On Disappointment

I had actually planned for my next post to be on something else entirely but I felt I needed to share this one instead. Normally I am on top of the world all of the time, one of the happiest people you’ll meet. I’m that person at the office that’s less than thrilled it is Monday but is happy to be back and around my co-workers.

Very little gets me down. I roll with the punches, shake it off, and push through it.

But today. Today was one of those days that I imagine many of my co-workers and friends lament about both on Facebook at at the office.

Today I experienced disappointment after disappointment and it was even the first weekend of Spring Break, at that. It wasn’t even a bad day. Nothing terrible happened. It was just very disappointing.

It started out with one of our cats freaking out while I was carrying him and clawing the crap out of my chest, back, and arm.

Last Wednesday I was diagnosed with Pityriasis rosea (a temporary rash with no known cause) so my poor skin just can’t get a break. Now I have scratches to match my weird splotches. That’s hot!

Then my husband and I decided to go see Oz in IMAX. Those know who me IRL know that I avoid carbs the majority of the time but I look forward to a little movie theatre popcorn once in a while. I get a small tub of unbuttered popcorn, and was bummed to discover that after the first layer it was mostly broken up pieces and kernels.

So now I’m thinking “this movie’s going to be awesome so it will make up for it.” Wrong. If you want to see Oz, wait until it comes out on DVD. It was okay. Barely “meh.” Had we seen it in non IMAX and at night when it was more expensive I would have been more sad about it. Predictable, lack-luster. I know it was a PG movie, but come on, Disney. You usually make it entertaining for adults, as well.

Then I lost an auction on some scuba equipment on eBay when I should have just chosen “Buy It Now” 3 days ago. I will be kicking myself for that one for a while.

So now I’m cut up, itchy, unsatisfied with both carbs and the movie, and am without that piece of scuba luggage. First world problems, I know. I’m happy, generally healthy, financially secure, and have an awesome soul mate to get through days like today with. In the end, that’s all that really matters. Only I am both confused and fascinated by how bummed out I got over all this. I can definitely see how back to back let downs can really get someone down in the dumps.

I definitely look forward to seeing what tomorrow brings. Surely it will be more relaxed and more full of promise.

David just suggested we make sushi tomorrow..it’s already looking up!

Have you ever had a day like mine?

Please Read This First Before Asking Me About Medifast

This post is because of the countless questions I’ve been asked and the countless long phone calls I’ve been on with people talking with them about Medifast.

This post might rub you, dear reader, the wrong way and know that was never my intent. I am just going to do a tell all here rather than continue spend hours on the phone with people who a) buy the food and quit or b) never even try. Every time I talk to someone about it they do with a or b..and it makes me wonder why I even bothered spending my time trying to help.

It is so very frustrating..so, here goes.

1 year ago I weighed about 170 pounds. I say “about” because I stopped weighing at 160 pounds but from looking back at pictures I think 170 is a conservative estimate.

Today, May 3 2012, I weigh 119 pounds with no exercise. (Click picture for full size)

Here’s the secret. Medifast. You can read all about it at their website. In fact, I will just only tell you about my experience with it. If you do it, good for you. If you don’t, that’s your choice.

I started Medifast because I got a severe ankle sprain. I have loose ligaments meaning I can do several of those double-jointed tricks. The downside was I had no idea until AFTER this injury.

• I started out by counting calories. What I found, though, was that my large sweet tea from McDonalds was taking up more of my calorie “budget” than I wanted so, I was drinking my calories and was missing out on the protein/carb balance so I had to change that habit eventually. I probably lost about 10 pounds counting calories.

• Then I started using the Wii Fit and lost about 10 more pounds. The Wii Fit requires you to do it barefoot. Seeing as I have no arches (due to the loose ligaments as I found out later) I sprained my ankle something FIERCE. It was a 8-9 month ordeal. I saw 2 orthopedic surgeons. Both told me I would have to have surgery and that it would be 12 months before I could walk again.

I decided that I had to keep losing weight so I could at least have a chance at recovery through physical therapy. David, my husband, had seen someone’s Medifast results in a forum once and did it himself with amazing results so I though I could give it a try.

With his encouragement, I ordered a full month’s supply. I kicked and screamed over it though. I loved food. I didn’t want to quit eating whatever I wanted. But I knew I needed to.

I was a sweet tea or coke a day kind of person before Medifast and now it has been 1 year since I have had sweet tea OR a full strength soda. Now, lots of people say sugar substitute causes cancer but you know what? I have bad genes as it is and we’re all going to die one of these days I might as well die in the body I want!

