Healthier Lifestyle Tips

Disclosure: Please note, I received this product for review purposes from MomsMeet.com. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you!

If you’ve spent anytime recently in the dairy department of your local grocery store you’ve more than likely stumbled upon whole sections of milk alternatives. While there are a lot of choices currently on the market, there’s one shining star that deserves an honorable mention, almond milk.

You may be wondering, is almond milk really good for your family? The resounding answer is yes!

Whether you’re a vegan, have sensitivities to lactose, or are looking for something outside the utter, there are so many reasons you should take the plunge and switch to almond milk in your daily diet. Here are 7 reasons almond milk is a fabulous alternative you should consider trying on your next trip to the store:

It’s good for the waistline: One cup of almond milk contains only 60 calories, as opposed to 146 calories in whole milk, 122 calories in 2%, 102 calories in 1%, and 86 calories in skim. Making it a great substitute for those looking to lose weight at home.

It’s heart healthy: Almond milk is cholesterol-free, saturated-fat free, is low in sodium, and high in healthy fats such as omega fatty acids. Heart-healthy fats typically found in fish, that help to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease. Drink almond milk and your ticker will thank you!

It’s good for bone health: While almond milk does not contain as much calcium as cow’s milk, almond milk does offer 30% of the recommended daily amount of calcium and 25% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D per 8-ounce serving. All while reducing your risk for arthritis, osteoporosis, helping provide you with healthy teeth formation, and improving your overall immune function.

It’s great for your complexion: Want a glowing complexion? Drink almond milk! Almond milk contains 50% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin E, per 8-ounce serving, while providing your skin with skin-loving antioxidants that help protect your face and skin against sun damage.

It helps maintain healthy blood glucose levels: Almond milk is naturally low in carbs, which means it won’t significantly increase your blood sugar levels. This helps reduce your risk of diabetes and because of its low glycemic index. Your body will convert the carbs you consume from almond milk as energy, rather than stored fat cells!

It’s healing: While almond milk only contains 1 gram of protein per serving, it contains plenty of B vitamins, such as iron and riboflavin, both important for muscle growth and healing. Especially for those who hit the gym, yoga studio, or run after toddlers daily!

It’s lactose-free: Did you know that close to 25% of the United States population have difficulty digesting lactose, the sugar in cow’s milk? Which makes purchasing almond milk a safe bet for entertaining large groups of friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers during the holiday season and beyond!

While there are tons of reasons you should make the switch to almond milk, there’s still an even more compelling one. It just tastes better! Almond milk tastes better and is better for you!

Almond milk is also affordable, shelf-stable, and can be safely consumed cold or at room temperature. Making it the perfect drink for outdoor enthusiasts, those going to the gym, PTA moms, or those looking to keep quick and healthy snack options in the car for your little ones at home!

Personally, I have been slowly transitioning to a plant-based diet for the past year and so I’ve been enjoying almond milk for some time.

But with most products, all almond milk is not created equally. Some contain added ingredients like carrageenan, a common food additive that has no nutritional value and has been used as a thickener and emulsifier to improve the texture of ice cream, yogurt, cottage, and nut milk, such as almond milk, for decades.

Carrageenan is not an ingredient I want to consume. Which is why I always look for brands that do not contain this additive, such as New Barn Organic Almond Milk products.

New Barn products are gluten-free, non-GMO, and are, you guessed it, Carrageenan-free too! An added bonus? New Barn Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk contains 3x the almonds of other brands. They are also Organic, Non-GMO, vegan, Kosher, Whole30 approved, are non-dairy, and soy-free!

Plus, New Barn has so many awesome varieties available including Unsweetened Almond Milk, Barista blend for coffee, Original, and even Unsweetened Vanilla. Which means there is a New Barn product for every taste and palette! 

Unlike a lot of great organic products that can sometimes be hard to find in your local grocery stores, New Barn Almond Milk can be found in a variety of stores including Shaws, Whole Foods, and Publix for around $4.99 a container! Click here to find a store locator near you!

I have been enjoying the New Barn Unsweetened Organic Almond milk in my morning smoothies and have really enjoyed the taste. Nothing is better than knowing that the products that you love help to love your body, mind, and heart right back!

