Before's and After's

Finally, I have the time to post these! Between my boys first birthday planning and party, I took a little longer than expected! I am so happy with the results and even happier that this was done within 24 days (and the healthy, right way). Well, here they are...I can definetly see a difference in my hip and leg areas, can't you?!

Final Weigh In

So this morning, first thing I did was weigh myself. I was sooo anxious to find out where I am at. I have been weighing myself on the same scale (my wii) for accuracy. The thing I love about the wii is that it gives me my BMI as well. My BMI is at 22.06. Below you can see my start weight and BMI. So,  drum roll pleeeease......I am at 129.2!!!!! I did it, my pre preg weight! I am so proud of myself I think I am going to celebrate with some cake! Ha, just kidding. Later in the day I thougt I would try on those jeans I had tried in the middle of the challenge. One pair that I was able to button but were wayy too tight and uncomfortable to wear, well those bad boys fit!! I wore them today :). Looks like thats the end of this blog, I really hope I was able to inspire some healthy eating tips and motivation for anyone that wants to make a smart change for their health. If anyone has questions about my challenge or want to start a challenge of your own, let me know. I'd love to push you in the right direction!

Start weight : 134.5
End weight: 129.2
Total loss: 5.3 lbs

Start BMI: 23.15
End BMI: 22.06
Total BMI loss: 1.09

Go me!!

Day 24!!

The day has arrived! My very last day on the challenge and it feels so good to have completed it. This whole 24 days has given me more than what feels to be like my old body back but it has given me the strength and motivation to change my diet for the better and forever.  The major change I made was I have given up dairy. I really didn't think I was going to get any satisfaction from soy cheese but I love it! I have also given up butter and use absolutely zero condiments. The main thing I use are lemons, olive oil and spices for flavor. When I first started this challenge, looking at the suggested meal plan I thought it would be hard and less than satisfying, boy was I wrong! With a little research and recipe searching, I have found this clean eating to be super delicious.
Also, the past two days I have added Catalyst to my daily pill intake. Catalyst is an amino acide supplement that supports muscle tone and enhances strength and energy. I've heard this product to literally melt off the fat 10x faster when working out. I take 3 pills in the morning and 3 pills before I workout. It maybe just me but my stomach looks a lot more defined already. I wish I would of taken my measurements on my first day because I know my inches lost is going to be higher than my weight, I can tell by how my clothes are fitting, or should I say falling. I think to give you guys an idea of "inches lost" is to take a few pics of how my clothes are fitting, Im not sure ywt but I want to show somehow.
I am going to be posting my final weigh in tomorrow morning and I am soo anxious and excited to know where I am at now. My goal was the be at my pre pregnancy weight which was 129, but either way I am super satisfied with where I am at but definetly not stopping here. I am going to keep strong and keep on!

Day 18

So I took a few days away from blogging so I don't end up sounding like a broken record, repeating the same thing day after day but I figure I should write today so you dont think I fell off the wagon. I am still here going strong. I do need to hit the grocery store so my meals the past few days have been less than exciting. I have decided to challenge myself even more and stay off the scale until my 24 days are up, it's definetly hard and I am very curious. Last week I went to my cardio barre class, I found an amazing deal on living social for 10 classes and Tuesday was my first class. It was the best workout I have had in years, and the most intense since before pregnancy. I plan to go every Tuesday and hopefully able to squeeze a Thursday every once in awhile. Along with my cardio class last week, I also started running again using my c25k app. So far I am done with week one and will start week 2 on monday. I just got done writing out my grocery list for todays trip and here are some of the things I plan on getting:
shrimp, tomato, avocado, onion, almond butter, brown rice cakes, apples, kiwi, strawberries, limes, jalepenos, green beans, broccoli, spring mix lettuce, cucmber, zucchini, mixed nuts, brown eggs, salmon and grapefruit.
I already have bulgar and quinoa and whole grain breads so I will be able to come up with lots of food ideas with just these items. I actually cant wait to get in the kitchen for tonights dinner, which I found on Pinterest. Well, only about 6 more days left on this challenge, keeping my fingers crossed that I am at least back at my pre pregnancy weight which is 129.

