At the official end of Week 2, I 'm down 7 pounds. And celebrating!
I did one shake a day every day except one day I did none. I did make it to the gym 4 times. Improvement. It's funny how just knowing I am making an effort for health, even something as simple as making a shake, is starting to make me want to do just a wee bit more to try harder. Plus, now that I've lost a few pounds I like how moving toward my goal feels so much that I want to keep doing it!
The shake flavors I tried this week were:
Root Beer Float - 2 scoops shake mix, 4-6 oz. unsweetened almond milk, 4-8 oz. diet root beer, and 4-6 ice cubes. My husband and I split it for dessert and it was delicious!! Highly recommend.
Berry Classic - this one I used to make with straight whey protein prior to starting this challenge. This one is my husband's favorite: 1 cup frozen mixed berries (the big Rader Farms bag from Costco is way economical for this), 2 scoops shake mix, enough water to be even with top of ingredients. Blend and enjoy. I find mixing it with the shake mix keeps me much fuller than when I just did straight whey protein. You can add a tablespoon of flaxseed oil too if desired for extra Omegas.
Chocolate Banana - 2 scoops shake mix, 8-12 oz. unsweetened chocolate almond milk, 1/2 banana.
The variety is fun, but honestly right now, that is the least of my concerns. I've liked all the shake varieties I've tried so far, so any of them are good for me. My Dad mixes his shake mix in his coffee - like a creamer. He said it was delicious and other coffee drinkers I've shared that with agreed. Definitely more economical than Starbucks!
I referred three people and got my kit, which is big enough for my husband and I to each have a daily shake, for free.
So, by the end of week two I had two people tell me I look like I had lost weight. Awesome awesome. I read once that many people won't notice a weight gain/loss of five pounds but 10 is definitely noticeable. I was in despair when I first read that comment because I had gained 20. But now I'm happy 'cause I'm close to having lost 10! Oh, the emotional roller coaster of weight management.
The plan is still easy, yummy, economical and convenient. I have no complaints at this point going into week three. I've noticed in myself and others that are trying it too that it seems like I don't lose for a few days and then suddenly, sizeable weight loss.
Since my weight is coming off at a much faster rate than I expected, I plan to take my update pictures every 2 weeks. It will take some courage to post those, so I'll post them on a day I'm feeling extra saucy and invincible.
On to week 3!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Body by Vi Challenge - Week One Review
So, the first day I drank a shake for breakfast - I just put shake mix and plain unsweetened almond milk in a blender. I liked how fast my breakfast was ready. And no dishes to wash - rinse the blender and cap and voila. This could have a very good compound effect in my life as there are many mornings I simply don't have time to cook or pack something healthy. I drank it, it tasted good, kind of like melted cookies and cream ice cream. I was full (completely full) for 2 1/2 hours before hunger started slowly creeping in. I try to eat every 3 hours anyway to keep my metabolism stoked and avoid hunger and overeating, so this model works well. My husband doesn't usually eat again until lunch and had no problem waiting until lunch. He said he was hungry by lunchtime, but wasn't suffering at all in the morning. The mix is 90 calories and then if you add unsweetened almond milk, it adds 40-60 calories, depending on how much milk you add. So, 150 calories and full. Nice. Even if I did my egg/egg white & oatmeal breakfast, it's around 350-400 calories.
The next day I hopped on the scale because I am a lab rat in my own perpetual life experiment and even though experts always say there is no logical reason to weigh yourself every single day, too bad. The scale is part of my morning ritual. Down 2.4 pounds! Wha?!?! Seriously?!?! I got giddy because it's so easy so far.
I did shakes for breakfast all week and am down a total of five pounds. My plan is on the weekends or nights when I know my diet is going to be unsavory, perhaps consider a shake for lunch too to allow myself a little calorie deficit going into the evening. It's all about doing something that allows you to continue living life in a reasonable way, right? I ended up doing that three times this week because we had so many social activities going on. Other than the shakes, I really didn't try much this week. I only made it to the gym twice and we ate out Wednesday night, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So, me holding five pounds through this is pretty amazing.
