The D14 Day 6 with some RESULTS!!

Hello, hello, hello!

It's been another GREAT day so far.  My son ended up staying home today unexpectedly.  He said he wasn't feeling well ten minutes before the bus came so better safe than sorry, right? 

Turns out he just wanted to stay home and play with toys.  We had a chat about that.  Why am I telling you this?  Well, it's actually quite relevant to this D14 journey I'm so pleased to be on. 

The past two days I've felt much calmer in general but especially as a parent.  I mentioned I was more clear and focused but I haven't "flown off the handle" or lost my "mommy sh!t" as much as I have been when my kids are on my last nerve, not listening or dilly-dallying before bed.  And I'm convinced it has much to do with The D14 program. My blood sugars are balanced which means my insulin is regulated which is all intertwined with hormones and I'm just more stable.  Crazy, right?

I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist (although I'd love to be either or) but it's fairly general knowledge that if you aren't filling your body with sugars and carbs and other ingredients or chemicals then your body can function the way it is designed to BE.  I'm truly feeling that from these last 6 days.

And guess what?  The scale is showing it, too.  I love when that happens - seeing the evidence aside from only feeling it.  Because guess what - kinda hard to show feelings over the Internet, huh?

Yep.  So I will show ya.

Image below is as follows:

Top Left is last Thursday (start day), middle is this past Saturday, top right is same weight for both Sunday & Monday and bottom left is this morning 12/8.

 

I'd like to apologize quickly for my winter feet and our ugly bathroom tile.  Additionally, I have no idea why my left foot looks more "tan" than my right foot in each of the pictures. I'm guessing it has to do with the lighting as well as the way I'm holding my iPhone to take the pictures when I first wake up ;)

 

I'm also not departing from my Trim Healthy Mama plan which I still love and rely on.  The Juice Plus+ products really are complementing this plan for me and providing me with extra whole food nutrition that is getting me closer and closer to my ultimate goal. 

 

My ultimate goal has always been to get to where I was before my first child - because it's not called child weight either!! 

 

I'm about to have a Complete shake now as my day kind of went off track when I decided my son could stay home.  Dinner is to be determined but will be in accordance with the D14 guidelines :)

So, there you have it...I'm pretty shocked, hopeful, happy and motivated.  If you're ready to join in on this please, please, please don't wait!  If you've followed me or read any posts at all, you know the struggle is real and how many "diets" I've truly tried on this journey. 

Email me at carlykirsch@gmail.com - you'll thank yourself!!!
~Carly

The D14 Day 3

Good evening! 

I saw some more movement in the right direction on the scale this morning! Very happy and excited about that for sure! I'm also feeling really GOOD considering this is a "detox" and a nutritional rebalancing. 

So today went like this:

Woke up around 6:30 and drank water and a small cup of coffee (note: it's recommended to cut out caffeine during this program for maximum benefit but it's just simply something I don't do 100% on my journey)

7:30 am - I made a chocolate Complete shake in a shaker bottle with 10 ounces of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Normally I would have used a blender and blended up a shake and added some goodness to it but my son had his first morning of basketball.

11:45 am- I drank my D14 detox drink before having some left over Quinoa bean veggie soup and a small piece of very dark chocolate 

3:30 pm- I snacked on some fruit after going to Target with the family and later had a cup of herbal decaf tea

5:30 detox drink before dinner and a large green salad with fresh diced peppers, red onion, roasted pepper with grilled chicken on top and balsamic dressing

Yummmm!

So Day 3 is in the books and I can't wait to keep going!!

Tomorrow will be a challenge as it is my son's 6th birthday party tomorrow and unusually sneak some frosting or a bite of cake every now and again...fingers crossed I will resist!

~Carly

The D14 Day 2

Good afternoon!

It's day 2 of my detox/reboot and I'm feeling really great!

Thankfully my sinus/headache thing has seemingly gone away - hopefully for good! I woke up to a lot less bloating and one pound lighter! That's after ONE day so I'm very optimistic for the next 13!

So full disclosure as always - I'm up a few pounds in general from Thanksgiving and such but not a lot and definitely not currently at my lowest weight. I have been maintaining and bouncing with the same 3-4 pounds. That's where I'm expecting this D14 to help me bust through my rut/plateau. 

Back to today...After I had my JP+ Complete shake for breakfast and capsules, I put the kids on the bus and went for a 3 mile walk this morning with a good friend and our dogs. 

For lunch I had my Quinoa Bean Veggie soup and an apple also with the detox drink that is suggested in the D14 program.  I'm pretty full right now!

