Week Three: Still Sick but Feeling Great!

Day 18 and I am still fighting this cold (and I consider myself to be winning). After two 13 hour work days, it's still remaining a minor presence (thankfully). I have incorporated some other cold fighting tricks. The first being lymph massage/drainage to combat a sore throat. It started last night but I massaged before bed and woke up sore throat free! It came back a bit today, but more massage and some Cold Zing (lemon) tea with honey is holding it at bay.  I will be sure to massage before bed again tonight.

Day 19. . .The lymph massage has completely cured my sore throat.

Day 20! I thought I was losing this battle with the cold. I was so tired! Then I realized that I had not taken my It's Vital or my Greens. I was shocked to feel better within a half hour of taking them. The difference was beyond amazing. Even if it is in my head, It Works, so I'm okay with that!!!

I can't even tell you how strange of a feeling it was to feel "good" while being sick. I can just imagine that if I had been on these vitamins and greens a few weeks earlier that I may not have gotten sick at all. The only bad part has been coughing all night so being super tired in the morning., so I did stay home one day to catch up on some sleep.

I mentioned the cost of the Greens to a co-worker (who is not taking them) and she had the best words of wisdom. There are 8-servings of fruits and vegetables in one serving of greens. . .she said "Just think of how much money you are saving on fruits and vegetables!" She's right, plus I don't have to eat them (I still eat some though).

I am starting to get really exited about the second phase of my 90 day program. My goal will be to lose 10 pounds in 60 days. Sounds reasonable to me, especially with the Christmas season approaching! Any one want to join me?

Week Two - It Works 1, Cold Germs 0 (For Now)

Before I started taking It's Vital and Greens, I felt a bit like I was getting a cold but it never developed. I am quite sure that my It Works products helped me to keep it at bay.

Day 10 brought my first two job day of this journey. I remember driving home and thinking that I felt amazingly awake after 13 hours of work. Then came the next morning, which was thankfully on the weekend. I could barely drag myself out of bed at 8 for a hair appointment though. I ate breakfast, took my It's Vital, made a smoothie with my Greens and headed out. I was still half asleep when I arrived at the hairdresser, but I finished my smoothie and felt great by the time I left.

That afternoon I was out with the kids and missed my second Greens. I was also super tired when we got home so I took an hour nap and felt re-energized. I know - I had a nap, but I still think that the It's Vital and Greens are helping with my energy. They're not going to provide a miracle if you don't sleep enough, but they are sure going to help when you're awake!

Day 12 I worked my second job again (it was Sunday so only a one-job day), and I missed my second Greens again. I am sure that being over-worked and not taking my Greens had led to me being run down and I could feel that cold trying to make an appearance again so I went back to twice-a-day Greens, and extra vitamin C to fight it off. I can happily report that the cold has not progressed past a scratchy throat and a wee bit of chest congestion.

So, at the end of week two, I would definitely say that these products are working for me! I am more than willing to spend the money if these can help keep me healthy and energized! I'm anxious to see if I can keep this cold at bay as I have two 13 hour days ahead!

What Does It Works Do?

I want to tell you more about It Works and the products they offer. As I have mentioned I am a skeptic, but I can't even tell you how much time I have spent looking at the products that I am taking, and then at many of the other products, especially the ones that interest me.

I don't know about you, but several years ago I remember seeing "Have you tried that crazy wrap thing?" advertising cards and Facebook posts.

They never interested me. I was losing weight the old fashioned way, and this sounded like a waste of money as the skeptic in me said "yeah, right". Little did I know that the It Works line went far beyond just the wraps. They promote health and lifestyle! (For more information on how It Works Global came to be, click here.)

In addition to other Body products, they also have a Lifestyle line, which includes premium supplements. They have their Greens line which offer eight servings of fruits and vegetables mixed into water, yogurt, juice, or a smoothie. And they have a Skin line which offers botanically based care for your skin.

I want to tell you more about the products I am trying as well as the ones that interest me to try in the future.