Usually when we eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant, for whatever reason, the next morning I am up 3-4 POUNDS on the scale and it takes me half a week to get my weight back down. I don't know if it's sodium or bean bloat or what the heck is going on there. But it happens every time. This weekend, the MAM (morning-after-Mexican) was 0. I held my weight loss to the OUNCE. Another delightful surprise.
The final delightful surprise: variation. My three favorite shakes this week were:
1. Plain Jane: Shake + 10 oz. unsweetened almond milk (unsweetened almond milk adds a nice consistency and if it's unsweetened, 0 sugar to the shake.) It's delicious.
2. Orange Dream: Shake + 8 oz. OJ + Ice (I nixed the ice because my blender is elderly and just can't do it anymore, poor old girl). Tastes like an Orange Julius which is why I feel that this once again is a little too delightful to be a diet.
3. Choc Peanut Butter: Shake + 8-12 oz. unsweetened chocolate almond milk + 1 spoonful (1 TBSP if unsure) of peanut butter (careful, a spoon is plenty and don't go overboard with fat and calories by putting a ginormo spoonful in. It doesn't need it). It's really really good.
The shakes are so good that I literally find myself looking forward to them. And like tonight, we ate out for lunch and I'm opting to skip leftovers for a shake for dinner.
The last thing to report is that both my husband and I have reported to each other independently that we are feeling so much more "even" this week. Like a calm feeling of well-being.
For a first week on a "diet", I'm thinking this is a pretty good fit. I have not suffered, I have not killed myself trying (although I do plan to resume my workout schedule soon), and my life is virtually the same and I lost weight. I like the product's taste so much I look forward to it. I just haven't found a downside yet.
We went to the grocery store today and restocked our oj/milk supplies and got some new things to make new flavors this week as well as food for our non-shake meals. My grocery bill was exactly half of last week (almost to the penny). It's because we know what we are having for particular meals of the day now. Instead of haphazardly buying food "options" for the week or buying multiple things for meals, it's bringing our cost of living down. I can live with that.
My husband and I both are down 5 pounds the first week.
If you want to know more, visit http://melissamcgarvey.bodybyvi.com/ If you decide you want to purchase this shake you can order it on that site and I get credit for the sale, which I really appreciate. If you purchase the shake and refer three friends who buy it too, yours is free. I'm happy to help you do that if this interests you. There are a lot of opportunities with this product and company. I'm going to pursue the business piece as well because I'm in the spa business and that supports this kind of a product. But people who aren't in a traditional business are realizing huge financial perks from being associated with this company as well. Some get free BMW's (it's not as hard as you think) and some are making anything from "a little extra money" each month to making 6 figures a month. If you want to see how the business side of this company works, I am happy to give you the details as well so you can see if it is a good fit for you. Either way, I'm pumped about my progress this week and am looking very forward to week 2!
The next day I hopped on the scale because I am a lab rat in my own perpetual life experiment and even though experts always say there is no logical reason to weigh yourself every single day, too bad. The scale is part of my morning ritual. Down 2.4 pounds! Wha?!?! Seriously?!?! I got giddy because it's so easy so far.
I did shakes for breakfast all week and am down a total of five pounds. My plan is on the weekends or nights when I know my diet is going to be unsavory, perhaps consider a shake for lunch too to allow myself a little calorie deficit going into the evening. It's all about doing something that allows you to continue living life in a reasonable way, right? I ended up doing that three times this week because we had so many social activities going on. Other than the shakes, I really didn't try much this week. I only made it to the gym twice and we ate out Wednesday night, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So, me holding five pounds through this is pretty amazing.
Usually when we eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant, for whatever reason, the next morning I am up 3-4 POUNDS on the scale and it takes me half a week to get my weight back down. I don't know if it's sodium or bean bloat or what the heck is going on there. But it happens every time. This weekend, the MAM (morning-after-Mexican) was 0. I held my weight loss to the OUNCE. Another delightful surprise.
