Weight Loss Tools

Todays weigh in

2012-02-09T15:09:00.001-05:00

240.5 lbs at today's weigh in. A total weight loss of 9.5 lbs so far. Not bad, losing another 1.5 lbs in the last 2 weeks, especially since I've been out of town eating out a lot, and only doing my shake for breakfast. Have been back in the habit this week though, and excited about how my body is changing.

Week 4 still going strong

2012-01-23T14:36:00.001-05:00

Not much change in weight this week, minus 1 pound. But my body is noticably shaping up. My clothes are starting to fall off of me. The changes are really starting to show.

I did some yoga today and yesterday. My body gets really sore from carpet cleaning, especially my back and hips, so I'm giving this a try so I can strengthen these parts of my body. I really feel better afterwards, so I'm going to try to do this regularly.

Blender bottle

2012-01-18T22:13:00.001-05:00

I ordered this "blender bottle" from GNC and received it yesterday. It was on sale and looked like something that would work well so I took a shot. I am glad I did.
I tried it for breakfast today and was quite impressed. Basically it's a sports bottle with this little wire ball inside that acts like a wisk. You mix your ingredients, shake it up, and voila, perfectly blended shake without the work of a blender.
I made one of my favorites, peanut butter and chocolate, and it mixed the peanut butter and shake powder with no clumps.
So basically, if you are doing the weight loss challenge, or are using another shake powder mix, I recommend the blender bottle or something similar.

Week 3, back on track

2012-01-15T18:06:00.001-05:00

Well the weigh in yesterday showed a total loss of just about 8 pounds to this point. My number is now a tad over 242. Its been a long time since I've been at this weight, and I'm feeling great.

The shake plan is getting easier every day. I love mixing it with low calorie pudding in the morning. another favorite of mine is making a fruit juice cocktail, where I mix a bunch of fruit juices with the powder mix. It gives me a burst of energy and has me feeling great.

Not only am I seeing fat go away, it seems that muscle is starting to build and tighten. Also my clothes are fitting noticeably better.

Week 2 is in the books

2012-01-10T10:59:00.001-05:00

OK I didn't post my week 2 weigh in. Why? Because I was frustrated with the results (or lack thereof). My weight did not go down, and I thought for sure it would have. One encouraging note was that my stomach did go down one inch and my clothes are fitting better. So I guess I have to look at the overall results and not just the number on the scale.
Ah the emotional roller coaster that is weight loss.

Time to buckle down, snack smarter, and eat a little better at night. On another note, it is getting easier to have the shake for lunch without feeling so tempted to eat something else. The habit is starting to form.

The Shakes - Loaded With Nutrients

2012-01-05T11:31:00.001-05:00

The more difficult it is, the less likely you are to stick with it.

How do you get a former junk food junkie to start eating healthier? Give him something healthy that tastes great. And really tastes great, not "tastes great by healthy food standards". Believe me, if these shakes tasted bad, I wouldn't be able to stick with this. Actually, if they weren't so easy to change the flavor by mixing with other ingredients I probably wouldn't be able to stick with this either. I'm not one that can eat the same thing every day.

Another cool part that helps me stick with this is that I'm eating whatever I want for dinner. Since the shakes stick with you for a surprisingly long time, I don't ruin things by devouring a 5,000 calorie meal (exaggeration intended). And no, this isn't a 90 pound girl talking, I'm a big guy with a formerly big appetite.

So how nutritional are these ViSalus shakes I'm taking? Can I actually get nutrients while eating so few calories daily? That's something you are probably concerned about, as was I. No one wants to walk around in a daze, famished from not eating. I don't feel that way at all though. My energy levels have actually increased while taking in less calories.

So for those of you interested in the numbers, here are the nutrients you get from one serving, right from my bag of Vi-Shake mix:

Serving size: 2 rounded scoops
Calories: 90
1 g fat
no saturated fat or trans fat

15 mg cholesterol (5% d.v.)