Since it's chilly today,  I'm sipping on some tea while typing this and for dinner I plan to have a large salad with grilled chicken on top.

 

So, cheers to the weekend and plan to update you over the weekend. If not early next week!

~Carly

The D14 Day One

Good morning!

Despite having a sinus/headache thing going on for the last week or so I am feeling pretty awesome this morning.

I'm starting a detox/jumpstart program called The D14 which is a 14 day program that helps get the body detoxified, proper digestion going and a general "tune up" of how your body was designed to metabolize food and generally function. 

Before you get skeptical of the word detox - stop! This program is designed not to be harsh or unpleasant and you eat FOOD. Yes, real nourishment for your body to flush the toxins out - which means a less bloated you! 

Since it is a detox, you do need to refrain from eating a few things. But, before I lose you again it's only 14 days.  the program was created by Courtney O'Donnell - she's a mother of five, a personal trainer and a director at the Juice Plus company.  All the details are provided to you when you commit to the program

I'm still following my Trim Healthy Mama principles alongside the D14 - I'm coming up on two years on that lifestyle, too!

So, here I go...if you're interested in the program feel free to email me directly at carlykirsch@gmail.com.

~Carly

Losing My Way

As usual, it's been awhile since I've posted.  At least I'm consistent in that area ;p

The Summer was long and I definitely lost my way towards the end of it with my eating and exercise habits.  This resulted in me feeling sluggish, bloated and a few pounds heavier.  I still was exercising at least twice a week but I stopped doing PiYo regularly - which I LOVED - and strayed a bit from my Trim Healthy Mama.  Not so completely far from it that I was no longer following it, but just far enough from it that I wasn't feeling as good as I should.  The principles of Trim Healthy Mama work for me - it's the ONLY thing that has worked! So, what was my problem? Why was I losing my way from what they perfectly describe as "Food Freedom"?

So, about two weeks ago I was talking to my best friend and she follows the BeachBody program called the 21 Day Fix.  I had also heard good things about it. So, I decided to give it a try - because I then was watching TV and came across the infomercial, too.  So, I thought sure, why not give it a try.

Essentially the program is portion control which therefore limits calories consumed based on your current weight and activity level.  You get a certain number of protein, fruit, vegetable and fat allowances based on that with color coded containers to measure. There's also an exercise component to it which I didn't do but did do similar workouts - cardio, pilates, weights, abs, etc.  I will say that I do feel this program would likely be effective for most people who are looking for a healthier way of eating IF they are currently not following a whole foods/clean diet.  I don't feel that I was the right person for this way of eating.

Why do I say that?  Well, with Trim Healthy Mama, I was eating a very minimally processed, whole foods diet.  I eat large, healthy salads with protein and I eat wholesome carbohydrates.  So, one week on the 21 Day Fix and I GAINED 2-3 pounds.  I was perplexed and frustrated to say the least.

Image via google image search

Fast forward to this past Monday, I decided to refocus and get honest and real again and get fully back on track with Trim Healthy Mama.  I ordered some of their amazing sweeteners and baking items. I also started a Fuel Cycle and then yesterday made a trip to Barnes and Noble and bought the new books they have out - The Trim Healthy Mama Plan which is a less informative version of the ebook I already had and the new cook book :)

Today, I'm happy to report I'm already down 3 pounds I gained over the Summer and gone are the few pounds from the few days I was on 21 Day Fix.

Before Summer I was still bouncing around 153-155 pounds and I'm pretty much back to where I was now this morning at 155.8.  The scale had gotten pretty up there for a bit but I'm happy it's come back down.

So if anyone needs me I will be eating my skinny chocolate while reading my two new books :)

~Carly

NOTE:  As I always keep things real, this post does contain affiliate links.  If you choose to order from the Trim Healthy Mama store, I will receive some sort of monetary benefit. I do only recommend products that I use and love myself so please don't feel obligated or anything!

Motivate Me Monday - 8/10/2015

Hello and happy Monday.

Today's motivation is coming from ME!

I had posted a few months ago about Kayla Istines and her bikini body program - well summer happened and I got off track a bit. Well I've decided to restart and I'm on week 3 and feeling great. I'm starting to see some minor changes but instead of feeling frustrated I'm looking back a bit to see how far I've come.

Left is 2012, middle is June 2014 and the right is yesterday morning before my run.

I'm excited for what the next few months hold for me 😊

~Carly

Fuel Cycle Week Two (with a bump/twist)

Today starts week two of my Fuel Cycle.

Week one starting weight about 158.

