Day 20

I haven't been able to get back to CrossFit lately because I pulled my ab muscle last week :(  But I'm happy to report that I was able to run 3 miles yesterday!  Who'da thunk it??

Wake: Pre Breakfast MNS, 3 Catalyst, 2 ThermoPlus
Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs
Snack: 1 piece of whole wheat bread w/ peanut butter
Lunch:
Snack:
Dinner:

Day 19... Let's back this train up....

I had a bit of a derailment on my 24DC.  Combination of work/life/crossfit injuries and I just plan fell off the wagon.  A few days I even forgot to take my before lunch and w/ lunch MNS packs.  So, I'm going to re-do days 19-24 :)  The good thing I have to report is that I still ran my 5K Friday this past week, and I ran the whole time, didn't have to stop and walk.  Yay me, I'm getting better.  Still slow... but better :)  I also downloaded MyFitnessPal App on my phone to track my calorie intake.  It's very eye opening!

Wake: MNS PreBreakfast
Breakfast: Meal Replacement shake,
Snack: skipped snack b/c I ran and wasn't hungry
   * Ran 3.5 miles, spark/rehydrate
Lunch: 1 corn tortilla toasted and topped with grill chicken, guac and pico.  Small bowl of strawberries.  MNS pack
Snack: Apple, Almonds
Dinner: Mixed greens, steak and hummus salad dressing.
Bed: 2 Nighttime Recovery (to help to keep healing my pulled ab muscle)

Day 18

I'll keep this entry short and sweet.  It's day 18, nothing major to report. 

Wake: MNS pre breakfast pack, 2 ThermPlus, 3 Catalyst
Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs
Snack: Banana and almonds
  * 1/2 hour before lunch, the pre-lunch MNS pack.
Lunch: 1 slice whole wheat bread w/ peanut butter, green grapes, w/ lunch MNS pack

I forget what the rest of this day was.... see next post for my "reset" button :)

Days 14 - 17

Well this weekend got away from me, and I'm just now getting around to posting....  I can't give a detailed account of what I've eaten, but I've been pretty good!  I have had a few weak moments with my food, as I am selfishly rewarding myself since I ran a 5K on Friday and I'm still keeping up with the CrossFit :)  Friday I ran a 5K and was pretty good the rest of the day with veggies, lean meats, etc, etc.  I thought by the end of the day I'd be craving protein and go for a big burger, but I just had a salad.  Yay!  The weekend was a pretty mellow one in terms of physical activity.  I ate pretty good, except for Saturday night I had some popcorn with butter on it.... and yesterday when we had BBQ pork for lunch, I ate a small bite of the broccoli slaw w/ ranch and an eensie weensie bite of my Mother in Laws amaze-balls mascarpone cake.  OMG, yum!  So anyway, for at least today I can remember what I've eaten... The highlight of the day was the Trader Joes Hummus Dressing with beef strips and salad.  WOW.... I've been holding onto this dressing for over a week now and can't believe I waited to open it.  Especially on beef, it was sooo tasty - I highly recommend!!

Wake: MNS pre breakfast pack and 2 ThermoPlus
Breakfast: Meal Replacement Shake
Snack: shame on me, but nothing because I ran between breakfast and lunch.....
    * 15 minutes before run, 3 Catalyst
Lunch: 1 slice of wheat bread w/ peanut butter.  a few handfuls of cinnamon raisin granola
Snack: again, shame on me.... i guess the granola could be considered my snack... but I knew I was going to CrossFit at 4:30 so I didn't want to eat after 3:30
   * 1 hr before CrossFit, 2 O2 Gold.  15 minute before: 3 Catalyst, Rehydrate/Spark mix
Dinner: Mixed greens with beef fajita strips and Trader Joes hummus dressing. 
Bedtime: 3 Catalyst, 2 Nighttime Recovery

Day 13 -- Owwwie!!