Be sure to try the New Barn brand of Almond Milk at your local grocery store and see what a difference New Barn products can bring to your overall wellbeing! Also be sure to check out my other posts on health and wellness too! Now I have to ask, do you currently use New Barn Almond Milk or are you interested in trying it? I’d love to hear about your brand experience below!

Connect with New Barn Organics:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google Plus | YouTube

For years I lived an uneventful existence. I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t unhappy either. I was just sort of stuck. I had a steady career, earned a good living, and an amazing husband. As an observer, you would think that my life sounded idyllic, but inside I felt unfulfilled, unmotivated, and unsuccessful. To me, each day presented itself little different from the before.

I looked around me and saw that everybody within my own circle, friends, former classmates, colleagues, relatives, and immediate family were no different. They too seemed stuck. They seemed unmotivated- living lives on automatic pilot. I began to question why this was. Why was a gray matter life the new normal?

I’ve read dozens of books over the years on philosophy and spirituality but despite the numerous studies, I remained an unchanged person. It wasn’t until I happened upon minimalism that I began to see things with greater clarity.

I realized that the key to unlocking the door to happiness was not contained in any book. It was contained in my own ability to live in each moment. That in order to change my world I needed to change not just how I lived in each day but the way I thought about the way I lived. Change how I thought about myself. Change my world view. 

It seems like such a small thing but the simple act of positive thinking changed me in more ways than I could have ever imagined. It helped me to change career paths, to let go of toxic relationships, and to focus on my family, marriage, and personal business goals. To pursue my passions in life. A change that helped me to cultivate a life devoid of the mundane gray matter existence of my youth.

Which leads me to today, National Positive Thinking Day, a day where I reflect on how my once pragmatic view of the world became an uncluttered, mindful, and positively existence. So if you too are looking to change your outlook on life here are 9 tips that can help you make embrace more positive thinking too:

Remember that you are powerful: Most of the time we have no idea what we are supposed to be doing. Instead, we spend years trying to find one person or another to imitate. We conform to our external environment. We follow social norms. We allow pop culture to dictate the roles we play in life. 

We play roles and cover up our true selves by identifying with titles and roles. Forced rules for living- thoughts that we are just a secretary, just sad, just lonely, or just plain miserable. Ideas that say I can’t help it-it’s who I am. The truth of the matter is that we are none of those things. We are not our professions, feelings, or circumstances. We are not prescribed gender roles. We are far greater than any label in existence. We are all far more powerful than we think we are. Remember your power. 

Choose to embrace life: One of the hardest lessons to learn in life is the practice of letting so. Learning to embrace each moment for what it is, whether it’s an obstacle or an opportunity. Stop selling yourself short based on trivial matters and start focusing on what’s really important to you. Life becomes hard when we decide to complain about things rather than trying to change them ourselves. Don’t go through life expecting things to change.  Be bold and courageous. Make decisions that benefit your personal growth. Stagnation in life ends when you remember to stop being a supporting actress in the story of your own life!

Control your reactions: We create our reality by the thoughts and beliefs we maintain about life. What we believe in our inner world, manifests in our outer world, not the other way around. We all have problems. We’re all tested by circumstances outside of our control. Regardless, we are still in control of what matters most, our reaction to those instances in life. Remember, how people treat you is their lot in life; how you react to them is yours. How you judge others doesn’t define their behavior. It defines yours. 

Opinions are fleeting: We place far too much emphasis on other people’s opinions about us, often to the exclusion of our own. This takes away from our own personal power of design. Stop identifying with other people’s perceived and actualized opinions of yourself. Become aware of how you see yourself. Nobody knows you better than you do. Never accept another person’s reality as your own. And, most importantly, remember that another person’s opinion of yourself is none of your business. 

Know you are enough: Experience has taught me that if you have to compare yourself to someone else, let it be a someone less fortunate. Let it be a lesson in how abundant your life truly is. Be aware that as a person you are enough. Right now. Right as you are. Want is a futile emotion. Replace the unending cycle of wanted desire, unmarked consumerism, or relentless envy in your mind with a steady stream of empathy towards the lives of others. It will create direction and purposefulness for your days. 

