WHEW! This weekend was tough. I am beginning my 8th day on the 24 day challenge, and let me just say I feel great but it has been pretty challenging so far. I never realized how much I crave carbs and sugars. And I never realized how often I would snack. But alas, I survived my first weekend. When you are mostly at home, the unhealthies in your home literally SCREAM your name. I also had to refrain from snaking while I cook. I know most of you do it too. Sprinkle some cheese on the eggs, throw a handful in your mouth. Pick the chicken apart while you cut it up just "make sure it tastes ok", lick the batter bowl. And I'm sure most of us don't realize how many extra calories we are adding to our diets by those little bites. So, I kept grapes and cut of veggies on the counter to chomp on if if I got that urge to cheat. I also chugged the water. Sometimes it would take away that hunger and other times it would just keep my mouth busy.
Because I am the only one in my house doing this challenge, sometimes I have to make modifications to the meals I prepare for my Hubby and Kiddos. Well I don't HAVE to, but because I still haven't mastered the art of cooking without butter, cheese, salt ect. What I am trying to cook isn't really great for me to try to get them to switch over. I don't want to turn them off to a healthier lifestyle just because I don't know how to cook yet :)
Thankfully last week, my children were camping with the Grandparents, so only my Husband had to suffer through my experiments. But this week, I will have to do some MAJOR planning and recipe hunting .Last night was hard. After running, I stopped by Culvers to get the family supper. The drive home was TOUGH! smelling that greasy cheeseburger and french fries.. Normally I would snack on the fries while I drove home, but I put the food in the back seat to keep the temptation out of reach. SUCCESS! I CAN do this.
I also ran the farthest distance EVER in my life Sunday. 7 Miles. It was challenging, but I have no doubt that because of my improved eating habits and the Spark I get to drink, I had much better endurance than I'm sure I would have a few weeks ago. I feel great all the way around. So far, no regrets on trying this new challenge. I know I said I would only weigh and measure myself every 5 days, but curiosity got the better of me this morning, since I officially started this a week ago today. So I will leave you with my stats. Hopefully this week I can share some recipes. Thanks for reading, feel free to comment and HAPPY DROPIN'!
Monday 3/17 Day 1: Friday 3/28 Day 5: Monday 3/31 Day 8:
155 lbs 154 lbs 151 lbs.
TOTAL: 4 POUNDS DOWN!
Monday, March 31, 2014
Friday, March 28, 2014
5 Days down
Whelp, today is my 5th day on the Advocare 24 Day Challenge. Now this post may get a bit personal, TMI maybe but you have asked for honest review of the challenge, so thus I must deliver.
Fist of all let me start with a disclaimer: I didn't realize until Wednesday night that I had been missing a step in the challenge, well actually doing it wrong.. Whether it's a imperative step, that will compromise the outcome of this challenge I don't know. I hope to catch up and see if my results will be the same. The step I screwed up is, during the cleanse phase ( first 10 days), you are supposed to take the Herbal Cleanse Capsules before bed. I HAD been taking the Probiotic Restore capsules, because I didn't see the "Herbal Cleanse". The Probiotic and Herbal capsules are all in the Herbal Cleanse box with that yummy fiber drink I love so much.. Not. The packaging of both capsules are the same. However, I was told to open everything, examine everything and get familiar with all products. Which I did, but I did not separate the contents of the Herbal cleanse box. My bad. But I took the right pills last night and will try to play catch up. I am supposed to have the last 3 days of the 10 days off from them, but since I missed the first 3 days I will take them anyway.
So if this mishap affects my outcome, note that it was MY fault and not fault of the system. Also the things I will mention may or may not have anything to do with me taking the wrong pills at the wrong time, so take what I say as you wish.
