End of the Challenge!

Ok, I totally slacked on writing the last week of the challenge. But if I'm being completely honest, it was not any different than the 18 days I did write about. =) Someone asked me how the challenge was going the other day, and I realized that I didn't feel like I was doing a challenge any more, it just feels normal now. Eating healthy (MOST of the time... I did eat dessert at a restaurant last weekend, and I did eat one piece of pizza), exercising, and taking care of myself seems more of a habit now. I thought it would be a lot harder to form that kind of habit, but I'm glad it didn't! I have NO intention of going back to the way I felt before. Sure, I got some physical results, but the change in my energy and mood has been amazing.

Ok, so if you are reading this because you are thinking about doing the Advocare 24 Day Challenge, then what you are looking for is results. I won't keep you waiting any longer! Here are my results:

Weight Lost - 4.5 lbs

Waist - 2.5 inches SMALLER!

Bust - 3 inches SMALLER!!

My thigh, biceps, and calves have never been a problem, so there wasn't much there to change. All those measurements pretty much stayed the same.

Really, those results don't sound huge, but I feel comfortable in clothes I haven't worn in a long time. I can go to the pool with my girls without being self conscious the whole time. I can look at a picture of myself and actually be happy with it. I know how to feed my body the RIGHT kinds of food. These things were worth every penny of the challenge. Sure, I would still like to lose about 5 more lbs and a couple more inches in my waist, but I have no doubt I'll get there... and get there the HEALTHY way. This means getting there and staying there.

So, if you are thinking about doing the Advocare 24 Day Challenge as a quick fix to lose lots of weight it may not be what you are looking for, but if you are willing to put in the work to change your life and feel and look better then I highly recommend it. But make sure you have a good Advocare rep who will actually check on you and help you through. I had a GREAT rep, who I now consider a friend, and she made a huge difference in my success. Thank you Ashley!!

Day 18 - FRIDAY!

Friday was a great day! I'm writing this post on Saturday morning. =) I went to my regular SS class and tried my hardest to keep up... I even jogged a bit. But I jogged about as fast as some of the walkers. By the end of class though I could definitely tell a difference. The rest of the day was SOOO much better than the rest of the week. Still a bit sore if one of the girls hits my legs, but I'll survive.

My mood and energy level was so much better too. I gave the girls manicures and pedicures, which they loved! And we sat down before bed and ate popcorn under our snuggies and watched a Disney princess movie. Great day!! This really isn't relevant to the challenge other than the fact that I have more energy to give to my girls.

Again, food wise, it was the same as every other day. Took lots of pills, ate lots of fruit and unprocessed foods, and had meat, potatoes and broccoli for dinner. It was yummy! Ok, now on to write about Saturday.

Day 17 - only 1 week left!

With one week left I feel focus and committed, there is no doubt I'll make it to the end of the challenge and come out better than I went in. It's neat to think that it's only take just over 2 weeks to begin living and eating different... seriously, in the scheme of your whole life, 2 weeks is nothing! I'm really excited about how great I feel and how motivated I am. I am also so surprised (pleasantly) at how much will power I have exhibited. I can honestly say I have stuck with the meal plan within 90-95% so far and it has been worth it. I feel like all of my posts are starting to sound the same. So, I've had a hard time sitting down and writing because I don't want to bore anyone. But I made a commitment to write this throughout the challenge, so I will continue. Maybe after the challenge I'll start a family blog... fun!

Really, there was nothing different about my daily routine today, so I'm not going to post the schedule. I will say though that I bought some NadaMoo ice cream... which is made with coconut milk, non dairy, and had a small bowl. I put strawberries, coconut and a tiny bit of chocolate almond butter melted and drizzled on top. VERY awesome! I'm sure the calorie count was not much less than regular ice cream, but all of those ingredients are better received by my body and will be easier to process... i guess. Plus, if I can't eat something like that occasionally, forget it!

Also, I did attempt to exercise today... it was rough!! I went to the mall class and couldn't even keep up with the mall walkers... it was sad. But I worked a bit of the soreness out so that was a good thing. I can feel myself slowly getting back to normal!

