I must say that I have so much to be thankful for this year!  I am so happy to have spent the day with my family and friends, to have my health due to this new path with isAgenix, to be able to share this experience with my family and friends so that we can all enjoy each and every day going forward…to be here, to be alive, and to be enjoying life!

I had an absolutely wonderful day!  My mom and cousin woke up bright and early to start the turkey.  I was supposed to be starting it with them, but I overslept…shh, don’t tell!    I might be secretly planning to do that again next year too because the turkey was truly the best it’s ever been!  Simply DELICIOUS!!

There were a few new additions to the menu this year, roasted brussels sprouts and QUINOA!  I definitely couldn’t let my new favorite dishes miss out on the holiday celebration and besides, it really felt good to enjoy the day while still following the program.  That is until it came time for dessert…yes, we ALL grabbed our forks when the pies were served!  There was no stopping us tonight, and quite possibly I might need another piece tomorrow!

It’s once a year and besides, we are all allowed to indulge every once in a while! 

turkey and pie

I am back on course and feeling FANTASTIC!  I am no longer taking those crazy pain relievers and antibiotics…AND my cheek has returned to normal!  That really was a stressful week for me!

To get myself back on track, I decided I would prepare my meals ahead of time…or ahead-A-vance as we like to say around here.   It’s kind of like “ahead of time” and “in advance” somewhat smooshed together.  Try it, it will catch on!    To start, I spread out six containers and began filling them with quinoa, asparagus, brussels sprouts, turkey and chicken.   It really wasn’t that much effort, and I am already enjoying the benefits of not having to come home and cook after work each day.

meal preparation

I thought it would be nice to have two options rather than the same thing each night, so that’s why I did three with turkey and three with chicken.  I am already thinking about what to make for next week…any suggestions?

completed meal prep

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned how I truly believed the “magic liquid” gave me the nerve to both schedule and attend multiple appointments with the dentist.  One thing the “magic liquid” doesn’t do is eliminate any pain that results from each visit!  I had a dentist appointment Thursday that resulted in me feeling absolutely miserable. I’m not exactly sure what happened, but somehow air got trapped in the layers of my cheek causing it to swell so big I could barely close my mouth the first day.  Sounds pretty, right?  I literally looked like I was trying to store nuts for the winter!!

I started taking pain medication and also an antibiotic…both of which I hadn’t taken since starting isAgenix.  I thought subjecting myself to the sweet wonderfulness of cookies and icing was torture, but this cocktail of drugs mixed with a FAT FACE is truly testing me!!   In fact, it tested me so much, that I actually caved!  AGHHH!   I know, I did it…admitting it is half the battle, right?  I tried to cheat in a good way…although, I’m not sure that really matters…by having a non-dairy ice cream made with coconut and almond milk.   I must say, it was absolutely DELICIOUS, and I will not be buying it for a long while since it seems to quickly disappear upon entering the house!

fat face cheating

This is going to my last daily post.  I know, you’re sad…    I am STILL going to post multiple times a week…with progress updates, recipe ideas, and new additions to how I’m making the program work for me.  I am hoping this blog can help others who are going through the program or even those who are just looking for some support in getting healthy and following a program that works for them.  We all need a little motivation sometimes and for me, it helps to know that others are going through the process with me.  Speaking of which…I am VERY happy to say that more of my family and friends have jumped on the healthy train!   Oh yeah, we will all be toasting our shakes to getting healthy together!!  I can’t wait!!

Tonight we had plans for a family dinner over at Outback Steakhouse…a little stressful, but it wasn’t the first time I needed to go out to a restaurant since I started the program.  Luckily, they actually have some “healthy” options on their menu!  I ordered a small salad with balsamic vinegar to start and for my entree…the “Simply Grilled Mahi” which comes with fresh mixed vegetables…and then, I ADDED an extra side of grilled asparagus!

I wish I took a picture of my meal, but it completely slipped my mind.  I can say, it all looked good…the salad and veggies were nice and simple, there was a good crunch on the mahi, and the asparagus had a nice char from the grill!  Everything even tasted good, however I did notice it was a little bit greasier than what I am used to and there was definitely A LOT of salt!!   I did still enjoy it, especially the part of feeling like a regular person who orders from the ACTUAL meal section of the menu!  I used to get the SAME THING every time I went out…a large salad with dressing on the side…who knew that actually EATING an entree could be the healthier option! 

