The big House o’ Hepdaddy Diet of 2011 has officially begun.
And in Biggest Loser form, I’m hoping to be a HUGE LOSER over the next few months! This is one time I hope I’m a loser!
I guess it’s time to put my money where my mouth is and start this ol’ here diet of mine.
Exactly two weeks ago I made a post about being overweight. I waited for my Cinch stuff to come in the mail, and it actually arrived last week before Blissdom, but I decided I should probably wait to start the diet until after my vacation conference.
So here I am. Day one. The beginning of the rest of my {healthier} life.
Me (on the right) with Crystal Bowersox (American Idol). This was taken on Friday, so it’s the most recent picture of my ol’ tire tube.
I got up this morning and nervously stepped on the scale…
Please don’t judge the piggie toes. I can’t control my DNA. 😉
In case you can’t read that…
You gotta start somewhere, and I’m starting at 185.2 lbs. Also, (this part is even more embarrassing for me to admit than my actual weight), I purchased several new pairs of jeans two weeks ago. Depending on if they ran even or odd sizes, I had to buy size 16 & size 17.
I’m not really sure what my long-long term goal is, so I figured I’ll just make several smaller goals. For now, my first goal is 160 lbs.
I think I can handle that. I’m 5′ 5″ and even at my thinnest in high school (around a size 8 ) I weighed about 150 lbs, so I’ve never been on the petite side. I’m guessing 160 lbs should put me at about a size 10, at which point I’ll reevaluate and set a new goal.
Okay, so how exactly do I plan on losing the pounds?
The Cinch Diet by Shaklee (the same company that sells those amazing household cleaners!)
I’m loaded up on my “gear” (food and shakes):
I also got this cool Blender Bottle to mix the Shakes in from BlenderBottle.com.
As a side note, the Blender Bottle is the best shake mixing bottle I’ve ever used. I love it. My husband actually bought them when he was doing Body For Life to mix up his Protein Shakes. I’m not affiliated with Blender Bottle in any way, shape, or form. They are just really cool and work really well to get all the shake clumpies mixed up.
I’ve also decided to use Almond Milk instead of regular cow’s milk.
I buy these in a 6-pack at Costco. I chose Almond Milk over skim milk for three reasons:
The diet’s pretty easy. I just fill my bottle with 16 ounces of Almond Milk then add 2 scoops of shake mix and mix the heck out of it.
In addition, I’m taking 1/2 a 3-in-1 Boost pill for breakfast and lunch. I tried a whole pill and it made me shaky (too much caffeine?) so I’m only taking half a pill for now. Maybe I’ll work my way up to a pill per meal eventually.
Oh, and I’m drinking the shakes for breakfast and lunch. Dinner is just a healthy meal of my choosing.
You can totally see my fat tire tube in this picture with Beth (Stories of A2Z), and Sarah (Thrifty Decor Chick). I’m {obviously} on the right.
So there ya go! Day 1, Month 1.
I’m going to update each month on the first Tuesday of the month. If you’d like to follow along with additional updates, I’ll be making regular updates over at my Facebook Fan Page and on Twitter.
In summary:
Did I forget anything else?
I’m kissing this figure good-bye!
Anyone else trying to lose weight? Let’s do it together!
** I’ve created a weight loss group at Fat Secret for House of Hepworths readers. If you’d like to join my group so we can all lose weight together, join now! **
I’ll post my official update on March 1st. Wish me luck!
Good for you! I do Cinch as well, am down about 30 pounds total, but I have a much longer journey than you!
I have just recently tried the almond milk as well, its quite good. I prefer the chocolate shakes over the vanilla, but I have a lot of vanilla to use up so I started using the chocolate unsweetened almond milk with the vanilla cinch and half a banana (but I use a blender) its great!
Also, one other tip, you can always reduce your Cinch scoops to one too, thats what I do because I (like you) can’t handle thick…eww! 😉
Ill be following your progress!! Good luck!
