by Maggie Zeibak

Lying deep in the dungeons of our minds, there must be a locked cell marked Gritty Resolve. How do we rattle free the key and let the door swing open to unleash tiny abrasive particles that irritate us enough to take action far out of our comfort zone? What must happen to propel us into action and rise above our fears?

This is the story of local resident Linnea Hannigan who achieved a total transformation, both physically and mentally by starting her New Year’s Resolution in the middle of the year. Timing is everything, and once she’d made up her mind to do it (OK, part of it was a dare) she committed herself to a plan of action that within six months halved her dress size.

Getting in shape and leading a healthier life were high on her list as it is for most of us, so as a Wellness Educator for Juice Plus she embraced their program and found a solution to her resolution. 

Hannigan said, “I decided that if I was going to recommend the Juice Plus Transformation concept to my friends and family, I had to test it on my toughest skeptic, my toughest customer and my harshest critic - I needed to see if it was do-able, easy and effective. I had to try it out on someone who has been overweight for many years, someone who has suffered from asthma and high blood pressure and stress, someone who has unsuccessfully tried every diet and lifestyle plan known to man, someone whose back and hips hurt constantly from lack of exercise, someone who hated exercise, someone whose self-esteem had been hurt by repeated failures and disappointments…I had to try it on myself.”

Cringing at the photograph showing her at size 18, she sees the unhappiness behind the unhealthiness. Being overweight all of her life she didn’t pay attention to the pounds stacking up, especially after giving birth to her twins, and at times she was too scared to even look in a mirror. Being that far down, the only way was up.

Knowing that Juice Plus required an exercise program, she found that part of the boot in the backside is SoCal Boot Camp. From the moment she walked through the door she says she was surrounded by total love and support. Her focus kept her going for those 45 minutes each day, and some days she went twice, thinking I’ll just do this for 6 weeks. No wonder she thought she was going to die and how disappointed she was when there was no weight loss for the first three weeks. Then it happened. Following her whole-food Juice Plus Complete Shakes, plus a trio of capsules, she naturally cut back on what she ate because she was full. Her body started craving clean, healthy foods and together with increased activity the results began to show up in the mirror.

Linnea doesn’t track the pounds she’s lost - she likes the way her body looks and relishes the drop in body fat (from 39% to 24%). She’s gained muscles and lowered her blood pressure from 155/110 to 116/70 without medication. 

“I get up in the morning and exercise because I have the strength, stamina and recovery to do so and exercise no longer hurts me,” she says. Most of all, I’ve found I actually love to exercise now. Believe me, my work-out and fitness friends have been my cheerleaders all along and we have so much fun at the sessions, I want to work-out all the time especially as So Cal Boot Camp is non-competitive, and provides a nurturing environment - once you walk through the door, they provide the rest.”

Her 100% plant-based smoothies (gluten-free) are not the regular chemical synthetic products that leave an odd after-taste and ravenous again after 30 minutes. Providing balanced nutrition from natural fruits and vegetables she finds that this stops the food cravings. She admits that she continues with her ‘Fives’s’ - her 5am coffee with cream and her 5pm cocktail and doesn’t feel as if she is being deprived as her shakes are the backbone of her nutritional program. Now her zest for life shows as she’s bursting with strength and energy.

Many of us get ‘thinspired’ as the calendar New Year looms ahead, together with our very good intentions. Food should not provoke regrets and recriminations especially when we work within a framework that is going to provide excellent results. The decision to embrace a new, healthy way of life can be seen in Linnea Hannigan’s resolve - she calls it “Live-it” not a “Die-it”. Think about it, dredge up the courage, and shake up your life.