Weight Loss Journey - Month 1

Hi ya peeps!

I've been avoiding this post all day long, but I can't procrastinate any longer.

You can read here where I started on my weight loss journey.

It has been a tough month for me.  I was sooo excited about this challenge that I had set for myself, and then on or about week 2 1/2 or 3 I lost steam.  As per previous years, I just wanted to eat whatever-I-wanted-thank-you-very-much!!!

There were birthday celebrations, there were gatherings, and outings and eating healthy and staying on track became a challenge... once again.  uuuuughhhhh

At my mid-month check-in that you can read here, I had already lost 9 pounds.  As I predicted, those were the easy pounds, cause I can loose those over and over and over again.

I also started on the Shaklee Weight Loss Cinch program.  It has really helped with making sure that I have breakfast every morning. I looooove the chocolate shakes (then again I'm a chocaloholic!).

I have added exercise to my daily routine and I am enjoying Jillian's Yoga (She's a tough cookie)

Earlier today, before I got on the scale, I took off everything that might add weight to the scale... my wedding rings, the elastic band holding my ponytail... ev-ery-thing.

Here are my measurements and weight on February 1, 2011.



Feb 1st - 169 lbs

Waist - 38 inches

Bust - 40.5 inches

Hips - 40.5 inches

So a re-cap of where I started and where I am today:

January 1st, 2011

Weight: 177 lbs.

Bust: 43 inches
Waist: 42 inches
Hips: 41 inches
BMI: 31.35 (yikes)

February 1st, 2011

Weight: 169 lbs ( lost 8 lbs.)
Bust: 40.5 inches (down 2.5 inches)
Waist: 38 inches (down 4 inches)
Hips: 40.5 inches (down .5 inches)
BMI: 29.9

So although, I'm up a pound from my mid month check in, since January 1, I've lost 4 inches around my waist, and about 2.5 inches on bust and .5 inches around hips.


I have a lost a total of 7 inches and 8 pounds.

On January, 19, I posted on my Frugal Mom x3 Facebook page, that I had lost 1 1/2 inches around my waist. Although I was hoping that the weight loss since then was greater, I'm ecstatic that I've lost an extra 2 1/2 inches around my waist since then and since I started the Cinch program.

I can't figure out why the number on the scale is not moving, but I'm happy I'm loosing the inches.

Maybe I need to step-up my exercise abit more.

Is anyone else out there on a weight loss challenge?

What's working for you?

Have you considered Cinch?? 

You can read more about it on my Shaklee site.

My Weight Loss Journey - mid month check in

Hi, it's me again!

I've now been on my healthy eating plan for 15 days.  I'm super duper excited to report that I've already lost weight.

 Do you remember my initial weight?



Jan 1st, 2011 - 177 lbs



Well, 15 days in and this is where I'm at...

Jan 15, 2011 - 168 lbs!!!

 

Yes!!  Success!!  I'm weighing in at 168 lbs.

Now, before I  go any further I DO KNOW that the first couple of weeks are the easiest to loose weight.

I know this, because I have lost those same exact 9 pounds a hundred times in the past 4 years!
But it is a great motivator to keep going (along with all your sweet comments!!)

WHAT I'VE DONE RIGHT IN THE LAST 15 DAYS!!

•  I'm focusing on drinking my 8 glasses of water a day.
• I'm not snacking past 7:00 p.m. (which is about 3-4 hours before my bedtime)
• I'm trying to eat breakfast regulary.
• I'm watching my portions. I've replaced my dinner plate with my salad plate .
• Limiting my sugar intake. Sweet cravings are taken cared of with fruit.
• I'm drinking a full glass of water 15-20 minutes before every meal (usually while I'm making the meal).

MY CHALLENGES

• If you read closely above I say "I'm trying to eat breakfast".  This is still my biggest challenge
• EXERCISE!!! This continues to haunt me. I'm truggling with this part.

GOING FORWARD

I'm adding a few items to help me with my weight loss goals.

At the suggestion of a friend (Hi Jen :-)) I've picked up this:

When I was nursing my son, and in constant upper back pain, I started doing yoga classes. 
I loved it!
I loved the Yoga instructor that I had at the time, but I have no idea where she has moved to.
Yoga, helped relax my upper body and after an hour of doing it I felt I had gotten a good work out.
It's also aimed at strengthing the core, my biggest and weakest problem area.

And...

I'm going to start with Shaklee's Own Weight Loss Program.

(at first I was hesitant to recommend any programs or take supplements, But I've done my research, talked to enough people and I know that Cinch will help me with my weight loss challenges and goals)

Why I'm trying CINCH"

I believe in Shaklee!  I stand behind the Shaklee Philosophy as a distributor myself.

 One of my challenges has been to fit in breakfast. I'm usually too busy in the morning feeding the kids and getting them off to school on time, and then running errands and before you know the morning has gone by and it's lunch time.

The Cinch Shakes are a complete meal and a no-brainer to make.

Prepared as directed, it has 24 grams of protein to keep you feeling satisfied.

This will be great to deal with my morning breakfast challenge.

I copied the following directly from the Shaklee website:

____________________________________________________________________

Say Hello to Cinch™

Cinch is Powered by Leucine™ and specially formulated to help you break the diet cycle, so you:

• Keep muscle you have
• Burn fat you don’t need
• Lose inches you don’t want

The hard science behind a hard behind

In a recent clinical trial†, we tested our proprietary formula enhanced with leucine. (Leucine is a muscle-building amino acid found in protein rich foods.) This leucine-enhanced nutrition program was shown to help retain 100% of lean muscle mass. People in the program lost fat, weight, and inches while retaining their lean muscle.

