A month ago today I started a new medication. I know it was a month ago today because it was the exact same day that I weighed in and announced to all of you that I had lost 42 pounds! One of the most common side effects of that medication is weight gain. The nurse that visited my house and taught me about the medication told me that it's very common for patients to gain 5-10 pounds in the first WEEK of being on the medication, and then up to 5 pounds a month thereafter! This terrifies me, because as you know I've worked pretty hard to take off over 40 pounds and the last thing I want to do it pile it all right back on because of some stupid medicine. I decided right then and there that I was determined NOT to join that statistic!
Today, then, I am thankful for LeanGreenMama. In case you haven't been around long, 5 months ago I set out on a journey with LeanGreenMama. I promised to stick to her 6 week bootcamp for...well, 6 weeks, and tell my readers how well it did (or didn't) work. The plan worked SO well that I've stuck with it for 5 months now!
I'm thankful for LeanGreenMama this month, especially, because I have not gained the 5-15 pounds that the nurse told me was almost inevitable! Hooray! I gained 3 pounds that first week. It scared me. I got even more strict about my eating. I fought those pounds. I lost 5 pounds! And then I gained 4 pounds. As you can see, it's been a bit of a yo-yo month. Normally I would be terribly frustrated about this, because as you all know women don't like the yo-yo-ing. But friends? I am so very thankful to LeanGreenMama for showing me how to eat for life, rather than leading me into another diet. Because of your encouragement and support, I've been able to essential maintain my 40 pound loss (yes, I'm currently sitting at 40 pounds down) rather than gaining as anticipated! I'm working on finding some ways to amp up my exercise, so that I can begin, once again, losing and reach my goals!
Dear Lord, thank you for modern medicine. Thank you for the benefits, which far outweigh the risks! Thank you for companies and individuals who are will to give of themselves, their time, and their efforts, in order to help others succeed at goals. Thank you for putting Jennifer from LeanGreenMama in my path at exactly the time I needed her, even though I didn't know yet how vital her role would become. Thank you, thank you, for always providing!
Showing posts with label lean green mama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lean green mama. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
What? 42? For real?
Four months ago today I set off on a new adventure, a life-changing journey. Four months ago today I began to follow the LeanGreenMama blueprint. I joined the LeanGreenMama 6 Week Weightloss Bootcamp. I decided it was MY time. I decided I needed to finally make the commitment to do it for ME. And I agreed that, for at least 6 weeks, I'd share my journey with all of you!
And it's been 4 months.
And I'm still sharing with you.
Which means I must be doing SOMETHING right, right?
I want to remind you (and me!) of where I started. For those of you who don't know me, I'll quickly share a little background. I'm mama of 3 kids, ages 6, 4, and 19 months (yes, already)! There have been losses of children, losses of jobs, (maybe a little loss of sanity?), medical diagnoses, 9 surgeries in 4 years, 5 houses in 7 years (and we've lived in this one for over 5)...a lot of stress. This mama is a stress eater, and she had the hips...thighs...belly...booty...to prove it! Here, let me show you:
Yep, that's me in all my chunky glory. I'll admit it to you now, I was "obese." Eeek. See that belly? Ugh. Not a pretty picture! But I followed the LeanGreenMama blueprint and started dropping pounds! Just changing my eating made a HUGE difference!
Then I started adding in exercise. I increased my "workouts" to WiiFit step on a 4" step, 30 minutes a day 3 times a week. And then I added in Zumba classes 1-2 times a week. And then I found FitBit. This handy little tracker was like a pedometer on steroids! Amazing little device that made me want to move more! It tracks steps, miles, sleep...you can use online tools to track your calorie intake and exercise. This is a great tool for anyone who is interested in being healthy!
Pounds started falling off. They took inches along with them! Pounds and inches just plunking down all around me! I promise some days I could feel them disappearing.
And today? Today, my friends, I am 4 months into a lifetime of change. 4 months into a lifestyle change that has already made a huge difference in the way I think and feel. 4 months into forever. What has 4 months earned me?