Love yourself:  You have arrived you lovely creature! Everything you need to start loving yourself is already within you. Cut out the distractions, open your eyes, and see yourself be happy, loved, and fulfilled.  Be your best friend. Be your own soulmate. Love yourself completely. Accept everything that you are. You are beautiful. Believe it. And remind yourself often of that fact.

Be collected: We often get uptight over the actions of others. We then punish ourselves for their bad behavior. Stop this punitive behavior. Accept only the responsibility for our own actions. Remember, you are the only one who will lose out in the end if you define yourself by anything less than calm, cool, and collected behavior. 

Record your journey: Create a record of your journal. consider journaling. Maybe start a podcast, blog, or YouTube channel. Document your journey. Reward each positive thinking milestone. Share your progress with others. Lavish in your stillness while remaining mindful of the progressive and fulfilling actions in life

Know you’re here: The first step in the journey of positive thinking starts with being content. Starting right where you are today. Don’t make the mistake of putting off being happy because you are waiting for the right moment to shine. Sometimes it takes a conscious effort to enjoy the journey. Not everyone woke up this morning. Nor will everyone go to bed safely tonight. Life has no guarantees. Every minute you are living is a blessing. But it’s always an option—a choice. A choice to know you’re already here. Right, where you’re meant to be.

Friends, those are my 9 tips for thinking more positively on National Positive Thinking Day. I hope these tips will inspire you to positively and proactively change the way you view yourself and the world around you. Take a chance on yourself. You’re a sure bet! Now I have to ask, what will you be doing today to positively think about yourself or others? I’d love to hear about it below!

Please note: I received free products from momsmeet.com to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own. Thank you. #momsmeet #yummibearorganics

When I was a child there were few vitamin choices available for kids and the vitamins that were available were large, chalky, and awful-tasting.  Although they came in fun shapes, taking vitamins based on childhood stone age friends was more a chore than anything closely resembling fun! Fortunately, children today have so many more choices including organic, wholesome gummy vitamins such as those from Hero Nutritionals Yummi Bear Organics Complete Multi-Vitamins.

As a family, we love that Yummi Bear Organics Complete Multi-Vitamins are the first and only organic and GMO-free gummy vitamin for kids with no artificial ingredients. Not to mention their mascot bears are adorable too!

Keep in mind, because there are no artificial colors in these products, the vitamins do not look like regular gummy bears. But that was part of their charm for me. I much prefer an all-natural vitamin that looked organic and safe for my family at home!

The Yummi Bear vitamins also have a pleasant, natural, sweet fruity taste.  I also appreciate that these vitamins are all Hero Nutritional vitamins and supplements are free of gluten, yeast, wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, salt, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, fish, artificial flavors, artificial colors and artificial preservatives. And are without any may contain nuts disclaimers. These vitamins also contain 16 essential nutrients for growth and development, and I feel good about giving them to my family.

We also loved trying the Slice of Life Organics Energy + B12 vitamins, which contains B12, along with folic acid and B6.  A combination supports heart, circulatory health, and helps to provide natural, sustained energy.  Essential for the upcoming cold and flu season! What’s better? These gummy vitamins tasted like a real treat. And who doesn’t like a little shot of energy with their treats? We definitely plan to purchase and take the Slice of Life Multivitamin in the future. 

Hero Nutritionals produces a wonderful assortment of vitamins and supplements for almost every need including an extensive line of children’s vitamins including their Yummi Bears Complete Multi Vitamin, Immunity Health, Vitamin C, Wholefood and Antioxidants, Vitamin D3, Omega 3, and many others. Their adult vitamins are the Slice of Life Complete Multi, Energy + B12, Omega 3 with Chia Seed, Vitamin D3, and many others.

I firmly believe in taking necessary vitamins and supplements to fill in the gaps that your body needs on a daily basis. One simply can not eat the proper balance of vitamins and minerals that a healthy body requires. In essence, we can function on the right amount of a proper balance of vitamins and minerals found in food, but even the healthiest person in the world will require some help now and then. Which is why my family will continue to take the Hero Nutritionals Yummi Bear Organics Complete Multi-Vitamins and Slice of Life Multivitamin this coming season!

