Living a Transformed Life

Because of Visalus…

Susan Davis — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 03:17:47 +0000

Because of Visalus:

I went from a size 20 to a size 12.

Because of Visalus:

I am in business with one of my sons.

Because of Visalus:

I have ran 5k`s and a 10k and was training for a half marathon.

Because of Visalus:

I am on my way to financial freedom!

Because of Visalus:

I am now concerned about my overall health.

And because of this ……

I got a serious wake up call today when I opened up the email results from my Doctor visit yesterday. They did blood work to check all my blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides etc. I wanted to see exactly what the health of my insides was after going from a size 20 to a size 12.

Please watch this video to to hear why this is so important!

The GREAT news is that there are NO signs of Diabetes!!!

Kidney Tests: Good -- no changes needed
Electrolytes: Good -- no changes needed
Liver Tests: Good -- no changes needed
DIABETIC TESTS: Blood Glucose (Sugar) Normal. No evidence of Diabetes
Blood Glucose: 73

The not so great news….. All my levels are in the HIGH range which puts me at high risk for heart attack and stroke.

The results of your recent tests are explained below:

Lipid Studies: Poor, improve diet and physical activity
Total cholesterol: 286
Triglyceride Total: 162
LDL: 194
HDL: 59
Thyroid Function: Normal
Complete Blood Count:  Normal.

So what do those numbers mean? I wasn`t sure until I called and spoke with the Doctor. I thought I was quite healthy after losing weight and going from a size 20 to a size 12. I shutter to even imagine what thoselevels must have looked liked before I took on changing my health and wellness. So this is what www.Heart.org has to say about what those numbers mean...

Your Total Blood (or Serum) Cholesterol Level

Total Cholesterol Level	Category
Less than 200 mg/dL	Desirable level that puts you at lower risk for coronary heart disease. A cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or higher raises your risk.
200 to 239 mg/dL	Borderline high
240 mg/dL and above	High blood cholesterol. A person with this level has more than twice the risk of coronary heart disease as someone whose cholesterol is below 200 mg/dL.

My Cholesterol was 286…..

Triglyceride is the most common type of fat in the body. Many people who have heart disease or diabetes have high triglyceride levels. Normal triglyceride levels vary by age and sex. A high triglyceride level combined with low HDL cholesterol or high LDL cholesterol seems to speed up atherosclerosis (the buildup of fatty deposits in artery walls). Atherosclerosis increases the risk for heart attack and stroke.

Triglyceride Level	Category
Less than 100 mg/dL	Optimal
Less than 150 mg/dL	Normal
150–199 mg/dL	Borderline high
200–499 mg/dL	High
500 mg/dL and above	Very high

My Triglycerids were 162

Many people have high triglyceride levels due to being overweight/obese, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol consumption and/or a diet very high in carbohydrates (60 percent or more of calories). High triglycerides are a lifestyle-related risk factor; however, underlying diseases or genetic disorders can be the cause. The mean level of triglycerides for American adults age 20 and older is 144.2 mg/dl. People with high triglycerides should substitute monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats —such as those found in canola oil, olive oil or liquid margarine —for saturated fats, limit added sugars, eat complex carbohydrates and reduce fructose intake.

The main therapy to reduce triglyceride levels is to change your lifestyle. This means control your weight, eat a heart-healthy diet, get regular physical activity, avoid tobacco smoke, limit alcohol to one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men and limit beverages and foods with added sugars. Visit your healthcare provider to create an action plan that will incorporate all these lifestyle changes. Sometimes, medication is needed in addition to a healthy diet and lifestyle.

A triglyceride level of 150 mg/dL or higher is one of the risk factors of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk for heart disease and other disorders, including diabetes.

HDL Cholesterol Level	Category
Less than 40 mg/dL (for men) Less than 50 mg/dL (for women)	Low HDL cholesterol. A major risk factor for heart disease.
60 mg/dL and above	High HDL cholesterol. An HDL of 60 mg/dL and above is considered protective against heart disease.

