Holiday Weight Loss?! Can it Be Done?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Slim-Fast for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Phew!  The holidays can get so crazy, right?  What a busy week!  I've had three parties to attend this week, my good friend's birthday, and a million orders to fill in my etsy shop. Busy weeks usually equate to lots of fast food around these parts.  Lots and lots of burgers and tacos.  Dollar menu galore.  It's not super pretty.  But I'm trying to do better.  I really am.

I've vented here before about my struggles with my weight.  It has been an ongoing issue for me.  In high school I weighed all of 115 pounds and thought I was fat because my older sister weighed 95 on a good day.  That was silly.  I know that NOW.  I gained 15 ponds or so when I got married and then again after each of my three children.  I'm not one to really fret about things like that, but 5 or 6 years ago I took the bull by the horns and decided to get into shape.  I took up running and trained for a half marathon, which I ran in a little over two hours.  I got almost back to the size I was before kids.  That was awesome.  But it  was 5 years ago.  Since then I've gained and lost the same 10 pounds 50 times.  And then I started taking some medication that caused me to gain weight -- pretty quickly and significantly.  I still don't fret over it, really.  I am who I am whether I weigh 115 pounds or a little {or a lot} more.  Here's the thing:  I'm going on a Girl's Cruise with several of my besties in January.  I wasn't going to go, but they gave it to me for my birthday.  Whatever.  I have the best friends in the world.  So, I'm super excited about this cruise and would love to lose a few pounds before we go so I look better in my favorite dress for formal night. 

I was thrilled when I was contacted by Slim-Fast to try out their new & improved shakes during this busy time.  I tried out the Strawberries n' Cream, but they also come in Creamy Milk Chocolate, Rich Chocolate Royale, French Vanilla and Cappuccino Delight.  It was like drinking a nice, cold glass of strawberry milk, which is awesome.  Even better, though, is that it kept me feeling full until lunch time -- up to four hours.  The shakes contain 10 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and 24 vitamins and minerals.  What's not to like about that?!  I've used Slim-Fast in the past and I've always been a fan, but the new plastic bottles beat the old cans hands-down. 

My favorite part about Slim-Fast is the convenience.  I'm never in the mood to make {or eat} breakfast, so I love being able to grab a shake and get on with my day.  The Slim-Fast 3-2-1 plan seems easy enough to follow:  3 snacks a day {these can be Slim-Fast 100 calorie snack bars, or fruits, nuts, and vegetables}, 2 meal-replacement shakes or bars {there are tons of delicious options}, and 1 balanced 500 calorie meal a day that you prepare yourself.  As a general rule, they recommend filling half your plate with veggies, one quarter with lean protein and one quarter with whole grains.  That doesn't sound like they could make it any easier!  And you can purchase Slim-Fast right in the grocery store's pharmacy section when you do the rest of your shopping.  Sweet! 

I know the Holiday season is a difficult time to be trying to drop a few pounds.  We're all super busy and we're surrounded by deliciously tempting sweets and treats.  The Slim-Fast 3-2-1 Plan seems like a great help in the process.  If I can grab a shake for breakfast while I'm getting ready and then throw a snack and another shake in my bag when I go out to run errands I may just be able to skip a few fast food drive-thru runs and save myself the caloric burden.  And I'll be glad I did it when I'm lookin' all sassy in my silver dress on the cruise.

Like  Slim-Fast on Facebook and check out the Slim-Fast website to learn more about their products and the 3-2-1 Plan.  Happy Holidays!