Why and What I Learned From Going Off of Shakeology

I bet ya never thought you'd read a post written by me with that title, did you?  Yup, it's true.  I went off of Shakeology.  Here's why:

* I have been a daily Shakeology drinker for almost the last two years.  I haven't gone a day without it.  As a result, I didn't know what life was like "before," because I was so used to being on it, ya know?

* For me to be telling people why they need it and what it does for them, I needed to know, believe and experience it for myself.  Its important for me to be a person of integrity and for me, that means "walking the walk," and "talking the talk."  In order to be that person, I had to make sure what I have been sharing is truth.  The only way to know was to go off the product and see what happened.

So, after being off the product, here's what I found:
* Day 1, I was crabby, irritable, had a dull headache and didn't poo all day.  {This was odd for me.  Hope this isn't TMI, but before Shakeology, I was not regular with this.  Being on Shakeology made me like clock work.  I miss the clock work, ha ha!} 

* Day 2, I wasn't as crabby and irritable, but still had a dull headache all day.  I did go poo this day, but again, not like clock work.   Us busy mamas gotta have the predictability, ya know?  Surprisingly, my cravings weren't too bad on day 1 and day 2, maybe because it was a faster paced day?  I wasn't awake as long? Not sure.....

* Day 3, well this was the hardest day for sure. I wasn't crabby and irritable anymore {yay!}, I didn't poo again  {grrrr......}, but my cravings were out of control!  I was hungry all day and wanting to eat everything in sight! Thankfully, we don't have junk food in our house or that would have been consumed quickly by me, for sure!  Dull headache still present, but not as bad.  The interesting thing is that my diet was pretty much the same all three days, but by day three, I definitely felt like I was missing something and just not "satisfied" after eating.

So, where do I go from here?  

I'm glad you asked!  After 3 days of being off of Shakeology, I'm so ready to go back on it! On day three, the thought hit me "if this has been a good thing, why are you messing with it?"  Good point :)  Again, I needed to know that I am sharing truth and not just something I've been led to believe.  For me personally, my nutrition was so off before doing the 21 Day Fix and Shakeology coming into my life that I was VERY deprived of vitamins, nutrients, minerals, probiotics, prebiotics, etc.  I do believe that Shakeology has helped me with my nutrition 100%.   I also like that it is a protein source.  For me, protein is the food group I lack in the most. Fruits, veggies, carbs, fats, those are easy, but the protein, that's always been my struggle. Shakeology is easy, convenient, quick and tastes ah-mazing!  I firmly believe it helps me with my sugar cravings and also keeps me fuller longer.  So, after three days of being off and being irregular, irritable and hangry {yes, that's a term.  It's hunger + angry  =hangry.} by day 3, I'm ready to go back on.  Why mess with a good thing after all, right?

Thanks for reading!  Let me know if you'd like to try Shakeology.  Always happy to share!

The Benefits to Having Me as Your Beachbody Coach

Honestly, I struggled with this topic and wondered if I should blog about it.  After some encouragement from a friend, I'm going for it.  {Thank you, KF!}  Beachbody is a huge company with TONS of coaches.  Chances are someone you know or are related to is also a coach {yay for them!!}  For you, you have the option to choose who your Beachbody coach is.  {Side note, if you order from the Beachbody website, you are automatically assigned a coach.  Chances are you won't know them and they may or may not give you the support you need.  95% of the time when I ask people who their coach is, they say they don't have one.  However, if you've ordered from the website, you do, whether you know you have one or not.  They may have reached out to you, but you may not have known it, their message went to spam, etc.  It's neither here nor there, but if you order from Amazon, ebay, etc.  you will have no coach at all. Which in my opinion, is a real tragedy.} 

Why would you want me as your Beachbody coach?  I'm so glad you asked.....I will list a few reasons that come to my mind here.  Feel free to chime in with others as well!

1. I sincerely care about you and your well being.  This isn't a "sales gig," for me.  I'm not doing it for the money.  {It is a nice benefit, but that's not my reason!}  I am doing it because my family has experienced first hand the benefits of changing our nutrition and incorporating Shakeology into our diets.  I have seen first hand how working out has helped me with my PTSD, my depression and my anxiety.  This has been a HUGE blessing to me.  I want everyone to feel as good as I do. You are worth it!

