Drinking myself Skinny

Hello cupcakes!

Here is, yet again, my feeble attempt at #girlgetsfit. It is quite difficult for me to stick to a routine because I often get quite depressed when I don't see/feel immediate results (&, yes, I know results don't happen over night) & when I get that way, I just stop everything. It really is quite horrible because, honestly, I like working out - the rush & feeling of a good run use to fuel my bones. But not lately. (& it doesn't help that most days I'm in extreme pain from the fibromyalgia that I am not on medication for - the doctor wants to try PT since my original medicine regimen made me sick).

However! That post is neither here nor there. This post is about an amazing TEA that I was introduced to through Swagbucks called BotanicaScience SkinnyTox Detox Tea. Long name, right?! But it's totally worth the tongue twister.

Day One of starting SkinnyTox

Now, I have always been a big tea drinker - especially when it comes to loose leaf tea. I was first introduced to loose leaf tea in 2010 from Teavana - but that's not the point of this post; hahah. Anyway, Swagbucks was offering a pints promotion of 2,000 points for trying out this tea so I jumped on the bandwagon.

BontanicaScience prides themselves on being 100% organic & all natural. Their teas include things like rosehips, orange peels, stevia leaf, currents, & elderberries - just to name a few. You are meant to drink one cup in the morning & one at night &, honestly, after the first 2 days it becomes like clockwork for me to drink my tea on a regular basis. The tea does not stake claims in making/helping you lose weight but it does state to help curb appetites - which is pretty much the same thing, right? Not hungry means no munching on random nonsense. Since starting the detox tea, I have also lost my taste & desire for soda which is something I have been struggling with for a long while.

When I first started my tea-toxing journey, I was severely bloated, always run down & exhausted with no motivation or energy to do much of anything.

SkinnyTox Day Seven

I'm not sure if you can see the difference in a weeks time, but by a week in, I was definitely feeling loads better; I had more energy, I didn't feel so "heavy" (not in reference to weight, but overall body feeling - does that make sense?), & I was sleeping better at night with the night time tea. My cravings for sodas & sweets in general was pretty much nil by this point. With my morning tea, I would use my Frog Ocean Honey (from a local farmer here in NJ) Cranberry Blossom honey (apporximately 2-3 tsp) & at night I would drink it straight as it was. You can even drink the tea with out any extra type of sweetner at all! I just wanted to try & boost my immune system, so localized honey was my option. My darling loose leaf tea (even though it comes in a satchel), would steep in my tea cup for about 2-3 minutes (& if I walked away & forgot, sometimes longer - haha) in my beautiful TARDIS Tea Infuser my love bought me because, well, Whovian. ♥

I have successfully completed the 14 day tea-tox & am in the process of ordering the 28 day tea-tox. (: I highly recommend purchasing this brand of detox-fying tea if you're in the market for something new to add to your regimen. I am so happy I found this & even recommended it to my husband.

Can you see the difference? I kinda can. My husband can when I sent him pictures. I am not so much worried about the "losing weight" aspect when it comes to this tea because that's not what it's for. I bought it to help cleanse my body of all the nasty toxins I have been putting in it lately & I feel amazing, refreshed, & energized since starting this. & that's really all that matters. 

My next step in the #girlgetsfit journey is my 21 Day Fix which is all ready on order & you can purchase your own here (no, I am not a beachbody coach). I will definitely keep you guys updated on my progress with that as well.

Are you guys doing anything to get healthy? Have you tried as special detoxing products? Any recommendations you'd like to offer?

#GirlGetsFit Reloaded | Week 1 + 2 days

Huulllllooooooo cupcakes!

I have made it through the first week of the 30 day ab & squat challenge. It got a bit challenging for me - the sit ups anyway. My lupus & fibro decided they wanted to flair up but I showed them! I am now on day 9 of 30 & I am noticing a little bit of a difference in my gut area but I wont show you until day 15 when its time to take the next set of pictures!

I kinda fell off the "Ice Water Before Anything" train & I am honestly feeling it. I have started drinking more soda & I have no idea why. I am going to drop this habit & start back up with my water -- like I said, I really have no idea what has gotten into me with drinking all this soda but blehk!

I am excited to see what I look like at the 15 day mark. (:  Check in with you guys then.

#GirlGetsFit Reloaded | Day 1 & 2

It has been a long time since I updated the hastag #GirlGetsFit... mainly because I got lazy & stopped exercising - cue getting up to almost 200lbs! - & mainly because I got ridiculously sick. & Im not just talking about coughcoughidontfeelgood - my body pretty much started to try & kill itself off & is destroying itself... in other words, we found out I have a bunch of autoimmune diseases. (lupus, fibromyalgia, & anklyosing spondylitis; followed by severe social anxiety rearing its ugly head again even though thats not autoimmune)  So now that I am in treatment, I am now working on getting my meat bag of a body back into a shape that I am comfortable being.

I will say, that since I had been diagnosed with all that crap I have lost 30pounds since NOVEMBER. I am quite pleased with that. I know that doesnt seem like a lot but I am 30 pounds further from 200 pounds & 30 pounds closer to 130 (: For this first 30 day session of #GirlGetsFit, I am doing the 30 day Ab & Squat Challenge.

