Official Game Plan roll out as part of the Fit Body Bundle!

I'm so excited about this. For those of you following Liveabetic, the progress I've made with my health, and the impact the Game Plan has had with others, you know all about the Game Plan and the benefits of tracking.

If you DON'T know about it, check out the promotional site for the Fit Body Bundle.

The Fit Body Bundle includes: Fit Body Band Workout (eBook), Fit Body Band, Game Plan (eBook), Game Plan worksheets.

It is a great way to kick start your commitment to health! Better yet, during the roll out we are offering it at a great discount price. I've got details on the left for each bundle with links to buy. You can also get all the info on the promotional site for the Fit Body Bundle.

Komen Orange County Race for the Cure®

On September 26, 2010 I'll be running in the Komen Orange County Race for the Cure® to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This is a collective effort to raise funds to help those in need get life saving mammogram. Each mammogram costs $125, so they try to get everyone who participates to raise $125 to cover the cos...t of 1 mammogram. But YOU only need to chip in a couple bucks. Instead of super-sizing your fast food meal, donate a dollar or two or five to the cause. Here is the link to my site where you can sponsor me specifically in supporting this effort. Now don't all of you click the link at once!

Support Jeff

Better yet, get involved yourself! Here is a link to Team LeFever.

Join Team LeFever

We would be happy to have you join us in supporting this noble cause. I think most of us are running in the 9:45 race, but you can run at the earlier race if you would like.

Some of us are thinking about getting Team Liveabetic shirts made for this event. If you are interested in that let me know by emailing me at liveabetic@gmail.com.

Liveabetic Profile – Shelly Ray

Shelly and her husband reach a
great vista along their hike!

My name is Shelly, and I am married to the most amazing man I've ever known. We have 5 wonderful children between the two of us from ages 15 years to 10 months old; the most recent three have been born in the last 5 years. I am blessed to be a SAHM and a full time student pursuing a degree in criminal justice.

I was born and raised in Central California and feel like I've suffered with weight issues most of my life. I was raised in a family who expected the plate to be clean at every meal because "children were starving in Africa". Then I was told I was fat and lazy in high school by my father... not words a teenage girl needs to hear. Looking back, I wasn't really overweight as much as I was very solid, muscular, and short. I have a very sporty physique and love to play softball, volleyball, swim, and run.

Shelly and her favorite country music singer
Josh Turner

I moved to Southern California to marry my sweetheart in 2005. Our first baby together was born in December 2005, and I've pretty much been pregnant every year since. I suffered two miscarriages between the beautiful births of our babies and my weight has piled on drastically through all I've put my body through (emotionally and physically). It is now time to do something healthy for myself.

"I started training for my first half marathon."

Two years ago I got a wild hair to try running for the first time in my life, at the age of 30. After my first 5k, the running spark died out when I got pregnant again, but 15 weeks ago I started training for my first half marathon. It was a huge effort to get off that couch and try to jog as far as I could go the first day on March 29th. I think the furthest I could jog was 1/4 mile without walking. I did 1.25 miles in 19 minutes that day. I remember feeling like I'd never be able to run a full mile without stopping. At that point, my goal was to jog 3 miles without stopping. It took me 6 weeks! There were days I wondered why the heck I was doing this, some days were much more difficult than others, and some days were really easy. It was a constant mind game with myself. Then I hit the runner's high and running went from a chore and dreadful to so enjoyable! I can't explain the feeling, but if you are a runner, you know what I'm talking about. I found that by posting my results and efforts on Facebook that I was motivating a few people around me, most of whom I hadn't seen in person since high school. It was motivating me even more to hear of their success stories. I am still seeing results from two of these friends, and on days I just don't want to run, their stories help me put on my running shoes and I'm always so thankful for their words of inspiration.

At this point, I am able to run up to 7 miles (with very few walking breaks) and have noticed major changes in my legs, arms, and back (inches lost and muscle gained), my energy, and my overall mindset. My first half marathon is on August 29, 2010. I also decided to try P90X with my hubby, but it's more of part time effort right now until my half marathon is over, then the following 90 days will be dedicated solely to the program. It is a really great workout!

