Project BeastBody: Day 4- Beast Cardio/Beast Abs

To say that this week has been challenging is an understatement.  I have worked out with trainers before, I have done tough programs before and I have lifted weights before, but I don't think anything in my past really could have prepared me for the emotional and physical aspects of this journey.  I am not complaining at all.  In fact, I needed this challenge because I was getting too lax in my workouts.  BodyBeast is requiring me to stay focused and I love that.  Now, with that said, I am pretty sure that today I died and lived to tell about it, haha.  I have done P90X PlyoX, I have done 21 Day Fix Plyo Fix, I have done PiYo Drench and I have done boot camps and other rigorous workouts.  I had an idea as to what to expect with today's Beast Cardio workout, but only in the sense of knowing what moves Sagi Kalev would be handing to us.  I didn't realize he would be handing me my ass at the same time. 

 

 

 

This 30 minute workout was definitely plyometrics based, which  means there was a lot of jumping.  Jump squats, burpees, mountain climbers, jump lunges and then some planks and a few moves with weights to really add some variety.  I will have to say that I was excited to see a return of one of my favorite moves from 21 Day Fix's Dirty 30 workout, the renegade row, but damn, I couldn't keep up to even do more than 2! This time at least.  I will get better.  I will get stronger.  About 10 minutes into the workout, my heart rate monitor was no longer able to detect my heart rate.  I am not sure if I was too sweaty or if  like I said, I died.  I got it working again only to quit reading my heart rate again a few minutes later so no telling just how many calories lost their lives today.  Then it was on to the Beast Abs which was about 10 minutes long.  Yay, I thought, I'll get to "rest." Haha, nope.  It was bam, bam, bam through crunches, Russian twists, cobra, spiderman, one armed plank (with a weight I might add, which I didn't do today) and ending with Beast Abs which is spelling out B-E-A-S-T with your feet both forwards and backwards.  Then, at the end of the workout, I curled into the fetal position and couldn't believe what the hell I just did.  And, what's even crazier, is how much I loved it.  Tomorrow is Build: Shoulders and then a rest day.  It can't get here soon enough.  I am really hoping I can walk again by then, too, because unfortunately crawling is not a socially acceptable thing to do as an adult.  Who knew? Happy Thursday, everyone!

 

P.S. I am including a video of someone else's review of Beast Cardio so you can kind of get an idea as to what it was like. 

 

 

Body Beast Cardio Exercises

• Warm Up
• Squat to Overhead Press + Hold
• Toe Tap
• Squat to Jump Squat + Hold
• Mountain Climber + Row + Plank
• Sumo Squat + Hold
• Plyo Push-Up + Hold
• Sumo Jump
• Squat to Upright Row + Hold
• Alt Lunge Jumps + Hold
• Plank + Twist + Sprint
• Cool Down and Stretch

Body Beast Abs Exercises

• Crunch
• Russian Twist w/Dumbbell
• Hip-Up
• Crossed Tuck-In
• Cobra
• Spiderman Crunch
• Bucket Drop
• One Arm Open Plank
• Windshield Wiper
• Beast Abs

Project BeastBody: Day 3- Build: Back/Biceps

Today was a rough start.  I woke up around 2:30am and finally fell back asleep just when the alarm was going off at 4am.  Thought I dozed off for just about 5 minutes, but it was half an hour so a mad dash to get going out of bed and I was onto day 3 of my Project BeastBody, Build: Back/Biceps.  Mad dash is probably slightly exaggerating it as I am quite, no, EXTREMELY sore from the last two days just as I suspected I would be.  I know it is all part of the process, but dang, do I hurt.  And after today's workout, I have a feeling, and am already feeling it, that I'll be sore in my back tomorrow as well.  I will have to say, though, that today's 50 minute workout did feel like it flew by.  There was only 1 super set and 1 giant set, everything else was made up of single sets, but I pushed myself as best I could for being as tired and out of it as I was.  I haven't been logging my worksheets but instead have been using the BodyBeast mobile tracker which will come in handy if I decide to take my workout to my fitness center which I may do as I get further along.  I am not going to lie and will just say that I am sort of dreading tomorrow's Cardio workout.  I don't care for cardio, and I was looking ahead just to get an idea as to what to expect and it is going to be full of squats, jump squats, plyo pushups, planks, lunge jumps and my arch nemesis, burpees.  For a while now, my lower back has sort of kept me from doing burpees full out so we'll see how I hold up tomorrow.  Either way, I'm nearing the end of week 1.  Today has been an emotional day for me and I've noticed that happens when I step up my fitness regimen.  It is like my body is releasing some toxicity I have stored up, plus I just have a few things on my mind, but this too shall pass.  I plan to meet up with my bed a little earlier tonight and be ready to bring it beast style tomorrow.  Happy hump day, everyone!

