There Are 7 Less Pounds Of Me To Love

A few things have changed around here in the last 10 days or so. Actually it’s about 7 things have walked out the door. They are POUNDS!!!! I have decided I’m sick of eating useless calories and laying around like a beached animal waiting to be thrown back to sea. So last Sunday I decided it was time to make some changes. Here are the changes I made.

I uploaded and am using the Map My Walk application on my iPhone. I have created a walking path on the map and before I walk out the door to walk in the mornings I activate the app and walk out. It keeps track of my distance, my speed, my path and the number of calories I burn. So I have a running total of all of that right on my phone. Oh and she talks to me when I hit 1 mile and tells me how I’m doing. The first time she started talking to me I looked dumb because I stopped on the sidewalk and looked around to see who was talking to me. Hey – the app doesn’t make me smarter!

I also went to my Advocare cabinet to see what I had stocked up in there that could help me with my weight loss journey. I have put together 5 products that are kind of combination that I just happened to already have on hand and started using. Here is a brief run down of each of them including a direct link to the information page on my site.

Carb-Ease Plus – It helps to break down the absorption of carbs and fats that you eat. If you want to lose weight but just can’t say NO to some carbs (like me – I love pasta) then this is a good helper. You can eat a few carbs to satisfy your craving and this will help make it a little easier on your system and your weight loss efforts!

Catalyst – This product is a secret weapon to help you with your workouts. Each morning about 20 minutes before I go walking I take a dose of these. It helps you to maintain your muscle mass when you exercise. And it helps to keep your energy level up and repair/protect your muscles. As someone with Fibromyalgia I can tell you that anything that helps your muscles in any way, shape or form is a good thing. It helps you to retain muscle and reduce fat. Somehow this little product helps your body respond more favorably in your workout routine – even if it’s just walking.

Thermoplus – This is another little gift from God in your weight loss battle. This product helps your body convert fat to energy, speeds up metabolism and suppresses your appetite thanks to the oolong tea and sage extracts. All of our products have all natural ingredients.

Fibro-Trim – This product helps to bind up all those nasty fats and flush them out of your system. It gives you a feeling of fullness so it suppresses your appetite. And an added plus is it helps keep your cholesterol in a nice healthy range and it keeps your intestines nice an squeaky clean. Isn’t that a lovely thought?

In addition to those 4 products I am using the Advocare Muscle Gain Protein Shake. This product comes in one of those big tubs of powder or in individual packets. Obviously buying the tub is a better deal economically. I usually make myself one of these after returning from my walk. This way I’m sure that no matter what I eat the rest of the day I know I’m getting a healthy dose of protein to get me going right. It helps to restore your energy supply you just used in working out. And it has a healthy portion of Vitamins C & B6 and Calcium.

The rest of the day I try to eat low calorie foods with more veggies than I used to and leaner types of meats. Oh and PLENTY of water. Yes you will spend most of the first couple of days in the bathroom if you don’t currently drink much water. But about 3 years ago I made a big change in my life and cut out 99% of the soda from my life (I do occasionally order a Coke or Dr. Pepper if we go out to dinner. But I make sure I hold myself at one glass or less). Since I moved from a diet of mostly soda to all water I have truly seen my complexion clear up. I know everyone tells you that will happen but I didn’t really believe them until the last few months I really stopped to notice. My face has been much clearer in the last few years.

Honestly those are the things I am doing. In 7 days I’ve lost 7 pounds. I can’t believe it either, people. But it’s right there in those little digital numbers on the scale in my bathroom. I’m waiting on a new shipment from Dallas (Advocare) at the moment. I do know it’s possible to lose weight without the healthy herbs and minerals in the Advocare products (because I did it 3 years ago) but it’s really nice to have a little help in those bottles. If it helps me then it will help you too. I’m clearly the laziest person on the planet. But this process is helping me to get up and move. Well, all of these plus some Spark. And that’s a miracle all on it’s own.

My Favorite….Sky….Routine….

Ok – so I’m a few days behind. And I’m on Michael’s computer so I don’t have access to all of my pictures. But I think I can pull it together. So let’s see, shall we?

January Photo A Day – January 7 – Favorite – favorite what? I have no idea? So I’ll wing it! Wanna wing it with me? If you’re still reading then you definitely are. Either I’m really interesting or you’re really bored. I’ll go with I’m interesting – seems reasonable to me.

