health

December 20, 2012

#Cinchspiration Month 6 Video Update: I’ve Made It!

Six months ago, I started my weight loss journey with Cinchspiration with high hopes, but not really sure if I could believe the hype. Six months later, I feel like a new person inside and out, 45 pounds lighter, but more importantly, with a much stronger spirit and self-confidence through the roof! Take a look at my video update for more:

And just because I always share, here are my official final measurements, happily, a pound less than I weighed 10 days ago:

measurements1220

I started at a snug size 20/22, and I’m now between a 14 and a 16 (14 fits, but not with as much room as I’d like, and 16 is a little too big). Still though, I have clothes in my closet in size 12 and 10 that I’ve bought recently as motivation to keep going. And I’ll get there. I have to. Because there’s no going back!

I’m hoping to be chosen as next year’s Cinch Blogger Spokesperson, ready to step in and motivate a new group of women to push themselves past the challenges and their self-imposed limitations, so wish me luck!

Disclosure: I was chosen by Shaklee to be a #Cinchspiration blogger. As a result, I received a 6-month supply of Cinch products along with online support and incentives as I documented my journey. This is my final post for the program. As usual, all opinions are authentic and mine. Results and experiences are unique for each person, so results may vary. People following the weight loss portion of Shaklee 180 can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

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July 11, 2012

#Cinchspiration Update & Weigh-In

It’s been three weeks since I started my Shaklee 180 weight loss journey, and I just wanted to let you all know how it’s been going. My plan is to check in with my weight and measurements every 2 weeks, but I’ve been so busy, I just haven’t had time to check in. Even though this one is late, I’ll still let you know how I’m doing at the 4-week mark next week.

What I’m Eating

The last time I wrote, I was getting ready to begin my journey. Now, I feel like an old pro. Each day, I replace breakfast and lunch with either a Shaklee 180 meal bar or shake. Some days I have two shakes. This was a huge challenge for me during the first week because of one simple fact: I hate milk. Hate may seem like a strong word, but for me, it’s not quite strong enough. This includes cow’s milk, soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk — ANY milk. So why the heck did I sign up for a program that requires me to drink milk shakes, right? I was asking myself that very question the first day.

To be honest, when I first tried these protein rich shakes, all I could taste was chalk. The combination of hated milk — albeit light vanilla soy milk — and much more protein than I’m used to was a shock to my taste buds and my body. And while some of the meal and snack bars are awesome (peanut butter chocolate or chocolate decadence, anyone?), some of them initially had that chalkiness that I wasn’t happy with in the shakes.

But in spite of the fact that the taste made me balk, I persisted, telling myself that it would get better. And you know what? It did! I’ve learned to add a variety of fruit and even peanut butter to my shakes to boost the taste, and there are a couple of combinations that I really like:

Pina colada

Vanilla shake with light vanilla soy milk, fresh pineapple chunks, and frozen, shredded coconut OR 1 tbsp. cream of coconut.

Vanilla with frozen mixed berries

Seriously, once I found some good combinations, I started looking forward to the shakes. They’re crazy simple to make, so I really don’t have to think about what to have for lunch.

For dinner, we are tasked with preparing our own healthy meals. I’ve been doing pretty good, I think. Some of my meals:

Whole wheat penne pasta with sauteed garlic shrimp and grape tomatoes with a raw spinach salad.

Green leaf lettuce with roasted salmon, ONE small serving of yellow rice and steamed broccoli.

And you know what else? I’ve rarely craved sugar. And when I do, I can grab a sweet Shaklee 180 snack bar to satiate my sweet tooth. Have I cheated ever? Yes, but I didn’t go crazy. Instead of sitting in front of the TV late at night with a bag of sugar- and calorie-laden chocolate chip cookies, I opted to eat a single serving of Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies — 120 calories and 5g of sugar. Just enough to let me feel indulgent without stuffing myself. And I do this maybe once a week, and ONLY on days when I have calories to spare.

Bumps in the road

Speaking of calories, it took a while for me to find the right number. I started off eating just 1300 calories a day (net, after exercise). I quickly learned that this wasn’t enough. Instead of dropping pounds, my body went into starvation mode and held on to everything. But once I boosted my calorie intake to 1800 net, I started losing weight. Not terribly quickly, but I was losing nonetheless. The higher calorie count also meant that I had to spread my calories throughout the day. So I eat a little something with breakfast and lunch and eat healthy snacks in between, like nuts, fruit and the occasional handful of low-fat popcorn.

