Week One On My Trim Healthy Mama Journey

I have been reading too many success stories from women who are not just getting healthy from reading and applying THM but are losing weight, a lot of weight. After my pregnancy, this being my seventh little blessing, and getting ready to turn 40, I am determined to not just be healthier but to actually LOSE these stubborn baby pounds for good!

So I dove in and bought the book on kindle e-version last week for $19.95. It was cheaper than the hard copy version at $35 and I can carry this massive book (it's over 650 pages!) right on my windows tablet wherever I go. I really want this to be the beginning of my own THM success story but I have my doubts as to how dramatic my own weight loss journey will be. All I know is that we eat fairly healthy with occasional treats now and then. Even though I exercise and have used some wonderful DVD programs I never really seem to be able to blast away the fat I have carried for nearly 18 years! I have had success losing inches and pounds through running and a fitness program, but again, the really stubborn fat remains.

The answer has to be in the way I am eating. Duh!

                                      

I know I need to drink WATER, LOTS OF WATER! Especially since I am a nursing mama.

I think I'm ready to shake things up a bit. Stop feeding my body what I've been feeding it and give this THM diet a try! I've already been adding Stevia to many things thanks to a NuNaturals product review I was fortunate to be a part of with Christian Women Affiliate.

Here is one of my reasons to get healthy, little Julia is four months old and I still look four months pregnant!

I am loving this book so far. I love that the authors actually WANT me to eat butter!

But we also have to incorporate healthy foods too of course!

But I get to eat CHOCOLATE!!! Yes, it's part of this "diet" too!

More Skinny Chocolate Recipes Here!

You see, because this really isn't a diet. It's a way of reshaping the way you eat and consuming it in the way our bodies can process it!

So if I am feeling like bacon and eggs for breakfast, great!, I can have bacon and eggs then! I can even add veggies and cheese to those eggs and I have myself what THM calls an "S" meal. "S" is for Satisfying and boy are they ever satisfying!

You know what? If I'm feeling like toast for breakfast but I still want eggs, I can do that. I just need to not go crazy on the carbs in my toast by choosing a lower carb version or make my own and forget about the bacon and only use 1-2 tsp of butter on that toast to keep the fat content down. This would be an "E" meal. 

I am not going to even try to touch "FP" (Fuel Pull) meals/snacks or crossovers until I feel confident in the "S" and "E" meals. More on these at later time.

But this is only my first week and I've made a ton of mistakes, but I'm learning!

I've learned that I don't eat enough protein. I've also learned I need to eat more frequently to keep my body fueled. I also eat way too many carbs and sugar, well, that's just a given. I have a sweet tooth!

I've even learned about these really cool noodles made from the konjac root called Miracle noodles.

They are calorie free, gluten free and make a wonderful substitution as pasta or rice so you feel full but not all loaded up on all those carbs from pasta and rice!

I've also learned how to make bread in a mug! Yes, you read that right, Bread in A Mug!

The basic recipe is found on page 265;:

These are the basic ingredients

Ingredients: an egg or egg whites * golden flax meal and optional almond flour * baking powder * coconut oil or butter * sea salt and other optional seasonings

I even let the kids make their own bread in a mug muffins yesterday. These low carb babies literally cook up in one minute in the microwave! I'm not kidding, try it! You can google Bread in a Mug recipes and find all sorts of great blogs out there of ladies doing this THM diet and find TONS of free ideas and recipes and even printables to actually make the leap into this Trim Healthy Mama way.

I started at this lovely lady's site; Gwen's Nest.

I also found these and I plan to add more so I can remember where they are.

BIG TASTE TRIM WAIST

The Laundry Moms

Heavenly Homemakers-Ranch dressing recipe

Sheri Graham

Stacy Makes Cents

Traditionally Me

Pinterest has tons of sources for inspiration too!

This mornings' favorite change I made thanks to THM is switching out my coffee and vanilla flavored non-dairy creamer (yes, I know they are not good for me but I can't resist them...until now :) ) I found a recipe thanks to my FB THM Beginners group called "Bulletproof" coffee. Now I haven't read this far in the book yet to really research "Bulletproof" coffee but let me tell you, it is AMAZING!

I made mine with vanilla stevia and it was just so good!

Here I am 16 months ago after my 6th baby. Still carrying a gut and heavy in the thighs. Feeling happy but, oh the fat in the thighs, it's just got to go! THM has taught me that I am basically eating myself into this fuller figure by all the carbs and sugars I consume.

