This is followed up my previous blog on how I gained health and energy. This blog covers the aspect of weight loss. It is a couple of years since writing this and I have maintained my weight but still continue to work at loosing the last 10 kilos I need to.

I have succumbed a few times to reactions to food as something slipped by me so I have still maintained my abstinence of nightshades. I also still maintain my Isagenix routine and swear by them!

Below are some of the other struggles I overcame in this area of weight loss I recorded a few years back!

Struggling with Weight Loss? This might help you however, if you have never understood the struggle of losing weight or being able to keep it off then this blog is not for you. In fact please don’t read it because you will most likely be critical and judgmental of those of us who have faced the struggle and until you have walked in the shoes of those of us who have fought to overcome in this area you won’t get it!

There are many reasons why people struggle with their weight gains. I think I have covered a few of them in the past 6 or so years and will share a few “reasons” here as to why weight loss is complicated for some and not just a matter of not eating too much.

1. Genes – My family is prone to overweightness

This has been a problem within our family for many years. Our mother had a huge weight issue all her life. I don’t know how many diet fads she attempted in vain. We are prone to weight gain and my siblings and I put on weight as she did – all over. We are big-boned so we tell ourselves. We are just a big family. I always refused to accept that but found myself looking more like her. It has always been an issue for me and a goal to stay slim and to stay healthy. I achieved it for a lot of years but the past few years saw me gain kilo after kilo and the ability to shed them was becoming increasingly difficult.

2. Comfort Eating and Depression

I saw this in my mother who used food as a comfort for some challenging issues within our family but I personally didn’t know I was also starting to use it to comfort myself. That was until I did a fast last year and realized each time I was starting to feel sad, worried, tired or angry about something I would head for the food cupboard until I remembered I was fasting. It was a huge awakening for me to find my “comfort” from another source other than food. The depression from the cycle of frustration and hopelessness is hard to describe. You actually might need to seek counsel as there may be even deeper roots to the cause of comfort eating that need addressing.

3. Illness or injury

In 2009 two things happened to my health that was to affect me for the next 6 years. The first was the onset of Hashimotos Thyroid condition, which meant rapid weight gain and other issues that affected my ability to function at any high level of energy, at times even the ability to function for more than an hour or so before needing to rest. Thinking I was just becoming a lazy slob I embarked on a significant physical training program. All was going well although an hour’s exercise meant a recovery time of 3 hours at least. Then I twisted my ankle – ever so slightly. The injury produced a clot somewhere in my leg. Long story short the health issues continued as my weight ballooned. Depression set in and comfort eating became an issue. Cycles! They are hard to break. Exercise became associated with pain and when there are no apparent benefits, frustration and disillusionment.

4. Food allergies

I started the same route as my mum exploring different diets and food regimes. I embarked on the various paleo diets around and found they worked at various levels. I grew my own vegies; ate healthy meals but still found weight loss illusive. “Just don’t eat as much” people said. How does about 1000kls a day equate to too much! Fasting produced some good side effects in that for that time I didn’t bloat or feel sick. But you can’t not eat forever! I discovered I had an allergy to nightshade plants. Elimination helped but still the weight was only slowly dissipating.

VICTORY!

Last year I undertook a Daniel fast. This means eating only vegetables, fruit and water. I actually found that having one meal a day in the middle of the day worked well for me regarding bloating, sufficiency and just all round health.

It started off with being very sick at the beginning of the year.  Flat on my back for about the third January in a row: Shingles, autoimmune issues, flus, bronchial issues, all occurred around the end or beginning of each year.

How I started my road to recovery.

1. Prayed.

I spent days in bed with the virus I had. So I figured that I would make it work for me. I spent time waiting on God: Days of just being quiet before Him. Those who wait on Him will renew their strength!

2. Fasted

Because I couldn’t eat from being sick I turned it into a fast. I was determined to see a breakthrough. I don’t believe in fasting as a form of twisting God’s arm but for me it definitely helps in clearing the airwaves between myself and God. I have found after 40 years of walking with the Lord that times of dedicated prayer and fasting definitely bring breakthrough in wisdom and understanding.

3. Listened

Listened to my body and discovered what worked for me. I had a regime of vitamins I was on and have been for quite a few years but found that I may still have been lacking in a few areas.

4. Did the Practical

Day by day as I started to improve I started exercises. I was doing my knee exercises in bed and strengthening my core muscles as well as my knees. I then started walking a little each day and building on that.

5. Found supplements that worked

My biggest breakthrough came though when I discovered Isagenix. I have heard a lot of negative reports about the product since joining but let me tell you I have found they worked powerfully for me and thousands of others.

