Yes, I know...it has been a whole month since I last wrote my blog. No, it's not because I stopped losing weight...it's just that life has been busy and I've been spending more time with family and less time on the computer. As I mentioned last time, I watched the little guy I used to babysit for a week and then our homeschooling year began...and it's a busy one! My 4th grader and I are both working on Memory Master with our Classical Conversations group...this means we will be memorizing 161 timeline events, as well as 24 weeks worth of History, English Grammar, Geography, Latin, Science, and Math memory work...and will recite it all at the end of the school year! In addition to that, he is also taking the Essentials class that is part of Classical Conversations. It's an intense Language Arts and Math program that will further prepare him for Challenge when he reaches 7th grade. :) So needless to say, that's where a chunk of my attention goes...not to mention my almost-15-month-old (and he demands as much Momma-time as he can get)! ;)
So...that's why I haven't been writing...unlike previous times when I stopped writing because I stopped losing. ;) In fact, I'm now at 23.6 pounds lost! I've said it before...and I'll say it again...this is BY FAR the EASIEST and MOST EFFECTIVE thing I have ***EVER*** done to lose weight!!! Only twice in my lifetime have I lost more than I have this time around...and both times, I was strictly following a diet plan and exercising 5+ days per week! And BOTH times, when I stopped exercising & dieting, I gained every pound I'd lost and then some...and much faster than I'd taken it off, too!
But with Plexus, I'm not following any strict diet plan, not counting calories or points, not watching fat grams, not suffering through fat-free and low-fat versions of foods just so I can stay within my food plan, not giving up the foods I love...and what's even better, no longer struggling with cravings! What I AM doing is eating foods I love when I'm hungry, stopping when I'm full...and not eating if I'm not hungry! I am continually amazed at how little amount of food fills me up sometimes! Earlier this week, I went out to eat with a friend a restaurant famous for their wings. My usual order at this restaurant is 10 boneless wings with fries and a side salad...and I've never had any problem finishing it...usually would even go for ice cream or something afterwards! But, this night, it was 50 cent boneless wings night...so I just ordered 10 wings and a side salad. I ate my salad and a few of the wings and felt completely stuffed, so I took the rest home. It wasn't until I got home that I checked how many wings I had left and realized I had only eaten FOUR wings before feeling very full...and I didn't even get fries! Today was another example...I wasn't very hungry at breakfast, so I just had coffee (I don't become human without my coffee!)...then when I went to do my grocery shopping, I realized I was hungry, so I got a chicken tender wrap (one of my favorites) at the Publix deli. I sat down to eat it and after finishing half of it, realized I was full! I didn't even have chips or anything with it (other than my Plexus drink)! About 3 hours later, I realized I was hungry again, and finished the other half...and was completely satisfied! SOOOO not like me before Plexus! I'm still retraining my brain to pay attention to my stomach's signals...so, sometimes I eat too much before I realize it...and feel Thanksgiving-Dinner-full on less food than I would have normally eaten!
Another thing that still amazes me is that this former Diet-Coke-a-holic no longer likes the taste of Diet Coke or any other soda, for that matter! I used to buy a 6-pack of 20-oz. bottles at the grocery store every week, not to mention all the Diet Coke I would drink when eating out, pulling through the drive-thru, or going somewhere like Target's Cafe. Well, today, we cleaned out the fridge and found 5 Diet Cokes that expired in April...which was when I started taking Plexus! I just don't care for them anymore! And what's even more amazing...this formerly water-phobic girl (i.e. wouldn't drink water unless it was the only option or necessary for saving money) now CRAVES WATER!!!! WHAT?!?! Yep...I actually PREFER to drink water over any other beverage! Occasionally, I'll have an unsweet tea or I'll put either lemon juice or Crystal Light in my water...but for the most part, I drink it plain...just ice and water! :)
Also, the other two times I lost a significant amount of weight, I was serious about exercise! The most weight I've ever lost was 80 pounds on a program through my church called First Place. My cousin (who is an exercise fanatic) had already had me walking with her and became my personal weight-loss coach! I loved hanging out with her, so the exercise didn't seem so bad. We started by walking around her neighborhood (pushing her little girl in the stroller) several times a week...and eventually progressed to working out at the YMCA five days a week in the wee hours of the morning (this is when I discovered that 5 o'clock does indeed come twice a day)! ;) I did great with it all...until my cousin moved a couple hours away, and I eventually moved to a different state. Slowly, the weight came creeping back on (though not nearly as slowly as it had come off)! The other time was a few years ago when I decided to give Weight Watchers another go. I was doing it secretly...planning to surprise my family at Christmas. I was exercising at least 45 minutes per day on the elliptical (because it produced the most activity points, which meant I could eat more) and going to the gym at least 4-5 days per week...more if I could fit it in. This worked well for a few months and I lost about 30 pounds...but then I lost my motivation and the cravings started to take over and the best I did after that was maintain for awhile...losing a few tenths of a pound here, gaining a few there, etc. Eventually, I gave up. I made a few more attempts at WW, but none were very successful because the motivation just wasn't there!
But with Plexus, there's no motivation needed! I get up in the morning, take my accelerator and drink my pink drink...then just listen to my body for signals that I'm hungry or full! That's really all there is to it! In the pictures above, you see my "Before" picture that was taken at an Avon President's Club Recognition Luncheon. I had NO idea just how fat I was then until I compared that picture with some my son took this morning! I had him take the pictures this morning because I realized that the shorts that used to be too small and the belt that wouldn't even make it around me a few months ago not only fit, but I could put my fists in with the belt on the LAST hole! I don't always realize how well I'm doing...and sometimes it seems the scale just won't move as fast as I would like it to move (or as fast as it seems to move for others)...but I just keep reminding myself of the moral of the Tortoise and the Hare...slow and steady wins the race! As a dear friend reminded me today...we are running a marathon, not a 500 yard dash! :)
So...if you would like to know more about this wonderful product that is literally transforming my body, email me at karaj.plexus@gmail.com, check out my Facebook page, or visit my Website (just click on the links). If you think you can't afford it, consider becoming an Ambassador. The annual membership is only $34.95/year and you can get your products at wholesale, as well as earn more money when others order from your website! And trust me...when others see what Plexus is doing for you, they will want to know what you are doing - you might as well let them order from you and earn 15-25% of what they order! It takes just 5 people ordering the combo and it's like getting your own product for FREE! :) Let me know if you have questions or want to get started! I'd love to have you on my team! :)