Day 13

Not much is very different from yesterday except my weight went up 0.2 which brings me to 131.2, no biggie. Also I thought today's dinner was very post worthy. I had grilled swordfish topped with a mango/jalapeno salsa (which was also homemade by my amazing husband) with whole grain brown rice and grilled nopales (cactus). It was such a great meal and a very healthy one at that...again thanks to my husband :). My other meals today were: a meal replacement shake for breakfast...after my spark and mns pills. Mid morning snack were two rice cakes with almond butter. Lunch I had leftover millet mixed with veggies and an avocado and mid day snack was a banana. Getting ready to start day  two with my couch 2 5k app and snuggle up with my hubby, he deserves it after all of his hard work in the kitchen!

Day 12

I know the day isn't over yet, but who knows if I will have the time tonight to post. This morning I lost 0.2 which brings me to 131 even. 129 was my weight before baby and even though I am almost there, it's not my goal I was curious to see how my old jeans would fit since my current jeans are loose so I broke them out knowing if I don't fit thats ok and if I do, even better. Some actually did button to my surprise! The ones that were 100% cotton were the ones I still have to work into buttoning but the others fit, but I think I need to loose a lil more in the buttox lol. Now I know after a woman has a baby her body actually changes and I know I may or may not ever get to fit in some of those jeans bc of that and I accept that but I am going to keep trying! So today was't any different than yesterday. We did go out to breakfast but that wasn't a problem. I had a veggie omlette no cheese and no butter or oils and whilethe veggies gave it flavor I topped it with some salsa. I broke the rules and skipped my mid morning snack and for lunch I had millet mixed with celery, carrots, green beans, corn and zucchini with herbs and pepper. It was delicious! While my lil one napped I decided I should put this free time to use and run on my treadmill, so I started the couch 2 5k run using my app. After my run I had my mid day snack of two oranges. And here I am. I already know dinner I am going to have my famous salad with red wine vinegar and adding almonds tonight for some protein. 12 days down...12 to go!!

Day 11

So my day was hectic yesterday, my boys sure wore me out! So yesterdays weigh in I lost 0.4 which brought me to131.6. But its not just about the number, my pants are definetly bigger on me, more in the waist and starting to become more loose in the butt, thigh area! First day on the second phase was great. I was always one to have problems taking pills, when I was pregnant I would gag trying to take prenatals. I never could do it and knew there was a way around it....prenatal gummies, thats how bad I was. Now, I have TONS of pills, horse pills to take and I know there is no way around to acheive this goal so I woMAN'd up and am a pro. It's really not so bad. The second phase is really no different, just more pills (MNS) and I have my meal replacement shake if I want to take it. No more fiber or probiotics. Started my day off with spark and before breakfast mns pills. 30 mins later was breakfast (meal replacement shake) and my two with breakfast mns pill packs. For lunch I made a dish which consisted of egg, shredded soy cheese and my choice veggies that were sauteed together before combining and thrown in a pyrex dish to be baked in the oven. It was like a huge omlette, except the recipe called it a crustless quiche...whatever, still great! Oh, I added avocado to it. For an afternoon snack I had a few whole grain crackers and dinner was a nice big veggie salad with more steamed veggies on the side. If some days it seems to you that my meals are repeatitive or boring, it's because I am the only one in my house that eats like this...my 11 mth old will share w me sometimes but I don't really like to cook huge meals for myself. Anyway....for night snack I had a kiwi and one rice cake with almond butter. I know it seems like alot but the meal portions changed a bit which is nice. So far so good on phase 2....tonight tune back for day 12!

