Corinne is a mom of three, her daughter is 9 and her twin boys are 7 years old.

What about your kids? How did they react to your different food choices?
My children were always open to trying new things, especially the smoothies. For the most part, they enjoyed anything new that I offered them. I enjoyed experimenting with new flavours, as my cooking was a little bland. Overall, everything I’ve eaten has been received well by my family, has been delicious as well as flavourful! I was able to get quite creative within the window of ingredients in the 28 Day TBD plan. It has also made me eager to only include healthy choices in my kids’ school lunches and to never cook their veggies at meal time! They have all come to really enjoy a leafy green salad with balsamic dressing – crazy eh?! For some reason, this excites me!

One other way they were involved was typically on Friday mornings, I would weigh myself (they’d weigh themselves too, but they were hoping to gain weight!) and NO MATTER the result, they were so excited for me and cheered me on! Their excitement was contagious!! An added bonus: I am eating more raw food, so I am saving electricity!!

What would be the biggest change you’ve seen over 4 weeks?
The biggest change besides the obvious weight loss, stable mood and stable energy to draw from, has been my ATTITUDE!! This is the most amazing observation I have made! In the past, I’d always sabotage myself with negative self-talk. I knew how damaging my self-talk could be, but how could I change it? I’m not sure but maybe it’s finally doing something that is just for me and realizing I don’t have to be perfect. And not letting any set-backs bring me down! If I had a “cheat”, I used to always see it as a “fail”. Now, I see it as it is: I enjoy my “cheat” because let’s face it, that is life right? Temptation is always around us! But then, I just keep looking forward; I don’t let it get me down. That’s a big difference for me. I don’t beat myself up any more….and guess what? It works! I am succeeding!!

One habit that will stick?
Surely my new-found attitude with stick with me! As well as incorporating quality ingredients into everything I eat; not just quantity. It’s not just about getting full; it’s getting full with the most nutrition possible! I also think the preparing early in the week will continue so I always have healthy snack/meal choices right on hand.

Any physical changes to share?
During this 28 Day TBD, I lost a total of 13 pounds! I can tell you that most of my pants are sagging or hard to keep up, so I know that is a very promising sign that many inches have also been lost!! I’ve had a few people tell me recently that I look great and one person even said that I am glowing. One other thing is my fingernails; I know it’s a little thing that was almost hard to detect, but my fingernails used to just peel off in layers, but that is no longer happening and they are much stronger now. I really do *feel* lighter and brighter over all!

In closing…
The Friday before I was to begin the 28 Day TBD, I came across 2 documentaries on Netflix that I watched; Food Matters and Hungry for Change. I found these highly informative and they came with impeccable timing! These documentaries were full of information on how our food choices affect our bodies. This gave me an intense desire to learn more and helped me come into the 28 Day TBD more informed!

Also, I never really believed that I could do the 28 Day TBD, but thought I had nothing much to lose and I was definitely ready for “some thing” to change. I did not make it through the entire 28 days without “fail” or I’d now rather call it imperfection. I had several imperfections, BUT I chose not to focus on those imperfections and rather I focussed on continuing to make progress. I have come to know this as Imperfect Progress. I love that way of thinking because expecting perfection from myself is truly setting myself up for what I would call “failure”. But, if I continue making Imperfect Progress…..then, I know I am, at the very least, progressing!!

I look forward to this Imperfect Progress for the rest of my life! I now accept the lifestyle change I’ve heard so much about and that it will not happen in one day, one week or even one year; it is constantly underway with the more I learn! I must continue to achieve this Imperfect Progress in order to succeed and meet my goals!

Congratulations on all of your success Corinne! I have a feeling this is only the beginning of so many more wonderful things!!

Corinne happy and lighter after the 28 Day TBD

First, tell us a little bit about yourself, Corinne.

I have been married for almost 15 years. I am the mother to a 9 year old girl and 7 year old twin boys! My life has been quite a whirlwind since I found out I was having twins, as this was the beginning of many big life changes for our family. Over the past 3 years, I have been through many changes and tragedies: I lost my mother tragically, I moved to a new city, I’ve suffered verbal abuse and subsequent neglect at my work place; and most recently, I took my first family vacation to a foreign country resulting in almost losing my son due to a serious traumatic accident. Phew! It has been quite a journey indeed!

What made you decide to join this program?
With all of these challenges in my life, it’s been easy for me to make excuses for what I put into my body, wouldn’t you agree?! I was “waiting” for the day I would be “ready”. This past January, I woke up one day and said, “I’ve got to do something….TODAY!!” Julie had sent information for a RESET Challenge that was starting January 7, 2013. I decided I was worth the investment and took the challenge; the time was right! This got me a little more focused on what I was eating and helped me to learn some new ways of eating, not to mention, lose some weight!