Now, so far I am feeling pretty good. Day 2 and 3 were a bit rough because I had some MAJOR sweet cravings. Which I normally don't get, but I'm thinking I eat more sugar than I realize, and since I am monitoring what I eat, I have cut some major sugars out of my diet. Those sweet cravings have subsided some which is nice. My energy is about the same. I had a lag the first 2 days mid-afternoon, but as long as I bring adequate snacks I'm OK. I have noticed that I have a bit more endurance while exercising. I think this weekend I will have to find some recipes for supper and snacks, this week was pretty bleh. My Poor husband as graciously suffered through my attempts to cook healthy.
TMI time. And here is where I don't know if taking the wrong pills at night has affected my experience. I have been EXTREMELY bloated. To the point of uncomfortable pain. I never have problems having a BM, but since starting this challenge it has gotten harder and few and far between. I hope that taking the right pills for the remainder of the cleanse will help with that, because this just stinks.
So that's it so far. Nothing to exciting. I am still running.I have my longest mileage I have EVER run coming up tomorrow.. 7 miles! I'm nervous, but because I have a bit more endurance I hope it won't be so bad.
I will close with my stats and a few observations over the past 5 days. I decided that I will weigh and measure every 5 days. I don't want what the scale says to effect my mentality, AND if the results are good I will be pleasantly surprised.
Day 1 Stats: Day 5:
155.8 lb 154.0 lb
H: 37" H: 36"
W: 33" W: 33"
Notes:
Get GOOD recipes. I want this to be a good experience and start good habits, and I don't see that happening if I'm eating the same stuff everyday. I need to expand the horizons and try new recipes, STAT!
Take the RIGHT pills like it tells you too. Might make a HUGE diffrence in the way you feel!
Keep drinking the water. It helps with hunger control and energy!
More endurance in exercising!
Fist of all let me start with a disclaimer: I didn't realize until Wednesday night that I had been missing a step in the challenge, well actually doing it wrong.. Whether it's a imperative step, that will compromise the outcome of this challenge I don't know. I hope to catch up and see if my results will be the same. The step I screwed up is, during the cleanse phase ( first 10 days), you are supposed to take the Herbal Cleanse Capsules before bed. I HAD been taking the Probiotic Restore capsules, because I didn't see the "Herbal Cleanse". The Probiotic and Herbal capsules are all in the Herbal Cleanse box with that yummy fiber drink I love so much.. Not. The packaging of both capsules are the same. However, I was told to open everything, examine everything and get familiar with all products. Which I did, but I did not separate the contents of the Herbal cleanse box. My bad. But I took the right pills last night and will try to play catch up. I am supposed to have the last 3 days of the 10 days off from them, but since I missed the first 3 days I will take them anyway.
So if this mishap affects my outcome, note that it was MY fault and not fault of the system. Also the things I will mention may or may not have anything to do with me taking the wrong pills at the wrong time, so take what I say as you wish.
Now, so far I am feeling pretty good. Day 2 and 3 were a bit rough because I had some MAJOR sweet cravings. Which I normally don't get, but I'm thinking I eat more sugar than I realize, and since I am monitoring what I eat, I have cut some major sugars out of my diet. Those sweet cravings have subsided some which is nice. My energy is about the same. I had a lag the first 2 days mid-afternoon, but as long as I bring adequate snacks I'm OK. I have noticed that I have a bit more endurance while exercising. I think this weekend I will have to find some recipes for supper and snacks, this week was pretty bleh. My Poor husband as graciously suffered through my attempts to cook healthy.
TMI time. And here is where I don't know if taking the wrong pills at night has affected my experience. I have been EXTREMELY bloated. To the point of uncomfortable pain. I never have problems having a BM, but since starting this challenge it has gotten harder and few and far between. I hope that taking the right pills for the remainder of the cleanse will help with that, because this just stinks.
So that's it so far. Nothing to exciting. I am still running.I have my longest mileage I have EVER run coming up tomorrow.. 7 miles! I'm nervous, but because I have a bit more endurance I hope it won't be so bad.
I will close with my stats and a few observations over the past 5 days. I decided that I will weigh and measure every 5 days. I don't want what the scale says to effect my mentality, AND if the results are good I will be pleasantly surprised.