So where am I today? Here are my current stats:

5.5 lbs. and 8 inches lost! My goal for 3 weeks was 6 pounds, so I’m pretty close, and therefore, very proud of myself. Especially since I got off to a slow start with a much-too-low calorie count.

Here’s hoping that next week, when I check in, I’ll be reporting 8 pounds lost total. Cross your fingers and cheer me on! If nothing else, I FEEL different. I exercise for at least an hour almost pretty much every day, and I’ve found that I have more energy and I’m starting to actually look forward to the exercise. What?! Yep.

You see this face? That’s me, happy about where I’m going. I feel and see a change not just in my body, but in my outlook on health, and that’s better than I could’ve asked for.

Disclosure: I was chosen by Shaklee to be a #Cinchspiration blogger. As a result, I will receive a 6-month supply of Shaklee 180 products along with online support and incentives as I document my journey. As usual, all opinions are authentic and mine. Results and experiences are unique for each person, so results may vary. People following the weight loss portion of Shaklee 180 can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

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June 6, 2012

I’m a Shaklee #Cinchspiration Blogger!

Well, isn’t this an interesting turn of events. Over the last several months, I have been working really hard on body acceptance and learning to love myself as I am. I was tired of waiting until I am the “right” size and weight to start feeling good about myself. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of this, helped along, in part, by paying more attention to what I wear and how I carry myself. It’s hard to feel beautiful while dressed in sweats or baggy jeans and t-shirts every day. It’s a lot easier in dresses and outfits that fit well and beautiful accessories — like this:

Anyway, I digress. It’s sort of humorous to me that something so potentially life-changing would happen right when I’m finally beginning to love me for me. As for what that “something” is, I have been chosen as a Shaklee #Cinchspiration blogger!

Last week, I opened an email from fellow green blogger Sommer Poquette of Green and Clean Mom. In it, she shared that Shaklee was trying to find 50 bloggers to try their diet and weight loss products over a 6-month period. Knowing Shaklee to be a company with a great record of environmentally-friendly products and practices, I entered on a whim. I never really expected to be chosen. But I was! Out of nearly 250 entries.

So what does this mean exactly? Well, it means that I finally have an opportunity to get my health in order, and I’ll have 50 cheerleaders with an identical goal to help me along the way (including Sommer). More specifically though, it means that I’ll get the opportunity to use the Shaklee 180 products and philosophy, in combination with changes to my diet and exercise, and document my experience.

And because getting healthy is, by no means, an overnight process, I’m so appreciative that we will have 6 months in which to do this.

Seriously, I am super excited! Of all the changes my family has made toward living a healthier, greener lifestyle, changing the way we eat and our activity level have been the hardest to implement and maintain. Any help I can get in doing that is greatly appreciated. And in a way, I’m glad that this has happened now that I’ve found self-acceptance, because I won’t be beating myself up the whole way as I tried to reach imaginary, completely self-imposed goals. I’ll do my best, and that’s that. That’s all I can do, right?

So get ready to see some changes in me, and know that I’ll be loving myself every step of the way Check out all the other ladies who will be joining me on this journey.

Disclosure: I applied and was chosen by Shaklee to be a #Cinchspiration blogger. As usual, all opinions are authentic and mine. Results and experiences are unique for each person, so results may vary. People following the weight loss portion of Shaklee 180 can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

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January 27, 2011

Fresh Start: It’s My ‘Home Gym’

Let me just be honest for a second. I’m not going to work out at a gym. Like ever.

The idea of awkwardly attempting exercises in front of strangers while I drip with sweat does not appeal to me. This self-consciousness is, in part, why my membership at Curves a few years didn’t last very long. I just hate working out in public.

Thanks to the Wii and Walmart‘s generosity, I don’t have to. During the Fresh Start campaign, in addition to sending each of us an XBOX 360 with Kinect, they also gave us the opportunity to purchase a wide range of workout equipment to help us on our journey toward healthier living. On my list?

Jillian Michaels 3-piece Kettlebell Kit
Gold’s Gym Exercise Stay Ball
Shake Weight

We also received EA Sports Active 2 for the Wii, and I added all of that to my existing yoga mat and a heart rate monitor watch I purchased out of my own pocket (shown below). Plus, I still have to go back to the store to get Dance Central for the XBOX and a couple of other items.

In other words, I have no excuse to fail. In spite of my aversion to public gyms and other exercise spaces, with all of this at my disposal, I have all the incentive I need to get my butt in gear and do what needs to be done.