Wow, this CrossFit is kicking my ass!!  And I'm sure it will be lingering for days.... I opened my eyes today and was literally scared to move.  I fear how I would feel without the Nighttime Recovery, I have a feeling that's making a world of difference.  So, yes, I'm sore.  Very sore. (But at least it's a "good" sore, right...)  And I must be totally sick and twisted because Mandy and I are going back again today for MORE!  I read through the WOD and it scares me.  Running, burpees and jump ropes w/ double jumps.  We'll see how it goes!  I wouldn't be quite so scared if I didn't commit to run a 5K tomorrow.  I don't know what I'm getting myself into here.... if you don't hear from me in a few days, send out a search party, because I'm afraid I won't make it through these next 24 hours :) 

So, as you can tell from my last few posts, I'm not being quite as strict as I should on this challenge.  Foodwise, I'm doing fine, juuuust fine.  But last night I felt like after CrossFit workout that I deserved a beer, or two, or however many.  And I'm not going to kid myself, tonight will be the same thing....I don't fully recommend this if you want the best and most complete results from the challenge :)

Morning: More advil, MNS pack, 3 Catalyst, 2 ThermoPlus
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, banana
Snack: Almonds
Before Lunch: MNS pack
Lunch: Whole wheat bread w/ peanut butter and other MNS packs
Snack: TBD
Dinner: TBD
  * 6pm CrossFit
Bed: Advil, Nighttime Recovery....duh... TBD

Day 12 -- and CrossFit!

Holy CrossFit, Batman!!  Wow....   So today's first CrossFit class was, well, duh... intense.  We had a competition to tally the number of reps, and I came in last.  But hey, that means I am in the running for most improved if I keep working hard enough!   There was a good deal of upper body work and I'm not lying when I say that it hurt to shift gears on the drive home.  It also hurt to open the garage door.... and pop the top off my water bottle... I mean, really, I could keep going on and on,  but I'll stop there.  I'm just... plain.. Pathetic (with a capital P, no less!).  My friend Mandy went with me and we committed to going back tomorrow - we figure if we're going to be sore we might as well work through the soreness!  Zoinks... this will be an interesting month!  Anyway, here's my day:

Morning: 3 Catalyst, 2 ThermoPlus, MNS pre-breakfast pack
Breakfast: Meal Replacement Shake
   * CrossFit: 1 Spark before, 1 Rehydrate during
Snack:  Muscle Gain and banana IMMEDIATELY when I got home from CrossFit
Before lunch: MNS pre-lunch pack, 2 ThermoPlus, 3 Catalyst
Lunch: 1 slice whole grain bread w/ peanut butter.  Apple.  MNS with-meal packs.
Snack: Almonds
Dinner: Grilled Chicken, Beer to make my sore muscles feel better.  As you can tell, I'm like and AdvoGirl Gone Wild of sorts... I tend to walk on the bad side of things with drinking on the challenge. 
Bedtime: More Advil, OmegaPlex, Nightime Recovery, 3 Catalyst

Day 11 - MAX phase begins!

Done with the cleanse and now time for the MAX phase with the MNS packs, Catalyst, ThermoPlus added to the routine.  As an overview, here is everything I'm doing and a little bit about each product:

MNS:

Metabolic Nutrition Systems (MNS®) help you target your specific weight management challenges.  MNS contains a proprietary blend of botanical extracts and nutrients designed to help "rev up"metabolism

Catalyst:
Amino Acids that support & preserve muscle tone, enhances strength & energy during workouts & helps rid the fat, retain the muscle and leave your body more toned and defined!

ThermoPlus:
Innovative weight-loss enhancer that contains key botanical extracts to help support efficient metabolism and suppress appetite.  Two tablets burn 300 calories. (don't ask me how!)

Spark™:
Long-lasting energy (3-5 hours), without spiking blood sugar.  Sharpens mental focus and alertness - B-Vitamins and Amino acids create neurotransmitter reactions in the brain to provide long lasting, more focused energy.  Caffeine dilates blood vessels for better & quicker nutritional absorption.  Take anytime during the day for a natural energy lift. Can be served Cold or Hot.

