Friday, August 30, 2013

6 Months Through: a Shaklee 180™ post

So it's been a full 6 months since I began my adventure as a Shaklee blogger. First of all, can I just say how incredibly grateful I am to have gotten this opportunity? It has been amazing. Secondly, I'm going to warn you that this is one very long post.
Shaklee 180™: Shaklee Blogger

I set my sites high in the beginning, hoping to lose 30-40lbs, but I didn't really have a concept of what I was going to accomplish or the real work it would take. I only got about half way to my goal weight, but lost quite a few inches.

It's hard not to compare myself with all the other awesome women who completed the program with me. They've all seen some pretty impressive results. I could use about a million and ten excuses for why I didn't work out more, or why I caved to my emotional eating more often than I'd like to admit. The simple truth is, I failed. Not completely, but I failed myself. I don't want to discount the work that I've done, because there is a definite difference in how I look and feel. I'm just disappointed I didn't accomplish more in my time as a Shaklee blogger - because I know I could have.

But, here's the thing:

I don't have to stop. 

There's nothing standing in my way. I can and will continue working toward my 40lbs weight loss goal - I'm over half way there! And the funny thing is, I'm finding the pounds I lose aren't as satisfying as the number of inches I drop. Why didn't I ever think to track my progress with measurements before? 3lbs in a month is okay, but an inch off each my waist, hips, and chest? Way more exciting. Also, pictures. I wish I hadn't been so embarrassed when I did my before pictures and let my husband help me out. True, I felt so terrible about my body at the time that I cried over those pictures, but now I wish I had more pictures (and better quality ones!) to compare.

Everyone has set-backs. 

Nothing worth having seems to come easy. It's hard work, and sometimes you fall off track. That's when it's okay to forgive and forget and get back to work. Having dessert one night, or treating yourself at the fair (which is always a mistake, despite how good that fried twinkie tastes at the time), is not a failure.

This is not a diet, it's a lifestyle. 

You can drop weight by restricting calories, but to be fit you need to be active and eating healthy. Eat real food. Try to stay away from junk, but don't worry about the extreme. Vinnie Tortorich says, "It doesn't matter what you eat from Thanksgiving to New Year's, it matters what you eat between New Year's and Thanksgiving." And honestly, if I allow myself the occasional treat, I can get back to business without feeling totally deprived. A healthy lifestyle isn't about deprivation, right? It's about treating yourself better and feeling better because of it.

So I have a plan.


Live life, healthy.

And here's how I'm going to do it:

1. Keep going with Shaklee. I've got a pretty tight budget, so I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep going with this, but I'm hopeful I won't need it much longer.

2. Keep exercising. I bought a jump rope. Did you know jumping rope exercises every part of your entire body? That is the kind of workout I need. I'll also be continuing with squats, situps, pushups - the old school workouts that you don't need fancy equipment or a gym membership to do.
Valeo speed work jump rope from Amazon

3. Keep racing. Signing up for races keeps me motivated to regularly hit the pavement, and I still have every intention of running my first half-marathon this year! You'd think the fact that running keeps me sane would be enough of a motivator, but I can't seem to get out there for myself. I guess that's the same reason I struggle with being overweight in the first place. I have trouble putting myself first.

So this is me making ME a priority. I worked hard for the past six months. I will continue to work hard. I'm going to start making and reaching more goals. In the mean time, let's celebrate how far I've come!

Shaklee 180™ 6 month weight loss

Shaklee 180™ 6 month BMI change


Shaklee 180™ 6 month measurements

So, not too bad, right? And seriously, if you are at all considering this program, I whole-heartedly give my recommendation. Give it just one month, and see what you can accomplish! Even if you don't, we can still cheer each other on as we work towards our goals.

And if you missed any part of my Shaklee journey, or want to relive it, you can check out all my posts using the Shaklee 180™ tab above or simply clicking here

Shaklee blogger success story
This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation blogger program.  I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating in the Shaklee Corporation blogger program. My opinions are my own.  I am also a Shaklee Independent Distributor.  


People following the weight-loss portion of the Shaklee 180™ Program can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week.

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