The Long Version

In 1967 I came into this world skinny, and then I ate. LOL Okay, so I wasn't fat as a kid. I was a string bean. I could eat anything and never gain an inch. When we had pizza, I got a medium one all to myself. When we had spaghetti, you couldn't see the flowers on the rim of the CorrelleWare for the pile of noodles. Then, puberty hit and with it came curves.
I was a bit obsessive compulsive as a teenie-bopper so my solution was to binge and starve. I waited tables as my high school job, and my daily diet consisted of either milk shakes, ice cream, french fries, and hot ham & cheeses (in that order), or salad. There was no in between for me -I looked to my uniforms to tell me what the menu of the day would be. Back then, I was a size 3/5. Then I went off to college and learned how to eat healthy (or at least the America way), and exercise. Despite my rigorous workout routines, I gained the freshman 15 my first quarter! My wardrobe had to expand with me, and when I got married a year later, I was finding that a size 6 was snug, and 8's were required if I wanted to bend at the waist.
We were in college, and living on a $35 per week grocery budget (think lots of pasta and potatoes.) We kept such a busy schedule that exercise was a luxury. Two years into the marriage our family of two grew. From there life accelerated in warp speed fashion, and birthing babies became a bi-annual event. In between times, I was nursing so 'dieting' according to my method of thinking wasn't allowed. I managed to get my figure back pretty quickly, until baby number 4. I actually GAINED weight after he was born. I had exercised religiously during the pregnancy, and was very careful with my food choice (in a healthy way). He was born skinny just like me, but my body wasn't making enough to satisfy him. In hindsight, I probably should have just upped my water intake. Instead, I used it as an excuse to eat everything but the kitchen sink, to borrow a worn-out phrase. And that started the beginning of my matronly figure. With each subsequent baby (remember I have given birth to 12) I gained a few more pounds, and lost a few less before beginning the cycle again.
During this time, I had health challenges that sent me searching for answers. I became a health nut. We grind our own wheat, make our own bread, you get the picture. Sugar is very limited, and we have some general rules - no sodas, no artificial sweeteners, no MSG, no nitrates, no food dyes, no high fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated oils... so by all accounts we should all be skinny. With a no-purchase list like that, there really isn't much else to choose from! Don't laugh though, through diet changes and nutritional supplementation I got my life back, and restored my health. I became a wellness consultant, and started sharing what I learned. Even still, the fat clung to me with the tenacity of a pit bull. I gave up, and consoled myself that at least I didn't fall into the category of 'obese', just overweight.
Then something happened. It was subtle, but it hit me like a locamotive. Subtle in that, I can't pinpoint when my attitude changed. I had been reading lots of different personal development books to help me improve my business skills. I also turned 40. Approaching the top of the hill was a defining moment for me. I remember moving beyond the 'want to' and stepping across the threshold of 'have to'. I wouldn't say I had a mid life crisis. Forty was the best year of my life - thus far. I will say I made a midlife re-evaluation. What I decided was that it was possible to find the Perfect Body Shape that was buried under the years of accumulated blubber.
I became a certified Perfect Body Shape coach, and began the journey along with my clients. If you have ever tried dieting and found that it didn't work, or that it didn't 'stick' (meaning the weight returned later), then I have good news! You didn't fail, your diet failed you!
What do I mean by that? Do some research... look at the statistics, particularly the steady gain in the nation's weight problems while we've been fed propoganda about low fat, low carb, low calorie diets. Heart disease has gone up since we swapped out our saturated fats and replaced them with 'better for you' hydrogenated oils. Diabetes has sky rocketed while all the 'low fat' dieters wonder why they aren't losing weight. Low cal folks might lose it right along with the low carb folks, but the fat will return... and usually with a vengenance. My problem was that I wasn't eating the right things, or that I was eating too much. I wasn't eating enough, or often enough, to satisfy my thrifty gene that had been in overdrive since high school.
So, I implemented low glycemic healthy meals 5-6 times per day. I supported my body with the proper nutrition designed to help support weight loss. And I lost weight, along with a few dress sizes. I still had some problem areas though, and I was frustrated (but not enough to find time to exercise.) Then I added in a patented peptide product that targets fat loss. The inches literally melted away. I achieved my goal, and then some. I started out my journey forcing myself into size 14 pants. Now my size 6 clothes fit loosely. I have blogged on the Lean for Life group at Fabulously40. I posted my baseline, and where I am now. I am only one inch off my goal in the waist and hip area.
The only area where I have failed is exercise, which leaves me with flab. This year, it has to go! Exercise can no longer be avoided. So, I started an Oh So Lean Challenge at Fabulously40 to help me stay focused, and I joined the ModernMom Challenge for back up support. Please leave a comment and let me know I have folks in my corner (or watching over my shoulder) to help me with my exercise goals. Let me know if you need some encouragement. I was born to be a cheerleader!

