My Partner

Yesterday I celebrated 7 wonderful years with my beautiful wife Lindsey.  As I look back, it is hard to believe that it has been 7 years already!  Where does the time go?  How is it that we have moved twice and had 4 beautiful children in just 7 years???  What a journey it has been.  Without a doubt the best 7 years of my life.  For that I thank you Lindsey.  You have shown me what love really is.  You have always supported me and been there for me.  This brings me to the point of my post today.  Whether in life, or in the journey to weight loss and fitness, it is imperative that we all have someone in our corner and looking out for our best interests.

Lindsey has been instrumental in my journey to better health and a changed lifestyle.  She has supported me every step of the way.  Come to find out, she had been praying and hoping for these changes years before I was ready to make them.  She recently told me that she had always wished that I would take better care of myself, but felt that it would push me away if she was upfront about it.  Instead, she prayed and waited for the right opportunities to help motivate me and support me.  Once I made that decision last October, she was on board all the way.  She helped by cooking healthy meals.  She helped by working out with me.  She helped by celebrating my successes and helping me push through my failures.  There was never a doubt that she was in my corner and doing everything in her power to help me achieve my goals.


The funny thing is, by her being there for me, it turned out I was her motivation as well!  Ever since the day I ran my first 5k this spring, she got started running and now we are both addicted!  We have pushed each other to our limits on our runs together.  It has been so fun.  There have been many times during our long runs that we will motivate each other to keep running when we otherwise would not have been able to.  There have been many times when we kept each other accountable when we had cravings for something that just wasn't worth the calories or fat.  This journey has been much easier for both of us by having the other one looking out for us.

I am not naive enough to think that everyone has a Lindsey in their life.  I know that she is one of a kind, and that I am the luckiest man in the world to have her.  But I also know that everyone has someone that is looking out for them... a spouse, a friend, a parent, a sibling, someone.  And if you don't have someone that is willing to push you to achieve your goals, find someone.  Join a gym.  Join a running club.  I promise you, there is someone out there that will help you on your journey to better health.  Find them.  And once you find that person, use them.  Let them keep you moving when you don't feel like it.  Let them keep you accountable to your own goals and aspirations.

And be the motivational force in someone else's life too!  You will never know true happiness without knowing the feeling of helping others.  It was an amazing feeling to run with my wife during her first 5k.  To see her accomplish something that she never thought could happen.  And I got to enjoy that experience again when I ran a 5k with my brother.  I have been so blessed to be "that guy" to my family.  I am the reason that my wife runs.  I am the guy that got my brother to take up running.  It is very humbling to know that I was able to make a positive impact on their lives.  The funny thing is, I don't even know what I'm doing!  I've only been running for 5 or 6 months, I'm a rookie.  That is the crazy thing about getting into shape and getting healthy... it spreads.  It spreads like wildfire.  Once your friends and family see you doing it, they will join you.  All of a sudden you will have many partners to keep you moving!

So here is my challenge to you today.  Find your accountability partner to help you on your journey to becoming fit and healthy.  Use that person to motivate you and keep you moving.  Become the motivation to keep them moving as well.  You will be amazed at what you can accomplish when you team up with someone to achieve your goals!




Check out these 2 pictures of Lindsey and I!  I know she looks great in both, but notice how we look so much healthier and happier in the 2nd picture!  That is the power of an accountability partner!  I love you Lindsey, thanks for being there for me.

Michael

8/30/2003

After 7 wonderful years

What a night!

I am so excited!  Last night Lindsey and I hosted a 24 Day Challenge Informational Mixer at the Urbana Inn & Suites.  A Mixer is basically a meeting or a gathering, but for cool people, ha ha.  Anyway, there were over 20 people that came to learn more about the Advocare 24 Day Challenge... we almost ran out of seating in the conference room! 

As you are all probably aware, Lindsey and I completed the 24 Day Challenge a few weeks ago.  I was able to lose 24 pounds in 24 days!  Lindsey lost almost 9 pounds and 12 inches in 24 Days!  We were both extremely happy with our results and haven't quit.  I have lost another 10 pounds since completing the Challenge, and Lindsey has lost a few more pounds... She is now at her GOAL weight and wearing size 27 jeans for the first time in her life!  I am down to size 36 from size 42 less than 9 months ago and only have about 8 more pounds to lose to hit my GOAL!  As you can understand, we are fired up about what the 24 Day Challenge has done for us, and we have been sharing our success with friends and family.

Last night was so inspiring.  There were a few people there that have had similar success that shared their personal stories with Lindsey and I.  Our friend Troy has lost 22 pounds during the past 5 weeks!  He is looking and feeling GREAT.  He is getting close to his GOAL weight and couldn't be happier!  A friend of his, the Principal at CPU, is on day 12 or 13 of the Challenge and has already lost 17 pounds!  How AWESOME is that?  I can't wait to hear that man's final results... he is going to blow my numbers out of the water!  Our dear friend Sonya has just completed the Challenge and is down around 15 pounds!!!  She told me that she is wearing clothes that she hasn't fit into for years!  She is feeling and looking AWESOME!  She plans to continue on with products and keep losing weight to hit her GOAL!  She is writing an amazing story, and I can't wait to see how it turns out!