Body Beast Build: Back and Bi’s Exercises
Warm Up
Single Set

• Deadlift 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps

Super Set

• Dumbbell Pull-Over 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
• Pull-Ups 10 reps, 10 reps, 10 reps

Giant Set

• EZ Bar Row 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps
• One Arm Row Both Arms 15 reps, 12 reps 8 reps
• Reverse Fly 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps

Single Set

• Close-Grip Chin Ups 30 seconds, 30 seconds, 30 seconds

Single Set

• Seated Bicep Curl 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps

Single Set

• 1,1,2 Hammer Curl 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps

Single Set

• Neutral EZ Bar Curl 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps (Can be done with dumbbells)

Single Set

• Airplane Cobra 30 seconds, 30 seconds

Cool Down and Stretch

Project BeastBody: Day 2- Build: Legs

Well, today was leg day for my second day of Body Beast and I have to say while it was rough, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Now, that doesn't mean that tomorrow I won't be crawling everywhere as my main means of transportation, but I am pretty sure that my recent PiYo workouts really helped me with all of the squats and lunges.  I did use weights as much as I could, but there were times when I just relied on good old body weight for the moves and I know I still got a great workout.  Since I am a girl and my goal is to have sexy, sleek legs, I wasn't as concerned about whether or not I used weights or not.  The workout lasts about 38 minutes long and consists of the same dynamic set method that is used in the Chest/Tris workout I did yesterday.  Tomorrow is back/biceps day.  Should be another killer day!

 

Food intake hasn't been as much of a problem as I thought it might be.  I am eating about every 3 hours and don't ever feel hungry.  However, I am thinking I am going to lean towards more of my paleo style diet that I am more used to, though.  I feel good with my food that I have been eating, but I know I could feel a little better and know what works for me.  I try to stick to the 80/20 plan so there are some exceptions to the paleo rule for me.  I certainly don't want to undo all of my hard work since nutrition is such a huge part of any fitness plan. I am already starting to figure out my meals for next week. 

 

I realized something today about myself.  And that is how proud of myself I am for taking on this challenge.  It's hard to think back and remember the girl that would never even think about working out, let alone lift a weight.  I have so much more confidence from this past year and a half than I had in recent years because of my health and nutrition journey and losing that weight and being able to help others on their paths as well.  I think, as cheesy as it sounds, one of the big reasons I am loving Body Beast so far is because I feel like I'm working out with these guys at a gym.  When I first moved back to Houston, I joined what was considered more of a bodybuilder gym that eventually started "softening" a bit to attract more females and I loved it.  It was the perfect environment for me at the time.  Now, I love getting to do these workouts in my living room or if I feel like it, going to my apartment or work fitness center as well, but either way, I'm still working out with people.  It's coming up on my one year anniversary as a Beachbody coach and I can't believe at what a great space I am in physically and mentally thanks to that company and the friends I have made.  Don't let fears hold you back.  If there is something you want, go after it! And with that, I'll see you tomorrow!

  

My calories burned today along with my Results & Recovery drink post workout. 
Also, my little dog Gabby says "hi!'

