BlueBlogger

30 day / Challenge...

2010-07-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

I am hearing great things about this product. I have heard 16 pounds in 10 days by a friend. I have heard 10 pounds of stubborn weight by another. I am stepping up to challenge.
It came in the other day and includes a bottle of Extreme Fat Burner and Reneu Colon Cleanse. Each is supposed to enhance your body's ability to perform and metabolize nutrients. It came with a eating plan for the 30 days. The first 10 are a bit strict but it all seems to have purpose. If interested check out firstfitness.com and use a preferred customer code: "CH072263" or email me at chris.blue@mac.om
I will begin on Thursday with my 30 day challenge. Keep me accountable everyone. I am determined to fight on.

SUMMER SERVOLUTION!

2010-06-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

Our church has been a part of a lot of things over the years. Faith City is one of the most giving churches I have been a part of. This summer we are starting a revolution of serving. We are getting involved in our community in many ways. One way I am extremely proud to be a part of is BACKPACK2SCHOOL. Faith City is collecting backpacks and school supplies as well as taking donations to give a minimum of 250 backpacks out to 250 kids ages 6-12 this August. I think it would be awesome to fill these backpacks with pencils, paper, erasers, notebooks, markers, and everything a school kid would need to head back 2 School in September. I know it would bless parents as well. Please consider donating a backpack to our cause this summer. Or you can go online and make a donation through Paypal.
I would love to see us give away 500 backpacks, and Faith City will give away as many as we collect. Join the Summer Servolution and give today.
Details and More at FaithCity.tv
Feel free to Tweet this, re-post this to your own blog, or facebook it.
Spread the word and change the world.

Lord Save Us from Your Followers...

2010-06-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

Very interesting content to say the least. I watched this movie yesterday and have to say the information is very enlightening to my approach to my faith. What do we believe? What are we portraying through our behavior. Now I know everyone is trying to live life the best they know how. We all make mistakes. I know now I will be very aware of my conversations with people about God and Christ. As a Christian I must keep my passion to love others ahead of my passion for feeling I am right. Listening is a sign of respect not weakness. Christ didn't argue he just lived his life. Love gives. Love is tangible and can be seen and felt. This movie was very balanced in views and kept my attention.

Best Father's Day Yet!

2010-06-21T07:18:00.001-07:00

I started out Father's Day weekend with a great time gathering with our men's tribe IRONMEN @faithcity early Saturday morning. We ate a manly breakfast of a Donna's Donut (BEST IN FLINT) and coffee. Pastor Karl Barancik rallied us with powerful word about commitment to our families and church and what we believe. After that we geared up for PAINTBALL. We had over 25 people dressed and ready to shoot at each other. The sun was shining, the temperature was right. This would be a great day to die (figuratively speaking - Paintball Death). :P. We ran and played for hours. After a long day of paintball dead bodies, we surrendered to exhaustion and headed home. Upon arriving to my home I went up the stairs into our living room to find this wonderful surprise banner awaiting me. I grinned ear to ear. My whole family, although napping at the moment, had just made my day. My 4 month old son's foot prints and my wonderful 3 1/2 going on 13 daughter's hand and footprints and name written below each one almost brought tears to my eyes. They had worked so hard to surprise me and it worked. After completing the afternoon naps my family allowed me to open my gifts. To my surprise my wife AND kids had went the extra mile this Father's Day. I opened an iPad. WOW! Unexpected to say the least. I am digging this thing. It does so much. So we plugged it in and let it charge while we went out shopping for Sunday's beach outing at the dunes. We returned and read children's books on the BluePad (nickname) and headed for bed where I enjoyed watching streaming netflix movies from the BluePad. Sunday we woke up and got ready to head out to our house of worship. Friends and family and good times. Great encouraging word for Father's that day. After church we packed into the truck and headed to Warren State Park Sand Dunes. This is the place I went as a kid and decided it was time to introduce my daughter to the wonderful world of Sand Dunes and Lake Michigan. We arrived at the beach and decided to climb the big hill first then go to the beach. I was so proud. Aliyah climbed the whole way up by herself followed by Mom(TAB) taking photos the whole way up. I myself carrying my Son Brayden in a front carrier, and about 60 pounds extra BELLY WRAP. (FAT) but we made it. Quite a site from the top overlooking Lake Michigan. We ventured our way down to the beach and set up shop with umbrella for baby Bray and blankets and towels for us all. Aliyah and I had so much fun playing in the waves and sand. We stayed and played for about 3 hours. It far outweighed my expectations of the first day my daughter would enjoy the sand dunes and Lake Michigan. We finished our day by heading up to North Pier to watch the sunset. Breathtaking to say the least. Thank you Lord for my awesome family. They make such a great addition to the beautiful earth you have created for us to enjoy. I love you TEAM BLUE!

Softball Team!

2010-06-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today was a really great ending to a great season of co-ed softball. All the teams in the league were great to play against. In the scheme of the world we are ALL on the same team "GOD's FAMILY". We got word today that we came in first place. Our team was great this year. Everyone did their part and we pulled together. Sure each game came with new challenges, but in the end we all had fun and loved building friendships. Thanks for a great spring Faith City! I am looking forward to playoffs next week. Let's keep our eyes on the prize.

New iPhone Skin.

2010-06-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

I LOOOOOVE my new iPhone Skin. It even came with a screen saver to match. They do skins for all types of phones and even the new iPad. I get to see my kids everyday now with this new skin. I had it designed especially for me. It is a manly way to have pics of my children. You have to get one designed for you. The girls at Relish Studios are great to work with. Check them out and get one made for you. Relishstudiosonline.com

Summer Excitement!

2010-06-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

It's been a while. Life happens quickly with a 3 yr old and 3 month old. But we have been trying to experience life with our family this year. One adventure we took last Memorial Weekend was a trip to Frankenmuth, MI for GLOW IN THE DARK. We took off with some good friends and headed up to see a plethora (Three Amigos :P) of Hot Air Balloons assembling on the lawn. The crowd anticipated the sunset as we saw the balloons beginning to create massive colorful art formed by HOT AIR. "Hey Daddy, look the balloons are soooo big" - Aliyah. It was well worth the time away and we caught a few pictures with our phones.

Avoid the 4th meal...

2010-05-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

I began this week by trying to avoid the 4th meal in the evening. The infamous after dinner snack seems to speak loudly in the spring and summer time. We stay up later. We are more active. So I have been having some good success using my Appetite Suppressants. I know this is what I need to do to combat the extra calories. Good habits are made not inherited. On to another day. It's easy! I just pop in a strip about 30 minutes before eating meals and one later on in evening if I begin to feel hungry. Really easier. Much better than a pill.

Time Flies...

2010-05-04T12:03:00.001-07:00

I got to mow the lawn the other day. Spring is here! My daughter wanted to be outside with me. She insisted on wearing her helmet that makes me think of aliens in the movies. LOL. She was attempting to talk to me the WHOLE time I was mowing. All I could hear was little girl chatter... then I would turn the mower off and she would not have anything to tell me. We repeated this dance for a little while.

She did great riding her scooter. I love that she wants to be near me so much. I remember it like it was yesterday when she got her first haircut. She is growing up so fast. Crazy. I look forward to this summer... Adventures here we come.

Face your fear...

2010-04-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

I say it with a little slip of the tongue. But I have a small fear ... How can I NOT just give this boy anything he wants. LOOK AT THIS FACE. How adorable! LOL. Not really but he is such a great young boy. He weighed in at a hefty 13.2 lbs and 23 inches tall at 10 week check up. FOOTBALL ANYONE? He is really filling out. Of course, it helps that he eats 12 times a day. I think he just fakes being hungry because he KNOWS that mommy will hold him. How fast they learn to manipulate. But it's all good. God has truly blessed me with this fine family. I am excited to open the POOL next month and get him going. We have to teach him and my friend DEVIN how to swim this year.

Yard Work...

2010-04-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

I had the joy of moving BLACK dirt today. Someone is a genius out there who sold us all on different color dirt at different prices. There is fill dirt, screened dirt, black dirt, compost dirt. Who'd of thunk I would be paying for dirt. How smart am I? Odd though, it was a bit gratifying, I must say, to see the giant pile of dirt moved 20 feet to the raised garden beds across the yard. I did it. Sweat and tears. Sweat during the move and tears when I was so happy I finished. Oh, Tabitha! I could use a back rub. LOL. Can someone say cardio? I did enjoy being out in the sun. My daughter enjoyed running around the yard watering our plants and the dirt I just moved. So all in all a good day. Glad I had my ENERGY strips to get me started. P-U. Time for a shower.

Worker Training...

2010-04-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

Only 2 months old and Brayden is helping his Daddy Blog. 2 years ago blog would be some science fiction word in a futuristic movie. My everyday words have evolved into some very strange acronyms and slang talk. Kids today grow up with so much technology right in front of them and at their fingertips. I got to have my son at work with me today. He should be typing faster than me in no time. I didn't start typing until I was in 7th or 8th grade. Imagine if we would have started sooner. No wonder life speeds by so fast.

Having my Son by my side inspires me to no end.

GOOD JOB Bray-Ray.

Sunday Citar

2010-04-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

True love is expressed in benefiting others at the expense of self. Love costs something, but it's worth every ounce.

Love someone today!

P.s. Being a parent definitely costs us time, money, and energy... but it is so worth it. Breathe in the moments of time.

Father and Son Saturday.

2010-04-17T18:11:00.001-07:00

Today I got to spend a whole day at home with just me and my new son Brayden. We started out cooking breakfast for Mommy and Aliyah before they headed out for their day. Since it was colder this morning he asked to wear one of his hats. :)

We laughed and played and watch TV shows together. I love seeing his smile when I hold him. So I couldn't help record him this afternoon while watching a TV show. We both missed our girls though. I love watching him grow up right in front of me. It's fascinating to see his expressions and watch his understanding take place from day to day. He makes me want to be a better Father.

Weekend: PROJECT GARDEN BOX

2010-04-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

I decided this weekend I would begin our garden project for the summer. We are excited to grow our own veggies. So I looked up a couple of methods and plans for building our own boxes. We decided on a 4 x 8 foot box x 12 inches deep. I looked up on GOOGLE how many yards of top soil I would need to fill our boxes. It will take approximately 1 yard per box. The whole project took about 2 hours. 1 hour to and from the HOME DEPOT and 1 hour to assemble the boxes by myself. If you had a helper you might be able to shrink that time. It was a good outdoor project. I look forward to the extra CARDIO of shoveling 2-3 yards of top soil next week. LOL.
I had HOME DEPOT cut the wood pieces for me and then I just used 4 inch exterior screws to attach the boards. Now I just have to ask the wife where she wants to put them.

Material List: (makes 1 box)
4 - 2x6 cut to 8 foot lengths
4 - 2x6 cut to 4 foot lengths
32 - 4" exterior screws
4 - 4x4 cut to 1 foot lengths (posts)
Little sweat and you have garden box.

Chicken Kabab night.

2010-04-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

I broke out the GRILL tools once again. We soaked chicken in Italian Dressing for 48 hours and then Friday night we cut them up and KABOB time! We also cut up zucchini and onion and red pepper and succulent pineapple. I place them on skewers and then mounted on my NEW GRILL WOK. By the way did I say how much I like this new addition to my GRILL TOOLS? Anyway... after about 1/2 hour we served them up with some chips and peach salsa to boot. Whole family loved it. Compliments to the chef... ME! LOL. I am enjoying dinner time with family and my daughter is having her whole world and eyes opened to different foods.

P.S. The pineapple was like a fruit gushers candy.

Asparugus Anyone?...