30% Daily Value (based on a 2,000 calorie diet) of the following:

Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Calcium
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Thiamin
Riboflavin
Niacin
Vitamin B6
Folate
Vitamin B12
Biotin
Pantothenic Acid
Phosphorus
Iodine
Magnesium
Zinc
Selenium
Copper
Manganese
Chromium
Molybdenum

Also 5% daily value of Iron

The shakes are gluten and lactose free but do contain milk and 6.25 grams of non-GMO soy protein. If you don't know what non-GMO soy protein is and you're concerned about soy, research this and it should put you at ease.

The 5 grams of dietary fiber (22% d.v.) apparently is what keeps you feeling full and gives you energy.

Also keep in mind these numbers are for one serving, and if you're doing this plan for weight loss, you are having 2 servings per day, so doubling up on all these nutrients.

Keep in mind that this is not an entire ingredients list, nor is this intended to give nutritional advice. Just a summary of the nutrients contained in the Vi-Shake mix for those that are interested.

When you're ready to give it a try and start losing weight like I've been working at, visit http://weightlosstools.bodybyvi.com and click on "join the challenge".

Wishing you the best in reaching your weight loss goals.

Jeremy

As a side note, if you're interested in becoming a distributor, you can sign up for that on my site as well. My experience so far has been very little pressure to sell, which is good since I run my own business full time and am just trying to lose some weight and help others do the same. Your experience may be different though, I suppose it depends on who you sign up under. What's great is you can just purchase the products without becoming a distributor if that doesn't appeal to you.

Day 8 - One week down

2011-12-31T16:25:00.001-05:00

I was very nervous about weighing in today, hoping this new eating program would show some results. Well now I am in SHOCK because after weighing myself today, one week after starting, I am down to 244.5 pounds. Yes, the Wii Fit is telling me thats a loss of 5.3 POUNDS!!! This is huge for me, I have had so much trouble losing any weight. I'm so excited.

Some shake combos I've tried this week that I really like: mixed with sugar free vanilla pudding and fruit is awesome (want to get some granola to add to this). Also really like it mixed with unsweetened orange juice.

My wife is eating wings for lunch today as I'm adding fresh fruit to my shake pudding mix and says she never thought she would see me eating like this. One week in and I'm adjusting much better. For me, adding more things to mix it with has been the key to staying on it.

Try it. The link's on the top left. If I can do it, just about anybody can.

Days 4 and 5 - getting in the routine

2011-12-28T19:24:00.003-05:00

Not much new to report. Had two shakes yesterday, mixed the lunch one with iced tea again. Today tried this mornings with a strawberry flavor packet they include, along with milk. It was really good, tasted like a strawberry shake!
Had a regular meal for lunch today since I was out. Kept it small though, didn't have a big appetite since I had my breakfast shake.
Bought some ingredients today to mix in my shake and change the flavors up. Blue berries, strawberries, vanilla pudding, and yogurt. Also read you can mix in a little peanut butter with one recipe. Excited to try out some new combos. Read a recipe with milk, coconut extract, vanilla pudding, and pinapple to make it pina colada flavored. That one will be a must try for me.

Try the weight loss challenge with me. Sign up under my link, and help me get my shakes for free. Better yet, when you get 3 people to join you, yours are free! Just visit http://weightlosstools.bodybyvi.com and click "join the challenge."

Day 3

2011-12-27T10:45:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was day 3, so here's a brief update: shakes for breakfast and lunch. Mixed the lunch shake with unsweetened iced tea. It was good and easy to make. I was struggling a little in the afternoon with my energy levels, but I don't think it was shake related since I stayed out late the previous night.
I'm having no trouble adjusting to the shake for breakfast, but am getting used to having another for lunch.
My favorite part of the plan so far is how full I stay. I don't have those feelings of guilt when I know I overdid a snack, since now I fill up after only a few bites of a snack.

Ready to join in the weight loss challenge? Sign up today!

