[MelJohnson]

I hesitate to say what I'm doing for fear that Jan will throw a rotten organic tomato my way (), but here goes: I've been doing an Herbalife shake in the morning, eating a normal lunch (salad or sandwich), and then eating a healthy supper *OR* doing another shake for that meal. I did Herbalife about 10 years ago and lost a LOT of weight but I think the reason I was so successful with it back then was because I was also walking a lot. I gained back the weight within a year and never lost much again until now. So let me stress that even though I'm doing the shake thing right now, I don't think that doing shakes for meal replacement is any sort of long-term solution. The primary reason I'm doing Herbalife now is because 1) it's a super quick and easy way to get my morning nutrition and since I'm embarking on a new school routine for all 3 of my kids it feels good to not have to think about my own breakfast each morning and 2) when I have the shake in the evenings, I almost always feel better. I'm not sure why, but my digestion has gotten worse with age and I find that no matter what type of foods I eat in the evening, I almost always feel yucky. These actually fill me up and I don't have all the digestive issues that I often have when I eat a more traditional meal. I'm looking at them as a major convenience and as a way to sort of jump-start the weight loss since I have so much to lose. In the meantime, I'm cooking healthier when I do cook and making better food choices, encouraging the rest of the family to make better choices, too.

I think the reason I had such quick results in the beginning (the inches lost has definitely slowed down these last 3 weeks) is because I had so much fat to burn. A person at my weight usually loses it more quickly--at least in the beginning--than a person who has a lot less to lose. Already things have started to slow down in terms of inches but I can still tell that the fat on certain places of my body (particularly the midsection where women often have flab after kids) is shrinking.

One last thing: I do have extra protein on the days that I do my KB workout--usually a MetRX protein bar half an hour or so after the workout. I think that doing 5-6 small meals (like Jan) would actually be ideal for someone like me but I'm just not that organized right now and my life feels too hectic. These baby steps are working even though I know I have a long way to go! Oh yeah, and I'm also drinking a TON of water.

[ScrappingForever]

You're doing great, Mel! No rotten organic tomatoes from me! I don't know anything about the Herbalife shakes, but if it's pretty much your standard protein shake, then it's a great alternative to a meal, especially if you can toss a banana or some other fruit in to get your complex carbs at the same time.

I'm sorry to hear about your digestive problems. I would bet that a great part of it was due to all of the nasty stuff that's in manufactured foods these days. I'll bet one of the reasons that you feel so good after the shake is because it's a much cleaner food. Eating healthy doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, more often than not we just grill some chicken or turkey burgers and have some broccoli with it. Every once in a while we throw in a these little golden yukon baking potatoes. They are yummy, and small!

Eating 5 or 6 small meals a day does take some planning, but again, it doesn't have to be complicated. I make sure that I have a bowl of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge all of the time. One or two of those (just the whites) and a piece of fruit is a perfect snack. Or an apple with some organic, natural peanut butter. That's a great snack for the kids, too. I also keep salsa and these flax seed tortilla chips on hand, and will have that with a hard-boiled egg white. Nothing fancy, just good, whole food that has what the body needs. But yeah, it's a matter of making sure you have it on hand when you need it.

And like Mel said, drink LOTS of water.

In order to lose weight, diet is 80% of the battle, exercise being the other 20%. You really can't lose weight if you don't change your eating habits. And it's important to find the balance where you're eating enough to feed your body with the increase in exercise, but not so little that your body thinks it's being underfed and goes into starvation mode. That's when the metabolism slows down, and what we want to do is get that metabolism kicked into high gear, right? Oh, and that's also what eating those small meals throughout the day does. When you eat, your metabolism kicks up. So when you eat small, frequent meals, your metabolism is always on. Isn't the body an amazing machine!

Anyway, didn't mean to pontificate here. I'll move along now.

[miss bumble]

I'm being a little lazy here and not reading all of the threads, jumping on a bit, I do like the Idea so can anyone tell me how many do you have to have 1 or 2
to start with.
Chris x

[MelJohnson]

It depends on the workout video you use (if you use one) but both of the videos that I use require only 1. You can find links to them in this thread. Good luck!

