28 days later

I made it!

And the journey was worth it!

My beginning weight was 133.8 and my ending weight was 127.0! My husband lost 15 pounds and even quit 4 days early (lame). He was eating ice cream and hamburgers and fries in front of me and I wanted to punch him so hard!! I lost six pounds and really regret not measuring myself at the beginning because I know for a fact that I have lost inches and many! Most of my dress pants have become annoying to wear because I'm pulling them up all day long. I'm wearing size small again with room to grow! And the best part of it all- everyone tells me how great I look! It's such a boost of confidence and it makes you want to keep on the program. 

So what happens now? 

So many people have asked me what I plan on doing after 28 days of strict dieting. Well, I'm not going to lie... I will give into some of my cravings, just in huge moderation. Today was my first day off the detox technically, but I kept my morning and lunch routine the exact same. I'm actually going to have brown rice pasta and pasta sauce for dinner. But I plan on eating popcorn tonight too as I watch my nightly line up. Oh how I've missed popcorn! I plan to keep the breakfast and lunch the exact same so I can keep the weight off, but so I know that I'm treating myself right for MOST of the day. I plan on giving into little temptations throughout the day instead of feeling like I'm going to explode if I don't eat a resees (sp?) this second! I just know that I have done so many good things for my body and I feel so good when I do them that I won't be changing my habits drastically unless I want to see disgusting and drastic habits form (again).

I was amazed at how quickly the detox goes. You just start getting used to the diet and then it's over! I plan on doing it again in the summer to keep up the pace, unless I find that supplementing my two meals is enough. Now, I'm going to add in exercise, like walking, eliptical, light jogging... that kind of stuff. I can't wait to see what happens to my body now that I'm adding in exercise! Anyway- I don't have pictures to upload but I will soon!

 Thanks for all the encouragement and if you want to get summer ready- THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT!! You could start now and be ready for Memorial Day weekend lake fun!! Think about it! Also, if you purchase the 30 day feeling fit kit from Arbonne, before the end of April, you can get your name put in a drawing for $500 worth of Arbonne products and that includes the most amazing RE9 skin care line!

Come back this weekend to see what other products I used while I was on the detox that made my skin look and feel healthy!

Ok So you might want some updated pictures?

ENJOY!

My husband took these so I can't say they are from the same angle. Before they were just on a side table in the guest bedroom because I didn't have anyone to take my picture!

P.S. IT'S DAY 21! 

If you go back you can see a huge difference!

A way of LIFE

An array of items we purchased from the store this evening

I wanted to share some amazing things that are happening at the "detox" household! First of all, I have 6 new people that are very close to me that are starting the detox this week or they started it on Monday! GOOOOOD LUCK! You will do awesome and check back here for information throughout the process. I will tell you now that the detox is different for everyone but YOU will see results and that won't change from person to person at all.

So things change as you are doing the detox. You watch what others are putting in their mouths and you think, man I would feel so yucky after eating that! Or man, I'm so glad I'm eating all natural foods because my body feels amazing... SO in turn you start to change your eating choices all together. What is really cool is what we used to get from the grocery store were a lot of these same things, they are just more purposeful and healthy for my body. For example- 1% milk, chips (kettle cooked of course haha), pepsi, regular pasta, high sugar fruits and always a few extra processed foods were on the list BEFORE the detox. NOW, this is what we get: brown rice chips (so delish!), brown rice, brown rice gluten free pasta, sweet potatoes mmm, a large array of canned beans and avocados because they are so amazing but also because they are such an awesome healthy fat! I haven't really eaten any nuts but you can eat nuts, just not peanuts. One of my favorite snacks is our homemade protein bar! 

Oh yeah- totally healthy! Totally YUMMY!

Another amazing part of the "diet" is that you have these protein shakes that are out of this world! The first day it was hard for me to even drink the whole thing because it was soo much, now they are gone in less than 10 minutes (haha)! You get to have chocolate or vanilla and you can add all kinds of berries to make it taste so good. 

Our amazing new blender! And a strawberry vanilla protein shake!

