Shakeology Cleanse: Check out my results!

Hey guys!

Day 3 of my cleanse looked pretty much like days 1 and 2. The only difference was late night I added a piece of celery with peanut butter. I learned that adding a few extra calories (good, clean calories) allowed me to still function and even workout one of the days. As many of you know, I am training for several distance bike rides (100 miles plus) and an Olympic Distance Triathlon. Training for such things requires quite a few calories!

When I woke this morning I felt amazing! I woke at 5:30am for a 6am workout and felt super strong and ready to take on the day. I know many of you wonder...does this really work? Is it really worth the money etc? Well, here's how I know it works...

As a child I was asthmatic and had many alergies. As an adult, I have learned to deal with or almost force my body to deal with the food choices I want to make. That's not a good thing! What that means is that because I want something, I put it in my body even though it may not be something my body can handle, or will feed my body in the manner it needs to be fed. I often wonder if my alergies combined with my poor choices are what make it so hard to loose that last bit of weight.

While on the cleanse I obviously was eating no bread etc, which was one of my main alergies as a child. This morning when I woke I chose to eat a bagel, plain with no butter or cream cheese. Within 15 minutes of my workout I broke out in hives. Ever tried making it through a 45 minute workout covered in hives...ya...lame! But you know what, I'm glad it happened. Why? What I realized is that I just gave my body the best care for the last three days. I fed it what it needed, when it needed it and it was starting to function properly. So this morning it was brought to my attention that I need to make better choices. When my body reacts to something, I need to listen. If that means cutting out bread and finding another alternative then so be it! Afterall, didn't I just spend the last three days cleansing to care for my body? The answer is, YES! Yes I did!

Final results: I'm down 6lbs and my body is ready to rock and roll!

Day 2 - Shakeology Cleanse

Here are the details for day two. Feeling pretty good, not overly hungry. I did have to skip my workout though today in order to still be able to keep up with life and kids :) I did add some extra protein and followed the suggestions from BeachBody. I typically eat about 2400 cals and more on days with heaver workouts like cycling etc. For specific details on the cleanse, check out my post previous to "Day 1 Shakeology Cleanse." One more day to go!

Today:

Breakfast: Shakeology and banana

Snack: Apple and 1/4 cup of seeds

Lunch: Shakeology and 100 cal packet of nuts

Snack: 3 Strawberries and egg whites

Snack: Banana and green tea

Dinner: Salad with turkey, mixed greens, avocado and tomato

Snack: Shakeology

Day 1 - Shakeology Cleanse

As promised, here is what I ate for the day. I am one of the people they mention that needs more calories to function. I used unsalted/roasted sunflower seeds to help fill in the gaps along with a few extra pieces of fruit.

Breakfast - Shakeology with banana

Snack - 1/4 cup sunflower seeds and 1 apple

Lunch - Shakeology and 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds

Snack - Banana

Dinner - Salad with tuna, mixed greens, tomato, avocado and 2 tbps dressing.

Snack - Shakeology and 1/4 cup seeds (still really hungry, will taper off a bit tomorrow)

3 Day Shakeology Cleanse

Hey everyone!

Sorry it's been so long...but I'm back. I have decided to blog the details of my Shakeology 3 day cleanse for everyone. This will be my second time doing the cleanse and I'm looking forward to similar results. Below I will post the instructions for the cleanse. I will also post what I ate etc. at the end of each day. Please post any questions you may have and I will answer them asap!


I got this email that I found very helpful!


The Science Behind The Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse
By Steve Edwards

I like to call the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse a "performance cleanse." This is because it was designed to be done with a workout program. Let's take a look at how this differs from other cleanses, how to tailor it to your needs, and what to expect if you or your customers decide to try it.

First of all, it's not a true cleanse. It's a calorie-restricted and nutrient-dense diet plan. Traditional cleanses contain very few calories and nutrients. Compared to the much more popular Master Cleanse, it's like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Traditional cleansing diets are done to rid your system of toxins and bring it into homeostasis. They also contain a spiritual aspect. This process can take a long time, which is why you may have seen coworkers walking around the office in a zombie-like state for weeks on end—swilling a strange concoction of lemons and maple syrup.