Starting weight this week is 156 - up a bit from 155.6 from my planned date night the night before :) also I still have my period. Keep reading for my ending weight :) 

Week Two

Day 8 deep S

5:45 am Coffee and water upon waking 

8:00 am three eggs scrambled in coconut oil and sausage and more coffee with cream 

12:45 lunch deli roast beef with sautéed peppers, mushrooms and a few slices of onion and half of a deep s cake in a mug with ggms

1:45 coffee with cream - tired! And had to take my son to a birthday party

6:00 pm dinner - ate out at a Mexican restaurant and had carne asada with a side salad with a little cheese and tomato and a little guacamole that came with it and I forgot to tell them no. (Note: not supposed to have tomatoes or avocado on the fuel cycle per the book).

8:30 - snack of skinny pb cup chocolate made with peanut flour

Day 9 deep S

6:15 am wake with water and coffee

8 am breakfast scrambled eggs in coconut oil and sausage and another cup of coffee with cream

12:15 pm - Perrier water while out shopping at Bjs wholesale club

1 pm - lunch - snickers shake with chocolate protein with cottage cheese and pb powder ice and sweetener with vanilla and caramel extract - yum 

 

4:00 pm - snack 1/2 of a deep s cake in a mug and a piece of skinny pb chocolate and hot Shrinker tea

6:15 pm Dinner - turkey burger with roasted red pepper and mustard and kale salad and water 

8:45 pm - skinny pb chocolate  

Day 10 deep S

I think there was something off with my scale because I'm back up to 157.2 :/

Hmmm

6:15 am coffee and water after waking up

8:00 am breakfast eggs scrambled in coconut oil with ham, green pepper and a little onion and a smidge of cheese

 

9:15 am gym - walk/run on treadmill

10:00 am water and coffee with cream 

12:15 polar black cherry water 

1:45 lunch - turkey burger with bacon and mustard and roasted red peppers and a side kale salad

6:30 pm dinner - baked salmon with butter and sautéed squash and zucchini in coconut oil and water

Day 11 Fuel Pull

6:15 am wake up and have water and coffee with almond milk

7:15 am hungry and ate my overnight berry oats

10:00 am Snack coffee and water and a strawberry cheesecake quest bar

12:30 pm lunch big boy smoothie with added spinach and some cottage cheese for extra protein

3:00 snack - FP brownies 

6:00 pm dinner - buffalo chicken salad

Day 12 Fuel Pull

Note: very difficult day - night before found my daughter had somehow gotten lice and then my grandmother passed early this morning so off day due to all that was going on

6:15 am wake and have coffee and water

9:00 am more coffee

1:40 pm lunch progreso light soup with added grilled chicken and a piece of FP brownie

3:00 snack - coffee water and more FP brownies

6:00 pm egg white wrap with bacon bits and little cheese 

Day 13 E

Weigh in: 156 (down 1.2 from a few days prior)

6:20 am wake and have water and coffee

8:00 am Ezekiel toast with peanut butter and a half of banana 

12:15 pm - lunch at a friends house - salad with rotisserie chicken, light dressing, some black beans and a little avocado 

2:50 pm coffee and FP brownie and half container 0% Greek yogurt with polaner jelly 

5:45 pm - dinner left over chicken black bean and sweet potato chili I froze with a little sprinkle of cheese and I ate a few bites of a small slice of pizza - ooops and water 

Day 14 E

Weigh in: 155.4 Woohooo!

Note: I'm altering my last day since I am flying to Florida and had planned to do three weeks but may now be difficult and I really wanted an S breakfast.

7:00 am wake and have coffee and water

8:00 am breakfast deep s eggs in coconut oil and sausage and one piece of bacon

11:15 snack/lunch fuel pull brownie and a Greek yogurt with polaner probably an E with the extra carbs

2:00 pm coffee at airport and a Perrier 

4:30 pm quest bar and a few pieces of pineapple and water on plane 

8:00 pm dinner out - had a small Caesar salad and eggplant grinder and ate the eggplant and cheese only and a piece of my moms meatball 

Update: I'm writing this on Tuesday March 24, 2015 - this morning I weighed in at 154.4!!!! 

Granted I didn't eat as much over the past few days due to traveling and being emotional and not hungry but I brought quest bars with me and was able to stay on plan with one cheat of having some coffee cake after my grandmothers funeral service. 

Overall this two week fuel cycle was great! I would loved to have continued for a third week but it wasn't possible. I did a deep s breakfast today and will continue to freestyle for now using what I've learned again during this fuel cycle.

~Carly

Fuel Cycle Details - Week One

Hello! 

After a long winter and some holiday and vacation weight gain, I started another Fuel Cycle this past week. 

