Why on earth did we make the decision to do this plan in Phoenix?  We both had to travel far to get here. The simple answer is sunshine.  I addressed our eating plan yesterday, that can be followed just about anywhere in the country.  Today I will address the other parts of the plan. 

Sunshine is vital to good human health.  With very few exceptions it is healthy for us to be in the sun.  Some of the benefits of sunshine are: helps to lower blood pressure, helps to lower resting heart rates, kills fungus and yeast, helps to lower blood sugar levels, eases stress and relaxes us and it strengthens our immune systems. One more benefit from the sun is that it helps our bodies to be able to produce the perfect amount of Vitamin D. Without going into all the physiology I’ll simply state that the healthiest Vitamin D for us is the Vitamin D that our body produces itself.  Our bodies know exactly how much we need for our system to run optimally.  A little known fact is that too much Vitamin D – which can occur when a supplement is taken – can have negative effects on our system.  Our bodies produce Vitamin D when it gets sunshine. I most likely don’t need to say this, but don’t overdo it, don’t let your skin get burnt.  Tiff and I are still building up tolerance to this strong sun here and we’ve been working on it for 2 weeks now.

Exercise, kind of goes without saying.  We need activity to burn excess calories, strengthen our muscles, and, most importantly, to strengthen our hearts. Getting regular exercise is especially hard on 2 people very prone to laziness!  We are doing it however and beginning to see some good results.  Tiff has had significant leg swelling for years and now there is none – she has trim legs.  I also have had some issues with leg swelling and as of now I have none either.  This is a good sign that our hearts are pumping more effectively and is proof that this plan is working to some degree.

Fresh air kind of goes without saying.  The reason that we specifically put this into our plan is that it is very easy, especially here where it is so hot, to just stay indoors in the cool air.  We must be intentional about getting in a good amount of fresh air daily for our overall good health. 

STATS ARE IN

We made the decision not to post our 1^st weeks stats so here we are with our 2 week stats.

Tiffany:  1) has lost a total of 10 pounds

                     2) has lowered her BMI by 1.8

                      3) Has trim legs – no more edema (swelling), overall has a feeling of comfort, easier to cross her legs and has increased endurance

Hannah: 1) has lost a total of 5 lbs. 8 oz

                      2) has lowered her BMI by 1

                    3) Her clothes all fit better, can cross her legs more comfortably, has less of a gut and can feel that she has less inflammation in her body.

Vivian:  1) has lost a total of 8 lbs. and 6 oz

                   2) has lowered BMI by 1.6

                     3) has more endurance and energy, clothes fit better, has much less generalized pain and moods are more level.

We are all pleased with our current progress and plan to continue on.  We most likely will post our stats weekly from this point on.

Day 15 is done, day 16 is on it’s way. “I wish I could lose weight as easily as I lose my keys, pen, cell phone, temper and even my mind” – unknown