Hero Nutritionals can be found in natural grocery stores and most supermarkets in the U.S. If you’re interested in learning more about Hero Nutritional and the vitamin and supplements they offer, please visit their website, Ralph’s, Whole Foods, Winn-Dixie, and Sprouts.

So, friends, I encourage you all to check out Hero Nutritional vitamin and supplements for your family at home. Now I have to ask, do you currently take a vitamin or supplement at home? I’d love to hear about your experience at home below!

Please note: I received a free box of Weruva B.F.F. OMG! to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own. Thank you.

If you’re anything like me, you adore cats. And if you’ve ever owned a cat — or more likely, been owned by one, you know the joy that those cats can bring. Even when they are being their adorable, persnickety selves. Cats have a rare quality that we humans would do well to cultivate in our own lives: a large capacity to receive affection.

When a cat saunters your way, it’s never easy to resist the impulse to stroke their backs and lavish them with only the best things in life. Including high-quality grain-free foods.

Did you also know that September is Happy Healthy Cat Month? Making this the perfect time to review one of my new favorite cat products the Weruva B.F.F. OMG! (that stands for Best Feline Friend, Oh My Gravy) Pet Food Box!

The first thing that drew me to this line is their commitment to providing organic, natural, grain-free, gluten-free, and carrageenan-free nutrition to even your pickiest feline at home! This line also seeks to address food-related cat issues such as picky eating, weight gain, and urinary tract issues in a fun food line that can be best described as “people food for cats.”

I was also impressed that Weruva B.F.F. OMG! produces all their products with a Super-Safe People Food Processing Standard in a facility that also produces food for people. The factory operates at international human food processing standards, including that of the super-strict British Retail Consortium (BRC), and the pet food processing must pass BRC scrutiny.

Best still, the main ingredients in BFF Originals is red meat (or dark meat) from tuna, primarily skipjack or bonito, two smaller and highly sustainable species. For the new BFF OMG! line, they’ve switched it up and feature land muscle meats, such as chicken, duck, beef, and lamb, as the primary sources of protein including boneless skinless chicken breast, duck, lamb, salmon, shrimp, and pumpkin to provide your kitties many delicious flavor varieties. 

The variety box we received contained: 

Tuna & Chicken pouches and cans in the Charm Me variety. This product contains: Tuna Broth, Tuna, Chicken, Ground Tapioca, Sunflower Oil, Guar Gum, Calcium Sulfate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Biotin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide, Taurine.

Tuna & Beef pouches and cans in the Baby Cakes variety. This product contains: Tuna Broth, Tuna, Beef, Ground Tapioca, Sunflower Oil, Guar Gum, Calcium Sulfate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide, Taurine.

Tuna & Salmon pouches and cans in the Sweet Cheeks variety. This product contains: Tuna Broth, Tuna, Salmon, Ground Tapioca, Sunflower Oil, Guar Gum, Calcium Sulfate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Biotin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide, Taurine.

Tuna & Lamb pouches and cans in the Luv Yas variety. This product contains: Tuna Broth, Tuna, Lamb, Ground Tapioca, Sunflower Oil, Guar Gum, Calcium Sulfate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Biotin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide, Taurine.

Tuna & Turkey pouches and cans in the Tickles variety. This product contains: Tuna Broth, Tuna, Turkey, Ground Tapioca, Sunflower Oil, Guar Gum, Calcium Sulfate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Biotin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide, Taurine.

Tuna & Duck pouches and cans in the Devour Me variety. This product contains: Tuna Broth, Tuna, Duck, Ground Tapioca, Sunflower Oil, Guar Gum, Calcium Sulfate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Biotin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide, Taurine.

The caloric value of each variety:

• Tuna & Chicken – Charm Me: 61 calories per pouch
• Tuna & Beef – Baby Cakes: 60 calories per pouch
• Tuna & Salmon – Sweet Cheeks: 54 calories per pouch
• Tuna & Lamb – Luv Yas: 66 calories per pouch
• Tuna & Turkey – Tickles: 65 calories per pouch
• Tuna & Duck – Devour Me: 62 calories per pouch

It is worth mentioning that most products only contain 9% protein per product. Which may or not be an issue for your home. Also, the recommended feeding portion per pet with this line, line many conventional blends is to feed your feline friends according to the age, size & activity of your cat. If fed alone, feed 1.0 oz for each pound of body weight twice a day. It also goes without saying that your cat should have access to clean, fresh water at all times. 