There were other great success stories in the room last night as well, our friend Dawn has been involved with Advocare for 6 years.  She lost over 60 pounds in the first few months and has kept it off ever since!  She also told us how after all of this time, she finally got her husband to try some products, he is on day 9 of the Challenge and is down 17 pounds!  Amazing.

So, as you can see, there are a ton of success stories with Advocare.  What has me excited and inspired even more is that last night we had 6 new people sign up for the 24 Day Challenge!  6 lives are soon to be changed forever.  6 lives are going to see the success that my wife and I have seen.  6 amazing people made the decision that enough was enough and took a step toward their goals of weight loss and better fitness.  These 6 ladies have made a decision to change their lifestyle, and are using the Advocare 24 Day Challenge to help get them there.

I am so happy for those who decided to give this a shot.  Lindsey and I will be working closely with them to answer any questions that they might have as they begin this journey, and to help motivate them to keep after it.  We are so humbled that we are able to help.  We are so excited to see the results.  We will post the results as we hear about them.  I wish our new friends the best of luck during this Challenge and can't wait to help others get started with their weight loss and fitness goals.

I am so excited!!!  Is it your time?  Are you ready to write your story?  Please contact me if you have any questions. 

Michael

Can it really be 50 days already?

I am really amazed as I check out the calendar this evening to see how long it has been since I have had a soda... 50 entire days!  For those of you that don't know me very well, this may not seem like that big of a deal.  Let me tell you, until 50 days ago, I was hooked on diet pop.  I would take 3 Diet Pepsi's and 3 Diet Mountain Dew's to work with me every day. Most days my cooler would be empty before I returned home... 6 sodas per day!!!  Sometimes more!  How disgusting is that?

Lindsey and I were able to quit cold turkey the day that we were introduced to AdvoCare's Spark Energy Drink!  We found that if we consume 2 or 3 Spark Energy Drinks per day, we don't even crave the diet soda that we used to rely on to get through the day.  Spark Energy Drink comes in 6 delicious flavors, Pink Lemonade, Grape, Fruit Punch, Mandarin Orange, Citrus, and Cherry.  Lindsey prefers Grape, while I am a Mandarin Orange fan!  I usually mix it up every day to have some variety.

Spark is the most nutritionally advanced energy drink on the market... it contains 21 vitamins, minerals, and nutrients for sugar free long lasting energy!  I have tried red bull and rock star, but they always made me feel so jittery at first and then I would crash after a while.  Spark is like a multivitamin with a caffeine kick for focused long term energy.  I am so thankful to have found Spark, it has made a huge difference in my life in just 50 days!

Check it out at the following link...

https://www.advocare.com/10071900/Store/ItemDetail.aspx?itemCode=A4095&id=E&flavor=M&size=P

If you've never tried a Spark Energy Drink, send me a message and I'll mail you out a sample!  I'm sure you will love it as much as I do!  It will help you kick the soda habit and help give you the energy to keep moving and getting in shape!

Michael

This is Your Life.....Are You WHO You Want to Be?

Most of you have probably read Michael's last post....the post about our dear friend "Grandpa Harold." In that post Michael mentioned that we heard these lyrics as we left Harold's funeral last week: "This is your life, are you who you want to be?" Those lyrics have stuck with us like glue this week and seem to fit SO MANY scenarios in our life.

1.) This is your life, are you who you want to be?

Our friend Harold was a deeply respected, well-known in the community, loving, giving, caring, Godly man. He wore his heart on his sleeve, he was always smiling, he walked with a bounce in his step and had a passion for life. He gave of his time and money to help local organizations, charities, schools, and businesses. For years and years he visited the nursing home in town, taking books to and from the library for the residents there, visiting and reminiscing about the good ole' days. He worked diligently as a realtor (and straight from the heart) to find many, many couples their first home....and was known to make the down payment from his own checkbook for them to get started in life. For us, it was a $300 bill for our first property tax payment. And let me tell you....$300 was A LOT of money to us back then! That $300 might have been the difference between us buying our first home or having to go back to the drawing board and wait until we could save more money. When I think of Harold and the way he lived his entire life, I think about my own life and the lyrics, "This is your life, are you who you want to be?"

2.) This is your life, are you who you want to be?

I'm think I'm a pretty good mom and wife but I know that I'm nowhere near perfect and that I've got a lot to learn and a lot of room for improvement. I tend to get stuck on the little, mundane things - things like shoes left by the door and toys scattered around the room. These things seem so important to me in the moment but when my kids look back do I want them to remember me as the mom that yelled a lot but kept a spotless home or do I want them to remember me as a warm and loving mom that was fun and played with them?  I try to be a good wife but I know that there are times when I could do more to show my husband how much I love him. I could tell him more. I could leave him a note. I could surprise him with a simple meal at the end of a long, hard day. I should be doing more to let him know how much I appreciate everything that he does for our family and at the end of a busy day at home with the kids, I sometimes forget to let him know how appreciated he really is. I can easily think about my role as a wife and mother and and the lyrics, "This is your life, are you who you want to be?"

