My Weight Loss: Month 1
Day 1 on this weight loss journey: 165 pounds
Let the weight loss begin!!
I began this journey of losing the remaining 35-40 pounds that I still have on my body- after years of child birth and emotional eating-before my 40th Birthday. I will be 40 years old on December 4th of his year (2012) and I would like to be at my healthiest and overall best when that day comes. I had been down to a better weight last summer, whereas I would only have about 20 pounds to lose, but unfortunately going back to work full-time as well as the general winter "coat" and holiday eating took their toll on me and I gained about 15 pounds back.
As of today, I have lost a total of 12 pounds in about a month's time. I have lost over 18 inches. My energy levels have increased and I am also sleeping much better at night. I'm amazed at the way the cravings have once again subsided and I am able to make better choices when I eat. So for this journey, I chose to combine my knowledge of diet (not diet as in "on a diet" but overall what you put into your body) and calories with Herbalife supplements and simple exercise. It seems to be working pretty well!!
So here's what a normal day is like for me: I wake up around 5:30am and hop out of bed (and seriously, I hop out of bed because if I drag myself out of bed, it seems like it's harder to wake up), I go to the kitchen and fix my first protein shake. I use the Herbalife Formula 1 protein powder with some Sunrise Orange Crystal Light and add some of the Herbalife Herbal Concentrate tea. I mix in some of the pre-packaged Jamba Juice smoothie fruits that you can find in the freezer section at Walmart and I blend it all together (my favorite flavors are the Mango Madness and Carribbean Passion). I also take the Herbalife supplements that come in the Ultimate Weight Loss package (Multivitamin, Cell Activator, Cell U Loss, TheroBond, Snack Defense, Aminogen and Total Control). That's my breakfast and I head into my home office and go to work.
Between 8:30 and 9am, I take my first break from my job and I grab a protein bar (I try to use the Herbalife's, but sometimes I use FiberOne bars or whatever type of protein snack bar I can get that is at max 170 calories). I am trying to drink 80 ounces of water per day for optimal results. This is not always an easy task for me. I do sometimes mix in some of the Raspberry Ice Crystal Light for flavor with some of the Herbal Concentrate tea to boost my metabolism. At this point in the day, I usually also take some NRG (Nature's Raw Guarana) to boost energy.
I take my lunch break usually around 11:30 or 12 and make another protein shake. I usually don't vary how I mix my shake because my stomach is sensitive to flavor, texture and protein in general. I've tried switching it up and ultimately for me, that doesn't work out very well. I take all my supplements again and at this point if I find I'm struggling with hunger or cravings, I increase my Snack Defense and my Total Control.
Then another snack at 3 which again is usually just some form of protein bar, but sometimes I will have a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich or some Fruit Snacks (whatever my kids pick out). Ultimately it all comes down to calories taken in and calories burned. I try to keep my daily calories down to 12-1300 per day and if I take a good walk around the neighborhood and do some general crunches, etc, I feel that I've done pretty well.
At dinner time I eat whatever I want...within reason. I am always mindful of approximately where I'm at in calories. Since I fix my protein shakes the same way and keep my snacks fairly simple and the same, I always know about how many calories I can eat at dinner time. If I'm eating something a little higher in fat than normal, then I will take an extra Thermobond to help block that fat from being assimilated. Overall, I try to keep my total fat intake to 25% of the total calories. This also helps me turn the fat into lean muscle rather than just flab hanging there.
Generally this satisfies me and I'm not hungry the rest of the evening. When I follow this strategy, I am able to feel great, have lots of energy and see results. When I don't follow it, I can really tell the difference!
So here are the tips I have so far:
1. Drink lots of water: divide your current body weight in half and that's how many ounces of water you should be drinking each day.
2. Be aware of your daily calorie intake: you must take in less calories than you burn in order to lose weight. If you take in more calories than you burn, you will gain, and if you take in as many calories as you burn, you will maintain. Simple.
3. Take high quality supplements to support overall good nutrition and help excellerate your weight loss program. Be careful that these supplements you use are truly high quality because this is an industry that is unregulated unless the individual company hires people to ensure quality and consistency. So do your research before wasting any money.
4. Exercise. It doesn't have to be anything major. Many times taking a walk does just as much good as spending the same amount of time in a weight room. Find a buddy to walk with or to go to the gym with if you need to. Personally, I use my walking time as my thinking time. I like to go alone and I really look forward to it and try to do it everyday.
5. Avoid traps that will get you in trouble. If you know you can't start eating a bag of popcorn without finishing it off, don't buy popcorn and have it around the house. Popcorn has a lot of calories that most people aren't aware of. Unless you have total self-control, I suggest you tell your whole family to make changes to accommodate your goals. My kids and husband aren't happy that I don't buy a bunch of "treats" and "snacks" to have around the house, but I am just not willing to have those things lying around waiting to sabotage my efforts.
If you want to join me on this journey, stay tuned...I will be posting my results and additional tips that I've learned as often as I can, and at least once a month. I will be posting pictures as well. I hope you will continue to follow me along on my journey!
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