The Shakeology cleanse is nothing like that. Depending on how you decide to do it, you'll be eating frequently and consuming between 800 and 1,200 calories per day, and it could be even more should you feel the need. The point of this cleanse is not calorie restriction, per se—it's nutrient efficiency. The aim is to get the most nutrients possible into the fewest number of calories. The goal is to put all of these calories to use as a part of your exercise program, to rid your body of undigested foods and toxins, and to bring your hydration levels into homeostasis. The result you're after is not weight loss—though it will likely occur—but for your body to be running more efficiently. This should make you feel lighter and more energetic, even though you're doing an exercise program.

How It Works
Your eating structure doesn't change. You still eat every few hours while you're awake. Each meal should have a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber. And while you're not eating as much food as you'd normally eat, your calorie-to-nutrient ratio is extremely high. This means that you shouldn't restrict the actual nutrients you're getting by too much, so activity can continue as normal.

We recommend you try to keep your shakes to just Shakeology. Adding fruits of any kind, or seeds (for fat and fiber), or the Shakeology Fiber supplement, can and should be done as you see fit.

Ditto for your one solid meal—a salad. As we all know from any salad bar, the definition of salad can be varied. The goal of the salad in the plan is to keep your calories coming from natural sources (no artificial ingredients should be added, including artificial salad dressing). Aside from that, you can add ingredients as necessary. Keep your meat intake to four ounces or less, but add veggies, seeds, nuts, fruits, and legumes in quantities to satiate you.

The goal of the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse is to optimize your performance. You want to eat enough to fuel your day AND your workout. The foods you're eating are so high in fiber and nutrients that it's virtually impossible to overeat. You'll be consuming so much fiber, along with enzymes and digestive aids, that your body's ability to flush excess foods quickly will be at its peak.

What to Drink
Water, of course, is recommended in quantity. This is vital to any cleanse, because one of your goals is to bring your hydration into homeostasis. When your electrolytes are out of balance—the main problem we have is salt—you often retain water outside of your cells. This situation, which we refer to as retaining water, is cured by drinking more water. As the excess salts are diffused, your body begins to hydrate your cells (using sodium as it should be used) and flush the water held outside the cells. So, oddly enough, you drink water to eliminate water retention.

Sodas, alcohols, juices, etc., should be eliminated entirely during a cleanse. Coffee and tea, which are diuretics, should be minimized at the very least and eliminated if possible. Again, performance is the key, so if you need a cup of Joe as a pick-me-up, go ahead. Just use only as needed, and don't use additives. Eliminating sugar and chemicals is vital. However, do not use energy drinks or soda for this purpose, including the ones with artificial sweeteners. Coffee drinkers may find that switching to black tea during a cleanse will give you the energy you're looking for with less upset. Coffee's acidic nature can heighten the effects in a negative way during your cleanse.

Why You Won't Lose Weight
I should say why you might not lose weight, but I wanted to get your attention. Most people will lose some weight during a cleanse, but that is not the goal. Those with a lot of undigested gunk in their systems will lose weight as it's flushed out. Those of you who are properly hydrated and already eat well are less likely to lose. For those of you who need to lose weight, take heart: you are setting up your system to use nutrients more efficiently and improving your ability to lose weight through structured diet and exercise. So while you may not lose much on the cleanse, you'll be more prepared to lose weight later.

Another reason why we don't always lose weight on cleanses is due to a stress hormone called cortisol. Restricting calories is stressful to the body, and it reacts by releasing cortisol. Cortisol is performance-enhancing in the short term, but if you somehow keep your body stressed for long periods, it creates havoc in your system and can cause you to doggedly hang onto weight in a type of survival mode. We don't want this to occur, which is one reason the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse is short. It's important not to remain in a highly calorie-deficient state for long periods of time, especially when you are trying to exercise hard.

Here is a link for the actual meal plan:

http://images.beachbody.com//tbb/emails/announcements/100429_328/The_Shakeology_3day.pdf

Let me know if you have any questions!

So What If It Rains!

I woke up with a plan this morning! My plan was to go to Triathlon Training for a little spinning, followed by running, which was to include hill repeats. Only problem was by mid morning it was...well doing just what it does here in the Seattle area...it was POURING! So, like all other rainy days, I have only a few choices. Go play in the rain, call it off and do nothing, or now I have a third option...yep P90X! I chose option three, rather than go out in the rain I chose to do a little Plyo. If you've ever done any of the P90X workouts you know that the burn from plyometrics can be just as good as hill repeats!

