Final Essay

I handed in my essay to the health coach on Thursday who was pretty impressed. She obviously can't guarantee that I'll win first place, but she said I will definitely get one of the prizes (of course I want first). I then asked if anyone lost more than me and she said "No". I was really shocked. She said about 3 of us are around the same weight loss. I didn't know of anyone who had lost more than me, but I don't know everyone that entered and it's pretty tight lipped about actual weight lost around the office. I for sure thought a guy lost more than me.

Here are pictures of my essay. The pictures are crappy because they are taken at work after I bound it there. I had 5 tabs. Essay, Before/After Pictures (that I posted here last week), Food/Exercise Log, Weekly Blogs, BMI results. I definitely had this plan all along to help boost my essay score. I'm hoping this will tip me over the edge to be the winner since 50% of the overall total is the essay. Everyone else's essays I saw (in her folder) were single sheets of paper so I'm hoping the judges will be impressed. Below I've posted my actual written essay.

This week I lost 3 pounds and am a total of 44 pounds lost (6 lbs until 50-wow) and only 20 to go. Can't believe it! My health coach suggested HITT training so I'm trying a new workout regime the next 3 weeks and will blog about it afterwards. It stands for high-intesity interval training that you do twice a week for 20 min., but the afterburn lasts several hours. It's great for burning fat and for getting a great workout in quickly. I tried it on Thursday and will do it again on Monday.

ESSAY:

I have wanted to get into shape for 8 years. While living in London I exercised almost daily but didn’t watch what I ate. After joining Isagenix I saw results from the 9-day cleanse but only temporarily because I didn’t exercise or change my diet. After 2 kids in 4 years added more weight, enough was enough. I was tired of excuses. I took this challenge head-on to get in shape the right way and permanently change how I and my family live.

I knew I needed drastic changes. I stopped bad habits I had formed: Diet Coke, fast food, and sugar. I started good ones like using more Isagenix products, drinking lots of water, and eating only healthy food. I committed to work out 6 days a week.

Within the first week I knew I needed to track calories. I found a great website (see food/exercise log tab) where I could even add products I use regularly such as the shakes, bars, IsaPro, WME, IsaDelight, and Cleanse. I love figuring out calories in recipes, tracking what I expend, and logging weight loss. I had chosen to be oblivious to calories, and this really opened my eyes and changed what I put in my body.

I knew that exercise was going to be tough, having done almost none in 5 years. I prepared to battle my fat with new shoes and exercise clothes, an iPod, and a gym membership. I could only do 20-25 minutes of cardio at first, but I worked up to 40-45 while adding yoga, pilates, and now weights. I love the gym and how I feel after going and don’t want to miss workouts.

To keep me accountable and motivated, I blogged weekly for friends and family (see blog tab), sharing diet, exercise, and weight loss. I also found a great saying that motivated me through tough times: “These months are going to pass, you can either change or still be the same.” Every day, week, and month, I chose change.

The four months of the IsaBody challenge have been about winning my body back and changing my life for good. I have lost 42 pounds (20% of my weight), 46.6 inches, and over 4% body fat (see BMI tab), and I have gone from a tight 14 to an 8. I kept my commitment of working out 6 days a week and eating good food the entire challenge even through 4 events, 3 vacations, and 3 family birthdays. I only have 23 pounds to my goal and will be close by Celebration. I feel incredible, have so much energy, and feel better about myself. I know I can do anything I set my mind to and am never going back to the old me.

I am so grateful for the products and Isagenix as a company for helping me make this transformation. I feel so proud to be an employee and to help others around me realize they can change and be healthy too.