Weight Loss Update - 6 months

Hello!

It's a rainy miserable day here but I'm feeling all sunshine and rainbows!  Why?

Well, today marks an official 6 months on Trim Healthy Mama and I've got another update for you!

As of today, I'm 156 pounds - just 6 pounds away from my true pre-pregnancy and goal weight of 150! Woohooo! I haven't measured again for inches certainly but plan to shortly.

If you remember, I posted an update in March and while the scale has been slow and steady I'm just thrilled. I continue to feel great, I'm eating delicious food - including dessert - and I've been exercising consistently. Nothing too crazy - I've been incorporating Winsor Pilates into my week as well as one or two spin classes and some walking/running.  I'm on the right track and I plan to stay here.

So what has helped? I did a one week fuel cycle a few months ago which helped me move the scale a bit and decided since I was feeling a bit "stuck" again and my weight was being stubborn I needed a metabolic kick start again. I was bouncing around between 159-160 again and I just couldn't get the scale to move down again.

Today is my second to last day of a a two week fuel cycle and this is how I've come much closer to my goal weight.  You can find the details of the diet here and the fuel cycle chapter is 28 in the book.

That's really why I love this way of eating - it gives you sooooo many options and even tools and tricks to get your metabolism going again.

So just a little visual re-cap....

Here I am from the previous update - December 2013 and March 2014

Here's the same image from March 2014 and the right is this past Tuesday, June 10th - granted the top I'm wearing on the right is a bit loose and flowy so it doesn't look like too much difference to me. 

And here's an oldie on the left I dug up from July 2012 and on the right is just this past week in my exercise clothes.  You can see how wider I look in my midsection and legs from almost two years ago. 

So there you have it!  I'm thrilled that THM has been so successful for me I'm so happy to be on this journey still closer to my health and wellness goals every day!  

And now that I have one preschooler and an almost first grader - it's truly not called toddler weight :)

~Carly

THM Fuel Cycle Experience & Recap

As you may know, I've been successfully implementing a diet and lifestyle plan called Trim Healthy Mama for the last three months now. I am loving this way of eating! However, after losing some initial weight I plateaued a bit. Fortunately, since THM is so thorough the authors give you a way to really shake up your metabolism with something called "The One Week Fuel Cycle." It's recommended for those who have stubborn weight and for those who have been following the plan for at least three months.

Well, that sounded like me so I decided after being true to the plan if I wasn't seeing results "free styling" - meaning just doing my own combination of on plan foods - then I would try it. 

I started Monday, March 17th and here's my experience:

Deep S day 1

Starting weight 159.6

Breakfast: scrambled eggs in coconut oil, sausage and coffee with a little cream

Lunch: large salad with romaine, spinach, celery, cucumbers and green peppers with deli chicken on top with extra virgin olive oil. Water and then a Fizzy GGMS

Snack: Chocolate cake in a mug and coffee

Dinner: baked salmon with butter on top with sautéed spinach and artichokes in coconut oil and some steamed cauliflower with a tiny sprinkle of cheese. Water to drink.

Dessert: Skinny chocolate
Exercise: 50 Minute Spinning Class and a 20 minute walk on the treadmill prior to class

Day one dinner - salmon, sauteed spinach and artichokes
and some cauliflower with a smidge of cheese.

Deep S day 2

Weight: 158.8 

Breakfast: same as day before

Lunch: left over Salmon with huge green salad with olive oil.
Snack: Chocolate Cake in a mug 

Dinner: Hamburger with roasted red peppers and a side salad and water to drink.

Dessert: Skinny Chocolate
Exercise: None

Deep S day 3
Weight: 158.6
Breakfast: same as days 1 and 2
Lunch: Thin Mint Protein Shake and left over hamburger and salad
Dinner: Veggie omelette and bacon
Exercise: Running 3 miles

Fuel Pull day 4
Weight: 158.4
Breakfast: Coffee with swirl of cream and Cottage Berry Whip
Lunch: Low carb wrap with deli chicken and veggies and cucumbers sliced on the side
Snack: Wasa crackers, celery and Laughing Cow wedge cheese
Dinner: FP Pizza and salad
Exercise: None

Fuel Pull day 5
Weight: 159.6
Breakfast: Coffee with swirl of cream, egg white scrambled and Fage 0% greek yogurt with polaner fruit swirled in
Lunch: Same wrap as day 4 with Fizzy GGMS
Snack: Big Boy Smoothie
Dinner: Buffalo Chicken Salad (made without any flour breading) and a blob of blue cheese dressing to keep fat grams in check for Fuel Pull
Exercise: Walking 3 miles brisk pace

Note: Typical Fuel Cycle calls for 2 full days of E eating.  I found early on that I am carb sensitive and chose to not do completely full E days.  This is NOT recommended in the book - it is what I chose to do for my own personal preference.

E day 6
No weigh in
Breakfast: Coffee with swirl of cream, old fashioned oatmeal with cinnamon, 1/3 of a banana sliced, sprinkle of chia seeds
Snack: Cashews
Lunch: Tossed salad with grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella balls and balsamic vinaigrette
Dinner: Trim Healthy Mama pancakes with greek yogurt and polaner fruit spread
Exercise: None

E day 7
Weight 159.6
Breakfast: Coffee, scrambled eggs in coconut oil and bacon
Lunch: Quinoa, sweet potato and black bean chili
Snack: Cake in a mug
Dinner: Low carb taco wrap
Exercise: None

So, there you have it - my first Fuel Cycle Week that I completed.  I felt really great on my Deep S days - I think I've been relying too much on Heavy S rather than true S meals.  I felt very hungry on my first Fuel Pull day and think I over did eating the low carb items - I wouldn't recommend doing a wrap, wasa and pita on the same day after doing Deep S.  Then as I mentioned, due to some pre-planned events, I chose not to do full E days but did choose wise carbs to refuel my body after this week of the Fuel Cycle.

I'm now back to free styling and feel I've learned a TON from this week.  It is recommended to do another week of Fuel Cycle or even three total weeks but I feel that Deep S is now my "trick" to get my body back into a true weight loss mode short-term and adding in E meals as a breakfast or lunch is best for me and keeping snacks as Fuel Pull also.

Today, I weighed in and the scale was 158.2 so I'm down to a new lowest weight ever!  Over the weekend I also tried on some clothes I've had tucked away and I'm still losing inches too because things are fitting again.  So thrilled and thankful for Trim Healthy Mama!

Have you tried a Fuel Cycle?  If so, what was your experience?
~Carly

Article: 50 Ways to Make Your Diet Work

Happy Friday!

Image from article 50 Ways To Make Your Diet Work

I came across this article and it's got some really great advice - complete article can be found here.

While there are a few things in here that are a bit silly and I would never do.  For example I'd never do suggestion 31 and I find that suggestion 35 isn't a problem for me with two kiddos!

I really love this quote from the article:

"...the word "diet" no longer refers to that thing you routinely cheat on with the trendy name. Those days are over. "Diet" refers to the ongoing, consistent delivery of essential nutrients in sufficient amounts for the sole purpose of fueling the body efficiently for muscle development, recovery, movement, and the production of heat for burning fat."

If you have time, I'd highly recommend reading it and skimming through or bookmarking it for later.

Have a great Friday!
~Carly