Tonight was a great example of why any one of the BeachBody programs could work for you! No need to leave the privacy of your own home to go to the gym, or go out in the rain, and yet still get an amazing workout in. Just because life threw a little curve ball my way, it didn't change the outcome of my day. I'm still dedicated, I still got my workout in and now I'm enjoying time with my family. Does it get any better than that?

Identifying Your Obstacles

What are your obstacles? What things in your life or at home are stopping you from taking control of your weight? This is a question I have had to ask myself many times over the last few years. I have come to realize that I am not only an emotional eater, but also a social eater/drinker. When I'm sad, bored and even happy, I eat. When I think of having friends over to our home on a sunny evening, I think bbq and drinks. It's just how I am...how I got there...I'm not quite sure. Haven't gotten that far yet :)

One of the best ways to identify your obstacles is to really watch yourself and take notes for a week or so. Make note of what, when and why you are eating. Or, go for a walk and spend some time just thinking about how you operate. How do you feel after you eat that second piece of cake? Why did you eat it? Was it because it was just there? Was there some kind of comfort in eating it? Just really spend some time identifying why you are eating.

Here are 5 suggestions that are working for me:

1. Start by removing food from your home that you can't say no to! After all, if its not there for you to grab, you cant have it or at least not now in your weakest moment.

2. Change your surroundings. Does being home or working from home have you bored? If its an option, grab your work, your lap top, and go to a local coffee shop. So many places have free WIFI now. That might take some planning the night before, but it's worth it. I spend alot of time planning these days! The more I plan, the less I fail at achieving my weight loss and fitness goals.

3. If one of your obstacles is eating out because you are always on the run, then pack some food. I always travel with something to eat. If I'm out of protein bars, then I grab a banana as I run out the door. I keep it right on my front seat. If I find myself starving, then that banana will fill me up long enough for me to regain control of the situation and really think about what it is I'm going to eat. For me personally, I have the best of intentions sometimes in the fast food line. But...if I'm really hungry I often times loose track of those good intentions. So, I skip it all together!

4. When it comes time to have a treat, make a wise choice. For example, substitute milk chocolate with dark chocolate. Find a chocolate protein bar to use as your snack so you don't feel like you are depriving yourself. It's not a snickers, but if used as one of your snacks, it can not only help refuel your body but also help fill that sweet craving. How about strawberries with a dab of whipping cream? There are many options...once again...just requires a little planning.

5. Last but not least...consider where you are placing your workout in the day. When do you have the most energy? When are you most likely to give it your all and walk away from the workout focused on what has to be done to care for your body? For me...its morning! I have found that not only do I have the most energy, but doing my workout in the morning tends to keep me focused on what I put in my mouth the remainder of the day. It changes my thought process from "Well, it's ok cause I'm gonna go workout and burn it off." to "I just worked my butt off! No way am I eating that!"

These are just a few suggestions and ways that I'm able to keep focused and on track. Remember, every day is a new day! If you make a mistake, pick yourself up and start again. I'll leave you with this:


"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art."
- La Rochefoucauld

My Journey Continues...

Hey Guys!

While working this morning I thought…hmmm…what will my next blog be about? After literally bouncing around all morning with a smile on my face and insane amount of energy there was nothing else to think about. My blog today is just to share with you guys where I’m at.

I’m pretty much freaking out! I feel so awesome right now, both physically and mentally. I can’t sit…My mind is going all the time and my body wants to move!

Physically, I’m down 10 lbs. and have insane amounts of energy. My clothes are falling off. Seriously, its crazy! Mentally, working out is my break and a little piece of the day that’s just for me! I use that time to either process and think about life or I use it to clear the slate and a new start to my day. I need that and it’s what gets me through the rest of the day.

This is my last week of singles for P90X and then it’s off to doubles. I can’t wait to share with all of you the results at the end of this month. I’m going to totally put myself out there and even post pics. If for no other reason that to keep myself focused and to remind myself that I’m not just doing this for me. I’m doing this to prove to those reading that it can be done. BeachBody has the products to get you there, all you have to do is commit. I can help! Are you ready?