Day 25 and the results are in. Total pounds down, 8lbs. Total inches lost, 13! I am SO happy I dropped 2 inches off my hips, finally! I am really bloated today since it's my TOM, so no pictures. I honestly did not want to get on the scale, I'm retaining more water than the Hoover Dam, but at least it will be done with in time for vacay next week. I always feel my best right after my period.
My advisor stopped by today with more MNS packs, fiber drinks and some samples. I'm going to keep on with the MNS and add in the fiber drinks for the next week. I've totally slacked on exercise this week -- nothing since the 5K on Saturday. We've been so busy and I've been physically drained. No excuse, but it is what it is. I ordered a few more swimsuits from Target to try on, hopefully they will be here tomorrow.
We survived Halloween with only one cave in to some PB M&Ms. Oh and a little cider spiked with caramel vodka, gotta keep warm while the kids trick or treat! It was like drinking a caramel apple, yum!
I'm feeling pretty foggy today from the late night, but hoping the spark and my salad will kick in soon and give me some energy.
If anyone reads, thanks for following along! I may post some before/after pics on the FB page later this week, but as far as this little blogspot goes, I think it's come to a close. I am so grateful for discovering Advocare products and thrilled with my results. Even though there was a speedbump or two along the wagon trail, I'm happy I was able to recover each time and stay on track. Hasta la Pasta!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
Monday Morning Check In
I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since I started this journey. I daresay it went fast! I'm a little nervous to weigh/measure on Thursday. I hope the pictures will show some difference, I definitely feel the difference!
This weekend was pretty good overall. I ran a 5K with my 9 year old daughter Saturday morning! She did great for her first time. She made it to 1.5 miles before she needed a break. We ended up finishing with a time of 37 minutes. Not too bad! It was so cold, 34 degrees at race time with a good wind. All runners were given a free pancake breakfast afterwards. I DID have one tiny pancake and a sausage link, I figured I deserved it. We had a busy weekend after that. Halloween party for the kids, birthday parties on Sunday and football, of course. I had a *cheat* meal Saturday night. Nachos and a beer, so good! Other than that, I've stayed on plan. I purposely did not go watch the game with my husband and stayed home and ate guacamole on whole grain tortillas instead :)
My advisor was sweet enough to text me the other day and offer me her discount this one time, so I ordered some more MNS packs and fiber drinks to get me through until Mexico. I really like the fiber drinks. I have been having dreams about the trip of things going wrong...forgetting passports, hurricaines and bad hotels. Ugh. I'm really nervous about leaving the kids. As much as I need a break, it breaks my heart to think of my 16 month old missing us and wondering where we are. I know he'll be fine with his siblings there, but it's getting hard. The trip is only 10 days away and I'm not quite ready yet! I'm going to paint this week to try to keep my mind off of things!
I have plenty of healthy food in the house so no excuses for cutting corners this week. I've been making some killer asian salads during the day and have some good dinners planned for the week. Here's hoping it's a good one!
This weekend was pretty good overall. I ran a 5K with my 9 year old daughter Saturday morning! She did great for her first time. She made it to 1.5 miles before she needed a break. We ended up finishing with a time of 37 minutes. Not too bad! It was so cold, 34 degrees at race time with a good wind. All runners were given a free pancake breakfast afterwards. I DID have one tiny pancake and a sausage link, I figured I deserved it. We had a busy weekend after that. Halloween party for the kids, birthday parties on Sunday and football, of course. I had a *cheat* meal Saturday night. Nachos and a beer, so good! Other than that, I've stayed on plan. I purposely did not go watch the game with my husband and stayed home and ate guacamole on whole grain tortillas instead :)
My advisor was sweet enough to text me the other day and offer me her discount this one time, so I ordered some more MNS packs and fiber drinks to get me through until Mexico. I really like the fiber drinks. I have been having dreams about the trip of things going wrong...forgetting passports, hurricaines and bad hotels. Ugh. I'm really nervous about leaving the kids. As much as I need a break, it breaks my heart to think of my 16 month old missing us and wondering where we are. I know he'll be fine with his siblings there, but it's getting hard. The trip is only 10 days away and I'm not quite ready yet! I'm going to paint this week to try to keep my mind off of things!
I have plenty of healthy food in the house so no excuses for cutting corners this week. I've been making some killer asian salads during the day and have some good dinners planned for the week. Here's hoping it's a good one!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Keep on Keepin' On...
Happy to report that I've been back on track since my crazy train derailed on Monday. I got on the scale on Wednesday to punish myself into forced motivation. If the number was too high, I figured it would either motivate me further, or make me curl up into the fetal position with a bag of chips. Well, the earth's gravitational pull must have been weak that day because somehow, it was DOWN! Not sure how that's possible after my binge the other night, but I'm guessing it had to do with the fact I was locked in the bathroom for the better part of 24 hours. Two days later, and my digestion was still not back to normal. Oh the agony! It feels good to be eating clean again and seeing progress.
I have recently discovered the most wonderful product ever, PB2! This stuff is amazing. All the joys of peanut butter without the fat or calories. I put it in my morning shake, mix some up for celery sticks, put it in a little greek yogurt for an apple dip and can make a killer peanut sauce to go over chicken on my asian salads. I am going to order more right now. Even mixed some in the kids oatmeal this morning and they loved it too! I'm so happy to find something that feels a little indulgent, but won't set me back.
I'm currently laying off Body Pump for awhile. I know it may be just a myth, but I sincerely feel like my legs are bulking up too much. My quads and hammies are HUGE and they feel like two huge tree trunks. I'm running a 5K with my nine year old daughter on Saturday. I was kind of banking on her to be my excuse to take some walking breaks, but after our trial run last night, this girl is going to give me a run for my money! She's fun to run with and I like that we have this little connection. I'll also stick to push ups and ab work at home to keep up with what I've been doing so far.
Two weeks to Mexico! I know that no huge, drastic changes are going to take place between now and then, but I also know that if I go back to old habits in these two weeks, I could very easily undo the progress I've made so far, so I'm very committed to keeping this up. I thought about doing The 30 Day Shred DVDs for the next 14 days, but Jillian is hard on my knees and she really annoys me with all of her smack talk. I am SO ready for this vacation. My little one at home has been running me ragged all day and the big kids schedules are so busy, I'm ready to R-E-L-A-X!
I have recently discovered the most wonderful product ever, PB2! This stuff is amazing. All the joys of peanut butter without the fat or calories. I put it in my morning shake, mix some up for celery sticks, put it in a little greek yogurt for an apple dip and can make a killer peanut sauce to go over chicken on my asian salads. I am going to order more right now. Even mixed some in the kids oatmeal this morning and they loved it too! I'm so happy to find something that feels a little indulgent, but won't set me back.
I'm currently laying off Body Pump for awhile. I know it may be just a myth, but I sincerely feel like my legs are bulking up too much. My quads and hammies are HUGE and they feel like two huge tree trunks. I'm running a 5K with my nine year old daughter on Saturday. I was kind of banking on her to be my excuse to take some walking breaks, but after our trial run last night, this girl is going to give me a run for my money! She's fun to run with and I like that we have this little connection. I'll also stick to push ups and ab work at home to keep up with what I've been doing so far.
Two weeks to Mexico! I know that no huge, drastic changes are going to take place between now and then, but I also know that if I go back to old habits in these two weeks, I could very easily undo the progress I've made so far, so I'm very committed to keeping this up. I thought about doing The 30 Day Shred DVDs for the next 14 days, but Jillian is hard on my knees and she really annoys me with all of her smack talk. I am SO ready for this vacation. My little one at home has been running me ragged all day and the big kids schedules are so busy, I'm ready to R-E-L-A-X!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
The Wagon, The Wagon, The Wagon's on fire...
