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I participated in an Influencer Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for OshKosh Bâgosh. I received a gift card to facilitate my shopping trip and to thank me for participating. This week at my house, we had fun splurging at OshkoshâŠexceptâŠI actually didnât splurge hardly at all! Okay, so listen up, because this is going to...
Post by Cassia: We are so excited to begin our Valentineâs Day round up! Â We have 10 new blogs that we canât wait to introduce you to who will be sharing their tips and ideas to make your V-day this year AMAZING!! Â So be on the look out, weâll be posting something new every other...
Pinwheel cookies are the cutest Christmas treat to make with the kids, and make cheap, easy and DARLING  neighborhood Christmas gifts.  Click to continue readingâŠ
So, I just updated yesterdayâŠbut I feel like I left out a few things: I really hate being completely honestâŠand vulnerable, but Iâm going to be. Only because I think Iâm not the only one who struggles with these thingsâŠweight that is. Talking about it openly can help to facilitate the discussion of health in...
Cassia,
I didnât know you had a struggle with binging/purging and my heart aches for you knowing that it has been such a roller coaster. But one thing I do KNOW about you in that you are one of the strongest willed fighters I know. (And a beautifully, positive person.) I have no doubt that you can do this and be in a happy, healthy place with your body and mind. You are so incredibly inspiring and I just love you.ReplyCancel
Thank you for sharing your story, and with such transparency. I have a question for you, if I may, and if youâre comfortable answering it. Why do you credit the HCG diet with your struggle with binging and purging? I ask because I did that diet 2 years ago, before conceiving my daughter, and I didnât experience anything like that, despite having previously struggled with an eating disorder (Compulsive Overeating with Dissociation), and found that I was able to maintain the basic eating style (veggies, fruit, lean meat, no grains, healthy seasonings) for almost a year (it kinda fell apart at 8 months pregnant because, despite my baby being extremely healthy, I bought into the lie that only having gained 7lbs, and losing 3 sizes, couldnât be healthy, and I started eating highly fattening processed foods out of fear, which made my pregnancy end in a lot of discomfort for me â and I only gained 3lbs in 2 months). Anyway, I am curious why you believe that the diet was responsible for this issue, as Iâve never heard that before, and am actually planning to do the diet again next month (I had PPD for 5 months, after my daughterâs birth, and gained 56lbs).ReplyCancel
Alena, Iâm actually really glad you asked and I think maybe Iâll amend my post with the âwhyâ because I do think itâs a very good thing for people to know who might be considering the HCG diet.
For me, itâs kind of a âthis is a potential side effectâ type of deal. Not that it for sure will happen to everyone who does this diet, but that from my experience and many of my friends, family and HCG online community friends, MANY many people struggle with eating disorders after the diet. A lot of it has to do with doing such an extreme diet and depriving yourself for so long. Part of it has to do with the binge (âloadingâ) at the beginning of the diet. The concern for many is that disordered eating can lead to an eating disorder, and the 500 cal. hcg diet is so restrictive that it certainly is disordered eating. For me, and I know many others, the idea is that there is such a desperation to lose weight, that youâre willing to do something drastic. It becomes somewhat of a trigger or gateway to eating disorders. For most that Iâve talked to candidly, binging is the problem and for some itâs anorexia. Personally, I technically fell into both (and all three since I would also purge.) I would eat so so few calories during the week, and binge and purge on the weekend. When I originally did this diet, I did it with 8-10 family and friends. ALL but one gained it right back, and the one keeps it off with an eating disorder. Another eventually lost the weight, but she got there through healthier avenuesâŠnamely, smaller portions and a whole lotta exercise. đ
After coming off the diet for the second time and truly struggling to maintain, even despite my incredibly low caloric intake, I could not keep it off. I did some serious research and chatted with a few health professionals and found that my basal metabolic rate had decreased substantially. Our bodies are really amazing things, arenât they?? So, if we subject them to starvation, theyâll learn and adapt. So it says, âokay, if youâre going to eat less, Iâll use less.â Weâre pretty efficient like that!
So another fantastic side effect that I experienced and is not at all uncommon, was substantial hair loss. I meanâŠit was scary how much I was losing. Also, my fingernails would peelâŠthatâs not right!?
I will say, that if an individual was considering gastric bypass or something like that, this is probably a safer option. But really, Iâve always known that to make a real change, it has to be for life. I canât just starve myself for 8 weeks and go back to regular eating, but after the deprivation of the 500 calorie diet, itâs just too tempting to indulge a bit.