Now here I am at the end of week one with THM after my 7th baby. The scale says I lost a pound or so, but mostly I am happy I can fit back into my favorite black pants. I really hope this THM diet will finally be something that will work for me!

TRIM HEALTHY MAMA WEEK ONE

(Four Months Post Partum Baby Number Seven)

Changes and purchases I hope to make next week:

Grass-fed butter for my "Bulletproof" Coffee

Protein powder to start FP meals/snacks

Peanut flour

Glucomannan powder

Almond flour

More Miracle Noodles

Naturally sweetened jam

More eggs, my chickens aren't laying well right now and I went through all my eggs I just purchased!

Are you ready to get healthy and try the THM lifestyle too?

Get your book today and get started!

Trim Healthy Mama Website

Click Here to follow my journey to Week Two!

Click here to learn how I got started using CPTG ESSENTIAL OILS for weight loss too!

#ShapelyGirl Fitness Final Post And GIVEAWAY!!!

Here we are, November 1st, the beginning of a new month, and you are reading my final post on my #shapelygirl fitness DVD challenge. If you missed any of my previous posts, you can see them HERE. I do hope you will check out my previous posts as this has been a MONTH long journey for me to take steps at getting moving toward a better (and hopefully thinner) new me!

So what is this all about, you might be asking? Well, I was chosen along with 26 other women to try one of Debra Mazda's ShapelyGirl Fitness DVD's for one month and report weekly on my progress along with a full review on the last day. I got to choose from a couple of different DVD's and I chose the "Let's Get Stepping" DVD. I took a step class at the gym about 9 years ago. I really liked it and have had three babies and haven't done any step classes since so I thought it would be fun to get this DVD and try it at home. What I never realized was how much MORE I would get out of this than just a step class. I went to Debra Mazda's website and learned all about her testimony and how she began her own personal road to fitness. Here she is below when she weighed over 300 lbs.

You can read the full testimony at Debra's website HERE.

 What I love about Debra's story is that it is so much less of focusing on dieting and exercising.

 Her motto is,

 "Fitness comes in many sizes. 

Get off the couch, start moving and feel better, today."

I LOVE this no-nonsense approach to getting in shape. Over the last month I had MANY days when I just struggled to get off my couch to fit my workout in, and then I would remember Debra's words. Just "get off the couch"! So I would find the time to get my workout in. Some days it wasn't until after 7 p.m. other days it was early afternoon or before lunch. I always tried to make sure my body was fueled but not full (of food). I worked out with this video at least twice each week, sometimes 3 or 4 times which is what Debra suggests if we really want to see the big changes.

 “My mission is to share my story to help women learn the skills they need to win the battle with food and self esteem.”-Debra Mazda

On The ShapelyGirl Fitness website Debra also shares recipes. I love Debra's "Breakfast of Champions" recipe. I had already begun adding 1/2 cup of Chobani plain non-fat yogurt to my cereal which adds an additional 11.5 grams of protein to my diet even before adding the milk! I LOVE this breakfast and sometimes eat it for a snack. I drizzle a little agave nectar over the yogurt and cereal for a little extra sweetness (I have a huge sweet tooth) but without affecting my blood sugar levels. But back to the DVD!

"At the age of 21, locked into an abusive relationship and struggling with chronic depression and high blood pressure, Mazda took one simple, but daring, step that changed her life. She walked in the door of her neighborhood gym.  Her first workout exhausted her so completely that two bodybuilders had to carry her off the gym floor. But a call from the gym manager encouraged Mazda to come back the next day, and a habit was born. A habit that is at the heart of Mazda’s primary message to other ShapelyGirls, to “get moving.”"

I love this photo of the orange picking itself up. I feel like that some days and Debra's testimony inspires me to pick myself up and carry on, get moving! The DVD has fun music to workout to. Debra is a great motivator too. I feel like she's right there in my living room encouraging me to complete the steps. I love the balance of intense stepping mixed with dance steps like the "cha-cha". I can really get my body moving to Debra's workout during the "cha-cha" and my husband has enjoyed watching me workout a time or two! 

Here is a photo of my new "step" my husband actually built for me to complete this DVD fitness challenge. He even painted it PINK!

 I found if I couldn't fit an entire DVD workout in at one time I could stop the DVD after 20 minutes and still feel like I got a great workout in. In my first few workouts I didn't always add the optional toning session with weight lifting and sit-ups but as I got using the DVD, by the 4th week, I was making the time to do the toning session because I was feeling so much stronger! I could see results from my hard work (and SWEAT!) 

