Still loving the shakes and starting to get used to the ginger liquid. I have a system- drink half the shake, pour the Ionix Supreme on ice and take the shot, chase it quickly with a cold glass of water, then go back to the shake to get rid of any remnants of ginger flavor.
So on the 30-day Isagenix program, you basically do what I've been doing (2 shakes a day, 2 oz. Ionix Supreme, and a big lunch) six days a week then on the seventh day you drink "Cleanse for Life" and eat Isadelights (dark chocolate infused with amino acids).
The premise of all of this is that most toxins we are exposed to (in food or the environment) are fat-soluble and it's the liver's job to change them into water-soluble substances that can be eliminated easily. Apparently the crazy amount of pesticides and chemicals and other crap in our modern food and environment can cause the liver to be overloaded, and not all the toxins can be converted to leave the body with water. Which I think is why they say to drink plenty of water when trying to lose weight. Anyway, those toxins end up getting sent to fat cells (because they are fat-soluble I'm guessing), and those fat tissues are programmed to be very stubborn in order to protect our organs from toxicity. A small amount of the stored toxins are constantly cycled out of storage, through the body, and sent to the liver in hopes that it will handle them. If it cannot, they are sent back to "storage." And so these poisons are continually present and circulating in the body (which can't be good for the immune system, especially during times when it's got bigger fish to fry). Basically, by the time most Americans reach "middle-aged," the liver turns into a fat-storing organ, and becomes enlarged and deposited with fatty tissues. The general solution for a "fatty liver" is cleansing to improve function; with improved function comes reversal of fat-storage and release of body fat.
Have you ever seen that British show, "You Are What you Eat?" That's what I think of when I think of all this.
Anyway, I hear time and time again by my friends who do all those starvation cleanses (Master Cleanse, anyone?) that it is a great way to kick-start their diets, and I guess it's because it prepares your body to go into non-fat-storage mode.
I think what Isagenix does right is that it doesn't just have you "cleansing" the liver, but it provides healthy, complete, nutrition that is easy on the organs at the same time. This is something I don't see on the other cleanses; they look dangerous, because you're not feeding your body anything at all (cayenne pepper and lemon juice don't count as food, guys). Even on the full-on "cleanse days," you are still feeding your body a zillion nutrients.
So, since I only have 14 days of product (and since I went to a wedding yesterday and ate unmeasured portions of fried chicken, prime rib, boysenberry punch, and wedding cake), I think I'll count the "shake days" that I've already done as a warm-up to the program, then on day 6 (tomorrow) I'll follow the actual plan for the Isagenix 9-day cleanse http://www.cleanserevolution.com/isagenix-9-day-program-schedule.html
I can see why someone would want to do the 30-day program instead of the 9-day, though, because on the 9-day program, there are 2 cleanse days in a row, and that sounds rather difficult. And on the 30-day thing, people seem to lose weight a little slower and more steadily and create longer-lasting good habits.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Third day on Isagenix
The shakes are still wonderful.. Breakfast shake was great and filling got me through my morning errands AND Pilates.
This afternoon, I found myself craving the dinner shake. I wasn't hungry yet, but my body really wants the shake now. I have a feeling I'm spoiling myself with nutrients. Plus it tastes better than a Wendy's Frosty and leaves me way more satisfied than a meal of the same caloric value.
Today I ate a much better lunch than yesterday - organic, whole grain, etc. and didn't have any ADD problems driving from Irvine to Temple City and back again this afternoon (even in Friday traffic!). I'm definitely leaning toward the conclusion that my symptoms are directly related to nutrition. It's amazing how this program has gotten rid of the attention problems as well as the constant hunger. I'm rarely hungry at all, and I don't seek snacks as a distraction.
I'm impressed by this so far, much more than I thought I'd be. I haven't been monitoring my weight or anything yet but even if I didn't lose a pound, I feel a million times better than I ever have; I'm a believer in the nutrition in these Isalean shakes.
I even made some good progress on some of the projects I'm working on, washed my car, went to the gym, and got stuff done in general. All without Ritalin! It's a good day in my world. This stuff rocks.
I just re-read this blog entry. I sound like a freaking advertisement. No wonder I thought Isagenix was a cult before- I literally "drank the water" and now I don't want to go back. Maybe I should sell this stuff.
This afternoon, I found myself craving the dinner shake. I wasn't hungry yet, but my body really wants the shake now. I have a feeling I'm spoiling myself with nutrients. Plus it tastes better than a Wendy's Frosty and leaves me way more satisfied than a meal of the same caloric value.
Today I ate a much better lunch than yesterday - organic, whole grain, etc. and didn't have any ADD problems driving from Irvine to Temple City and back again this afternoon (even in Friday traffic!). I'm definitely leaning toward the conclusion that my symptoms are directly related to nutrition. It's amazing how this program has gotten rid of the attention problems as well as the constant hunger. I'm rarely hungry at all, and I don't seek snacks as a distraction.