I wouldnât presume to tell you what to do, you clearly know what youâre getting yourself into and how to maintain, I just think that if youâre willing to be a little patient, maybe youâd really like weight watchers or the carb cycling from Chris Powellâs book? (of course there are lots of other programs that are equally awesome, Iâm just a fan of those two) Iâm really happy with the results so far!! Iâm not yet 3 weeks in and Iâm down 10 lbs.
I am really sorry about the PPDâŠI know itâs the worst. And if youâre like me, itâs really a weird thing, because never in my life have I been prone to depression, but that time right after baby arrives is really rough on my body image.
Either way, I hope youâll keep me updated. Losing weight, however one does it, takes hard work and dedication, and I can always use the inspiration!!! đReplyCancel
Cassia- Bless you for your honesty, because truthfully, you are helping others by being so brave. Like you said, you are not alone. There are a lot of people in your same boat. I have done the whole weight loss thing 3 times as well and it is awful hard. But so rewarding when you do it the right way. You are looking incredible and have always been stunning in my eyes, no matter what the weight. What is inside of your shines through to your outer appearance which is why you are so beautiful. I am impressed with your self discovery, how you educated yourself on what works for you and then applying it. YOU ROCK.ReplyCancel
Kali, first of all, thank you and second, youâve totally been my inspiration!! I even mentioned you in my first post here: http://www.mymommystyle.com/?p=4967 I love what youâve done and youâve always done it the right way!!! Youâll be proud of me, I actually signed up for my first 5k!!! đ (only because itâs a color run, and if Iâm going to do a race, it ought to be very fun and colorful!!) Weâll see how that one goes and go from there. đ Funny, I used to LOVE running??!?! What?? I was crazy đ I wish I was still that crazy!!ReplyCancel
Hi Brittany,
Sorry this is so slow!! I kept trying to reply from my phone, but it just wasnât working. But now that I have a computer again, here we go.
One of the most frustrating things for me was that when I would go on diets, I would eat super lean, healthy greens, complex carbs etc. I would NEVER go over 1200 calories and yet, I couldnât lose a lb to save my life! In fact, I even sometimes gained a lb?? I was exercising with personal trainers 3 days a week and working out on my own another 3 days a week. In fact, on the days I worked out with my trainers, I did 2-a-day workouts. All in all, I lost less than 5 lbs in 3 months of that rigorous schedule! My trainers never believed that I was following a strict program and the nutritionists didnât believe my food logs either. In the end, they all just gave up on me. Only me and my husband knew for a fact that I was following their programs religiously!! I kind of gave up on myself too at the time. So, I went off their programs for another 3 months and at whatever I wanted and gained exactly 2 lbs?? How did that make any sense?? It didnâtâŠat least not at the time. But then, like I mentioned, I was doing research about pregnancy and pcos and I came across a random article about insulin resistance being the culprit of so many of my problems. After self-diagnosing, I was pretty sure I had it, but then I went to the dr.âs to have some testing done. It originally came back inconclusive, but after a couple more tests it was confirmed. That was about 5 years agoâŠtesting has truly come such a long ways since then!! All I know for sure is that when you go to get tested, be sure to tell the doc to look at your insulin levels, NOT glucose. Especially if youâre already sure you donât have diabetes, that test will be wrong for a person with insulin resistance.
This gives me a good idea. I know a doctor who has spent a lot of her life studying weight issues and insulin resistanceâŠIâm only hesitant to ask her to write a post because she works at the same clinic I went through to do the HCG dietâŠwhile I donât think itâs entirely horrid, I just donât think itâs a good solution to most weight problemsâŠsoâŠidkâŠIâll talk to her and see if sheâd like to write a post on insulin resistance for My Mommy Style. She knows SOOOO much! Iâd refer you to her if you live in Utah by chance? She works at the MD Diet clinic in Ogden Utah.