2. Because I sincerely care about you, your health and your well being, I go over and above to show you.  I offer private accountability groups where each day education is posted, so you are learning WHY we do things that way rather than just telling you to do it because the book says so.  In the groups, I also share recipes almost daily so you are always having options to choose from on your journey.  You're not in it alone.

3.  Once you graduate from a group, I have a "graduates group" my clients go in where I post weekly.  This is not a one time gig for me. This is a continual journey for me to support, share and encourage you along the way.

4. I provide an ebook chock full of great recipes for you to enjoy :)

5. Each month, I send out an e-newsletter with recipes, tips, nuggets and info for you.  I want to offer value to you.

6. I'm continually striving to learn and grow. Part of this for me last year included becoming a Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist and Certified Cize Live Instructor. This isn't about sales for me, but it's about learning and growing so I can continue to help others along the way.  If it were about sales, I wouldn't be investing and learning and growing.

7.  I have been where you are.  My background is not in health, nutrition, fitness, etc.  I was clueless about all of this until my own journey.  I know the power of our programs and that they work!  If you let them, they can change your life!  I know what it's like to do this with kids and a full schedule.  I get it! From someone who knows what it feels like to not feel good in their skin, who thinks they are eating healthy, drinking enough water and exercising but not seeing results, I get it!  I have been there, done that. That's part of my passion...is to help those who have been where I was and help them learn new ways of taking care of themselves. When I first started, I was scared.  I was nervous.  I was insecure.  But, my coach helped and encouraged me and that's what I do too!  I believe in you, even if you don't believe in yourself.  {And, look at me, I'm just a mom who wants to help others.  My counters have stuff on them!  I'm normal.  I'm human.  I'm real.  The picture isn't great, lol!}

Many of you know I have been with several other companies in the past.  In the past, that was about sales and meeting goals.  This isn't about that at all.  I can say that because I know the difference. This is about helping others.  This is about educating and informing others on what they put into their bodies. What they put into their children's bodies. This is about taking the scales off of our eyes and seeing what is happening around us.  The national obesity rate is rising for adults and children. Diseases like cancer, diabetes among others are on the rise.  We are in a health crisis, folks.  I firmly believe a large part of this has to do with our food supply and what we eat.  We as a society have a sugar addiction, I believe.  Our children are eating things that are outlawed in other countries. Why? Because we vote with our dollars.  What we buy tells merchandisers what to keep selling.  

{See, I have digressed because I'm so passionate about this.}  All that to say, you see me posting about Shakeology, the 21 Day Fix, PiYo, Cize, Hammer and Chisel, etc.  That's because I'm passionate about coaching.  I'm passionate about making a difference.  I'm passionate about helping YOU be the best you can be.  I'd love to come alongside you and be your coach on your journey.  Are you willing to let me walk with you?  If so, please fill out the form here for me to be your coach.   I'd be thrilled to be a part of your journey!  We all start somewhere.

Oh, if you're not local, don't worry about that....I do most of my coaching online.  If you'd prefer to chat via phone, or a zoom call {face to face}, that works too.  I'm here for YOU and whatever YOU need for your journey.

Love and hugs,
Melissa

Christmas and Expectations......

Why, hello there!  It's Christmas Eve and I'm blogging.  It's been a whirlwind of a month here.  There have been Christmas parties, Christmas programs, and lots of extras this month.  Our "normal" life schedule is pretty full as it is, but adding a few extras this month meant some things didn't get done. Our Christmas gifts are not wrapped as of yet. Our Christmas letters did not go out this month.  I didn't get gifts purchased for everyone I would have liked to have had a gift for this year.  The sad reality is that everything on my "expectation list" didn't get completed.  And, ya know what?  I am so ok with that.  

In the beginning of the month, there was a lot of pressure I was putting on myself to get all of these things done.  Things that seemed so important and that HAD TO happen.  In honest reality, none of those things needed to happen and Christmas is still coming without those things being done.  Best of all, Christmas is still Christmas and the meaning of it is the same.  Not because of what we got done or didn't get done; not because of who we bought for, or who we didn't buy for; but because of Jesus.  He is the reason we celebrate this day.  All of the other stuff is just extra. 

