Day 24 plus - The end – or just the beginning…

Day 24 plus observations – Final results: Down 8 lbs, 14.5 inches overall!!! (I will post better 'after' pictures when Tom can take them).

It has taken me forever to write this last post. I know it is because it is hard to put down in words how life-changing this challenge has been. I know, those are strong words, and I don’t use them lightly. What had seemed like such a puzzle to me in past seems to clear and EASY now. I felt like I was being bombarded with different ways to make me feel and look good. It was exhausting - just go on pinterest and you can see 101 easy ways to lose weight and feel great – just add ginger to your water, or do a plank every day for 20 minutes, or drink a green smoothie that Lauren Conrad says works (like she is any authority on nutrition),  or the simplest of all – just eat slower! And sure all those things might help but they are not the answer – at least they weren't for me. I had to learn what made my body feel good and my relationship with food had to change. I now eat to fuel my body (at least 80% of the time, 20% is still fun foods). This means I know that I can eat a salad for lunch that is full of protein-packed veggies and lean protein meats and I will be FULL. Maybe not always satisfied in regards to taste (although my salad making is getting much better), but satisfied in regard to what my body needs. And this is biological - high protein foods take more work to digest, metabolize, and use, which means you burn more calories processing them. They also take longer to leave your stomach, so you feel full sooner and for a longer amount of time. And here is the other thing I had to learn - I should not use food or drinks as rewards – or at least as not as much as I was. Listen, I love going out to dinner with my husband or friends and having a little splurge, but it was getting out of control. When you are ‘treating’ yourself every day it is no longer a splurge – but a routine. I had to break the cycle. And the cool thing is, if you eat better than you exercise better. You actually GO to the gym more (no more sluggish mornings or afternoons) and you get better results at the gym. This is also where supplements can come in to play. If I am going to the gym, I want to get the most ‘bang for my buck’ – if I am going to suffer through never ending squats and lunges then I better see results! A lot of this has been taken care of through my diet but the last bit has been aided through taking the correct supplements so that I recover faster, perform better and burn fat and not muscle. And I know much of this can be done on one’s own, but the schedule and the ease of using the Advocare product line was just what I needed. I didn't have to worry that I was taking some crazy drug that was manufactured in China alongside lead toys – I knew their products were of the highest quality. And the support system is the best – I haven’t really mentioned this part but when you sign up to do a challenge, you get a coach that answers your questions and helps motivate you during your journey. In addition, you get access to a huge community of other challengers on facebook where you can ask those hard questions (i.e., anybody else feeling a little blocked up?) or get tips (i.e., try the dark chocolate almonds!) or read their stories of success that will surely inspire you.  So – was it worth it? Absolutely.  And this truly isn't the end – I really, really hope I can use all that I have learned to continue this healthy lifestyle to be a good role model to my children and to be around for many years to enjoy them. And not just on the side-line. I want to be running that Mother’s Day 5K right alongside my daughter and who knows, maybe even my granddaughter – wouldn't that be cool. And if I can inspire or help others to do the same – that would be pretty awesome too. So I’ll leave you with a quote I found on pinterest – yes, I do still look at pinterest – it’s a love/hate thing… But this one I actually think is right on:

Eat well, move daily, hydrate often, sleep lots, love your body, repeat for life…

Day 20 - Tom's early results

Day 20 observations- Tom's early results

I can't believe I'm only 4 days away from the end of this challenge. Some days are harder than others for sure - but for the most part it hasn't been nearly as bad as I had thought it might be. I will give my full synopsis of the challenge in a few days but today I wanted to tell you about my other half's success. Tom, although he really did not have much to lose, opted to try the challenge for two reasons. 1.) he had lost his drinking and eating buddy so in his words, "if you can't beat 'um, join um.) and 2.) he wanted first hand experience with the products so that he could truly say if they were all that we heard they were cracked up to be. And although I am not allowed to show his before and after pictures (groan...), he did say I could share his results. So - after 14 days he has lost 7.6 pounds and 10.5 inches over his whole body. He lost 2 inches in his waist and 2 inches in his hips. What's also interesting is he gained an inch in his shoulders. He attributes this to getting better results lifting weights and has seen improvement in the tone and muscle mass in his arms. In addition, he ran a mile faster than he has since college as part of a recent training run to test his conditioning (@4:48). While Tom still feels he needs more time to evaluate the program, he has told me that he doesn't want to stop taking any of his new supplements because he thinks he'll see greater results in the weeks/months to come (i.e., this is not a short-term solution). Now granted - during this challenge we both continued to work out doing a combination of cardio and strength training so it is very possible that someone who did not do this might not get the results we did. But, for someone who is exercising and not seeing the results they feel they should - this program is a game changer. We both plan on using some of our favorite products after the challenge (vitamins, spark drink, catalyst, and some of the shakes) and I really do feel that I will not gain the weight back but instead I will continue to see improvements in my energy level, my muscle strength, my weight and my overall health. I hope I am right!

