A Taste of Freedom!

It was an incredible summer, full of new adventures and breaking through self-imposed fears that limited myself from experiencing the fullness of life.

It started back in July.  My work asked me to go on a business trip. This was the first business trip I had ever been asked to attend, so naturally it excited me.  However, to get to the destination it meant I would have to fly, and since 2003 I had been afraid to fly.  You might think that is silly, but it had been a fear built out of anxiety based on previous flight experience.    

However, since I have been stepping out of my comfort zone lately, I accepted the challenge.  The amazing thing is that I actually enjoyed the flight.  It was fun!   I had worked myself up into a tizzy because of a bad experience in 2003 when our flight had to abort 3 landing attempts.  However, that wasn't what scared me the most.  What scared me was the change in pressure which was always painful and hurt my ears.   Further stories of friends that had ear drums burst did not excite me to get on a plane anytime soon.   However,  it wasn't really that uncomfortable.  I just drink lots of water going up and when coming down.  Problem solved.

At the end of July I received a call from my mother, asking me if I could help her share our superfood nutrition system with her friends in Newfoundland.  For the past few years, my mother has been spending her summers in Newfoundland.   If you have never been to newfoundland I would suggest you take a trip, it is breathtaking!   I never expected I would end up in Newfoundland this summer.

Climbing gros morne 

Normally I would never have considered the possibility of going on a trip like this at the last minute, but the prospect of doing something so out of the ordinary was exciting!   So I went, and it was amazing!

On the last day I was in Newfoundland, I had a brief whim that it would be fun to hike up gros morne.  Normally I would have left such a thought on the shelf, but I made it a reality.  An hour later I was at the starting point!    I only had 4 hours, so I didn't have time to make it all the way to the top, but I would do it again in a second!  Next year I plan to go back and finish the climb!

The symbolism of climbing the mountain is fitting for me this year.  I feel like I have come so far from where I used to be a year ago.   There is still much work to do in climbing the mountain, but the journey is exhilarating!   I call it a taste of freedom!   Freedom from my own self-imposed prison!

The Final Verdict

I officially completed the IsaBody Challenge!   I had to submit the final 'maintenance' photo by June 20th 2014.   That will allow me to be judged for Celebration 2014.   Anyway, here is a photo of the changes in me over the past 6 month:

I still can't believe I have finally obtained my optimal weight!  It has been a goal of mine since I was 8 years old!!

The main purpose for giving the system a try was to try and get rid of the 'love' handles around my waist.  I had tried everything to get rid of them.  Running marathons, training at the gym 6 hours a week and eating what I thought was healthy food from my local grocery store.  The closest I ever got is the picture on the left in December 2013 after going wheat and gluten free for 6 months.  However going wheat free was not a maintainable life-style.  It was just too complicated and time consuming.

Now I spend less time at the gym, and save time and money by using the optimal nutrition that the system gives to me.   It only takes me seconds to prepare and I have so much more energy!   I am so astonished by the results that I want to share it with everyone.

I truly see this as a gift and a great opportunity for anyone who is willing to take a look and give it a try.   If you want to give the system a try, just contact me and I will help you to get started!

Completed the IsaBody Challenge

I completed the 16 week Isabody Challenge!  I just updated the measurements for May 9th.   I have to submit Maintenance photos for the challenge on June 20th, so I will post those next month.

Here are the measurements over the time period:

	November 30th	December 13th)	January 13th	February 11th	March 20th	May 9th
Weight	168 pounds	160 pounds	155 pounds	153 pounds	150 pounds	152 pounds
Shoulders	42 inches	42 inches	41 inches	43.5 inches	42 inches	43 inches
Upper arms	12 inches	12 inches	12 inches	12 inches	12 inches	13 inches
Chest	37 inches	37 inches	35 inches	37 inches	37 inches	37 inches
Waist	31.5 inches	30.5 inches	28.5 inches	29.5 inches	29 inches	29 inches
Hips	39.5 inches	38.5 inches	39 inches	37.5 inches	38 inches	38 inches
Thighs	22 inches	22 inches	22 inches	21 inches	21.5 inches	22 inches
Calves	15 inches	15 inches	14.5 inches	15 inches	15 inches	15 inches

Most of you probably don't care about the numbers above, so here are the before and after pictures:

Before (Nov 2013)                                  After (March 2014)

Before (Nov 2013)                                   After (March 2014)

Before (Nov 2013)                                After (March 2014)

I am very happy with this transformation!  I never thought such a dramatic change could happen in such a short period of time.   Finally, I have finally found a way to take control of my weight and get healthier at the same time!    It has been so much easier with this system than trying to kill myself at the gym for so many hours without results.