I'm impressed by this so far, much more than I thought I'd be. I haven't been monitoring my weight or anything yet but even if I didn't lose a pound, I feel a million times better than I ever have; I'm a believer in the nutrition in these Isalean shakes.
I even made some good progress on some of the projects I'm working on, washed my car, went to the gym, and got stuff done in general. All without Ritalin! It's a good day in my world. This stuff rocks.
I just re-read this blog entry. I sound like a freaking advertisement. No wonder I thought Isagenix was a cult before- I literally "drank the water" and now I don't want to go back. Maybe I should sell this stuff.
Second Day Recap- PROGRESS!
So yesterday morning after the shake, I noticed that my focus was way better than the previous day. The two big signs were
1. At the gym I was able to stay on the treadmill for a lot longer than before without that urgent "bored" feeling I get without Ritalin
After the gym I ate an organic orange and then:
2. I drove from Irvine to Culver City and had no attention problems on the way there. I was focused the whole way and felt fine.
Then at lunch, things changed. I ate stir fry at this awesome restaurant near the Culver Studios called RoyalT, where the waitresses dress up as french maids and the restaurant doubles as an art gallery. It was great. But I'm sure I ate more than I was supposed to, and the food was not necessarily organic, or even healthy. Followed by a small fro-yo. Left lunch and got yelled at by another driver for texting behind the wheel. The entire drive home after that was AWFUL. I was on the internet, looking in the mirror, on the phone, screwing with my radio. I had to keep telling myself to STOP. This is what I remember the old days being like. I'm very lucky to be alive every time I drive like that.
But then later, another shake for dinner, and I made it through a 2.5 hour musical with no problems (except once when the show got slow, of course, but that's everyone). I have to explain that doing ANYTHING for 2.5 hours without ritalin feels like Chinese Water Torture to me. I simply do not stay, I get really angry and try to escape. Never even crossed my mind last night.
So that's progress. 'm starting to see a big correlation between what I eat and how ADD I am. Weird...
1. At the gym I was able to stay on the treadmill for a lot longer than before without that urgent "bored" feeling I get without Ritalin
After the gym I ate an organic orange and then:
2. I drove from Irvine to Culver City and had no attention problems on the way there. I was focused the whole way and felt fine.
Then at lunch, things changed. I ate stir fry at this awesome restaurant near the Culver Studios called RoyalT, where the waitresses dress up as french maids and the restaurant doubles as an art gallery. It was great. But I'm sure I ate more than I was supposed to, and the food was not necessarily organic, or even healthy. Followed by a small fro-yo. Left lunch and got yelled at by another driver for texting behind the wheel. The entire drive home after that was AWFUL. I was on the internet, looking in the mirror, on the phone, screwing with my radio. I had to keep telling myself to STOP. This is what I remember the old days being like. I'm very lucky to be alive every time I drive like that.
But then later, another shake for dinner, and I made it through a 2.5 hour musical with no problems (except once when the show got slow, of course, but that's everyone). I have to explain that doing ANYTHING for 2.5 hours without ritalin feels like Chinese Water Torture to me. I simply do not stay, I get really angry and try to escape. Never even crossed my mind last night.
So that's progress. 'm starting to see a big correlation between what I eat and how ADD I am. Weird...
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Bad First Night
I tried to go to bed three hours early last night (to be up in time for the audition- which ended up being canceled by email around 11pm anyway) and caused myself a small emotional breakdown after two hours of not being able to sleep. I'm going to credit the breakdown to the bedtime change, the withdrawals, a very out-of-whack menstrual cycle, and the hopelessness I'm feeling about life without Ritalin. My day yesterday was not only a waste, it was detrimental to positive things that are happening in my life, because all I did was delay things that needed to be done and ruin projects (I lost three auditions because of my inability to focus on details).
I finally got to sleep around midnight, woke up at 5am then again at 7, figured I wouldn't be able to sleep any longer and finally got out of be around 7:45am. That is way less sleep than I usually get (I need 10 hours of sleep without Ritalin if I'm not going to be a cranky mess) and I'm thinking the Isagenix has something to do with the sudden change in sleep-ability. Don't know if it's a good thing or not. There aren't any stimulants in the stuff, so I don't know why it happened. I'm going to start keeping track of sleep patterns on this, I'll probably start wearing the bodybugg to bed at night to see how much uninterrupted sleep I'm actually getting.
I had a shake for breakfast plus Ionix Supreme, it was good (I'm back to chocolate plus vanilla, it's the winning combination). Going to a restaurant for lunch today, we'll see how that works out. I'm going to go see if I have enough energy for the gym in a little bit.
