Combat Holiday Overeating!

By Michelle May, M.D. from http://www.amihungry.com/

Excerpt: Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle

I love the holidays. For weeks, our family has been planning for the significant meals we'll share. We're each assigned to bring the traditional dishes we've become known for-and with our large family, there's always plenty. During the blessing my uncle always gives thanks for the food that nourishes our bodies. Then the nourishment begins!

I know these types of gatherings take place all over the world, year after year. The comments are as traditional as the food. "Honey, this is the best turkey you've ever made. Please pass the potatoes and gravy again." "I can't eat another bite or I swear I'll explode." "Alright, just a little sliver of pie then." After dinner people are sprawled out in front of the television, occasionally groaning or dozing off.

As much I love these special occasions, I now know that there's an invisible line that I can cross if I'm not mindful. That line separates a great celebration with wonderful food from an afternoon of discomfort and regret. I constantly remind myself I live in a land of abundance where turkey and potatoes areavailable year round and food will always taste good. So why eat until I'm miserable? Why not enjoy the event and still feel good when it's over?
When you live in a land of abundance, deciding how much food you need to eat is critical for lifelong weight management and health. As importantly, when you eat the perfect amount of food, you'll feel satisfied--just right!

Just Right

Think for a moment about how you feel when you're satisfied. If you're mindful, you'll notice that as you become full, the flavor of the food goes from fabulous to just OK and it gets harder to give food and eating your full attention. You are content, fulfilled, and happy. You feel light and energetic and ready for your next activity.
When you eat more than you need, you'll feel unnecessarily uncomfortable, sleepy and sluggish. Eating too much causes you to feel low energy so you may not want to be active. Of course your body will have no choice but to store the excess as fat. It can also lead to feeling guilty which often leads to even more overeating.

So what can you do to prevent overeating - and what should you do when it happens anyway?

Prevention is the Best Medicine

Before you start eating, decide how full you want to be when you're done. It's fine to decide you want to be stuffed, as long as you've thought about the consequences.
Estimate how much food you'll need to eat to reach that level of fullness. Prepare, serve, or order only as much as you think you'll need; if you were served too much, move the extra food aside.
Before you start eating, visually or physically divide the food in half to create a "speed bump."
Eat mindfully and check your fullness level when you hit that speed bump in the middle of eating, at the end of your meal, and again 20-30 minutes later.

If your goal is to feel satisfied and comfortable, it will help to move away from the table or move the food away from you to signal that you're done as soon as you are get even close.

Am I Full?

Some questions you might want to ask yourself to help you determine how full you are:
How does my stomach feel? Can I feel the food? Is there any discomfort or pain? Does my stomach full, stretched, full orbloated?
How does my body feel? Do I feel comfortable and content? Do my clothes feel tight? Is there any nausea or heart burn?Do I feel short of breath?
How is my energy level? Do I feel energetic and ready for the next activity? Or am I sleepy, sluggish, tired or lethargic?
What do I feel like doing now?
If you've overeaten, sit quietly for a few moments and become completely aware of how you feel. Don't beat yourself up; just focus on the sensations so you'll remember them the next time you're tempted to overeat. You may be less likely to repeat the mistake if you think through the consequences first.

Don't Miss the Lesson

When you realize you've eaten too much, ask yourself, "Why did it happen?" and "What could I do differently next time?" Turn your mistake into a learning experience.

There are a lot of reasons people eat past the point of satisfaction: habits, learned behaviors, past dieting, and mindless eating. For example: "It was a special occasion." You're more likely to overeat if you only give yourself permission to eat enjoyable foods on special occasions. You don't need an excuse to have a wonderful meal-so why use a special occasion as a reason to overeat? Ask yourself, "If this occasion is so special, why would I want to eat untilI feel miserable?"

Here are some of the other holiday triggers you'll learn how to handle in chapter 7 of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat:

I felt obligated.It tasted good so I just kept eating.I wanted to taste everything.I was afraid I wouldn't get that food again.I saved the best for last.I ate food I didn't enjoy.I wasn't paying attention as I ate.I ate too fast.I mindlessly picked at the leftovers.I had too much on my plate.I was keeping up with someone else.I wanted to get my money's worth.I hate to let food go to waste.

I Ate Too Much! Now What?

Even people who eat instinctively sometimes overeat. However, although they may feel regretful and uncomfortable, they don't typically feel guilty. They don't think, "Well, I've already blown it; I might as well keep eating then start my diet tomorrow." Instead, they just listen to their body and return to eating instinctively by allowing hunger to drive their next cycle. By listening to your body's wisdom, you can compensate for occasional overeating.

After you overeat, wait and see when you get hungry again. Rather than continuing to eat out of guilt or by the clock, listen to your body. It probably won't need food as soon so you may not be hungry for your usual snack or even your next meal.

When you get hungry again, ask yourself, "What do I want?" and "What do I need?" Don't punish yourself or try to compensate for overeating by restricting yourself. If you try to make yourself eat foods you don't really want, you'll feel deprived and fuel your eat-repent-repeat cycle. Trust and respect what your body tells you because it's likely that it will naturally seek balance, variety, and moderation. You might notice that you're hungry for something small or something light-maybe a bowl of soup or cereal, a piece of fruit or a salad.

Lastly, don't use exercise to punish yourself for overeating; instead be active all the time and use the fuel you consume to live a full and satisfying life.

YES! JOIN A BOOT CAMP! :)

Don't Wait!

Your health and fitness is NOT something you should wait to start on (like "after the holidays" or "after the new years") it is something you start on IMMEDIATELY and for every day the rest of your life....

Start small, even, and pick one thing that you feel you could improve upon. This could be something like not eating less than two hours before bed time, cutting out fried and high fattening foods, limiting alcoholic beverages.

The worst thing you can do is be all "gung ho" and tell yourself you are going to exercise for 2 hours every day and not eat anything unhealthy. When you go to that holiday party, enjoy a small dessert or a glass of red wine. Do the best you can to get about 30-45 minutes of exercise 3-4 times per week (at least to start off with) instead of trying to commit yourself to 20 hours a week in the gym. Not giving yourself any breaks will, most likely, cause you to get frustrated and lose site of your goals.

Being accoutnable is very important. Find an activity partner or a small group class where the instructor and other members of the class will know if you're not there. Boot Camp U offers small class with lots of personal attention and most of the time, the trainers will send an email or give you a call when you miss to see if everything is OK.

Check out the Boot Camp U website for more info on classes and locations

Great Hike with BootCamp U and down a few more lbs.

Lost another 3.5 pounds this week....Also we had a great time with Boot Camp U and my family...We all had a blast.

What IS this 24 Day Challenge???

Ok, so this is kind of a review but I wanted to lay out exactly what the 24-Day Advocare Challenge consists of.

Well, the 24 Day Challenge consists of a 10 day cleanse where you rid your body of toxins and prepare your body to take in nutrients. With the cleanse, you increase your bioavailiblity which is your body's ability to absorb nutrients. You maximize everything you put in your body after that point.

Then comes the "Lean in 13" program. This is a 13-day PROVEN program that will cause you to burn stubborn body fat and more importantly, increase your metabolism from that point forward. This is a program AdvoCare distributors have been using to help themselves and their clients get the fastest results possible, while increasing overall health at the same time. The cost of the program is simply the cost of your supplements. The eating plan and coaching is FREE!

The supplements are the foundation of the program, providing you with the nutrients you need for optimal health, increased energy, fat burning, and craving control. For instance, did you know that low vitamin B levels have been shown to cause sugar cravings? Did you know that fatigue causes "false" hunger? Do you know how much protein it takes in the morning to most effectively burn fat during the remainder of the day? And there is so much more than this...

The eating plan was designed by a registered dietitian and elite personal trainer (No, not Robyn). They incorporate a "zig zag" method of eating. What does that mean? You'll find out during the program - and you'll be surprised to find out that your body needs MORE calories on certain days to avoid a plateau. We don't want you to diet. Aren't you tired of that already? The eating plan itself is extremely simple for the on-the-go person who doesn't have time for complicated recipes. In fact, the overwhelming response we get from our clients is, "Wow! Can I do that again?"

These are some of the Advocare products used in the progam:
Herbal Cleanse
MNS Max 3
Catalyst
Spark
Meal Replacements Shakes

All Advocare products are pure and pharmaceutical grade! Products you buy from GNC are NOT! (read this article about FDA's "regulation" of supplements). Advocare has its own Scientific and Medical Advisory Board consisting of nine men and women certified in vast areas of science and health to back the effectiveness of the programs as well as a number of world class endorsers.

Consult Robyn (robyn@bootcampUaustin.com) for the products and plan that is right for you. And go to the Advocare Site to find out more information on the products

Yum for the tum

Chicken, Yellow Carrots, White Navy Beans and Spinach...