Body Beast Build: Legs Exercises

• Warm Up

Single Set

• Sumo Squat 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps

Super Set

• Alternating Lunge 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps
• Step-Up to Reverse Lunge on right and left legs 15 reps, 12 reps 8 reps

Giant Set

• Parallel Squat 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps
• Bulgarian Squat Right and Left Legs 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps
• Straight Leg Deadleft Right and Left 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps

Giant Set

• Single Leg Calf Raise Right and Left for 30 seconds x 2
• Seated Calf Raise 30 seconds x 2
• In and Outs 30 seconds x 2

Cool Down

Project BeastBody: Day 1- Build: Chest/Tris

I have been absent from this blog for a while.  I don't really have a good reason, just haven't been focusing on any one particular program lately, but I recently decided to throw my hat in the ring and start a new (for me) Beachbody program called Body Beast.  This program focuses on mostly weight training but what's so great about it is that you can easily do it from your own home; no need to join a fancy gym. I had seen so many females really embrace this program that after looking into it a little more, I thought this would be the perfect program for me and my goals so I purchased a set of adjustable dumbbells and ordered the program to get started on the next chapter of my fitness journey. 

 

 

 

I used to do quite a bit of weight lifting.  It really does your body wonders and let's not forget how many calories get burned when doing weight training.  Many women are afraid to lift weights because they think they are going to "bulk" up and look like a man, but in reality, that is not really possible unless you do some serious lifting. The fact is, what I enjoyed about P90X was having a schedule for legs, arms, chest, etc.  What I didn't like about that program was that everything was the same every week.  It started to feel monotonous after a while and I always hit a wall around the same time each time I started the program and would eventually get bored and quit.  Don't get me wrong.  I love Tony Horton, but I needed a little variety and surprise every now and then.  When I started my PiYo journey, I loved how Chalene changed things up from week to week.  I truly felt that PiYo was my soulmate workout program...until today. 

 

My "before" photo-2/1/2015.

Today was my first day of doing Body Beast and it certainly did not disappoint nor lack in the butt-kicking department.  Body Beast is broken down into three phases: Build, Bulk, Beast.  Today's workout focused on Build: Chest/Tris and by the end of the 48 minute workout, my arms were shaky and useless.  As with most workouts, you start out with a warm-up.  Today's consisted of jogging in place, arm circles (forwards & backwards), different variations of pushups and then more running in place.  I can honestly say that I have never done pushups as a warm-up, well except maybe in PiYo early on in the program.  Body Beast is designed to utilize dynamic sets to achieve your results.  You start out with a single set of one move, then move on to a super set where you do two back to back moves with no break, then onto a giant set that is 3 moves back to back.  Then to top it off, as you're adjusting your weights for each one, either increasing or decreasing depending on the set, you end it with a drop set.  Confused? So was I at first, but this page breaks it down for you pretty nicely.  Needless to say, I didn't change out my weights except for at the very beginning when I actually had to decrease the weight I was attempting to lift.  My first reason for doing that was because I haven't lifted in a very long time with weights and didn't want to overdo it while familiarizing myself with this program.  Second, it actually takes a little more time than I had anticipated to unscrew the ring on the handle and add another weight so I went ahead and ordered a second set of handles today and now I'll have two sets of weights for me for each workout.  I still lifted about 10 pounds which for my first day definitely brought on that burn that we all love so much in lifting.  Also, I don't use a workout bench.  I used a stability ball, which is also used by one of the guys in the video, but talk about really having to maintain your balance while building your core.  Below is a list of the exercises we did today. I need to replace the batteries in my heart rate monitor so I couldn't calculate how many calories I burned, but by the end of the workout, I was a sweaty mess so that must mean something good happened! Tomorrow is Build: Legs and I am slightly scared at the thought of not being able to walk or sit the rest of the week.  Oh, the price we pay for beauty, health and lovely lean muscles.  

 

E&E down the hatch and ready to start my first BodyBeast workout!

