So, I just got a spam email and I couldn't help but read it and giggle. Tell me if this couldn't be an actual conversation:
Dear Body Fat,
I'm done.
I'm sorry, but I...I just can't take this anymore.
Look, I don't want to hurt your feelings. It's been a long relationship, but it's over. It's gotta be over.
You have to see that, right?
C'mon. don't look at me like that...oh, are you crying?
Please don't...I hate to see you cry.
Seriously...listen, I just haven't been happy in a very long time. We've been through this, and I keep running away from having this conversation.
It's not working and we both know it.
No, don't say it is. You know it's not.
We can't go more than a few days without arguing. And whenever we're NOT fighting it's really just because
I'm sort of going along with whatever you want. You've been around so long that I just let you run things.
You determine the way I eat, how I feel...even how I shop.
Just the other day in the mall, those jeans made my butt look amazing--the girl at the store even said so! I could see how jealous you were, unwanted body fat! But it didn't matter, because YOU were there, and my
muffin top made me look ridiculous. I couldn't buy the jeans, just like I can't eat carbs--you're always
telling me what I CAN'T do.
I work my butt off to get into great shape, and no
matter what I do, there you are. Always right there on top of me. You're smothering me, can't you see that?
Oh, no don't you dare look at me like that. You know I'm telling the truth. And don't tell me you'll "back off"
for a while.
That's BULL and You Know It!
You always feed me the same BS lines and I keep falling for it. The same thing happens, ALL the time.
We break up, we're back together, you're gone, you come back. Well, I'm tired of you coming back.
It's REALLY over this time. I'm taking you out of my phone. I've already unfriended you on facebook,
AND untagged all the pictures of us.
Please take back all the things you got me: the emotional baggage, the self-esteem issues, the fatigue from years of struggling. I'm just...well, done with this. With us.
Don't call or write. Don't even respond to this email.
Peace out. It's OVER. Talk to you never.
Your Now Ex-Body
I think it's sadly, ridiculously, hilarious only because if I didn't laugh I would cry. We try not to keep toxic people in our lives, so why on earth do we let ourselves have an on-again-off-again relationship with something that we feel like we need (ie bad food, sedentary lifestyle, etc.) that makes us wish and want for change and hacks our self esteem? I let myself slide that direction over the Winter - I let stress be my excuse and fear be my underlying reason to not keep chasing more for myself. And I'd never felt worse!
As I close my first 90 Day Body by Vi Challenge, I've lost 16 pounds and a couple of pant sizes. I've gained a renewed excitement for my fitness journey, goals and my weight loss. I don't want to lose weight because I think I'm not okay, I want to lose weight to BE healthy and DO everything life has to offer. The reckless abandonment that comes with feeling like I am living your potential. My relationship with my weight holds me back whether I like it or not. It's dysfunctional, and yet, when people reach out to me (which is happening more and more often) and saying they really relate to my blog, I realize "dysfunctional" might very well be the "norm" for us gals.
My next 90 Day Challenge is upon me and it will be focused less on the poundage I want to lose, that will come. I need it to be focused on my journey this time around. I'm in search of a do-over. A new fitness life that includes an exercise routine that doesn't leave me feeling lifeless by week's end. I want to continue with the Body by Vi shakes because they have given me great results, and honestly, I feel awesome. I have energy, I feel light inside and healthy and vibrant. And I want to find a nutrition program to do in addition to the shakes that supports my active lifestyle, marathon and beyond. Because that's what broke me last year. Starving and exhausted can only last for so long. I thank goodness I found the shakes, because it has led me back to healthier pastures and I'm happiest there.
So cheers, my fellow shake-drinkers! And if you haven't had that "break-up" talk with you know who, take a deep breath and get it over with. Buh-bye.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The Bod Pod
Well, that was shocking and disappointing. All of my body fat tests during the years have been, I don't know why I thought a highly accurate test would somehow feed my delusions?
The experience itself wasn't so bad. They have a tent set up in the lobby of the gym. A closed party-size tent not a sleep-out-in-your-backyard size tent. Therein sits the elusive Bod Pod. I didn't realize you are totally enclosed in said pod. I had it envisioned that my head would stick out of it or something.
