I had my first appointment yesterday with a nurse to work on a diet plan to prevent gestational diabetes. My diet lacks essential proteins needed to fuel my body longer, and curb cravings to sugar and carbs, so that will be my focus for the next few months. I have to test my blood sugar levels a couple of times a day, to help monitor the highs and lows.

So far so good for today.

8AM         Breakfast: Vi-shake - 1 cup milk, 1 banana, 2 scoops of Vi-Shake powder
                                    2 Shredded wheat biscuits + 500ml Water
10AM       Snack: 1/4C. Rasberries, 1 Cheese stick
12PM        Lunch: Steak Sandwich, Steamed broccoli

This afternoon was a little bit of a disaster as far as snacking goes. Without recording times, I picked at food for the rest of the day, the exact habit I am trying to break. Not all of it was bad but it could do with many improvements.

2 slices of peanut butter toast of whole wheat
1 small freezie

Mixture of fruits: Apricots, strawberries, cherries
Cucumber with homemade hummus

7PM        Supper: Chicken nuggets, french fries & diet coke - Need to cut out fast food

                          

11:10am - It's been a very busy and stressful April, and I will admit that my eating habits have been very poor. Once again I am borderline with gestational diabetes, so it is very important that I really watch my diet now more than ever. I have a doctor's appointment today to discuss my glucose tolerance test. My sugar levels were extremely high, so I am really hoping that with a strict diet plan I can change that around. Focus, focus, focus. Today I will be cleaning out the cupboards of all those sweet snacks that I eat without paying much attention. The conveniently wrapped 'Bear Paw' cookies, the nutrigrain bars, the special K bars... anything and everything that poses as a temptation and threat to my eating plan. Today, so far so good. Breakfast: Oatmeal with frozen berries, slice of whole wheat toast and coffee. Lunch: Cup of raw broccoli with light veggie dip, raw cucumbers, toasted egg salad sandwich. * I need to remember to eat a small snack in between meals. By lunch I wanted to grab anything and everything to soothe my grumbling tummy. I opted for the veggies while making my sandwich instead of those tempting potato chips. * Also need to find ways to include proteins in my breakfast.

Day 44

So I am trying something new and really putting my organizational skills to practice. I am working on developing a system for meal planning, so that my trips to the grocery store are not just browsing and grabbing unnecessary items, I have a plan.
Today I have so far eaten okay, not great but not horrible.

Breakfast: Bowl unsweetened cheerios with banana slices
Plain yogurt with 1 scoop v-shake
Snack: A few chocolate covered pretzels (ooops)
2 oatmeal cookies (another ooops)
Grapes
Lunch: Chicken pita with bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese & cucumber
Unsweetened apple sauce

Day 43

I'm falling behind on my blog of personal challenge goals. I just recently changed the name of my blog from 'The 90 Day Body By Vi Challenge' to '90 Days at a time', because it's much more than the Vi-Challenge... it's a complete change of life style. It may not be so overwhelming if I break down my goals 90 days at a time, in all aspects of my life.

I am trying the eat clean diet... which is basically just cutting out processed food, trans fats and refined sugar. Not eating less, but trying to eat more quality foods in their whole and most natural state. It's much harder than I thought. It is with this commitment to change that I also include the Vi-shake in as many new and unique ways as possible. Adding it to oatmeal, plain yogurt, and drinking the vi-shakes as an alternative to sweets.

Day 3 - Are Vi-Shakes safe for pregnant or nursing mothers?

I am quite pleased with myself today. I woke up this morning and for the first time in a while I prepared a nice healthy breakfast of oatmeal with diced apples, and raisins, followed by a chocolate Vi-Shake. Although lunch is still sketchy, I think I may have to settle with toast. My appetite comes in waves, a horrible unpredictable pattern. It comes and it goes, it's good or it's bad. Things will hopefully pick up as I near my second trimester of pregnancy.

I've been getting a lot of emails lately asking if the Vi-shakes are safe to take while pregnant or nursing.

The Body By Vi Shakes are completely safe to take for pregnant or nursing mothers as a healthy alternative to sweets, and desserts that are high in sugar. It contains
23 essential vitamins/minerals, quality protein, fiber, and more…. It’s nutritious AND low in calories (90-100), low carbs (7g), low sugar (<1g).
By no means are the Body By Vi Shakes an alternative to food to stay slim through your pregnancy, and your doctor will NOT recommend it either, but it is a great source of nutrition for pregnant women who have a hard time keeping food down at anytime during their pregnancy. Sipping on a light shake for lunch and keeping it down, is a better alternative to a heavy meal that is going to come back up!