This diet has been the easiest thing for me! First of all, the person that sold it to me is a text message away so when I question foods I just text her and she knows all the answers or finds them for me! No fail. Then, I feel so proud of myself when I can easily find choices on a menu that are totally healthy and that I won't feel guilty for eating. There are days when I want to emotionally eat - there have been 2 that I can remember and all I want is a pepsi and a peanut butter cup but I've pushed through! 

My most favorite moment so far was the other day I was dressing for a bridal shower (ok I just realized I have 2!) and I went to put a belt on that I usually wear really high on my waist (because that's where it fits and looks cute;) ) AND when I put it on it doesn't fit.... it fits where it is actually supposed to go, around my belt loops!!!!! WOW. And my second favorite moment- I went back to my old job to drop off one of the detoxes that I sold and I kid you not- practically every person that saw me said you look so good! I'm just doing my self-confidence a favor (not sure it needed it!), but I genuinely feel good, and when you feel good, why would you ever do something to your body that makes it not feel good?

So I guess I'm doing my job?

And I'm back!

So needless to say life has been a blur these last few days! Almost a week. You were probably getting tired of my meal schedule anyway! Instead of doing a meal schedule can I tell you the highlights and low lights of this diet?

High Lights:

Way more energy all day long until right before bed.

Skin looks amazing - like a natural glow

You don't feel guilty for eating!

I can wear almost everything in my closet now - especially my skinny jeans! reminder I'm not done with week 2 yet!!

I have a lunch to bring to work instead of eating out

I'm a better cook!

No caffeine headaches OR Pepsi withdraws!

I'M NOT STARVING.

People start to notice quickly :)

Low Lights:

You may be in the bathroom more often than usual. (2-3 x's a day)

You see your friends and family eat sweets like mom's brownies and breads and pizzas and you get a little jealous!

It's a bit harder to get out the door in the morning on time because of all the extra steps I take to get myself ready to go - tea, protein shake, lunch, etc.

Like I said at the beginning- I would be honest with you and tell you the truth about the detox.

 YOU CAN DO IT! 

Over the past few days that I haven't recorded my day-to-day life I have seen a huge difference in my skin, the way my clothes are fitting, and my over all attitude. I swear the fizz tabs have a mood enhancer in those things! I DID actually do some exercise today so I do hope that helps with my weight loss this week even though I wasn't disappointed with the 4 pounds last week. I can't even believe I have been doing this for almost 2 weeks! Awesome! I actually picked the best time too because we have started going to school for a longer amount of time to make up for all the snow and most of the teachers are just completely out of energy- NOT THE ART TEACHER!! I'm still good to go! That is such an amazing feeling. 

Thanks for following along so far!

AND THE RESULTS PLEASE!

Beginning Weight:

133

Today's Weight:

129

I couldn't be more thrilled with the results - especially since I woke up with a giant pudge from bloating - and no that's not from the detox. I am starting the 7 day cleanse today (and if you want to do JUST the 7 day cleanse you can!). My husband's results will be posted later! My husband lost 7 pounds in the first week!! A little jealous not gonna lie!

Day 7 And NEW challenges!

Day 7 -First of all I can easily keep doing this for another 21! No longer do I feel fatigue ALL DAY LONG. I am not starving in between meals OR craving that afternoon pepsi that would get me through the rest of the day. My stress is calmed with a detox tea in the morning and in the evening with a splash of citrus flavor because I simply don't like tea. The fizzy tabs create the best energy for you and there is never a let down! If I'm ever hungry I grab one of my awesome home-made protein bars or a fit chew and I'm golden! I find that I'm a much more calm and happy person because I'm not feeding myself toxic foods, but instead I'm replacing it with pure, safe, and beneficial products. I feel like a million bucks! And I can't deny that I'm starting to look the part too :)

This question if just for the ladies - how many of you can say that on the first day of your cycle you have had more energy than you normally do in your regular week?! Because this girl can!! I know T.M.I. But seriously? Who wouldn't be excited about that?

Some of my readers have wondered how I can offer such an amazing deal on these products- well as of mid-February I became an Arbonne Independent Consultant and I'm loving it. And if you want more information on that or the business let me know because this business already is changing me in a huge way!

Anyway - on to day 7!