Day 10

Today is the last day of my cleansing phase. Ten days and lost 2.9lbs and I know I lost inches since my jeans are a little loose on me. These ten days have shed so much light on me as far as the true importance of eating healthy and how easy and delicious it can be. This product and challenge finally gave me the strength to make the change once and for all. The fact that my blood test results for my cholesterol and glucose came back amazing is proof that this product is really good for me and safe. I cant tell you how many times I have tried to do this on my own only to fail. I know I will be able to keep this up.
Now, onto today....Just as I suspected, no weight loss or gain but I still feel amazing. The day started with Spark and probiotics and fiber 30mins later. Breakfast was strawberries and mid morning snack were 2 hard boiled eggs. Lunch was a nice salad with yellow peppers, cucumber, mushroom and topped w bruscetta as a dressing. I made some sweet potato fries the night before for lunch so I had a nice handful of those along w my salad. Mid day snack was an apple and for dinner...drumroll please....I created a healthy, advocare friendly pizza! I was craving pizza but couldn't find any whole wheat dough without flour so I used my whole wheat round bread (thin like pita) and put (no salt added) tomato sauce with organic soy cheese and zucchini, onions and broccoli. Seriously cured my craving for pizza and my 11 month old loved it too! For tonights snack I am having a kiwi then it's off to bed to start day 11..weight loss phase!!!

Day 9

Weight this morning 131.6 which means I lost 0.7. Total loss thus far 2.9lbs :) I am only 2.9 lbs away from my pre pregnancy weight but more for the weight I want to be.  I only started doing the elipticle at a few nights ago at very low level, not even breaking a sweat just so I don't overdue it; so I am very happy with this number. Tomorrow is my last day on the first phase of this challenge and I am SO excited to start the second. More calorie intake = intense working out! I miss working out at my fullest but I'll be there soon!
Today I feel like I over ate. Heres my breakdown..This morning started off with Spark and probiotic pills. 30 mins later was Fiber then I had an apple for breakfast; mid morning snack was a handful of almonds. For lunch I had a large amount of left over veggies from last nights dinner and 1/4 cup of bulgar AND hummus with whole grain pita bread. That's what I probably should of/could of left out but I felt like I needed more protein and I knew the hummus and pita had some. Since I don't eat meat it's one of my worries that I am not getting enough of. Mid day snack I had a pear and dinner, again, I think I overdid it :( I made whole grain noodles and as a sauce I used Bruscetta. The bruscetta I found was from Trader Joe's and was made with only tomato, basil, olive oil, and garlic. But I had a bowl and a half of it :( Honestly, I can feel and see the change in my stomach, I feel huge LOL. I couldn't help it though, it was SOOO good but I've learned my lesson and my eyes were definetly bigger than my stomach. So tomorrow I wouldn't be surprised if the scale doesn't budge or budges upwards :/ To help with that hopefully not happening, I did 30 mins on the elipticle and going to squeeze in about 100 sit ups when I finish up here.
Feelings today have been the same as any other, very alert, not tired and feeling great. As I was getting dressed this morning, I was already able to see a difference in my jeans. The waist is baggy as well as the butt/leg part :) My stomach hasn't been this flat for more than a year! I already want to go splurge on a pair of jeans but of course that's going to have to wait until day 25, when I am done with my challenge :) Well, off to do some sit ups!!

Day 8

Today was fabulous! Not only because I weighed myself this morning to find I have lost 1.1lbs (which brings me to 2.2 total loss, now at 132.3), but we had a wellness screening at work that offered cholesteral and glucose screening. Of course I went and come to find my results were "phenomial", as the tech said! Below I have posted my results. This just goes to show that Advocare is no joke and it is working; good for me inside and out! Doing this challenge is really showing me how important eating healthy really is, how much I enjoy and want to make this a lifelong change and how delicious healthy eating can be! Once my challenge is complete I plan on continuing with this healthy way of life. Of course every once in awhile will indulge in a chocolate here or carb filled pasta dish there, but with moderation. I really do feel better inside and out!