Day 14 - Crabby pants

Day 14 Observations -
Well - life isn't all diamonds and rose (RHWBH reference for all my BRAVO fans out there). I am on phase two of the challenge - the refuel and burn phase - and it's no cake walk (yum, cake). The idea is that on certain days you refuel and add some starchy carbs to your menu (hurray!) but on the burn days you remove those as well as fruit from your diet to get your metabolism back on the right track and it pushes your body into an intense “fat burning” mode. Who doesn't want that?! But what they don't say is you get crabby - or at least I am. Not sure why but by about 5:00 at night the past two nights I just feel like my patience is gone and I'm grouchy. I'm trying to push through it as I am seeing big results. My arms look totally different - you can actually see the muscles that I have been working on for the past year. My butt is is shrinking as is my waist. So I know it's working but it ain't easy - and that's why they call it a challenge! And I can't wait to dive into a bowl of fresh fruit tomorrow!!

Day 11 - Weigh in day!

Day 11 Observations

Today was the day - the day we have all been waiting for (ok mostly me). Weigh in day! It just so happened to coincide with Mother's Day and what a better Mother's Day gift than losing 5.4 pounds and 'drum roll'.......12 inches!!! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed it. I lost 2 inches in my waist, 2 inches in my hips, an inch around each arm, and 3 inches in my shoulders/chest (bye, bye boobs). But the best part is I feel awesome - so full of energy and a clear head. NO crashes, no hunger panic, no caffeine headaches, nothing! And I PRed at the Mother's Day 5k this morning! Ran 3.1 miles in 27.11 - 8:45 pace. My sister asked me in the car, "Do you think you will gain it all back? Go back to your old ways?"  which is a good question. Here is my answer - why would I want to? Why would I want to feel sluggish and crabby? I love the way I'm feeling and looking - and sure, I miss my glass of wine and a few of my food indulgences - but I'll be able to have those again. Just in moderation. I know now what works in my body. I know now that I need protein all day long. I know that I need multivitamins to help balance my mood and my rev up my energy. So, no, I don't think I will go back to my old way and it will all come back. But only time will tell. But today I am happy and so proud of myself. And here are the pictures to prove it!

Day 8 - partners in crime

Day 8 Observations:

I now how a few partners in crime. My husband joined the challenge four days ago and two girlfriends started today! I highly recommend doing this with someone, it is so much easier to be successful! For example, five days ago I sat at a restaurant while I watched my husband drink multiple beers and eat wings, fries, and a hamburger (that is not an exaggeration, BTW), while I ate my salad and drank my boring water and had a pity party for myself. Fast forward to tonight when the whole family sat down for a salmon and broccoli dinner prepared by my husband. Plus it has been very rewarding to help coach him and my two friends as they make their way through this process (i.e., chug the fiber drink, it's awful - or - don't forget to write down when you take a pill, you will forget). And nothing is better than a little cheerleading from your spouse - or a little friendly competition! We are definitely keeping each other in check ("not too much avocado!") and sometimes will even make each other their Spark drink (how romantic, right?). Best of all, I can't wait to celebrate with everyone at the end of all of this! We will have definitely deserved it.