Yum..another fun plate...

Another fun meal put together....Chicken Breast with Cauliflower Florets, Orange and Yellow Carrots and Dried Cranberries. Next time I will add some Broccoli to this one.

Bogus Health Food Claims

I saw this article today, and it is soooo true. You can't just go by health food claims that are made on many of the products that we buy. Key words such as "zero trans fat", "fat free" and even "low sugar" can really mean absolutely nothing when it comes to the actual "good for you" properties of the item. It is super important to understand what key words to look for and those substances you really should avoid. This isn't typical knowledge for the average American which makes us easy prey for those clever marketing companies. This is unfortunate for 2 reasons:

1- Most of us don't have the background knowledge to make good choices which is ridiculous. We should all want to know what exactly is in the food that we use to fuel our bodies. Secondly, even if we have the knowledge we still need to be able to read through the BS that is put on packaging and not just take it as sacred/truthful writing.

2- The fact the advertising and marketing companies for these products prey on our lack of knowledge and understand the psychology of how we shop is just plain insane. It is a billion dollar industry - just craziness!



That can all be avoided if you take some time to learn about key ingredients to look for and to avoid :) The only way to protect yourself/your health is to be informed!!!



Here is the link to some bogus/misleading food label claims

For Intense workouts and long runs....

So before a hill repeat workout the other day, I tried some O2 Gold and Muscle Fuel from Advocare. Wow, I had so energy. O2 Gold helps optimize your body's use of oxygen and suppoerts muscle building and recovery. Muscle Fuel is a drink that you take before an intense workout which supports multiple muscle metabolic processes and helps maintain and restore energy during and after physical activity.

We did......

one mile run to the hill
4 hill repeats - run up hill about 30-40 yards
3 X running the hill backwards (oh yeah calves)
3 x speed skaters up the hill or skips up the hill
one mile run back

I had so much explosive power and pop while running up the hill and especially for the agility drills. I wasn't really tired at all and could've done a lot more. Made me feel good.

I have also taken Arginine Extreme before some runs and has the same effect. Arginine Extreme helps support nutrient delivery to muscles and helps promote short-term increases in nitric oxide levels. It also nourishes a healthy respiratory system. It is more for long runs and muscle fuel is more for shorter, intense workouts.

I will definitely be taking these products before the half marathon on Sunday. Man, I wish I knew of these products as an athlete in college....

To order any Advocare products click HERE

I gave Kim crap for not posting so pot calling kettle I had not posted in awhile.....

So the above image is a typical meal for me. Chicken Breast...Some sort of Veggie be it pea's and corn as above or a Broccoli or Cauliflower as well as a romaine salad...and some brown rice.

I have not been keeping as strict a food log as I can just been eating sensible balanced meals and spacing them out by about 3 hours. Not eating 3+ hours before bed time and if I do snack at all before bed I try and make it a protein.

My workouts with Robyn are going great....Only thing truly holding me back from exploding even more in my workouts with her are my stupid shin splints and flat footed arch pain...It's crazy if I can spend 20+ mins warming just them up slowly and gradually I usually have not issue after that...I think I am going to start rolling out my shins 2-3 times a week to help with the shin splints.

I am adding more on my own to my workouts. I workout with Robyn on Monday/Friday's....I am going to switch up my workouts for the rest of the week to shock the system.

Here is my plan. Tuesdays and Thursday's I plan to add in a Crossfit HIT style workout. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday I will be doing an Army PFT training schedule. So yes that will be double on Mondays and Friday's. I am deciding on either doing those at 11pm at night before I get ready for work or 2 hours after I train with Robyn.

Goals are: 60+ push-up's in a min....60+ sit-up's in a min....2mi run under 20 mins...This does not include other tests that Robyn put's me through that I have goals for...These are just a quick throw-down for myself to do over the next 8 weeks. To hit those numbers...Now my push-ups are not far off already (52 in a min). But I need to work on my running and my sit-up's.

So on to the Advocare Products...

MNS: I have not felt much result in the MNS yet...It might be there I am just not feeling it yet. I think I may need to go with MNS max Energy over the MNS basic...

Spark: I love this stuff. Great Energy boost. It really wakes you up.

Slam: Like spark this stuff is good..On par with 5 hour energy shots but cheaper I think.

Catalyst: So far so good for this product...No issue with it at all.

Kim - Thought of the Day

After getting in a nice morning run, Robyn and I were chatting about the usual h&f (health and fitness) stuff. For some reason, this not super profound thought popped into my head, so I immediately jumped on my soapbox :) The thought was about people's perceptions of eating right only vs. exercising only vs. the combination of the two. We obviously both work with people on the exercise end through boot camp. As a weight loss counselor, I work with people on the nutrition end. It came clear today that it can be a struggle to promote nutrition to the boot campers and exercise to the weight loss clients. How is this so? Everyone is trying to achieve the same goal....right?....that of a healthier self & weight loss/weight maintenance. People make a decision to make those lifestyle changes and choose 1 of 2 outlets - either exercise or diet. Will you have success and be doing your body a favor by exercising only or just watching what you eat only....yes; however, think about how even greater that success will be while following a healthy eating plan plus getting in your recommended amounts of exercise!!! You would be surprised how much of a difference it can make! You are totally doing your body good by utilizing the best of both worlds!! I say it all the time at work - "A healthy eating plan coupled with regular exercise is the key to weight loss and long-term weight management". My favorite saying is appropriate here - "It's not rocket science". Does it take hard work and discipline...absolutely! Everyone can make it happen if you approach the situation with a positive "can do" attitude, self-discipline and a strong work ethic. Don't cheat yourself by being one-sided with your wellness plan. Treat yourself to a nice double dose of nutrition + exercise. I promise you won't regret it! :) Give it a try!

Quote of the Day

I really like this quote:

"There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results. "

Soooo true! How many "interests" do we all have vs. "commitments"??!

One thing I have learned & strongly believe - If you can't be committed to taking care of YOURSELF, how in the world can you be committed to taking care of/providing for others (significant other, children, friends). Maybe herein lies the exact problem. We start putting others before ourselves which may seem noble to some degree; however, your health and well-being directly relate to your ability to care and provide for those loved ones. Jillian has a good quote in her book referring to this exact issue. I will post that later.

Know what you're putting in your body...

"The thing that bugs me is that the people think the FDA is protecting them. It isn't. What the FDA is doing and what the public thinks its doing are as different as night and day."~ Hebert Lay, M.D., former FDA Commissioner

THIS IS FROM A FORMER COMMISSIONER OF THE FDA!!!!

.....Someone who knows the ins and outs of the government agency that is supposedly protecting us and "responsible for regulating and supervising the safety of foods, tobacco products, dietary supplements, Medication drugs, vaccines, Biopharmaceutical, blood transfusion, medical devices, Electromagnetic radiation emitting devices, veterinary products, and cosmetics." OUCH!

You cannot trust anything approved by the FDA or the USDA for that matter.....especially meat and dairy products. Here is an excerpt from Skinny Bitch:

"President Abraham Lincoln founded the U.S Department of Agriculture in 1862 - when the majority of people were farmers and needed to exchange information about seeds and crops. In other words, the USDA was created to help farmers.

According to it's website, now, among others things, the USDA is responsible for the 'safety of meat, poultry and egg products.'

Hmm. That's weird. 'Cause many high-ranking staff members of the USDA were employed by, or are otherwise affiliated with, the meat and dairy industries. And if the group responsible for 'the safety of meat, poultry, and egg products' is run by people from the same industries they're supposed to be protecting us from.....well, that would be a conflict of interest. AND IT IS. An enormous, outrageous, catastrophic conflict of interest."

It just goes to show you that you can't trust anyone. READ THE INGREDIENTS. Find out for yourself what you are putting into your body. And just because something says USDA approved doesn't mean crap. I would actually stay away from any meat or dairy that has that label on it. This organization doesn't care about anything but making money.....they don't care about you, your health or the health of the animals that they feed to the American public.

I would definitely recommend reading Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin.

Also, Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer for a more in-depth look into the meat, dairy and egg industry

Robyn - Update on the week so far

It was a great learning experience for me to do the 10 day cleanse while cleaning up my diet and keeping a very detailed food log. I learned, first of all, how hard it is to keep up with a food log every day. I have kept one for a project in grad school but not out in the "real world' with everything else that is going on. You don't have to keep a food log for a very long time to get the benefits of it. These benefits include being able to see patterns (good and bad) and accountability. If you know you are going to have to write that cookie down that you are about to shove into your mouth (and possibliy show someone else), you may be less likely to do it. Or, at the very least, you will consciously think about what is going in your mouth. Which brings up another point, keep and food log AND show it to someone else. It doesn't have to be a health professional (although I would love for my clients to keep one and show me), it could just be your spouse or friend at work.