Anyway, One of my favorite things that I found after I learned that I was Insulin resistant was The Insulin Resistant Diet. HEreâs a link so you can see what Iâm talking aboutâŠ.Itâs not just good because of the diet, but because of the information. I actually think the diet is really great though tooâŠbut I just personally always need to mix my diets up so I donât get bored. đ
This is also a really great article about insulin resistance and how to self-diagnose as well:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-31/health/sc-health-1031-diabetes-insulin-20121031_1_insulin-blood-sugar-diabetes-educator
You can easily get yourself tested at a hospital as well. What will be really useful about getting diagnosed is that youâll be able to get a prescription for Metformin (make SURE you get extended release, or youâll get nauseous!!) which will really help you start to lose weight if thatâs your goal, and just maintain healthy insulin levels in general. In fact, I really need to ammend my post to add the fact that I just started taking metformin again since it really helped me lose weight last time, but after all the moving Iâve done, I forgot about it until my mom just reminded me.
I hope these couple of things help out in some way. Knowing if you have it can really help you figure out how to proceed with your goals, whether itâs to get pregnant, lose weight or keep yourself from getting diabetes.ReplyCancel
Weight loss progress update: (to read my previous post and get 30 awesome workout songs click here)  This week went pretty darn well. Iâm down another 3 lbs which puts me only just shy of 10% of my body weight lost. Iâve also lost 10 inches between my waist, hips and thighs!   Just to...
Hey Leesh! Thanks for reading! The biggest thing motivating me right now is the team competition. Iâm in that challenge competing together with my family and when Iâm tempted to not workout, or to get an extra scoop of peanut butter, I remember that I do not want to let them down! And then the next thing is our trip to Hawaii. Iâm planning to have our family pics taken on the beach, so giving myself a timeline to aim for is also really motivating!! I know I wonât be to my final goals by then, so when we get back I think I will attempt my first 10kâŠor mini-triathlon. I think having something that Iâve paid for and HAVE to train for will also keep me motivated.
Hello, Cassia!
I LOVE to read the posts you write. I havenât commented until today, for some reason I felt the need.
First, youâre going to Hawaii?? Iâm SO jealous. And family pictures on the beach? What? How do I get on that? haha!
Second, exercising is definitely not easy. It is a constant battle. I find myself literally laying on the floor in tears asking myself why I let myself get âthis farâ and why âcanât I just get the results I want nowâ. Iâve been working out consistently since February 7, 2013-5 days a week, sometimes twice a day. I wasnât willing to change my eating habits back then because I LOVE food and knew I wasnât going to stick with it. I wanted a lifestyle change, not a diet. Yeno?! I lost about 10lbs from February-July. In 5 months I thought I would see more results than that. I was so discouraged.
At the beginning of July I was given the opportunity to purchase Sean Tâs (Insanity) new workout DVDâs, called T25. It was a challenge that I was able to participate in. I was elated. I knew I could do better if I was pushed and held accountable by other people and not just myself. I started July 15 and the challenge ends on September 20, it is a 10 week program. When I first started I was eating whatever, whenever. There were so any people getting great results but I wasnât moving anywhere. I was doing T25, playing bball some days, Zumba and jogging. I was exercising so much and still not seeing the results I wanted and that was when I realized I HAD to change our eating habits.
Oh boy! Has it been a challenge. Like I said before if I had to change my eating habits it had to be a lifestyle change or I would NOT stick to it. Iâve been researching âclean eatingâ thinking that was the route Iâd like to take. Iâm not willing to do everything organic so I knew I would have to make some adjustments, which meant it wouldnât be strictly âcleanâ, but I knew it would be better than what we were putting in our mouths before. We are only 2 week into the clean eating and my family hates it. Iâm not going to give up. Iâm just going to try a little harder, find better recipes. A lot of people have success losing weight and have changed their ways of eating when it comes to âclean eatingâ, so I know they arenât miserable and hating the food they eat or they wouldnât do it, right?! Maybe the problem is me. Ha!
Anyway, since starting my exercise journey in February Iâm VERY pleased and proud of the goals that Iâve made and that I have accomplished thus far. Although, I said I wasnât getting the results I wanted I was still getting RESULTS. That is key and something I need to keep reminding myself. Results are still results, regardless of the size. đ
I will share with you a few of my goals.
1. Get off the couch⊠THAT I DID!
2. Exercise at least 3 times a week, totally doable. I DID. And sometimes 5 days a week, twice a day depending on what is going on.
3. Find a love for running. Oh man did I hate running. HATE! I Pushed and pushed and pushed myself to keep running even when I dreaded it. But I wanted to find a love for it. So bad. And guess what? I HAVE! I donât get to run often because my husband is busy after he get off work and canât take care of the kids, so when he can, Iâm off. I take full advantage to get the gravel beneath my feet. đ
4. Sign up for a race. Iâm not a marathon runner, or even a half marathon runner. Iâve HATED running. Always have. Until I found a love for it. I wanted to run a 5k or even a 5 mile race, but that was pushing it. August 3, 2013 I ran my FIRST 5 mile race. And I didnât stop. It was difficult, but nothing compares to running across that finish line.