Meal Replacement Shake:
Nourishes Muscles and Supports Metabolism. A perfectly balanced (protein-to-carb ratio), satisfying meal.
Great for someone who usually skips breakfast or lunch.

OmegaPlex:

Plays an important role in the transportation of nutrients. Helps promote & boost a healthy metabolism. Promotes maintenance of healthy skin, hair and nails. Essential for building cell membranes to perform key functions in the brain, eyes & lungs. Eases inflammation and boosts immune system. Aids in effective digestion, speed nerve transmission and enhances mood and memory/learning abilities.

So let's get started with Day 11.  I'm going to do my best to follow the "Lean in 13" program to help tone these tree stumps of legs, so we'll see :)

Morning: 3 Catalyst, 30 minutes of excercise (20 running, yay!)

30 mins before breakfast: Before Breakfast pack, 1 ThermoPlus

Breakfast: Meal Replacement Shake, Vanilla

Snack: 2 scrambled eggs

Lunch: Broccoli slaw, tuna, avocado salsa.  Omitted the black beans today since according to the Lean in 13, this is a carb and only to be included on "Refuel" days.

Snack: a small handful of almonds and Muscle Gain shake.

Dinner: 1/3 cup or so of Quinoa and 3 Teriyaki Chicken meatballs

Bedtime: TBD

Premium weight management product helps promote a feeling of fullness and satiety, helps support appetite control and aids in boosting metabolism.  LeptiLean is caffeine free!

Day 10 - Last Fiber Drink :)

I woke to meet my buddy Fiber Drink.  I chugged that bad boy down and followed it with 3 Catalyst.  Boom -- last Fiber Drink is D.O.N.E.!!!!!  This promises to be a challenging week.  I'm traveling to Chicago Tues/Weds, starting CrossFit Weds/Thurs and running my first 5K on Friday.  I also need to fit in my fulltime job :)

So what I'm "noodling on" today is how/if I can manage to do the Lean in 13 eating program.  Wow, it is STRICT....  I'm going to try to follow it the best I can.  That, plus the CrossFit and 5Ks, and I want to get my legs lean and TONE.  Wish me luck!

Morning: Fiber Drink, Priobiotic, 3 Catalyst
Breakfast: Meal Replacment Shake, 3 JointPromotion, 2 OmegaPlex
Snack: 2 scrambled eggs, banana
Lunch: 3 chicken/pineapple meatballs mixed in with a 1/4 - 1/2 cup quinoa.  Lots of yummy juices in the meatballs so I didn't need any sauce or anything.  Super yummy!!  I got the meatballs at Sam's club, so I have enough to get me through at least the rest of the challenge, if not longer :)
Snack: Almonds
Dinner: Mixed greens with white balsamic dressing and more chicken meatballs
    * I got some not so pleasant work-related information, so I'm having a beer right now.... But it's a Miller Lite, at least I went for that instead of Oberon!
Bed: 3 Catalyst, 2 Nighttime Recovery

Day 9

Yesterday was a long day -- we had Bobby's party starting at 3, and it ended around 10:30 with a bonfire and s'mores.  But I woke up to get back on track with my cleanse today - which including my first run of Week 6 on the Couch to 5K running plan.  Considering that I got off track a bit the last few days, the run made me feel better and got me back into reminding myself to take care of my body.  I also need to prepare myself for running my very first 5K this Friday.... what have I gotten myself into??

Morning: Fiber Drink, 3 Catalyst and Rehydrate
   * Run/Walk 35 minutes
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and a banana.  3 JointPromotion, 2 OmegaPlex
Snack:  none.... it was a late breakfast... just had a Pink Lemonade Spark and a little time in the sun reading a magazine....ahhhh, relaxing!
Lunch: Leftover Moe's chicken, salsa and a few chips, a handful of peanut butter granola.  (3 Catalyst 30 minutes before)
   * I have since given away the leftover tortilla chips so I'm not tempted anymore!!!
Snack: Almonds
Dinner: Bobby's leftover broccoli.  I know, it wasn't enough and I should have had more.  But it's all I could manage to muster up the energy to eat.
Bedtime: 2 Nighttime Recovery, 3 Catalyst

Day 8 & Bobby's Birthday Party

Well.... I woke up Saturday morning having complete regrets for cheating on the cleanse the night before with wine and beer.  But it was a new day, I woke up to my Fiber drink and did the best I could for the day, considering we had a big party for Bobby today!

