Eating Clean

When we first began this journey, I was actually in pretty good shape. I had been working out a lot, and I only needed to lose ten more pounds to get to my ideal weight. If I remember correctly, I weighed around 135 to maybe 140. I look at my "before" picture, and I have to say that's now become my goal!

I've had a lot of ups and downs since then, emotionally and physically. I've battled depression and anxiety, I've been put on anti-depressants and been going to therapy. I've moved, I've taken on a lot more responsibilities in my life outside of work, and my husband is home less and less often because of work and his hobbies. The kids continue to get older, which brings more freedom, but also different stresses and challenges. So, there's my list of excuses. That list of excuses has led me to giving up on my exercise and continuing to eat all the junk that fuels my depression and feeling sore and lethargic. It has also led me to weighing the most I've ever weighed except for when I was pregnant or had just delivered. Last week I weighed in at 175. That really hurt. That now means that I am 50 pounds away from my goal weight. I'm trying really hard not to be overwhelmed by that number.

I have been using the Shaklee 180 off and on for a few months, but I've now kicked it into high gear. I had been eating my two shakes a day, but then my meal and snacks haven't always been the best choices. Just recently I joined an accountability group of friends, and we meet once per week to talk about nutrition, our challenges, and our victories. This has been really helpful for keeping me on track, as well as making some new friends and getting to know some more people. I've also recently been making strides toward eating clean. A few months ago, I gave up soda. As you know, Diet Coke has been my life force since I was five years old or so, so this was a radical change for me. I don't miss it. I also gave up flavored coffee creamer, which was another big addiction for me. I'm eating more and more organic, and weeding out processed, packaged, and fast foods. Today I went to a local farmers market for the first time, and I absolutely loved it! We got so much great stuff, it was so good and so decently priced. Lots of great produce, including the sweetest fruit I've ever had in my life. I would really like to plant some of my own vegetables, but finances and the unbelievable heat are preventing me from doing that this summer. I'm hoping to build some boxes in the fall so that the kids and I can start having some fun :) I also was having a lot of trouble with my dosage of meds, so have been off of them completely for about six weeks now. I feel great. I've been religious about my supplements, and that combined with eating better and moving more have made a huge difference in my moods and anxiety. Additionally, it is summer break, so I realize that when the stress returns in another month I may feel differently, but I'm really trying to deal with it as naturally as possible.

Anyway, that's where I am. If you're at all curious about what exactly it is that I'm doing, you can check out www.shaklee.com, and I'm following the guidelines laid out by Tosca Reno in her Eat Clean books. I'll keep you posted!