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Weight-Loss Challenge

July 2nd, 2012

The New Year came and left and losing weight was NOT one of my goals this year. Every year I had set a weight-loss goal for myself and I do not lose weight, so I figured out a plan for that not to happen, I will not make that a goal. At this point I was still going to the gym sometimes. When I say “Sometimes” I really mean when I had the energy to get my three children ready and piled in the car and drive across town to get to Tony Cruz XTC Sports and Fitness. I had no motivation. In January I saw a sign in the women’s locker room, it was advertising a twelve week weight loss program that had a cash prize. The competitive side of me was extremely excited to go for it, but every time I thought about it the more I second guessed my decision to sign up.

The time came when I went to the gym to sign up. I knew it was going to be tough, but would be worth it in the end. There was a pretty long line to weigh in and get measured. I really thought I would not have a chance to win. I went ahead and signed up anyway. They wrote down my measurements and weight, and took before pictures. Once a week I would meet with a nutrition trainer and weigh in. the first time I meet with my nutritionist I was introduced to Herbalife.

Herbalife is a brand name weight loss product. The Herbalife shakes are great and come in many different flavors, my favorite being Café Latte. I decided to do a shake twice a day, usually I would do a shake for lunch and dinner and eat a good breakfast, like oatmeal and fruit. I also drank the Hebalife tea; a tea that is full of natural ingredients and burns calories. Later I added Aminogen which helps break downs proteins and amino acids, it reduces bloating that is caused by incomplete protein digestion, and it promoted lean muscle mass. This diet was the most important part of my weight loss. In order to lose the most weight possible, you have to remember that diet is 70% of weight loss. The other 30 % is a strong workout routine.

Being a mom, gym choice is so important, not only for the workout routines, but also for the childcare provided. XTC has a great room in the front part of the gym that you can keep an eye on your kids. My kids really love to go to the gym. I can work out worry free. I have tried different classes at the gym and the best class I tried was the Tuesday and Thursday noon cycle class. I had a great workout doing the cardio kick boxing, but I never can keep up. The workouts are very extreme and the instructors are so encouraging. Many people love the Zumba classes but I feel so silly due to my lack of rhythm, maybe I will try it again. A couple times I did a session with a personal trainer, Sam Brown. He showed me the best workouts to do in the gym and he knew that I could not always make it out to the gym so he showed me the best workouts to do at home.

During the weight loss challenge I would weigh in with a personal and nutrition trainer, Sam Brown. I loved this because I knew that if I cheated on my diet, or if I was not working out hard, it would show on the scale. Sam pushed me to lose weight each week, and to set goals that were beyond what I thought I could do. I did a few personal workout training sessions, which left me so sore but showed immediate results. Every week I pushed myself during my cycle classes or kickboxing at XTC, and I would not cheat on my diet. I immediately was seeing the results of my hard work. The first week I lost seven pounds, and the next week I had a four pound loss. The best thing was the inches I was losing. My pants were fitting better, and then they were not fitting at all.

At the end of the 12 weeks I lost a total of 42.4 pounds and 10 inches off of my waist. I ended up coming in third in the contest, and won just over $200. But the best thing about doing the whole thing was the energy that I gain while losing the weight. I feel like I can keep up with my kids more. I actually look forward to going to the gym to workout. Not to mention, I feel better about the way I look. I am still seeing the pounds melt off and the inches drop!

Working out and dieting is hard. The hardest part is getting started. HerbaLife is more than a diet, it is a healthier lifestyle. I believe in this product so much, I became an independent distributor and now sell it to my friends and family who also want to commit to something better than processed food and drive thru food.

Earth Day and Good Friday

April 22nd, 2011

100,000 miles on recycled vegetable oil
Earth Day in East Texas
Pyramid Homes Tyler TX
Solar Water Heater Go Tree Power
Earth Day is just another day to me but Good Friday, now that offers some real significance to me.

We celebrate the death of Jesus on the cross for the payment for the penalty of our sins on this day and on Easter we celebrate his resurrection from the dead.

When I think of Earth Day I simply think that I need to somehow take more of the earth back for myself and dominate over it with my hard working entrepreneurial spirit.

I am not one of those people that throws trash out of my car window, backs up to a creek with toxic chemicals, or lets a can fall out of the bed of my truck.

At the same time I own property, a gasoline powered car, and drive around town buying stuff for my house and food to eat. Because I live a highly efficient and great standard of living life like the greenest among us I am supposed to be filled with guilt?

I rarely if ever make jet airline trips to the Greeny Mecca of the world, Europe, and so no matter how often I drive my extended suburban around Tyler it will not equal even one jet airline trip that hippy Sue takes to Amsterdam to look at floating house boats in a sea of poop.

From what I understand from political points being made right now is that my ultimate goal should be to go totally off the electric grid with a $50,000 solar system and buy a $40,000 gas/electric vehicle like the Chevy Volt. If I cannot afford to do this I should instead ride around on a bicycle? Who even does this 7 days a week for all errands and work related activities? It just doesn’t really happen and is stupid to even pretend like it does.

Please, Hippy Sue, don’t get on here and tell me how it is over in Europe with all the bicycles and stuff. That is Europe and is a whole different setup than how we are here in Texas.

The whole reason people love America so much is because of the high standard of living we have here. This standard of living is based on how affordable everything from food to fuel is that allows us the ability to drive around our town so quickly.

If I am going to choose something to preach about today it would be to thank God we can get around so easily in America and have such a high standard of living.

We Christians are not supposed to mention Jesus on a Christian holiday as that is too offensive but it is somehow totally acceptable to smugly ride around on 10 speeds through highway traffic in large mobs to show how green you are by not driving a car.

This highway bicycle green scene would be totally ok with me if it was standard for these guys to do this but it is not. These guys mainly drive cars and when they do hit the highway on their bikes they have no idea what they are doing and are simply trying to be emo attention whores.

Let me tell you those fashionable teenagers on bikes are preaching just the same by slowing traffic on the highway in a big herd of bicycles meant only to create a scene.

I went to Fresh by Brookshires today and I didn’t see even one bicycle from all the green people that bought organic groceries today. I guess they couldn’t fit those bags of groceries into their bicycle purse satchel?

This lack of bicycles makes my point in that America has great efficiencies in standard of living and most of that is because of cheap energy and fuel.

The act of buying an organic grocery item in public is enough for most greenies to show those around them who they are and so riding a bike to the store might have been over kill.

The most green and organic among us drive cars and the ones that can afford the cool all electric vehicles are simply wealthy.

Now not all green thinking is bad and some of it makes a lot of sense and goes along with the American Spirit of efficiency and economic conservatism.

I like the GoTree Power solar hot water heater that can be hooked up to your current hot water system to run in tandem which offers an affordable real solution to reducing energy consumption.

Take for instance the Bullard vegetable fuel oil co-op. These guys help you convert your diesel car to drive off of recycled vegetable oil available from local mom and pop restaurants.

Instead of paying $4 a gallon for gasoline you could be paying 30 cents per gallon by converting your car to run on recycled vegetable oil and participating in the BULLARD VEGETABLE OIL Co-Op

You see the Bullard Texas VOC offers a real solution for the average Texan on how to both save money and improve the environment on Earth Day.

Unlike buying a totally off the grid solar system that you will likely never recoup the capital investment for at least 50 years a car that runs on recycled vegetable oil has a short term capital investment recoupment time.

My goal in this article was to trash talk the ridiculous elite green fools out there who are too ridiculous to take seriously but at the same time show a real solution that actually makes sense economically and environmentally.

You can learn more about the Bullard Vegetable Oil CoOp at this page: http://www.bullardvoc.com/

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