Julie
a fellow Shaklee gal up in the cold Northern part of Canada
You rock! This IS going to happen for you because you are holding yourself accountable. 🙂
Good Luck Allison! I’l be pulling for you. Do I need to lose weight? heck yeah! Daughter gets married in 3 months! goal? 10 pounds (not enough) but hey I’ll take it!
gail
I’m going to be posting TOMORROW about how I lost 30 pounds two years ago….I may have gained back a tiny bit! So, I’m trying to lost another ten for now! But, 185 isn’t so bad. I started off at 180 and am down to 150 and I’m the same as you! I am not tiny/petite but many people are fooled that I’m thinner than I really am {dressing a certain way can fool the eye – at least that’s what Stacy and Clinton say}! I walk four miles a day – two miles straight up my “hill of death!” Please read my post tomorrow {if you want} and you can see all about the transformation! This is the most accountable way you can lose weight! You CAN DO IT!!
Becky B.
http://www.organizingmadefun.blogspot.com
Organizing Made Fun
You are so courageous and such an inspiration. I have struggled with healthy eating habits for years. I admire you sharing your journey so we can all be inspired.
Good luck, girl! We’re all behind you!!! And you are so brave to show the scale to all of us. You totally got this!
GOOD LUCK!!! Sounds like you have a good game plan going now to keep you on track!! That sounds super easy to follow. Are you supposed to have a light snack in between meals or is it just 2 shakes a day and 1 meal for dinner?
I’m going to look into the cinch. Sounds great! I lost 30 lbs by doing slimfast 1 meal a day and just eating smaller portions and working out. Then I got sick and have been stuck ever since. I haven’t gained any back but now I’m stuck at 185 (We’re the same size!!)! I can’t wait to get back on track!!
Anyway, Good luck and I look forward to seeing your loss results each month!!!
Can we do it together? I am an inch taller than you and weigh exactly the same. I am trying to do it by limiting calories and avoiding carbs.
I so admire you! Good luck! I think chronicling your weight loss journey publicly will inspire a lot of people and probably help you along too, with all of us in blogland behind you, offering support! GO FOR IT!
Nancy
Wow – good for you. Its easy to put it on…and so hard to take it off. I am 12 pounds into a 30 pound weight loss goal…that I started on 12/8/10. So its been slow but okay. I feel good. Almost half way there. Hang in there and I will be following your progress.
Uuuuuck!! I’m so badly wanting to lose weight, but I’m nursing so I am constantly S-T-A-R-V-I-N-G!!! I have yet to lose 20 lbs of baby weight (first baby!) and I was up about another 20 from when I got married (only 2 1/2 yrs ago!) before I got pregnant! I know I need to exercise, but it’s all I can do to get a moment alone to breathe period, let alone exercise! (said baby is sleeping in my arms right now!! So I don’t hardly get to blog surf alone either!) Dieting is next to impossible because when I don’t eat enough, baby girl doesn’t eat!!
Good for you for trying to get healthier- although I gotta say, I’d KILL to look like you right now because I’d fit in more of my clothes again!! I’ve got pretty much the same story as you, 5’5, 150 lbs in high school, and I was around your size before the wedding crash diets! I carry my weight all over though, so no one really knows how much I weigh, and if they find out, they are shocked!!
I am happy my baby is 6 months now and starting to eat some real food so maybe I don’t have to eat so much! Ha! I defy those who say nursing helps you lose weight- it doesn’t! But you can eat like a pig and not gain weight! If only I was happy with my weight, that would be a good thing!
Whoo hoo!! you can do it! You look amazing as you are, but i know how you feel about wanting to be at a good healthy weight. I have the same scale, it seems to be really accurate. Good luck. Cant wait to read all of your success posts 🙂
Yahoo! You go girl! You’re gonna do awesome, and being accountable by blogging is such a great idea {might have to steal that one 🙂 } Looking forward to your updates!
so proud of you! that takes guts girly! but, putting yourself out there, will just make us love your blog (and you) that much more!
two years ago, at almost this exact same time, we did biggest loser at work. it was motivating and inspiring! i went from over 180 something to in the 150’s when we finished the contest! then, i went on to lose another 10 or so on my own after it was over! diet and exercise was my ticket! i was finally ready to get my booty in gear and it sounds like you are too, make the biggest difference in the world when trying to lose weight!
good luck to you!