So in one month, I have lost a total of 5 lbs. I would have liked to have seen a bigger weight loss but I am proud of the loss overall. It works out to be about 1 1/4 lbs lost each week. Not a significant amount, but I am most proud of the total INCHES I lost.

Here I am with my daughter at week one.

My total INCHES lost were as follows...

1/2 inch LOST in calves

1/2 inch LOST in arms

1 1/2 inches LOST in thighs

3 1/2 inches LOST in hips

and my biggest LOSS....

(Here I am tonight with my daughter again.)

5 1/2 inches lost in my waist!!!!

Woo hoo! My pants are fitting better than ever!  I feel better. I don't feel like I'm dragging at 2:30 p.m. every single day any more. I not only have more energy, I have stamina. This helps a lot in homeschooling all my kids for sure! My daughter was dancing and running around the room the other day and I felt the urge to (once again) just jump off the couch and start chasing my daughter. I chased her around the room for several minutes and I noticed I wasn't feeling winded in the least like I normally would.

All I can say is that we all KNOW we need to take care of these bodies we have been given. I've had six babies, all by c-section. I KNOW the strain on my stomach muscles and how hard it is to not only carry the extra weight around but also how hard it is to want to eat healthy and get off my couch to exercise. Debra Mazda's videos are SO inspiring. They feature REAL, shapely women dressed very modestly. I felt like I was working out with a group of my friends. I hope some of you check out her videos and take the first step to a new YOU! I am so enthusiastic about these videos Debra Mazda has allowed a handful of our original group to offer a DVD FREE. That's right, one of you can own one of Debra's DVD's for FREE. Enter daily for a chance to win one of Debra Mazda's ShapelyGirl Fitness DVD's! Just follow the link below to enter!

(Noelle Mena-Photo credit)

"You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies" 1 Corinthians 6:20 NIV.

 I received a free copy of this DVD to review and one to give away. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

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Fitness Friday: ShapelyGirl Fitness: Week 2 Recap

 We are coming to the end of week 2 of ShapelyGirl Fitness reviews with the CWA Review Crew. I will share a few thoughts on my progress so far!

You can read about why I joined this review crew HERE.

Progress:  I have done the "Let's Get Stepping" video five times now. I've gone through the entire video twice. I'm liking the extra weight training at the end. It is a bonus video that can be done after the stepping workout or at anytime I want to work on upper arm strength and toning. I have worked through the whole video now, it is quite a workout! It takes about an hour to get through all the stepping routines and longer for the weight lifting and toning exercises.

I saw this post today and thought it about sums up my thoughts of my week!

I can really feel the changes in my walking after using this exercise program. I feel like I'm standing taller and when I walk around the yard with my kids I realized there's still a little "pep" in my step even after a long day with my kids!

Struggles: Making time to fit my workouts in was a real struggle for me this week. I worked out on Monday and didn't plan to work out on Tuesday, but when Wednesday rolled around I had company over, then later homeschooling kept me busy, and it was also our grocery shopping day. I crawled to bed at 10 p.m. feeling kind of beaten down that I hadn't found time to make my work out happen. Some gals were very encouraging this week. One lovely lady sent a link to this video, "You are More". I love this song and it was such a reminder that through this ShapelyGirl video challenge, I am so much more than just a number on a scale! I think I may be down a pound, but not more. If you have never heard this song before please watch!

"You Are More" by Tenth Avenue North

Breakthroughs: Debra Mazda is a wonderful encourager! She reminded us ladies this week that these videos were to get us M O V I N G, that this wasn't about weight loss, but beginning a lifestyle change. She reminded us that weight loss is largely based on changing our eating habits and not focusing on exercises. She encouraged us to just get up and get moving, doing what we could, as we could. Remembering to drink water was an important lesson for me as I tend to be dehydrated nearly all the time because I am still nursing my 9 month-old son.

This was one of the reminders I found:

Photo credit

But back to my breakthrough!!!

I did take measurements and in just ONE WEEK....

I have lost...

1 inch around my arms

1  inch around my thighs

2 3/4 inches around my waist

AND

drum roll please.....

3 1/2 inches around my hips!!!!

I couldn't believe my measurements! But I knew I had lost inches since my pants were fitting better and I even had a friend NOTICE my pants were fitting better!

I'm looking forward to updating next week!

Don't forget to check out the other ladies' updates as well!

I received a free copy of this DVD to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.