With HDL (good) cholesterol, higher levels are better. Low HDL cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL for men, less than 50 mg/dL for women) puts you at higher risk for heart disease. In the average man, HDL cholesterol levels range from 40 to 50 mg/dL. In the average woman, they range from 50 to 60 mg/dL. An HDL cholesterol of 60 mg/dL or higher gives some protection against heart disease. The mean level of HDL cholesterol for American adults age 20 and older is 54.3 mg/dL.

Smoking, being overweight and being sedentary can all result in lower HDL cholesterol. To raise your HDL level, avoid tobacco smoke, maintain a healthy weight and get at least 30-60 minutes of physical activity more days than not.

People with high blood triglycerides usually also have lower HDL cholesterol and a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Progesterone, anabolic steroids and male sex hormones (testosterone) also lower HDL cholesterol levels. Female sex hormones raise HDL cholesterol levels.

My HDL was 59…. not so bad…

LDL Cholesterol Level	Category
Less than 100 mg/dL	Optimal
100 to 129 mg/dL	Near or above optimal
130 to 159 mg/dL	Borderline high
160 to 189 mg/dL	High
190 mg/dL and above	Very high

Your other risk factors for heart disease and stroke help determine what your LDL level should be, as well as the appropriate treatment for you. A healthy level for you may not be healthy for your friend or neighbor. Discuss your levels and your treatment options with your doctor to get the plan that works for you. The mean level of LDL cholesterol for American adults age 20 and older is 115.0 mg/dL.

My LDL was 194.

I eat foods that I thought were pretty good for me. At least they were way better than what I used to eat for sure! I have my BBV Vi Shape shake for breakfast, a protein bar for snack, lunch, another healthy snack and then usually a bowl of Raisin Bran or a healthy dinner. But… I also drink Hazelnut Cafe instant coffee…. it is my guilty pleasure.

So what now?!

I am starting my next 90 Day Challenge you can read about it here….. My Next 90 Day Challenge

But now I am including dropping all my bad levels and raising my good HDL. I don`t have a goal number just yet until I talk to my Doctor again to see what is a realistic goal for 90 days. I also want to drop my Body Fat percentage. I believe it was at 27% and they say it should be under 20% for me. Again, not sure what a realistic percentage is for that until I speak with the Doctor again.

So, I really need your support in this next 90 Day Challenge. My health depends on it! Please take the time to comment, cheer me on, share your stories about how you may have lowered your levels. My children no longer live at home so I need all the support I can get from my friends!

Now for my real request….. I am begging you to take your health seriously. Please consider taking the 90 Day Challenge and making it a part of your lifestyle. I am not dieting, I am changing my lifestyle. This is a process not an event. It is never to late to start unless they have signed your death certificate. I plan on prolonging that event for a very long time.

Because of Visalus:

I now take my health seriously.

I got a serious wake up call today…. when will you have yours?

Learn more about the 90 Day Challenge here … www.HelpEndObesity.com

Live full out with Passion and Purpose!

90 Days from Couch to 5k again

Susan Davis — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 06:18:04 +0000

90 Days from Couch to 5k…. AGAIN

Here it is Oct 21st 2012 and I should be training for my 1st ever Marathon in Dec. But, after a couple of 5k`s and a 10k and while training for my 1st half marathon, I got taken out of the game with a severe case of Plantar Fasciitis. It has kept me from running for about 4 months to date and can even at times make walking difficult. I missed The Hottest Half I had been training to run and also the White Rock Marathon. But that`s okay…. I may be down but I`m not out!

Announcing my newest 90 Day Challenge starting Nov 5th!

Inspired by my friend Jake Dixon`s new challenge I had to take it on as a way of rehabilitating myself from this bout of Plantar Fasciitis that took me out of training. I am taking on redoing the The Couch-to-5K Running Plan, which I originally did to start my running journey in 2010.

But this 90 Day Challenge has a special twist to it. Watch the video to see what I mean!

I am hoping this 90 Day Challenge will push me once again to get back into running and to overcome this plantar fasciitis. I would love to have your support not only for myself but for the animals waiting for their forever homes at the Humane Society of Dallas County.