2009 Biggest Loser Challenge

Since I linked to my blog, that means I am committed to posting about my Lean for Life/Perfect Body Shape journey. However, my momma duties dictate that I can't do it now. I promise to journal about it tonight. I am gathering the troops to start a Biggest Loser Challenge, with the prize being a month's supply of nutritional support products. We have weekly cheerleading - encouragement calls. I am connecting with moms around the globe to form a support team. I lost mine, now I want to help you lose yours so I can enjoy the journey of success again, vicariously through all my cyber buddies. NOTHING feels as good as rediscovering your self esteem, and appreciating your hard work in the mirror - except maybe the satisfaction of helping someone else get comfortable in their own skin.

You can go here to learn more about a *healthy* patented technology that targets fat loss. And best of all, it comes with a 6 month satisfaction guarantee. http://www.mtexpro.com/preenroll.php?uname=codeoflife&nopop1=&er=1&firstin=1&promocode=goland3/biggestloserchallenge
It helped me go from a tight size 14 to a loose size 6!
I'll blog more later tonight. For now, I'm off to supervise the kidlets getting their school done. This afternoon we'll be visiting with old friends. Old, not in age, but in length of friendship... just to clarify (in case she reads my blog! LOL)

I can't believe...

1)that is is 2am and I am still up &
2)that it is Jan 5th and I am already 4 days behind.
Jan 1st came and went, with no New Year's Resolutions broadcast to the world so that I might hold myself accountable.
So, here goes - albeit, 4 days late.
I hereby resolve to:
spend more time enjoying my family - wording choice was intentional - subtly different than enjoy spending time... but different all the same;
devote more time to prayer and meditating on God's Word
be a good role model as a Weight Management Coach by exercising more
be more focused on what I need to accomplish when I am on the computer
and get my new blogs up and running as well as help Hannah establish a profitable business at http://hannahmadesoaps.blogspot.com
2009 is a year I have claimed for myself as my year to shine. The spark has ignited, and the flame is flickering. I enjoyed spending a couple of days participating (not just watching) in a Parelli Clinic with Raja right before Clay left to go back. It was amazing. I can't wait to continue to develop what we started there. My goal for this year is to complete level one.

Life Beyond Laundry

I am still working on sorting out how to blog in a way that would educate, encourage, and entertain. In my mind, I have finally come to the conclusion that I need to separate my personal life blogs from my health and weight loss coaching. Not everybody who cares about losing weight or restoring their health is interested in a 'day in the life of' the Shaws. Not everybody who is curious about life with a dirty dozen wants to read about my passion for improving people's quality of life. So, even though I know I can't please all the people, all the time... I have the card carrying People Pleaser Personality that does everything humanly within my power to achieve the impossible. Enter - Life Beyond Laundry. I'll be reformatting this blog soon and it will be dedicated to sharing insights I have gained (mostly through mistakes) and momentary glimpses of wisdom. Being a mom of twelve, I've had lots of opportunity to make mistakes, and try again. I am still learning that there is life beyond laundry. Mountains of laundry. My goal for the new year is to post at least once a week, even if it is just a funny story. You might even be priviledged enough to get a few glimpes of my goofy little urchins while they are keeping me from being too serious about life.
I will also be launching a new blog with the URL www.sweetlanguageoflife.com which will be focused on health, wellness, and weight loss. I have them linked to one another. As we enter 2009, I'd like to help make it a year to Shine... for anyone who wants to improve their quality of life. And since my plate isn't quite full enough with my own business, I decided to take the plunge and help my 13yo daughter launch her own online biz at www.hannahmadesoaps.blogspot.com
Tell me what you are doing differently in 2009. What are your goals? Did you make a New Year's Resolution? I look forward to reading comments.