The Greens!

Okay, I've told you about the Greens, I'm taking those right now.

These are the orange ones, I'm taking the berry flavoured ones, and I also plan to get the chews for convenience (plus they taste great).

It's Vital Core Nutrition

I've told you about this one too! The label advises to consult your doctor for use beyond one month so I am asking him the next time I go as it includes the vitamins I used to take individually (although I still take additional vitamin C twice a day).

Confianza

Helps support the body's resistance to stress. I bought this one but haven't tried it yet. It can be taken on an as-needed basis.

Hair Skin Nails

I really want to try this one. My niece is trying it right now. My hair is thin now where it was much thicker in my younger days. Although, it may grow faster too meaning I might be showing more blonde! Yikes!

Lip & Eye

Seriously, might as well just call this one "Eye" for me. That's all I want to try it for. Lessens the look of laugh lines (yes, please) and reduces the appearance of bags and puffiness. Definitely on my list!

Stretch Mark

Does this need any explanation. Two kids, overweight, boobs. Yup, that's about it!

Relief

Sure, why not? My aches and pains make me feel old and prevent me from getting a good night of sleep. My mom is trying this one right now. 

And then there are those "Crazy Wrap Things"

I can't just sit here and be a skeptic and not put them to the test myself so I do plan to eventually try them. Someone I know recently tried the wrap, and yes, she is already skinny, but you can really see the difference in the definition of her curves.  She put it on before a hockey game and took it off during the second intermission.

Part of my skepticism is the before/after pictures online. This is someone close to me though. . .a real, live person! The top two pics are before pics and the bottom two are after.

These I can get you right now if you are interested. They tighten and tone the skin as well as reduce the appearance of cellulite. They are $30 each to purchase individually.

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions please ask. You can contact me through Facebook or fill out the form here.

Week One of My It Works Journey (And What's the Catch Anyway?)

Being the skeptic that I am, I can't believe how much these two products that I am trying excite me (see previous post for product info). There are so many more of the It Works products that I want to try right NOW but I have to be patient and try each product in it's own time.

Rather than a short post every day, I have combined my experience into a one week post. You may skip to the bottom for the week summary if you prefer not to read all of it.

Day 1 - It's Vital & Greens x 2 in H2O 

I already felt like I had energy. Unfortunately, that may not be the vitamins. It could just me as I don't always feel run down, I do get random bursts of energy. It could also be the excitement of finally starting my It Works adventure. 

Day 2 - It's Vital & Greens x 1 in smoothie, x 1 in H2O 

I swear I felt energized (for lack of a better word) today. I had no desire to get a second coffee today. Maybe it's all in my head but so far so good!

Breakfast of champions?

Day 3 - It's Vital & Greens x 2 in H2O 

Still feeling good today. It took me four hours to drink my morning coffee because I was actually awake. I did have a down period this afternoon but I think that was more about what I didn't eat today as I did not have enough protein and I love protein! Tonight was a planned evening of good company and "bad" food. I believe that allowing a "bad" food day here and there is helpful so that I don't give up completely. 

Day 4 - It's Vital & Greens x 1 in smoothie 

I woke up early today, for a Saturday. I have to say that even though it was hard to open my eyes, I felt amazingly awake. I ate breakfast and I took my It's Vital. I started to feel unwell later this morning so I took a shower and made a smoothie with my Greens. And you know what? I still didn't feel great but I suddenly had the desire to go for a walk! 

Day 5 - It's Vital, Greens x 1 in H2O & Greens Chew x 1 

Feeling better this morning. Again when I woke up I was not wanting to open my eyes, but I felt like I could have gotten up and started my errands for the day without dragging my ass as I do every other Sunday.  Hubby bought me a Kale & Feta McWrap for a breakfast treat, which was quite good (but I really usually love anything with Feta), then I took my Greens and got my errands started. I returned home to do laundry and be otherwise lazy (by choice) while I waited to head to my mom's for Thanksgiving dinner. Of coarse I ate waaaay more then I intended. I also had a chance to sample a Greens Chew thanks to my mom. It tasted fantastic! I will need to order some of those soon! 

