#59: I'm here to be awesome

I have been very lucky to reconnect with a friend from elementary school who is now my friend + Herbalife coach.

I have always been curious about meal replacement shakes and whatnot but never felt prepared or motivated to pay the money and actually drink the shakes.

Then Jacki came along and I did a 3-day Herbalife trial. 

Then I decided this wasn't impossible.  The shakes actually taste good!  They fill me up and I can tell my moods have improved and my health is improving.

So I ordered a month's worth of shakes and managed to drink 2 shakes a day with 2 snacks and a colorful meal.

Then I ordered another month's worth of shakes.

Then I joined a 6 week weight loss challenge with Jacki and other Herbalifers.  I paid money in yet spent 4 weeks being lazy.  For week 5, I decided to follow the plan as best I could and stop drinking alcohol.  For two weeks I didn't drink alcohol and it was surprisingly GREAT.  Considering how I work at a liquor store and love craft beer, I figured this would be tricky but it was easy and so good for me.

In weeks 5 and 6, I lost 5.5 pounds.  It is pretty amazing what you can do when you set your mind to something and actually work at it!

Just think of what I could lose if I follow the plan correctly AND exercise?  Of course now that I'm motivated to exercise I have a knee injury that could be nothing or could require surgery.  Hopefully I find out soon.

For the past two weeks now that the weight loss challenge has ended, I've been all over the place drinking and eating not-so-colorful cheat meals.  I realized this morning how GROSS I feel.  Beer and the other alcoholic beverages I've consumed in the past 2 weeks simply don't taste as good as they used to.  I've had burgers and beers and fish and chips and gyros and gelato in the past 2 weeks.  I didn't weigh in on Sunday like normal so who knows what this has done to my weight loss plan.

Starting this weekend I'll be good again.  There is no weight loss challenge this time (though I could join one in July, I don't think I will).  I need to hold myself accountable.  I need to get my butt out of bed and to the gym on campus that I have FREE ACCESS TO.  The fact that this is a perk of my job that I'm not taking advantage of is just plain stupid.  I need to rid the house of cookies and cake leftover from Fonduemates.  I need to stock my fridge back up with vegetables and whatnot.  I need to get back on track and with the support of Jacki, I think I'm finally in a good place mentally to be able to do this.

I am determined to get back into shape so I can do Peak 10 this fall.  That means eating clean and exercising now.  That means fixing whatever my knee issue is.  That means staying motivated and doing the best I can.  It is frustrating because I know I can kick butt and take names since I did so well the first 2 times I did Peak 10.  I can get back to that point.  And I honestly have Jacki (and Ryan and little Ryan and Amelia) to thanks for my weekly check-ins (and walks if we're lucky), good baby time and being fantastic friends. 

My new mantra: