Coming Together

It has been a long time since I posted anything here.  The simple reason for that is things have been busy.  The last set of posts were all related to completing the Body By Vi Challenge and losing weight.  The reason Lindsey and I were doing that was to prepare for our wedding and honeymoon.

The wedding went off without a hitch, well almost anyway.  Nothing that any of the guests noticed.  We had a little difficulty in the morning with Lindsey's car not starting, and then a small mix-up on the menu at the reception.  However, it was a wonderful ceremony and I couldn't have been happier with the way everything turned out.

As great as the wedding was, the honeymoon was even better.  We had an incredible time, and we both enjoyed every single minute of it!  It was like another world.  The weather was perfect.  The beach was like a post card.  The food was amazing.  It was exactly what we both wanted and needed.  A perfect week to relax and enjoy life without a care in the world.

Since then, school has started and everyone has gotten back into their normal routines.  Lindsey is working for MPS as a sub, which works out perfect for us.  She has the same schedule as the kids and it is not a problem for her to take a day or two off if anyone gets sick and needs to stay home, and I finally managed to get child support payments stopped so I can actually use that money for what it is intended (taking care of the kids).  In fact, I plan to take them to Vala's this weekend.

All in all, life is good, and it is wonderful to finally see everything coming together.

Body By Vi

90 Day Challenge - DONE

We didn't hit the 100 pound mark, but I would still have to say that it was a very successful 90 days.  We finished 93.6 pounds lighter than we started.  We both feel much healthier, we have more energy, and we are both looking forward to staying healthy and seeing further improvements.

As you can see, there were a couple small bumps along the way, but by doing it together we were almost always able to see positive results for the day.  I have to say almost, because there were special occasions in there where we both had minor setbacks at the same time.  However, we both knew the cause for these and we were able to get back on track after the birthday weekend or camping trip was over.

Now that the first challenge is complete, we both plan to continue the diet.  However, we don't want to start a new 90 day challenge just yet.  We will be leaving for our honeymoon in just under a month, so we will be waiting to start the next 90 day challenge until after we return.

19 Days Remaining

We are in the final weeks of the challenge now, and I am happy to say that I am only 1.4 pounds away from my goal weight.  At this point, I don't think hitting my goal is going to be a problem.  My question is more of if I should try to lose more or be happy at my original goal weight.  

I think the answer I am going to go with is to keep doing what I am doing.  If I lose more, then that is great.  If not, then I must have picked the correct goal weight to start with.

I have to say that I knew I would be able to lose weight on this program.  However, I didn't think that it would provide the transformation that it did in such a short time.  I am still debating if I will post before and after pictures or not.  I still have almost 3 weeks left, so I still have some time to find the courage to be able to post them.  I know Lindsey wants me to, and I'm good with the after photos.... just not so sure about the before shot.  

Anyway, with just under three weeks left, we are both trying to stay motivated and intend to finish this 90 day challenge strong.

6 Weeks In

Lindsey and I are now six weeks into the 90 day challenge, which is three days shy of the halfway point, and I am happy to report that we are down a combined 51.2 pounds!  That means we are more than half way to our goal of losing 100 pounds, and we are ON TARGET.

I have to say that it definitely helps to have someone else doing this program with you.  There are days when the numbers aren't what you want them to be.  There are times when the numbers take small steps in the wrong direction.  However, by being able to look at the combined number instead of just my own, I am able to see progress almost every day.  Even on the days when one of us takes a small step in the wrong direction, the other is able to make up for it and we are still able to post positive results for the day.  Because of this, we both continue to move forward and are down over fifty pounds and are more than half way to our goal.  We both have more energy than we did a month ago, and we are both much healthier than we have been in a long time.

The bottom line is, I am happy with what we have been able to do so far, and I am looking forward to the rest of the journey!

Spilt Energy Drink

I know, lame title.  I mean who cares about the fact that I am a clumsy oaf that spilled my energy drink yesterday?  Well, that's not really the reason for this post.  The reason for this post is what happened after I cleaned up the mess.

I had been dragging and really felt like I needed that extra little boost, so I looked around and found one leftover can of diet Mt. Dew.  I hadn't had a soda in over two weeks and have been doing pretty well with the diet, so I decided that one can couldn't hurt.  I opened the can and took a whiff of the aroma from within.  It was stronger than I remembered.  I was hesitant, but proceeded to go ahead and take a small drink.  Wow!  After having had nothing but water (or flavored water) to drink for two weeks, this was more flavor than I had experienced in a long time.  It was too much.  I had to take a drink of my water to wash out the flavor.  The rest of the can took me an hour to finish, and after each drink, I had some more water to help wash it down.

I know this seems crazy, and a little unrealistic, especially coming from a person that used to drink as much soda as I did.  However, I am actually happy to say that this is reality.  I am back to drinking just my water (or flavored water) and I like it!