3.) This is your life, are you who you want to be?

The final thing that comes to mind when I hear these lyrics is our journey this past year to lose weight and become healthy, not only for ourselves but to be good role models for our children. It has been an amazing journey, with ups and downs and lots of in-betweens but my favorite part of it all is that I did it with my best friend, and we have inspired others to do the same thing and take back their lives! We honestly feel like this is our "calling" in life...this is what we were meant to do! We feel blessed to be able to share our experiences with others and help to motivate them to make the same changes in their lives. Our involvement with AdvoCare has only strengthened that purpose within us. Not only do we get to share great products with others but we also get to help others find a "Plan B". I cannot begin to explain how rewarding that feeling is and how humbled we are to be a part of this amazing company. We share these products with others because we KNOW that they work. We KNOW that they are created and tested by a team of doctors and scientists. We KNOW that athletes like Drew Brees, the Superbowl MVP choose to use these products because they are the BEST! We also know that there are many people out there, just like us, that might need a "Plan B". They might need a way out. They might need to cut a new path in life and AdvoCare is a company that can do all of that. We are blessed to have been introduced to the products and we are blessed to have found our "Plan B." When I think about our finances and our lifestyle, I think of the lyrics, "This is your life, are you who you want to be?"

This IS my life and I am working very hard to be WHO I want to be. I have work to do in all areas of my life, but someday when I'm gone, I want my children to know that their mother was exactly WHO she wanted to be. That she didn't "close her eyes" and let this life pass her by, that she didn't live with "broken promises" and that her life was "everything she dreamed it would be."

I urge you, if there are areas in your life that you need to work on, don't wait. Don't let this life pass you by. Make the changes. Keep the promises. Open your eyes to what you have and to who you aspire to be.

-Lindsey

Life's Lessons

I have been doing a lot of soul searching this weekend.  Lindsey and I lost a friend that was near and dear to our hearts this past week.  Harold Petersen was our Realtor and so much more.  8 years ago, when Lindsey and I moved back to Reinbeck from Kansas City, we met Harold.  We looked at dozens of houses and acreages with his help, trying to find the right one.  Harold became a good friend very quickly, he was an 80 year old that skipped around like he was a teenager!  He was infectious, always so happy and full of life.  He never hesitated to give us his advice or tell us that "this isn't the right place for you two".

Finally after weeks of searching, Harold showed us a little old house in town.  It wasn't at all what we were looking for.  It needed a ton of work.  It was dirty, smelly, and gross.  The funny thing was, Harold knew it was the right place for us!  It took us a little while to realize it, but we came around.  Harold had already contacted the owner and had it set up that we would buy the house on contract for what most of our friends were paying for their vehicles.  It was under $30,000 with a payment of $300 per month!  Seriously, I miss that house payment!

With a month or two of elbow grease and about a $15,000 investment, we turned that dump into a beautiful home.  Harold would skip up the sidewalk at least once or twice a week to check on our progress.  He was so proud of us for getting it fixed up so nice.  We lived there almost 3 years and had our first two babies in that house.  All the while Harold would visit at least once a week.  He "adopted" us as his own.  And we adopted him too... he was and always will be "Grandpa Harold" to my family.

Once our family began to grow, Harold helped us search yet again for the "right" house.  Just like the first time, we got to visit dozens of houses with Grandpa Harold, and just like before, he was never shy to tell us why the place we were looking at was not the right place for us.  I must admit, at times it was frustrating, but he always knew best.  After searching high and low for the right place, it appeared that it might be just as economical to build a house.  We thought we had it all figured out, and planned to go with a lumber yard from a nearby town.  Harold was right there to point out our mistake, he had us talk to his son at the hometown lumber yard, and once again Harold steered us in the right direction!  He kept close track of us while building and moving into the new place.  He was so happy for us.  Our friendship only grew over the past 3 or 4 years.  There were many visits, dinners, and tons of conversations about life's lessons.  We always knew that Harold had the best intentions for our family, and his advice over the years is truly why we are now living in a beautiful new home!

Our Grandpa Harold passed away last Wednesday.  His funeral was on Saturday, and Lindsey and I learned even more from this dear friend this weekend.  What became apparent to us on Saturday was that we were not the only family whose lives he had touched.  Harold had such a knack for making you feel special.  He and his wife had 7 children, dozens of grandchildren and even a bunch of great-grandchildren, but yet found time to be our Grandpa too!  What I found out this weekend was that everyone in town felt the same way about Harold as Lindsey and I did!  How could he possibly have had time in the day to touch so many lives?  It was truly an honor to have known him.  I am so proud that we were honorary "grand kids" to Harold.  My family will always remember the special bond that we had with this great man.  Rest in peace Harold.  It is so sad for everyone left behind, but it is easy to find peace knowing that you and your wife Pat are dancing together again in Heaven.

