Day 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Wow! Clearly, we have not have time to post! Our apologies! Summer school has started for Ashley, and we are taking care of Travis' stepdad while he recovers from back surgery. There just aren't enough hours in the day! Let's see, updates.....we are still loving the Vi-shakes. With life being so hectic lately, it's been really nice to have the Vi-shakes. They come in handy when you're short on time! It's easy to grab take out, or something that's unhealthy when you're crunched for time. Like this morning for instance, we woke up a little late, but still had time to dump 4 scoops of mix, frozen fruit, and skim milk into the blender and whip it up for a FAST, nutritional breakfast. Poured it into a plastic cup, popped the lid on and out the door we went!

We also qualified to get our kit for free now! Yay!! So no more money coming out of our pocket! Now we're getting paid to be on the Challenge, and get fit! We're so thrilled!!

 Happy Monday Everyone! 

Day 7

It's been a week and we are feeling pretty good! We're anxious to get to the store to get some ingredients for new recipes! The possibilities really are endless! I think that's what we enjoy so much about the Vi-Shakes. Before the challenge we had a 4-5lb tub of protein powder. Don't get me wrong, it was okay and it tasted fine, but after a week or two, we were sick of the vanilla ice cream flavor. Plus, it didn't blend well. It tasted like metallic when blended. That can't be good!

Another nice thing about being on the program is that our grocery bill has gone down. Yay! With taking 1-2 shakes a day it has eliminated purchasing food for those meals each day.

More recipes and pictures to come!

Upcoming GIVEAWAY!

In the month of June we're going to be hosting a GIVEAWAY with an awesome prize! The prize won't be revealed just yet, but trust us....you're gonna love it! If you're a follower of our blog you're gonna want to make sure and friend us on FACEBOOK to stay current on how to win! Stay tuned! :) 

Day 6

First and foremost, we want to welcome 2 new members to our 90 Day Health Challenge! Welcome Cheryl! She is a cancer survivor and we are so honored to have her join us in this journey! We know she is going to see some amazing results! :) We also want to welcome Karen! We are thrilled to have her by our side in this challenge and we cannot wait to see her transformation in 90 days....it's gonna be epic! :) 

Breakfast consisted of a banana cream shake for Travis and a coffee frappuccino for Ashley. We're having a hard time choosing a favorite Vi-Shake. Each new recipe we try becomes our new favorite! LOL 


We had a question on our facebook page that we thought might be relevant to other readers. 


Question: so how does this differ from the protein shakes that people do, and do you eat food? if no food, then how do you sustain weight once the 90 days are over


Answer:So one would think that with such a low calorie intake and 12 grams of protein per shake, it would be hard to gain lean muscle and maybe the possibility of being hungry all the time would exist. The nutritional content and protein in Visalus absorbed by the body in scientific tests is unmatched. I have friends that are using the products that their weight range from 300+ to barely 100 lbs that all say the same thing, they dont feel calorie deprived. I used to ingest 150-200 grams of protein in hopes of gaining quality muscle, so me taking in under 100 per day was tough for me to swallow. I have been using Visalus for around 120 days and have lost fat and gained muscle . I started at 220 lbs and as of today I weigh 197 lbs and am as lean as I ever have been without muscle loss. Hope this clears up some questions. 


**This was answered by our friend, Jesse, who has been on the challenge much longer than us and is a wealth of knowledge about the challenge/Vi-Shakes. And we also believe that the proof is in the pudding....Jesse looks amazing! He's dead on when he said that he has lost fat and gained muscle! Thanks for your input, Jesse! 




That is one of the things we love about promoting this challenge, and also partaking in this challenge. Everyone is so kind and so helpful. There is no competition, and everyone truly wants their peers to succeed and live a healthy life! It's been a breath of fresh air for us and we are soaking up the positive vibes! :) 

Day 5

The nice thing about these Vi-Shakes is that you can throw in whatever you have around the kitchen. We ran out of the Oreo jello mix (no surprise there!), so we rounded up a banana and some chocolate pudding that was hiding in or pantry. Ta-da! A delicious chocolate banana shake! 