4 months has earned me a THREE size reduction in pants size! (Girly pants are funny. I was a 16 then, and I'm a 10 now! That's 3 sizes. Go figure.) It's earned me the need for a new blender because my blades are dull and not blending anymore. It's also earned me the need for a new food processor, because the little 3 cup cheapo just doesn't cut it!
4 months has earned me a 25.5 inch reduction in my overall body size! That's just measuring my chest, waist, hips, and thighs! I wish I had measured my arms. I know there's a difference.
4 months has earned me a firm spot in the "healthy weight range!" That's right. I am now .2 pounds below the very top of the healthy weight range for my height! (Maybe that's not so "firm" but hooray!)
So, again, here I am, 191.8 pounds:
And here I am today, 149.8 pounds:
Friends, 4 months has earned me a 42 pound loss! Forty two pounds!
I have LeanGreenMama and FitBit, in huge part, to thank for that huge change! Thank you so much, both of you, for all the help and support you've provided along the way! I can't wait to be able to tell you I've reached my goal (14.8 pounds to goal!) or that I've surpassed that goal and set a new one!
You've got LeanGreenMama and FitBit to thank as well. You knew it was coming, didn't you? That's right! It's giveaway time!
LeanGreenMama has agreed, VERY generously, to give EVERY ONE of my readers a 42% discount on her LeanGreenMama 6 Week Weightloss Bootcamp in celebration of my 42 pound loss!! If you've been thinking about joining, now is the BEST time to do it! It'll be a while before you see another deal like this! You'll need to follow THIS LINK and enter the coupon code THISNTHAT (all caps). Hurry, though! You only have through Tuesday, Oct 11, to take advantage of this amazing offer!
FitBit has agreed to send one of my super lucky readers one of the brand new FitBit Ultra trackers! The FitBit Ultra was JUST released on Monday, so you'll be one of the very first to try it! It's just like the original FitBit, only with a ton of new features! You'll love it! (I'll be reviewing it next week. What I can say so far is that it is AWESOME!!)
We're going to make this a quick giveaway, because I think 42 pounds in 4 months is pretty quick. We're going to run this thing for 4 days, in honor of the 4 months of hard work. And we're going to make it an easy giveaway, because I think 42 pounds in 4 months has been pretty easy. We're going to rafflecopter it, and we're going to have just 2 entry options. Are you up for that?
Enjoy, my friends! I'll update you again on November 8th!
And it's been 4 months.
And I'm still sharing with you.
Which means I must be doing SOMETHING right, right?
I want to remind you (and me!) of where I started. For those of you who don't know me, I'll quickly share a little background. I'm mama of 3 kids, ages 6, 4, and 19 months (yes, already)! There have been losses of children, losses of jobs, (maybe a little loss of sanity?), medical diagnoses, 9 surgeries in 4 years, 5 houses in 7 years (and we've lived in this one for over 5)...a lot of stress. This mama is a stress eater, and she had the hips...thighs...belly...booty...to prove it! Here, let me show you:
Yep, that's me in all my chunky glory. I'll admit it to you now, I was "obese." Eeek. See that belly? Ugh. Not a pretty picture! But I followed the LeanGreenMama blueprint and started dropping pounds! Just changing my eating made a HUGE difference!
Then I started adding in exercise. I increased my "workouts" to WiiFit step on a 4" step, 30 minutes a day 3 times a week. And then I added in Zumba classes 1-2 times a week. And then I found FitBit. This handy little tracker was like a pedometer on steroids! Amazing little device that made me want to move more! It tracks steps, miles, sleep...you can use online tools to track your calorie intake and exercise. This is a great tool for anyone who is interested in being healthy!
Pounds started falling off. They took inches along with them! Pounds and inches just plunking down all around me! I promise some days I could feel them disappearing.
