Advocare 24 Day Challenge Results!

The results progress! It's taken me a few days to create a new post but I'm DONE the 24 Day Challenge. I weighed in and took measurements and pictures on Sunday morning. ANDDDD... I lost 6 pounds and 9 inches all over! My starting weight was 132 and I am now 126 lbs. I lost THREE inches on these child-bearing hips of mine! Allefreakingluia. I FEEL even better than those numbers to be honest. I thought my measurements would be even lower! So that's even more important to me. I am so very happy with my progress and with how diligent I was throughout the challenge. I don't like to toot my own horn, but I can honestly say I am proud of myself. This challenge really pulled me out of a rut I felt I was stuck in and made me see what I CAN do. I simply never tried enough or knew it. I gained about 10 pounds in graduate school. In my last semester in the spring, I lost it but have continued to fluctuate since. I say progress instead of results because I feel unstoppable now-I have new goals ready to go! This challenge changed so much more than my measurements :)
I learned copious amounts throughout the process through experience. I will highlight just a few of those.
PLANNING: Sounds simple enough, but it's easy to slip up. I heard a quote that said "fail to plan - plan to fail." It's TRUE. Cook meals in advance. Pack snacks in case you get caught up at work, running errands, etc. Get up earlier to prepare meals and snacks for the day. Plan meal ideas so you can plan grocery lists. Plan grocery trips into your schedule. All this planning can keep you from making a poor decision out of convenience that you will regret later. I know whenever I tend to "cheat", it's because it's easier or because I'm unprepared with my own healthy option. So plan, plan, plan!
IT'S EASY: I actually learned how surprisingly easy it is to eat healthier and make better decisions. The best advice I think I've heard about shopping "clean" is to "shop the walls" at the grocery stores. All the junk, processed foods are typically in the aisles. So just stay out of them! (with exception of some items of course). There are many easy AND healthy choices. You just have to be looking for them. There are entire gluten free sections in everyday grocery stores now. It's becoming more and more convenient to shop clean - you just have to DO it.
TEAM: I never thought I'd be one that felt like I needed people around me to motivate me. But I was looking at it all wrong. I may not NEED it, but the support makes it easier and more enjoyable. It was so refreshing to see how people wanted me to succeed, which turns into motivation for yourself. I also enjoyed started to enjoy sharing my own meal ideas, workouts, etc to help others. Hearing of others' triumphs was rewarding, but hearing about their stumbles was important too. You will never be perfect, and sometimes it helps to know that no one is. I needed this, and I didn't even know it. So thank you to everyone who gave me a recipe, offered a word of encouragement, checked in on me during the 24 days, and read this blog any given day. YOU are a part of my team. :)
IT'S YOU: There's prob some random quote about it, but I'll give my personal opinion/belief. What you CAN do is 100% up to you. I spoke about this a lot on a prior post, but I'll reiterate that once you come to the realization that every choice you make affects YOU, it changes you. Every choice should be done for you and no one else. It is myself that I invested in - MY decisions. Don't consider it cheating or not cheating, choose the option you want. I know I reached a point that I didn't consider it cheating because I just didn't want it for myself. CRazY huh?! I consider myself a runner now. Not a great one, I'll add, but I run. AND enjoy it! I stopped letting my mind tell me when it thought it was time to quit, and I decided ahead of time how far I was going to go. ME.
In addition, I learned how to eat right: when to eat certain foods and when not to, what foods should be limited, which ones should not be cut at all despite my previous beliefs, how much of each food group at meals, etc. I learned that perfection is impossible. And after those times of weakness, I learned not to dwell. The next choice will be better. And the next better than the one before. I will never be the kind who says NO to fried mozzarella sticks or Mike N Ikes every time. And that's ok. Life's too short to pass them up all the time! But being better the next meal is ALWAYS an option. Reaching goals and making new ones is exciting and fun. You don't realize it until you do it, and then you want to make more and more to make yourself better and better. I encourage you to do something for yourself today and every day. And if this sounds like it's for you, TRY it. BE it. You can do it. And I'll be here the whole way. :)

I had great results/progress, so now my question to you is.. Can you 24?? :)

