I didn't finish it. And I was so utterly determined to do so.
I wasn't able to complete the SHREDZ 30 day challenge, and here's why:
My dad called me and told me that he needed me to come help out with taking care of my niece and nephew (5 and 9 years old, respectively) for a week or so - and I did. Then I came to realize that I was really only able to do this because I don't work a 9 to 5, and I just have myself as a responsibility.
I feel that if you're a parent and working a job and you find yourself constantly busy but wanting to lose some of the weight that is just bugging the crud out of you... this isn't the way to go.
Believe me, I LOVE the SHREDZ products - the different supplements that help you. And I have learned insurmountable amounts of information about my body and how I need to exercise.
I didn't really start losing too much weight - but I really was only doing SHREDZ for a week.
I found that naturally - with the exercise, I found myself:
- eating and snacking less often
- sleeping so much better
- feeling awake when I woke up
- and feeling so much more positive about myself and life
I know it must sound crazy - but I've always been one of those people who looked nice without having to exercise, and I use to ride horses a lot and I didn't realize how much that had been keeping my in shape. Then I graduate high school and move to go to college and I find myself gaining all this weight. I'm sure stress and change was a major part of it - but I had never been so heavy and SHREDZ helped me realize how I need to take better care of my body.
Other than that - I then found the Atkins diet. And my family has used it successfully for years. (Funny because our last name is Atkins!!)
But really all it is is:
- high protein
- high fat
- low carb (and what carbs you do have - you want some from fibre)
Basically, the average diet consists of about 250+ carbs per day - and all of that pretty much comes from full sugar sodas, fruit concentrate, among other sweets.
For the more extreme cases, some people cut back to less than 50 carbs per day and put your body in ketosis. If you really want results.
Really all I did was cut it back to about 100 or 150 per day. (I didn't count)
Some people cut out all bread - I didn't
Some people cut out all sweets - I didn't
Some people cut out all rice and potatoes- I didn't
Some people cut out everything that brings joy - I didn't
I just thought more about what I was putting in my body and limited what I knew were carbs.
And I like to say "everything is good in moderation"
But with this formula you can eat as much as you want - snack as much as you want and just live you life. It's just about making a few smaller choices. Go for the pack of peanuts at the vending machine instead of the cheetoes.(:
I think that I've also been successful because I don't think of it as a diet. And everyone says "think of it as a lifestyle change" well... I don't really like that either. It just got to a point where I was feeling better about my weight and my body (down over 20 pounds in less than 1 month!!!) when I decided that the sugary sweet things just weren't nearly as appealing to me anymore.
I have lost so much mass on my thighs, waist and even my butt. And it's thoughtless weightloss - I just live my life everyday and lose the weight that shouldn't be there because I'm eating the proper amount of carbs for my activity level.
Just the other night I was headed over to a client's place to babysit, and I picked up a pack of sour skittles on the way - to be my treat (my favorite candy and slight obsession) and after putting just a few in my mouth - I thought to myself, "this just doesn't have the same effect on me as it used to... and I don't really want it."
So, if you want to know what I think... if you're a busy body and you don't have time for exercise everyday, or even f you do and you just want to knock off a bit more of the stubborn fat. Limit the carb intake you put in your body everyday.
Unless you're as active as a sumo wrestler - you don't need to be putting 300 carbs in your body everyday.
I definitely believe exercise is important (even though I really never "find the time" to do it) but knowing the right things to put in your body is just as important.
Just take a look at the Atkins diet - don't pay for anything, just think about your carb intake. Let yourself passively lose weight and be like all those other people who eat whatever they want and we all go "How can they do that?" Now we can too(:
All yours,
Madeline