 

Now let's talk food.  As with any Beachbody program, a nutrition plan is included with Body Beast.  One of the great perks about lifting is how many calories I get to consume while on this program.  I calculated my estimated body fat percentage along with my weight and activity level, prior to this program, and am roughly in the 2400 calories per day range.  Coming from a program where I was about a 1000 calories less than that, it was definitely an eye opener to see just how much I needed to consume each day.  I can see where this might get overwhelming for many people and make them maybe not want to do the program, but once I broke it down a little further, it all started to make sense.  For my calorie intake per day, my breakdown is as follows: 6 starches, 3 legumes or protein liquids, 5 veggies or balanced liquids, 6 fruits or carb liquids, 12 proteins, 5 fats.  Because I have done 21 Day Fix in the past, using those containers helped me not feel so overwhelmed.  For example, 12 servings of protein isn't so bad when you have 2-3 servings per meal.  This is what I love about Beachbody because everyone thinks just counting calories will be enough, but you have to make sure you're not overdoing it in any particular group.  And they tell you how to do that! Now, a couple of years ago, I started following more of a Paleo diet.  I try to avoid legumes and most grains because I do feel better when I don't eat those things.  I am trying this week out following the meal plan with legumes and some grains to see how I do, but I have found that others follow a similar Paleo diet and are doing great with their Body Beast results.  So far I have had 2 of my meals, not including my pre-workout drink and my recovery drink.  It is almost time for lunch and I am hungry, but not starving.  I can tell my metabolism is a little revved up today and that makes me happy!  

 

Most of my meal prep for the week.

Breakfast today: Egg whites with sundried tomatoes over gluten free
toast smeared with 2 tablespoons of avocado, and half a banana.  

 

I realize it is only my first day, but I am truly loving this program and what it may bring.  I even entered myself in the casting call contest to hopefully be in the next Body Beast infomercial! I think because I have seen so many women doing this program and know that there is so much support out there, that is going to help keep me going.  It really does help to have support like that to help keep you accountable and on track.  if you don't have a workout buddy, find one.  I'll be your buddy if you need one! Thank you for being a part of my journey! Day 1 is in the books!

Body Beast Build Chest and Tris Exercises
Warm Up

Single Set

• Dumbbell Chest Press 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps

Super Set

• Incline Dumbbell Fly 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Press 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps

Giant Set

• Close Grip Press 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps
• Partial Chest Fly 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps
• Decline Push-ups 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps

Single Set

• Tricep Extension 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps, reps

Super Set

• Single Arm Kickbacks (right and left arms) 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
• Tricep Extensions 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps

Super Set (60 seconds)

• Dips on Bench
• In and Outs

Cool Down

Eight Twenty-Six & 34 Things...Revisited

I wrote this post for my Loudest Sound blog on my birthday a year ago, but never posted it. Not sure why, I think I just wanted my posts on that blog to basically be about music and not so much about me or my personal life. Now that I have two blogs going, I feel better about posting this and think it's time to revisit some of these goals and see what I can cross off the list and think of some things to add for this year. I turned 35 this week, much to my chagrin, and even though it was a tough pill to swallow of me not being where I'd like to be or where I'd hoped to be at this point in my life, it is time to move on from the negative feelings and focus on the good that is to come. I was fortunate enough to mark off a few things over the last year, so let's see where the next year takes me!

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Today marks 34 years since I joined this crazy world. I’ve always made such a big deal about my birthday and usually drive my friends and family crazy with a countdown and constant reminders, but this year I was actually pretty quiet on the subject prompting some of those close to me to ask if I was feeling well. Perhaps it’s because I’m getting older but in all honesty, I was just preoccupied with other things, mainly music and a certain trip I have coming up in a few weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I still thought about the day itself, but it was in more of a “reflecting” manner than a “hey, time to party” manner.

Thirty-three was not a bad year overall. I certainly accomplished one major thing which was to find a new job and I did that, but I’m still hungry for more. And when I look back at my life and everything I’ve said I would have liked to have accomplished by this point, I’m nowhere close. I would have to say that probably the best thing that happened to me this year was that I fell in love with music and writing all over again. Not that I ever stopped loving either, but that intense passion had started to wane over the last couple of years and I needed something to kick start my heart back in gear.