Now, onto todays menu: Fiber was back on my list so after Spark and probiotic pills, I had my fiber. For breakfast I had half a banana. Mid morning snack I had two hard boiled brown eggs. Lunch was my whole grain veggie pita sandwhich with spicy hummus spread and 1 brown rice cake with almond butter. I brought two cakes with me but I was pretty full so I saved the other for my mid day snack. For dinner I had a salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms with red wine vinager with a side of ovean roasted broccoli, zucchini and asparagus. I knew I needed some protein so I had a small amount of tuna. Tonight is another round on my elipticle catching up on my 16 & pregnant episodes, I plan on 45mins.
I'm coming close to the end of my first phase and I cannot wait to start the second!
My cholesterol/glucose results (writing in red is definition from online source)

Glucose level- 95mg/dl (my levels were on a non-fasting basis)
A blood glucose test measures the amount of a type of sugar, called glucose, in your blood. Glucose comes from carbohydrate foods. It is the main source of energy used by the body. Blood glucose levels that remain high over time can damage your eyes, kidneys, nerves, and blood vessels.
Fasting Glucose Level Ranges: 60-99=Normal

100-125=Pre-Diabetes

126 and higher=Diabetes

Non-Fasting Glucose Level Ranges: <140=Normal

140-200=Pre-Diabetes

200 and higher=Diabetes

LDL- 85mg/dl
LDL cholesterol can build up on the walls of your arteries and increase your chances of getting heart disease. That is why LDL cholesterol is referred to as "bad" cholesterol. The lower your LDL cholesterol number, the lower your risk. The table below explains what the numbers mean.

LDL Cholesterol	LDL-Cholesterol Category
Less than 100	Optimal
100 - 129	Near optimal/above optimal
130 - 159	Borderline high
160 - 189	High
190 and above	Very high

Triglycerides- 54mg/dl
Triglycerides are the chemical form in which most fat exists in food and the body. A high triglyceride level has been linked to higher risk of coronary artery disease. Here's the breakdown.

Triglycerides	Triglyceride Category
Less than 150	Normal
150 - 199	Mildly High
200 - 499	High
500 or higher	Very high

HDL- 85mg/dl
When it comes to HDL cholesterol -- "good" cholesterol -- the higher the number, the lower your risk. This is because HDL cholesterol protects against heart disease by taking the "bad" cholesterol out of your blood and keeping it from building up in your arteries. The table below explains what the numbers mean

HDL Cholesterol	HDL-Cholesterol Category
60 and above	High; Optimal; associated with lower risk
Less than 40 in men and less than 50 in women	Low; considered a risk factor for heart disease

Total Cholesterol- 177mg/dl
Your total blood cholesterol is a measure of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and other lipid components. Doctors recommend total cholesterol levels below 200

Total Cholesterol	Category
Less than 200	Desirable
200 - 239	Mildly High
240 and above	High

BMI (Body Mass Index) - 22
Body Mass Index is a tool for measuring weight vs height. A high BMI rate is just one of many factors for develping a chronic disease (cancer, diabetes)
Ranges: Below 18.5= Low

18.5-24.9-Normal

25.0-29.9: High (Pre-Obese)

30.0 or more=Very High (Obesity)

 

Body Fat %- 27%

Body Composition refers to the quality or make-up of your total body mass. Your total weight is a combination of bone, ligament, tendon, organs, fluid, muscle and fat. This is to determine the percentage of fat in the body.

Women Ranges: Age 20-39 years= 21-33%

 

Of course I can work on the BMI and Body Fat but other than that....GO ME!! Thanks to Advocare!

Recipe sharing!

I was looking up recipes online and thought to myself, I should share them through my blog! I would of just sent it to my friend and Advocare distributor but this way everyone could see it. So I think what I'll do is weekly, or more depending on what I come across, I'll share recipes I find. My first share is Kale Avocado Pesto! It's super simple and have all the ingredients already. This is perfect for me since I am staying away from pasta sauces and looks like it would pair perfectly....with anything!  I'll make it tomorrow and follow up on the outcome but seriously, I highly doubt it isn't good. I mean, who doesn't love avocados!!

