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.