So, I decided to create this list of “34 Things I want to do While I’m 34” to sort of help me get more inspired to get to further points in my life. I believe that 33 was a great catalyst to get me here and now I’m ready for the next step. I’ve been thinking a lot about what I would tell the 17 year old me half a lifetime ago now, and the common theme I seem to keep coming back to is, “To live your life, no regrets, going after each dream and each moment.” Hopefully in a year, I’ll look back at this list and there will be many awesome things that I experienced and accomplished all while learning more about myself along the way. Life is a journey and when you get stuck in a rut or don’t know which path to follow, it’s always a good idea to take a step back and dig deep within your soul to find out what it is that truly makes you tick. For me it’s music and writing and so the journey begins to take that love even further.

34 Things I Want to do While I'm 34

1) Host a party (this might be more successful once I move back into Houston)

2) Read MTV book and find 3 other books to read (Hey, I did read a couple of books, just not that MTV book. )

3) Start Photography again (Now that I have that new camera, I need some help!)

4) Gain more exposure for this blog (And my Loudest Sound blog)

5) Get a press pass to one concert

6) Complete an art project

7) Take a road trip to a new place

8) Visit& Hike Enchanted Rock

9) Write more and submit items for publishing

10) Visit Houston’s art museums

11) Visit California

12) Meet my Black Rebel Motorcycle Club friends in real life ( Still have a few more so not marking it off just yet)

13) Meetand interview Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (still hoping for that interview)

14) Get my passport (Yes Liane, I know. Soon. )

15) Pay off some of my debt

16) Expand my record collection

17) Unclutter my life/apartment

18) Go to Colorado to visit family

19) Take a kickboxing class (Thanks to Kristen for inspiring this one even more now)

20) Take a dance class ( I did go to 1 ballet class, but I think I should continue)

21) Learn how to sew

22) Learn to cook better

23) Take the dogs to the beach (I don't count that 5K in Galveston, so we'll try again. Road trip to Cali, maybe?)

24) Save money to take a real vacation (Keeping this one because I still have yet to leave the country. See #14)

25) Visit New Orleans

26) Take a writing class or 2

27) Maintain a healthy and active lifestyle

28) Take piano lessons

29) Start ice skating again

30) Get a promotion at work

31) See Mazzy Star live (Sigh. I added this right after they announced the album last year, but there were no TX dates. Still hoping though.)

32) Write 2 short stories

33) Go to the observatory to see the stars (Hehe, I kind of did that in California.)

34) Learn to speak better Spanish

So what else should I add to the list? Hmmm...I realize some of these are slightly cheesy and maybe not what I want to do a year later so open to ideas.  I'll update the list soon!

PiYo Journey: Moving Forward to New Limits

Sorry for being MIA the last week.  After I finished my 3-Day Refresh, I was in a little bit of a fog fighting what I am guessing was some remnants of my detox and also just very much looking forward to some much needed time off.  I got a little behind with my PiYo workouts, but I doubled up a couple of days and am still on schedule.  I finished week 4 and am now on the other side of the hill.  I do plan to continue with the advanced schedule once I finish this so there will be another 8 weeks added on to my PiYo journey. 

 

Last week I was introduced to 2 new workouts, Hardcore on the Floor and Drench. Both of which did not disappoint.  Hardcore on the Floor was similar to Core, but you never left the floor, hence the name.  There were plank exercises working your glutes as well, the typical various crunches and a superman sequence that ended with my new favorite move, the sea turtle.  The workout lasts about half an hour and it is definitely another favorite.  Drench, on the other hand, is the first workout that left me feeling sore ever since the first week.  I could tell my booty was burning all day and yesterday I definitely felt it when I sat down.  It is similar to Sweat, but definitely more intense.  Honestly, everything was sort of a blur in that workout so until I give it another go, nothing really stands out except this is the workout that you finally do the famous PiYo Flip move.  I hope to get a great picture of myself doing this next week on the beach in California.  Be prepared to work that booty!

 

The PiYo Flip

 

Today, week 5 started off with another new workout called Sculpt.  I think we've learned by now that Chalene is expecting us to be working it 100% every time with these workouts.  This is another workout that I will need to do a few times before feeling like I've found my groove, but just as I was thinking to myself I need to do more upper body, she shows up with all kinds of push ups.  You work the entire body, arms, core, legs and butt for sure.  I had never had to stop in the middle of the squat/lunge sequences as much as I had to with this one.  It is a burner for sure!