After the tragic accident on our family vacation, which was in March, I “fell off the wagon” for a good 3 weeks and was feeling a little down and felt myself spiraling. Julie had sent information with regards to this 28 day Total Body Detox (TBD). It sounded intense and like much more than I was capable to handling, so I simply sat on it. I needed something to “kick it up a notch” and to get back on track.

I had lost 20+ pounds on the RESET Challenge and was now feeling a bit defeated having gained back a few pounds and was experiencing some unstable moods again. It was a very quick decision this year, but I jumped on the 28 Day TBD wagon and kicked it off on April 22nd, 2013 (I feel excited just thinking about the fact I managed to achieve this!! Celebrate the small victories, right?!). I spent a good hour doing some research on some of the ingredients in the book as this was quite new to me. I was a quick fix, instant dinner, chocolate and coffee type of girl who; although at times felt guilty, never gave much thought to what I ate (It was quantity over quality for me). I was simply grateful I had a meal or snack to eat and always put myself last after my family. After researching, I experienced shopping for the first time – WOW, that’s was a lot of veggies and greens! I was nervously excited!!

What was the biggest challenge to overcome during the first week?

On the first day, it was mid-afternoon (my weakest time of the day) when I emailed Julie, whom I now refer to as my “nutritional mentor” (she probably didn’t know that!), because I was “starving” and didn’t want to eat something outside the range of the 28 Day TBD. She quickly responded (THANKFULLY) and said I should never be hungry on this plan and suggested some food ideas. I was very grateful for this response in that moment because it changed the way I think. That was AWESOME! I never have to feel hungry. Julie just told me that I SHOULD eat when I am hungry. Now, when I am hungry I EAT and I aim for quality caloric foods/snacks and I rarely feel guilty any more for eating! On Day 2, 3, 4, I had an intermittent, pounding headache and being a detox, I didn’t want to take Advil so I rested when I could (was also feeling exhausted), used heat or ice and rolled a tennis ball around my tender neck/shoulders. I must admit, it was a challenge but one that I conquered and feel amazingly proud of myself for sticking with it! I believe I had the headache from withdrawal from my daily GIANT double-double coffee and all the chocolate and other sweets I ate all through the day prior to this 28 Day TBD. My body was not sure what was happening! The headache was gone by Day 5 and the fatigue lasted intermittently until about Day 10.

Did your grocery shopping change?

Week One Groceries

My shopping has become simplified. I realize I do not need to have a whole different fancy meal every day. I am choosing quality over quantity. It has minimized the amount of processed/prepared foods I give my family. Learning to do some preparing at the beginning of the week has been a life-saver when I come home feeling really hungry; it makes it easier to make a healthy choice, for me and for my family. As well, I have developed a better knowledge of the purpose and function of organic foods; something I had no knowledge of prior to the 28 Day TBD. I am excited to learn more about this as I go.

Stay tuned! Tomorrow’s blog post will be the rest of this amazing story! If you’ve enjoyed her story so far, please let her know in the comments below.

As I look back on my goals for this program, I am happy with where I ended up:

1. Cut the chocolate cravings! Yes these have definitely subsided and I feel more in control when it comes to chocolate. Let’s be clear about this, I am very excited to enjoy more Zazubar chocolate, but with a bit more moderation.

2. Fit into my black pants. On one hand, I’m 5 lb lighter than when I started. On the other hand, even though I am at the same weight as I was before I had my daughter (Jan 2010) my pants still do not fit. I am starting to wonder if my hips have changed and it’s a permanent thing. Either way, I feel great going into bathing suit season. Although I still might join a few friends in a 30 Day ab challenge.

3. Move more! That has been an easy one. For the most part, the weather this month was great (cold for a few weeks) so getting outside wasn’t too hard. My daughter enjoyed many walks with me, in her stroller, beside me and a few times, carrying her. This is super important to continue throughout the summer as well.

How did you do on your goals? Stay tuned this week for a few more success stories!

Today I wanted to have a filling afternoon snack, this shake is a bit more than 200 calories (if that is something you are concerned about) but it would be great for breakfast, after school snack or before (even after) a workout.

Simple to put together:

• 1 cup Silk almond milk (forgot it in the photo) as this brand doesn’t contain carageen.
• 4 ice cubes
• half of a frozen banana
• 2 scoops of French Vanilla Nutrimeal
• 1 tbsp of cocoa camino (organic, fair-trade)
• 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

Put all ingredients in a blender (in that order) and blend! Pour into a glass and enjoy! Great if you need an afternoon pick me up or have a sugar craving. Love the taste of the pure cocoa powder.

Have a a great long weekend to my fellow Canadians! I will report back on Monday – with the final day of the 28 Day Total Body Detox. Coming up next week – client testimonials!

P.S. Have you joined the Virtual Book Launch event for 30 Days of Gratitude? My goals is to get this book into the hands of at least 1,000 people on Friday May 31st. Click here for more info and a free preview!