Day 16 - Wednesday

Definitely starting to get my focus back after last weekend. We had a great dinner last night, and I'm planning something similar tonight. Today we spent 3 hours at the pool, so that was tons of fun! I'm proud because we were there for a birthday party and I avoided the cupcakes pretty easily. It's becoming less and less of a challenge to walk away. Yay! I just have to remember how I felt on Day 10 of the challenge... I want that back! Today I'm definitely feeling closer to it than I have the last few days. It's definitely grocery day though, so pulling things together for snacks was a little more difficult. Who knew I would have to grocery shop SOOOO much!? We eat lots of food here... but it's the right kind of food. I think the main difference is that Mike is taking lunch and snack everyday too, so that adds up. Plus, with the girls eating the same things too, we go through food so fast. Two weeks in to the challenge though and I am very proud of our new lifestyle!

Here is day 16:

7:45 - Thyroid and first pack of pills and catalyst - The girls slept in!

8:15 - Breakfast shake - second pill pack

10:00 - Protein bar in the car on the way to the pool

12:00 - Half a roast beef sandwich with a slice if cheese and an orange

2:30 - Spark and catalyst, handful of dark chocolate chips

3:45 - eggs, sausage, cheese on a corn tortilla - kind of like a breakfast taco =) Told you I need to go to the store.

4:30 - Popsicle - homemade with chocolate almond milk, peanut butter and banana. it was awesome!

6:00 - Grilled Chicken, okra, zucchini, baked beans

9:00 - Rice cake with dark chocolate almond butter... I bought it today to use occasionally as a treat, but I had to try it! So good!

Day 16 Summary -

Today seemed better than yesterday, but I think I can do better. I think I'm just really missing exercise. My legs are soooo sore, but I'm going to go to the indoor Stroller Strides class tomorrow just to see if I can loosen up a little. I've GOT to exercise! That's it for today, off too bed.

Day 15 - Max Phase

Ok, so I'm getting back in to the swing of writing this thing... The crazy Memorial Day weekend is over and we are getting back to our regularly scheduled programming. ;-) I have to admit I don't feel as energized as I did during the cleanse. It's crazy what a difference it makes cutting out bread and sugar. And eating veggies. I was seriously lacking in the vegetable department last weekend, and was actually CRAVING them today. Kind of nice to know I can crave something like vegetables, and really don't miss sweets. I miss the idea of sweets, but I really don't crave them. Interesting. Ok, so here is day 15:

7:00 - Thyroid

7:30 - First pack of pills, spark and catalyst

8:00 - breakfast shake and 1 more pack of pills

10:00 - Orange and string cheese

12:00 - another pack of pills

12:30 - left over brisket on a corn tortilla with some baked beans and a few bites of potato salad... I need to get these left overs out of my house!! Last packet of pills.

2:30 - Spark and Catalyst

6:00 - Grilled Chicken, zucchini, squash, okra and salad... told you I missed veggies!

8:30 - rice cake, peanut butter and almond milk

9:00 - omegas

Summary -

You may have noticed I haven't had much exercise.... Friday I did an awesome Stroller Strides class, Saturday I ran 2 miles, Sunday I took a break and Monday I did a CrossFit workout with Mike. It was an intense work out that left me weak and feeling crazy out of shape. I was so sore today that I didn't work out, I could barely walk. But I'll get there!

Days 11, 12, 13 and 14

Wow! I'm not sure what happened! Memorial Day weekend, husband off work, family in town for my nephews graduation and playing in the pool and eating bbq.... that's what I did this weekend INSTEAD of writing my blog. Whoops! Sorry to anyone who is reading this trying to figure out what the 24 day challenge is all about. I'm definitely going to get back in the groove.

