Maintaining New Year's Resolutions - Losing Weight

When I was reading other blogs and my friends' Facebook statuses, I noticed a trend on New Year's Resolutions. They seemd to all be about losing weight, saving money, getting healthier, getting a better job, and managing stress better. I know they all seem cliche, but honestly ... these are the keys to a happy and healthy life! They are also things that I am looking to achieve this year ... except for the getting a better job. I love my job ... I just have a vision for my job!

I thought I would do a short mini series to talk about how to maintain your New Year's Resolutions throughout the year. Things you can do and resources available. To start the mini series off, I'm going to talk about losing weight. Since this is something that is a real struggle for me, I would love comments on how you have lost weight in the past. Do not take this personally, but I am not looking for anything that deals with quick fixes, pills, miracle shakes, wraps, or surgery. That isn't my style and it isn't what I will be covering in my blog. I was a Beachbody Health Coach and while I LOVE their products ... I want to be clear that I do not think the shakes are a fix-it. They are also not in my budget for a large family.

Losing weight is a VERY hard task. It is something that you want immediate results and it just does not work that way. Sorry! I keep hoping that I will wake up one morning and I'm just thin. Wouldn't that be awesome? Yeah ... I have to work for it. I ate horribly for YEARS and put on the weight. I went from 180 to 267 in 13 years. It isn't just going to come off. That is the first hurdle that you must pass. Putting losing weight on your resolution list is great ... but you must realize that it will take some time.

Small Goals

The first task in achieving your New Year's Resolution of losing weight is to set small goals. These goals should be attainable! Here are my goals so you can get an idea of what you should put down for your goals.

• Lose 2 pounds a week
• Be going to the gym 3x a week for 30 minutes by the end of February
• Be going to the gym 5x a week for 30 minutes by the end of March
• Be going to the gym 5x a week for 45 minutes by the end of April
• Get back into Water Fitness by the end of April
• Be drinking 10 cups of water a day by the end of January
• Be drinking 1/2 my body weight a day in water by the end of March
• Sign up and participate in a 5K Race
• Eat clean and/or Paleo for 80% of my diet by the end of January

Notice there are a LOT of small goals. I want something that I can hit and achieve. You NEED deadlines. If I just put "going to the gym 3x a week for 30 minutes" ... I have given myself the ability to delay it all year! I know that losing weight is diet AND exercise.

Change the Diet

You are what you eat. You cannot expect to lose weight and still eat pizza, fast food, and other junk. I have participated in one clean eating challenge already this year and am preparing for my second. Changing the diet is actually something that can be done all at once, but it is best if you do it slowly. We are first increasing our fruit & vegetable intake and decreasing our carb intake. We have cut a lot of dairy out of our diet, mainly because Turtle and I seem to have lactose intolerance issues. I now make sure that my plate is 1/2 fruits and vegetables, 1/4 protein, and then 1/4 starch. There are so many options when it comes to finding a diet for you, just adjust them to meet your needs. I don't like high protein meals because of the costs, but I don't want vegan meals either. I am not saying they are wrong ... they just aren't for our family!

Eliminate the Temptation

I have absolutely no willpower when it comes to sweets. One of the worst things for me is Pinterest. I had to completely cut out my boards that pin sweets because then I end up craving the sugar! Now when food comes up on my Pinterest feed, it is all Paleo, healthier desserts, and clean. This allows me to feel okay with pinning it and thinking about making it. I do make sweets, especially for parties, but I know how to Google.

Figure out what tempts you and get rid of it. By not having desserts made up, I am less likely to binge on them. I am not sugar free yet, and I do look forward to the day where I can be completely free of those types of desserts ... but I'm not there yet. I'm not even sure I will be there before the end of the year. You know what though, it's not on my goal list for right now, so I'm okay with that!

Schedule Workouts

My biggest hangup is working out. I have an exercise area in my basement, but I do better when I leave the house and don't have my kids bugging me non-stop. I use working out as a way to de-stress. I cannot do that with four children whining and complaining at me over everything. Therefore, I am working on getting a schedule down that works with Jeremy's schedule. One that I will make it out of the house and get some time to myself to workout.

I was very ill and so I realize that I am going to need to work up to working out again. I can't just jump into it because I did, technically, just have surgery performed on my throat. While I am feeling SO much better and want to start working out again ... it is important for me to remember that I need to let my body heal. It is the same for you. If you are going from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one, let your body build up to it. You will burn out otherwise and not be able to maintain your weightloss throughout the year.

Okay ... so, finally ... here are the apps that I am currently using to get healthy (these are all on Android but should also be available for iPhones):

• Blogilates
• C25K
• Endomondo
• MapMyFitness
• MyFitnessPal
• Runtastic
• WeightTracker

I also am using Runtastic's and Zen Lab's other apps for specific toning.

How are you planning on maintaining your New Year's Resolution of losing weight? Let me know in the comments below!

