Day 6 is now complete -- only 4 more days to go!
For breakfast today, I tried to have some quinoa "oatmeal." Although I'm not supposed to have dairy, I finished the quinoa off with a little bit of fat free half-and-half. It was NOT very successful... It just wasn't sweet enough to consider it "oatmeal." Luckily I only had a small amount to eat. I found out tonight, however, that I can eat normal quick-cooking oats. Apparently they are gluten-free. Who knew?! Also, although I can't use any added sugars or sweeteners, I CAN use Agave Nectar, which has a very low glycemic index so it does not spike the blood sugar. Usually, when I make oatmeal, I use 100% Maple Syrup (not the fake kind - the REAL kind). I was informed tonight that Agave Nectar can be used to do the same thing. SWEET! (hehe) Also, I can drink ALMOND milk, so I can use that to cream-up my oatmeal a little bit. I am definitely going to be making this tomorrow for breakfast!!!!
I had sunny-side up eggs for breakfast this morning. Some people get bored of eating eggs for breakfast every day, but for me, the way they're prepared makes it seem like a completely different food for me. I often eat scrambled eggs. That's easy. When I'm getting bored of scrambled, I change it up by doing poached - which I FAILED at last week - or sunny-side up/over easy. This gives a completely different taste, because there's a clear difference between the egg whites and the creamy, runny egg yolk. I LOVE runny yolks. The eggs this morning went MUCH better than the poached ones did last week! Take a look!
You can also see the soccer-game oranges on the left and the spark on the upper right. The "oatmeal" was still cooking at this point. Ugh.
Breakfast was late again today, so lunch got a little screwy. I had fruits for snacks today - banana, grapes, etc. - and had a tomato and cucumber salad for lunch. This was simply chopped cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, italian seasoning, and I cheated again with the dairy and added a TEENY bit of parmesan cheese.
Dinner tonight was baked chicken with broccoli and brown rice, all with a bit of soy sauce. Yum. My mom asked me today, "aren't you sick of chicken and vegetables?" Argh.
Tonight at the grocery store I got some sweet potatoes to make some breakfast hash and have some baked potatoes with dinners, and some spaghetti squash and organic, gluten free, dairy free pasta sauce to change things up a bit. The sauce is "Grandpa's Sauce gone Vegetarian." Hehe.
Still feeling very stuffy - hoping this goes away. While I was running today, the stuffiness went away totally. The second I stopped running, it came back. UGH.
Tomorrow is one more day where I get to skip the fiber drink. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday finishes up the last 3, ugh. I found out tonight that I should try mixing some Spark in with it to make it taste better. I got a few packets of a Pink Lemonade Spark. I tried it tonight, REALLY good, so hopefully that helps make the fiber drink more bearable.
Long day tomorrow - here's to a happy monday!
Thanks for reading!
Day 5 completed
Today was a little different than the past 4 days have been, mostly because it was a weekend. YAY!
Firstly, I'll start off by saying I feel like I got hit with a bus ... out of no where, a cold came on yesterday that has left me really congested, and the amount of pressure I have in my sinuses and head is unbelievable. I'm still not sure if all the little headaches I got the first few days were just this cold coming on. Who knows.
I started out the "morning" at about 11:30, and had a Spark to wake me up for breakfast. I tried a new recipe today, since I had a little more time on my hands than I usually do in the mornings. What I had are "pancakes," which sound so incredibly illegal for the cleanse portion, but they were not!
These gluten free, low calorie "pancakes" were so simple - it is just one mashed ripe banana mixed with two beaten eggs. THAT'S IT! As I was mixing it up, I was thinking to myself, "this isn't going to turn out as good as they looked." I was proven wrong, however, when I found that they did in fact fry like normal pancakes, with a very similar consistency. From one medium banana and two eggs, I got two decent sized pancakes out of it. I sliced up some strawberries, microwaved them for about 1 minute to get them warm and melty, and served them on top. This was a GREAT breakfast! I definitely will be trying it again.
I had a class for soccer today, and was in a classroom for 3 hours straight. I brought some almonds and some grapes to snack on, as well as my orange that I didn't eat at breakfast.
