Holding Steady!

I am doing pretty okay :-D had a KILLER weekend full of GREAT food! GREAT friends! GREAT drinks!!! Not even going to weigh myself in this week :-P HAHAHAHAHA

got a new digital scale :) Where my old scale was "around" 190 ... I weighed in at 191.6 (not too shabby!) and am looking forward to getting down to 185 by the 1st (well, i say the 1st, but actually the 3rd, since I weigh in on Monday's) 

However ... regardless of my slowed weight loss, I still feel great and feel like I look great! 

See for yourself :-D

MY PLAN:


Eating Less
Exercising More


HAHAHAHAHA easier said than done! No more alcohol during the work week (weekends only ... cutting out empty calories)


Daily Exercise (for a minimum of 20 minutes). Not just "I was active while cleaning" exercise, but actually stopping and doing something active (like my elliptical)


LOVING the LeptiLean! 


NEED MORE SPARK!


:-D Gotta Run!!


See you all on the flip side of skinny ;-)

~NiCo

all "DRESSED" up

Hey All!!

I am holding right around 190 pounds (12 pounds down from my start weight on 8-5-11) and am feeling GREAT! I have been taking Coreplex with Iron and LeptiLean. I have more energy to get things done, I am sleeping better at night, and my eating is so controlled (I actually have to force myself to eat).  

I just finished my last assignment for my last class today and am now out of school until October 2nd :-D (almost 2 full weeks) THIS week I am going to bust ass and step up the pace on my elliptical and try to drop 5 pounds THIS week! I weighed myself this morning and I was right between 190/191 (analog scale ... I SO need a digital one) and want to be around 185 by next Monday :)

I went out and bought a dress the other day (second hand ... yay pick 'n' pay). I don't own any "dresses" other than two black cocktail dress up types of dresses, so this was VERY new for me :-D and I WORE IT!! And felt GREAT in it ALL day :-D (a bit breezy ;-) lol)

Here are some pics....

I measured myself the other day as well ... this is what I got ..

Bust (around my rib cage) 42"

Waist (at skinniest point) 37"

Hips (at widest point) 41"

ALMOST a perfect hour glass ;-)

I took a pic of my hair the other day (the back of my head cause I don't have a mirror to see what it looks like LMAO) and I really liked how it looked (not just the hair, but my back in general ... always been an eww spot for me)

I'm not there YET but I am VERY pleased with how my body is progressing and changing :)

And my health ... I feel SO good!!

I'll see ya on the flip side of skinny!!! Stay Healthy :) NiCo

Coffeccino :-D YUM!!

I got my order in yesterday :) Got the box of Mango Strawberry Spark for Brenda King, winner of my drawing on my facebook page (please visit my page, like my page, and stay up-to-date). I also got in the rehydrate in fruit punch (have yet to try it, but will tonight when I do my exercise), LeptiLean (a weight loss supplement that aids in appetite control, feelings of fullness, and boosts metabolism) that I will be taking two at dinner time since it is my biggest meal of the day (and i struggle with NES, nighttime eating syndrome), and then Miss Joy Huffman had in stock a bottle of CorePlex with Iron that she sold me so that I can get my daily multi-vitamin now that I am no longer taking the MNS 3 that came with my 24 Day Challenge, and I need additional iron in my diet since I have a hard time getting it through the foods that I eat, and I am borderline anemic. And then I have another order pending for two more canister's of Spark in Fruit Punch and one in Mango Strawberry (have yet to try it) and some more meal replacement shakes (after almost not having breakfast yesterday morning, I figured having a quick go to in my cupboard would be a good idea). But best of all, the thing that I was MOST excited about getting in yesterday, was my Coffeccino :-D

All About Coffeccino

*Helps Sustain Energy

*Helps Suppress Appetite

*B-Vitamins and Neuroactives aid in Energy and Mental Focus

*Lower in fat, sugar, and calories than most coffee drinks

It is absolutely delicious! I decided that since I am still a spark lover (omgoodness yum!!) that I would have to try it some other time of the day. I normally eat breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and then another snack (so much food!) so I figured that I would give up my mid-morning snack and have my Coffeccino (now that I think of it, I think from now on I will have it at my afternoon snack instead) so I drank it up ... and it was delicious!!!!!!