Spark comes in 7 different flavors

No I’m not advertising – Ok I probably am but that’s not the purpose of me sharing this as my favorite “something”. My Advocare Spark keeps me moving each day. It makes my days livable!

January Photo A Day – January 8 – Your Sky! If anyone knows me AT ALL you know that I love sky photos. So the hardest part of posting this picture is which one to choose.

Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

This is one of my top 5 favorites. Obviously I took it while I was driving (sorry – shoot me) on the way to the kids’ school. And I managed to stay in my lane and everything.

January Photo A Day – January 9 – Daily Routine! I’m not too sure how I’m supposed to get a picture of my daily routine. But I do have an idea……give me two shakes…….

But don't tell anyone............

This is what I do before I have my Spark……

Ok – all set up and back on track! See you tomorrow for “Childhood” – yippee!

 

A Free Gift For You as A Thank You From Me

I have been challenged to reach the next income level in Advocare! The challenge is to reach a certain number of orders in product by midnight tonight – EST. I have decided to offer you a special gift if you can help me. This will work out for both of us!

This will be a great time to do some Christmas shopping, stock up on your Spark or other products and ask any questions you might have. If you have not heard of Advocare – it is a health/wellness/weight loss line that was originally created specifically for professional athletes in 1993. However, not long after that it came out of the locker room into our homes. Advocare has numerous professional athletes as UNPAID endorsers. We have a full time Science-Medical Board team that works constantly on making products better to help people live healthier lives.

This line of products have really changed my life. As you know, I have Fibromyalgia. The fatigue that goes along with Fibro has been the thorn in my flesh for the last few years. Advocare Spark has all but wiped that out. Spark is full of vitamins and minerals that get me going in the morning and keep me going all day long. Truly – it has made all the difference in the world for me.

Spark comes in 7 different flavors

Another product that has really helped me feel better is BioTools. The BioTools product work on bringing internal balance to your body systems and work on muscle recovery among other things. However, the greatest thing that BioTools has done for me is balance out my gastrointestinal system. Irritable Bowels Syndrome (IBS) is also a physical condition that usually accompanies Fibromyalgia. BioTools has truly wiped out my IBS. I will never go without it. If you’ve ever been grounded to the house because of IBS then you know what a great relief it is to find something to help.

BioTools - Two products in one package

Now for my special gift for you for helping me today – all orders of $25 or more will receive a free Blender Bottle from me as a special thank you.

A free Blender bottle as a thank you

I can’t tell you how much I thank you for your help. This will mean the world to me. You can order straight from my site. Click any link I’ve included in this post and you’re there. Feel free to ask me any questions.

Review and Giveaway for a Glass of Energy

I would like to thank my friend Karen for reviewing and hosting a giveaway of the most popular Advocare product in the health and wellness product line, SPARK! I have written about Spark before. But just as way of reminder I discovered (through a friend) this product in May. I have used it every single day since then and honestly (and that’s the only way I’m gonna be about my Advocare venture) I feel like a different person. Yes, it helped from the beginning. But I must say that the benefits I got at the beginning of using it, though I thought they were great, were marginally compared to the how much better I feel now after almost 3 months of regular use. I have even had bronchitis all summer. And I can still say that Spark has helped me feel almost normal again. I am considering asking my doctor to not renew one of my meds tomorrow when I go see him because I think I can do without it.

The way to get the word out about Spark is via word of mouth and social media. If you have tried it I would love to hear about it. Send people my way. You can find my Advocare website at this link. Keep in mind that the longer you use it the better you will feel. Like I said above I just thought it made me feel better in the beginning. Now I can see that was just the beginning. Consistent use makes all the difference in the world.

Thanks Karen for reviewing Spark and hosting this giveaway on your site. I look forward to reaching new people who need a Glass of Energy! Readers, swing by Karen’s site and enter the giveaway. You will also find a LOT of other good giveaways that she hosts. You can get there from here!

