Time for a change...

Hi Friends!

It's been a wild few months, filled with all kinds of activities, commitments, friends, vacation, and CHANGE. I almost don't know where to start, so I think I'll begin with one of the most apparent physical changes, and the catalyst for many other changes in my life.

I've been having some neurological / migraine issues since September, resulting in lots of doctor appointments, co-pays, medications, the whole deal. [Well, I've had migraines and headaches in my life, for as far back as I remember, but especially over the last year and a half, with the worst bout starting in September.] My primary care doctor had gently mentioned to me losing some weight and exercising, which could potentially decrease my problems and improve my overall health. The last time I was at my primary care, in December 2011, I weighed in at 154 pounds. *gulp* That was by far the heaviest I had been in my life. My clothes were getting progressively tighter, and I was becoming more and more self-conscious about the way I looked. I was getting out of breath doing things that I never had trouble with before. Needless to say, I knew I had to take charge.

This is a picture of me and Cody at my cousin's wedding in August... I was close to 150 at this point. Also, it was the day of Hurricane Irene, so I looked like a hot mess from the storm. My hair is atrocious for a fancy wedding, haha.

So I definitely listened to her advice, but I just didn't know how to follow it. I tried running, but re-injured my foot, not to mention I wasn't enjoying it like I used to. I started yoga, but it kind of fell off again as I got busier and busier with random things in my life. The gyms in my area are all pretty pricey, not to mention I felt so awkward... all these fit people looking like they belonged. I felt like a fish out of water, to say the least.

In September at another cousin's wedding... (The other side of the family, so I'm wearing the same dress. Don't judge! I didn't want to buy another piece of clothing at that size.)

In December, I started a new medication for my headaches. One of the side effects was a decrease in appetite. For the first few weeks on it, I couldn't stand the smell or taste of most foods. This is REALLY depressing for someone who loves food as much as I do! I was losing that weight, but as positive as I tried to be about it, I was so unhappy. I looked unhealthy, I was tired all the time, and I was miserable due to the other side effects. Ugh, NOT a good time in my life. Once I got my appetite back, I was hardly eating anything because I wanted to keep losing the pounds. I would have some coffee for breakfast, maybe a yogurt and fruit for lunch (but not every day), and whatever for dinner. I shudder to think about what I was doing to myself. Cody was starting to become genuinely worried about how I was losing weight and the general way I felt.

One of my Facebook friends, Christa Hood, had been posting a lot about a diet that she and her family had started, called the 90 Day Body By Vi Challenge from a company called ViSalus. I was constantly seeing photos and status updates posted by her in regards to her friends and family on the diet. I decided to send her a message asking about the diet. She sent me back a ton of great information, all that I found really helpful, but decided it against it based on the price. We had finally gotten a hang of sticking to a budget, and I just couldn't imagine adding another expense, no matter how reasonable it was. I sadly declined to obtain any additional information, but told her to keep checking in with me in case anything changed.

At the end of January, thanks to a fabulous tax return, Cody and I were able to book a vacation to beautiful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (more about that later!). We were so flippin' excited to finally take a vacation... it was going to be the first time away together since our honeymoon in September 2010. The only thing stopping me from getting even more excited was the fact that I would have to go out and buy all new clothes because there was no way I was going to fit into my bathing suits and summer clothes from the previous year. Once I did the math, something clicked. How much would it be for me to go out and buy 2 bathing suits, some shorts, and tank tops? At least $100? And why would I even want to do that, because I wanted to lose weight? By going out and buying those new clothes, I would essentially be enabling myself to continue that unhealthy lifestyle. No way was I going to settle for that. I am not a quitter, and I don't resign myself to defeat. So that's when I decided I was going to email Christa back and let her know I decided to just do it.

Wow.... am I EVER SO GLAD I decided to do that. Cody and I both decided to try the Body By Vi Shape Kit. We would buy a one month supply for one person, and split it between the 2 of us for 2 weeks, then re-order more. We started on February 10th, and we saw changes within the first week - the number one thing was my pants actually felt comfortable again. I didn't feel like puking because they were so tight against my stomach. By the end of the 2nd week, the day we left to go to Newark Airport, we were able to fit into our summer clothes, and not only that, we looked DARN GOOD. This was the first time in my life that I was able to walk on the beach without a cover-up trying to hide my jiggle. Do you know what this feels like? Pure, utter happiness. Self-confidence is an amazing thing that I hope I never lose again.

So how does the diet actually work? We receive the Shape Kit in the mail, which comes with 2 bags of ViSalus mix (soy protein along with a boatload of vitamins and minerals, as much as a multi-vitamin and more), some flavoring packets, and packets of information on how to successfully track your diet. We make two shakes each at night, store them in the fridge, and take them for breakfast and lunch. I have a page of 100 shake recipes, that we switch up daily so we don't get tired. Some of our favorites are...

