Before:
I receive
an email from a company asking if I’d like to write a blog post about losing
weight with Bodytrim. My first instinct is to write back and say ‘no thanks, I’m
too busy to lose weight.’ Then, just as I am about to hit ‘send’, I reconsider.
I know I never do things like this on Relentless, but it's relevant for me right now and I am willing to give this a try – what have I got to lose? Just weight! I've got plenty of that.
Day 1:
Bodytrim is essentially a high-protein, low-carb meal-replacement
plan. They provide both shakes and various snacks, and you sign up for a free
12-week program that offers guidance and support. It instantly sounds appealing
because you don’t really have to do anything.
I admit that I had a peek at the program when I first
received the email, and because of what I saw I delayed the start of my trial
to begin after the kids went back to
school. I believe they should learn about healthy eating, but I am reluctant to
‘diet’ in front of them, and besides – I knew they’d all want to have shakes for
breakfast as well and I’m not too good at sharing.
There are three stages of the Bodytrim 12-week program. Basically
you start with 3 meal-replacement shakes in the first few days, gradually dropping
to two, then one shake per day. You are supposed to have learned by this point,
to fill the rest of your day with healthy snacks, balanced meals and plenty of
water. You never replace dinner, so there’s no problem with watching everyone
else tuck into a roast dinner while you sip on a shake.
This is nothing new. I know
how to lose weight. My problem is that I don’t like exercise and I really enjoy
eating. I like baking with my kids. I like going out with my friends for
dinner. I love a glass of wine or two. I’m a typical mum – I am busy busy busy
with my kids and my work and my life and very, very neglectful when it comes to
myself. And sometimes losing weight just seems like such hard work.
My first day is a
mixed success. The shakes aren’t substantial enough to replace one of my normal
meals, so I eat a bowl of raw veggies over the day. I’m also well behaved and
skip my wine, but I scoff a piece of cake when no one is looking and still go
to bed hungry.
Day 2:
I’ve never been terribly fussed about the numbers on the
scale. I have always been heavy, even when I am at my slimmest. I like to think
I have a skeleton made of lead, or rather a heart of gold. This is why I prefer
looking at my measurements – and losing centimetres from my tummy and butt
rather than kilos. You can’t see kilos!
I like it when my skirts zip up. I don’t like it when I have
to leave them unzipped and hope that my top covers the big triangle of undies
hanging out at the back. It’s good motivation.
Day 2 and I am still hungry,
though I suspect that is the point. The shakes are small, about 1/3 the size of
my morning coffee. I get ‘hangry’ while at the shops, but while I would
normally chow down on a roast pork and crackling roll, today I buy some healthy
sushi, so I guess I should be proud of making a reasonably healthy food choice,
even if I am technically breaking the rules.
Day 3:
These are my numbers:
Number of children: 3
Number of pets/husbands: 3 if you include the fish
Number of times I have tried serious dieting: 3
Number of times I lost a heap of weight and gained it back
again: 3
I’m beginning to detect a theme…
End of Day 3 and I am
still hungry. Although I am technically in the Fast Start section of the 12
week program (3 days of three shakes and only 1 meal) I admit that I am
scrounging around in the box of snacks they also sent me. The snacks are all
high-protein, low-carb sweet items such as slice, cookies and protein bars. The
texture is unusual, but they are definitely filling.
Day 4
I am being sent daily emails from Bodytrim as part of the free
12-week trial. You simply sign up to the website using the code provided on the
side of every shake container. There is a lot of good information on the site
if you’re willing to read it – plenty of articles and discussions. One of the
messages which I really like is that it isn’t selfish to think about yourself
and take care of yourself. I think a lot of mums forget this.
End of Day 4 and I
have gone totally off-track thanks to a rather delicious bottle of wine. That
being said, I have been making smart food choices all day, which is rather
unlike me. Could this be evidence of the ‘trim thinking’ you are expected to
apply when trying the 12-week plan? Maybe this will work after all.
Day 5
Meal-replacement shakes come in two flavours – chocolate and
vanilla. Three scoops of the powder and top it up with water. I quite enjoy the
taste although they are quite small. If you follow the instructions and don’t
try to sneak an extra scoop in, each tub makes nine shakes. Therefore, if I
follow the plan as proscribed by Bodytrim, the three tubs will last 27 days.
The real question though, is will I last that long?
End of Day 5. I am
down to two shakes a day, 1 meal and 2 snacks. I feel this is much better
suited to my normal way of eating. I work from home, and am constantly heading
off to writing sessions, school, the library or having to drive my kids around.
I don’t do well skipping food for long periods of time, and this stage two ‘trimsition’
is much more manageable for me.
Day 6
I have been sent enough Bodytrim shakes to last around 4
weeks, and I think this should be enough time to see how the system works for
me in my life. The website recommends 12 weeks, as you need time for your body
(and brain) to form new good habits. I might need more than 12 weeks, as I have
spent the last 40 years forming bad habits.
One of the other mums
at school stopped me today and said I was looking good. She asked if I had lost
some weight. I’m actually not sure if I have, but it felt good hearing that anyway.
Motivation to go another week.
Day 14
Constant snacking is a hard habit to break, and I’m not a
huge fan of the low-carb, high protein snacks they provide. It’s a different
texture to normal biscuits and slices, although the flavour is fine, and they
definitely fill you up. However, being on the program (or attempting to be on
the program) is making me re-think some
of my food decisions, some of the
time – which is better than me not thinking any of the time. So that’s
definitely a win.
I think the amount of weight I have lost is negligible –
maybe a kilo or so - but if your heart isn’t fully in it, then the chances of
weight magically falling off is as unlikely as winning the lotto – lovely to dream
about… but keep on dreaming. Weight loss is also meant to be slow and steady,
otherwise it will all just come back again.
My thoughts about the Bodytrim Program?
It’s not for me. Clearly I am not motivated enough right now. But I think if you’re
needing some structure and a clear program to follow then perhaps this might
suit you.
There’s also not a lot of variety in the products – the flavours run the
gamut from vanilla to chocolate with a quick detour to mint, and they’re all
sweet. That being said, they go in your bag and could easily stop you making
that drive-through for the cheeky burger next time you’re hungry.
Thank you to Bodytrim for letting me try their products. You
can find out more about the program here: https://www.bodytrim.
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