Awesome day 7. I woke up feeling like I needed 12 more hours of sleep... thank you mother nature... and had to chug my detox tea with the fizzy energy tab in it to have enough hands free to run out the door with all my junk! And the results were well worth the chug! I immediately (in my short 10 minute commute to work) felt a difference. I was on the phone in an upbeat mood and praying with more emotion than I have had in a long time to my awesome God. Did the energy wear off in an hour? Oh no. Lunch rolls around and I'm still on this awesome energy! I felt bad for my coworkers who were already ready to go home for the day when I still have plenty of energy. I was lucky today because the cafeteria was serving fresh strawberries (how'd they know?!) and fresh carrots and broccoli. I felt stuffed with my protein shake. 

Dinner was the usual medley of green veggies, some better sweet potato fries, and chicken and brown rice. I don't know what other detoxes are like, but you would be crazy not to try this if you are at all interested!

The kitchen AFTER our dinners lately.

By the way- check back early tomorrow to see my weigh in results! And I'll be posting my husbands on here as well!

Day Six

So I "punished" myself today. 

I had a strawberry and vanilla protein shake this morning AND at lunch, instead of eating a normal lunch with proteins and veggies. I was sooo sure that when 3 o'clock rolled around I would be starving because I hadn't loaded up on the "real" food and I wasn't!! That was the best part! I had a fit chew in the morning and a fit chew after lunch and then came home and made another "Detox Chipotle" bowl with the fixin's. I added an avocado mashed up with a few tomato chunks in it to add some flavor and it really made it yummy. I also made (for the first time EVER) sweet potato fries! And you would be seeing a picture of those if they hadn't turned out completely BLACK! HAHAHAHA. I think I just need to turn down the heat next time! But they were still pretty good! So we got a few more sweet potatoes tonight and plan on trying that out again. It was like a guilty pleasure having those and knowing that I wouldn't be damaging what I was trying to do. Ok technically can I get on the scale tomorrow since it will be day 7?! My husband rejected that - nope weigh yourself on the same day... ok fine. RESULTS TO COME... aaaaaaahhhhhh!

Fifth Day

Ok- Sunday is the weekend right? And everyone cheats on Sundays or Saturdays or Fridays, right? Well, I am a little angry with myself for cheating last night at Ted's the mexican resturant here in town. I did REALLY good up until the point where they bring the chips and salsa and queso! I really only had a few chips, but I felt SO BAD for it! I ate fajitas because that was the only thing we could think of that wasn't covered in cheese or surrounded with something like a tortilla. That I didn't feel bad about at all - chicken and veggies and a little bit of guacamole. I just had to DRAIN the grease (gross) from the food before I would eat it. I drank like 5 glasses of water too so go me for making up for all the water I haven't been drinking.
On day 5 I tried a new protein shake for breakfast (vanilla mmm) with strawberries and it was amazing! I think I will stick to that for a while because it blew the chocolate out of the water! Then we had a birthday lunch for my husband's grandparents and that was when the temptations came flying at me. First it was the fact that it smelled amazing, then it was the vegetarian lasagna, then veal parmesan with noodles and of course there was CAKE! So, what did I do? Eat the chicken that wasn't covered in frying bits, loaded my plate with vegetables and a really nice salad and ate all the strawberries I wanted for dessert. So all in all, I enjoyed the food, I just made healthier choices and I'm finding that I can do that just about anywhere I go. 
Well, on top of all the temptations that yesterday brought, I found that I was more hungry than normal. It must have been because I wasn't totally preoccupied with children all day. I popped in a few chews and actually snacked throughout the day. Day 5 might have been a challenge, but I overcame and I don't feel like I got angry because I couldn't have the foods that I wanted. I just kept thinking, well in 23 days I can eat some of those things if I want again. I have this STRANGE feeling that I won't be going back to food like that any time soon. Weight results will be up on the website on Wednesday morning early so be looking for those!! My husband is letting me post his weight loss for everyone to see too because he is looking GOOOOOOOD! ;)

Day Four!

There are a few awesome things that you can have on this diet that help curb your appetite tremendously. ONE IS COMPLETELY FREE! 