All-in-all, I loved the because Weruva products come in both BPA-free cans and pouches, feature land proteins like boneless and skinless white chicken breast, salmon, beef, duck, lamb and more. Best of all, my kitties love it!

I also love that this box also contained a small treat for myself, by way of skittles and a branded sticker as well as a rubber pet ball for the kitty! I also appreciate the attention to detail that went into this boxes design and packaging. Weruva B.F.F. OMG! Pet Box feels like a luxury pet service being delivered to your fuzzy family fra fraction of the price of most pet subscription services. 

Making The Even better, in the process, I found my kitty’s new favorite food. Darcy especially likes Weruva’s the Chicken flavor, which you can read about this fun company here. You can also explore the whole B.F.F. OMG! line up on Chewy.com, Amazon.com, or to find a location store that carries this product in your area, click here.

So, friends, I encourage you to check this line out this September as part of Happy Healthy Cat Month! Now I have to ask, does your kitty have any food-related issues at home? Share your experience in the comments!

Please note: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post from MomsMeet.com and COOLACare.com. All opinions are my own. Thank you. #COOLACARE #MOMSMEET

Having grown up in South Jersey and later in Southwest Virginia, I thought I knew all about how to live in sunny and humid climates. But I was wrong. Having married and settled in Mississippi for a just over a decade I can freely admit I’m still not the best when it comes to gauging how brutal the sun can be on my skin in the magnolia state. Which is why wearing sunscreen is something I insist my family wears as part of our daily healthy living routine. 

But with wearing sunscreen comes the need to make sure that the products we put on our skin align with our commitment to healthy living at home. I am also an avid label checker. I’ve always had t been! Growing up with a severe allergic reaction to PABA as well as having family histories of skin cancer, for both my husband and myself, I make it my business to know what is included in the products I freely slather on my family’s each day. Which was why I am so excited to partner with Mom’s Meet to show you this fantastic line of sunscreen products by Coola! 

Why we love COOLA Products:

Why do we love the COOLA Sport SPF 50 Guava Mango Sunscreen? It protects your family from both the sun and harmful ingredients like parabens, PABA, and phthalates. It also comes in a convenient spray applicator bottle, feels greaseless on the skin, and is easy to spray all the hard to reach places on my own-  backs of legs, knees, and arms. COOLA leaves my parched skin hydrated with all the extra skin loving ingredients including organic mango extract! 

When I use Coola I know that my skin is both protected and looks radiant as well. Did I also mention how amazing these products smell? It’s like tropical goodness is a bottle!

What sets COOLA Products apart:

I also love that COOLA contains antioxidant-infused ingredients to nourish and hydrate your skin with 70%+ certified organic ingredients like cucumber (anti-inflammatory and soothing for skin), algae (helps improve skin’s collagen and promote skin firmness and tone) and strawberry extracts (antioxidant rich in Vitamin C to prevent against environmental damage).

Having been formulated for the rigors of sweaty summer sports, COOLA Sport SPF 50 sunscreen is water resistant for up to 80 minutes. Making it perfect for this transplant to the deep south!

COOLA, as a company, also believes in Farm to Face® sourcing, and they use the freshest and most natural ingredients when possible. We are always on board for fewer additives and anything that helps out the environment, especially in our zero-waste home. 

Now when it comes to proper skincare, sunscreen should play a role in everything we put on our faces. Including our daily makeup routines. Which is why I was excited to find out that COOLA also offers a full line of other amazing products including Makeup Setting Spray, Coola Sports Tint Stick, lip balm, and more. All three products are now proudly part of daily makeup routine!

The tint stick glides on unlike any other sunscreen stick I’ve used and doesn’t feel like I am dragging a rubber eraser across my face. An added bonus in my book! These products glide on effortless and their coverage is amazing. I was hesitant to try the Makeup spray because I am pretty picky, but it was incredible! It kept my makeup in place and gave me a boost of 30 SPF to boot!

