Disclosure: I am part of the Stonyfield Yo-Getters.  I received coupons for Greek yogurt, but all opinions are my own!

I have some news!! I’m going to be in an upcoming issue of All You Magazine!  SO excited/nervous.  You would think I would be sharing money saving tips, but it's actually something very different! More details soon, but basically I’ve been testing a fitness app for the last month.  I have really been focusing on being more active after that loooong winter and it’s making me feel great!

Although I am trying to lose weight, I refuse to say that I’m on a diet.  I am ready to make lifelong changes!  One of my top priorities is getting enough healthy food, especially protein.  Before I just assumed protein was coming from meat and occasionally beans…now I make sure to fill up each plate with protein!  Bob Harper says that you should get half of your body weight in grams of protein (ex: if you weigh 160, you need 80 grams of protein a day).  While that may seem like a lot, it’s actually quite easy!  The main purpose of protein is to keep you full longer.

My go-to (and tastiest!) form of filling protein is Stonyfield Greek yogurt. I have the bad habit of standing at the counter to eat during the day and yogurt is a quick way to fill up!  Favorite flavors: Superfruit, Black Cherry with 1 teaspoon of mini chips or the blueberry!  Many people think they don’t like Greek yogurt, but when they try the smooth Stonyfield variety they are hooked. (*cough* Ricky!) I love that they are so flavorful!  This year, Stonyfield is the official yogurt of the Boston Marathon!  Good luck to everyone today!

Aside from snacks in cups, I buy a big tub of plain Stonyfield Greek yogurt for cooking.  I add it instead of sour cream or mayo to many recipes.  My new favorite lunch is a can of tuna, mixed with a bit of mustard, plain Greek yogurt and a hard-boiled egg on a bagel thin.  SO filling!!  On the side, if I’m not having a cup of yogurt, I have cottage cheese with a drizzle of honey.  That meal alone gets me almost half of my protein quota for the day!

Here are some other great (non meat!) sources of protein:

• Liquid Egg whites.  For only 25 calories you get 5 grams!

• Low Fat Cottage cheese. 12 grams per ½ cup!  Great toppings: honey, salsa, berries.
• Tuna.  1 can has 28 grams!
• Steel Cut Oats. 5 grams per serving.  Add some peanut butter and nuts for a great filling breakfast!
• Beans. Protein varies per bean, ex: black beans have 7 grams per ½ cup. I like to add them to salads, blend them up for dips.  Make sure to always rinse and seek out low sodium cans.
• Endamame. 17 grams per cup!  Roast in the oven, add to stir fries, make endamole.

The list is endless, but once you start keeping an eye out for protein, you’ll find some of the sources surprising. 



My weight loss journey is FAR from finished, but I feel like I've gotten a great start so far!  Maybe one day I'll be completing the Boston Marathon...or at least cheering on Ricky!

What's your go-to source of protein?

Calorease: All-natural Weight Loss Aid! {Review}

Disclosure: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program.  As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion.  My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC, or the manufacturer of the product.

For more information, check out Calorease.com!

I have been trying to lose weight for over a year now.  I eat relatively healthy and try to work out 3-4 times a week.  I tried Weight Watchers for 6 months, until I realized I wanted to save money and use the app My Fitness Pal instead.  With all of my effort, it is SO hard for me to drop the pounds.

When I heard about reviewing Calorease, I was both excited and hesitant.  As a child of the 80's, I remember every precautionary episode of my favorite shows: think Kelly on 90210.  

Obviously I have a dated misconception of what a diet pill is.  I do know how dangerous they can be, though!

Since this one was sent from Mom's Meet, I thought I would give it a try.

What is Calorease?

A stimulant free diet aid. (IE: no Jessie Spano "I'm so excited" moments)  You take 2 capsules before eating meals and it binds with fat.  Daily, they can burn up to 500 calories to help aid weight loss. 

My favorite part: Calorease does not contain gluten, lactose, yeast, wheat, sugar, salt, egg, soy, dairy, artificial colors, sweeteners or preservatives. It is naturally sourced from grain and is suitable for vegans.

There is no specific diet plan for Calorease, you just use it with your normal eating and exercising program.  Just because it binds with fat, though, doesn't mean that you should go crazy eating unhealthy food.  It is meant to aid your weight loss mission.

My thoughts
I've lost 3 pounds this month.  I really can't say if it is from Calorease itself or a combination of my workouts and healthy eating.  Whatever it was, I really think that Calorease helped jump start my weight loss again.

I didn't have any side effects, which I was really scared about.  Overall, I was very happy!  I am trying it for another month, I'll make sure to keep you updated! 


Looking for more information?

• If you would like to try Calorease yourself, my readers can have 50% off with the code 4MOMS on the website (That makes a one month supply only $14.99!)
•  Check out their Facebook Page!

Do you use any weight loss helpers?

My weight loss journey [Fitbit review]

I have been doing Weight Watchers for a couple of months now.  I wish I could say the pounds are melting off, but I've finally gotten past the 10 pounds lost mark.  I really don't eat too badly, so it gets frustrating when I feel like I should be losing faster.  

Every week I see people at my meetings who the Weight Watchers program really works great for, but I get frustrated with the points system.  I like to see real numbers, I actually tend to use the free app My Fitness Pal more. 

One thing I have been trying to focus on is working out.  I really love our local YMCA and there are a few branches we can visit.  The downtown location is right by Ricky's work so we can meet him when he's done for the farmers market on Thursdays.

Our main location is the Spartan branch (if you go there, I would love a workout buddy!).  The girls love the play area and I enjoy the "me" time.  I tend to stick to the cardio machines and classes and I was getting frustrated with my pedometer.  I felt like I wanted something to tell me how many calories I was burning, as well as how many steps. It's really hard for a pedometer to actually pick up on steps taken in a class since you aren't always moving forward, but also side to side. 

After doing some research, I decided I wanted a Fitbit. There are 3 varieties, but I chose the simplest to get me started: the zip. From taking surveys, I had some Amazon money saved up...it was perfect timing!  

Weight Watchers has a fitness tracker, but I decided against it for a few reasons:

1. I could never resell it if I didn't like it or wasn't in WW anymore (it is a one person device)

2. There is a $5 monthly fee to use it

3. It had very mixed reviews, mostly negative

I've had it since Mothers Day and I am obsessed with it! I clip it to my bra and it updates information to my phone, Fitness Pal and other devices.

Once you are done with your workout, it will tell you exactly how many calories you've burned, along with your steps. I was always skeptical with the readings on the machines I used and I had every right to be! My calorie burn is usually 100-150 MORE than the machine says! That adds up!

I aim for 10k steps a day, it is such a great motivator!

Do you use a Fitbit or any sort of health monitor?