So, yeah, I really didn't follow through with that plan back then. BUT, things have changed. Some of you may have read about a month ago a post I made on Facebook about dieting and challenge and nonsense, and someday I would post a before and after pic. Well, today is NOT that day. Mostly because I'm not quite done yet, and I looked back at my before pic the other day and I'm just not sure if I'm ready to reveal that EVER. However, I've come a long way and since I'm always inspired by my friends success stories, here is mine as it sits so far.
So, we started with a challenge in January. Greg and I did an Advocare, 24 day challenge. I'm not going to try to sell anyone or pump Advocare at all. I have mixed feeling about so many supplements, and I personally didn't care for a couple of their products taste and how they were sweetened, so I made substitutions. But, for us it was more about finally making a commitment to something and sticking to it. And that we did! One thing I will highly recommend to anyone is the way I learned to eat, and the plan I received from our Advocare coach. You know how "they" always tell you, eat lots of small meals, exercise, and you'll lose weight? That's about the gist of it. The packet I received made determining serving sizes stupid proof. Here's your weight, here's your size! Easy peasy! And it was plenty of food. For Greg, the portions they recommended for him were too big. We both made some adjustments and shrank portions. It was as simple as a protein, a complex carb, and veggie for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, (I always do fruit for breakfast), and a fruit and healthy fat in between for snacks. There was an option for a 6th meal (more like a snack) with some guidelines, I always made my own guidelines for that, but I always eat that 6th meal. With my schedule I find it necessary.
About shakes. Everyone has a shake and Advocare is no different. I think their shakes taste like shit. Greg liked them. I do utilize a shake for my lunches on days I work, and occasionally days I am off and will be running around. That has more to do with convenience for me and making sure I am eating every 2-3 hours. Shakes were something I had started doing for lunches before I started the challenge anyhow. I am experimenting with different ones. I had a favorite vegan mix, but I feel it's a bit pricey, but tastes fantastic, even just mixed with water. Chances are, I'll be ordering it again.
During the challenge I lost 10 pounds, and to date I'm almost to a 14 lb loss and seeing a number on my scale I haven't seen in a long time! My weight loss since ending the challenge has been slow, but steady. I have made lots of exceptions here and there that I could lock down and lose faster, but I am seeking a realistic, sustainable lifestyle. Most days, I still eat the way I learned on the challenge.
I DO exercise regularly. But here's the best part. I rarely exercise more than 25 minutes a day, and my body has changed drastically from those 25 minutes. If you read back on my posts from 2 years ago (I have no idea why you would, but hey, who knows), I finally committed to my Jillian Michaels workouts. During the last 2 months I have primarily utilized 2 workouts from her Ripped in 30 dvd (it'll set you back about $10) and have seen huge changes in my body with them! Okay, so there are 4 workouts on the dvd, and my new challenge to myself is to stop being a puss, and cycle through workouts 1-4. I also try very hard to practice 1 hour of yoga a week. I've gotten very addicted to the results I have gotten from my Jillian workouts though, but, I feel way better when I throw yoga in. Did I mention how much more amazing my yoga is since doing these other workouts as well? I'm strong, and surprisingly, more flexible. I have some beautiful muscles developing on my arms, my waist is pulled in, and my thighs have a shape and strength to them I never thought I would see. It's pretty freakin cool! I tried T25 for about a week. And I really have no doubt those workouts would do the job, but they have way too much bouncing and hopping around, and after a week my knees were not happy. So, while I will occasionally throw one of those workouts in the mix, Jillian is basically it. I don't plan my workouts, but I do track them. Nothing quite like seeing those days fill up and that dedication reflected in my body!
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| This is what consistency looks like! Ignore the vacation week. |