• Taking a full list to the grocery store. Before, we ate the same things all of the time. One of the reasons I created the detox guide was to have new and fun recipes to try for myself and my family. It’s become habit to use the 28 Day TBD Grocery List.
• Green smoothies are now in the rotation for my breakfast. I have been drinking variations on the same shake (Ironwoman’s Power Smoothie in the guide) for about 6 years. I was comfortable with spinach and kale but not something that still looked GREEN!! I am a convert thanks to the Green Smoothie Bar. Now I just need more green smoothie ideas.
• Lemon water to start the day. I did this last year and the habit didn’t stick. I like it though, so I plan to continue to make the effort to start the day this way.
• Moving more! Thanks to my commitment to move more and the 30×30 David Suzuki Nature Challenge, I am walking outside more than ever.

In the next few days, I’ll share some of my personal results and see if any of my clients will share their success stories on my blog.

Have a wonderful evening everyone and remember that every day is a GIFT, that’s why it’s called the PRESENT. Love to you all!!

Another detox challenge this morning, I attended The Power of the Entrepreneurial Idea in Toronto – a breakfast event that involved taking the train at around 7 am. I made my green smoothie but by the time I arrived, I was already hungry. I usually bring lots of snacks and sometimes even pack a lunch but I thought I would be home for lunch. The challenge was that the only thing that a gluten-free vegetarian could safely eat at the breakfast were the eggs. No roasted potatoes or veggies and no fruit in site! Needless to say, my snacks disappeared quite quickly! Good thing the speakers were excellent!! Sarah Prevette is a young entrepreneur who has already sold 2 successful businesses and is quietly working on her next big thing! Julie Cole, one of the founders of Mabel’s Labels, also shared the company’s story of how their business began and the challenges that rapid growth can bring. I got a great opportunity to connect with Julie in person, as we stepped off the train in Burlington at the same time this afternoon! There are no coincidences in life and I am grateful for the opportunity to have made a new friend. The keynote speaker was David Chilton, The Wealthy Barber and now a dragon on Dragon’s Den (I never miss an episode!). He is very humorous and shared some of the more laughable entrepreneurial stories from his life.

Biggest detox challenge of the day? Last minute lunch in Toronto as I missed my train by about 5 minutes. So I had an hour to spend and I was hungry. First I tried sushi, but they didn’t have gluten-free soy sauce. I ended up at Oliver & Bonacini on Front St. I asked about their vegetarian pad-thai and was assured it could be made gluten-free. They also told my server that I needed it gluten-free and I asked her again directly for the gluten-free version. What was interesting is that it arrived at my table in less than 5 min. Seems awfully quick to me? As you can see, they didn’t bother to take the cilantro off of the stems for me. It tasted alright, but there was a lot of sauce. Within about 30 minutes I started to feel uncomfortable. The afternoon was full of discomfort and a feeling of not digesting my meal. I took more digestive enzymes which helped a bit. I wonder if I did get the gluten-free version after all….

Have you ever had this kind of experience when eating out?

All in all, a really fantastic day (besides the lunch challenge). The weather was beautiful and sunny, I got to walk outside for at least 30 minutes and I made new friends. What made today special for you?

• Try a new fruit or vegetable. I bought dandelion greens this weekend. Not sure what to do with the, but I’ll figure it out.
• Plan a mini post-detox celebration with a glass of wine (one will be enough!) and some of your favorite dark chocolate (or just make the recipe from our Detox guide – so yummy!)
• Be grateful for how well you’ve treated your body over the past three weeks. Take a look at some of the new habits you’ve created – what was once difficult may now be a part of your daily routine.
• Share your story on our Facebook group – let us know how well you’ve been doing!

One more really cool thing about the detox. Today was garbage day! In our city, you are allowed to put out 3 garbage bags, every 2 weeks (or pay for additional bag tags). Our family of 3 usually has 2 bags. My hubby mentioned this morning that we only had ONE bag of garbage in TWO weeks!!! The compost bin, which is collected weekly, has been 3/4 full lately. Incredible!!!

This just in – my first book, 30 Days of Gratitude – will be available for purchase from Amazon on Friday May 31st. Please join our Facebook event and help us to make this book an Amazon bestseller!! Thank you for all of your incredible support!! I am looking for Book Ambassadors – please send me a message on Facebook if you’d like to help.

I have been doing very well with the 30×30 David Suzuki nature challenge. Today was the first day I missed my 30 minutes outside, mostly because of the very strange weather here in Southern Ontario – rain, snow, sun, wind, cold, warm – you name it, we had it today!

Also some exciting news – the videos from our live 28 Day Total Body Detox event are being uploaded as we speak. Take a look at this first one, where I explain the program outline and hear 2 testimonials from Dan Lawrence and Pat Birnie.

If you attended the seminar last night at The Rock Spa and would like to share any of your learnings, pleae comment below.