So here is the question that keeps running through my head this weekend... have I done everything in my power to touch as many lives as Harold was able to touch?  What will my legacy be?  What will yours be?  As Lindsey and I drove home from the funeral, we had the Christian rock channel on, and a song (not even sure who sings it) came on... the lyrics caught my attention ... "this is your life, are you who you want to be?"

I can't get those lyrics out of my head.  I feel like I try really hard to be the best father I can be.  I try to be a great husband.  I try.  But in the hustle and bustle of the daily grind, blackberries, emails, phone calls, deadlines, etc. I sometimes lose sight of what really matters.  Thank you Grandpa Harold for setting me straight yet one more time.  I pray that I can stay this focused on what is really important in the days to come... Faith, Family, Friends, Serving and Helping Others...

For my post today, I leave you with the lyrics in my head "This is YOUR life, are YOU who you want to be?"

Michael

The 24 Day Challenge: How To Get Started!

We've told you how the 24 Day Challenge worked for us: Michael lost 24 pounds in 24 days. He has since lost another 13.4 pounds bringing his total weight loss to 37.4 pounds in just six weeks! I have been able to lose 10 pounds and 13 inches off of my body and keep it off - four inches from my waist alone!

Here are a few other success stories from our own friends and family who have done the Challenge:

Ted R., on Day 7, down 4 pounds
Tammy S., on Day 19, down 9 pounds and 9 inches
Stephenie J., on Day 4, down 4.2 pounds
Toni S., lost 6.8 pounds and 6 inches
Chris S., lost 15 pounds and 6.5 inches
Troy S., lost 16 pounds
Chris J., lost 10 pounds
Sonya D., lost 13 pounds


As you can see, the Challenge is a REAL answer for REAL people with REAL results!

Here is how you can take the next step:

1. Come to our house! That's right - on Sunday evening at 5:00 pm we are going to have a 24 Day Challenge get-together! We will go over the products included in the Challenge and answer any questions that you might have. Please, please, please bring a friend! Trust me, doing the Challenge with a friend by your side is such a great way to keep motivated and to stay accountable. If you can't find a friend to come with you or to do the Challenge with you, that is not a problem either - you can consider Michael and I your "partners" during the Challenge. We will follow up with you to make sure that you are taking the products correctly, help you out with finding some great food options and we will hound you like dogs until we see those pounds melt away. Okay....just kidding about that last part, but we will stay in touch with you to make sure that you "stay the course" and GET YOUR LIFE BACK!!!

2. Your second option, if you don't think you can make it on Sunday evening (but seriously...try to...we are giving away some really great stuff and there will be special discounts offered that evening that you won't find anywhere else!) is to leave me a comment on this post with your name, goals, and e-mail address. Then we can chat about what you are looking to achieve and when we can get together for a one-on-one meeting to get you started!

3. This option is for those people that can't make it on Sunday night and they really don't give a hoot about meeting Michael or I to chit-chat - they just want to get started and get started now!!! Here is what you can do: go to our Advocare site and at the bottom of the page you'll see the 24 Day Challenge listed under My Bundles. Click on Add to Cart, and get your products ordered and shipped directly to your home! Easy Peasy! Once I see that you've ordered I'll send you the start-up information and you will be ready to go!

I hope to see you all on Sunday evening (if you are planning on coming let me know so I have plenty of Spark drinks ready and baby-sitters to watch the kiddos!). God Bless!

Lindsey

Exercise: Find what you love and DO IT!

I am so excited!  Lindsey and I just got signed up for the Park to Park 1/2 Marathon earlier today!  It is on Sept. 11th in Cedar Falls, and there is a 5k or a 10k for those of you not up to the 13.1 miles that the 1/2 marathon offers.

Many of you have known me for a while now and are wondering what happened to me?  I used to hate running!  Even when I was in high school, I was out for many sports, but never cared for running!  Well things have changed.  My friend Don led me into running in March.  I told him I was inspired by seeing what he had been able to accomplish with his weight loss and his new found love of running.  So I tried it.  The first night I was all excited and took off for the grocery store (5 blocks away).  I didn't make it.  On about block 4 my lungs started burning so bad that I had to stop.  I felt like I was going to die!  Why did it hurt so bad?  I had a lot of questions, but only one answer... running was not for me.

I called Don and told him I tried to run, but it didn't work out.  I explained that I had been working out on an elliptical machine all winter and had lost over 30 pounds.  I could run at a good pace on the elliptical for nearly an hour, but for some reason I couldn't run four blocks on the street.  Don assured me that it would get better.  He told me that it is hard to go from working out on an elliptical to actually letting your feet hit the pavement.  He told me to take it easy to start, but to try some run/walks to get moving in the right direction.  I was too stubborn to give up, so I ran a few more times that week.  The second try I made it all the way to the grocery store... I think everyone wondered why on earth I was so red in the face and sweating profusely, but I made it!  I even was able to jog home carrying a few groceries.

From that point on I was able to run a little farther every time I went out.  Soon I was running a full mile without having a heart attack!  A couple days later Don called.  How far are you able to run, he asked.  I told him that I could go a mile and a half, maybe 2 miles.  Don's response... Great! I just signed you up for your first 5k!  I told him there was no way that I could run 3.1 miles.  He told me I'd do great, and that he would run with me and coach me through it.