One pack is only 80 calories and is to be mixed with 6 ounces of water (160 calories for a 12oz drink ... not bad considering that my salted caramel mocha in 12oz yesterday was 234 calories ... eek!). However, you can drink this hot, cold, or even blended!

*HOT heat 6 oz water to hot, but not boiling, and mix in packet

*COLD/ICED shake (try the advocare blender bottle! want one? LET ME KNOW! Or stay tuned on my facebook page for a giveaway of one of these blender bottles when my page reaches 50 likes!) or stir in to 6 oz of cold water or milk. You can even add a few ice cubes for an "iced" coffee :)

*BLENDED drop in a blender with a few ice cubes and blend away!

*FLAVORED you can even add your favorite creamers or flavored extracts to give it just that much more (try almond extra of vanilla extract for a no calorie flavor boost)

There is SO MUCH MORE than just Coffee in the AdvoCare Coffeccino

 

 It's full of vitamins and minerals, no more caffeine than a regular cup of coffee, and it's YUMMY!!

I am looking forward to continuing on with the Spark, getting more in to the LeptiLean and the CorePlex with Iron, and starting with the Rehydrate :) I will keep everybody posted on my progress! My next weigh-in is on Monday the 12th ... 

Keep on keeping on, and I'll see you on the flip side of skinny

~NiCo

The BENEFITS of working out in the MORNING

I am NOT a morning person!! But, honestly, I'm not much of a night person either lol I am BUSY throughout my day, work 8am-5pm, two kids and a husband, chores, college work ... my day's never end! When am I supposed to work out?!?! At the butt crack of dawn?!?!

Well ... yeah :)

There are MANY benefits to working out in the morning! After a bit of online research, this is what I have learned about A.M. Workouts!

IT'S DONE AND OUT OF THE WAY

I get up at 6:00, go pee, make my spark, and hop on the elliptical for 15 minutes (for now, moving up to 20 minutes next week, and so on and so forth). And guess what ... it's done! Before I even 'start my day' my workout is done! No "finding time" later in the day, no excusing my way out of it because I'm busy with this or busy with that! It's simply DONE!

IT BOOSTS MY METABOLISM

When you go to sleep your metabolism slows down, and when you get up in the morning, you gotta wake up your metabolism. The sooner you wake it up, the more calories you burn throughout your day. So getting up and getting the exercise done revs up my metabolism just that much earlier.

CREATE MY OWN ROUTINE

It takes several weeks for your body to adjust to a change and crave that change, so forcing myself to get up and hit the elliptical right now sucks! But before I know it, my body will naturally wake up early and CRAVE the work out!

ENCOURAGES BETTER SLEEP

By not exercising at night, I am allowing my body to relax at night, allowing me to sleep better. Rather than exercising before bed and amping my body up! 

BECOME AN "OXYGEN" ADDICT!

I'm a coffee fiend! But scientific studies show that oxygen is a much better boost for your brain and your energy levels. So working out in the morning gives me the energy and the mental focus that I need, and I'm not being dependent on caffeine!

EXERCISE BEFORE EATING

Though tests are preliminary, it is believed that exercising before you eat increases the efficiency of calorie burning throughout your day. It can help when "over indulging" in food for whatever reason (holiday's, birthday weekend, screw it day). It also helps maintain healthy insulin levels (diabetes runs in my family, so this is a concern of mine).

IT'S GOOD FOR YOUR MIND

By taking the time first thing in the morning, I am alone! No kids pulling on my pant legs, complaining about chores, or husbands fighting for my attention through organizing, homework, and cooking dinner. It is my time to work out. Let me repeat first part ... it is MY time! I get to plug in some music, rock out a bit, and simply think. Think about my day, what's to come, plan things out, and mentally prepare myself!

