Leaps Of Faith Are How We Get Around

So, the Mister and I are taking a leap of faith. I can't quite reveal what that entails yet, but I can tell you big changes are on the horizon for us. Big, exciting, wonderful changes.

That scare the bejeezus out of me.

Isn't it always so tough to come out of our comfort zones? To look something that terrifies you in the face, then slap it repeatedly until it succumbs to you? Take for example, this particular health journey I have found myself on. Publically admitting my story, my shortcomings, my failures, my strengths and accompishments- my life to whoever may be reading... it was a leap of faith. Thankfully, I have been caught in the arms of so many supporters, but it was still hard to do.

This next leap is a little higher up. It's a little further to get on solid ground. It's a little tricker to let go.

But it will be okay. And when we are ready to let the proverbial cat out of the bag, it will be glorious.

Part of this leap of faith has included looking into employment opportunities to "expand my horizons" and "get my feet wet" in a new area of interest to me - nutrition.  More specifically health and wellness coaching, like my fabulous coach from Your Fountain of Health, LisaRenee. I have been exploring getting my certification for Health and Wellness coaching, as it is something I am recently passionate about.

Before dumping the dough into tuition costs for the Integrative Institute for Nutrition (IIN), which would be the program I would like to complete, I decided it was best to strike out on my own and figure out what the world of nutrition looked like. As I mentioned before, the desire to "get my feet wet" while working part-time for a wellness club or something similar sounded appealing. I immediately began searching for something in that wheelhouse and came across a Craigslist ad for "Wellness Coach."

Sounds like something to be interested in, right?

I went to the interveiw, where I was given an herbal tea, a shake, and educated on the benefits of the Herbalife line.

I'm not going to lie... the shakes were damn good. As was the "drink and shrink" tea, which was enhanced with mango aloe to aid the stomach with digestion. I sat with my shake and listened to the history of Herbalife, the way it was founded and continued to grow. testimonials from other wellness coaches and those at the health club. I got a free wellness evaluation and stood on a scale that measured my body fat percentage, muscle persentage, and (the scariest of all) metabolic age. Which was 50. Years. Old.

I am 24.

I was shocked. I know I'm not the most in-shape person in the world but I feel like I've really taken some serious steps towards personal health. Which makes me think - what was I before I started on this journey? More surprising was my not-quite 30 year old Mister clocking in at a metabolic age of 80.

Clearly, we both needed a change.

I took a leap of faith. I signed up to be an Herbalife distributor immediately. I figured, why not? I can sell some stuff, make a little side money, maybe more. I can get a quality product for a discounted price and start adding it to my shakes, etc. to try it out. I got the starter pack and left to go home and anxiously wait for it. It wasn't until after leaving the warm glow of the health club that I decided to look at Herbalife reviews,of which about 50 percent were positive and 50 percent not so positive.

Most negatie reviews reflected on the pricing, the "pyramid scheme" marketing, and the way in which Herbalife was viewed in "caring more about the sale than the person buying it." Postiive reviews came from Herbalife-stylers with a success story, most of them focusing on how the Herbalife meal replacement program was NOT their only way of "eating" but that it helped them in finding a routine and making better choices with the food they chose to eat. As someone who has been attempting to make that switch for some time now and replaced my first meal of the day with a shake myself, I can relate.

Which brings me to the question I want to ask you, the readers: what do you think? Is it a scam or is it a tool? Is it something legitimate or is it a way to make a quick buck? Have you tried the Herbalife-style? If not, have you tried any other meal replacement programs, such as Beach Body or Advocare? What did you think? (I looked into comparisons of meal replacement programs a bit here for anyone who is not familiar with the aforementioned product lines.)

As I am someone who cannot back something unless I give it a good try, the jury is still out on my end. I will be ordering some Herbalife shakes/protein/other goodies (Liftoff, for example. My Mister is hooked already!) and having a go at it. Who knows? It may change my life, as it has done for so many others in my shoes. I can say that I am well aware it is NOT a replacement for food, for exercise, for doing the hard work myself. It is not a "quick fix" or long-term solution to weight loss or "healthy" when utilized alone - NOTHING IS. But, if it will aid me in becoming a happier, healthier me, in reaching my goals both physically and mentally, then it's worth a shot.

Or, at least, a fair shake.

Hang On For Dear Life

First of all, I would like to - once again - thank all of my family, friends, loves, supporters, strangers and anyone else who has taken the time to stop by this little corner of the internet I call my own and read what I've written. As well as those who have liked photographs and postings on both Facebook and Instagram (@br00ki), texted, called, hugged and encouraged me to continue on this journey to health. It's much appreciated and impossible without you. (I know this seems like deja vu for some, but I like to remind you all how awesome you are from time to time!)

It's largely due to support from people like you that I continue to track my progress. Last week, my family suffered a loss, and I derailed from my healthy track. I consumed pizza, pasta, coffee, chocolate, beer, wine, liquor, coffee, processed foods, sugars and more coffee. I then returned home from the few days I was at home and had more beer, wine, liquor, pizza and more coffee. I thought I'll be fine. It's just a few days. It won't completely screw me over.

Was I wrong.

Sunday was spent in a hangover fog. Not just from the different kinds of alcohol I consumed the night before. For the first time since I started on this health journey, I actually had a food hangover.

I've heard people say ridiculous things like that before. "Sugar hangover." "Carb crash." Similar phrases that had nothing to do with me, as I did not experience those symptoms after eating a whole pint of ice cream chased with a Domino's pizza.

Until I ate that way for five days straight after completing a detox. I had headaches, stomach problems, bloating, joint pain, fatigue. I am still thirsty. I can't stop being thirsty, although I have drank three liters of water a day since Sunday. I couldn't form complete sentences yesterday. Today, I've developed a serious head cold and have mucus like you wouldn't believe.

Straight. Up. Food hangonger.

I have never been so happy to shove leafy green vegetables in my face as I have for the past few days. I've completely steered clear of coffee and limited my carb and dairy intake once again. Smoothies and elixir every morning. Haven't gotten back to the gym yet this week, which is partially due to feeling awful and partially due to sleep disabling my alarm (funny how your body goes on autopilot when you really need sleep) every day this week. I did have a two mile run at my parent's house mid-binge, most of which was uphill, meaning I haven't completely fallen off the exercise wagon. The fact that my shorts catching on the way off was my only prevention is irrelevant.

I don't see these instances as failures. I belive that is one of the biggest areas I've grown since beginning this journey to a happier, healthier me. Before, I would have been completely pissed at myself for sliding so far back that I would have just said forget it all. I would have relentlessly beaten myself to a pulp mentally so I felt too worthless to continue on. I wouldn't have allowed myself to get back up.

I am happy to report that not only have I gotten back up, I have also - by the grace of all the Fitness Gods - maintained the weight I was at before leaving for home. Maybe that one short run I took was enough to prevent the scales from tipping too far? Maybe I was conscious enough of my food intake that I didn't dig myself into a hole too deeply. Maybe I ate so many awful things that my body just expelled them all, which is a very possible scenario.

Or maybe I just got lucky. Either way, I'm back up on that wagon again. I'm learning new things about myself and my habits that make it a little easier to hang on for longer periods of time. I'm learning that it truely is a journey, a ride.

And sometimes the only thing we can do is hang on for dear life.