The evening was weird because I had a game at Blue Cross Arena that started at 7:00. I had to be there at 5:30, which is just awkward for eating. Usually, the crew after the game goes to eat at Dinosaur BBQ since it's a block down the road, and I usually spend 3/5 of my game fee from the night on a pulled pork sandwich. I knew I didn't want to go to Dino, because I didn't want to be tempted, but also didn't want to be the weirdo sitting eating nothing. I planned ahead.
Since I recently found out that I am permitted to eat brown rice and beans, I decided to splurge... and I got CHIPOTLE.
I love Chipotle, always... it's one of mine and Matt's favorites. Their burritos are the BEST, and their salads are great as well. I also went through a phase of getting a kids meal there. It's a great deal - for less than 5 bucks you can get a fairly small chicken-and-cheese quesadilla, with a side of rice, beans, a small drink, and a small bag of chips. GREAT DEAL, filling (for me at least), and also is a delicious sampler of everything. I also like the fact that they use organic grass-fed meat, etc. It felt guilty, but it wasn't really that guilty! I got a salad with brown rice, black beans (the pinto beans are cooked with bacon), chicken, with some medium salsa (just for the tomatoes), and medium salsa (which is a nice kick). I usually get the medium corn salsa, but I can't eat corn. No biggie. The salad was DELICIOUS. I had to give up the sour cream and cheese that I usually get, and also wasn't about to spend $3 adding guacamole just for its healthy fat benefits. Although this meal was a little bit more calories than I would usually have on a meal, it made up for the fact that I didn't really eat 3 meals today.
Game tonight went well, and I was able to skip out right after to avoid Dinosaur, which would have made my headache even worse.
I got to enjoy another day without a fiber drink this morning (I think I go back to them on Monday). I also only had one Spark today. I also slept a lot more last night than I usually do, but I think the complex carbs from the beans and rice might have helped with energy as well.
Tomorrow for breakfast, I am going to incorporate either sweet potatoes and/or quinoa. I'm not sure whether to go sweet or savory with them? I think one day I'll try a "breakfast potatoes" with the sweet potatoes, including some peppers and onions. Then maybe I'll do a quinoa and sweet potato "oatmeal" kind of thing, with berries and nuts maybe. I might, with just quinoa, add a LITTLE BIT of fat-free half and half at the end of the cooking process to make it a little creamy, and add cinnamon to make it oatmealy.
YAY FOR MORE OPTIONS!
Thanks for reading - happy weekend!
Whew ... Day 4 is done with, and I am EXHAUSTED! What a busy first week back to school!
So, I just found out something, and I'm not very happy about it ...
I had a link for a "Great Foods" list, which listed what I should be eating, what quantities, and what should not be eaten during the 24-Day Challenge. The page that I was looking at said "Avoid starches during Phase 1." This included brown rice, quinoa, and sweet potatoes. Well, I just found out that I SHOULD have been eating these things all along! No wonder I haven't felt ANY improvements whatsoever in my energy levels. I haven't been fueling my body correctly! UGH! I am a little frustrated - I have been following the program incorrectly for the past 4 days - this is 40% of the cleanse! I guess this is a better alternative than if I had eaten them and wasn't allowed to. So, I am bummed that I have spent 4 days doing the wrong thing, BUT the good news is now I can eat rice and quinoa!
This hash makes breakfast look a little bit more interesting! I found a recipe for a quinoa and sweet potato hash for breakfast. should be interesting to play around with some new ideas. Maybe quinoa and/or sweet potato with some cinnamon will make it seem breakfasty?
Here is what I ate today:
-Spark with breakfast
-2 eggs + 2 egg whites scrambled
-NO FIBER DRINK! WOOHOO!
-Orange sliced soccer game style
-Salad with mixed greens, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocado
-Banana (right after my workout)
-Pear
-Blueberries
-Grapes
-Almonds
-Canned tuna served in a whole, hollowed out tomato, warmed up in the oven, with sliced bell peppers on the side.
Workout this morning was lifting and cardio on the elliptical.
I have a headache tonight, again - but I also have a HUGELY stuffy nose. I'm not sure if I have a headache because I'm sick, or because of the challenge. Maybe I am sick because of the challenge, and have a headache because of it? Who knows. Hopefully adding some complex carbohydrates will help balance everything out.
The weekend is probably going to be tough, simply due to the fact that I will be out of a "routine." I also will be busy tomorrow from 1-4 and 5-11, and again on Sunday from 12-2, 3-5, and 5-7. WHEW. The good news is ... my bed and I will be seeing a lot more of each other tonight! Not setting an alarm tomorrow!