Let’s Try Something New

I tweeted last night that I was starting two new products this morning to see how my Fibromyalgia responds. I’m excited to see what the changes will be. I’m going to Ohio next week. And I will be having a 3 day yard sale with my mom. Trips are usually enough to do me in. But carrying all my junk up there and then doing a garage sale for 3 days and then traveling back home will be an excellent test to see how I respond to the products. I will report on how I do on them over the next couple of weeks and let you know. I hope that you keep in mind that I am not “selling Advocare” to make money. I’m offering it because it helps me. I see so many people struggling all around me and getting very little help by the regular means. My goal is to offer a little something extra that you can add to your current routine in order to make a difference in your quality of life. Again I repeat, none of this is gonna cure you!!!! My only hope is to offer you the tools to get back into your life like I am. I’ve pretty much been bedridden by FATIGUE for the last year. I am out of bed. That speaks volumes to me. Yes, I still hurt. Uhhhh I have Fibromyalgia. Nothing is gonna change that. I am merely taking my health in my hands and finding something to put side by side with what my doctor is doing for me to produce a better result for ME. OH well, you already knew all of that. These are the products I started this morning.

BioTools

The first one is BioTools. I believe this product is probably exactly what someone with Fibromyalgia needs. Listen to the description:

For those who do not maintain an active lifestyle, twinges, aches, stiffness and pains may be a common and constant companion. An imbalance in the epigenome is a major contributor to these events. In addition to the BCAAs, the botanicals in BioCharge are known to help correct these imbalances in the epigenome and provide anti-inflammatory actions.

Goodness gracious! Is that us or what??? BioTools comes with two products. It comes with 30 packets of BioCharge powder that you mix with 4 oz (or as much as you want for taste). It contains Amino Acids, Grape Seed, Green Tea, B Vitamins, Taurine and Cat’s Claw. I’m just finishing up my first drink now. As you can see it’s only gonna be healthy. And it tastes pretty good too. The second product that comes in the BioTools package is BioTune. These are capsules containing curcumin, amla, resveratrol, cat’s claw, grape seed extract, zinc, selenium, alpha lipoic acid, boswellic acid, quercetin and green tea extract. The job of the BioTune is to protect the epigenome mentioned above so they can maintain a balance, thus balancing our body to control our aches, pains and stiffness associated with Fibromyalgia and so many other illnesses.

Keep in mind that I am talking about how these products help with my Fibromyalgia. These exact same products are beneficial for many other chronic conditions as well. All of these products are designed to support our bodies and maintain a general overall wellness to our various systems. If you have any questions about a specific condition I will be glad to help you research and contact our medical board members to get answers for you. And of course it’s always good to print off the product information and take it to your doctor to get his/her opinion.

MNS Max 3

The other product that I started this morning is the MNS Max 3. This product is like a super power!! It contains the following products CorePlex®, OmegaPlex®, ProBiotic Restore™, Calcium Plus, Amplify A.T. These are all seperate products but they are prepackaged into small packs for you to take in the morning and then again in the afternoon. The benefits cover everything from appetite control to a sustained release energy. The list of ingredients in this one product is extensive. vitamins A, C, D, E, B-6, B-12, folic acid, niacin, riboflavin, omega-3 fatty acids, astaxanthin, calcium, citrus flavonoids, green tea extract, lutein, lycopene, guarana, biotin, oolong tea, taurine, lactobacillus acidophilus, bifdobacterium, bifidum, artichoke, magnesium, zinc, chromium.

So I’m excited about what the BioTools will do for my body physically. And I’m excited about what the MNS Max 3 will do for my weight control and my stamina. These alone with the Spark. Somebody better watch out!!!

I will keep you informed on my progress – whether good or bad. Although I can’t imagine there would be any bad results. But I’m not gonna lead anyone astray. I am honest and I’m gonna continue being honest with you all too. This is something new. Who knows what it will do. But so far I’ve had NOTHING bad to say about ANY of it!

Advocare Blender Bottle

Now on a final note, remember I am offering a free Advocare Blender Bottle to anyone placing an order in the month of June. We have a number of yummy things to mix and stir. This bottle will make it all so much easier. You can just visit my Advocare Website and place and order. It’s that simple. No money exchanging hands between us. It’s all taken care of for you.

Health, Hope and a Future

If you had a chronic illness and had found a product that was helping you with some of your symptoms and was making you feel better and improving your quality of life would you want to share it? Would you want to shout it from the rooftop for your fellow sufferers? Would you want to tell everyone you know about it and encourage them to try it as well? That’s the position I am in. I understand the apprehension of others to believe such a product exists. Each of us who suffers with a chronic illness of any kind is very wary about the snake oil salesmen out there who are willing to do whatever it takes to make a dollar. Because we are always searching and desiring something that will help us feel better we come across as easy prey to people like this. I understand the apprehension of something new. I understand the cautious attitude that comes along with being open prey. I’ve been there. I’ve been the victim of such snake oil salesmen. I’ve been desperate enough to fall for some of these predators. I’ve wasted money on products that were supposed to “cure” me.

