3 Day Refresh results

Can I just say WOW?!?!?  I have to tell you, this is by far the BEST 3 Day Refresh that I have ever done!  Not only did I have some amazing results, but I can really tell that I NEEDED the detox.

First, I know you are all anxious to know how much weight I lost.  So here ya go...8.5 pounds!!!!  8.5 pounds in 3 days is CRAZY, right?  The truth is that MUCH of that weight was water weight.  AND, I had eaten some foods over the weekend that encourage water retention.  I was actually up 4 pounds on Monday morning.  Well, the refresh helped me lose ALL of that extra, PLUS 4.5 extra pounds.   keep reading.....

As you know, I don't really judge my progress by the number on the scale.  In fact, I avoid letting the scale dictate how I FEEL.  Do I step on the scale?  Why, of course.  If you have been following me since January, you know that I have some health issues a brewing that have caused me to gain weight recently, that I just can't seem to lose!  In fact, I have only dropped about 6 pounds since January 1.  Here's the thing...when I step on the scale, I am looking for a number range, not a certain number.  I know that my weight can make a 5-7 pound shift in water weight easily in a day.  That is just reality.  If I am in my range, then I am happy.  If you are one to step on the scale every day , and get upset because you are "gaining" weight and you are doing every thing right to lose, then I can tell you that you are stepping on the scale far too often!   I am EXTREMELY mindful of the time of day that I step on the scale too.  Early to mid morning, I am always at my lightest, and my slimmest (gravity pulls at my belly pouch all day, which makes me feel "bigger" by the end of the day).  I am always my heaviest at Bedtime - and I usually ignore that number altogether, if I step on the scale in the evening.  You have to be really in tune with YOUR body to learn to trust the scale. 

OK, I am stepping OFF the scale now to talk about the rest of my refresh results.  I have to tell you, I wasn't really looking to lose any weight on the 3 Day Refresh.  It's hard to explain, but I just felt yucky, and no matter how well I was eating, I just couldn't shake that feeling that my body needed to detox.  I am so glad that I invested in a 3 Day Refresh to help detox.  You know that feeling you get when you are turning the corner after an illness, and you are finally starting to feel like yourself again?  Well, that is what the refresh did for me this time around.  I NEEDED to detox my liver, so that it could function better.  I have been doing a lot of research on hormone imbalances, and thyroid issues lately because I strongly feel that something of this nature is going on with my body.  FYI - I meet with my doc on Monday to get my test results from last week :).  Anyway, I have run into a lot of information on the necessity of a regular detox of the liver.  Your detox can be anywhere from 3-21 days, and it should focus around STRICT vegan clean eating or juicing.  I chose the 3 Day Refresh because I didn't have to plan anything because it is all planned out for you.  You just follow directions.  Back to my point....If you read my last post, you will see that after 1 day on the refresh, I was just FEELING better.  It is true.  It is hard to describe, but I just had this feeling of being "cleaner".  I felt like my digestive system was getting a much needed break and that it was feeling renewed.  I know it sounds silly, but I told you it was hard to describe.  Today (day 4), i feel AMAZING.  I feel renewed, and refreshed.  My body feels a little lighter, and I feel like I have a renewed sense of needing to fuel my body properly.  I really don't want to lose this feeling.  As an added bonus, I have been sleeping FANTASTICALLY!  I had gotten into a habit of a very unrestful sleep cycle.  However, the past 3 nights, I feel like I was getting quality sleep, and I was waking up truly refreshed and ready to start the day. 

So now what?  I don't want to lose this feeling.  I really do feel great!  I have done 5-6 3 Day Refreshes in the past, and I have always jumped right back into another eating plan, or back to my regular clean eating plan.  This time is different.  I am slowly integrating foods back into my diet, and I am going to be taking notes on foods that I believe do not jive well with my system.  I am on the lookout for food intolerances, and I am going to figure out once and for all what my biggest triggers are.  I have a pretty good idea, but I want to get a good confirmation on those.  So, for the next few days, I will be eating very similarly to the 3 day refresh plan, and sticking to a very CLEAN eating plan.  I will keep you posted ;). 