Remember how I said when I fall off the wagon, I usually fall hard, tip it over and torch it? Well, that sucker burned like a beast last night. Ho. Lee. Shitballs. It was ugly. I'll blame the Bears and Jay Cutler's frowny face that causes me to eat and drink to watch the game.
It was our turn to host the Bears' game. I knew this was probably a recipe for disaster and just kind of accepted that and didn't really have a plan. My plan was to enjoy myself. Fast forward to a few hours later of me wolfing down a beer brat, pizza bread, baked beans AND a few beers. One thing's for sure, I'm a cheap drunk now. All that cleansing of my liver must have worked because I was feeling the beer after the second one. Long story short, I won't be doing that anytime soon. I paid for it dearly. I was up in the bathroom in the wee hours of the morning all the way until noon. MISERABLE! I haven't had stomach pains like that since I don't know when, I almost thought it was food poisoning, it was that bad. Pity party for me! So lesson learned, back on the newly destructed, tip-proof, fire-proof wagon today. Speaking of wagons, I'm pretty sure all those calories went to the wagon I be draggin'...I swear my ass blew up today in more ways than one.
So after a nice 10 am nap and some Spark, I got back on plan and am feeling better. Hoping to run tonight if I can function and having turkey pesto meatballs over zucchini "noodles" for dinner. Sounds delicious.
It was our turn to host the Bears' game. I knew this was probably a recipe for disaster and just kind of accepted that and didn't really have a plan. My plan was to enjoy myself. Fast forward to a few hours later of me wolfing down a beer brat, pizza bread, baked beans AND a few beers. One thing's for sure, I'm a cheap drunk now. All that cleansing of my liver must have worked because I was feeling the beer after the second one. Long story short, I won't be doing that anytime soon. I paid for it dearly. I was up in the bathroom in the wee hours of the morning all the way until noon. MISERABLE! I haven't had stomach pains like that since I don't know when, I almost thought it was food poisoning, it was that bad. Pity party for me! So lesson learned, back on the newly destructed, tip-proof, fire-proof wagon today. Speaking of wagons, I'm pretty sure all those calories went to the wagon I be draggin'...I swear my ass blew up today in more ways than one.
So after a nice 10 am nap and some Spark, I got back on plan and am feeling better. Hoping to run tonight if I can function and having turkey pesto meatballs over zucchini "noodles" for dinner. Sounds delicious.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
To the Max!
I haven't fallen off the wagon, just not going to post everyday as my eating is pretty much the same as the Cleanse Phase and there's not much to say. Although if I start slipping up and need the accountability, I may start daily posts again! It's been caaaraaazy busy around here. Yesterday was our 10 year anniversary and family pics. Proud to say I not only got back into my wedding dress, but zipped it up all the way! Sure, I couldn't breathe for a good 2 minutes, but it zipped! And I just saw the pics from the photographer and I'm very pleased with how I look in them, my confidence definitely shined through in those photos. We went out for dinner with the kids last night. I chose an asian salad with all dressings on the side and it was on plan. The beer and glass of wine with dinner were not, but it's my anniversary and I'm not going to deny myself these things. The max phase vitamins are going well. I have no problem taking them and they don't make me feel jittery or bad. I'm enjoying have protein shakes for breakfast and that seems to last until lunch. We're going out again tonight, just the two of us. We're dining at a tapas restaurant, so there will be plenty of good choices for me. I think both myself and my husband are glad now that I'm not obsessing so much over food and allowing for a little wiggle room. Still no dairy, flour or sugar though. I haven't had the urge for it, so I'm not going to eat it! I'll be hitting up the gym this weekend and trying my best to keep the vino under control tonight, and then going back off of alcohol for the remainder of the week. Oh and I should mention for the sake of mentioning I'm back to enjoying one morning cup of coffee daily...black with stevia. Spark is fine in the afternoons, but it wasn't doing it for me in the mornings. I like having that cup in my hand while I cook my kids breakfasts and talk about their upcoming days, it just feels right :)
Here's hoping the rest of the weekend goes as well as the past couple of days!
Here's hoping the rest of the weekend goes as well as the past couple of days!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Post Cleanse Measurements
Stripped down and stepped on to Old Bessie today. Oh was I nervous! I know that inches, not lbs matter, but there is some kind of mental connection between my happiness and the scale that I know will never disappear. When measuring and calculating inches lost, I never know if I should count BOTH arms and legs, or just one, but I'll count both in this situation.
Weight : 165.2 - down 5lbs (I had thought I was 168 when I started but was actually 170.4 when I weighed in first day...a lot of beer and pizza then night before starting the cleanse!) Again for the record, I'm 5'9".
Waist -- 35.5, loss of 1 inch
Hips -- 43, loss of .5 inch
Arms -- 13, same
Thighs -- 23, loss of 1 inch each thigh
Calves -- 13, loss of 2 inches each calf
Total inches down -- 7.5
Now the calf measurment threw me for a loop. 2 inches each calf seemed a bit much but come to think of it, my skinny cut jeans are way looser in the calves and I can zip up my hooker boots without worrying about pinching skin in the zipper! I double checked that measurement and it was right. Yay for running and leg work!
So I'm pretty happy with that. Would really have loved to seen the waist and hips go down, but that's always the last spot to go. I didn't even bother with my chest even though I should have. My boobs are pretty much non-existant, blah! I want some new ones for our 10 year anniversary, but the hubs won't give in on that...something about liking me the way I am and all that crap :) Thank goodness for all of Victoria's Secrets. On to Max Phase, let's do it to it!
Weight : 165.2 - down 5lbs (I had thought I was 168 when I started but was actually 170.4 when I weighed in first day...a lot of beer and pizza then night before starting the cleanse!) Again for the record, I'm 5'9".
Waist -- 35.5, loss of 1 inch
Hips -- 43, loss of .5 inch
Arms -- 13, same
Thighs -- 23, loss of 1 inch each thigh
Calves -- 13, loss of 2 inches each calf
Total inches down -- 7.5
Now the calf measurment threw me for a loop. 2 inches each calf seemed a bit much but come to think of it, my skinny cut jeans are way looser in the calves and I can zip up my hooker boots without worrying about pinching skin in the zipper! I double checked that measurement and it was right. Yay for running and leg work!
So I'm pretty happy with that. Would really have loved to seen the waist and hips go down, but that's always the last spot to go. I didn't even bother with my chest even though I should have. My boobs are pretty much non-existant, blah! I want some new ones for our 10 year anniversary, but the hubs won't give in on that...something about liking me the way I am and all that crap :) Thank goodness for all of Victoria's Secrets. On to Max Phase, let's do it to it!
Cleanse -- Day 10
Day 10! Woohoo! Now let's celebrate with a big glass of wine! Or not.