Day 5 - cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eater

Day 5 Observations:

I cheated - I knew I wasn't supposed to but I did. I couldn't help myself. Not with bad food, mind you, but with the scale. The rules say no weighing until day 10 - the end of your cleanse. But I couldn't help myself. I told my inside self that no matter what the number I was, I was going to be happy because 1.) it had only been four full days and how much weight loss can one really except? 2.) I only had worked out twice in that time frame and 3.) I couldn't be disappointed because I was feeling so full of energy that THAT really was the best part of this so far, not the number on that scale. So I stepped on and waited for those flashing numbers to stop - and low and behold I lost 4 lbs!!! I couldn't believable it. It took me 3, yes, 3 months to lose 3-4 lbs. and that was with exercising my BUTT off. I know (or think) this might be a lot of water weight (thanks to the no salt), as well as the cleanse cleaning all the crud out of my system but still - I am very pleased. It makes the next 19 days not seem as daunting knowing that IT IS WORKING! Oh- and my husband decided to join me...But more on that tomorrow...

Day 4 - no nap for me!

Day 4 observations:

I'm back baby! Woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on Day 4. I decided I needed to get more creative with my food. Since it was cinco de mayo, I took ground turkey and cooked it with a little bit of low sodium taco seasonings. Then I combined this with a half of avocado, some fresh corn (it's technically not on the approved vegetable list but it was fresh and it was just a smidgen) and my new favorite dressing - a little plain Greek yogurt mixed with a little taco seasoning. I mixed it all together and Voila! A super yummy and super satisfying taco salad. If only I could have had a margarita to go with it...But the best part of my day happened in the afternoon. We took the kids to the indoor pool in the mid morning. They swam and played for a good 3 hours and thoroughly wore themselves out. We came home and everyone crashed including my husband - everyone except for me! While my whole family slept, I felt great. Not tired at all!!! I was able to enjoy some quiet me-time and then I did the dishes and picked up the house. This BY FAR exceeds any weight loss. I was so sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. If this continues and my energy level stays consistent throughout the day, then this was all worth it. Pretty exciting stuff.

Day 3 - taste bud mourning

Day 3 observations

I'm tempted to just to type all the food I wish I was eating. That's the kind of day I had. I'm missing cheese, chips, pasta, pizza, wings, french fries and beer. But most of all - SALT. I made a new breakfast today of eggs with onions and peppers. This would have been delicious if it had salt or feta cheese mixed in. I know this is apart of the cleanse process and I will be able to eat salt and cheese again; I just have to make it through another 21 days. I am also chickened out - I need to make a new protein because chicken just isn't doing it for me anymore. I do have to say I'm not hungry - that's not the problem. It just the flavors that I miss. My energy level has been great too. I worked out today at the gym and set a PR on the treadmill for a 5K - 27.54! So while my body is doing a happy dance with all this great nutrition, my taste buds are in mourning. I know it's a balance and I just have to hang in there. On to day 4!

Day 2 - keep your hands off my food!

Day 2 observations:

My husband will tell you I am not a 'food sharer.' I will never be the one at a restaurant who will say, "Hey, let's split our meals so we can each have half." Nope, I want what I order and I want all of it. Must be a second child thing. But I digress... I have had to learn to share my food - I can not eat any of my 'challenge' food in front of my kids without them begging for some. Literally, I made 8 hard boiled eggs at the beginning of the week and I ate 3 and the kids ate the rest. I was cutting up red peppers yesterday and Audrey and Gabe kept coming over and stealing them! And when I made my dinner of black beans, Greek yogurt with taco seasoning (tasted just like sour cream), chicken and corn (just a smidgen), my husband wanted to have a bite of mine versus the super gooey, creamy mac and cheese I had made for them! I am realizing that this program is not only great for me but I am modeling good nutrition for my family - and it's contagious.

Day 1 - pros and cons

Ok - here are a few things I have learned at the close of Day One:

Pro - I wasn't as hungry as I thought I might be. The amount of liquids you drink between the spark, fiber drink, meal replacement shake and water had me feeling full most of the day. It was almost to the point I had to remind myself to eat. That's a good thing!

Con - With all the liquids I was drinking I had to go pee - A LOT. I felt like I did when I was pregnant and was going to the bathroom every hour. Just make sure if you do this challenge you have easy access to a bathroom all day long.

Pro - I had all my foods ready to go so I easily was able to go to the fridge and grab lunch or snack. I had even portioned some of my chicken so I would just grab a bag, throw on a little Mrs. Dash and eat. Which brings me to my con...

