Buh Bye 40lbs!

     I've been maintaining this blog for well over a year now, and by maintaining, I mean posting sporadically and switching my font colors. You'd think that since I treat this as my online journal that I would have had some type of breakthrough. By now I should have a huge success story about creating a new fitness/diet plan that would inspire a number one best seller, a spot on Dr. Oz, a shout out from Jillian Michaels, a commercial that shows computerized before and afters, and a body that would make Jessica Biel self-conscious. But, alas, a year later, and I'm still me just trying to find the perfect solution; I'm getting there, though. Realistically, everyone has their own solution. What works for one person won't necessarily work for another, but that one person inspires others to find what works. Who doesn't love a great success story, eh? They're moving and inspiring. They are just what some people need to hear to motivate bandwagon jumping. Let me introduce to you who I am dubbing the Star of February, Lytisha Shuler. She has been a friend to the family for years, and she now has an incredible success story. As I watched her transformation, I thought to myself, "People need to know about this." Not everyone has a camera crew and personal trainers to thank for the positive change; I know, I know, it's hard to believe. Lytisha did this herself as a full time mom and employee, and frankly, I think she deserves a shout out. But I am going to step back and let her tell her own story...

Lytisha Shuler

January 2012

This is me:
Hello! My name Lytisha Oliver Shuler. I'm almost 31 (Feb 20th is the big day...haha), and I live in Western, North Carolina. I'm a realtor at Prudential Great Smokys Realty located in the Great Smokys. I am married and have two wonderful kids: Cayden, 8 years old, and Hadley, 2 1/2; they are truly the loves of my life. I know Abigail from previously working with her mother for five years. I enjoy playing with my kids, doing Zumba, going to the lake in the summer, and playing in the snow in the winter. I feel very blessed with my life, and I believe in living life to the fullest.

My breaking point:
At the end of March 2012, I went to the doctor when Hadley was about 18 months old. I had only lost 10 lbs from the 45 that I gained with her while I was pregnant. I was 159 lbs and busting out of a size 12. I thought, "I'm tired of nothing fitting and feeling like I'm about to bust out of my clothes! My hips are just getting wider and wider. I have to change this!!!!" SO...I did just that! I was going to pigout that weekend and start on Monday, sound familiar?...and I did! I downloaded an app on my iPhone called My Fitness Pal. You plug everything in, and it tells you how many calories you consumed, burned, and how much is needed to actually lose weight. Along with the app, I also stopped drinking soft drinks. After a couple of weeks, I had only lost about 3 lbs, so I wasn't very happy. I had to remind myself it took 9 months to gain it, and it wasn't going to fall off over night.

My solution:
I had a friend that was doing Herbalife Shakes, so I started those. They are high protein meal replacement shakes. I drank two a day and would end the day with a healthy meal. The first week was difficult, giving up chewing for drinking, but once I saw results, it became much easier. At Thanksgiving, I weighed 133 and was wearing a size 8.

November 2012

As of February 1, 2013, I weigh 119 lbs, and I am wearing a size 4!!! I'm beyond happy! I've not been this small since I got married 12 years ago!!

February 2013 

Maintaining:
I continue to watch my calories and drink Herbalife Shakes as a meal replacement. What really worked, and what I continue to do, is snack on high protein foods and lots of salads. Let's not forget WATER, WATER, WATER!!! I didn't workout like I should have, the weight probably would have come off faster, because I'm a busy mom and a full time realtor, so it's not always easy to leave for a workout. I do need to be better about doing it, though. Since January of this year, I have been going to Zumba 2-3 times a week.

The New Me:
I feel wonderful, and I've learned to eat in moderation. It's okay to splurge every once in a while, just not all the time. I'm not letting myself go back to the old me. I read a quote the other day: "I'm not losing weight. I'm getting rid of it. I have no intention of finding it again." This is the new me!!

My Advice to You:
Put your mind to it, and you can do it. Hold yourself accountable for it; the app on my phone was wonderful. I knew I needed to do this for myself!

Do you have questions about Herbalife Shakes? Contact Lytisha who is now a representative for Herbalife. If you'd like to make an order or hear more about her success, contact her at lytishashuler@gmail.com.

***Disclaimer: Abigail Newton has not used Herbalife and cannot speak for the validity of the product. However, I do support Lytisha and her weight loss methods. I'm not trying to advertise a product, I'm simply supporting a friend.