HALF TIME HUDDLE!!

Here we are! It's the middle of the challenge!

Do you need a HALF TIME HUDDLE?

It's that time of year when there is a chilly breeze through the air and the daylight is gone way too soon.  It's that time of year when hot chocolate and warm, snuggly pj's call my name much more loudly than my running shoes do. It's that time of year when friends and family gather around special foods.

Does Satan have the ball? Does he have you playing defense? Is he whispering little lies and discouragement in your ear?

I need that HALFTIME HUDDLE!  A little pep talk, motivation, encouragement, pick-me-up....

Let's all huddle in and talk sports' slogans.  Yes, sports' slogans.  As I was praying about what to write and asking The Lord to direct me, He led me to sports' slogans.

They are motivating.  They are just what I needed.

First, I went to the Adidas slogan: "Impossible Is Nothing."

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Phillipians 4:13

The impossible is nothing to Christ.  With Him ALL things are possible-- even helping us to get healthy and fit--even helping us through this holiday season--even helping us when we listen to Satan's discouragement.

Second, I went to the Nike slogan: "Just Do It."

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God through Christ Jesus." Phillipians 3:14

Just keep going.  Don't give in.  Pray and ask God to help you to press toward the mark.  Is it His will for you to be healthy?  Do you see the prize before you?  Do you see the better you?  Just do it! Be determined!

Third, I went to the Under Armour slogan: "Protect This House."

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." I Corinthians 6:19-20

This is the most important one.  Remember WHY you are doing this. We are doing this to protect our house, to protect our temple for The Lord, to glorify God with our bodies.  The healthier we are, the better we can serve Him.

Now, yell CHRISTMAS CRUNCH as loud as you can, get that ball back from Satan, and stop his whispers of discouragement. The impossible is nothing! Just do it! Protect this house!  Get back on the offense and get that ball over the goal line! GO TEAM!

 

Crunching with you,



 

Rachel Smith

 

Plateau Panic

Plateau Panic!! Been there? There now?

I have been there a few different times on this weight loss journey of mine.  I work hard, eat right, and that scale just won't move. It's frustrating! It's irritating! It's depressing! It allows that little voice in your head to continually whisper: "Go ahead.  Eat that delicious gooey filled pastry instead of your boiled egg."

Don't listen! Keep pressing toward the mark! You will be rewarded for your faithfulness!

I have a few tips that have been gathered from my own research and that have been given to me by a friend who is a nurse with weight loss patients.  Many of these you may already know or be applying, but it is good to have a reminder. These things have helped me to push through those plateaus.

1.  Make sure you get plenty of sugar free fluids everyday.  If you are struggling with your daily water intake, you can add crystal light or some other kind of calorie free flavoring to at least help you get use to drinking the correct amount.  The recommended amount for weight loss is half of your body weight in ounces per day.  I am visual.  I needed to SEE it in order to drink it in the beginning.  I placed the amount of required water bottles on the counter each morning.  I knew that I had to be half way through by midday.  If I wasn't, I was behind.  This helped me to be more accountable.  If your kids are anything like mine, they WILL tell you that you are behind!

2. Make sure you are having a bowel movement on a regular basis. At least one a day, preferably two.  Aim for no less that 30 grams of fiber everyday.

3. NEVER skip breakfast!! Think high protein.  I like to eat Greek yogurt with some fruit and granola.  One cup of my store brand has 19 grams of protein.  I add half a cup of granola that has 10 grams of protein. BOOM  29 grams of protein that tastes amazing! I even layer it in a pretty clear glass to make me feel like I am eating a fancy parfait.  If I am in a rush, I drink a protein shake or eat a protein bar or a boiled egg (I boil these on Sunday and have them in the fridge.) and a piece of whole grain toast in order to jump start my metabolism every day.

4. Do not graze/snack between meals.  Every calorie counts.

5. Use an app like my fitness pal to track your calories.  I love that it will tell me how many I should eat based on how much weight I won't to lose and my body size.

6. Measure in addition to weighing at least once a week. (Something we already do in this challenge.) Don't do any more than that or you will get discouraged. Pick the same time and day every week. We all fluctuate a few pounds of fluid every day.