I would love to have you make a pledge to help keep me even more motivated to push through and raise some money for the shelter animals! I am dedicating this 90 Day Challenge to my friend Laurie Gaetano and her best friend Oliver who is a Shelter Pet Ambassador!

Please send me some love, support, pledges and encouragement over the course of my 90 Day Challenge while I attempt to run 90 miles in 90 days! After I have completed the 90 days or now if you want to just be really cool….. you can go to their direct site and make your donations! http://bit.ly/HumaneSocietyRun

Thanks a Million!!!

Live Full Out with Passion and Purpose!

Keeping my word

Susan Davis — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 06:58:41 +0000

So this is a bit a of a weird post for me. Not my usual posting for sure. I had all the excuses in the world to not put anything on this page tonight.

It is 1:17 am
I didn`t do my video for my run tonight, and so I didn`t think the post would be any good.
I have so much to share and really don`t know where to begin.
I am really tired.
etc etc etc.

The words of my dad are playing over and over in my head, ” if you can`t do something right don`t do it at all “. So since I didn`t feel as though I wasn`t doing this right tonight, I wasn`t going to do it at all. But there is something that is more important to me than doing it right these days…. being my word to myself.

I started the 100 Day Challenge today and one of the main things that is crucial to success is keeping your commitments to yourself. Today I was asked to make 5 goals and to not end my day without completing them and writing my blog post for the day was on the list. I have this goal and one other that have not been complete as of this moment but this one is about to be marked complete!

The post doesn`t have to pretty or perfect every time, I just need to get it done, because I said I would.

So today I ran another 3 miles and did it in 42 minutes. It was a tough run today but I pushed through it. I didn`t feel like running, but I made it part of my goals for the day so I kept my word to myself. Getting the point of this blog post yet?

Keep your word to yourself!

And with that….. Im going to finish my last goal and go to bed!!!!

Live Full Out with Passion & Purpose,

5k training – I Upped the Ante….

Susan Davis — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:22:39 +0000

So today I upped the ante…..

If you have not been following my journey, I restarted my running journey a week ago. Today was my 4th run and I upped the distance from 2 miles to 3 miles. It really was an incredible feeling to run that distance again!

At the point where I would have turned to head home, I had to either give up and just do the two miles or commit and do the extra distance. I decided I wanted to keep my word to myself and do it. I knew I could, I have run 4 miles a number of times in the past. It has just been about a year!

I came upon a guy that was walking that I had passed at about the 3/4 mile mark. I was at about 2 1/4 miles in when I approached him, he started clapping for me and said I deserved it! It was an awesome moment. That totally gave me the motivation to keep going. I ended up running just a hair under the 3 mile mark in 42 minutes. I didn`t think that was a good time but it actually was my best time ever!

I signed up today at Active.com for the Sony 1/2 marathon training program. It is a 12 week program and I plan on starting it next week. I have also committed to drinking 8 glasses of water a day which is a huge thing for me.

It feels great to be taking charge of my life!

Live Full Out with Passion & Purpose,

How You Do Anything….

Susan Davis — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 22:44:49 +0000

“How you do anything …… is how you do everything”

I have heard that saying a number of times but it never really struck a nerve like it did today when I watched a video from Randy Gage explaining it. Before I go into what it meant to me, listen to what Randy has to say on this subject.

I am committed to transforming my life in all areas, body, mind, spirit and soul. It isn`t an easy thing to break years of bad habits and ways of thinking. This is not a new journey for me, I have been living a life of inquiry into who God wants me to be for many years. It is time stop inquiring and start being….

Today, I got really present to something I do that does not serve me at all. And I saw how this one thing shows up in other areas of my life.

I sleep in….. a lot.

If I don`t have to be at a certain place by a certain time in the morning, meaning if I don`t show up I will be held accountable by someone else, I don`t hold myself accountable for getting up until I am good and ready. Now some people live for the right to finally be able to do that… let me tell you, it isn`t all it`s cracked up to be.

I think I am addicted to sleep…. or… I could be lazy. That is a probability. But I think there are more than a few factors that contribute to my love of sleep. I don`t sleep sound hardly ever. I have very restless nights. I like to drink coffee in the evening, I say it is relaxing but it can`t be good for me. I have some other things that are causing some stress and a bit of depression in my life and that shows up in physical forms that make me want to just stay in bed. I am a night person, I seem to come alive later in the evening.

