I wish all of the other #shakleeblogger gals all the best. I hope they all continue to get healthier with the Shaklee 180 program. I am forever grateful to Shaklee and Sommer Poquette for their support over the last 9 months. They have been a joy to work with.

Just because Shaklee 180 isn’t the answer for me doesn’t mean it won’t be for you. If you want to lose weight and get healthy please visit the Shaklee website.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation blogger program. I have received free products, online support, and incentives for participating. My opinions are my own. People following the weight-loss portion of the Shaklee 180 Program can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week.

The post So Long Shaklee 180 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Last month I told you Shaklee was looking for 90 bloggers to work with in 2013. I applied again, since I still have way more than 20 lbs to lose.

I am excited to announce that I was chosen! From March-August I will be continuing my journey to a healthier me as part of the Shaklee 180 blog team. Make sure you follow #shaklee180 on Twitter to keep up with all 90 of us!

This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation blogger program. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating. My opinions are my own. 

People following the weight-loss portion of the Shaklee 180 Program can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week.

The post Hello Shaklee 180 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

If you are a female blogger who wants to lose weight, inches and get healthier, NOW is the time for you to apply to be one of the 90 Shaklee 180 bloggers! Apply today through January 31, 2013 for the opportunity to positively transform your life and for a shot at winning:

• A grand prize that includes a $2,500 Visa Card, an all-expense paid trip for you and a friend for a weekend trip away, including airfare and travel to Lake Austin Spa and Resort rated as the #1 spa destination in North America, according to Conde’ Nast Traveler Magazine,for a 3 night stay that includes meals, fitness classes, activities, make-over and full-photo shoot for the winner
• An opportunity to be chosen for a Shaklee 180 video promotion and a trip to Shaklee HQ in California.
• For selected bloggers who participate monthly incentives, including paid Facebook advertising for your blog, workout gear, shoes, equipment, and more.

If you are looking for a healthy and delicious way to lose weight I recommend you go right now and apply, it just takes a few minutes. You just may be starting your own healthy journey real soon!

Disclaimer: Results and experiences from the Shaklee 180 Program are unique for each person, so results may vary. People following the weight loss portion of the Shaklee 180 program can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post by the Shaklee Corporation. I have been compensated but my opinions are my own.

The post Shaklee 180 Wants You! appeared first on The Mom Maven.

A Recap of My Story

In January of 2012 I weighed close to 240lbs, I was anemic and had been for about 3 years, I had female issues (which caused the anemia) and I had honestly given up hope of ever being the vibrant, healthy woman I had once been. In January, I finally found a doctor who agreed that my female issues were probably the cause of my anemia. On February 29th I had a hysterectomy after about 6 weeks of recovery, I felt MUCH better than I had in years. My iron levels were back to normal after about 2 months and I was deemed no longer anemic by my doctor.

The beginning of May I started exercising for the first time in years, because I was no longer always tired from being anemic. On May 24th I saw a post online about Shaklee Cinch looking for 50 female bloggers to be a part of a 6th month weight loss program. I researched the Cinch products and felt that this would be a program I could commit to so I applied. The deadline for applications was May 25th, my 48th birthday!

On June 2nd I signed on to Twitter and saw a tweet from a friend of mine congratulating me for being chosen, along with her, as a Team Cinchspiration blogger! Sure enough, my life was about to change for the better. My first box of Cinch products arrived the day before I flew to Charlotte, NC for Type-A Parent Conference. It was a bit of a stressful start but it was great to meet our teams faithful leader Sommer Poquette at Type-A.

During the first 3 weeks of the program, I was awesome! I was eating well and exercising daily. I totally felt like a new woman. Then on July 11th I was involved in a freak accident. A 100+ pound television fell off its cabinet and hit me on the head. Due to that injury I wan’t allowed to exercise at all for a week and then only walking, no lifting or strength training. My doctor told me this week I can finally add some resistance training back into my workouts, 5 months after my injury! I know that this lack of weight/resistance training has hindered my weight loss and inch loss efforts but I know it has been much more important for my neck and shoulders to heal properly than it was to disobey doctor’s orders and possibly do permanent damage.

Six months later I still LOVE my Cinch Shakes, Meal replacement Bars and Snack Bars. I’m in the process of re-working my food budget so that I can continue to have my favorite Cinch products as a part of my daily routine. Six months later and I actually enjoy exercising! It is a great stress relief and energy booster. For Christmas I actually have an exercise DVD and a Wii game on my wish list so I can change up my exercise routine in the new year.

If you are new to my Cinchspiration Story you can click the link and read all the details!