Day 6 - It's Vital & Greens x 1 in Yogurt, x 1 in H2O  

Happy Thanksgiving! I finally slept in today, but I had to stay up late last night so that I could! I tried my Greens in strawberry yogurt for something and it was delicious. I was going to skip my second Greens since I planned to be lazy this evening, but I changed my mind and decided consistency is probably best. 

Day 7 - It's Vital & Greens x 1 in Cream of Wheat, x 1 in Yogurt 

Tried something different with my Greens today, I mixed them into my Cream of Wheat. It was very sweet, I think next time I need to use two packages of Cream of Wheat (or oatmeal). First day of work after the long weekend so I did consider a second coffee this morning but decided to try to keep to one cup per day. 

Maybe it is all in my head but I really do feel better. Not 100% or anything close, just better. It's only been a week so I know that it will take time to notice a large, consistent change in my energy level but I would have to say it is working so far. 

I haven't been a model eater the past seven days but these first 30 days are not about losing weight. It's about gaining some energy so that maybe I can get motivated again. I should eat healthier though.

Remember, these are not weight loss products that I am taking. I lost 50 pounds the good old-fashioned way. . .eating better and moderate exercise. The products I am taking are supplements to increase my energy levels so that I can get my ass in gear again to lose those five pounds that came back and KEEP them off (although I certainly wouldn't be opposed to losing more).

So I'm sure you are wondering what the catch is with It Works, right? The catch is that you have to commit to a minimum of three months in order to get the product at the lower price (40% off). If you cancel before three months, there is a $50 membership fee. Once your first order ships, you can change your order for the next month. You can also order additional products at any time. You earn points on every order that you can use toward product. (Woo hoo! Free product if you save it up!) You also earn bonus points the longer you are enrolled. (Woo hoo! More free product!)

If you have any questions please ask. You can contact me through Facebook or fill out the form here.

Thanks for your interest (or curiosity)!

Welcome to My It Works Journey

I decided to try It Works. . .not for those wrap things, but for their supplements.  A few years ago I would see It Works stuff everywhere but it was all about the wraps. I figured just another silly fad since they don't actually make you lose weight (although they can help you to appear more toned and firm).

I visited my sister in May. She's 40 with twin baby boys (they are one now).  She mentioned that she was trying Greens from It Works for her energy levels. She had posted in a twin-mom forum about how exhausted she was (she has twins so she should be tired!!!) and someone had recommended it.  By the time I visited her in August, she was a full on It Works distributor, selling the product and recruiting people to sell it with her.  She raved about how great it was for her energy levels.

Now, I am a skeptic. Always.  I spent a lot of time on the internet looking at the products and what people had to say about the products, and I decided that it was worth the chance.  However, I also decided that if I was going to try it, I was also enrolling as a distributor so that if I love it, and other people are interested because I talk about it, then I could sell it too.  And if I don't sell it, I still have some awesome product that came with my distributor kit!

I am starting with a 90 day challenge. . .or at least the first 30 days of that challenge.  It includes the Greens, It's Vital Core Nutrition, and Regular. I have decided to skip the Regular as I don't need any help in that department!

The Greens offer eight servings of fruits and vegetables mixed into water, yogurt, juice, or a smoothie. The It's Vital Core Nutrition is a supplement/multivitamin that just sounds amazing to me as it has all the vitamins that I took when I was losing weight and much, much more!

I have high hopes that this combination of supplements will help me feel more energized because if I have more energy maybe I can get back to exercising and lose some weight and keep it off easier. 

So that's the new path that I have decided to take and I hope that you might like to follow me on my new path.  I can't say where this path will take me but I won't know unless I try.  And if you would like to see more of the products, the website is www.greatgreens.myitworks.com.