You are so brave posting that scale picture! Good for you! 🙂 I would totally love to take on the weight loss challenge with you. You’re quite the inspiration!
And on a totally unrelated note, am I the only one who thinks it was odd that Crystal Bowersox was at Blissdom? I guess I didn’t even know she had a blog! 🙂
So very proud of you!!! Your post made me slow down the shoveling of popcorn into my face from fist-fulls to a few kernels at the time. Don’t think I can do cinch with you since I’m breast feeding “Captain Cabe-man”, but I’ll definitely join in the race to a healthier life. I’ve lost 25 of the 30 pounds from pregnancy, but have another 30 big ol’ whoppin’ L frickin’ B’s to lose from fertility meds. (Those things WRECK – as in, get out the jaws of life – your metabolism.) Remember the pic of us before we went to see Cirque? I heart that “me”. When we reach our goals, we’ll take another shot of the four of us (if we can get our acts in gear and get together). PAR-TAY in Hotlanta when it happens. Boys get to babysit!
Allison, I’ve been meaning to write you ever since your post about jumping on a trampoline=wet undies. All my life I’ve had the same problem but never admitted it to anyone…I actually thought I was the ONLY one in the world with this “issue”. Thank you so very, very much for you courage to share so much of yourself…you inspire me to be my most authentic self every single day.
Good luck with this diet regime of yours!!!
You go, girl! I admire your courage and spirit!
Good luck! The plan sounds great and I will be on board after the baby comes. I was at my biggest ever when I got pregnant, so the numbers are getting really scary now. I’m not getting on a scale except at the doctor’s office so I don’t go crazy. You can do this!
You can do it!
To me losing weight is like giving up cigarettes. YES I was a smoker for 32 years, there I said it for all the world to see. But I have been smoke free 1 year 5 months.
Now in giving up the smokes, I’ve gained a ton of weight. The smoking is not completely to blame. Have you heard of the freshmen 15? Being an over achiever I just had to out do that and I went for the freshmen 40! yes school helped my brain but killed my waistline.
So I am also on a quest to lose my love handles, and try to put the rest of the parts back where they belong. Yesterday we got a treadmill. Bad weather can no longer be used for my crutch.
I’m joining you as a blogging loser.
good luck you’ll do great!
I know you will do a fantastic job at this! You are motivated and you have a positive attitude! So I cheer you on…RAH! RAH!!
I have lost 170 lbs so far…took two years! And I have 40 left to go. And it is the hardest so far! I have to step up my efforts for sure.
The Cinch diet looks good. I will be interested in how you like it. Does the powdered shake have milk products in it? Or is it Soy based. Just wondered. I can’t do milk on a regular basis. Gives me migraines.
Good luck
Hugs
SueAnn
Rooting for you to be a really BIG LOSER!! You can do it!
Good luck Allison! I am so impressed by your bravery posting all of your stats for the world to see. You go girl! I know you’re going to do great!!!!
Woohoo! You can do it! 🙂
It’s funny – this Cinch diet seems alot like the Usana diet (with the shakes and vitamins and snackbars – 2 shakes a day/1 regular meal per day). Quite a few of my family and extended family members got onboard the Usana diet, and they loved it! It worked really well for them, too – they lost alot of weight! 🙂
I gave it a shot, but it wasn’t my cup of tea – a little too strict for me. I’ve had success calorie counting (with the help of Livestrong.com), and I’m on the Tim Ferriss’ Slow Carb Diet at the moment – 10 pounds down in the first month (January), and 10 more to go this month! 🙂
Good luck with this diet! Stick with it and I know you’ll have lots of success!!
~Chelsea
my hubby & i started about 3 weeks ago, starting our 4th week this week. so far i have lost 12 lbs & am so happy. the other day i couldn’t wear a pair of my jeans because they were too BIG! woo-hoo! so happy! hubby is doing WW but i’m not. so far, so good. i just wish i was as brave as you posting your weight for the world to see…you rock & you are beautiful too! i would be more than happy to lose the weight right along with you too! big hugs sweetie!