I have started this challenge a while ago & then tapered off because I was suppose to be doing it with my husband & he wimped out so I did too. Total sheeple. :/ SO! I restarted it... & I even made adorable planner stickers to motivate me even more! ^.^;

Will be listed on my Etsy Shop on SUNDAY

 Soooo yeah! Days 1 & 2 are complete.. & they actually killed me >.<  Having fibro, lupus, & AS can really take a toll on your stamina.. &, as you can see, I didnt even do much!! But I have also started a new healthy regimen... thing.

Every morning, before I eat anything, I drink 33oz of ice water (I also take a weight loss pill at the time) followed by a cup of hot decaf green tea with a little bit of honey. After I have had my morning liquids, I eat a light lunch (salad, celery & cream cheese, etc). Then I go back to drinking 33oz of water before the end of dinner. I eat a normal dinner ( + in another weight loss pill) & follow up with at least 16 oz of water. Right before I go to bed, I have a cup of hot sleepy time tea with a little bit of honey. I have actually surprised myself with how well I am sticking to this. & Im curbing my appetite so much that I am not feeling hungry (& by hungry i mean omgimstarvingsomeonefeedmeeventhoughijustateanhourago!). 

I am slowly going to start adding in more exercise once my body is use to physical activity again. hey! We all need to start somewhere.

Are you doing this challenge or will you? If so, I would love to see your progress!

      

My 2 weeks on PLEXUS

Hello Gorgeous!

Well I have yet again decided to "get fit"... This is what? The tenth time at least? But hey! At least this time I didn't make a declaration... Instead I decided to try this crazy pink drink thingy called Plexus. But before we get started...

DISCLAIMER: I was not paid or reimbursed in any way, shape, or form for my review of this delicious crystal lightesque pink drink. I am not a spokesperson for PLEXUS. I am not a doctor so do not seek medical advice from me. I'm just as lost as you. There. I said it. Moving on. 

TL;DR - found out about PLEXUS a year ago. Never tried it. Complained to a coworker a few weeks ago about being bloated & "heavy" (not referring to weight even though I think I am... At that point I was talking about feeling like someone pumped me full of lead). He gave me a sample. I was hooked. Here I am. 

So I decided to do this PLEXUS weight supplement as an experiment. For one week, I was just going to take PLEXUS & not add or remove anything from my normal diet (as in: if I wanted crap food, I shall eat crap food. No working out save for waitressing which in itself is a work out at times... But not last week >.< ) & the second set of 7 day supplements I would monitor what I eat (not writing any of it down because I'm horrible at remembering even though I have an app && a journal entry area in my filofax) & exercise at least 45 minutes a day (why 45 minutes?! PLEXUS recommends 30 minutes but I'm doing my c25k app & it's 45 minutes). I want to see if results really vary that much based on activity level. 

Well.... Here's me. One hundred & mumblemumblemumble pounds. Day one after downing this delicious drink & the "Accelerator" pill that is included in the 7 day pack. I started off every day with one pink drink mix packet & the accelerator pill. {NOTE: PLEXUS recommends finishing the entire 8-12oz of drink - mixed with water - in 15 minutes}. 

 Week one I did nothing but work & listen to my body on when I was hungry. I consciously tried to make healthy eating decisions (salads vs deep fried yummy fries or broccoli cheddar bites from work) but that wasn't always the case. I didn't slack on the junk food (I did have SOME candy - about as much as I would if I wasn't on this experiment). I noticed that while taking PLEXUS, soda & junk food tasted reeeeeeeeally gross. So there's a plus. 

When I hit week 2, by this time I've noticed a huge increase in energy & stamina. I started my c25k app on day 1 of week 2 & on day 1, I had to PUSH myself to complete the 45 minute program. I was exhausted, having trouble breathing, & just overall didn't want to be running on that treadmill. Day 2: I was ready to kick some butt! Day 3; I was ready to up the speed on the treadmill! 

Now that my 2 weeks are up on PLEXUS, I haven't noticed any significant weight loss but I noticed my energy & stamina have been extremely heightened & that makes me happy. Do I wish I lost weight while doing this experiment? Of course! But, as my friend said, Rome wasn't built in a day; it was sculpted & chiseled. I did manage an interview with my friend who gave me the PLEXUS challenge. 

1. Welcome to the blog! Tell us a bit about yourself. 

My name is Jeremy Love, I am 23 years old and am a proud Air Force brat. I had the privilege of growing up at Landstuhl Germany, where from an early age I developed an affinity for history and the arts. 

2. How did you get involved with PLEXUS?

As I grew up I knew I wanted to have my impact on society, especially with my community, this is what drew me into Plexus. I first started in April 2014 taking my daily regiment of Pink Drink, Bio Cleanse, and X Factor vitamin, at 6'6" I weighed 175 lbs so I was not hurting to lose weight, but the overall health and wellness effects were astounding.