Day 1 cont and day 2

2011-12-26T09:36:00.002-05:00

So here's what I ended up eating for lunch and dinner day 1, Saturday. Lunch was a VI Shake, no extra flavoring, then a snack of homemade chex mix (about a cup) and some sliced cheddar cheese mid afternoon (2 o'clock). For dinner, my wife made some pulled pork BBQ, green beans, and garlic potatoes. As good as dinner was, amazingly for me I didn't have the desire or hunger to back for seconds. I had another snack of chex mix after dinner, around 8 pm.
Early observation of the VI Shake plan: For me, hunger has not been an issue. The shakes are filling me up to the point that by the time the next meal comes around, I'm still not all that hungry. For me, that is pretty significant, since I typically have hunger cravings between meals, and end up snacking a lot. The snacks I mentioned here were small compared to my usual, and were not really out of hunger. Strange to say, drinking 2 liquid meals, my body was craving something solid to chew on, and I was satisfied after just eating a bit. That has been the biggest challenge the first day, only having liquids for 2 meals in a row. My body is wanting some solid food, so if you do this, make sure you have a snack to help fight this. I think it was tougher since I had a shake for dinner the night before, so I definately don't advise 3 meals of only liquids in a row. I think this will get easier as my body adjusts. And after I get to my desired weight, I can just do a breakfast shake to maintain my weight.
I've also noticed with the shakes that I may be slightly hungry right after drinking, but it seems to expand in my stomach and continue to feel fuller after a few minutes.
Yesterday was day 2, and I only had one shake, and it was for breakfast. We had friends in town and were out all day, so I did eat lunch and dinner out. The morning shake kept my hunger at bay the entire day though, and I found myself filling up faster than usual at meals and not needing my snacks throughout the day. Instead of mixing with milk, I mixed it with a Powerade zero. It actually wasn't bad.
Now that I am feeling really full from these shakes, I notice that I didn't typically feel this way before the shakes. I rarely have felt this full before. Why weren't the foods that I was eating before filling me up like this? I don't quite understand it, but I sort of feel like this may be a reason I've had so much trouble losing weight, never quite being full. Anyway its interesting for me to observe and see how much of this is mental and emotional, how your body gets used to certain patterns (like chewing), and really there's a lot more to being overweight than just lack of self control. I'm no psychologist, but I do find the subject fascinating, and I am starting to see a connection with psychology and food.

Join me in the challenge. Sign up using my link and help me get my shakes for free. When 3 people join you, you get your shakes free too!

Breakfast - day 1

2011-12-24T09:25:00.002-05:00

This morning I mixed in with my nutrient shake an orange powder flavoring they included with my package. Apparently they throw in 5 or 6 of the flavors each month with the package I ordered. It was good, tasted like a creamsicle when mixed with the almond milk. I'm going to get some unsweetened orange juice next time I'm at the store to replicate this flavor. You can make a lot of different flavors pretty easily with ingredients you probably already have.
This morning I also took a couple CLAs (conjugated linoleic acid). It's available in most vitamin / supplement stores and according to the research I've done it helps your metabolism. The idea is to burn fat faster. I try to take these regularly but they are huge and tough for me to swallow sometimes.
Last nights dinner shake was a success in my opinion. I snacked on a few chips and salsa along with a couple cookies around 8 pm, but compared to usual, was quite a bit less for me. I was satisfied after just a few and I wasn't craving to go back for more.

Get started losing weight by ordering your shakes today! Visit http://weightlosstools.bodybyvi.com.

Getting started - Measurements and weight

2011-12-23T16:19:00.004-05:00

It's here! Ordered Monday night and already received my shake mix today (Friday). Not bad for selecting standard shipping and being the week of Christmas.

So as you've probably noticed, I'm anxious to get started on my weight loss challenge. I dusted off the Wii Fit this afternoon, logged in (it informed me it had been 283 days since my last weigh in) and my results were almost exactly 250 lbs. If this is the first post you are reading, this is my information before I have started the weight loss challenge. I will be posting updates as I go along.

I had a big lunch of pizza and soup, so I think I'll begin this evening by taking the shake for dinner. It will be a good test on how full I stay.

My wife helped me take my measurements. They are as follows:

Height: 6'1

Neck: 17 inches

Chest: 45.5 inches

Stomach: 47 inches

Waist: 43.5 inches

Hips: 47.5 inches

I have to say the waist was a shocker, especially since I wear size 40 pants. But sure enough, I measure the waistline of my pants and what do I find? Size 40, actual measurement 44 inches. Kind of depressing, but now it's time to change all that.