So, as far as the challenge goes, we've still been doing great, I just haven't been writing about it. We are on phase 2, which started Friday (today is Monday). This is a two week phase, and will complete the challenge. The goal of this part of the challenge is to get your body performing to it's MAX potential... this is why it's called the MAX Phase. =) There are 4 packs of pills, with 3 or 4 pills in each. Yes that's a lot of pills to swallow! But it's providing your body with the optimal amount of vitamins, minerals, and other things your body needs but doesn't always get from diet alone. So here is how a typical day goes:

7:00 - Thyroid meds

7:30 - My first pack of pills (I wish I could remember which pills are in which pack, but I don't! There is a multi vitamin, calcium, probiotics, and other things...), also Spark and Catalyst

8:00 - Breakfast shake

10:30 - Snack, usually fruit maybe a protein bar

12:00 - Another pack of pills

12:30 - Lunch and the last 2 packs of pills

2:30 - Spark and Catalyst

3:30 - Snack

6:00 - Dinner (I've had so much bbq this week... so mainly just meat and beans, but I did eat a small portion of potato salad too)

9:00 - Snack

10:00 - Omegas

So, I know that's not specific, but it's easier than typing out 4 days worth of schedules, and I don't think you guys care THAT much. =) As far as how I'm feeling, I don't feel quite as good as I did during the cleanse, probably because I have had 2-3 adult beverages over the last few days and I've eaten bread and sugar which I had cut out during the cleanse, and I did have one cupcake. Overall though, I still feel WAY better than I have in a long time. I don't think I've lost any more weight, but now that this weekend is behind me I can be more focused. Alright, I'll be back tomorrow!

Final Day of the Cleanse!

I made it through the cleanse!! I'm 2 1/2 lbs lighter and 2 inches smaller in my waist... sweet!!! Day 10 was just about the same as the rest of them, so not lots to say. =)

7:30 - Thyroid, probiotic

8:00 - Spark and Catalyst

8:30 - Fiber and breakfast shake

10:30 - Apples, almond butter and egg

12:30 - tuna with a bit of mayo and avocado, grapes, and strawberries

2:30 - Spark and Catalyst

3:30 - ????? I Can't remember!!!!!

6:00 - Pork tenderloin, green beans and salad

9:00 - Rice cake and almond butter... again.

Bedtime - Omegas

Day 10 summary - I can't believe the cleanse is over! I feel better than I have felt in a long time. Good stuff!!

Day 9 - So close...

The cleanse phase is almost over... crazy! I hope that I continue to feel as good during the Max phase as I did during the cleanse. I'll explain more about the max phase when I get there. Today is a pretty low key day, I actually have nothing going on which is unusual. We stayed at the park after SS today, and now we are just hanging out till nap time. Normally these are the days that I struggle with snacking, but I'm doing ok today.

Stroller Strides was really great today. It's starting to get hot, so it's kind of nice to sweat, although it takes a lot more to push through some of the exercises. I held my plank for 3 minutes today, which means I wasn't pushing hard enough on Monday! Also, I did the 5 minute hill run pushing the stroller... tough! Although, Riley had to pee at the end of 3 minutes, so really it was a 3 minute hill run... still tough! And the hardest part of all... resisting the cupcakes for one of the kid's birthday party! But I did it!

Here is today's schedule:

7:00 - probiotic pills

7:30 - spark and catalyst

8:00 - Fiber and Breakfast shake

10:20 - Protein bar

12:30 - Ham cubes, egg, apple, strawberries and almond butter

2:30 - spark and catalyst

3:30 - Almonds

5:30 - Turkey breast, fresh green beans, brown rice

9:00 - Rice cake, almond butter and SMALL cup of almond milk

bedtime - Omega pills

Day 9 Summary -

Good day, and almost done with phase one. Getting easier and easier!

Day 8 - Already!

I can't believe how fast the cleanse has gone by. I really expected it to drag. I thought I would feel deprived and like I was torturing myself. Actually, I feel the opposite. I am looking forward to adding dairy and bread back in to my diet though. In moderation obviously, but seriously, I just want to have the option of eating a sandwich! As far as dairy goes, cheese is a good source of protein, so I'm going to be glad to have another snack option. I realize cutting those things out is probably why I've lost weight, so I'll have to be careful adding them back in. Cutting them out completely for the rest of my life is unrealistic though, so I'm going to have to figure out appropriate daily amounts and portions.

Here's today's food:

7:30 - Thyroid and Probiotic... I took them together so that I could leave my house earlier to make the Tuesday SS class in the mall, only to find out all my sports bras were in the dirty clothes hamper and I couldn't go. BOO!

8:00 - Spark and Catalyst

8:30 - Fiber drink and Breakfast shake - this morning I chugged the fiber and didn't gag at all! =) I added frozen strawberries and bananas to my shake too, yummy!