About mid December, when the realization hit that all of these things wouldn't happen, a peace came over me.  I heard the voice of God say "treat people like it's Christmas year-round.  Don't just buy them a gift because it's Christmas and you feel like you have to.  Love them year round.  Don't make December a time to love and give, do that year round." 

That was such a relief to me!  See, it's so easy during this time to get caught up in what our expectations or what others expect of us during Christmas.  But, the main thing is what does Jesus expect of us?  I don't think He expects us to act differently around Christmas than we do during the year, does He?  My intention for 2016 is to live each day like it's Christmas.  To be generous year round.  To love others year round.  To share year round.  To care year round.  For me, it's not just doing to be about doing things in the Christmas season, but make it a way of life. Care to join me?

My Gripe With the 21 Day Fix.....

After all the raving I've done about the 21 Day Fix, {you can read my story here} it might be surprising to hear me have a gripe with it, I bet?  Yes?  Well, I hope you know by now if you know me in person or have followed me, that I strive to be totally transparent.  I've sometimes been called direct, which I'm not sure if that is good or not, but I sure don't want to not be upfront and honest about anything, so here goes......

The 21 Day Fix is not a quick fix!  It is a 21 Day program, yes, but it is not intended or designed to be the end all be all after 21 days. It's merely meant to be a stepping stone to get you headed in the right direction.  A springboard, if you will.  It is nearly impossible to achieve and accomplish long term results in such a short 3 week period. My concern is for those who have done the program and either don't finish it {which has happened}, or who think they will meet all of their goals in those 3 weeks and be on their merry little way.  No, no, no, that is simply not the case.  

Let's say someone, hypothetically, does the 21 Day Fix and has great results at the end of their 3 weeks.  They drink their 30 day supply of Shakeology that came with their challenge pack, they have eaten approved foods from the clean eating list, used their portion control containers, drank their allotted amount of water per day and done the corresponding exercise videos as well.  They have followed the program!  As a result, they see and experience the results of feeling great, having more energy, and even lost a few pounds and/or inches.  They have such great success and feel so confident in their results that they go back to their pre 21 Day Fix lifestyle.  They aren't drinking Shakeology, they are not eating clean, they are not using the nutrition guide and eating the appropriate number of portions, they have slacked on their water intake and are not exercising anymore.  What do you think is going to happen?  They have just undone everything they did in those 3 weeks!  And, they might even say the program didn't work for them!  Yikes!

Or perhaps, they didn't see the results they wanted soon enough, so they decided to quit and throw in the towel.  Or, maybe they saw results, but those around them didn't at the end of the 3 weeks so they gave up. 

I'm not sure but I do know this.....our society has trained us to live in a quick fix society and if something doesn't happen as quickly as it things it does, we give up on the process.  We have somewhat lost the ability to see the process through.  In our world of microwave dinners, drive thrus, smart phones, wi-fi, we have been taught instant gratification.  The kicker is with weight loss, we didn't put it on in a day, so why do we expect it to come off in such a short amount of time?  Hmmmm......

I've been reading a number of great books lately.  Some of them include "The Compound Effect," "The Slight Edge," "The Miracle Morning"......all great reads.  And, they all have one thing in common.  They each talk about how it's the seemingly insignificant things we do day in and day out, compounded over time that have the biggest impact on our lives.  They use all sorts of examples from money {compound interest}, weight loss, personal growth/development, etc.  I think that is where so many folks get caught up.....either they don't see the consequences of those daily choices {think a soda pop habit, a smoking habit, a junk food habit, a spending habit, etc.} because they don't have INSTANT consequences.  If people would eat a hamburger and have a heart attack right afterwards, I bet the fast food business would take a dive.  But, see, that's not how it works. It's the having a hamburger every week over time that gets ya.  Yet, we don't have the ability to see that.  We don't understand that all of our choices are either adding up for our benefit or our detriment.  Does this make any sense?  If not, please read one or all of the books I've just listed.  They might possibly change your mindset, as they have mine.

So, back to the 21 Day Fix.....my gripe with it is that not everyone has the desire/ability/motivation/vision/not sure what else to say? to trust the process and continue it after the 21 days are over.  I'm not sure why, I wish I did.  Of course, I have some thoughts and ideas, but those are for another time......