So I entered by measurements on the website, even uploaded my before picture, because apparently if you do so you can qualify to win prizes by losing weight. I figure I might as well, I plan on losing the weight either way.

UPDATE: I had my first official shake on the plan for dinner tonight. One of the recipes they sent was for a Cafe' Mocha. That sounded good so I gave it a shot. Delicious. I'm not a big coffee drinker, but I do like those sweet coffee drinks. That's exactly what this was. I used decaf since it's about 5:30 pm.

Here's the recipe, Cafe' Mocha:

2 scoops Vi-Shape Nutritional Shake Mix

1 tsp instant coffee or 10 oz cold coffee (I used cold coffee since I had it available)

1-2 tsp cocoa powder

8-10 oz non fat milk or water (I used almond milk)

4-6 ice cubes

If you do the math, you're getting about 20 oz of mocha here. It's quite filling, and seems to expand in your stomach afterwards. And with all the flavor, only 163 calories if I did the math right (90 shake mix, 40 almond milk, 30 in 2 tsp cocoa, about 3 in decaf coffee).

To get the shake mix, click on http://weightlosstools.bodybyvi.com and then "join the challenge".

This will replace my dinner tonight. The plan I'm on is to replace 2 meals a day with the nutrient shake, and a regular meal (nothing too crazy fattening) and sensible snacks. Since I got my first shakes today, I will only be able to replace one meal today, and tomorrow start on the regular program.

Why Do You Want to Lose Weight?

2011-12-21T11:05:00.002-05:00

If you're reading this blog, I would guess you might be in a position like me, wanting to lose weight. Have you thought about the reasons why? I can think of a lot of reasons, but I guess I haven't taken them seriously enough to take action up to this point. Maybe a good first step for all of us is to seriously consider the most important reasons why we want to lose weight.

I used to be quite athletic, in fact a day didn't go by when I didn't play some type of sport. Now, when someone invites me to shoot some hoops or play football, it sounds fun, but in reality I know I won't have the energy or athletic ability to do much. And I'm only 32. So even though I don't plan on getting back into sports to the extent I used to, I would like to be able to run up and down the basketball court a couple times without passing out.

Next, I will probably have a kid someday, and I don't want to be the parent too fat to play with his kid or do anything besides watch tv with them. I also don't want to be the parent that dies in his 50s because he didn't take care of himself.

Another factor important to me, and really to everyone, is self confidence. Now I'm a pretty confident person, there's no doubt about that. But think about how much more confident you and I could be if we were fit and trim, and we knew we looked as good on the outside as we are on the inside. I know for me, I feel so much better when I know I look good.

Finally, it's important to me to stay healthy, and even though I rarely get sick, I know carrying this extra weight will most likely catch up to me someday. My knees and hips already are giving me trouble since my carpet cleaning jobs are pretty physical on my body. Losing the excess weight should help my joints and back feel better. I'm also probably not getting enough nutrients, since I'm NOT someone who snacks on fruits and vegetables throughout the day. I'm more of a chips and candy type of guy. My weight loss plan needs to be something that provides me with plenty of nutrition without tasting gross so I'll stick to it. The one I'm getting ready to start meets this need.

So that's my list right now. I'm sure I could think of more and more reasons, like my clothes fitting better for one. I think it's a good idea to think about as a little extra motivation to stick with the weight loss plan I'm about to embark on. Maybe you've done what I've done in the past and thought about all the negative things you hate about being overweight, so let's turn that around and think of all the positives that will happen when we get in shape. So what are your reasons? Write them down, and stay positive on the things you are looking forward to with the new you.

Whatever your reasons, find a plan you can stick to. Order your Vi-Shakes from my link, and when you get 3 friends to join you, your shakes are free! Visit: http://weightlosstools.bodybyvi.com

Waiting for my shakes

2011-12-20T12:53:00.000-05:00

Even though I haven't started my challenge yet, I want to post an update. Mainly because I did a similar amount of work this morning as yesterday and came home for lunch at the same time. Difference is, today I came home starving. Heated up some leftover fried rice, had some summer sausage, cheese, and baked ritz chips. Then I had a few pieces of peppermint bark for dessert.