HAPPY WEEKEND! Thanks for reading.
Day 3 of my 24-Day Challenge is complete!
After taking Catalyst with Spark after eating some food first, I didn't feel any of the weirdness that I felt yesterday morning. Scrambled eggs with chopped peppers, and an orange sliced soccer game-style were breakfast again today. Another Fiber Drink was also on the menu. I literally gagged and almost spit it all back up trying to drink it! The good news is, I have 4 days where I don't have to drink any of the fiber drinks! WOOHOO!
I got to sleep in this morning - until 6:30! It's sad that I am excited about that. Workout today was a sprint workout on the track. Garmin Watch says it was 5 miles, but that can't be accurate. A little under 500 calories. It was a good start to the day!
Lunch was my usual big salad, and dinner tonight was chicken breast with broccoli. I made Matt chicken with the same BBQ seasoning I used. He got to have BBQ sauce on his too, boo. I also made him some mashed potatoes. I didn't eat any, but I tried them to make sure there was enough salt/pepper/etc... and they were damn good mashed potatoes... I was jealous. Snacks have continued to be fruit (bananas, apples, pears, grapes, blueberries), as well as some almonds.
I have been having some tummy troubles today, probably because my body is just trying to clean itself out and get rid of all of the toxins. I'm hoping the uncomfortable feelings and grumblings stop soon!
I just came across this quote, and it really resonantes with me. I have been guilty of this in the past, I'll admit. I have complained about my weight. I have complained about my fitness. I have complained about getting not-so-great grades. This quote is a reminder that you have no right to complain about something if you are not willing to roll up your sleeves (that's one of my favorite ASL signs) and do something about it. I don't want to accuse anyone or point fingers, but I think this could serve as a reminder for people. The next time you complain about something, let that little light bulb come on inside your head, and ask if you have the right to complain. Instead of saying, "I'm so fat, I am the fattest girl in my class," or saying "I keep getting bad grades, this major sucks," say to yourself "this is how I am feeling - what can I do to change it?" Motivate yourself to do something about your weight, and seek advice on how to change your study habits.
I said at the beginning that even though it would be hard to give up chocolate, candy, sugar, coffee, pasta, bread, etc., but that I could do almost anything for just 10 days. Well, I am 30% of the way through, and not turning back!
I am not looking forward to the challenges of the weekend, with temptation lurking around every corner.
Happy weekend, everyone! Thanks again for following along.
Day 2 completed ... which means only 8 more of the strict cleanse phase!
The day started off not-so-good ... the fact that I have been getting 6 hours of sleep/night hasn't been helping anything, I'm sure. I am tired - mentally and physically. Today's requirements for supplements etc. were the same as yesterday -- Catalyst with Spark on an empty stomach before breakfast. I did this - and as I was making breakfast, I all of a sudden got hot, dizzy, nauseous, to the point where I had to lay down for a few minutes because I felt so awful. Have you ever felt this way if you've taken a vitamin on an empty stomach? Yuck. Luckily, everything ended okay. From now on, I will wait until I eat before I take the pills.
Breakfast was scrambled eggs (2 whole eggs, 2 servings of carton egg whites) with chopped peppers. Big salad again for lunch today, with some extra chicken for more calories. Dinner was a salad, two tilapia filets, and some roasted asparagus.
Feeling better mentally/emotionally -- hopefully this continues!
Starting Numbers, for comparison purposes... I'll do these measures again at the end.
18.9% Body Fat
Right Arm 11"
Shoulders 41.5"
Chest 35"
Waist 29"
Hips 43.5"
Right Thigh 24"
Right Calf 16"
Total: 200"
Thank you for following!
Today is Day 1 for my 24-Day Challenge. Days 1-10 require 100% clean eating (nothing that comes from a can, package, or box).
I have a checklist for what I have to do each day. It's confusing, but hopefully I'll get used to it. On top of the basic products in the photo above, I opted to (pay more in order to) add the Catalyst product. This ensures you don't lose muscle mass during the challenge. Although some people might not be as concerned about this, I have been lifting weights 3 days/week for the last 5 months, so it was important to me!
