The 24 Day Challenge: Day 9

Okay, so I didn't keep my word about posting an update on day 4 or 5 of the challenge! But I'm at least posting again before the "cleanse phase" is over - which is tomorrow!

So far, things have been great! I'll be honest, I wasn't keeping AS close of a track of what I was eating over the weekend; not to say I wasn't "good," but I could have been better. I find that I'm actually way more disciplined when I am at work because the food I have is the food I brought, and it actually takes discipline to prep my meal and snacks for the day.

the cleanse phase has been way better than I anticipated it being! I was of course worried about how it would make me feel to switch my diet so drastically and take all these supplements simultaneously for 10 days - but I've been feeling great! I think I actually have more energy during the day which cannot be said for how I was feeling prior to starting the cleanse.

The hubby and I are both working on portion control, eating lighter, and getting more sleep! I read an article recently on the repercussions of not getting enough sleep and what it does to the body over time... yikes! It's scary.

Overall, I would say I'm very happy so far! I'm looking forward to starting the "Max Phase" of the challenge which includes taking certain supplements throughout the day and I can also start drinking the meal replacement shakes that came with the challenge. I also hope to introduce more exercise into my daily routine for the next 2 weeks. I have been told and have read that it will only aid in the results I see when this whole thing is over with (definitely a given, but important nonetheless..)

I'll still update on here! Hopefully more often than every 9 days :)

xoxo

The 24 Day Challenge: Day 1

So, I originally resolved that I would begin the 24 Day Challenge on January 15th. But today was Monday, and it just felt right.. so here I am!

I did my food preparations last night and I officially began the challenge today. So far, so good!

This morning began with an Herbal Cleanse Fiber drink. Although the texture was just awful, it didn't taste too bad. I downed it and then chased it with a glass of water. Lucky for me, the Herbal Cleanse drink is only for 6 out of the 10 day cleanse phase of the 24 day challenge.

I followed the fiber drink with a glass of Spark. Spark is Advocare's nutritional, vitamin packed energy drink that is actually quite delicious and a wonderful alternative to coffee/creamer or soda.

I had a very healthy breakfast of hard-boiled eggs and a banana and a chicken salad with a light drizzle of raspberry vinaigrette for lunch. All in all, I would say today has been great! Let me not forget to mention that I have already had a GALLON of water to drink today!

I am sure I will have more to say about how I'm feeling and what my progress looks like once I get further into the challenge, so I'll update again around day 4 or 5! (around the middle of the cleanse phase)

I can say with confidence, though, that it feels so good to be intentional about what I'm putting into my body, and I hope that only continues :)

New Year's Goals

OH my goodness! I haven’t posted since November?! Things have been pretty crazy around here!

Since my last post, Thanksgiving and Christmas have come and gone and we are well into the New Year! We spent Thanksgiving with my family and Christmas with Alex’s. It was a lovely time and a very busy couple of months! As nice as it was to see everyone and spend lots of time with family, I am glad to be home and getting back to our normal routine. This week was the first full week back to work after the break we took for Christmas and it’s been rough! I’m definitely ready for the weekend.

Since we’ve been home, we haven’t had too much going on other than getting our lives back in order from traveling so much. Getting back into all the routines has been challenging (work, chores, cooking, etc..). I decided I wanted to learn how to knit a couple days ago and went and bought myself some knitting needles! As you can tell, things have been pretty low key!

Starting on January 15^th, I will be starting the Advocare 24 Day Challenge! A coworker is also starting that day so we can keep each other accountable through the process. The 24 Day Challenge is a great kick start to a healthier way of life and I personally know many people who have had great success with it! Check out the link here for more info! (This is not a sales pitch – I do not sell or distribute Advocare products. I’m just an excited costumer!)

In preparing to do the challenge, I wanted to do some online research and read some real reviews from REAL people who completed the challenge and what their thoughts/results are. Even though my search results brought up many pages of sites to look through, I really didn’t find a lot of what I was looking for as far as reviews. This led me to decide that throughout my process of the challenge, I will post updates here!

Alex and I decided to set some goals for our year. It was really nice to chat about that on New Years Day when we were driving down the coast back to our little town from the Bay Area. Some of our goals include:

Reading more books (at least 10!) – me

Exercising  at least 4 days a week – him

Going on one vacation! – us

Write letters to our future babies – us

It was so nice to get back on the same page about where we’re headed and what our goals are… there are definitely more of them, but this is just a taste. We want to be more Kingdom minded and focusing on good things this year! This year will be one of transitions with him finishing up his Master’s Degree and beginning to work full time! One thing that is so evident to us is that time keeps moving forward, even when we don’t! Reconvening on where our life is headed was a breath of fresh air!

I am also participating in the Carabox exchange through Wifessionals! It has connected me to two very lovely ladies who live in CA and getting to know them has been so fun. I can’t wait to put a box together and to receive one! I’m really starting to take a lot of joy in the blogging community and all it has to offer as far as support and other women who are in the same phase of life! And let me just say, Kaitlyn over at Wifessionals is a wonderful lady! It's because of her blog that I really started to grasp what the blogging world has to offer. It's really a joy to read her posts.

How was everyone else’s  holiday season? I would love to hear about it! I will also take any and all 24 Day Challenge advice! January 15^th is approaching quickly!

Look out for a post of pictures soon from Thanksgiving and Christmas, and also look out for updates on the challenge!

xoxo