Hi Everyone

I’m back. I know its been awhile since I posted anything and I’m feeling a little guilty that I let my labor of love drift off into cyberspace. In any case, I went on vacation and totally lost focus on my goals for my body and also for my blog. I came back from vacation and feel lost, completely out of my rhythm and wondering how to get my focus back. I actually feel depressed, so I’m glad I’m blogging today.

On my vacation, of course I ate too much, drank too much, got too much sun. On a good note, I did jog in the morning everyday except one, so that helped keep my weight in check.

When I got back from vacation, I weighed in at 127lbs. One week later, I’m back down to 121lbs without really trying and with only exercising twice  this week for 10minutes at a clip. So weight-wise, I’m not really up, but my spirit is down.

My husband is staring down the barrel of losing his job again, so I’m anxious and wondering what we’re going to do. Candy at work has once again been a negative coping mechanism.

I’m realizing though, that I need to commit to my goals, even when it gets hard. Looking at my life, I’d have to say that I’ve never really reached my potential in terms of body, career and finances and it all has to do with commitment. Commitment is scary. What if you throw every bone of effort into reaching your goals and it doesn’t work? There are no guarantees. What if you sacrifice things that you know and love, that are comfortable to you – only to find out that you sacrificed in vain? I think I’ve kept my heart-felt goals and desires at arms length, trying to diminish their importance in my life for fear that I don’t have what it takes to achieve them and therefore I never fully commit myself to reaching them. How’s that for deep?

In any case, where I’m going with this is that to achieve the body that I want, I need to commit my heart, mind and body to taking the steps everyday to reach my goals.

Here’s a quote that I like

The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating — in work, in play, in love – Anne Morris

Commitment makes decisions easy. The decisions either fall in line with your goals or not. Commitment boils everything down to black and white. So, the next time I pass that candy dish or decide that I’m not going to work out, I need to ask myself if those decisions help me reach my goals. Sounds easy enough, but then emotions get in the way. If it weren’t for emotions, I probably would be totally ripped and a multi-millionaire. I once read a Zen quote that was something to the effect

The path is smooth, don’t throw rocks in it.

The logical steps to take to reach a goal, somehow get tangled up in my emotional ocean. If I can put the emotions in their place then I’m golden.

Thanks for reading.

Hi Everyone

I recently became a distributor for Nu Skin and one of their main products is the Galvanic Spa with accompanying gels. In my usual quest for information, I needed to find out what galvanic current is and how it works…so here it.

First of all using galvanic current in applications is not a new practice and based on what I’ve found, its been used for various skin care applications for about 70 years.

Galvanic current and its associated polarized gels work like a magnet. When you try to touch a magnet together, the opposite polarities attract and the same polarities repel. Galvanic current can be set to have a positive or negative charge and the gels can also be ionized to have a positive or negative charge.

For the Galvanic Spa, the negatively charged current and gels are used first. Since negative repels negative, the active ingredients in the gels are driven deep into the skin, much deeper than what would be possible with a manual facial massage. The active ingredients in the negatively charged gel are formulated to bind to impurities within the skin.

After the negatively charged application, the positively charged application begins. Using the  positive current, the active ingredient in the positively charged gel is driven into the skin. At the same time, the negatively charged ingredients, which have bonded to impurities in the skin, are drawn out towards the positive charge and there’s an exchange of active ingredients.

In the case for treating cellulite with the Galvanic Spa, only the negative charge and the negatively charged Body Contouring Gel is used. The active ingredient is driven into the skin and stays there to do its work. According to the Nu Skin site:

Every body deserves spa treatments. Galvanic Spa™ II Body Shaping Gel works exclusively with the Galvanic Spa™ II instrument to minimize and smooth the appearance of cellulite.

This at-home spa treatment concentrates cellular energy to target pockets of fat and toxins for a more toned, firm appearance. Featuring theobromine and golden chamomile, this advanced treatment helps decrease fat storage and activate fat breakdown, promoting a firmer, more toned appearance.**

**For an extension of benefits, use Dermatic Effects® Body Contouring Lotion between Galvanic Spa™ II Body Shaping Gel treatments.

I’ve just started using the Galvanic Spa with the Body Contouring Gel on my cellulite this past week. As I’m doing it and immediately afterwards, I can definitily see the difference. I’m going to do this for 8 weeks, which is how long they say it will take to see maximum results, and then report back my results.

For the link to the clinical study write-up see the following link:

http://www.spabeautyathome.com/global/library/flash/spabeauty/media/galvanic2_clinical_Body.pdf

To find out more about the Galvanic Spa and also how to order, please click the following link:

www.lookbetter.nsedreams.com

Good luck and thanks for reading!