Damn, I woke up pissed off today. I felt bloated and still dry mouthed from the night before. I was just plain crabby pants. So what does a jilted, grouchy woman do? Try on swimsuits! Yeah, that was a good idea -- not. Seriously, there's improvement, but I still have an ass that just won't quit and thunder thighs to boot. That just sent me on a tailspin. All day, I've been going back and forth between the mentalities of sticking with it and working harder, or diving headfirst into a chocolate lava cake and washing it down with a bottle of Shiraz. Ok, not that drastic, but I had to get out of the house to get my mind off my muffin top. So off to Fresh Market (after a trip to Old Navy where it was 40% off and the line was half an hour long..urgh, but it was worth it for the cute denim jacket). Anyway, hello Fresh Market, goodbye money! That place is b to the nanas, I could go crazy. I kept it in check though. Got some multigrain chips as recommended on FB to go with my guac. I forgot the PB2 though, darn, that's what happens when you have a 15 month old trying to houdini his way out of the cart...those restraint straps are a like personal challenge to him. Found some *true* multigrain bread, steel cut oats, roast turkey and the most amazing kale and red onion salad that I inhaled for lunch today. I am painfully full off just kale, onions, carrots, edamame, eggs and tomatoes. I wanted the couscous and the edamame salads from the deli, but they were littered with cheese, boo. Got some treats for the kids and some fabulous stinky, creamy french cheese that will make my husband want to marry me all over again. Now that stuff is going to be my Apple from Eden this week. I will be having a taste, it smells so deliciously rank! I'll be making him a roast turkey and goat cheese sammy on french baguette tonight. He deserves after that terrible meal last night. I drove right past Culver's where the flava of the day was salted caramel double pecan...I died a little inside, sigh!
Here's the daily recap:
Wake up: Spark, catalyst, probiotics
Breakfast: Apple, Fiber Drink
Lunch: Kale salad with edamame, egg, grape tomatoes and carrots
Snack: Almonds
Mid day: Spark, 3 catalyst
Dinner: 2 slices roasted turkey breast and steamed green beans, omegas
Snack: Hard boiled egg
Exercise, 1hr body pump
Pump went well, my muscles were a little sore from running, my inner thighs were having spasms during the squat track and my lunges were painful, still good though. Dinner was great, that turkey breast was to die for and I'll have lunch for tomorrow. Had a pinky sized nibble of the rank cheese, it was amazing, hubs loved it on his sandwich.
Excited to start Max Phase tomorrow. Everyone says this is where the lbs and inches come off. I can't imagine it being anymore potent than the last 10 days. I've been struggling to hit just 1000 cals a day, which I'm not very fond of, but it's the way it's played out, normally I was 1400 or so a day. I'm very curious to see how all these packs will effect me, and excited to start shakes, I love those. I should mention that I won't be using Advo shakes...I had recently bought a brand new 2lb tub of my normal protein shakes. Checked with my sponser and she gave me the go ahead to drink them, same protein amount, whey based and low cal...just not as many carbs. That saved a little $$ off my order since I added catalyst on when I customized my 24 day bundle. Measurements and weight to come in the morning, squeal!
Damn, I woke up pissed off today. I felt bloated and still dry mouthed from the night before. I was just plain crabby pants. So what does a jilted, grouchy woman do? Try on swimsuits! Yeah, that was a good idea -- not. Seriously, there's improvement, but I still have an ass that just won't quit and thunder thighs to boot. That just sent me on a tailspin. All day, I've been going back and forth between the mentalities of sticking with it and working harder, or diving headfirst into a chocolate lava cake and washing it down with a bottle of Shiraz. Ok, not that drastic, but I had to get out of the house to get my mind off my muffin top. So off to Fresh Market (after a trip to Old Navy where it was 40% off and the line was half an hour long..urgh, but it was worth it for the cute denim jacket). Anyway, hello Fresh Market, goodbye money! That place is b to the nanas, I could go crazy. I kept it in check though. Got some multigrain chips as recommended on FB to go with my guac. I forgot the PB2 though, darn, that's what happens when you have a 15 month old trying to houdini his way out of the cart...those restraint straps are a like personal challenge to him. Found some *true* multigrain bread, steel cut oats, roast turkey and the most amazing kale and red onion salad that I inhaled for lunch today. I am painfully full off just kale, onions, carrots, edamame, eggs and tomatoes. I wanted the couscous and the edamame salads from the deli, but they were littered with cheese, boo. Got some treats for the kids and some fabulous stinky, creamy french cheese that will make my husband want to marry me all over again. Now that stuff is going to be my Apple from Eden this week. I will be having a taste, it smells so deliciously rank! I'll be making him a roast turkey and goat cheese sammy on french baguette tonight. He deserves after that terrible meal last night. I drove right past Culver's where the flava of the day was salted caramel double pecan...I died a little inside, sigh!
Here's the daily recap:
Wake up: Spark, catalyst, probiotics
Breakfast: Apple, Fiber Drink
Lunch: Kale salad with edamame, egg, grape tomatoes and carrots
Snack: Almonds
Mid day: Spark, 3 catalyst
Dinner: 2 slices roasted turkey breast and steamed green beans, omegas
Snack: Hard boiled egg
Exercise, 1hr body pump
Pump went well, my muscles were a little sore from running, my inner thighs were having spasms during the squat track and my lunges were painful, still good though. Dinner was great, that turkey breast was to die for and I'll have lunch for tomorrow. Had a pinky sized nibble of the rank cheese, it was amazing, hubs loved it on his sandwich.
Excited to start Max Phase tomorrow. Everyone says this is where the lbs and inches come off. I can't imagine it being anymore potent than the last 10 days. I've been struggling to hit just 1000 cals a day, which I'm not very fond of, but it's the way it's played out, normally I was 1400 or so a day. I'm very curious to see how all these packs will effect me, and excited to start shakes, I love those. I should mention that I won't be using Advo shakes...I had recently bought a brand new 2lb tub of my normal protein shakes. Checked with my sponser and she gave me the go ahead to drink them, same protein amount, whey based and low cal...just not as many carbs. That saved a little $$ off my order since I added catalyst on when I customized my 24 day bundle. Measurements and weight to come in the morning, squeal!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Cleanse -- Day 9
Today was pretty good overall. I had a ridic amount of energy in the morning and finished priming my dining room walls all while dancing at the same time, needless to say there was a lot of drips to clean up :) I had a ton of fun playing with my 15 month old in the morning and felt great. I had a snafu at dinner though. I had found some mushroom stuffed chicken breasts in the freezer that I ordered from my daughter's fundraiser through school a while back. I had thrown away the original packaging, but looked it up on MFP and it was low cal, high protein, low carb. I figured, "How bad can it be"?....mushrooms and chicken, you can't really eff that up. So we ate it for dinner. My husband commented that it was gross and didn't taste like real food. I agreed. So I looked up the ingredients AFTER eating it and realized I couldn't pronounce half the crap on there. I had a dry mouth, a revolting stomach and felt like crap. They somehow mananged to take a perfectly good piece of chicken, process the crap out of it and reshape it into some kind of lump stuffed with a mushroom sauce. The sad thing is that my kids inhaled it, and they hate mushrooms. I bought this particular product because I help unload the truck on fundraiser days and this was one of the most popular items. How sad that this is what America likes and is used to My husband said I spoil them with real food (even when not dieting), but yet my kids ate this quicker than any "real" food I make. Probably because it's what they're used to getting at school. Time to evaulate some family food choices.
So I set out for my run at 8pm. Amazing how the night before I felt like Usain Bolt and tonight I felt like Roasanne Barr. I was plodding through at a slow pace just trying to get done. I did add some distance, but it was rough stuff. I also had been coming down of my energy high throughout the day, so I probably would've been a little sluggish even without my super-not-awesome dinner. Lesson learned!
Off to Fresh Market in the morning to get some whole grains and gear up for Max Phase. I want to add some greek yogurt in too, but I'll have to check the rules on that. I'm hoping to find some multi-grain chips/cracker to go with guacamole, some healthy bread, stock up on quinoa and try some PB2.
