My Journey with Herbalife

[the_magical_boy]

It's been almost a year since I started with Herbalife. Last year in May, I decided to make gradual and healthier changes in my lifestyle. I wanted to, primarily, feel better about myself. I wanted to feel motivated again. I wanted to have more energy. I wanted to feel physically and mentally fit. I also wanted to some lose weight. Weight loss was important to me, but it wasn't one of my priorities...I looked at it, and still do, as a reward for whatever hard work I would put into the program. I felt so accomplished by the end of August. I'd dropped 10 inches overall and about 15 pounds. I could feel healthier and I had energy I never knew I had. I felt good for the first time in years!

But, in September I had to start cutting back on the program, as I couldn't fit it into my budget very well. I had to cut back to one shake a day from two. Once I ran out of supplies, I had to drop the program. It's now February...between stress and returning to some of my old, poor eating habits, I gained back 9 pounds and some of those inches. I learned that today from my first check-in at Warren Nutrition in five months. This hard truth, though a bit depressing, has given me the motivation to get back on the program and continue to choose the healthier alternatives in my life. Today was a wake-up call.

Reasons why I've gained back all that weight:

• Stress from work
• Stress from home
• Lack of motivation due to stress
• Lack of sleep (unable to sleep or staying up far too late)
• Went back to comfort foods
• Cutting back my the Herbalife program due to financial strain
• Using the cold weather as an excuse to stay home and not exercise
• Haven't been drinking the amount of water I should be drinking haven't been keeping frequent track of my progress (between check-ins and my food diary)
• The passing of grandma and the dog in the past year. I've been internalizing all the anger and depression.

What being on the Herbalife program did for me:

• Lots of energy
• Felt better about my state of physical and mental well-being
• Less aches and pains in my joints
• Started moving away from comfort/junk foods
• Stopped eating processed foods, moved towards yogurt, fruits, and veggies
• Progressively got sick less and less
• Reduction in stress
• Clearer thinking and better concentration
• Less prone to feeling depressed; felt cheerful more freqently.
• Weight loss (the reward)
• Spent little money on newer and bigger clothes

I look back at all this and wish that I had been as diligent as I had been before September. Now that I have some extra money set aside for this and that I've had my first check-in in months, I know what I need to do now.

• Time to go back to two shakes a day and have tea with my shakes.
• Going to start with the basics again with shake making and unlearn what I've learned. I'll add ingredients as I go...not throw everything in at the beginning. Too many times have I had extra shake leftover...
• I'm going to drink more water (90-100 fl oz per day). 
• I need to invest time in the gym again and this time take it easy. Last time I threw myself into it and went crazy with cardio, weights, and classes. I'll start with cardio and work my way forward slowly that way I'm not burned out...I want to keep my motivation for a long time, not spend it all in one shot.
• Go back to snacking on fruits and veggies
• Tell mom to stop buying nothing but junk foods and white foods when she goes shopping
• Focus on one day at a time and not freak out about tomorrow, next week, or next month.

I have to start and continue telling myself that I deserve this. I'm worth so much more than I would care to admit. I need to start taking care of myself. I need to start loving myself.