just that tired! By this time we were starving as we were not able to eat before we flew out of the airport...so it was time to try to find a place that was actually open. We drove towards where our hotel was and went by a Denny's that didn't look like it was a good area so we moved on. We spotted an IHOP but it took a lot of turns and going through very confusing construction on the roads before we finally got to it.

YUMMY FOOD!! by this time we were done it was almost 3:00am...then off to our hotel to catch some zzzzz's...but wait for it....We went to the wrong hotel!!! It was an extended stays but the wrong one, and who would have known that there were two so close to each other, literally seemed like they were only 10 to 15 minutes away from each other. We had unloaded all our bags when we went to check in and had to load them back into the car and drive to the right one. We finally got in at 4 am!! YES THANK YOU! We crashed and woke up at 11:30 to get ready to start off our Success School.

Needless to say we had some awesome speakers over this weekend from our SciMed Board to guest speakers such as Emmitt Smith and Walter Bond, as well as worship with Michael W. Smith was mind blowing and it ended too soon. I cannot wait for Success school again and am so excited about what this year has to come!!

To move or not to move! That is the question

2013-08-03T20:58:00.001-07:00

The past few days have been anything but peachy. My back spasms and pain were so bad I could not sit, stand, or lay in any position that would make it feel better. I got to the point where laying seemed to relieve the pain more than the other positions and I stayed that way as much as possible. Who wants to deal with the pain right?! Not me!! Laying on the couch seemed like a good idea at the time but apparently I was wrong, it will only make my pain worse....go figure!

After staying up in pain all night and limping around I finally got to the point where I had to have my mom drive me to the ER. The pain was horrible!! Every time I tried to move my body would freeze up and it was like one giant spasm throughout my whole back. It was next to impossible to move for me. They helped get the spasms to stop and then I went straight to my deep tissue chiropractor and after about four visits I am feeling much better. My muscles get extremely tight which causes them to lock up so stretching is a must for me and I have to do it about 5 or 6 times a day. Its definitely worth taking the time to do my stretches instead of living in extreme pain. I wish I would have known sooner that this is what was causing all my pain. I was not sure if I would get well enough to fly on a trip coming up but in the end it looks like I will be good to go as long as I keep up on the instructions I was given. Even though I still hurt its okay because this hurt is a good hurt. The kind of hurt that happens because your using your muscles and joints again and they are having to get used to moving right.

I am amazed at how much our muscles and bones all work together and how one thing gets out of place and it can cause several different problems due to that one thing. He said walking at least 10 minutes a day is a good start but that I have to keep moving and keep everything working how its supposed to. It's when we don't use our muscles that they tend to lock up. I will be working through the pain because I know I don't want the alternative! Luckily I have a Dr. that knows what he is doing and makes sure that he helps get me back on track and healthy!!

Garage sale....body fail...

2013-08-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

I was trying to raise money to go to success school and me and my friend decided to have a garage sale. I started going through all of my girls baby items only to find I had way more than I thought I did. I found 3 strollers, 2 cribs, a pack-n-play, 2 bouncers, a baby tub, 2 crib mattresses along with tons of baby clothes and a car seat.

I was feeling pretty dang good and decided I wouldn't bother my dad to help me and loaded his truck all by myself. I got all but one big box loaded....just ONE box...I thought to myself "I am not coming back for one darn box!!" so I started pulling the items out of the box and shoving them into any nook and cranny that I could find...and it all FIT!!!! YAY ME! I am feeling pretty dang good about myself right now and hopped into my dad's truck to head over to my friends house to drop it all off for the weekend garage sale.

Luckily her husband and friend unloaded the whole truck for me because I started to feel my back muscles spasming a little bit and like they were tightening up a lot. Now of course through the whole process of loading up the truck my mom kept telling me DON"T overdo it Rachel, the last thing you need is to screw up your back again but I was like "hey its cool mom I got this! I will be fine just wait and see!!" And my overconfidence and my refusing to ask for help did me in....the next several days my whole back would go into spasms so bad that my whole body would freeze up in excruciating pain.

On top of that my two year old decided to take one of those exercise bands and play with them so I told her to come put it by me and leave it alone. Well she put one end by me which I picked up and then she bolted holding onto the other end and let go. I jumped and covered my face with my arms and lifted my right leg to protect my body and it all went downhill from there. WHY?! WHY DID I NOT LISTEN TO MY MOM!? She was right and I overdid it and now have been dealing with the consequences of my actions. I have been laying down on my couch switching from heat to ice packs off and on throughout the day while doing stretches that my AMAZING chiropractor has been telling me to do. He said I put my back out when I yanked my leg up...good grief I would do something like that!

I have been going to Deep Tissue Chiropractic ever since I was in high school. Dr. Taylor is the most amazing guy and has done wonders over the years to help with injuries that I have had. He focuses on the root of the problem and fixes it. Dr. Taylor is great at explaining why my back did what it did and what I need to do to fix it. I literally could not get out of bed without being in excruciating pain and it took me a good half hour just to get sitting up and starting to actually stand out because the spasms were so bad. After going to Dr. Taylor its A LOT easier to get out of bad and after a few days I am feeling a lot better than I was although we are still working on my muscles as they are very tight, I feel that this is a step in the right direction and truly believe that if I had not gone to him when I did I would have only gotten worse and worse. I would recommend him to everyone that is suffering from anything being out of place or any muscular issue. He is extremely knowledgable in his field and am so grateful for everything he has done for me over the years! I HIGHLY recommend him as he really knows about what he is doing and his main concern is his patients and getting them better! I truly cannot say enough about how amazing he is!!