Holiday Weight Gain – is it inevitable?

It’s that time of year again – the HEAVY end of the year!

• Halloween Candy
• Thanksgiving Turkey and gravy and stuffing (the verb!)
• Christmas Parties every week
• Christmas candy and baking
• New Year’s Party

I have always gone into the Holiday Party season with mixed emotions – I love the parties, but I dread the feeling of getting on the scale on January 1st!

This time last year, I didn’t know about the Body by Vi Challenge, but I was starting on my own commitment to lose weight … right at the toughest time of the year!

Read my Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge success story to find out what didn’t work for me during the heavy part of the year … and what finally DID work!
7 Tips – Avoid the Weight Gain!

1.  Don’t go to parties ravenously hungry – eat a healthy snack before you get there and you won’t be tempted to eat as much
2. Make yourself the designated driver so you limit or eliminate the empty calories from alcoholic drinks
3. Buy candy you don’t like at Halloween … so you give it all away
4. White Space – leave some empty space on your plate – works for parties, family meals, any time
5. Park at the back of the lot, when shopping or going to the mall, and force yourself to walk a little more each day
6. Pick high protein and high fiber foods –  lean meats, beans, whole grains, veggies – instead of carbs and sugars – candies, cookies, cakes, pies
7. OK, that last one is tough, so here’s another tip – the Team Approach:  ’Split’ with someone else (or 2 people!) so you can ‘try’ more kinds of pie.  Sample 1/3 of three kinds of pie or cake instead of taking 3 pieces.

Ideal Snacking

It may sound counter-intuitive to recommend snacking during the holidays – isn’t the idea to ‘avoid’ food.  Not really.  Ideal snacks can be a big help!

Ideal snacks = healthy snacks.  Nutra-Cookies are my favorite example because they are so easy to carry with me, they are individually wrapped, and I can reach for one any time I am hungry.  It’s the ideal mini meal.

Pack your snacks for the day – Nutra-Cookies, fruit, veggies, nuts – to make sure they are nearby when you need them.  A healthy snacking habit can lower your total calorie intake, especially during the holidays, because you are not as ravenously hungry at meal time (or Party Time!).

Body by Vi Holiday Solution

I’m using the Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge for my holiday solution this year.  I’m committed to not only avoid the Holiday weight gain, but actually lose a few pounds and build muscle tone this year.

Vi-Shape shakes in the morning – high protein to get my engine going.  Nutra-Cookies for my ideal snacks.  Neuro for my healthy energy drink in the afternoon.

Check out the Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge for yourself.  Maybe you should add it to your list of Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain.  It’s definitely a “gift that keeps on giving” – build lean muscle and the benefits last all year!

More Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

I asked some friends and colleagues for their tips on how to avoid holiday weight gain … and I got a huge response.   Lots of great ideas about how to manage the eating, the parties, and the calories part of the challenge, but also lots of ideas on exercise and the burning calories part of it to.  I’ll share some more ideas soon.

What do you find is effective for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain?
Leave me your ideas on the comments below!

Happy (and Healthy) Holidays!

Healthy snacks are important when trying to lose weight, even on the Body by Vi Challenge.

I’ve had lot’s of people ask me these questions:

Can I eat anything if I get hungry between meals?  Can I eat after I have my Vi-Shape Shake for breakfast but before it’s time for lunch?

These are great questions …   And the answer is simple – YES!

Eat Frequently

That is music to the ears of anyone trying to lose weight – eat frequently.  There are many reasons to eat frequently, and I talk about some of them in “Eat Less and More Often”

The main thing to remember is that you are giving your body, your engine, fuel regularly through the day.  It’s what keep the engine running smoothly.

Healthy food … not just any food.

Nutra-Cookie

One of my favorite snacks is actually a ‘mini-meal’.  Nutra-Cookies are balanced, nutritious, and delicious.  And only 150 calories – a perfect snack for when your next meal is one to two hours away.

Nutra-Cookies are individually wrapped too, so they are easy to carry.  An example of an ideal ‘on-the-go’ snack.  I carry several Nutra-cookies with me all the time.

It’s easy making the right food choices when I plan ahead.

Healthy Snack Ideas

If your next meal is an hour away, or less, try to have a snack that is 100 calories or less, like these:

Fruit

• Apple
• Orange
• Peach
• Grapes (~17 or so)
• Cherries (~12 or so)
• any fruit you can cut up, like cantaloupe, melons (keep these to  ~ 1 cup or so).

