Teresa's DietBet Journey

I would like to invite anyone interested in losing a few pounds to join me on a fun 4 week journey!  I have started my own game in the Dietbet world.  

 

You are probably wondering what the heck I'm talking about aren't you?  DietBet.com is a website that allows individuals to set up their own games.  Get your friends, family or anyone to join you.  Everyone puts in the same amount of money for the bet.  In the case of my game it's $25.00.  You are betting on yourself to lose 4% of your starting weight in 4 weeks.  The great thing about this challenge is everyone can win.  The players who complete the challenge and lose 4% of their starting weight, will split the pot.  So you will at least get your money back and possibly more.  If you prefer, you can donate your winnings to charity.  You can use any food program that you like, some use Atkins, WW, low calorie, whatever feels good to you.  Personally, I love the 17 Day Diet.  The 17 Day Diet is a book by Dr. Mike Moreno.  It is available in hardback or ebook.  Check out Amazon or Barnes and Noble for your copy.

Teresa's DietBet game actually started on March 23rd, (yesterday) so there is still plenty of time for you to get signed up and join us in the fun.  You can share your days with other players in the game or not.  But, from personal experience talking about my accomplishments, victories and struggles have helped me to continue on my weight loss journey.  Click here to check it out. Teresa's DietBet

I also want to share something else with you.  The company that I work for, Skinny Body Care is offering an AMAZING challenge.  This challenge begins on April 1, 2015.  This is for existing customers, distributors, and new customers.  The WorldWide 90 Day Challenge!!  Three people will win an amazing prize.  An all expense paid trip to Miami, FL  a day of pampering and a complete makeover AND get to be a TV star on the new Health and Wellness Network!  If you are already a customer, just click the link above and sign up.  If you are new to the Skinny Fiber product and ready to make a purchase click here first... New to Skinny Fiber

Even if you're not interested in the challenge or Skinny Fiber or the DietBet.  Take just a couple of minutes and click the link for WorldWide 90 day Challenge and watch the 2 minute video.  I'm featured in the video.  It's very exciting for me.  I'm definitely a product of the product.  

When I first started taking Skinny Fiber it was August 26, 2013.  I was considered morbidly obese at 207 lbs on a small 5' frame.  I was very unhealthy and it didn't matter what kind of diet on was on I couldn't stick with it for very long at all.  Yes, I'd lose a few pounds and get frustrated and quit and gain it all back.  When I found Skinny Fiber, I was desperate.  I made my first purchase praying it would help me, but in the back of my mind, feeling like it was a complete scam.  The bright side was they said there was an empty bottle money back guarantee.  So I clicked the button and placed my order.

That was the best purchase I've ever made.  This is not a miracle or magic pill.  So, don't think that's what I'm saying.  It is a tool.  It is a 100% all natural tool.  There are no stimulants, you will not feel anxious, jittery or have heart palpitations like "diet pills" or some other products out there that will help you lose weight.   Skinny Fiber has helped me stick with a healthy eating plan.  Within just the first few days, I no longer craved ice cream at night, I no longer craved salty carb ridden chips and I quit drinking diet soda cold turkey. (I was drinking 5 32oz fountain drinks per day.)  I could go on and on and on about this product and the health benefits I've received.  In a word...Amazing!

Now, back to the DietBet.  Please join us, like I said you can use any diet plan your prefer.  It's fun, it keeps you accountable and you can win some money.  Now, who doesn't like winning money??  I hope to see some new faces join the game.

When I grow up...

For as long as I can remember I've felt like I didn't really know what I was supposed to do in life.  When I was in high school all my friends were making plans for college, they had dreams and goals.  Not me... My sister knew that she wanted to be a dental hygienist for as long as I can remember.

