Better Late Than Never!

So August 13, 2013 I reached my first huge goal with weight loss, getting fit and becoming healthier... I lost 100 pounds a few days shy of August 17 which would have been my 6 month anniversary! Today Isagenix showed up in my mailbox to say congratulations!!!

I can't begin to express how much my life has changed with 100 lbs off my body, my health that was deteriorating has diminished, I love shopping for clothes and accessories... no more tears! I love taking photos with family and friends.... and of myself... LOL these are by no means complimentary but what they are of... me working and having fun - 

Isagenix has made me passionate about helping others get healthy and wealthy, are you ready for your transformation? I can help ;) Let's talk!

Food Addiction FAQ

I am amazed by this company, their products leave me speechless, I mean I can show and tell you how awesome they are but really their are no solid words aside phenomenal and that is not enough!! I am a good ways into my journey and if I was going to be accountable and I AM because I want to ensure that I help other with being real and true... I would be @ 200 lbs gone already yes 200 in under a year but I haven't been accountable through November and December and lost the same 20lbs three times!! I am laughing because it's stupid and I am sharing that because I hope someone learns from my mistake!! Man I ate my butt off in those 2 months on various occasions and celebrations and truth is you fill yourself back up with the chemicals that make you want more, or crave a certain product etc and there you are back in your same rut of poor choices, and you tell yourself "this day" I will start again etc... and well it doesn't happen for one piece of cheesecake or another ;) . It's all good now, I am back on track and I knew I would be I just had to get that monkey off my back... and keep him off. So one of my business partners asked me a few weeks ago was I ever addicted to food and a year ago I would have said no... but after this 2 month binge and seriously analyzing my eating habits over the years - Friends you don't get  200+ lbs overweight not having an issue with food consumption. So here is my breakdown...

When I was a teen I would hide food in my closet... I could blame it on emotional craziness but we are learning to be self accountable, I would make a can of biscuits and eat them... a can of icing YEAH, or a nice pot of white rice with salt and butter... my parents didn't have a lot of junk in the house so the above was the extent of my eating issues as a teen, however if we take it back further... when I was in elementary school my mom got sick... and I had to live with my Granny for my 4th grade year - crap I hate that I am writing this and know that picture is here somewhere in photo collection that would give you an idea of how much weight I gained... - I will have to pull it out and scan it to show you - I went from the average size big kid to 160 pounds at 9/10 years old. My granny was Czechoslovakian and we had tons of fruit and cream cheese filled kolaches, strudels, cookies, cakes and every meal was like a buffet - there was multiple choices for example breakfast @ 4am she would start cooking by 5am I would be woken to the smells of pork chops, pan cakes, french toast, bacon, sausage, coffee and whatever pastry she had cooking for the day... in my lunch box for school would be filled with portions of what was left over from various meals... and I would Eat! My fifth grade year I went home and a good percentage of that weight came off but I was still bigger than most kids on top of that my parents became controlling over what I ate in every aspect into those teen years which all I could think of when I am old enough to buy my own food and eat what I want... it's on and sure enough that day came...

As an adult I could do what I want as far food consumption, I inherited my Granny's ability to cook anything and everything, I remember being 18 driving thinking what do I want to eat and would stop at anywhere from 2 to 5 different places because I was indecisive and wanted it all.. I remember eating the last piece of (fill in the blank) could be fried chicken, cake, left overs whatever on various occasions not so much because I was hungry or wanted another piece it's because if I didn't someone else would and I would miss out and there would be no more???

So yes I was a food addict and could still easily be one... I am thankful that I have found a new passion in becoming healthy and finding better ways to prepare foods, If your ready for whatever reason I am committed to help you not only get started, but stay on track and reach your goals!

"It's TOO Expensive"

The Dalai Lama when asked what surprised him most about humanity, he said -

Man.

 Because he sacrifices his own health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so Anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present, the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then he dies never really lived.