This morning I had to take 3 Catalyst pills with Spark Energy Drink when I woke up, on an empty stomach. Then, with breakfast (poached eggs - and I messed them up. not good), I had to drink an Herbal Cleanse Fiber Drink. It was Peaches & Cream flavored, which sounds good, but ugh.. GRITTY! I definitely need to figure out a different way to drink it.
For lunch, I ate a BIG salad -- spring mix/spinach, chicken breast, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, half of a cucumber, all with olive oil and balsamic vinegar -- which was satisfying. Snacks today have included an apple, raw almonds, baby carrots, blueberries, and strawberries. I had another Spark Energy Drink around 4pm (which is when I usually crash). I didn't feel the "instant energy" that I had anticipated feeling based on what I was told. I have been advised to keep eating clean, and that some people don't feel the energy burst as quickly until they have been eating clean for a few days.
Dinner tonight is chicken with green beans. I have a headache, and am thinking it might be from too few calories for the day. Based on advisement from a Registered Dietician, I should consume about 2000 calories/day to lose weight without putting my body in storage/starvation mode. (During the whole challenge, I will be continuing with the workouts that I have been prescribed by my running coach, Nate. This morning's burned over 600 calories.) Today, I will have only consumed 1500 calories. This is NOT enough -- I am going to try to eat some more fruit when I get home, but it's LATE! I definitely need to plan ahead for tomorrow. I am going to try adding some more protein into my diet. My salad today only had half of a chicken breast - I am going to add more.
Consensus so far for Day 1: not feeling any changes yet. I haven't been hungry, but this headache right now is kinda hurting... Need to consume more calories for Day 2. Stay tuned!
The past few days, I have been feeling kind of blah. I can't put my finger on what's going on. My mind is racing in so many directions, and I have my focus spread so thin that I really am not focusing on anything. I have an awful feeling in my gut, the one you get right before or right after you've made a mistake, or something bad happens. It's a terribly uncomfortable feeling.
I am hoping that my negative feelings are just the result of the stress I am feeling coming back to school. Due to the quarter system at RIT, our first week back after a nice two week break is Week 5 out of our 10-week quarter. Have you ever tried jumping onto a treadmill that is going 15mph? That's how it feels coming back to this.
I have no reason to be unhappy -- I came home on Saturday to my wonderful, loving boyfriend; I just had a great Christmas and New Year at home with my family; I am keeping myself busy with work and school and soccer. I can't put my finger on what is wrong... I just feel "off," and not like myself. The only thing I have going against me is that I strive to be "perfect" -- I want to eat great, workout often, change my sheets every 2 weeks, cook all my own meals, get As in school, do all my homework, be the best girlfriend I can, etc. I understand that it's impossible to be perfect. I get that. I just always strive to be as close to perfect as possible. Sometimes, there just aren't enough hours in the day for perfection.
I, as many people did, ate a bunch of CRAP over the holidays. I "only" gained 3 pounds (although it took me about twice as long to lose that 3 pounds as it did to gain it back). I am thinking/hoping that the reason for my melancholy state is because I am stressed, and I have been eating a load of junk.
On that note ... here's to a fresh start for the new year.
I have never heard of AdvoCare before. I have a friend who graduated from RIT a little while ago who did it months ago, and I played right along with the sale they were trying to do. AdvoCare reminds me a lot of Mary Kay in terms of the "business" aspect... if you "work" for them, you get a discount, and you can make money selling their products to other people. At this point, I am just trying the AdvoCare 24-Day Challenge for the first time. I am skeptical. Not going to lie, I spent a LOT of money getting what I needed and more, and becoming a Distributor just so I could get the 20% discount forever (it meant me spending $80 to become a distributor in order to save $60 right off the bat). Again, I played into the trap, and am just hoping it's worth it.
My plan is to give you a 100% honest view of my experience with AdvoCare's 24-Day Challenge. That way, if I love it at the end of the 24 days, you can see my journey and become inspired. Or, if I hate it, you can see my journey and decide for yourself to never fall into the expensive trap that I did.
I am hoping this challenge will change my life, even if it's just temporarily. I am not doing this as a weight-loss tactic - although I am going to enjoy that side effect. What I am hoping to get out of this challenge is a better lifestyle with a fresh, NUTRITIOUS start. I am hoping to increase my energy, and just feel GREAT about myself and my life. I am hoping this will kickstart healthy habits that I employ on an ongoing basis, which will ultimately aid my refereeing career.
Here's to a better version of myself.