Are you ready to kick the junk in your trunk good-bye?

Okay ... So, I have been WAITING for Cassey Ho to announce what her July calendar will be but ya know what, I'm not waiting any longer! I am hosting a HUGE challenge in July that is guaranteed to kick-start the second half of the year. Maybe you have slacked on your resolutions, or maybe you only just made some goals. Perfect timing! So ... let's De-Junk in July!

In the month of July, I am hosting a group challenge that will be held on Facebook. You can join anytime, but the best way to earn entries is to start from the beginning! Let's first talk about what is required in the challenge.

Daily - Check-in ... this is what I will be validating the entries on! (each day you check in - you get one entry)
Month-Long - Select one of the challenge options and complete 85% or more of the challenge to get an additional 30 entries

So, that may sound REAL easy. HA! I have selected the following Challenges to choose from. With the Blogilates ... you WILL have to subscribe to her FREE newsletter so you can get the password for her FREE July calendar!

Challenge Option #1 - Jodi Higgs 30-Day Challenge

Challenge Option #2 - Blogilates with Cassey Ho
When you sign up for her newsletter (FREE), you will get an email when her July calendar is up and what the password is. You will then see a calendar that will look something like this ... only for July 2014!

Challenge Option #3 - Eat Clean
Cassey Ho has a Google Doc that she shares with recipes for eating clean. However, you can use any recipe you want ... as long as you eat clean for 85% of the month!

Challenge Option #4 - Whole 30
Participate in the Whole 30 Diet.


NOW, let's move on to the prizes. I am giving away ONE grand prize that is valued at $100. I also have a few secondary prizes (runner-up prizes). I am taking donations of prizes that are roughly $25 in value or sponsors who want to help offset my cost on the competition!

GRAND PRIZE

3-Day Refresh

Shakeology Sample Packet

Shakeology Sampler

$25 GC to Beachbody Shop

   

OTHER PRIZES

1 POP Video

$25 GC for Blogilates Shop

$25 GC for BeachBody Shop

 

Are you ready? Only two days away! Let's GO! Request HERE or click on the graphic below!

One Week In ...

One week into my 12 week kickstart with BeachBody, I am already seeing results! I am watching my calories and working out nearly daily. I wasn't expecting much on my first week, honestly ... especially since I developed a mild sinus infection over the weekend. HOWEVER ...
I am proud to say that I am nearly 1/2" down on all my measurements. I weigh in tomorrow so I will see how that worked. I am tracking my diet on MyFitnessPal and I am being TOTALLY honest with myself. There are days that I know my diet will suffer, so I watch my calories throughout the day. I feel this allows me the ability to have YOLO foods without having to feel guilty.

I am still using Turbo Jam with Beachbody and drinking my Shakeology nearly daily. There are days that I am just not up to making a shake ... which I am hoping the change in flavor will help. I get bored quickly. If you think you might want to join in, but aren't sure about the product, enter my giveaway and get a chance to win a sampler pack of Shakeology FREE! Oh, and I will give you a shaker as well!!

I am not going to lie. I KNOW this journey is going to be tough and I KNOW it is going to take constant dedication. I have joined a group to lose 50lbs by Christmas ... and that is only 27 weeks away. HOLY COW! How the heck did that happen?! I am sure that if I remain dedicated ... that I will MAKE this goal!

The other goal that I am working diligently on is doing the Neon Dash 5K in KC in August. I am going to go with a few friends and Peanut may join in as well. My goal is to be able to jog at least half of it ... but completing it will be a HUGE step! I haven't done a 5K since March 2000!

How are your goals coming along? Are you ready to dig deep and really evaluate your health?

{Giveaway} My Shakeology Journey

Many of you know that I have restarted my weight loss journey. What started out as just a desire to get some weight off has moved much further. I sampled different shakes to decide which meal replacement I wanted to stick with, including Shakeology, Next Step, Shaklee, and Slim-Fast. I ended up settling on Shakeology despite the higher price. I want to tell you a little bit about why, the product, and then give you a chance to win a sample pack!

Let me first start with my requirements that I had when I was looking for a meal replacement.

• Leaves me feeling full
• Supplements a full meal
• Tastes great (not gritty)
• Affordable

With the first requirement of leaving me feeling full … Slim-Fast and Next Step both were ousted. They filled me up but only 60 minutes after drinking the shake, I was hungry again. They are great for something on the go or to tie you over, but I did not find it helpful as a meal replacement.

ALL of them tasted really good though. I was very surprised. I think shakes have come a long way since I first thought about doing meal replacements. This now brings me to supplementing a full meal and being affordable. That is what I want the bulk of my blog post to be about because I feel that it is what many people are hung up on when searching for a weight loss program.

This graphic shows the ingredients that are in Shakeology and the benefits they serve. As you notice, there are over 70 ingredients! You will see that some of the ingredients are listed in more than one category because they serve multiple purposes … they are super foods!