I'm thinking of cleansing something new today- my car! I love those coin-op car washes with the white foamy soap that comes out of the long-handled brush. It's fun. Maybe tomorrow I'll "cleanse" my room.
I finally got to sleep around midnight, woke up at 5am then again at 7, figured I wouldn't be able to sleep any longer and finally got out of be around 7:45am. That is way less sleep than I usually get (I need 10 hours of sleep without Ritalin if I'm not going to be a cranky mess) and I'm thinking the Isagenix has something to do with the sudden change in sleep-ability. Don't know if it's a good thing or not. There aren't any stimulants in the stuff, so I don't know why it happened. I'm going to start keeping track of sleep patterns on this, I'll probably start wearing the bodybugg to bed at night to see how much uninterrupted sleep I'm actually getting.
I had a shake for breakfast plus Ionix Supreme, it was good (I'm back to chocolate plus vanilla, it's the winning combination). Going to a restaurant for lunch today, we'll see how that works out. I'm going to go see if I have enough energy for the gym in a little bit.
I'm thinking of cleansing something new today- my car! I love those coin-op car washes with the white foamy soap that comes out of the long-handled brush. It's fun. Maybe tomorrow I'll "cleanse" my room.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
End of First Day
Well, I made it, and even went to the gym and even had some energy (which I wasn't expecting due to the stimulant withdrawals). I'm still really struggling with focus, but the energy is promising.
Had a great organic lunch and a frozen vanilla milkshake with Ionix Supreme for dinner. Vanilla wasn't as good on its own as it was with the chocolate, but I think I diluted it too much this time. A couple hours after dinner, I wanted to eat again, so I'm eating some Omega-3 chunky natural peanut butter to try to up my fat intake a little, since lunch was mostly carbs and protein. That makes my calorie intake a little higher than what they recommended for meals on the cleanse (they recommend 400-600 for lunch, I'm probably at 640 now). But hey, it's day one. Maybe I'll go for a walk before bed.
Tomorrow is a long day - audition in LA first thing in the morning, and I'll have to stay up late because we're going to see "In the Heights" in the OC at night. Hope I make it through.
Had a great organic lunch and a frozen vanilla milkshake with Ionix Supreme for dinner. Vanilla wasn't as good on its own as it was with the chocolate, but I think I diluted it too much this time. A couple hours after dinner, I wanted to eat again, so I'm eating some Omega-3 chunky natural peanut butter to try to up my fat intake a little, since lunch was mostly carbs and protein. That makes my calorie intake a little higher than what they recommended for meals on the cleanse (they recommend 400-600 for lunch, I'm probably at 640 now). But hey, it's day one. Maybe I'll go for a walk before bed.
Tomorrow is a long day - audition in LA first thing in the morning, and I'll have to stay up late because we're going to see "In the Heights" in the OC at night. Hope I make it through.
First Meal
I just went to the kitchen to start my first meal on the program. I'm not going to lie, I was scared. 2 scoops of powder doesn't seem like a meal to me, no matter how "nutritionally complete" it is. I put a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of vanilla into the Magic Bullet blender with ice and water, and got really sad. "I'm going to be hungry so soon," I thought, and decided that the weight loss was worth the discomfort. (I'm a breakfast person. I eat real meals when I wake up every day and then I eat fruit and then I eat again two hours later. This is a terrifying experience)
The shake tastes good. I am very thankful for that, because there will be two a day for awhile. It actually tastes really good, and I'm picky. (The only protein powder I'll use is super expensive because I refuse to take chalky tasting drinks).
Um, about halfway through the shake, though, something amazing happened. I FELT FULL. This is sort of crazy, first of all, because I could down 2 grande frappucinos with whipped cream on my way to breakfast any day, and I've had half a glass of this stuff and I don't want to eat anymore. It's bizarre.
The problem is, it was too late to change my mind and only have half a shake, because there are live enzymes in the shake that get activated by water, so once it is made, you can't save it for later (they say to drink it within 10 minutes.)
So I took a little break and went to get the Ionix Supreme (that vitamin and mineral blend that I'm really excited about). Because my powder version hasn't come in the mail yet, I'm borrowing the liquid version from Duke. It's this brown liquid with a light syrupy consistency and a very strong scent of ginger. I'm scared again. I considered doing the thing where you hold your nose as you drink it.
The bottle says "tastes best poured over ice," and I only have to take a one ounce shot, so I pretend it's medicine and pour some out, using the kitchen scale to get the right amount.
It wasn't as bad as all that. It does taste too much like ginger for me to really enjoy, but it's only one ounce and it's not awful at all, just not delicious either. (I'm the girl who buys the gummy bear vitamins, remember? I like things that taste GREAT). And the label on this stuff is really impressive- I've spent hours comparing liquid vitamins and this has really good numbers and really good ingredients. So I'll deal with it. Maybe the powder will be better.
