SlimDownSeries: Essentials

Here are some links to things I find are needed to jump start and follow along with me. 

I have purchased all of these Items myself and feel that they work best for me. 

so far I love my new scale and ill be giving you guys my first weigh in next week. 

Essentials

Number 1. Reliable scale. Body fat on a scale isn't always accurate so I wouldn't worry too much about that. but having a scale that will give you consistent readings is important and not change based on how you lean or stand. 

Health-o meter professional body fat scale here

Match green tea or oolong tea. I've mentioned this plenty of times that I noticed a big difference while drinking tea. Helps speed up the metabolism and release fat from the body.

Monkey picked oolong is sold at teavana stores if you have on near you. 

Monkey Picked Oolong here

Matcha green tea is also sold at teavana stores if you have one near you.

Matcha green tea has vitamin C, A, K, E b12 and b12 complex. the number one part of the body it helps burn fat from in the stomach.

Matcha green tea here

Regular Green tea

Green tea

Water container. I always use BPA free if I am not using a water bottle. This is easier to refill. 

Water container

This is just the start. 

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or professional. I share my experiences and knowledge I have gained through my own personal trial and error. I like these things and keep them in my day to day life. I am just here to share with those who are looking for something new.

can't wait to share more. xo 

vanessa. 

How I feel about waist trainers...

I honestly was the person that was like HELL NO to waist trainers; and to be honest I am still against it to aim to cinch your waist to an abnormal size. However, I did try one for the sake of trying and I will say if you get a size bigger they make a great sweat belt at the gym or while working out. AS LONG AS YOU CAN BREATH. I don't like feeling constricted. But with regular sweat belts they sometimes roll down and it can be annoying having to try and adjust it while working out. Since this targets your entire abdomen it seems to help. While working out this is something to test and see if it works for you not something I personally would wear all day long. Ill link an option below ;) and some other weight loss items.

BUY CORSET HERE

Help your digestion daily with Monkey picked oolong tea. I have talked about this for a long time and I have finally found a reasonable price for it compared to in store.

MONKEY PICKED OOLONG TEA

Slimhot pants. Sweat more= burn more. thats all i have to say haha

BUY SLIMHOT PANTS HERE

Hope this quick blog helps you guys out a bit.

All things weight loss!

HERE ARE ALL THE THINGS I LIKE THAT HELP AID WEIGHT LOSS.

you can pick and choose what might work best for you and help you maintain or drop a few extra pounds.

Fat Burners & Pre Workouts

Forskolin helps burn fat, helps with asthma and skin problems. I have a youtube video talking about this product and its what I am currently using. Link below.

Buy Forskolin Here

Vega sport all natural and vegan pre workout. It gives you the perfect amount of energy !

Buy Vega Here

Cleansing

I like smooth move a lot. I know its a little uncomfortable to talk about but it really helps get rid of extra "stuff" clogged up in our belles.

Buy Smooth Move Here

Oolong tea.

this helps aid in proper digestion and speed up the metabolism.

Buy oolong tea here

Matcha green tea

another tea that is one of the best #1 part of the body is burns fat from is the stomach. I love this tea, and unfortunately I am allergic to it but when I drank this consistently my stomach was FLAT!!

Matcha Green tea here

This cleanse I have used a couple times for jump starting my weight loss and it really does put in work.

Acai Super cleanse for 14 days really helps eliminate backed up stuff from the colon!

Acai Cleanse Here

Workouts

Some things I like to help me sweat more during a workout

Sweet Sweat this stuff makes you sweat more in those hard to sweat places

Buy sweet sweat here

Sweat belt: Here is the one I have but there are others you can choose from on amazon

Sweat Belt Here

Workout Recovery

Vega sport recovery another product from vega I really like

Vega Recovery Here

Protein powder

For a few years now I have tried a few protein powders this one is not only affordable but gets the job done and tastes pretty good

Designer Whey Here

Wheybolic is another one I tried and I love that is sweetened with stevia also tastes great!

Wheybolic Here

These are all the things that have definitely helped me. They all work they are all pretty affordable. And you don't need every single one. Just find what you think will suit you best. These are just products I personally use and know work.

hope this helps :)

Week One Meal Ideas

A lot of us have jobs and need to have a fast but healthy breakfast, then we only get 30 minutes break at work and need to go to the quickest fast food spot or heat up a frozen dinner loaded with sodium and but the time we get home from work we need to figure out what to make for dinner and then again we either heat up a frozen dinner, order out or swing by a fast food place on the way.

Well ill say this first, these meal ideas are to help make your choices easier but the commitment sometimes isn't easy. Especially if this is a transition you haven't made before. Luckly there are plenty of affordable and time consuming options.

I like to cook things in threes. Im not a major meal prep person because I like to have my food as fresh as possible 7 meals in advance chillin in my fridge isn't for me. Three days ahead I can do.

