Cinch – The end?

Well, this is it my last official Cinch update! It surely doesn’t seem like it’s been 6 months already, but I started the program this summer… July to be exact.

Big news!! Are you ready for it?

I have reached my goal weight!! It’s official I now weigh 150lbs and this is the lowest that I have been in a really long time. So long that I don’t remember when it was that I weighed this.

gray skirt

But is it the end? Heck no!!

Why you ask?

Well, I reached my original goal but I think that I can lose another 5 – 7 lbs and be right in the middle of the range suggested for my height and age. On top of that I want to tone up some of the flabby areas like my stomach, arms, and thighs. I have been working on this at the gym regularly and I’m starting to see some results but it’s going to take a while to get to where I want to be… especially after 4 kids and years of doing nothing.

So let’s take a little journey back in time…

From my teens through my mid-20’s I weighed about 130 – 135lbs.

At 9 months pregnant with my first baby I weighed 183lbs and by time she was about 18 months I was near 160lbs I think. After that my weight went up and down faster than a roller coaster and I never stepped on a scale because I knew that my weight wasn’t where I wanted it to be.

After getting married we decided to have a baby and I got pregnant and then lost the baby almost 12 weeks later. We tried again and I lost that baby around 5 – 6 weeks and after having almost given up hope I got pregnant again. We were very happy, but I gained an excessive amount of weight and by the time I was 9 months pregnant I weighed well over 200lbs.

9 mo pregnant

Not so pretty here… yes, I was almost 9 months pregnant.

The weight gain was slow and steady and even after having Andrew I lost some weight but I never got back down to a healthy weight. I always thought that I looked alright…. I didn’t see that I was heavy. Most of the time I didn’t see because I avoided pictures and was the one who took them instead. There are some though and they really do show how over weight I was and after seeing those pictures again and again combined with stepping on the scale at the doctors office a year ago I knew that I had to do something.

summer 2011

This was me summer 2011

So my weight loss journey began and it wasn’t until that I was accepted into the Cinch Blogger program that I really got serious about it.

I’m sure that I would have lost some weight but I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it weren’t for Cinch. These past 6 months have been eye opening, life changing, and so much more than I can explain. I am so thankful for Shaklee and Sommer for selecting me to be a part of the program and for always being there to support me.

One of the best parts about being in the program has been the other 49 (less now because some dropped out & others got pregnant) women who were part of it with me. We have been there for each other since the beginning to cheer each other one, support each other during hard times, and just have fun. A support group is key!!

december 2012

The new & improved me!

I bought those black pants in October and now in December they’re too big! I spent half the afternoon pulling them up and they’re the type that I would have never bought before! Slim fitting & close cut… the opposite of what I would have worn a year ago.

Thanks to Cinch I look great, I feel better about myself, I have more energy, and more motivation to keep up with the exercise program I started and my toddler.

Now, let’s take a look at some of my stats from then to now.

June Measurements

Waist: 36
Chest: 34
Hips: 44
Thighs: 25 1/2
Arms: 13
Weight: 180
BMI: 27.4

December Measurements

Waist: 29
Chest: 31
Hips: 40
Thighs: 24
Arms: 12
Weight: 150
BMI: 22.8

All measurements are in inches.

That is loss of 16.5 inches and 30lbs! To me that is absolutely amazing! Life changing!

I know I said this but I really could not have done this without Sommer, Shaklee, or all of the great friends that I have made though the program. So to all of you I give you my deepest thanks.

Not sure what Cinch is? Cinch is a weight loss program created by Shaklee to help you lose weight, muscle you have, burn fat you don’t need, and lose inches you don’t want. Most importantly… it helps keep the weight off and there is no more up and down with your weight.

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. My opinions 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


In a slump… Cinch Update

I’m trying to remain positive and I’m still following the Cinch plan. No, I’m not following it 100% and maybe that’s the trouble but I have upped my workouts and no matter what I do I can’t seem to shed these last 10lbs! I’ve been stuck for a while it seems… funny thing is that the weight went down for a while and I was super close to my goal but it managed to get right back up. It’s like my body thinks it has to be just under 160lbs but not at 150!

I’m in a slump. I almost feel like giving up really… but I know that I’ve come really far in the past 6 months and that giving up should never be an option. So I am reaching out to all of you.

This is what I need…

  • Help getting out of this slump.
  • A stalker of sorts to make sure that I’ve been to the gym (3 times/wk) and to make sure that I’m not eating a bunch of crap.
  • A cheerleader to push me.
This is what I’m going to do…
  • NO MORE Diet Coke. I’m quitting again.
  • Workout 3 days a week minimum.
  • Cinch shakes twice a day.

I am so close to succeeding that it’d be such a huge win for me!

I love the Cinch program and have never had such good success with losing weight before ever! It truly has been life changing for me… want an example?

