Busy, Busy.

LIFE.

Life seems to get in the way of everything! I did great over the summer! I exercised, dieted, counted calories, took my essential oil weight loss trio - I was on it! Then life hit.

School started back. Grad school started. Soccer started. Homework started. Yearbook/Newspaper/Clubs/Sports started. Cub scouts started. LIFE HIT! Fast & Hard. Quick snacks. Fast food. Exhausted. No exercise. It. Is. Awful. (Life isn't awful - the busyness is awful.)

I've definitely gained weight (again). Thankfully, I am two weeks into school and feeling a lot more confident! I bought a FitBit, and my day does not end until I walk at least 10,000 steps (first day of school I conquered 14,000+!). I am still working my PACT app, but my calorie counting has been ending in the negative.

Today is a new day! The year is settling in. Our schedule is smoothing out. I will be back on track. 

(hopefully I pick back up blogging too!)

Essential Oils for Weight Loss

Each day I become a bigger "essential oiler." For those of you unfamiliar with essential oils, they are the life blood of a plant. They were used for medicinal reasons before chemically created medicines began to poison us. Oils are referenced many times in the bible (just to show you how long they have been being used). 

I started out extremely skeptical. These "smelly waters" were just another expensive marketing scam. They don't do anything. These people are crazy. 

Towards the end of the school year, I began to get sick (sore throat, congestion, yucky head stuff). A friend invited me to a meeting and gave me thieves and eucalyptus. I felt better before the end of the meeting! My scratchy, sore throat was GONE. My congestion was clearing up - I could breathe! She sent me home with peppermint for anymore sinus issues - and I. Was. Hooked. 

I ordered a Young Living started kit (Young Living is the only company with a seed to seal promise. After a great deal of research, I settled on YL.) shortly after that meeting. 

I've used them for so many things! Cleaning, sinus trouble, migraines, headaches, sore back/feet/anything (especially from working out), my son's eczema, anxiety, insomnia, ETC! The list could go on forever. Now I'm using them for weightloss!

I had the idea to make and take these from reading another blog: http://stuffparentsneed.com/tag/young-living-oils-for-weight-loss/

She used grapefruit, peppermint, and lemon essential oils mixed with coconut oil. Peppermint and lemon come in the kit, and grapefruit is fairly cheap. I also ordered empty capsules and the coconut oil. Following her directions, I mixed them up, filled them up, and stuck them in the freezer. 

I've only been taking them for a few days, but I can tell a difference! It's summer time, and I'm used to snacking constantly throughout the day - I don't have the snacking urge anymore! I don't even really care to eat until my tummy is talking to me. I can't speak to how big this is for me and my body!

I don't weigh myself each day, but I will definitely update when I do to see if they are helping with weightloss!

Progress Perfection!

There are few better feelings than watching the scale numbers decrease! It means my hard word, sweat, tears, and lack of sweet treats isn't for nothing! The scales aren't headed down fast, but down is always better than up. 

PACT app has been a HUGE help. I may be comfy on the couch and exhausted, but I still don't want to owe $5+! So my butt gets up and walks for 30+ minutes. I've found the time goes by a lot faster if I try to run. Apparently when you are gasping for air like your life depends on it, you don't notice time. I've completed over 200 activities (excersice, calorie counting, and eating fruits/veggies), and I've earned almost $20! May not seem like much, but when I lose the weight - shopping here I come!

I went shopping recently due to the new school year, and I made myself use their full length mirror (I don't own one!). I see weightloss in my calf/thunder thigh areas, but not much of it. My butt, stomach, and arms sure aren't going anywhere fast. It's okay. I know I'm headed somewhere better - getting my life back! I won't be trapped inside this flubbed suit forever!