Focus 4: Summer Shakedown 4 Week Challenge Sanela

It has been exactly four weeks since I decided to embark on the journey of cleansing my body of sugar and toxins, reducing my overall body fat and really proving to myself that I can be this fit and strong woman and mother in her mid forties.

I am already delighted with the progress I made to date, and, even more importantly, I enjoyed every moment of this journey!

My husband is too with already his lowest ever body fat of 14%.

Why was this important to me in the first place, I wonder? When I ask myself that, my immediate gut feeling leads me to the answer that has less with body image, but with the disciplines and struggles one needs to have in order to achieve it.

I do not necessarily want a muscly body, the one you see at body competitions, but I do admire the sacrifice and hard work, blood and sweat one goes through in order to achieve it.

Also, I work in the Wellness Industry and we always talk about becoming the best versions of ourselves – physically, mentally, spiritually. THIS is the attraction to me. I always want to play my best game and our physical & mental health plays a big part in achieving that.

If we do not have energy and lack some aspect of health or overall health, how can we ever play our best game?

Most people probably do not even realise how good they could really feel.

I believe it is only when our body, mind and spirit are in the best shape that the possibilities become endless. I was not in the position of a lack of energy or in poor health, but to inspire more people to embark on the journey to their better health and better shape and energy – it is me who needed to change first and show the way!

That was my starting logic.

In this whole process, and I see it already after only first four weeks, I have shown more discipline than ever. I have not touched added sugar or anything processed or off the plan in four weeks. I have also exercised more than ever, which is, according to my calculations, still only around three hours per week.

This also shows that it is the NUTRITION that has played the biggest part!

Also, I have always worked on my personal growth, butnow  I did it even more.

To have this mental strength of not polishing my kid’s plates or take a little tiny piece of chocolate – I had to dig deep and really work on my mind. Why do I do it again? What is the point, little sugar will not hurt me? Some may even call it “having balance”…

Well, it would not hurt me, no one even needs to know, right? But, I will know! And I really wanted to raise my standards and my beliefs of what I can do, of my own strength. Only four weeks in and resisting so many temptations has made me very proud of myself and realise that I am teachable and also that I am strong.

This whole experience has tested my character to certain limits and I am proud of myself. And it is inspiring me to continue the momentum.

I am also very proud of my husband who follows the plan religiously and has even stopped smoking. He has again a sparkle in his eyes and is motivated with daily personal development to be the best he can be.

This is also helping the relationship as he is also my companion, we are on this mission together.

Why now? I don’t know, apart from the fact that I have tried entire last year to get myself focused and into the shape I was in five years ago, however I kept failing to commit.

But, have not given up on the goal and, Finally decided to fully commit in January 2018. Same what happened with many of my own clients – when the student is ready, the teacher will appear and when you get the feedback like “this is the best thing I have ever done!”

You just know they are ready. I am ready and this IS the best thing I did for me.

I also believe that unless this journey is more internal, almost spiritual, specially when it comes to those who really have a lot of weight to lose and, as I call it, have a “mountain to climb”.

Unless they find their true reason why, stay connected to it daily, work on their mindset every single day, their efforts will most likely meet frustration and failure.

Russell Brandt talks about it in his “Recovery: Freedom From our Addictions” book, very powerful insight into a meaningful journey of self discovery and internal work needed to get rid of yourself of addictions and, as drugs and alcohol are addictive, so is the food, especially the carb/ sugar element.

I have helped nearly two thousand people in the past nearly 15 years and, my belief is, indeed we need to dig deep into ourselves and our beliefs about ourselves, our sense of self-worth when embarking on this journey to help us succeed.

Our mind is extremely powerful.

Everything that exists, including our healthy, fit bodies – exists in the mind first.

Many who do not understand or have not come across the science behind the Secret – the neuroscience, neuroplasticity, cellular neurobiology, the theory of quantum physics and more established as well as emerging scientific fields that further push the boundaries of mainstream, old science, and, as of more recent, epigenetics that are part of my study course at the moment (“above the gene”, how environment, including our thoughts not just food, is influencing our genetic expression and, ultimately, how healthy we are, whether we will develop disease, etc.) – will dismiss it as a whole lot of nonsense.

“You Are The Placebo”, by the Neuroscientist Dr. Joe Dispenza, is a great piece of work of documented studies of over 30 years on the power of human mind through studies of “The Placebo Effect”.

Why am I mentioning all this? Well, because, those fit, healthy, disease free, happy minds and bodies – exist in our minds first, as thoughts and feelings.

I will leave it here and really recommend you to check out the book or look into the subject. Stay open-minded and teachable, you may thank me later because I strongly believe that you, the one reading this right now, is powerful beyond measure and can achieve anything!

If you have unanswered desires, the only thing that is stopping you is YOU – or rather Your Own Mind! Bottom line, whatever you believe in – work on your mind first!

On a more technical level of the plan, I am not doing anything too drastically different to what I used to, apart from daily and weekly exercise disciplines that have definitely increased to around three hours per week of HIIT/ HIIRT.

I am still taking my Herbalife Formula 1 shake twice a day with other recommended Herbalife Nutrition supplements.

I recommend Herbalife Nutrition, because it is backed by science with perfectly balanced macronutrients in-line with my own Nutrition Philosophy. On top, I am having four more meals. Have a look below at a gallery of some amazing foods I cooked over the past four weeks!

There is no calorie counting or counting of any kind, which will appeal to a lot of people. There is a cooking involved, but all the recipes are very simple and, in a matter of 60 minutes (I know because I timed myself), one CAN cook meals for three days, providing one has all the ingredients.

There is no emphasis on body metrics and obsession with statistics and numbers. You ditch the scales and scanners!

This was hard as that is what I do professionally for my clients, measure their progress, so I am not entirely complying as old habits do die-hard, but there is less and less need to get validation from the machine how good I feel and even look. Next thing will be ditching mirrors! 😉

Positives are also that we are saving money on food that we do not need (or rather – our bodies do not need), we are wasting less (or nothing at all), my skin is even better, by the time I cook everything and catch up on my personal development – there is less time for TV and being unplugged from the doom and gloom has had a positive impact on my mindset and feeling of happiness and peace.

I finally got myself to go to bed early because I get up early to do my workouts before boys get up to get ready for school (I am knackered by 9:30PM).

I have a sense of achievement and I am noticing that I am walking a bit taller. I feel I am being real as I am “walking the walk” and not just “talking the talk” (not that I did not walk the walk before, but this time – I am REALLY walking the walk on a whole new level!). It is about the integrity as I am in the wellness industry and I must hold myself accountable first. I feel powerful beyond measure. And, if you are ready for change, You can too!

Until the next time, my wish for you is to stay happy and healthy, always, and I hope to hear from you!

And if you are in two minds about it, don’t wait, let’s have a chat! This could possibly be the best thing you have ever done and You will not know it until you try!

Your friend in health,

Sanela 🙂

One Reply to “My results of a 4 Week Challenge”

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