• Water- drinking at least 5-6 glasses of water a day has made me so much less hungry!
• Protein bars - YUMMY, made with Arbonne's protein powder, brown rice cereal, agave nectar, and almond butter. 4 simple ingredients and a treat that lasts you for days! I just keep it in the fridge so it lasts me all week.
• Fizzy Tabs - Arbonne sells these great fizzy tabs that make your water taste great, (if you are addicted to soda these are perfect! I'm telling you from experience). The tabs also curb your appetite and give you energy and the whole time its ALL-NATURAL!
• Fit chews- Arbonne makes delicious fit chews in chocolate and caramel (limited time only), and they might be a bit addicting, but they do WONDERS to help get your appetite under control and get you to your next meal. And they work in minutes!

All the things you need outside of the protein shake from Arbonne!

So far today has been one of my favorites for loads of reasons!! I got to sleep in for the first time in over two weeks (9:30!) and then I woke up and drank my tea slowly. I made my normal shake, but instead today it took the place of my lunch. I had a great day, full of energy! And man, I looked GOOOOOOD! I could tell a difference today in my belly and legs for sure. And wow you should see my husband! I'm going to be so jealous when we get on the scale on Wednesday and I can see how much he has already lost, even though I know I have lost too. The most difficult part of the day was when I stayed up too late and was starving- so I grabbed a chew and was shocked at how quickly it curbed my appetite. Those things are awesome! 

Day Three

I'm telling you now- YOU CAN DO THIS! Even if you don't like veggies or if you are breast feeding or if you are a busy person like the rest of the world, or if you are already a skinny person. Every person I know needs to detox their diet at some point and NOW is the time! If you want to find out how you can do this same program and rid your body of all the toxins that are in it, PLEASE contact me!



Well, I shot myself in the foot today that's for sure! I teach art and on Fridays I teach Art Club with a smaller group of kids. I promised them donuts on Monday and so I had to sit in my car on Friday morning with donuts- wow that was ROUGH! On top of that I watched as they devoured one of my favorite guilty pleasures. However, I was drinking my delicious protein shake with strawberries in it so my pleasure for a better, healthier body won out!
Each day has started differently and today has been the hardest on me emotional and physically. I was DONE by the end of the day, but I found that my energy was still there, my brain had just been turned to mush. 
I brought my lunch to school today and had a yummy salad with peppers, onions, chicken and a green apple. You can have only berries and green apples because every other fruit is too high on the glycemic index.

 I was really excited to go shopping for dinner and I purchased an avocado, more chicken, another giant batch of strawberries, gluten free, brown rice pasta and some salsa. I made the most amazing dinner. Ever been to Chipotle? One of my favorites (they actually serve organic food which is awesome). They have this burrito bowl that starts with rice, then beans, then meat, then salsa, relish and salad or guac. I LOVE this dish, so I made the Arbonne Detox version of it last night and it was phenomenal! I cooked my chicken in EVOO and used some Agave Nectar to marinate the chicken. Then I warmed up black beans and brown rice. I took pictures of each step so you could see the wonderfulness in all its glory!! And because I devoured the entire dish happily!:) I accidentally forgot to make my tea before I went to bed, but I think I will survive.