My starting weight was 157.6-158 on March 8th. Here are the details of my week:

Week One

Day 1 Deep S

6:45 am Snack - 1 piece of skinny peanut butter chocolate and cup of coffee with cream before my spin class

9:30 am Breakfast - three eggs in coconut oil with mushrooms, spinach, bacon strip and coconut oil and another cup of coffee

1:00 pm Lunch large salad with spinach and romaine, rotisserie chicken, bacon crumbles and cucumbers with olive oil and fruit punch GGMS and a few bites of deep S cake in a mug

3:30 cup of oolong tea 

6:00 Dinner -Breakfast for dinner - scrambled three eggs in coconut oil and sausage and water. A few more bites of a chocolate cake in a mug. 

Day 2 Deep S

6:15 am coffee and cream and water after waking

8:00 am Two eggs scrambled with butter and sausage and a small sprinkle of cheese and more coffee.

9:15 am 3 mile walk on the trail 

12:45 pm Lunch - roast beef sautéed with mushrooms and a few onions (note: onions are not recommended for deep S days but I didn't have any other veggies) and a large side salad with olive oil dressing and water

3:30 pm snack oolong tea, water and half a chocolate cake in a mug

6:45 pm Dinner - meatloaf and two heaping bowls of a kale and broccoli salad mix from Costco with some olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar dressing with water (note: I only made one meatloaf for my family so I did eat some of the thin tomato sauce layer on top but tomato products are not recommended for deep s days).

Deep S Day 3

Weigh in - 157 (down approx. 0.8 lbs)

6:10 Coffee and water upon waking 

8:30 am Breakfast - two eggs scrambled with sausage and a little cheese just like yesterday and coffee with cream

11:50 am Lunch - leftover piece of meatloaf and kale salad mix with olive oil and balsamic dressing and water 

Snack 3:45 pm half of chocolate cake in mug

Dinner 6:45 pm grilled chicken with sautéed garlic spinach in olive oil

Day 4 Fuel Pull

Breakfast 7:45 am overnight oats

Coffee with almond milk

Snack 10:20 am quest bar banana nut muffin and water 

Lunch 12:30 - was starving! Loaded fotato soup and a side salad with chicken and light dressing and fruit punch ggms

1:00 pm 35 minute walk

2:00 pm a small amount of Greek yogurt and polaner

4:00 coffee with almond milk and FP brownies

6:35 pm Dinner ham steak with large kale salad mix and light dressing and water and a piece of apple

Day 5 Fuel Pull

Weighed and got a little drop of 156.4 but double checked and it jumped back up to 157.2 so we shall see how the rest of the week goes but the scale is going down!

6:15 coffee and water after waking

8:05 am - breakfast egg white muffins a friend made and a big boy smoothie

10:20 am - snack fuel pull brownies with coffee and almond milk

1:40 pm - lunch grilled chicken wrap with buffalo wing sauce, lettuce and blue cheese dressing mixed with Greek yogurt to dip veggies in - carrots cucumbers and celery and water

 

4:30 snack coffee and FP brownies

6:30 dinner - FP pizzas and salad

8:30 FP brownies at my neighbor is ladies night and had a "shot"

Of red wine and a small taste of a few dips with celery and wasa crackers

Day 6 E

Wake with coffee and water at 6:15 am

I was supposed to go to spin class but I woke up with a stiff neck :( 

8:00 Breakfast - egg white scramble with veggies and Ezekiel English muffin and polaner and more coffee with almond milk 

11:00 snack 1/2 quest bar while out and about and some water 

1:15 lunch - chicken, black bean and sweet potato chili with a little sprinkle of cheese and if still hungry will snack on some veggies and a black cherry polar sparkling water

3:19 - really hungry so having a snack and made a snickers shake with pb2 flour and added some sliced frozen bananas to make it an E and had a bite of a FP brownie while waiting for it all to blend!

6:00 dinner - another small serving of the sweet potato chili and a large bowl of my kale salad mix with some lighter dressing and water

Day 7 E

Woohoo! Amazing surprise on the scale 155.6!!!!! My period came yesterday and I'm sure some of the weight was from bloat but it's on its way to being gone!

6:30 am Coffee and water 

8:45 am breakfast THM pancakes with 0% Greek yogurt and polaner 

11:45 am - early lunch of more chili and a small side salad and a half piece of a small FP brownie with water

2:45 pm - snack some apple slices and a little natural peanut butter and coffee

6:00 pm - dinner out for date night!! I ended up deciding to eat s and had a portobello mushroom stuffed with crab appetizer and a filet mignon and mixed veggies and a glass of red wine (note: wine is not recommended during a FC)

It was a choice I made and that's what I love about THM :)

So there's week one! 