Refresh

I have been doing pretty good with my eating choices lately.  There have been a few exceptions, but for the most part, my eating has been clean and on target with my calorie goals.  Still, I really want to clean it up a bit more, and really dial in on my nutrition.  I decided a 3 Day Refresh was necessary.  I recently read that is is important to detox your liver every so often, so that it can function properly.  Did you know that your liver is what is responsible for detoxing your body?  When you eat lots of unhealthy foods, that causes your liver to work even harder, and it will have trouble keeping up.  just as it is important to change the oil in your car regularly, it is important to detox your liver.  There are many options out there for a simple, fast detox.  I decided on the 3 Day Refresh because it is simple, healthy, and I get to eat REAL food while detoxing. 

Today was Day 1, and I'll be honest, it has been rough.  I have a lingering headache (a sign of toxins leaving your body) almost all day.  To be fair, I also skipped my regular morning coffee....well, I brewed it and only had about 4-5 sips, trying to ward off caffeine withdraw.  I have been tired ALL DAY LONG.  The 3 Day Refresh is a very restricted calorie intake for 3 days, and it is recommended that you do not workout during the program.   That's OK, because I don't think I could have mustered up the energy anyway.  I know the fatigue and headache is normal.  I have done the Refresh about 5 times, and each time, I have the same symptoms, which are usually gone by day 3.  For the most part, I have not been hungry, until dinner.  I ended up adding an extra half cucumber to my Tomato and cucumber salad.  It was delicious, and I am satisfied.

Breakfast was my Shakeology with banana mixed in.  Mid-morning, I had my Fiber Sweep.  Lunch (picture below) was 1 red pepper, and apple, and a Vanilla Fresh shake with 1 tsp coconut oil mixed in.  For an afternoon snack, I had carrots, and some natural peanut butter.  Dinner was Tomato and cucumber salad, and a Vanilla Fresh shake.  I have had 112oz of water so far too, and still drinking. 

I am looking forward to reclaiming some energy, and dropping my belly bloat over the next few days.




 

Visit to the Doc

I am one of those people that is generally healthy.  I don't like going to the doctor.  I like feeling in control of my own health, and I have struggled to find a doctor that is on the same wavelength, and not "telling" me about my health.  In the past, because of higher insurance co-pays for doctor visits, I have only gone to the doctor when I get REALLY sick, or when a pesky problem doesn't go away....because I really didn't want to spend the money.  The only exception is my OB/GYN - 4 babies over 10 years kept me going there regularly :).   Not that any of that really matters, I am just trying to establish that I haven't been to the doc in a long while. 

ANYWAY, if you have been following my personal fitness journey this year, you already know that I have been struggling.  I have gained weight that I can't seem to get to budge, regardless of my diet or exercise.   I find that I am feeling really run down a lot more often that not.  I've been moody a lot more lately, and in the past 2 months, I have had problems with acne.  I know, crazy at 37 to have issues with acne.  I haven't had those sorts of problems since right after I had my youngest son.  Sounds a lot like a hormone imbalance here!!!!  So, I put on my big girl panties and made an appointment with the doctor.  Glad I did.  The doc decided to run a Complete Metabolic Panel, TSH test (checking my thyroid), and an EBV test (checking for mono).  I was told it would take a few days to get the results, so not I hurry up and wait.  I will be sure to post with what I find out.  I know I am looking forward to getting some answers about whether my issues can be diagnosed so that I can make changes that will lead to some better progress toward my goals. 

Why do I NEED to do all of this?  Why is it important that I keep working toward my goals, even against the obstacles that keep getting in my way?

THIS is why

I need to be at my best, so I can be at their best!