So that following Saturday, hardly two full weeks since nearly collapsing while trying to run 5 blocks to the grocery store, Don and I ran the Fools 5k in Cedar Falls!  I didn't break any records, but I was able to finish with minimal walking!  I couldn't believe how good I felt when I crossed the finish line!  What a sense of accomplishment!  If you have never done it, it would be hard to understand, but believe me - you need to experience it!  I felt so motivated that I was able to complete a race!  That was it.  I was hooked!

 Later that day when I got home, my wife was so excited for me!  She asked me how it went, and I told her all about it.  I told her how I felt when I crossed the finish line, and how cool it was to hang out with so many fit and friendly people after the race.  Hundreds of people, and not one of them smoking a cigarette!  That was my kind of crowd!  Lindsey was compelled to run a race with me.  She went out and ran 3 miles the next day!  That was a mistake!  Her knees were in pain for about 2 weeks just from over-doing it that first day.  So then she was convinced to take it a little slower from the start.  We worked up to being able to run 3 miles and signed up for another 5k in Cedar Falls.

The cool thing, not only Lindsey ran with me, but 2 of her sisters decided to give it a shot too!  How cool is that... after running only one race, I was able to inspire 3 great ladies to run with me!  We all ran the 5k and did pretty well.  I think I improved my time a little and didn't really have to walk at all, so it was great!  Next came the Run Like a Mother 4 Mile race!  I didn't think I could handle 4 miles, but we did just fine and once again improved our time a little more!  This time, it was Lindsey, her 2 sisters, and her little sister's boyfriend!  Once again very cool to have so many want to run with us!

Next came a 7 mile race in Cedar Rapids.  Lindsey and I thought there was no way we could handle 7 miles but wanted to give it our best shot!  Guess what?  We were able to run all 7 miles without walking!  I never would have believed that I could run 7 miles!  My wife and her sister were so happy with that race that they worked on me to run a 1/2 Marathon at Sturgis Falls Days in Cedar Falls in late June.  I told them they were crazy, and that I had no business even trying it. 

They got the best of me.  Sturgis Falls 1/2 marathon here I come!  I just couldn't believe what I got myself into!  What were we thinking?  13.1 miles?  How? 

We got to the race and I was still very overwhelmed thinking about it!  I just couldn't fathom running that far!  Well, we took off with all of the other runners and the next thing you know, we were 1/2 way through!  Not so bad!  Granted, there had been a ton of praying and asking God to get me through this race, and boy did we!  Although the race was cut a little short by flood water, we were able to finish at a respectable time (for us)!  Once again, I can't begin to explain the emotions and feelings that sweep over your body when you run through the finish line of a race like this!  I'm not going to lie.  There were a few tears running down my face as I finished that one!  Unbelievable!  I never in a million years thought that I would run a 1/2 marathon!  What a great feeling!

Since the 1/2, Lindsey and I have continued training 3 days per week (or trying to), we have run in a few more 5k's.  One that stands out was the 4th of July!  That was the day my brother Eric ran his first 5k!  I ran it with him, much like Don had done for me, and kept him motivated and we finished it together!  He was so excited!  He, like me, never thought that he would run a 5k!  He is now running with us a couple times per week and really making improvement!  Lindsey and I also ran in the Dike Watermelon Day's Phil Kruger 5k a couple weeks ago.  We were so excited to see how our time had improved after only a few months of training!  My 5k time dropped from 34 minutes in April to 26 minutes in August!  I feel so good!  I can't wait to see how much I can improve by next year! 

That is the thing with running for me.  It is addictive because I always want to do a little better than I did the time before.  I compete against myself constantly.  I love the feeling of getting better.  I love the feeling of getting other people into it and seeing them become addicted to running as well!  It has been a great part of my journey to get fit and get healthy.  My hope is that all of you might find your thing and go with it!  Whether it's running, swimming, biking, whatever it is, if you love it - stick with it and keep after it to help get you to your goals!  You will find that others will be inspired by your love for exercise and be motivated to follow in your footsteps!

Before I finish up, I want to share just a few pointers that my wife and I have learned... many of them the hard way!

1) Make sure you have the right shoes!  If there is gray on the inside of the sole, they offer arch support.  Make sure you need it.  My wife had support shoes unknowingly and didn't need them.  Her knees and legs were MUCH happier once she got the correct "neutral" shoes!  To find out what you need, visit a specialty running store and have them watch or video record you while you run on a treadmill.  The Runner's Flat in Cedar Falls is where we go.

2) Get the right socks!  The performance socks are worth it!  You can even get them at Wal Mart or Target for pretty cheap.  They keep your feet drier and happier while running!

3) Wear a performance shirt and shorts too!  Cotton T-Shirts weigh you down when they are wet from perspiration!  Get a "wicking" performance shirt, once again, you don't have to spend that much money for them... check Target or Wal Mart.

4) Find a running partner, or partners to keep you motivated.  It is much easier to stay with it when there is someone else pushing you along!

5) Start SLOW.  Like my wife, you could end up on the couch for a while if you push too far or too fast before you are ready!

