The Sky is the Limit!

At the end of the fifth week I was thinking WOW! If a lot of determination and product could do this the sky is the limit. We bought into the program at the lowest level and started to return his product one bottle at a time.

At this point I was flipping through a product catalog and found HealthTrim - Metabolic Boost. I asked a couple people at a Genesis PURE meeting about it and liked what I heard. Doug brought some by the next day so I could get started before my shipment showed up. What a difference it made! My energy levels increased even more. I was alert even at 3:00 pm when I normally would hit a low. I got things done!!!

After about two weeks on the additional product, I can say that I lost another ten pounds. That made 30 pounds since the beginning of my journey in seven weeks. Now don't get me wrong I knew there were going to be stumbling blocks and there was no way I was going to be able to keep up the pace of losing 10 pounds every two weeks. I had already discounted the existence of a "magic bullet" when it came to weight loss. I also knew for it to stay off I was going to have to lose it at a slower pace and make permanent changes to my life.

Strength Courage Perseverance Handstamped Pendant Set
by PureRoxInPrint on Etsy.com

Gotta Take Baby Steps

Three weeks into my journey using Genesis PURE, my husband proudly told our customer, Doug, how well I was feeling and that I had lost 10 pounds and was looking forward to losing more. That's when he introduced me to Genesis PURE Green Coffee Bean with BioPerine. With the Green Coffee Bean's help I lost, another 10 pounds in two weeks.

During those two weeks, I slowly began the process of getting back into walking. That first week my goal was to walk to the corner and back, every day for the entire week. I took baby steps since I hadn't had a regular regimen since the inflammation in my legs had gotten out of control and I would have stabbing pains through my calves whenever I walked any distance. Thanks to the Mangosteen and losing the initial 10 pounds the first three weeks, I didn't experience any of my previous problems.

The second week, my goal was to walk around the block. Guess what, I breezed through it at a reasonable pace every day. I didn't have pain and I wasn't out of breath. Max began to look forward to our walks and would go find his leash anytime I put on my tennis shoes.

During the first five weeks on the product I:

• Began the Genesis PURE core products
• Gave up pop
• Cut calories to 1200-1800 calories a day (Yes even with a McDonald's stop :)
• Cut back on eating out
• Adjusted our family budget
• Added Genesis PURE Green Coffee Bean to my routine
• Started a walking regimen in baby steps. I managed to get to walking around the block by the end of five weeks

The results that I saw:

• Better mood
• Better stress management
• Regular digestion and elimination
• I am more productive and have more energy
• I lost 20 pounds
• I continue to have HOPE!

Leather Hunger Games Cuff
by Michelle V Custom Leather Jewelry on Etsy 

I Found HOPE

Product Catalogs - If you'd like on let me know

When I began using the products from Genesis PURE I was a total skeptic. Having tried anything and everything I could get my hands on and afford to lose weight and to still be in the condition I was in - let's just say I wasn't going to fall into the "magic bullet" trap. Our customer checked back in a few days with my husband and he said he'd seen a change in me but if he'd have asked me I wouldn't have admitted it. This went on for two and a half weeks, I was watching for the placebo effect.

That said I did everything in my power to give Genesis PURE a real chance to work for me. The day I started I quit my 32 ounce a day pop addiction - cold turkey! We started eating out less, in part so I could start counting the calories I was eating and the other part was to make room in our budget for the product. I did continue to make McDonald's runs in the morning for breakfast for convenience sake, anyone who knows me, knows I am NOT a morning person.

My poison of choice - I've drank it for years
photo from the website: Shopping.com

As told in The Journey, I started on the Genesis PURE core (Cleanse, Balance, Build) and Mangosteen. the core helped me with digestion but the biggest change I saw was my stress level. I began dealing with my stress differently - I didn't make myself sick anymore, I didn't eat my way through my problems and I wasn't raising my voice to be heard. We had added the Mangosteen to try and deal with the inflammation  that I was experiencing from both my weight and my Lymphedemia condition. My joints didn't sound like Rice Krispies in the morning and the swelling in my legs started to become more controllable.

Here's the core!
Liquid Cleanse, Go-Yin, Nutrition and Cell Water

One of the things that made me think this may work was that these initial products were all in liquid form. My body wasn't having to work to absorb the vitamins and nutrients that were provided. No more pills sitting in my stomach waiting to dissolve.

Changes I made to give the product a chance:

• Gave up pop
• Cut calories to 1200-1800 calories a day (Yes even with a McDonald's stop :)
• Cut back on eating out
• Adjusted budget

Initial results that I saw in the first three weeks:

• Better mood
• Better stress management
• Regular digestion
• I was more productive and had more energy
• I lost my first 10 pounds
• Finally I found HOPE for the first time in years!!

Hope Whispers by hairbrained schemes

Pareto's Principle ~ The 80/20 Rule

I'm shopping for a new planner. I had one that I LOVE but they are no longer offering it. While in the search process, I got side tracked (go figure). I stumbled across different theories for time management, and anyone who knows me, knows I struggle with this constantly so my curiosity was peaked.

Leather Planner 2013
by My Hand Bound Books

The theory that caught the most of my attention is "Pareto's Principle" also called the 80/20 Rule. In a nutshell, "The 80/20 Rule means that in any instance a few (20 percent) are vital and many (80 percent) are trivial." The more I read the more intrigued I became and I started to look at how it applies to my life and business.

Looking at any day, I quickly determined that approximately 20 percent of my day is dedicated to the things that matter for that day. Many times the other 80 percent could be pushed off to another day and aren't vital to mine or my family's well being. Instead of feeling pressured to get it all done NOW, I am looking at what could be either delegated to another family member or put on the back burner. I'm hoping to have less stress and more time to just enjoy the gifts I've been given.

Fleur de Lis Keepsake Box
by GrapeVine Ceramics & Gifts

In applying it to my business, it gets a little trickier. I analyzed my inventory and determined that yes the majority of my sales were from 20 percent of my designs. Which brings up the questions: Should I quit making the other 80 percent and specialize? If I do that will my shop become stagnant because I'm not producing new designs? The more I researched the more I decided that I shouldn't stop making the other 80 percent. The other 80 percent are necessary for helping to build SEO to my site, they keep my creativity fresh and make me happy. What is does show me though is where to focus the most of my attention. I need to increase my inventory and offerings in Keepsake Boxes and Ornaments and maintain my current inventory on the other categories at a lower level. It also shows me that I need to limit the inventory on new releases until they are a proven product, no more making 20 of one item to see what kind of reception they receive. Maybe six of a new design is a better number. If four of the six fly out of my inventory, then I better get cracking.

Cup of Christmas Tea
by GrapeVine Ceramics & Gifts

Now that I know where to apply my focus, my next couple months in the studio will be spent rebuilding my inventory and adding to the proven lines. That way when Art and I are done with research and development I can focus on a new line for a couple months before our busy time starts. We are in the form and clay development stage right now and I can't wait to show you.

Now back to my planner search....