Breakfast Ideas:

2-3 hard boiled eggs, half grapefruit and some green tea. ( trader joes has pre boiled eggs that come in handy if you need to eat breakfast on the go.) I like to add a little hot sauce to mine and stevia to my grapefruit.

1 slice of ezeikeil bread (any kind I like raisin) with a table spoon of almond butter and half a banana on the side or on top! its great :)

1/3 cup of oatmeal with some fresh berries, almond milk (unsweetend), stevia and cinnamon

3 egg whites one whole egg scrambled mixed with vegetables of your choice and some hot sauce. (this is probably one of the best) slice some avocado on tip.


Morning snacks:

the other half of your banana from the a.m. and table spoon of raw sun flower seeds, almonds or walnuts.

quest bar

pineapple and some mixed berries with organic string cheese ( i like to cut out dairy the first week but this is fine)

table spoon of almond butter with an apple


Lunch:

I like to pre make about 3 chicken breast or 3 99% lean turkey patties.

chicken with broccoli, spinach and some hot sauce.

ground turkey patty with zucchini pasta

shrimp with zucchini pasta and earth balance butter is one of my favorite lunches you can get a Veggeti on amazon aka vegetable spaghetti. I love this thing and it makes the meal more fun.

Salad with chicken/tuna/turkey/avocado any vegetables you like and some oil and vinegar or any dressing you choose thats healthy. I like brags liquid amino acids and hot sauce.

Snack:
any of the previous will do

Dinner:

Dinner is the smallest meal for me.

I like roasted vegetables with some chicken or turkey

Cauliflower mash with some protein is also great

For this I just say Protein and a Vegetable.

Frozen veggies are convenient and you can use one of your pre cooked proteins. (if you make more than 3 free your protein so they last longer)

dinner is a hard one for me because its typically the same.


hope this gives you a little idea for week one on what you can eat so you don't feel like you are a little bird. lol

xo.

Please keep me updated with your progress!

MY WEIGHT LOSS MUST HAVES

In this blog ill be sharing some things I believe to be essential for weight loss. The first week changing up a diet routine is usually the week we lose the most. Because of water weight and a drastic transition.

Here are some things I find to be MUST HAVES!

Forskolin! I've tried Garcinia Cambogia, CLA fat burners, amongst other things and I just wasn't impressed. I recently tried this forskolin and I have to say I am so impressed with the results I had using this supplement. I believe is helped me not have as many plateaus and I also believe it helped speed up the process of my weight loss. Below I'll link the exact product I used and purchased myself.

BUY FORSKOLIN HERE

My next weight loss must have is TEA! There are two teas I like specifically although one I can no longer drink because I'm allergic to it. But before I knew I was allergic, man, my abs were on point! 

Matcha green tea. Ill say this one for cost sake and it'll last far longer than the other tea I love so much which is (monkey picked oolong from teavana) the number one part of the body matcha burns fat from in the stomach! If you don't mind a green taste then you will enjoy this. When you click the link above search for Matcha Green Tea (organic is better) 

Next when you are on the go and you are in a position where its either eat a donut or a piece of cake QUEST BARS ARE YOUR OTHER BESTIE! From he flavors to the simple ingredients they really are someone anyone on a health journey should cary with them for an emergency. My favorites are the oreo and chocolate chip so I will link those two options below. (I have used these as a meal replacement front time to time) 

Search Quest Bars From Previous Link 

If you are someone who is a snacker and you like things to be on the more savory side QUEST NUTRITION CHIPS are to die for and are also a life saver. 21 grams of protein low carb and taste great. Another nice little back up to have if you feel like you really need something to hold you over. 

Search quest chips from previous link 

For those of you who need to lose more than 20 pounds I recommend the HCG diet. It's worked really well for me and for the people who stick to it. In this diet challenge its completely optional and you can check this next link out below. Ill also link a video of my most recent results.  This is completely optional! 

http://www.vanessahcg.com

How to Lose 5-8lbs in 3 days!

I know a lot of people celebrated Memorial Day weekend out partying, eating a ton of good food and drinking. Which naturally results in ending the weekend a little more bloated or bigger than they started it. 

For me this top picture was right before leaving to vegas (forgive the messy background I was backing and unorganized) I know I'd come home with a few extra pounds.  This next picture is a 6 pound difference and as you can see I look really bloated. 

So what did I do to reduce the weight and get back to where I first started.

Upon getting home the first thing I did was pick up a gallon of water and I drank it. If you get home late like I mentioned in my youtube video (that will be live at 5pm California time today) drink at least half of the gallon. 

I also chugged 2 table spoons of apple cider vinegar in water before bed. 

and then had a cup of oolong tea. 

and woke up a little less swollen 

Along with those things above there are a couple more things you can do to help you shed those pounds. 