Another thing I learned (and this has happened to me before) is how CRAPPY I feel after eating properly and then going and "letting loose." Both physically and mentally I felt like crap this weekend after I ate way too much at a buffet (w/ dessert) and then ate desserts, treats, fatty dishes at a halloween potluck. I am not saying "I felt fat" but I really did feel bad and my stomach was NOT happy.

Try cutting out fast food and fried foods for a good period of time and then go order yourself a big happy meal or something of the sort......let me know how you feel after that :) This teaches you how truly bad these kinds of foods are for you and how vital it is to fuel your body properly for it to function at its fullest capacity

Ok, now I am rambling. Here is my food log for the past few days. I have decided to go back to somewhat of a regular eating plan. The only difference is that I have added back a little bit of cheese (feta on my salad) and I am actually going to start cutting out meat and eggs as soon as I get rid of all the stuff I just stocked up on:)

11/2

515am - bowl of cereal, frosted mini wheats with almond milk
830am - 4 chicken meatballs
11am - Advocare catalyst
12pm - romaine lettuce, 5 chicken meatballs, peppers, onions and sugar snap peas
3pm - whole wheat toast with almond butter
430pm - handful of almonds, pecans and soynuts
830pm - tilapia, cous cous, avocado, black beans and salsa (all mixed together...yummm)

11/3

830am - 2 wheat pancakes w/ 1/2 banana and a little honey
? - random snacks that I forgot to write down
130pm - Jimmy John's Beach club no mayo
5pm - Powerbar HarvestBar
8pm - and AWESOME salad - romaine, chicken meatballs with raspberry chipotle dressing, feta cheese, onions, peppers, sugar snap peas and avocado - SO GOOD!
9pm - one chicken meatball

11/4

515am - frosted mini wheats w/ almond milk
8am - banana
845am - 2 eggs, spinach and feta cheese with salsa
12pm - one link of chicken sausage
2pm - Advocare Vanilla Meal Replacement Shake with a banana and almond butter (tastes like banana bread!)
430pm - handful of almonds, pecans and soynuts
830pm - same salad as last night

so there you have it......any questions or comments, please post!

Eating good and Working out...

So been eating pretty good and getting in some great workout time...My goal for eating has been eat somewhere between the cleanse meal plan and the Lean 13 meal plan...So far so good. Keep up all the good work out there and I hope people are enjoying the reading that we are all posting up here...We all would love questions so please feel free to ask.

I'm back!

I apologize for not posting in quite some time. I'll be honest that I got frustrated the last few days of the cleanse. I was feeling very sad that I actually started having more trouble "eliminating" (i love saying that) than before the cleanse. This fact really kind of made me mad. I was like "why did i even do this"! I am happy to say that things seem to finally be getting back to normal! It was getting annoying hearing about Robyn's and Ryan's great eliminations and not being able to get any action going myself :( Oh well, enough with the self-pity..haha

Started the Lean in 13 portion. I quickly realized that the regimen would be a little too strict for my liking. I decided to embark on the "Kim plan". This is just my normal diet but now I am paying even closer attention to the carbs I eat. I am taking the vitamins and I think they have helped with energy! I am like Robyn and will be using the Advocare shakes, spark (maybe) and rehydrate. Just like with any meal plan or exercise regimen, every Advocare product will not be for everyone. You have to assess what your needs are and go from there!

I will be getting back up on my soap box regularly again...I know you can't wait..haha :P

PS-had a great session with a client at work this morning. she is struggling with some emotional times right now and we basically had a therapy session. It was really awesome! I was totally born to help people and I know that :) Moral of the story was - When we are emotionally stressed, it is that much more important that we take care of ourselves physically/nutritionally. If we eat garbage when we already feel like garbage, we are just digging that hole of sadness/self-loathing even deeper. Use that good food fuel to help you do whatever you need to do to feel better! One more thing - seeing a counselor/therapist has gotten a very bad rap. i know there are a lot of quacks out there, but I also know that there are a lot of good helpers out there as well. My dad happens to be one of them (one of my heroes/role models). If you are down/struggling with emotions or hardships don't feel as those you are a crazy a-hole if you need to talk to someone. Sometimes all we need is an impartial person to listen to help us feel better or come to our own realizations!

Weekend blog woes....

Like Ryan, I find it hard to keep up with my food log and my blogs about what I am eating and exercise over the weekend. This weekend was a hard one for me, I had a couple of "treats" which weren't extremely bad, but definitely take my nutrtion down a notch from what I have been doing.

Kim and I found a great healthy buffet place in the Arboretum called "Fresh Choice." It was yummy and pretty healthy, but I definitely ate WAY too much (and had some ice cream...oops). Then on Saturday night, we went to a halloween party that was pot-luck style and had a few goodies there.

I was talking with Ryan earlier today and we both agree.....you have to "let loose" every once in a while and have those things you really crave and want. If you deprive yourself of anything "good" then you will never stick to any healthy eating plan. You have to "reward" yourself but like Kim says, be careful and don't turn rewarding yourself with food into a habit. Ryan had pizza this weekend.....was it on the Lean in 13 plan? No. Will it kill him? No. As long as you don't let those actions become habits, then you are ok.

In addition, I must say........after the cleanse and eating reeeeeaaally healthy and clean for the last 8-10 days, I felt REALLY CRAPPY when I "let loose". Both mentally and physcially....my stomach was NOT happy. I had shown my body "the good life" and then I went and filled it with crap. It said...."wtf Robyn?"

I am back on track as of yesterday (Sunday), and am doing great so far today! I am back to my "95% of the time" and usual habits :)

So Far...So Good

It has been going great so far...Lost another 2 lbs when I did my normal Monday Morning Weigh-in (This is since Friday). I have found one thing that is tough for me and that is making sure to keep a good food log over the weekend...I think really what I have been doing recently on the weekends is eating sensible meals. Having blogged about what I have eaten each day has helped me learn more about portion control and spacing of my meals as much as it has about my choices.

Example yesterday after the Komen 5k we went to Kerby Lane Cafe for lunch...I had myself 2 Breakfest Tacos (Whole Wheat Tortilla, Black Beans, Avacado, Egg, Onion and Salsa...No Cheese) and 1/2 a bowl of Oatmeal.

Rock-on, Live Smart and Live Strong!

Robyn - Update and more info on MNS

So just to make sure my comments from yesterday weren't confusing or misleading, I will explain a bit further. I guess saying that I am "discontinuing the MNS" is not exactly true. Really the only thing I am not going to take is the Biotherm (info on it below). The rest of the products included in the MNS system are probiotic, calcium, omega's and a multi-vitamin which are great for everyone to take.

Other products I am using and love:

-Catalyst - which helps maintain muscle mass during exercise, helps with post exercise recovery by repairing and protecting muscle tissue
-Meal Replacement shake
-Muscle gain shake - lots of protein, very little carbs
-Rehydrate - better than Gatorade AND a fraction of the sugar
-Spark - great energy boost that doesn't make me jittery, like coffee and soda, and lasts a lot longer too


Included in every strip pack of MNS® Max 3:

ActoTherm: Based on an exclusive blend of botanicals including cinnamon, gotu kola, ginger and peppermint, this time-honored AdvoCare original product has been reformulated. This new version features a sustained-release to aid in preventing a spike and drop-off of energy throughout the day.*

BioTherm: A unique weight-management aid developed by AdvoCare that combines oolong tea, effective botanicals and B vitamin, biotin, to support weight control.* BioTherm helps your body convert fat into energy.* Biotin is also used by the body to facilitate the conversion of food to energy. It acts as a coenzyme in several metabolic reactions that aid in the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates and the conversion of amino acids from protein into energy.*

CorePlex®: An optimal formulation of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and trace elements needed by the body to promote and sustain long-term health and well being.* By combining this synergistic blend of 36 nutrients, CorePlex supports healthy bone structure and growth as well as provides optimum nutritional support for healthy muscle, connective tissue and skin.*

OmegaPlex®: A safe, convenient and easy way to get the omega-3 fatty acids that may be missing in your diet. OmegaPlex contains a concentrate of at least 500mg long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, 300mg EPA and 200mg DHA. Omega-3 fatty acids such as those present in OmegaPlex help support cardiovascular health in combination with a healthy diet and exercise.*

ProBiotic Restore™: Helps replenish normal beneficial intestinal microflora and supports healthy intestinal function while aiding good digestion.* The special formula of ProBiotic Restore incorporates ingredients to help relieve symptoms of occasional constipation*

Calcium Plus:An incredibly effective way to ensure you receive enough calcium to keep bones and teeth strong and healthy.* Calcium Plus delivers two types of highly absorbable calcium, combined with other minerals, vitamins and botanicals.