 

I just wanted to say that I am still very much in love with this program.  Other programs I grew bored of right around this point in the journey, but I find myself missing PiYo on days that I don't do it.  I look forward to continuing to see my progress.  I know I am getting stronger and more flexible.  I know my body doesn't hurt as much as it did with other high impact workouts.  I know that I am seeing better results than I ever have.  There really is something to be said about finding your soulmate workout. 

 

 

My 3-Day Refresh Review

If you have been following my posts this week, you saw that I took on one of my biggest challenges yet, the 3-Day Refresh.  This past June at Summit, Beachbody CEO Carl Daikeler announced a new product that was about to launch called the 3-Day Refresh.  It was in response to the Shakeology cleanse many had started doing, but that was never endorsed by Beachbody.  You could consider the 3-Day Refresh a mini version of the Ultimate Reset, the 21 day cleanse and body reset system that is offered by Beachbody that has helped numerous people regain control of their lives and health in just 3 weeks.  However, many felt they just needed a quick boost to refocus their efforts and that is why they developed the 3-Day Refresh.  Just after Summit as coaches were returning from their week of sinful eating in Las Vegas, the results started coming in from those that had already completed their Refresh.  In just three short days, people were losing up to 7 pounds, and even more in some cases, and were doing this through shakes and real food.  This isn't a juice cleanse and it isn't a fast.  It is simply a way to break some unhealthy habits you may have picked up, a way to drop a few pounds for an upcoming event or a way to kick start your metabolism if you've hit a plateau in your weight loss journey.

 

3-Day Refresh Kit

 

I quickly ordered mine so that I could hopefully bust through my current plateau as well as refocus on my healthy lifestyle.  I was enjoying too much yummy, but unhealthy food recently.  I also have a trip coming up and just wanted to look and feel my best when I got there.  I admit, I was a little nervous about this.  I don't usually do well with little amounts of food and calories and in the past with other "kick starts" or detox diets, I failed miserably.  This time I knew I'd have support from not only my Beachbody family, but luckily one of my best friends was going to take this ride with me. 

 

Monday was day 1.  I went to the store the previous day, but failed myself in that I didn't get everything laid out and ready to go like I should.  I also didn't sleep well the night before so that didn't help with my energy level.  The morning was pretty similar to most of my mornings, except I decided to skip my workout since I don't like to workout without a small snack in the morning plus since I was only allowed a certain amount of calories for the day, I thought I should see how I do and then if I felt up to it, I would workout when I got home.  You are allowed to do light-moderate exercise while doing the refresh so staying on my PiYo journey was fine.  When you first wake up, you are supposed to drink 8 oz of water.  Then, for breakfast, I had a tropical strawberry Shakeology with half of a banana blended with ice and water.  Later that morning I had my usual green tea that I have most mornings and then about another hour or so after that I had the Fiber Sweep shake that comes in the kit.  I am going to give it to you straight that this can be a hard drink to swallow if you have texture issues.  It is thick and grainy, but luckily has a light lemon flavor.  I just chugged it as soon as I could and then downed some water afterwards.  Throughout the day, it is advised to drink half of your body weight in water, which really isn't too much more than what I normally drink so that was fine.  Just a few more trips to the restroom which means more exercise, right? For lunch, you get your first Vanilla Fresh protein shake of the day along with a vegetable, healthy fat and fruit option of your choice.  I actually felt pretty full after that and thought, I got this.  I was pretty tired, but wasn't sure if that was to be attributed to the body doing it's thing or just from a bad night's sleep and no exercise.  A few hours after lunch, you get a snack that consists of a vegetable and healthy fat of your choice.  I wasn't too hungry throughout the day for the most part, but by the time I got home I was starving which made me cranky.  The Refresh guide comes with dinner recipes that are made up of vegetables so for the first night I chose the stir-fry veggies.  I accidentally used balsamic vinegar thinking it was a free food, but it actually turned out quite good so I have a new favorite side dish for the future.  You also get another Vanilla Fresh shake and can choose to have a cup of vegetable broth if you'd like, which I did.  I went to bed pretty early that night hoping to have a better Tuesday, and I did.