I actually wished I had a shake this morning while I was working. Instead, I had a bowl of Corn Pops at 8:30 and was getting hungry by 11. Yesterday a shake and could barely eat any lunch. I am starting to be impressed.

Here's a video explaining the weight loss plan and the health benefits:

Again, if you want to try it, or if you want to check out other videos, take a look at: http://weightlosstools.bodybyvi.com. The video at the top of the page has a few tabs you can click, this video is the first tab I believe.

First post - weight loss goals and shakes

2011-12-19T22:05:00.000-05:00

Ok, so one of my friends started drinking the V-Shape shakes from ViSalus and has been dropping weight at a good rate. He is around 40 days in and has lost 17 pounds. I tried the shake at their house and was pleasantly surprised at the taste. They describe it as cake mix flavor, which is close, but it's not sickening sweet. They say if you mix it with other things you can reduce the sweetness (I even read one person puts it in their coffee instead of sweetener). He told me some of the nutrition information and I was even more impressed. Yes, I know there are more nutritious shakes out there, but this has a nice combination of price, taste, health, and weight benefits. It can be the most nutritious shake out there but if it's expensive or tastes gross how long will I stay with it?

I'm a bigger guy, and I've been struggling with my weight for about the last 8 years...right about the time I got married and was working an office job without much activity. So for the last 3 years my job became more active, I run a carpet cleaning business, but I still can't seem to drop the weight.

I'm a big snacker, which is my downfall. I don't drink a lot of alcohol, and my meals are usually somewhat healthy. My wife makes sure I get at least one vegetable serving, and usually something decent like chicken or fish for dinner. I do splurge once or twice during the week, maybe a fast food meal (nothing excessive) and a night out for dinner once in a while for some chicken wings or pizza. I'm 6'1 and around 250 pounds. I'd like to be around 185 or so. Not sure on the number, I just know I want this gut gone. I plan on posting exact figures once my weight challenge has begun. Right now I'm just kind of summarizing my lifestyle and what I'm attempting to overcome.

My friend gave me a sample packet of the V-Shape Shake to try, and I had it for breakfast today. Now I'm not a big breakfast eater, so it's probably not a large enough sample size for me to just try it this once for this one meal. But hey, you have to start somewhere. So I mix it with some almond milk we have in the fridge and I really do like the taste. Do I want this same flavor every day? No, but they tell me you can mix it with fruit and yogurt and all kinds of stuff to mix it up. Sounds good.

I have to say that I really stayed full. I drank it at 9:30 am, and by noon, I was still stuffed. I ate a little chicken and rice for lunch just so I wouldn't be hungry this afternoon while I was working, but I really wasn't hungry while I was eating it. As I said, I'm typically a big snacker, and I didn't have any snack cravings throughout the day, not until after dinner tonight. I'm truly impressed, as that is a big deal for me! The bag of chips is still intact.

I went ahead and ordered a supply tonight, the shape kit. I'm heading to see my family in Illinois at the end of January, so it would be cool if I could drop a few pounds by then. The sooner I can start, the better. And even though I'm really skeptical about network marketing, my friend was all pumped up about it, and it was only $50 more to be a distributor, so I'm going to give it a try. The jury is still out on that part of it. So as full disclosure, the links I post to this site will be through my network if you purchase. I'm going to give it a try though, for the weight loss part of it, and if I can get a few people to sign up and get my shakes for free, or even make a few bucks, all the better. It's kind of cool, you can refer 3 people and get free shakes even if you're not a distributor. If I don't like it, I'll quit with a minimal investment.

The shakes only average out to $1.89 per meal, so it might even save me some money just on the shakes versus groceries. I like that they're loaded with nutrients too, some that I'm probably not getting enough of now.

This blog will document my journey, my experience with the ViSalus shakes on my road to weight loss. I want to log my food throughout the day, my weigh ins, and anything else I think might be helpful to someone who is curious about this program. I'll start once the shake mix arrives.

If you want to join me in the weight loss challenge, visit my site at: http://weightlosstools.bodybyvi.com. I'm excited because I think this is something I can stick with. We shall see...