Amplify A.T.: A revolutionary formula that combines two potent and unique natural ingredients that produce advanced nutritional benefits.* These two super-nutrients, astaxanthin and tocotrienols, are the real secret behind the power of Amplify A.T. For anyone who wants to fight the aging process, Amplify A.T. can help by strengthening the immune system, maintaining healthy blood pressure levels already in the normal range, and providing excellent nutrition for joint health and mobility.* It provides excellent support for skin too, by vitalizing the appearance of skin, helping to reduce the formation of wrinkles and maintaining healthy skin tone.* Its ability to help reduce muscle fatigue and muscle damage while enhancing muscle recovery provides an edge to any athlete.*

Robyn - Day 1 update

Started the day off with another good run. Had a Spark and a Rehydrate as well so I was feeling awesome and energized all day.

7am - MNS and Catalyst
8am - oatmeal, rehydrate and spark
815-915am - run
10am - 1/2 a Muscle Gain (gave rest to Kim)
10:30am - 2 slices turkey and one chicken tender
11:30am - handful of almonds
1pm - 3 chicken tenders
4:30pm 1 1/2 chicken sausage links, sauted onions and mushrooms
8:30pm - Ground Turkey, kidney beans, romaine lettuce with salsa, steamed brussel sprouts and asparagus

Felt hungry a lot of the day except for dinner which was weird

Robyn - I have decided to discontinue the MNS...

.....but will continue with the healthy Lean in 13 eating plan, and here is why.....

It has taken me years but I finally feel as if I have "mastered my metabolism" as Jillian from the Biggest Loser would say. I have a good handle on what I eat, how often I eat, etc. My body burns food at lightning speed.......you would think I keep up my figure by working out ALL the time but I don't. In fact, I work out less than most of my boot campers. Don't get me wrong, I work out more than the average American and I am ALWAYS moving, but I work out less than you think. I get that question a lot from my clients....how much do YOU workout? Well, there is your answer :) The key is in the foods I am eating, when, etc

Ok, to get to my original point of why I am discontinuing with MNS...... (Mind you, I am not discontinuing all of it. I will still take the omegas for cardiovascular health, catalyst to feed my muscles while working out and the coreplex which is a multi-vitamin). .......every one is different and needs to be treated as such. If I had a client who was exactly like me.....I would NEVER recommend them to take the MNS products (what the MNS products do by the way, is re-set your metabolism). If someone already had good metabolism then why mess with it?

Advocare not only has a great weight loss line for peope who need help kick starting a healthy lifestyle, but also has an AMAZING performance line for athletic people like me. So these are the products I would offer to a person similar to me. In fact, they started as a sports nutrition company. EVERY SINGLE one of their products are accepted by the NCAA and any professional league. Pro athletes, coaches all endorse their products.....and their scientific boards included people suchs as nutritionists, researchers, professors of kinesiology and nutrition among others. I wish I had known about these products in college!

To wrap this up........if you are over your ideal weight, are carrying around extra body fat that you haven't beena ble to get rid of on your own, tired of dieting and have trouble eating the proper foods, sticking to a healthy eating plan and need to something to help you kickstart your metabolism, then YES, the MNS products are right for you.

If you do not need to lose weight and you have a good control on your diet...the NO, do not take the MNS.

p.s. I should also state that the MNS is not a "quick weight loss" pill or anything. It goes ALONG with the Lean in 13 program which is a healthy nutrition plan. This eating plan is absolutely the most important part....the MNS just helps you along the way and to fill in the gaps. The full program is meant to teach you about what your body needs, how it feels after you eat /don't eat certain foods, how often you need to feed your body to keep your metabolism up, etc.

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT PRODUCTS WOULD BE GOOD FOR YOU, EMAIL ME at Robyn@bootcampUaustin.com

Ryan - Numbers after Cleanse

So these are my new numbers after the 10day cleanse..This includes working out still...Cannot stop doing that.

Body Fat % - 31.4
Chest - 52.25
Waist - 53.5
Hip - 54
Thigh - 28
Calf - 20
Arm - 17.5

Body Fat % - Will Update Sunday when I get to do this.
Chest - 51.25 (-1")
Waist - 52.75 (-.75")
Hip - 53.5 (-.5)
Thigh - 28.5 (+.5 Up cause I ran there hehehe)
Calf - 19.5 (-.5)
Arm - 16.75 (-.75)

So I have lost 3 more inches off of my body as well as 2.5lbs in Body Weight. Will get the BF% number within the next 2 days.

Ryan Day 1 Lean in 13

So I started my Lean in 13 part a day after....So today Friday instead of Thursday...Thursday I ate pretty much the same as I did on the cleanse...Mainly cause I forgot to work a meal plan for the lean in 13....

So I just started my day at 12:30am.....So this meail plan will have the rest of the day on it for me as well...

12:30am - MNS Yellow
1:20am - 2 Biggest Losser Protein Shake + 2 MNS White Packets
5:00am - MNS Yellow + 3 Catalyst
5:30am - Salmon(Red) + 1c Romaine(Green)
7:00am - 1/3c Walnuts
9:00am - 3 Catalyst - Run to Gym to train with Robyn
10:00am - 2 Biggest Losser Protein Shake
2:00pm - Chicken Breast(Red) + 1c Romaine(Green)
6:00pm - Chicken Breast(Red) + 1c Broccoli(Green)

Macros:
Total Calories: 1058.2
138.3g - Protein
41g - Carbs
34.6g - Fat
413mg - Sodium
30g - Fiber
6g - Sat Fat

53% - Protein
16% - Carbs
31% - Fat (All from Walnuts and Salmon)

Pretty solid numbers if I must say across the board. Rock-on for the lean in 13...

Robyn - Day 1 on Lean in 13 update so far.....

It's 4pm on the first day of the Lean in 13 program. Today was the day when the cleanse "hit me"..... haha. Wow, I wasn't running to the bathroom by any means but I definitely feel cleansed and like I got rid of a lot of stuff.

I don't think we need to discuss any further ;-) More updates on Day 1 of Lean in 13 later...

Robyn - Day 10 - LAST DAY OF THE CLEANSE

Ok, so wrapped up the 10th day of the cleanse and I must say it wasn't so bad. It was a very mild cleanse and you probably won't feel like much is happening but you are increasing your body's bioavailibility (whish is it's ability to absorb nutrients). I did feel a little more going on the last few days of the cleanse when the fiber drink came back but nothing abnormal.


4:43am (exactly) - Probiotic
5:15am Fiber Drink
5:30am - cup of oatmeal and handful of blackberries
8:30am - catalyst
9:30am - Advocare Meal Replacement Shake plus a banana and a spoonful of almond butter
11:15am - taco salad with 1 cup of turkey and taco seasoning, tomatoes, onions, peppers and salsa (and a little bit of shredded cheese...oops)
3:30pm - open-faced tuna sandwich with tomatoe and onion
5pm - spark (wooo, i felt this one)
8:45pm - 1 chicken tender, 3oz salmon, cup of cous cous and a cup of asparagus


on to Day 1 of the Lean in 13.....yeehaw

Ryan Day 10 - End of the Cleanse

Ok so today was the last day of the cleanse. The last 3 days I think had the most effect on cleaning out my system. I think I am gonna miss the Fiber drink...

Meal plan went good today overall.

11:00pm - Probiotic
11:30pm - Fiber Drink, Banana
12:30am - Salmon, Kidney Beans, 2 Cups Salad, Apple
3:30am - Salmon, Kidney Beans, 2 Cups Salad, Plum
6:00am - 2 Cups Salad
9:00am - Plum
2:00pm - WW Bread with 2tbsp P.Butter
4:00pm - Salmon, Sweet Potato

I have stayed pretty much the same in weight give/take 1-2 lbs.

***Product of the Day*** Meal Replacement Shakes

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Robyn - Day 9 - I am addicted to the Meal Replacement Shakes

Ok, so Day 9 was pretty good. I had the "day off" so I was at home most of the day which usually leads to massives amount of "grazing," but I wasn't so bad today. I started off the day with a great run with Kim....we are signed up for the San Antonio Rock-n-Roll 1/2 marathon on the 14th (less than 2 weeks!) so we better get our butts moving.

7am - Advocare Probiotic
8am - fiber drink - should've had a piece of fruit too
8:45am - GU
9am - 30 min run plus some weights
10am - Adocare Meal Replacement Shake (mixed Berry and Vanilla plus a banana...YUMMMM)
11:15am - ROmaine with 2 slices turkey meat, peppers, onions and salsa
12:30pm Advocare Rehydrate
3:30pm - Tuna sandwich on whole wheat with romains lettuce, tomatoe and onion (tuna was mixed with just dill pickle relish and no mayo)
7pm - 4 chicken tenders, 1 cup asparagus and 1 cup whole wheat cous cous

Ryan Day 9 ~ Hungry

So yesterday was Day 9 for me...I continued the good flushing of the system today from the fiber drink...(I think I am going to miss the Fiber Drink). For some reason I was hungry at work today...And I thought I ate a good deal....