The information below comes directly from Ms.Audrey Sommerfeld and Dr. Michael Seidman both on the Scientific Advisory Board of Visalus Sciences.

“The shake is fine for pregnant and lactating women to get added nutrition. We don’t recommend that they try to lose weight though as the baby needs the calories. This is why we don’t recommend Vi-Trim or Vi-Slim as babies don’t need hunger control or metabolism support. Neuro is low caffeine, but it depends on if the woman wants that or not, and her doctor recommendations. ”

There you have it, hope this helps.

Day 2

So I am beginning another 90 Day Body by Vi Challenge, with a completely new goal. I have all my life struggled with maintaining a healthy diet, and as you know from previous posts I have battled with an addiction to sugar and caffeine for more than twelve years. The purpose of my challenge is to really focus on healthy eating and an active lifestyle, which has been a challenge these last few months.
I am 10 weeks pregnant, and struggling daily with getting the nutrients my baby needs from all four food groups when lately I haven't been able to handle much more than toast, cheerios and pasta. I am still able to take a shake a day, thank goodness, because I really don't know where I would get my energy from when most foods are not agreeing with me.

I am a person who LOVES food, so I really can't wait to eat the good stuff again!
I did though manage to get in a bun filled with all the fixins: Turkey, lettuce, tomato, cheese, cucumber... I think I practically inhaled the thing. As for dinner, it's after 8pm and the thought of food.... ughhh. I think it may be another night of Cheerios.

It's time to catch up

I can't tell you how much I missed writing about my body by vi 90 day challange, but unfortunately as circumstance would have it my lap top crashed and until now I haven't had access to the internet. On the bright side, I am back, and with all the more reason to begin my challenge over at day 1. First off, just a brief update on my first challenge in which my 90 days ended November 3rd, 2011. All in all, it went really well. I noticed a tremendous difference in my energy level, and even though I was never taking the challenge with the intention of losing weight, I did lose a few pounds. However, after my challenge I began to drift slowly back into my old eating habits and slowly but surely I've been eating more and more sugar. Circumstances are different this time around. Much different.

My new challenge will begin January 1st, 2012, with a new focus of once again cutting out as much sugar as possible. It is now more important than ever to be healthy, not only for myself but I am now two months pregnant. In my first pregnancy with Becca, I learned that I was borderline with gestational diebetes. I was consuming way too much sugar, which mostly included an outrageous amount of fruit, which I thought at the time was good for me. Too much of anything is never good, so I am working on cutting back on fruit and eating more vegetables. So let me begin my journey by counting down... and making conscious food decisions now to prepare myself for once again taking the 90 day challenge.

Keep in mind, that I have never stopped taking the Vi-Shakes and my reasons for incorperating the challenge into my routine is that I tend to work better with structure and discipline which doesn't come naturally to me. Small changes, 90 days at a time.

Day 56 - Vi Shape Rice Pudding Recipe

So I found a recipe yesterday that is an all time favorite of mine, 'Rice Pudding'. I made a few adjustments and came up with a version of my own, that ROCKS!!! It tates way too good to not be passed along.

2 Cups Water
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 Cups Minute Rice
2 1/2 Cups Milk (I used 1%)
1 Egg
2/3 Cup Vi Shake Mix
2/3 Cup Sunmaid Raisins
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1. Soak the raisins in hot water prior to beginning, and set aside.
2. Boil 2 Cups of water, add salt.
3. Add rice, boil for 5 minutes (stir frequently) then let stand for 5 minutes.
4. In a small boil froth egg.
5. Add milk, egg, drained raisins, cinnamon and vi shape mix to the rice, mix well.
6. Bring mixture to a boil, then remove from heat. Cover and let stand for an hour.

Tastes great warm. Store in air tight container and refridgerate. Tastes amazing cold with a little milk added to it for more of a creamy texture.
__________________________________________________________________

Why I love it???

