Tools and Tricks

Today marks two weeks since I began my Isagenix weight loss journey. Over these past two weeks, I've made some decisions that will hopefully make this transition easier for me.

First of all, I'm not going stick to the Isagenix plan 100%. What I mean by this is that I don't necessarily believe that I need the Natural Accelerator, or Isaflush add-ons. I've never had digestive issues; that's not why I started this diet. So I think I can do without the supplements. I'm also not a huge fan of Cleanse Days. I just like food too much. So instead of having a certain number of cleanses every month, I'm going to cleanse only when I feel my body needs it. Just this will help to dramatically cut costs. Without all the supplements and cleanse day materials, I just have Ionix Supreme and the IsaLean shakes left. And those, I think, are the most important tools in this diet. Shakes will serve as meal replacements -making meal times much easier - and the Ionix Supreme will provide an energy kick start in the morning. I can take care of snacks and dinner on my own.

Second, I'm not being too hard on myself about what I have for dinner every night. I have been using two apps in conjunction with Isagenix -  one of them being MyFitnessPal. MyFitnessPal allows me to keep track of my calorie intake and exercise throughout the day. The food and drink item search makes calorie counting as simple as it can be. Just search for a food or drink item and the calorie count will automatically pop up. You can then select the item and add it to your calorie count for the day. After inputting my breakfast, lunch, and snacks, I can see how many calories I have left for dinner time - it's usually about 800, though I try to stick closer to 500 or 600. The part I'm not being such a stickler about is what makes up those calories. I always try to include some form of protein, grain, and vegetable into my meal, but if they're not the "correct" portion sizes, I don't fret. And sometimes, if I have leftover calories at the end of the day, I like to have a beer or two. This may not be part of the Isagenix plan, but I enjoy my booze. And as long as it's in moderation, it will be okay. Any dietary change is going to make a difference in my health; it's okay if it's not perfect.

The other app I'm using - Water Your Body - allows me to accurately keep track of how much water I drink every day. It's just one of those things I can't keep track of in my head, so this has proven to be extremely helpful.

And although Microsoft Excel isn't technically an app, it has certainly been a helpful tool during this process. I've begun creating spreadsheets that allow my to tear down a meal by ingredient and calculate the number of calories per serving of the dish. Here's an example:

This is a recipe I found on Pinterest for 3-Cheese Chicken Ziti. In order to use up ingredients I had around the house, I altered the recipe slightly (i.e. using penne instead of ziti). With this spreadsheet, I can enter the number of calories per ingredient and then divide the total by four to determine the number calories per serving. Last Wednesday I prepared three meals this way, portioned them out for storage, and labeled each container with an accurate calorie count. This made enough meals to last me for more than a week and I would never have to worry about my calorie count. The only downside to this is that my fiancé (who is also a chef) doesn't like any of the things I make. He says they're good for being low-calorie, but would taste so much better with more fat, salt, and sugar. So for now he has to to fend for himself when it comes to meal time. And we're both okay with that. 

In other news... I'm not in unbearable pain sitting at my desk in blue jeans. And that feels really nice. It makes this whole thing seem worth it. I'm really excited to be able to fit into my clothes again. 

Love,

Miss Melissa

80 hours and 8 Pounds

Between Tuesday September 8th and Tuesday September 15th, I worked nearly 80 hours. Eighty. While I'm thankful for the extra cash I'll make from all of those overtime hours, I was beyond exhausted by the end of it. I took Tuesday and Wednesday off from work so I could rest and get some things taken care of in my personal life. I have never ever worked so hard or been so exhausted. And I know it would have been significantly more difficult if I was still eating like I used to. While I was tired and frustrated most of the time, I like to think Isagenix helped to lessen the pain. 

