Giving myself credit

Yes this is on my refrigerator, I came up with this idea to give me credit and keep my inspiration going... Here's why: 

Remember how every time you've been in a weight loss program it says in their disclaimer: "results not typical" it's true. Each person is different,  each has their own personal lifestyle. Active, moderately active or sedentary. 

We normally think we are more active than we really are. When in a weight loss program we always assume and hope that it is like a magic wand that will make us thin again and take back all those pounds we've gained in 5, 10 or even 15 years.

We don't realize that they are just tools. Tools that we are going to use to help us lose those extra pounds. They will help jump start our weight loss and make healthier choices. Since June I have been using Cinch as my tool in my battle against my extra weight. I'm using Cinch to motivate and inspire me, to make it "easier" on me to make lifestyle changes and it has worked. 

It's worked in many ways, yes I'm using Cinch. No it is not a magic wand. I am doing all the work, I am the one choosing to enjoy a Cinch shake for breakfast along with a scrambled egg. I am choosing a Cinch bar for lunch and then enjoying a healthy dinner that is balanced. Not only am I working on my eating habits, but I am also choosing to exercise at least 3 times a week. Drinking more water than I have ever drank. 

A couple of weeks ago I felt like I was standing still, not making any progress and not losing any weight or any inches. I have to admit I was pretty sad, a bit upset with myself as if I was not working hard to lose the weight. Then my weigh-in day came and to the scale I went. A big smile from ear to ear and maybe even a happy dance showed how accomplished I felt. I had lost weight. Another 2 pounds in fact! Not only that I also lost inches.

That day I realized how harsh we could be when judging ourselves. How we let that little voice in our head tell us we are not getting there, when in fact we are moving. I may not have lost 40 pounds by now, but I have lost 22 pounds. I may yet have a long way to fit into my trophy jeans, but I am a pound and an inch closer than I was 5 months ago! 

When on your weight loss journey think of all you have accomplished, how far you've come from where you were standing still. Back in June walking up 12 steep steps while holding a 30 pound toddler was hard. I would need to stop after 5 steps and take a deep breath to keep going another 5 steps and then finally as we finished walking up those 12 little steps I would be putting my son down and catching my breath as if I had ran a marathon. Last week I walked in fact I kind of ran up those same steps holding my son and some groceries, I even made it all the way to my front door. After realizing this I felt proud of myself and all I've accomplished. 

This month I am more than proud to share with you my progress, 22 pounds is a great accomplishment for me and it is real. I am planing to stay on track during the Holiday season, I know it will represent new challenges but sure enough I know I can do this. I would love to invite you to join me, instead of wearing pants with elastic waistband make healthier choices even when the food is there. I plan on sharing my dinner on Thanksgiving with you, so make sure you are following me on this journey and leave me a tip you use to stay in focus. I can use all the help I can get. I will do the same :D

And now here are my measurements:

                    Starting Measurements 06/16                                         Latest Measurements 11/12

Neck             16 inches                                                                                    15 inches

Chest            45 inches                                                                                    41.5 inches

Arm               16.5 inches                                                                                 14.5 inches

Waist             46.5 inches                                                                                 40 inches

Hip                 53.5 inches                                                                                 49 inches

Thigh             32 inches                                                                                    29 inches

 In case you were wondering I've lost a total of  20.5 inches! 

Quite a difference right? At the beginning I was weighing in every single week, somehow in September I began doing it every 2 weeks. One of the habits I'm going back to is weighing myself every week, it makes me accountable about my choices and motivates me to stay inspired. Journaling is another habit that I somehow felt I didn't need this past month, but have realized that it helped me stay within calories and have portion control. So I'm going back to that too. 

How do you give yourself credit?

This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation’s Team #Cinchspiration Campaign. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating. All opinions and photos are my own. Results and experiences are unique for each person, so results may vary. People following the weight loss portion of Shaklee 180 can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.