Break Through!

I think it's safe to say I have had a breakthrough! 

It's been several years since I weighed what I do today. 193 has never felt so good! But I'm continuing to push hard to see those 180's. 

I was trying so hard to see them before February 1st. But, I promised myself I wouldn't be disappointed if I worked hard and fell a little short. I knew it was a big goal. 

That's always been something that holds me back. The 'what if.' What if I put everything into getting healthy and I still don't like who I see. 

I've learned I need to see myself through the eyes of another, maybe even God. I don't usually get religious on here, but today I'm making an exception. I think about the person he made me to be. I think about how I sell his creation short when I'm overly critical of myself. I think about what he would say to me. I even have been thinking about what I'd say to others...and then I try to treat myself the same way. 

Life is hard. Don't make it harder by being so critical of yourself. Bodies are amazing, and strong. My body has made and carried FOUR beautiful babies. What a miracle! I am learning to love my body for what it is. It's a learning process, but I've come a long way these last few months. 

Do yourself a favor, glance at that person in the mirror and tell them thank you! Because you are strong, and your body is amazing! 

Catching up

Man. Life is busy, and it passes quickly!

I've been doing alright. Some days are great, others I need to work harder at.

I've felt like I've been a little stuck, gaining and losing the same 2-3 lbs over the last week or two. I got sick of it this week, so I changed things up a little. 

I added green smoothies back in my meals.

I've already seen the scale drop two days in a row and am 0.2 away from the lowest I've been in years. 

Clearly, I still have a ways to go; but it would be so nice to get out of this set of numbers. Hoping to see the 80's soon. 

If things aren't working for you, don't be afraid to change it up a little! I try not to change things up when everything's working....kind of the whole "don't fix what ain't broken" mentality. But sometimes our bodies get used to what we feed it, or what we are doing. So small (healthy) changes are always a good way to 'shock' your body back into losses. 

Thrive

I'm a huge believer in Thrive.

I was skeptical when I first learned about it. Okay, I was more than skeptical!!!

It took me a while before I accepted the samples offered to me.

However, the first day I tried Thrive I could tell an immediate difference!

I started it on a night shift. And I can't stress to you enough about the energy I had! I didn't drag at all!! Everyone else was hitting that infamous drag of a graveyard and I just kept buzzing around.

I thought it was a fluke. I didn't want to believe that the vitamin, shake, and patch could make that much of a difference.

So I tried it again the next night. 

SAME RESULT!!!!

I ordered my month supply the next day. I've been thriving ever since.

Is it a magic weight loss regimen? No.

I'll be the first to caution you that it is not a lose weight quick kinda thing.

But what it gave me back was my energy! I hadn't felt that good since I was at my lowest.

Have I lost weight on it? Yep! But I fully believe it's because I finally have the energy to WANT this again. I finally have the energy to move more. (And....the appetite suppressant sure helps throughout the day too!)

Today I'm trying the black label.

 It's supposed to be a DFT on steroids. (Also helping my mood, which lets be honest....winter blues happen when it's so frickin cold outside!) 

Today I'm so glad I took a chance again on myself! Be willing to take a chance on yourself. Sure, if you want to try Thrive, I'd love to introduce you to it. But really....I'm talking about ANY chance! Be willing to do something today that lets you take a step forward to the person you want to be!

Today is brand new and fresh. And there's nothing that has happened in your past to take away a SWEET future for you! Make today the day you change something for the better. We can't do the same things day after day and expect different results, that's insanity. 

Today, join me in making different choices. I'll be asking myself "What would the Alisha from last year choose?" And then, I'll do something different! 

Today was bad

I really could just end the post with that one sentence.

Today was bad.

I wanted to eat everything and anything. 

And I kinda did.

I'm not thrilled with how I feel (physically or emotionally) at this point. I'm chugging lots of water. 

Normally I would have just hid from the blog. But I'm here to show you, bad days suck. But I'm determined to stop the bad DAY and not make it bad dayS or a bad WEEK. Or month. Or year.

Time to start tomorrow with a good choice, rather than Reese's Christmas Trees (that might have started off my day today......) 

Time

Time passes, one way or another. Today this popped up on my timeline:

Reminded me (very vividly) of the moment I finally found my health after everything. 

I am so proud of how hard I began fighting for me. Yes, I took a (long) break from this blog. (I probably even lost all the readers I had.) But here's the thing: I'm still me. And I'm still fighting.

I have no doubt I'll get back to where I was. And I'm grateful every day for the surprise Madi brought me. Clearly I wasn't ecstatic when I first found out. But man, I don't know what my life would be without that crazy girl.

Writing on this blog has always been so therapeutic for me. I forgot how much I needed and loved it for that reason. 

So here's to finding my health again like I finally did 3 years ago before my pregnancy. Here's to finding time for me despite being a crazy, full-time working mom. 

It's almost been 15 years since everything happened to me. I think it's time to keep pushing forward  publicly. I've always continued to try (even when I wasn't writing). But I've missed the aspect of trying to help others find themselves again as I worked on my own journey.

So if you're reading this today, thank you. Thanks for sticking with me. Know that I believe in you just as much as I believe in myself. Let's make this our 'Sweet 16' year!!!

Good things are happening

So yesterday I worked. And when I got to work, I glanced at my phone and saw the best thing ever. I won something. 

You guys.

I have never won anything. Not a contest. Not a drawing. I've never entered anything and been chosen. 

Sure, I've won competitions that I've worked hard for. But never been "lucky" to win.

Yesterday, my streak ended when I saw this on Instagram:

I'm super thrilled to have won!! This is my first dietbet experience.

BUT....I was even more giddy about the fact that THEREALHEIDIPOWELL, Heidi-freaking-Powell typed in my name to congratulate me. 

(Now don't be burstin my bubble, telling me it was some PR person logged in her account.) (because I will choose to disagree and instead believe that the incredible Heidi knows who I am.) 

Post edit: I just realized she also mentioned me on the post on her blog!

I love Heidi. And Chris. 

Star struck much?

I mean really, Heidi and I are practically BFFs now...

Truth

News flash.  My blog has been closed for a while.  Not because I haven't been trying.  (and falling) (and trying some more)

It's been closed because I haven't known what to write.

It's been weird.

But after a gentle nudge from a friend (love you Windee) I decided I needed to use my blog as my outlet.

Maybe I'll have something profound to say, but most likely not.

What I can promise is honesty.

So the question looms....where am I in my journey to health....

I'm still fighting.

Each year I want this to be the last one I have to make a resolution weight related.  And each year ends with disappointment.  This year, I've taken a new outlook.  You see, each year I HOPE to refocus on my health.  Because my health is really important to me!  It's not a "failure" to be focusing on health each year.  It shows determination, it shows desire.  And most importantly, it shows that it's absolutely okay to keep trying when things don't go how you see them go in your head.

2016 is a lot of things to me.  But mostly, it's finding health in ALL aspects.  Mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually.  2016's focus is going to be balance in my life.

One aspect that I've always focused on for this blog is my weight.  And that is no different this year.  I ended the year working hard on dropping pounds. (took a brief break between Christmas and New Years) (and am not back at it again.)

More than anything, if you are reading this you should know one very important reason I re-started the blog:  It's okay to be exactly where you are at today.  Don't let where you hoped you would be get you down.  Just pick up today and be grateful for it.  Today can be what you make it.  And I'm choosing to make it sweet!  Here's to a 'Sweet '16,' wanna join me in making it as sweet as we can make it!?