10:30 - Banana with almond butter and a luna protein bar

11:00 - Jogging - I only did 1 mile, running in this wind with the stroller was like running with a 90 lb parachute, geez. So we went to the pool instead!

1:00 - Tuna, egg, tiny bit of mayo and dill relish, mixed up and eaten on top of celery sticks. It was quite good! I don't think I ate enough, but I'm trying to go light because of tonight's dinner.

3:00 - Spark and Catalyst

4:00 - Rice cake and almond butter and egg

6:30 - MOM's NIGHT OUT! OK, so we went to Technique which is the cooking school's restaurant. It was good! And a FIVE course meal was only $20... and that included tax and tip. This event is a special treat for me, so I decided to allow myself a few bites of stuff that is really not cleanse appropriate. First I had 4 bites of french onion soup. The salad was next... I ate the whole thing. =) Then, they brought out fried mozzarella... omg, so good. But I only took 3 small bites and then pushed it away. Next was the main course, I had a steak, roasted veggies, and a tiny amount of mashed potatoes. Last was dessert, I ate 4 bites of apple pie and tasted some yummy ice cream pastry shells. The amazing thing was, it wasn't hard to control myself at all... especially on the desserts. And I left a 5 course meal feeling satisfied, not full and bloated. It is seriously amazing how revolutionary the development of self control and will power is in my life. LOVING IT!

Bedtime - Omega pills

Day 8 Summary -

I know you may be tired of my saying "another great day!", but it was! I'm just wondering why it took me so long. Who knew that the food I was putting in my body had that much effect over everything in my life. Now, if it can just make my almost 2 year old stop acting like a 2 year old already! =) It was also really nice to allow myself a treat without feeling like a ruined the entire thing. I have to be able to let myself do that occasionally or I'll never be able to stick to it. I can't feel too restricted. It's all about being conscious about what you put in your mouth. I feel myself rambling again... so that's it for today!

Day 7 - A whole week!

I am so excited that I have made it through the week with no breakdowns! I am going strong, feeling good, and loving the power I am having over food. It's always been the other way around for me. So, I'm really proud! It's hard not to talk about it more, because I don't want to come across arrogant or condescending. I'm just so happy to be eating right and actually enjoying it. Like my blog is titled... living healthy, loving life!

Today I started another challenge, the fitness challenge at stroller strides. So I'm currently doing a challenge inside of a challenge. =) Maybe a little ambitious, but why not!? The fitness challenge is a 6 week challenge. Today we tested ourself on 3 exercises and then at the end of the 6 weeks we will test again for improvement. The hardest part of the challenge will be that in 6 weeks it will be SO HOT here. That will definitely add an extra element of difficulty! So, we tested on planks, pushups, and a 5 minute hill run. I held a plank for 2 minutes, did 15 pushups (without losing my rhythm or form), and ran the hill 5 3/4 times in 5 minutes... yes the 3/4 counts! In my defense, they started without me by a few seconds because I had to run to the little girls room, but it was necessary!

You know another way I can tell I feel better... my blog entries are getting longer! =) I feel chatty, and the girls are napping when I do the first half, so the fact that I'm staying at the computer instead of sitting on the couch resting says a lot! My energy is way up! Would you look at all those "!", man I'm feeling good! =) Ok, here is what my day looked like today.

7:15 - thyroid meds

7:30 - ProBiotic pills (Fiber drink comes back tomorrow... ugh)

8:00 - Spark and catalyst

8:30 - breakfast shake

9:00 - Stroller Strides

10:15 - banana - I choked it down, but I'm glad I did. It had been in my car for an hour so it was warm, plus it was starting to get brown spots, which I hate, so it was mushy and warm... barf.

12:00 - Ham cubes, egg, grapes, pear, and half a spoonful of peanut butter... it was kind of like dessert. =)

2:30 - Spark and Catalyst on the way to the dentist... boo.