7. If you are not taking a probiotic, START! If you are, increase your daily amount.

8. Get enough sleep.

9. Cut back on refined carbohydrates and focus on a diet high in lean protein, complex carbs, and lot of fruits and veggies. Most dietitians recommend getting at least 60 grams of protein a day (80 for men) and no more than 45 grams of carbs per day when you are trying to lose weight.

10. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.

11. Make a rule not to have any calories after 8pm-earlier if you are able.

12. Move MORE! Start increasing your exercising slowly. Don't forget to lift some weight/tone your muscles. The more muscle mass you have the more calories your body will burn.  It doesn't have to be heavy weight either.  Just some small 5-10 pound weights will get the job done.

13. Read others stories and be encouraged and motivated by them.  I love this group for that! Right now I am also enjoying this blog, Overweight...AND OVER IT!

Still crunching with you!
Rachel

Getting to the Root of the Matter (Part 2)

Last week I shared with you that my husband and I decided to go to the root of the matter with weight loss, look at our bodies as a whole, and take an all-natural route to get healthy.  I shared with you that we dealt with 4 main things:

1. control blood sugar 
2. detox 
3. treat candida yeast 
4. boost metabolism.  

I told you that I would share what we are using to accomplish these 4 things.

BEWARE, this is lengthy!

Now, here is where I get honest.  We are using a product for all of these things.  GASP! Don't leave me here! Hang on! 

Yes, Dani knows.  I would NOT be sharing these products had she not asked.  I actually feel very awkward promoting them here. 

You may be thinking: "You said you took the all-natural route."  We are! 

 Through someone in our church, the Lord led us to an all-natural health company that focuses on these things with weight loss. We were very skeptical at first.  We thought, as you may be, this is just another one of those "get skinny quick" products.  

I watched others that I personally knew using the products. I waited.  I asked questions.  I researched the ingredients. (Yes, I typed every one of them into the google search bar to see what it was.  I mean ascorbic acid--what is that? Vitamin C--Oh!)  It seemed to good to be true.  This company truly was offering an all-natural product that is good for me and my temple for The Lord. It seemed too easy to do the things that I wanted to do for my body with products from this company and not a recipe book, cabinet, counter, and fridge full of interesting things for me to do and take. I saw others in my life losing weight and changing their lifestyle.  That is what we wanted. That is what peaked my interest. We took the plunge and began taking the products. 

The company is called Plexus Worldwide.  

1. We began taking Plexus Slim for controlling our blood sugars.  Slim was originally created for type 2 diabetics.  Then the company realized how great leveling blood sugars was for weight loss. Plexus slim is a little powder drink packet that you mix into a body of water and drink once a day.  It is very similar to a Crystal Lite mix. It is made from cherry and pomegranate and tastes very good. Slim keeps blood sugar, cholesterol, and lipids at healthy levels.  Once this happens in your body naturally, you have increased your will power over food.  I noticed cravings had decreased, and I was not binge eating.  All because I had controlled blood sugar levels. (I will admit. I felt like I was cheating in the last challenge. ) A great thing about this product is that many diabetics are able to lower insulin levels, and some have been able to completely get off of their medications as well as lose weight.  I share this with every diabetic I know.  I think that is amazing!

What are the ingredients? 

Here is a video made by the creator about the product, its ingredients, and how it works.

You do NOT have to take this product to level blood sugars.  There are other ways. This just made it so easy for us. 

2.  We began taking all-natural Plexus Bio Cleanse for detoxification. Many of us have burdened our bodies with toxic waste and sluggish metabolisms. We can get toxins from anything from the foods we eat to the clothes we wear.  Having an excess of toxic waste causes us to be tired, achy, and bloated.  With toxins in our body we have low energy levels and a weakened immune systems.   By getting rid of toxins in the body we not only feel better, but we also allow our bodies to release fat that it is keeping for protection from toxins, and we increase our metabolisms.

Okay, let's get real here.  We all need to have healthy bowel movements everyday.  Many of us do not.  I explain it like a car wash.  A car wash has 3 cars go in and 3 cars go out.  We have 3 meals go in and 3 meals should come out.  Did you know that you could be holding up to 4 lbs in your body of just waste? GROSS!! I know! I did not have 3 cars coming out.  A healthy individual has at least 2 cars leaving.  Anything less than that, you need to detox.  