Morning: Fiber Drink, 3 Catalyst
Breakfast: Eggs, 2 OmegaPlex
Snack: Almonds, Banana
Lunch, Snack, Dinner all kind of ran together -- Bobby's party started at 3pm and we had Moe's fajita/salad bar.  I can't pass on the chips, but that's the only "bad" food I had, I added black beans, guac, chicken and salsa.  There was a lot to do for the party to keep things going, so staying on the move helped me avoid the food.  Now... the beer and the wine I couldn't avoid.  It's just my weakness..... So yes, I caved and had some beer and wine.  So two days in a row with bad beverage choices, but still overall really good with food. 
Bedtime: Nighttime Recovery... still a little sore from my intro Cross Fit class...

Day 7

Wow, I'm already on Day 7?!?  That's crazy.  This week has gone by really fast!   I've been doing really good with the cleanse this week, but I fear the weekend ahead.  We have a birthday party for  Bobby tomorrow at our house.  We're having fajita and salad bars from Moe's, so I should be able to eat the chicken, beans, guacamole, etc.  What I'm more worried about is the cake... Dainty Maid cake... it's oh-so delicious and delightful!  Who knows, when the cake is cut maybe I won't even want a piece... we'll just have to see.  I also just got back from the liquor store with some yummy wines and beers.  That will be a hard one too.  I may cave... I mean, Bobby's birthday only comes once a year... right?  (I love how I'm already talking myself into thinking it's okay!!).  Anyway, that's tomorrow, gotta get through today first!

Morning: ProBiotic Restore, water (I forgot my catalyst... will take before lunch)
Breafkast: Vanilla Meal Replacement Shake, 2 OmegaPlex
Mid-Morning: Almonds, banana
Lunch: Broccoli slaw, black beans, tuna (I think... I don't remember...), 2 OmegaPlex
Snack: Almonds
Dinner: Seared tuna salad with ginger dressing and avocado at The Chubby Trout.  YUM!
   *  In the interest of full disclosure, I fell off the wagon and had some beer and wine.....
Bed: Herbal Cleanse tablets

Day 6 - and a big accomplishment!

Who just ran 20 minutes straight on the Couch 2 5K program?  THIS GIRL!!!  Yea, I know for all the runners out there this is peanuts, but for me this is huge.  I have to give myself props, but also remember not to slow down, I still have more improvement left to do.  But for now, I'm giving myself a little pat on the back.  OH, and I'm doing my intro to CrossFit tonight, too.  Am I crazy?  Possibly.....

Wake up:  Probiotic Restore, Spark (mixed Cherry and Orange), 3 Catalyst
     *  Ran a half hour later and drank Rehydrate before
Breakfast: Meal replacement shake, 3 Joint Promotion, 2 OmegaPlex
Snack: 2 scrambled eggs, banana
Lunch: Broccoli slaw, black beans, tomatoes, tuna and avocado salsa
    * Bit of a headached so added a Spark around 1:30 pm
Snack and Dinner are all kind of running together, because I have CrossFit at 7 and want to make sure I'm not full when I go to that.  So for snack I had some oatmeal raisin granola about 3:30, hummus/carrots and apple at 4:30, muscle gain at 5:30. 
   * CrossFit 7pm.  It was just an intro class so it wasn't a full, intense workout.  But man, I can feel it
already!  So I added Advil to my bedtime supplements.
Bedtime: Herbal Cleanse, 3 Nightime Recovery, 3 Catalyst, 4 advil

Day 5

Woke up... still at 128.  But not discouraged!  I came home from taking Bobby to school and what was at my door but my big a$$ AdvoCare order!  Yippee!!!  I've got a ton of inventory now so I can send something directly to you :)