5. Mini-Triathlon. This is a HUGE (emphasis on huge), goal. Mabe even a long term one. Iâm not sure I will ever accomplish this one because it terrifies me, but wouldnât it be cool?!
6. Get out of my pre-pregnancy jeans. Iâm not sure why I havenât met this goal yet. It seems weird to me since I HAVE lost weight. Maybe my hips got bigger with my 4th baby? It is still goal.
These are just a few of my goals that I wanted to share. They are not all of them, but a few. Iâve met A LOT of them already this year and the year is only half over. I love it. And Iâm proud of my goals this year.
Now that I took up your entire comment section you can delete this after you read it. Thanks for letting me share. Everyone wants you to accomplish goals. They are important. And it CAN be done. It is nice to be held accountable to other people as well and not just yourself. But yourself IS enough. đ
Good luck, Cassia. Wish we lived close so we could meet our goals together.ReplyCancel
I totally appreciate you commenting Krista! Take up all the space you like!!!! Itâs always so nice to know Iâm not the only one on this journey.
Itâs funny you mention the T25 program. I was really interested in joining, but I JUST barely bought the tapout program (which is WAY too hard for me, but I do it anyway lol) and have been following Powellâs book I mentioned. I didnât really want to spend another $180 a month right now while Iâm saving up for Hawaii too. Iâm glad to hear that you really like it. I know that when Iâve been successful is when I really switch things up every 8-12 weeks, so I will probably get the T25 program when I get back from my trip.
I definitely understand how vital the diet portion iS!! Jeez. I wish it werenât so. Iâve lost weight before by diet aloneâŠ.and I mean, SUBSTANTIAL weight loss too. But when I did thatâŠwell..to be honest, I have an entire post series I could and likely will write about that experienceâŠI lost the weight, but it was a really negative experience.
Back to the T25, Iâm guessing if youâre in the program right now, youâre doing the shakeology? Do you like them? I have to say, I REALLY like the diet from Powellâs book. It is definitely something I know I could do the rest of my life, and I plan to. I like the carb cycling and now that Iâm going onto 3 weeks into it, Iâm finding it easy to follow without thinking much about it; plus, the reward day is nice, and realistic. LEtâs be honest, I absolutely will not swear off all brownies for the rest of my life, but now I can reign in my cravings and stick to it just the once a week after a job well-done all week long.
Keep me updated!! I LOVE hearing about other people working on bettering themselves; it really encourages me to keep rockinâ it every day. đReplyCancel
Yes, youâre definitely not alone. After four children and one back to back pregnancy my body really hates me. Ha! Iâve got a lot of work to do.
I do like T25. Realistically I love it because 25 minutes a day is do-able. Anyone can do 25 minutes. Perfect for parents.
Yes, Iâm doing shakeology right now. Problem is. I canât continue it. I canât afford to spend $138.00 p/month to supply it. It is not in the budget. Iâm sad because it is a great supplement, but it is incredibly expensive. If I had the money, you bet Iâd keep it around. So, Iâve gotta find a different supplement when this one is gone. *heavy sigh*
Maybe I should check out the diet from Powellâs book. Or at least read about it and see if it something I would âstick toâ for good, and not for a short time. If youâre 3 weeks into and feel you can do without event thinking about it, that is great. Exactly what I need.
I too, will never swear off the sweets in my life. But everything in moderation, right?! Or at least Iâm learning to tell myself that and train my brain that way. CTM
I will be checking in from time to time to see your progress. I have pictures of me in February till now. Not a huge difference but they work. I would be willing to share them with you, if youâd like. I still have A LOT of work that needs to be done.
I have pictures of me when I started in February, to the most recent (yesterday). If youâre interested I could share them with you. Keeping in mind I still have a long way to go. Iâm excited what they will look like come September 20, but that is not the end of my journey, just a start to a new one. =)ReplyCancel
HAha, Iâve done that lots!! đ
If youâre looking for a good supplement, I do the gold standard whey protein (I posted a link in the post so you can check out the contents and price), which I usually get from GNC with my membership since you get 20% offâŠbut I think that the amazon price is the same as gncâs 20% off?? maybe. plus, with amazon prime, itâs free shipping, which I like since itâs sometimes hard to get out with twin toddlers and a 3 year old! lol
Yeah, that shakeology is pricey!