24 Day Challenge: Day 23!!

It is day 23/24. Woop woop!! I feel good and strong. I'm not SURE of any changes, but I FEEL a difference. Actually, if I didn't have mirrors, I would think I was 2% body fat. Because that's how i feel :) I am anxious to see my results! I haven't weighed or measured myself since day 11, after the cleanse part. (I thought that I would feel my best then, but I feel better now than I did in the beginning!) However, the scale doesn't mean much to me anymore. Many think the lower the number, the better. Wrong. Health. Fitness. Those are most important- to me. At the beginning of the challenge, my advisor talked to us about striving to be "FIT, not skinny." I'd seen pics, quotes, etc about this concept before, but I really know and appreciate the meaning of it now. My endurance has grown - I ran 4 miles on Wednesday evening. I'm not sure if I have ever run 4 miles without a stop. My legs are more toned - a giant feat for pear shapes ;)  I may have even gained weight, but those are tremendous differences than a month ago so who gives a shit, right?!  I made an Instagram strictly for health/fitness. I didn't want to blow up my friends' pages on my main Instagram with pics of my runs and food... I, too, think that it's annoying when people share how much they squat on Facebook... like, CONGRATS? But with Advocare and with Tone It Up, I love the team aspects. I love to share and see recipes, workouts, encouragement, motivations, etc with other people who want the same things. And with the team, it's uplifting, motivating, and rewarding- not egocentric. I love to see people reach goals/new heights as much as I like sharing my own with positive people who care to know :) So THANK YOU.
 I don't have many plans for the weekend but finishing this challenge STRONG. My next post will be the end of the Advocare 24 Day Challenge. It will include my results, whatever they may be, and insight on the things I've learned, how I've grown, tips, advice, do's and don't's, and progress. I am excited/scared anxious to find out and share them.  Go outside and enjoy the weather and YOURSELF!!
Thanks for reading <3
G

Advocare: DAY 19!

I'm feeling surprisingly good today...considering the food I ate yesterday :/ I had a baby shower to attend yesterday with food too awesome to pass up! I regretted it a little last night, but as long as you find your way back on track, forgiveness is important! I went to my dad's school (he's a high school football coach) for a good strength training workout on Saturday. It felt good!! I haven't squatted or bench pressed or done a clean since high school volleyball conditioning (over 6 years ago... shit, that long?). I actually felt physically sick when I was done! I busted out the jump rope, medicine balls, the works. I was 17 again and loved it. I considered doing stadiums for old time's sake, but it was wet. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. ;) I decided in advance that I would let myself cheat a little on Saturday night because Matt  and I were going somewhere to watch the LSU game. We went to a pizza place. I had a beer. Then just looking at the menu made me guilty. There was a gluten-free crust menu so I chose that to save some face... with myself. It wasn't great, but it satisfied the craving to eat pizza. However, I did get full from only 2 pieces with a pretty thin crust. I found this awesome because I can could eat a TON of pizza, and I was full from 2 small slices! Personal victory. Then on Sunday, I splurged. Completely. Fried shrimp, pasta, cookies. BAD girl. I don't recommend this during the challenge, but a girl's will power can only go so far!! I enjoyed it, and now I'm focused again. This morning I mastered the meal replacement shake. Finallyyyy. I think the key was banana. DUH, G. I added half of a banana and some strawberries to the berry meal replacement, and it was TASTY. Not just palatable, but GOOD. Alleluia! I now have 5 days left after today. I'm going to do them PERFECTLY. And do my best to work out 4-5 this week. A big part of me is ready to finish because of the remembering to take the pills and the prepping for meals/meal replacements, etc. But another part of me never wants it to end because I feel like I'm holding myself accountable to do this right. Not anyone else but ME. And that makes me feel powerful ;))
      On another note, I am now an Advocare Distributor!! I ordered my kit at the end of last week and received it on Saturday. I am so excited to spread the wellness and share my excitement/energy of Advocare with others. Check out the 24 Day Challenge products and all other products here: www.AdvoCare.com/130937450. I would love you to be my first customer and to help you with any goals/questions you have!
I will spend some time this week and weekend to post recipe ideas, workout ideas, etc. that I used during my challenge. And HOPEFULLY maybe some remarkable before/after pics ;)

Thanks for reading, and have a happy week :)
G

24 Day Challenge: Day 15

Back at the challenge, and it's going well. No major stomach problems! Though this is great, the purpose of this post is to share one main thing: I fit in pants that I haven't fit in since beginning of college! :)) I bought a pair of black skinny work pants my freshman year of college for my first job. I haven't thrown them out because I really liked them and I hoped one day I'd be back in them. And today, I AM. FRESHMAN YEAR OF COLLEGE?! I'm not sure when the last time I was able to wear them, but at 24, I am back in pants I was in at age 18. And a played 3 sports-age 18. It really does go to show you that weight DOES NOT matter because those 4 pounds don't mean anything to me - but these pants DO. Are they loose by any means? Hell noo. BUT they fit :) I got back on the workout train yesterday. I felt I got physically tired a little easier, but it HAD been almost a week. It feels good just to be back at it with Advocare and guess who wears the pants  in this relationship ;)))