12 Days In

Lindsey and I are almost two weeks into the 90 day challenge, and although not every day shows us the results we are wanting to see, we are definitely both doing well and on our way to being healthier and more active!  After the first 12 days, we are down a combined 24.4 pounds!  We even went to the YMCA over the weekend where Lindsey did some cycling while I swam with the kids.  Lindsey even went back the next day to get in a little more time on the bike.

The boost in our energy levels is also noticeable around the house.  We are both getting up and getting things done.  It feels wonderful to have the energy to be able to take on all the chores around the house and still care more about being able to go for a run than what shows are on tv that evening.

The diet itself is also getting easier.  I'm not sure if I am just getting used to the slight hunger feeling, or what the reason is, but I have noticed that I don't want to eat large portions and I am finding it easier and easier to steer away from the unhealthy foods.  Bottom line so far is that we are both seeing good results, are happy with the program so far, and we are looking forward to seeing continued improvements in our numbers.

5 Days In

Lindsey and I are now 5 days into the Body By Vi Challenge, and between the two of us we are already down over 13 pounds.  The first couple days were really difficult for both of us.  However, starting to see results and the numbers coming down seems to help with being able to stay on and keep true to the program.

It is definitely a challenge to give up eating two meals a day.  Okay, let me rephrase, the challenge comes from the third meal, and trying NOT to make up for the fact that you skipped (or only had a shake for) the first two.  I fixed a really good dinner last night.  It was a healthy meal with teriyaki chicken, rice, and steamed broccoli.  However, the problem is portion control.  I went a little overboard and ended up taking a small step back on my personal numbers.  Oh well, lesson learned.  I need to realize that even though it is healthy food, I can still only eat reasonable portions and need to be much more vigilant when it comes to portion control.

Also, I think we are both already feeling a little better physically.  We went for a walk together on Saturday, and I even tried to go for a run.  I'm not sure how much of it was from the diet, or how much was from the first decent warm weather and the simple opportunity to actually get out and get some sunshine. Either way, it was great to get out and although I think we were both pretty sore the next day, we are both looking forward to being able to add more physical exercise to our routines.

Day 2 of 90

To answer the first question, NO, I will not be posting a daily update on here every day.  However, being as I have now completed one full day and have a little more insight, I thought I would share what I have learned thus far.

The number one thing to make this program work will be a commitment to it.  Without that, it will not work.  There is no other way to say it.  My reasoning for saying this is that this is not going to be a simple process.  The shakes do not completely fill you from one meal to the next, and therefore, you have to keep some resolve and discipline in order to keep from straying and eating other things in between.  Lots of water seems to help with this.

Also, there are no guidelines for the one meal a day that is not replaced by the shake.  This again leaves things open and therefore requires some individual commitment to losing weight.  Keep the end result in mind and don't over eat and trash what you had already accomplished that day.

My initial thoughts on the drink supplements are that they do not really do a whole lot for you.  However, they do require you to drink an extra glass of water for each of them, and therefore, the simple fact that they get you drinking more water is a good thing.  Hopefully this will become habit forming and will replace other beverages adding to overall health during the program.

The two other supplements that are included are Omega capsules and a pill designed to boost your metabolism.  At this point, I'm not sure what kind of effect either of these really has, but I will stick with them and take them as part of my regular routine.

Anyway, it has only been one day, so that is all the insight I can provide thus far.  However, I am already down 2.2 pounds, so I am looking forward to seeing continued progress.

The 90 Day Challenge

Lindsey and I are starting the "Body By Vi" 90 day challenge.  The plan is to look good for our wedding and be ready to hit the beach for our honeymoon afterwards.  To be more specific, we plan to lose at least 100 pounds between the two of us.  So, with that goal in mind, we decided the Body by Vi challenge would be a good way to get us where we want to be.

We ordered the transformation kit for each of us.  At basically $200 each for a 30 day supply, we are already $400 in and will have 2 months left to purchase.  With this kind of investment, I am really hoping to be able to see some results.

It is the morning of Day 1, and I had my first shake (mixed with skim milk).  The taste was not bad, but I'm sure I will be getting a little tired of it by the end of this thing.  I guess that's why they throw in the additional flavor packs.  There will obviously be a need to start mixing things up a bit.

I am now at work and I have cleaned out my coffee cup so it can be used for water and the two additional packets I am supposed to drink today.  The first one will be a raspberry boost smart energy drink.  I guess we'll have to see if it can give me the boost I am used to getting from my regular morning coffee.  The second does not appear to be much of anything, but is designed to help curb my appetite, so I will save it for later in the day when it might be needed.

Anyway, I hope to continue with further updates and progress.  Wish us both luck!