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!

Cinch - Day 1...Again!

Good morning!
It's a beautiful and cool Wednesday morning and I'm happy that I'm starting the Shaklee Cinch Inch Loss Plan...again.

Yes, you read that right.  It's Day 1 again.  As I mentioned in my post from Monday, I should have just stuck with it all along - and who knows, by now I may have been closer to my goal weight.  But, we can't live in what if's - so I'm just getting back to it since it worked so well the last time.

To recap:

I began Cinch with a 2 week starter kit on April 9, 2012
Starting measurements were:
Bust- 40
Waist - 36
Hip - 44

April 17th update were:
Bust - 38
Waist - 34
Hips - 43

I had lost just about 6 pounds and 5 inches in one week! You can read that full update here.

So, here I am just about two months later.  I'm back up a few pounds in weight (although I have my "friend" so my weight is a bit higher due to that) so I'm not sure exactly how much I have gained back.  Nevertheless, my starting measurements again are:
Bust - 38
Waist - 35
Hips - 44

So, I'm still down a few inches total but up a few pounds.

But I'm not giving up.  I'm off to the gym this morning and I am expecting the rest of my Cinch Transformation pack to arrive today - the tracking on the UPS site says it's "Out for delivery"!

Yay!

Have a great day and I'm looking forward to my results again from Cinch...again!
~Carly

Diet Tips & Tricks

Happy Tuesday!

Right now, the dinner hour is approaching and I'm already hungry.  My husband doesn't usually come home until about 6:30-6:45 pm so we have late dinners.

So, I'm hungry but don't want to spoil my appetite or snack before dinner.  What's a girl to do?

Drink tea. 

image via Sanjay Tea Company web site

It might be a silly "trick" but it seems to work quite well.  It's been my go-to diet trick for a few months now - actually, when I started Cinch!  Their energy tea is really tasty.

I choose either herbal decaffeinated or green tea!  It comes in a ton of flavors and is warm so it feels like I'm full.  Plus, you get to include the decaffeinated variety as a serving of water for the day.

Also, tea is chock full of antioxidants and the best part?  Little to no calories.

I'll drink to that!
Cheers!
~Carly

Cinch - Day 10

Hello!

Despite a sprained ankle, I'm still feeling really good!  I haven't weighed myself in two days due to not being able to put full pressure on my ankle to actually stand on the scale.  I will likely weigh in tomorrow or Saturday when I'm hopeful I'll be all healed.

I'm sipping a Cinch shake right now as I type and I have really started to look forward to drinking these meals.  I decided out of chocolate and the vanilla flavor shake mixes that vanilla is my favorite.  Go figure since I am a sucker for anything chocolate.

When I open the shake mix canister each morning, I quickly smell the mix which smells just like cake to me.

It's soooo good.

Just this past Friday I ordered some more Cinch vanilla shake mix and the chocolate snack bars to get me through another two weeks.  It was delivered yesterday - which is really speedy delivery.

I've been really impressed with Shaklee and I'm happy to have discovered them.  I really see this fitting into my lifestyle long term and I don't think I've been able to say that about any diet before.

Have a great day!
~Carly

Cinch - Day 3

...And going strong!

Yesterday, I had my Cinch shake for breakfast and was a bit hungrier than the previous day for lunch, so I munched on a few grapes and a piece or two of pineapple from the kid's snack at the park.

I had the Peanut butter crunch snack bar, a chocolate peanut butter shake for lunch, one cup of tea before dinner and I had an organic vegetarian burrito with some plain baby carrots.  I drank a ton of water and felt satiated and full.

Overall, I'm still loving this plan and really not feeling deprived.

Personally, I'm both shocked at how good I feel and surprised at my willpower since I'm around food all day.  My two kids eat breakfast and dinner but end up snacking most of the day with a light lunch.  I find they like it better, keeps their hunger mood swings at bay and they get more of a variety of fruits, veggies, grains and proteins that way.

Hey - whatever works, right?

And speaking of working, I feel like Cinch is working for me.

So, here's to day three as I am sitting here drinking my Orange Creamsicle version of my breakfast - which is quite tasty:

Vanilla Cinch Shake Mix
6 oz of orange juice4 oz of skim milk
1 Banana - a larger sized one 
Ice Cubes - about a handful

Have a great day and check in again with another post tomorrow!

~Carly

Cinch - Day 2

Good morning again!

It's now only day 2 of my Cinch Inch Loss Program and I have to say...

I feel good!

You know how on the first day of any "diet" you feel hungry.  Maybe you even feel deprived or you think to yourself "why am I doing this again?"

I didn't think even one of those feelings or thoughts yesterday.  Seriously.  Even preparing snacks, lunch and such for my kids, I didn't sneak a slice of apple like I usually do or a piece of cantaloupe or even a gold fish (parmesan gold fish are my favorite!).  Not even one bite.

For real.