2010-04-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

I read a great article on cancer fighting power of asparagus recently from my life/business coach Staci Wallace. So we were inspired to cook up asparagus and get some into our diets. I proceeded to get out my GRILL TOOLS and cut up some other veggies and grilled up a couple burgers. My daughter ate the asparagus up. We basically sprinkled extra virgin olive oil and just a little salt and pepper. We had a great family dinner out. By the way... LOVED my new grill wok. I am using it all summer.

Little extra help...

2010-04-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

The blue household has gone a little greener. We put up a clothesline, we got from our local Meijer today, in the backyard. Our daughter Aliyah got excited and pitched in and helped us take her first load of clothes off the line. I am so excited to start our lifestyle changes with the entire family. We have went to cloth diapers with our newborn BRAYDEN CHRISTOPHER and we are now making the effort to dry our laundry outdoors instead of in the dryer (Can you say lower gas bill?). I have realized other potential benefits of just these small changes. Imagine this scenario... you come home after work make dinner instead of picking it up or nuking it. A conservative guess you might burn 50-60 calories making dinner. (cutting veggies, walking around the kitchen, etc...) Then, burn another 50-60 or more sorting laundry and washing diapers every other day. Then, add another 50-60 calories burned by hanging and un-hanging the laundry outside on the clothes line. Just do those three things even 3 times per week... that is 450-540 calories burned per week and if 1 pound of fat is measured at 3500 calories... one could lose 6-8lbs per year just doing these 3 small things. Couple that with the extra calories that you will NOT be taking in from fast food or take out and the extra calories you burn each day with Enlyten Calorie Burning Strips and BAM a newer you without much extra effort at all. Small changes BIG results. Don't forget the BEST bonus of all these little changes... MORE TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY. Give your family what they want... more of YOU and for more years to come.
Anyone feel like cooking dinner now? :)

Find more ways to burn calories with this fitness calculator @FITDAY.

Home Sweet Home!

2010-04-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

You really never appreciate what you have until you experience some time without it. When I travel... which I really love to do... I realize how much I appreciate my small things at my house. I don't have my dream home but none the less it is MY HOME! I got home on Monday evening after a long day of travel with my lovely daughter. I used my microwave to warm up some dinner and I had an AH HA! moment as my mentor and life coach Staci Wallace likes to say. I realized how much I missed the simple things I use daily. I missed how my home smells. I missed the comfortable spot on my couch. I really missed the feeling of this is my little slice or piece of this earth I have created for ME and my family. Just like Dorothy said... "there's no place like home". My daughter was truly in the same spirit. She immediately went to HER room and shut the door saying "I don't need help unpacking". She emerged moments later, dawning a new outfit fresh from her closet and asked if she could play with her toys. She proceeded to grab her kitchen set and prepare EVERYTHING under the sun for my wife and I. My son expressed his appreciation for home by filling 3 diapers in a matter of 1 hour. Grabbing some shut eye for work tomorrow with the help of MELATONIN STRIP. Thank you and good night!

THE BIG APPLE...

2010-04-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

Here are some highlights from our recent trip to New York City.

We visited numerous parks and found many exciting playgrounds.
We also found ourselves high above the city in the Empire State Building and in Time Square quite frequently.

Congratulations! Antionette you are the winner.

2010-04-04T05:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who commented and took part in our giveaway. Antionette was the big winner.
Your reward will arrive shortly.

Don't forget to check out enlyten.com and use PROMO CODE: GETSMALL to try the products yourself. Save big with GETSMALL.

Have a great Easter everyone. Next week I will be sharing photos and blogging from NYC. THE BIG APPLE.

Until next time.

1 day left for GIVEAWAY!

2010-03-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

Win a $50 Enlyten Gift Package! http://chrislblue.blogspot.com/2010/03/enlyten-strip-50-gift-giveaway.html

Don't miss your chance to WIN.

Nest Egg? for Brayden.

2010-03-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

Today we got to enjoy a meal with our new SON right by our side. I almost forgot how much we enjoy our BLOOM Fresco High Chair we got when Aliyah was born. This thing is so cool. It converts to a bassinet and high chair and removable liner. All cool things. I was having fun slowly turning him and watching him follow me with his eyes and head. He is so cool. Aliyah has fun turning him around and around. LOL. I love my life and family. God has truly blessed me. My wife makes my world go round as well. We are all getting pumped up for a family trip to "The Big Apple". Ya buddy. Meeting up with old friends and making new ones. Life is good.

Saturday... fighting sleep.

2010-03-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

My son has an issue with not wanting to miss anything. Today I rocked him in my arms for over an hour before he ACTUALLY fell asleep. I wish he could take a Melatonin Strip. It works for me. After a long day of cleaning house we were ready for naps but Brayden wanted to stay awake. He was content with letting his eyelids get to the brink of closing then quickly opening them back up. His eyes were rolling up into his head and then back again. I loved holding my SON. Nothing like it. But also enjoyed my daddy daughter minute and half dancing while we waited in kitchen for our popcorn. We even sang "dancing while we wait". It was a fun way to wait for popcorn, as well as burn a couple extra calories. :)

Don't forget to check out my Giveaway going on now 'til wednesday.
http://chrislblue.blogspot.com/2010/03/enlyten-strip-50-gift-giveaway.html

Friday... Lunch Date

2010-03-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

I looked forward to my lunch date all morning. Panera lunch always takes me back to summertime. I was so excited to take my daughter Aliyah out for lunch with me. We spent some time together shared a Cuban Chicken Panini and Broccoli Cheddar soup from Panera Bread. WOW! Crazy good. And surprisingly enough, she really loved it.
So we ate lunch together at the office then off to PAPA's office she skipped. She had a great night sleep. Don't you love it when our children actually get the sleep and vitamins they need?! I do. Fun filled evening I am sure is on the horizon. My daughter and I will shoot for a weekend of TIME. I love my life. I love being a Father and a Husband. Nothing compares.

P.s. I should have ate an Appettite Suppressant Strip before lunch. Can you say "Over-endulged"?

www.enlyten.com
PROMO CODE: GETSMALL and save 10-20%

ENLYTEN STRIP $50 GIFT GIVEAWAY!

2010-03-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

I am giving away a $50(retail) package from ENLYTEN.com.

Pills, potions, and lotions. Wellness products are so common, they're practically a cliche. People pop a vitamin or drink the trendy new kind of juice in hopes of somehow improving their health. But the vitamin and juice markets are currently so crowded that it's overwhelming to sort through all the products to find the one that might work. What's more, many vitamins and minerals are lost to the sewers of America because they aren't absorbed properly into the body.

The founders of Enlyten wanted a product that was different, one that worked more efficiently than everything else on the market They saw the problems with pills and potions and went looking for an amazing and practical solution.

Even though the Enlyten strips are their flagship product, the company's founders are always looking for new and exciting product ideas. Enlyten's weight loss product line, Trimworks, is catching attention around the country. The chocolate, vanilla, and mocha shakes are a healthy - and tasty - way to lose weight.

The $50 package will include 10 cassettes of strips (Antioxidant, Electrolyte, 2 Energy, 2 Melatonin, 2 Fix it Recovery, Calorie Burner, and Appetite Suppressant.) It will also include 3 Trimworks individual shakes (1 chocolate silk, 1 mocha java, and 1 vanilla creme).
This is over a $50.00 value retail!

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment on this post!

Extra entries? Please leave a comment for EACH entry

Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email (current subscribers too!)
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Become fan of Walking Zombies craving sleep on Facebook.

For 2 extra entries (must leave 2 comments):

Tweet about this giveaway (be sure to leave me the link to your tweet). Retweet any of my tweets about the giveaway or Copy/Paste: RT: Win a $50 Enlyten Gift Package! @chrislblue http://chrislblue.blogspot.com/2010/03/enlyten-strip-50-gift-giveaway.html

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Blog about this giveaway and link to FreshDaddyBlog and Enlyten.com PROMO CODE: GETSMALL (leave me a link to your post). Blog post must contain at least 100 words.

Contest runs from March 24, 12:01am until March 31, 12midnight. Winner will be chosen April 1st, 2010 and notified by email. Thanks so much for visiting.

USE PROMO CODE: GETSMALL to save 10-20% right now.

Just ANOTHER Day in Paradise!

2010-03-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

If we could all be so happy as my 5 week old SON!? LOL :)
Love it. He makes me want to be a better DADDY!

Getting Started...

2010-03-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

Yep! Spring is in the air in Michigan. We definitely have some of the most beautiful landscape in the spring and summer. My family and I decided it was a good day to get up and get active outside. With a mention of a picnic, my daughter lit up with excitement at the chance to use HER picnic basket. So we loaded up the truck and everyone grabbed an antioxidant strip and off we went. I got to introduce my daughter to my long forgotten ROLLERBLADES. :) In case you are wondering... Oh ya I still got it. LOL. We had a great day outside. Got a good dose of Vitamin D (Sunlight for all those who just said "WHAT?!) I have to say "I loved my family day." We are looking forward to many more outdoor days in the spring and summer to come. It is amazing how satifying a peanut butter jelly picinic with some clementines and fruit can satisfy your Spirit Soul and Body while with the ones you love.

Breakfast for my family...

2010-03-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a little quick healthy recipe we use A LOT at the Blue household. Take some eggs 3-4 utilize whites instead of yokes to help lower fat content if you like. Then throw in some fresh baby spinach. Toss in a little bit of shredded cheese, followed up with some sliced turkey and pepper to taste. There, you got yourself a quick, healthy breakfast in about 5 minutes. Okay, 7 minutes with cleanup. I added a little clementine to seal the plate appeal. There you go. That is our breakfast about 3-4 times a week. Add toast or turkey bacon depending on your diet and calorie intake desires. This is a great way I have found to get Spinach into our diet. ....Soon to come: Baby Spinach Salad Surprise.

Monday - Breakfast with the family...

2010-03-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

I woke up today feeling great from my last 4 days of cleansing. It is amazing how appealing and pleasing to my taste buds a simple salad is when my body is free of the toxic build up. It is not the easiest or most fun thing to do. But it is worth it. After you cannot appreciate the reward unless you sacrifice. Think of it. You don't appreciate being healthy as much unless you have been sick before. You cannot appreciate your money at the end of your week unless you work for it. Just like that in our bodies. So this week I am back on track with a healthy lifestyle. I am human and we all lose our way at one time or another. But the important thing is that we also come back to center. I always learn valuable lessons off the beaten path. But I would not suggest that route for anyone who would like to reach their destination in a timely manner. It is just a distraction from the goal. I admit I got distracted from my health goal for a bit while in process of adding a new little baby boy to our home. I am not making excuses or looking for sympathy. I could have stayed the course through it all. So no pointing finger except at me. I gladly take responsibility. Ed Cole has said " True maturity comes with the acceptance of responsibility" I create my own path in this life. So I digress. This morning while on the path of Healthiness... LOL so to speak. I was admiring my 3 old's handiwork while she was in the process of making her PAPA a card. I was truly proud to watch her write her own name and write the letters addressing it TO: PAPA. She drew a very nice picture for him. It made me think... HMMM. (That was me thinking). She did not have any occasion but LOVE. The bible says we should OWE no man anything but to love them. She demonstrated that to me this morning. I became the student once again. God is using my children daily to demonstrate his principles in action... it brings the scripture "Don't hold the children back for SUCH is the kingdom of God." We can see God's intention and Kingdom in the little ones he has blessed us with. So ready to believe, so full of life, so excited to see what is next. So unconditional in their love for those around them. They don't judge people for actions. They enjoy the company whenever and wherever. She wanted bless her PAPA and followed through with action by taking the time to sit down and draw him her own personal creation for his benefit. It cost her time not him. The greatest definition of LOVE I have found is: "to benefit others at the sacrifice of self" that is love. Thank you Aliyah for showing your daddy that this morning. I am meditating on it all day. When you think of doing something good for someone today or this week, don't let that moment pass without taking some time to follow through. The reward will be well worth the sacrifice.

Spring Cleaning...