Yesterday (Wednesday) was my first Cleanse Day and it was a lot easier than I expected it to be. I also spent yesterday preparing meals to lessen my stress throughout the week.I began by looking up some interesting lo-cal meal ideas on Pinterest. I then transferred the ingredients into an Excel spreadsheet so I could count the calories in each ingredient. Because each recipe made about four servings, I then divided the total calorie count by four to yield an approximate calorie count for each serving. After buying any necessary ingredients, I spent the evening preparing three separate meals. Then I separated each into Tupperware containers and labeled how many calories were in each container. My hope is that by doing all the work ahead of time, I will have one less stressor in my life. This will allow me to focus on the things that are actually important to me: my job and my family. 

As of this morning I have officially lost eight pounds! I say "officially" because this may not be accurate. When I first weighed myself, the scale was brand new and its first reading was 257.0 lbs. But the next morning it read 251.6 lbs. I find it far more likely that the scale had a glitch than I lost 5.4 lbs overnight. Therefore, I'm going to use 251.6 lbs as my starting weight. Today is day nine of this diet; eight pounds in nine days is nothing to scoff at. After seven days, I had my fiance take another set of pictures. There isn't much of a visible difference, but it shows on the scale and my clothes are also starting to fit a little better. That's more than enough of a result for me. 

Here's to week two, a flatter tummy, better sex, and eight pounds down the drain.

Love,

Miss Melissa

Isagenix Day One Recap

Yesterday (Day One) was filled with a LOT of ups and downs. While the started off as just okay, my taste buds started tingling around lunch time when I could smell all of the delicious leftovers my coworkers had brought in for lunch. It was hard with all of the tempting aromas wafting around, but I stuck to it.

In the afternoon, around three o'clock, various life and work struggles resulted in a minor freak out. My job requires me to be completely flexible in the hours I work. That combined with a rigorously scheduled diet is not a perfect combo. While yesterday was alright (I worked  8-4 and was able to get home in time to make dinner around 6), I was very upset not knowing how I was going to prepare meals every day. I was also upset because I felt the need to have dinner prepared for my fiance. With his schedule (He doesn't usually get home until 10 PM) and mine, that just isn't feasible - especially if I'm going to stick to a semi-normal sleep schedule.

After a fit of screaming and crying, Brien assured me that he doesn't need me to prepare his meals for him; he is a chef after all. My schedule for next week leaves me with exceptionally long work days on Monday and Tuesday. To help me stick to my diet, Brien has agreed to help me shop for, prepare, and cook meals that I can take to work with me. Thank God for him. Sometimes this man drives me crazy. But every once in a while he really pulls through. Many times I'm still existing in the mindset where I have to do everything myself. I'm a little "Miss Independent" as my mother calls me. It's really a nice reality check when Brien assures me that we are in this together and I don't have to support myself all on my own. It's nice to have help.

Now that we've got all the emotional bullshit out of the way, let's talk about yesterday's dinner!

I was really surprised at much food I could for 400 calories. 5 oz of tilapia, pan fried with about a teaspoon of margarine, seasoned with just salt and pepper. About 7 oz of squash and zucchini prepared the same way as the tilapia. And for my starch, Harris Teeter brand Garden Vegetable Rice. 90 seconds in the microwave and you're set! And you get a whole cup of rice for 150 calories - I was shocked! It may not have been the healthiest meal. But it was FAR healthier than the things I jad been eating before starting Isagenix,

Here's to Day Two (which is going extremely well so far)!

Lots of Love,
Miss Melissa

Let's Go!

Today's the day! Isagenix starts today! I'm really excited to start feeling good. Over the last few days I've been feeling exceptionally shitty. While waiting for my box to arrive, I was trying to eat all the foods I was going to miss while on this diet and it resulted in lots of tummy troubles - even more reason to change my eating habits.

My first shake was really, really clumpy. But the blender bottle is noisy and I didn't want to make a huge fuss at work. So I just dealt with it. It wasn't horrible, Though I certainly didn't love it. Ashley tells me they get better as your body cleans itself out and I trust that she's right. But at this very moment, I'm not too thrilled knowing that these things are going to comprise the majority of my diet. Here's to knowing it's all going to be worth it one day.