The secret to an easy cleanse day

I have been using the nutritional superfood system for just over 3 months now, and I just completed my 2nd back to back cleanse day today.   That means I did two cleanse days in a row.   It was so much easier this time because I used a secret given to me by my brother.

Speaking of my brother, he has been using the system for about 2 months and has lost about 35 pounds.  I am so proud of him.  Even though I know he won't admit it to me, I know he is feeling much better about himself.   He let me in on his secret the other day while my family was visiting for March break:

It is the Energy Shot!
It works!  I had avoided doing a back-to-back cleanse day because my previous experience was very difficult on the second day.   This time it was a piece of cake!  I used 1 e-shot yesterday and 1 today along with the regular cleanse for life, and had ample energy.  I even went to the gym today with the intention of taking it easy, but instead pushed myself much harder than expected because I had so much energy.  That is amazing considering it is day 2 of my cleanse.  

The energy I get from an e-shot lasts about 6 hours, and I don't have a crash afterward.  It is not like having a spoonful of sugar that makes you energetic for about 10 minutes, and then feel like crap when coming down from the insulin response.  It is long lasting and does not cause a crash.    So thanks to my brother, I have learned his secret and will use it whenever I do a cleanse day.

Now you know the secret of an easy cleanse day!

Hmmm…..   I guess it isn't really a secret because it is listed as a cleanse day option on page 4 of the cleanse day planner…

The Smile

Since I started the nutrition superfood system 3 months ago I have come across a new phenomenon that comes over me from time to time.   It arises when I think about how the system has transformed my life and the lives of friends and family.  It shows up when I realize that I have been able to take control over a part of my life which always seemed uncontrollable.  It will often make an appearance when I find myself doing things I never dreamed possible.

I call it the Isagenix smile.

It is a feeling of happiness, gratitude, thankfulness, excitement and joy all put together!  I get tingles up and down my spine and my face breaks out in a huge smile!  It usually makes an appearance a few times each day.  Some days more often than others.  Some times my eyes even get a little wet.  Not something that happens to a guy like me too often!

I thought the Isagenix smile might wear off after a month or two, but it hasn't.  In fact, it is probably more abundant now than it was at first.   I am seeing lives transformed around me, and it is not just because of the benefits of losing a few pounds, gaining energy, or sleeping better.  When these transformations start happening people start to get more confidence in themselves, and then the belief starts:  It can happen!  We can step outside of what we have always known and go after that dream that may have seemed impossible before.

So when I think of these things, and what the future could hold, no wonder I can't help but smile!

The Image in the Mirror

I recently turned 39 this past February 3rd.   It has taken almost my entire life to get over the image of myself as being lethargic and over-weight.   Most of my acquaintances in the past 15 years would not know this about me.   I would often torture myself at the gym every day to keep up the appearance of not being "that fat little boy".  I let my self-confidence be government by the number that appeared on a scale.   I know it is not logical, but it was an image that built up over time based on a false sense of self.

I was always the kid that was last to be picked for the team sport event because I was overweight and slow.  I remember hating track and field day because it was a day of ridicule: I almost always came in last in every single event we were forced to participate.  My wonderfully optimistic mother would solace me by saying "someone always has to come in last,  so you helped someone else by being last  -you have a strong character so you don't need to let it bother you".    So I thought it didn't bother me, but somewhere deep down it did.

However over time I let this self-thought turn into a false image of myself.  I put myself in a box.   I struggled and fought to get out of the box, but I didn't realize it had always been opened.  I just had to turn around!  I no longer need to look at myself that way.  It is not the truth, and never was the truth.

This program has helped me to come to this realization.   It is like a mirror that has allowed me to look at myself from a different point of view.  When you look in the mirror, you see an image of self, but what is there under the surface?  It often takes stepping out in a new direction to see what is there.  I have started to take steps in a new direction and that has allowed me to see myself from a different point of view!