Again, you do NOT have to take this product to detox.  There are many ways.  This just made it so easy for us, and it doesn't taste DISGUSTING like so many other detoxing things do (Yes, I've tried them! They make me gag!) and I don't have to watch black and green stuff pour out of my feet into water (Yes, I've done those foot detox baths.  Weird stuff!) . 

Once I started detoxing, I was AMAZED at my energy level and how good I felt!

3.  We began taking Plexus ProBio 5 for our candida yeast problem.  Pro Bio 5 also detoxes (AWESOME!! Double duty being pulled here!).  Pro Bio 5 features 5 extra strength probiotics.

If you don't know what candida yeast is I wrote more about it last week and linked an article and showed you how to test for it.  Whether you have it or not, we ALL need to be taking a probiotic and putting good bacteria back into our guts.  If you do have a candida yeast problem, you need to start combatting it with extra probiotic right away.  You have an extra battle with your weight loss if you have candida yeast. Candida yeast causes you to crave sugar and yeast.  It's yeast; it wants to grow! 

Taking a probiotic can also help with anxiety, lethargy, allergies, acne, and dry/flaky skin

Again, you do NOT have to take this probiotic.  There are many out there.  Just get a good one.  We like this one because it also detoxes.  

4. We began boosting our metabolism by taking Plexus Accelerator.  Accelerator is made from green tea, red tea, and dark chocolate.  It is all-natural caffeine. Boosting metabolism increases energy.

Again, you do NOT have to take this product to boost metabolism.  There are many other ways. This just made it so easy for us. 

I must also fully disclose that I did begin selling these products.  Why not? I loved them; my husband loved them; they worked for us; we wanted to buy them cheaper.  I felt like we had this great thing that we had to share with our friends and family.  I regularly get emails and messages from my dear friends with diabetes thanking me for telling them about it.  

I will NOT be pushing these products during our crunch challenge.  I just wanted you all to know what I am doing.  Like I already said I felt like I was cheating in the last challenge.  The products were making weight loss so easy for me and my husband.  You do not have to try these products to experience the same thing.  They do make it easy, but tackling your weight loss with the same 4 areas will help.  We found what helps us.  You have to find what helps you.

However, our lifestyles completely changed as well.  I give The Lord full credit for leading us to these.  Taking control of our bodies with these all-natural products caused us to want to do better for ourselves.  We eat better.  The help of this product caused us to not diet but to get a healthy eating plan.  This product helped us to make better choices, because we were controlling blood sugars.

We naturally choose the strawberry over the pie, because we actually don't want the pie.  It makes it easier for me to drink only water, because I don't crave the Dr. Pepper anymore. We are exercising daily, because thanks to the detoxification, we actually have the energy to exercise.

No, I am not constantly popping pills.  I drink one slim drink and take two accelerator pills 20-30 minutes after breakfast each day. [Actually that should be past tense, because I don't take the accelerator pills anymore.  I'm not really wanting to boost my weight loss or metabolism anymore.  I am just working to maintain.  I do still take the slim because of the other health benefits.  For me that is my kidneys.  I have not had a clear kidney test for most of my life.  I had a recent check-up and my kidneys were clear as a bell.  I haven't had a test like that since I was a young child.]

I also take 2 probio5 and 2biocleanse each night.

Remember this is not a diet pill--get skinny quick fad.  It is an all-natural health supplement.  We tried those fad diets and get skinny quick pills before.  They did not work.  Sure, we lost some weight, but not much and they definitely didn't change our lifestyle and the weight came back.

I am also drinking more than half of my body weight in ounces daily, eating very smart, and running several miles several days a week.  I am working for my results.  I am crunching it with you!

If you do have any questions or would like to check out the products.  Please, visit my site www.racheldawnsmith.myplexusproducts.com   I also talk about the products and my weight loss journey on my FB page Rachel's Plexus Products.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask. 

Thanks for letting me share these amazing products with you.

