Another Update

Well, another week has passed and my progress has been slow, but promising.  I am down another 1.5 pounds.  I have lost another inch from my waist and half an inch from my hips (those suckers are STUBBORN).  It is hard not to get discouraged when I have so far to go and the progress is so slow.  I just have to keep focused on the fact that I am heading in the right direction which is more than I could have about a month ago.  I will NEVER reveal my weight at this point, but I will tell you that I have about 30 pounds to go to reach my goal weight.  I keep doing the math in my head as to how long that will take at this rate.  There are times that I am so excited and others that I feel so depressed over how long this is going to take.  I often have to remind myself that I didn't get into this predicament over night. 
I am not on a diet; I am creating a lifestyle that is sustainable.  Today, I made pizza on a whole wheat crust.  I had a reasonable portion and felt way more satisfied that I would have eating 2+ pieces of greasy carb and fat loaded pizza a month ago.  I am still totally in love with the Advocare products.  I have a protein shake for at least one meal a day.  They honestly taste really, really good!  They have so much protein in them that I feel full for quite some time after.  I am also a complete Spark junkie.  I can't say enough good things about Spark.  I am drinking one right now.  When I hit my predicable afternoon slump and feel tired and start craving something sweet, I have a Spark.  I have a variety of flavors, so it never gets old.  I haven't touched a diet Coke since starting these products and haven't even craved one!  Spark has so many great vitamins in it.  I know it does have some artificial flavors and other things some might frown upon, but it is so much better for me that what I was putting in my body before.  I have also started eating the fiber bars, the snack bars, the breakfast bars, and the meal replacement bars once in awhile.  I try not to depend on these things too much because I know "real" food is important too.  They are all super tasty and, again, way better for me than the garbage I was putting in my body before Advocare.  As I have mentioned in previous posts, Advocare is not a miracle product.  It helped get me started and it has supported me, but I am doing the work. 
I have found that I LOVE interval training on the treadmill.  I like to do this for a 1/2 hour and then set the treadmill at an incline for another 10 minutes.  During this 10 minutes, I vary the incline from about a 10 to a 5.  I swear I can feel my butt and the backs of my legs shaping up as a I walk:)!  I have done a Zumba class, but want to get into some other classes too.  I am going to try a body combat class soon. 
The biggest difference between today and about a month ago is that today I have hope.  It feels really good! 

Advocare 24 Day Challenge Update

Well, my 24 day challenge by Advocare is up.  At first, I was a little disappointed.  Since weighing myself on day four, I've only lost four pounds...four pounds in twenty days. I lost two inches around my waist and two inches from my hips too.  I have a long way to go.  It is hard not to get discouraged, but I need to focus on how good I feel!  I feel amazing!  I know that I am doing this the healthy way and that I need to be patient.  Patience...not my thing.  I need to remember that it took about two years of eating garbage and being inactive to get me to this point.  I splurged today and had a couple pieces of pizza.  Tomorrow, I will be back to eating healthy though.  I really believe that this is a new life-style and not just a diet.  I am still a believer in the Advocare products.  No, I didn't have any miraculous results, but I am headed in the right direction.  I believe that Advocare has helped me turn things around.  The Spark not only helps give me energy, but it also curbs my cravings for sweets.  Anybody who knows me, know that sweets are my weakness!  I came across the picture above on Pinterest.  I have lost four of those in twenty days!  This picture definitely helped improve my attitude about my progress.  I am slowly getting back to myself.  I've missed me.