Graduation day came and I remember my mom telling me I had to get a job, go to college or move out.  So I went to college with no idea where I was going and quickly found out I was going no where.  I hated the classes and path I'd chosen.  Next I signed up for Beauty College, that lasted about 9 weeks and I realized it just wasn't for me.  I decided to try the job route...minimum wage, working at an electric/plumbing supply store as the counter girl wasn't my dream job.  It was an 8 hour day of sexual harassment.  Back to college I went.  I decided I'd get a AA in secretarial science.  I excelled in typing, 10-key, computers etc and quickly found a job when I got out of school.  I worked for CITGO Petroleum for 16 years until Y2K took my job away.  I can't say that being an Administrative Assistant was my dream job, but I loved my CITGO family and it was really hard to say good-bye.

From there I ended up as a Staffing Supervisor for a temp service, helping people find jobs.  This was something that I really enjoyed.  Helping people and when they were excited about the path their life was taking it made me so happy.  Not all of the job was sunshine and roses believe me.  There's a lot of babysitting involved.  Hunting the people down who didn't show up for work, firing the ones that just didn't work out, but it was all worth the few that would come back months later and tell me they were so happy and how much I'd changed their lives.  Sadly, due to reorganization of the company, my position was eliminated after 10 years.

With the job market at an all time low in September 2009, jobs were few and far between.  So with my families blessing, I opened my own business.  A yarn shop.  It was so much fun.  I loved teaching people how to knit, helping them with projects, seeing them start out with 2 needles and some yarn and end up with a beautiful sweater or pair of socks.  It seemed to fill a hole in me.  I had found my calling.  It was just helping people.  Whether it was helping them find a job or knit a sweater, the act of helping was what I craved.

That is why when the opportunity to work for Skinny Body Care was presented to me, I went in full blown, guns blazing.  Just sharing this product and what it has done for me and my friends has absolutely changed my life.  When a customer sends me a message telling me that they've never felt better, or they've lost 10 lbs this month.  It gives me that feeling that I've been looking for since I was a kid.  I want to help anyone that will listen to me.  If you're ready for some help, I'm here for you.  Send me a friend request on facebook and I'll answer any questions you have.  https://www.facebook.com/teresa.copelandharmon

I'd like to invite you to join my weight loss support group on facebook Healthy Choices & More.  This is a closed, private, FREE group that will welcome you with open arms.  You do NOT have to purchase Skinny Fiber to be a member of the group.  These are people who are trying to get healthy, that's it.  Some are Weight Watchers, some do low carb and yes some do take Skinny Fiber.  We all have struggles and it's great to bounce ideas off each other.  We all have victories to celebrate and we want to celebrate those with you!

My confession, but I'm back!

I know I've left you guys hanging for several months.  I've thought about writing several times, but I would end up staring at the blank page on the screen and NOTHING would come to me.

I decided once again to give it a try and I think I finally have something to say.

I truly think the reason I've been awol is because I felt embarrassed.  Yes, I think that's it.  During the summer and fall of last year, I was so gung-ho on my jogging.  I was excited and I had finally found something that I enjoyed doing and it was good for me.  Then I signed up for the 5K race.  If you remember, I was scared to do it, scared to sign up, scared that I would look like I didn't know what I was doing, scared that I would be last, scared that I wouldn't finish, scared that I would fall, you name it I was scared of it.  After the race, I let you know that it was the worst experience and I would never do it again.  I wanted to go back to the beginning, continue jogging in my neighborhood, no pressure, no people, just me and the morning breeze.

I haven't jogged much since that day of the 5K.  I would head out for my 3 mile jog, but something would trigger an anxious feeling at about the 2 mile mark and I'd go back home.  Telling myself that it was okay and I'd do 3 miles tomorrow.  Then the weather started getting colder and that was a good excuse not to go out at all.  Instead I would jog around my living room or walk with Leslie on DVD.