3. What's your favorite part of the program?

Plexus burns fat and leans muscle, by June 2014, after staying consistent, eating better, and drinking plenty of water, a new addition to my soda heavy choices before hand, I gained 20 lbs and trimmed up the waist line, and more muscle definition arrives weekly. Aside from my personal success, Plexus offers everyone involved, customers and ambassadors a unique relationship with the business, based upon sharing, not hard selling, it is unnecessary because the product literally speaks for itself. Having had experience in hard selling environments at car dealerships and retail, it was a welcome relief to join a company that cares strictly for the wellness and healthy living of those who take their product. I am also happy to be able to not only witness first hand the impact I may have on others, but also directly motivate and consult my customers directly when they have questions. It also allows people to regain their freedom, freedom from painful ailments like fibromyalgia and diabetes to high blood pressure, lack of sleep, and of course the need for more energy, plexus gives people their freedom back so they can live their lives in comfort

4. By day 3, I lost 3 pounds... I ended up BACK at my starting weight but I am seeing a physical difference in myself. What would you say to someone who is wanting to rely more on the number on the scale?

The gain of 3 lbs is nothing more than muscle developing from your consistent use of Plexus! It is that awesome! The number on the scale is sure to change after your body has adjusted, which with any healthy regiment takes time, Rome was not built in a day. For those of you who are really trying to lower those numbers on both scale and waist line, only with consistency and dedication to your routine will you see a significant and jaw dropping change, it is guaranteed or your money back! LITERALLY, Plexus offers a 60 day money back guarantee for anyone unsatisfied with their results, or lack there of.

5. Anything else you would like to add?

I really appreciate this questionnaire provided by Mrs Becca Masters, and I will simply end with a challenge that I provide everyone who may be interested in a healthy and better lifestyle that only Plexus can provide. Give me 7 days to convince you that it works, and then give me 60 days to change your life, the choice is yours!! 

If you would like to purchase any PLEXUS products you can do so here: www.jeremylove.myplexusproducts.com

So here I am at the end of my 2 weeks on PLEXUS. I personally didn't notice any difference but my friend did & these are the same pants from day 1 & they fit better. (: I will be continuing my PLEXUS journey after I get money situated to see how I do after 60 days. How will your journey start? 

Girl Gets Fit: Week 2 at a stand still.

I hope everyone had an amazing Easter & didn't load up too badly on junk food. I can honestly say I did fairly well but it was mainly because I was busy being a domestic goddess since 6am & ended up in extreme pain & passing out at 9pm. So lame. As for why I've been in pain, I will be doing a follow up post after my Doctors appointment today & I get some answers. 

But I digress. 

So because of the intensive pain that I've been experiencing again for the past 11 days, I haven't been able to make it to the gym but once & it nearly killed me. This is not to say that I'm getting unmotivated or lazy... I've been in so much pain that I wound up in the ER this past Friday & was sent home with pain meds that only seem to dull the pain or make me nauseous. I hadnt worked for 5 days & my first day back (yesterday) was brutal. But I'm rambling again...

Looking at this picture versus last week, I've noticed at least a bit of weight loss progress...

Or maybe I'm just crazy. 

I'm hoping to get back into my normal workout routine within the next couple of days... Pain pending. 

Until next time...

Girl gets fit... Again... & for real this time

I know I've said this like a MILLION times & I always restart & say "I mean it this time!" & then I get lazy, unmotivated, & just... Stop. Well not this time. & I mean it. 

If you've been following my VLOG channel (NavyWifeLifeVLOGs) you have been watching me vlog my life for about the past month & suddenly I stopped. Not because I don't enjoy following my munchkins around & most of the time annoying my husband with the camera in his face, but because I received a nasty text message from someone names "Stephanie" & yet their number isn't in my phone & when I asked which "Stephanie" it was, I got no response; which lead me to believe that it was sent from an app that let's you send those bullying texts from an anonymous number. 

This was just the start of my "I don't want to be on camera any more" ): I tried blowing it off as that I think I know the bully that sent this & their name ISNT "Stephanie". & if that's the case, this is a new low for them -- hitting on the most sensitive subject for me. 

After I bit of self conscious vlogging, I let it pass; still fully intending on working out.... Eventually. 

It wasn't until a few weeks later while at a craft fair with Deanna that it really hit close to home that I have to stop being lazy & work out - no matter what. A lady at the craft fair asked if I WAS PREGNANT!! I was mortified. It took a lot out of me to not crumple on the floor in a fit of tears. That was the straw that broke the camels back.  

So I've been doing a minimum of 15 minutes on the stationary bike & then I do this exercise routine I found on Pinterest:

I also mix it up & do the work out classes if I get to the gym in time for one. I've even managed a couple of times to get my husband into the gym with me. So the result of my going every day for a week is this:

It's definitely not much but this is a good starting spot for me. & even though I'm having a TON of problems, medical wise, I'm pushing through the pain & not letting that stop me from reaching my goal of lookin great in a bikini! I've got to be beach ready by the end of July when I go to North Carolina to see my beautiful ginger girl 💖

I am going to {attempt} to do a weekly (or bi weekly) update on my progress on the blog instead of recording it because it's easier for me to sit & type up everything that's been going on then trying to find extra time in my all ready busy schedule to vlog about my fitness journey - especially since I'm slacking in the beauty video department >.<

Until next time...