Here’s the deal:

Medifast is a 5 and 1 meal plan. You eat 5 of their meals and 1 lean and green meal a day. There is a chart that even tells you the leanest of the lean to the fairly lean meats.

1.  I ordered the pre-selected foods on the women’s plan. My advice- try the bars, shakes, puddings and brownies.
2. The peach tea is TERRIBLE. The soups are okay, but they take too long to make. The eggs are actually good but, again, they take time to prepare. The oatmeals were tolerable at first but then I began to hate the taste of them- they also take time to make.  (see a trend here?) I wanted a quick, easy solution and the bars and such fit the bill.
3. The hardest part was the first 3 days. Your body has to adjust to the lower calorie intake so I suggest starting the plan on a Friday.
4. David was VERY supportive and we went through and donated any pastas or otherwise unhealthy food/snacks we had left.
5. I began to really get into the My Medifast forums. You will find lots of tools, support, recipes, and the like. Reading and connecting with other Medifasters really helped me in the early weeks of the process.

My goal was to get down to 130 pounds.

I noticed inches coming off before I noticed weight. My clothes were getting baggy. I kept with it. I lost a few pounds at a time until they all started adding up. Down 1 dress size. Then another. And if I failed (and I did cheat ALL the time. My biggest fail was cheese dip) then I just ate my next Medifast meal on time. The weight came off and I kept going.

That’s the long and short of it. Commit to the program. Commit to eating the food. Commit to your own success and you WILL LOSE WEIGHT. I cheated, was physically unable to exercise, and actually lost MORE than my goal weight on Medifast.

And, for the record, I get paid NOTHING to tell you about Medifast. I want people to know that if I can do it (and I am one of the weakest willed people in the world when it comes to food) then THEY can do it.

I kept the weight off for 6 months without being on Medifast. I got down to 124 pounds.

• I ate the same concept of 6 meals a day- Egg whites and turkey bacon, a fruit, sugar free yogurt, a turkey unwich wrap (no bread, just lettuce) maybe some crabstick by itself, and then a lean and green meal.

I gained nothing back but I felt like giving Medifast another go a few weeks ago to see what other inches come off because I’m happy with what the scale says. With the inches lost a few more pounds did come off, though. Now I’m down to 119 and a size 7.  I started at a size 14/16.

I no longer have a craving for sweets, just salty foods from time to time. And when I get weak I use the My Fitness Pal iPhone app to look at the food I was considering. If I discover it is loaded with calories then I just choose something else, or only eat it without the bread, etc. This way I’m still in control of my cravings. I have them, but I choose what I do with them.

You can do this. Stop being afraid. After you’ve read this then decide for yourself.. do you want your life back?

I know I left some things out because I wrote this pretty hastily last night… if I failed to cover something you wanted to know about just let me know!

——————————————————

Update Summer 2013

Current weight: 118-119, current size 2-4 (achieved with good eating habits, exercise, and Hot Pants 

I’m asked this alot, so here are some items I seemed to order most:

Item	Type	Quantity	Price Each	Your Total Price**
Dutch Chocolate 55 Shake Item Code: 51710	Box	2	$16.50	$27.12
Brownie with real chocolate chips Item Code: 57500	Box	2	$16.50	$27.12
Chocolate Chip Pancakes Item Code: 57710	Box	2	$16.50	$27.12
Chocolate Crunch Bar Item Code: 64805	Box	3	$16.50	$40.68
Chocolate Mint Crunch Bar Item Code: 64905	Box	2	$16.50	$27.12
S’more Crunch Bar Item Code: 65455	Box	3	$16.50	$40.68
Chocolate Pudding Item Code: 57400	Box	1	$16.50	$13.54

Medifast is a tool, your body is the machine. Was it hard? Sometimes- but it would have been harder and taken longer had I try to achieve the same results without Medifast.

10 Tips to Save Money in 2012

WOW! It’s 2012 and it’s almost the second month of 2012, at that! So, many people make resolutions around this time of year but how many keep them?

My challenge to you if, if you NEED IT, to get in control of your finances this year. Some people are already on top of their money, but most people can always save or spend more wisely.

I have some homework for you- all of things things have helped me become even more financially mature.

1. Watch the Suze Orman Show every Saturday night 8 central on CNBC. You can also download the podcast for free on iTunes.

2. Take a look at these 20 ways to trim up your budget- things like ditching cable tv and using Netflix streaming instead, use coupons, use cash back credit or debit cards, shop online via eBates, etc.