The reason I'm embarrassed is because I was telling you what to do, and how to do it.  Like I was a know-it-all.  To be honest inspiring you was motivating me I really wanted to prove to all of you and myself that I was good at this, and then I just quit.  Yes, I'm a quitter, always have been.  That's why I weighed 216 pounds at my highest point.  I have never ever told anyone that. For some reason 207 lbs seemed so much better.   I remember stepping on the scale that morning and seeing that number.  I literally gagged and thought I was going to vomit.  You've got to also understand that I'm only 5' tall and while I'm being honest, I might not even be that tall anymore.  4'11 1/2" might actually be closer.  For the last 20 years I have been a professional dieter.  Diet, lose, quit, gain, repeat.  I was dieting myself to death.   But I had to do something, I was 100 lbs overweight.  I can remember getting with 13 pounds of my goal weight years and years ago and then quitting.  I blamed in on everything I could think of, but I truly believe I was afraid of succeeding.  Afraid of maintaining a goal...That's a lot of pressure for a fat girl to handle.   It was like a little movie playing in my head.  All the congratulations, the big finish, all the WW reps high fiving me and then proving to everyone that I couldn't "really" do it, it must have been a fluke.  Quit now before all the bells and whistles go off.  I didn't want to be embarrassed.  I didn't want to be the girl that couldn't do it.  So I didn't do it.  I quit!!

I don't want to be the quitter anymore.  I think the reason I've been able to lose weight this time is because I don't feel like I'm on a diet.  I'm really not doing anything different so there isn't anything to quit.  Yes, I could quit taking my Skinny Fiber, but why in the world would I do that?  I've never felt better.  The one thing that I was never able to conquer the other times I'd lost weight was the health issues.  Even getting so close to my goal weight with Weight Watchers, I still had acid reflux, I still had IBS, I still had high blood pressure.  So many times I've heard if you just lose weigh you wouldn't have those problems.  Well, I don't anymore. Yesterday, I went to the Dr.  My blood pressure was 122/81.  During my days with WWs, my blood pressure was hovering at 164/94 and that was on medicine.   I truly believe that the ingredients in Skinny Fiber have not only helped me conquer my health issues, these ingredients have also helped me battle cravings for carbs and sweets.  Like I said, I'm not going to quit this time, because it doesn't "feel" like I'm being deprived, I'm not forcing myself to do something that I really don't want to do.  I want to be healthy.  I want to feel good.  I want to SUCCEED!!!

I hope you all stick with me.  I love talking and telling stories, I could do it all day long.  So if you want to join me on this journey, I'd love to have you.  Leave me your comments, let me know that you're watching or reading.  You are my motivation, you're what I need to succeed.

This is my latest picture update.  Taken a few weeks ago.  If you'd like to know more about this amazing product, just click the link.  Skinny Fiber

Holiday Parties, Food and Stress, Oh my!

The holidays are upon us and with the holidays, we have parties, we have lots and lots of food and of course we have the stress.  Planning get-togethers, family coming into town, buying gifts, running out of time etc.  What does it mean?  To me it means not having enough time to plan for myself.  Healthy meals and workouts get put aside while everything else takes center stage. 

Well, that used to be my thoughts.  Until I found an amazing product called Skinny Fiber!  I talk about it all the time, I share it with everyone I meet, so if you've read my blog or follow me on facebook, you probably know about Skinny Fiber.  My question to you...

Is today the day to place your Skinny Fiber order?

Many of my friends and family tell me that they don't want to think about dieting during the holidays.  "There's so much good food. I want to be able to eat what I want without feeling guilty."   When I hear this, I immediately picture my uncle, after a big Thanksgiving meal, on the couch, pants unbuttoned, pretending to watch a football game, but so stuffed from a food overdose that he can't keep his eyes open.  Does that really sound like a good time?

Once I've scratched that visual away from my mind, this is my response...

Skinny Fiber is NOT a diet pill.  It is a weight loss supplement.  You don't deprive yourself.  You don't DIET!  You eat regular food.  You don't have to eat "special" food.  There's no need to make your family "their" food and turn around and make "your" food.  I do encourage everyone to make healthy choices for the entire family.  But that doesn't mean cutting out entire food groups from the meal plans.

Skinny Fiber is plant based, no caffeine and no stimulants.  Skinny Fiber will allow you to eat all the things you normally eat during the holidays, just less of it!    I tell everyone listen to your body.  Don't stuff yourself.  

