Ahh, Gulp! So, here goes. I have a LOT of weight to loose. I was given a free 3-month membership to 80Bites and also their Mobile App in exchange for doing a product review. So, I figured, what do I have to loose, besides a few pounds? I’m going to try to explain this really neat concept here and pull in some info from the product’s site. I will update weekly, on Thursdays over the next 12 weeks (I suppose this means I’ll need to buy, and stand on, an actual scale). I’m truly exposing a LOT about myself here so I’m going to refrain from sharing the number of pounds I’m starting at, but I will say this. My goal is to loose 80 pounds. Obviously, that can’t be accomplished in 12 weeks! So, my weight loss goal for THIS challenge is going to be 20 pounds. I almost said 25, but ohhh I don’t know, that feels like too much pressure! I’m counting on my readers, fans and followers to hold me accountable so that I really do stick with this!!

The program itself is designed to move you in slow, and literally only allows you to look at the current and past weeks saying they don’t want you to “bite off more than you can chew.” I like this concept, a lot. I really believe that the steps to any major success can only be taken one at a time. Yup, baby steps. Need to loose weight, get over something sad, build a beautiful business, plant a garden? Do it one step at a time! Or, one day at a time. And, in the case of 80Bites one week, one day, one BITE at a time!

WEEK 1: WELCOME TO 80BITES!

Congratulations on taking the first step toward changing your eating habits, once and for all! First step – relax! Take a deep breath. 80Bites is organized in a way that allows you to learn gradually and master each theme completely before moving forward. It really will be easy.

The program focuses on four core concepts: Quantity, Frequency, Quality and Balance. The 80Bites concept incorporates the idea that your stomach CAN hold more food than that each day, but it has to stretch to do so. They emphasize the importance of taking fewer bites which causes the stomach container to shrink, want fewer feedings and ultimately, your body will absorb fewer calories. In the FAQ’s section, 80Bites explains that before we became a “Super-Sized Value Meal” culture, we all regulated around 80 bites. They state that the healthy way of eating for 99% of the population is 80 bites, no matter what size, or shape we are. While they don’t count “Sips” and beverages are excluded from the plan, they do recommend that you don’t drink beverages loaded with calories for obvious reasons. Now, here’s my hook, line and sinker: Their take on water consumption (this has always been the hardest part for me in ANY weight loss journey):

What about the recommendation of drinking 8 glasses of water or more, a day?

The 8×8 water rule has become a widely accepted myth: 8 oz. of water, 8 times a day. What most folks don’t realize is that a balanced diet actually meets almost all of your daily fluid needs. Coffee and tea count as well. Bottom line: drink when you’re thirsty! Drinking too much water can lead to water intoxication, not to mention draining a precious resource. Besides, who wants to go to the bathroom that much every day?

More on Portion Control:

Portions are based on calories. 80Bites is based on the amount of “real estate” food takes up in your stomach. All diet plans give you lots of low-calorie foods that are “unlimited”, which s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s your poor stomach. Plus, eating strictly low-cal food isn’t fun, so you end up eating all the time, giving your tired stomach no chance to rest.

The Mobile App is an interesting tool that goes along with the online program. Here’s how 80Bites describes it:

Well, this is awkward. Here I am, inside your shirt. Yet we’ve never formally met.  I’m Sam, your stomach. Hey, eyes up here! Our relationship is…complicated. You stuff me, stretch me, neglect me. A stomach can only take so much! That’s where the 80Bites app comes in.

The 80Bites app is a sleek, simple, “pedometer for your mouth”. It’s easy to use: after every mouthful of food, just tap the “Bite” button. At the end of each day, check the Progress page. I’ll tell you how much you’re eating, when you’re eating the most, and how fast you’re chewing.

After just a few days of use, you’ll know if you’re overeating. It doesn’t matter if it’s a hot dog or a salad: a bite is a bite! The 80Bites App goes hand-in-hand with the Plan: once you’ve mastered the art of counting bites, we’ll show you how to make a permanent lifestyle shift. If you’re ready to bite, we’re gonna make things right. I feel it in my gut!

The overall goal of this program is to shrink your stomach back down to a normal size. Once the 12 weeks are up, you will have tips ,tasks and tools “under your belt” to help make that happen. Once the stomach shrinks to a normal size after being stretched so much from over eating, you will feel full when your stomach is full and hopefully have learned not to continue to over eat. At least, that’s my hope. Its a lot like gastric bypass surgery in terms of making your stomach smaller and that has certainly proved to be successful for so many people. So, I can see that sticking with this really could work. Subscribe to my blog on the upper right hand corner of this page to follow my progress. I’m quite excited to start this journey and, admittedly a bit shy and reserved for now, happy to have you join me along the way. Wish me luck! In the meantime, watch Sam Stomach rap!