How to find out more about COOLA Products:

So friends, I with a full month of summer still left to enjoy with your friends, family, and little ones at home I encourage you to check out COOLA products for yourself. You can find all these great COOLA Suncare products on Amazon or search the store locator for stores near you.

Now I have to ask when it comes to sunscreen and cosmetic products, are you a pick label reading maven or are you interested in learning more about  I am  Coola Sport SPF 50 Guava Mango Sunscreen? I’d love to hear about it below!

Connect with COOLA:

Coola’s Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Please note: I received free products to facilitate this post from MomsMeet.com and Sea Bands. All opinions are my own. Thank you!

Please note: I received a 28-day food package from Personal Trainer Foods. All opinions are my own, thank you.

Weight loss has never come easily to me. Which is why a year ago I began a journey to better health. Since that time I’ve lost over 80 pounds, have worked towards perfecting a workout routine, started consistently meal planning, and have implemented portion control strategies that really work for me. Adding to this great success has been my month-long Personal Trainer Food 28-day Food Plan. Which helped me this week lose another five pounds. Putting my three-week total weight loss at 21 pounds!

I’m still elated to have been selected to try out Personal Trainer Foods, a 28-day weight loss program that focuses on providing continued weight loss success through the consumption of precooked, frozen, no-filler foods without hidden sugars or carbs. Just the type of food program I knew could help get me past my recent weight loss plateau. And so far that weight loss plateau is looking to be a thing of the past with every passing week!

Why I’m still loving Personal Trainer Foods:

As I mentioned last week, I currently weigh 207 pounds; I am down 97 pounds from my highest weight of 304 pounds from this time a year ago. I am also a PCOS patient who must maintain a low-testosterone lifestyle. Which means I must maintain a low-sugar diet and a low-impact, low testosterone-inducing workout plan.

To accomplish this, I workout from my home gym 4 days each week, for 30 minutes each session. I also walk my dogs twice a day for approximately 30 minutes each walk. I also speed walk each weekend with my husband and daughter for 1 hour at our local lake. This is my body’s current condition and health. 

This past week I again allowed myself two cups of organic fair trade coffee each morning (Sumatran if you’re wondering) with one tablespoon of vegan non-dairy coconut creamer and each evening I consumed two cups of herbal peach tea with stevia and vegan non-dairy coconut creamer. 

I’ve also increased the amount of walking I’ve put in by a mile a day, taking my total walking time per day to 3 miles each day, with 2.5 miles each morning and a small 0.5 mile walk each evening. To stay hydrated and somewhat more full, I’ve consumed my fair share of sparkling water and hot lemon water each morning and decaffeinated herbal tea each evening before bed. 

In terms of portion control, as compared to my week 3 check-in, I’ve felt less hungry again, especially between lunch and dinner. Especially after walks! 

What I like about the program this past week:

I’m still amazed as to how fresh each meal has been. These meals are nothing like the usual microwaveable tv dinners we all know. The beef tips and broccoli, for example, are well prepared. You’d think they might even be from takeout! Thus far the veggies provided in this meal plan have been my favorites. In fact, if I could make one suggestion to Personal Trainer Foods it would be to have smaller protein portions and to increase the produce portions! 

Still another favorite this week? The breakfast maple sausage patties, western omelets, and a dash of Sriracha sauce! Seriously the breakfasts provided in this plan are filling, nutritious, and just plain ole yummy. I have really enjoyed the omelets and bacon strips too!

Something else to consider, your food intake. While normally a big eater, a true foodie, with the Personal Trainer Food Meal Plan, I haven’t felt deprived. I feel comfortably full after each meal. Now have I dreaded hitting the scale nor the need to count calories. With Personal Trainer Foods, that’s all done for me and it’s a huge relief for me! 

What I’ve eaten this week from Persona Trainer Foods this week:

So you can get a better idea of the meal quality with this plan, I’ve captured photos of each meal. Here’s what I’ve had this week.