Hi Everyone

If you’ve been following this blog, then you know that I’ve been talking about eliminating coffee. Caffeine is supposed to aggravate cellulite accumulation and I don’t need any help with that. According to The Fat Flush Plan, caffeine is not supposed to be good for weight loss because it raises the level of stress hormones secreted by your body. These stress hormones raise your stress level. Your body, which sees increased stress levels as a threat to survival, starts storing extra fat to protect itself. Caffeine also acts as a diuretic and washes away vitamins and minerals, particularly calcium. The diuretic effect of caffeine also messes up the fluid balance in the body and if you recall from previous posts, maintaining the correct balance of internal hydration, which helps to optimize the lymphatic system is very important for cellulite reduction. Here are the posts that go into the lymphatic system:

http://mycellulitewar.com/2009/04/12/uncategorized/cellulite-reduction-and-the-lymph/

http://mycellulitewar.com/2009/03/29/cellulite_reduction_diet/cellulite-rduction-diet-a-potassium-sodium-connection/

 I was up to 2-4 cups per day. Well, for the past two weeks I quit, but it was kind of by accident.

Two Sunday nights ago I was preparing to make the coffee, when uh-oh, no more coffee. It was too late to go to the store, so I figured I’d have tea in the morning. So Monday, I drank tea and Tuesday just some hot water with half a lemon squeezed into it. I was expecting to get a massive headache and feel super tired but it didn’t happen. I think it was the tea transition day that made the difference.

Here’s what I’ve noticed:

• I definitely feel more relaxed, not as anxious. This feels very good.
• My workouts, which I do first thing in the morning, don’t have as much oomph and I’m struggling through them.
• My ability to concentrate, especially if I don’t get enough sleep which I never do (show me one working mom who actually does get enough sleep!) has decreased, particularly mid-afternoon.

So, the jury is out. If I was only quitting coffee for cellulite reduction, I might still be drinking it, but I have another reason too – I want to get pregnant – and caffeine is supposed to lower fertility.

For now, I’ll keep coffee and caffeine out of my system.

I would love to hear your opinion on coffee and caffeine. Please post comments!

Thanks for reading!

Tomorrow is my birthday – I’ll be 38. Wow! When I was a kid, 38 was the age that I’d thought I’d never be because I thought it was so old. Well, it’s here.

But there is positive news, at 38, this is the best I’ve looked and felt in years.

My stats are the following, and I’ll do a from – to, based on the first time I took my measurements:

• Weight: from 128lbs** to 121lbs
• Waist: from 27″ to 26″”
• Hips: from 38″ to 36.5″
• Rt. Thigh: from 22″ to 21″
• Lt. Thigh: from 21.5″ to 20.75″

My starting weight was 135lbs, but I didn’t start recording my measurements until I lost a few. So, I’ve probably lost more inches than what I have recorded.

Thanks for reading!

Gamma linoleic acid (GLA) is an essential fatty acid, Omega 6, found in borage oil, evening primrose oil and black currant oil. I was able to find it at Walmart in the vitamin aisle.

The quick and dirty explanation of GLA and its benefits is that it increases the permeability and elasticity of cell membranes and helps regulate water loss, thus helping to prevent dehydration and promote healthy skin.

And from what I remember from Beyond Cellulite: Nicole Ronsard’s Ultimate Strategy to Slim, Firm and Reshape Your Lower Body the healthier and more hydrated your cells are, the better the exchange of nutrients and waste into and out of your cells. All of this results in healthier and smoother skin because the cells are functioning at their optimal levels.

From Dr. Weil’s site:

Want healthy skin, hair and nails? Try taking the essential fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA). This essential fatty acid offers a wide range of benefits, from acting as an effective anti-inflammatory agent (with none of the side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs) to promoting the healthy growth of skin, hair and nails. GLA can also be used effectively for other conditions such as brittle nails and hair, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, and premenstrual syndrome.

Unfortunately, GLA is hard to come by in the diet, so supplements may be necessary. Three good, natural sources are evening primrose oil, black currant oil and borage oil. Each comes in capsule form, and vary in the amount of GLA they supply as well as in their cost.

Do not expect immediate results when taking GLA: it takes six to eight weeks to see changes after adding GLA to the diet.

A very detailed and excellent explanation exists in The Fat Flush Plan. But the part that I took away is that GLA activates hormones called prostaglandins which regulate the sodium-potassium pump, which according to Nicole Ronsard, is critical for reducing cellulite.  Optimizing this ‘pump’, the sodium-potassium exchange in cellular fluid creates and maintains healthy cells and keeps the lymphatic system clean. See one of my early posts to read more about the sodium-potassium connection.

http://mycellulitewar.com/2009/03/29/cellulite_reduction_diet/cellulite-rduction-diet-a-potassium-sodium-connection/

Now that’s a compelling reason to take GLA! I’m off to WalMart to get some more.

Thanks for reading!

Hi Everyone

I’m back from vacation. Luckily, I did not fall off the wagon too much. On the scale this morning, I weighed in at 120lbs. Thank you, thank you Fat Flush! The last time I was at this weight, I was in college. Some people at work have given me the nickname “Skinny” (I’m far from skinny). And I know it’s not about the weight, it’s about how you look and feel, but it sure does feel good to see that number on the scale. I still have that stubborn cellulite – don’t know if I’ll ever get rid of it, but overall I’m happy with the progress I’ve made. I do believe the cellulite has gotten a little better, (I would sure hope so after all of my efforts), but its still very visible. My saddlebags bother me a lot because they are very prominent in a bathing suit, along with some other dimpling in the area. I have a beach vacation coming up in the second week of August and I was hoping to be rid of my cellulite by then. I don’t know if it will happen, but I’m sure going to try. In any case, still having the cellulite is what’s motivating me to keep going. I really want to erase it!