Here's my recap:
Wake up: Spark, catalyst, probiotics
Breakfast: Fiber drink and apple
Lunch: Tuna over mixed greens...gag me
Snack: Almonds
Mid-day: Spark, catalyst
Dinner: Chicken ala vomit and zucchini, omegas
Bedtime: Soynuts and a ton of water...seriously my mouth is so dry
I'm glad that the last day of the cleanse is on the horizon. Even though my menu won't change much, I'm excited to start the MNS packs and I mentally am ready to be done cleansing and moving on.
So I set out for my run at 8pm. Amazing how the night before I felt like Usain Bolt and tonight I felt like Roasanne Barr. I was plodding through at a slow pace just trying to get done. I did add some distance, but it was rough stuff. I also had been coming down of my energy high throughout the day, so I probably would've been a little sluggish even without my super-not-awesome dinner. Lesson learned!
Off to Fresh Market in the morning to get some whole grains and gear up for Max Phase. I want to add some greek yogurt in too, but I'll have to check the rules on that. I'm hoping to find some multi-grain chips/cracker to go with guacamole, some healthy bread, stock up on quinoa and try some PB2.
Here's my recap:
Wake up: Spark, catalyst, probiotics
Breakfast: Fiber drink and apple
Lunch: Tuna over mixed greens...gag me
Snack: Almonds
Mid-day: Spark, catalyst
Dinner: Chicken ala vomit and zucchini, omegas
Bedtime: Soynuts and a ton of water...seriously my mouth is so dry
I'm glad that the last day of the cleanse is on the horizon. Even though my menu won't change much, I'm excited to start the MNS packs and I mentally am ready to be done cleansing and moving on.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Cleanse -- Day 8
Another great day in the books. My energy slumps are completely gone. My skin is really looking great, too. No temptations today and I was able to stay focused. I was glad to have the fiber drink back in the morning, it really gets my metabolism going in the mornings since I have never been a breakfast person.
I decided to go for a run tonight. With all this energy and not being sore from lifting yesterday, I figured I better do something! I really should run more often....I don't suck at it, I somewhat enjoy it and it's a good way to tone up the lower body -- my trouble area. Only problem is when I start running for a couple weeks, the shins start screaming and I have to back off. Last fall, I decided to use the Couch to 5K app after my son was born just to help me ease into running again. Going outside was the only exercise I could get with a newborn...the gym was not happening with a baby who wanted to nurse every 1-2 hours in the evenings. So when my husband found out I was using that app, he said "you're not actually going to do a 5K, are you"? To which I replied, "Well, I wasn't planning on it, but since you said it like that, I think I will"! And just like that I ran my first (and only) 5K at four months postpartum. Suck on that hubs! It was a 36 minute 5K, but I finished and jogged the whole thing. I should do that again....there is one at the end of the month, we'll have to see how the shins treat me now that I have better shoes. The amazing thing throughout this whole process is how my muscles do NOT get fatigued! I ran a mile tonight and could've kept going, but know that overdoing it from the get-go will only lead to injuries later. It's quite a concept...give your body the fuel it needs and it will reward you by functioning at maximum capacity. Duh!?!
Oh and had my yearly check up today so I did a dance with the Dr's scale. It was down 4lbs and that's fully clothed, in mid-day! Holla! I can't wait to get naked on Thursday morning and see what my scale says. She's been kinda moody these past few months so I hope she's nice to me.
So here's the day in a nutshell:
Wake Up: Spark, catalyst, probiotics
Breakfast: Fiber drink, wasn't hungry for much else
Lunch: 3 egg white omelet with fresh spinach and crushed tomatoes, omegas
Mid-day: Spark, catalyst
Dinner: Pork medallion
Snack: Soy nuts
Now I know that today's menu wasn't ideal. I had lettuce, but nothing to put on the darn thing and an omelet sounded good. So protein plus the spinach I figure I'm alright. Dinner was a lean cut of pork and it was tasty. I sure wished mine had the gorgonzola and pear sauce on it that my hubby's did though! I SO need to go to the grocery store tomorrow and stock up on chicken and veggies. My pickins are slim around here. I want to get to Fresh Market and find some things that I can incorporate into Max Phase...whole grains and such. We don't have a Whole Foods or Trader Joes here :( My appetite is next to nothing, I have to remind myself to eat...never thought I'd say that. I'll probably have some carrots still tonight since I didn't have veggies with dinner. Soccer practice didn't give me the time to steam some up.
I will sleep like a baby tonight! Hope I feel just as great tomorrow.
I decided to go for a run tonight. With all this energy and not being sore from lifting yesterday, I figured I better do something! I really should run more often....I don't suck at it, I somewhat enjoy it and it's a good way to tone up the lower body -- my trouble area. Only problem is when I start running for a couple weeks, the shins start screaming and I have to back off. Last fall, I decided to use the Couch to 5K app after my son was born just to help me ease into running again. Going outside was the only exercise I could get with a newborn...the gym was not happening with a baby who wanted to nurse every 1-2 hours in the evenings. So when my husband found out I was using that app, he said "you're not actually going to do a 5K, are you"? To which I replied, "Well, I wasn't planning on it, but since you said it like that, I think I will"! And just like that I ran my first (and only) 5K at four months postpartum. Suck on that hubs! It was a 36 minute 5K, but I finished and jogged the whole thing. I should do that again....there is one at the end of the month, we'll have to see how the shins treat me now that I have better shoes. The amazing thing throughout this whole process is how my muscles do NOT get fatigued! I ran a mile tonight and could've kept going, but know that overdoing it from the get-go will only lead to injuries later. It's quite a concept...give your body the fuel it needs and it will reward you by functioning at maximum capacity. Duh!?!
Oh and had my yearly check up today so I did a dance with the Dr's scale. It was down 4lbs and that's fully clothed, in mid-day! Holla! I can't wait to get naked on Thursday morning and see what my scale says. She's been kinda moody these past few months so I hope she's nice to me.
So here's the day in a nutshell:
Wake Up: Spark, catalyst, probiotics
Breakfast: Fiber drink, wasn't hungry for much else
Lunch: 3 egg white omelet with fresh spinach and crushed tomatoes, omegas
Mid-day: Spark, catalyst
Dinner: Pork medallion
Snack: Soy nuts
Now I know that today's menu wasn't ideal. I had lettuce, but nothing to put on the darn thing and an omelet sounded good. So protein plus the spinach I figure I'm alright. Dinner was a lean cut of pork and it was tasty. I sure wished mine had the gorgonzola and pear sauce on it that my hubby's did though! I SO need to go to the grocery store tomorrow and stock up on chicken and veggies. My pickins are slim around here. I want to get to Fresh Market and find some things that I can incorporate into Max Phase...whole grains and such. We don't have a Whole Foods or Trader Joes here :( My appetite is next to nothing, I have to remind myself to eat...never thought I'd say that. I'll probably have some carrots still tonight since I didn't have veggies with dinner. Soccer practice didn't give me the time to steam some up.
I will sleep like a baby tonight! Hope I feel just as great tomorrow.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Cleanse -- Day 7
It seems so surreal to be typing Day 7, wow! Only 3 to go! I'm already starting to research the next phase and trying to figure out what I can safely add to my diet. I'm starting to get a little bored with my foods and need some variety. I'm also excited to see how the MNS packs go over.