Raw Veggies

• Broccoli (~ 1 cup or so)
• Cauliflower (~ 1 cup or so)
• Green Beans (~ 1/2 cup or so)
• Carrots (~ 1/2 cup or so)
• Asparagus (~ 1/2 cup or so)
• you get the idea … go pick out your favorite veggie and put some in a baggie to take to work with you!

OK.  Raw fruits and vegetables are easy – you get the idea.  A ‘handful’ size of these foods is a good snack, pretty much any time.

Fruits can be too high in sugar for some restricted diets, so if you are really low sugar, try a Nutra-Cookie which is very low sugar.

Other Healthy Snack Ideas

• String Cheese – fat free, under 100 Calories for 1 ounce
• Soup (~1 cup) – Onion, Vegetable, Minestrone
  (Check the labels of your favorites … and watch the portion size)
• Refried beans – good protein too (1/2 cup)
• Instant Oatmeal (1 packet)
• Crackers (4-5) Ritz or Club

Don't Give Your Body Mixed Messages

Here’s a good piece of advice for nearly everyone, not just people who are trying to lose weight:

Eat Less … More Often

What does that mean?   And why is it a good idea?   Does it really matter as long as I eat healthy food?

Eating less, more frequently, actually gives a lot of healthy signals to your body.   Eating big heavy meals, once or twice a day, and then fasting the rest of the time gives your body mixed messages.

Now, I’m not a nutritionist.  I’m actually a chemist, by education.  But I’m writing this from a practical perspective – it makes sense to me and I’ve seen (felt) the results myself.

Here’s what I mean …

Eat Less

Eat Less means eat a smaller amount of food each time you eat.  At first glance that sounds like the old fashioned ‘starvation diet’ advice.  Not so!

Taking in a smaller amount, a smaller volume, of food is easier on your system – easier on your digestive system and other systems too.

Do you ever feel ‘too full’ or bloated after a meal?   Do you feel like you need a nap?
What about the ‘sandwich hangover’ effect from a heavy lunch?

Eating less is an ideal way to avoid getting lethargic right after a meal.  If you give your body too much to work on (too much food at one time), your body will automatically start to slow down other systems so it can concentrate on the biggest task it has … just digesting the big meal.

So you feel tired, like you have no energy, like you need a nap. Even though you might have just ingested enough calories to run a 10k !

Eat Less – feel better, more energetic, and more mentally alert

Eat More Often

Balance ‘eating less’ with eating ‘more often’.  If you eat something (small) when you feel hungry, you’ll eat about 5 or 6 times a day.  That’s roughly every 2 or 3 hours during a regular day.

You’ll have higher and more steady energy levels throughout the whole day.  And you’ll tend to burn more calories because of it.

Let’s say you are on a 2000 calorie diet and assume you don’t change the total amount of food or calories.  Your day might look like this:

Breakfast: 450 calories
Snack:  150 calories
Lunch:  450 Calories
Snack:  150 Calories
Dinner:  800 Calories

Maybe adjust that a little bit to fit your day, but you get the idea.  With this type of schedule, there is never a huge meal that your body must deal with.  It’s always a challenge to control portion sizes when eating out, but you can manage it.

Great for Losing Weight

Eating less, but more frequently, sends several important signals to your body.  One of the most important is “I’m going to feed you frequently”.

That’s incredibly important – your body stores more fat in ‘starvation’ mode and eating frequently gives it the opposite signal.  So your body doesn’t strive for aggressive fat storage and is able to use more of the nutrients you take in more efficiently.

Don’t let your food Weigh You Down! 

Eat Less, More Often.  Eat Healthy.

I used the Vi-Shape as an ideal meal when I was taking the Body by Vi Challenge.  It helped me get used to smaller meals and still feel full.  Since I didn’t feel hungry, I didn’t run to the fridge.  The Vi-Shape contains balance nutrition – my body got healthy signals from what I ate, how much I ate, and how frequently I ate.  I lost weight.

When I started this blog, my intent was to take the Body by Vi Challenge for myself and to evaluate Visalus Sciences as a business.   I usually check things out before I buy them or try them, so I had a pretty good idea that the Body by Vi products and company were solid.

I don’t usually like surprises, especially in business …

Surprises with Body by Vi

The surprises started almost immediately with Body by Vi – I mean, right after I signed up, paid my money, and got my first order!

But these weren’t the ordinary surprises.

• Vi-Shape shakes taste like cake mix – I thought that was just marketing!
• Marketing Materials were impressive (and complete)
• Products and materials were shipped very quickly
• My business partners contacted me more, not less after I started

How many times have I joined a company only to start getting surprises?  Of the unpleasant variety?