http://wholefamilyfare.blogspot.com/2011/05/raw-kale-avocado-pesto.html

Day 7

Weight lost this am: 0.4 which brings me back to 133.4 :) Nice to see that 0.4 gone again! Today was a great day all in all. I prepared a delicious lunch the night before which I'll get into in a sec. I actually had time this morning to make myself a nice breakfast. I had 2 eggs scrambled with onion, broccoli, onions and peppers. It fit in my son's little baby bowl, just so you can get an idea of how much I ate of it. For lunch; the night before I prepared a super delicious meal which consisted of salmon, cooked with lemon and olive oil, along with steamed mixed veggies and bulgar. I didn't use any butter or salt in any of the dishes and it still tasted just as good. For dinner I made a sandwhich on whole grain pita bread and for spread I used a spicy hummus I purchase from Trader Joe's. In the sandwhich I added lettuce, orange peppers, onion, cucumber and tomato; that filled me up perfectly! For a mid morning snack I had a large banana and mid afternoon snack I had 7 whole grain crackers, which were also really good. Since I was told not to work out during the first 10 days of this challenge because calorie intake was so low, until today I had stayed away from doing so. On my 15 min break today I took a walk and tonight I did about 25 mins on my elipticle while watching 16 & Pregnant, lol. I miss working out so much and haven't done so in a few weeks so I want to get back into it slowly. Next week I get to go to my barre class which I am VERY much looking forward to. During my elipticle workout tonight, I felt completely fine; didn't feel dizzy or anything so I think I am going to add on tomorrow night, maybe hit the treadmill :)
Last night I have to admit, I almost failed! My husband, who by the way can eat a box of Oreo's in one sitting and actually loose a pound, was sitting next to me eating Cinnamon Bun ice cream from Ben and Jerry's. If you haven't tasted it,  take my word, it is absolutely amazing! I actually asked him for a bite! Ahh, just admitting it makes me cringe! And the amazing hubby he is, he declined. He said I am not going to let you ruin it, if you want a bite so bad you get up, get your own spoon, and get a bite!! He knew I wouldn't and I am soooo glad he didn't let me give into temptation! The only thing I really do crave and miss is cheese. I came across a vegean cheese at the store and when the challenge is over and I can start eating cheese moderately, I am going to make the switch to that kind. This program is really helping me WANT to change my ways and I actually really love it. The food is still amazing and I feel great! Let's just hope tonight, my husband doesn't join me on the couch with a Reece's PB Cup!!!

Day 6

This morning I stepped on the scale to find I had gained my 0.4 that I lost yesterday. So now I am back at 133.8, I know, nothing to complain about since weight can change day to day so I am not going to let this bother me. Today I felt more motivated since this 0.4 came back into my life, I know it could have something to do with the amount of water I drank (not enough) as well as my skipping meals, so today I did good. Water intake has been on point and my meals have been on track, though I did skip my mid morning snack (this was before I knew skipping meals could affect my weight). For breakfast, after my Spark and Probiotics of course, I ate an apple. For lunch I had a nice big salad w yellow peppers and tomato with red wine vingear and 1 1/2 rice cakes with almond butter. For mid day snack I had an orange and dinner I had one cup of plain whole grain noodles mixed with steamed broccoli and 4 steamed shrimp. It was sooo good, it's amazing how great things can taste without all the butter and bad stuff! For tonights snack I know I am going to have a banana, and that should conclude today's menu, Still I have yet to feel sluggish or tired and it is such a great change, Yesterday we went to the beach and even though it's only been 5 full days, I felt comfortable in my bikini, I know I am nowhere near what I was before but feeling that way was awesome.

Day 5

Weight this morning was 133.4. Loss since yesterday, 0.4. This morning, my 11 month old let us sleep in until 8 so my regulr routine was thrown off, but I'm not complaining; I got to sleep in! My day started with Spark and Probiotic Restore pills. For breakfast I had 2 small oranges and skipped my mid morning snack, which I am not supposed to do. Since it was Easter, we were spending the day at the beach. During what should of been lunch was a snack of one rice cake and a handful of nuts. For lunch I had sushi which were made strictly of raw tuna and brown rice. I kinda went overboard having a roll (8 pieces) plus 4 more. Lots of rice I know but that was both lunch and dinner since it was a very late lunch. Since I need to take my Omega3 pills with dinner I will take them with my snack which will be a handful of blackberries and an apple. Even with spending the day in the gorgeous sun, I don't feel sleepy and sluggish which is great since I need my energy for my lil one that is non-stop! So far, in 5 days I have lost 1.2lbs. Not too bad! Water, again was a tough one since we were out most of the day I didn't drink as much. Truthfully, I didn't want to while we were at the beach since I am anti-porta potties! I'll hopefully catch up tonight!