Day 1 Stats: Day 5:
155.8 lb 154.0 lb
H: 37" H: 36"
W: 33" W: 33"
Notes:
Get GOOD recipes. I want this to be a good experience and start good habits, and I don't see that happening if I'm eating the same stuff everyday. I need to expand the horizons and try new recipes, STAT!
Take the RIGHT pills like it tells you too. Might make a HUGE diffrence in the way you feel!
Keep drinking the water. It helps with hunger control and energy!
More endurance in exercising!
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Advocare 24 Day Challenge: Day 1
Hello All,
As you know, I have been training for a half marathon. I am on week 5, though technically I should be on week 7. I had a few weeks in there where I wasn't able to train much so I had to start week 4 over.. TWICE! No worries though, I'm still running, keeping my head high and eyes on the prize.
I am however trying to figure something out. During the duration of this training so far, I have been weighing myself periodically. Not everyday, as in reality my "weight" means little to me. I don't care what number the scale spits at me, I care about how I feel and how my clothes are fitting. Non the less, I weigh myself just to keep track, and I have noticed that my scale hasn't budged. Well my scale has budged because I move it in the open so I can get on it, but the number in which I see once I step on it has remained the same. Now this is curious to me, because I have been logging at least 15 miles a week for 4 weeks. In addition to that I take at least 2 classes at my gym, along with the general exercise of being a wife and mother, and I have been "counting my calories". I use that term loosely because I have been "minding" rather than actually "counting". I also have noticed SOME difference in the way my clothes fit, but nothing astounding. So naturally, eating must be what is keeping my scale from getting with the times :-). I know what I need to do to see results, I think we all do. I've said that before. I don't know what it is about the way my mind works, but I guess I just need a "program" to make me do it. So, I have decided to embark on a journey I have never considered or taken before. The Advocare 24 Day Challenge.
Advocare is BOOMING right now. Where I work, we have tons of new consultants coming in to get apparel made to promote this, what seems to be amazing company. I chit chat with some of them when they come in about the basics of the business, but I was never in the mood to be sold into something. However, when you are looking for something to boost your workout, and everyone around you is trying this challenge and getting amazing results, it's hard to not inquire. So I did. And here I am.
Thanks to an old friend from High School, he put up with all my questions and signed me up. He has been really encouraging and so have a few other people. So I am excited to try this out. I had a few people ask me to update them on the process, because normally you just see before and afters. So I thought this would make for a great Blog project. I will update this daily or weekley, I haven't decided, about my thoughts, tips and experience. So buckle up and hold on, LET'S DO THIS!
Here are my Stats as of Day 1:
Weight: 155lbs
Hips: 37" Waist: 33".
First let me tell you what comes with this challenge.
10 day Herbal cleanse drink and Vitamins
Spark, an energy drink to boost energy and metabolism
Meal replacement shakes
OmegaPlex vitamins.
24 Day Challenge guide.
The first 10 days is the cleanse phase. YES I get to eat food ( quite a bit actually ), and NO I'm not running to the bathroom every 2 seconds. Each day I will post what is required and what I eat.
Day 1:
Spark 30 minuets before breakfast. This helped me wake up, since I'm not allowed to have coffee. This isn't as heavy as my coffee and didn't make me hungry ( coffee does that to me ).
Breakfast: 1/2 Cup Oatmeal with 1 banana cut up in it and 2 hard boiled eggs. And my Fiber Drink.
I added the banana to my oatmeal for my fruit and sweetness. I usually add tons of butter and sugar to my oatmeal, so this was satisfying, but something I will have to get used to.
I over estimatated how much I could eat. I only ate half my oatmeal and 1 egg. I will have the rest tomorrow for breakfast or a snack this week. I will be blatantly honest. The Fiber drink is NASTY. It was like orange tasting gel. It was recommended to me to add less than the suggested amount of water and chug it. I will try that tomorrow and let you know how it goes.