Cheers,
Miss Melissa

Seven Years

It's been seven years - seven years since I was diagnosed with Depression. I was a sophomore in high school at the time. But it started a lot earlier than that. Depression runs in the family. My maternal grandmother, Lori, used alcohol to cover up her disease. Unfortunately, Depression and the strangling tentacles of Alcoholism were too much and Lori committed suicide when my mom was only four years old.

My mom, Kathy, has had her fair share of run-ins with Depression as well. I distinctly remember the day it all came to a head for her. I was fairly young - maybe seven years old at the time. Mom was in the kitchen wearing a long green floral print dress. She stood with her hands slammed up against the counter and tears were flooding her face. My dad stood next to her trying to calm her down but she was screaming, wailing in pain though nothing appeared to be physically wrong with her. Moments later, my friend's mother burst through the door and whisked my sister and me away. We were going to stay with her for a few days.

I didn't understand it at the time, but my mom was having her first Panic Attack. After we had left the house, my dad drove mom to the hospital. The nurses left her screaming on a gurney in the middle of the ER hallway. They assumed that my mother was a drug addict experiencing symptoms of withdrawal. After hours of being ignored, a doctor finally realized that something was wrong. Mom was admitted to the hospital and underwent several tests to determine the cause of her anguish. Doctors determined she was having a panic attack triggered by underlying Depression. She was sent home a few days later with a prescription for Paxil (a common antidepressant). My mom's condition improved dramatically after her diagnosis and treatment.

Then it was my turn. I had never really loved myself. There was always a twinge of self-doubt and anger in my mind, but it was always manageable. About ten years after mom's diagnosis, I began to feel increasing amounts of self-loathing. I thought about suicide a few times, but never had a plan and would never have been brave enough to carry anything out. When I confided in mom about my feelings, she was very supportive and took me to see my doctor. The doctor diagnosed me with severe Depression and I was started on a low dose of Zoloft. I began to feel better quite quickly after starting Zoloft. The loathing disappeared and I was happy for a period of time. It didn't last.

The last seven years have been packed with ups and downs. I have experienced the death of multiple close family members. I have had my heart broken more times than I wish to think about it. I have succeeded and failed in numerous weight loss attempts. I have made friends I will keep forever and painfully ended several toxic friendships. I earned a degree in Biology for Elon University and began my career with an amazing Bio-pharmaceutical company. And just a year ago I met the love my life, Brien, on Tinder of all places. We are now engaged to be married in Fall 2016. It's been nothing short of a whirlwind adventure thus far.

Despite the exciting accomplishments and seemingly happy life, there is always a little piece of me that wants nothing more than to curl up in my bed and sleep my life away. I know that's the Depression talking. And I'm tired of letting it win. I'm tired of allowing this disease to control my life. There's so much to do in this world - so much to see and experience. I don't want to sleep away the one life I've been given. Though I've continued taking medication for Depression and Anxiety, I feel that something else needs to be done. I'm surviving. I'm existing. But I want to live. I want to love harder. I want to explore. I want to feel intense joy. And a pill isn't going to make that happen. It's going to take some work on my part.

Step one was getting my lazy ass off of the couch. Brien and I have been more active in the last few months. In June we went to the Carowinds theme park. In August we had a beach weekend on the Outerbanks of North Carolina. Just a few days ago we went camping and fishing at Badin Lake. Trips like these are essentially forcing my out of my comfort zone so I can experience what life has to offer me. It's been a lot of fun and we plan to continue our adventures as our schedules allow.

Step two is going to be a lot harder. In order to boost my energy levels and self-confidence, I need to make a serious life style change. Ashley, my best friend form college, has convinced my to tackle this mountain with her. Today I will receive my box from Isagenix and tomorrow I will be starting the next phase of my weight-loss journey. I'm doing this for my health, my mental state, my body image, my sex life, my wedding, my family, my future children, and my desire to see the world. I am finally ready to destroy my Depression and live the life I want. It all begins here.

Wish me luck,
Miss Melissa