3. Watch Till Debt Do Us Part every Saturday night at 9 central on CNBC if you DO decide to keep your cable.

4. Watch The Money Class on Oprah’s OWN channel that premiered 1/9/2012 if you keep your cable, or check out the online material.

5. Eat dinner at home! We did this last Monday-Friday and we saved at least $75  ($15x 5 days)

If you like a particular type of food learn how to cook it at home and be amazed at how much you save!

Our vice was sushi. We would send $35 or more plus tip every time we went out to eat sushi (about 2+ times a month) so, to lessen the financial blow, we picked up this tool called the Sushezi on Amazon, watched MySushiDaddy on Youtube and taught ourselves to make some pretty darn good crabstick based sushi- plus we’re saving a bundle!

6. Pick up every piece of change you see on the ground- I mean, come it- it’s free money!

7. BUDGET! It makes a difference! Try using this budget calculator 

8. Shop at your local thrift stores. I have purchased brand new looking clothes from names like Abercrombie & Fitch, Eddie Bauer, Gap, Ralph Lauren, American Eagle, Express, etc. just by shopping at thrift stores and I’ve saved a bundle of money doing it!

9. If you have stocks check to see if they have a DRIP program- (Dividend Reinvestment Plans) If so, enroll. This takes your stock’s dividends and automatically reinvests them in fractional shares of the stock, so, in essence, saving you money. Also take  a look at these no cost DRIPs.

10. Buy store brand instead of name brand at the grocery store. I have bought store brand for years and for most products I am unable to tell a difference in the taste and quality when compared side by side with a brand name product. PLUS they’re less expensive!

Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012!

How do you intend to save money this year?

Why being happy at work MATTERS

It has been forever since I’ve blogged and there have been several reasons for that including health, etc. but the main reason was because I re-entered the workforce after 3 years of full time MLM.

I wanted to do something that helped people on a larger scale so I got hired on part time as a 911 dispatcher.

SPOILER ALERT: Now, turns out after 6 weeks I was progressing much slower that I deemed acceptable so I resigned but the long and short of it is we as citizens have NO IDEA what these officers and dispatch professionals endure on a day in-day out basis. THANK AN OFFICER AND A DISPATCHER if you know one. They are amazing and I was literally in awe to see them in action.

Now, back to the point of this post. I would like to share with you all my emotional responses to being back in the work force after 3 years of being on my own schedule.

I found this pattern so interesting and it made me reflect on how the majority of full time working people must feel. If you are employed think about your own job as I take you through my emotional experience. Do you notice any similarities?

• Weeks 1 and 2: These were great weeks on the job. I was excited. I got up excited and came home after work happy with so much new knowledge to share with David. I was learning, I was experiencing something new, and I was meeting new people.

• Weeks 3 and 4: This is when I realized I was struggling hearing and reacting to the radio traffic in a timely manner, which made the job stressful for me. I still went to work optimistic, was in a good mood at work, but when I came home it was like there was a big grey thundercloud was over my head. I was EXHAUSTED.  I was short with my loved ones. I barely played with the kittens. I wanted to do nothing but sit on the couch. At this point several friends were telling me I seemed “normal” again. By normal I suppose they meant “unhappy.”

• Week 5: I tried to deal with my bad mood at home by taking active steps to do things that made me happy and it did help somewhat but boy the fatigue and stress were starting to set in! Thankfully our bills are on auto draft because I never even opened my calendar or checkbook during weeks 3-5 because I was too tired to.

• Week 6: This was when I started to come to terms that 911 dispatching, while extremely fascinating to me, was not my calling. It literally is a CALLING. You are either born with the raw talent to do it, or not. Now I could have learned it eventually if I stuck it out but my stupid mistakes I was making was NOT worth an officer or citizen dying or being hurt because I was too stubborn to quit.

Turns out even my supervisors and co-workers noticed a change in my sing-songy happy personality and they were going to talk with me about it the same day I resigned but I beat them to it. Luckily everything ended on a good note and I was privileged to experience something most people never do by sitting on that side of a police radio.

I am at peace with the decision and instantly a huge weight was lifted off me when I put in my resignation. I came back home happy, bubbly, and basically the same old me.

AMAZING that 6 weeks of emotions can disappear in a simple decision. Now, granted, this was a part time job and my husband is the sole income earner so I am in NO WAY telling people to go quit their job without something else lined up but I DO encourage you to find something that makes you happy and get some interviews or opportunities lined up!