The final delightful surprise: variation. My three favorite shakes this week were:
1. Plain Jane: Shake + 10 oz. unsweetened almond milk (unsweetened almond milk adds a nice consistency and if it's unsweetened, 0 sugar to the shake.) It's delicious.
2. Orange Dream: Shake + 8 oz. OJ + Ice (I nixed the ice because my blender is elderly and just can't do it anymore, poor old girl). Tastes like an Orange Julius which is why I feel that this once again is a little too delightful to be a diet.
3. Choc Peanut Butter: Shake + 8-12 oz. unsweetened chocolate almond milk + 1 spoonful (1 TBSP if unsure) of peanut butter (careful, a spoon is plenty and don't go overboard with fat and calories by putting a ginormo spoonful in. It doesn't need it). It's really really good.
The shakes are so good that I literally find myself looking forward to them. And like tonight, we ate out for lunch and I'm opting to skip leftovers for a shake for dinner.
The last thing to report is that both my husband and I have reported to each other independently that we are feeling so much more "even" this week. Like a calm feeling of well-being.
For a first week on a "diet", I'm thinking this is a pretty good fit. I have not suffered, I have not killed myself trying (although I do plan to resume my workout schedule soon), and my life is virtually the same and I lost weight. I like the product's taste so much I look forward to it. I just haven't found a downside yet.
We went to the grocery store today and restocked our oj/milk supplies and got some new things to make new flavors this week as well as food for our non-shake meals. My grocery bill was exactly half of last week (almost to the penny). It's because we know what we are having for particular meals of the day now. Instead of haphazardly buying food "options" for the week or buying multiple things for meals, it's bringing our cost of living down. I can live with that.
My husband and I both are down 5 pounds the first week.
If you want to know more, visit http://melissamcgarvey.bodybyvi.com/ If you decide you want to purchase this shake you can order it on that site and I get credit for the sale, which I really appreciate. If you purchase the shake and refer three friends who buy it too, yours is free. I'm happy to help you do that if this interests you. There are a lot of opportunities with this product and company. I'm going to pursue the business piece as well because I'm in the spa business and that supports this kind of a product. But people who aren't in a traditional business are realizing huge financial perks from being associated with this company as well. Some get free BMW's (it's not as hard as you think) and some are making anything from "a little extra money" each month to making 6 figures a month. If you want to see how the business side of this company works, I am happy to give you the details as well so you can see if it is a good fit for you. Either way, I'm pumped about my progress this week and am looking very forward to week 2!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Messin' Up, Fessin' Up and Cleanin' Up
What have I done? What am I DOING? As I layed down on my bed so that I could squeeze shut my jeans and put on a nice baggy long top to cover up my hips I thought to myself, "this is not fun. In fact, this is the pure antithesis of fun and games to me. I'm miserable that I'm gaining weight back, weight that I was so happy to have lost. And worked so dang hard to lose. And grasped really hard to my little system to try to keep it off. Which wasn't working, which caused me to burn out and abandon the whole darn thing. No system is even worse than a broken system. But what I really want is to lose the weight I already had lost last year and the last ten pounds I really wanted to keep losing to get to my goal weight. I want my clothes to fit again. I want to not pick at myself and make sure nothing looks icky or funky if my clothes aren't sitting just right. I'm having the same thoughts I did when I started my weight loss journey. Frustration, desperation, hope for some clarity, but mostly just confusion and pain. UGHHHHH.
I've heard in two totally different venues this week "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.". I realized that this describes me while playing a game of Angry Birds. When I found out Angry Birds was a game of physics it all made perfect sense. I suck at physics. Always have. And I found myself continually doing the same sort of shots trying to make the stuff crumble. Only when I misfired and found the "sweet spot" that conquered the level for me did I realize "Duh. I need to try different things". It seems basic and yet that is my path to discovery. Angry Birds. It's deep, I know.