And today? Today, my friends, I am 4 months into a lifetime of change. 4 months into a lifestyle change that has already made a huge difference in the way I think and feel. 4 months into forever. What has 4 months earned me?
4 months has earned me a THREE size reduction in pants size! (Girly pants are funny. I was a 16 then, and I'm a 10 now! That's 3 sizes. Go figure.) It's earned me the need for a new blender because my blades are dull and not blending anymore. It's also earned me the need for a new food processor, because the little 3 cup cheapo just doesn't cut it!
4 months has earned me a 25.5 inch reduction in my overall body size! That's just measuring my chest, waist, hips, and thighs! I wish I had measured my arms. I know there's a difference.
4 months has earned me a firm spot in the "healthy weight range!" That's right. I am now .2 pounds below the very top of the healthy weight range for my height! (Maybe that's not so "firm" but hooray!)
So, again, here I am, 191.8 pounds:
And here I am today, 149.8 pounds:
Friends, 4 months has earned me a 42 pound loss! Forty two pounds!
I have LeanGreenMama and FitBit, in huge part, to thank for that huge change! Thank you so much, both of you, for all the help and support you've provided along the way! I can't wait to be able to tell you I've reached my goal (14.8 pounds to goal!) or that I've surpassed that goal and set a new one!
You've got LeanGreenMama and FitBit to thank as well. You knew it was coming, didn't you? That's right! It's giveaway time!
LeanGreenMama has agreed, VERY generously, to give EVERY ONE of my readers a 42% discount on her LeanGreenMama 6 Week Weightloss Bootcamp in celebration of my 42 pound loss!! If you've been thinking about joining, now is the BEST time to do it! It'll be a while before you see another deal like this! You'll need to follow THIS LINK and enter the coupon code THISNTHAT (all caps). Hurry, though! You only have through Tuesday, Oct 11, to take advantage of this amazing offer!
FitBit has agreed to send one of my super lucky readers one of the brand new FitBit Ultra trackers! The FitBit Ultra was JUST released on Monday, so you'll be one of the very first to try it! It's just like the original FitBit, only with a ton of new features! You'll love it! (I'll be reviewing it next week. What I can say so far is that it is AWESOME!!)
We're going to make this a quick giveaway, because I think 42 pounds in 4 months is pretty quick. We're going to run this thing for 4 days, in honor of the 4 months of hard work. And we're going to make it an easy giveaway, because I think 42 pounds in 4 months has been pretty easy. We're going to rafflecopter it, and we're going to have just 2 entry options. Are you up for that?
Enjoy, my friends! I'll update you again on November 8th!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Weight loss update
This, my friends, is what TWENTY NINE pounds lost looks like!!
Front view before:
Front view today:
Side view before:
Side view today:
Down 29.4 pounds, 18.5 inches...162.4 pounds today! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lean Green Mama, for giving me the guidance I needed! We're more than halfway there!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
LeanGreenMama 6 Week Bootcamp Wrap-Up
I've been married for 8 years, as of yesterday. It's hard to believe! What's sometimes even harder to believe is how much I've changed in those same 8 years! When we got married, my drivers license told the truth. That's right! I weighed in at right about 150 pounds. I wore a bikini on my honeymoon. (I didn't look great in it, but then again I didn't figure there'd be too many people in Cancun that I would ever see again!)
A little over a year later, when I got pregnant with Little Lou, I weight 175 pounds. I thought I was HUGE! I couldn't believe I'd let myself gain so much weight, and vowed to get all the weight off and then some. I didn't. And then 15 months after she was born, I found myself expecting Bugsy. I weighed 185 pounds. Then a little over a year and a half after he was born, voila! We found out Stinky was on the way. 193 pounds. Do you see a pattern here?
It seems like the busier life got, the more hectic things were, the bigger I got. Now, I want to point out that life hasn't been a bowl of cherries these 8 years. We've dealt with a lot...a LOT a lot...of stressful situations in eight years. You don't need to know all the details, what you need to know is that I am (was?) a stress eater. My pacifier when I was feeling low was a cookie (or 5), a bowl of ice cream (a big one!), a handful (or 3) of chips. I earned that weight. I didn't wear it proudly, but I deserved it!