I wrote this poem when I was in high school which seem appropriate at this time:

Beauty is a mask that has been well designed:
but when the mask becomes
worn,
whethered,
and
wrinkled
it becomes transparent revealing what is inside.

Measurements Month 3!

Here are my measurements for the 3rd month since I started the program

	November 30th	December 13th)	January 13th	(Today) February 11th
Weight	168 pounds	160 pounds	155 pounds	153 pounds
Shoulders	42 inches	42 inches	41 inches	43.5 inches
Upper arms	12 inches	12 inches	12 inches	12 inches
Chest	37 inches	37 inches	35 inches	37 inches
Waist	31.5 inches	30.5 inches	28.5 inches	29.5 inches
Hips	39.5 inches	38.5 inches	39 inches	37.5 inches
Thighs	22 inches	22 inches	22 inches	21 inches
Calves	15 inches	15 inches	14.5 inches	15 inches

I initially started the nutritional superfood system to lose weight, which happened very quickly as you can see by the above results.   In January I switched my focus to use the system to help me gain lean muscle.  I worked a lot on my shoulders and chest over the past month, and it appears it paid off as those measurements have gone up!   I am leaner now than I have ever been in my life.  This program makes my life easier, and at the same time I am getting perfect nutrition!

Back in November I entered the Isabody Challenge which is a transformation challenge that occurs 3 times a year.  I am at about week 10 of the 16 week challenge.  I will continue to work towards my transformation.  It doesn't matter if I win the contest, I know I have already won.

Stepping out of the box!

When I was at church this past Sunday, I realized that the program has not only changed me physically, it has also changed who I can be as a person.  On Friday night, we had our second information session to share the system with others, and this time people actually came!

Being the host of the party was very exciting.  I haven't ever thought of myself as a host of anything before.  Well, I guess there was the time when I found out I needed to be the master of ceremonies for my brother's wedding -while on the way to the wedding!  I didn't feel as though I did a very good job so I have not done anything like it since.  I have had people over for parties and other social events before, but this was different because I would be making a presentation. 

During the party, we had help from my sponsors Virginia and Jeff Dawson. Even more amazing was that their sponsor's Kevin and Pamela Barnum helped out by using Skype to come to the meeting from their home in BC.  They were able to tell us their story and answer many questions.  It was so much fun!

Two months ago I would have never thought I would be having presentations in my home about this system.  I think the main reason is because I never though I could do it.   I would say to myself:

"That is not who you are!  Get back into that box and don't come out."   

A big wide world is waiting outside

However, all I needed was a few people to believe in me.  I also realize now that my wonderful wife Renee has always believed in me!  This has ignited a spark of belief in myself so that the inner voice has changed to:

"Yes, I can do this, and I can have fun doing it!"   

This leads me to the following conclusion:  If I can do this, what other things could I do that I never dreamed were possible"  

So as I stood to sing the words: 

"My chains are gone, I've been set free.  My God my Saviour has ransomed me!" 

it took on a whole new meaning!

Ottawa new Year Kick Off

Lots to write about today as it has been a week since I last updated this blog.   I continue to have a great experience with the program.   I am a lifer!   I like the freedom the program gives me.  If I go off the rails, I can just as easily come back.   However, I find I don't really crave bad food anymore.  In fact, I crave the IsaLean shakes, Ionix Supreme and other healthy snacks.   I hit another milestone of 153 this week, and all my weights in gym went up!   So I am getting stronger and leaner at the same time!  

I went to 2 events this week.  A wonderful new friend Tilly Dunn,  had a "Launch Party" at her house on Tuesday night.  A launch party is an information session that is a great way to show people what the program is all about.  So many people have testimonials of how the products have impacted their life and brought them back to better health.   So a launch party is the perfect place where we come together to share those stories, and introduce others to the program.    

Virginia and Jeff Dawson, Erik Coover and me

The other event was a big event hosted by the Ottawa Isagenix Committee.  The co-founders son Erik Coover was at this event (he is the field director for Isagenix).  He is a great speaker, and really explained how the product is impacting so many lives all over the world!   I was struck by the Integrity of this company.   They do not compromise on product quality to make profits.  In fact, they give 50% of the profits away to the associate and keep coming up with new ways to give the profits away.  It is like a 50% dividend.  That is unheard of in any industry!    

