Pregnancy and Herbalife

UPDATED! See Below!

I am feeling rather huge these days.  I am starting to get really anxious about getting back to my weight loss once the baby arrives.  I have my goals set and I can't wait to continue working toward them.  It has been difficult for me to see the numbers on the scale go up after so much hard work in getting them to go down.  I know that it is good, healthy weight.  I have maintained my clothing size, my rings are still lose, and I didn't have to buy bigger shoes this time.  That helps me realize how helpful my Herbalife products have been to me during this pregnancy.

I have been blessed to have 3 healthy pregnancies with no complications or major issues.  However, this pregnancy has been WAY different for me.  I have felt so good.  Energy is not a word you hear associated with pregnancy very often unless you are talking about a lack of...but I can honestly say I feel so energetic and healthy.  I admit that I don't have my full amount of "gusto" from pre-baby but I also don't have to power nap to make it through my days.  My blood work all came back perfectly.  My glucose test was the lowest it has been for any of my pregnancies.  The one major difference is that I have a history of anemia and had to take an iron supplement with my first two pregnancies.  This time...no iron!

I am confident that with the help of my Herbalife plan I will bounce back from this pregnancy and keep moving forward.  I said that I was feeling huge these days...even though I feel pretty darn good for being 8 months pregnant.  I decided today to look at pictures from my daughter's baby shower that was exactly 4 years ago.  Suddenly I felt a little bit better about how "huge" I feel now.

For those of you curious about which products I am taking during this pregnancy here you go...the list is a long one and my doctor is aware of my product usage.  I have also discontinued a few of the supplements that I normally take until after I'm finished nursing.  Please note: This is what I have chosen to do for myself. Some of these supplements may not be for you during pregnancy, but you should talk to your doctor.  For instance, if you have high blood pressure you may want to avoid the Herbal concentrate tea.  You know your body...do what is best for you and your baby. 

Formula One Shake (2-3 per day mixed with skim milk or PDM)
Protein Drink Mix (1-2 scoops mixed with shake)
Multivitamin (1 tablet 3-4 times daily)
Cell Activator (2 tablets twice daily with shake)
Cell U Loss (1 tablet three times daily)
Aminogen (1 tablet three times daily)
Snack Defense (1 tablet two times daily)
Flora Fiber (1 tablet three times daily)
Garden 7 (1 tablet three times daily)
CoQ10 (1 tablet daily)
Herbalifeline (1 tablet three times daily)
Schizandra (1 tablet two times daily)
Rose Guard (1 tablet two times daily)
Ocular Defense (1 tablet daily)
Triple Berry Complex (1 tablet daily)
NRG (1 tablet 2-3 times daily)
Xtra-Cal (1 tablet 3 times daily)
Herbal Concentrate Tea (3-6 servings daily...I LOVE my tea! However I did avoid it during the first trimester)
Formula One Express Meal Bars (On occasion to replace a shake)
Protein Bars (As as snack on occasion)
Beverage Mix (As a snack on occasion)
Active Fiber Complex (I used this a lot in the first trimester mixed in my shake)
Herbal Aloe Concentrate (and lots of it during the first trimester for morning sickness!!!)
Herbal Aloe Hand and Body Wash (daily)
Herbal Aloe Hand and Body Cream (daily)
Herbal Aloe Soothing Gel (as needed)
Herbal Aloe Strengthening Shampoo (daily)
MultiVitamin Skin Care System (daily)
Nourifusion MultiVitamin Exfoliating Scrub (weekly)
Plus many other Personal Care Products as needed

These are the products that I discontinued for the duration of my pregnancy and some I will not continue until after I finish nursing.  The reason for not taking these is simply because the labels state that they are not recommended for use by pregnant women. Herbalife is very good at following labeling laws and mega dosing laws!

Total Control
Joint Support
Tang Kuei
Thermo-Bond
21 day cleanse
Sleep Now
Relax Now
Lift-Off

Herbalife products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. However, when the body is getting complete nutrition at the cellular level amazing results can occur! 