What I’ve Lost

When I started the Cinch program my goals for this 6 months were to lose 30 pounds and complete my first 5k. I have lost 17 pounds and I have completed my first 5k and I am doing another one this week! Slow and steady wins the race has been my mantra through this part of my weight loss journey. I haven’t lost as much weight as I wanted but my accident seriously help up my exercise goals. I have gone from a size 22 to a size 18…almost 16!

What I’ve Gained

I have gained a self-respect that disappeared when I hit 200lbs many years ago. I have gained a love of exercise, something I never thought would happen. I have gained a love of new foods, my palate has changed a lot in the last six months. Several unhealthy foods that I used to love now don’t even taste good! I have gained control over my eating. I have gained new friends. The other ladies who have been part of the Cinchspiration Bloggers have become friends in a way that can only happen when you share a life changing experience. I have gained health. My cholesterol levels are better, I don’t have the exact numbers though.  I have gained energy and stamina. This has been most evident on our frequent trips to Walt Disney World. My family no longer has to slow down or wait for me as we walk through the parks. I can now keep up the pace with my teenagers throughout marathon Disney days! I don’t feel like I have failed in any way. I have stayed on program, I will continue on program and I will continue reaching towards my goals in the new year.

Cinch

No weight loss program is a quick fix. I have tried several, some multiple times. No matter which “program” you choose you need to be committed to changing your life. For me, Cinch meant making shakes for breakfast and sometimes lunch, switching form 2% milk to vanilla almond milk, eating a meal replacement bar for lunch and a snack bar when I got the evening munchies. It meant continuing to drink water and lots of it and changing what and how much I eat at dinner. It also meant rearranging my schedule so that I can add exercise. Cinch is easy to do and the products are delicious so that is the easy part. After six months on the program I am a believer, if you need to get healthier I would love for you to join me on the Cinch journey.

Thanks

Thank you to Sommer Poquette and Shaklee for choosing me for this opportunity. Thanks to my husband for his unwavering support and always greeting me outside when I come home from a jog. Thanks to my kids who have supported me and cheered me on. Thanks to my church friends and family who tell me how great I look each week :-). Thanks to my online family who has left me comments on my blog, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube cheering me on. To each of you I am forever grateful for the role you have had in literally giving me my life back. Words cannot express the gratitude I feel in my heart.

This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation’s Team #Cinchspiration Campaign. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating. My opinions are my own.  “Results and experiences are unique for each person, so results may vary. People following the weight loss portion of Shaklee 180 can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.”

The post Cinchspiration-My Journey to a Healthier Me appeared first on The Mom Maven.

My Thanksgiving hurdle is my mom’s stuffing. In my opinion, she makes the best stuffing in the world and since she only makes it twice a year, I will be eating some. My goal for surviving Thanksgiving will be portion control and only eating what I truly desire. It is a special day and I won’t deprive myself of a few treats but I won’t go crazy either. How do you navigate the holidays without gaining weight? Leave your tips in the comments.

June-November Comparison

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation’s Team #Cinchspiration Campaign. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating. My opinions are my own. Results and experiences are unique for each person, so results may vary. People following the weight loss portion of Shaklee 180 can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

The post Cinchspiration Month 5 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

As you can tell from the video, I am excited! I am down 16 pounds and 11 inches!!

I am running my first RunDisney event on November 10th, this has been a goal of mine for 3 years and I am finally healthy enough to do it! None of this would be possible without the support of my family, Shaklee, our team leader Sommer Poquette, the other Cinchspiration moms, my online and offline friends and my readers. Thank you all for your love and support as I become the best me I can be.

This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation’s Team #Cinchspiration Campaign. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating. My opinions are my own. Results and experiences are unique for each person, so results may vary. People following the weight loss portion of Shaklee 180 can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

The post Cinch 4 Month Update appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Week 16 I was back to a “normal” schedule for the first time in a month, except for a trip to SeaWorld on Sunday. This week I lost the 2 pounds I gained last week so I remain at 213lbs. I haven’t measured yet so I don’t know where I am on inches yet.

Saturday I went clothes shopping at Stein Mart because they were having a HUGE sale. I was very excited to fit into size 18 denim shorts…except for the 2 inch gap in the back. I HATE that gap. I assume it is caused by my odd proportions between my hips and my waist because it has ALWAYS been that way. It doesn’t matter if I am a size 7 or 24, if my pants don’t have elastic in the waist, I have that horrible gap. So, thanks to the gap, I didn’t buy any new clothes and I am wearing clothes that are getting very baggy.

One of my favorite fruits is finally in season, McIntosh Apples. I grew up eating them in Massachusetts and with their short season we only get them in fall here in Florida. I picked up a bag of Macs at the grocery store the other night and I enjoy having another healthy snack around the house. Yesterday I had the idea to use an apple in a Cinch shake and here is what I came up with.