6)  Don't put off signing up for your first race (probably a 5k).  I had thought that I would run one or two 5k's this year.  With my friend's persuasion, I ran in my 1st one before I thought I could.  That made all the difference for me.  I built confidence to get after it and run many more races!  So get off the couch and just run one already!!

7)  Lindsey and I found out that GU was not for us!  It almost made her sick before our 1/2 marathon.  If you don't know what GU is, it is like eating flavored tar.  It has caffeine and other things to help you with energy, but wow, we couldn't handle it.  We now use Advocare's SLAM 2 oz. energy drink, and Advocare's O2 Gold.  SLAM is an energy drink that gets you moving and gives you energy to spare!  O2 Gold is an Herbal Supplement that enhances the body's use of oxygen.  It's nickname is the "third lung".  I can definitely tell a difference during my runs when I use these 2 products.

8)  GET AFTER IT!  Get motivated and set goals!  Pray, don't be afraid to ask for the ambition, strength, and perseverance to make it through a race!  I spend a lot of time clearing my head and praying while running!  I find it really helps keep me moving when I feel like God is with me and helping me to make it to the finish line!

Ok, that's enough.  I don't really know what I'm doing, but I know that I'm doing what I love!  I want all of you to figure out what it is that you love to do, and get busy doing it!  It will help you attain your lifestyle and fitness goals, and you'll have a blast doing it!  Get after it!

Michael

Lives are Changing!

I have been in contact with many of our friends and family that are currently taking the 24 Day Challenge.  I am so excited with the results that everyone is having!  Our friend Troy, told me the other day that he had just finished up the Challenge and had lost just over 16 pounds!  He was so happy!  He plans to stay on product to lose a few more pounds, but doesn't have far to go!

My wife was talking with our cousin yesterday.  Her husband had been reluctant to do the Challenge with her, but after about 17 days he has lost 16 pounds and is REALLY fired up about the amazing changes he is seeing!  Our cousin hasn't seen the huge weight loss, but loves the energy and feels like there has been a change in inches.

My older brother Ted is on day 10 of the Challenge and had lost about 5 pounds.  He was looking forward to the MNS 3 phase of the Challenge that offers the energy, appetite control, and really helps to melt off the weight.

My other brother Eric lost over 9 pounds during his challenge, but is currently over 60 pounds lost with Advocare products since late April!  He only has a few more pounds to lose and will be at his high school weight around 185 pounds!

Lindsey and I have a great friend in Cedar Rapids that lost over 13 pounds during the Challenge and is going to get us her measurements soon, but was confident that she had lost a ton of inches!

There are numerous others having similar or even better results that will get us their stats once the Challenge is complete.  As you can see, the products work.  Everyone we have talked to loves the added energy and the feeling of getting off on the right foot to their weight loss and fitness goals.  Many of these people haven't done a whole lot of exercise yet, but now feel like they can get started!  Just wait and see what will happen once they get moving!

Lindsey and I could not be happier for all of these people and their amazing success!  If you are one of our "Challengers" please keep us updated on your results!  Your story could motivate someone else to get started on their own journey of getting healthy and getting fit!  It is so inspiring for me to hear all of the stories!  It really keeps me moving and striving to reach my personal goals!  As of this morning I only have 13 more pounds to reach my ultimate goal of 213 pounds!  That will be a full 100 pounds lost since Oct. 21st 2009!  What a feeling that will be!  Thank you all for keeping me inspired and motivated to get there!  Keep up the good work and please share your story with Lindsey and I!

Michael

A Time to Reflect

I sit here on the morning after my 34th Birthday, surrounded by my 4 beautiful little kiddos while Lindsey is out running her 6 miles for the day (it's my turn when she gets back).  I can't help but reflect back on the past year of my life.  It is easily the most transformational and exciting year yet!

A year ago I was severely overweight.  I had little energy.  I was living an unhealthy lifestyle.  I was not being a good example to my four young children, and I knew it.  I thought I didn't have time to do anything about it.  I thought I was too busy to change.  Well, those were just excuses.  Once I woke up and realized that I needed to make a change, the rest came much easier.  It was making the decision to do something that took me all of those years.  On October 21st, 2009, I made the life changing decision that I couldn't live like that anymore.  I took my life back.  The rest is history... and here I sit on August 16th, 2010 and I have lost 87 pounds.  I have energy to spare.  I am now the role model for my children that I have always wanted to be.  My children now talk about wanting to go running with Lindsey and I.  My kids pretend to "workout" and do some pretty funny stretches, jumps, sit-ups, and jumping jacks trying to imitate what they see their parents do... how cool is that?

There has been another AMAZING change in my life in the past year as well.  On Valentine's Day 2010, Lindsey and I asked Jesus Christ to be the center of our lives and we have been "all in" for our Christianity ever since.  We both had grown up going to church, and have been involved at Prairie Lakes Church for 4 or 5 years now.  One night in early February Lindsey and I were having a discussion about the time and place that we stepped over the faith line and let Jesus become our Savior...   Even though we both were fairly certain that we were Christians, we couldn't put a finger on when or where that had happened.  We found a prayer on a Dave Ramsey CD that we both loved, and after putting the kids to bed that night, we prayed together in our basement and asked Jesus to take over our lives and committed ourselves to Him.  Wow!  What a feeling swept over us that night!  To know that no matter what life on this earth holds in store for us, that we will be able to live with each other and with Jesus for eternity was completely overwhelming!