I guess I had become accustomed to poor service after the sale, and products that didn’t work well.  Or, worst of all for a business owner – no marketing plan and no marketing materials and no marketing strategy.

Body by Vi Strategy

The Body by Vi business strategy is based on a focused marketing plan – promote the Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge.  Pretty simple and easy to follow.

Simple and Effective.

Simple because it’s focused.  Effective because it’s fully supported.

Surprise!   The more I dug into the Body by Vi marketing materials the more I realized just how much was available.  More than that – I realized how much cutting edge technology was included in the business support.

That is something I can really get my arms around and start using.

I’m changing my mind about surprises – I like surprises!   The change really happened when I started getting checks from Visalus.  I got a check the very first month and haven’t missed a month yet!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m passionate about my Body by Vi business and I expect to make money.  However, anyone that has ever started a business knows that it usually takes time to get into profit.  Getting multiple checks a month, every month, has been a big surprise … and a very pleasant one.

There’s nothing like profit to make a business truly enjoyable!  For once – no unpleasant surprises in my business.

Oh, and I almost forgot — Surprise!  I have to go shopping for clothes … mine are too big now!

Are you ready for some surprises?

The Best Food?

When you clicked on the headline you might have thought I was talking about the “best tasting” food.

Maybe your mind raced to that juicy steak you had for dinner last night … or the decadent chocolate cake that melts in your mouth.  Hey, I’m right there with you – the first thing I thought about was a big thick hamburger!  With Blue Cheese!

No, I’m talking about the foods that are the “Best For You” … and they can taste good too!

Kudos to you if you guessed “orange” (the picture is a misleading little hint).  It’s not oranges, but I’m tempted to give extra credit for at least thinking that fresh fruit would be at the top of the list.

No extra credit if all you saw in the picture was the chocolate!  Though much good can come from chocolate.

The Good Stuff

We hear so much about what is bad for us, and what NOT to eat.  But what about the good stuff?

The Institute of Food Technologists recently published their finding about the good stuff.  This group of professionals usually deals with food chemistry, but this time they have some very useful information that consumers can use … how to pick out “the good stuff”.

Here’s the entire article about Nature’s Bounty and the Fab Fourteen – foods that are actually good for you.

It’s filled with whole grains, fruit, and nuts.  Most things on the list are not processed very much – close to their natural state.

The Food Technologists ranked the top 14 foods on their list, based on years of scientific data.  But which one was Number One?

The Best Food

And the winner is … (drum roll, please) … Barley

Let’s face it, barley is not that sexy as food goes. In fact, it’s kind of bland.

But it’s bursting with nutritional value and has real rock star appeal when it comes to what it can do for your body.

• lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol
• reduces blood sugar levels  (diabetic friendly)
• excellent source of fiber
• even small amounts can give health benefits

Give yourself double extra credit if you guessed ‘whole grains’ as the best food, and triple credit if you actually guessed barley!

Barley in Your Diet

Actually, the fact that barley is bland and doesn’t have a strong flavor is a benefit too – it’s easy to sneak it into different foods.

Here are several easy ideas to get some barley into your diet:

• add barley to beef or vegetable soup (add it early, or cook it first then add it – barley takes a while to fully cook)
• add cooked barley to salads
• use it in place of rice or in place of part of the rice in a recipe

Barley will tend to absorb the flavors around it and adds a good texture to a lot of dishes.

This looks a lot more appetizing than the grain:
Beef Barley Soup

(and the bread looks like it may have some barley flour in it!)

OK.  So now you know what ranked #1 on the list.  Try some barley, and if that doesn’t appeal to you, check out the entire list and find something that does.

Find food you really like, that’s on the “good stuff” list, and invest in your health.  A diet that has balanced nutrition is the goal, but you’ve got to like what you eat … or you won’t stick with it.

Body by Vi - After 90 Days!

I completed my first Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge!!!

I’m so excited about the results I’ve gotten in just 90 days on the Body by Vi Challenge, I can hardly stand it.

To say that it’s been amazing would be an understatement!  The fact is, I feel as good as I look – not to sound egotistical – but the difference in my energy level and overall outlook about my health has changed as dramatically as my physical appearance.

I’ve already given away a lot of clothes and I need to go shopping for smaller shirts.  Now that I’m much thinner … my shirts seem a lot longer!