Jillian Michaels and those kettlebells kicked my butt, and despite my skepticism about the Shake Weight, it actually gave me a good upper body workout. I started off thinking it wouldn’t work at all, and at first, I didn’t feel much. But once I popped in the accompanying DVD and tried the 6-minute workout, I found myself struggling to keep up by minute 4. And as I type this, my arms feel like spaghetti.

The exercise ball will be added to my yoga routine, though I have so much to do that I haven’t used it yet.

More than anything else, I’m happy to wake up in the morning knowing that I have variety in my workout schedule. If I feel like dancing, I can dance. If I feel like working just my upper body, I can do that. If I want to get my heart rate up with some traditional aerobics, I can do that. This variety will help keep me on track, because I’m known for becoming lazy bored easily when it comes to exercise.

However, my diet is another story. I backtracked a little this week and found myself eating some of the things I’ve been trying to avoid (Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino ice cream, anyone?). So the number I’m about to show you is not a surprise.

This Week’s Weight: 229.2

I really need to become more disciplined with eating throughout the day instead of 2 (or if I’m lucky, 3) bigger meals and unhealthy, late-night snacking. Still, in spite of that setback, I’m determined to continue this journey to a healthier lifestyle. And now I have been reminded of what NOT to do

Disclosure: I am a member of the Walmart Moms program. Walmart has provided me with compensation to share my journey to healthier living with you as part of the Fresh Start Challenge. I was also provided with a gift card to purchase exercise equipment and fitness products to help me on my journey. Participation is voluntary and as usual, all opinions are my own.

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January 6, 2011

My Fresh Start: This is the Year I’m Finally Going to Get in Shape

It’s finally happened. I’ve finally turned a corner in terms of my health and my desire to get in shape. This year is the year I’m finally going to make it happen.

I’ve started and stopped dieting and exercising too many times to count. So why do I think this time will be different? Because this time, I’ve FINALLY made the necessary mental shift to stay on track.

The First Big Change

I used to eat cookies, ice cream, and all manner of other sweet snacks all day long. I admit, this addiction to sugar is my biggest struggle. However, I refuse to let it stop me. The key point here is that I want to be healthy more than I want sugar, and that is a BIG change for me.

The Second Big Change

When it comes to exercise, I have to enjoy it, or I just won’t do it. Situps, pushups, running laps, and all the other typical exercises? Not gonna happen. However, I do LOVE dance. So one day when I was in Game Stop, I bought the Zumba game for my Wii, having heard lots of good things about it. I couldn’t wait to try it, and for good reason! I love it! My daughter does it with me and occasionally my husband will too, so it’s really fun for us. We have a great time, so even when I’m worn out halfway through, I want to keep going.

I also got Just Dance 2 for Christmas, and I can’t believe how much I sweat and get my heart rate up while I’m playing! I lose myself in the music, and because I’m doing it in my own living room, I don’t feel self conscious. And let me tell you — both Just Dance and Zumba are excellent workout! These two things — along with Wii Fit Plus — have helped me make exercise a priority, and I wake up looking forward to it.

The Fresh Start Challenge

Believe it or not, I started writing this post back in December a few weeks after I started doing Zumba. I never got around to finishing it, and it just so happens that Walmart has issued a challenge to the Walmart Moms that’s right in line with what I’m doing. The Fresh Start challenge is exactly what it sounds like: A chance to live a more healthy life in some way.

For some moms, it’s eating less processed food and more fresh produce and organics. For others it’s losing weight or firming up their bodies. For me, it’s all of the above! Re-learning to eat right and break myself of my admitted addiction to sugar is a struggle I’ve been fighting for a long time. I still have no idea how I’m going to do it, but this challenge will keep me on task.

Each week for 4 weeks, I’ll post here about what I’m doing, how much weight I’ve lost, what I’m eating, products and foods I’m trying to help me on my journey, etc. If all goes well, I plan to continue posting about this every week for the rest of the year.

And since the only way I’m going to keep this up is if I do something bold to hold myself accountable, each week, I’m going to post my weight. I’m tempted to back out now even as I type this, but that’s a good sign that it’s a good way to keep myself in check. So here goes nothing:

My Starting Weight: 235 lbs.

I don’t have my camera with me at the moment, but next week, I’ll also post a photo. Wish me luck, and feel free to share stories about your journey to healthy living in the comments below. I need all the motivation I can get!

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