 

 

Tuesday was my best day on the Refresh.  I had more energy, I felt great and even got my PiYo workout in when I got home from work.  I only lost about a pound that first day, but I didn't let that get me down.  I had read many other's comments on Facebook about their results and figured I just didn't have a lot to lose and it was only the first day.  I enjoyed another light dinner and went to bed, but struggled falling asleep right away because I had worked out in the evening and I don't usually do that anymore.  That unfortunately led to a Wednesday that was pretty similar to my Monday.  I woke up Wednesday, my final day of the cleanse and was down about 2 more pounds so that had me excited.  I just kept telling myself after all the dreams I had about food that I just had one more day to get through and I can do it.  I chugged along through the day, downed that last Fiber Sweep begrudgingly and just couldn't wait to get home.  I skipped another workout yesterday unfortunately.  I was just too exhausted and was getting very cranky again.  Right about that time, I found another group of comments on Facebook by others saying they just gave up because it wasn't working for them.  I'll get to my thoughts on that shortly.  I made my final meal of lemony green beans and Vanilla Fresh shake and vegetable broth and again, went to bed pretty early.  I was glad it was over.

 

Overall, my thoughts on this cleanse are good.  I am proud of myself for sticking to it and not cheating.  I honestly didn't crave food, especially sweets, during that whole time.  Yes, I saw pictures of food and thought how delicious that would be right about now, but I didn't blow it with a piece of chocolate or crackers or some other thing that I could have easily talked myself into.  I was hungry, but I wasn't dying of starvation because I got to eat again whenever it got to be at its worst in the stomach growling department.  I think because I get up so early, that could have been a factor as well.  If I was able to start my day a little later, maybe that would help because my day wouldn't be so long.  The Vanilla Fresh shake is actually quite tasty and I added cinnamon to it to give it a little more flavor.  I recommend blending it in the blender with ice or at least using a very good shaker with cold water.  The Fiber Sweep didn't cause me to have to run to the bathroom, if you know what I mean, which was one of my concerns.  I noticed from drinking so much water, that my body temperature lowered a little and at night I wasn't as hot as I usually am so that was nice.  And, I loved the recipes they supplied because like I said, I plan to continue using those paired with proteins for meals in the future.  My negative thoughts, and these are just for me, are that I was tired, which could have been more from the sleep issues rather than the actual cleanse.  I did find it hard to stay focused again during work and with fewer calories consumed and the fact I wasn't able to eat like I normally would, I did get a little cranky towards the end of the day on Monday and Wednesday.  Tuesday was my best day and I have seen many people say that same thing about their day 2 and I have seen others say that they had energy the whole time.  It really depends on your body.  Would I recommend this to a customer or a friend? Absolutely.  But I would share with them my experiences so that they can have an idea as to what they could encounter.  Will I do it again? Yes.  This 3-Day Refresh is safe to do monthly if you'd like.  I know August will be a crazy month as it is my birthday month so I am already planning on doing another round in September.  Next time, though, I think I'll try it on a weekend.  Since I get off early on Fridays, I think I'd like to see how I do with being able to work out in the afternoon after I've eaten and also have the ability to take a nap should I have to.  Another time I may try it in the middle of the week and see how my body reacts to it that way. 

 

The thing you have to remember is that there is no quick fix.  This isn't going to make you lose 20 pounds in a weekend and it isn't going to eliminate all of your bad habits for you.  You still have to put in the work.  I will say that even though I was dreaming about my first real meal, I didn't go crazy and have no intentions to.  I had my normal strawberry Shakeology for breakfast and avoided the kolaches that were in the kitchen this morning when I got to work.  What I am excited about most is that I am refocused on my healthy eating and that feels good to be in that head space again.  And that I am not craving sweets.  Shakeology helps with that, but I still have my moments.  With this though, I can't even think of eating something sweet right now.  And now my results.  I lost 4 pounds and 7 inches in the 3 days.  I have read that others continue to lose weight afterwards so I am hoping I see that too.  If not, I am still proud of myself for taking this challenge head on and getting it done.  If you're interested in starting your own 3-Day Refresh, I would be more than happy to help you get started and offer you support.