5:30 - Taco Salad - lettuce, ground turkey, salsa, avocado, and tomatoes

9:00 - Rice cake and almond butter

Bed time - Omegas and Herbal Cleanse pills

Day 7 Summary -

First week down and I am feeling great! Tomorrow is mom's night out for my stroller strides group, so that's going to be my first eating out challenge. I looked a their menu already and there is salmon, and other healthier alternatives, so that's what I'm going to try to look for. Wish me luck!

Day 6 - I think??

I completely forget to post last night... whoops! So, I think I'm posting for day 6 right now. Sunday, let's see, what did I do on Sunday? Actually, day 6 was pretty laid back. I did get a little moody because I skipped my morning snack after going on a 2 mile jog... not smart. And it was actually more challenging than the brownies at the quilt retreat! We host a small group every Sunday at our home, and there are always snacks. Normally there is fruit available... but not this week! So I had to stare at cheese, 7 layer bean dip, sausage balls, and PIES. But luckily, the group meets at my house, so I just pulled out my own snack. Still, it was hard not to just stand there and snack.

Also, I was determined that I was only going to weigh and measure at the end of the cleanse, on day 10, and then again at the end of the 24 days. Maybe it would be more of a "wow" factor. But I can tell just by looking and getting dressed that I'm losing weight, so I decided to weigh at the end of day 5. The thinking behind that decision is that I'll have even more motivation to stay on track... not only do I feel better, but it's actually making a physical difference. So, drumroll please, after only 5 days on the cleanse I was down 2 lbs and 1 in. smaller on my waist!! Woo hoo! Can't wait to see what it is at the end of the challenge. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Ok, here is day 6:

7:30 - Thyroid meds

8:00 - ProBiotic pills

8:30 - Spark and Catalyst

9:00 - Breakfast shake - I added a bit of peanut butter... yummy!

9:45 - Jogging - 2 miles

12:00 - Tuna, avocado, egg, and something else that I can't remember right now... maybe fruit??

2:30 - Spark and catalyst

4:00 - Orange, rice cake and almond butter

7:00 - hamburger patty, ribs, pear - This was a strange dinner. We were grilling at our friends house and I didn't really plan my side dishes appropriately. So, I ate lots of meat... protein.

9:00 - rice cake and almond butter

Bedtime - Herbal Cleanse pills

Summary - It was not a great day, but I did much better than I could have. Being conscious of what is going in my body is a great thing!

Herbal Cleanse - Day 5

Today was another great day! I was able to spend some time away from home today, sewing and laughing with friends, and I was still able to eat well. Yay! The Austin Modern Quilt Guild spent the weekend at The Quilt Ranch in Wimberely, and I was able to go out for the day today. I finished quilting Riley's quilt so I was super excited! But this isn't a quilting blog, so enough about that. ;-) My energy was great all day. I found myself hungry once during the day, and looked up only to realize it had been almost 4 hours since I had eaten. That's what happens when I sew... focus! If you are keeping up with my journal entries, you are probably wondering "Did she eat the brownies???".... and the answer is..... NO! I didn't! But... and yes there is a but... I licked the knife I used to cut them. But mainly just to make sure they tasted good before I let everyone else eat them. At least, that's what I'm telling myself so that I feel better about it. But seriously, I'm still really proud! On the diet guidelines for the 24 Day Challenge is recommends to follow the diet within 80%, so I think the lick of the knife knocks me down to like 99.5%, so I'm still doing good. Well, anyway, here is what my day looked like. Thanks for checking in!

7:30 - Probiotic pills ( I woke up late, so I skipped my thyroid meeds, 1 day won't kill me.)

8:00 - Spark

8:30 - Breakfast shake - in the car on the way to the quilt ranch, woo hoo!

10:30 - Egg, rice cake with almond butter - This was a nice break from sewing

12:45 - Salad with ham and turkey, avocado, tomatoes, and carrots and 4 strawberries

4:30 - Spark, pear, almonds, and egg

6:30 - Meatloaf, asparagus, brown rice

9:00 - Not sure what I'm going to have... apple? another rice cake? Mike and I are going to watch a movie, so, something snacky. It's a big step for us to sit down on a saturday to watch a movie and not eat ice cream or chocolate chip cookies... really I only miss the routine, not the sweets as much as I thought I would.