2010-03-11T12:41:00.000-08:00

It's that time again... Yep cleansing time. Today I start my four day cleansing fast as part of my Ultimate Body Makeover Lifestyle Plan. This is designed to gently cleanse my insides for a better functioning and healthy ME. I am going to do fruits and veggies today and some juice and water for a couple more days after. This will be my second round of this lifestyle 13 week plan. It is recommended that between all the take out food, eating out at restaurants and other junk we put into our bodies on accident, let alone on purpose, we do a fast to cleanse our digestive tract every 3-4 months. So I am doing just that. I know last time I cleansed I felt great afterward. It wasn't as hard as I imagined. Actually, when you realize the reward, the sacrifice is really menial. So today I started my day with my ecstatic daughter Aliyah begging me to help me make juices with our awesome Champion Juicer. We had so much fun squooshing the fruit and veggies into juice, as Aliyah calls it. We followed up with coring some apples and placing them in a crock pot for later when we will make apple butter. It feels good to be teaching my daughter some good health habits. And she loves the juice!

Monday - Greeted with Glee

2010-03-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

Today I came home from work and was greeted with a gleeful grin from my lovely daughter.
She immediately invited me to join her in a very intense game of "monkeys jumping on a bed" I could not help but to reply "of course". We finished up our game with an adventure to the basement to find something buried in storage. Upon not finding what we were looking for... we did find an old friend "Aliyah's Tent". So, of course, we HAD to set it up. So we set up the tent... and sent mom to take a nap and off we went inside with some pillows. My daughter and I sat inside lying on pillows facing up and playing "I spy" we continued for a good 1/2 hour to 40 minutes. I was loving her excitement. She was really enjoying some Daddy Daughter time. My heart just began to grow bigger and bigger towards her. My life and time was standing still in those moments. I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Saturday... What a Day!

2010-03-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

My wife and I got to spend the morning alone with our new son. Aliyah went to grandma and grandpa's house. I enjoyed a special breakfast and some time out shopping around for a while. Then back to the crib to meet Aliyah. She greeted us with a smile and anticipation to see her little brother. Then we filled the afternoon with puzzle and games. We played one of her favorite games... is Today I went to the market. This game comes with a puzzle picturing a few folks in a supermarket surrounded by everything you can think of in a grocery store. So we play "I spy" or "Today I went to the market and saw something ______ (color)". It is very fun to watch her finding things and learning items in the store. I loved my time with her today while mommy and Brayden took a MUCH needed nap.

Fun with iPhone...

2010-03-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

I had fun today playing with my iphone camera. Let me know what you think of my artist ability and photographic skillset.

Rock A Bye Baby...

2010-03-04T17:59:00.001-08:00

Today, I got to enjoy some GUY time with my new son. I swaddled him and held him close then off to the rocking chair. I miss this rocking chair. The chair and I have quite a history. This chair has seen me through many nights of soothing my precious princess. Now we meet again and I settle in to comfort my son. I catch my son's eyes and lock for a while as we rock quietly. I love these moments. It makes me feel like the KING OF THE WORLD. I really hope Brayden sees me like a KING to. I want to give him something to look up to. I want to be his hero.

Renewed Commitment.

2010-03-03T19:05:00.000-08:00

Laying in bed feeling really good about my renewed commitment to health. All in all a great day with my family. I love spending time with them and look forward to many years more. God's word is always true so I leave you with this.

My strength is renewed like the eagles.

Question? Is it okay for men to play with dolls?

2010-03-03T05:19:00.000-08:00

In this case, I say YES! Learning to love helping the princess girls in the castle with Queen Bear. Isn't she pretty. I helped the Queen get ready with her outfit today. Also helped with the carriage and horse earlier this morning. When Father duty calls... I man up. LOL. I love my little girl. She is so fun to watch... you can literally see her wheels turning and her imagination spinning. Life is good.
Excited to take family to TRADER JOE'S today. A bit of a trip but fun none the less. Might have to stop by Great Lakes for a quick stay at the play area and let Aliyah ride the carousel.

Great Stories!

2010-03-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

Ben Wiles is a friend of mine who has had a life transformation. He has lost over 100lbs. His testimony is Awesome. He is an inspiration to many. For me he is an awesome example of staying motivated. He is using the same plan I am using called the Ultimate Body Makeover. This plan uses the power of transformation from the inside out. It is NOT a diet. This is a life change that really shoots to the heart of WHY you are struggling with weight. It identifies the emotional attachments and hurts that may cause us to struggle. I encourage anyone to check his story out.
http://twitter.com/benwiles

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Life goes fast!.

2010-03-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that my SON... I love saying that, is 2 weeks old already. Crazy how time flies. I am so looking forward to Spring and Summer. Although I can only imagine how awesome this year will be with 2 darlings around the pool and yard. I know they will help keep me healthy. My wife and I are definitely enjoying our Melatonin Strips to help us get some much needed sleep. We have a hard time not taking photos. I guess that isn't a bad thing. When will I be able to hold my kids in the palm of my hand like this. Cherish the time, I say, Cherish the time. Why do I picture me saying that in a pirate voice. Weird, Oh Well!

New WEEK!

2010-03-01T19:18:00.000-08:00

My wife and I just started back on the track to healthy living. Mostly do to lack of sleep with new little one in the house. Sleep was escaping Her and I at every turn. We are determined to stick with it and get the results we are looking for. My end results will improve in all areas of my life. I just have to stick to it. My new little man has given me such inspiration to LEAD a good healthy life. I want to give my children something to strive for and tools to be healthier earlier than I ever did. Back to the gym this morning... and water loading has begun. To be honest February was very tough. I found myself getting some bad habits back and having excuses daily to not live the knowledge I already have. It is just that... EXCUSES! So today my wife and I MARCH ON. LOL. To everyone who is pushing through also... Keep pressing. The results will catch your dedication.

Day 1 - A new Journey (Brayden Christopher Arrived!)

2010-02-16T04:47:00.000-08:00

It was a different night to say the least. Around 9:15pm Tabitha asked me to rub her back and uh oh! Water broke. We began are preparations to get to the Hospital. After checking in and getting settled we look at the clock and it is going on 11 pm. Tabitha is doing great. We start to see more and more contractions. Steady progress up until 1:15am and then Tabitha said "It is time". The Midwife gathered close to monitor and away we went. Within minutes Tabitha was pushing and pushing and out comes this crying baby boy I have waited so long to see. I reach down and grab him by the shoulders and Tabitha assists and he goes right to mommy. WOW! Such a sight to see. He stayed with mommy for a bit and then I got to take him and talk to my new son. After some quick check ups it was back to mommy and cuddle time and first time eating in this world. So I quickly thought of eating as well. I ran out to the dark night around 3:30am hoping to find some salvation as it pertains to getting my wife some much needed food. LUCKILY the GOLDEN ARCHES appeared. LOL. So I grab a breakfast sandwich and continue on back to the Hospital to give food to my family. Arriving back we enjoy some more time and now it is time for first bath.
Thus the first pictures so far. Many more to come in near future.

Day 99 - Journey

2010-02-10T06:48:00.000-08:00

Woke up this morning to a nice WHITE DRIVEWAY AND COVERED VEHICLE. That is okay. I get to get little cardio in by shoveling the driveway. It is a nice feeling to be outside in fresh fallen snow while it is still dark. Alone. Peaceful. Cold... but peaceful. Then off to the gym.
Loving life and still waiting for my boy.
I did NOT get enough water yesterday and I feel it today. My muscles and body ache like never before. I feel bloated and I know exactly why. Poor food choices coupled with dehydration... recipe for body disaster. If I am not careful I will react to my feelings today and continue the trend. I must drink water and eat fruits and veggies today and revive my body. I refuse to continue to feel this way.
I can do it.

DAY 97 - Journey

2010-02-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

Helping others is a great opportunity to build up YOUR spirit. I am letting everyone know to come out to GRAND BLANC lanes tomorrow evening TUESDAY Feb 9th, at 6pm (NEXT TO ROLLHAVEN) $10.00 for 2 hours (Shoes included) and help send Kyle Blue to Honduras to aid LUSK WORLD OUTREACH. Kyle is an awesome young man who wants to be used to impact others. His dream is to travel the world with LWO and bring a message of hope and significance to everyone they contact.
Donate online also if you want. Become a partner and change lives with your giving.
LUSK WORLD OUTREACH
Thanks everyone. Let's live everyday with purpose this year!

Day 90 - Journey

2010-01-31T21:59:00.000-08:00

Party Day! Tonight @ 5pm @my house. (Email for directions) We will be having the author of the Ultimate Body Makeover (Staci Wallace) joining us live on ichat. She will be sharing her vision (which I also share) for a healthier America and debt free individuals. We will be discussing a range of health issues and answering questions as well as an opportunity to get involved and begin your own lifestyle changes in your health and finances.

We are getting together every month to hold each other accountable and create more fulfilling relationships.
Join us!

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Day 89 - Journey

2010-01-30T20:04:00.000-08:00

Had a great Ultimate Body Makeover Party Thursday. People everywhere wanting to regain a healthy lifestyle. Loving life. I have been tweeking my diet since last week and definitely seeing some great results. I am really excited to hit February strong with good habits and start SEEING my results. God has really given us some amazing bodies that will respond to the right things. We just need to search and find what each of our bodies really likes.

I suggest the following if you are struggling:
#1 - Be sure to get your water everyday. (Most Americans in the U.S. walk around dehydrated)
#2 - Be sure to get your rest. (7-8 Hours sleep a night will increase your body's ability to function)
#3 - Check into your blood type and eat the SUPER food your body and blood will thrive on.
#4 - Get active. Move around more. Find ways to be more active.
#5 - Decide to stick with it! Don't give up.

Day 87 - Journey

2010-01-28T14:34:00.000-08:00

I have been renewed and refreshed with a vision of people set free from all bondage. Whether they be bound by weight, stress, disease, emotional baggage, or anything else you can think of. I see them free. My heart has been set toward the goal this year to see people, especially those in mid 20's to 30's who find themselves struggling with the world we live in. I know God has given us all the power to get ourselves into better places. God wants to take each of us to our highest purpose and potential. That is what our gathering tonight will impart. A vision of people walking in freedom from the cares that this world has tried to place on their backs. We can break free from any bondage if we do it together. I see a tribe of people resolved to live life different in 2010. We can support each other and bring freedom to others once we get our lives free.

Join me in the coming days as we put these dreams into reality.

Day 86 - Journey

2010-01-26T13:07:00.001-08:00

I am convinced that I will not go this alone. I am throwing a little party this week to get with others and share some good ideas for getting healthy. Here are the details.

I would love to invite you to join me and a few friends for a time of fun, prizes and to learn how so many are losing weight and KEEPING IT OFF! Meet or hear about others who have lost 15 - 30 and even 150 pounds with The Ultimate Body Make-Over, a program that has touched my life and so many others. Whether you are trying to just get healthy or get rid of some very unwanted extra pounds. Learn tactics and practices that will get you on the right track for 2010.

You won’t have to buy anything, but you might win a great door prize and your attendance will help me in my quest to losing weight and spreading the word about this life-changing program. It’s FREE fun for the night, plus you will get to sample some GREAT shakes, the revolutionary calorie burner and appetite suppressant strips.

You can also learn the “secret sauce” behind the Denise Gerrich, 150 pound weight loss story.

And if you decide to bring some friends with you, you might win our “Dream Big” prize for the night. This will be awarded to the individual who brings the most guests.

The party will be at: My house (email for directions) at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28th.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Your Party Host
Chris Blue
chris.blue@mac.com

Day 85 - WOW what a week!