AdvoCare Spark Energy Drink

All of that puts me in an awkward position because I know what all of us who are ill are thinking when we hear the words “I’ve found something that helps me”. When my girlfriend sent me a package in the mail with a letter about this great new product I admit that I was skeptical. My first thought was “yeah right”. I shoved it aside and added it to the category of yet another fake claim. I wasn’t gonna fall for that again. However two things tripped me up this time. Number one it was from a close and personal friend who I have known my entire life. I knew that she was not a snake oil salesman. Number two the ingredients in the products were things I could pronounce and had heard of before. I put the packets aside for a few days and gave all of that some thought. During that period of time I also did some research online. I decided to give the products a shot. I had 3 packets with instructions to use one each day. After the second day I could tell a slight difference. I noticed that I was feeling a bit less fatigued after drinking it. I looked forward to trying the third one. I could really notice a marked difference in the before and after. After those three packets were gone I paid attention to how I felt in the  days following – when I didn’t have them to drink. I noticed each day I seemed to be slipping a little more back to my old self. I talked with Ron and told him about how I felt before and after the Spark. I talked to my friend who sent them to me, Tina. I asked her more about her experience with the product line, AdvoCare. I know her well and knew that she has suffered with migraines for years. I was curious what she would have to say about her headaches. If you know me then you know that headaches are something that I am very familiar with. When she told me that she had not had a migraine in 3 months I was especially intrigued. If this had been a stranger I probably wouldn’t have believed them. But because we have a history I believed her. I have no reason not to. And at this point I had experienced the difference myself.

I am on Twitter 24/7. Most of my friends on Twitter are fellow Spoonies, like me. I began thinking about what a tremendous gift this product and complete product line could be. If anyone knows me personally I hope that they know that I want nothing more than to help others. I believe the purpose behind the struggles in my life, including my Fibromyalgia, is to help and minister to others in similar situations as me. I knew if this was available to my friends their quality of life could be improved as well. I talked to Ron and we decided that helping others is what God has called me to do through my illness. We decided that I could be do that by sharing my experience and providing the opportunity with fellow spoonies around me that I come in contact each day. So I have now been an AdvoCare Distributor for the last 2 weeks. I have been sending out samples of Spark to those I know could benefit. My heart is soft toward all of those in my plight. I want to shout it from the rooftops that I have something that can help. I want to tell everyone about it. I am not a snake oil salesman. This is not a means to make money. The money is truly the last thing on my list. I only want to help my friends to feel better. It’s that simple. The product line is endless. There is something for everything. Spark has lit a spark in me. It has given me energy back. I call it a glass of energy. The last year has been a hard year for me because of my Fibro fatigue. But the Spark has truly gotten me moving again. I am not 100% better. My Fibromyalgia has not been cured. I am not pain free every day. I could not go out tomorrow and run a marathon. But I feel better. If you suffer from a chronic illness then you know any degree of feeling better is a victory.

Advocare Blender Bottle

I want to help you. If you have not already received a sample packet from me please let me know. I would be glad to send you one. And each person who places an order on my AdvoCare site in the month of June will receive a gift from me. I will send you an Advocare Blender Bottle free. Advocare is a product I believe in and all I want to do is share it with you. If you look in the left sidebar of my blog you will see the Advocare logo. Under the logo it says the words Health, Hope and a Future. That’s what it is providing for me. And it’s what I want to share with you. You can click on that logo at any time and it will take you directly to my Advocare site where you can place an order.

 

Drew Brees, Mental Focus and A Cup Full of Energy

Meet Drew Brees – the Quarterback for the New Orleans Saints and the official National Sponsor for AdvoCare. If Spark is good enough for a Super Bowl MVP Superstar then it’s good enough for me!

If you could use some more mental focus and more energy for your day I can help you. It is changing my life, my energy level and my mental focus. Visit my site and let me help you. If something helps me this much I have no choice but to share it with others who suffer as I do.