Bedtime - Cleanse pills and omega pills

Day 5 Summary - Well, the cleanse is halfway over, not bad! This was the first time I didn't exercise, but I think that's ok. I'll go for a jog tomorrow. Overall, good day!

Cleanse Day 4

Today marks a slight change in the cleanse routine. This morning instead of drinking the fiber drink, I took probiotic pills. So much better!! The fiber drink will be back on day 8, but I think by that time I'll be so close to finishing the cleanse phase I won't mind so much.

I had Stroller Strides today, and I think Robyn may have read my previous post because not only did we run the hill... we ran it FOUR times! The nice thing was we ran it 3 times without the stroller, and I really felt great. I could really tell a difference on the resistance exercises though. I noticed I could do more reps before my muscles felt fatigued. I also held the tricep plank for 10 seconds which is normally really hard for me. More small battles, but I'm loving it!

I think I will face my first big test this weekend though. I'm going on a quilt retreat tomorrow and I have been asked to bake a dessert. I LOVE to bake, the problem is, I also love to eat sweets. So, I'm going to take tons of healthy, natural foods with me, and focus as hard as I can on my sewing. If I make it out of that place without taking a bite of whatever it is I make I will feel like a superhero! I'll let you know!

Ok, so on to day 4:

7:15 Thyroid meds

7:45 - Probiotic Pills

8:00 - Spark

8:15 - Breakfast shake

9:00 - Stroller Strides - I'm so sad I forgot to take my catalyst before my workout today. =(

11:30 - Rice cake and almond butter - This was WAY to long between meals for me, especially after Stroller Strides. I've got to get better about taking a snack with me! I went to Sprouts to get more fruits and veggies and meat after class, so I was proud that I didn't break down and get something unhealthy but easy and close.

12:30 - Salad with tuna, avocado, tomatoes, and carrots, 1 tbs ff italian dressing

2:45 - Spark and catalyst

3:45 - grapes, almonds, and ham cubes - I can't believe it, I actually liked the almonds... awesome!

6:30 - Steak, zucchini, squash and brown rice

9:30 - small apple and almond butter

bedtime - herbal cleanse pills

Day 4 summary - Best day so far!! I have felt so good today! So much energy, and more than anything I feel very proud of myself. I didn't realize I had so much will power. Those brownies I was talking about earlier... I made them and didn't even lick the spoon. So proud! I really didn't know I could be so strong. I just don't want to mess up my streak of healthy eating, and I'm afraid if I take one taste I won't be able to resist eating the whole thing. Not yet anyway. I'm sure I'll get there with time. But during the cleanse is not the time to test myself. Ok, off to bed. Big day sewing tomorrow! Yay! I already have my food packed and ready to go!

Day 3 - Same thing, different day

The title says it all... today is no different than yesterday. I feel good, eating well, kicking butt. So, it seems this will be a short post. My only complaint is that I can tell I'm really going to get tired of eating the same thing over and over again. Protein, fruit, veggie, fat, protein, fruit, veggie, fat, protein, fruit, veggie, fat.... you get the idea. And the problem is there aren't many fats I like since I don't eat whole nuts. It means I'm limited to almond butter, peanut butter, or avocado for snacks. And since I have to avoid dairy during the cleanse my protein options are basically meat or eggs... I don't want to eat meat and eggs all the time either. It will definitely get old. I think after I write this I'll do some food research. Ok, here is today's journal:

7:15 - Thyroid meds

7:45 - Spark

8:15 - Fiber and Shake - I got the fiber down in record time... I only gagged once. =)

9:30 - Catalyst and 2 mile jog

10:15 - Banana, almond butter, and hard boiled egg

12:00 - Half and avocado stuffed with tuna, 2 dill pickle spears and an orange

2:30 - Spark and Catalyst

4:30 - Rice cake with peanut butter

5:30 - Tilapia, squash (yes, again! we have so much in our garden right now!), broccoli and grapes

Bedtime - Getting ready to have an apple and almond butter with my herbal cleanse and omega pills.

Day 3 Summary - Today was another great day! I feel really proud about how well I've done eating. I'm really not missing any of the "bad" foods... but I am glad there aren't any chocolate chip cookies here to temp me... and I'm glad Mike is doing it to, it helps keep me on track. =) Tomorrow is stroller strides again, so let's do it!

