I AM A WARRIOR

315! That's what the scales show. I slipped for a few months, started eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted like I have done a million times before. I didn't pay much attention. I thought you know maybe it's my destiny to be fat. What's the use of keeping up the battle day in and day out. I started dragging around, wanting to sit down, wanting to sleep. Just let me sleep...

That's when it hit me. Yes, I can eat whatever I want. I can stay 150 lbs overweight, but I will sleepwalk through life. Eating crap makes me feel like crap! So, I started thinking about it. Wondering what I did differently when I lost the 25 lbs. Well, I didn't have to think long. I was part of a challenge group. I checked in every day. I drank vegan Shakeology. I know there is controversary around supplements. But, I could plainly see that it worked for me. Should I be eating fruits and veggies and beans and other sources of plant-based proteins? Absolutely! But here's the deal. It's not always readily available. Call it an excuse. Whatever. I just know when I drank Shakeology my cravings were gone, my joint pain was minimized, I had more energy which enabled me to want to move more and workout. I LOVE the Beachbody workouts. I have several of them. As I did them, I got more energy and it broke the cycle.

So here I am six months later and trying to decide what should I do. Should I remain "impartial" and explore other avenues to health and wellness? The answer is clear as daylight to me. I'll stick with what works. I see Shakeology and the Beachbody programs as a tool to transition to the more active and healthy lifestyle I seek. When I saw the name American Fitness Warriors, I knew that was where I am meant to be. I AM A WARRIOR! I am a survivor. The enemy may try to defeat me but I put on God's armor and get back up and live my best life, every day, one baby step at a time, consistently! That's the only way I know to get a grip on obesity.

I am more determined than ever. I know that I cannot let up to win this war on fat and disease. I am digging my heals in and preparing to climb the mountain to success. I don't want to climb the mountain alone. My mentor John C. Maxwell says, "If you're climbing a mountain alone, you're just taking a hike!" I want to take as many people as I can on this wellness journey. I want us all to be warriors and claim our victory over a sickly mediocre life. We deserve to health, but only we can make the choice to be healthy.

Are you with me? I am training to win the Beachbody Challenge starting July 7th. I'm no longer on the fence. I'm in 100%. God keeps bringing me back to this. I am paying attention!

Peace, Health & Happiness,

She-ra, I mean Kathy :)
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Do Protein Meal Replacement Supplements Really Help?

In 2013, I drank Vegan Chocolate Shakeology nearly every morning for breakfast. I like the flavor and it was a quick meal. I often added a frozen banana, fresh spinach, almond milk, and PB2 powdered peanut butter to the mixture. It was as good to me as any milkshake I ever tasted and there was no guilt afterwards! My junk food cravings subsided and I lost 25 lbs. After a few months, I noticed my knees and elbows stopped aching and my energy level increased. I felt like exercising and wanted to move around more. The quality nutrition combined with the exercise was giving me more energy and I felt better than I had in years. Was this a placebo reaction? I expected it to help me and it did? This year, in 2014, I have discovered the answer to that question is NO.

In January, I ran out of Shakeology and didn't replace it because money is tight and I felt $120 a month was too expensive. I wanted to try other brands like Vega One, Peaceful Planet, and Garden of Life, but I just never got around to doing it. What has happened these past six months astounds me. Uncontrollable cravings for junk food returned. I gained back the 25 lbs I lost in 2013. The joint aches have returned and my energy level has dropped considerably. Was it eating just the banana and spinach that was helping me? No, I tried that smoothie and it didn't satisfy me or hold me over like Shakeology. I think it had to do with the nutrients, vitamins and minerals Shakeology provides. It also had to do with consistency. When I had the protein supplement, I drank it every morning instead of skipping breakfast or eating high-sugar foods.