The Magic

I was challenged a couple of months ago to join a group of people who were embarking on a "Gratitude Challenge" for 28 days.  The idea came from the book "The Magic" by Rhonda Byrne.  I agreed to join, and purchased the book for my Kindle.  Then life got in the way and I kept putting it off.  I knew it was a 28 day commitment and I was just not ready to dig in.  I think part of me knew that it was going to be a huge change and there's that little thing called a "comfort zone".  While I have been doing so much better at breaking out of my comfort zone, when it's something that involves self discovery it tends to be a lot scarier for me! Do I really want to know what I need to change about myself? Do I really want to face the ugly facts?

So, long story short, I finally decided mid-January to bite the bullet and begin this challenge.  The very first day I was sucked in! Without giving away too much about the book (because I recommend that everyone read it) I was encouraged to make a physical list of my desires for myself in various aspects of my life.  It's easy to make a list of things you want once you get started.  Not just material things...but spiritual, physical, and emotional goals.  I'm not going to say that I wasn't blown away when some of these things began to manifest in my life within the first 24 hours.  Focusing on gratitude for things in your life (good or bad) completely changes your attitude! I am so thankful for this experience and I plan to continue a gratitude journal as a part of my daily life from here on out.  I do this at night just before I go to sleep...so my last thoughts of the day are ones of thankfulness.  It really has an impact on my mornings as well!

Update!

Wow...has been over 2 months since my last update.  Life has been busy.  I promised to share the details about the last 30 days of my 90 day challenge.  The last 30 days ended up being the toughest for me.  I couldn't understand why...because I had been feeling so much better and then suddenly I was having a really hard time resisting carbs.  I wanted bread!!!  I was sure that I had detoxed my body from craving carbs, so I was a little confused.  Then, I started feeling nauseated all the time....that's when I knew.  I was pregnant!!!
I didn't want to give up on my challenge.  By the time I found out I only had about 22 days left.  I was determined to make it! You already know from my last post that I was able to finish out the challenge...and that also explains why I only dropped 3 pounds in the last 30 days.

So, for those of you who don't know my history I have struggled with infertility ever since we started trying to have children.  We were actually one of the lucky couples that was actually able to finally conceive.  We tried for 18 months before getting pregnant with our son.  After a couple of years we decided to try for another baby.  Little did we know that it would be a long, emotional ride.  After trying without success for a while, I was diagnosed with Poly-cystic Ovary Syndrome.  After several years with no success we decided to try some intervention.  For nearly a year I swallowed pills and got injected with chemicals and drugs to help me conceive.  Finally, 7 years and 4 months after having our son we were blessed with our second child, a daughter.   I was pretty sure that she would be our last child because I didn't want to go through the ups and downs of  trying again.

In July of 2011 I began my journey with the Herbalife products.  I noticed within the first 2-3 months of being on the products that my symptoms from PCOS were gone and my cycle was regular.  Then in January of 2012 I learned much to my shock that I was pregnant...with no help...without even trying.  At that point I was down about 50 pounds.  I never dreamed that I would be able to get pregnant without help.  Unfortunately, the pregnancy did not develop and I miscarried in early March.  Even though I should have been prepared for the possibility, I was equally as shocked to find out that I was pregnant again just a few months later.  I completely credit my ability to conceive on my own to the good nutrition and weight loss.

I am now nearly 21 weeks pregnant and am feeling amazing! My pregnancy is progressing wonderfully and everything is going very well!  I'm thankful to know that I can continue to stay on my products throughout my pregnancy and will drop my baby weight very quickly!  Obviously I didn't hit my 100 pound goal by October, but this has been an unexpected blessing that makes that goal worth the wait!

Success!!!

The 90 day challenge is officially over!  I am in a sense relieved, but a little scared, too. I know all too well how easy it is to fall back into poor eating habits.  I have learned so much through the past 3 months, though.  I know now that I am stronger than I thought I would be.  I will post more details about my last 30 days of the challenge at a later time...but for now I wanted to do a quick update just to post my final results.  Also, I am humbled my the amount of feedback I have gotten from this challenge.  Several people in my "circle" and even some that I don't know well have decided to do the same or similar challenges.  I love hearing about their progress and it is wonderful to know that I helped inspire someone to make healthy changes.