There was also another great speaker who everyone calls 'PK' which I found out stands for Pastor Kevin.  He spoke a lot about a subject I had never heard about called the 'evolved economy'.   (http://evolvedeconomy.com).  He has started a number of mission projects in Africa and is really an inspiring person to listen.   There was so much more information I learned as well, and I will need some time to process through it all.   

I am having a blast with this system on so many levels!

The product of a cheerful Cow.

This week we received some IsaPro.  It is Grade 7 Whey Protein from New Zealand Cows.  From what I have read, New Zealand Cows are among the happiest in the world.  If you look closely at the IsoPro canister in the attached picture, it contains the stamp "Cheerful Cow Certified".   The New Zealand Cows get to graze in fields with grass in them!  I guess that does not happen very much in many of the feed lots in North America.   Since the Cows get to live out their lives happy, they produce much better quality Whey protein.

The Whey Protein is also Un-denatured, which means the whey is not extracted through heating or chemicals. It is a cold filtration process.  That keeps the whey in a natural state so it is not broken down into its component parts.

So I plan to add a scoop of this whey protein to my regular Shakes.  That will boost the protein from a regular Isalean shake from 24 grams to 42 grams.   It also adds 100 calories.   The IsaPro is not a meal replacement (like the IsaLean shakes), it is whey protein.   I will need the extra protein since my new goal is to gain muscle and improve my strength.

I also recently started taking three shakes a day.  One for Breakfast (as usual), then one after I go to the gym, and one at lunch or dinner.  The caloric intake of the regular 30-day system (which is what I started with 7 weeks ago), is about 1000 - 1300 calories which just isn't enough for my new goal, which is to gain muscle.

I have been amazed at the changes in the past 7 weeks (mostly around my waist line).  Here is my 7 week before/after picture.  I finally got up the courage to post it.

Nov 30th 2013

January 17th 2014

Measurements Take Two!

The system continues to amaze me every day.  I had my measurements taken at the gym today.   The last time I had them taken was exactly 1 month ago.   I was surprised at the changes:

	Start Date (November 30th)	December 13th)	(Today) January 13th
Weight	168 pounds	160 pounds	155 pounds
Shoulders	42 inches	42 inches	41 inches
Upper arms	12 inches	12 inches	12 inches
Chest	37 inches	37 inches	35 inches
Waist	31.5 inches	30.5 inches	28.5 inches
Hips	39.5 inches	38.5 inches	39 inches
Thighs	22 inches	22 inches	22 inches
Calves	15 inches	15 inches	14.5 inches

Most surprising was my waist measurement.  I knew my pants were getting much more lose around the waist, but 3 inches total is a lot in just over 6 weeks!   It is also amazing since it was during the Christmas season!

My hips measurement doesn't make too much sense, it is more likely measurement error (1/2 an inch isn't very much, and I don't really have anything to lose at my hips because I have a bone right there so nothing else to pad it.  

I was a bit discouraged by my chest measurement, I was hoping it wouldn't go down so much.  I was initially worried that it might indicate I was losing muscle.   However, I am not any weaker than a month ago (I keep track of how much weight I lift).  In fact, all my weights have gone up, so it was probably just extra padding around that area that is gone now.     

My current goal is going to be to start increasing Chest/Shoulders/Arms/Thighs/Calves while maintaining the waist and hip sizes.   I am going to try using the IsaPro protein and will be adding it to my shakes each day to give a boost of protein.   My trainer friend at the gym mentioned I should have at least 1 gram of protein per pound, so that would now be 155 grams (if I want to gain muscle).  So I have started to take 3 shakes a day, and will use the IsaPro after my weight routine.  Taking protein within 45 minutes after heavy lifting is recommend by virtually every weight program in existence.   

New Year, New Low, New Resolution

I hit a new low of 156 pounds today!   I have completed the30-day system over the toughest time of the year!   I plan to extend it for another week or so until I get to around 150.  Then I will have more then surpassed my original goal of 155!   I guess I should post a before and after picture sometime...

I am still amazed at how easy it was to lose this weight.   I struggled to do it for the past 20 years without success.   I ran marathons, went into keytosis (6 day lemonade cleanse), followed P90X until I got pneumonia (day 79), stopped eating wheat, and killed myself daily at the gym.   In just over a month I have been able to reach this goal, and all I had to do was follow the Isagenix plan and even modified it so I could enjoy all the Christmas treats!.  In the past few weeks, I have even reduced the time I spend at the gym so I have more time to do other things like write this blog.  I feel amazing, and have so much more energy than before that I find it hard to not get up an run around (I have a desk job, so I sit a lot during the day).