Back to the shake. I had to finish it. It's really good. I'm totally surprised. And I finished it about 25 minutes ago but my body feels that fullness that you get when you stuff yourself with restaurant breakfasts. I am stuffed. No wonder people can do this as a meal replacement. Thank God for being full. My fear has diminished significantly.
Now I get to plan an awesome lunch, and somehow work up an appetite by then. Amazing.
Um, about halfway through the shake, though, something amazing happened. I FELT FULL. This is sort of crazy, first of all, because I could down 2 grande frappucinos with whipped cream on my way to breakfast any day, and I've had half a glass of this stuff and I don't want to eat anymore. It's bizarre.
The problem is, it was too late to change my mind and only have half a shake, because there are live enzymes in the shake that get activated by water, so once it is made, you can't save it for later (they say to drink it within 10 minutes.)
So I took a little break and went to get the Ionix Supreme (that vitamin and mineral blend that I'm really excited about). Because my powder version hasn't come in the mail yet, I'm borrowing the liquid version from Duke. It's this brown liquid with a light syrupy consistency and a very strong scent of ginger. I'm scared again. I considered doing the thing where you hold your nose as you drink it.
The bottle says "tastes best poured over ice," and I only have to take a one ounce shot, so I pretend it's medicine and pour some out, using the kitchen scale to get the right amount.
Back to the shake. I had to finish it. It's really good. I'm totally surprised. And I finished it about 25 minutes ago but my body feels that fullness that you get when you stuff yourself with restaurant breakfasts. I am stuffed. No wonder people can do this as a meal replacement. Thank God for being full. My fear has diminished significantly.
Now I get to plan an awesome lunch, and somehow work up an appetite by then. Amazing.
Starting Stats
It's 10am and I just woke up.Yesterday I didn't take the ritalin at all (and purposefully didn't drive) so I could start trying to get used to life without it. Life without it sucks. I was in bed all day with the intention of getting a computer project worked on. I opened the program at 8am and did not type my first word until 6pm. I got side-tracked with facebook, blogging, getting up (frequently) to eat snacks, browsing, and creating big new projects for myself that really don't need to be created right now. It was chaos. Lethargic chaos, because I literally did 12 hours in bed with my laptop, save a few hundred strolls to the kitchen. I was hungry all day long, but I knew I had had plenty of calories by mid afternoon- it felt like I was eating and none of the food that had already been ingested mattered. I'm remembering that THIS is pretty much me without ritalin- hungry ALL THE TIME, my mind running in circles, and my body not wanting to move.
I don't know if I actually have ADD. When my doctor suggested it as a possibility, he also suggested a handful of other possibilities, but we tried ritalin first and the stimulant gave me such a nice kick that I think it "masked" what might really be going on, which I have a feeling is more physiological (hormones or blood sugar issues maybe- my last blood test had dangerously low blood sugar numbers) than mental. But I was LOSING WEIGHT, so I wasn't about to stop the miracle drug and try to find another solution. ADD it was!
It's about 10am now and I just woke up. I knew I'd probably sleep more the first day off of it, but I didn't know I'd wake up so groggy. I feel awful; thank God I don't have anything really big planned for today, it might have to be another one of those days.
So, I'm ritalin-free, and today I start my 14-day cleanse. 2 shakes and a giant lunch (or a few small meals, haven't decided yet).
I had a picture taken last night in my Guess jeans that I bought at the end of last summer, at my thinnest point. I was happy that I could even get them on after New York, I stopped being able to pull them on at all sometime around October of last year. They're on in the pic, but I can't move around too much in them yet. My hope is that they might actually fit properly after all of this. Clearly, I wasn't in the best mood for this photo
I might be posting multiple times a day in this blog at least while I get started with the meal plan. Day One, here I come...
I don't know if I actually have ADD. When my doctor suggested it as a possibility, he also suggested a handful of other possibilities, but we tried ritalin first and the stimulant gave me such a nice kick that I think it "masked" what might really be going on, which I have a feeling is more physiological (hormones or blood sugar issues maybe- my last blood test had dangerously low blood sugar numbers) than mental. But I was LOSING WEIGHT, so I wasn't about to stop the miracle drug and try to find another solution. ADD it was!
It's about 10am now and I just woke up. I knew I'd probably sleep more the first day off of it, but I didn't know I'd wake up so groggy. I feel awful; thank God I don't have anything really big planned for today, it might have to be another one of those days.
So, I'm ritalin-free, and today I start my 14-day cleanse. 2 shakes and a giant lunch (or a few small meals, haven't decided yet).