So, what have I learned?! Working out in the morning (no matter how  much I have the morning) is SO good for my health! THIS is why I am going to stick with it! :-)

REFERENCES

http://www.lifescript.com/Body/Shape/Workout/Rise_and_Shine_Top_5_Morning_Exercise_Benefits.aspx

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/lose-weight-with-morning-exercise 

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/15/phys-ed-the-benefits-of-exercising-before-breakfast/

http://www.active.com/fitness/Articles/Morning_exercise_jump-starts_your_day.htm

10 POUNDS LIGHTER!!

HELLO BLOG FOLLOWERS!!

I am OFFICIALLY 10 pounds lighter this morning :-D one month after beginning the AdvoCare 24 day challenge :-D

I AM NOT DONE YET!! I have taken my measurements (well some of them)

Bust: 42"

Waist: 37"

Hips: 41"

I am going to get more measurements today, too (both arms, thighs, calves, and neck). I am 192 pounds (OMG trust me, I know!).

Other than continuing to eat healthy, I am also going to begin taking LeptiLean (click the link to view this product) before dinner at night (since it's my largest meal of the day). Spark will remain a constant in my world. And since winter is right around the corner, and I'm a coffee lover, I am going to try Coffeccino :-) (If you are interested in any of these products, or others offered by AdvoCare, you can shop online, or contact me via phone or via message through the website. You can also join me at my facebook page, AdvoCare Independent Distributor, Nina Coffey, to keep up on product details, sweepstakes, and encouragement!)

I started on the elliptical trainer this morning and burned almost 200 calories in 15 minutes before even starting my day :-D tomorrow, however, I think I might get up a few minutes earlier and eat something :-/ felt queasy afterwards, yuck!

Breakfast this morning is 1/4 of a canteloupe and some water with a dash of Mio Fruit Punch. YUM! (makes the water that much more enjoyable). Not sure about lunch today, but I get to go home for lunch, so I will definitely cook something good!!

I am feeling great about this last month, and am looking forward to the next month! My goal is 170 pounds by December 2nd (My 25th birthday) ... so I still have around 3 months to get there (12 1/2 weeks) to lose another 22 pounds (I need to lose an average of 1.76 pounds per week). 

I am starting on the elliptical at 15 minutes (4 minute easy, 1 minute fast, 4 minutes easy, 1 minute fast, 3 minutes easy, 1 minute fast, 1 minute easy ... learning the benefits of "interval training") and am going to bump myself up to 20 minutes next week :-) baby steps!

Thank you all, again, for your continued support! I hope that my successes in AdvoCare can encourage others to try it. 

See you on the flip side of skinny ;-)

~NiCo

Max Phase Day 11: 4 days to go!!

I am feeling GREAT! Not so sure about the whole weight loss thing, but I have also been working on toning my body. 

I have been using the Ab Wheel on my knees going out as far as I can. I do 4 or 5 reps and do 2 or 3 reps throughout the day (they are super hard, fyi)

On top of that, I have been doing crunches, with my knees in the air, and reaching the opposite elbow across to the other knee. I am doing 20-35 reps of these once or twice in a set and once or twice a day.

I do step on the scale from time to time and I am holding 193/194. So no loss, but clothes are fitting me SO FREAKING GOOD! I am wearing a jacket today that "i can wear this, just don't button it" and guess what? I CAN BUTTON IT NOW! Check me out!!!!

Lookin' good in my suit :-D

I made some changes to my diet, though. I was consuming only 1200 calories a day (well, trying to) and myfitnesspal.com divied out my carbs, protein, and fats in such a way where I was CONSTANTLY going over and fats and protein and ALWAYS under on carbs. So I revamped my consumption based on the "moderate ii" calorie division. I am now consuming 1,500 a day goal (SO much more manageable, and still leaves a 700-800 calorie deficit a day excluding exercise). I changed my carbs to 55%, Protein to 25%, and fats to 20%. Yesterday I ate normal, actually felt satisfied, NOT guilty about my consumption, and I ate right on target! It felt good :) No reason to set myself up to fail! (Hell, I like to eat! How DARE I force myself to consume the MINIMUM recommended caloric intake?!)

so yeah, feeling good, looking good, sleeping good, dreaming good ... now? just keeping myself going :)

See you on the flip side of skinny

:)NiCo

Max Phase Day 7 ...