Day 3 & 4

So I have been trying to get myself to blog at the end of every day but with 2 kids and everything else in between, my me time has been going to catching up on my tv show that I rarely get to watch :/ So today is Day 4 but below I will write about both:
Day 3:
My weight this morning was       . I started off my day the same as the other two and so happy to see on my chart today is the last day for Fiber for awhile :) For breakfast I had plain oats and a handful of blackberries. For lunch I had a salad with tuna and dinner was a veggie sandwhich on whole grain bread from Natural Cafe :) I had all condiments taken out as well. It was amazing and after my meal I actually felt too full, almost sick to my stomach! I think my body is getting used to the light eating and I love it! The one thing I do have a hard time with is drinking sooo much water. I find myself with half a bottle of my last liter towards the end of the night and I always end up having to chug it to get that last bit in. I am definetly trying to get myself used to it.
Day 4:
My weight this morning was 133.8. I am 4 lbs away from my pre pregnancy weight and I am still only in the cleansing phase. I am super curious to see what happens in the second phase of this challenge! This morning I had 2 hard boiled eggs and skipped my mid morning snack since I wasn't hungry. For lunch I ate a salad, again :) Mid day snack I had a handful of mixed nuts and an apple and for dinner I had two crab cakes and veggies and half an avocado and I actually had to force myself to eat. I'm noticing a trend on the not being hungry thing and despite me skipping snacks and going light on eating I still have energy (more than before) and I just feel better all around! I don't know if that's the Spark kicking in or if it's the change in eating or the nutrients I am getting from all of my vitamins but whatever it is, I love it. I will definetly be a regular buyer of Spark :)

Day 2

Weighed myself first thing this morning; I am at 134.3. Lost 0.2. I was told it's probably best to weigh myself once a week but I don't mind seeing the fluctuation (if any). Again, started my day off with Spark and Fiber (Fiber was cake today with OJ). Today I felt energized and again no mid day slump! For lunch today I had 2 crab cakes and some celery with hummus, which I didn't even finish because I felt so full :) For dinner I made Bocca Burgers (minus the bun) with some veggies. Last night I felt hungry towards later in the night but tonight I had zero hunger pains AND my husband ate a chocolate peanut butter bunny in front of me and I had NO DESIRE to eat it, not one bite. If you know me at all, you know that I would of been all over that (chocolate is my weakness)! For the last 2 days my sugar cravings have disappeard! This alone makes me happy.. The past two days I have been just been more alert, not one complaint has left my mouth saying," I'm tired". I am already feeling amazing!

Day 1

I write this as I am on Day 2:
Start weight = 134.5.
I started off my day with Spark and the Fiber Drink. For those of you that have issues with texture or taste, I highly recommend mixing the Fiber with OJ. The first day mixed with water and I was gagging, maybe I'm sensitive but I was not a fan! I finished it though.
By mid day I had a meeting and this is the time I'm very sleepy usually but I was surprisingly awake and alert. Not normal for me at all, especially during meetings ;) For lunch I had a great salad with red wine vinegar and I was full! I think drinking so much water throughout the day helps with that. Which is a very important part of this challenge might I add. Water, water, water!!! By late night (when I used to snack) I felt a little hungry, nothing big or even bothersome so I just drank some water and the feeling went away. I think all in all Day 1 was very successful and surprisingly easy and I already look forward to the rest. Preparing all my healthy foods for the next day (following my chart that was given to me) makes me feel great about myself already!

Before Pic's

Since I am not the most advanced blogger and not sure how to create a seperate tab for my before and after pictures, a post will have to do until that day comes. Well, here they are, the dreadul before's :/