The Oreo Cookie package

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it is time to find forgiveness for my “thankful” celebration in the gym. Admittedly, I didn’t eat as much as I had hoped (we’ll just say I’m getting too old to go out the night before Thanksgiving). I used the fact I didn’t divulge in comfort food as an excuse to not hit the gym.

But this post isn’t about my food confession (which somehow is what this blog has turned into), it is about achieving small daily goals with the help of Body By Vi powder.

I bought a package of Oreos to add to my white chocolate cheesecake (see below) for Thanksgiving dessert. I bought this package about a week prior to the big day, and I had a cookie or two prior to my baking. The real heroic story here is, that package still resides comfortably in my pantry. Almost two weeks with a pack of Oreos, and I have yet to eat them all.

This may not seem like a big deal to most of you, but I purposely avoid buying packaged snacks to avoid the disappointment I feel after two days of indulging with nothing left to spare. My usual routine is eating 3/4 of the package on day 1, then feeling guilty and saving a little bit for the next day, always to come back to the snack on day 2 with sadness because the portion is too tiny to enjoy.

However, this did not happen for me this time. Even after using several cookies for baking, I still have cookies left two weeks later.

I think everyone should take a moment and embrace these little achievements, especially during the holidays. It’s not about the journey but the steps you take to getting there. (Pretty sure mis-quoting old expressions aren’t going to help me get publish; however, I prefer my versions better. Think of them as “updated”…I am also interested in marketing.)

Now the next question is, how does the Vi powder relate to any of this?

Well it doesn’t.

Just kidding.

Even though I may skip a day or two of my Vi powder, I really can’t get over how it’s helped me portion control and I thank that package of Vi for the package of Oreos still in my pantry.

Gingerbread latte – the best part of the holidays

Even though Thanksgiving has yet to pass, the Christmas joy at Starbucks has returned not a moment too soon; I am forever thankful for the season of the gingerbread lattes (see what I did there?)

Between the Thanksgiving festivities, food, the Christmas lights, music and snacks, this is without a doubt one of my favorite times of the year. However, with the cold weather and time change, it has made going to the gym a little more challenging.

This is usually my season for hibernation; where vegging out in front of the TV watching cheesy ABC family movies and eating peanut brittle is my favorite hobby.

But not this year. Since I’ve started the Vi shake, I’ve noticed a lack of unnecessary snacking, even with the holiday-time-weather change.

I’m just not as hungry, and snack food is oddly less appetizing for me. The other day I went out to dinner with an old friend and ordered the Mac and Cheese. By the end of the night, I felt a little sick.

Once I ruled out the pregnancy scare, I knew it had to be the Paula Deen-esq food I had ordered. This is never an issue for me. My favorite food groups are fried and cheese, and yet I still felt sick? I realized the shake is to thank (or blame, but I’m going with the thanks) for feeling ill after such a hearty greasy meal. I hardly eat those things any more, and when I do, I can’t finish it. I fill up very quickly, and it’s no longer appetizing enough to eat through the fullness.

Since I’ve moved from two shakes a day to only one, I have maintained the little weight I lost and have a nice little definition in the stomach area.

So as I write to you all today on my -lunch break, on my phone, in the local Starbucks, drinking my gingerbread latte I’ve eagerly waited for for the past 9 months- I feel no guilt. I’ve been diligent about my portions, religious with drinking one shake a day, and I am very happy with my results (thus far).

I’ll try my best to keep this up on the 22nd (considering I have three turkey meals to go to in one day), but in the end, I’m going to enjoy the holidays and be grateful I have food to eat and the dilemma of too many different family members to visit in one 24 hour period.

Until then, Happy Thanksgiving!