12:00am Probiotic
12:30am Fiber Drink + Banana
1:30am WW Turkey Sandwhich with Spinach and mustard. Apple
3:00am WW Chicken Sandwhich with Spianch and mustard. Banana and Plum
5:00am Apple and Spark
7:00am 4 Cups Romaine, Broc, Spinach, 2 Hard Boiled Eggs.
9:00am 3 Eggs
12:00pm 6 Grilled Chicken Tenders, 1/2c Baked Beans

It seemed from 1-9am I was hungry....Maybe I need to add one more Salad during that time, maybe with Salmon.

Well on to Day 10 of the cleanse...The last day of it for well the next 90.....They I start the rest of the 24 day challenge...

Robyn - Day 8

Ok, so today wasn't so great for me. Monday are my long days and I just didn't feel prepared. My energy levels were fine for the most part but I just feel like I did not eat great. My day was kind of messed up becuase I got up for morning boot camps and then they were cancelled. It just threw me off (eating-wise) for the remainder of the day

515am - Herbal cleanse (and forgot to take the probiotic!)
5:45am - banana and went back to bed
9am - Advocare Meal Replacement Shake
11:30am - got hungry while kicking Ryan's butt so I had a Powerbar Harvest bar (got 'em free from REI....yay for expiration dates:)
1pm - 2 eggs over easy (yum, i love when the yolk runs) and about 3 oz salmon, and some sweet red and orange peppers from Costco
3:30pm - not sure why but I guess I felt full from the eggs and drinking a lot of water....all I had was a small chicken tender
5pm - right before class I took 2 Advocare Catalyst since I started getting hungry and didn't want my body to feed off my muscles
6pm-7pm - snacked on another power bar (in front of my campers while they were working out :)
8:30pm - had a clif bar because I was starving and knew I wouldn't be home until 9:30pm
9:30pm - by this time it was kind of late so all I had was another chicken tenders and some asparagus along with a handful of dry roasted soy nuts

So all-in-all not a great eating day......a lot of sugar consumed with all of those snack bars. I blame the lack of planning on my part. Like Kim has been saying, it definitely takes a bit of extra effort to plan your days ahead of time (make a lunch, thaw out dinner, etc) so you are not just grabbing whatever is near you or stopping at the first fast food place you see. But planning ahead is WELL worth the extra effort to ensure a day full of healthy eating.....that YOU have control of.

Ryan Day 8 - Fiber Drink is back

Ok so on Day 8, 9 and 10 we add the Fiber Drink back...Talk about knocking the crud out of ya......Robyn and I had a theory....3 days of Fiber Drink + Herbal Cleanse...Initial cleaning of the system...Like like Spray the Car with water before soaping and scrubbing...Take the Probiotic + Herbal Cleanse tabs for 4 days and that is like soaping and scrubbing the car clean.....But then Probiotic + Fiber Drink for last 3 days is like Rinsing everything off the car (or out of your system)...Ok you get the point...

Food Log:
12:10am - Probiotic
12:40am - Fiber Drink, 1 Banana
3:30am - 1 Salmon, 1/2c Black Beans, 2 WW Bread, 1 Apple
6:00am - 1 Salmon, 1/2c Black Beans. 1 WW Bread, 1 Plum
9:00am - 1 Romaine+Spinach+Broc Salad
10:00am - 3 Catalyst
10:15am - Butt Whooping from Robyn
12:00pm - Spark
12:15pm - WW Turkey Sandwich + Avacado + Ground Mustard(Organic), Side Salad (Spring Mix + Cucumber + Sunflower Seeds)
2:00pm - Advocare Meal Replacement Bar (Chocolate Peanut butter)

All in all...Good day...Good energy levels....real good workout...Feel Flushed...On to Day 9......

A Must-Read Article About Catalyst

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A simple trick to lose fat without wasting muscle


I have a secret to tell you, but SHHHHH don't tell anyone!

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First, let me ask you a question. How many muscular cross country runners do you know? In fact, how many do you know that do not look somewhat emaciated?

The reason this happen is that the high amounts of cardio wastes away their muscle mass. Their body is using their muscle to fuel their long runs.

Ok, so maybe you're not a cross country runner, then what does this have to do with you? Many people do tons of cardio when trying to lose weight. This is fine and good, except that often times it is to the detriment of muscle tone. At the end of the day, fitness and aesthetics is primarily about your body composition. In every day terms, this means how much of you is muscle, fat, or water.

Remember also, muscle at rest burns more calories than fat. For females, this does not mean 'getting bulky' like so many fear, but rather having denser, firmer muscles that facilitate fat loss!

There is a way to retain your muscle tone while you do cardio, and therefore have maximal body composition.The secret is Amino Acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of muscle in their most basic form. If taken on an empty stomach, the body will use the amino acids readily available, rather than breaking down your muscle mass!

Wrestlers, boxers, and other 'weight class' related sports have known about this trick for years. This has allowed their athletes to drop weight without losing the competitive edge on the field.

Now that you know the secret, stop losing all your muscle while working out, GET SOME CATALYST NOW!

An article from www.squidoo.com/allaboutadvocare

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OVERVIEW

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-Works great in conjunction with AdvoCare Spark® Energy Drink and one of the Metabolic Nutrition Systems (MNS®)

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Ryan Day 7

Well I slept in a bit this morning...I did not wake up till 11 (hehe)..

11:00am - Probiotic
11:30am - 3 eggs, 1 WW Eng Muffin, Salsa
1:00pm - Banana
2:00pm - Salad, 2 H. Boiled Eggs

Went to bed at 5:30pm....So was pretty low on the food intake today...Suprised I slept in so long (must thank my wife for letting me sleep in).

Excited about tomorrow (or today as of the time I am posting this) cause we get to do the Fiber Drink...I feel like I got more affects from the Fiber drink then just the Probiotic and Herbal Cleanse Tablets.

***Product of the Day***

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Kim - Day 5/6/7

Wow.......I became a slacker this weekend...with blogging that is not with the Cleanse! Things have been good since the last post. Here is the recap:



Day 5 - Friday-

It was one of those long days where I was gone from home for about 11 hours. However, I was nutritionally prepared to battle the day. Brought meals that had already been made to eat for lunch at dinner. Fruit is super easy to bring with you too...ie..apples, bananas (my fruits of choice usually). Energy was good this day! I think I was also excited about having the whole weekend off!



Day 6 - Saturday-

Started the morning off with the Probiotic and then went to Krav to get worked hard by Ryan. That was a lot of fun! I totally need a group fitness class to participate in myself! I had a couple speedbumps this day which shall remain nameless :(

Day 7 - Sunday-
Got a great night's sleep and woke up ready to go! Robyn made a nice little omelet with spinach and a new treasure "sweet potato hashbrowns" which were delicious! Spent a lot of time cleaning, forgot to eat and did not get much protein in. Most of my servings today were fruit. Gonna try and get some good protein in for dinner!

I'm excited for fiber drink and 5:15am tomorrow! :) We are over the hump on the cleanse!

Robyn - Day 6 & 7

Worked all weekend so I am a little behind on the food log and I'll post for 2 days

8am - Advocare Probiotic
8:30 am - Advocare Meal Replacement Shake (tried Berry this time.....tasted like Strawberry Nesquik)
10:30am - Advocare Catalyst(this helps feed my muscles and with post-workout recovery. Ideally, you should take it on an empty stomach right before working out)
11:15am - 2 eggs scrambeled with about 2-3oz salmon & 2 tbsp salsa
1pm - turkey sandwish on whole wheat with onions, romaine lettuce and avocado
5pm - Advocare Catalyst (I took them at this point because I working at REI and hadn't eaten in 4 hours. I was feeling very hungry and did not want my body to start breaking down my muscle to feed off of, so taking Catalyst will help. It is like eating a chicken breast without the calories)
6:15pm - Odwalla Superfood bar
7:30pm - I got a break! 4 cups salad mix with 3oz salmon, peppers, green beans, onion and 2tbsp LF caesar dressing
9:45pm - handful of soynuts


worked out with Ryan this morning at Krav Maga......great workout and it's a lot of fun. We learn self-defense techniques and how to whoop some ass! Check them out at http://selfdefensetexas.com/


Ok, DAY 7......