I had a picture taken last night in my Guess jeans that I bought at the end of last summer, at my thinnest point. I was happy that I could even get them on after New York, I stopped being able to pull them on at all sometime around October of last year. They're on in the pic, but I can't move around too much in them yet. My hope is that they might actually fit properly after all of this. Clearly, I wasn't in the best mood for this photo
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Weighing my options
OK, this entry is only going to be about Isagenix, because I've done nothing but research the crap out of this stuff this morning. I found a website that says the 30-day system is one day a week of "cleanse" (drink Cleanse for Life liquid all day) and 6 days a week of two shakes per day and a giant lunch. I've spent all morning with spreadsheets comparing the different ways to purchase products that will work for the system without having to buy their pre-packaged system; I really don't want to pay for the "snacks" (they look like tums) or the "isaflush," which is just a magnesium supplement to deliver water to the large intestine. But even without buying those elements, the 30-day pack is by far (like $40 cheaper best case scenario) the cheapest way to buy the shakes and cleanse because the company discounts it so much.
Even though it's cheaper, I don't want to buy 30 days right now because I'm sort of broke and I'm expecting a check in a couple of weeks, so I think I will start with the 2 week Healthy Lifestyle Pak for my trial run. It comes with 2 weeks of shakes, 1 month of Ionix supreme (yay!), and the Cleanse for Life liquid that should last for 2 weeks of cleanse days. I'm paying $150 for 15 days of cleanse and 30 days of vitamins and minerals. That's pretty much what I spend on food for two weeks (not counting protein powder or vitamins), but I'll still need to buy lunch for the two weeks, which shouldn't be that expensive since I'm mostly planning to eat Trader Joe's organic wheat pastas, sauces, salads/veggies, and free range chicken. And I already have most of that stuff in my kitchen anyway.
So, the way it's turning out, if I lose 10 pounds in two weeks I will spend a negligible amount of money more than what I already spend on food and I will be getting way more nutrients than my normal eating provides. I guess it's not so bad. I'm starting to feel motivated.
Even though it's cheaper, I don't want to buy 30 days right now because I'm sort of broke and I'm expecting a check in a couple of weeks, so I think I will start with the 2 week Healthy Lifestyle Pak for my trial run. It comes with 2 weeks of shakes, 1 month of Ionix supreme (yay!), and the Cleanse for Life liquid that should last for 2 weeks of cleanse days. I'm paying $150 for 15 days of cleanse and 30 days of vitamins and minerals. That's pretty much what I spend on food for two weeks (not counting protein powder or vitamins), but I'll still need to buy lunch for the two weeks, which shouldn't be that expensive since I'm mostly planning to eat Trader Joe's organic wheat pastas, sauces, salads/veggies, and free range chicken. And I already have most of that stuff in my kitchen anyway.
So, the way it's turning out, if I lose 10 pounds in two weeks I will spend a negligible amount of money more than what I already spend on food and I will be getting way more nutrients than my normal eating provides. I guess it's not so bad. I'm starting to feel motivated.
Intro- What's the point?
"Try Isagenix." Ugh.
Since returning from NYC, I have been literally surrounded by people who regularly use or sell this 'cleanse' and weight loss product. I do not sell this product, I do not use this product, I do not believe in starving, and I think my body looks pretty darn good, especially compared to where it was a couple of years ago when my emotional life had hit an all-time low and I hit my highest weight and body fat percentage to date.
That said, I will try to explain why I am about to invest time and money into trying it for myself.
#1- I almost didn't recognize the lady I live with when I got back from New York- she lost 23 pounds since June. I bought her a sweater for Christmas from the plus-size store, and she is wearing a size 8 now and she has enough energy to do a thorough gym routine 4 times a week, even on "cleanse" (read: fasting with high quality vitamins) days.
#2- People who truly care about me are asking me to try it and think that it will make me healthier. When I do the research, it does seem like more complete nutrition than what I find in the vitamin aisle at Henry's. And I don't have to swallow pills to do it.
#3- When I look at all of my long term goals, more than half of them could be benefit from my losing those last 15 pounds and getting to the my goal "healthy" body fat percentage (which I consider to be 19%). This has been my goal for quite some time, and I can't imagine getting there while resting on this plateau that I've hit since coming back from NYC.
#4- I've been praying for a supplement to my income and more time, space, and freedom; I'd be a fool to thumb my nose at the opportunity without giving it a fair examination, and I guess that means trying it myself for a while.
#5- I have specific health goals that I need to accomplish and I'm willing to see if this will work- kicking the ritalin habit is at the top of my list, curing my stress-related intestinal troubles, and having enough energy to get through 12-14 hours of being awake (which is a HUGE challenge for me, even with the ritalin these days) are also up there. Maybe getting rid of some toxicity will help with that.
