Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Adventure the 2nd - Sometimes, it's not about the weight.

I have a confession.  I have done something that I swore in a bazillion years that I was never EVER going to do.  I signed up for a health and wellness program.  GASP!!! I know, I know, I am the last one that you would ever expect to fork over my hard earned cash to buy some supplements to lose weight or get healthy.  I am Stefanie.  I am the champion of fat girls! I am the lover of my curves!  I am a cheap ass!   Great TARDIS of Gallifrey what is going on with the universe that it has come to this!!!! 

I am just as surprised as you are.  I first heard about Advocare when I was in Ohio and I kinda thought it was a cult.  A cult of hot athletic people mind you, but a cult nonetheless.  I'd see packages of Spark in the breakroom at work, and see bottles of supplements in co workers bags.  I was curious, but again, I kinda like my body and it looked like so much.... work.  Fast forward a year and a half later, and my life is much different than the woman who wrote that first blog.  I'm married now, we moved back East, and I'm back in school.  I am working a new job in a different field and a different shift.  I love my life and how I've worked so hard to get here.  However, it's all starting to get to me.  I used to have energy for days, being able to work three jobs, and be a single mom.  I didn't use to have pain in my knees, or stomach issues or migraines. 

 My life is perfect but my health is not.  

Doctor visits only lead to discussions about my weight and diet.  Physician after Physician tried to refer me for surgery and I will admit, I even went for an initial consultation with a bariatric surgeon. My problem, I knew so many close friends that had been through the surgery.  I knew the risks.  I knew that, yes, I would lose weight, but it was going to come with a price and possible huge complications.  I knew that in reality, that most people put most of their weight back on.  It just didn't feel right to me.  It is not about weight to me.  I love my body.  I love my softness and curves.  I love the meals and drinks shared with friends and family.  I like shopping at Torrid.  I have never been thin, and I have never been the skimpy clothes, bikini type of girl.  I just wanted to feel better.  I wanted a life with out pain.  I wanted energy.  

I work nights, and go to school during the day.  So as you can imagine, this involves oodles of caffeine and more than a fair share of fast food.  One night at work, as I am finishing off a Dr. Pepper, a co worker made a comment something like "Well, that is your problem right there."  It was harsh, I'm not going to lie, but the truth doesn't come wrapped pretty sometimes.  I gave my usual excuse of  "I know, but I hate coffee and energy drinks make me gag"  Well this particular co worker didn't buy any of that. He told me I should try a Spark instead.  All I thought was OMG THE CULT!!!  I dismissed him as a crazy jerk and tried not to think about how right he was.   

I feel that fate (or God or whatever you believe in) puts people in your life for a reason.  Al is one of those people.  We worked together at nights, and he (like my other co worker) had no problem pointing out that I needed a change in my life.  He didn't buy my excuses either.  He himself had made huge changes in his life, and was in his own right inspiring.  

So I drank the Spark.  I won't lie, I didn't really believe the hype.  It can't be that good.  I was wrong. It was.  I had to acquire the taste, but damn, it's effects were better than any coffee, soda, or energy drink I'd ever had. Best part, I didn't feel guilty drinking it.  I felt amazing.  Here is the thing, after every soda, every caramel laced espresso drink, there was just a hair of guilt mixed in.  I mean, I knew that soda was not something that was going to be adding years to my life or quality to my health,  so each and every time I drank one, I felt bad. Spark changed that.  

I consider myself a logic based girl. If there is science and facts to prove something, I am much more likely to get on board with it.  I knew these facts:  Even though I am overweight, I am malnourished.  I know that malnutrition leads to less than optimal organ and body performance and eventually organ failure.  One can easily conclude from this that even if I started the most awesome best diet plan in the known universe that it wasn't going to work because my body was malnourished and my organs were not doing what they were supposed to do.  This is why every diet fails and will fail. 

It's that logic that pointed me toward the Advocare 24 day challenge. Now, before I go on, let me say this. I am not a distributor.  I don't plan on becoming one.  I have nothing to gain if all of you run out and sign up for a 24 day challenge.  I am coming from a completely objective point of view.  I don't know if this product will work, but I know it is a start.  It is a jump start to feeling better and being healthy, which is what I want.  I did purchase products, but when I compare them to what I was spending on Starbucks, fast food, and soda, I some how SAVED money.  I have researched the science and facts behind it. The very most important thing is:  I got a team.  

I have people in my corner that aren't worried about how many pounds I lose, but how I feel.  That is refreshing.  I have Al and his wife, Kelly and Pam and all of my friends that are doing the challenge with me.  I have a plan. I have science. They say it takes 21 days to create a new habit, and I have 24.  

I am blogging about this journey not to sell something, but to share that sometimes it isn't about the weight.  You can love your body, but want to be healthy and that is ok.

I promise that I will give honest, objective feedback about this program and I would love all of the help and support you all can give me.  

-Stefanie

**Please note: This is a place for positive comments ONLY.  I don't care if you had a terrible experience with Advocare or if you think the word diet should be replaced with lifestyle change. If you have nothing  nice to say, go somewhere else. I will delete you.