So, with weight loss it appears to be no different. The clean eating works for me. It does. My problem is that I get very hungry and I have a very powerful Sweet Tooth that when combined, have the capacity to kill my weight loss success in a very short time. Also, we go out to eat on the weekends. Every weekend. We enjoy it, it's an integral part of our lives. There's just no way to abandon it.
I've tried lots of approaches to lose weight and finally I just needed to be done for awhile and take a break. A girl at my work started doing a shake mix, "a shake that tastes like cake batter" is what she would say. Whatever. I don't need that, I thought. But as I continued to struggle, pretty much everybody at my work started using it. And everybody like it, for different reasons. One gal uses it to not gain weight as she starts night school. One girl is losing weight. One girl is using it as a business opportunity - she wants to win the Black BMW the company gives away. Anyhow, after watching my coworkers shrink, I finally figured. what's the harm in checking it out? After all, my far superior system I am doing isn't working at all. In fact, I'm gaining hard-fought weight back and it's messing with my psyche. I'll go check it out.
So here's the crux.
It's a home party that lasts about an hour. Perfect. I have no spare time. But I can give an hour in the name of a smaller backside.
It's tasty. You get to sample the shake for free at the party. Perfect. They say it tastes like cake batter. To me, it tastes like a liquified cupcake. And if I could eat only one food for the rest of my life it would be cupcakes. This is good news for me! You can easily add your own stuff to change it up - peanut butter, cocoa powder, OJ, sugar free syrups, fresh fruit. Variety is good.
It's affordable. A bag of shake mix works out to be only $1.87 a shake. Cheaper than most meals I would make at home and definitely anything I would buy out.
It's nutritious. Chockful of vitamins, protein, practically no sugar. In fact, diabetics can use these and it doesn't impact their insulin. From a weight loss perspective, that fact is very important as well because spiking your insulin contributes to making you fat as well.
It's portable and "quick". One of my main challenges is I am busy. I don't have a lunch break. I'm often pounding food in my car on my way to my next thing. I need something that keeps, is portable without much fuss and satisfies my hunger and tastebuds. This can be just that.
There's no pressure. I was surprised at the party they just give you information. And then they give you space to do as little or as much with it as you want. I decided I definitely wanted to start using it and see what I can do. And I also felt compelled to be a resource for other people that may want to discover this product. I feel that this is a really good product and I know many people in my life that could potentially benefit from it and why can't we all get exactly what we want in life?
I'm done with regrets, moving in the wrong direction, coulda-shoulda-woulda-ing, and feeling negative because I'm not getting different results when I keep doing the same things.
So, I signed up for the Body by Vi 90-Day Challenge. What's the worst that could happen? Nothing happens. And I'm no worse off than when I started. But if something happens, I could win money, a trip, or even just the body I've been working so hard to have. In my eyes, there's no reason to not try it!
If you wanna see more about what I'm doing, you can check out:
http://melissamcgarvey.bodybyvi.com/
There's four videos that give a nice introduction. I will also have some parties to allow people to try it and get a proper introduction to it like I had. If you are interested in coming to a party, let me know!
In the meantime, I'll be documenting my progress here as I work my way through this 90 Day Challenge. I'm ready for a change!
I've heard in two totally different venues this week "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.". I realized that this describes me while playing a game of Angry Birds. When I found out Angry Birds was a game of physics it all made perfect sense. I suck at physics. Always have. And I found myself continually doing the same sort of shots trying to make the stuff crumble. Only when I misfired and found the "sweet spot" that conquered the level for me did I realize "Duh. I need to try different things". It seems basic and yet that is my path to discovery. Angry Birds. It's deep, I know.
So, with weight loss it appears to be no different. The clean eating works for me. It does. My problem is that I get very hungry and I have a very powerful Sweet Tooth that when combined, have the capacity to kill my weight loss success in a very short time. Also, we go out to eat on the weekends. Every weekend. We enjoy it, it's an integral part of our lives. There's just no way to abandon it.