Day 7 was yesterday, and I must say ... not a good weekend LOL any weight loss that I had over the week, I ruined this weekend! The stress that I incurred lead to wine consumption which lead to not caring as much about my caloric intake :-/ bad, bad Nina!! BUT today is a new day, and a new start! Here is a recap from yesterday ...

Not doing too shabby, even with absolutely no weight loss as of this morning. I am thinking about weighing in again on Wednesday ... we shall see!!

Yesterday morning started out good. I had my Spark, and my vitamins, and my meal replacement shake. Even had only 1/2 a roma tomato for snack. Lunch I was at a loss ... so I dug around my fridge and came up with this ...

I sauteed a small onion, 1/2 a red bell pepper, 6 green olives, and about 1/2 a cup of sliced cucumber and then scrambled it all in to two eggs. Protein and vegetables :) and guess what ... IT WAS YUMMY!!!

Then my husband got a call to a friends house to help them clean their clams. Offered him some in exchange for his labor. So he went ... after he got home, bringing home about 6 pounds of fresh razor clams, we hit the beach!! And I must say, that my body doesn't look to bad to me :)

It feels good to see myself and be okay with what I see. My downfall though, was dinner :-/

 FRIED razor clams and FRIED home fries. OMGoodness *drool* ... and totally over ate!!!!!!! And then instead of putting the stuff away in the fridge, it was left in bowls on the counter :O which meant mindless nibbling :-/ This morning, I must say, that I don't feel too shabby :-/ all that grease is REALLY weighing me down!!! At lunch today I am WALKING to the tanning beds, and then tanning :), and then WALKING back to work. Not sure what I'm going to do about lunch today, I could swing by McD's on my way back and grab a chicken salad (protein and veggies, right?) ... We shall see!!

I need to start incorporating more exercise in to my routine. I need an exercise bike!!!!!!! Anybody? Nobody? :-/ Better keep looking, then!

Anyways ... I am out! Gotta get my butt to the grind stone...

KEEP THINKING SKINNY my partner's in health!! See ya on the flip side of skinny ~NiCo

BTW like my FB page AdvoCare Independent Distributor, Nina Coffey!! As soon as it gets to 25 likes I am having a drawing for a FREE BOX of Spark of your flavor choice!! I will keep you up to date on the products, what they are all about, and will answer any questions you might have!! SHARE MY PAGE WITH YOUR FRIENDS the more the merrier!

MAX PHASE: Day 4 of 14

Whew! I made it through the ten day cleanse!!!! And now I'm on to the 14 day Max Phase full force!!! It is so super simple, and I have actually cut back on my eating (too. much. food!) I am getting up in the morning and making my spark and taking my first yellow pack of the MNS supplement pack strip. I go and get ready for work: shower, hair, make-up, get dressed (which is so much easier now that my clothes are fitting me). Here is me this morning :D

I feel GREAT about how I look :) But being a chunky girl for so long, I've learned how to dress to my size, and hide what I want hidden!! So I decided to do another tighter top shoot :-/ still pretty ewww (to me!) but there has definitely been a change in seven days (day 7 of the cleanse to day 4 of the max phase = seven days)

I am looking forward to what the next week is going to bring me, and then the next month! and how i will look and feel next summer :D (speaking of which ... I need to figure out something for winter! anybody got an elliptical or stationary bike they'd like to donate to a great cause?!)

Gotta get my butt in gear here at the office ... see you all on the flip side of skinny <3 NiCo

PS go to my spark store, buy spark! if you pay via check or cash you can get 10% off AND free shipping through the end of the month :D got questions about the products LET ME KNOW! Wanna try Spark or Slam?! LET ME KNOW!!

Cleanse Phase Days 9 & 10

So I fell off the blogging band wagon, but here I am :) Today is day 4 of the Max Phase, and I FINALLY got some pictures upload and ready to load up for your viewing pleasure (?) :)

As most of you know I ended the 10 day cleanse with a loss of 6 pounds, plus the 2 pounds that I lost the 5 days before beginning the phase, for a total loss of 8 pounds in 2 weeks (holy crap!) I am now day 4 of the max phase, and can weigh in again on Monday. I am HOPING for another 5-7 pounds during this phase :) and then have a goal of 5 pounds a month until I reach my goal of 30 pounds lost :) THIS IS SO DOABLE!!