Snack 1: 2 Carrot sticks.
I cut these up into small pieces so I could much on them at my desk to trick my mind into thinking I was eating more.
Spark 30 minuets before lunch.
This is optional, but being the first day with changing my routine, I needed it for the boost of energy.
Lunch: Chicken salad with Garbanzo beans.
you are supposed to have a protein ( 4 oz of meat), veggie and complex carb. I did add 2 tbls of shredded low fat cheese to satisfy my dairy tooth.
*Lunch may not sound like much but with 2 cups of lettuce, 4 oz of shredded chicken and 1/4 cup garbanzo beans it was VERY filling and satisfying.
Snack: 1 Apple.
I'll be honest, for a 3:00 snack I will need more than just an apple. Lesson learned. I will have to try it with some yogurt or something next time.
Dinner:Baked Salmon, Quinoa with Kale and Mushrooms.
This was my first time making Quinoa. I briefly read a recipe when you add kale and mushrooms. It was good, but I need to figure out better healthy seasonings. It was satisfying and the hubby liked it, so SUCCESS!
I was allowed a snack after supper, but I didn't have time. I go to a 60 minuet high intensity aerobics class at 5:30. I also had to get 4 miles in for my training so by the time my workout was over I didn't get to eat supper until 7:00. Might be something I need to moderate.
In addition to the food I am supposed to drink 77 oz of water, according to their math.Your body weight divided by 2 = the total ounces of water per day. THIS is what has me going to the potty every 5 minuets.. The book they give you has lots of room for notes and daily logs.
I did take a 'Before' picture, but I think I will wait to post it the end of the challenge. A few notes on my first day, and then I will end this book.
1) I was a little jittery. I am not used to taking that many vitamins. I also get a little nauseous with that many vitamins. I'm sure I will get used to it.
2) I did NOT pack adequate snacks to hold me over during the day. Carrots and an apple is not enough. to start. I will have to plan that better.
3) I did hit a lul by 3:00. but once I go into the gym my energy returned. So if you are doing this, I recommend trying to get some walking or jumping jacks in mid-afternoon.
4) I haven't had to rush to the bathroom, which I am thankful for. Not sure if that will happen or not..
So far so good. Day 1 finished and beat! Bring on Day 2!!!
Thanks for Reading and Happy Dropin'!
As you know, I have been training for a half marathon. I am on week 5, though technically I should be on week 7. I had a few weeks in there where I wasn't able to train much so I had to start week 4 over.. TWICE! No worries though, I'm still running, keeping my head high and eyes on the prize.
I am however trying to figure something out. During the duration of this training so far, I have been weighing myself periodically. Not everyday, as in reality my "weight" means little to me. I don't care what number the scale spits at me, I care about how I feel and how my clothes are fitting. Non the less, I weigh myself just to keep track, and I have noticed that my scale hasn't budged. Well my scale has budged because I move it in the open so I can get on it, but the number in which I see once I step on it has remained the same. Now this is curious to me, because I have been logging at least 15 miles a week for 4 weeks. In addition to that I take at least 2 classes at my gym, along with the general exercise of being a wife and mother, and I have been "counting my calories". I use that term loosely because I have been "minding" rather than actually "counting". I also have noticed SOME difference in the way my clothes fit, but nothing astounding. So naturally, eating must be what is keeping my scale from getting with the times :-). I know what I need to do to see results, I think we all do. I've said that before. I don't know what it is about the way my mind works, but I guess I just need a "program" to make me do it. So, I have decided to embark on a journey I have never considered or taken before. The Advocare 24 Day Challenge.
Advocare is BOOMING right now. Where I work, we have tons of new consultants coming in to get apparel made to promote this, what seems to be amazing company. I chit chat with some of them when they come in about the basics of the business, but I was never in the mood to be sold into something. However, when you are looking for something to boost your workout, and everyone around you is trying this challenge and getting amazing results, it's hard to not inquire. So I did. And here I am.
