Jami's Guest Post and Days 12 &13!!!

Jami's Guest Post!

MY Advocare Challenge, Week 1

Hello! Thank you to Heather for inviting me to be a guest writer on her blog this week!

I suppose I should start by introducing myself, I am a 35 year mother to one, I work part time as an esthetician and have recently relocated form the city to the suburbs. The past few years have been equally amazing and difficult, and in the process of going from party girl to wife to mother I seem to have let my health take a back seat. Of course, I still take care of my hair and nails and skin because you know that stuff is effortless and somewhat easy allowing you have the time and the funds. 

But the fat? The damn fat just takes more work, dieting and counting and using the elliptical and what not.

As a lifelong member of the “fat kid+cake=love club, I am no stranger to the diet and for the past few years have been trying to shy away from anything too structured that makes me feel restricted or boxed in, because it’s never a healthy place for me. I tend to end up focusing on a number on the scale as opposed to the spring in my step. But after a particularly stressful summer I am feeling the effects of too little sleep, too much pizza and wine and virtually no exercise. I knew that I needed to get back on track but wasn’t sure which direction to go when H2 posted on Facebook that she was going to do the advocare challenge again. I’ve known Heather for many moons and she is one of my best friends. She has done a great job getting into shape these last few years, I figured it couldn’t hurt to try and do it with her. I made a quick decision and signed up.

So far I am on Day 5. Truth be told it’s been pretty easy. I prepared in advance by meal planning dinners for my family and my lunches, I spent most of Labor Day shopping an precooking food for work and dinners for nights that I would be home late. I made little packets with all of my Advocare products so that I could just grab one, stick my printed checklist in it and throw it in my lunch bag. I‘ve really tried to focus on the times of the day that I crave some junk or coffee and for the first time really pinpointed it to afternoon and late night after dinner. I’ve worked through these with Advocare spark. La Croix sparkling water and at night Chamomile tea with honey. Better than the wine and cookies that I really want at least.

My plan is to do the challenge for 19 days. On day 20 I have a trip planned so I am going to relax a bit and finish up a 4 day detox afterword. I set no goals. I did no measurements and have not weighed myself in months. I just want to feel better and have more energy. I have a child who needs to learn to eat to sustain his health and I’m sort of sick of feeling gross all the time. ( not appearance wise, even chubby I’m still super fly) but just sluggish and tired.

Update!!! I’ve made it to Day 11. I had a bit of sugar binge over the weekend. Just a slice of apple pie on Sunday, but on Monday I went to the grocery store hungry and my kid talked me into Donuts fairly easily. I felt horrible on Monday night. I fell asleep on the couch at 9:00. I went right back to the challenge on Tuesday and feel great again. Also I had a doctor’s appointment on Monday (D7) and was weighed so I decided to start keeping track and I have lost 4 lbs. since then. I’ve decided to keep up with the Advocare products after the challenge and am planning on using, Spark, Fiber 10 and the shakes in a regular fashion. 

Thanks for the awesome Post Jami :) I am so glad things are going well for you and you totally motivate me!

Day 12:

I ate every 2-3 hours and drank as much water as I could manage.

Advocare products:

• ·         Catalyst
• ·         Spark
• ·         Restore Packet (Probiotics)
• ·         Meal replacement shake
• ·         MNS MAX Control
• ·         Omegaplex

Food:

• ·         Breakfast:
• o   Meal replacement shake
• ·         Morning Snack:
• o   Almonds
• o   Banana
• ·         Lunch:
• o   Greek plate - hummus, chicken, falafel, olives lettuce and tomatoes with a side of heartburn ;) (I was returning some items at the Mall during my lunch break, so I stopped at the food court thinking I could pick something up… there were two total menu items in the entire food court that fit my reasonable and healthy eating plan and both had to be modified, boo to that!)
• ·         Afternoon Snack:
• o   Almonds
• o   Orange
• ·         Dinner:
• o   Grilled Chicken Breast
• o   Coleslaw salad with peach vinegar

Today:

I ate every 2-3 hours and drank as much water as I could manage.

Advocare products:

• ·         Catalyst
• ·         Spark
• ·         Restore Packet (Probiotics)
• ·         Meal replacement shake
• ·         MNS MAX Control
• ·         Omegaplex

Food:

• ·         Breakfast:
• o   Meal replacement shake
• ·         Morning Snack:
• o   Hard-boiled Egg
• 1/2 Grapefruit
• ·         Lunch:
• o   Turkey meatballs in tomato sauce with spinach
• ·         Afternoon Snack:
• o   Hard-boiled Egg
• Banana
• ·         Dinner:
• Mexican Casserole (brown rice, lean ground beef, black beans, peppers, tomatoes, onions and seasoning)