First of all being a sugar addict, I need to find other ways to satisfy my sweet tooth in the most healthy way possible. Sugar leaves me feeling hungry for more sugar. So when I made this recipe I felt completely satisfied after eating just a small amount, and never felt the urge to binge. The sweetness of it all is in the shake mix that tastes like cake mix... a real treat. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Day 53

There is one more thing that I need to add to my 'DO NOT BUY' list. It doesn't look as scrumptious as a powder doughnut, but looks can be decieving, it is just as addictive. It's one of those items that you convince yourself is healthy, and so you give in, maybe it is good... in moderation, if you can stop at just one. Now I know... That I can't. What on earth am I going on about? I'm referring to 'raisin bread'. I swear there is something in it that makes me want to mow down like I would popcorn at the movie theatre. I ate the whole loaf all to myself in less than 24 hours. Boy oh boy... There is much I need to work on, but I am a work in progress, I always will be. I will never stop trying to improve myself in one way or another. When I accomplish something, there will always be another goal to take it's place.

Day 50

It's day 50 of my 90 Day Body By Vi Challenge!!! That in itself is a celebration! I have indeed come a long way but I still have a long way to go. Now more than ever the world is changing, thousands upon thousands are starting the 90 day challenge each month. In fact, just in August alone there were more than 65,000 people, myself included. The scary thing is that if we don't make changes today, it will have a direct affect on the lives of our children and our children's children. I am emotional about this, it truly tears at my heart strings. I'm not going to lie... I am embarrassed to admit that I am not the greatest cook in the world, and so I rely on pre-packaged convenience foods to feed my family, with the exception of fruits and vegetables. Now, that I am starting to educate myself on nutrition, I realize that the majority of the food we have been consuming are full of chemicals. Chemicals that may later lead to cancer. Those time savers are time stealers!! Anything that saves you time now, but shortens your life span later, is not worth it. Hardly a convenience at all.

I caught a few minutes of Dr. Phil the other day, which was about overweight children. A little boy, at the age of 4 weighed 115 pounds. That's what I weigh as a 27 year old adult. His mom was reaching out for help, stating that his diet is so restricted as to what he can eat, so it can't be the food, it must be a medical condition. They followed his routine for a couple of days, and noticed he was eating adult size portions 6 times a day. His snacks were frequent, and meal sized. Dr. Phil also noticed that the fridge and pantry were pad locked, because this little boy would help himself. It was what he said next that really made me think... 'If you only had healthy food choices in your home, you wouldn't need to lock it up. If he went and ate a bunch of celery, you wouldn't say 'oh my, he's high on celery'.

I'm ready to re-evalute the food that comes into my home.

Day 42

It's day 42!! How on earth has it been 42 days since I started the Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge?? That's nearly half way through, which I find absolutely unreal. So just a brief overview of where I began, and how far I've come in just 42 days... I will mention again that I did not start the challenge for the purpose of losing weight. The last time I've stepped on a scale was actually the day I began this challenge (on August 6th)and at that time I weighed 114 lbs. So really it would be a very unrealistic and very unhealthy goal to expect to lose a few pounds. The funny thing though, is that when I mention that I am taking the body by vi challenge, there are a few people I've come across with one eye brow raised. People assume that because I am small... that I am healthy. Well, just to set the record straight... that was not the case. I consumed atleast 800-1000 empty calories of non nutritious junk, every single day. Do you know what that does to a body over 15 years? I experienced intense cravings for sugar. As an addict for 15 years it was all I really thought about when I felt any symptoms of withdrawl coming on. I used sugar as a means of medicating pain physically and emotionally. The physical pain is gone. The headaches, the back pain that I would suffer every morning... The hardest part which I thought would be the cravings when my energy levels plummented is gone. So now I am left with the emotional attachment, which is something that will take much longer than 90 days to overcome seeing as how it has been a subconcious part of my life long before I will ever remember. I am an emotional eater... sadly it is sugar that brings me comfort when I am feelng stressed, angry, sad, or lonely. That is a choice that I need to overcome, now, and even more so after my 90 days are up.

I would like to take a moment to answer a question that I recieved the other day.

'I have a concern; if I take the shakes in the morning and at lunch, would I have to do this for the rest of my life to be able to keep the weight down? Once one goes back to regular eating, does one not put the weight back on?'

The shakes are not a weight loss drink, which can confuse some because people are losing weight. The Body by Vi™ Challenge is not another fad diet. The program is based on nutrition that helps you burn fat and keep lean muscle, boosts your metabolism and helps control hunger. In order to not gain the weight back after taking the 90 day challenge, we really do need to learn about what is good for our bodies and proper nutrition. Just think, if you go back to your old eating habits that made you unhealthy/overweight in the first place, is it really fair to expect that you won't end up right back where you started? BUT...If you commit to the 90 day challenge, and commit to maintaining a healthy life style afterwards, amazing things do happen.