So Here’s the final stats for Body by Vi Challenge #1:

Mike before BBV

Mike - 90 Days thinner

BBV 90 Days

Totals for 90 Days:

Lost 25.0 pounds
Lost 7.0 inches off my waist
Lost 4.25 inches off my hips
Lost 2.5 inches off my chest

PLUS – I lost 1.5 inches off my neck and I’m wearing normal-sized dress shirts again!
Also, I think I lost an extra chin too!  Woo-hoo!  Not sorry to see that go!

Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge WORKS!

It worked for me – it can work for you too.

Are you up for a Challenge? It’s a 90 Day Start to a Lifetime of Better Health!

Really, what do you have to lose … except the weight?!?

Join me!

Body by Vi Challenge – Official Site

Now, I’m ready to start my 2nd Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge, so watch for more updates, and I’ll share some shake recipes too.

It’s been 12 weeks on my Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge and I’m getting close to the the end … or should I say the beginning.

The Body by Vi Challenge is really more about a beginning – a start to a healthier lifestyle. My 90 Days is coming to a close, but I can tell that I’m a long ways down the road with established habits and a different way of thinking about weight loss!

But I’m off track already – my intention here is just to show what I have accomplished in ‘nearly’ 90 days on the Body by Vi Challenge. So Here it is:

Smaller Shirt Size!

Mike before BBV

Totals for 12 Weeks:

Lost 24.0 pounds
Lost 7.0 inches off my waist
Lost 4.25 inches off my hips
Lost 2.0 inches off my chest

I’m still about 2.5 pounds away from my weight loss goal … but it’s my 2nd goal. I raised the goal since I hit my first goal about halfway through the challenge, and I doubled the goal – a pretty tall order.

Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge WORKS!

It’s working for me – it can work for you too.

Are you up for a Challenge? It’s a 90 Day Start to a Lifetime of Better Health!

I’m thinking, for my personal situation, that I’m getting close to the ‘start’ of my second Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge rather than close to the ‘end’ of my first challenge – it just feels like a beginning to me …

Body by Vi Challenge – Official Site

It’s been 8 weeks on my Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge and I continue to be impressed with the results.

The Body by Vi Challenge is helping me change my habits, change my thinking about weight loss … and change my body image!

I’ve always heard that it takes 30 days to form a habit. That may be true for some people, but I never seem to put 30 days together, in a row, the first time through. So now I’m at about 60 days and the habits are feeling stronger – at 90 days, I’ll probably feel comfortable that I have arrived.

I’m convinced that the Body by Vi Challenge is NOT a quick fix, it’s not a fad diet, and it’s not a fasting exercise of under-nutrition.

The Body by Vi Challenge IS based on balanced daily nutrition, establishing good eating habits, and healthy activity levels.

It’s my 90 Day Start to a Lifetime of Better Health

I’m still not comfortable showing my ‘before’ photos with no shirt on … but I’ll keep my original ‘before’ photo so you can easily see the differences.

Before Body by Vi

8 Weeks

Smaller Shirt Size!

Honestly, I’m very glad that I took pictures so I could see the early changes myself.  It was very tempting to skip that part because I was embarrassed about the way I looked.

HINT:  When you join me on the Body by Vi Challenge, take pictures and measurements … just don’t show anyone if you are uncomfortable with it.

I actually was in denial the first week or two – I didn’t even believe the tape measure – but when I started seeing the pictures, I got really excited.

Totals for 8 Weeks:

Lost 17.5 pounds
Lost 6.0 inches off my waist
Lost 3.25 inches off my hips
Lost 1.0 inches off my chest

I lost an inch off my chest, which I was hoping to avoid, but it is fat and not muscle.  I was secretly happy that I hadn’t lost anything off my chest, but it’s definitely good.

So how do I feel about the Body by Vi Challenge?

• Excited about the changes I am seeing in my body
• Optimistic about increasing my weight loss goal
• Energetic … every day
• Confident that I’m using a healthy approach
• Enthusiastic about sharing my results with others

Bottom Line = Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge WORKS!

The pictures really tell the story … and I’m finding that the more progress I make, the less I am focusing on the scale.  I used to weigh myself multiple times per week (even though I know I am supposed to do it just once per week!).

Now I’m settling into better daily habits – eating and nutrition and activity.  I just don’t think about weighing myself as often.

Still working on my NEW GOAL: Lose a Total of 40 pounds

That’s double my first Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge goal – I believe I can do it, and I’m going to ‘stick with the plan’ and strive for steady progress.

It’s working for me – it can work for you too.

Are you up for a Challenge?  It’s a 90 Day Start to a Lifetime of Better Health!