It is not my favorite shake but is is a nice alternative and a great way to use apples in my shake. I’m thinking I’ll try peanut butter and apple next!

This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation’s Team #Cinchspiration Campaign. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating. My opinions are my own. Results and experiences are unique for each person, so results may vary. People following the weight loss portion of Shaklee 180 can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

The post #Cinchspiration Week 16-The Gap appeared first on The Mom Maven.

When I started planning this trip one of the things I knew I had to pay attention to was my Cinch plan. I LOVE Disney food and we are going during the Food & Wine Festival so I know I have to really keep track of what I am eating. We are staying at a time share with a full kitchen so my plan is to bring my blender, 2 packets of chocolate shake mix, 2 packets of vanilla shake mix, 4 bananas, my almond milk, jar of peanut butter, 4 snack bars and 3 meal bars as well as lots of water. I bring my own water because they only sell Dasani in the park and I only drink natural spring water. I will have a peanut butter banana shake for breakfast each day, a meal bar for lunch and my snack bar when/if I get munchy. Friday night we are eating our anniversary dinner at UNO Chicago Grill. Saturday night we will eat counter service somewhere in the Magic Kingdom and Sunday night will be counter service somewhere in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Monday’s lunch will be bits and pieces of food at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival and Monday night we are dining with friends at La Hacienda San Angel. I have been scouring menus so I can make healthy choices and for our counter service meals, hubby and I usually share a meal so that helps with portion control. I will be indulging in a Dole Whip while I am at the Magic Kingdom-a girl needs her Dole Whip, but other than that I’ll be sticking to my plan and walking. I usually log 5-8 miles on a typical Disney day so for 3 park days that will be a lot of extra exercise too.

Check back next week and I’ll let you know how well I did!

As for week 14…I lost 2 pounds!! That is a total if 15 pounds in 14 weeks. Considering I just re-started my exercise routine yesterday, I am ecstatic! I’m hoping this week will be just as good.

How is your weight loss journey going? What changes have you made? Are you exercising? Eating better? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation’s Team #Cinchspiration Campaign. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating. My opinions are my own. Results and experiences are unique for each person, so results may vary. People following the weight loss portion of Shaklee 180 can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

The post Doing Cinch on Vacation appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Anyway, food wise I am still doing well, except for the Halloween candy I ate at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party last week! It is the exercise that has been lacking since the accident almost 2 months ago. The only real exercise I am getting is our evening half mile with the puppy. Sierra’s memorial service is this evening so I plan to get back to a regular schedule for work and exercise after that.
Despite it all, the scale is still moving in the right direction! This week I am at 215 which is a loss of 13lbs in 13 weeks. I had hoped to be at 20lbs by now but I’m not complaining A pound a week is a good, steady, weight loss.

My measurements have barely changed in the last month or so but hopefully when I kick the workouts back into gear I’ll tone up more. I do think you can see the changes in my pictures though and my pants are all getting too big so I know this is working!

What do you think? Can you see a difference? Want to join me on my Cinch journey? Learn more on the Shaklee website.

This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation’s Team #Cinchspiration Campaign. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating. My opinions are my own. Results and experiences are unique for each person, so results may vary. People following the weight loss portion of Shaklee 180 can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

The post Week 13 Cinch Update appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Cinch® Snack Bars serve up hard-to-believe snacking pleasure with hunger-fighting protein. Powered by Leucine, they help preserve muscle. 120–130 calories per bar.

The Cinch Starter kit comes with an assortment box of 10 bars to get you started. Don’t forget I’m giving away a Cinch Starter kit, please go enter if you haven’t already!

I haven’t measured this week and I didn’t lose any weight this week but I am not losing heart for several reasons…

1. Sunday morning at church several people told me how great I looked and asked how much weight I had lost.
2. Today a friend asked me if I needed a size 14 swimsuit and I laughed and told her I was a 20/22. She then proceeded to laugh because she is a 22/24 and sees me as MUCH thinner than she is.
3. I was re-reading the information in the Cinch packet that I received when I was accepted into this program and in clinical studies over 12 weeks people lost an average of 15.4 pounds. I have lost 11 pounds in 10 weeks so I feel like I am right on track with the average.

This week I plan to exercise more (4-5 days) and take my Boost, I’m really bad at remembering that! What are your healthy goals this week? Leave me a comment and let me know.

This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation’s Team #Cinchspiration Campaign. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating. My opinions are my own. Results and experiences are unique for each person, so results may vary. People following the weight loss portion of Shaklee 180 can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

The post Cinchspiration Week 10 appeared first on The Mom Maven.