2010-01-25T10:50:00.000-08:00

Well I apologize to everyone for not writing more frequently. I got real busy with new baby and Awesome meetings at my Awesome church with Rev. Larry Huggins. No regrets. I promise I will be getting back to it soon. Today was a "Get back on Track Day" I should be farther along than I am. But as G.I. Joe has taught me. "KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE". I know I should be farther along in my diet and lifestyle change. I am not here to make excuses. I am here to rejuvenate my resolve to continue and NEVER give up. I still fully believe in the principles I share. I am back to square one on some and going through them myself. I need to re-introduce more live foods into my diet. I need to make sure I get my water. I need to make sure I am active. I have more challenges coming up. I am about to be a new father of a baby boy in few weeks. That presents more challenges. Life, if it were not full of challenges, would be BORING. So onto exciting days ahead. LOL. Anyway. Like Jesus said. I am a man like you and experience life just like everyone else. I am not by any means perfect. I make choices each day. Today I have made some really good ones for my body.

Lunch consisted of Amy's Organic Black Bean Soup with some Gluten free crackers and a side of green peas.

MM...MM.. Good. LOL.
The choice was made and I feel great.
To all those BIGGEST LOSERS at Faith City Church. Watch out. I am getting on track and gunning for the weigh in date next Sunday. Keep on trucking Faith City.

Aliyah and JAM!

2010-01-16T06:17:00.001-08:00

I just took my daughter to JAMINT.com and showed her all the hungry kids in Africa and explained how other kids don't have cupboards to get food like we do or mommy and daddy's to help them. I ask if she wanted to give some of her money in her piggy bank. She replied, "ya, I don't need it I am going to the circus! Just take it from my piggy bank."
By the way she was getting ready to go see the shrine circus. So was so, matter of fact. I love an innocent heart. I wish we could stay so innocent as we get older.

NOTE TO SELF: Learn this lesson of giving heart and purity from this 3 year old.

Day 76 - Journey

2010-01-16T05:55:00.000-08:00

Haven't been on for a few. Been soul searching and seeking God for this year. My wife and I are committed to a healthier lifestyle which includes physical as well as spiritual. We are seeking things of meaning for our lives this year. Time with kids. New Baby on the way. Meaningful relationships. We are not settling for just surface "How you doing, Fine" friendships. We long for change this year. I am not abandoning my journey but making it more inclusive of other areas in my life. Stay with me and see what changes will take place in our family or join us and share your own changes.

One thing we are determined to accomplish is more giving. We want to be a blessing to others more this year. I have hooked up with a great organization that I want everyone to meet. Go to www.jamint.com. This weekend we are trying to raise more than a $1000.00 through networking by Monday evening. So please take a few moments and visit their website. If you are able make a small donation. Even $1.00 is not to small. Imagine if 1000 people gave just $1, we would reach our goal in no-time. Enlyten.com/dreambig has also agreed to donate 1 meal per shake that is sold. For more info watch a video at www.enlyten.com/contributions. If you would like to purchase shakes as donation just go to www.enlyten.com/dreambig and enter PROMO CODE: GETSMALL and get 10% off and bless children with 7 meals by purchasing one box of shakes.

No gift is too big or too small. It is also a great way to teach our kids about others who may be struggling in the world that are their age. I intend to show my 3 1/2 year old the website today and explain how we will help kids. Then I will ask her if she would like to give some of her piggy bank money to help kids get some food. I really think this will impact her greatly.
We can do it! With your help. Please let me know by commenting on this blog if you donate and how much. We would like to keep track of how much we raised and who donated. If you wish to get tax deduction contact me and I will let you know how.
Thanks everybody.

Day 65-66 - Journey

2010-01-07T19:22:00.000-08:00

Self awareness time: I have received counsel my task is at hand. What you might ask? Log what I put in my body for next 48 - 96 hours. I am trying to find out why I am not losing weight while gaining lean muscle. My inches have gone to a holding pattern. And the scale hasn't moved in weeks. All good though. My spirit is high. I am going to work at eating better. being healthy is 20% exercise and 80% food intake. It is more important to eat the right things than to rely on working out to fix my extra real estate. I will let you all know what I figure out.

Still staying the course. I am committing to all of you out there. I am not giving up. I have about 3- 4 weeks left in my 13 week body makeover. I am determined to see a difference. I will do this.

I am also committed to begin another 13 week cycle after this one.

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Day 64 - Journey

2010-01-04T17:53:00.000-08:00

Monday ... Back to normal. I know... I hate saying it like that but, sometimes I long for habits. My days off were awesome. I still felt myself longing for a return to my routine. Crazy. We are built and strive with habits. Good and Bad. I have changed a few things to develop some new habits. We can do this. One thing we all can do is start to make a good statement about yourself for the coming year. If you want to quit smoking... began each day by waking up and stating "I am a satisfied non-smoker, I don't like cigarettes." Or if you want to be a different size or weight... "I am a size (?) and I am healthy. I weigh (?lbs)." You have the power with your mouth to change your state of life. It won't happen overnight. But remember, nothing does. Start talking different. God designed us to speak and when we speak our minds meditate and think on what we say. Our minds then begin to create images based on our words. The more we IMAGE - ine ourselves as we speak, we soon discover we become what we IMAGINE. DREAM BIG. Reach for the sky. Begin speaking well and positive. Funny thing is, if we do this, we will be much more pleasant to be around.

Day 61-63 - Journey

2010-01-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

Wow! New year is already 2 days old. This is my year though. I will be involved in some great things. I and some friends will be starting a 10 week biggest loser challenge. Trying to get support and support others while the irons are hot for the new year. I will hit the Gym Running (Literally) on Monday. Been off since Wednesday. Eating rather freely but tomorrow i will be back on track. Still haven't jumped off wagon just not as strict through Holidays. Exciting months ahead. I know God's plans for me are good and not evil. That is all inclusive with being Healthy spiritually as well as physically. I am determined to be a student of his Word (Bible) as well as student of this Body (Human body, specifically... my body). This is my year to conquer the bad habits and thrive on the goodness that life has to offer. We can do this.

Day 57-60 - Journey

2009-12-30T19:05:00.000-08:00

As you may be able to tell, I haven't blogged day to day due to the Holiday hustle and bustle. But we only have a few days left before new year and then we will be back in the habit again. I plan on posting some recipes and more tips next year on staying fit and healthy. I have made it to the gym 3 days this week. Staying with my routine. I will have to miss a few workouts due to New year Holiday but I am planning on getting some exercise in other ways. As always just choose wisely every day and NEVER binge or throw in the towel just because you would like a dessert or some other food that may be over your limit for your program. I am just enjoying each day and some days end better than others but I still enjoy them. I am not Jumping off the WAGON just because it is Holiday. I choose to sneak a snack or two and then back to what I know to do. We can do this. Stick with it. Only a few more days and you will be so proud of pushing through. I know I plan on entering the new year without regrets. Moving Forward, not looking back. Onward.

DAY 53 - 56 - Journey

2009-12-27T14:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone and with it some good tasting bad for me food. LOL. I did enjoy the freedom but I really felt the effects of the goodies quite quickly. No workouts Christmas eve or Christmas but back to the gym quickly on Saturday I went to avoid loosing my good habits. I started back on my lifestyle Body Makeover plan on Saturday. Today I am in full course again. I am preparing mentally for the upcoming week to hit it hard again. I am staying my course. Tonight I make some low fat stir fat, as we speak to feed my family. Then some glasses of water to finish the night and prepare my gym back for morning. This week I will begin doing 2 workouts in circuit training using 3 cycles instead of 1 or 2. I am confident this will help me continue my pursuit of losing inches and gaining muscle. Don't forget to keep up with cardio at least 5 times 30 minutes.
Next weigh in is Jan 4th. Then Official weigh in for my program in Day 71. I am going to hit it hard this week and really try to eat live foods and stay away from any sweets.
I am exciting about heading into 2010 on the road to health.

Day 51 and 52 - Journey

2009-12-23T06:47:00.000-08:00

I had a full couple of days. I have really been pushing myself during my workouts with the thought I will not be working out for a couple days during Christmas. I am loving Christmas time this year with the snow. My daughter really really likes to play in it. So I got to get a good extra workout in yesterday after work. I was running and pulling Aliyah. I am pleasantly surprised that she likes it so much. Although a bit of extra work for me I am totally excited that she will be helping me stay fit. She is getting exercise also when pulling ME (attempting to).

Cannot believe I am heading into week 8 already. This is awesome. I haven't found a lifestyle plan that has been easy enough to follow and stick with until now. The Ultimate Body Makeover has been great. I look forward to posting my 13 week before and after pics for everyone.

Day 50 - Journey

2009-12-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

Monday was another full day. I have been keeping up with my habits though. I can really begin to see a difference, even when presented with opportunities to endulge in food not fitting for a healthy diet. Christmas will do that "OFTEN". I did well for all my meals throughout the day. After attending a wedding rehearsal we were graciously given a meal. PIZZA and BREAD STICKS and COOKIES. :) I did eat. I am not a robot and I like to live life. One thing I noticed after my 2 pieces of pizza and 2 breadsticks. I found that I was not really that hungry. A year ago I could have easily packed away 4-6 pieces myself then topped with a handful of breadsticks. My body has begun to help me. I think IT likes the way I have been treating it. So today was a good day. I started my week right with a good workout... 30 minutes Fat Burning Cardio and then started with my regiment of ciruit training. I do multiple muscles on various machines at 30 seconds breaks in between. I am enjoying the full body workouts. I look forward to finishing my 13 weeks with this regiment 2-3 times per week.

DAY 50 - Journey (Sunday Citar)

2009-12-19T23:59:00.000-08:00

I spoke to a long time friend today that I have not seen in years. He has been serving all of us in the military. I just thought this was fitting.

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

- John Stuart Mill-

Day 49 - Journey

2009-12-19T19:34:00.000-08:00

A fabulous day of giving and fulfillment. I was so blessed this morning to be a part of Christmas miracle food baskets. We were able to bless 40 families and over 100 people with food for the Holidays. Faith City has awesome people and huge givers. Way to go Faith City. Then off to the mall to get a little shopping done. I didn't work out this morning, but I did get some exercise when dragging my lovely laughing daughter through the snow on her sled. I loved every minute. Who would have thought exercising could bring such joy to my heart. Another awesome day on my journey. A dream came true for me today. I always dreamed about the day I would play with my kids in the snow. I love my life!

Day 48 - Journey

2009-12-18T20:30:00.000-08:00

Days are flying by since I started. It seems like just a little bit ago I began my journey. Well today was a great day. We got everything done at work that we needed to. Went out for a nice office Christmas gathering and then home for family Christmas. Blue family all showed up and we got to hang out with almost all the brothers and sisters(very rare). No one had to work. Everyone who is here came out. I really enjoyed spending time with everyone again. Accessed my sweet tooth a little too much. All good though. I refuse to derail. Just have to push through Christmas and work in my better diets as much as possible. We can do this everyone. I know we can.

Day 47 - Journey (Busy day)

2009-12-17T20:09:00.000-08:00

Well I started out very well this morning. Had a quick protein bar and some oatmeal before rushing out to take my daughter to school and go to the office. Work load was a little more than usual (many irons in the fire for this Christmas season). All good though. I would not trade my job for anything. Really it isn't a job at all. I get to impact people's lives on a daily basis. I love what I do, so really it isn't work. I digress... with another pregnancy appt looming in my head and busy paperwork to complete my wife and I heated up some soups for lunch and kept on working. The appointment snuck up on us and off we went to hurry and see the Midwife. Great talking to Jeanie our Midwife. Back to the office to round up what little we could finish before the day's end. Grab our daughter and off to search for food and get back to the Christmas recital. We ran through Taco Bell and grabbed some DIN DIN. What do you get in this case? Is there anything healthy at this fast food joint? Well you live life and roll with the punches. I tried to make a wise choice. I opted for 3 chicken soft tacos. I think I did well. Then off to the recital which, of course, was followed with refreshments and desserts. I endulged a bit then back home. Chalk it up to a 1/2 healthy day and get to bed with hopes for a little better day tomorrow. I am not condemned. I know I gave 50% today. No guilt just keeping it real. The goal is not to have a life, but to enjoy the days. I believe in moderation. If I get on the scale in 2 weeks and don't see any change with lbs or measurements, then I know I went to far with some endulgements. Otherwise, I will continue to strive to do most days in accordance with wisdom and a strong healthy balanced diet. But enjoy the treats from time to time. Work hard play hard.
You can do it.

