3 Day Refresh Results

I don't do moderation well. I know this about myself which is why I typically just say no to the foods that are my triggers (pizza, chocolate, and chips with salsa). Doing the 21 Day Fix was awesome because it really helped me to dial in and focus on eating healthy. I stuck to the eating plan pretty much to a T. I wasn't always perfect, sometimes leaving a container out for the day instead of eating them all (which is just as bad for you as eating extra!). I would have a glass of wine or two on the weekend, but even this was allowed in the plan. I was doing great! Then I started having people tell me that I needed to "treat" myself or I would end up binging at some point. I told them that I know myself well enough to know that if I allow those things back in that I have a hard time stopping. But people insisted it was ok to indulge every once in awhile.

So over the 4th of July weekend I had chips. Way too many chips. I also had ribs and hashbrowns. All these things are not bad on their own, but in one weekend it was too much. It was no big deal, I would get back on track on Monday when I got back. Which I did! But then I started to "treat" myself more and more. I didn't really go crazy. I didn't binge at any point in time, but the old ideas and habits were slowing beginning to creep in. It's ok to have this, you worked out hard today so you "deserve" it. I hate that mentality, but we are so trained to think we need to reward ourselves with food.

During July, Beachbody launched their new 3 Day Refresh and I was dying to try it! I knew that it would help get me back on track and I really didn't want to fall completely off the wagon. So as soon as I could, I ordered mine. As soon as it arrived I read through the booklet and made my grocery list for the next three days. I was committed to doing this all the way!

So a little about the cleanse...It is only for 3 days (you can do anything for 3 days, right?) and you get a Shakeology shake for breakfast, a Fiber Sweep shake for a snack, a Vanilla Fresh shake for lunch and dinner as well as plenty of fruits and veggies for snacks and with your meals. This isn't a starve yourself thin kind of thing.

I will totally honest here. The first morning I woke up excited and did my workout, then had my shake. If you know me personally at all, you know that I LOVE me my coffee....and for the best results they say not to drink it. Since I was committing 100% to this, I gave up my precious coffee and had tea instead. I was utterly exhausted the first day. I was full after each meal. I was just tired! I took a nap in my car over my lunch break and went to bed early that night. Day 2 was MUCH better for me. I had more energy and was not really hungry at all. Day 3 was AMAZING! I had great energy and got my workout in that morning. I wasn't dragging, and I had to set a timer after my snack in the morning because I kept forgetting I needed to eat. I just wasn't hungry! The shakes and veggies were more than enough to fill me up! And for those that have done fiber cleanses before and are wondering about *ahem* bathroom issues....there were NONE! :)

It has been two days since I completed my Refresh and the weight I lost (I will get to that!) is still gone. I have only had about 1/2 a cup of coffee and my energy levels are way higher than before. I feel amazing! The Refresh is for those that want to clean up their eating, kick start their weight loss, or to keep themselves on track every once in a while. I think I will be doing this quarterly just to clean myself out of all the toxins and crap in my body. It is just a great way to revitalize yourself!

So my results....I lost 3.8 pounds in my 3 days, and I lost 3 inches. Most people I know that have done it lost their inches off their waist. I lost a bit off my waist and hips, but lost 3/4 of an inch of each thigh! I am really excited about my progress and how far I have come. I am officially down to 142.2 pounds and so close to seeing numbers I have never seen before on the scale. I am also fitter and stronger than I have EVER been in my entire life. This is what makes me proudest of all!

Results after just 3 weeks!

I was planning to wait until I was halfway through the PiYo program before taking pictures or measurements and posting about it. But the other morning I was getting dressed to workout and I was wearing the same thing I did for my pictures and was so astounded by my transformation in just 3 weeks so I had to do a sneak peek of my results. I will do an "official" picture and results next week, but here is a peek at what I have accomplished so far (sorry, I know the second pic is blurry!):

This is 7 pounds in 3 weeks! But it is so much more than just weight that is gone! I am so excited to see where I am doing to be at the end of 8 weeks! I am still keeping my eating in line with the 21 Day Fix program because it is just so much easier for me now. I love not counting calories and weighing my food. I love being able to just use the containers and not have to really think too much about it, and honestly the plans are so similar that there wouldn't have been much of a change for me anyway.