I've been so focused on the food, that I just realized a little mini-victory today...7 days without a drop of beer or wine! That's pretty awesome. My husband has done this as well. It started off as being supportive, but now that the scale is moving down for him, he's seeing how long he can go, too. It helps a LOT that the Bears aren't playing today. I never would say that I had a drinking "problem" persay, but looking back now, I would say it may have been a dependency. I'd have a glass of wine if I was stressed out from the day or a beer to relax on the weekends. I guess that qualifies as dependent. I'm just glad I never got to the point of pouring wine in my morning coffee thermos or stashing a bottle in the bottom of the stroller. I never felt like that was coming, but who knows. I don't miss it nearly as much as I thought and may even just keep this up until our vacation in November. Yes, I will be drinking then, that's not a question :)
So today was a success, no food cravings to speak of. Busy, but I managed to get to Body Pump this afternoon and have a good workout. So hard to get the motivation to go in the blustry weather, but I always feel so good afterwards.
Here's the recap of the day:
Wake up: Spark, probiotics, catalyst
Breakfast: 1/2 c cooked steel cut oats and 1/2 an apple
Lunch: Tuna/avocado/egg salad over mixed greens
Mid aft: Spark and 3 catalyst
Dinner: Sauteed chicken with zucchini and homemade tomato sauce, no sugar added. Omegas
Snack: Almonds and an apple, 3 more catalysts just because
Bedtime: Herbal vitamins
Tomorrow marks the return of the fiber shake, yay! I also have a Dr appt so I will be seeing the scale a bit earlier than planned. A little anxious and nervous to see what it says. On to Day 8, I'm feeling pretty motivated right now!
I've been so focused on the food, that I just realized a little mini-victory today...7 days without a drop of beer or wine! That's pretty awesome. My husband has done this as well. It started off as being supportive, but now that the scale is moving down for him, he's seeing how long he can go, too. It helps a LOT that the Bears aren't playing today. I never would say that I had a drinking "problem" persay, but looking back now, I would say it may have been a dependency. I'd have a glass of wine if I was stressed out from the day or a beer to relax on the weekends. I guess that qualifies as dependent. I'm just glad I never got to the point of pouring wine in my morning coffee thermos or stashing a bottle in the bottom of the stroller. I never felt like that was coming, but who knows. I don't miss it nearly as much as I thought and may even just keep this up until our vacation in November. Yes, I will be drinking then, that's not a question :)
So today was a success, no food cravings to speak of. Busy, but I managed to get to Body Pump this afternoon and have a good workout. So hard to get the motivation to go in the blustry weather, but I always feel so good afterwards.
Here's the recap of the day:
Wake up: Spark, probiotics, catalyst
Breakfast: 1/2 c cooked steel cut oats and 1/2 an apple
Lunch: Tuna/avocado/egg salad over mixed greens
Mid aft: Spark and 3 catalyst
Dinner: Sauteed chicken with zucchini and homemade tomato sauce, no sugar added. Omegas
Snack: Almonds and an apple, 3 more catalysts just because
Bedtime: Herbal vitamins
Tomorrow marks the return of the fiber shake, yay! I also have a Dr appt so I will be seeing the scale a bit earlier than planned. A little anxious and nervous to see what it says. On to Day 8, I'm feeling pretty motivated right now!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Cleanse -- Day 6
I forgot to make note of something very important yesterday. Usually, on the second day after I do Body Pump, I am sore. Not always terribly sore, but enough that I grimace when squatting down or my arms get a little fatigued when I'm drying my hair or whatever. It occurred to me yesterday on my post-pump day 2, that I did not have a single, sore, muscle fiber in my body! That has never happened, even when I regularily do Pump 2x a week for months. And I did not phone that workout in, I added weight and did every rep 110%! Amazing! I'm not sure if that's the amino acids in the catalyst at work or just eating more protein, but I'll take it! No more excuses for taking 2 days off after.
On to today. After some more retail therapy this morning (hello, smaller jeans), we met up with extended family for lunch. My baked salmon and green beans didn't seem so appealing as my family was eating pasta, cheesesteaks, paninis and onion rings. It sucked big time. What's even more frustrating are the questions of why I'm eating fish at an Italian restaurant...I don't want to be THAT person that goes into a 10 minute speech about what I'm doing. My 83 year old Grandpa was getting so frustrated I wouldn't help him with his fries. My salmon was good and the green beans with it were ok, likely sopping in butter, but I blotted off what I could. Later, back at the house, the amazing double decker chocolate cake with oreo/cream cheese/cool whip mousse filling came out. I've never seen anything like it. I had a taste of it, 2 forkfulls to be exact. I had a big internal argument with myself prior. "The plan says to be 80-90% accountable...I've been 100%...this won't slip me up for good....it's my Grandpa's birthday, do I really want to be that jerk that doesn't try the cake?...but what if one taste starts my predictable downward spiral...but it's his BIRTHDAY for crying out loud, what if it's his last...do I want to remember it by not eating cake?" So I told myself to shut up, ate 2 bites and moved on. No ice cream or strawberries. No coffee with the family. And that was that. I didn't regress, I didn't dwell on it. It tasted awesome and I was able to stop. Done deal. Smelling coffee all freaking weekend was torture in itself!
So we're back home now. Was going to spend another night, but considering we were low on clothes and we don't sleep well up there, we decided to come home. Best choice for everyone! Glad I got to spend time with my family and say goodbye to Gramps before he heads to Florida for the winter.
Wake up: Spark, Catalyst as usual, probiotics
Mid-morn: 1/2c traditional oats with 1/2 mashed banana
Lunch: Baked salmon with green beans, small side salad no dressing
Mid-aft: Spark and the two bites of cake, gasp!
5pm: 3 catalyst, water
7:30pm: Spinach salad with strawberries, egg, cukes, and a plain piece of grilled chicken pulled from a McD's snack wrap. I had no chicken at home and hopefully it wasn't cooked in anything evil.
Snack: Almonds and soynuts. Omegas and herbals.
I kind of flipped up my lunch and dinner suggestions, but I made do with the options given. Back to the normal routine tomorrow and back to the gym.
On a side note, this is our first family pic since the baby came home 15 months ago! Geesh! My son had an assignment for school to bring in a family pic and we realized we didn't have one of all 5 of us. Good thing for that or who knows how long it would've taken me to realize it!
On to today. After some more retail therapy this morning (hello, smaller jeans), we met up with extended family for lunch. My baked salmon and green beans didn't seem so appealing as my family was eating pasta, cheesesteaks, paninis and onion rings. It sucked big time. What's even more frustrating are the questions of why I'm eating fish at an Italian restaurant...I don't want to be THAT person that goes into a 10 minute speech about what I'm doing. My 83 year old Grandpa was getting so frustrated I wouldn't help him with his fries. My salmon was good and the green beans with it were ok, likely sopping in butter, but I blotted off what I could. Later, back at the house, the amazing double decker chocolate cake with oreo/cream cheese/cool whip mousse filling came out. I've never seen anything like it. I had a taste of it, 2 forkfulls to be exact. I had a big internal argument with myself prior. "The plan says to be 80-90% accountable...I've been 100%...this won't slip me up for good....it's my Grandpa's birthday, do I really want to be that jerk that doesn't try the cake?...but what if one taste starts my predictable downward spiral...but it's his BIRTHDAY for crying out loud, what if it's his last...do I want to remember it by not eating cake?" So I told myself to shut up, ate 2 bites and moved on. No ice cream or strawberries. No coffee with the family. And that was that. I didn't regress, I didn't dwell on it. It tasted awesome and I was able to stop. Done deal. Smelling coffee all freaking weekend was torture in itself!