Now, some might say those are all valid reasons to be sleepy and want to sleep in. But the truth of the matter is, most of those “excuses” are self inflicted actions. I think if I were to start making some different choices many of these “excuses” would dissipate.

So I reached out on my facebook page and asked for some help. I realized that I can be accountable others and I wear that accomplishment like a badge of honor, something to be proud of. When in actuality, it is what I am committed to being and it should be normal behavior. But the breakdown comes because, what I say to myself, is that I am not accountable/reliable because I do not usually keep my word to myself. When I don`t it just give my mind back up for the story it tells itself over and over about what a failure I am.

Not a very flattering thing to tell off on myself about for sure, but the one thing I am committed to is being truly authentic and transparent in dealing with the things in my life that don`t serve me well and have held me back from being the person I am committed to being. My hope is that by sharing my insights, struggles, triumphs and transformations I will open up something for someone else who may be able to relate to what I am dealing with at the time with an area of their life they want to transform.

One of the negative repercussions of sleeping in is that my day gets started really late, and by the time I get around to getting put together the day is already far gone. I then get into the pattern of thinking really negative thoughts about myself and that can lead to becoming depressed, leading me to want to sleep even more. It can become a very vicious cycle.

I see this showing up in other areas of my life that I say are important to me. My lack of being my word to myself and holding myself accountable to things I say I want has been keeping me stuck.

So, I have decided to keep a daily online journal of what time I get up every morning. I am going to get in the Word and spend my quiet time with God to get my day started off right. Filling my mind with positive thoughts, scriptures and encouraging information. I am going to give my word to myself and I have to be the one to hold myself accountable.

So, there you have it. How you do anything is how you do everything. I invite you to take a look at an area of your life that isn`t working and see where else the way you make choices around that show up in other areas.

Our lives are really nothing more than a continuous series of choices made, good or bad that determine the world we see in front of us….

Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes,
And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes
The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,
Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills: —
He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:
Environment is but his looking-glass. ~ from the book As a Man Thinketh

Life Full Out with Passion & Purpose,

Blessings,

Susan Transforms Life – Follow Along

Susan Davis — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:09:00 +0000

Susan Transforms Life…… Follow Along……Again….

I actually got off the bleachers of my life last year and started running and taking charge of my health. I did amazing! I completed the Couch to 5k program by running 4 miles, and then, I quit running. I had proved to myself I could do it, so it was kind of like the challenge was gone.

The last time I ran was Sept 16th. Not soon after, I stopped running, I stopped watching my diet, and this ended up causing me to gain back 11 pounds of the 20 I had lost last year. I was feeling defeated and miserable. Ashamed of myself for quitting… once again.

Then a couple of things happened….

First ~ I received a Facebook message from Valeria Sabatella-Tannuzzi whom I met on the Couch to 5k facebook page while doing the program. She gave me some words of encouragement and told me how I inspired her on her journey while she was following me on mine. I also had received some words of encouragement from some other fellow C25k friends.

Second ~ I came across this video from Ben Davis on the C25k website and was moved to tears….

So once again I thought I would get back on track.

I ran twice….. sigh

Fast forward to today. So many things have happened to me over the last 12 months that this post would be a novel! So here are the bullet points:

Got a full time job in Jan 2011
Lost full time job June 2011
Had a health challenge June 2011
Moved to Texas July 2011 ( living in a hotel room with my daughter, son in law and 2 grandkids…. very long story)
Aug 2011 got reacquainted with my old friends Richard and Mary Amoedo and they invited me into their home to help me get back on my feet.
Started a new business part time.
Got a job
Was offered to take over an existing lease on an apartment
Becoming a member at the church I have wanted to attend for 10 years!
Sept 11, 2011…….. Started taking control of my life again

So without a bunch of story I am relaunching my blog and I even gave it a new name!

“Living a Transformed Life.com”

Please watch this video just to get my starting point today!