One of the great things about Skinny Fiber is that it curbs your cravings for carbs and sweets.  Yes, I still eat desserts and I still eat carbs.   You do have to drink LOTS of water and take two capsules twice a day, every day.  You MUST be consistent!  But you don't have to give up everything you love about the holidays!  Last year I lost 4 pounds during the holidays using Skinny Fiber!  Did I eat holiday food?  YES!  Did I gorge myself?  NO!

Documented research tells us that people gain approximately 5-15 pounds during the holidays.  Why would you want to gain more weight knowing that your New Years Resolution will be to "go on a diet!"  Skip the diet resolution this year.  Get on board with Skinny Fiber, start losing weight now and still enjoy those holiday treats?  You will just want less of them.  

Choose today to make a change in your health and your life.  You don't have to wait until after the holidays. www.teresaharmon.sbc90.com

I did it, but I don't think I'll do it again!

I've had people tell me that once they've run a 5K it's addictive.  After the 5K, they train for a 10K, then a half marathon.  They run every event they can get to.

Well, I did it last weekend.  I ran with my sister and niece in the ZipperQ 5K.  It's a great charity to donate to.  A little boy in my town has FOP Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva.  One of the rarest, most disabling genetic conditions known to medicine, it causes bone to form in muscles, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues.  ZipperQ raises money for research for this horrible disease.  So for that reason alone, I'm glad that I participated.

I've been jogging since May and for the last month I've been jogging 3.1 + miles 3 to 5 times a week.  I felt confident and in pretty good shape.  When I jog in my neighborhood, I don't have to stop and walk or rest, I can jog the entire time and it usually takes me somewhere between 43 and 46 minutes to complete (I never said I was fast).  My problem was the anxiety of running with people.  I had all these thoughts going through my mind like.  "I'm the only one here who has never done this?"  "Am I wearing the right clothes?"  "There going to laugh at you!"  Wait, that one may have been from the Carrie movie, but you get what I'm talking about.   Basically, I was a nervous wreck.  I sat in my car in the parking lot waiting for my sister show up because I was too nervous to get out and walk around with all the other "runners"...

The announcer says "5 more minutes!"  Everyone starts getting in line.  We stayed towards the back, we thought we were just in front of the walkers.  The gun goes off and everyone takes off running.  It felt like I was in a stampede...everyone behind us was running.  I'm not talking a slow jog, it was an all out RUN.  We finally got out of the crowd at about the 1/2 mile mark and I couldn't breathe.  I literally had to stop and catch my breath.   By the time we'd gone 1 mile, there was already a 16 year old boy coming back.  He ran the 5K in 16 minutes.  My niece was long gone, so it was just my sis and and I and about a dozen or so walkers behind us.  It was so hot, the sun was boiling my brain.  I should have worn sunglasses but since I'm used to doing my jogging first thing in the morning before the sun is barely up I didn't think about sunglasses.  My mouth felt like I'd taken about 3 or 4 big Tbsps of coconut oil mixed with Elmer's Glue.   We jogged and walked.  I think we probably walked the last mile and then once we were at the home stretch and the finish line was in sight we started running.  My time was 52.34 seconds.  I wasn't last, but almost.  I think there were 2 people behind me.  It didn't feel like 3.1 miles.  It felt like it was never going to end.  

I was so glad when it was over.  I stumbled my way back to the car and drove home to strip out of my sweaty clothes and hit the shower.

Yes, I'm glad I did it.  No, I'll never do it again.  I prefer jogging in my neighborhood, round and round.  It wasn't addictive, I'm not Jonesing to do another one.  Next year, I'll probably sign up for the ZipperQ, pay my registration fee, get the T-shirt and stay home!

Are you there yet?

This is funny, well it made me laugh and then giggle to myself several times.  If you could see me right now I'm still giggling.

I had a friend send a text message to me last night.  She wanted to know if I enjoy exercise now.  She said, "you know how people say that they really enjoy exercise after they've done it for awhile. I was just wondering if you are there yet?"  HAHAHAHAHA, this is where the laughter began.  And this was my response.  "LOL, no not really, I only enjoy it when it's over."