[sheriL]

My dvd just came today - yay! Too bad I don't have my kettle bell yet - guess I'll just have to improvise with a dumbbell until I can get into the city and buy one - I'm sure not as good as the kb, but better than nothing, right?

[missaliss]

What's the update ladies or are you all at the convention without me? I just stumbled upon this posting today never been to this mb before. So I'm headed to target after work (was going to before I read the post) and now will be trying the kettlebell too. Just wanted to know how everyone is doing who is new to the kettlebells and how the goddess DVD is?
Thanks

[carych]

missaliss, on Oct 9 2008, 08:33 PM, said:

What's the update ladies or are you all at the convention without me? I just stumbled upon this posting today never been to this mb before. So I'm headed to target after work (was going to before I read the post) and now will be trying the kettlebell too. Just wanted to know how everyone is doing who is new to the kettlebells and how the goddess DVD is?
Thanks

I'm interested in the opinions of the Goddess DVD also! I've been doing the one Mel originally mentioned and know I'm going to need some variety soon. Kettlebells DO work - I'm so glad I saw this original posting. 7.5 inches gone from chest, waist, hips, and abs in about 4 weeks (of somewhat sporatic workouts because I got bronchitis). I was thrilled!

[sheriL]

I'm really enjoying my kb workout - just started, so the results aren't real obvious yet, but I'm pretty sure they're happening. I do have a couple questions for you experts out there - how do you prevent bruised wrists? I had been doing my workout with a dumbbell, so I used an actual kettlebell for the first time yesterday, and the back of my wrists are so sore & bruised, I'm a little hesitant to do my workout tomorrow 'cuz I"m afraid it will hurt!
My other question - do any of you use gloves or chalk to keep your grip? By the end of the workout, I'm a little leary about doing some of the exercises - my hands are so sweaty I'm afraid the bell will go flying right out of my hands. I just don't think dh would appreciate my remodeling with my kettlebell, lol!

[missaliss]

I bought my 10lb bell at target tonight. It came with a DVD will try that one first tomorrow. I read that it's more of a how to not really a routine or work out so I would like to hear about the goddess DVD.

carych are you doing any diet changes?

[missaliss]

I'm also going to get my thyroid checked tomorrow. Put on some weight this year and have been so tired so I figured I'll rule that out too. Probably have nobody to blame but myself. Walking the dog 2x a day doesn't seem to do anything for the mid section.

[MelJohnson]

Hey you guys. Sorry I've been AWOL on this thread for a while. I've been out of town and super busy with my kids the last week or so and I haven't been able to keep up with the MB. I also haven't been able to keep up with my KB workouts, unfortunately. I'm hoping to be able to work out this afternoon for the first time in about 10 days. Yikes. :S

Sheri, I can't remember which DVD you're using, but the bruised wrist is just a technique thing. Once you get that right (and it does take time), you should be fine. What you want is a fluid transition as you lift up and over. The kettlebell shouldn't be banging into your wrist, but rather just sort of gently sliding over. If you remember to keep your wrists straight and not bend them, I think that will help with your form. I think most of the DVDs include a tutorial section so just review that. If you still find that you're banging yourself up, I guess it's also possible that your kettlebell is too heavy?

I don't use chalk or gloves but I know what you mean about being worried that you're going to swing the kettlebell right out of your hands! Just keep a towel handy.

Someone wondered about the Goddess DVD. To be honest, I've only done one of the workouts so I'm probably not the best person to listen to. Having said that, on the plus side, I like that she has a lot of different options for workouts depending on which part of the body you want to work on--kind of an "a la carte" approach. The downside for me is that the workouts don't include any music at all and they're kind of boring. I'm not crazy about the music on the other DVD workout that I'm using (Anthony DeLuglio), but I get a great cardio workout with that one that I didn't get when I did the Goddess DVD.

Cary, congrats on those inches lost! Way to keep at it.