I think eating the proper nutrition is the part that I could never get together, and that is what the system has done for me.  For my busy schedule (family, work, church),  it is a lot of effort to find healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner meals -not to mention healthy meals that my children will eat.

I recently discovered there is an energy and performance system, so I think I will try one of those packs soon.  My new years resolution will be to gain muscle while not putting on the fat (or at least not too much fat).  I will keep this blog updated with my progress.    

The 12 days of Christmas

Today we arrived back in Ottawa after spending the past week and a half enjoying Christmas and the new year.   This morning I got on the scale expecting to see the usual number that would indicate I gained about 5 or more pounds since the 25th.   The number wasn't what I expected, I got on again, and again to make sure it was right.   It said 158.

If you have read any of my previous posts, I was down to 157 just before the 25th (a total of 11 pounds since I started the program on November 30th when I was 168).  So that means I only gained one pound in the last 10 days which included eating 4 calling birds, three french hens…  Oops, I guess I am still in the Christmas mood.  I mean at least 5 onion rings, 4 chocolate truffles, 3 Christmas dinners,  two buffet lunches and a Smaug burger at Denny's (you can hum along with it if you like).   Anyway, you get the picture.   What I did differently this year is that I had at least one IsaLean shake a day for breakfast which helped to curb my appetite and made me feel so much better than in previous years.  I can deal with one pound.  It should be gone in a few days with Isagenix.

The other thing to note is that I did not go to the gym at all over this time.  Normally I would have gone to the gym around 6-8 times, which would have resulted in burning around a pound (1 pound is 3600 calories).  So I am more excited than ever about Isagenix.  I know that with Isagenix, and the fitness regimen I have been following for 10 years now, I will finally be able to reach my health and fitness goal.  I was always missing the nutritional part of the equation which is now filled by the Isagenix system.

We noticed today that our skylight was partially covered in snow, but if you look closely you should see something.   If you can't see it check out the caption…. This is how I feel about the Isagenix program:

Smiley face window

Happy New Year!

Happy new year everyone!   I am excited about the coming year, and the new health goals that I will obtain by using the Isagenix program.  In the past week I modified the program such that I could enjoy Christmas goodies, but still avoided most of the "sick" feeling that would build up with a few days of eating too many treats.  I probably have gained a few pounds in the past week, but that is expected.  I have read the normal weight gain average is about 7-10 pounds, so I will see how I fair after today (there is one more new years family event I will be attending this afternoon).  Then tomorrow I will be back on the Isagenix program, and will be helping my mother and some other family members and friends start it as well! 

My modified Isagenix Program Christmas week:

Breakfast:
In the mornings I would have Ionix supreme drink as usual.  My wife discovered that it is absolutely delicious taken like a tea in hot water.  I agree, and now I prefer Ionix in hot (not boiling) water.   Then after half an hour I would have an IsaLean shake as usual.   That is a good way to start the day, and avoids reaching for a cookie, chocolate or chip like in previous years.

Snack time:
Eventually by snack time I would usually succumb to a temptation or two, or three, but at least I got a good nutritional base for breakfast.  Sometimes I would have half an Isalean bar instead.  I tried to remember to take the natural accelerator most days.

Lunch:
Some days I would have another shake, depending on whether we were out visiting or at home. Some days were more difficult than others as treats are lurking everywhere.

Afternoon Snack time:
Some times I skipped this if lunch was really indulgent, or this might involve more treats.  Again, depending what we were doing in the day would often dictate what was done here.

Dinner time:
Usually some type of meal, most often not the 400-600 healthy guideline recommended by the program.  This is part of what makes Christmas fun!

Evening:
Usually more snacking.  I was always bad with snacking before I discovered Isagenix, some of my old habits are coming back.   I usually remembered to take the IsaFlush at the end of the day.

So you can see, each day usually started out well with good intentions, and then deteriorated as the day wore on.  Each day is a new beginning, and at least I was able to supplement 1 or 2 meals with correct nutrition.   That helped me to avoid most of the 'sick' feeling I would usually get after a few days of Christmas over eating.

I will leave you with a few pictures from family celebration number 3 (from December 29th):