Join the Fat Revolution!

Day 46 - Journey (Weigh In)

2009-12-16T20:01:00.000-08:00

I weighed in this morning. This time I approached the scale with confidence and no real expectations. I hit the scale and saw a number peering at me that rang too familiar. Not bad though just 2 lbs less than 2 weeks ago. A loss is always better than gain. I know my diet has not been perfect and won't be as for another couple weeks. I am really just trying to stay moving a little forward at time and not giving in and letting the tide of bad eating sweep me away during the Holidays. So I went home and measured myself to see if any other results would be better. I was pleasantly encouraged to find I had shrank my belly by one inch and my hips by another 1/2 inch. I also lost an inch off my thigh. So I am still happy with seeing some results. I know I am and will again face plateaus on the scale. The important thing is I am not getting bigger and secondly, even if slowly I am getting smaller. I know that I am slowly building lean muscle as well as burning excess fat. I am exciting to continue my course and make facing the new year much easier and closer to my goal. I am committed to studying my own body and the human system in general. I am becoming a better student with each week as I learn to be more healthy. each person has to find what works for them. Please comment and let me know your goals and aspirations toward a healthier body soul and spirit.

Join the Fat Revolution!

Day 45 - Journey

2009-12-15T19:49:00.000-08:00

Got back into my groove today. I headed back to the gym to stay the course during this week 6 of my lifestyle change. I did my 30 minutes of fatburning cardio. Packed my lunch with good protein and veggie. I had a mean Black Bean Soup by Amy's Organic. Not too shabby, I might say. Got home tonight for a quick pasta dish with my family. I found a good spelt pasta and tossed in some Organic Pasta Sauce add a little broccoli on the side and BAM! dinner and heatlhy beneficial foods all on same plate. 3 very satisfied people tonight after dinner. My daughter (3 years old) loved it as well. Get to weigh in tomorrow so I am excited to see any difference and also take measurements. I really am getting less anxious for what I will see. The scales have no power over me. I know I am doing the right thing and the scale is only a number. My inches and measurements are what count. Anything less than last time is great news. I am getting healthier from the inside out. I am running more effeciently and becoming more productive.

Product Note:
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Chris.blue@mac.com
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Day 43 - Journey

2009-12-13T19:08:00.000-08:00

While on visit to L.A. I really had to push through to keep with the diet. My habits kicked in to help me keep the program about 80%. Now I am home. Monday I begin my 5 day sprint to my family Christmas. I know there will be goodies there. I am planning ahead to make sure I do not de-rail my efforts. I am going to throw in some new recipes this week so stay tuned. I have not been able to keep up with my 7=8 hours of sleep since last Monday. I can feel that affecting everything. It is amazing how one little habit will snowball into other habits. The more tired I feel the less energy I have to workout and then I don't feel like putting any effort into making a good decision for my meals. Couple that with being tired and not making an effort to get the right amount of water and it is a disaster waiting to happen. I know I am here. Tonight I am deciding though. I like the way I have been feeling. I don't want to lose any momentum. I will get back on Track one habit at a time tomorrow. So tonight I prepare. I will pour my 24 oz of PH water and have it ready by my bed for when I wake up. I will have a shake mix ready on the counter for when I am ready to start the day. I have set aside some staples for my snacks (brocoli, apple, sliced turkey, protein bar) And now I am ready to go to bed and get my 8 hours sleep if possible.
The past is SO YESTERDAY. You can always start NOW. Don't be discouraged.
We can do this together. Another week lies in front of us and another few steps closer to realizing the dream of the real me and you. Healthier version me 2.0. LOL.
I have another weigh in Wednesday. I am excited to measure and see how I have been doing. I am deteremined not to let my travel days mess with my mind and results. I will get on the scale and keep moving no matter what it tells me.

Day 41 - Journey (L.A.)

2009-12-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

L.A. has had its high points. I had a big omelette with spinach breakfast today at a pretty cool and rare place in Hollywood. The Griddle Cafe. Blues music playing... this place was lively and fun. Great time with my honey. They put french press right at the table for coffee. It was pretty big but I tried to pick a "healthier choice". When on a trip out of town... I don't really want to be tied down to a certain diet. I really can't have same choices as I do when at home. I have really been trying to just moderate some food adventures and then really make up with great choices in other meals. I have stuck to my workouts so that is a bonus for me. Usually when I have gone out of town in the past my intentions have never quite equaled my actions when it came to working out. I would always find reasons NOT to workout. So I really think this week has been successful. I have also studied more on the Blood Type this week. I am excited to implement better blood type choices for my housedhold.

Day 40 - Journey (L.A.)

2009-12-10T23:43:00.000-08:00

Spent the day walking downtown L.A. in shopping district. What fun! Found a couple things for the newborn baby coming soon. Got some good Extracise walking around quite a bit. Got my workout in later and enjoyed a nice relaxing night. Little tougher getting my water each day. I am trying to keep a water bottle filled. Doing fairly well with eating. Picked up some awesome pre-made salads from Trader Joe's.

Day 39 - Journey (L.A.)

2009-12-09T23:12:00.000-08:00

I woke up after a few hours this morning. I was determined to make my program work while here in L.A. So far so good. I woke up and got a nice protein smoothie at local Robek's Store. Very Tasty! Then went shopping. For lunch I was able to find a nice chicken salad. Then off to my cardio/weight training session. I did cardio and weight training today in an effort to stay with my program. It was very good workout. I followed my workout up with a protein bar I had on hand. Then I took my wife to a beautful dinner where I enjoyed some chicken and lamb and some steak with green beans as well as rice on the side. I read this book recommended by my program coach for the Ultimate Body Makeover.
'The nswer is in your blood type" by Joseph Christiano. This book really opened my eyes to the true dangers and pitfalls of eating outside of a range of your specific blood type. It has caused me to really watch the types of food going inside my body. I will get into more detail as soon as I learn more myself.

Day 38 - Journey

2009-12-08T15:14:00.001-08:00

At the airport right now. Delayed for 1 hour weather. Thanks Michigan. Praying it will move a little quicker. Did well this week so far on my plan. I have packed the necessary tools to continue while in the Sunny state. That's funny. It calls for rain almost the entire time I am there. Been really encouraged lately with a lot of people beginning to make changes. I love it. It helps me and everyone is striving for health. I found some "not so bad" frozen dinners I have used to help in my rushed lifestyle. Kashi makes them. Most, if not all, are under 10 grams of fat each. So I really enjoy that while at work for lunch or even tonight I NUKED one right before I left to airport. Not bad. Kashi is known for their "ALL NATURAL" approach. I will share a little of my L.A. Journey tomorrow. I arrive at around 4am Michigan time. Wooo Hooo!

But I am exstatic to see my wife and unborn child. This 5 day excursion has been said to be a "BABYMOON". I had never heard that before. But I will take it. One goal on this trip is to recreate this pic with my Babymoon Momma!
Santa Monica Anyone!

DAY 37 - Journey

2009-12-07T20:58:00.000-08:00

Dinner time was quite pleasant. Found a nice balanced meal, although frozen, very tasty. Amy's makes a really good lasagna (vegetarian). It was really good. It was a very good change of pace to my usually a balanced meal. Thought I would mention it just in case anyone was looking for an alternative meal.
Well, I only have a few days left til my next weigh in and measurement. I have been really trying to stick to my plan. I use a shake for breakfast almost everyday now. Great Trimworks Meal Replacement shakes. Love the flavors. My habits are really forming now.
As of tomorrow I will be blogging from L.A. Off to sunny weather for a few days. I will not miss the upcoming snow storms they are calling for Michigan. Great place for a little exercise and extracise walking on streets downtown L.A. I will try to blog about my diet plan while away from the regular menu. I will be taking my Trimworks shakes.

I will post some pics.

Day 37 - WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER

2009-12-07T19:38:00.001-08:00

Well, not a chicken dinner but Congratulations Gerri Smalley! You were the winner of the first Enlyten Giveaway.
Your Gift is on the way.

Thanks everyone visiting.

Check back soon for more contests.

Join the FAT RESISTANCE!

Day 37 - Journey

2009-12-07T06:34:00.000-08:00

My journey today will involve somehow getting some exercise all the while getting new debit cards, packing for trip to L.A. getting school supplies and spending time with Daughter on last night home. Sounds exciting! I do love a challenge. LOL. Life sometimes throws curve balls. You just have to learn how to be patient and hit it out of the park. I will pick the winner and post it this afternoon of the contest. I will have another one soon. Thanks to everyone who has commented. This blog has really sparked me to stick with my lifestyle change and habits. I am really pumped with the feedback from all of you who have begun your own journey. Life is good and goes by quickly. We might as well enjoy living it!
Thanks Everyone.

Tip: If you are trying to lose weight or take inches off start a food log. Do it for one week and then you can go back and find areas to cut stuff out or cut back. It is rather easy to shave 100 calories or 200 per day if you do this.

Giveaway Contest.

2009-12-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

Now thru Sunday I will be holding a contest and giving away a FREE cassette of Energy Strips and 2 Trim Works Shakes. All you have to do to enter is go to Enlyten.com/dreambig and click on products. Find the product you think you would enjoy the most and then comment on my blog "not facebook" go to chrislblue.blogspot.com anytime between now and Sunday. I will pick a random winner on Monday.

Day 36 - Journey Sunday Citar

2009-12-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

"A day lived without love is no life at all"

DAY 35 - Journey

2009-12-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

Another day, another smile on my daughter's face. It was kind of a day off today. We lazied around in the morning, then I took my daughter for a horse and buggy ride. Not too bad. It was so cold though... That didn't make it very fun.

I love the energy I have since changing my lifestyle and diet. I have so much more GET UP AND GO with my daughter. I don't feel sluggish or anything. I am excited to enter my 6th week. I have developed a really good habit of not eating after dinner. I am used to it now. Second Nature. I know even on my days with a poor choice of food, if I can not eat late it will help me stay on track and not get "off the wagon" so to speak. Every night I abide with this habit, I come back to TRUE NORTH. I do thank the Lord for the strength to continue my changes. I know some choices/changes are me, but some things I really have to trust God to change. He is helping me to see myself as valuable. I know He loves me. I know He created me. So I know He cares and I never walk alone.

Tomorrow is SABBATH. I am so looking forward to service. I love my church. God has truly given us some awesome people at Faith City to do life with. I get to do a special song with the worship team tomorrow. I am really excited to sing it. It is a very great song by Mercy Me; "God With Us." Hope to see everyone there at Faith City.

Don't forget to comment at chrislblue.blogspot.com for a chance to win 2 Trimworks shakes and some Enlyten Strips.

Giveaway Contest.

2009-12-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

Day 34 - Journey

2009-12-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how much writing here everyday really helps me stick with it. Especially during Holidays. I have been running into a lot of friends who are going to start in January and get their health on track. That is awesome. I personally didn't want to go through another Holiday stuffed and bloated feeling. I decided I would rather start and cheat a little here and there than wait altogether. I am the type that would probably have gained 10 more lbs before I started again. But to each there own. I think it is awesome that many others are wanting changes too. Well, I got 4 days in gym, so far so good. My wife is now in Los Angeles and enjoying the warm weather. As long as my daughter co-operates I should get to the gym at least 2 more times before I go to L.A. I am looking forward to meeting up with her. Also a great chance to walk around the city during the day getting some Extracise. I encourage everyone. Just keep moving. Do your best on your eating and stay active. This will work for all of us.