Advocare Challenge - Day 2

So far, day 2 is shaping up to be MUCH better than day 1. I think it's all about attitude. Yesterday was a rough day for me personally, so that made the eating thing much more of a challenge. But I made it, and I didn't give in to the snacking urges! Small battles, right? Ok, so on to day 2. I was a bit concerned about stroller strides today, because I was afraid I would have to stop every 15 minutes to pee... good news, I only had to stop twice. =) and I didn't feel sloshy like I was afraid of either. Plus, I actually did feel like I had a bit more energy pushing 90 lbs around (30 lb stroller, 60 lbs worth of kids). I'll have to ask Robyn to add "The Hill" in to Friday's workout to put it to the test!

Here is day 2 laid out, and like I said yesterday, it should be much short today without all the explanations.

7:20 - Thyroid meds

7:50 - Spark

8:15 - Fiber drink and breakfast shake - I actually got the full 8 oz of fiber down today, woo hoo! I just had to drink it much faster, and that worked. It doesn't taste bad at all, it's just a really horrible texture for me.

8:45 - 2 Catalyst before my workout

9:00 - Stroller Strides

11:00 - Rice cake, almond butter, and hardboiled egg - I definitely waited to long to eat my snack today. We stayed and played at the park, I need to be better about bringing a snack with me.

12:30 - Salad with spinach, egg, tuna, tomatoes, and avocado - I got so full I couldn't finish it!

2:30 - Spark and 2 Catalyst - got me though folding mounds of laundry... win!

4:00 - Grapes and turkey cubes

5:45 - Pork Chops, squash, brown rice - yummy!! And I was so full and satisfied.

Bedtime - I'll probably have half a banana with some almond butter along with my herbal cleanse and omega pills.

End of day 2 summary:

Overall today was TONS better than yesterday! I felt great, had lots of energy, got lots of stuff accomplished and had another flawless eating day. I have gone 5 days with no processed food and am very proud. It will take a bit longer to retrain my body to eat small meals more frequently, but I think I will get there. Only 22 days left to go! =)

Herbal Cleanse - Day 1

Disclaimer - this post will probably be lengthy because I will be explain several parts of the program, hopefully they will get a bit shorter after this. Sorry!

It has officially started! The main reason I started this blog was to write about my journey from Day 1 to Day 24 because I know it helped me a lot to read other people's experiences when I was doing research and trying to decide whether or not to start the challenge. Each entry will be a schedule of my day, and trust me I will add in my thoughts and opinions along the way!

Also, as for as my diet is concerned, I am following closely to The Zone Diet. No processed foods. Period. I would consider myself a "medium girl", which means I get to eat 3 block meals. Basically each meal should be made up of 3 blocks of protein, 3 blocks of carbs, and 3 blocks of fat. I have a chart that tells me how much equals a block. If you are interested, just google Zone Diet Block Chart. I also will eat two 1 block snack between my meals. I actually love charts and schedules, so right now, this is making it easier to stick to. We'll see how it goes after a few days.

So here is Day 1:

7:15 - Rolled out of bed, and took my thyroid medicine. I have to do this first before even brushing my teeth or I will forget. It has to be taken on an empty stomach for optimal absorption.

8:00 - Advocare Spark and 2 Catalyst pills - Spark is a powder packet that gets mixed with water. It contains tons of vitamins and minerals and should be taken on an empty stomach for optimal absorption. Spark should provide lots of energy and should replace coffee and soda and other energy drinks. The Catalyst pills are basically food for your muscles. They contain lots of amino acids to feed muscle, so essentially the muscle lets go of the fat around it and you begin to look more toned. It's been called "Liposuction in a bottle"... yes please!

8:45 - Advocare Fiber drink and meal replacement shake - Ok, I'm being honest here, so I have to say I did not care for the fiber drink much. There is a pouch of powder that mixes with 8 oz of water... I will admit, I poured about 2-3 oz down the drain. =( I have a texture thing when it comes to my drinks. It was kind of like drinking REALLY pulpy orange juice. I didn't chug it, which I think I'm going to try tomorrow, so by the time I made it to the last few oz it was starting to get really thick... I couldn't do it! The meal replacement shake was yummy! After that I felt really full. And a little sloshy, we'll see how that works for stroller strides tomorrow. Side note - I had to pee a lot this morning!