This really makes me stop and think of my past choices of health.  I only went to the doctor if I was pregnant... sick for an extended period of time each of those times it was bronchitis or pneumonia, and then there is this last time in January... for over 15 years I have had this ridiculous pain when I would eat... a pain that radiated under my rib cage from one side to the other and extended up into my chest across my shoulders - normally I would just contribute it to indigestion... that landed me in the hospital for emergency gall bladder surgery.... 20 plus years excluding my pregnancies I probably had been to the doctor 5 times tops... not because I am that healthy but because I would just weather through whatever ailment came over me. I didn't value myself and I certainly did not prioritize my health... EVER! This was no ones doing but my own. 

Then I made the decision 2013 would be the year I start to wake up and love life again (while i didn't know that @ the time) what else did I have to lose? I was over 380 pounds, disgusted with myself on the inside and wearing a fake smile most days on the outside.... We tend to invest in the things we love, we enjoy, things that are tangible, that give us pleasure, that make the ones we love happy, we have NO problem whatsoever in investing in those things. I followed my cleanse coach for over a year and a half before deciding maybe JUST maybe this isagenix stuff will work for me.. 

We value our purchases, brand name clothes, foods, cars, areas that we live in, jewelry, body art  etc - while we purchase generic things sometimes, honestly there is a difference it's a matter of what we ourselves are willing to sacrifice or compromise - a lot of those things aren't even necessities!!! They are just WANTS - so when someone says to me my chosen product sounds expensive or is expensive,  -

• My Sleep is priceless, without a good nights sleep I am worth nothing to the things that need to get done and those who need me! I sleep solid now!!! My sleep is restful, deeper than ever, when I wake up I am awake because for the first time ever I feel like I am actually sleeping! 
• My overall well being should be the most important thing to me!  Without it I am running on empty.  My blood pressure is Excellent no more medication needed, borderline diabetic is no longer a label, fatty liver disease bye bye, heavy irregular menstrual cycles are a thing of the past, circulatory issues of legs and feet swelling are also non existent, inflammation is a thing of the past, Excessive weight is coming off! My energy is through the roof no more mid day naps for this mamma and my favorite I haven't been sick ONE time since cleansing!!!! I was that person if one person got sick I got it the longest and hardest - While Isagenix does not claim to heal ailments, you are taking in some of the most nutritious foods possible and omitting the things that are not good for your beautiful body! The above are side effects that I read about daily!!!  ... 
• Results - My weight loss results are incredible and are also priceless and guaranteed, that's right guaranteed.  What? Yes in 10 months I have lost 140 lbs - this stuff is priceless! I thought I was one of those people that couldn't possibly afford this ongoing much less the first purchase, after being on Isagenix one week I KNEW I had found my vessel to nutrition and a healthier me which means a healthier wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend and servant! 
• My relationships are up there with my overall well being! Without relationships we stop existing to some extent. Who we are inside comes out on the exterior, I loved those around me, however I disliked who I was it affected years of my marriage and my children's life as well as my own, my relationship with my husband - I never wanted to attend various company gatherings due to my appearance, or spending time with other couples for the same reason - I let me appearance sabotage a lot of opportunities, family photos.... there are very VERY few photos of my and our children and husband as a group, I hated photos... it was a confirmation of what I had become and feeling like I had no ability to control it was another kick in the teeth..., outings with my children and husband were limited this included their extracurricular activities either I didn't want to draw attention to myself by cheering them on, or I was limited in doing things because of my weight as far as mobility and endurance - Today all of those things are NON EXISTENT - I love the woman I am becoming, more so the wife, mom, friend and so much more, photo's bring them on! Outing's, yes please! I am living for this first time ever as an adult my children and husband have a team player who is in the game not on the sidelines!                                                                                                                  
• My lifestyle... well I am a pretty simple girl with some huge vision, Isagenix is allowing that vision become a reality isagenix has a pretty impressive compensation plan, not only can you get your health and vitality back but you can use it as a financial vessel that has no limits, invest in yourself, your family, friends and others, your rewards are endless! We have always been a very humble pay check to pay check family and sometimes robbing Peter to pay Paul... I believe in this company and the anticipation of wealth and financial freedom is up for grabs!!! I am taking mine!!! 
• Serving and loving others!!! I have always been someone who loves to serve and get involved in helping others, Isagenix has taken that to a whole other level!!!  I have always loved to give and help, so even though I do not consider myself a saleswoman - I am someone who wants to help others, with Isagenix I can do that and it would be selfish of me not to share what it will do for anyone health wise and financially!