Have you done a THM Fuel Cycle? 

~Carly

Motivate Me Monday - 11/24/2014

Ahhh Mondays. I love Mondays. I see them as a fresh start to the week. There's that long running joke about always starting a diet on Monday.  

Fortunately I can cross that one off my list since I've found Trim Healthy Mama and I've made a permanent lifestyle change. Next month - actually just a few weeks now - will be one year on the plan and I'll post a full and detailed update there but for now I'm the closest to my "ultimate" goal weight as I've been since pre-pregnancy. The first pregnancy.  It's crazy.  And, it is truly hard to believe because it's been a long journey.

So for today's motivation - I say to you and to myself:

I will persist until I succeed. 

Image found via Pinterest

Because if I can do it, any one can. And I'm so close to my goal!

~Carly

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

Coffee Cake Confessional

Hey everyone!

Things have been great around here!  My kids are off from school this week and even though they aren't in school all day or full time it's still been a long week.  I had been going to the gym or exercising at least 2-4 times a week and sadly this week I have yet to do any real cardio aside from walking around the neighborhood chasing my kids on their bikes.  Hey, still counts somehow.  At least that's what I'm tellin' myself.  I'm heading to the gym tomorrow morning for sure - get my spinning class fix!  Really, I may be addicted.

As you can see from the name of the post I have a confession.  And also, I've been eating coffee cake.
Delicious coffee cake.

Yep.
Mmmmm.

Sorry.  Thinking of yummy cake.  We'll get to that in a minute. But first, the confession.

A few weeks ago I did a Week Long Fuel Cycle on my Trim Healthy Mama diet.  After the third Deep S day I had reached an all time low weight of 158.4.  Sadly, the pounds creeped back up and I was back up to 159.6.  This morning my scale was 160 and was even a little higher a few days ago.

Before you start thinking "Wow, what a bummer" or "Aww, that stinks!" I shall stop you there.  I'm actually really okay with this number.  I recently shared my update on where I am in my journey on this diet - losing 9 pounds since starting.

Then, last week I found a notepad and my tape measure in my bathroom drawer with some numbers on it.  Right before or maybe shortly after starting THM in December I had written down my measurements - bust, waist, belly, hips and thigh. So I thought, hmmm maybe I should re-measure.

Well I'm glad I did.  Turns out I lost 13 inches!  No wonder I look like I may have lost more than "only" 9 pounds! (At least that's what I've been told)

I couldn't believe it when I added up and calculated all the measurements.  I added it up four times to make sure it was accurate with a calculator.  Yes, I used a calculator.  No judgement!  I'm terrible at math.  Any math.  But, I can tell you I certainly don't need a calculator to tell me that Trim Healthy Mama is working.  Nine pounds and thirteen inches - GONE.

Buh-bye.

That is why I'm okay with being up a pound on the scale.  I'm learning to focus on the non-scale victories which are just as, if not more important than what the scale says.  I feel great, I've lost a bunch of fat, my clothes fit better, I'm more toned, I look better and I'm literally shrinking.  I slipped on a pair of true pre-pregnancy jeans the other day and wore them for the first time in 5-6 years. Considering I never thought I'd be 160 pounds again - EVER, I am so thrilled with where I am physically and emotionally right now.

Okay - enough confession time.  On to the Coffee Cake.

This is not my recipe. It belongs to the lovely Rohnda Sue.  She has a recipe for this coffee cake that is just beyond delicious.  I had seen it a few weeks back and came across it again on Facebook and decided to make her single serving version.  I was craving some sort of baked-yummy-good-muffin-type-thing that wasn't chocolate.  I've been eating chocolate for quite some time now and just craved something else.

So, I made it. Oh.My.Gosh.  With a few substitutions based on what I had on-hand, it was so delicious I almost ate it all before I could snap a picture.

Aside from the horrid scratches on my plates - just look at it!

Glorious coffee cake muffin

It was so crazy good.  The directions were easy to follow and I made a few tweaks.
First, I doubled this recipe to make this large muffin.  Second, I used almonds for the topping instead of other nuts - walnuts or pecans would be delightful.
Third, I used vanilla extract and caramel extract.
Lastly, since I doubled the recipe I only used one TBSP of the coconut flour and substituted the ground flax instead since coconut flour is highly absorbent of liquids in recipes and I like a fluffier texture. I find coconut flour to be very dense in recipes.

So yummy!

Then, today I got greedy.  I thought I'd make myself another muffin for a snack.  Then I sadly thought to myself, but what happens when it's gone?  Should I make two so I have another for later another day?