Con - I am missing my friend salt. Mrs. Dash on a hard boiled egg just doesn't taste as good - or really very good at all. I am hoping my taste buds adjust to the lack of salt and things will not taste as bland.

Pro - My energy level was consistent throughout the day. NO crashes - hurrah! I even cleaned out my daughters closet mid afternoon - usually the time of day when I'm a total slug. I am sure this has to do with a more steady stream of good nutrition in my body - and of course that nectar from above called SPARK!

Con - The fiber drink was highly unpleasant - the best way to describe it is it tasted like a plain triscuit that was blended with water and some orange flavoring. YUCK. But I just reverted back to my college days and chugged it. See, I knew that skill would come in handy again some day!

General disclaimer - It was a lot of pills - I think 12 total. And they are large, not small like an aspirin. So this may not be the challenge for you if you have pill swallowing difficulties.

So that's it. I made it through DAY ONE! Not bad given I had to sit at my adorable nephew's 8th birthday party and see everyone around me eat pizza and drink beer. I just kept telling myself focus on the end goal! Bring on Day Two!

Day 1 - why am I doing this?

Today is the day. My challenge begins. And with it, I say goodbye to cheese, wine, carbs and pretty much all things super delicious for 24 days. Why, you ask, would someone do such a stupid thing? Well, my sweet and trustworthy friend Katherine Caputo told me about this challenge and talked about how life changing it was - and I believed her. You see, although I worked out fairly regularly and had even run two half marathons within the last year, I had gotten into some pretty bad food habits. This, I assumed, was why the scale barely moved even after my half marathon training  So here was the deal - coffee was pretty much streaming through my veins all day long, which was causing me these super fun roller coaster highs and crashing lows. In addition, I would have these panicked moments of hunger, accompanied by shakes and nausea; most likely the result of large amounts of caffeine and my blood sugar dropping  Although my diet wasn't horrible, it wasn't perfect either. Cheese was my 'go to' food when these hunger pains would strike or at night after the kids went to bed. Of course it went nicely with my large glass of wine that was my 'I made it through another day of managing chaos' reward. Most times, one glass turned into two and a small slice of cheese turned into half a brick. I'd wake up feeling tired, dehydrated and would resume my IV of coffee. I knew this wasn't a healthy way to go about my life, but I had a solution. I would exercise my butt off and then I would not have to worry about what I put in my body, right? I could overindulge here and there and not have to feel guilty and that damn number on the scale would have to move! So I amped up my workout routine. I did a 30 for 30 challenge. I worked out every day for 30 days for at least 30 minutes a day. Jillian Michaels and I became close friends and I could recite every thing she was going to say on her workout DVD before she said it. I noticed some muscle toning, but the scale barely moved and I still had those fun crashes during the day. What the heck!? Was I going to have to workout all day long to see that number change and to lose that muffin top that taunted me every time I put on a pair of jeans?! After bitching and moaning about this phenomena to my dear husband (who can lose 5 pounds just thinking of dieting), he finally said to me, "it is what you are putting in your body!" I wanted to scream - or cry. It wasn't like I was eating McDonalds every day - was I going to have to starve myself?!? But what he meant was feeding my body solid nutrition and vitamins - fueling it properly. He, being a very serious athlete and marathon runner, had done more reading about what fuels your body than any other person I knew. But when he would talk to me about it, my eyes would gloss over (sorry, babe). It was all too much. What he put in his body wasn't right for me and I just didn't have the time to figure it out - not when my 2 year old son was falling down in a mall and needing 6 stitches or when my daughter emotionally melted down for the thousandth time during the day. And then God had little Miss Katherine Caputo walk into my life and say, "here is your answer!" She told me about Advocare, described the plan, and I knew I had to give it a try. I did my research, Tom did his, and we agreed that this company and product was top notch and if I was going to do it - this was the product to use. So long story short, here I am on day one! I am going to use this blog to write about the challenges (it isn't called a challenge for nothing) as well as my successes. I hope by day 24 I feel energized, happy, have a clear mind and soul and look better than ever. And if that scale finally moves - that would be great too!