DAY TWO

Well, that last night's tea wasn't quite what I was expecting - the citrus fizzy tab actually makes it taste like an "arnold-palmer" so when I drank it without the fizzy tab, I found it to be a little watered down. But really, other than that, I'm finding this "diet" to be fairly low-maintenance. It's all about planning and I'm getting much better at that!
This morning when I woke up I made my detox tea first thing so I could drink it as I got ready (which is what you are supposed to do) instead of as I ran out the door with my protein shake in hand, teacher bag and a multitude of other items! I was also so thankful for the blender this morning:) I bought a giant batch of large strawberries last night and cut them up this morning and popped them into my blender mixed chocolate protein shake (and I remembered the fiber booster too). YUM.
Lunch was a where I found my first temptation of the diet... I went out with teacher friends to a local resturant and of course the wonderful smell that hits me as I walk in is PIZZA. Lucky for me this place had the perfect salad with chunks of chicken, apple, and bits of dried berries in it tossed in a vinegerette. Of course they sold Pepsi, my biggest addiction in the world, and my mouth literally watered when I saw the fountain machine, but I just got water and ignored the desire to CHEAT!
I'm finding that I do need to drink more water as the day goes on because I'm forgetting about it almost completely. Just because I'm drinking my meals doesn't mean I should dehydrate myself! My energy level is staying sustained and my emotions aren't all out of whack because I'm limiting myself on what I can have.
On Wednesday night I cooked all the chicken I bought from the store and split it up for my husband and I in the right portion sizes so we could grab and go. I also made the most amazing protein bars on the planet! And I know my far share, because my husband and I tried a protein diet in the fall that was semi-successful but not at all like this. These are actually the only two diets I've ever tried in my life.
ANYWAY Thursday dinner was super easy thanks to all the planning I did the night before - good thing because I was wiped out from the day with the kids. I re-heated the chicken and grabbed the bag of chopped strawberries from the morning and a protein bar and ate away. I may get tired of salad on this diet, but I was talking to an Arbonne Regional Vice President and she told me of some excellent recipes that I can't wait to try!
After two days on this diet, I'm loving it and am really excited to see progress. I have to stay away from the scale so I'm not tempted to check every day! Keep checking back!

First time for Everything!

The "Arb Shelf" in the pantry!

 First of all I'm excited to share this journey with you. I will be candid and real and you are going to know all the things I love to hide and every struggle I have as well. Lets just get the sticky, uncomfortable stuff out of the way first. I am going to be weighing and measuring myself once a week. Of course I will want to post pictures to see the results as well. The Arbonne Detox diet takes its course in 28 days and helps you rid the toxins that are stored in your fat. So here's to a healthier lifestyle!!

DAY ONE:

Starting weight: 133

 Starting a "diet" is always HARD... we had everything we needed except for healthy foods in the house (we just got back from spring break), so I decided to start the diet without the healthy foods in the house and just make it to the store for dinner. As I jump out of the shower (already running late) I run to the kitchen to boil water for the detox tea (the first thing you need to have to start your day off right). If any of you know me personally, you know I simply DON'T drink tea and I also don't like hot drinks... so I assumed this would be the hardest part of this diet all together. So glad I was wrong! I threw in a citrus fizzy tab to help with the energy I was lacking and loved starting my day with the tea. I felt like my mom and sister who can't start their day right without their Cafe Vienna. Then as I am running late, I mix up my protein shake (and accidentally forget to put in the fiber booster -oops!). 


TIP: Buy the protein shaker cup! That stainless steel ball in the cup really breaks up the chunks - I don't have mine yet and I regreted it this morning.


Once I got to school I ran to the PE teacher's room to check my weight (133.2 so discouraging, but all the motivation I need to start kicking my terrible diet to the curb!). I didn't even get to finish my protein shake before lunch because of my busy teaching schedule in the mornings! I'm sure I will get it all worked out.

Lunch was a challenge- because I was pretty hungry and on this detox you can decide to do  either a protein shake or a lean whole foods meal. Well, the cafeteria was serving pretzels and ceasar salads so I went straight to the salad bar and made a plate of leafy greens and a touch of vinegerette. I also had a fizzy tab in my water with lunch. At this point I'm thinking, I can handle this! I love fruits and veggies. The protein shakes taste great! The tea isn't bad at all and the chews really curb my appetite.

Measurements to come!

Then 3 o'clock rolls around and I just don't think I've had enough on my stomach. I knew I should of had a lean protein with lunch but I didn't have that option and so I had another caramel fit chew and that really helped. So far, so good. 
School ends dramatically (I guess there were grass fires nearby so we let out early) and I head for home where I realize my husband has not exactly gotten any decent foods for dinner. I run to the store to grab some lean protein and veggies to make a quick stir-fry before he runs out the door for work. And what a blessing protein was! I was so hungry and I love fruits and veggies so this part of the diet (no carbs or starchy veggies) was easy and delicious! Also the recipes I was given helps guide me through what is okay to eat.



Finally the day is almost over and I'm heating up my cup of yummy detox tea. I feel like tomorrow is going to be much easier now that I know what to expect! I plan on blending strawberries and my protein shake together for a delicious breakfast shake!