While Ashley was at the store today she came across some Taster's Choice Singles, and thought that she might be able to add that to the Vi-Shakes. Well, it turned out to be a good, FANTASTIC combination!! Ashley loves Starbucks coffee frappuccino, but since she is such a tight wad, she can rarely justify spending nearly $5 plus a tip for one. A packet box of 22 Taster's Choice singles was around $3.50 (you could probably find this cheaper at someplace other than Albertsons), 1 cup of skim milk, ice, and 2 scoops of mix. That's it! The Vi-Shake mix comes out to $1.64 a serving/meal. So we probably spend around $2.00 for this imitation Starbucks frappuccino! Plus, it's not loaded with calories either! It is, however loaded with 23 vitamins and 

minerals. 

We also posted on our facebook page that if you wanted, you could try this recipe for a whipped cream topping: chill coconut milk overnight, add vanilla and cinnamon, and then whip... dairy free, sugar free, gluten free whipping cream! :) Pour your coffee frappuccino into a plastic starbucks cup, top with a healthy whipped cream.....the only difference between you and a Starbucks customer is your shrinking waistline. :) 

3 reasons why we love Vi-Shakes:

 (1) getting proper nutrition while cutting calories; (2) boosting a sluggish metabolism and having enough energy while cutting calories; (3) controlling hunger.

We are having so much fun coming up with new recipes to try! 

Updates on the challenge:

We were pretty happy with the weight loss when we stepped on the scale yesterday. We have noticed that we're a bit more "regular", shall we say? It could be due to the full serving of fiber the Vi-Shakes have. 

"One patented protein promotes lean muscle and fat burning. It has a full serving of calcium and fiber. One protein is a new, patented fiber that works 2 ways to keep you feeling full and without gas and promotes pre-biotic bacteria in the intestinal tract for good digestive health. It also has a patented digestive enzyme for maximum nutrient absorption of the protein and 23 vitamins and minerals."

Day 4

We are both starting to really look forward to our shakes each day. It's like a little treat, or a little dessert, and it curbs any sweet tooth we may have. Ashley usually makes the shakes but Travis decided to make one for himself. He poured in the almond milk until it looked "good", added the 2 scoops of mix, and added in quite a few berries. Needless to say, he ended up with a HUGE Vi-Shake! From now on, he'll probably just be measuring out the 1 cup of liquid the shake calls for. LOL

We had a BBQ to go to today, and ate some really yummy burgers. However, when we got home it was like our body rejected the food.We're starting to wonder if our bodies are slowly becoming accustom to the Vi-shakes that are healthy and full of nutrients? Ashley usually could eat a whole bag of chips by herself (she loves salty things), but she only had a few (maybe about 5) at the BBQ. It would be nice if we kinda detoxing ourselves so that Travis' sweet cravings, and Ashley's salty cravings were no longer a problem.

For our 2nd shake of the day Travis wanted his berry shake (orange juice, ice, frozen berries, 2 scoops of mix), and Ashley decided to try a banana cream shake (almond milk, banana cream jello pudding mix, 1/2 banana, ice). OMGEEEEEE! It taste like Ashley's favorite, banana cream pie. Travis tried it, and tried to steal it for his own! Sheesh! There was no way she was giving that one up! :) It's now a toss up between oreo and banana cream pie!

Berry Vi-shake

Banana Cream Pie Vi-Shake

Updates:

Travis: is down 2lbs
Ashley: is down 3lbs **don't worry, she will not wither away to nothing as she is weight lifting and actively trying and succeeding in putting on muscle :) 

Day 3

Travis has been sticking to the berry Vi-shake and Ashley has been sticking to the Oreo shake. We have been putting in the Vi-Trim in our shakes. It's basically a tasteless appetite suppressant that came with our kit. So far, so good!

We haven't noticed any further changes yet, and we haven't stepped on the scale. We feel pretty good, and we're hoping to see some big changes in the next 90 days. 

Day 2

In honor of National Donut Day, we made a Maple Bar Vi-shake for breakfast!

