This is my first Mamavation post, and I'm excited to share the steps I've undergone thus far on my journey toward a healthier lifestyle. If you're not familiar with Mamavation, you may want to check it out. It's a weight loss and nutrition support movement started by Leah Segedie of Bookie Boo. I had the pleasure of meeting Leah at Blissdom. What a lovely, sparkling personality!

So I've decided to join Mamavation and to seek support and motivation from other moms just like me, trying to lose weight and get healthy in the midst of busy days filled with diaper changes, carpools, household and work obligations. Actually, I started making changes before leaving for Blissdom by doing a clense with Genesis Today juices. It was a great start to getting all the bad stuff out of my body, but starting BEFORE a conference hosted in a luxury hotel with incredible food brand sponsors probably wasn't the best idea. :)

You see, I LOVE sweets. Anything with sugar is my downfall, especially the sugary, carbohydrate filled treats like cakes and pie. And I've managed to pass my addiction on to my kids. They usually ask for dessert before dinner's even begun! I want to take on this journey for them and for me. So I did a little research before actually jumping right into Mamavation.

I decided to follow The Abs Diet. It's written by the editor of Men's Health and is based on eating a combination of twelve core foods in your diet. These foods are:

A - Almonds and other nuts

B - Beans and legumes

S - Spinach and other green vegetables

D - Dairy (fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese)

I - Instant oatmeal (unsweetened, unflavored)

E - Eggs

T - Turkey

P - Peanut butter, all-natural (no added sugar)

O - Olive Oil

W - Whole-grain breads and cereals

E - Extra-protein (whey) powder

R - raspberries, fresh

ABS DIET POWER!

Other foods are also recommended, but these make up the base of everything on the diet. It really makes sense to me, and it's an easy plan for me to follow. Not so much measuring, lots of variety and foods I enjoy - I'm a pretty picky eater. If this sounds like a diet that may interest you, feel free to click on my Amazon affiliate link below. There's also a video and supplemental books to the program.

I wish I had thought to record my weight and measurements before starting a couple weeks ago, but I was focused on getting started. I do think I've lost a bit. My husband has noticed. Woo hoo! I plan to start the exercise portion of the plan next week. That's the beauty of this program; it allows you to get used to the diet changes and introduces the workout in week 3. Wish me luck! One more thing, I almost forgot to mention. I won a free 3-month trial to Weight Watchers online through a contest I entered at the Blissdom conference. Weight Watchers was one of the awesome sponsors. Isn't that amazing? I'm combining the Weight Watchers point concept with the Abs Diet food recommendations. I'm really enjoying the Weight Watchers mobile app for the iPhone. It's a convenient way to keep track of my points. Are you doing Mamavation? Would you like to? I'd love to hear any recommendations, advice, or encouragement!