So, I made the large version.  A whole 8x8 cake of coffee cake gloriousness.  Yes. It's a word.
Again, I used less coconut flour and more ground flax meal and the almonds on top. However, this time, to go with my almond flour and almond topping I used almond extract instead of the caramel.

The full cake version I made today

Yowza.  Take a peek....it's okay if you drool. I am.  I literally just made this cake and haven't had it yet which is killin' me!  But my house smells fantastic right now!

Again, this is not my recipe - it's by the amazing Rohnda Sue and her single serving recipe is on her Facebook page.

~Carly

My THM Update - 9 pounds gone!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

I'm feeling quite lucky like a leprechaun today since I've finally reached a BIG goal in my weight loss saga. I'm now just over three months on Trim Healthy Mama and drum roll....

I am down about 9 pounds and quite a few inches (will measure and update shortly).  I'm healthier, slimmer and feel really, really good - emotionally and physically.  While 9 pounds doesn't sound that impressive overall (some ladies are dropping 20-30 pounds in three months on Trim Healthy Mama!!) for me, it's a huge victory since I've been struggling with this for quite some time.

As of March 2012, I'm down 20 pounds.  I'm now currently 10 pounds away from my true pre-pregnancy weight (150-ish) and at my first goal of my pre-second child weight (160).

I have to admit it feels really good to be at this goal.  This is a day I thought would never be here. Having really tried everything from Eat To Live, Weight Watchers, South Beach, Cinch, 21 Day Sugar Detox and a few other methods - Trim Healthy Mama is truly what finally has worked for me in these past 3+ years I've been struggling to lose weight.

And, since visuals are more powerful than words, I share with you below two pictures to show my progress.

Just to refresh your memory, I started Trim Healthy Mama on December 12, 2013 right after I ended my 21 Day Sugar Detox.

The image on the left was taken at our family photo shoot we had done literally FOUR days before I started THM.  The right was taken just the other morning.

Left image is Decmber 8, 2013 and the right is just the other morning.

Then, just for "fun" I decided to dig up some older photos of myself - which were quite hard to find since I didn't enjoy having my picture taken.  Nonetheless - here it is...

March 2012 (180), February 2012 (170), February 2014 (163) and the other morning (160).

Far left is when we were at Disney in March 2012, next is Disney end of January/early February 2013, next is February of this year and the last image is just the other morning.  I can definitely see the weight loss in my face more in the last two pictures.  While I'm holding children (trying to strategically block myself!) in the first two pictures, you can see I'm clearly larger in my face -  and honestly just larger all over!  And all I can think when I see the image to the far left is "Who is that???" Because it certainly doesn't look like "me" and at that point I didn't feel like myself either.

So, from my tiny little speck of the Internet here, I'm hoping to inspire someone that if you have been stuck or wanting to finally lose the "baby" weight - or ANY type of weight - it is truly possible with the right plan.  I've found something that finally works and I'm so thankful.

I have some toning to do and am currently working out 3-4 days a week now.  Hopefully will have a true "after" picture to share shortly as I hopefully reach my goal weight!

~Carly

Drink it to shrink it - THM style!

Happy Monday!  It's a snowy day here in Connecticut.

I hope you had a nice Super Bowl Sunday and Groundhogs Day! Not a great day in history for the Denver Broncos or Punxatawney Phil, huh?

Anyways, I had a great day and some yummy snacks for Super Bowl that were THM friendly - of course! 

One thing I did want to share today are some really great beverages you can enjoy - even if you're not following this lifestyle.  One drink in particular I've really enjoyed is called The Shrinker - and I believe it's helping me shrink for sure! There are also two other drinks called Good Girl Moonshine and The Singing Canary.

The Shrinker is a yummy oolong tea based drink. All three of these drinks have amazing health benefits and also helps burn fat while squashing any cravings you have and hydrates you, too.

For the full scoop and recipes for The Shrinker, The Singing Canary and Good Girl Moonshine,  read here for a post from The THM Facebook page. 

Image from Trim Healthy Mama Facebook page

So far I have not yet tried The Singing Canary - but I do really like the Good Girl Moonshine or GGMS as it is called.  The Shrinker is definitely my favorite though!

The recipe for The Shrinker is as follows:

1.  Steep 4 bags of oolong tea until cooled

2.  Place tea in blender.

3.  Add stevia to taste, vanilla, 1/2 Cup almond milk, 1 TSP cinnamon and some sea or Celtic salt. 

4.  Blend it up, distribute in half into two quart sized jars.

5.  Pour into glass and serve over ice.

The original recipe calls for a dash of cayenne pepper or black pepper for a bigger metabolism and fat burning boost but I don't care for it so I go without.