 2 scoops of mix, 8oz almond milk, and a splash of imitation maple flavoring. It was actually really good, and it tasted just like a maple bar! We also liked that it came without the bloat and sluggish feeling you get when you eat donuts. A traditional maple bar has approximately 460 calories. It's sweetened dough that's been fried, what can do you expect!? My Vi-shake only had 130 calories and 23 vitamins and minerals, and other ingredients to that help burn fat. The nutritional value of these shakes, still blows us away: 

Ashley posted on our facebook page that she has created a 30 day challenge for herself. She plans to complete 20 pull ups and she has 30 days to do it! This is pretty ambitious as she currently, can't do very many. They say that red bull gives you wings, well we think that Vi-shakes give you confidence and drive! Travis is installing a pull up bar in the garage, while Ashley is working on some barbell curls to build up strength! 

29 days to go for Ashley's mini challenge!

Updates on the challenge:

Travis isn't exhausted mid-afternoon like he usually is.

Ashley has no stomach bloat whatsoever, and her stomach is completely flat.

Day 1

Day 1 of the 90 health challenge has finally arrived! For breakfast we enjoyed an Oreo cheesecake shake. It tastes exactly like the Oreo shakes you would get at Sonic, Iceburg, or Dairy Queen......without the guilt! We blended it for quite a while until it reached a smooth, creamy consistency. Ah heaven! Ashley makes Travis breakfast before work so this was a quick and easy way to make sure he is getting all of the proper nutrients. It will also come in really handy on the days we're running late and need to eat breakfast on the go.

Our 2nd shake of the day was an orange dreamsicle. This one was soooooooo good! Travis especially enjoyed this shake. Just a little bit of orange juice, almond juice, 2 scoops of mix, and some ice. It was really nice because we already had all of those items on hand! 

Our Goals for the 90 Day Challenge:

Travis: to cut his body fat by 6% and to have more muscle definition. :)

Ashley: to cut enough body fat for her abs to really pop :)

Our 1st Challenge Party was AMAZING!

Ashley was sweating bullets as time passed by and we were getting closer to our party at 7pm. We were excited to see our friends and family, but our product package hadn't arrived yet! The UPS tracking system said it would be at our house by the end of the day. Whatever that means! 6pm we get a knock on the door and.....TAA DAA!

Thank goodness! Just in the nick of time! We were so excited, it was like Christmas morning! LOL Samples, vitamins, shake mix galore! Travis' favorite was the Neuro, which is a blend of ingredients that boost your energy, body, and brain with healthy energy. Ashley's favorite was the anti-aging vitamin.

We had planned on taking some pictures of the challenge party, but we honestly had such a good time that it slipped our mind! We blended up an Oreo shake with almond milk, and a berry banana shake with V8 splash juice. Both of them were a BIG hit! One of the kids that was there kindly requested a small glass of the Oreo shake (after he gulped down his sample). He liked it so much he drank his, and he drank his brother's glass! We love that it's safe for children! We gave our friends and family a chance to learn about the challenge and then we were fortunate enough to hear the 90 day challenge stories of our guest speaks, Marc, Julie, Jesse, and Monica. It was such a treat to hear the progress they are making in their own lives with this challenge! We especially enjoyed the stories they told of their friends and family joining the 90 day challenge. Their faces lit up as they shared how this challenge is changing the lives of people they know and love. One of Jesse's friends is now off of his blood pressure medicine thanks to the Vi-Shakes! How awesome is that?! Time flew by, and before we knew it, it was after 9pm! What a great night!

We want to welcome Travis' grandma, Lucy, and Ashley's mom, Andi, to the Body By Vi challenge! We have 2 new challenge parties to attend and we are more than excited! We can't wait to hear about their progress and success! Thanks to everyone that came out tonight! We really enjoyed having you! 

**A HUGE thank you to Marc's sweet wife, Julie, for being the impromtu babysitter! :) 

Our workout plan - Jamie Eason's Livefit Trainer

This is our 2nd attempt at Jamie Eason's Livefit Trainer. The first time around we had a lot going on and we weren't able to stick to it as much as we would have liked to. We did see improvements in our body and we think it's a great program, so we decided to do it again! 

We're eating better, but not following the meal plan to a "T".We're hoping that the Vi-Shakes will help us attain the results we're looking for. After all, abs are made in the kitchen! 