Wake up: Spark, Catalyst as usual, probiotics
Mid-morn: 1/2c traditional oats with 1/2 mashed banana
Lunch: Baked salmon with green beans, small side salad no dressing
Mid-aft: Spark and the two bites of cake, gasp!
5pm: 3 catalyst, water
7:30pm: Spinach salad with strawberries, egg, cukes, and a plain piece of grilled chicken pulled from a McD's snack wrap. I had no chicken at home and hopefully it wasn't cooked in anything evil.
Snack: Almonds and soynuts. Omegas and herbals.
I kind of flipped up my lunch and dinner suggestions, but I made do with the options given. Back to the normal routine tomorrow and back to the gym.
On a side note, this is our first family pic since the baby came home 15 months ago! Geesh! My son had an assignment for school to bring in a family pic and we realized we didn't have one of all 5 of us. Good thing for that or who knows how long it would've taken me to realize it!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Cleanse -- Day 5
Halfway there baby! Man that feels good to say. This week has actually gone by pretty fast considering at one point I felt like Friday would never get here. I can honestly say I felt normal today...well, subjectively speaking. No energy lapses and I felt very clear-minded all day. Had to go read to a class of kindergartners and that alone was a mental workout :) Our trip to WI was pretty uneventful....no construction, quiet kids and good conversation with the hubs. I started freaking out a bit when I was texting with my mom and I realized there were no good choices at her house....she usually has salmon or chicken in the freezer. It was already late and I didn't want to take three kids out to eat on a Friday night either. So, after twenty minutes of searching on my phone (thank you technology) I found that the grilled chicken cashew salad from Culver's would be a good choice. It was so empowering to go through the drive thru and get that rather than my usual order of a burger and cheese curds. Things were going great until we got to my mom's place and my husband announced he forgot my suitcase on the bed at home, three hours away! He was laughing pretty heartily about it,but I suppose I would be too if it was not MY suitcase! After a giant hissy fit in from of my kids and family I stormed out the door to go buy something to sleep in and my toiletries ... Baby boy's clothes were in there too, so he was getting some new things as well. It actually worked out to be pretty awesome because it was a free pass to buy a couple new outfits to replace my sagging jeans without feeling too guilty. The whole episode would usually be treated with a couple cold ones but I had to decompress in another way so I shopped instead, problem solved!
All in all it was a great day. Got to see my son at school, energy levels were high, we had a safe trip, new clothes and I stayed 100% on plan. Yay me! Our little suitcase snafu is already being laughed about. Here's a recap of day three:
Wake up: 3 catalyst, probiotics and Spark
Mid-morning: apple with 1tbs natural peanut butter
Lunch: giant spinach salad with chicken, strawberries, cukes and an egg
Mid-day: Spark and catalyst.....almonds an hour later
Dinner: grilled chicken and cashew salad, omegas and herbal pills, celery
No exercise today
My stomach is growling like crazy as I write this. There are three kinds of cheese calling my name twenty feet away, grrrr. Not worth it but I think I'm going to tuck in for the night just to forget about it.
All in all it was a great day. Got to see my son at school, energy levels were high, we had a safe trip, new clothes and I stayed 100% on plan. Yay me! Our little suitcase snafu is already being laughed about. Here's a recap of day three:
Wake up: 3 catalyst, probiotics and Spark
Mid-morning: apple with 1tbs natural peanut butter
Lunch: giant spinach salad with chicken, strawberries, cukes and an egg
Mid-day: Spark and catalyst.....almonds an hour later
Dinner: grilled chicken and cashew salad, omegas and herbal pills, celery
No exercise today
My stomach is growling like crazy as I write this. There are three kinds of cheese calling my name twenty feet away, grrrr. Not worth it but I think I'm going to tuck in for the night just to forget about it.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Cleanse -- Day 4
Today was MUCH better, I'm so glad I didn't give in to the coffee demons yesterday. I had one slump of feeling run down and foggy from about 1-2pm, but it passed quickly. Still not too crazy about the Spark, it's so sweet! My appetite was well under control with the exception of wanting chocolate after dinner tonight. I even pulled out a piece of 85% dark chocolate to see what damage it would do...only 2g of sugar for a square of it, but it just isn't worth it after coming this far. If I'm going to give up all my other vices to stay 100%, I'm not going to throw it all away on a piece of chocolate. I can think of far better things cave into :) I missed the Fiber Drink today, I actually enjoyed that and without giving TMI, it really keeps things going in my system and I hope things stay regular without it. Started the probiotic packs today, kept with Catalyst and the others. Oh and I proudly made TWO apple pear crisps for my family and our neighbors and didn't even have a taste!
Recap of Day 4:
Wake up: Spark, probiotics and 3 Catalyst
Mid-Morning: 1/2c Steel Cut oats with chopped apple and cinnamon
Lunch: 1/2c cooked quinoa, red pepper strips, 1/2c edamame and 4oz grilled chicken
Mid-day: 3 Catalyst and Spark
Snack: Hard boiled egg
Dinner: 4oz salmon and ENTIRE head of cauliflower, Omegaplex
Bedtime: Probiotic pack and herbals
Exercise 30 min of light elliptical
Due to piano lessons and haircut appts, I didn't get to eat until 7 which is why I devoured the entire head of steamed cauliflower. Had a mini freak-out since I couldn't find it on the food list later, but eventually realized it's basically broccoli and ok. It has a ton of protein, who knew? And I went way over my fiber intake today so missing the drink shouldn't be a problem. Calories are still on the low side, even though I tried upping them today.
My biggest challenge is coming up and while I've been blocking it out, it's creeping into my thoughts often now. Headed to Wisconsin for my Grandpa's birthday tomorrow. We do 2 things in WI, drink beer, and eat...repeat as needed. My favorite brewery is up there and I know I will be bomarded with temptation all weekend. My husband has decided to come along to help with the driving and kids so I won't be over stressed. It's easy to control my choices when I'm home all day, but being at my parent's house will be overwhelming. She always buys tons of snacks, cookies and cheese for the kids and us. I'm confident I can do it, but it will not be easy. I'll be half way through my challenge by then, I'm hoping that will be enough to keep me in the game!
Recap of Day 4:
Wake up: Spark, probiotics and 3 Catalyst
Mid-Morning: 1/2c Steel Cut oats with chopped apple and cinnamon
Lunch: 1/2c cooked quinoa, red pepper strips, 1/2c edamame and 4oz grilled chicken
Mid-day: 3 Catalyst and Spark
Snack: Hard boiled egg
Dinner: 4oz salmon and ENTIRE head of cauliflower, Omegaplex
Bedtime: Probiotic pack and herbals
Exercise 30 min of light elliptical
Due to piano lessons and haircut appts, I didn't get to eat until 7 which is why I devoured the entire head of steamed cauliflower. Had a mini freak-out since I couldn't find it on the food list later, but eventually realized it's basically broccoli and ok. It has a ton of protein, who knew? And I went way over my fiber intake today so missing the drink shouldn't be a problem. Calories are still on the low side, even though I tried upping them today.
My biggest challenge is coming up and while I've been blocking it out, it's creeping into my thoughts often now. Headed to Wisconsin for my Grandpa's birthday tomorrow. We do 2 things in WI, drink beer, and eat...repeat as needed. My favorite brewery is up there and I know I will be bomarded with temptation all weekend. My husband has decided to come along to help with the driving and kids so I won't be over stressed. It's easy to control my choices when I'm home all day, but being at my parent's house will be overwhelming. She always buys tons of snacks, cookies and cheese for the kids and us. I'm confident I can do it, but it will not be easy. I'll be half way through my challenge by then, I'm hoping that will be enough to keep me in the game!
