Exciting Plans and Some Perspective

I am SO EXCITED! I am putting together my first challenge party at Fort Riley. I cannot wait to let people try this amazing product that has changed so many people’s lives. I want this for so many people cause it DOES work as long as you are committed and faithful to it. Changing your life is like a relationship, if you don’t put time, energy into it then it will fizzle and die. Even more so you have to stay committed and faithful to it in order for it to be successful or satisfying. 

(Ignore misspelling I liked this poster)

This has been hard for me, if anyone who has experienced a deployment or long separation from a spouse you will know that you have to put that much more effort into a relationship when it’s long distance than you do when they’re home. So I could really use some people to help me with this challenge! The more people that are doing it with me the easier it is to stay motivated and committed when you have people keeping you accountable. Just like a lot of successful marriages are kept by accountability partners.

So anyway, I’ve got my first challenge party coming up in about 2 weeks and I am hoping it goes really well! I’m excited to share the product and let people try several different recipes with the product. I want to have several different flavor shake combinations and I also want to have some of the baked goods available so people can see just how much versatility there is to the product and why it is so easy to do, IF you are committed to it. 

Changing your life isn’t easy. Just like relationships aren’t always easy. They are what you make of them. If you have a bad attitude and treat it like work, then they become work. But if you love them for who/what they are and you are committed to giving it all you have and staying faithful to it, then they can be the most amazing and most fulfilling things in your life.

Are you ready to commit to the challenge?

I need you

It is really important to find a challenge partner! I have found that I am really tempted to cave and not drink my shake or eat something I know I shouldn’t. But having an accountability partner and someone taking the challenge with you is going to be a major key to your success. The more accountability partners the better. It’s always easier to stay motivated if you have people around you to encourage and push you. 

That’s what I need most right now…I need people to help push me. I do really good for awhile but then I find myself in positions where I REALLY just want to get a McGriddle or drink a soda. I need people to remind me to keep my eye on the prize and what I want to look like for my husband when he comes home. But it's hard because it's depressing having my husband gone. But I try to remind myself to take it one step at a time. 

I need help. I need some people who want to be healthier and who want to take the challenge with me. I need some friends who are willing to be positive and motivating so we can keep each other accountable. I need some friends who care about being healthy so that we can live fuller lives and be around longer for our families. 

I need YOU to take the challenge with me! 

Starting off right by making smart choices!

Week 1 (Day 1-7)

Well initially I’m hungry! I think part of it is mental until my body starts to adjust to the product. However, I am choosing to drink a lot of water and eat small snacks that are healthy! Remember the goal is weight loss here and you can’t just eat and do whatever you want if you are going to lose weight. Every time I want to go peek in my refrigerator I remember what I want to look like when my husband comes home. I let myself imagine just how amazing it’s going to be to rush into arms and have him pick me up again. I’ve been too heavy since I had our first son for me to feel comfortable letting him try and lift me. So to remind myself of what I want to look like I have hung a picture up on the fridge of the two of us in college.

 I also chose to get rid of all the junk food in the house, so when I want to eat the really bad food options aren’t there. Removing the temptation is key to staying committed! I exchanged it for healthy alternatives that can help me get through a rough spot. Low calorie granola bars, fresh fruits and vegetables, and frozen yogurt. The best part about these ingredients is not only will they serve as a great snack when I need it but they can also be used in all the terrific different recipe’s ViSalus has for their shakes! Just make sure you are reading the nutrition level on what you are eating, but there’s no reason you can’t find something that is both tasty AND yummy! To get rid of all my junk food I packed what wouldn’t spoil or melt and sent it all in a care package to my hubby. I know him and his fellow soldiers will appreciate it.

I am choosing to stay active. This is a big issue with me because I have an auto immune that affects my joints. So my workouts can’t be intense. But even though I can’t hit the gym real hard I’m making the choice to go for small walks or just play with my son in the yard rather than sitting in front of the TV. This also really helps me with staying busy and helping the time pass more quickly during this deployment. If I just sit around the house all day all I can manage to do is sit and think about a.) how hungry I am and b.) how much I miss my husband. You can’t accomplish anything by sitting on the couch!

Life is all about choices and I want to make sure that my choices are going to result in the best possible outcome for myself, my boys and my husband. I want to be healthy but I also need to earn income to help pay off debt for myself and them. Who wants to LOSE it with me?!                                                                                                  

Getting started!

My name is Mandi and I’m the wife of a soldier and mother of two small boys. I’m starting this blog to journal my progress completing two huge goals that ViSalus is going to help me accomplish.

Goal #1, lose weight. My husband is currently deployed and I am determined to lose weight before he returns. I had our second son just before he left and so I have a lot of baby weight to lose. My ultimate goal is to get close to how I looked when we first met in college. But ultimately I just want to lose weight and be healthier than I am now. I am kind of a complicated case. I can’t work out the way many can because I have some health issues. I have an auto-immune disease that affects my joints. I also have hypothyroidism that can affect my ability to lose weight.

Goal #2, earn income while saying home. I started going to a private Christian university in the fall of 2005 and graduated in 2009. I paid out of state tuition and I stayed on campus, needless to say I have a LOT of student loans. However life and the economy didn’t quite go the way that I expected and now I really want to be able to pay back my student loans while also being able to stay home and take care of my two sons.

So basically I’ve got quite a journey ahead of me. I’m going to start this journey by taking the ViSalus 90 day challenge and documenting my progress. I hope that it’s something you’ll do with me. Don’t believe it’ll work? Well rest assured it’s not another crash diet scheme. It’s a program to help you get healthier and help you lose weight along the way. Still have doubts? Well follow my journey and I’ll be a living example to you that it does indeed work. In the meantime why don’t you check out the site and read some of the testimonials here.s

Here's my before picture. I can't wait to post my after!!

Let’s go!