Okay, I joined the YMCA and with that membership came a free month to all of the aerobic classes that they offer. Nice, huh? So I decided to do the HIIT (high intensity interval training) class one morning before work (it’s at 5:30am that alone should show some dedication to wanting to lose the weight). Here’s a bit of info about the class, it’s a timed interval class that focuses on 1 to 2 minutes of high energy movements with 30-second recovery. It increases your energy, strength and endurance. Doesn’t sound to bad, right? Well, I’m here to tell you that it was HARD. I somehow managed to keep up without stopping and finished the class, but… by the end of the day I was starting to feel it. It was good though because I knew that I finally had a good workout. The following day came and walking after sitting for a while hurt like hell! The day after that it still hurt but I went back to the gym and got in almost 3 miles on one of the elliptical machines and a few weights. Then the weekend came and I was back to normal!

I’m going back to the class on Wednesday morning. Why? I need to. I have to. I found something that finally worked that jiggly part of my arm! The ab workout was freakin’ amazing. Best of all… the instructor took her time and came over to work with me directly and show me how to do things right so the workout was effective.

This month my numbers haven’t changed at all. The weight and measurements are exactly the same! Good news is that I’m maintaining… bad news is that I’m not losing…

October & November measurements

Chest: 32
Waist: 30.5
Hips: 40
Thighs: 24
Arms: 12
Weight: 157
BMI: 24.0

side view at the gym front view at the gym
Gotta start somewhere… so to the gym I go!
 

I would love to hear what your ideas are! How do you get past the slump? What have you done to lose those last few stubborn pounds?

Anyone want to be my helper/stalker/supporter?

You can also check out my video update too! It’s not that good… I suck at videos.

I do highly recommend the Cinch program and would more than happy to answer any questions that you might have about the program or how I’ve done with the program.

UPDATE!! I wrote this on Monday (11/19) and as of Tuesday (11/20) the scale moved a bit. I’ve managed to get down to 154.

This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporations’ Team #Cinchspiration Campaign. I have received free products, online support and incentives for my participation. However the opinions and pics are my own!

 

Cinch Update & Giveaway!

Well, month two is in the books for my weight loss journey!

Over the years I have tried different diets, pondered many others, and have never really seen results. With Cinch I am so happy because my weight is lower than it’s been in years, I am exercising on a regular basis, and I am inspired to keep moving and losing weight!

Not only am I losing weight but I’m toning up and building muscle which is one of the huge benefits of Cinch… lose weight, keep it off, and gain muscle!!

I won’t say that it’s been easy because any diet isn’t easy. You have to really want to do it and want to change your life. You have to think about food, exercise, and everything differently. At one point my day seemed to really center around food… what was I going to have for lunch.. or and then what was for dinner and how long before I could eat. I was obsessed. I’ve been able to turn that around and when I think that I’m hungry I really think about it… drink some water (lots of water) and get up and move a little. Most of the time I’ve found that I’m not really hungry… my body just needs more water especially when it’s only been two hours since I just ate.

One of the best things so far is that other people are really noticing that I am losing weight and telling me how great I look… that alone is a huge moral booster to me. To me that means that I am really doing something and making it work. One person even told me that I look younger! WOW… ok so does that mean when we’re over weight that we tend to look older? Well, if that’s the case then I intend to keep the weight off.

Cinch works!

My clothes are looser and some I simply can’t wear anymore. Okay, so that may be a double edged sword, because they don’t fit I have to get new ones but shopping for new clothes is pretty darn expensive! Although, shopping is more enjoyable now because my options are much greater than the were before.

Jeans khaki pants
Both of those pairs of pants that I’m wearing are much to big now! The jeans are a 14 and the khaki’s are a 16… the khaki’s can come on and off without even unbuttoning them. Of course I wear them both with a belt pulled tight (I hate the bulges from it though) because they’re a couple of my favorite pairs of pants but they also remind me how far I have come.

I have one concern though… and you know what? I vlogged about it! Let me know what you think.

Have you tried other diet plans and failed? Would you be interested in checking out Cinch for yourself? Well, if so then you’ll be excited to know that I am giving away a Cinch starter kit! This two week kit has everything you need to get started on your weight loss journey with Cinch and has a retail value of $228!

cinch starter kit

Included in the kit is:

  • Vanilla shake mix canister (15 servings)
  • Assorted Cinch shake packets (14 packets)
  • 3-in-1 boost™(42 count)
  • Assortment pack snack bars (10 count)
  • Energy tea mix (28 sticks)
  • Daily journals (2)
  • Cinch program guide
  • Cinch logo shaker cup
  • Cinch pedometer
  • Cinch tape measure

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out some of the other great ladies that are taking part in this weight loss program with me!

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. My opinions are my own.