Rachel

Getting to the Root of the Matter (Part 1)

OH MY! Do you see that lady in the first picture?  That lady was happy and content.  She didn't really see in the mirror what she sees now in this picture.  Now, do you see the lady in the second picture? That is me! The same lady, but with a whole new outlook on my body and how I use it and need it to serve the Lord.

That first picture was taken at my heaviest.  At the time, sure, I had a few issues with myself, but I excused them away. I had been married for 13 years and had given birth to 4 children.  I didn't really think anything else but that body was possible for me.  So, how did I get to the person in the second picture who has now passed that dress on because it looked like a big old potato sack? With guidance, strength, and encouragement from the Lord and His unexpected blessings on my life!

New Year's rolled around and my husband who has always struggled with weight was ready to once again make that same old resolution that everyone makes--Let's lose some weight this year! Honestly, it wasn't really my goal.  It was his, but I knew that in order to help him be successful, I was going to have to do it with him. We struggled through that first month of January.  Then in February we took the all-natural route.  After all the Bible talks 29 times about the root and encourages that we go to the root of the problem, so we decided to go to the root--look at our body as a whole and find the root of our problem. 

1. Controlling sugar levels 

Our bodies naturally have sugar levels going up and down all throughout the day.  This causes us to crave sugary foods and have those crashing times of drowsiness and sluggishness.  Everyone, not just diabetics, needs to figure out a way to level blood sugars throughout the day.  Once we can get our blood sugars leveled, our appetite will naturally decrease, and we won't have those cravings for sugar. 

Leveling our blood sugars changed the way we were eating.  Not because we were on a diet and had "forbidden" foods, but because our cravings had changed.  We just didn't want those things anymore. Praise the Lord! We weren't/aren't on a diet.  We just eat smarter and make better decisions.  My go to foods are raw fruits and veggies.  As Dani encourages, we had a healthy eating plan.  Diets are awful.  To me they said "FAILURE" because they were just asking too much. I was/am a Dr. Pepper addict.  I haven't even had one since February! That is amazing! Seriously, if you only knew how many I would drink a day.  I'm not even going to admit to that number!  Now I drink only water and TONS of it-easily.  

2. Toxins

Toxins are soooooooo bad for us.  Did you know that when you have toxins in your body, your body will hold on to your fat for protection?  YES! Your body is protecting you by keeping your fat! Get rid of those toxins and your body will get rid of your fat.  In a later post I will talk more about toxins and what they do to us and how we can detox in many ways.

Getting rid of toxins has given us so much more energy that we didn't even realize was being sucked out of us before.  I have gone from very little exercise to it being a normal part of just who I am.  My kids think something is wrong when I miss a day.  I can't believe that woman is me!  My husband has gone from coming home from the church, watching television, and falling asleep on the couch to coming home, playing with the kids, doing some yard work, and biking several miles several time a week.  Our television rarely comes on anymore.  That is awesome!!

3. Test and get rid of candida yeast 

 Candida yeast is something many adults have and don't even realize it.  Candida yeast
 is a nasty little booger that can do so many things to your body including preventing
weight loss.  Read about it HERE.

Then test yourself for it using these instructions:

If you test positive, you need to start on a good probiotic right away. All of your hard work could be in vain, if you don't combat this.

4. Boost metabolism

We decided to face the music that we weren't  spring chickens anymore.  Even my insurance cost had increased because of my age.  I guess 35 is the new middle aged. :/ (I am 36 now.)  Natural caffeines can boost your metabolism.   Boosting our metabolism has helped us to burn more fat.  

So, by going to the root of our weight problems we are seeing great results, and our lifestyle has completely changed.  We are NOT the same people we were before.  Usually by this time of year, I am wishing that we had actually done something about our weight.  I am looking at those clothes pushed way back in my closet and dreaming of getting back into them again one day.  The Lord led us to the all-natural route.  It has worked.  I am no longer dreaming of getting into those clothes; I got into them and had to pass them onto others because they are now too big! Yes! I still can't believe it! I still take a double take in the mirror sometimes.  I still get excited when I go to the store and get to buy the smallest size they carry.  I have gone from a 10/12 to a size 2/4 in 8 months.  It has been an amazing journey.  Between my husband and I, we have lost over 100lbs this year.  If you had told me a year ago that I would lose this weight, be healthy, be strong, and be writing on a fitness blog, I would have laughed hysterically! It would have seemed so unattainable. ALL things ARE possible with the Lord's guidance, strength, and encouragement. We are so blessed! We are taking care of our temples for The Lord!