So, here it is....my final results for the 90 day challenge are a total weight loss of 33 pounds (total of 83) and a reduction in my body fat of 5.3% (total of 11%).  I am very pleased with the results and have no regrets about the challenge. In fact, I think I might make this an annual thing...although my hope is to stick very closely with the new eating habits that I have learned.  Here is my latest progress picture.  Thanks, again, to my friend Maggie for the side by side.

60 days!

Just a quick update...August 31 was day 60 of our 90 day challenge.  Day 60 marked a 30 pound loss so far!  In case you didn't know, I previously lost 65 pounds and gained back 15, so this 30 pounds has brought me to a grand total of 80 pounds!  I'm thrilled with the results and am so glad I have done this.  I plan to re-measure and re-scan soon to see the results of those.

Lots of exciting things happening right now...our brand new nutrition club will be opening September 7! Those of you who live close by, we would LOVE for you to stop by and show your support!  Here's to gettin' skinny!!!

Half Time!

August 16 marked the half way point for my 90 day challenge.  I'm still hangin' in there!  It's been awesome, actually and I don't have a single regret.  I have had a few moments where I can't really say I was tempted, but challenged.  Not because I really wanted to eat whatever it was, but because I have to really stop and control my automatic reflex to pop a piece of food in my mouth just because it's there.  I have to literally put the brakes on in my mind.  I am retraining my brain to think differently, and until it becomes as automated as the old way, I will have to be aware and conscious about every single decision I make about food.

Oddly enough, it feels REALLY good.  I feel so confident about the changes I have made and it is leading me to make life long changes that will benefit myself and my family.  When I sit down at the table to have a meal with my family, all of the colorful, healthy food makes me smile.  It makes me feel good to teach my kids how to love things that are good for them.  While this started out to be a journey just for me...my whole family has embraced the changes with me and are loving it just as much.  Of course their changes haven't been as strict as mine, and the kids still like their treats every now and then, but the fact that neither of them has asked for a Happy Meal in over 2 months is a huge victory in itself.

So, at the half-way mark I have lost a total of 25 pounds through the challenge.  That puts me at 75 pounds total loss so far.  My goal is to hit the 100 pound mark by the time we go to Extravaganza in Long Beach on October 18.  I know I can do it!

I also wanted to thank everyone for their kind words and notes of encouragement through this process.  I really wanted to do this for myself...so I have something to look back on as a reminder of the journey and the fact that I never want to go back to where I was.  There are a few people who have been inspired to take the plunge with me and try this challenge.  The fact that I have inspired even one person warms my heart and makes every second of this worth it.  If you want to join me and would like some encouragement along the way, don't hesitate to send me an email  or find me on Facebook and we can exchange numbers.  I love meeting people, getting to know them, and sharing positive encouragement with each other.  I will check back in soon!

Boxing Day!

No, I'm not Canadian, but I did go boxing!  Boxing?! Yeah...that's what I thought.  On my list of things to accomplish in my lifetime, boxing is definitely something that never would have made the list.  I'm a little too "prissy" to strap on some stinky gloves and beat things and people up.  Ok, so I actually didn't beat up any people, but a friend invited me to try out a class at a local boxing club so I thought, "What the heck...let's give it a try!"

Five of us made the trip downtown to this place called Cincinnati Fitness Boxing to try out the class.  The first time is free, so I didn't have anything to lose.  I was nervous because I'm not exactly in the best shape, but how hard can it be to punch a bag, right?

Let me just say...this ended up being the most intense workout I have ever done in my entire life! However, it was probably the most fun as well and I can't wait to do it again!  We started off running a lap around the building...which I walked half of and was the last one finished...but I finished!  Then we strapped on the big boxing gloves and rotated through stations.  You work out for several minutes with a one minute break in between each station.  The staff were all very friendly and helpful and didn't mind helping those of us who are  completely clueless!  My favorite part was being in the ring with a guy named Ed.  He showed us how to step with our feet to get the most power out of our "1, 2" :)  The hardest part was the body bags on the floor....but that was pretty fun as well!

Anyway, if you are in the area, you should definitely check it out.  They have a lot of different classes but the one that I went to was at 10 am on Saturday.  They also have a kid's kickboxing class that I'm excited to take my 10 year old to next time.

Stepping out of my comfort zone is proving to be a huge learning experience and it is helping me to grow and experience things I never imagined!  I can't wait to see what my next adventure is going to be!