I've tried lots of approaches to lose weight and finally I just needed to be done for awhile and take a break. A girl at my work started doing a shake mix, "a shake that tastes like cake batter" is what she would say. Whatever. I don't need that, I thought. But as I continued to struggle, pretty much everybody at my work started using it. And everybody like it, for different reasons. One gal uses it to not gain weight as she starts night school. One girl is losing weight. One girl is using it as a business opportunity - she wants to win the Black BMW the company gives away. Anyhow, after watching my coworkers shrink, I finally figured. what's the harm in checking it out? After all, my far superior system I am doing isn't working at all. In fact, I'm gaining hard-fought weight back and it's messing with my psyche. I'll go check it out.
So here's the crux.
It's a home party that lasts about an hour. Perfect. I have no spare time. But I can give an hour in the name of a smaller backside.
It's tasty. You get to sample the shake for free at the party. Perfect. They say it tastes like cake batter. To me, it tastes like a liquified cupcake. And if I could eat only one food for the rest of my life it would be cupcakes. This is good news for me! You can easily add your own stuff to change it up - peanut butter, cocoa powder, OJ, sugar free syrups, fresh fruit. Variety is good.
It's affordable. A bag of shake mix works out to be only $1.87 a shake. Cheaper than most meals I would make at home and definitely anything I would buy out.
It's nutritious. Chockful of vitamins, protein, practically no sugar. In fact, diabetics can use these and it doesn't impact their insulin. From a weight loss perspective, that fact is very important as well because spiking your insulin contributes to making you fat as well.
It's portable and "quick". One of my main challenges is I am busy. I don't have a lunch break. I'm often pounding food in my car on my way to my next thing. I need something that keeps, is portable without much fuss and satisfies my hunger and tastebuds. This can be just that.
There's no pressure. I was surprised at the party they just give you information. And then they give you space to do as little or as much with it as you want. I decided I definitely wanted to start using it and see what I can do. And I also felt compelled to be a resource for other people that may want to discover this product. I feel that this is a really good product and I know many people in my life that could potentially benefit from it and why can't we all get exactly what we want in life?
I'm done with regrets, moving in the wrong direction, coulda-shoulda-woulda-ing, and feeling negative because I'm not getting different results when I keep doing the same things.
So, I signed up for the Body by Vi 90-Day Challenge. What's the worst that could happen? Nothing happens. And I'm no worse off than when I started. But if something happens, I could win money, a trip, or even just the body I've been working so hard to have. In my eyes, there's no reason to not try it!
If you wanna see more about what I'm doing, you can check out:
http://melissamcgarvey.bodybyvi.com/
There's four videos that give a nice introduction. I will also have some parties to allow people to try it and get a proper introduction to it like I had. If you are interested in coming to a party, let me know!
In the meantime, I'll be documenting my progress here as I work my way through this 90 Day Challenge. I'm ready for a change!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Status Update & Some Rockin' Protein Brownies
Well, I can not believe how focusless and downtrodden I've been. I mentioned my missing mojo to my doctor during a routine exam and she said it sounds like a Vitamin D deficiency. She tested me for thyroid and Vitamin D. One word of caution - the Vitamin D test can be VERY expensive and I was unaware of this until I got the shocking bill. A couple hundred bucks to find out I'm fine. All healthy which is great news, don't get me wrong. But still my mojo being gone is a mystery. We did take a short weekender to a sunny destination this month and I did find I felt better there. We've had a miserably gray, wet, cold and windy winter here and maybe I just need to give myself credit that not being very excited to get soaked, freezing and wind chapped every time I go for a run is normal and human and quit beating myself up. I ended up forfeiting my bid for my half marathon which happened this past weekend. I just didn't feel up to it. But all day I thought about it and woke up disappointed that I didn't muster up the wherewithal to do the race. That just isn't me.
