3 pants in 3 days

I'm so giddy today I can barely stand it. A few years ago I had gone shopping at Old Navy when they were having a great clearance sale and bought about 4-5 pairs of pants and jeans. Three of these were smaller than the size I was at the time, but I was "going to go on a diet and lose some weight"... Fast forward several years, a few moves, and one tote box full of things that didnt fit but I didnt want to get rid of. (They still had tags!) Since starting on Herbalife I hadnt really thought about the clothes that much, mostly because I didnt want to be disappointed if they still didnt fit. So Wednesday of this week I decided to try one of the pairs on, just to see. Well to my surprise they fit! In fact, they might even be a little big. I was SUPER excited. So Yesterday I decided to try on another, they fit too! OMG. I was on cloud nine. This morning, I took a bigger risk. You see, there was a pair of jeans, that I had paid like, $5 for, that at the time I couldnt even pull up over my thighs. I didnt care this morning, I was going for it. Not only did I get them past my thighs, but over my butt, and even zipped and buttoned! HOLY COW! So thanks to Herbalife I have officially lost 20 lbs, 2 pants sizes, and gained half a new wardrobe!

But I'm not hungry!

The morning ritual of getting kids up, dressed and fed before herding them out the door sometimes makes me contemplate drinking... heavily. I was discussing the importance of breakfast and the "why cant I just eat cereal" debate with my ten year old this morning. He was telling me that "my friends dont always have to eat in the morning" yea well, your friends mom's dont love them as much as I love you I told him. Thus sparking me to thinking, why exactly IS breakfast the most important meal of the day.

well, for starters it sets the tone for your day. Studies show that if you have a healthy well balanced breakfast you are less likely to binge eat later in the day, as well as more likely to chose healthy options for the remainder of the day. Kids need a healthy well balanced breakfast to help them be more alert, and less moody! Who knew that feeding my kids good food could keep them from being monsters, mostly.

According to WebMD:
Kids Need Their Morning Meal
While adults need to eat breakfast each day to perform their best, kids need it even more. Their growing bodies and developing brains rely heavily on the regular intake of food. When kids skip breakfast, they can end up going for long periods of time without food and this period of semi starvation can create a lot of physical, intellectual, and behavioral problems for them.

But it doesnt stop there! Did you know that having a healthy breakfast can actually help you LOSE weight?
Break the Fast to Shed the PoundsSome people skip breakfast in an effort to lose weight, but the practice is more likely to cause weight gain than weight loss. Skipping breakfast is strongly linked to the development of obesity. Studies show that overweight and obese children, adolescents, and adults are less likely to break the fast each morning than their thinner counterparts.

According to research, skipping meals, especially breakfast, can actually make weight control more difficult. Breakfast skippers tend to eat more food than usual at the next meal or nibble on high-calorie snacks to stave off hunger. Several studies suggest that people tend to accumulate more body fat when they eat fewer, larger meals than when they eat the same number of calories in smaller, more frequent meals. To teens, especially teenage girls, skipping breakfast may seem like a perfectly logical way to cut down on calories and lose weight. It's important for moms to educate their kids about the importance of the morning meal and the role it plays in maintaining good health and preventing obesity.

So the moral of the story here is make sure kids are getting healthy well balanced breakfast in the morning. Herbalife has a great kids shake that you can add fruit to, or some frozen greek yogurt to make it like a milkshake! Just make sure they are getting proper nutrition to help them get through the day!

SO how's your "diet" going

My mother lovingly asked me this question today. I said I'm not on a diet... "but I thought you were doing that diet stuff" Its a question that has been asked before. I said no, Herbalife is not a diet. Diets deprive you, and trick your body and make you feel like you are starving half the time. I simply started a nutrition plan. Not only did I start a nutrition plan, but I kicked my butt into something that I never thought I could do before. I've been seriously considering becoming a nutritionist/personal trainer.

You see, all my life I wanted to be a nurse, because nurses help people and I love helping people. I also love medical anything. However due to lots of twists and turns in my life that dream never became a reality. So I went along with life where it took me, and now here I am. Still "overweight" and not quite at the peak that I would like to be at, but I'm working on it. Then lately I got to thinking, I want people to feel the way that I feel, I want to HELP people feel this way. So looks like I've started myself on another journey... this should be fun!

But that stuff is expensive right?

Well, its been a little over a month and a half since I started my lifestyle change. Thats right folks, its NOT A DIET, and I'm not "losing" weight, I'm getting rid of it, because I have no intention whatsoever of finding it again. As seen in my previous posts its not about the weight loss alone, I feel AMAZING. I have energy, I dont lay in bed for days with headaches, I want to go go go and experience all that life has to offer. I keep getting asked though whenever I tell someone about Herbalife "but doesnt that cost a TON of money?" So here is my answer. No, it doesnt cost a ton, and what you gain from it, is worth THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

What HERBALIFE cost me this month : $160
What HERBALIFE saved me this month:
Monster energy drinks (1-2 per day) $50-75
Fast food breakfast (5 days per week) $100
Fast food lunch (5 days per week) $160
Pain medicine for headaches $25
Sleeping pills (RX kind) $40
Five hour energy (about 3 per week) $30
Total - $430
After 6 weeks
15lbs gone
8 inches gone
more energy than I ever remember having

What would you pay to feel good EVERY DAY!?? - Email me for more info!

Oh the places you'll go...