Here are my pics from Day 9 ...

Not doing too shabby at this point! It helps, though, when you got clothes that fit! The jeans are a size 12 Carhart Curvy fit, and that top is a size 18 (yay for being barrel chested ... NOT!).

Day 10 I don't look too shabby either, and was SUPER stoked about my weight loss! I would have to say that I followed the diet 90% of the time (didn't do perfect, but did for the most part).

And the coolest thing that I saw was the difference in the way that my clothes fit :-D

 

DAY 1                                  VS                                 DAY 10

Still don't look great ... but there is a definite improvement, in a short ten days!!!!!!! THAT in itself is very encouraging!! If I ca do that in ten days, imagine what I can do in 4 months!!! :)

ACCOUNTABILITY, PEOPLE!!!

VIEW MY FOOD JOURNAL HERE

Just so that I know that what I am posting is made available to anybody, please feel free to check out what I've been eating. Comment as you see fit :)

NiCo

Day 10 coming to a close!!

I fell out of taking pictures of myself. I will in the morning though :) when I do my weigh-in!! Things have gone well! This weekend was pretty rough eating wise. Over indulged both yesterday and today (farmer's market yesterday, though calories were still under 1,500. today? husband made meat loaf with roasted potatoes and carrots and pan gravy lol there goes my calorie count!! lol). BUT I have been doing good, i feel good, i'm full of energy! i am getting excited to get some friends to start buying products from me so that we can move forward together as advocare lovers!!!! SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR ALL OF MY BLOG BUDDIES if you are interested in purchasing products, mention my blog and I will give you 20% of your first order!!!!! RECOMMENDATION is Spark, The 24 day challenge package, or the 10 day cleanse. There is also a chewable family appropriate multi-vitamin, as well as a myriad of supplements for bone, joint, heart, and digestive health. You can also find stuff to aid in muscle building and body toning if that is your thing! AdvoCare really does offer something for everybody!

Here are some random pics of the last few days :)

BREAKFAST OF AdvoCare CHAMPIONS!!! Fruit for Breakfast is something that a will DEFINITELY keep up!!!

We decided to go to the Farmer's Market on Saturday and treat ourselves to some REAL produce!!

The kettle corn was divine! I divided it all out in to 2 cup bags with 114 calories each (mmmmmm oh so good!) but my major downfall on Saturday? the brown sugar and cinnamon roasted almonds *drool*

I made us all a damn good fresh veggie lunch, even! the boys DUG IN!!!

Even with all the freshness, and goodness, I found myself wanting more!! rather than eating, i took a tip from my boss ... drink sweet hot tea! So I had a cup of bonker's skinny lemon mint tea with a packet of stevia :)

Oh, I can't forget to show you guys the "carrot man" that stowed away in our veggie bags ...

And, of course, I have to brag about the "sheets" that I put up on our kitchen window (totally white trash, right?!)

Straight up, though ... I made them out of a sheet and a bed skirt :) I'm crafty like that (Thanks G for lending me the sewing machine)

And last but not least ... Tomorrow begins the start of the 14 day Max Phase of the 24 day challenge. Here is an over view of what my daily diet will entail!!

I will keep this on the board to help me keep track :) I'm not much of a "pill taker" so the MNS packets will be a b-word!! But I think I will survive :) I got caramel rice cakes for some of my snacks, and restocked the house with clementines, apples, and bananas (can't keep fruit in the house) Oh, and a cantaloupe :) We have TONS of salmon (thanks to my grandparents) and chicken in the freezer! I am excited for the next phase!

MY HOPE is that I lost between 5-7 pounds during the 10 day cleanse and want to lose another 5-7 during the max phase (total loss of 10-14 pounds in 24 days) and then my goal is one pound per week from then on out! With my founded knowledge of proper diet, portion size, and self control, i think I can do this!! :)