In an effort to be kind to myself and thus coax my mojo back I got up and went to the gym yesterday. I took spinning class and found I was a beast in that class just like I used to be. I was a little more tired from it, but overall my fitness level has hung in there pretty good. Today I went again. I had planned to do some weights and step class, but found myself in spinning again due to a glitch in my schedule this morning. Being flexible, still making it to the gym and putting in some quality "me" time working out has lifted my mood all day. It didn't hurt that it was actually not pouring today. My plan is to just keep being supportive of myself and try to get back into my swing of things.
Tonight, I made my Rockin' Protein Brownies. Below is the brownie recipe:
Rockin' Protein Brownies
These are yummy clean protein bars that taste like chocolate cake/brownies. Great for a low-fat low-cal dessert or as a snack.
1 cup Oat Flour (I buy bulk at the healthfood store)
4 Egg Whites (the real egg white, not the carton kind)
2 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (I use Muscle Milk 100% Whey from Costco - it tastes really good in smoothies and baking, but FYI not so great just by itself in water)
1/2 cup Xylitol (I buy bulk at healthfood store)
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
7 oz. Gerber Banana Mixed Berries NatureSelect baby food (any berry baby food will do)
3 Tbsp All Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
4 oz. Water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour, protein powder, xylitol, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder together. Add the remaining ingredients and mix really well. Using an electric mixer or a whisk is best as the protein powder can be a little clumpy. Spray a 9x9 pan with nonstick spray or I used a cupcake pan this time as I found the mix doesn't set up very fast. It remains really squishy until the next morning. And then it remains a very soft cake consistency. It was hard to cut and not have crumbs/breakage everywhere, so I'm trying the cupcake method this time for portability.
** Update: Cupcake pan method works great...WITHOUT the cupcake paper. The cake sticks to the paper. If it was just in the pan, it would've been perfect. **
Bake for 20-30 minutes.
The recipe makes 12 cupcakes at approx. 70 calories per, 1 g fat, 8 g carb, 7 g protein. It's filling and decadent without all the nasty ingredients or guilt! Even hubby liked them, which is saying a lot where clean food is concerned!
In an effort to be kind to myself and thus coax my mojo back I got up and went to the gym yesterday. I took spinning class and found I was a beast in that class just like I used to be. I was a little more tired from it, but overall my fitness level has hung in there pretty good. Today I went again. I had planned to do some weights and step class, but found myself in spinning again due to a glitch in my schedule this morning. Being flexible, still making it to the gym and putting in some quality "me" time working out has lifted my mood all day. It didn't hurt that it was actually not pouring today. My plan is to just keep being supportive of myself and try to get back into my swing of things.
Tonight, I made my Rockin' Protein Brownies. Below is the brownie recipe:
Rockin' Protein Brownies
These are yummy clean protein bars that taste like chocolate cake/brownies. Great for a low-fat low-cal dessert or as a snack.
1 cup Oat Flour (I buy bulk at the healthfood store)
4 Egg Whites (the real egg white, not the carton kind)
2 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (I use Muscle Milk 100% Whey from Costco - it tastes really good in smoothies and baking, but FYI not so great just by itself in water)
1/2 cup Xylitol (I buy bulk at healthfood store)
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
7 oz. Gerber Banana Mixed Berries NatureSelect baby food (any berry baby food will do)
3 Tbsp All Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
4 oz. Water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour, protein powder, xylitol, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder together. Add the remaining ingredients and mix really well. Using an electric mixer or a whisk is best as the protein powder can be a little clumpy. Spray a 9x9 pan with nonstick spray or I used a cupcake pan this time as I found the mix doesn't set up very fast. It remains really squishy until the next morning. And then it remains a very soft cake consistency. It was hard to cut and not have crumbs/breakage everywhere, so I'm trying the cupcake method this time for portability.
** Update: Cupcake pan method works great...WITHOUT the cupcake paper. The cake sticks to the paper. If it was just in the pan, it would've been perfect. **
Bake for 20-30 minutes.
The recipe makes 12 cupcakes at approx. 70 calories per, 1 g fat, 8 g carb, 7 g protein. It's filling and decadent without all the nasty ingredients or guilt! Even hubby liked them, which is saying a lot where clean food is concerned!
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