I was way too anxious about the whole swimsuit thing, so I wore a fitted exercise top with no sports bra (no underwires in the pod) and fitted exercise pants. They have you put your hair in a nursing cap and then a swim cap over that. As if I could look any hotter at this moment. I had to remove all jewelry and take off my socks and shoes.
For prep they ask that you do not eat, drink or exercise for two hours prior to your test. I took that one step further and didn't do it at all today until after my test at 9am. I wanted my weight to not be clouded by food in my system for an accurate read.
The gal was super nice and showed me how I will just sit in the pod, breathe normally and not move a lot and oh, by the way here's this big panic button on the bottom if you need it.... I'm assuming this is for the extremely chlostrophobic, because the test itself is a series of 3 - 40 SECOND scans. She kept opening the door between each scan asking if I was ok. Yes, I'm fine. Scan on! During the test the machine makes a single pop noise and then it sounds like a little man in the machine is sawing back and forth for the remainder of the time. It doesn't feel like anything, just maybe a small vibration in the chair.
After the test I asked how it works. The gal started to attempt to answer and then said "well, they tell us to tell people it's magic." Seriously? I wasn't expecting the Harvard version, but I wasn't expecting that!
Here's the Harvard version for inquiring minds like myself:
Bod Pod How It Works
It's supposed to be as close in accuracy as you can get to the water-submersion way which is considered the most accurate way.
Anywho, so I hopped out of the pod. We stepped out of the tent and walked over to a printer where my fate was printing out. Yes, I really am that dramatic.
I was shocked that my body fat was 33.5%. Yikes! 10 pounds ago at my skinniest, I was stuck at 21%. The trainer would always tsk,tsk that really a person of my age should be able to get into the teens. Which is what started my foray into my dietary downward spiral. And although I have not been really watching my diet and we have been going out to eat excessively for awhile, seeing the number printed on paper made my stomach sink. Because now I'm faced with have to lose fat pounds I already lost before and just ugh. UGH. Not only am I up 10 pounds, but I am quickly trading muscle for fat in a big way. Must. Stop. Now.
The nice thing about the report though is it's informative. She said it's good that I have over 100 pounds of lean body mass. I'm in the Excess Fat category, but I'm 2.5% away from being in the Moderately Lean category which made me feel as if all hope is not lost. Here's their breakdowns:
Women Men
Risky (high body fat) >40% >30% (good thing I'm not a dude!)
Excess Fat (could we have a nicer name please?)
31-40% 21-30%
Moderately Lean 23-30% 13-20%
Lean 19-22% 9-12% (sniff. I used to be here)
Ultra Lean 15-18% 5-8%
Risky (low body fat) <15% <5%
Then the report goes on to tell me my current RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) is 1,358 calories a day. So if I do NOTHING in a day, that's how many calories I should be consuming.
Then, depending on your activity level, you times that number by a "factor".
Sedentary 1.24 (so for me, 1684 cals)
Low Active 1.52 2064 cals
Active 1.74 2363 cals
Very Active 2.07 2811 cals
Okay, well this tells me that last year, even through all my guidance and diet trials I was not eating enough by a long shot. When I was lean and miserable last year, I never ate 2800 calories. Ever. No wonder I felt like I was void. I was starving myself.
So, I am considering myself active at this point. I WILL be making it to the gym every day and vigorously exercising on a regular basis. I am NOT eating out all the time like we have been and any time I do, I need to eat as clean a meal as possible.
I'm rescheduled to pod again in 5 weeks. I have no idea what a realistic body fat percentage goal would be, so I'll go with scale weight. I'd like to lose 2 pounds a week in five weeks. Be down 10 pounds of ALL FAT. That would put me at 29% body fat. So, there it is. 5 weeks. -10 pounds fat. -4.5% body fat.
The best antidote, by the way, to the reeling depression a body fat test can bring is to immediately have scheduled yourself for a workout class. I do that every time and I work off my despair with an extra-invogorated workout and feeling empowered that I'm taking steps immediately to change things for myself. I've felt much better ever since.
The experience itself wasn't so bad. They have a tent set up in the lobby of the gym. A closed party-size tent not a sleep-out-in-your-backyard size tent. Therein sits the elusive Bod Pod. I didn't realize you are totally enclosed in said pod. I had it envisioned that my head would stick out of it or something.
I was way too anxious about the whole swimsuit thing, so I wore a fitted exercise top with no sports bra (no underwires in the pod) and fitted exercise pants. They have you put your hair in a nursing cap and then a swim cap over that. As if I could look any hotter at this moment. I had to remove all jewelry and take off my socks and shoes.
For prep they ask that you do not eat, drink or exercise for two hours prior to your test. I took that one step further and didn't do it at all today until after my test at 9am. I wanted my weight to not be clouded by food in my system for an accurate read.
The gal was super nice and showed me how I will just sit in the pod, breathe normally and not move a lot and oh, by the way here's this big panic button on the bottom if you need it.... I'm assuming this is for the extremely chlostrophobic, because the test itself is a series of 3 - 40 SECOND scans. She kept opening the door between each scan asking if I was ok. Yes, I'm fine. Scan on! During the test the machine makes a single pop noise and then it sounds like a little man in the machine is sawing back and forth for the remainder of the time. It doesn't feel like anything, just maybe a small vibration in the chair.
After the test I asked how it works. The gal started to attempt to answer and then said "well, they tell us to tell people it's magic." Seriously? I wasn't expecting the Harvard version, but I wasn't expecting that!
Here's the Harvard version for inquiring minds like myself:
Bod Pod How It Works
It's supposed to be as close in accuracy as you can get to the water-submersion way which is considered the most accurate way.
Anywho, so I hopped out of the pod. We stepped out of the tent and walked over to a printer where my fate was printing out. Yes, I really am that dramatic.
I was shocked that my body fat was 33.5%. Yikes! 10 pounds ago at my skinniest, I was stuck at 21%. The trainer would always tsk,tsk that really a person of my age should be able to get into the teens. Which is what started my foray into my dietary downward spiral. And although I have not been really watching my diet and we have been going out to eat excessively for awhile, seeing the number printed on paper made my stomach sink. Because now I'm faced with have to lose fat pounds I already lost before and just ugh. UGH. Not only am I up 10 pounds, but I am quickly trading muscle for fat in a big way. Must. Stop. Now.
The nice thing about the report though is it's informative. She said it's good that I have over 100 pounds of lean body mass. I'm in the Excess Fat category, but I'm 2.5% away from being in the Moderately Lean category which made me feel as if all hope is not lost. Here's their breakdowns:
Women Men
Risky (high body fat) >40% >30% (good thing I'm not a dude!)
Excess Fat (could we have a nicer name please?)
31-40% 21-30%
Moderately Lean 23-30% 13-20%
Lean 19-22% 9-12% (sniff. I used to be here)
Ultra Lean 15-18% 5-8%
Risky (low body fat) <15% <5%
Then the report goes on to tell me my current RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) is 1,358 calories a day. So if I do NOTHING in a day, that's how many calories I should be consuming.
Then, depending on your activity level, you times that number by a "factor".
Sedentary 1.24 (so for me, 1684 cals)
Low Active 1.52 2064 cals
Active 1.74 2363 cals
Very Active 2.07 2811 cals
Okay, well this tells me that last year, even through all my guidance and diet trials I was not eating enough by a long shot. When I was lean and miserable last year, I never ate 2800 calories. Ever. No wonder I felt like I was void. I was starving myself.
So, I am considering myself active at this point. I WILL be making it to the gym every day and vigorously exercising on a regular basis. I am NOT eating out all the time like we have been and any time I do, I need to eat as clean a meal as possible.
I'm rescheduled to pod again in 5 weeks. I have no idea what a realistic body fat percentage goal would be, so I'll go with scale weight. I'd like to lose 2 pounds a week in five weeks. Be down 10 pounds of ALL FAT. That would put me at 29% body fat. So, there it is. 5 weeks. -10 pounds fat. -4.5% body fat.