I’ve been alternating Fat Flush Phase 1 days and Phase 2 days. It seems that if I have starchy carbs on alternating days or 2 days and then skip a day, then I continue to see results. I guess I need to keep my body guessing.

I’m also wondering what to do to make this website more interesting. I was reading through some of the posts, and I’m not so sure that the ‘Mid-Week Check-in’s’ or the ‘Week in Review’s’ are all that interesting. I’m thinking that I’ll drop the mid-week check-in and keep the weekend the way it is with a status on weight and measures and them an article based on research that I’ve done on how to get rid of cellulite.

If you have any cellulite-related topics that you’d like me to explore, please let me know.

Thanks

Jill

Hi Everyone

Since Monday, I’ve been following Phase 1 of the The Fat Flush Plan. Thankfully, I’ve got my motivation back due to changing things up a bit. See prior post for details:

http://mycellulitewar.com/2009/06/21/status/week-in-review-moving-past-a-plateau/

I haven’t been doing a lot of exercise this week for two reasons:

1. I hurt my foot and I need to keep off of it and
2. My daughter has been sick and hasn’t been going to sleep and is also waking up in the middle of the night. So, that means someone else (me!) is also not sleeping and I’ve been hitting  snooze one too many times and missing my workout window. It’s probably a good thing too, since if did wake-up in time, I probably would have worked-out despite my foot and re-injured it.

So, back to the The Fat Flush Plan. The plan’s author has a dedicated website at http://www.annlouise.com/.  I haven’t looked at it in detail, but at first glance, it looks like she’s the author of two other diets, “Gut Flush” and “Fast Track”. I’m intrigued. There’s also a community forum too and success stories. Of course, there’s also stuff to buy.

So, in any case I’ve been pretty much sticking to Phase 1 with hardly any exercise so we’ll see how I measure up this weekend.

Thanks for reading

Weighed in at 125lbs this morning. So, I’m not budging on the scale, but I must say that I’m looking better. This past week I emphasized weight training, cut down on the aerobics and I see a positive difference in the way that I look. So, its working.

Unfortuneately though, I injured myself doing aerobics this week. I use a step in the basement and I guess my stepping got a little too vigorous. The next morning I couldn’t put any weight on my right foot. I thought it was broken. I went to the doctor and he said that I pulled a ligament in my right foot, so I need to keep off of it for 7-10 days (yeah right – easier said than done).

In any case, I haven’t done much exercise since Thursday due to my injury and I’m beginning to get antsy, but I don’t want to push it either, because I don’t want to make my foot worse. So, I’ll be patient.

I’ll focus on weights and maybe the bike if it doesn’t aggrevate my foot.

Thanks for reading!

I returned the BodySolution cellulite products. I just didn’t think they were working. Hopefully I’ll get my money back. The return was a little painful due to me not understanding the customer service rep. It seems that they outsource their customer service overseas, which is not unusual, but on top of that the connection wasn’t that good. But at least I didn’t get hung up on this time.  See the post when I first ordered…

http://mycellulitewar.com/2009/06/06/cellulite_reduction_lotion/bodysolution-free-trial-review/

I finally got my RMA number after asking several times for the rep to repeat themselves and then I packaged it up and sent it back.

Of course though, since I’m doing research on what works and what doesn’t, I copied all of the ingredients down before sending it back. So I’ll delve into a few in the BodySolution  – Cellulite Toning Crème. Here’s what they say about it on the product label:

Body Solution Cellulite Toning Crème: Now with Hyreculon TM and encapsulated caffeine for faster, sustained delivery, to help reduce dimples and tighten the tush!

 Features:

• Patented Hyreculon delivery system
• Encapsulated caffeine for improved circulation & toxin removal

 Benefits:

• Skin is immediately smoother
• Less dimpled appearance
• Skin is more hydrated, supple
• Skin feels and looks firmer

To Use: Apply all over targeted areas twice daily. Avoid contact with eyes. Keep out of reach of children.

I’m curious about the Patented Hyreculon delivery system.

Some Ingredients:

• Prunus amygdalus dulcis (Sweet Almond Oil): Acts as a lubricant, making the skin soft and smooth
• Ethoxylated Diesters (HypeceneTM): From what I can find, Hypecene is found in acne medication to relieve irritation and redness. But when I do a search on Ethoxylated Diesters I find a lot of very scientific explantions of what it is and does, but nothing that is comprehensible to me!
• Hydroxylated Lecithin (Hyreculon TM Liposomes): I also find that this is in acne medication, but I can’t find what its purpose is, other than the promotional material I find on BodySolution. Also a lot of scientific info that doesn’t make sense to me.

Whew. Enough of the ingredient research. Whatever is in it the creme, it didn’t work for me.

Does anyone have additional info on the above ingredients? If so, please post a comment. I would love to hear what these ingredients really are and what they do. Chemist anyone?

Thanks for reading!