2013 has really had it’s ups and downs for me. Unfortunately one of my ups was my weight. It just so happens that I did a significant amount of travel this year and I guess I had way too much fun haha! It is ironic to me that the very year I start my blog and Facebook page, is also the year that I hit my highest weight ever for me personally. I realize now that it’s okay though because I have learned from my mistakes and I have experienced a great deal of success this past Fall!

My last trip was to New York in September to visit friends and family. I knew that once I got off the plane on September 19 that things were going to change. I was going to be focused, dedicated, and work extremely hard to get myself back into shape. I had a few incentives to keep me going including feeling better in my own clothes, looking fabulous in my Halloween costume, being ready for my Women’s Half marathon November 3, and to be in a healthy state for my annual physical at the doctor.

When I got on the scale on September 20, I weighed in at 144 pounds. I am 5’4 which meant my BMI was 24.7, indicating I was is in the Normal category for adults my height. And for my height, a normal weight range would be from 108 to 145 pounds. So by now some of you may be thinking – what’s the big deal? Isn’t normal perfectly fine? For a majority of people, it absolutely is and there is nothing wrong with that! So why did I need to lose weight and change my ways? I know that my weight at that time wasn’t that bad, but I was at the top of the normal range and was only 1 pound away from being considered in the overweight category. I know that I feel comfortable being in the mid to high 120’s. It’s a personal preference, its keep me feeling good in my clothes and comfortable in my own skin.  I wanted to really nip my weight gain in the bud, just so it wouldn’t continue to get worse.

Here’s a picture of me from my New York trip on September 16th.

So how did I reach success these past 7 weeks? A variety of things actually! First of all, my friend Corine Green aka Zucchini Runner (another blogger like myself, check her page here: http://zucchinirunner.com) got me involved in one her Shakeology Challenge Groups via Facebook. She sent all of the 6 group members a week’s worth of samples of different Shakeology flavors. She also sent us a recipe packet and lots of great information on Shakeology – which I have learned is an incredibly nutrient dense meal replacement. The company behind Shakeology is Beachbody. Beachbody has also put out many other popular products such as Turbo Jam, P90X, and Insanity, among others. They searched the planet (literally) for 70 different super foods from only sustainable sources. There are a variety of flavors (vanilla, strawberry, greenberry, and chocolate) and they have non-vegan and vegan options.

 

I really enjoyed the support from the Facebook Challenge Group hosted by Corine which lasted from September 23 – 30. We had a private group where we could share our recipes, successes and mistakes, and really keep each other accountable. It got me started on the right track again! I was making healthy meals again at home, keeping a food journal, and working out consistently.  I was eager to continue my healthy habits and just so happens that Corine informed us of another Shakeology Challenge group that was going to start on October 7th! It was a 30 Day Sugar Detox!! I was so thrilled to continue that I immediately signed up! This time our group had over 60 members! By the time the 30 Day Sugar Detox Challenge started I was down to 141 pounds. Here are my photos from October 7th:

 

To help us prepare for the 30 Day Sugar Detox the group leaders sent us a shopping list and a meal plan for the week. Here’s an idea of some of the goodies that I purchased to prepare:

Here’s me on Day 4 (October 10th) enjoying a Pumpkin Shake for breakfast! Using my Vegan Chocolate Shakeology, I blended, half banana, about 10 pecans, 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice Blend, 1 teaspoon homemade vanilla extract (thanks Jennifer V!), 1 teaspoon local raw honey, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, ice, and homemade almond milk! YUM!!!

 

Now even though it was a Sugar Detox, we were still allowed to have small amounts of raw honey and maple syrup to make our own treats. The main focus was to avoid the hidden sugar in a great deal of processed foods and even to avoid sugar substitutes such as aspartame. Here are some of the yummy examples that I made for dessert during the 30 days which includes apple slices with almond butter, chia seed pudding, and homemade peanut butter cups:

 

During the 30 Day Detox Challenge I had a blast sharing and learning with the group! I made daily posts on my Facebook page to keep myself accountable to my followers and I also shared as many articles and recipes as I could. For me it was SO MUCH FUN!! Corine could see that I was having a blast with the challenge group and she contacted me about being a Beachbody Coach. At first I thought I wouldn’t have the time. But between her belief in me and the success I was feeling with getting healthy I decided to give it a try! I’m still a brand new coach and I’m learning all about Beachbody, but I am so eager to see where it takes me! I am trying to grow my Facebook page and my blog, and I feel that becoming a Beachbody Coach will only propel me into the right direction!

So how did I do at the end of my 30 Day Sugar Detox? I feel great inside and out! I accomplished all of my goals! Check out my Halloween costume (so you be the judge)!

Oh and I actually participated in not one, but 2 races the first weekend of November! First was the ROC (Ridiculous Obstacle Challenge) 5k Race (even Evan participated!!) and the Women’s Half Marathon.

The Women’s Half Marathon was a huge success! I ran my 2nd fastest time ever at exactly 1:48:00 minutes! Hopefully for my next one I’ll be ready to break my PR and get under 1:45:00 minutes!

Here are my final results at the end of the 30 Day Sugar Detox Challenge:

Here are also my measurements:

 

I am thrilled that I have lost 7 pounds since the 3rd week in September! I know that my journey is not over and I will be facing upcoming challenges that have to with travel again, but this time I feel more prepared and very focused to continue my results! I will be bringing my bag of Shakeology, my Magic Bullet blender, and my workout gear with me each and every time I go away so that I know I’ll keep on track even when I’m on vacation. I want to make sure that I have the right amount of fun from now on haha!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this post about my most recent weight loss success! If you want advice pertaining to recipes and/or exercise or Shakeology, please do not hesitate to contact me and follow me via my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CookAndRunWithKristin.

Here is my Shakeology website where you can order the product directly from me:  http://myshakeology.com/cookandrun

As a new coach I actually purchased what Beachbody calls a challenge pack! I’ll be getting Shakeology shipped directly to my door each month and I also received an exercise DVD set called Focus T25. T25 offers an hour’s results in only 25 minutes so I’m excited to try it!