Personally, I love the ViSalus products, otherwise I would not be promoting them. I know that I am a person of convenience... I know that I do not always have the time to make three nutritious meals a day, and I NOW know what a body should feel like with proper nutrition. Would I give that up?? Never.

Day 31

It has been an incredibly busy summer, and I haven't been writing as much as I would've liked to... but this is one journey that needs to be told. I need to make the commitment as much for myself, as I give to other people. Which means re-evaluating my goals, and finding my 'why'. Why have I taken on the challenge of putting my health first for 90 days? I have not taken very good care of my body, and as I've mentioned earlier, more than half of my life has been spent abusing my body with unhealthy food choices. Think for a moment the damage caused by food in our society today. Not only is it a crisis that the world we know today could be very different 10 years from now with high risk problems like obesity, but think about those who are a healthy weight. Just because you are a healthy weight does not make you invincible to the silent deadly toxins that you put in your body. Just because the weight does not show on the outside, does not mean that you are any better on the inside than someone who may be considered obese. In fact... maybe you could be worse. No one is invincible, no matter what your size, gender or race.

I know that by not changing anything, and living today as though there were no tomorrow, would most certainly cause tremendous irrepairable damage for my future. So why put health first? I think the answer is clear: For everyday I am breathing is a gift that no amount of money can buy. Time is of the essense and good health should not be taken for granted.

Day 17

There has been major renovations taking place in my life. It seems that as my mind becomes de-fogged, I am decluttering other areas that have been neglected. Organization is something that has never really been one of my strengths. It seems that when I manage to keep up with one task, I fall behind in another. It can be very overwhelming, but lately I noticed that I not building with anxiety over the amount of unfinished work, but taking it one day at a time. If I don't accomplish all that I set out to do, there is always tomorrow. The important thing is that enjoy the present, and that I embrace the moment. That I can have unlimited amounts of time to enjoy my family, and everything else can sit on the back burner, atleast for awhile.

Day 14

Day 14 already. Unreal. I just threw my second challenge party last night with some great friends and family. We were on fire with making and tasting shake after shake. Among them our favorites chocolate peanut butter, cran-blueberry... and a few new ones. Cherry cheesecake, cafe mocha, orange dream. So so good.

I feel honoured to be promoting such an amazing product, and I am just so pleased with the results after just being on it for two weeks. I feel so balanced. My body was in such desperate need of proper nutrition, that I can already feel tremendous improvements in my cardiovascular health.

I read some shocking facts about the reality of obesity in the United States alone, that just blew my mind. 'That 200 million americans (2 out of 3 adults and 1 in 3 children) are overweight. If nothing changes within 10 years 42% of our population will be obese. This means that todays children could be the first generation to have a shorter life span than their parents. The cost of health care expenses for obesity is a more expensive health problem than smoking.' People are eating themselves to death.

Day 6

7:20am I stayed up way too late last night, and I am paying for it today. I need to make sleep a priority in my 90 Day plan, because my body really needs that time to recover. My breakfast shake tates awesome this morning, especially after such an intense workout.

2:00pm I am feeling good, eating well, and almost on my way to a complete health transformation. I love the 'ViSalus' Shakes, and really look forward to them. It is amazing that only six days into the 90 Day Challenge, I am not craving sugar!! How is that possible? I'm not saying that I'm cured. That I'm over it, but it's a relief to not feel the intense withdrawl that I have felt in the past. The headaches, the weakness, the unbalanced sugar levels dropping taking my energy with it, the emotional roller coaster (angry, irritable, moody). The shakes have just made it so easy... and so wonderful. For me it feels like the difference between going grocery shopping with an empty stomache, and going shopping after having a meal.

11:00pm I got together with some family & friends this evening to share and sample shake recipes. What a fun filled evening of creativity. There are hundreds of variations, so many yummy recipes. Tonight we made German Chocolate cake, sex on the beach, Cran Blueberry, Banana Cream Pie, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and mixed berry. After all that tasting, it felt like I had just eaten a meal. So good.

day 5

12:00pm This morning it was hard to pull myself out of bed for an intense work out at six o' clock in the morning, but I knew that once I got started it would pay off. I did it, and I feel like that is a tremendous accomplishment.