• Pumpkin Pie (1 c soy milk + 1 c canned pumpkin + a little vanilla and nutmeg + 5 ice cubes + 2 scoops ViSalus)
• Blueberry Pom (1/2 c soy milk + 1/2 c Langer's Blueberry Pomegranate Plus + handful of frozen blueberries + 5 ice cubes + 2 scoops ViSalus)
• Apple Turnover (1 c milk + 1 sliced apple of your choice + some vanilla and cinnamon + 5 ice cubes + 2 scoops ViSalus)
• Chocolate PB Monster (1 c chocolate soy milk {or soy with cocoa powder} + 1 Tbsp low fat peanut butter + 1 sheet of graham crackers + 5 ice cubes + 2 scoops ViSalus)

...and there are SO MANY more to choose from. We don't really get hungry between shakes. Sometimes Cody will have a snack or two during the day, consisting of fruits, veggies, or yogurt, but I find that I don't need it since I drink the shakes really slowly, over the course of an hour or two. He chugs it in a minute. Mine are so good I like to savor. :) We try to have healthy dinners that taste good (yes, they DO exist and I hope to post recipes on a regular basis!), but sometimes we just order a pizza or go out for wings and beer. That's it... doesn't get any simpler than that.

So, as of February 10th (with 9 days off for vacation - we wanted to fully enjoy the food in Mexico), I am down approximately 14 pounds, and Cody is down 13 -- which would be more, but he just loves his beer so much more than I do. I've all but quit drinking, but he's still got a taste for it. He says he's stopping this week because he really wants to dominate this Challenge. If it happens, I'll be so proud of him. If it doesn't, well then, there's always the next day!

The moment of truth came this past week. I knew I felt and looked better, but I wanted my primary care doctor's approval. I saw her this week, and I weighed in at 127! Remember, in December I was at 154. That is 27 pounds down - half from unhealthy and half from healthy means. But it's not just about the pounds that I've lost... I feel like a new person...

• My clothes fit SO much better. In fact, I am wearing clothes I haven't been able to wear in 5+ years.
• I have energy again. Before, when I'd wake up in the morning, I'd need coffee to function like a normal human. No matter how much I slept, I was always tired and sluggish in the morning. That has disappeared. No more coffee, except occasionally when I go to my family's house or if I go out to talk with a friend at Starbucks. It's out of enjoyment of the flavor, rather than a pick-me-up.
• I haven't been sick at all. If I remember correctly, I only have the start to one migraine, and I was able to get rid of it with some medication. Granted, I am also on migraine medication, but I was on it before I started, and I still had gotten a migraine AND headaches at that point. Now I have none. Take it for what you will, but I'd like to think it's a combo of the ViSals, good diet choices, the medication, and getting off the couch and walking more. In addition, every year I get sick at the beginning of spring -- what I used to chalk up to the change of the weather and all the pollen in the air. For the first year in I have no idea how long, I did not get sick in March. Knock on wood that it doesn't come to me anytime soon. I don't miss that misery.
• I actually feel so good that I want to exercise! I'm not out of breath doing things anymore. On my next challenge, I'm going to either seek out an inexpensive gym or focus on using the fitness videos on Comcast's On Demand.

So that money stuff I was worried about? HA! We still have money troubles (more on that later...), but it helps because we are now drinking the ViSalus for FREE. No lie. If we refer 3 people and they decide to start the 90 Day Challenge for themselves, we get our month's kit for free. If those 3 decide to continue with the challenge each month (and you should - it's for 90 days!), or if you get new people to replace those that stop, you'll continue to get your kit for free. In addition to that, I've signed on as a distributor to make some extra money and pay off my debt. I would describe it just as people do Tastefully Simple demonstration parties, or sell Mary Kay. If you like and use the product, and you feel passionately about the changes it has helped you make, why not become a part of that team? Unlike so many other direct sales companies, there is no cap on what you can do with ViSalus.

I have met so many wonderful people through my team's Facebook page. We all post our successes, recipes, motivational items, all kinds of stuff. I'm getting to know about them, and actually becoming friends with them. It's so cool to see the goals people have for their 90 Days. Me? Well I just wanted to get out of that overweight range, and maybe, if at all possible, get down to 118. Little did I know my goal would evolve from there. I don't care about the numbers on the scale anymore. I care about how I feel... and seriously, I feel great. Better than I have ever felt before. There are people on my team who haven't lost a single pound, but their bodies have transformed from the inside out. There are others who have lost HUNDREDS (yes, HUNDREDS) of pounds, just by sticking with the shakes and having a little self-control when it comes to 2 out of 3 meals a day. I see people introducing others to the program, and because of this, they've been able to not only have a healthy lifestyle they actually enjoy, but by becoming independent distributors, they get out of debt, pay off mortgages, go on much needed vacations... all by just sharing something they care about to people they care about.

I hope you'll continue to follow the journey I am on. I can't wait to keep sharing the things that are happening to me over the next month, and maybe you can help me plan my goals for my next 90 Day Challenge. If you want any more info about ViSalus, just leave a comment or email me. I'd love to share it with you, and see what will happen in your life. I'm not special, just an ordinary girl who decided that she wanted to be healthy. If I can do it, you can do it, too! Really! And besides, how do you know you can't do it, unless you try with the right tools?

Me at Epic Church's First Annual Community Easter Egg Hunt yesterday, April 7th, 2012. There is so much more I want to say about this event, but right now I'll just leave it with I have no idea how I used to do these projects with my old energy level. Today is the best health day I've ever had, and God willing, tomorrow will be even better, and the next day, and the next...

Love you guys, thanks for reading and supporting me.

xoxo

Lyndsey

Please visit my ViSalus website if you want more information about the kits or how the diet actually works: www.lkstrohl.bodybyvi.com

And PS ... I have been messing with the formatting for 30 minutes, but Blogger obviously does NOT want to cooperate with me. Some sections are different fonts and sizes, and some are double spaced. I can't deal with it anymore, haha!