This blog is about our journey toward healthy living and fitness, so I will not stray from that for too long.  But let me tell you, when you have God on your side, it makes the hard work to get into shape seem like no big deal!  I personally spend a lot of time praying and thanking God for giving me the strength and courage to continue on this healthy path.  I feel that He has played a large role in getting me here, and that without Him, I would have given up a long time ago!

Long story short, this has been the most AMAZING year of my life!  I can't wait to see what is in store for me and my family in the coming year!  If you would like to talk to me about any of this, please feel free to contact me!  I will continue to work toward my fitness and health goals, but now you know a little more about what has been helping me get there!  Below are a couple of pictures from last year around my birthday to this year... what a transformation!  Thank God for this journey that I am on!

As I always say... If I can do it, You can do it!  Is it your time?  Are you ready to take your life back?  We are here to help... just give us a call.

Michael

Okoboji - BEFORE and AFTER

Okoboji - BEFORE

Okoboji - AFTER

Okoboji - BEFORE

Okoboji - AFTER

Looking through pictures from last week's Okoboji vacation, it became VERY apparent to me just how much weight my husband has lost and just how much healthier he looks now. Can you believe the transformation that has taken place with him? I am so proud of him and his determination to TAKE BACK HIS LIFE! On this, the eve of his 34th birthday, he is happier, healthier and HOTTER than I have ever seen him!

Happy Birthday Baby! I LOVE YOU!

My Brother's Amazing Success with Advocare Products!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then I guess these pictures need no explanation!  Long story short, my brother Eric began to take Advocare's MNS Max 3, Catalyst, and Meal Replacement Shakes in late April.  He did this until taking the 24 Day Challenge with Lindsey and I a little over a month ago...during which he lost another 9 pounds and 12 inches!  Total weight loss to date: 62 pounds!!!   He is working on about 8 or 9 more pounds to get back down to his High School weight of 185 pounds! 

Eric started out at 255 pounds and by the end of the Challenge in late July, he was down to 193 pounds!  Even more importantly, Eric has had the energy to get moving and has taken up running with Lindsey and I.  He ran his 1st 5k on the 4th of July with us and plans to run another one this year!  He also has been doing a lot of biking with his kids.  Eric is so happy with his results.  He is healthier and happier than he has been for a long time.  After many discussions with him over the past few months I have found that he had a lot of the same feelings that I had when I was so overweight.  What Eric has found is that we can find the time to get healthy!  It begins with little things like changing our diet a little, and getting just a little extra exercise.  Once the ball gets rolling it motivates you to do more.

I am so PROUD of my big brother... just look at how much healthier and happier he is about himself!  And what a GREAT role model he is being for his kids!  They feel like they have their Dad back.  They now go biking and boating and a lot of fun things that had been put off in the past.  It was an interesting family trip to Okoboji this year.  Eric, Lindsey and I were watching what we ate, and snacking on roasted almonds, hard boiled eggs, and rice snacks rather than the usual cookies, chips, and bars.  And let me tell you, we were all much more exited about hanging out in our bathing suits all week!  Between the 3 of us, we were 150 pounds lighter than when we were at Okoboji last year!!!  What a great change!  I am so proud of my family, how fun to be a part of such a healthy group of people!

Way to go Eric!  Now, if you are starting to see a trend here, there is no question.  The products work!  The new lifestyle of health and fitness works!  We are much healthier and happier.  Please contact me if you would like to begin your journey to a healthier, happier you!  If we can do it, you can do it!

Michael

Vacation = Weight loss (Who knew?)

Arnold's Park - August 4th, 2010

I sit here this morning with a "to do" list a mile long and the energy to tackle one that is two miles long! I can't even begin to tell you all how great I have felt this past month and how much energy I have now! I thank God every day that I was introduced to the AdvoCare products - they were just the answer that I had been so desperately looking for. I was ready for a change. Ready NOT to feel fatigued and exhausted and like my brain had turned to mush! Ready to have the desire to play with my kids. Ready to have the energy to work-out at night. Ready for a better life. AdvoCare has given me just that! Had I not found these products and nutritional supplements I can tell you that my next step would have been a trip to the doctor and no doubt a prescription for meds. I have seen SO MANY moms just like me that end up on expensive medications that don't always do what they were intended to do. With AdvoCare and the 24 Day Challenge I've been able to gain energy and feel alive again, lose TEN unwanted pounds (mostly around my tummy), and tone up my body like it's never been toned up before!