Thanks to an old friend from High School, he put up with all my questions and signed me up. He has been really encouraging and so have a few other people. So I am excited to try this out. I had a few people ask me to update them on the process, because normally you just see before and afters. So I thought this would make for a great Blog project. I will update this daily or weekley, I haven't decided, about my thoughts, tips and experience. So buckle up and hold on, LET'S DO THIS!
Here are my Stats as of Day 1:
Weight: 155lbs
Hips: 37" Waist: 33".
First let me tell you what comes with this challenge.
10 day Herbal cleanse drink and Vitamins
Spark, an energy drink to boost energy and metabolism
Meal replacement shakes
OmegaPlex vitamins.
24 Day Challenge guide.
The first 10 days is the cleanse phase. YES I get to eat food ( quite a bit actually ), and NO I'm not running to the bathroom every 2 seconds. Each day I will post what is required and what I eat.
Day 1:
Spark 30 minuets before breakfast. This helped me wake up, since I'm not allowed to have coffee. This isn't as heavy as my coffee and didn't make me hungry ( coffee does that to me ).
Breakfast: 1/2 Cup Oatmeal with 1 banana cut up in it and 2 hard boiled eggs. And my Fiber Drink.
I added the banana to my oatmeal for my fruit and sweetness. I usually add tons of butter and sugar to my oatmeal, so this was satisfying, but something I will have to get used to.
I over estimatated how much I could eat. I only ate half my oatmeal and 1 egg. I will have the rest tomorrow for breakfast or a snack this week. I will be blatantly honest. The Fiber drink is NASTY. It was like orange tasting gel. It was recommended to me to add less than the suggested amount of water and chug it. I will try that tomorrow and let you know how it goes.
Snack 1: 2 Carrot sticks.
I cut these up into small pieces so I could much on them at my desk to trick my mind into thinking I was eating more.
Spark 30 minuets before lunch.
This is optional, but being the first day with changing my routine, I needed it for the boost of energy.
Lunch: Chicken salad with Garbanzo beans.
you are supposed to have a protein ( 4 oz of meat), veggie and complex carb. I did add 2 tbls of shredded low fat cheese to satisfy my dairy tooth.
*Lunch may not sound like much but with 2 cups of lettuce, 4 oz of shredded chicken and 1/4 cup garbanzo beans it was VERY filling and satisfying.
Snack: 1 Apple.
I'll be honest, for a 3:00 snack I will need more than just an apple. Lesson learned. I will have to try it with some yogurt or something next time.
Dinner:Baked Salmon, Quinoa with Kale and Mushrooms.
This was my first time making Quinoa. I briefly read a recipe when you add kale and mushrooms. It was good, but I need to figure out better healthy seasonings. It was satisfying and the hubby liked it, so SUCCESS!
I was allowed a snack after supper, but I didn't have time. I go to a 60 minuet high intensity aerobics class at 5:30. I also had to get 4 miles in for my training so by the time my workout was over I didn't get to eat supper until 7:00. Might be something I need to moderate.
In addition to the food I am supposed to drink 77 oz of water, according to their math.Your body weight divided by 2 = the total ounces of water per day. THIS is what has me going to the potty every 5 minuets.. The book they give you has lots of room for notes and daily logs.
I did take a 'Before' picture, but I think I will wait to post it the end of the challenge. A few notes on my first day, and then I will end this book.
1) I was a little jittery. I am not used to taking that many vitamins. I also get a little nauseous with that many vitamins. I'm sure I will get used to it.
2) I did NOT pack adequate snacks to hold me over during the day. Carrots and an apple is not enough. to start. I will have to plan that better.
3) I did hit a lul by 3:00. but once I go into the gym my energy returned. So if you are doing this, I recommend trying to get some walking or jumping jacks in mid-afternoon.
4) I haven't had to rush to the bathroom, which I am thankful for. Not sure if that will happen or not..
So far so good. Day 1 finished and beat! Bring on Day 2!!!
Thanks for Reading and Happy Dropin'!
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