A little over a year later, when I got pregnant with Little Lou, I weight 175 pounds. I thought I was HUGE! I couldn't believe I'd let myself gain so much weight, and vowed to get all the weight off and then some. I didn't. And then 15 months after she was born, I found myself expecting Bugsy. I weighed 185 pounds. Then a little over a year and a half after he was born, voila! We found out Stinky was on the way. 193 pounds. Do you see a pattern here?
It seems like the busier life got, the more hectic things were, the bigger I got. Now, I want to point out that life hasn't been a bowl of cherries these 8 years. We've dealt with a lot...a LOT a lot...of stressful situations in eight years. You don't need to know all the details, what you need to know is that I am (was?) a stress eater. My pacifier when I was feeling low was a cookie (or 5), a bowl of ice cream (a big one!), a handful (or 3) of chips. I earned that weight. I didn't wear it proudly, but I deserved it!
The Scoop
A couple months ago I was reading blog review opportunities on a Business2Blogger email. There were a few opportunities I knew right away I wanted to try. Then there was the one that said something along the lines of, "I'm looking for 10 bloggers to review and give away my new 6-week weight loss bootcamp." (I don't remember the exact words, but it was something similar to that.) I skipped that one because I didn't want to do it. AT. ALL. You see, I was "comfortable" doing what I had always done. I didn't WANT to make big changes. Now, granted, Stinky had just turned one and I was definitely thinking about weight loss. What mom isn't? But I knew I'd have to make some changes if I applied and was accepted.
When I found myself opening the email for the third time, looking for that one opportunity for the third time, I realized I was ready enough to at least apply. I knew I wouldn't actually get the campaign, but it was certainly worth the shot! Something about my application piqued the interest of Jennifer at LeanGreenMama, and I can not TELL you how glad I am that she chose me as one of her "bootcampers!"
Here I am, friends. Before.
Not pretty, but it's me.
The Good
I truly can't think of enough good things to say about LeanGreenMama!
I'll start with Jennifer McCay herself. Jennifer is a hard working mama of two herself who has been there. When she first started developing her plan, she was 53 pounds overweight. She had a lot of ground to cover, but she covered it--in under a year! She developed a plan for her own life and found that it worked to keep her healthy. Only after she'd had personal success on this same plan did she decide to roll it out as a way to help other mamas! Jennifer McCay has been nothing but kind and helpful throughout the last 6 weeks. She's answered every question I've had. She's been a real coach!
The tools. There are SO many videos and tools provided in the 6 week bootcamp! I created a binder to house all of my information. A 2-inch binder. I printed out everything Jennifer provided, most of it 2 pages to a sheet, and still had enough to fill most of a 2-inch binder! As a part of the program, Jennifer not only coaches you through your weight loss, but she gives you important papers to help. There's everything from a weekly progress sheet to a cookbook! There are just so many tools at your disposal.
The FREE videos! If you're not sure whether LeanGreenMama is for you, check out these videos. Jennifer has created four totally free videos to get you started on your journey! Through these videos, you can get a lot of the same information that's included in the bootcamp itself. The videos are great tools themselves, but sadly don't include all the tools you'll really want to get yourself going. (She couldn't possibly give ALL of it away, though! How would LeanGreenMama be profitable??)
The plan itself! You all are going to think I'm crazy here, but I have already, in just 6 weeks, grown to love the (mostly) vegetarian way of eating. Not only have I lost weight and inches, but I have seen some changes in other health symptoms as well. I haven't had nearly as many headaches. I don't wake up shaky in the mornings. This month, I didn't have my typical "hormone-induced" acne issues! I eat until I am full. I know when I'm full! I wish I could go into tons of detail about the eating plan, but then why would you need LeanGreenMama?