The best antidote, by the way, to the reeling depression a body fat test can bring is to immediately have scheduled yourself for a workout class. I do that every time and I work off my despair with an extra-invogorated workout and feeling empowered that I'm taking steps immediately to change things for myself. I've felt much better ever since.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
The Road to Portland is Paved in Sweat
Well, it is. I worked out really really hard the week before last. I did Group Ride (spinning class) on Monday and found myself to be quite the beast in that class. I had reserves of energy and, coming off of last Winter when I kind of "burned out" on all levels, it was really nice to feel energetic while exerting so much effort. I used to always feel depleted during those classes. I did a vigorous step class, I ran hills and found my energy levels just kept on keepin' on. I know this improved vitamin intake and nutrition has got to be a key for me.
My weight didn't change this week but then all of a sudden I could wear a pair of capri pants that last week wouldn't close. So, the shift is still happening.
I found a link online. See what Dr. Oz says about drinking a shake for breakfast:
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/boost-your-declining-metabolism
I don't know about you, but boosting my metabolism up to 25% has got to be a good thing, especially with weight to lose. Besides, I'm feeling downright sprite these days. I pop up out of bed in the morning, I'm in a really decent and even mood all day long, I don't slump in the afternoons, I have energy when I workout, I'm more productive and feeling light and healthy inside.
I didn't really do anything exotic with my shakes this week. Same ole, same ole's, but that works just fine for me.
This most recent week I wasn't so on track. My workouts were few and far between, and we ate out a lot. Tons of social engagements and I was lazy and didn't plan as well as I should for that. My weight is the same, but that's my fault, not the shakes! It's a helper, not a miracle!
I went to the grocery store and got some healthful things for noshing this week. I'm also T-minus two weeks out from a swimsuit wearing opportunity (opportunity just does not capture the dismay running amuck in a swimsuit in public places brings about, but I try to be optimistic). So the next two weeks I am upping myself to two shakes a day and then a normal dinner. If I have a heavy workout planned though, I will eat a normal breakfast and do a shake as post-workout.
I also have a date on Tuesday with "THE BOD POD". The name must've scared people silly, because my gym now changed it to be called "True Analysis". Whatever. It's a "Beam Me Up, Scotty" type of pod you sit in and it scans you and tells you how fat you are. And what makes it even better, is you have to either wear a swimsuit or a spandex bodysuit to get the test done. Gee, can't wait. There was also a rumor circulating that they manned the pod with a dashing young man which made both bodysuit and knowledge of fat levels very uncomfortable for us gals. I did a little fact finding and found out a girl would be beaming me up on Tuesday. I'm subjecting myself to this potential trauma because I want to really track my progress as I get further into the Body by Vi Challenge. I want my changes to be lasting and lifelong and to support the active lifestyle I want to get back. Not deplete me like my former diet did and get me totally off track. If I plan to run 26.2 miles in October, I need to be feeling great, not void like I did last year.
I'll post again on Tuesday night so you know how my pod experience turned out. Beam me up!
My weight didn't change this week but then all of a sudden I could wear a pair of capri pants that last week wouldn't close. So, the shift is still happening.
I found a link online. See what Dr. Oz says about drinking a shake for breakfast:
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/boost-your-declining-metabolism
I don't know about you, but boosting my metabolism up to 25% has got to be a good thing, especially with weight to lose. Besides, I'm feeling downright sprite these days. I pop up out of bed in the morning, I'm in a really decent and even mood all day long, I don't slump in the afternoons, I have energy when I workout, I'm more productive and feeling light and healthy inside.
I didn't really do anything exotic with my shakes this week. Same ole, same ole's, but that works just fine for me.
This most recent week I wasn't so on track. My workouts were few and far between, and we ate out a lot. Tons of social engagements and I was lazy and didn't plan as well as I should for that. My weight is the same, but that's my fault, not the shakes! It's a helper, not a miracle!
I went to the grocery store and got some healthful things for noshing this week. I'm also T-minus two weeks out from a swimsuit wearing opportunity (opportunity just does not capture the dismay running amuck in a swimsuit in public places brings about, but I try to be optimistic). So the next two weeks I am upping myself to two shakes a day and then a normal dinner. If I have a heavy workout planned though, I will eat a normal breakfast and do a shake as post-workout.