† Findings based on lean mass estimates in a 12-week preliminary study.

A plan for the rest of us

As you get to know us, you’ll find we take your health very seriously, and ourselves, not so much. Cinch is designed to help you hang on to all-important muscle while you lose that all-jiggly fat. And it’s created by doctors who are, thankfully, also human. With Cinch, you eat food you look forward to. You can’t say that about cabbage soup.

So do your healthier self a favor and order a Cinch Starter Kit today. Then, take a good look at those extra inches of yours and get ready to give them a big smooch good-bye. Sayonara. Adios. Toodle-oo.

____________________________________________________________________

For anyone interested in trying Cinch, right now if you become a member with a minimum order of $70 you receive a CINCH SAMPLE PACK (retail value of $101.90).  Great idea if you have been wanting to try Shaklee Cleaning Products!!

The Sampler Pack includes the following:

• 1 canister of Cinch® Shake Mix, Vanilla flavour (soy protein blend)
•  1 box of Cinch® Snack Bars, Peanut Butter Crunch flavour
• 1 box of Cinch® Energy Tea Mix, Pomegranate flavour
• 1 Cinch Program Guide
• 1 Cinch Pedometer (while supplies last)
• 3 months of free introductory membership to CinchWellness.com (charges apply in the fourth month and beyond)

So I'll check in again on Feb 1st to let you know about my next weigh in.

Wish me luck!!

How are you doing?

What challenges are facing with your weight loss goals?  Any successes?

My scariest blog post evahhhh....

ACK!!  I can't believe I'm about to post this!!

Here it goes

If you read my post about 2011 Goals, then you will see that my goal this year is to get a healthy body back.  Actually if we go back to January 1, 2010, you will see that I said the same thing.  Yeap I did!  It was probably on my mind for a couple days and then forgotten like every other year before that.

Now before you scroll down to get a look at the before picture, let me explain how I got here. (yes, these are my excuses)

1. I've been pregnant 3 times and I took every pregnancy as a free-for-all to eat what ever I wanted, whenever I wanted. My last two pregnancies were awful and I was put on bedrest for most of the pregnancies so I was miserable, so to compensate I A-T-E.  If it was edible and chocolate covered, I ate it (except for veggies).  And yes my last baby is now 4 and half.  And yes, I've had plenty of time to loose the baby weight.  Yeap, Excuse #1 is squashed to smitherenes!!
2. I've had too many bodily injuries to work out. Well... not really!  About 6 years ago I tore my rotator cuff and some of the other muscles in my shoulder while removing carpet from my last house. For about 3-4 years I regulary have had times that I could not move my arm because of the pain.  However in the past 2 years I've been pretty good. Yeap Excuse #2 is squashed to smitherenes!!
3. I don't have time.  Well... actually I do.  All three kids are now in school. So, I should really change that to I have not made time. Yeap you guessed Excuse #3 is squashed to smitherenes too!!
4. I don't eat healthy. Well, I do eat healthy. However, I skip breakfast alot, I eat alot of sugary foods, I eat really big portions and I haven't met a carbohydrate I don't like.  I don't drink much water.  Oh yeah and I'm a chocoholic.
5. My husband tells me he loves me whether I'm big or small, so why bother trying to look good. Yeap, I'm sure he does love me.  But I don't love me!  I don't feel good about how I look.  And I just don't feel good period.

So here it goes.... here's me on January 1, 2011!

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(source)

(hmmm... how did that happen??)

Ok... here it goes...

(177 pounds- Jan 1, 2011)

 Yeap I am about 50 lbs overweight.
 (60 or 70 overweight from high school days.)

My current Stats as of January 1, 2011...

I'm 5' 3" tall
Weight: 177 lbs.
Bust: 43 inches

Waist: 42 inches

Hips: 41 inches
Arms: 13 1/2 inches
BMI: 31.35 (yikes)

(before I continue, I'm not endorsing any weight loss plan or program or drug or anything of the sorts... just so you know.)

In the past I've tried and tried many weight loss plans.  Yeap I've lost weight and then put it back on. Over and over again.  Probably making my metabolism slugish.

And now THE PLAN.

1. I will eliminate refined sugars.
2. I will drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water daily.
3. I will eat 5-6 small meals every 2-3 hours.
4. I will work out a minimum of 30 minutes daily.
5. I will eat breakfast.
6. I will not eat at night after 7 p.m.
7. I will eat according to Canada's Food Guide.
8. I will eat either fruits and/or vegetables at every meal.
9. I will eat dessert occasionally. (Did I mention I am a chocoloholic??)
10. I will weight in every Saturday and let you know how I'm doing monthly. 

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Ok... drum roll please...

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(Ignore the mess in background.  Just keeping it real, peeps.)

I am an apple. 

(meaning I carry all my extra weight on top half... waist and back)

Probably the worst kind of fruit shape to be,

cause I'm carrying all my extra weight around my major organs.

Suffocating them.

So that's it.  Wish me luck.  Any tips would be appreciated.

I will check in soon with my progress. 

(Feel free to bug me!) (Be nice to me!)

Bette