You can drink this all day - but do take note the caffeine.  I usually drink this before 3 P.M. most days and it really kills any cravings I have and fills me up.  It tastes a little like chai or a latte and has approximately 30 calories but seems like it's much more creamy and more like a treat!

So, drink it to shrink it! Cheers!

~Carly

Pinterest Picks - 1/22/2014

Happy Wednesday! 

I found this and it really fits quite perfectly with the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle I'm following now.

I'm not deprived. I'm eating quality, whole foods, the right fats, veggies, fruits and lean proteins. 

I even eat homemade desserts and am able to enjoy pasta and pizza.  And, it's very true - I'm eating a bit more than I otherwise would and I'm losing weight.  Not by eating less, but by eating more of the right foods.   

~Carly

Trim Healthy Mama

Hello!

As I posted yesterday, I am following a new lifestyle/diet called Trim Healthy Mama.  Their website is currently going under some updating since it's become extremely popular over the last year or two.  Actually, they were JUST on TV the other day finally talking about their plan.  THM is from two sisters who have tried everything diet-wise (Hmmm, who else does that sound like? Oh yeah, me!) and were at the end of sanity trying to figure out a diet that works.  They created Trim Healthy Mama over the course of five years. The book is long - over 600 pages - but half is recipes. Delicious recipes.  However, instead of go into detail about the plan and all the intricacies, I'm going to get you started exactly how I did.

Image via Google Image Search

First, I "liked" them on Facebook. Then, I joined their private Facebook Group/Support page. Warning: Without reading the book first you will be quite confused.  There are four types of meals: S-Satisfying, E-Energizing, FP - Fuel Pull, C-Crossover.  I then bought the e-book and read like ca-ray-zay!

I also stumbled upon these blog posts which go over in detail and are so well-written that there's no need for me to reinvent the wheel.  Gwen's Nest has a great book review of THM and an amazing, amazing, ahhh-may-zing Quick Start Guide.  You can also follow me over on Pinterest for my own personal THM board where I have other interesting and helpful pins I've found to help me on this new journey to my health and wellness goals.

I officially started THM on December 12, 2013 and as of today I'm down 5.6 pounds.  Sayyy whhhat?! It took me two years to lose ten.  As you know, results will vary.  Everyone will lose at their own pace - however, just being around the pages and seeing the testimonials, there are thousands of ladies who are dropping lots of weight.  Some only 15 pounds and some are losing one hundred pounds.  All in the matter of weeks, to months to a year.  But, it's happening on this plan.  It's working for me.  I'm thrilled - hence the reason I've come back to my blog to let you all know about it!  I did participate in the 21 Day Sugar Detox prior to this plan and that did indeed help me with my cravings and alter my taste buds to THM.

So, where does that leave me now weight-wise?  Well, I'm just about 4 pounds away from my weight I was from getting pregnant with baby #2 (who is now four) and 14 pounds away from my true pre-pregnancy weight.  My pants are looser and my clothes I couldn't comfortable wear without feeling self-conscious are looking pretty OK again.

I still can't believe this is happening so easily for me on this plan.  I have to admit, I had huge doubts since, ya' know, I've tried everything before.  Remember?  Now I'm eating eggs, coconut oil, CHOCOLATE, chili, cheesecake, yummy drinks and I can even have red wine when I please.  There are very little restrictions as to what I can't have and there are many ways to tweak recipes to fit this lifestyle.  And if you're unsure about a recipe, guess what?  There are over 27,000+ members on the support page who can help me, guide me, encourage me and celebrate with me...and you, too.  

I should also mention I have known about THM for about a year now and I didn't look too much into it.  I'm KICKING myself in the butt for not having done this sooner!  Just start reading the links.  Read the testimonies and choose for yourself.  You may just become a smaller, healthier version of your self :)

Do you have any questions or want specifics?  Comment or email me - happy to chat about it!
~Carly

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Salad/Wrap THM

As you know, I have been struggling to lose the baby weight. Guess what? I think I've finally found the answer. I plan to write a longer post about THM - aka Trim Healthy Mama by Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison.   

Today, I'm sharing my current favorite S dinner and/or lunch found from a member of the THM Facebook board a few weeks back that I've adapted to my own delicious concoction. 

Oh, and I've lost about 5 pounds since December 12, 2013 eating this recipe and many more delicious foods - including chocolate!  I promise another post on this very soon!

In the meantime...