I wish I could say the rest of my night went just as smoothly as the experience of dinner, however my stomach started flipping IMMEDIATELY upon getting home!  I think I was proven to be correct about the extra grease in the food!  My body was definitely not used to it and quickly had to figure out a way to adjust! 

I needed to go into the office to get some extra work done over the weekend and knew I would much rather enjoy my shake frozen with ice…so, I stopped and found this little blender that would still fit enough liquid/ice for my shake.  It worked PERFECTLY!!  It’s an Oster My Blend Blender, and I love it!!

shakes at the office

It was so easy to fill it, attach the blade, and then quickly mix it for not even 10 seconds.  My shake came out EXACTLY how I like it…creamy, cold, and just like a milkshake!!

new blender

Now I just need to get over the embarrassment of actually using it when other people are in the office too! I’m not sure I’m ready for all the questions yet!  I did decide to leave it there just in case I get enough nerve on Monday afternoon…

I love vegetables, always have and always will…but I am still pleasantly surprised that I can be caught off guard by loving one that I never really gave much attention to before.  I decided to make Brussel Sprouts for the very first time tonight.  I don’t know what made me avoid these in the past, I mean…I LOVE CABBAGE!  As a kid, I would beg my grandma to make me a HUGE bowl of her cabbage salad every time we went there for dinner!  And I can safely say…I pretty much finished the entire bowl every time! So why did I avoid these adorable mini cabbages!?!?

brussel sprouts, turkey, and rainbow quinoa

I cut each brussel sprout in half and trimmed the bottoms, before lightly coating them with extra virgin olive oil, fresh cracked pepper, and a bit of fresh ground sea salt.  I put them in the oven on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and out came perfect little roasted brussel sprouts!  DELICIOUS!!

There has been a lot of talk about the “Bedtime Belly Buster – BBB” on all of the isAgenix groups, so I finally decided to purchase the products and test it out.

bedtime belly buster ingredients

It all started when one guy researched that protein with calcium just before bed could help one sleep better, preserve muscle, boost fat burning, and assist with weight management.  The original version has been modified over the years to add/subtract ingredients based on someone already getting enough calcium with the Ageless Essentials.  Suggestions are to now include the isAgenix FiberPro (for greater satiety), isaFruits, Want More Energy?, and a few sprays of their Sleep Support Spray.  I know I just named a long list of ingredients, so please don’t get overwhelmed and think you need absolutely everything to try this out.  I am actually making it with the isaPro, about a half scoop of isaCalcium, and a half stick of isaFruits.  I decided not to entirely remove the calcium, even though I am taking the Ageless Essentials every day.

bedtime belly buster – BBB

I must say I actually fully enjoyed the taste and flavor of this drink!!  It is definitely fruity and a bit frothy, but to me…it’s a YUMMY DESSERT!!    Almost like a berry milkshake!  I can’t say for sure if this will actually start taking inches off my waist, but I’ll definitely keep everyone posted.  I can say that I definitely have found it MUCH easier to fall asleep, and I am still waking up early with a TON of energy!

I am so proud of my mommy!  She just completed her first 30 days on the program and has completely blown me away at how well she has done!   She lost TWENTY THREE POUNDS and 27.5 INCHES!!  Yes, you read that right!!  Is that not AMAZING?!?!   Of course, I would love to share pictures of her progress, but I’m still working on her to agree and become comfortable with sharing!    For now, you need to take my word for it that she looks incredible and is already in need of some smaller clothes!!!   KEEP IT GOING, MOMMY!!!

I have some other fantastic news to share as well…a lot of new people are signing up for isAgenix!!  Our cousin, my dad, and a dear friend from high school…oh yeah, soon all my family and friends will be enjoying shakes together!!  I am truly loving it and LOVE that soon everyone will see and FEEL all the great things I’ve been talking about!!

I know I talk about my shakes A LOT, but listen…I LOVE THEM!!    I truly look forward to how tasty and delicious they are…and I’m always trying to think of different combinations to change it up a little.  Today, I added in one teaspoon of organic raw almond butter to my vanilla shake.  I had never tried it before and was quite surprised when I opened the lid to realize I needed to stir it up quite a bit.  It completely separates the longer it sits, so you really need to give it a good stir each time you use it!

My final shake definitely had a somewhat peanut butter taste, but it was very faint!  I think next time I will have to add a bit more to get a better idea, but I think this could be something many would enjoy!

organic almond butter