There are so many more good things I'd love to say, but I'll leave it there. For now.
The Bad
Though there are a million things I LOVE about the LeanGreenMama 6 week bootcamp, there are a few things I wish were different.
Exercise. Jennifer at LeanGreenMama emphasizes that exercise is a vastly important part of living a healthy lifestyle. She even has great ideas in her plan for how to execute a great workout. What I wish were different, though, is that I wish there were more. More information. Specific exercises listed. Something. Anything! It would be great if LeanGreenMama could partner with a fitness coach or gym and really amp-up the exercise portion of the plan. I think it'd make it so much easier for moms like me to get into great shape if we had more of a blueprint for our workouts as well!
The time commitment. I feel silly even mentioning this one. I'm a busy mom of 3, who sometimes babysits or has other kids in the house for fun. We have doctor appointments, grocery shopping, cleaning, learning time...all the "regular" mom stuff. Some weeks the videos are a little long. I fully understand that Jennifer McCay wants to convey all the information she can to the bootcampers, but sometimes I think the videos could be shorter. I often have to break a video up into small segments to get it all in!
The price tag. Again, I hate mentioning this. I know in my mind that you really can't put a price tag on your health. I've never priced similar programs, so I can't say how this one compares. What I can say, though, is that as a paycheck-to-paycheck stay at home mom in a family that is making huge sacrifices so I can be here with my kids, the bootcamp would be impossible for me to afford. That said, LeanGreenMama HAS done what she can to make sure every mom has a chance! Don't forget, she's created an AMAZING free four-video program that you can find HERE!
The Outcome
I'm pretty sure this is the only reason some of you have even read this far. Yep, that's right. You want to know how well I've done. I'll get to that in a second. First, I want to tell you that if you can afford it, I absolutely, 100%, support LeanGreenMama's 6 week bootcamp! There are some other coaching tools available as well, which I also highly recommend. If you can't squeeze the cost of the bootcamp out of your budget, I highly recommend those four FREE videos! They won't give you ALL the tools you'll really want to have, but they'll be a great start to finding your mojo again! I am a believer. I have already seen changes in the way I look and feel. In fact, I emailed Jennifer McCay earlier this week and lamented that I don't live closer to her, because I'd love to work on her LeanGreen Team! Like I said, I have become a LeanGreenMama cheerleader...and am well on my way to becoming a LeanGreenMama myself!
Alright, so you want to see the results. Here's the breakdown!
June 1, 2011 (1 week before the official start of the program, but the beginning of my LeanGreen Journey, via those 4 free videos):
191.8 pounds
July 20 (7 weeks later, at the completion of the LeanGreenMama 6 week bootcamp, but not at the end of the LeanGreen Journey!):
169.0 pounds!
I have lost 22.8 pounds in the last 7 weeks! YAY!
Not only have I lost almost 23 pounds, but I have lost TEN inches from my body! (I didn't even measure my arms. I should have.) Do you want to see pictures? Here they are! I'll post my "before" picture again, and then my "now" picture. I'm not calling it an "after" picture yet, because my journey isn't over, but I want you to see the progress!
Front view before
Front view now
Side view before
Side view now
As you can see, friends, it's working! I'm not where I want to be. I still have about 34 pounds to go before I'll be where I want to be. But thanks to Jennifer McCay of LeanGreenMama telling me it's okay if I don't do the plan perfectly, I'm getting there! You can too! I could go on all day about my experience with LeanGreenMama's 6 week bootcamp, but I won't. I do, however, encourage you to, at the very least, give the 4 free videos a look! If you can, though, take part in the next session of Jennifer McCay's LeanGreenMama 6 week bootcamp! It'll help you make changes in your lifestyle that you won't regret!
I was provided with this service at no cost to me in order to facilitate a review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are strictly my own. Thank you SO much, www.leangreenmama.com, for allowing me to participate in your program!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
What was that sound?!?