8am - Advocare Probiotic
8:30am - 1 1/2 egg omelette with spinach and salsa
9am - 1oz chick tender strip
11:30am - powerbar tropical smoothie flavor ( at REI and hungry)
12:30pm - Advocare Rehydrate
3pm - 4 chicken tenders strips(no skin) with 1/2 cup kidney beans and 2 cups sweet potatoes
mmmm....it's 7:30 and haven't decided what to have for dinner..... probably either chicken or salmon

Ryan Day 6 and 1 month numbers

1 Month Numbers for PT Test...

Exercise: Sep/October
squats - 55/61
sit-ups - 24/37
push-ups - 27/52
pull-ups - 22(mod)/3(reg) & 31(mod)
core planks 1:00/1:42
Balance(1/2 Circle Foam)
right :41/1:20
left 1:49/2:02
T-drill(10yd sprint, 5/10/5yd side shuffle, 10yd back peddle)
1- 10.54s/9.52s
2- 10.42s/9.03s
3- 10.07s/7.96s (Fixed my first step)
avg- 10.34s/8.84s (Will be better now that I have step fixed)

So as you can see some nice increases across the board...Goal for next month numbers:
squats - 70
sit-ups - 50
push-ups - 60
pull-ups - 10(reg) & 30(mod)
core planks 2:00
Balance(1/2 Circle Foam)
right 2-3:00
left 3:00
T-drill(10yd sprint, 5/10/5yd side shuffle, 10yd back peddle)
1- 7:30s
2- 7:30s
3- 7:30s
avg- 7:30s

Food:

8:30am - Probiotic
9:00am - Double Protein Shake
11:00am - 3 Eggs, WW Eng Muffin
1:00pm - 6" WW Turkey Sub w/Lettuce, Mustard, Onion, Banana Peppers
4:00pm - Salad with 2xH Boiled Egg, 1/4 Cucumber..Light Vinagrette Dressing
8:00pm - 3 Egg's, WW Eng Muffin

Ryan ~ Day 5

So day started out good...Woke up just after midnight (thats when I start my day)...

12:30am - Probiotic
1:00am - 3 eggs + 1 WW Eng Muffin
4:00am - 1 Snap Peas + 4oz Sweet Potato + 1/4c Black Bean + 1/4c Kidney Bean
6:30am - 3c Romaine + 2c Baby Spinach + 1/4c Walnuts + 2 Hard Boiled Eggs
8:00am - Spark
11:30am - Apple + 4oz Sweet Potato
2:00pm - 2c Romaine
6:00pm - 6" Whole Wheat Turkey Sub (no cheese)..with Lettuce, Onion, Banana Pepper and Mustard.

Overall pretty good..Did my fitness test with Robyn yesterday...Much better 50-100% increase over one month on all of my numbers pretty much (Included Push-up, Pull-up, Squat, l/r leg balance, T-sprints, Sit-up's and plank (Core))....(will post them later when I get them from her...cough cough...)..Afterwards did a crazy drill pushing a weight back and forth on turf to go along with Burpee's and Bozo Ball Punch outs...Was rough and tore ya up...Then made Robyn do a bunch of Krav Drills..I think she felt the burn :-p

Teaching Krav Maga tomorrow...Rock-on everyone.

~Ryan

Robyn - Day 5

Alright, so it's Friday night and I'm headed out soon (haunted house.....oooooo scary) so i'm going to get right to it

5:15am - Advocare Probiotic
5:45am - Advocare Meal Replacement Shake (Vanilla again....my fav)
8:30am - 2 eggs scrambeled with ~1/2 cup broccoli
10am - Advocare Rehydrate
11am - Advocare Fruit & Fiber bar (I was training Ryan and I was starvin!)
1pm - banana with approx 1 tbsp of almond butter
3pm - 3 cups spring mix with peppers, onions, green beans, sugar snap peas and about 3 oz of Cod
4pm - Advocare rehydrate
7:30pm - 5oz salmon and 1 cup of sweet potatoes


I am going to start including my workouts as a part of this blog as well. Wednesday i did a little 20 min weight circuit at home, Thursday I joined my boot campers for a few exercises (one being a shuttle), and today I had my butt whooped by Ryan after his butt whooping. He put me through a couple Krav circuits testing my explosivenes and muscle endurance, and explosive endurance. I was punching, kicking jumping, etc.

One circuit goes as follows.....
1 punch to bag, 1 push-up, 2 punches, 2 push-ups, 3 punches, 3 push-ups.......all the way up to 10 and then back down. Then we did this with kicks and squat jumps. Brutal.....BUT AWESOME!

There is no better feelling when you push yourself beyond what you think is possible or out of your "comfort zone." I haven't been pushed in a while. Even I have difficulty motivating myself to work out as much as I should be. That's why we call on family, friends, or fitness professionals to help us out.

You know where to come to get pushed "beyond your limits!"
http://www.bootcampuaustin.com/

Kim - Day 4

I'm a bit late, so I'll write in retrospect with a bullet point list..haha

-Hunger was not an issue today. Having a well laid out mental plan of what was going to be consumed helped out a ton!
-I was hoping that the start of the Probiotic would help flush more out which hasn't happened yet :( Clean me out Cleanse...I give you permission...haha
-I miss the fiber drink and can't wait for its return. One thing I noticed and appreciated - in the beginning when we started the day off with the fiber drink immediately followed by another 8 oz of water, I was more likely to get my 64oz + in for the day. It seemed to help set the water drinking tone for the day :) I have struggled a bit more getting the water in the past two days. I still reach 64oz, but I find myself chugging a lot at the end of the day which doesn't bode well for bedtime :P
-Right before bed I did get a little hungry but it was nothing major, so I just went to bed

This leads to my soapbox tip of the day:
Just as the water seemed to set the tone for the day for me, it is the same with exericse. Granted, we aren't always able to get that morning workout in, but it really helps throughout the day with energy, focus, attitude and I know for me at least it helps deter me from any "treats". You reach the mindset of "Hey, I started the day off doing something great for my body, so I might as well keep it up"! Ain't nothing wrong with that (I had to say it like that)..haha. However, it some cases folks use this as "hey, I worked hard today so I should reward myself with food". WRONG!!! Food is not/should not be used as a treat. As always, there will be those times which is no big deal. We have been raised and socialized to view food as something that is a reward and comforting which has totally helped our waistbands expand. That rhymed..hehe :) If you truly want to reward yourself, cook a nice, nourishing meal at home and eat with your family. Doesn't get much better than that!

Ryan Day 4

Well it was Day 4..Probiotic here we go....I will say the one thing about this cleanse is the amount of peeing ya gotta do...I swear every 2 hours...But that goes with anytime you drink a lot of water..You are flushing the kidneys...So my meal plan went even better today I think....I am trying to add more veggies during the day in forms I can handle...I think the hard part for most people if they are not a big veggie fan..is finding ways they can eat them...So meal plan today is as follows:

12:00am - Probiotic

1:00am - 3eggs + 1 Whole Wheat Eng Muffin + 2 TBS Salsa

2:30am = 1 Apple

4:00am - 1 Salmon + 1 Sweet Potato + 1/2c Black beans + 4 Cups Spring Mix

7:00am - 1 Salmon + 1 Spark + 1/2c Black Beans + 1 4oz Chicken breast

11:00am - 1 Snap Peas + 1 Apple

2:00pm - Protein Shake (1 carb in it)

Macros:
34% - Protein
39% Carbs
27% Fat (Again Lean Fats from Salmon and Eggs mainly 45 of the 50 Fat)

145g Protein
165g Carbs
50g Fat
48g Fiber

1722 Calories

I was a bit more hungry today overall.....On to day 5 I go...Goal...More Robust Salads and more variation on Veggies...What funny I think Robyn and I were thinking the same thing....The meal you eat before bed time should be Proteins and not Carbs...

Think about today's society when they eat dinner and/or have their last meal before bed....What is in it...Usually it is very high in Fat and Carbs with very little Protein. And you want to loose weight?????? You are shooting yourself in the foot. Make your last meal before Bed pretty much all proteins...(If you need some type of carby food...Grab a Salad with some Turkey, Tuna or Salmon on top...Just be wise on your Dressing choice as well..I like the Sugar Free Balsamic Vinaigrette I use.)..

And here is a good rule to live by....Eat all the Veggies and Fruits you want (atleast a good 2-1 ratio of Veg/Fruit)...When was the last time you saw someone fat when they ate tons of veggies and had fruit as well..

Rock-on to Day 5....

Robyn - Day 4 - No Fiber Drink:) & Fun Facts about Avocados

I enjoyed not having to drink the fiber drink this morning. In it's place now is the probiotic capsules instead. This seemed to get some things "moving" today but not in a bad way. So far so good with everything. I have been hungry a lot but not too bad. I am OK during the day with eating but I get extremely hungry at night boot camps. It is the longest stretch I go without food (about 4 hours). My body is like "FEED ME!"