10:15 - Tangerine - This is Riley's last week of school, so Reese and I stayed for mud day. I brought a snack because I knew I would need to eat. Unfortunately I didn't bring enough. Plus, I was there much longer than I had anticipated and it cut in to lunch time. I was starving when I got home. But I'm learning.

12:45 - Salad with ham, turkey, hardboiled egg, avocado, broccoli, celery, carrots, and tomatoes followed by an apple... LOTS of food! I was super full after that. I felt much better after eating.

2:45 - Spark and 2 Catalyst pills - the girls are napping, so this is the hardest part of the day for me, trying not to snack while I actually have a spare minute to myself. I did great today, probably because I was still full from lunch. Snack time is next though... =)

3:30 - Rice cake with natural peanut butter - not much else to say

4:30 - Jogging with the girls... so hot I didn't quite make 2 miles, guess I'll have to do mornings from now on!

6:00 - Chicken breast, steamed broccoli, and corn on the cob - I was still very hungry after dinner, so I ate another 3 oz chicken breast and a pear and was much better.

9:00 - Feeling hungry again, so I'll eat some sort of snack and follow it up with the herbal cleanse pills and Omega Fatty Acid pills.

Day 1 Summary - Well, I started the day off good. I felt good, I felt full. But by the end of the day I seemed very tired and hungry. I think I need to figure out some other snacks or I'll never make it! I'm excited that the challenge has started, and I'm excited to see what kind of results I get, but I really want to learn to eat right so that when the challenge is over I don't gain weight back. I think I'm about to head to bed. Let's see if I can do better on day 2.

Twas the night before the challenge....

We got our giant Advocare box today... lots of stuff! So, let me explain a little more about the challenge for those of you who are curious. It is broken down in to two phases, the Cleanse Phase (Days 1-10) and the Max Phase (Days 11-24). The herbal cleanse is what it sounds like... a cleanse. But the thing I like about this cleanse, compared to other cleanses, is that I actually get to eat the whole time. =)

Mike and I just took our BEFORE photos... I will post mine along with my AFTER photos at the end of the 24 days. I'm about to take a few minutes to take my measurements too. I'm starting to feel a bit nervous about the whole thing. I honestly just want to feel better, but would be lying if I said I didn't want to shed a few pounds. So, I'm afraid to set any expectations, because I'm afraid I will get disappointed. I've struggled with my "mommy pooch" for 2 years now, so I have kind of resigned myself to the fact it will always be there. If this challenge makes even the slightest improvement in my waistline it will be a success.

Tomorrow I will start recording my food intake, and continue to record how I feel. The tag line for the challenge is that in 24 minutes you will feel a difference, 24 hours you will know the difference and in 24 days you will see the difference. I'm putting it to the test... so here we go!

The Advocare 24-day Challenge

In 2 days, Mike and I will start the Advocare 24-day Challenge. He has started a new fitness routine and was introduced to this product by a good friend. After talking about it and doing some serious research I decided to complete the challenge with him. Doing the challenge together will provide accountability for both of us, not to mention it’s much easier to make meals and grocery shop when we are eating the same thing. Plus, I might be jealous if he starts losing weight and getting in shape without me!

So, the products should be delivered to our doorstep tomorrow afternoon, and Tuesday morning we will begin! We have already started making slight changes in our diet, but will stick very strictly to the recommended eating plan during the challenge. If I’m going to do it, I want to get the maximum result possible! I really am looking at this as a jump start to a healthier lifestyle, not a diet. I hope to lose weight of course, but I mainly just want to FEEL better.

I decided to write this blog to document my day-by-day experience with the challenge, yet another form of accountability. I will be recording my daily food intake, exercise, and overall feelings about the challenge. I am not sure whether I want to post pictures, so I will decide by tomorrow. Even if I do take before and after photos, both of my pregnancies left me with stretch marks that I know no one wants to see, so I’ll keep them covered.

Tomorrow I'll sit down and explain more about the challenge once I've received the package.

Well I guess that’s it! Wish me luck!