[jeschaff]

I've fallen off the wagon a bit too - didn't want to bring my KB to convention, go figure! But here is a website I found that has links to many different short videos which explain technique pretty well: Online Kettlebell Training Videos

One more thing to remember: take your rings off or you'll wear them down with the KB.

[sheriL]

jeschaff, on Oct 10 2008, 08:35 AM, said:

I've fallen off the wagon a bit too - didn't want to bring my KB to convention, go figure! But here is a website I found that has links to many different short videos which explain technique pretty well: Online Kettlebell Training Videos

One more thing to remember: take your rings off or you'll wear them down with the KB.

Thanks for the ring advice - I learned very quickly that leaving my watch on was a little painful, but I hadn't thought about my ring!

[ScrappingForever]

The thing that bothers me, actually, more than the fear of the KB flying off some place, is getting callouses where my skin pushes up against my rings while I'm swinging the thing. I was considering getting gloves to help prevent that.

[missaliss]

good tip on the rings. I did the work out iron core intro dvd that came with the KB today for the first time and wow I already feel sore. I have the same problem as sheri on one of the moves it would slap against my wrist. I guess I'll have to tighten my grip.

[carych]

missaliss, on Oct 9 2008, 11:39 PM, said:

I bought my 10lb bell at target tonight. It came with a DVD will try that one first tomorrow. I read that it's more of a how to not really a routine or work out so I would like to hear about the goddess DVD.

carych are you doing any diet changes?

Yes, but nothing more than portion control. I am a "graze" eater - I like to eat only when I'm hungry and then whatever's around. Even though I usually choose healthy, I've been eating much more than I should by being totally unconscious of what I'm putting in my mouth. So, I've limited myself to 3 MEALS a day - heavy on the veggies, 2 fruits, 2 snacks, as much salad as I want (without the cheese and extras which can make it calorie heavy). I'm not eating different foods at meals - but I am carefully watching the portions and following the typical guidelines - 4 oz of protein etc. It's working and I really don't feel deprived - except for the occassional craving of a WHOLE plateful of very cheesy enchiladas!

[DreamCloud9]

debubbie, on Aug 18 2008, 07:25 AM, said:

I have wanted to do the kettle bell workouts but they are fairly expensive.

yes they are kind of expensive, but you might want to try rubber cord. i found this equipment very useful to sculpt your upper body and lower body parts. Rubber cord uses your body weight as the resistance.. and they're cheaper. I do want to have kettle bell but I'd rather save the money for the holidays..

[Jo Corne]

ScrappingForever, on Oct 11 2008, 04:06 AM, said:

The thing that bothers me, actually, more than the fear of the KB flying off some place, is getting callouses where my skin pushes up against my rings while I'm swinging the thing. I was considering getting gloves to help prevent that.

oh Jan i hear you on the callouses, i got those on both hands, didn't think of taking off rings, don't usually take them off so will be interesting to see if they CAN come off, LOL!!

I learnt very early on to take my watch off, now it's pure habit, put on tracksuit, grab water bottle, take off watch.

once the jewish hols are over and done with, in another two weeks, i will be able to get my routines down pat again, they're sorta all over the place at the mo' but we've been doing heaps of walking so i kinds consider that my exercise in place of a workout.

still waiting on the goddess dvd, should be here by end of the month, so they say!!

[jeschaff]

scrappingjo, on Oct 11 2008, 03:11 AM, said:

oh Jan i hear you on the callouses, i got those on both hands, didn't think of taking off rings, don't usually take them off so will be interesting to see if they CAN come off, LOL!!

Jo, I have to use soap and water to squeeze the rings off I'm really hoping it will become easier as I lose weight. The gloves are probably a good idea too, just haven't experienced major wear and tear on my skin yet, but they are probably my next purchase.

Happy holidays to you!

[ScrappingForever]

Yes, my rings are finally getting loose, so I can get them off. Don't know why I didn't think of just taking them off! LOL But in fact, I can now finally get my engagement ring back on! I had used the soap trick to get it off earlier this year because it wasn't drying underneath and my skin was getting chapped. All better now, and now it will fit better!