Fabulous Find: Eating out is always a challenge. I found a great meal at Red Robin. I get a turkey burger no bun wrapped in lettuce. It is a fabulous high protein low fat combo. Watch out for those endless fries they can sneak up and make you eat too many!

Giveaway Contest.

2009-12-04T07:50:00.000-08:00

Day 33 - Journey

2009-12-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun yesterday. I have to share a little story. My daughter was so excited to play with my wife and I she asked to play duck duck goose. Anyway, I have seen her play this in daycare. So we began to play and run around a bit. Then, it was my turn so she duck duck goosed and tapped me. She started running and I gave chase. Then, out of nowhere, she screams "what do I do Mommy?" why running from me through the kitchen. LOL. We started to literally roll on the floor laughing. My 7 month pregnant wife almost WET herself. Needless to say, we were overjoyed to hear the laughter ringing through our house. What a PERFECT MOMENT in time! Nothing better. I live a good life. Also, this and other great chase me Daddy games gives me the Extracise I look for each day. Children really keep you active, IF YOU PARTICIPATE. So I look forward to another round of DUCK DUCK GOOSE tonight. :)

KEEP DRINKING YOUR WATER. We can do it!

Simple Samples

2009-12-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

WOW! Enlyten now has samples starting at $5.00... actually $4.00 with promo code. Check them out today. Promo Code: GETSMALL

Starting now I will be holding a contest and giving away a FREE cassette of Energy Strips and 2 Trim Works Shakes. All you have to do to enter is go to Enlyten.com/dreambig and click on products. Find the product you think you would enjoy the most and then comment on my blog anytime between now and Sunday. I will pick a random winner on Monday.

Day 32 - Journey

2009-12-02T05:35:00.000-08:00

Wednesday. My day off... well that is an overstatement. Still got up and went to gym this morning. Adding in my weight training as well. I am enjoying the way my body feels. Had a handful of friends ask me how I was losing weight. That really boosted my confidence to stay the course. I am hoping I can stimulate more and more people to get active and begin to change their current state of health. We can all do little things to improve our health. Don't feel pressured to join a gym or go GUNG HO into something without prepping yourself first. Each decision towards a healthier you is a good decision. Start small with getting your water you need daily first. Try it for a week. Then move on to some healthier eating habits. Stop eating that bowl of cereal while watching Letterman. Or that last minute trip to the fridge at 10 or 11pm that leaves you holding the door open pondering what would satisfy this quest for SOMETHING. LOL. I have been there. Inevitably you shut the fridge in disgust while silently raging "There is nothing to eat". :) Okay, maybe not that dramatic but I bet there is someone out there who can relate. It is all about making BABY STEPS. Thanks BOB!
My advice today for you all is: Take a vacation from your Bad Foods. That's right, when someone asks you if you are on a diet just reply no... I am on VACATION. FROM MY BAD FOODS.
Make a small choice today and JOIN THE FAT REVOLUTION!

Day 31 - Journey

2009-12-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

Well, I ventured to the scale again yesterday. Very anxious as always. It doesn't seem to matter how I feel and how good my clothes fit... I keep comparing my results to the loss in LBS. I know this is WRONG. My overall health is most important. My inches coming off is most important. The scale is NOTHING but a number. So I got on the scale and much to my dismay I weighed the same. All is good I have still lost 20lbs in 30 days. That is nothing to look down at. And I even did it with little variance from the Ultimate Body Makeover Plan here and there. But overall I am still satisfied. I feel awesome. So I took my measurements when i got home. This is where I now find my strength. In 30 days I have lost 9 inches of excess REAL estate. My chest has dropped 2 inches and my belly (Spare tire) has dropped 3 1/2 inches. I have also lost 2 inches off my upper arms and 1 1/2 off my hips. No wonder my clothes fit A LOT better! LOL. :) Anyway I am left smiling. I am encouraged to stay the course and these next two weeks I will try to not VARY as much. I am determined to SEE these inches FALL off. So for all you who are starting your journeys begin to take your measurements so you can see if you your efforts are truly working. NEVER rely on the scale. It is just a reference of weight.

Tip: When adding resistance training or weight training to your exercise regiment remember as you build muscle your muscle is a lot more dense so a 1lb of muscle takes up a lot less space than a 1lb of fat. So scales have there place for reference but measurements tell the real story.

I look forward to my next measurement and weigh in. December 16 - Here I come!

Don't walk alone! Join the FAT RESISTANCE! Sign up for Trim Works Plan for one month auto-ship by December 31 and get Ultimate Body Makeover absolutely FREE!
Order it as a gift for someone else. Great for the Holidays. You won't regret your decision.

Dream Big Get Small!

Day 30 - Journey

2009-11-30T01:44:00.000-08:00

Early Morning. Definitely no 8 hours sleep. Had to get up at 4:30am this morning and pack my daughter in car and head to Detroit Metro. Not complaining... get to pick up my wife after being away for 5 days. I can't wait. We will pick up a Chai Tea Latte on the way home and enjoy about 1 hour before I have to leave for work. I will try to find time later to squeeze in my 30 minutes cardio and weight training. I WILL FIND A WAY! LOL.

Day 29 - Journey

2009-11-29T18:47:00.000-08:00

Well today was a great day. Had an awesom time at Faith City. Great message today in The Vow series on marriages. Always a good time with church family. Off to birthday party and then spent some awesome time with my Daughter. I love her so so so much. She has such a tender heart. She would come up to me repeatedly and just say "Daddy, I love you". I really enjoy my Daddy Daughter times. We got a little Extracise by going to the mall. She looks so grown up putting a bag over shoulder. So funny. We got home and ate some mac and cheese tonight, mostly her and I had ground sirloin and Broccoli. But it was a nice meal by the fire watching Diego and Max and Ruby. How FUN! LOL. She helped me clean the house for my wife's arrival tomorrow. She is such a helper. I enjoyed it because I got to get a little Extracise. Well tomorrow is my weigh in. I am anxious to see some results on the scale. Once again I have strayed a little from the formula here and there but I think everything is getting smaller so that is what matters. I would like to see another 10 lb loss to put me in the 30 lb weight loss category. 35 lbs will be halfway. But even if I stayed the same. 20lbs in one month is nothing to snear at. LOL. Can you picture me SNEARING? Funny thought... well. I will stay the course anyway. I know this is the toughest season. So if I can muscle through and lose some extra weight during this next month I can start 2010 in a great state of mental health and physical health. I know I will see the results during 2010 if I can stay the course. Like I said I feel so much better now I don't want to change anything. I am exciting that some others have contacting me concerning my journey. I know they will start theirs soon. The best time to plant a tree is ten years ago and the next best time is TODAY. Don't wait to begin. Start now to make better choices.

Day 28 - Journey

2009-11-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

I woke up before Aliyah today. About 9 hours. I know it is good for me. I will be sure to get more vegetables in my meals today. Yesterday lacked a little. I know how important it is to my body to have those LIVING FOOD NUTRIENTS. I will getting a little extracise today by going to the mall and walking a bit then working on my NEW BORN's (soon to be) room. Have to repaint the crib and changing table. Very excited about meeting my son. I know this will add a whole new adventure to my life. He, along with my daughter who is 3 going on 13, are some of the reasons I am making the choice to take this journey. I want them to have a healthy, vibrant, activity filled life. In this day and age is so difficult to get out and get active. I know that as the Father it begins with me. My choices will guide my family's choices. God designed men to be initiators. So I am initiating some Diet changes in our household. I am overjoyed to find very little resistance from anyone in the house. So I begin this morning with a daily prayer. Lord, give me the strength and wisdom to make good choices. Thank you Lord for my healthy body and strong immune system. My metabolism is fast to burn off the calories I eat. I know the plans you have for me today are good and not bad. Use me today to help others and lead my family in the right direction.

You can pray something like this today. Your word are CONTAINERS of power. God designed this way. Be CAREFUL what you say, you will end up living it one day.

Day 27 - Journey

2009-11-27T19:08:00.000-08:00

Well, another day off and with each day comes it's individual challenges. Running around every day shopping, running errands, has its draw backs. We have been running all over and when you do that diets can be affected. I tried my best to plan ahead. I started us off with a great nutrient filled breakfast and then off we went. The biggest draw back, as with anything, is eating out. When eating out it is difficult to find the right balance. So I try my best to be moderate with anything. Mexican is always a hard one to fight. Usually you can find some great choices. It all comes down to choices. You and I both have the power to DECIDE what we will eat. Decisions make us who we are. That is why I started this journey. I needed to make BETTER decisions when eating. Today was not horrible. The biggest downfall I could see is my decision to eat too many tortilla chips. I know the calories and fat in those chips adds up very quickly. I did however chose only water to drink. Also chose a chicken meal with rice and black beans instead of re-fried. So although not my best choice with the chips I try to not compound the DIET infraction with Soda or more fatty beans. Don't get me wrong I am not feeling guilty. I am trying to learn from my experience. In no way or form will I allow one meal to dictate my commitment to changing my health. I am committed to my journey. To make up for the meal at lunch, knowing I had more than my 10 grams of fat, I am opting for a lighter dinner to keep my calories and fat for the day in check. I do not suggest making this a habit and so I will not be making it a habit for me either. I was very excited to be able to go the gym this evening. An opportunity for Aliyah to have a play date with a school friend came up. PRAISE GOD! I was able to work off some of that poor choice of chips. LOL. So I picked up Aliyah and came home for some Deli Turkey. Going to bed earlier than expected and excited about my 8-10 hours of sleep depending on how long my daughter will let me sleep in. Good Night all.

Tip: If you are struggling with eating something sweet or a dessert during these Holidays. Remember there is always tomorrow. Save that dessert, if you MUST eat it, for earlier in the day. Then your body has more time to burn it off instead of just storing it as fat in the evening.

DaY 26 - Journey (HAPPY THANKSGIVING!)

2009-11-26T18:14:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day. I spent my day with family and my lovely daughter. We woke up grabbed a quick breakfast and began our couch time watching the parade. Good thing I worked out twice yesterday. I got to play with baby dolls and all sorts of WONDERFUL TOYS. :) . We visited my sisters and I feel I did very well with all the food around. I DID have a few sugar cookies made by my niece Caleena. She did soo good I complimented her by having some more. LOL. Anyway... Turkey day was just that. Turkey and stuffing and broccoli. I did well though. I drank my water all day and didn't eat anything after 6pm. Although I could have had some lesser portions, overall I ended up on the winning side. I can go back strong tomorrow on my Ultimate Body Makeover without regret. Hope you all had a great day. Happy shopping tomorrow!

Day 25 - Journey

2009-11-25T17:57:00.000-08:00

Today was bitter sweet. I had to take my lovely wife to the airport. She will be away for 5 days. Although, I was blessed to spend some time with my lovely daughter. And she gave me a HUGE compliment today. I was holding her and she asked if my belly was smaller, she noticed a difference. I am so happy. I know I feel great. We spent the day playing at the mall and doing some Christmas shopping. Then we came home and she wanted to go play at my gym. I was excited to be able to squeeze in another workout. So, I doubled up today to cover my lost day on Thanksgiving. I am tired right now after putting her to bed.

I love SKYPE. I am talking on video with my wife. I can still see her. And I get to see the belly and talk to my son. :).

Did well today with my diet and exercise. Tomorrow will boast of Turkey and Football. I will try to stay active. I at dinner at 6:30 and nothing after that tonight and I will drink a shake in the morning after a light breakfast. I am going to stick to not eating late tomorrow either. I can't wait to see the scale on Monday. I feel so much lighter. My clothes are becoming loose and shirts are fitting loose on me. It's exciting because I am not doing anything special. Anyone can do the same. If you are thinking about it... stop thinking and start doing. I will help you. Comment if you like and I will help support you in your journey.