Go Allison! From a former big girl (and kind of getting to be there again…boo), I have to tell you that getting your head in the right frame of mind is the BIGGEST key to success! I feel like you are so there, so success should be your only option! 🙂
Many good wishes to you! 🙂
I’m right there with you, dear! I started at the same weight and after about 4 months of ups and downs, I’m FINALLY getting on the right track and have lost about 7 pounds. I’m just working out and watching my calories, but it’s working!! I realized today that I have TWENTY FIVE pairs of pants in a box labeled “Too Small” that I’ll be able to wear if I just lose 25 more pounds. If that’s not motivation, I don’t know what it!!! WE CAN DO IT!!
Good luck Allison! Rooting for you.
Good luck girl! You can do it. One meal at a time. And your pinkie toes are fine. Have you seen some of the feet on blogs?!
Hey Allison –
Congrats on your new journey and I wish you the best of luck. I give you so much credit for putting yourself and the numbers out there like that! I’ve never struggled with weight, but my mom and dad both do (which is why I haven’t . . . I exercise a lot). It is, however, my passion to help others reach their weight loss goals. I’ve always thought of becoming a personal trainer! If you ever have any questions , please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m not a fan of “foods/shakes etc” that you have to buy, so you’ll have to let me know how the Cinch stuff works for you. I’m a big believer in making healthier choices and exercising daily so that it becomes a permanent change. Oh and I’m a BIG believer in weight training!!! Best of luck – I am rooting for you!
I just signed up (which was a very long process!). I’m in. I need all the motivation I can get! Right now I’m doing awesome on exercise, and I feel great. But I’m struggling with the sweets. So today, I’m recommitting myself to treat my body right!
Thank you for sharing your story!
I just joined your group, I need an outside accountability and I think this will be a great support for me. 🙂
Courtney
Well done. Good on you for starting. I am trying to loose weight so I am looking forward to seeing how the shake thing goes for you.
Wow! I joined that site with you earlier today {I saw your link on FB} but this post amazed me. I NEVER share my weight with anyone and you put it on the internet!! You are so brave. I admire you and look forward to losing weight together!!
WE HAVE THE SAME PIGGY TOES!!!!! hehehe!!!! I’m so glad I’m not alone!
I have the same little toes, LOL! 😉 good luck to you. I wish that I had the willpower to lose weight, but I don’t. It’s all I can do to just stay the same…although; I have started up on the treadmill again. It tends to help me lose inches, not weight. but at least that’s something.
You are the bravest person I kow!!!!! Go Allison!!!!
You can do it!!! 🙂 I should join you. For sure. And kudos to your for posting all of this on your blog. I’d never be that brave.
You can do it! This is an awesome jumpstart to a weight loss program. I can’t wait to see the results. And thanks for the tip on Almond milk. My husband is lactose intolerant and he might like to try this.
I’m very proud of your journey to lose weight and become healthy. However I am wont be checking in to see your progress because I am beginning to feel like every other post here is sponsored and trying to sell me something.
I just re-joined Weight Watchers last night… for about the 5th time over the course of several years. I tend to start something and the not finish it, but I’m determined to let this be the time that I reach my goal weight and STAY THERE!!! Off to join your weight loss group…
I am the same height as you and weigh 181.5 (although you have a head starty on me so you probably weigh about that now.) I always thought I was thin because I compared myself to my husband (255lbs and 2 inches taller than me) He recently (late aug 2010) decided to lose weight and has now lost 60lbs (I hate how easy it is for men) His goal is to lose 20 more lbs. I have a good 40 to take off and I am going to starty today. Mr thin man is making me look like an obese slob : (
I admire you for being so honest with your readers about your starting weight and size! Not sure I could do that. Good luck on your weight loss journey!
I wondered if you checked the protein content on the almond milk as oppose to the reg milk. Having protein is important in any diet. good luck