Living - In Theory: Here’s the Deal…

Living - In Theory: Here’s the Deal…

HP Magic Giveaway Contest

While I was visiting a friend's site, I noticed she had a joined a contest http://livingintheory.blogspot.com/2008/12/heres-deal.html so I thought I would check it out. I was expecting to 'sign up' with my name and email address and have equal odds of winning. When I reviewed the criteria, I considered not entering. After I decided to go ahead and take the plunge (what's to lose) and began reading everyone else's posts, I contemplated what I might write about that could even come close to competing with the incredibe giving hearts of the other contestants. Not that I think I'll win, but I am posting about it all the same, because I think it is an ingenious way to encourage people to think of others ahead of themselves, and try to make the world a brighter place.
So, here's the deal: HP is offering a mega give-away, and allowing each sub-contest to be run at the discretion of the chosen bloggers who are awarding the prizes. I happened to find this one (click on the title to learn more), but apparently there are 50 simultaneous Blogger Magic Giveaways going on. http://http//www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/blogger-magic/

including one at http://www.techiediva.com/2008/12/06/techie-diva-presents-the-hp-magic-giveaway/ and another at
http://merlotmom.blogspot.com/2008/12/its-here-hp-magic-giveaway-begins.html
One of the fun things about entering is you get to visit some really cool blogs. You might even find a few you want to follow. Each blogger sets his or her on rules. Most of them encourage you to at least tell how you would share the magic.

In the Living in Theory contest, our challenge is to write about how we impact the lives of others. I am not quite sure where to begin. As a mom of twelve, nine still living at home, I guess I could say I impact lives everyday. My hope is that through nurturing and instilling compassionate values in my children my investment will be compounded as they can far out reach me in making a difference in the world.

If you read any of my other blog posts, you'll realize that I am passionate about health. My goal, or mission statement, if you will, is to impact the lives of thousands through helping them learn more about wellness, and how to improve the quality of their lives. Nothing is more gratifiying to me than to be able to help someone recover their health, and get their live back (outside of watching my children grow up and achieve their dreams.) I am especially concerned with helping families with special needs children. Part of that drive comes from losing a son (who had a medical condition) ten years ago. I always think... "if I had known then what I know now would things have been different?" So I make it my goal for other parents to not have to ask themselves that question.

I am a MannaRelief Champion and I raise funds to sponsor children with medical challenges. The sponsorship provides Optimal Nutrition for children and helps to improve their quality of life. I also personally sponsor an orphanage through MannaRelief. A long term goal of mine is to take my family on a MannaRelief missions trip where we would actually participate in distributing product, and meeting the children. Currently I am working with a family that has two children with special needs. Both boys have seen great results and the parents would like to keep them in the program. As the economy suffers, so does charitable giving. As their champion, I am on a mission to find the funds to keep them enrolled.

How does this relate to what I would do with the HP Majic Giveaway prizes? It doesn't really, except that one of the boys who is autistic would greatly benefit from having the touchscreen computer. I would love to be able to offer it to this family for their son.

Also in my rambling blog posts is the saga of our family, and our current separation from Daddy. My wonderful husband is on the other side of the country while we are here, waiting for our house to sell. He is incredibly lonely, and having a laptop to 'link' back home would help him trememdously. It is, in fact, on our items to purchase list... only I have yet to take the time to search out the best deal. With us having to stretch our budgets to cover his living expenses as well as ours, winning the contest would allow us to save that laptop money for other things while we stretch our dollars.

With as many children as we have, we are probably one of few families that *could* actually use all the giveaway ourselves. However, we aren't in need of another printer. I am perfectly happy with the HP we currently have, so I would donate it to the local Pregnancy Center, or the Care Cottage (which is a liason for children who are in the DFACS system.) The mini would be perfect for my younger children to do their school work on and would help me keep my sanity when we pack the caravan to drive thousands of miles across the country. I am sure it would help to eliminate the incessant "are we there yet" questions that will no doubt test my last nerve without a portable DVD player to distract them.

Even after I have written all this, there were so many contestants who are far more deserving, and had much loftier plans in place were they to be the lucky winner. I think the neatest thing about this contest is that it doesn't matter who wins. Just by participating, we have stimulated our thoughts (and hopefully our actions) about how to pay it forward and make the world a better place. So, by all means, check out Sugar's blog (follow the title link) and share what you are doing to make a difference. Entertain the idea of winning, and how you would share the Majic.

The Pursuit of Dreams

Helping my children pursue their dreams gives me immense satisfaction. I encourage lofty goals. I want them to reach for the stars, and see where the path leads them. I hope you'll take a moment to visit Hannah's website. Pamper yourself while your there, and help a little girl as she tries to find her place in this world.