I also have a date on Tuesday with "THE BOD POD". The name must've scared people silly, because my gym now changed it to be called "True Analysis". Whatever. It's a "Beam Me Up, Scotty" type of pod you sit in and it scans you and tells you how fat you are. And what makes it even better, is you have to either wear a swimsuit or a spandex bodysuit to get the test done. Gee, can't wait. There was also a rumor circulating that they manned the pod with a dashing young man which made both bodysuit and knowledge of fat levels very uncomfortable for us gals. I did a little fact finding and found out a girl would be beaming me up on Tuesday. I'm subjecting myself to this potential trauma because I want to really track my progress as I get further into the Body by Vi Challenge. I want my changes to be lasting and lifelong and to support the active lifestyle I want to get back. Not deplete me like my former diet did and get me totally off track. If I plan to run 26.2 miles in October, I need to be feeling great, not void like I did last year.
I'll post again on Tuesday night so you know how my pod experience turned out. Beam me up!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Body by Vi Challenge - Week 3 Review
Week three and going strong. It's just not that hard. I take 3 minutes, throw some stuff in the blender and make a shake. And I either drink it in the car on my way to the place of the moment or I put it in the fridge and down it for lunch or dinner. It will never be easier than this. And for once I don't feel like I'm suffering in the name of weight loss. It's a beautiful thing.
I'm down 12 pounds in three weeks. My body maintains for a few days and then woosh, big weight loss.
I am feeling really "good". That word doesn't give proper oomph to what I'm feeling. I feel really "even", an ongoing sense of well-being, more energetic and I feel healthy. I talked to my family members who are doing the Body by Vi Challenge too and they are reporting the same findings. Dieting and I'm feeling good... it's a new concept but I'll go with it. I keep thinking it must not be working because it's too enjoyable and easy. And yet, it's working.
I went to the gym only once this week (bad girl) but when I did, a gal I know there immediately said "you're losing weight". Why yes, yes I am! Woo hoo!
So far, so good. I got some other products in my distributor kit and finally curiosity got the best of me and I tried some of them. Here's how that went down:
1. NEURO - this is a healthy energy drink. Only 1 gram of sugar (I think some brands top out at 50+ g, so that's excellent), some caffeine but not as much as the ones on the market. They say it lifts you up without the "crash" that is associated with other energy drinks. They say it "clears brain fog".
I stuck it in a Costco bottled water and shook it up really good. It comes in lemon or berry flavor. It tastes like a flavored fitness water or perhaps a Crystal Light. Pretty good. I do not drink caffeine at all typically and I don't think I've EVER had an energy drink. After about 15 minutes, I started to feel little zings of energy and about 25-30 minutes in I felt extremely energetic. I found my eyes darting about and my mind thinking "I just wanna DO something". Hee hee. I didn't notice myself come down from the high energy feeling but at some point I must've. I never crashed. It didn't make my heart palpitate like a caffeinated soda usually would. I would definitely use this during a half marathon (caffeine has been shown to boost athletic performance) and on afternoons when I know I'm going to get sleepy.
2. Vi Trim - this is a tasteless powder that is supposed to control hunger. I don't really have issues with hunger on this shake challenge so far, but I just wanted to see what it would do. I had a normal food breakfast. Then I had a nutra-cookie (see #3) and an apple for lunch. By about 2:00 I was already getting hungry, so I mixed a Neuro and threw some Vi Trim in there. I was still hungry at 2:20 but then all of a sudden I wasn't. I decided to just wait it out and see at what point I would want dinner, which was to be my delectable chocolate peanut butter shake. I had to work late that night so I figured I would probably drink my shake at around 7. I found myself driving home at 9pm and realizing I never drank my shake! Still not hungry! I did drink it anyway just because I probably should eat something, but I was impressed at how un-hungry I was.