Cranberry Juice.. No I'm not talking about ocean spray. I'm talking about real unsweetened cranberry juice. Put about 3 oz of cranberry juice in a 20-50 ounce water bottle and drink that through out the day. It filters the kidneys and reduces swelling and also is great for your urinary tracts and helps release the water weight. I've done this for years and it works like a charm. (cant believe I forgot to mention it in the video)

If you have a sweat belt sleep in it for one or two nights. Sweat while you sleep and release some more excess water. 

Eat foods like cucumber, berries and asparagus to also help with the water weight. 

I've lost up to 10 pounds of water in 3 days before. give this a try and use your own judgment to see if its right for you. This isnt a crash diet just some things to add right when you get home from your vacation to detox you and get rid of some unwanted swelling and pounds. :) 

How to Avoid Gaining Relationship Weight...

I wanted to talk about this because in the past I have always been one of those people that gains the 20+ pounds of relationship weight which also contributed to my "yo-yo dieting" & now that I have finally hit a point where I am fed up with yo-yo dieting or my weight constantly going up and down I'm now in a position where I'm losing weight in my relationship.
I talk in detail on my youtube channel on how difficult its been for me to lose weight this past year due to some hormone imbalances and It took me FOREVER to figure out the problem. However, Ill keep this post on topic.

Tip one: When you start dating someone focus on yourself and the goals you have set. Although, this person likes you how you are upon meeting you realize its still about YOU and what YOU want for your self.
- In the past I've never compromised myself or changed my likes or dislikes for a person. But I have allowed myself to forget about the goals I had set for myself or fall of track with what I was doing prior to meeting that person. So don't become so consumed with what THEY are doing and make sure you are still doing what makes you feel best.

Tip two: Express your eating habits to the person you're with and make sure they understand.
- From my experience the men I have previously dated don't eat healthy ever. and don't like healthy food. Men and women have different bodies a man can eat whatever he wants, work out and never gain a pound. Women.. well some of us can gain 10 pounds in a week. Set boundaries for how many times you go out to eat a month. I've never lived with a significant other before, but if you're in control of the kitchen and cooking give him a designated spot for his snacks.. a SMALL spot and have your lunch and dinner ready. If he understands you're serious and you are sticking to your habit he'll respect and encourage it. (I'm grateful to have that now)

Tip three: Have a list of place you absolutely WILL NOT EAT just so your partner knows.
- for me I will not eat any fast food at all. If it has a drive through there is no compromise.

Tip four: Implement a workout system together, share your progress and goals with one another.
- I've found that expressing my goals in a relationship helps the person get on board with you. Maybe they won't eat salads for dinner with you but they'll encourage you to keep it up! Its also a way to bond, nothing is better than the person you're with noticing a positive change in you.

Tip five: Always always always want to make a healthy change to a healthier lifestyle for yourself. It should never be about the other person.
- I use to stress so much if I was getting too big for someone or if I could be more attractive. Now I just look at myself and say "I can do better, I want better." I CAN and I WANT are the key words.

In the end your significant other will appreciate the change in confidence. If you aren't happy with yourself I feel that it could cause unnecessary problems in a relationship. I'm speaking for myself when I say you look in the mirror and don't even like yourself that causes you to feel ugly, unwanted, unworthy and those are such negative feelings to have. Having confidence in your body and overall appearance with lead to dressing better, feeling better, knowing you're worthy and loved.


I can touch base more on my yoyo dieting experiences in the past and losing weight.

xo.

- Vanessa

Progress & Experimenting

PThe first part of this post is recent progress which I'll do a video on. Left was about two months ago and the right was this morning. I can finally see and feel changes which feels good and keeps me motivated to reach my goal. Which is still about 15-20lb from where I am

Today! 

With that vein said I've been feeling a huge lack of energy for some reason. I'm not sure if it's because I wake up so early or there is a nutrient in my diet that I'm not getting. So I did some research on bee pollen and it's not only anti viral/bacterial it's suppose to help with a number of thing a and boosting energy is one of them. Today was the first day I experimented adding it ontop of my chicken with tomatoes and it's pretty good! I'm all for a natural form of energy so I'll update you guys once a week or two has gone by.

APRIL FITNESS & HEALTH FAVORITES

HERE ARE THE LINKS TO MY FAVORITE PRODUCTS THIS MONTH!

If you guys want to know more of my favorite fitness items please leave comments and let me know. 

Quest Bar is my first favorite and here are a couple thinks to help you find them.

Quest Bars

Quest Oreo Value Pack

Quest Variety Pack

Vega Sport Electrolyte hydrator

VegaSport Electrolyte hydrator

My fitness ball

Fitness Ball

Sweat Belt

Waist Slimmer