REVIEW: Simple Being Slimming Smoothie

I'm always looking for ways to increase my protein intake. I am just terrible at getting it from my diet. Ideally I would nom on steaks and chicken and bacon every meal, but I just don't have the time to organize that. My job takes me to weird locations in the world where I don't always have access to the food I want. I'm lucky to see eggs a few times per week. The easiest thing to provide people? Carbs. So don't worry, I get plenty of calories from carbohydrates. Too damn many if you ask me. Or my waistline.

I recently got a sample of the Simple Being Slimming Smoothie in Vanilla Bean (it also comes in Chocolate Truffle) which came in a convenient little "portion pack." So this product sells for either $50 in a tub (28 servings) or $40 for a box of 12 portion packs. Obviously you get a better deal in the tub, but honestly I'm not completely opposed to the packs as it would be a very convenient way to carry it around if I wanted to pre-fill my shaker with water and just add it in when I'm ready.

I had intended to actually make a smoothie with this but due to the craziness of work I ended up taking it as breakfast after lifting this morning. It was pretty tasty as far as protein goes. It wasn't chalky, it mixed easily with cold water. It was gross-looking, kind of a milky weird ick. I would like to try it blended with frozen fruit or instant coffee and ice! I'm surprised at its nutrition, actually. 110 calories per serving, 26 g protein, 1 g carb, 0 g fat. Huh. Now I'm not looking for a low-fat protein in the least, but the low carb is nice. Plus the lack of fat makes it a lower calorie option so that's a win.

My go-to protein boasts 6 g less protein, 4.5 g more carbs, and 1.75 g more fat. And a heftier price tag. 10/10 would buy the tub and give it a shot. :)

RECOMMENDED!

Simple Being Slimming Smoothie Tub HERE

Coffee-Lovers Protein Drink (and a discount code to try it out!)

I've been adding instant coffee to protein shakes for a couple of years (chocolate whey, sugar-free instant vanilla cappuccino, ice-it's my swole-frap haha). What a find this product is! It's like someone stalked me in my kitchen and stole my faux-Bullet recipes! Check out Click HERE. And be sure to see below for a discount code from Bulu!

10% off a an order of Click in Mocha, Vanilla or Caramel at BuluBox.com. Use Promo Code: CLICK10

The Plan

Ugh the plan. I mean, I'm all for constant improvement and making myself a better person but just...ugh. Having to lose weight blows. Let's never do this again, okay?

My plan comes in stages. The first two stages are focused primarily on weight loss. The second stage will incorporate low standards of fitness. The last, like, 8 stages will be working towards athletic performance goals including both bodyweight fitness, running, and weight lifting.

Because I am in a hurry to lose weight I am allowing my athletic performance (if you can really call it that at this point) to suffer. I am overweight by a good 25-30 lbs. And over fat as well. During Stage One, if I feel inclined to exercise I will. I won't lift more than the bar, and I'll take it easy if my body is telling me to do so. No pushing it. This is because I am drastically cutting my calorie intake. Details on that to come once this is all over with. Hopefully Stage One doesn't take forever. I'm estimating it to be about a month.

During Stage Two I'll up my calorie intake while still being below maintenance to continue to lose weight while allowing myself to work out. I'll be working on running, push-ups, and sit-ups. Basic stuff. Still probably only lifting the bar.

Beginning in Stage Three I may or may not eat below maintenance. It just depends on if I want to continue to lose weight at that point. But my focus will be primarily athletic performance at that time. I will also begin to focus on my macros here, making sure I'm getting the proper balance of protein, carbs, and fat. Prior to Stage Three I will consider a calorie to be a calorie regardless of nutritional value.

Before I move into the next stage I'll be certain to give details of how everything went, and the detailed plan of the next stage. :)


So that's it! Initial stats to follow!

Baby Beast!

Thursday is starting off okay. We still haven't seen the sun since Sunday. The rain is cool and nice, I'm actually liking this compared to the insane heat and humidity of the summer.

Went to the gym and got on the stationary bike. That went well for about 20ish minutes, then I felt the grinding in my knee so I wrapped up the ride and went into the weight room. Good news, I'm now benching 95 lbs! Considering I started with just the bar, I'm kind of proud of myself. :)

I need to do a better job getting in my cardio. I never hurt when using the elliptical, maybe I ought to give that a try again.

Tonight I am going to take measurements and pictures for you. I have a rough idea of where I am, I know I've gained weight and inches. Blech. But we're going to do this right. :)

Shower time!

Weight Loss Journey So Far

I spent the early years of my adult life in the dark about my body composition. I didn't even realize I was overweight until I saw pictures of myself at over 200 lbs and it shocked me. My highest known weight is 207 lb. How I got that big without noticing is beyond my comprehension. I sometimes think I have a backwards body dysmorphic disorder. Usually people with that disorder look in the mirror and see a fat person, even if they are thin. It fuels the fires of eating disorders. But for me I look in the mirror and think I look great!

Below is a quick idea of what I'm working with. Check out my "Fitness Progress" link at the top of the page (or CLICK HERE) and get the details.

January 2010, 200+ lb

Summer 2013, 165-170 lb

Oh Wednesday

Oh Wednesday, why do you hate me? This morning it took me longer than it should have to drag myself out of bed. I was not interested in waking up! But once I got out of the shower I was thoughtful enough to brew a fresh delicious cup of coffee and pour it into a travel mug to take to work. Then as I arrived at work I realized that delicious cup was sitting on my desk at home. Grrrr.

The day felt interminable. I'm not sure why. It wasn't a particularly bad day. It was just long and slow and boring. My leg has started hurting in new places which bothers me a bit. I still need to be able to work out and the new pains worry me about how I'm healing.

Speaking of working out! I'm getting that 'progress page' ready to go. Get excited! I'll have it up before I go to bed tonight. Stay tuned!

Workin' on Mah Fitness!

Hello there!

So one of the biggest things going on in my life right now is that I am-to quote Fergie-workin' on mah fitness! I've lost some weight in the past few years, something like 30-45 lbs although I have gained a little back. Just as I was getting back on the fitness wagon I injured my knee and now my progress has slowed considerably. However, I still have goals and I'm still working to get there. Soon I'll be making a link up at the top where you can click to easily see my progress. This will include both measurements and (eek!) pictures. I think I may even have some pictures from a few years ago so that should be horrifying enlightening. A little basic information to get the ball rolling before I turn in for the night:


Height: 5'6"
Highest known weight: 207 lb.
Lowest known weight: 163 lb.
Current weight: 186 lb.


My BIG goal right now is less about actual weight loss and more about body composition and fitness. It's just so much FASTER (read:easier) to measure progress by weight.

I enjoy lifting weights and... that's pretty much it. Thank goodness for strength training because cardio is hardio! But seriously, I am learning to enjoy the sweat sesh.

And! Because I'm a HUGE fan of the rewards system, I have promised myself the Golden Tote clothing subscription once my waist reaches 30" and stays there for at least one month. I've been really hesitant to subscribe because it would be awful to get in a tote full of wonderful clothes and have to let them hang on the rack and stare at me while I sit in sweats and eat cookies. BOO! And since I started paying attention to my fitness, my waist has always been proportionately huge compared to the rest of me. So that's why the 30" measurement comes with a happy gift!

Stay tuned. Be sure to come by to check out my upcoming fitness progress link! :)