3. Nutra-Cookie - I'm having a love affair with the Nutra Cookie. This actually didn't come in the distributor kit, but I know myself well enough to know that any cookie is a friend of mine so I ordered some to sample at parties and well, let's be honest, EAT. It comes in Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and Peanut Butter. It's 150 calories. I could eat it plus an apple for lunch and feel satisfied. They are delicious. They are super nutritious with ingredients such as broccoli sprout concentrate, brussel sprout powder, raspberry powder, etc etc. You can't taste these in there, swear! It tastes like a healthy cookie. A smidge earthy, but very good overall. I heart the nutracookie and it saves me on days when I need to have a shake but have nowhere to store it until I'm ready for it.
One last thing I'm noticing on the shakes, they are taking away my insatiable sweet tooth. I think because they are sweet tasting, I find myself not so preoccupied with finding sweet things to get into around the house. This is a very good thing.
Bring on week 4!
I'm down 12 pounds in three weeks. My body maintains for a few days and then woosh, big weight loss.
I am feeling really "good". That word doesn't give proper oomph to what I'm feeling. I feel really "even", an ongoing sense of well-being, more energetic and I feel healthy. I talked to my family members who are doing the Body by Vi Challenge too and they are reporting the same findings. Dieting and I'm feeling good... it's a new concept but I'll go with it. I keep thinking it must not be working because it's too enjoyable and easy. And yet, it's working.
I went to the gym only once this week (bad girl) but when I did, a gal I know there immediately said "you're losing weight". Why yes, yes I am! Woo hoo!
So far, so good. I got some other products in my distributor kit and finally curiosity got the best of me and I tried some of them. Here's how that went down:
1. NEURO - this is a healthy energy drink. Only 1 gram of sugar (I think some brands top out at 50+ g, so that's excellent), some caffeine but not as much as the ones on the market. They say it lifts you up without the "crash" that is associated with other energy drinks. They say it "clears brain fog".
I stuck it in a Costco bottled water and shook it up really good. It comes in lemon or berry flavor. It tastes like a flavored fitness water or perhaps a Crystal Light. Pretty good. I do not drink caffeine at all typically and I don't think I've EVER had an energy drink. After about 15 minutes, I started to feel little zings of energy and about 25-30 minutes in I felt extremely energetic. I found my eyes darting about and my mind thinking "I just wanna DO something". Hee hee. I didn't notice myself come down from the high energy feeling but at some point I must've. I never crashed. It didn't make my heart palpitate like a caffeinated soda usually would. I would definitely use this during a half marathon (caffeine has been shown to boost athletic performance) and on afternoons when I know I'm going to get sleepy.
2. Vi Trim - this is a tasteless powder that is supposed to control hunger. I don't really have issues with hunger on this shake challenge so far, but I just wanted to see what it would do. I had a normal food breakfast. Then I had a nutra-cookie (see #3) and an apple for lunch. By about 2:00 I was already getting hungry, so I mixed a Neuro and threw some Vi Trim in there. I was still hungry at 2:20 but then all of a sudden I wasn't. I decided to just wait it out and see at what point I would want dinner, which was to be my delectable chocolate peanut butter shake. I had to work late that night so I figured I would probably drink my shake at around 7. I found myself driving home at 9pm and realizing I never drank my shake! Still not hungry! I did drink it anyway just because I probably should eat something, but I was impressed at how un-hungry I was.
3. Nutra-Cookie - I'm having a love affair with the Nutra Cookie. This actually didn't come in the distributor kit, but I know myself well enough to know that any cookie is a friend of mine so I ordered some to sample at parties and well, let's be honest, EAT. It comes in Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and Peanut Butter. It's 150 calories. I could eat it plus an apple for lunch and feel satisfied. They are delicious. They are super nutritious with ingredients such as broccoli sprout concentrate, brussel sprout powder, raspberry powder, etc etc. You can't taste these in there, swear! It tastes like a healthy cookie. A smidge earthy, but very good overall. I heart the nutracookie and it saves me on days when I need to have a shake but have nowhere to store it until I'm ready for it.
One last thing I'm noticing on the shakes, they are taking away my insatiable sweet tooth. I think because they are sweet tasting, I find myself not so preoccupied with finding sweet things to get into around the house. This is a very good thing.
Bring on week 4!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Body by Vi Challenge - Week 2 Review
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!
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!
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!
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