On Demand - I gotta share

This Beachbody on Demand thing is the BOMB!!! It is like Netflix for Beachbody workout programs (eating plans and workout calendars are all available there too).  I have been mixing and matching several shorter workouts this week, creating my own 30+ minute workout. Yesterday,  I started with 10 Minute Trainer Total Body...let me tell you, these 10 Minute Trainer workouts are CRAZY good for a 10 minute workout!!! Then I jumped into Brazil Butt Lift Bum Bum Rapido...Holy Booty!! Then I finished it all off with some ChaLean Extreme Ab Burner. Awesomeness!!

It is great because even though I am actually doing a LONGER workout that I normally would, it FEELS like I am doing shorter ones.  It is really nice to piece things together and really chang eup the pace of my workouts!

Interested in giving On Demand a try FREE for 30 days?   See the link at the end of this post.  I also encourage you to give Shakeology a try with your Beachbody on Demand FREE trial.  Check out the fantastic Super Sampler pack HERE!
***This is for folks NOT already working with a coach. If you are already working with a Beachbody coach, please contact your coach for details.

http://teambeachbody.com/tbbsignup/-/tbbsignup/club?referringRepId=263743

Bad Day

We all have them.  They take us by surprise and beat us down.  Today was one of those days for me.  The day was already going to be busy, with little time in between for any "extra" stuff.  If I haven't mentioned it on here before, I home school my older 3 kiddos.  My youngest is in preschool (mama needs him out of the house ;) ).  The home school program that we use requires us to participate in the state standardized tests.  They set up testing locations, and us parents have to transport the kids to and from the tests.  Well, unfortunately for me, the testing location that we are always assigned to, is clear across town from my youngest son's preschool.  I had to have each child at their locations, and pick them up within 30 minutes of each other today.  PLUS, we only have one car, so I had to manage to get my husband to and from appointments throughout the day.  Between that and a little stressor that set me off this morning (no need to get into it on here), I had a bad day.  No workout (which I probably REALLY needed to de-stress), and I let myself succumb to emotional eating....including the big bowl of Death by Chocolate ice cream that I had....that I specifically went to the store to buy late this evening....so I COULD stress eat.

Why and I sharing this story...or what seems to be a whiny rambling?  Well, I want you to know that I am normal.  JUST like you, I have good days and bad days.  JUST like you, I have choices to make.  JUST like you, I sometimes make the wrong choices.  Here's the thing.  I let today get to me.  I let it get me down.  I let it take over my better judgement.  But, I KNOW that tomorrow is a NEW day.  The slate will be clean.  New choices will be made, and what happened today DOES NOT MATTER.  Don't be afraid to fail every once in awhile.  Failure is what keeps us moving toward new goals. 

Spring mode

I am really enjoying the nice spring weather that we have been getting in Ohio.  The warmer temps are perfect for getting outside to walk or run.  I even enjoy the rain....so relaxing.  I am going to be honest, last week I really let my workouts slack.  I skipped a few days, and I picked workouts for the days that I DID workout.  It happens.  Sometimes life gets in the way, or your body sends you messages that you need a little rest.  I took a break, and I am not ashamed.  I even splurged on my eating this weekend.  I just kept eating those darn jelly beans...even when I wasn't hungry...those things are addicting!  Now that it is Monday, I am ready to jump back on the healthy wagon.  I am starting another round of the 21 Day Fix Extreme workouts.  You might be wondering if I ever do workouts WITHOUT following a program.  The truth is, when I don't follow a program, I end up picking workouts that are easy....or I tend to skip a bunch of days.  It makes it easier for me to use excuses.    When I follow a program, I feel like I HAVE to follow the program schedule.  If I skip a day, I always feel like I need to go make up that workout.  It really does keep me on track.

So here's to day 1 and Plyo Fix Extreme :)

Stats update.  I really didn't lose any weight in March.  I didn't expect to, since I was building muscle with Body Beast. I did lose a few inches in my waist and chest, which was nice.  I really enjoyed the increased number of calories I was allowed to have with the Body Beast program.  Talk about A LOT of FOOD!!!  I will be taking my progress pics in a few days after the jelly bean candy bloat goes down ;)

Please feel free to comment or leave questions in the comments.  I am always curious that my readers are thinking.