Ok so my food for the day

8:30am - Advocare Probiotic

9:00am - Advocare Meal Replacement shake (vanilla.....tasted like cake batter!)

10:45am - Slice of turkey meat and a plum

12:00pm - ~3oz Salmon and 1/4 cup kidney beans

3:30pm - Turkey sandwich on whole wheat with onions and AVOCADO (more about avocado below but avocados are a GREAT substitute for cheese on a sandwich. It has a lot of good fats, not saturated like cheese)

5:30 - Advocare Mocha Coffecino (not bad, reminded me of Starbuck's frappicino in the glass bottles. good to get in your coffee kick)

8:30pm - Ground Turkey meat with black beans (about 2 cups mixed together) and 2 cups of broccoli

9:00pm - a little bit more of the turkey black bean mixture (I was still hungry!)

Ok, so as you have seen from tonight and some of my past blogs, I'll go back after dinner and have a little more to eat whish is ok as long as you do it more than 2 hours before bedtime and it is a snack that does NOT CONSIST OF CARBS. Eat protein if you are hungry before bed. When you sleep, you use energy. And your body looks for energy is carb form first. If you stay away from carbs before bed, then your body burns fat while you sleep.

Fun Facts about Avocados:
-Avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable, belonging to the genus Persea in the Lauraceae family.
-Avocados are sodium- and cholesterol-free and have only five grams of fat per serving, most of it the monounsaturated kind.
-Avocados were once a luxury food reserved for the tables of royalty, but now California

-Brazilians add avocados to ice cream
-Filipinos puree avocados with sugar and milk for a dessert drink.
-The avocado is also called an Alligator Pear because of its pear-like shape and green skin.
-California produces about 90% of the nation's avocado crop.
-San Diego County is the Avocado Capital of the U.S., producing 60% of all the avocados grown in California.
-There are about 7,000 avocado groves in California; the average size is around 10 acres.
-A single California Avocado tree can produce about 500 avocados (or 200 pounds of fruit) a year although usually average about 60 pounds from 150 fruit.
-There are seven varieties of avocados grown commercially in California, but the Hass is the most popular, accounting for approximately 95% of the total crop volume.
-California Avocados grow year-round.
-About 43% of all U.S. households buy avocados.

Avocados and the Environment:

-Avocado orchards help renew our air supply and keep it fresh by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.
-Southern California Avocado orchards remove 25 - 88 lbs of (dry nitrogenous) pollutants per acre from the environment. (Based on University of California deposition data).
-Orchard trees lower air temperature by evaporating water in their leaves.
-Avocado tree roots stabilize the soil and prevent erosion.

Avocado Nutrition Structure/Function Statements:
-Avocados contain 81 micrograms of the carotenoid lutein, which some studies suggest may help maintain healthy eyes.
-Avocados are included in Fruits & Veggies-More Matters™ consumer educational program to promote increased consumption of fruits and vegetables for good health.
-Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds that can contribute to the nutrient quality of your diet.
-Avocados, due to their mono and polyunsaturated fat content, are a healthy substitution for foods rich in saturated fat.
-One-fifth of a medium avocado (1 oz) has 50 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals making it a good nutrient choice.
-Avocados contain 76 milligrams beta-sitosterol in a 3-oz serving of avocado. Beta-sitosterol is a natural plant sterol which may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Kim - Day 3

Today was much better as far as the hunger goes! Took salmon that Robyn made and put that on my salad for lunch....delicious! Had cod spiced with this garlic/pepper blend and some lemon juice...again yummy! I guess it was fish day! :)

I definitely feel "thinner" after just three days! I think I am definitely being "cleaned" out. That sounded gross, and I don't mean it "like that"....haha.

It is amazing how quickly our bodies can respond to change. We are such adaptable creatures! Can't wait to see what happens with the probiotic in the morning :) I will miss the citrus fiber drink...seriously!

Soap box statement for the day: It's amazing how committed we become to something when we are financially invested and accountable to others! Behold, the power of money and friends..haha.

Thanks cleanse for helping me get my head out of my ass and focus on what I know needs to be done! Now if only there were more hours in the day to get things done :P

Ryan Day 3 ~ I wanna Soap Box :-p

So I am in the middle of the fiber drink debate...The Citrus Flavor I like...But I can take it or leave it when drinking it...In this case I will take it :-p

So eating has been real good..It is some work but it is work that has results and makes a better you..Knowing that I cannot be all I can be for my loving family and my friends without me first taking care of myself. So on to what I ate on Day 3.

12:30 am - Fiber Drink + 2 Water
1:30 am - 3 Eggs + 1 WW Double Fiber Eng Muffin + 2 Water (tomorrow I add Salsa)
4:00 am - 1 Salmon + 1/2c Kidney Beans + 4 Cups Spring Mix + 1 Plum + 2 Water
6:00 am - Spark + 2 Water
8:30 am - 4 Cups Spring Mix + 2 Water
11:30 am - 3oz Snap Peas + 2 Water
4:00 pm - 1 Salmon + 1/2c Kidney Beans + 1/2c Black beans

So I did a Macro Break down on my food and it came out to:

34% Protein
34% Carbs
32% Fat (At first you say WHOA lots of Fat...But the fat came from the Salmon..Omega 3's baby)

117.5g - Protein
118.8g - Carbs
49.0g - Fat
44g Fiber (minus what is in the Fiber Drink)
1484 Calories

So all in all I think that was a pretty good day and very clean...All my carbs are from Complex Sources (Whole Wheat Grains, Beans, Snap Peas and Dark Lettuce Blend), All my Fats are from the great Ole Salmon (will add some chicken tomorrow) and eggs and my proteins are again from rich sources of nutrients. I am sure Kim and Robyn will let me know if I screwed up somewhere on the food).

How am I feeling....Well I felt pretty good today..I had the comfortable full feeling all day. I am happy to say the stream is running clean..Looks like water :-p

Rock-on to Day 4..No Fiber drink for a few days...will be taking the probiotic per the cleanse. (oh I have noticed about a 2lb loss so far).

KICK-IT!!!

Robyn - Day 3

Unlike Kim, I do not enjoy the fiber drinks very much...but ya know, sacrifices:) You rarely get to where you want to be in life without making sacrifices. We make sacrifices for our family, sacrifices to be more green (well, some of us) and you must make sacrifices for your health. Sure, I would love to eat pizza, hamburgers, doritos, mexican food every day. Stop and get something cheap and fast when I'm in a hurry. I am still human. But I don't. Yes, I do have them once in a blue moon (mmmm blue moon), but I makes sacrifices and healthy food choices as a part of my regular lifestyle. Yes, eating healthy (usually) takes more time, effort and sometimes money but you only get one body so you better treat it right.

Wow, I must've caught something from Kim. I will get off my soapbox now.

5:15am - Fiber Drink
5:45am - Advocare Breakfast bar
10am - 2 eggs scrambled, with about 2 oz of salmon mixed in and 1/2 cup of kidney beans (oh, and a tiny bit of ketchup:) )
12:30pm - Advocare Rehydrate
1:30am - apple
3pm - 4 strawberries, Turkey sandwich on whole wheat with 2 slices of tomatoe, onions, romaine lettuce and mustard
3:45pm - Nature's best granols cookie (yes, a cookie but it was multi-grain)
4pm - Advocare Spark
5:45 - Advocare Apple Cinnamon Breakfast bar ( I was starving and had to eat something!)
8:15pm - 4 oz cod fish with lemon and garlic pepper, sweet potatoes
9:45pm - a little more cod:)


p.s. I mentioned I have some of those food once in a blue moon. I want to clarify that I NEVER eat fast food and neither should you. I've been in a McDonald's once in maybe the last 8-9 years and that was only cause I had to and all I got was a yogurt parfait (which you think is healthy but it isn't). Read Fast Food Nation or watch "Supersize Me" (you can watch it instantly on Netflix) and be prepared to be completely shocked

Fiber Drink

I totally like the citrus fiber drink. I know it gets thick, but it is oddly enjoyable..haha.

Kim - Day 2

Day 2 was very similar to Day 1; however, I was a bit more hungry. I struggled getting in protein which I know led to the hunger. My goal for this day was to work on getting more protein in and that didn't quite happen. This was due to a lack a preparation the night before! When I went to prepare my meals for the day, there wasn't any already cooked meat for me to take with me (my own fault), so I had to settle for turkey slices (Thanks Robyn for making the sandwich :) ). Overall, feeling good! Still committed and hoping this give me the jump start I've been needing!