PiYo has allowed me to get back to running. I am now have a running buddy on Monday's which makes it go by so much faster! We have been doing 4 miles each time we run together, and I am LOVING it! I used to run because I loved the "high" I got after. I actually hated running in and of itself. Now I am absolutely enjoying each run. I can feel the strength in my legs! I am impressed each time I run with how much my endurance has improved. It's an amazing feeling!

I also got my FREE 21 Day Fix t-shirt for completing the program!

It fits great! I ordered a small and I can't wait to wear it proudly! I think I'm going to wear it tomorrow :)

In other news, my wonderful and beautiful children were featured in local newspaper about their participation in Dojo Karate! They were so excited to hear that they were going to be in the paper! So of course I had to take a new picture of them! They are all three in karate now. N is a red belt, E is a green belt, and S is just beginning in the Mighty Tiger program and just graduate to his first belt which is a Gold Stripe belt. He was so proud of himself! I love that they enjoy karate and I look forward to the day that I can be right there with them earning my black belt too!

I am crazy proud of my little family and how having a healthy, positive lifestyle is making a difference in my kids' lives too. N doesn't ever want to eat McDonald's again and they are all preferring to eat the healthier foods over the junk food now. When my kids ask to eat their veggies it just makes my heart smile because I know I am doing something right!

So apparently this post is a mish-mash of everything since it's been too long since I posted. Eventually I will get a schedule worked out and they will be a bit more organized....someday! But until then, here's just my little update :)

A New Challenge

I can't believe how quickly time goes by! I have been so busy lately that blogging always falls to the bottom of my list of things to do. I am hoping to change that this week! I need to make my writing more of a priority.

I finished up two rounds of the 21 Day Fix and lost almost 20 pounds in those 42 days! I am so proud of myself for how far I have come! I did officially make it into the 140s only a week and a half after my birthday. I still can't believe it some days! I am about 146 pounds currently and I don't always feel that way. Most of the time I still see me at 178 pounds in the mirror. Or in my clothes. I can see the physical changes in my body, but I can also still see the "big" me. I had heard of this happening to other people that have lost weight, but I didn't really understand it until now. Still being about 30 pounds away from my final goal, I am curious to see what it's like once I reach it. I am actually nervous about reaching this goal.

I haven't been in this good of shape ever in my life. I am feeling amazing and I look forward to reaching my goal. Yet at the same time it scares the crap out of me. I think it is funny that the biggest reason I have never met my goal is because if I get too close I get scared. Here's a big moment of honesty: I don't think I have ever really finished anything in my entire life. Other than high school! I get close to reaching what I want and then I let it go before I can achieve it. I am not sure if I am scared of success or what, but I sabotage myself every. single. time. So what makes me so sure that I will succeed this time?

I have the right support. Now I'm not saying I didn't have support in the past. I always have. This time it is the right support. It's my own along with everyone else. For the first time I really believe in myself. I deserve it, and I believe that I deserve it. If you don't believe in it for yourself then you probably won't achieve whatever it is you are striving for. Each and every time I went into "weight loss mode" I believed that I would fail. So I did. This time I believe with every fiber of my being that I will succeed. So I will! I already have! I am not even at my goal weight yet but I am healthier, stronger, and fitter than I have ever been.

All this being said, I have embarked on a new challenge:

 My PiYo program arrived 3 weeks ago and I started it immediately! It is a 60 day program that combines Pilates and Yoga in a fast paced workout. And I LOVE IT! I look forward to working out every day. My running is improving and I FEEL absolutely amazing! This program is going to get me to my goal. I was worried that a 60 day challenge might be too much for me, but once again I believe that I can do it this time. So I know I will. I have the right people around me supporting me along the way. I have the determination to get it done. And I can't WAIT to see my results at the end of 60 days.

I have other goals that I have set for myself. I even created a Vision Board that is now the background on my computer to remind me every day what I am working toward. Each day I write out a list of things for me to do so that I can take baby steps every single day toward achieving them. I will not give up this time! I will succeed, because now I KNOW I CAN!