Body by Vi Challenge – Official Site

Half-way through my Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge and I’m making more progress than I can ever remember. What a great feeling!

I’ll keep the ‘before’ photo so you can easily see the differences.

Before Body by Vi

45 Days

5 inches off my waist !!!

Totals for 45 Days (Half-Way Done):

Lost 12.5 pounds
Lost 5 inches off my waist
Lost 2.25 inches off my hips

Not only is the weight coming off steadily, but the inches are disappearing too!

My clothes are fitting better … I can’t even wear some of my ‘big’ pants now.

I’m nearly at my 90 Day weight loss goal – in 45 Days !

So how do I feel about the Body by Vi Challenge?

• Excited
• Optimistic
• Energetic
• Confident
• Enthusiastic

Body by Vi – 90 Day Goals vs. 45 Day Reality

90 Day Weight Loss Goal:              15 pounds
45 Day Reality :                           12.5 pounds

90 Day Waist Reduction Goal:      2 inches
45 Day Reality :                           5 inches

90 Day Energy Level Goal:            higher energy
45 Day Reality :                           Yeeee–Haaaa!!!!

OK.  That last one is harder to quantify, but it may be one of the most important.  I can tell you that my energy levels are higher … and consistently higher.  That’s true from the very beginning.

I’ve nearly hit my weight loss goal, in 1/2 the time.
I’ve EXCEEDED my main measurement goal.  That is a huge accomplishment for me.

Bottom Line = My Clothes Fit Better

The pictures really tell the story … and the story is only just beginning.

I am excited to think what I can accomplish in the next 45 days.

Step One:  I’m setting a new weight loss goal

NEW GOAL:  Lose a Total of 40 pounds

That’s another 15 pounds, so double my first Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge goal … and do it in the next 45 days.

Body by Vi Action Steps:

Take the Body by Vi Challenge with me – use the link below to visit the Official Body by Vi Challenge Site.

It’s working for me – it can work for you too.

Body by Vi Challenge – Official Site

If you read my last blog post, you’ll know that it took a while to believe in drinking a shake for weight loss.  I couldn’t believe that it was possible for a shake to help me lose weight.  It had to be a myth.

Sometimes the truth is hard to face.  I’ve discovered that shakes can help weight loss and that they do work.

This is not the first time I’ve had to eat my words.

I’ve conducted my own private science experiment (my 90 Day Challenge for Weight Loss) using the shakes and my results absolutely convince me that Vi-Shape shakes are fantastic.

How do the Body by Vi Shakes work?

• During the 90 Day Visalus Challenge, you replace 1-2 meals/day with a shake.  These shakes are low calorie, so you have a controlled calorie intake for 2/3 of the day.  Your other meal can be anything you want (although it should be healthy and your portions should be reasonable).
• The shakes have lots of fiber and are very filling.  Even though you don’t have meals, you still feel full and don’t need to snack.
• The fiber helps moderate your hunger pangs and low carbs level help steady your blood sugar levels.  You may find that you are less hungry than usual.
• The shakes are carefully formulated to have very balanced nutrition.  You get everything you need to get your engine running smoothly so you burn more calories faster.
• Vi-Shape shakes are full of absorbable forms of protein, vitamins and minerals.  Your body can use more of what you put into it.
• Body by Vi shakes taste great.  (My wife used make wedding cakes, and she says they taste like cake batter.)  They’re thick and smooth and delicious.  Nothing gritty or disgusting.  This means that you not only keep drinking them, you WANT to drink them.  This program has staying power.

I’m a scientist.  I not only appreciate skepticism, I encourage it.  Don’t believe anything until you have evidence that something is true.

I can go on all day about how the shakes work for me, but honestly, you shouldn’t believe it until you experience it yourself.

Conduct Your Own Experiment…

To settle the  “Shake for Weight Loss Myth”, start a 90 Day Body by Vi Challenge.

A true experiment has only one variable so I encourage you to only do one thing–Start the Body by Vi Challenge … and follow the simple directions.

That’s it.

Don’t change your exercise.  Don’t skip other meals or start a fast.  Eat a normal dinner.  Don’t go Vegan (if you aren’t already!).

Just replace breakfast and lunch with a shake and see what happens over the next 90 days.

If your don’t lose weight, you have confirmed your skepticism.   Weight loss shakes are a myth.  You can call me up and gloat.

But…

If you do lose weight, you have not only learned something new, you have also lost weight!!  It’s a win-win.

Find out if drinking a shake for weight loss works for you.  Contact me today to find out how to get your 90 Day Body by Vi Challenge started.