Wake: ProBiotic Restore, water
Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs, banana, and carrots.  Spark, pink lemonade.
Mid morning Snack - Trader Joe's Omega Trek Mix
Lunch - Carrots & Celery with Hummus.  Tyson precooked chicken chunks.
Afternoon snack - Handful of almonds and an apple.  Was still hungry a little later so I had a few rice cakes.  Don't knock 'em, they're good!
Dinner - Salmon and mixed greens, balsamic dressing
Bedtime - Herbal Cleanse, 2 Nighttime Recovery, 2 OmegaPlex

My Goals

I can't believe I'm doing this.... but I'm posting some before pictures IN A BATHING SUIT!  So that I can see the actual progress of this Challenge.  Yes, people, I believe in it that much that I'm willing to let you all see my flabby ass in a bathing suit.  For the past 15 years or so, I can probably count the number of times I have put on a bathing suit.  There are many years I simply did not own a bathing suit.  There are some summers where I would not wear shorts. I hated my legs and was so ashamed that I would wear capris as much as I possibly could.  And dresses?  Forget about it.  With these tree stumps, I never felt comfortable in a dress.  SO....  what's my point?  I want to be able to put on a bathing suit, a pair of shorts or a dress and feel CONFIDENT.  The last 6 months have allowed me the chance to slim down a bit.  But I'm using this challenge to really take it to the next level.  As you can see, I'm not obese, and parts of me I'm fine with... HOWEVER, I could really really really do without the flab, cellulite and lack of tone in my lower body.  I'm really looking to TONE UP and get my legs and buns looking better.  This has been my problem area for many, many years, so I would be beyond thrilled if I can get this looking tip top and ready for shorts/bathing suit season. 

These are the pictures I will keep in mind when I start CrossFit and want to give up!

I also hope that adding workouts will improve my posture....

Now if only this Challenge could make my bed and clean my room for me........

Day 4

I woke up feeling a little defeated because the scale was about a half pound higher than when I started.  It would have been easy for me to say "To heck with this, I give up, 3 days of this cleanse and I get an extra pound??".  But I am committed to this for the entire 24 days because KNOW it will give me good results!  I had such good results on my first cleanse/challenge because I was SO unhealthy.  But right now, I would actually say I'm in pretty good health (eating habit-wise), so my body just doesn't have as many toxins to flush out.  So I have this 10 days to get any of those toxins out and get my system ready to absorb all the nutrients that will be coming starting on Day 11 in my MAX phase.  Still excited!
Morning: Probiotic Restore, Spark (pink lemonade)
Breakast: Too lazy to make anything so went with a Meal Replacement shake since it has everything I need in it!  2 OmegaPlex, 3 Joint Promotion
   -- Threw in my Couch to 5k Run and took 2 more Catalyst
Mid-Morning: Almonds and Banana
Lunch: Broccoli slaw mixed with tuna, black beans, tomatoes and guac/salsa.  (3 Catalyst before)
Afternoon snack: Erin Baker's Peanut Butter Protein granola.  YUM!
Dinner: 2 turkey sausage patties, 3 little egg muffin things, banana.  2 OmegaPlex, 3 JointPromotion
Bedtime: Herbal Cleanse tablets, 3 Catalyst, 2 Nighttime Recovery.  I'm giving the Nighttime Recovery a try to see if it helps boost the power of the Joint Promotion to help my ankles, knees and hips feel better.  I also have a feeling this Nighttime Recovery will be my best friend once I start CrossFit!

