Looking back, I was pretty fit in High school. There is always that stigma that you're never quite good enough, but hindsight shows me that with all my sports and cheerleading, I was actually in great shape. College added new challenges as the classes are longer, the sports are fewer and the beers are flowing-er. Get it? Well, looking back, I was still in good shape. I managed to avoid the Freshman 15, squeeze in a round of volleyball as much as I could, and running to class because you overslept helped with the cardio. Enter marriage, a full time job and then, oops! a pregnancy. Then another pregnancy, then another pregnancy and this time its twins! My poor little figure didn't know what hit it. I am now staring at myself in the mirror, there has to be something wrong with this mirror. I didn't THINK I felt like I looked this bad. I guess the tags on my new pair of jeans tell the honest truth. I have to finally do something for myself. For four years I have been housing someone or a feeding source for someone or a malnourished chef and maid for someone, with little regard for me. I have to take my body back. I have to do what I need to do to feel good about me. How can I be a great mom with lots of energy with a ton of weight hanging around me? How can I encourage my girls to have positive body images if I don't have one myself? On my way home from my annual doctor visit, my Aunt Jan called to tell me about a new diet program that she was interested in trying. I said, "I don't care what it is or how much it costs, sign me up!" Luckily the program she was talking about is a wonderful one. It's called Smart for Life and she had just left a meeting with the owner, Dr. David Klein, who told her all about the program and how successful we could be at it. The next day my big butt and I were in a meeting with the center director who scheduled us for head to toe visits with the doctor before starting the program. They run a series of tests, EKG, blood work, BMI, you name it, the most comprehensive doctor visit I think I've ever had! Once a month you get to see the doctor and weekly you go in for weigh-ins and to purchase your food for the week. Your food consists of a package of 6 "Cookies", they are really full meals complete with all the vitamins and nutrients your body needs to be successful, in the square shape of a cookie. You eat 6 of them a day, and for dinner you eat 6 oz of lean protein like chicken or fish and veggies. After 3 weeks on the program you can substitute the cookies for shakes, puddings or soups that are specially formulated to provide the same nutrients as the cookies only in a different form. I have included my diary of the first 19 days for you to read. I am telling you now, 9 weeks later, 21 pounds lighter, that this was and is the most amazing, life changing new way of eating I have ever seen. You can't help but be successful; the math is there for you. The average weight loss is ½ - 1 pound per day. After 9 weeks and 21 lbs that is 2.33 pounds per week, or 1/3 of a pound per day. Some weeks there was more weight loss, but the more you lose, the slower it tapers off, the closer you get to your goal. I still have between 3-6 pounds left to go, before my main weight loss goal, but I'm still truckin' along. Each day brings new challenges, and new victories. My latest and greatest victory was buying a pair of size 6 Lucky jeans, and they are baggy! Pretty cool. I'm excited about my new figure, my new wardrobe, my new energy level, and my new body image. I know, you don't have to be thin, to have a good body image, you just have to feel good in your body, no matter what size you are. I am feeling better and better everyday, and I can't wait to tell everyone how this program has changed my life. If you would like to know more about the Smart For Life program you can e-mail me gina@jandatri.com or log onto www.smartforlifeaz.com to find a location near you. Here's to a new you! Original gal. Gina
Jan and Gina's Diet Diary The first 19 days...
Smart For Life Diet Diary
Jan's notes
- The Metabolism timeline really helped me. You MUST EAT YOUR COOKIES
- There's something really cool about someone telling you, EAT COOKIES!
- I feel so good that I didn't even mind one week not losing anything. I didn't lose because I didn't eat all the cookies.
- Teaches you how to prioritize. AT first you have 4 things to do, but only have energy for 2. Forces you to do what's important and let go of the rest.
- Tried to lose 10 pounds for years. Bad habits. Lost almost 5 pounds in one week.
- All Organic
- Explain the protein at night.
- Explain how and why the cookies work
- Big difference in energy level from week one to week three. Week three..right back to normal with way more "real" energy, not hyped up from caffeine and sugar.
- Love that it takes ALL OF YOUR CHOICES AWAY. And, if you want to really be serious about losing weight, the fewer choices the better IF IT KEEPS YOU HEALTHY
- Clarity that I haven't experienced in a long time
- Finally getting rid of that horrible middle tire
- My skin feels different. Not dimply for tight and lean
- A lot of people don't want to give up coffee. And You don't have to. What happened with me is I ended up cutting back because I was putting all the fattening cream in it.
- DIETS WILL NOT WORK UNLESS YOU KNOW HOW YOUR BODY WORKS. I realize now that I can never just go on a diet. I have to know how that diet is losing weight for me and how my body can still be healthy in the process.
- Starvation. The worst.
- I love this because I know have a meal plan in my arsenal that I know I can always count on and it will work. It's science.
- Lost 5 pounds. Gained back tons of knowledge that I knew but forgot. Beer and Pretzels. Importance of water.
- How hard it is to get off. So do it now before you gain one more pound.
- Have yet to see anyone discouraged when they leave. Even if they don't hit their goal that week, they feel better than ever.
- There's such a Smart For Life comradarie. You' hug a complete stranger in the parking lot who just lost her four pounds for the week. So cool!
- Health and fitness-are they the same?
- A lot of people don't want to do the diet because they think they have to give up coffee...BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE IT UP!!! WHEW HOO!!
- Explain the cookie. What are they made of? How do they help lose weight?
Talk about the shift in metabolism during the day and why this regulates it?
A lot of people say 800 calories! You're starving yourself. But it's just opposite, right? Talk about that
The Food. Marinades. Cookies. Shakes.