In my next post, I will talk more about what we are using to level our blood sugars, detox, treat candida, and boost our metabolism.

So excited to be doing this crunch with you.  I need this one! Maintaining is difficult, and I would like to lose a few more pounds. I am a shorty, so a few more would be good.  It is so hard at this point. I need your encouragement and motivation to help me continue pressing toward the mark.

Keeping my temple healthy for the Lord,
Rachel Smith

Candida yeast greatly influences your health and fitness.

I have learned many things about my body and the natural things that influence my fitness and health since I started this journey in January.  I mentioned in my intro that I began taking a supplement called Plexus Slim that naturally levels my body's blood sugars which aids in overall health. When I hit a plateau in my weight loss, I started doing a little more studying.  I learned about candida yeast and started taking a probiotic. I broke through that plateau.

Candida yeast can cause you to crave sugar and yeast. It wants these things to continue to grow.  It prevents you from absorbing the proper nutrients from your foods. Candida yeast can also cause digestive problems (which is causing you to keep toxins from your waste not being released quickly from your body), bloating, headaches, fatigue, and "brain fog." Read more about it here. http://restormedicine.com/candida-and-weight-loss/

You may have an overgrowth of candida yeast in your body and not know it. How do you find out? Take a spit test. Yucky I know! First thing in the morning get some water in a clear glass.  Spit into it.  Wait a couple of minutes. If your spit remains in a cohesive blob, you are pretty much candida free.  If your spit begins to develop long stran-like tendrils, you have an overgrowth of candida.  Many people do and don't realize it.

If you hit a plateau in your weight loss, definitely do a spit test.  Taking a good probiotic will help you to get rid of candida yeast.  You can find one at any drug store or health food store.

SOFIV Intro for Rachel S

Hello! I am Rachel Smith from Mobile, Alabama.  My husband is the pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church.  We have been here for a little over 4 years, before that he was pastoring in Indiana.  We entered the ministry right out of Bible college in 2000.  I am a high school English teacher.

My oh my! What I allowed myself to become after 13 years of marriage and 4 kids was a very self conscious woman who was always hiding behind a sweater, cardigan, or jacket of some kind no matter what the time of year.  I reached my heaviest this past year---I made it up to 169! GASP! I am a SHORTY that should not be carrying that much weight. I began going to a gym and exercising and started Weight Watchers.  I was not happy with myself and hated picking out clothes. I lost a few pounds, but not enough.  I determined this year was going to be different.  I was going to ask the Lord to help me get control.  With God all things are possible! I was determined...I am determined to press toward the mark!

In January my first step was no more Dr. Pepper! I am a Dr. Pepper addict.  I drank at least 2 a day...many days more. I only drink water. Then I began exercising with Zumba videos.  I get easily bored with exercise, so Zumba is fast paced enough to keep me challenged and interested.  I also began running again.  (I was very active in my high school days.) I used the Couch 2 5K app to get started (highly recommend). I am now running 2-3.5 miles at least 4 days a week.  I also started taking a supplement that I drink in a bottle of water each morning it levels my blood sugars, cholesterol, and lipids.  It is called Plexus. When your blood sugars are leveled, your appetite is naturally decreased. This has helped me not to CRAVE those Dr. Peppers or chocolate. With those changes and asking the Lord to help me push through when I have wanted to quit, this year I have lost 28 pounds! I posted a before and after picture. 

My HEP is 1. Follow my daily calorie allowance given to me for my height and weight on my fitness app. 2. Drink only water. 3. Eat fruits with peanut butter or nutella when I crave sweet

My exercise will be to continue my current activity--Zumba, running, and using my Wii Fit trainer, I started tracking my running on www.dailymile.com .  If you are on there, please look for me.

My goal is to lose 15 more pounds in 3 months, so that puts me at wanting to lose half of that during this challenge. I am excited to be a part of this with you all!