Cleanse -- Day 3
Not gonna lie, today was tough. I'm really confused with how I'm feeling and not liking it very much. I either have tons of energy and total mental clarity or moments where all I want to do is curl up on the couch and go into a vegetative state for an hour. I had a dull headache all afternoon, was snippy with the kids and very impatient. Then I went to Body Pump at 7pm and felt like I was the queen of the gym and was kicking ass left and right, totally energized! I tried warming up my Spark in the afternoon to give me some satisfaction. It was ok, but still really sweet. I've been logging my cals into MFP and have only been hitting around 1000 each day. Not trying to do that, but it's really hard to get enough cals when limiting my food choices (and not having 600 cals from wine does that too!). So today, I will make an effort to take in more calories and see if that helps with my energy levels. Food cravings are null. Feel a lot lighter in my clothes and happy with my body, that's what's keeping me going. Also discovered the Choose the Challenge group on FB and that's been a huge source of information and motivation.
Here's a recap of Day 3.
Wake up: Spark, 3 catalyst tabs.
Mid-Morning: Fiber drink and 1/2 cup of steel cut oats with a mashed banana
Lunch: Tuna and Egg salad over mixed greens, yum!
Snack: Baby carrots and red pepper hummus
Mid-Afternoon: Spark
Dinner: Roasted peppers stuffed with brown rice, ground chicken and tomatoes, yum again! 3 Omegaplex
Pre-gym: 3 Catalyst tabs
Snack: Almonds and cleanse packet at bedtime
Exercise: One rocking hour of Body Pump, I kicked butt and felt great!
Sleep has definitely improved. Too much maybe! The past two mornings I overslept and rather than the kids waking up the sleeping beast, we were late and they had to be car riders and missed the bus. I used to start stirring around 6 am and up at 7. Now I'm sleeping till 7:45 without waking up EVER during the night. I was going to have a protein shake after the gym, but I'm trying to hold off on those until Max Phase.
My husband has also been amazing during this phase. He's pitched in with the kids so I can spend time at the gym and not complained once about our meals. He's been very patient with me when I get a little crabby!
Day 4 starts the probiotic packs and goodbye to fiber drinks for awhile. Ready to keep on keepin' on!
Here's a recap of Day 3.
Wake up: Spark, 3 catalyst tabs.
Mid-Morning: Fiber drink and 1/2 cup of steel cut oats with a mashed banana
Lunch: Tuna and Egg salad over mixed greens, yum!
Snack: Baby carrots and red pepper hummus
Mid-Afternoon: Spark
Dinner: Roasted peppers stuffed with brown rice, ground chicken and tomatoes, yum again! 3 Omegaplex
Pre-gym: 3 Catalyst tabs
Snack: Almonds and cleanse packet at bedtime
Exercise: One rocking hour of Body Pump, I kicked butt and felt great!
Sleep has definitely improved. Too much maybe! The past two mornings I overslept and rather than the kids waking up the sleeping beast, we were late and they had to be car riders and missed the bus. I used to start stirring around 6 am and up at 7. Now I'm sleeping till 7:45 without waking up EVER during the night. I was going to have a protein shake after the gym, but I'm trying to hold off on those until Max Phase.
My husband has also been amazing during this phase. He's pitched in with the kids so I can spend time at the gym and not complained once about our meals. He's been very patient with me when I get a little crabby!
Day 4 starts the probiotic packs and goodbye to fiber drinks for awhile. Ready to keep on keepin' on!
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Cleanse -- Day 2
Day 2 hasn't been too challenging from a food perspective. If anything, I had to force myself to eat as I didn't have much of an appetite at all. I still missed my dear coffee...the smell, the feel of the warm cup in my hands, sob! But Spark does a good job at keeping the headaches away and really does work. I told my sponser I'm going to go straight to snorting it! I'm thinking after the cleanse, I may try black coffee with Stevia if it's ok in the mornings. We'll see. Not missing my wine at all tonight which is great! Late night carb cravings are gone as well, but that could be linked to the wine being removed from the equation! Energy is a different story. I felt quite a surge last night, had a hard time sleeping, but today I got wore out pretty quickly and took a few sit down breaks. Tried to prime some walls in my house and that plus chasing a 15 month old around did me in. I'm sure the decreased calories are playing into that as well. Anyway, still feeling mentally clear and I'd like to think I'm not as moody as usual...I feel a little more balanced in that aspect. I'm not as snippy with the kids and a little calmer. Here's a recap of Day 2.
Wake up: Spark + 3 catalyst tabs
1 hour later: Fiber drink and lots of water
Mid-morning snack: Just an apple, nothing sounded good
Lunch: Salad with baby kale greens, grilled chicken and cukes. Hard boiled egg.
Mid-afternoon: Spark and 3 catalyst tabs
Snack: Handful of raw almonds
Dinner: Small hunk of sirloin roast and roasted carrots. Chicken or fish should be first choices but beef is ok. 3 Omegaplex tabs
Snack: 1/4 c Roasted soynuts, herbal cleanse pack
Water, water, and more water.
Exercise: Didn't get any in today from being both tired and busy with family activities in the evening. Will be going to Body Pump tomorrow though.
I'm feeling a lot less bloated and gained a belt notch today from the water weight going away. Staying off the scale for at least a week so I can measure real loss rather than fluctuations. I'm excited for day 3, this isn't nearly as bad as I anticipated and I have some fun food choices coming up! The weekend will be a tough one, but I'm only trying to think one day at a time right now. I'm keeping motivated by finding blogs online with success stories from others, there are some really inspiring ones out there.
Wake up: Spark + 3 catalyst tabs
1 hour later: Fiber drink and lots of water
Mid-morning snack: Just an apple, nothing sounded good
Lunch: Salad with baby kale greens, grilled chicken and cukes. Hard boiled egg.
Mid-afternoon: Spark and 3 catalyst tabs
Snack: Handful of raw almonds
Dinner: Small hunk of sirloin roast and roasted carrots. Chicken or fish should be first choices but beef is ok. 3 Omegaplex tabs
Snack: 1/4 c Roasted soynuts, herbal cleanse pack
Water, water, and more water.
Exercise: Didn't get any in today from being both tired and busy with family activities in the evening. Will be going to Body Pump tomorrow though.
I'm feeling a lot less bloated and gained a belt notch today from the water weight going away. Staying off the scale for at least a week so I can measure real loss rather than fluctuations. I'm excited for day 3, this isn't nearly as bad as I anticipated and I have some fun food choices coming up! The weekend will be a tough one, but I'm only trying to think one day at a time right now. I'm keeping motivated by finding blogs online with success stories from others, there are some really inspiring ones out there.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Cleanse Day 1
Today I embark on my quest to be more fit. Not just fit, but consistently fit. I know what to do. I know there are no magic tricks or miracle pills to make overnight changes. Eating clean, working out, cutting back on the booze...all things I have done before and intend to do again. My problem is that even though I know what do to and can do it 70% of the time, when I fall off the wagon, I fall hard. I tip that wagon over, wagon-jack the driver, light the sucker on fire and roast marshmallows in the flames. I'm an all or nothing kind of gal and moderation is not a word in my vocabulary. For the past two months, I've been stuck in a vicious cycle of eating well during the week, and then letting one bad meal derail my crazy-train of wellness into a downward spiral of junk food and booze. Any progress I make during the week is usually undone on the weekends. My two vices are booze and snacks. I like to have a glass...or three...of wine a night during the week and beer on the weekends. Once I have a drink, the late evening snack cravings come...usually chips and popcorn. I can handle avoiding sweets, and I'm not a stress-eater or emotional-eater by any means. But football season, family get-togethers and busy weeknights are just the excuses I need to crash and burn. I've successfully managed to lose 10 pounds in 3 months and have been working out pretty consistently, but the weight is creeping back and my clothes are getting snug. Our trip to Mexico is in ONE month and these next 24 days are my Hail Mary pass into the end zone of well-being. I started eating better a few months ago when we booked the trip but (like with other things in my life), I become easily distracted and get back into my old habits.