Buffalo Chicken salads/wraps:

Ingredients:

2-3 Boneless chicken breasts (I encourage you to make extra pieces. You'll thank me later!)

1/2 cup Almond flour (or more depending on your level of breading you prefer)

1 Egg (beaten)

1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Wings Sauce (and keep the bottle out for more drizzle on top)

2 TBSP coconut oil for frying

Generous portions of salad greens - I suggest cucumbers, peppers, celery and tomatoes 

2-3 Joseph's brand low carb tortilla - if you prefer the wrap version 

1-2 TBSP of your favorite ranch or blue cheese dressing 

Optional items are crumbled bacon or shredded cheese of choice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. Take boneless chicken breasts and coat in egg then transfer to another bowl of the almond flour.  

2. Heat coconut oil in pan and fry chicken on each side until golden brown.  Approximately 3 minutes each side.

3. Remove from oil onto paper towel to get excess oil off. 

4. In a baking dish coat (or drizzle) chicken with Frank's Red Hot Wings Sauce.

5. Uncovered, bake in oven for about 15 minutes or so to ensure fully cooked through.

Serve over huge bed of greens with veggies you like.  As I mentioned I prefer to add tons of celery, cucumber, peppers and some tomato and drizzle more frank's red hot over the top of the salad and add blue cheese (or ranch) on top.  I make extra chicken and turn this into a wrap (see image) for the next day on a Joseph's tortilla and put lettuce or greens inside with a little more dressing and hot sauce.  

Deelish. 

For more information visit Trim Healthy Mama's web site. 

~Carly

Update and my 21 Day Sugar Detox Experience

Happy New Year!

Despite my lack of posting in 2013, I feel it was finally a decent, healthy year for me.  My youngest turned four in December and is really a preschooler at this point - however, my baby/toddler weight is still here.  I'm only about 8 pounds from where I was before I became pregnant for the second time and 18 pounds away from my ultimate goal from pre-pregnancy.

So, I'm not done yet!

As I had mentioned, I had been reading quite a few diet and lifestyle books last year.  I even tried Dr. Furhman's Eat To Live nutritarian diet for four months.  While I felt great I didn't lose any significant amount of weight from it.  And honestly, I really missed protein.  And eggs.  And cheese.  I'm glad I ate in that manner for the time I did because it really made me love salads and eat more vegetables. Bottom line, it wasn't really for me.

So, fast forward - err, I mean, rewind back to late October and November of  2013.  I had seen a lot of people trying Paleo diets and some other friends on social media had posted about something called The 21 Day Sugar Detox.  I looked into it and decided to try it and bought the e-book on November 3rd.  I joined the Facebook page and joined the challenge that started on November 4th. It definitely was hard avoiding sugar and gluten and wheat.  Some of the changes I made that have stuck since doing the 21DSD - as it's commonly referred to - are:

1. Drinking my coffee with cream or half and half only.  No stevia or any other sweetener.  (I use a small amount now since I'm on a new diet - more to come on that soon!)

2.  Constantly reading labels and not being tricked by food companies.

3. Eating more vegetables and using them in unique ways.  For example: Cauliflower can be used as "rice" or crust for pizza.

4.  Using more spices for flavor in lieu of sugar or salt. Many health advocates have been calling sugar the new salt for quite some time and I see why.  There is sugar in EVERYTHING.  Even places where sugar shouldn't need to be added!

5.  Trying new recipes and adding them into our regular weekly menus.

I had lost a few pounds on this program and felt my body changed shape a little bit.  I did not lose as much weight as I'd have liked (obviously) but was pleased with how it really altered my taste buds and made my cravings for bad carbs go away.  A lot of other people on the Facebook challenge group had some really great success.  I think the problem for me was I'm already eating pretty healthy foods and was really not consuming a ton of sugar before - maybe more so in the form of fruit sugars.  But sugar is still sugar.

Where does that leave me now?  Trying to find a program I can stick to long term.  I think I may have found it.  So stay tuned for my next update over the next week!
~Carly

What's cooking?

Well hello!

It's been awhile again since my last post but I have been doing well with exercising more regularly and eating better.

Much better.

This was my breakfast the other day - a little egg with my veggies!

It's coconut oil, spinach, cherry tomatoes, orange pepper, mushrooms, onions and 3 eggs. If you want you can also sprinkle some shredded cheese on it as well - I prefer cheddar, but any cheese will do (in moderation). ;)

Delicious and filling!

I hope to post more recipes and what I'm currently eating and doing for exercise again soon. And a weight loss update!!!

I need to keep myself accountable, right?

~Carly

Pinterest Picks - 7/25/12

Keep Going!