So with all of that why would I choose anything else but the best, why would I settle for less? I am worth every penny of this product, my body loves it and so do I - imitation products or products in the same industry are TOO expensive even if they financially cost less... they cost us over years of trading one product for another trying to find one that will work, doing damage to our bodies from yoyo'ing or putting un-necessary things into our bodies, deprive us nutritionally....  all the while still searching for that perfect solution... Stop searching by price and start looking at the company that backs their product up, real results, real VALUE!

Your Why, My Why & Why it's so Significant.

I was asked this less than a year ago... honestly I wasn't sure what it meant... I didn't have this nice picture above to point out some of the many why's that are a possibility but after hearing the question many times over the last several months my Why on this journey was originally about becoming healthy and fit... the WHY FACTOR, my beautiful family - we are blessed with 3 daughters 24, 15 and 14 and 2 sons 21 and our 3 yr old (almost 4) adopted son - plus the children we foster... However something happens when you are buried for so many years under layers of fat, when it starts to fade something so beautiful starts to surface... MY WHY has expanded greatly!

I love Isagenix, I love that I am overcoming one of my biggest obstacles and that nothing I have ever done has worked to the extent of this product!!! So truth is when you find your WHY claim it as yours and run after it, never taking your eye off of it! My WHY today is still my family but even more, serving others - helping them reach their potential, My husband he has always been a blue collar guy... My heart hurts for him, he busts his Butt for us ... I want to help with more than just the laundry!!! Our children's future - Did you know if you work as an Isagenix consultant your name/position can be left to a loved one? Talk about a legacy! Experiences - I want the children that we take care of to have real experiences in culture, fun, celebrating life etc, My Church, Our Farm we have an animal sanctuary for unwanted or abused livestock, My children's summer camp Messiah's Ranch - it's where my son found his salvation and brought it home and shared it with us, this place is priceless to us - and I would like to contribute to what it does regularly as they are non profit. I could keep going and that's not a bad thing! My WHY is endless.... and I am blessed to be right here, right now - allowing me to teach others about the benefits of Isagenix both health and wealth!!!- I am sure you have a why too, won't you share???

Til next time <3

Slow Progress and My Favorite Isagenix Breakfast Shake

Good Morning Friends!!! Today my instagram consisted of this below....

Fact we have all given up on something we wanted seemed impossible or too hard to obtain! #truth your ability to overcome obstacles is YOUR biggest obstacle ... We can make excuses we can enable each others failures or we can build each other up and hold each other accountable to be nothing less but our best!!! #notgivingup#investinyourself #beyourbestthenbebetter #youcandothis #Isagenix #beastmode#fitnotskinny #transformation #lanaredmond #progress #125lbsdown#accountability #blog250lbsandsomechange #winner #inspiresomeonetoday#presson #philippians4:13 #1corinthians6:19~20 #1corinthians10:31 so whatever you eat, whatever you do, do all to the glory of God! Ready for your transformation?? Get @ me training others for better health and wealth today! #isagirl72 <=== My Instagram name in case you want to follow ;) 

This above quote holds so many ugly truths for me in the past with EVERYTHING - it can be applied to anything and everything marriage, education, finances, housework, our goals in general but today folks (well most days) we are talking about our health goals... I am @ 257.8 as of this morning my scale has been teetering back and forth between 256 and 261 - What??? Who cares my inches are still dropping! I am lifting weights and doing cardio now and I know that attributes to the gain since muscle weighs more! I am getting curves instead of lumps and rolls ha! Don't get me wrong I still have a pretty good pudge going on and my legs are stubborn - but the above quote is TRUTH there is progress A LOT of progress!!! Are you stuck? Are you like me, having tried what seems like everything under the sun to lose weight and get fit? 135 lbs since 2/18/13 is nothing to turn a head down @ I lost my 14 year old (not really she is @ school right now) but weight wise I shredded her full physical form and then some!!!