I will be honest, I really thought that the weight would start melting off when I started running. After hitting my all time highest weight of 230 in September 2009, I had a long way to go to reach my goal weight of 135. I have lost 43 pounds in 10 months, but have gained muscle and physical and mental strength in the process. Although I'm no longer considered "obese", I am still about 55 pounds above my goal weight. I have never been tiny so I really feel like my goals are realistic and attainable. I am a go-getter, motivated, and have been successful in the past with my goals, so I know I will accomplish them all at some point. I have realized I'm capable of attaining anything I put my mind to, and each day is a new adventure and a new goal. I don't look so much at the end goal, but the little goals I set each day and each week. And so far, I'm reaching them and it feels terrific!

“Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” Lou Holtz


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Thanks for all the inspiration Shelly! You are working so hard to trend in the right direction. I think so many people can do so much to improve their health. It probably doesn’t mean running half marathons - at least for *MOST* of us - but your aggressive approach is definitely a fantastic example for the rest of us! I know it will pay off for you and your family in the long run. Keep up the great work!!

Team Liveabetic - MLB Fun Run at Angel Stadium, Anaheim CA!

This was such a cool event, and I'm glad we did it as a family - even if it meant trading off the carrying of someone the WHOLE way! It would have been nice to actually run, but all things considered, it was great to see people out participating in an event that was raising money for so many great causes!



It was cool to see Jillian Michaels out there supporting the event, although I was a bit surprised that she didn't stop and say hi to us. After all, we ARE "Team Liveabetic!" LOL. Good times.

Liveabetic Profile – Linnea Welander

As a healthcare provider, I have always been aware of my health and have pushed to achieve the highest level of health possible through things like eating a healthy diet and working out every day. After recently being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I felt helpless. I now have a chronic health condition, despite maintaining a healthy lifestyle. As an ICU nurse, I know the potential co-morbidities that accompany diabetes very well. I care for patients struggling with these things daily. This could have been a very dismal picture, and in some ways, it was. But I know that I have a choice: I can choose to be angry about my condition, taking away my ability to enjoy life, or I can take control of my health and enjoy a long, full life.

I chose the latter. I set a goal for myself: to live the healthiest life possible with diabetes (though this is a great goal for those without diabetes as well). This requires education about the disease process as well as discipline in working towards a healthier lifestyle. I want to continue running ½ marathons, to complete a triathlon, and to have a healthy family. It is towards these things that I strive.

Liveabetic came at the perfect time for me! I am inspired reading about others striving for the same thing as me – a healthy lifestyle (with or without diabetes)! When I start to lose motivation, there is a sense of accountability set in place by reading Jeff and Missy’s stories and knowing that they too are pushing through the hard times to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Why? To enjoy life to its fullest!

Coach Greg’s [Game Plan] daily tracking sheets have aided me in striving for these goals. Achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the product of many elements falling into place… not just diet, not just exercise, not just sleep patterns or stress level… everything must work together to create a healthy picture. If one piece of the puzzle is missing, the picture will not be complete. That is where these tracking sheets come in. These sheets allow me to track my health trends in each of these areas on a daily and weekly basis. I can then analyze these and see my trends which prove to be quite motivating. For example, if I miss my run on Monday, my mood is down on Tuesday. If my stress level rises, so do my blood sugars. If my blood sugars rise, I don’t feel good and therefore I don’t feel like running. When I don’t run, I’m not motivated to eat healthy… and the cycle continues. Additionally, these sheets are my accountability. I know that I have to write down on paper what I do or do not do. Some days, I run simply because I need to get credit for it on my sheet. But that is fine because I still got my run in, taking a further step toward being healthier.

As a whole, this program has helped me obtain a more balanced life! I have been able to see the areas that are unbalanced and I strive to make them more balanced. Does it happen over night? Not at all! As Jeff says, it is all about trending healthiER! Making each day, each week, each month, a little bit healthier.

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GREAT Job Linnea! Keep up the great work with your health and in managing your diabetes! - Jeff

Team Liveabetic Conquers Woodbridge 5K

Great job everyone! Props to Trisha, Jen and Jen, Dale, and my wonderful wife Missy – and daughter Lily who let me push her the whole way in a running stroller! Lots of fun and awesome Liveabetic shirts!