G

24 Day Challenge update

Over the weekend, I got very sick. I developed some severe stomach/bathroom issues on Friday evening. Therefore, I ceased use of Advocare on Saturday trying to build energy and substance back in my body without any other stimulants. I felt better on Saturday- I went to a wedding and ate/drank things my body probably didn't even recognize anymore! Bad idea. So I  continued use on Sunday; however, hell returned Sunday evening. I went to an Urgent Care, and the doc put me on a 24 hr clear liquid diet. On Monday, I stayed home and recovered and adhered to doc's orders. I felt a little depleted to say the least. I had done everything right the first 12 days... all to be forced to stop because my body got sick. I don't believe the sickness had anything to do with Advocare products. My mom had a little bug so I'm assuming I caught it. It also may have been a combination of such changes in my diet and something viral, but I (and the doctor) am unsure. Maybe my body wanted to start a civil war against me like "Gina, I miss my beer, burgers, and cheese, so I'm going to make you feel like shit." ;)
Yesterday, I ate only easily digested foods like crackers, soup, bananas, blah. I tried some eggs last night to get some protein in my body - didn't go all that well. This morning, I have opted to continue the Advocare challenge because I don't want to sit back another day. I'm still not feeling like myself, but I want to push on and try. I'm going to take it easy on the portions of meals, but I am trying to get back to normal (healthy) diet. I also haven't worked out since Thursday so I feel icky because of that also. So let's all hope that today is better, and my body accepts everything I put in it! I did weigh-in again to see the effects of this sickness, and I gained a pound. No big. I DID try to keep up with the catalyst during the weekend because A LOT came out, and I wanted to make sure my muscle didn't! SO, back at it I GO today! I skipped 3 days in the mix, so technically this is my Day 14. 10 more days.
Let's kick it :)

Advocare 24 Day Challenge: day 12!

The past few days have been a little rough. Yesterday was the first day of the Max Phase. It started a little shaky because my Berry Meal Replacement Shake for breakfast tasted like shit wasn't very appetizing. I hear that drinking them frozen with added fruit is the best way, but ain't nobody got time fa that I haven't had the time. My stomach has been churning/upset the past few days. I would love to say it is unrelated to the challenge, but I'm not sure. I haven't changed my eating at all. Yesterday, I wasn't hungry much at all throughout the day, especially last night after working out. I felt/feel full and bloated. I went to bed early last night because of it. This morning, I still wasn't hungry. One thing I never do though is skip a meal.. I know how detrimental to health that can be. I'm the type that has a weak stomach- I can feel nauseous if I have a simple multi-vitamin on an empty stomach. So I'm hoping all these effects go away and/or are unrelated to this phase.

I haven't taken measurements after the cleanse because I've felt this way, but I did weigh in and I've lost 4 pounds since day one. I was feeling so great last weekend, but the events of this week (feminine situ and stomach issue) probably messed me all up. (SUCKSSS) I'm hoping and praying that my body will get used to the supplements and this feeling/wretchedness will stop. I'm determined to kick this challenge's ass, so I will, nasty stomach and all. ;)

-G

Advocare 24 Day Challenge: Day 9

Day 9!
MY PANTS ARE LOOSER :) I wore a pair of jeans to church on Sunday that are normally a lot tighter, and they were borderline loose, AND they had just been washed ;)))  I haven't weighed myself yet, but I know I FEEL good and that's most important. I also got a little visit from the bitch Aunt P this week too so I may hold off on the weigh-in until that's over.
I made it through the weekend sticking to healthy eating!! That is quite an accomplishment. Granted, I stayed home and worked on some things for work, but weekends are usually when I overindulge in treats or drinks or all of the above (especially since it's football season). By the end of last week, I was really getting tired the things I had cooked for the week. So on Friday night, I made some turkey chili and on Sunday, I stuffed some bell peppers and made crockpot chicken tacos for this week. Once you get to the point that you know certain things aren't options, you begin to not even want them! My family opted for Popeyes Fried Chicken (red beans and biscuits included) on Saturday night, and I didn't even care! My boyfriend feels bad when he doesn't eat healthy in front of me with me, but I had a revelation! On Saturday, I explained to him that this is a CHOICE I made, not a diet trend. I chose to change how I was eating to feel better and be healthier. Therefore, I don't think of it as a loss by having to "give up" things because if I wanted them, I would have them.  I'm not on a diet and don't consider anything I may eat as cheating. It's health, not dieting. And why ruin feeling so good?! I slacked a little last week on workouts- only 2 days :/. So I worked out twice on Saturday and felt back on track. I really started to feel the effects of the catalyst supplements as well over the weekend. I feel that my legs have toned up. It could be in my head, but that's ok too! **I explain more about what this is at the bottom for those interested! Another important reality that we (my support group ;)) are coming to know is that sometimes PERFECTION is not possible. But making BETTER choices is. My bf's mom cooked some veggies Sunday night with some things that aren't necessarily perfect for this cleanse, but they ARE still veggies. And I asked if we could throw some fish on the grill too instead of choosing the pork they were cooking.
So I'm LEARNING. We, our food, and our habits will never be perfect, but it's not about never slipping up. It's about being better than you were before.