Also, I was listening to a few other people talk about their own experiences with the Body By Vi Challenge and one mentioned that she doesn't eat chocolate icecream or drink coffee anymore, that she doesn't crave them. The funny thing is... Neither do I!!! No way could it be that easy. No way!! I would know, I am former sugar addict remember, and I can't tell you how many times I have tried to give it up. But let me tell you, from my experience and being on the challenge now for 5 days... I feel satisfied. My sugar levels aren't spontaneously dropping, where I would need to binge on ice cream or a handful of cookies to spike it back up. My energy level never seizes where I feel like I need that coffee to wake me up. I am completely satisfied... all day long.

So what is the the 90 Day Challenge all about? The Body by Vi™ Challenge is not another fad diet. The program is based on nutrition that helps you burn fat and keep lean muscle, boosts your metabolism and helps control hunger. THIS ISN'T A PROGRAM ONLY FOR PEOPLE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT! It's for anyone who's sick of feeling tired and having no energy because they don't have the time or money to make three nutritious meals every single day!

Day 4

7:20pm What a busy day! Finally I feel like I have the energy to make it through the day without the aid of sugar and caffiene. In a way I feel free... like I am the one in control now, and I choose to make my own destiny. I am challenging myself in ways that I never thought possible. The key is to stay positive throughout this whole process. After all this is a 90 Day challenge, so I might as well make the most of it!

Day 3

I am proud to say that I am making progress. I have been eating well, sticking to my fitness routine and drinking the 'ViSalus' Shakes every morning, along with the multi vitamins. I feel great!!! Matter of fact, keep in mind, that I have aloud myself atleast one cup of coffee a day, and I haven't had one. I just never really thought of it. First thing in the morning I have my shake, and I'm ready to go!!!
What I like about the shakes is that you can get creative and make them your own. Each day is a new experience, and it's exciting to try a new kind.
I've tried Berry, Banana cream pie, Chocolate Penut butter (tates like a reese's pieces treat), Orange creamcycle, Orange blueberry, and this morning I am tryig Peach. The possibilites are endless.

Day 2

11:05am Yesterday was a really busy day, so I didn't really have time to blog, with it being my birthday and all. I had energy from the get go, and for the first time in a long time I never felt the afternoon crash... period. Perhaps, it's the whole routine together as a unit.

1. I ate healthy well balanced meals
2. I began the day early with a fitness workout
3. I began my 90-Day Challenge using 'ViSalus' health & fitness products

I just finished my first workout with Turbo Fire and let me tell you I worked it hard. I assumed that it would start out easy for beginners but I was sweating seconds after starting to warm-up. I can't wait to see where I will be 90 days from now. I committed to my journey on my birthday, so let's just say it will be a birthday I will never forget. Not to mention, with the ViSalus social network, I am able to connect with people from all over the world who are also taking the 90 Day Challenge. In fact, someone from Florida pushed their challenge start date one day later, just so we could start on the same day and encourage each other all the way through. Imagine what accountibility that gives you. Not only is it encouraging to connect with others, but inspiring. I didn't have a fitness plan... I planned to eat healthier, give up sugar, use 'ViSalus' products and as I mentioned earlier stay active. Notice that I did not mention exercise... but thanks to someone in Florida, I am taking it to the next level. I am in it to win it!!!

Day 1

7:00am It's the first day of my body By Vi Challenge, and the excitement woke me up just after 6am this morning. The berry shake I am having for breakfast tastes amazing, I'm already half way through it and feeling satisfied. I made a last minute decision to incorporate a fitness plan into my 90 days, and well it just happens to be a 90 day program. As I blog about the challenge, I will also be blogging about my fitness program 'P90x-Turbo Fire' because well... it just so happens that I'm not really one that likes to excerise. Don't get me wrong, I live a very active life, I walk pretty much everywhere, but as for doing crunches or push ups or anything that takes effort.... I avoid on purpose. Turbo Fire is intense cardio/dancing, so I'm just going to have fun with it!! Seeing as how I won't be picking up my program until tonight, this morning I will be subsituting it with 'Billy Blanks'. Wish me luck.

8:00am Tae-bo gave me that early morning kick in the butt. I did it!! I set that time for myself, and I committed to it. For my first real cardio work out, I wasn't too bad... I expect that soon I will become more co-ordinated, and not so much resemble Mowgli from the jungle book with scrawny little arms and legs shooting jabs every which way... but hey, it's a work in progress.

After my work out I tried 'Neuro', a ViSalus energy drink. Really tastey... probably taste even better with ice cold water, but it's energizing and refreshing nevertheless.