So I'm going to fork over the wholesale cost of a 30-day cleanse program, and maybe I'll even get a little spiritual cleansing as well.
Below is a timeline, if you care to know how I got here today (which is nowhere, yet, really) follwed by a list of my concerns with this program.
SPRING AND SUMMER 2009
I was put on Ritalin, which is intended to help with ADD while driving (I used to crash a lot) but had the awesome side effect of energy booster and appetite suppressant. This miracle drug helped me focus on what was important and took the hunger away, so I ate well and exercised regularly and lost about 25 pounds in six months. I was focused on healing and getting my life back.
WINTER 2009
The beginning of the end of my dance teaching job. My program was cut down to 4 dance classes instead of five, meaning I was making only 80% of my regular salary. On top of that, I was trying to pick up the financial pieces of the mess I had gotten myself into. I was living very cheaply in a room in somebody's house (God bless Penny Egan) and I was grateful, but miserable, because I'm way too independent to have someone constantly in my business. I started thinking about MLMs to possibly supplement my income. My friend from work had me try Monavie, but it was freaking expensive and I didn't feel any better using it. I looked into makeup, like Avon or Mary Kay, but I couldn't get over the fact that I'd rather wear MAC anyday than even the best of their cosmetics. Considered Bodywise, which my dad has distributed for years and years, but I hate taking pills and Bodywise says you need to take 6 vitamins a day (3 in the a.m. and 3 p.m.) to be healthy, and they are GIANT PILLS.
I gave up looking and figured I was just being desperate and probably needed to focus my energy on conventional work.
SPRING 2010
The stress of my job (longgg story) and the general feeling of being imprisoned by my finances, legal issues, and living situation started taking its toll, I stopped taking the Ritalin regularly, stopped eating well, and I gained back twelve pounds over the 10-month school year.
Also at this time, I developed an muscle-spasm issue with my large intestine that was pretty annoying (it still hasn't gone away) and my gastroenterologist says that it is directly related to stress and can fall under the category of IBS, even though it doesn't manifest itself like most cases of IBS.
JUNE-JULY 2010
Having space, time, and freedom in New York helped me to focus on really sticking to my pill regimen, and, in turn, I was able to consume a very low-calorie diet, follow a motivated exercise plan, and lose 7 pounds in two months. However, the pills don't have the same effect they once did, I'm starting to develop a tolerance, and I find myself groggy and hungry much faster than ever before. Last year, I would have been able to lose about 2 pounds a week, this year I find that one pound is about all I can get. (I know that's not the point, I should just be happy that I'm not crashing my car or angrily walking out of long meetings; but it was something that I started to count on as a way to stay fit, so this was quite a disappointing realization.)
JULY 2010
I started hearing about how everyone back home is trying Isagenix, and I let myself get signed up for $19 (which was gifted to me by Duke, because he was already making money from this company) as a "distributor" with the promise that I can cancel any time. I start researching the product online and the ingredients look good, but it looks prohibitively expensive and way too much like starvation. This is one of those things that I decided to like for "other people," just not for me.
LAST WEEK
I listened to a presentation about how freaking toxic our lifestyles are (and also remembered the Food, Inc. documentary from Oprah) and went all-organic with my grocery shopping. I discovered that Organic food tastes better than regular food.
Also last week: I found out that the Isagenix millionaire who came to speak at the gym was the creator of Hogi-Yogi restaurants. Um, frozen yogurt with Junior Mints was the best invention, ever, to me as a teenager, so I have to respect the guy for his brilliance. His presentation was pretty good, and I learned that there really isn't starvation involved, and in fact the feeling of hunger really only happens when the body needs more nutrients, so I'm back on (sort of) board at this point, at least with the product.
TODAY
I was given a run-down of how exactly this business works and I asked a lot of questions. Here is a sampling of my smart-ass questions/concerns with this product. (I wish I were more positive about this since I have no good reason to be so hostile without trying it, but here it is anyway)
Q: Why is it spelled isagenix instead of isogenics? It seems a little retarded.
A (I'm making this up, I didn't actually ask this out loud). Maybe it's because the best business people didn't necessarily do well in school...
Q: So can I lose ten pounds in 9 days?
A: The average weight lost is 7 pounds for the 9-day cleanse, and 20 pounds for the 30-day, but we've had people lose more than that.
Q: How much of this stuff do I need to buy to be an associate?
A: About $100 worth every month, for your personal use or you can re-sell it; and it can be any combination of skin-care, cleanse, and nutrition products. But you'll be replacing lots of meals, so take it out of your food budget. You wouldn't want to sell something that you didn't use anyway.
(I guess I already spend that much at CVS and on my fancy protein powder - I love you dearly Jay Robb Whey Protein, but you don't put any vitamins in your shakes, so I'm going to have to stray for a month and try something new)
Q: Can I have a free sample?