Meet Noel our youngest daughter weighing in @123 on most days at 5'3 - I have lost that much weight!!! It's a whole person I know I know I am repeating myself but when you wrap your head around that - it's crazy! My hope is to be able to help others reach their goals, I love what I do now, Isagenix is helping me the best me I can be and setting my family on a path to financial freedom, if either of these things encourage you and you want more information please let me know and I will help you!

Now on to the yummy stuffs!!! This my friend below is my most favorite shake in the morning especially after a cleanse! It's the IsaLean Shake this one is Vanilla, I add 2 scoops of the Want More Energy... and you get a concoction that taste like a creamsicle! YUMMMM 

The Vanilla is an incredible base for so many creations there are tons of recipes out there we share many in our group currently I have over 420 people who are cleaning under me or learning how to start their own journey! Come on over and join in and find out how you too can get started today! Repeat after me and follow the link!!! I want to be healthy and wealthy

Until Next Time -

Live Bold & Loud - Live & Love - Inspire Someone Today!

100 Pounds Down!

Let's just start with what everyone would want to know... the picture first -

I am Floored - I really haven't realized how much weight I have really lost... I mean yes my scale says I have lost this much... the tape measure says I have lost this much... but looking at myself daily I didn't see it until I lined up my photos from the beginning of this what seems like a life long journey (and it has been) I have just been consulting in the wrong travel agent.... lol - In honestly I never took full length pictures EVER, I made excuses of why I couldn't or wouldn't - there are no family photos of us as a group and my oldest child is 24... WHY? Because I was disgusted with myself and ashamed in denial of how large I really became, so when my sponsor told me to take a picture of myself I thought what in the world??? However I realized I have lived my life behind one excuse after another, and hid from what could be my potential...I needed to do something differently this time I needed to get this right - SO I took those darn pictures - Good grief look what 6 months of change did for me!!! Do you see it? Yes some of it you do, but what you can't see is a woman waking up with a desire to change things, do more, be more, LIVE more. For the first time in my life I feel like I have control - I am inspired to live this journey Bold and Loud in hopes to help others and sponsor them as well as encourage them along their journeys! Feel free to join my group if you want to seek your potential at it's fullest, if you want to do something aside dieting, If you are ready to say how do I start please  click here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/442381235839667/

Short but to the Point

A month ago I injured my toes from walking in shoes that were to small lol - Yes I know most people go for knees or ankles... I went big and injured both big toes :) ... it took almost a month for them to heal and they still look pretty icky.. this week was the first time I was able to walk again for a good speed and distance... even though my numbers have declined on the scale my inches are kicking butt - this is a picture from last month vs last night... Take tons of pictures - they are the seeing is believing when your scale looks @ you cross eyed ;) - I also had to hold on because of the exertion... no more!!! I love my Isagenix and I can help you get to your goals!! I have been inspired by so many others I want to pay it forward!! Leave me a message or visit me on facebook or if that is to personal feel free to visit IsaFitForLife :D a wonderful group that will share daily results, recipes, encouragement and more!!! 

The group addy is https://www.facebook.com/groups/442381235839667/

and to add me as a friend on facebook... https://www.facebook.com/LanaRedmond

and of course seeing is believing!! #isagirl72

Stereotypes and things that bugged me in the past.