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

Day 23 - Product Info (Energy)

2009-11-24T22:24:00.000-08:00

Serving Size 3 Strips
Vitamin B6 3mg
Vitamin b12 7.5 mcg
Proprietary Blend 32mg
(Caffeine, Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba)

INGREDIENTS:
Vitamin B6 and B12: are vital for the
healthy maintenance of the body. Both B Vitamins aid in
protein Metabolism, which makes it essential for growth
and development on the cellular level. Because they aid in
hemoglobin production as well as the maintenance of the
lymphoid organs, vitamin B6 and B12 are vital to healthy
production of both red and white blood cells. They also
help to maintain blood glucose (sugar) levels that are already within normal limits. In addition
to supporting blood and tissue function, vitamins B6 and B12 aid brain functions including
serotonin production, which helps promote a positive mood and mental focus.*

Caffeine: is the most widely consumed natural stimulant in the world. It acts as a central
nervous system stimulant to help ward off drowsiness, increase attentiveness and restore
alertness. As a result, it is ergogenic and thus, increases the capacity for both mental and
physical exertion.*
Ginseng: is a natural plant-derived adaptogen that has been shown to increase the body’s
resistance to stress. Ginseng contains antioxidant properties that aid in the boosting of the
bodies immune system. It has been shown to lead to increased energy, increased libido and
an overall increase in sexual function. It has been shown to improve mental function including
increased concentration and memory retention.*

Ginkgo Biloba: is a natural plant-derived supplement that has exhibited numerous positive
effects on the body. It has been shown to increase the blood flow to tissues and organs protect
against oxidative cell damage from free radicals. Ginkgo Biloba is also widely used as a
concentration and memory enhancer.* Ginseng is known as an adaptogen, which means it
increases resistance to physical, chemical, and biological stress and builds energy and general
vitality.

Immune Function: A study examined 323 people who had had at least two colds in the prior
year. Participants were instructed to take two capsules per day of either the North American
ginseng extract or a placebo for a period of four months.
The mean number of colds per person was lower in the ginseng group than in the placebo
group. The proportion of subjects with two or more colds during the four-month period was
significantly lower in the ginseng group than in the placebo group, as were the total symptom
score and the total number of days cold symptoms were reported for all colds.

To purchase the strips just go to www.enlyten.com/dreambig

Day 23 - Journey

2009-11-24T09:15:00.000-08:00

I went to bed quite earlier last night. I got my 7 hours almost 8 of sleep. My workouts have left me feeling really good. I thank God for blogging everyday. You all make me accountable. I am enjoying this journey quite a bit. I hope some of you are encouraged to start your own journey.
Well this morning was HECTIC! We had so much to do and so little time. LOL. But it all worked out. I did manage to sneak my workout in first thing. I am focused on getting a minimum of 3 this week. Hopefully more depending on Aliyah (my Daughter). But I am excited about seeing my family. I have lost over 20lbs and haven't seen most of them since before my journey began. This week my focus will be on "getting UN - busy". I am going to really try and get to bed early enough to get my 8 hours sleep. With a longer weekend I believe I can do this. I know it will involve turning off my DVR. :) What would I do without it....AHH! Sorry. But if you look at your day you can find some extra time to get settled down earlier and get a little extra sleep. Try that this week. Try and make yourself get some rest. Don't abuse the days off and stay up extra late. If you are like me with a little one... she wakes up early regardless of when I went to bed. So I have to really push myself to go to SLEEP earlier. We can do this together. Don't forget... keep up the water habit. We should all be developing the 1/2 body weight in ounces of water each day. It really helps with hunger and keeping your system toxin free.

You can do it.

Day 22 - Journey

2009-11-23T05:18:00.001-08:00

Well yesterday wasn't horrible. I ate my Jets pizza and bread sticks. I drank water and even waited for 1/2 hour after to do so. So I stuck with some good habits even though I ate some not so healthy food. We did have a lot of fun and I got some extracise on the Wii. Although I lost 2 out of 3 boxing matches I felt good and didn't realize how much I could sweat playing video games. Donkey Kong or Super Mario never made me sweat. LOL. Eighties flash back sorry. So today I am sticking with my routine. I hit the gym and then did my weekly weight training. I decided this morning to have some oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. I prepared some hearty celery and broccoli to accompany my meals today and I am heading out for the most awesome job ever. I love going to work. I love being a part of something more than me. I work at Faith City Church. It is something I have wanted to do since I was 20 years old. I really get fullfillment and believe we are acheiving something God designed. Well, like Michael W Smith said, IN THE 80's, "I found my place in this world" and I am giving it my all. Kind of makes you want to sing that great tune doesn't it.
Hope it gets stuck in your head like it will mine today. If you haven't found your place in this world yet. Don't worry keep looking. Ask God for help he knows you better than you know yourself.

Day 21 - Journey (Sabbath)

2009-11-22T07:04:00.000-08:00

Today is going to be a challenging day for my routine and healthy habits. We have a party to go to and the menu is JETS pizza. I personally really like JETS. Their pizza will make you speak in tongues and that is before you dip it in ranch dressing. LOL Well maybe not that good. Anyway... I plan on partaking in the menu. So in an effort to THWART (did you like that word?) this planned off diet adventure I am planning my prior meals with a little less everything. I know it isn't the best planned. But I am living life and sometimes we have to enjoy life. The key, to me anyway, is not to abandon it all over one or two meals that maybe aren't perfectly portioned. If I can plan ahead and plan my after meals I should be alright. So I am eating light my first meal and snack then I can endulge (Not too much) but endulge none the less. I am not feeling guilty about this and refuse to condemn myself. That would take the enjoyment out of it all. So I am committing myself to enjoy my meal then back to the planned meals that will continue to help me reach my health goals. I will let you know how this goes.

I wanted to be open and honest about this because I am human and I believe I am working 100% percent for most of the week. I know I will continue to reach my goals. I have decided this is for the long haul. And with Thanksgiving coming up I know I am going to stray a bit from my plan that meal too. Once again we can get through this AWESOME PLETHRA of food offerings with joy and contentment if we just plan our way to the day. Remember, plan your way to the day. So this week on I will continue to not eat late at night and really push through Monday - Wednesday and stick to my plan and exercise with all the vigor I can muster.

We can do this together. Stay the course. Just don't get extreme and don't give up.

Day 20 - Product Info (Antioxidant Strips)

2009-11-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

Antioxidants
Suggested use: Drink 16 oz. of water followed by 1 Antioxidant Strip,
3 times per day)

Suggested Serving Size: 3 strips

Vitamin C - 60mg
Vitamin D - 1000IU
Vitamin B6 - 3mg
Vitamin B12 - 7.5mcg
Proprietary Blend - 75mg

INGREDIENTS:
The ingredients in the Enlyten Antioxidant Strips, along with
a healthy diet and exercise, can help you to neutralize free
radicals that can damage cells and contribute to aging,
maintain bone health and density, boost your immune
system, maintain cholesterol levels that are already within
normal limits, and promote healthy prostate and urinary
tract function.

Vitamin C: the most widely consumed nutritional supplement is an essential nutrient for the human body. It is vital for a range of metabolic reactions including collagen synthesis, blood-vessel maintenance and the maintenance of a healthy immune system. The inherent antioxidant properties of Vitamin C work to protect the body against oxidative stress and help to counter the damage to the body that is caused by free radicals.*

Vitamin D: plays an extremely important role in the maintenance of organ systems. It regulates the calcium and phosphorous levels in the blood by promoting their absorption from food in the GI tract. It also serves to promote re-absorption of calcium in the kidneys to enable healthy bone development and sustainability. Vitamin D also works to support the immune system by promoting phagocytosis immunomodulatory functions.*

Vitamin B6 and B12: are vital for the healthy maintenance of the body. Both B Vitamins aid in protein metabolism, which makes them essential for growth and development on the cellular level. Because they aid in hemoglobin production as well as the maintenance of the lymphoid organs, vitamin B6 and B12 are vital to healthy production of both red and white blood cells. They also help to maintain blood glucose (sugar) levels that are already within normal limits. In addition to supporting blood and tissue function, vitamins B6 and B12 aid brain functions including serotonin production, which helps promote a positive mood and mental focus.*

Quercetin: is a natural substance that can be found in the skin of apples and red onions. It is a very powerful antioxidant. Research has shown that quercetin may support prostate health. * Coenzyme Q10 is a coenzyme normally produced in the human body that is necessary for basic cellular function. Lower levels may occur as we age. Supplementation with CoQ10 may have many benefits with the most compelling preliminary research indicating that it supports cardiovascular health by helping maintain blood pressure levels that are already within normal limits.*

Super Fruits:

Goji Berry: is high ranking among super fruits due to its exceptional nutritional richness and potent antioxidant qualities. Its key antioxidants are carotenoids and polyphenols. Goji berries have been used for 6,000 years by herbalists in China, Tibet and India to:
• protect the liver
• help eyesight
• improve sexual function and fertility
• strengthen the legs
• boost immune function
• improve circulation
• promote longevity

Pomegranate: is nutrient and antioxidant rich. In addition to being an excellent source of vitamin C, it is packed with vitamin B5, beta-carotene, potassium and polyphenols.

Mangosteen: is one of the most highly praised tropical fruits in the world – very rich in antioxidants.

Blueberry : is a popular fruit that contains a diverse range of micronutrients including, vitamin B6, vitamin C, fiber. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, most notably anthocyanins and phytochemicals. This super fruit has also been shown to have a positive impact on cardiovascular health and to help maintain cholesterol levels that are already within normal limits.*

Cranberry: fruits contain numerous micronutrients including vitamin C, manganese, as well as
phytochemicals. Cranberries are most celebrated for their role in maintaining urinary tract health.*

To Purchase or find more info about Antioxidant Strips go to www.Enlyten.com/dreambig

Day 20 - Journey

2009-11-21T07:55:00.000-08:00

Get to spend some much needed Daddy Daughter time today. My wife is away for the morning and we get to just hang out together. She did mention going to store and getting a GIANT pretzel. So we will see. No workout today. Day off. I will be preparing some blood type o meals that will make my body SCREAM for more and SHED unwanted pounds. I will be making sure to get my water and start to avoid the foods that are not beneficial for my blood type.

Day 19 - Product Info (Melatonin)

2009-11-20T18:52:00.000-08:00

This is the first of a few product plugs you will see. Please don't discount these products. I am posting the nutritional info so everyone can see exactly what I am using during my program.

Melatonin Strips
(Serving Size: 1 -3 strips at bedtime.)
Supplement Facts
Serving Size 2 Strips
Servings Per Cassette 7

Amount Per Serving
Melatonin 3mg
Theanine 15mg

INGREDIENTS:
Melatonin: is a naturally occurring hormone that works in the brain to help the body regulate the natural cycle of sleeping and waking. Although melatonin is naturally occurring in the brain, production is inhibited by light and permitted by darkness. Supplementation allows for the brain to regulate itself and thus, providing natural relief from symptoms of jet lag and occasional sleeplessness. Studies have shown that melatonin works to stimulate both the immune and endocrine systems.* Melatonin is a hormone produced in the pineal gland, a small gland in the brain, that helps regulate sleep and wake cycles. Very small amounts of melatonin are found in foods such as meats, grains, fruits, and vegetables. It is also available as a dietary supplement, though it has no known nutritional value.
What does natural melatonin do in the body?
Your body has its own internal clock that helps regulate your natural cycle of sleeping and waking hours (or circadian rhythm) in part by controlling the production of melatonin. Normally, melatonin levels begin to rise in the mid- to late evening, remain high for most of the night, and then decline in the early morning hours. Natural melatonin production is partly affected by light. During the shorter days of the winter months, melatonin production may start earlier or, more often, later. Natural melatonin levels decline gradually with age. Some older adults produce very small amounts of melatonin or none at all.