So, a friend of mine is an Advocare consultant and she has always spoke highly of the products and has had success using them in combination with a clean diet and exercise. I researched the snot out of Advocare and was impressed. I know the products themselves are not going to do the nitty-gritty work for me, but I'm hoping they will supplement my efforts and help to keep me accountable. Nothing like spending $200 in supplements to make you want to stick to your plan :) So after talking with her, we custom built a plan for me based on my needs. In a nutshell, the 24 day challenge consists of a 10 day cleanse with nutritional support followed by a 14 day max phase plan consisting of supplements to boost metabolism, energy and curb cravings. The rules are simple...no dairy, white flour, sugar, coffee or alcohol while on the cleanse. Fruits, veggies, protein and complex carbs only. Take the supplements daily as lined out in the pamphlet and exercise frequently. Easy stuff right? Hmmm, we'll see. I already know what my three biggest challenges will be:
Wake up: Spark Mango Strawberry drink and 3 catalyst tabs. Catalyst tabs are basically amino acids that are supposed to help reduce muscle loss and create a toning effect. I've heard it described as "lipo in a bottle", but I'm skeptical on that. I will take them through the 24 days though as directed.
30 minutes later: Peaches and Cream Fiber drink. Used an immersion blender to get out the chunks, very drinkable. A bit later I had a bowl of steel cut oats with a chopped pears as well.
Lunch: Southwest Grilled Salad from McD's with NO cheese, dressing or tortilla strips. Not an optimal choice, but was traveling for 6 hours and had to improvise. An apple for dessert.
Mid Afternoon: Spark drink and 3 more catalyst tabs.
Dinner: Baked salmon (4oz) and steamed broccoli. 4 Omega Plex tabs
Bedtime: Herbal cleanse tablets
Exercise: Just a walk tonight. Feeling sore from yesterday's Body Pump session and a little tired as well.
I'll admit, I already miss the coffee. Even though Spark has 120 mg of caffeine, I felt foggy all morning and had a mild headache all afternoon. I miss the warmth in my belly on these cool mornings. I also felt just kind of run down in general. Could be the toxins leaving the body, could be all the crap I ingested this weekend as well, could be 6 hours of traveling to pick the kids up from Grandma's. I'm not reading too much into it and just focusing on one day at a time. Foodwise, I wasn't too hungry and felt plenty fulfilled. Like I said, food will be my smallest obstacle to tackle over the next few weeks. And of course, when 5:00 hit I started thinking about my evening cocktail, but I made like Nancy Reagan and Just Said No.
I'll still be tracking my calories with MFP just to keep in check. I'll also be focusing more on inches than pounds lost. So hard to do, but I know from experience, that's what counts. Here are my starting measurements. I should also add that I am 34 years old, 5'9" and 168lbs. Not too shabby to start with after 3 kids in 9 years.
Left Arm: 13in
Waist: 36.5 in
Hips: 43 in (holy crap, baby always had back)
Right thigh: 24 inches
Right calf: 15 inches
My lower body is always the last place to lose inches and my biggest insecurity. I'd be thrilled to pieces if I could lose some inches there.
Day 1 in the books, I'm excited to see how I feel on day 2 tomorrow!
So, a friend of mine is an Advocare consultant and she has always spoke highly of the products and has had success using them in combination with a clean diet and exercise. I researched the snot out of Advocare and was impressed. I know the products themselves are not going to do the nitty-gritty work for me, but I'm hoping they will supplement my efforts and help to keep me accountable. Nothing like spending $200 in supplements to make you want to stick to your plan :) So after talking with her, we custom built a plan for me based on my needs. In a nutshell, the 24 day challenge consists of a 10 day cleanse with nutritional support followed by a 14 day max phase plan consisting of supplements to boost metabolism, energy and curb cravings. The rules are simple...no dairy, white flour, sugar, coffee or alcohol while on the cleanse. Fruits, veggies, protein and complex carbs only. Take the supplements daily as lined out in the pamphlet and exercise frequently. Easy stuff right? Hmmm, we'll see. I already know what my three biggest challenges will be:
- No coffee! I only have 2 cups a day, but the ritual of having it will be the hardest to give up. I'm looking to Spark to provide me with the caffeine fix.
- No booze! As I said, I love my wine and beer. When I told my husband I'd be dry for 10 days, he offerred to put me in a hotel. Maybe I should have called AA instead of Advocare :)
- Cooking for the family. I have no problems with my food choices, but my family may grumble. It will be challenging to keep things varied and pleasing for them while taking care of myself too. We all eat pretty healthy but if I serve them grilled fish and veggies every night they may hire a chef.
Wake up: Spark Mango Strawberry drink and 3 catalyst tabs. Catalyst tabs are basically amino acids that are supposed to help reduce muscle loss and create a toning effect. I've heard it described as "lipo in a bottle", but I'm skeptical on that. I will take them through the 24 days though as directed.
30 minutes later: Peaches and Cream Fiber drink. Used an immersion blender to get out the chunks, very drinkable. A bit later I had a bowl of steel cut oats with a chopped pears as well.
Lunch: Southwest Grilled Salad from McD's with NO cheese, dressing or tortilla strips. Not an optimal choice, but was traveling for 6 hours and had to improvise. An apple for dessert.
Mid Afternoon: Spark drink and 3 more catalyst tabs.
Dinner: Baked salmon (4oz) and steamed broccoli. 4 Omega Plex tabs
Bedtime: Herbal cleanse tablets
Exercise: Just a walk tonight. Feeling sore from yesterday's Body Pump session and a little tired as well.
I'll admit, I already miss the coffee. Even though Spark has 120 mg of caffeine, I felt foggy all morning and had a mild headache all afternoon. I miss the warmth in my belly on these cool mornings. I also felt just kind of run down in general. Could be the toxins leaving the body, could be all the crap I ingested this weekend as well, could be 6 hours of traveling to pick the kids up from Grandma's. I'm not reading too much into it and just focusing on one day at a time. Foodwise, I wasn't too hungry and felt plenty fulfilled. Like I said, food will be my smallest obstacle to tackle over the next few weeks. And of course, when 5:00 hit I started thinking about my evening cocktail, but I made like Nancy Reagan and Just Said No.
I'll still be tracking my calories with MFP just to keep in check. I'll also be focusing more on inches than pounds lost. So hard to do, but I know from experience, that's what counts. Here are my starting measurements. I should also add that I am 34 years old, 5'9" and 168lbs. Not too shabby to start with after 3 kids in 9 years.
Left Arm: 13in
Waist: 36.5 in
Hips: 43 in (holy crap, baby always had back)
Right thigh: 24 inches
Right calf: 15 inches
My lower body is always the last place to lose inches and my biggest insecurity. I'd be thrilled to pieces if I could lose some inches there.
Day 1 in the books, I'm excited to see how I feel on day 2 tomorrow!
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