We're currently on day 16 of the program. We'll be hitting the gym tonight to work on our back and biceps (biceps are Ashley's favorite). Here is what we'll be doing tonight:

BACK/BICEPS

•  

  Hammer Strength Lat Pull

  3 sets of 10 reps
•  

  Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown

  3 sets of 10 reps
  Alternate Option:
  Pullup
•  

  Seated Narrow Grip Cable Rows

  3 sets of 10 reps
•  

  T-Bar Row

  3 sets of 10 reps
  Alternate Option:
  Bent-Over Barbell Row
•  

  Back Extensions

  3 sets of 10 reps
•  

  Barbell Curl

  3 sets of 10 reps
•  

  Incline Dumbbell Curl

  3 sets of 10 reps
•  

  Alternate Hammer Curl

  3 sets of 10 reps

Let the countdown begin!

Tomorrow is our challenge party. It's basically an opportunity for us to get together with friends and family and share our love for this challenge. It's also gives them a chance to sample the shakes! Who doesn't love free samples, right?! I think that taste is important when it comes to.......well, everything! I can't tell you how much money I've wasted buying protein shakes, supplements or health items only to find out that they taste rancid! Then I am stuck with a 2lb tub of "healthiness" that I am trying to choke down. This is why I love sampling! It gives people an opportunity to test before they buy. We're hoping to have a good turn out tomorrow!


Thursday is the official start date of our 90 Health Challenge. We'll be taking before and after pictures, taking measurements, and then whipping up our shakes! I plan on posting the different varieties of the shakes we drink, our fitness plan, and updates on how our body is responding. We can't wait!

4 moves to Sexy Abs

One of Ashley's goals for this 90 Day Challenge is to have 6 pack abs. This workout from Shape Magazine might be worth trying!

1. Cat Raise
Get in plank position on forearms, elbows under shoulders, with hands in fists and palms facing each other; pull abs in tight


Lift hips straight up. Hold for 2 counts, then return to starting position and repeat.




2. Cross-legged Lift
Lie faceup with legs extended over hips and arms at your sides, palms on ground. Bend right knee, crossing right foot over left thigh. Keeping left leg straight, use your abs to lift hips off the ground.


Lower hips, then take legs down to 45 degrees off ground. Raise them to starting position and repeat entire move. Switch sides (crossing left leg over right) halfway through set.




3. Compound Crunch
Lie faceup with hands behind head, elbows out to sides and legs extended on the ground. Lift head and shoulder blades as you pull knees toward chest.


Lower head and shoulder blades as you slowly extend legs 45 degrees off ground, keeping abs super-tight; repeat.




4. Offset Bridge
Lie faceup with right knee bent, foot on the ground, and left leg extended over hip. Extend arms at sides, palms on ground.


Push through right heel as you lift hips until body is aligned from shoulders to right knee. Lower hips until they nearly touch the ground, then repeat. Switch sides to complete set.

Why Vi-Shape Shakes?

So we've tried different kinds of protein shakes in the past and they all tasted like chalk, or chocolate chalk. Drinking our daily protein shake became a task in itself! This is another reason why we decided to take the 90 Health Challenge - you can't beat the flavor OR the nutritional value! Taste is extremely important to us, and we're also careful about what we put in our body. Here's a chart I found comparing ViSalus shakes to other health shakes on the market:

90 calories per shake isn't bad either!

THIS is why we are so impressed with this challenge!

Well, we start our 90 day Challenge in 3 days and we can’t wait! Fortunately, we do not have any major health problems right now, and we want to keep it that way! We came across this video and we’re blown away with these stories. We personally know people with fibromyalgia, people who have had strokes, diabetes, depression, and who are searching for something to help with weight loss (Travis included). It’s clear that these people in this video have added years on to their lives. It’s amazing!

Why we decided to take the 90 Day Challenge

In 2011, we decided that we needed to make healthier choices in our lives. Cancer, diabetes and other health problems plagued both sides of our families, and we wanted to do everything possible help ward off any preventable diseases. Travis was interested in weight loss, and weight training. Ashley was interested in a toned physique. We had been hitting the gym on a regular basis, but we weren't seeing the results we had hoped for. That is when we came across the Visalus 90 Health Challenge.