Day 3 - On the road

I had to make a trip to Chicago today, so I started last night in preparing my meals for today.  I made a batch of veggie and egg thingies -- chopped up some green onion, steamed broccoli/cauliflower, yellow peppers, put them in a greased cupcake tin, scrambled up some eggs and poured over it.  Next time I will probably grease the pan more or let them cook longer b/c they were a little tough to get out.  I also packed some almonds, apples, all the supplements I would need.  Here's how the day went

Morning: Fiber drink, 3 Joint Promotion, 3 Catalyst
Breakfast: Meal Replacement Shake
Mid-Morning: Two egg thingies and a few almonds
Lunch: Stopped at trader joe's and got a fun little mediterraean thing made with chick peas, black beans and tomatoes.  Yum.  I was still hungry so I had the rest of the almonds/nuts I started earlier
Mid afternoon: Apple and 2 rice cakes
Dinner: Some super lean sirloins from Trader Joes, mixed salad.  4 OmegaPlex, since I forgot to take them earlier.  I got hungry a bit later and had a banana.
Bedtime: Herbal Cleanse tablets

Either I didn't stay ahead of my water consumption, or I waited too long to eat, so I ended up getting a headache on the drive home.  I was tied up in client meetings and wish I had taken a bigger glass of water in with me.  Always be prepared with lots and lots of water!   Anyway, I just drank a Rehydrate in hopes it clears it up.

Day 2 - Morning

I woke up pumped and ready to go today.  I got up while everyone was still sleeping,  laced up my shoes to go for a run.  I'm in week 5 of the couch to 5k program, it's intimdating, but I'm pushing myself to finish it.  I just saw a ton of people who ran the Indy mini and Sunburst runs... if they can do that, I think I should be able to manage a 5k...c'mon!

 * Morning:  Fiber drink, Spark/Rehydrate combo, 3 catalyst
 * Breakfast - Meal replacement shake, 2 OmegaPlex, 3 JointPromotion (I'm getting old and even these small runs are killing my knees and ankles...)
 * Mid-Morning Snack - Erin Bakers' Homestyle Granola - made with whole oats and no sugar.
 * Lunch - canned tuna, black beans, carrots, green onion all mixed around with Wholly GuacSalsa.  2 OmegaPlex
 * Afternoon Snack - Muscle Gain shake (protein)
 * Dinner - Martin's non-rice sushi with vegetables, no soy sauce.  Almonds.  3 OmegaPlex, 3 Joint Promotion.  I was still hungry so I had a banana too.

Day 1

I'm starting my 3rd 24 Day Challenge with AdvoCare - Today - June 2, 2012.   I hadn't planned on starting this today, but the FedEx man arrived with the shipment much earlier today than I expected . So as I mentioned in my first post, I started somewhat backward, as I had already eaten a couple of eggs.  However, I wanted to get a jump start and was motivated to start right away.  So I opened it up and downed my fiber drink, and we're off! 

To back up, my goal for this challenge is to tone up and feel comfortable wearing a bathing suite for the first time in....oh, maybe 20 years....  I lost 20 lbs since the first challenge, so I'm not overly concerned with dropping too much weight.  However, I need to TONE and get rid of the flabbiness.

So back to today -- here's how today went:

Morning: 2 scrambled eggs, a couple crackers and peanut butter (before I realized I would be starting this cleanse today!), Spark
Mid-Morning - Fiber drink and lots of water, water, water, and 2 OmegaPlex
Lunch - (3 catalyst 30 minutes before) carrots, pineapple and a handful of almonds (3 catalyst 30 minutes before)
Afternoon snack - apple and a couple of almonds
Dinner - (3 catalyst 30 minutes before)  Grilled chicken, salad with Wholly Salsa, 2 OmegaPlex
Bedtime - Herbal Cleanse tablets

Overall I'm happy with how today went.  I never realized how much I was dependent on my nightly glass of wine until I realized I couldn't have one!!  Instead I mixed up a Spark, pink lemonade, my new favorite.  Then I browsed a little bit on the "Fitness" boards on Pinterest to help keep me motivated!  I also got a new Athleta catalog today, and want to find something in there to be my inspiration and buy for myself if I'm successful at this challenge.

Here we go!

I woke up today, ate a couple of eggs for breakfast and was just mixing together a Spark when the FedEx man got here much earlier than I expected.  I decided to just get a start on the cleanse and start TODAY!  A bit backward since I already ate my eggs and then I drank the Fiber drink but I'll get back on track tonight.  More details later!