I jumped out of bed this morning, eager to start my day. It was 4:46am. As my feet hit the floor, I was startled by a funny plopping noise behind me. I turned around just in time to see a pound fall off and bounce across the room!
Okay, okay, so the only thing true about that entire story is that it was 4:46am. Have I ever told you I'm NOT a morning person? That's a whole different story, though. What I'm here to tell you about right now is that mysterious pound that plopped.
A quick catch-up if you've missed out...
I am two full weeks into a 6-week bootcamp with Jennifer McCay of www.leangreenmama.com. The bootcamp is designed to coach mommies like myself into healthier lifestyles. Jennifer encourages *gasp* healthy eating as well as exercise to revamp your body, regain your mojo, and generally feel healthy!
As I said, I'm two weeks in. This last week's challenges were to eat at least 2 healthy meals a day and get moving! Easy peasy. I knew I could do this! Overall, I rocked this weeks challenges! Almost every day, I had 2 (or 3!) healthy meals. I got moving a few more times than normal. I'm trying, folks, I'm trying! In fact, yesterday at the grocery I bought less than a dozen items from the "inside aisles" and that included several cans of beans!
I'll be totally honest, here, and tell you that Saturday I stunk at the challenges. My kids were out of town, which means the hubby and I go out on a date! YAY! This time, we hit up Olive Garden. I did choose relatively healthy. I had salad and minestrone soup, no breadsticks. BUT then he remembered that a local (delicious) ice cream shop had free scoops for dads in honor of father's day. So, I had a single (read: ginormous) scoop cone of deliciousness. Then, my cousin got married! (Congrats, Britty! Love you girl!) Wedding food is not notoriously healthy. I only ate fruit during the appetizer round. I loved the spinach and strawberry salad! I kept myself to green beans and chicken with spinach and mushrooms during the main course. But the cake. Ah, the cake!
Did you know that when your body is out of the habit of having a lot of sugar, you get a headache after you eat a lot of sugar? Did you know that when you eat a lot of sugar, you wake up SUPER hungry the next morning? NOT pretty.
I quickly want to mention, too, that Jennifer and I have been communicating individually in addition to my participation in the bootcamp. I'm blessed to be able to take advantage of her Personalized Web-Coaching program and it's super helpful already! In one recent "session" she coached me a bit extra on meat/dairy intake. She addresses this briefly in her information anyway, but for certain health conditions, she suggests a totally meat and dairy free diet. Honestly, I thought that was crazy. It does seem, however, to be working well for me! (I am not TOTALLY meat and dairy free, but have almost completely eliminated both from my diet for nearly a week.)
So, I know you all want to know whether I'm seeing results. Two weeks in, surely I've noticed SOMETHING, right?
Right!
Last week I weighed in at 186.0. If you remember, that was 1.6 pounds down from my "official" start, and about 5.5 pounds down from my "unofficial" start at the beginning of June. Today, I can proudly tell you that scale read:
181.8!!
That's right, folks! I am down an official 5.8 pounds from the start of the 6 week challenge, and 9.8 pounds this month! I promised myself I wasn't going to take measurements until the very end, so that I could wow myself with the results...but I lied to myself. I took measurements last night, and I have lost almost
5 inches!!
I know this will all slow down. Soon I will be reporting to you that I lost 2 pounds, or 1 pound, or .4 pounds in a week. I know that and understand that. I also know that some of you are thinking the weight is falling off too quickly and I need to eat more because I'm starving myself. I want to remind you that in the beginning of any "diet" (although this isn't a diet) weight tends to drop quickly and then slow down or level off. I assure you that I am eating well...and a LOT...but it's healthy food. I'm satisfied, and occasional stuffed. I don't like the stuffed feeling. I'm still learning. But it's healthy and it feels good!
If you haven't already, please PLEASE check out www.leangreenmama.com! If you're interested, there are 4 FREE videos that will certainly help you start your weight loss journey at http://www.leangreenyou.com/! I highly encourage everyone to at least give health a try!
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