Let me start off by saying this morning I weighed in @ 377.6 that's another 2.8 pounds ~ Yippee!! I wasn't going to post full body pictures of me, then I was then I wasn't .... and this morning I tried on a pair of jeans I couldn't wear a week ago... and they fit, what an awesome feeling... so I said you know I'm failing to want to post these pictures because they convict me visually - not just inside - and it also exposes me to other people as well - those who may have just known me shoulder up - in order for me to do this I had to reflect on some serious stuff... and I'm putting it here because I need to be reminded if I get weak, or hit a bump, slip, gain a pound back etc...

My weight is my demon I have to live with, the difference between mine and others is I wear it on the outside before someone even knows my name, they have measured themselves up with all sorts of thoughts of - you ready?

I would never let myself get that fat, she must eat a lot, man she is FAT, I would be embarrassed to be that big, Her husband must really love her - look how fat she is, wonder if she smells bad or funny, fast food junkie ,lazy, slob, disgusting, must have terrible hygiene, she has such a pretty face if she lost weight she would be beautiful, she is a really nice person, poor ... she must be miserable, she must not care about herself, her sex life must be non existent, if she did care about herself she would lose the weight ---- arghhhh I could just sit here and do this all day because it has been my life for more than 25 years!

But in reality here is the real deal -

a) I know I am fat
b) I know there are those who are disgusted by people who are fat
c) most of us fatties will do our darnedest to entertain you so you don’t rip on us too hard once this social interaction has come to a close

And, in grand fat tradition, if someone makes some sort of fat joke or comment, it behooves us to find it just as funny as everyone else because – all together now – ”I DON’T MEAN YOU”. aha thanks I feel better now that your comment about Fat people didn't include me - seriously?

I don't have Fat Cooties - it's okay to be my friend, it's okay to go have a bite to eat with me, I won't pick off of your plate (pinky swear), it's okay to invite me to your Christmas Party - I won't wear a moo moo, or eat all of the appetizers, or plop my fat butt on your precious sofa and break it or accidentally sit on your yorkie poo and it vanish forever.

Stereotypically when people see me I am "The Fat Woman" NOT Lana or that lady who volunteers for whatever, or will help you clean your house, Make a meal for your family when you are too sick to, run errands with you because I know you need or would like a friend to pal around with or to vent to, will drop what I am doing to listen or help others, even if I have a deadline...etc etc/

I know that sounds extreme but it is true on many instances okay okay to be fair some people think they are being nice by saying large, or big, or ha they break out with the physical gestures like my name was drawn in a game of charades....

I so need to spit all of this out, but I need to also make my point first back to what I was saying, My weight is my DEMON, everywhere I go I have to battle with it - and deal with it looks, stares, comments whatever... Let me ask you this what are your demons??? Would you wear your demons on the outside everywhere you went so you could be judged, ridiculed, laughed at, left out, unapproachable or whatever??? Don't understand? How's this would you hold a sign up and carry it every where you go that expresses your demon? Like this - I am addicted to barnyard porn, I am a sex addict, I am an adulterous man or woman, I am a hoarder, I beat my children and verbally abuse them, I Gossip about you, you and yes you, I am on welfare, I have AIDS, I don't know... you fill in the blank with I AM or I HAVE your biggest hang up, issue, or SIN.. would you wear it everywhere you went, what if you didn't have the ability to make it vanish over night and had to wear it for years before it would go away??? Would it change where you went, what you did, how people treated you?

My fat is not contagious, I don't enjoy it, I do work @ losing it but it is freaking hard, it's not a one day battle it is ongoing 24 - 7 ~ and when some feels they need to comment or have a say about the size of my body it does not really encourage me to lose weight okay?

This suits me so well...

I was filling out one of those surveys that floats around Facebook and other social online places, and I came across this question: what stereotype are you? My answer was swift, somewhat bitter, and got longer than I thought it would. I also thought it probably deserved an entry of its own, so here it is:

I am a fat woman.