One shake is cheaper and healthier than a cup of Starbucks, sandwich at a fast food joint, and health drinks at juice shops!

 Okay, so now let's talk about the price of Shakeolgoy. It is not cheap when you look at the initial price. It is $120 ... but let's break that down. $120 is 30 servings. This is a full month of Shakeology for $120. So, each meal is only $4. As you look at the graphics above again, think about how much you spend at Starbucks, McDonalds, Burger King, and so on? If you are like me ... you can easily spend $200-$300 eating out each month. Trust me, we have been documenting every penny and we KNOW that it can go real fast. In addition, you are consuming something packed with nutrients and low in calories.

I am offering a couple of giveaways with this Shakeology post. For the first five people who order ANY Shakeology shake product will receive a free shaker from me!

However ... I ALSO have a giveaway for those in the United States. ONE person will win a shaker and a sampler pack of Shakeology! Enter today and spread the word. Tell me how you are trying to lose weight, what shake you would love to try, and anything else you want me to know. I look forward to continuing my journey with you!

Entry-Form

And so begins my caffeine detox

I have tried multiple times over the last few months to get off caffeine. I am addicted to the caramel flavoring and I am definitely addicted to the caffeine. I cannot drink diet sodas because of the artificial sweeteners, so my choices are high in calories.

The sad part is, I shouldn't be drinking caffeine at all! I have IBS and caffeine is one of my main triggers. This just gives me more motivation to get rid of the caffeine. I don't know that I will ever be able to go no-chocolate ... but I like dark chocolate better so at least it isn't as harsh on my system. I don't have a lot of pressing deadlines this month, so I figured now is the best time as any.

I have plenty of options in my house to replace the soda. I don't want the massive headaches, so I have my Yerba Mate and Roobios tea upstairs at a moments notice to brew. To help cleanse my system, I have brewed Pomegranate Blueberry herbal tea. Caffeine affects the heart, so I am hoping that I can help boost my heart health with this tea.

Are you addicted to caffeine? Do you care? Want to join the detox with me? I will be blogging about my weight-loss goal, as I am learning to love myself and the choices I make.

Hard Work and Determination

Through hard work and determination (not using pills, shakes, bars, wraps, any magic this or that) I have toned my body up in the last six months. I was in a 2x for over a year and I was really bummed. I have gotten involved with a couple really awesome coaches and started challenges. With support from my friends (who are as close to me as family), I have dropped to an XL in t-shirts. But the real blessing is the L shirts that are blouses.


I have been doing monthly challenges with Stephannie who is a coach with Team BeachBody and hoping to purchase T25 through her in a couple weeks. I have also started Blogilates. I am on Day 3 of her Blogilates for Beginners. I can tell you I am SORE! Good grief!! However, I am excited about the future to come with my weight loss journey!

Restarting Weightloss ... as a Marriage Vow

Hubby and I are working together to become healthy!

Created by MyFitnessPal - Nutrition Facts For Foods

MyFitnessPal - Nutrition Facts For Foods

Join me on My Fitness Pal and my username is kcbusymom
*note - I apologize if the above badges and tickers do not work, MFP is having issues*

My Green Smoothies

The newest addiction in this house are green smoothies. I make them when I am running low on energy because it is the fastest way to get fruits and veggies into my system. I USED to make them one at a time and made enough for two, but it was hard because sometimes it would make enough for three or four. Then, along came my wonderful and smart older sister. You could say she is practically perfect in every way. She blogged, here, about how she makes green smoothies and puts the extra in a muffin pan. Then she freezes them and uses one each time she wants a smoothie and adds a cup of coconut water. I also enjoy adding a little more fruit, say a banana or a Honey Crisp Apple.


When I made the recipe last, I made a few changes due to foods I had on hand. I am going to post the recipe that I used but remember that green smoothies are what you make them to be. *smile*

Green Smoothies

• 2 cups coconut water (I used plain coconut water for this part)


• 1/3 cup almonds


• 2 cups spinach


• 1 medium cucumber, chopped


• 1/4 cup fresh mint


• 1 Clementine Orange


• 1 tablespoon honey


• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder


• 2 cups frozen mango cubes

1. Place in blender in order the ingredients are listed. Blend until smooth.

Hit the gym twice this week!

Well I went to the gym on Wednesday and roller skating on Thursday. I was real sore on Friday but I knew I needed to continue to go to the gym or I would most likely not go back. So I went and walked another 3 miles last night. I am still so out of shape I can walk for an hour but go at a pace of 3 miles an hour. That is a 20 min mile. I would prefer to have a 15 min mile. Once I reach that goal, I will begin slowly adding in my running again. 9 years ago I ran a 5K mile for St. Patrick's Day race and I would like to get back to being able to run in 5Ks, if not 10K. I don't care about winning or losing, I just want to get my body back in shape. Final goal weight - 145-150.