I've been exercising, well jogging since the end of May.  That's a good solid 4 months.  They (not really sure who "they" are) but "they" say that it takes about 3 weeks to break a habit or 3 weeks to start new habits.  Has jogging become a habit?  I don't think so.  Do I jog because I like it?  NO, I do it because I want to get healthy.

I guess you could say that jogging and I have a love/hate relationship.  I love the idea of being an athlete, jogging out on the open road with the wind in my hair and a smile on my face, having this time to shed the stress from my body and just go with the flow and run all the worries away.  This is what I picture at night before I go to bed.  This is how I want to feel when I wake up in the morning.  Excited to exercise!   But that ain't the way it goes sister!  There's no wind, I wish there were, then maybe my hair wouldn't be matted to my face and scalp.  There's no smile, it's all I can do to breathe without hyperventilating.  The only stress is the 5K that's coming up this weekend.  Now with that being said.  I don't hate  jogging.  Once I get the first mile in, it's really pretty easy.  My head and I have to have several discussions about quitting and continuing until I hear the cue that I've gone 1 mile.  Then the head decides it's a losing battle and shuts up.

The thing that I love about jogging is when it's over!  hahaha, that's not exactly what I mean.  It's a feeling like I've never had before.  I've done something that not too many fat girls do.  I feel proud of myself and I like myself for jogging.  So, Am I there yet?  I don't know!

But I think when people say they love exercise, I don't think it's the physical act that they LOVE!  I truly believe it's the feeling they have about themselves after the exercising is over.

Last week I posted a video on facebook.  I usually talk about my jogs in my facebook support group Healthy Choices & More!!  But instead of typing, I decided to talk.  This was taken just minutes after jogging. 

I hope you enjoy the video.

Get out of my head

Sometimes it's really hard to get out of your head.  

I've been jogging for the last 4 months and I've worked my way up to 3 miles.  I do this 4 or 5 days a week.  My goal was to be able to jog a 5k.  Well, there is one coming up in a couple of weeks.  October 4th to be exact.  It's called ZipperQ, the K before the Q.  It's a great charity and I'd love to participate.   I've filled out the registration form 5 times and when it comes to actually submitting the form and making that small $35.00 payment, I always click the X and log out of the form.  Why do I do this?  

I'm scared... I start thinking about the trail, it's not what I'm used to.  I start thinking about all the people.  They are all probably really fit and have a great pace.  I start thinking about what all those people are thinking about me.  I start thinking about being the last one to cross the finish line and wondering if they are saying things like, "what is she doing?" "everyone else passed the finish line 15 minutes ago." "she's too fat to run."  In reality, they probably don't even care.  But, these are my fears.  
I've lost 45 lbs, I still have about 40 lbs to go, I feel good, but I still see that fat girl in the mirror and she won't go away.   

While I was out jogging this morning a song that I'd never heard before and didn't even know was on my playlist came on. I didn't have my glasses on, so I couldn't see the name of the song while it was playing. I've got to try and find it and listen to it again. This may become my new theme song.

"If you will say it, you’ll start to claim it. It’s amazing, if you can see it, you'll start to believe it. Don’t waste time thinking about the things that ain't right, all you have to do is make up your mind. And its Beautiful. You’re so beautiful. Can’t win if you don’t try, you're beautiful"

It was someone rapping and a girl singing along. I don't like rap music and like I said, never heard it before, don't know how it ended up on my phone, but I'm glad it did. It's a great message for everyone.

I'm tired of being scared that I can't do things.  I think submitting the form for the ZipperQ 5K (and showing up for the run) is something that I NEED to do.  I know I can jog 5k.  I know I'm not the fastest.  I know that if I do this, I'm sure it will help me lose 40 more lbs.  I know I will gain more confidence.  

I guess it's time to submit my registration form.

Anybody want to do this with me?  Here's the link www.zipperq.com