If you have questions about the 21 Day Fix, please fire away!  Happy to help in any way I can.  This program can really be a game changer, if you continue and see it through.  It is a lifestyle change, not a quick fix.  I believe in you and want you to be the best version of yourself possible!  You and your family are worth that!!!!

Love and belief,
Melissa

Let's Talk About PTSD.....

Yup, I'm goin' there.  Have you ever seen something in passing and the thought crosses your mind "maybe I should do something with this?" Then life goes on, you get sidetracked and forget, then something similar shows up again?  And, again?  Then you KNOW you have to act on it, right?Well, thus this post.

Funny thing is I don't mind talking about PTSD.  In some ways it is therapeutic and if it can help others who might have or have had PTSD, so be it.  I'm all for sharing to help others! These are some things that have been on my heart for sometime and I'm finally getting them out there.  If you note the date, yes, I am writing this on my birthday.  I'm also ok with that.  They say you make time for what is important to you.  Well, this is important to me, or I wouldn't be taking time to write it now! Without further adieu......

A few days ago, a friend posted this picture on facebook.  Interesting, right?  Since I'm a processor, I've been thinking about this for a few days.....the saying "heal the gut, heal the brain came to mind." Which then made me think back to where that all started. Right before we moved to Sioux Falls from Champaign, Lauren was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder {SPD} and food intolerances to wheat and dairy.  When we got to Sioux Falls, we were connected with an awesome chiropractor who helped get us straightened out - got Lauren on a good probiotic, helped us make a few more dietary tweaks, helped us with some OT stuff, that kind of thing.  She is also the one who told me "heal the gut, heal the brain," and taught me about how our gut affects so much of our health.  This picture reflects that.

I then began my own stroll down memory lane, to when I was first diagnosed with PTSD.  The first step was meds.  Prozac to be honest. That lasted for a few days, maybe 2? It made me feel so much worse than I did before I was on it. Something was off, I knew it wasn't right. Since that didn't work, the next step was to meet with a holistic doctor. She was amazing!  She looked at everything....my blood, my oxygen, my saliva, my potty, you name it, it was looked at. She met with me for about 4 hours and did a comprehensive evaluation of EVERYTHING. We talked about how I felt, what made me angry, what seemed to "trigger" me, etc.  It was incredible!  I loved that she took time with me to look at the WHOLE picture, vs. saying "ok, you have PTSD, take this pill." She really got to know me, my history, my diet and exercise habits {lack thereof back then}, sleep, everything. She then went on to let me know I was pre-diabetic, my vitamin and mineral levels were completely depleted, my iron was off and I was a hot mess, basically. Of course she didn't say that to me, but wow, I was.  My diet consisted of carbs, pop, processed foods, candy, food dyes, etc.  Our meal rotation that I cooked consisted of frozen pizza, pigs in blankets with peas, tacos, take out and that's about it.  Yah, crap food city, friends.  Been there, done that.  So, I agreed to take the 20+ vitamins she recommended {not even kidding. Chad is saying several thousands of dollars worth!} And, ya know what?  I started to feel better - not only mentally but physically.  My diet was still in the ditch, but I was taking small steps to get better.

Fast forward to February 2014, enter the 21 Day Fix.  This was the major step for me, I believe.  Prior to this, I discovered I also had gluten and dairy issues, so had cut those out. I was also cutting out some processed foods, had cut out pop, but still wasn't doing as well as I could be.  The 21 Day Fix changed my life. That sounds dramatic, I realize, but it did. For the first time really in a LONG time, I felt alive again.  I had energy and could handle life and the situations that came my way....hello, I'm a parent!  I noticed my fog began to lift, my depression started to ease, my anger was fading, anxiety was going, I was a new person!  It was amazing!  I can only share my experiences and what clean eating and exercise have done for me.  I'm a believer!

It's interesting, with the roadtrips we have taken this year, I have splurged on them.  Ya know, Garrett's' caramel corn in Chicago, that sort of thing.  Every time we have taken a road trip and I have had sugar/gluten/dairy, I become a very angry person a few days later. That is the only common denominator with my anger is the food.  {You better believe I avoided this at Thanksgiving!!!  And, the ride home was much better!}  Once again, I am seeing the connection of how food affects our minds.