Here's how my day went:

7:30-7:45 a.m. - I had my shake and posted
11:45 a.m. - I was not hungry again until I went out for groceries and I brought along the Energy Tea to drink.
12:30 p.m. - I ate my Lemon Cranberry Cinch Snack Bar
2:00 p.m. - I made a Cinch Chocolate shake with Skim Milk, Ice and a Teaspoon of Peanut Butter
6:15 - Started getting hunger pangs for dinner.
6:40 p.m. - Ate my dinner of whole grain pasta and a tomato basil sauce with some grated parmesan cheese on top and a piece of garlic bread.
Note: I'm not sure that's an approved dinner - need to check on that but tonight I will go "healthier" even though  I had a non-heaping size and kept to portions very, very closely.

I drank water throughout the day and truly felt full and not deprived or hungry - until dinner time which is how it should be, right?

If this is how this plan continues - I can see myself on it for quite some time!

Just looking forward to weighing and measuring in again next Monday.  I figure I'll give it a week at least.

For my breakfast, I made the same breakfast as yesterday - Cinch Vanilla with strawberries, banana, ice and milk.

So, here's to day 2 and I'll check in again tomorrow to report back on to today!
~Carly


Note: The Cinch Inch Loss Program Two Week Starter Kit was provided to me for no cost.  The choice to blog about it here and share my opinions are all of my own choice. I am not receiving any compensation of any sort for this.

It's a Cinch? I sure hope so!

Hello!  I hope this post finds you well on this Passover/Easter weekend!

I'm so excited because I've been offered a wonderful opportunity to try a really great product line called Cinch Inch Loss Plan.

It's by a company called Shaklee which has been around for quite some time - more than 50 years.

I'm so excited about this for quite a few reasons:

1. The Cinch Inch Loss program delivers results based on a key ingredient - leucine - an amino acid that helps you keep lean muscle mass while burning off and losing fat.  It helps break the diet cycle so I will keep the muscle I have, burn fat I don't need (OR WANT!) and lose inches, too!
2. From what I understand this program is very easy to use and seems to be the perfect fit for a busy mom (or any busy person, really!)
3. And, as you all know simply from reading this blog, I've been looking to drop the weight for quite some time.  Even though I've been successful in lifestyle changes by eating better, generally healthier and exercising more - it's just not working enough.  

Therefore, I'm excited for this opportunity to try the program over the next two weeks.

I start tomorrow with the starter kit, which includes:

• Vanilla shake mix canister (15 servings)
• Assorted Cinch shake packets (14 packets)
• 3-in-1 boost™(42 count)
• Assortment pack snack bars (10 count)
• Energy tea mix (28 sticks)
• Daily journals (2)
• Cinch program guide
• Cinch logo shaker cup
• Cinch pedometer
• Cinch tape measure

I'll be posting about my progress in pounds and inches lost as well as how I feel and any other feedback I have!

If you're curious about the Cinch Inch Loss Program, you can read about it here.

So, I'll be back here tomorrow to share more on getting started.

If you know of anyone who has tried 

~Carly

Happy Leap Day & a word about BPA

Hello!  It's snowing here in Connecticut - after being close to 50 degrees yesterday.  I'm longing for the warmer weather!

I recently read a book that I borrowed from the library by my fave Jillian Michaels called Master Your Metabolism.  I highly recommend reading it!

It was a quick read and offered loads and loads of practical advice.  One of which is to rid your diet of chemicals, sugars and other toxins.  We've all heard about unsafe plastics and chemicals such as BPA and how we need to avoid these as much as possible.

Luckily, there are companies and products out there that have hopped on this bandwagon of being BPA free and they are becoming widely available.  I recently ordered from a company called Lock&Lock because I purchased an online promotion from Plum District.  I actually work for Plum District as a District Consultant.  If you haven't heard of Plum District - let me tell you. It.is.Awesome.

Okay - short schpeel :)  Plum District is an online daily deal site whose goal is to "Make Mom's Day" by offering great discounts on restaurants, beauty, clothing, accessories and products both locally and nationally.  Check them out and sign up for your area today.  Trust me, you won't be sorry you did - I promise!  I'm not just saying that because I work for them.  I'm not just an employee, but I'm also a customer :)

So, anyways - back to my Lock&Lock order that arrived today! Check it out!

Here's my order containing: one spatula, one pretty green water bottle and 17 pieces of food storage containers and lids from their Simple & Easy line.

I am seriously blown away at the look, quality and how pretty they actually are!  I love the orange color and it's got this pretty leaf design on the lids, too!

They're easy to clean, use and store.  And, the best part is, they are BPA free and offer a high level of food safety to keep food both fresh and safe.

I cannot wait to use them and get rid of my old containers!  I certainly can't wait to use my new, super pretty green water bottle with leaves on it.

Lock&Lock also has some really awesome home, bath and kitchen products too.  I plan to spend more time on their web site and order a few more things soon!  I really want this EcoMug! (Ahem, hubby if you're reading this) :)

So, here's a few things for you to consider adding to your to-do list:

1.  Get rid of all your BPA products.  If you're not sure use the "when in doubt, throw it out" motto I've come to know and love.  Then, check your local store for some new ones or just check out Lock&Lock.
2.  Next time you're at the library or are browsing on your iPad, nook or kindle - check out Jillian's book.
3.  Sign up for Plum District.

Have a great Leap Day!
~Carly