Its officially that time of year again, where parents get super excited, and the kids dread waking up in the morning. That's right folks its BACK TO SCHOOL TIME! Normally this time of year doesn't phase me too much, but this year I'm having a bit of a hard time with things, you see, my princess, my baby, my only girl is starting Kindergarten. This means she is officially NOT a baby anymore. Yes yes I know its been awhile since she was technically a "baby" but shes always going to be my baby. I've been more apprehensive with her about most things, but this step was a huge one for me. Not only is she going to be in Kindergarten, but at a new school, with teachers I don't know, and routines I'm not familiar with. I know, change is good, but a mom is allowed a nervous breakdown or two right?

Fast forward to Tuesday, the first day of school. We got up, walked Noah to his class (which by the way I cant believe he is in FOURTH grade already either! Lily and I went to the office to see about getting enrolled in daycare. Guess what, "I'm sorry, we don't have before school care for the late start kinders" um.. scuse me? What exactly do I do with her until 10:20 every day then? Have her come to work with me? Do they think that all students have stay at home moms? OMG I'm freaking out. Ok, breathe. After walking Lily back to her class at 10:20, I started desperately looking around for child care in the immediate area, because after all, we only have one car, which C is now driving to work.

After half of a nervous breakdown, and 15 minutes on Google, by the grace of God I found an ad for Kindercare, turns out they have after and before school care and will bus them to school. Went in that afternoon for a meeting, and low and behold for the same price as JUST the childcare, they have a FULL DAY Kindergarten program, with only 12 kids per class. SOLD! Where do I sign?!

So Wednesday morning rolls around, and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of me. Lily and Noah got themselves (gasp) dressed, and off to Kindercare we went. They had strawberries and pancakes for breakfast and Lil was sold. Noah was stoked that he would get to ride on a bus every day, even if it was a "short bus" Wednesday night Lily came home BEAMING, ear to ear, excited over homework (I know, freakish right?) Noah said he wished he could stay there all day too, but was excited that he had friends in his class that live next to us. So while it wasn't the most picture perfect start to a school year, everyone is happy now, including momma, who doesn't need anymore stress!

Herbalife saved my life...

Ok, maybe that is a little dramatic.. But I had an epiphany today. I've suffered from migraines for as long as I can remember, I started on HL a little over a month ago and I hit a record today I never thought was possible. I'VE GONE A MONTH WITH NO MIGRAINE! Seriously, not even a little one. I havent had to cover my head with a pillow in a dark room and beg my kids not to talk. I havent had to put ear plugs in and wear sunglasses to the ER to beg them to make it stop. I havent had to miss out on one single minute of my life due to intense pain, or vortex in my eyes, or throbbing in my ears. Seeing as though the only thing I've done different is my HL program, I have to say that its due to the HL program. I cant believe that I let myself live for that long, not feeling this good. Thank you Kattie, and thank you Herbalife. <3

HIgh school... already??

Yesterday my oldest son started high school. I cant even believe how fast time goes. You always hear the sayings about how fast they grow, enjoy them while they are young, etc.. but you dont realize it until you turn around and all of the sudden your chubby cheeked, big blue eyed toddler is a *gasp* TEENAGER. I thought of my experience with high school, and what I could do to help him with the transition. He didnt have a great experience with jr high, so I wanted to let him know that although high school might seem like the high light of his life, it wasnt the END.

To my baby boy on his first day of high school…

I cannot believe today is the day, it seems like just yesterday you looked at me with those huge blue eyes on your first day of preschool and said “bye momma” without so much as a glance back. I, of course, sat in my car and cried the whole way to work. Same with kindergarten, no fear, just walked in like you owned the place. I hope you remember that confidence that you had. I want you to walk into that high school like you own the place. High school is a miraculous mash up of some of the best and worst experiences that you will ever have, but let me tell you, 20 years from now you will remember every second, and how it made you who you will be. Just remember a few things, there will always be dumb ass jocks who will want to use you for your brains, don’t let them. There will always be cute girls who will want your answers for the test, or to copy your homework... you might consider letting them, but only once. Just be kind, other people might not think you're 'cool' if you're nice to the 'uncool' kids, but believe me, looking back, you'll respect yourself so much more for being 'kind' than for being 'cool'.  Ten years later, the only people who will care about who was cool and who wasn't are the people who haven't made anything of themselves in the meantime and have nothing to cling to except the trappings of their high school popularity.  But that small kindness you extended?  Ten years later, some kid's gonna remember that.  Believe me. Try new things, push yourself, and don’t give up. In this bag are a few things to help with high school.

1. Hand-atizer – cause girls have cooties. Remember that shit.
2. Pencils – take lots of notes, trust me it will help.
3. Note pad – for the notes, and to occasionally write a girls number if needed, but remember the cooties.
4. Safety pins – Because at some point, you will need one.
5. 5 bucks – not for you. At some point there will be a kid who will need this, all or part for food, help that kid.
6. A Map – because you are related to your nonyea
7. Advil – for headaches, because teachers cause them.
8. Tums – cause test days can be stressful
9. Wipes – Cause I’m your mother, and wipes seemed like a good idea

Remember, high school is fun, but its not the end of your life, only the beginning. Don’t drink, don’t get in the car EVER with someone who has, and don’t have sex. But if you do, and you are in a spot that you don’t know how to get out of you can ALWAYS ALWAYS call me. No questions asked. Promise.

I love you Kyle Caelan, you were the first to light up my heart, and you mean the world to me whether you know it or not. Have a great first day.