This means that I am lazy, greedy, gluttonous, stupid, selfish, and have questionable personal hygiene habits. I have no friends and have never had a romantic relationship, and am jealous of those who do. I am desperate to be liked, and even more desperate to be loved. If, by chance, I have found love, it is a desperate love. If I am heterosexual, it is with a man who could not do any better than me. If I am homosexual, it is because no man would have me. If I am bisexual, it is because I am so desperate for love that I'll take it anywhere I can find it. If I am asexual, it is because I have given up.

I am clumsy, and do not know my own strength, weight, or size. I often sit on things accidentally and not even notice. I break chairs and floorboards and make elevators creak and sway alarmingly. I get stuck in doorways and narrow passages because I am incapable of understanding or judging how large I am in relation to my environment.

I openly eat ten times as much as the next person, none of it healthy, and sneak even more when I think nobody's looking.

I am often both overbearing and oversensitive, meaning I am both bossy and weepy at the same time. I am incapable of success in business, industry, family, romance, or any other sphere I lend my hands and mind to, unless it is cooking or baking. These I am natrually gifted at, obviously.

It is perfectly acceptable to make fun of me, discriminate against me, or abuse me because I am fat and have chosen to be so, and could choose not to be. I could choose to be thin, but I do not because I am lazy, gluttonous, and stupid. Therefore I deserve to be fat, and thus deserve to be made fun of, discriminated against, and abused. It is, in fact, better to be unkind to me because of my fat, for my own good. If I get enough abuse it may overwhelm my natural laziness and cause me to choose to be thin. The world does me a favour by abusing me. It is my fault. I deserve it.

My worth is inversely proportional to my weight.

Everything I do is either the cause of my fat, or because of my fat. If I eat a carrot stick, it is not because I like them; it is because I am fat and am obviously trying to lose weight. If I eat cake, it is not because it is somebody's birthday; it is because I am fat, and thus I obviously eat a lot of it. If I take the escalator, it is because I am fat, and thus lazy. If I choose to take the stairs instead, it is because I am fat, and thus am trying to lose weight through exercise. If I walk past a doughnut store, it is because I am fat, and am resisting temptation. If I walk into a doughnut store, it is because I am fat, and have no self-control. If I take the bus, it is because I am fat and am too lazy to walk. If I walk, it is because I am fat, and am trying to lose weight. I never read books because I enjoy the mental stimulation; I read them to escape from my awful life. I don't watch television because it's entertaining; I watch it because I am too lazy to read, and do not wish to get up off the couch. If I drink a can of pop, it is the cause of my fat. If I drink a can of diet pop, it is because I am fat and am trying not to be. If I wear something formless and ugly, it is because I am fat and given up on looking pretty, because it is impossible. I never wear a skirt because I think it looks pretty; I wear it because it disguises my fat. I never spend time with my husband because I genuinely love him; I do it because he's the only one in the world who would settle for me, can do no better for himself, and otherwise I'd be desperately alone.

Everything I read, drink, eat, wear, watch, or do is defined by my fat.

The world has decided that I am lazy and greedy and useless because I am fat, and also that I am fat because I am lazy and greedy and useless. That is all they see. Anything I do that fits the image is confirmation of why I'm fat. Anything I do that contradicts it is seen as confirmation that I am trying to not be fat. Nothing I do is neutral: all actions either contradict or confirm. There is no middle ground for me, even though there may be for others. Because I am fat.

I am a fat woman, and according to the world, fat is all there is to me.

That is what stereotype I am.

And for the record I could totally go for a yummy breakfast with my friend Sharon but not today, for today I am trying my best to do my best. So if you happen to see me shoving a piece of cake down my throat in the near future it may be that I have no self control or could it be that my four kids and husband have birthdays lined up 1/20, 2/18, 3/8, 3/16, 4/11 and not to mention my son graduates high school 5/2011.

If you made it this far thanks... and if anything I have said in this entry offended you, just remember (I wasn't talking about you) it was the other ones ;)