Time to get on my soapbox:

Yesterday was a day that I was away from home from 10am to 9:30pm. These days are common in my world which makes it imperative that I be prepared to have lunch and dinner meals ready to go when I leave for the day. This has been a constant struggle for me. After personally experiencing long days, it makes complete sense why the obesity epidemic is so great. It is soo easy to just go through the drive-thru when your busy and in a hurry. I am thankful that I do have health/nutrition knowledge or I might be someone contributing to those obesity stats! We can all eat healthy. The cliche phrase "It's not rocket science" speaks volumes. It doesn't take a ton of brainpower to figure out what is good for you and what is not. We just need more education and caring about what goes into our bodies. Your body is your vehicle, so you must fuel it appropriately. You don't put diesel fuel in a gasoline car and vice versa, so you don't feed your body a Big Mac and French Fries when it really needs lean meat and veggies to run smoothly! Clearly, no one is nutritionally perfect. We will have "junk food", but if you're "good" 90% of the time then that other 10% won't "kill" you. Ok, I'll get off the soapbox :P

One more thing: I am using the cleanse as a jump start and way to rid my body of impurities and it also seems appropriate to work on ridding my mind of some emotional baggage as well!

**I had forgotten how good it feels to write down feelings** ROCK ON CLEANSE..........

Robyn - Day 2

I was a bit hungrier today that I was yesterday. For some reason, I felt myself "overindulge" when it got to dinner time. I think because I love salmon and haven't had much of it lately.

8:30am - Advocare Fiber drink
9am - plum
9:45am - slice of turkey meat
10:30am - 2 eggs scrambled
12 - Advocare Rehydrate Drink
1pm - Turkey sandwich with whole wheat, tomatoes, onions and mustard
2:45pm - Advocare Snack Bar
5pm - ~5oz broiled salmon and 1 cup sweet potatoes
6pm - another few ounces of salmon....yummmmm
7:30 - salad w/ mixed greens, soybeans, green beans and onions

so, as you can see....i like to "graze" :)

Ryan ~ Day 2

Ok so day 2...I felt the Fiber Drink was easier to do since I knew what to expect exactly...I mix mine with 12-16oz of Water.

Energy Levels overall were good. I brought in a big more food today but kept it super duper clean. Usually having to pee a ton HAHA...Been crazy on the water intake...I do feel a lot more full then normal...We will see how it goes..Plan to get some cardio and lifting in tomorrow.

3:00am Fiber Drink + Apple +2 cups of water
6:00am 3 Eggs Scarmbeled (No Butter), Double Fiber Whole Wheat English Muffin (No Condiments), Plum + 2 Water
10:00am 2 portions of Salmon and 3 cups spring mix + 1/2 Cup Kidney Beans + 2 Water
1:00pm Plum + 1 Water
2:30pm Spark +2 Water
4:30pm Salmon + Cup of Broccoli + 2 Cups Romaine + 1 Water (Fat Free Vinaigrette)
6:00pm Night Cleanse Packet + 1 Water and headed to bed

Day 3 here we come.....

Robyn - Day 2 so far....

I'll be honest when I tell you that chugging round 2 of the fiber drink was not as "fun" as the first day. The citrus one seemed to be a little thicker than the peaches & cream one. Nonetheless, it's done and Day 2 is off to a good start so far

I forgot to include my weight and BF% in my earlier post

Starting weight - 136
Starting Body Fat % - 17.9%

Day 1 Update from Ryan

So as I embark on this 24 day Challenge (10 day cleanse and 14 day stack) I needed to get some baselines...
Before Picture:


Numbers:
Body Fat % - 31.4
Chest - 52.25
Waist - 53.5
Hip - 54
Thigh - 28 (as big as Robyn's waist HAHA)
Calf - 20
Arm - 17.5

What I ate on Day 1:

8:30 am - Fiber Drink + 1 Apple + 1 Spark
11:30 am - 3 Hard Boiled Eggs + 1 Plum
1:30 pm - 3 Cups of Romaine/Spinch/Argula + 2 Hard Boiled Eggs
4:30 pm - 2 Cups of Spring Mix + 1/4cup CouseCouse(sp?) + 5oz Baked Salmon
5:00 Night Cleanse Packet
Water: 11 CUPS

How I feel: I feel good on Day 1..Lot's of peeing which is good (drinking tons of water).

Goals: Loose more weight and Tone up further..I want to drop more BF% first and foremost..Shooting for loosing another 8% like I did last month. That would get me under that crazy number of 25% (23% to be exact if I lost 8%).

Day 2 here we come...Rock-on!!!!

P.S. From Robyn

My other goal is to go through the program myself so I can be more informed and have first-hand experience with the ups/downs, what to expect, what not to expect while doing the program. This way, I can tell about my first hand experiences instead of saying "well, I hear the product does this...." Well, I refuse to recommend anything I wouldn't try myself. I believe in these products and the power they have to change someone's life. I just can't wait to see it with my campers and personal training clients!

Advocare Products

On Saturday, 7 boxes of Advocare arrived at my doorstep....very exciting! I got everything from Meal Replacement Shakes, Spark, Rehydrate, Muscle Gain, Meal replacement Bars, Breakfast Bars, Fiber Bars and the basics of the 24 day challenge (Herbal Cleanse, Catalyst, MNS Max 3).

If you want samples of any of the bars, shakes, sparks or rehydrates....LET ME KNOW!

To order any products, please visit my website at www.advocare.com/09102610

Kim & Robyn Before Pics

Robyn's goals - So, I am not looking to lose weight by doing the 24 day challenge. I have a few goals with this new challenge. I feel as if I do fairly well with nutrition and have for the past few years, but I am really looking to go the next step and purify what I eat. I eat carbs, snacks, and random things because I can. I would, however, like to go the next step and really have good control over what I fuel my body with. The eating plan is not a huge stray from my normal eating, but it will still be a challenge for me. After day 1, I have definitely experienced more hunger than usual. I wanted to reach for the tortilla chips or maybe the cheez-its in the cabinet, but I didn't. And it was hard.

I am excited to stick to this eating plan to see and feel the differences.

Kim - Cleanse - Day 1

So far, so good!! Started the day off with the Citrus fiber drink. It was not bad at all! Note to self/others - drink it quickly before it congeals! Gotta love that fiber! :)

I figured that keeping a very specific food diary for these 10 days would be helpful as well. I wrote exactly what I ate and at what time. This helps you easily keep track of how many servings you are eating and tracking the time between meals. Behold, the POWER of the food diary! Helps keep you on the straight and narrow :) We can all use those accountability tools when our willpower starts to waiver!

Hunger was a bit of an issue today, but that will be solved tomorrow by increasing my fruit/veg servings, decreasing the time between meals, and adding a little more lean protein.

Robyn and I took measurements this evening. Let's say I was less than pleased. Honestly, who ever loves their measurements...haha. It's a good reality check and a super great motivator!!! I am totally committed to making it happen!

The day will end with the 3 cleanse tablets before bed. Can't wait to see what is in store for Day 2! Bring it on CLEANSE!

Robyn - Day 1 - THE CLEANSE, dun dun dunnnnnn....

So Ryan, Kim and I all started the cleanse this morning. To be honest, I was a little worried how I would do with my 6 and 7am boot camps.....nothing but a port-a-potty out there! I was advised that the clenase is mild and wouldn't send you to the bathroom any more than you would normally go by Chad (my Advocare mentor), so I trusted him and chugged away at the Peaches 'n Cream Fiber Drink at 5:15 am.

Chugged the fiber drink with about 10 oz of water then immediatlely chugged another 8 oz as directed. Made it through camps with NO PROBLEM. However, I really had to pee in between camps and then about every hour all mornings from all the liquids I consumed.

Day 1 is almost over and I have felt absolutely no differences in my eh hem, bowl movements, if you will....

Nutrition
5:15am - Fiber Drink
5:30am - Small Bowl Multi-Grain Cheerios with Almond Milk
8:30am - Meal Replacement Shake (chocolate, yum)
12:30pm - 2 eggs
1:00pm - Handful of sugar snap peas, and 5 small red and orange peppers with 2 tbsp hummus
2:30pm - Chicken soup (mostly just the chicken, had to eat it.....leftovers I didn't want to waste!) 4:00pm - Spark - Grape
9:00pm - Salad with mixed greens, peppers, sugar snap peas, ~4 oz grilled chicken and 2 tbsp LF Caesar Dressing
9:30pm - another oz of chicken.....I was still hungry!

it is now 10:47pm and I am still hungry......my metabolism is even higher than normal right now. I will go to bed with the slight hunger


Here is a pic of salad tonight....half eaten:)


Before Measurements -

Chest - 33.5

Waist - 28

Hip - 37.25 (child bearing!)

Thigh - 21

Arm - 9.5 (scrawny....damn!)

Can't wait for day 2!