When I went back to my naturopath who for two years has been working with me to improve my health and weight, with little to no avail, she was shocked to see I had lost 5 kilos in 1 week.

From January to May last year after nearly 60 days on a Daniel fast I had only lost about 7 kilos. The fast was not about losing weight but you would think it would be a bi-product. On the Isagenix program eating more than before and taking the vitamins and minerals, I lost the 5 kilos in a week! Since that time with all the travel and the exercise producing muscle and toning my body I have managed to lose and sustain around 17kilos loss. This isn’t a diet it is a lifestyle change!

Now here is one of those frustrations. My naturopath knew about the products and agreed they were very good products and the balance of the regime was “probably” a good fit for the various conditions I had..!! But she doesn’t recommend them because they are “those” products!! What products? Multilevel marketing! Well really – because an ordinary person can sell them and not just the “professionals” means she didn’t recommend something that could have helped me..

Herein I put up a disclaimer. These products may not work for you. I am not a professional but I do believe in encouraging people who like me have struggled with the whole aspect of weight loss. I am also a trained counsellor and understand that weight loss is a lot more complicated than just not eating too much for many people. See my previous blog where I share some of these issues.

I urge you to consult a naturopath, doctor or health professional who is trustworthy and cares about your health. Mine did but also had some strong opinions that I was happy to ignore. You have to decide to explore your options. These are just my comments and discoveries.

FAQ and Common Comments

Is it for everyone? My only comment on that is that for many it has been the breakthrough they have needed for years. Is it for you? Only you can decide that. For me it has given me the energy that I had been lacking for so many years. The balance of vitamins and nutrients works incredibly well for me. This regime may not be for you but it is worth a try. More importantly, is to find what works for you and your body. It is not a magic pill to swallow but a system that does help many to improve the health of their bodies.

It is expensive!  For me as I did the math, meal replacement and vitamin exchange (remember I was on many vitamins prior to this) meant I came out about equal in cost. The products are good quality and if it works are a lot less expensive then healthcare costs. I haven’t been to a doctor, or even the naturopath since! You do the math. I also saved on my gym costs because I have my own motivation and love the freedom of exercising outdoors…..

It isn’t real food. I love real, healthy food. But I also have found that for the time being meal replacements are working for what I need right now by providing nutritionally rich foods. I still have a really lovely main meal at lunch time and find I am satisfied with that. When I attain my final goal weight I will be able to utilize introducing more foods back in to my diet. However, I will still maintain the cleanse aspect of the regime to maintain good health. This means a cleanse day ONCE (1) day a week. I have heard people “quote” you have to fast 2 or so days a week.

If I starved myself I would lose weight too! I have heard people on blogs say it is a starvation diet – wrong. It does take discipline and is controlled calories, no doubt, but you are satisfied and getting the right nutrients you just don’t feel like overeating and once you have cleansed your system from the sugars etc your cravings abate. I was fasting and still not losing copious amounts of weight. Starving yourself actually has the opposite affect which I will not go in to here as I have said I am not a qualified professional.

You just have to learn to eat smaller amounts! If I had a dollar for everyone who said that I would be a wealthy woman. It’s about what goes in and absolutely smaller portions help. But it is not always the easy answer. Again see my blog regarding this. I was eating salads and protein every meal and because of allergies was making myself extremely sick. Find out what is right for you.

You started to exercise – therefore your energy returned. It wasn’t the products. I don’t know how many people said this to me as well. However, for me the exercise even though I was doing better still left me depleted of energy. The products definitely improved my energy levels to the point I could function when I get back from excessive exercise. Also I gained 10kilos in as many weeks years ago, as there were health issues that needed to be addressed with a malfunctioning thyroid, even though I was jalking (jog walking) up to 8klms 6 days a week. So don’t assume exercising is the answer to healthier living and weight loss for everyone.

So in summary – find what works for you. These products are worth a look and a trial. We are all different metabolisms and health issues so take responsibility for your health and don’t expect others to do it for you. Check out this site and look over the products I cannot recommend them enough but do your homework and start living the life your body deserves. Most people do not know what it feels like to be well. Some said I became fanatical when I started recovering and using these products to boost that recovery…I absolutely was! When you feel so wonderful after years of being unwell and unable to get through the day without energy and feeling well…who wouldn’t want to run a marathon and shout it from the rooftops. This excited over 50’s woman completed a 800 klm walk in 2015 and walked approximately 3000 km in preparation for the walk. Life is for living. Check it out.

Until next time

Blessings Narelle