A: No. If I gave you a sample of one thing, you wouldn't get to feel the energy boost that you get from doing the whole system. But you can buy a 30-day program and split it with someone else and do it for 14 days each.
Q (sort of): I can't afford it.
A: It's less than $2.50 per meal, and all the meal replacement products are real food.
(Um, maybe if you're an ASTRONAUT this logic works. In my opinion, even if you don't add all those weird chemicals, powdered food doesn't count to me as REAL food. I watch top chef. Now THAT'S real food.)
A (part two): Also, if two people buy the product from you or your website in the first month of being with the company, they give you $150 as a start-up incentive. (ok, that's cool.)
Q: How do I make money?
A: The people who became distributors before you have added you underneath them to their "chain" of distributors. Every time you OR they sign someone new up for the business (which costs a one-time fee of $19 and can be canceled any time, I was reassured), that new person is now underneath you (and the people above you) on the chain. Once all the people underneath you have purchased a total of $900 worth of product, you get 6% of that mailed to you the next Monday. It could happen hundreds of times each week and you'd be paid for each time, and you wouldn't even necessarily know, because you didn't HAVE to do the selling yourself and because you weren't the only one signing people up underneath you.
(This business model still gives me a headache, but the guy who showed it to me showed me HIS distributor web account and he does seem to be getting paid regularly for this).
So I haven't ordered it yet, but today is the day I decided to. I have high expectations for this month besides the weight loss, and I'll be documenting them here if you want to follow along.
Since returning from NYC, I have been literally surrounded by people who regularly use or sell this 'cleanse' and weight loss product. I do not sell this product, I do not use this product, I do not believe in starving, and I think my body looks pretty darn good, especially compared to where it was a couple of years ago when my emotional life had hit an all-time low and I hit my highest weight and body fat percentage to date.
That said, I will try to explain why I am about to invest time and money into trying it for myself.
#1- I almost didn't recognize the lady I live with when I got back from New York- she lost 23 pounds since June. I bought her a sweater for Christmas from the plus-size store, and she is wearing a size 8 now and she has enough energy to do a thorough gym routine 4 times a week, even on "cleanse" (read: fasting with high quality vitamins) days.
#2- People who truly care about me are asking me to try it and think that it will make me healthier. When I do the research, it does seem like more complete nutrition than what I find in the vitamin aisle at Henry's. And I don't have to swallow pills to do it.
#3- When I look at all of my long term goals, more than half of them could be benefit from my losing those last 15 pounds and getting to the my goal "healthy" body fat percentage (which I consider to be 19%). This has been my goal for quite some time, and I can't imagine getting there while resting on this plateau that I've hit since coming back from NYC.
#4- I've been praying for a supplement to my income and more time, space, and freedom; I'd be a fool to thumb my nose at the opportunity without giving it a fair examination, and I guess that means trying it myself for a while.
#5- I have specific health goals that I need to accomplish and I'm willing to see if this will work- kicking the ritalin habit is at the top of my list, curing my stress-related intestinal troubles, and having enough energy to get through 12-14 hours of being awake (which is a HUGE challenge for me, even with the ritalin these days) are also up there. Maybe getting rid of some toxicity will help with that.
So I'm going to fork over the wholesale cost of a 30-day cleanse program, and maybe I'll even get a little spiritual cleansing as well.
Below is a timeline, if you care to know how I got here today (which is nowhere, yet, really) follwed by a list of my concerns with this program.
SPRING AND SUMMER 2009
I was put on Ritalin, which is intended to help with ADD while driving (I used to crash a lot) but had the awesome side effect of energy booster and appetite suppressant. This miracle drug helped me focus on what was important and took the hunger away, so I ate well and exercised regularly and lost about 25 pounds in six months. I was focused on healing and getting my life back.
WINTER 2009
The beginning of the end of my dance teaching job. My program was cut down to 4 dance classes instead of five, meaning I was making only 80% of my regular salary. On top of that, I was trying to pick up the financial pieces of the mess I had gotten myself into. I was living very cheaply in a room in somebody's house (God bless Penny Egan) and I was grateful, but miserable, because I'm way too independent to have someone constantly in my business. I started thinking about MLMs to possibly supplement my income. My friend from work had me try Monavie, but it was freaking expensive and I didn't feel any better using it. I looked into makeup, like Avon or Mary Kay, but I couldn't get over the fact that I'd rather wear MAC anyday than even the best of their cosmetics. Considered Bodywise, which my dad has distributed for years and years, but I hate taking pills and Bodywise says you need to take 6 vitamins a day (3 in the a.m. and 3 p.m.) to be healthy, and they are GIANT PILLS.
I gave up looking and figured I was just being desperate and probably needed to focus my energy on conventional work.