So, mind you, all this is going through my mind, then a friend posts this the other day. An article called "The Real Cause of

Depression May Have Nothing at All to Do With Your Mind" The link is here:

http://themindunleashed.org/2015/11/the-real-cause-of-depression-may-have-nothing-at-all-to-do-with-your-mind.html

Again, it makes the connection between food and our minds. Heal the gut, heal the brain. It's so true!  In fact, while we were away for Thanksgiving, I ran across this picture from when Lauren was a baby and wrote up some words that described how I felt at the time. Then, I did a more recent picture of the two of us with words of how I currently feel. 

              

 

                                                             

The changes ~ a supernatural touch from God and cleaning up my diet and incorporating exercise!  That's it!  So if you wanna know why I'm so passionate about this, now you know!  It's not about weight loss, it never has been for me! That's can be a by product, which some folks need, yes. But for me, this is about helping others be healthy, healed and whole, the way God made us to be.  He didn't intend for us to abuse our bodies and put all this junk into them that we do, friends. Please hear my heart here, if you are struggling and are looking for someone to come alongside you and help, I'd love to help.  You are worth it!  Your family is worth you being healthy and around to ENJOY them!  

Love and hugs,

Melissa

3 Day Refresh, Update!

After my last experience with the 3 Day Refresh, I decided to try it again, a year later. My thoughts going in were triple fold.

1. I wanted to see if us being in a more stable point in our lives would make a difference {last time I did the 3 Day Refresh, we were in a very uncertain point of life with an upcoming move, lots of unknowns, etc.}  It was important for me to know if the possibility of our situation swayed my outlook on the 3 Day Refresh.

2. We had just gotten off of a long weekend in Chicago where I over-indulged on all foods Chicago. You know, Giordino's Pizza, Garrett's popcorn, need I say more?  LOL :)

3. I had gotten into a slippery slope with sugar again and really just needed the freedom from it, so needed to see if this would affect me in that way.

Interestingly enough, I ended up doing the 3 Day Refresh this time while Chad was away. He was concerned about this, knowing how round 1 went last time.  But, me....I was more confident.  I started it on a Monday and continued until Wednesday, doing the full 3 days.  {Chad was gone Tuesday-Friday of this week}.

It makes me so happy to say that this experience was much much better!  I was a little more tired than normal on day 1, but day 2 and day 3, I would say my energy level was normal.  {Please note, I did not work out during this time!}  But, I did follow the program to a T, which was exciting for me.  I needed the challenge of knowing I could do it, especially with where my eating habits had been prior to the Refresh.  I felt great, I was in a good mood, energy level was good after the first day, my thinking was straight.  All went well the 3 days I did the refresh!

But, let me tell you what happened on day 1 AFTER the refresh.  Lauren had brought home some leftover Halloween candy from school.  Being the good mom that I am, I didn't let her have it, so I put it in my purse, knowing I was committed to the Refresh and not concerned that I would slip. However, Thursday, I slipped.  I ate all the chocolate candy in her bag {I think there were 3 pieces?} A few hours later, a headache appeared.  A few hours after that, a fit of rage hit.  I was way out of control, likely from the sugar and chemicals in the candy.  All that junk had been out of my system for 3 whole days and I felt great.  Emotionally, I felt very stable, then I ate the candy........

Was I upset with myself?  Somewhat.  Did I learn a HUGE lesson?  Yup, sure did.  It just reconfirmed that what we eat affects not only our minds, but our emotions as well.  What we put into and on our bodies affects us.  I am living proof.  Friends, I care about you so much.  I know first hand from myself and my children how foods affect our minds, and our behavior.  That's why I do what I do.  To educate.  To help.  To inform.  The holidays are coming up and maybe it's too much for you to start a program like the 21 Day Fix, or Cize, or something like that.  What about a 3 Day Refresh, coupled with drinking Shakeology every day?  That might be a great way to ease into making the changes you want and need to.

So, how can I help you?  Let me know.....I'm always here and ready to help.

{Note, I will add I did not take before or after pictures, measurements or weight before hand, as my motivation for doing this was not weight loss.  It was to feel better and get rid of some of the processed, "un clean" foods I had eaten over time.}

It Isn't Really About Food, Is It?

