So Here Goes....

I'm gonna do this.  I'm tired of being bloated, and feeling tired and fat.   I want to be young and full of energy again, and I'm going to do everything in my power to get there!   I'm tired of looking my age!  Who am I?  A 46-year old single mom starting to go through the change of life.  I'm a woman who has always put everyone else first.  My kids, my husband, and now my boyfriend.  But that is going to change.  Now I have to do this for me!  I'm going to regain my self-esteem, and feel good about myself again!

So I've been doing a lot of research on diets, exercise, and natural health remedies, and now this is a chance to put all of those to test.  So who's with me on this?  Are you ready to take on this challenge with me?  Are you ready to divest yourself of those extra bulges, be young and full of energy again?  So here goes....

Here is the plan:

1.  Take your before photos, and take a good look at them (this is especially painful).  This is a great way to motivate yourself every time you feel like giving up!  Take full length photos from the front and from the back.  Also, take close up photos of your face, especially the areas that you want to improve (eye and mouth wrinkles, etc.).

2. Get on the scale and weigh yourself.  Write it down.  Set a goal weight.  Decide exactly how many pounds you want to lose.

3. Take your measurements very carefully and write them down (chest, waist, hips, thighs, arms, knees, calves).  Set your goal measurements.  Decide exactly how many inches you want to lose.

4.  Stock up on organic fruits and vegetables and herbs.  This is my list:  carrots, beets, garlic, ginger, onions, green onions, apples, pineapple, watermelon, grapefruit, lemons, limes, tomatoes, parsley, cilantro, basil, mixed greens, avocados, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, parsley, cilantro and basil. 

5. Buy lots of filtered water!

6. Pick up a couple bottles of organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar.

7. Pick up a small bottle of sesame oil.  Also make sure you have some quality extra virgin olive oil.

8. You will need a small bottle of agave nectar natural sweetener.  You can find this at Trader Joe's, or Whole Foods, or any health food store.

9. Create an exercise schedule for yourself.  This is critical.  You must find a way to fit in at least an hour a day, three times a week.  

10.You will need a juicer, and a blender.  I picked up a juicer that was still new in the box for $20.00 on craigslist.org.  

The Schedule:

1.  Every morning, the first thing that you do when you get out of bed is to swish a tablespoon of sesame or olive oil around in your mouth.  This is called Oil Pulling, and it helps to draw toxins out of the body, and it attracts all of the bacteria in your mouth into the oil.  Swish the oil for at least ten minutes, and then spit it out.  From everything I've read, this is supposed to be excellent for the health of your mouth and teeth, and also adds a sheen to the skin and hair.  We'll try it and see what happens!

2.  Second, fill a glass with filtered water, two tablespoons of organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar, and 1/8 tsp. of cayenne pepper.  Another option is to add a couple tsp. of agave nectar or organic grade b maple syrup to help it taste better.  I opted for the agave nectar.  It's not that easy to drink, to be honest!

3.  Get out and exercise.  Run, fast walk, do calisthenics.  You need at least one hour of exercise.

4.  Spend thirty minutes in a dry sauna, 3-4 days per week.  You may need to work up to this.  This is an excellent way to detoxify, and burn calories at the same time.

5. Eat lots of healthy fruits and vegetables.  Try to eat them raw as much as possible.  Juice the carrots, apples and ginger everyday!  You'll love it!  I will post the recipes that I have found that are really good, and will make this much easier for you.

Here is the painful part.  The BEFORE pictures....  I hope and pray that nobody that I know ever sees these!