The fat and muscle example. Which weighs more. Why do we need to keep our muscle mass, aside from strength? Does muscle burn fat?
Talk about the Doctor aspect. What is a BMI and why is it so important to get it checked monthly?
A lot of people have asked me if they can just do the cookies and a nice dinner and be successful?
Gina
Day 1 (W) Started the day feeling the worst yet, very fat and flabby. Went to the first meeting very excited. Starting a new way of eating and viewing my body. Weighed in at 152. Started the cookies right away. Nothing's going to stop me now.
Day 2 (TH) Woke up starving. Mapped out my cookies for the day, 8 am, 10, 12, 2, 4, dinner at 6, cookie snack around 8. It works perfectly!
Day 3 (F) A little woozy, not used to so little food. It's hard to feed the kids all day long and not snack on what I feed them.
Day 4 (S) Still trucking along. It's getting easier. I realize that this diet makes you slow down. When you are hungry and you still have another hour until your next cookie, you need to preserve your energy, sit down, drink water, relax. This is new to me, I'm not used to relaxing! I like it though!
Day 5 (SU) Woke up feeling lighter. I could tell something was working!
Day 6 (M) Too tired to do much of anything. Had a hard time thinking today. Slept as much as I could.
Day 7 (T) Weigh-in day! I had a spring in my step and was hoping for the best. Saw the Doctor, all my blood levels are great, lost 4 lbs! They said it couldn't come off faster than that! Really happy! Auntie lost 3 lbs too! She has far less to loose then me, who that was huge!
Day 8 (W) Back to the grind. Getting much more creative with dinner. We ate chicken and balsamic with tons of veggies all last week. This week we are eating fish, less veggies, NO Balsamic, and changing it up a bit. I have realized that at first I looked forward to dinner all day long, I couldn't wait to really CHEW something. I made an enormous salad and bellied up to the trough, and chewed. I was exhausted when I was done. Auntie and I were turning green from so much lettuce.
Day 9 (TH) Feeling bad today, dizzy. Started my period today, 2 weeks early. Called the Doc, she said it's normal because we are really shocking our system. She said it's important to take the vitamins they gave us. She was right, what a difference! Auntie stayed up way too late making little vitamin packs for us out of sandwich sized zip lock bags. She stapled two rows of staples into three columns so we can organize the vitamins by time of day. There is a variety for the breakfast cookie, several for the lunch cookie and several more at dinner. It was really confusing until she thought up this system. Now it's easy and it's actually brilliant! Patent on the way!
Day 10 (F) Everyday gets easier; I see more and more improvement. Skinny jeans are baggy on me!
Day 11 (S) Easter is on its way! Oh, there is so much candy and treats! I mustn't give in to the lies! I am so much better off without all that poison in my body!
Day 12 Easter Sunday. Nonna made her famous Chicken Cacciatore and Polenta. How can I possible eat lettuce and grilled chicken when everyone else is ohh-ing and ahh-ing over the best food in the world! I will survive!
Day 13 (M) I made it through the candy and Cacciatore. Difficult, but I did it. Weigh in is tomorrow; I don't want to mess it up!
Day 14 (T) Weigh-in #2! I walked in to the Smart for Life store and the Ladies couldn't believe me! I was looking great! They were all very supportive and happy for me. I lost another 3.5 lbs! That totals 7.5 lbs in 2 weeks! 146! My goal is 125-130. I'm still going for it.
Day 15 (W) Today was a turning point for me. I realized that you don't have to eat a lot ALL DAY LONG! You have to be consistent so your blood sugars don't elevate, but you don't have to gorge on food. I used to graze on unhealthy food, not even realizing what I was doing. Now I am making better choices and forgoing a "treat" that I thought I wanted, for a SFL cookie or carrot. It's been an amazing journey for me so far. Dinner's are getting smaller, 6 oz is actually plenty of food for me, a light salad, some good dressing from SFL, and I'm off and running again. I'm getting to the point now where my stomach is actually getting full off of the cookies, and I'm not watching the clock till it's time for the next one. Water is important, very very important.
Day 16 (TH) Dropped the kids off at school today and some of the ladies commented that I was looking different. It's a good "different". They couldn't tell what it was, but it made me smile anyway. I'll tell them soon. I'm getting stronger now, ready to exercise again. The first few weeks were very exhausting, not enough energy to get through they day's normal activities, let alone work out.
Day 17 (F) My skinny pants (size 9-10) are totally baggy. I think I'll go shopping next week after my weigh -in and get a new pair. Hopefully skinnier! I'm anxious to work out to tone the muscle that is now uncovered from all the fat it was hiding under. Having 4 babies in 3 years is very taxing on your body. I gained 50 lbs 3 times and only lost portions of it each time. So I was 30 lbs heavier than when I started! It's hard to carry around all that extra weight! It's melting off of me now though! Thanks Smart for Life!
Day 18 (S) I cooked all night last night, I made Black Pepper cookies, Chicken soup with big noodles, chicken breasts marinated in home dressing, and sausage, getting ready for a big BBQ today, and I didn't have one bite of any of it! Normally I would've checked the cookies to make sure they were amazing, 3 later I would check the soup, does it need salt? I would've grilled a few chicken breasts that have been marinating all night, to make sure the guests would like them... are you getting my point!? I didn't do any of that. I ate my SFL cookies, had dinner and drank my water! What a good girl! My jeans are really baggy now, and the cool thing is that my boobs look bigger because my belly is smaller! Crazy!
Day 19-SIZE 6 SHORT SHORTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