SPRING 2010
The stress of my job (longgg story) and the general feeling of being imprisoned by my finances, legal issues, and living situation started taking its toll, I stopped taking the Ritalin regularly, stopped eating well, and I gained back twelve pounds over the 10-month school year.
Also at this time, I developed an muscle-spasm issue with my large intestine that was pretty annoying (it still hasn't gone away) and my gastroenterologist says that it is directly related to stress and can fall under the category of IBS, even though it doesn't manifest itself like most cases of IBS.
JUNE-JULY 2010
Having space, time, and freedom in New York helped me to focus on really sticking to my pill regimen, and, in turn, I was able to consume a very low-calorie diet, follow a motivated exercise plan, and lose 7 pounds in two months. However, the pills don't have the same effect they once did, I'm starting to develop a tolerance, and I find myself groggy and hungry much faster than ever before. Last year, I would have been able to lose about 2 pounds a week, this year I find that one pound is about all I can get. (I know that's not the point, I should just be happy that I'm not crashing my car or angrily walking out of long meetings; but it was something that I started to count on as a way to stay fit, so this was quite a disappointing realization.)
JULY 2010
I started hearing about how everyone back home is trying Isagenix, and I let myself get signed up for $19 (which was gifted to me by Duke, because he was already making money from this company) as a "distributor" with the promise that I can cancel any time. I start researching the product online and the ingredients look good, but it looks prohibitively expensive and way too much like starvation. This is one of those things that I decided to like for "other people," just not for me.
LAST WEEK
I listened to a presentation about how freaking toxic our lifestyles are (and also remembered the Food, Inc. documentary from Oprah) and went all-organic with my grocery shopping. I discovered that Organic food tastes better than regular food.
Also last week: I found out that the Isagenix millionaire who came to speak at the gym was the creator of Hogi-Yogi restaurants. Um, frozen yogurt with Junior Mints was the best invention, ever, to me as a teenager, so I have to respect the guy for his brilliance. His presentation was pretty good, and I learned that there really isn't starvation involved, and in fact the feeling of hunger really only happens when the body needs more nutrients, so I'm back on (sort of) board at this point, at least with the product.
TODAY
I was given a run-down of how exactly this business works and I asked a lot of questions. Here is a sampling of my smart-ass questions/concerns with this product. (I wish I were more positive about this since I have no good reason to be so hostile without trying it, but here it is anyway)
Q: Why is it spelled isagenix instead of isogenics? It seems a little retarded.
A (I'm making this up, I didn't actually ask this out loud). Maybe it's because the best business people didn't necessarily do well in school...
Q: So can I lose ten pounds in 9 days?
A: The average weight lost is 7 pounds for the 9-day cleanse, and 20 pounds for the 30-day, but we've had people lose more than that.
Q: How much of this stuff do I need to buy to be an associate?
A: About $100 worth every month, for your personal use or you can re-sell it; and it can be any combination of skin-care, cleanse, and nutrition products. But you'll be replacing lots of meals, so take it out of your food budget. You wouldn't want to sell something that you didn't use anyway.
(I guess I already spend that much at CVS and on my fancy protein powder - I love you dearly Jay Robb Whey Protein, but you don't put any vitamins in your shakes, so I'm going to have to stray for a month and try something new)
Q: Can I have a free sample?
A: No. If I gave you a sample of one thing, you wouldn't get to feel the energy boost that you get from doing the whole system. But you can buy a 30-day program and split it with someone else and do it for 14 days each.
Q (sort of): I can't afford it.
A: It's less than $2.50 per meal, and all the meal replacement products are real food.
(Um, maybe if you're an ASTRONAUT this logic works. In my opinion, even if you don't add all those weird chemicals, powdered food doesn't count to me as REAL food. I watch top chef. Now THAT'S real food.)
A (part two): Also, if two people buy the product from you or your website in the first month of being with the company, they give you $150 as a start-up incentive. (ok, that's cool.)
Q: How do I make money?
A: The people who became distributors before you have added you underneath them to their "chain" of distributors. Every time you OR they sign someone new up for the business (which costs a one-time fee of $19 and can be canceled any time, I was reassured), that new person is now underneath you (and the people above you) on the chain. Once all the people underneath you have purchased a total of $900 worth of product, you get 6% of that mailed to you the next Monday. It could happen hundreds of times each week and you'd be paid for each time, and you wouldn't even necessarily know, because you didn't HAVE to do the selling yourself and because you weren't the only one signing people up underneath you.
(This business model still gives me a headache, but the guy who showed it to me showed me HIS distributor web account and he does seem to be getting paid regularly for this).
So I haven't ordered it yet, but today is the day I decided to. I have high expectations for this month besides the weight loss, and I'll be documenting them here if you want to follow along.
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