Friday: 

Breakfast: Cheddar Cheese Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Angus Beef Patty and Norway Blend Vegetables Medley
Dinner: Homestyle Meatloaf and Summer Medley

Saturday:

Breakfast: Western Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Chicken Breast Fajita Strips and Succotash Medley
Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken Breast and Summer Vegetable Medley

Sunday:

Breakfast: Cheddar Cheese Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Chicken Breast Patty and Cauliflower
Dinner: Cranberry Cognac Sausage and Broccoli

Monday:

Breakfast: Western Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Angus Beef Patty with Cauliflower
Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken Breast with Lima Beans

Tuesday:

Breakfast: Cheddar Cheese Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Buttery Chicken Breast with Succotash
Dinner: Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sticks and Summer Vegetable Medley

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Poached Egg and two Maple Sausage Patties
Lunch: Angus Beef Patty with PTF Veggie Medley
Dinner: Turkey Meatballs, Sriracha Butter Sauce, and Veggie Medley

Thursday: 

Breakfast: Cheddar Cheese Frittata and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Two BBQ Riblettes with Scandinavian Vegetable Medley
Dinner: Meatball Trio with Onions and Key West Vegetable Medley

Overall thoughts for the week 3 check-in:

This past week I continued to utilize the Personal Trainer Food online resources. Particularly the Personal Trainer Food Facebook Support Page. While I’ve been using it since I found out I would be getting this opportunity, I’ve really gleaned a lot of great information this past week especially. From various in-group discussions on meal planning, meal prep, and portion control tips, to receiving amazing amounts of encouragement from other group members, I’ve been able to glean tons of useful tips this week from fellow Personal Trainer Food users. With this plan, you never feel like your alone in this crazy journey they call weight loss!

I’ve also spent a few minutes each evening on the Personal Trainer Food blog researching meal planning and food prep strategies from trained dieticians. The blog continues to give me a lot of insight into the amount of planning and foresight that goes into recipe formulation for this plan. Making the price of Personal Trainer Food all the more worth it in my opinion!

I’ve also loved watching the progress of others using the Personal Trainer Food Plan on Youtube. It’s always encouraging to see real-time success stories from the food plan you are currently on.

Final results from the plan:

First and foremost, I am so excited to be ending my 28-day meal plan with having lost a total of 21 pounds! While weight can be such a hard way to measure your success, I feel accomplished just the same with using Personal Trainer Food this past 4-week journey. Weight loss can be so different for everyone. While you chose to try this plan, and like me, experience great results. You may also lose less. It’s all about our own individual bodies ability to adapt to the changes that make. From my before and after photos, you can noticeably see the weight difference on my face, chest, and waist. I’m so over the moon about my progress!

With this in mind, I’m also happy to report having lost 4 total inches of fat from my body. I’ve been measuring myself with seamstress tape each week on my face, neck, arms, thighs, and backside. So I’ll go on a limb and say that 4 inches are a job well done. I lost 4 inches around my hips, waist, and chest. I’ve noticed that my bras have started fitting better, my shorts even started falling down, and my wedding bands fit better too! 

I’ve also noticed that my fingernails grew longer and stronger. And my skin started to glow. So many people commented how great my skin looked. I’ve also felt much more energetic in the afternoons when my energy levels used to wane. Which I attribute in no small part to the Personal Trainer Food plan.

Personal Trainer Food has helped my family too. We are all eating better and making healthier choices. While I considered myself pretty savvy on issues of weight loss prior to starting this 28-day plan, while now I can honestly say that after this plan I do understand even more about nutrition and which helps me give my family smarter food options at home. Plus I didn’t have to buy groceries or cook for myself for an entire month. What’s not to love

As you can see everyone, Personal Trainer Food has been amazing so far. I’ve lost an additional 4 pounds, haven’t had to count calories, and have taken my meal prep time to zero. Amazing, right?

I’m happy with my personal progress and can’t wait to see what is to come the next 3 weeks. I’ll  be checking in next Friday with you to share with you how I’m doing with this meal plan on my week 3 check-in. Also, follow me on  Instagram as I’ll be sharing my meals daily for the rest of my 28-day program on IG Stories to see how I’m feeling each evening throughout the week. 

And if you want to give this program a try, click here and use the Code MOMBLOGGER to save $150.00 off a 28-day program! So folks, now I have to ask, what are your initial impressions of Personal Trainer Foods? I’d love to hear about it below! 

Past posts in series:

• Week 1 Check In
• Week 2 Check In
• Week 3 Check In