Theanine: is an amino acid that increases the brains feel good chemicals, serotonin and dopamine. It has been shown to reduce routine mental and physical stress and produce feelings of relaxation and positive mood.* Theanine may help the body's immune response to infection by boosting the disease- fighting capacity of gamma delta T cells. Hundreds of studies exist showing the many health benefits of green tea. But what makes it the most consumed beverage in the world after water is its pleasant taste and relaxation effect. Both of these qualities—and more—can be traced to the neurologically- active amino acid, L-theanine.

Physiological Effects Of Theanine
The calming effect of green tea may seem contradictory to the stimulatory property of tea's caffeine content but it can be explained by the action of L-theanine. This amino acid actually acts antagonistically against the stimulatory effects of caffeine on the nervous system. (1) Research on human volunteers has demonstrated that L-theanine creates a sense of relaxation via at least two different mechanisms. First, this amino acid directly stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, creating a state of deep relaxation and mental alertness similar to what is achieved through meditation. Second, L-theanine is involved in the formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA). GABA influences the levels of two other neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin, producing the key relaxation effect. (2) When your mother told you to have a cup of tea and relax, what she meant was to have a cup of Theanine, one of Nature's own stress remedies, reduces stress and relieves anxiety.

To purchase the strips just go to www.enlyten.com/dreambig

Day 19 - Journey

2009-11-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

I am getting a second wind today. I went to the grocery store and stocked up on foods (living) I needed. I was feeling really good but kinda tired for 2 days. I wasn't sure what it was. I started to think back to my diet in the last few days. Wednesday and Thursday were very busy. Wednesday I was hurried and didn't really get my full of veggies. I could tell an immediate difference. WOW. Crazy I never knew how much I was relying on those power packed veggies. But I am back on track today. Got a good dose of veggies in my chicken nacho from Qdoba. Naked (no tortilla) So I got a lot of protein. All in all good meal. I am starting to log all my food intake today in an effort to keep track in the upcoming weeks of ways to tweak my diet. I will go back and examine my foods to see what I might need to change if I am not getting results in few weeks. Got to the gym this morning then noticed the big trucks that pick up my leaves heading to my neighborhood. So I hurried up and raked my entire front lawn before work. LOL. Talk about Extracise and extra cardio. All good though. GOT R DONE.

I have been meditating on my new self in the upcoming Holidays. I am excited. My jeans are beginning to feel really loose. It is going to be hard to wait and entire 9 more days to weigh in. I am doing it though.

Stick with it everyone. It is worth the work and wait. We can do this.

Have you had a glass or 8 of water today? Yes I said 8. Set a goal for tomorrow to drink 8 glasses from rise and shine to saying goodnight. Your body will love you for it.

Day 18 - Journey

2009-11-19T05:43:00.000-08:00

Man! The days are adding up quickly. It is exciting though when I think about it. Even if I am only loosing bits of a pound per day. They will add up. It is kind of like paying off a debt. Little by little I will snow ball my extra weight off my body. I know I have to stick to it. It is raining here today so I am really putting my attitude on alert. I need to stay positive on these days and keep my spirits high in order to continue training my body. I did get to the gym for some cardio and added a little basketball to get just a bit extra. Knowing that tonight I get to play when I get home. I ask my daughter what she wanted to do tonight when we get home. She responded "PLAY" I then responded like the average adult. Play What? She looked and me and said "JUST PLAY". LOL. I had to laugh. Life is so simple. We need to keep a simple mindset like this. Day to day. As long as she is hanging out with Daddy and Mommy anything will do. So I look forward to the afternoon filled with JUST PLAYING with my lovely daughter. Maybe some hot chocolate by the fire. I remember the good times in summer's past spending time at the park with my lovely daughter. Her smiles warm me to the core.
Tonight I will be back on track though. I am going to cook some good healthy lean stir fry and be sure not eat after 6pm. I really didn't like the way I felt last night when I ate later.
Stay the course with me. We can do this together! By Christmas we will feel and look much lighter.

TIP: Drinking plenty of water between meals and snacks will naturally suppress your appetite. Also it keeps me craving more LIVE foods.

Don't forget if you want to get the ULTIMATE BODY MAKEOVER - "FREE" just go to
www.enlyten.com/dreambig. When you order the Trimworks Supplement Package I will throw in ULTIMATE BODY MAKEOVER totally free. This offer is going until Christmas. See website for more details.
Please let me know if you decide to join me and take your own personal journey.

All Enlyten products are 10% with PROMO CODE: GETSMALL

Day 17 - Journey

2009-11-18T17:25:00.000-08:00

Woke up this morning and grabbed my water then went to the gym for my 30 minute cardio and weight training. I worked out my Latisimo's and my Triceps. (Back and Triceps) Nothing major. Just wanted to get some resistance training. Headed back home and real life sets in. I made a nice healthy breakfast then went up to my SON's room to start working on making IT ready for him. We hung wainscoating on the walls today. I must say it turned out really well. Running up and down the stairs and working for about 4 hours I got some good EXTRAcise in. We followed up our work with trip to the Imaging Doctor for a 28 week ultrasound. Happy to report all is well with our BABY BOY! They confirmed it once again that I am having a son. I am so happy. Having another child makes me want to get my health on track so I can lead them in a healthy lifestyle as well. I did although cap off the night with some running ALL OVER town and shopping with my wife. Unfortunately we got back and I had a late dinner. Topped with a slice of cake. I don't feel guilty but I do feel different. I can most definitely tell that I strayed from my normal healthy diet. My body is letting me know I can do without cake. LOL. So all is well I am settling down watching my wife decorate our annual festival of light on the tree. My house smells and looks like Santa threw up in here. I don't mind really, my daughter was having so much fun decorating with her. I was in charge of getting EXTRAcise by going up and down with stuff to and from the attic. Now I am going to study up on my blood type foods. I will let you all know when I find out more. Happy Holidays! (I am in a holiday mood). :)

Day 16 - Journey

2009-11-17T09:40:00.000-08:00

Today started out with a bang. I am waking up easier and finding that I have more motivation and energy to go to the gym and GET R DONE. I got my 30 minutes of Cardio in and back to the house for an turkey egg white omelet. VERY TASTY. I am feeling results.

Last night, like others prior, I was tempted to partake of some desserts at our weekly group meeting. It was there TAUNTING ME. LOL. No really it was there looking tasty and ready to eat. I had done well all day. I remembered what my Ultimate Body Email said. "I can do anything for 90 seconds." I thought just take it a step at a time. I didn't feel like I would be guilty if I decided to have some. But I have done so well thus far in training myself. I just kept saying "STICK TO THE PROGRAM" I want 100% out of this program. So I must give it my 100%. If I give it less I will get less back. So that is me. I am not saying I will never treat myself to a snack that has SOME SUGAR in it. But I am saying I can make better decisions. The Tipping Point for me was the fact that I didn't want to eat anything late at night. I like how I feel when I get up. I know it is because I have been avoiding Carbs after 6pm. Actually I have been avoiding everything after dinner at 6pm. I believe it has helped me reach my first goal of 20lbs. It happened in 2 weeks. 14 days. I feel totally pschyched.
I can do this.
And so can you. If you want support with your program in getting healthier. Please comment and we can support others here. Now go drink some water!

For Info On My Plan The Ulitmate Body Makeover click here.

Dinner Day 15

2009-11-16T19:19:00.000-08:00

Tonight I spent about 2 hours in the kitchen experimenting with Blood Type Foods that would fit into my Ultimate Body Makeover. I decided on a White Chicken Chili with Northern Beans, Black Beans, and some Diced Tomatoes. Throw in some White Chicken Chili Seasoning and some chicken and WALLA, ready to serve. I stayed away from corn because it is not good for Blood Type O or really anyone for that matter. Corn is very hard to digest. It is really quite expendable. We put Northern Beans in because they are a very good food for Blood Type O.
I also prepared a Blood Type O rich soup. Some Chicken Broth, Northern Beans, Broccoli, a little Garlic, Green Onions, and Celery. Very tasty meal. After dinner had another 24-48 oz water and hit the sack feeling good. Ready to stay the course and make better choices.

Tomorrow going to get up and go to the gym and do some elevated cardio. I will bring bringing my heart rate up out of my Fat Burning Zone every so often in order to stretch my limits. On to my bed I go.

Powered By Enlyten "Remember 10% off with promo code: GETSMALL

Day 15 - Journey

2009-11-16T05:29:00.000-08:00

I woke up refreshed and ready to tackle the day. Excited about another weigh in. My clothes have felt looser and friends were saying they could see a difference. So off to the gym for 30 minutes of Fat Burning Zone Cardio and then some moderate resistance training with weights. I did about 15 -20 minutes this morning with weights. I worked on Biceps and Chest muscles. I feel really good. Got in locker room and got my swimsuit on to hit the sauna and jacuzzi. Swimsuit feels really loose on me now. After my shower I paces myself to the scale. Still a little anxious that all my hard work payed off. On I went and BAM! Another 8 lbs. Feeling good. Only thing for next 2 weeks I am not supposed to weigh myself. That will be tough. But I can do anything if I put my mind to it. (Marty McFly-Back to the Future anyone?). LOL Sorry. Anyway. So I look forward this week to sharing some of the blood type specific meals that will meet the Ultimate Body Makeover requirements as well as be great for my blood type.

BlueBlogger

30 day / Challenge...

SUMMER SERVOLUTION!

Lord Save Us from Your Followers...

Best Father's Day Yet!

Softball Team!

New iPhone Skin.

Summer Excitement!

Avoid the 4th meal...

Time Flies...

Face your fear...

Yard Work...

Worker Training...

Sunday Citar

Father and Son Saturday.

Weekend: PROJECT GARDEN BOX

Chicken Kabab night.

Asparugus Anyone?...

Little extra help...

Home Sweet Home!

THE BIG APPLE...

Congratulations! Antionette you are the winner.

1 day left for GIVEAWAY!

Nest Egg? for Brayden.

Saturday... fighting sleep.

Friday... Lunch Date

ENLYTEN STRIP $50 GIFT GIVEAWAY!

Just ANOTHER Day in Paradise!

Getting Started...

Breakfast for my family...

Monday - Breakfast with the family...

Spring Cleaning...

Monday - Greeted with Glee

Saturday... What a Day!

Fun with iPhone...

Rock A Bye Baby...

Renewed Commitment.

Question? Is it okay for men to play with dolls?

Great Stories!

Life goes fast!.

New WEEK!

Day 1 - A new Journey (Brayden Christopher Arrived!)

Day 99 - Journey

DAY 97 - Journey

Day 90 - Journey

Day 89 - Journey

Day 87 - Journey

Day 86 - Journey

Day 85 - WOW what a week!

Aliyah and JAM!

Day 76 - Journey

Day 65-66 - Journey

Day 64 - Journey

Day 61-63 - Journey

Day 57-60 - Journey

DAY 53 - 56 - Journey

Day 51 and 52 - Journey

Day 50 - Journey

DAY 50 - Journey (Sunday Citar)

Day 49 - Journey

Day 48 - Journey

Day 47 - Journey (Busy day)

Day 46 - Journey (Weigh In)

Day 45 - Journey

Day 43 - Journey

Day 41 - Journey (L.A.)

Day 40 - Journey (L.A.)

Day 39 - Journey (L.A.)

Day 38 - Journey

DAY 37 - Journey

Day 37 - WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER

Day 37 - Journey

Giveaway Contest.

Day 36 - Journey *Sunday Citar*

DAY 35 - Journey

Giveaway Contest.

Day 34 - Journey

Giveaway Contest.

Day 33 - Journey

Simple Samples

Day 36 - Journey Sunday Citar