I found out that Shakeology contains MSM which is a naturally occurring substance in plants that helps alleviate joint paint. I purchased that on Amazon and yesterday I purchased a Peaceful Planet protein supplement for $20 at the local health food store. I am going to see if this combination works. I know that you often get what you pay for, but I also know Shakeology is overpriced because they have to compensate their sales reps, aka "coaches" which I totally respect. I was a Beachbody coach in 2013 and I know how much work goes into what they do. It's an awesome company and I love their mission to help end the trend of obesity.  Their exercise programs rock too and I spent a fortune on them as well. I may go back to being a coach someday who knows, but my focus right now is providing my body quality nutrition at an affordable price. I know ideally that just eating fresh fruit with some form of plant protein is what is recommended by many holistic professionals. But, here's the deal, I don't always have fresh fruit available which leads to inconsistency in my diet and then the roller coaster ride begins. I want something that I know is providing the quality nutrition my body needs. I know as a vegetarian I need to supplement vitamin B12, so my thought process is if I have to supplement anyway, I may as well do it with a protein supplement that has the daily requirements my body needs, tastes good, and fills me up.

I want to be healthy, I want my energy back. I want to be at a manageable weight where I feel good in my skin. I don't think that's too much to ask of myself and I will never stop trying to find the right combination that helps me achieve that goal.

I know how controversial and confusing it is around the subject of diet and nutrition.I think we can all learn from each other, but we have to do what works for us individually.

Wishing you abundant peace, health and happiness.

Kathy Gerstorff
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Cravings, Willpower and Shakeology... Keeping It Real

There are times when I just want to give up the pursuit of a "healthy" lifestyle. It shouldn't be this hard. I should want to eat nutritious food and exercise and drink lots of water but the truth is sometimes I don't and I pay a high price for that choice. The price I am paying now for eating junk "crap" food is that I feel like crap and it becomes a vicious cycle. I get tired easy and feel lethargic. Winded. I just want to sit down. Rest. That's not how I want to live my life. That's why I keep trying. Keep chugging along, no matter how many times I fail.

I love how I feel when I eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies. I can tell that it gives me more energy. So why, why, why do I keep buying and eating the crap food? The chips, the cookies, the pizza. I say I want to change, I truly do, but it's the commitment that's so hard to keep. I've ran out of excuses. I want to give excuses. I want to say the stress is high and that I don't have time because I have so many other things going on, but those words are hot air that wouldn't even hold up a balloon. I know better. I have been off track for weeks. I have gained back all the weight I worked so hard to lose at the first of the year. My weight is hovering around 300 again. So, what am I going to do about it? That's the question. What are you going to do about it? Am I going to keep following this roller coaster ride to health my entire life? I really want to get a grip. Sometimes I wish I could just go to a retreat like Gabriel Cousins or the McDougall's have. Just stay somewhere for a couple months to detox and clean up my body, mind and spirit. Environment makes a huge difference, I know that. I know that I can't be surrounded by junk food and expect my willpower to remain high. I keep doing fitness Challenges hoping that will keep me motivated to stay on track. It helps in the beginning. I get all fired up, but then it fizzles out like a fireworks. It's beautiful for a moment, but quickly burns out.

Here is one thing I know. I have been out of vegan Shakeology for a couple months and my cravings have been out of control. So, from what I am seeing it's drink Shakeology cravings OFF, don't drink Shakeology cravings ON. I know it's best to eat clean, natural, fresh, unprocessed food, but if I'm going to eat junk food what am I accomplishing. I was going to try Vega One because I heard the ingredients were similar with the exception of MSM which I purchased separately on Amazon. Vega One is half the price of Shakeology, so I'm curious to see if it works as well. I have tried just fruit and veggie smoothies and it does not control my cravings. I know I need to drink more water too, but I want to do what works, what I will stick with doing on a consistent basis. I loved it when I drank Shakeology (by the way I am no longer a Beachbody coach, so I have nothing to gain from anything I say about their products). It was quick, easy, and kept me feeling satiated for 3-4 hours. AND I didn't have those little joint aches like in my elbows and knees. I found out that it is the MSM that helps with that.

So, that's where I'm at. I am starting another 30 day Challenge June 1st. I would LOVE to also do a RAW Food Challenge during that time too. We will see. I'm learning to take baby steps when it comes to transforming to a healthier lifestyle.

I wish everyone who happens upon this blog abundant peace, love, health and happiness!

Kathy

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