I posted this on my facebook page the other day and am now going to expound upon it.  Here's the post, as well as picture.
"Another great email message from Christine Caine today. This picture was below, as well as this verse ~ "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)" I have been thinking about this a lot.

Church, aren't we called to be set apart? If we eat and drink for the glory of God, doesn't WHAT we eat and drink matter? Doesn't what we put in our bodies matter? I think it does. Our bodies are to be temples....so, how are you treating your temple? See, what gets me is that we are not TAUGHT how to eat right, or to eat well, or to read labels, or how much water to drink, or what type of exercises to do. We continue in this vicious cycle, which isn't healthy and quite honestly is killing us. Isn't it time to rise up, and be good stewards of what we have been given? You only have one body to live in, so why not treat it with love and respect?"  That concludes the post. I would now like to expound upon it.

This weekend, we had the opportunity to attend a conference for people in ministry.  It's always interesting to me to see what type of food and drink they serve at events, especially the faith based ones.  See, it seems to me as though this is an area where the devil has gotten us as believers ~ the area of being disciplined with what we eat and drink; the area of taking care of our temples; the area of self control; the area of gluttony, particularly around food.  "It's not drugs!," some may say.  Or, "it's not alcohol," say others.  Or "it's legal." Exactly.  That is why it is a trap, because it is legal.  There is nothing wrong, immoral, illegal, or even sinful about eating, is there?  Nope, sure isn't.  We need to eat to survive, yes? However, it is a HEART ISSUE.

See, when we are eating out of brokenness, or stress, or seeking "comfort food," that is a sin.  Why?  Because it is idolatry.  We are turning away from God and turning to something else.  Yet, the church continues to do it, day in and day out.  Sometimes it is even promoted within the church at various events.  All you-can-eat type events, potlucks, that sort of thing.  Again, I am not saying that these things are wrong or sinful, please don't hear me saying that.  Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater, but when we are encouraging or helping people to stumble, rather than helping them, we are part of the problem.  For example, a lot of events in the community revolve around food, yes? Pancake breakfasts, fish frys, cookouts, festivals, fairs, etc. You can always count on food that isn't good for us at those events.  It would be like taking an alcoholic to a bar, walking them around and expecting them to not be tempted.  It's not going to happen, is it?  So it is with us.  The exception is our addiction is legal.  It is accepted.  It is encouraged.  It is promoted.

So, back to the event this weekend.  The food. All in all, was not too bad.  There were cookies {more than once offered during the day}, soda/pop, whatever you call it, some protein and lots of carbs at lunch.  There were no fruits and not too much veggie-wise.  The problem, I see, is that it really isn't about the food, but how we are using the food and what the food is for.

See, I have learned on my journey that food is fuel.  Food is energy.  Food gives you what you need to be well fueled, prepared and ready to handle your day.  Food is not meant to be an idol, a comfort, a soother, a helper. That is what Jesus is.  So when we turn to food instead of Jesus for that, that's a problem.  From my personal experience, I had to have some inner healing take place before I was ready to tackle the food area of my life. Food was my comfort, my refuge, my solace, my comforter....anyone relate?  I was using food where I should have been turning to God.  So the problem, as I see it, is we are hurt and wounded and turning to the wrong source for healing.  Instead of turning to the One who can heal us, bind up our wounds and hurts, we are turning to something that is killing us.....both spiritually and physically.

The other problem I see is we can't give someone something we don't have.  Yes?  So, if we are ministering out of this unhealed part of us, turning to food to "help" us, aren't we teaching those we minister to to do the same? Instead of helping them be free and well, we are crippling them as well because of our own issues.  Is that why the church is so wounded? I don't know.  I'm just speculating.  From doing a quick Google search, the following caught my eye, published earlier this year

~"More than a third of American clergy are obese, according to a new study from Baylor University." Google it and see what you find.


From my own past with food and current experiences, there is a problem in the church. It's an area we either go after, repent from and transform our minds, or the devil continues to win in this area of the Bride.

What say you, church? Are you ready to rise up and take care of your temple the way we were intended to? I'm here and ready to help when you are. We already know who wins the battle, so why let the enemy keep picking on you?