[Mindy]

I've been following this closely & am intrigued. One question though for those of you who have the videos. How long are the workouts? I've found that if I have an exercise DVD that's longer than 20-25 minutes per workout, I don't tend to do it, so it sits and gets dusty. I know, I know, I SHOULD exercise longer than that, but I know myself and the amount of time & energy that I have!!! Figure 20 or so minutes is better than ZERO!

[sheriL]

The one I do (its the one Mel talks about at the beginning of the thread) takes about 40-45 minutes - a little longer than you're wanting, but you only have to do it 2 or 3 times a week. The exercises are all in 2 minute sets, with a 1 minute break between, so I've been known to check email/mb during the breaks.

[jeschaff]

Mine takes about 40-45 minutes too (Iron Core), but I really need to lose the weight and strengthen my bones, so for now at least I'm doing it 3 times a week. When my size and shape get to where I want it to be, I'll re-evaluate and decide on what I need to do to maintain my size and shape. I guess you just have to make up your mind to be committed. That being said, if you look at Amazon and read through the workout descriptions, I think they have some shorter workouts that may suit you better. The KB workout is so effective that you'll benefit no matter how much time you devote to it.

[carych]

I am also doing the 14 2-minute exercise segments with a one minute break in-between. You can eliminate the 1 minute breaks once you don't need them which shortens the overall time.

I've also been know, when time is short or my energy is particularly low, to do half of the workout and do the rest the next day. Then you have two 20-minute workouts!

[ScrappingForever]

The workouts on the Goddess video are quite a bit shorter, and you can mix and match them depending on what part of the body you want to work, or if you want cardio instead of strength training. I haven't done them all yet, but I would say that most of them are around 20 - 25 mintues. What do you think, Mel?

[Mindy]

OK, I took the plunge and bought a kettlebell last night at Target. I started off with the 10 lb one because I about fell over when I picked up the 15 lb one off of the shelf! I did the little instructional DVD that came with it last night and again this morning, but can see that I definitely need another DVD or 2. Our Target didn't have any other kettlebell DVD's. Where did you guys find the DVD that Melanie talked about or the Goddess one?
BTW, I feel good after doing that little bit (plus, worked up a sweat, so it must have done something!). Can't wait to do a "real" DVD! Oh, I have to remember to measure today so I can see if there's a difference!

[alg35536]

They have these on sale in my Dicks Sporting store today. I'm going to stop & see if I can find them there. They say that they come with a video as well. I think I will start off with the lower weight , lol.

[carych]

Mindy, on Oct 19 2008, 09:30 AM, said:

OK, I took the plunge and bought a kettlebell last night at Target. I started off with the 10 lb one because I about fell over when I picked up the 15 lb one off of the shelf! I did the little instructional DVD that came with it last night and again this morning, but can see that I definitely need another DVD or 2. Our Target didn't have any other kettlebell DVD's. Where did you guys find the DVD that Melanie talked about or the Goddess one?
BTW, I feel good after doing that little bit (plus, worked up a sweat, so it must have done something!). Can't wait to do a "real" DVD! Oh, I have to remember to measure today so I can see if there's a difference!

Mindy - the workout Mel is doing (and me too!) can be found here: Beacon-fitness kettlebell workout.

The workout really is amazing. I especially like that I can get such a good cardio workout doing weight training at the same time - and I don't have to kill my knees running, or jumping!

[alg35536]

I found it. Mine is the GO Fit brand & came with the Iron Core veido. .

[Jo Corne]

i got my Goddess dvd last week, wahooo, haven't had a second to even open the plastic off the box as the hols are still taking their toll.

I managed to do an iron core workout last night, so I'm not feeling to bad about not working out, but I do have to say, I am beginning to see the results of my workouts and, to say the least, I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy with them. I am fitting into clothes that, shall we say, were a tad tight at the end of last summer and now that summer is trying to make it's way down here, I can see myself wearing them again with ease... so I am determined to continue with my kettle bell workouts.

keep going guys, it does pay off