Thanks for reading!!
G


**Catalyst was explained to me as basically consuming whole chicken breasts without the calories. When we incorporate lots of cardio into our routines (while great for burning cals), we may also be losing some muscle mass as well as fat. Catalyst is an amino acid supplement, and the purpose is to preserve the muscle mass and fuel your muscles during workouts.

24 Day Challenge: Day 3

I have to say that the major differences I have noticed thus far are that I have to pee all day from the water intake, and surprisingly, I'm so FULL. I thought eating this healthy would leave me hungry, but much to my surprise, I am forcing myself to eat at the recommended snack times! It's amazing how healthy foods like veggies and lots of protein will fill you SO much more. The fiber drink was SO much easier today and yesterday. I kept stirring with a fork so it wouldn't thicken and then just shoveled it in. The taste is still repelling, but you get over it. I've done tremendous well thus far with my meals- weighing my protein portions, measuring my complex carb portions, lots of fruits and veggies, water ALL day, NO DAIRY-which is amazing for me, etc. My advisor recommended weighing ourselves only on day 10 and then at the end so I won't be able to report on that until day 10. I'm going to try my hardest to adhere to that because I can easily be discouraged when that stupid number doesn't budge when I'm doing everything right. BUT I began a few weeks ago doing kettlebell weight training at home and am really enjoying it so I'm hoping to gain some muscle in the process :) So it WILL be okay if the "weight" doesn't fall off.

Stay tuned!

G

Advocare 24 Day Challenge journey DAY 1

Welcome!
I have been wanting to make a blog for different projects I have completed, crafts I have made for speech therapy, etc. Not because I am an avid writer or model of creativity, but just to share my ideas. On another note, I began the 24 day challenge today and that really pushed me to create one so that anyone interested in Advocare, the products, or the challenge can read about my journey. What makes mine different from other bloggers' journeys? Nothing. But! If anyone asks me about my results, I can simply refer them here and let them decide for themselves. Therefore, that is what my first post will entail.
I first learned of Advocare and the challenge on Facebook (duh). A friend shared some photos and info with me. Not long after, another friend, who is now my advisor, messaged me with some info. I was in grad school at the time so I was unable to afford anything it... Once I was employed, I wanted to take the challenge.  I have wanted to do some sort of cleanse for a while now. For energy and overall health. Based on others' recommendations and enthusiasm for Advocare, I thought this one was the one for me.
Today is day 1. I have spent most of my day cooking meals and prepping for the week. (Being Labor Day, I was lucky that my first day is a day off.) I wanted it to be easy and quick for me to eat right this week and stick to the guidelines. The first 10 days of the 24 are the cleanse phase. To learn more specifics about the challenge, visit Advocare's website. I simply want to share my journey every few days, but more details are available all over the web.
Now, I had NEVER even tried an Advocare product to date. So I was anxious to see what the hype of this Spark energy drink was about that so many had raved about. And today, my day started with Spark fruit punch. It was yummy! I drank it casually first thing this morning, and I haven't felt tired all day (it's early evening now). I'm not really a coffee drinker- one cup in the morning on the way to work, and that's good. So I think I can definitely get used to refreshing beverage for my energy. This product is a ton of vitamins for energy. Next, came the fiber drink. Now I had been warned that this was the worst part, but I still hadn't fully prepared myself for the yuckiness involved. As I told my boyfriend as I was "drinking" it: it tastes like trees. Tree applesauce. Mine got thick because I let it, and it just wasn't good. It's only necessary to drink a few days in the cleanse phase so I will suck it up, but those warnings were accurate! I had well-balanced, healthy meals today. I ate snacks when recommended based on the checklist, but I really wasn't even hungry for them.
  I have a lot of excitement about the days/weeks ahead, and I'm happy to be able to share with anything willing to listen. I am doing this challenge with several friends, and that has already helped my attitude and motivation. I will try my best to post recipes and updates throughout so stay tuned for more! I will also share my struggles, triumphs, and obstacles along the way too.
Thanks for listening!
G