So on my facebook today, I made the bold statement that I WILL run a marathon for my 50th birthday! That gives me 375 days to train! What did I just sign myself up for!!!

I have so much that is happening with velocity in my life right now that I just don`t even know where to begin. God is bringing me to such a new place that I have never been before and it is very exciting! I hope you will allow me to share with you my journey and I pray that you will find hope, inspiration, motivation and something useful you can apply to your life though my experiences.

I am honored you took the time to visit my blog and be a part of my journey. I hope you will come back often and share even more!

Live Full Out with Passion & Purpose!

Achieve ~ Couch to 5k GRADUATION

Susan Davis — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 02:51:20 +0000

a·chieve [uh-cheev] verb, a·chieved,a·chiev·ing.

1. to bring to a successful end; carry through; accomplish.

2. to get or attain by effort; gain; obtain: to achieve victory.

3. to bring about an intended result; accomplish some purposeor effect.

So many things going through my head right now.

I did it!!!! I achieved my goal! Couch to 5k GRADUATION!

And boy did I do it in style!!!

So I forgot to mention I did legs last night at the gym also… and boy did I feel it on laps 7 & 8 and didn`t think I was going to even be able to do more than 2 miles. But I thought come on… this is the last day… go out strong. So I kept going and hit 3 miles and thought oh come on one more……. and 4 laps later I graduated Couch to 5k with a 4 mile run!!!!

You know one of things I am present to tonight, is something I have done for years…. probably about 10 years now. I started using “ACHIEVER” as my email names, and sign in names for anything that needed a name. I really never felt like an achiever but I heard that if you say it long enough one day you will start to believe it and it will happen. It happened tonight! I ACHIEVED PRIVATE VICTORY!!!!

I am very present to how my life is changing and I am growing into the person that God has intended for me to be. In the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey talks about how most people will never achieve PUBLIC VICTORY until they achieve PRIVATE VICTORY! When you do the things you are supposed to do when nobody is watching and prove to yourself you can do it consistently then you will start to have the confidence to achieve the same success in public settings.

If you have never read the The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People I recommend you don`t wait another second and go buy it and read it. It will change your life. Click here and get your copy today…. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Thanks to all of you who have supported me and encouraged me throughout this journey. It isn`t over yet! There are many more miles and races to run! I hope you will loeave me your comments on this journey, maybe what it has meant to, or whether you have been inspired to start your own journey to fitness! I would love to hear from you!

Live Full Out with Passion & Purpose!

Couch to 5k Transformation Week 9 Day 2

Susan Davis — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 02:50:55 +0000

Had an awesome run tonight!!!!! One more run till I am a C25K Graduate!!!

I hope that you get inspired and get off the couch and do it too!

Live Full Out with Passion & Purpose!

Couch to 5k Transformation Week 9 Day 1

Susan Davis — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 03:19:58 +0000

My Couch to 5k Transformation Week 9 Day 1 was really rough for me. Not sure what was going on but check out my video to see my progress!

So, this week is a little bittersweet in that I am winding down to completion of the C25k program. I am stoked that I finished it… only two more runs…. and yet a little sad to move onto to the next level. It is a very strange feeling. I think because I now know that I am capable and I have to9 hold myself to a higher standard. You know they say ignorance is bliss…. nahhhhhhhhhhh…. I would much rather be aware and capable and keep pushing!!!

Live FULL OUT with Passion & Purpose,

Domination ~ Couch to 5k Week 8 day 3

Susan Davis — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:26:39 +0000

dom·i·na·tion [dom-uh-ney-shuhn]

–noun

1. an act or instance of dominating.

2. rule or sway; control, often arbitrary.

3. dominations, Theology . one of the nine orders of celestialattendants of god. Compare angel ( def. 1 ) .

I totally am dominating this Couch to 5k transformation! Week 8 Day 3 was a breeze.

Warning… I say a bad word!

I still find it incredible that eight weeks ago I could barely run 60 seconds. If you haven`t seen it yet or don`t believe me watch the video here.

This Couch to 5k program rocks. If you are looking for a progressive way to get moving.. this is the place!

Live Full Out with Passion & Purpose!