I would totally love to see progress pics!! If you want to send them privately, you can send them to my email, just cassiadenton AT gmail DOT com or if you wanna inspire others too, you can post them on MyMommyStyleâs FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/MyMommyStyle
I actually have seen quite a bit of progressâŠbut I havenât been brave enough to share my âbeforeâ photosâŠItâs like, I just wanna pretend it never happened. Because I actually GAINED weight AFTER the twins were bornâŠugh! Who does that?? this girl, thatâs who.ReplyCancel
I love to photograph babies almost more than anything in the whole world!  This little beauty is my very dear friend Jillâs baby girlâŠsheâs a bit older now, but I just love capturing littles in their element.  In her home I can just follow her around and sheâs completely at ease and hardly notices Iâm...
Hey friends, itâs Cassia from My Mommy Style and Iâm so thrilled to be posting at these two amazing blogs, Smitten By and Free Time Frolics.  I am a mommy to a 3 year old and twin 11 month olds.  Some days I want to drown myself in diet coke, but mostly itâs pretty dang awesome!  (However,...
Good morning MMS friends. Â Today I am posting my very first EVER vlog!! Yikes! I actually did two on the same day, so youâll be seeing my next vlog next Wednesday the 26th over at Fry Sauce and Grits (which is just a fantastic new blog by two beautiful sisters you should definitely check out!)...
Hi! ok, so you may not know the answer to this question, but I bought all this stuff for myself abut six months ago when going to the salon every two weeks was getting too expensive. Anyway, they were lasting pretty good for me, but now when I do them, the fingernails are popping off within just a day or two. Is there something I am doing wrong?ReplyCancel
The most likely reason is that the gel isnât properly adhering to your nail beds. This probably means that you havenât roughed up your nails enough. Make sure you have gently removed all of the shine from your entire nail bed before you begin applying the gel. Then, to clean it out, use alcohol. It will remove the nail dust without leaving anything on the nail, so itâs still dry.
The second possible reason is that you may be layering the gel on too thick. The thinner the better. Make sure you clear out the area between your cuticle and your nails every time you apply a new layer AND before you cure it. If it seals to your cuticle and not your nails, it pops up so dang quick.
Hopefully one of those things does the trick for you!! Good luck!ReplyCancel
{Giveaway} Click here to go to rafflecopter to enter now Today we have a special surprise for you my friends!  We have partnered up with Shatzi of the fabulous Love and Laundry and THE ultimate âgotta-have-itâ of girlfriend gifts shop to bring you some fabulous goodies! Grandway Here at My Mommy Style, we got the chance to test...
I just recently lost my keys in my bag and them with the me the whole time. I searched the house for 30 minutes before having to leave for work in my husbandâs jeep (with wet, soured interior). Needless to say, I rode to work with the windows down to and from work because of the smell. But, I love the Victoria apron and would love to see one in a giveaway. So retro!!ReplyCancel
Yes! The really do work!! For years, I have been doubling up my hot pads because I donât trust any of them, especially when I bake with cast iron with a ceramic coating!! ouch! But I forced myself to be brave, and it worked perfectly! And, theyâre adorable and match the darling aprons too; I even bought some for my friend already. And my pink purseâŠbelieve it or not, I got it at Burlington coat factory! I adore it!! only $45 bucks!!ReplyCancel
Good morning (ish) MMS friends. Â Iâm so excited to finally finish up the second part of this post, so if you didnât get a chance to read Part 1 (with directions on how to make your simple DIY Sun Diffuser) you can do so by clicking here. Â The gist of it: Â Taking photos in...
Another great way to make shade for portraits is to use a cheap lightand, umbrella holder, and umbrella. Theyâre used for speedlights and mono lights but with just the stand, umbrerlla holder and umbrella they work great. Have the person faceing the sun. Lightstand and umbrella between them and the sun with the shaft of the umbrella pointing at the persons eyes. Makes beautiful portraits.ReplyCancel
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Hello! I am Camille, a wife, mother of four, Disney obsessed, certified teacher, and reality optimist. Motherhood comes with its ups and downs, and I hope while you're here you'll find something that makes your #momlife easier!
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