I know it seems almost unbelievable but it is true: I actually LOST weight while on vacation! Who can say that they've done that before huh? My husband and I stuck to our 24 Day Challenge, ate sensibly and went on a couple of 4 or 5 mile runs during the week but that's it! We didn't deprive ourselves of anything! I enjoyed my mother-in-law's to-die-for steak and veggie k-bobs, had two scoops of vanilla ice cream at Arnold's Park and even indulged in THREE pieces of my favorite pizza! I stuck to the recommended eating plan for the majority of the week and stuck to my Catalyst, MNS strip packs and Spark to maintain energy and focus and to help curb cravings and maintain my metabolism! AdvoCare works. It was the answer to our prayers and it has changed our lives.

I sit here today, exactly ten pounds thinner than I was just one month ago and I have never felt better, looked better or had more energy than I do right now. I pray that all of you can find your answer to health and wellness and TAKE YOUR LIFE BACK! If Michael or I can help you in any way, please let us know. We have a great meal plan that we can share as well as numerous AdvoCare products and programs that you can follow to help you "jump start" your journey!

Lindsey

OMG I haven't seen this in over 15 years!!!

Woke up this morning feeling a little guilty that I hadn't gotten my run in last night.  We had company and it just didn't work out to get out and get my training in.  I knew I was really close to breaking another HUGE barrier in my weight loss goals, but since I hadn't exercised since the 5k last Saturday I didn't expect what I woke up to today!  After stepping on the scale and watching it blink a few times, it popped up at 228.4!!!  WOW!  I am officially in the 220's!  The last time I saw that on a scale I was 17 years old!

I have now lost 85 pounds and am rapidly approaching my goal weight of 213 pounds!  Only 15 more pounds to go!!!  I am so EXCITED!!!  I can't tell you how much better I feel.  I can't express in words the self confidence that I am gaining.  I have such a sense of purpose in my life.  My drive is simple, but it is strong.  My mission is to set a good example for my children and help them to live a healthy lifestyle.  My mission is to help others accomplish the fitness goals that I have accomplished.  If you are reading this today and you feel compelled to do something to improve your health, or to lose weight, or to start working out, please contact me.  Yeah, I will tell you about the amazing Advocare products that are helping me to attain my personal goals, I might even tell you how Advocare has changed my family's outlook on life and on our financial freedom ( how about the $4,000 Rookie Bonus check we received yesterday (life changing));  but it is more than that to me.  I realize that Advocare might not be right for everyone, I want to help you regardless.  I can share Lindsey and I's experience in running, or eating healthy, or working out.  We have learned so much since last October and I feel like it is my purpose to share our story.  I feel that by sharing what we have done, I can help change lives.  What a blessing this has become for me.  I am so humbled to hear others that are following this blog and are motivated to get moving and get into shape!  It makes it all worth while!

Now, here is what is coming... we have a ton of friends and family that are currently taking the 24 Day Challenge and I intend on sharing their stories with all of you.  We are hearing some AMAZING results!  If you are one of our 24 Day Challenger's please email or call me with your progress, and if you are willing I would love to share your story!  I already have a few to share and even a few unbelievable pictures of those who have had tremendous success!  Stay tuned and check it out for yourself!

Michael

Back from Vacation and ready to ROCK!!!

I have missed you guys.  Sorry about the week long hiatus, Lindsey and I were in Okoboji this past week with my family.  We had a great time and are rejuvenated and ready to get fired up about our fitness goals!  I was pleasantly surprised and very excited to step on the scale this morning and see that I was at 231.0 pounds! 

Seriously? I was on vacation for a week!  Then this past weekend came back to celebrate with my classmates of '95 at Dike New Hartford High School!  It was our 15 year reunion, and the Dike Watermelon Days.  We had a blast and spent the weekend catching up and having a few to many cold ones!  And still I managed to lose 0.8 pounds!!!  This new lifestyle ROCKS! 

I had told myself to enjoy the vacation and the festivities of the reunion... and I did.  I just did it using my new eating habits and tried to abstain from anything too horrible.  There was no greasy food or donuts, but there was certainly steak, pizza, ice cream at Arnold's Park, etc.  Everything was in moderation and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Now it is time to get after it again.  I have completed my 24 Day Challenge and now plan to continue with a few of the Advocare products to help me reach my goal of 213 pounds!  Only 18 pounds left, and I will have lost 100 pounds!!!  Lindsey and I also are planning our 2nd 1/2 marathon this September, so between being busy at work, spending time with our 4 little kids, training for the 1/2, and continuing to share our story it is going to be a very hectic and interesting end of summer!  One thing is for sure, I know where I am going, and I hope you all stay plugged in and watch me get there!  It will be absolutely overwhelming to step on that scale in another month or so and see the numbers 213!

I can't put into words what losing 100 pounds will mean to me.  To become the healthy husband that my beautiful wife deserves.  To be a positive influence and role model for my 4 little kids!  To continue to work with friends and family on achieving their weight loss and healthy lifestyle goals!  What a Blessing this whole journey has turned out to be for me!  I thank God everyday for guiding me to a healthy lifestyle, and to help influence others to follow in my footsteps.  I just want to thank you all for following this blog, and for all the kind emails and phone calls that I have received from so many of you!  I can't imagine life without this new found purpose that is driving me to continue on this journey.

Michael