Let's recap.
Reviews on Advocare range...widely. Some say the first two days are the hardest, others the last two, and others mention specific days in between. Some say they consistently begin to feel better--more energetic with noticeable results by day four. Others said they felt tired, hungry, and didn't notice a difference aside from the numbers on the scale.
So, basically, Advocare is a wildcard, just as any product would be. Why? Because all our bodies are different. We eat different things. We experience withdrawal from different foods and different amounts of those foods. There's no way they could work the same for everyone.
For me, the first two days of the cleanse were exceedingly simple. I've done pill-popping cleanses before, the Spark was a lovely treat to wake up to every morning, and the fiber drink.. well.. a good cleanse can't be all sunshine and rainbows... It was manageable.
My highly concentrated determination managed to keep all cravings away. Habitually, I thought about ordering a pizza at dinner time, but I didn't actually want it. For once, I didn't have to talk myself out of it. Which was nice.
What wasn't so nice was the fact that I completely lost my appetite. A new sensation for me. And definitely not a good sensation. The last thing I wanted was that famous "starvation mode" to kick in and ruin this for me. I stuffed minimal calories down my throat in an attempt to obtain some semblance of nutrition. Even My Fitness Pal bowed me big red warning messages about not eating enough calories when I completed my journal for the day. I didn't get my appetite back until Day 6. And boy. Did it come back. Along with every craving I'd expected to fight off since Day 1.
I cheated (not with food) and weighed myself at the end of Day 3. I'd lost 2 pounds exactly. But, I also hadn't really consumed anything... so... who knows. I made Sean lock the scale away until Wednesday.
Days 3-6 were the tired days. I woke up late, didn't accomplish anything throughout the day, and napped off and on, on the couch, until bedtime. I obviously couldn't even get myself to blog. Which.. come on. I missed the First Friday Art Walk in Scranton. I missed the "All About Animals" event I wanted to hit up in Clarks Summit on Saturday. It was a major bummer. And not just for me...
Anyone who really knows me knows all nice things about me on regular days turn into treacherous bitchiness with zero remorse when I'm tired and/or hungry. This carried through to Sunday, Day 7, even though I didn't actually feel tired most of the day. We'll call it irritability. But, in all actuality, it was so. much. more.
All I can say is, "My poor, loving husband," and that's all I have to say... about that.
So, here I am. Day 8. It appears my body has regulated. I fought past the weekend cravings, using sliced apples baked with cinnamon, Splenda, and a pinch of vegan margarine to stave off the intensely desired trips to Sheetz for junk food.
I did make the possible mistake of looking at the Advocare website for food restrictions and realized their rules are much more lenient than those my cousin provided for me. Part of me is glad I found it, because it made me eat again. I'm well within the Advocare guidelines, but I did eat a smidgen of potato salad (mayo...) from the Ruby Tuesday salad bar on two nights and ate vegan margarine on my sweet potato the last two nights for dinner. I'm oddly okay with it, though. To me, it's better than eating less than 1000 calories in a day and/or falling off the wagon and running to the grocery store for cheese and chocolate.
Overall, I can't say I feel better. I've had a minor headache almost all day today, which has been occurring off and on since Day 3. I had to start taking the fiber drink again. Did I mention I got four days off from it?? It was glorious. My appetite has been all over the place. I haven't been sleeping well. I've been an effing BEAR emotionally. Some days I think my body feels different, but I can't be sure. Sometimes I feel empty. Sometimes I feel full. Sometimes I feel completely bloated.
Maybe I'm doing it wrong? Not being as strict? I'm definitely not following the suggested meal plan, because I just can't get the timing right. I blame my complete lack of a daily routine.
Honestly. I'm just all over the damn place. Even if this hasn't been the miracle feel-good cure for me, it has definitely been a wake-up call. I've broken back habits that make me sick to think about. I've gained energy. I've rejuvenated my desire to lead a healthier lifestyle. At the very, very least, it's got me thinking about how I should be going about my future.
I want a healthy lifestyle I can stick with. I know myself well enough to know I need rules, but the meal plan I had developed and planned to post is just way too strict. I might be able to stick to it for a week or two, but then I'm going to fall off the wagon and gain all the weight back again.
More to come on that cliffhanger I left ya'll with a million years ago.
I'll post the plans I have so far when I come in from my run.
It's getting dark, and I don't want any excuses not to start Week 2 of C25K.
Never. Ever. Skip a Monday.
My highly concentrated determination managed to keep all cravings away. Habitually, I thought about ordering a pizza at dinner time, but I didn't actually want it. For once, I didn't have to talk myself out of it. Which was nice.
What wasn't so nice was the fact that I completely lost my appetite. A new sensation for me. And definitely not a good sensation. The last thing I wanted was that famous "starvation mode" to kick in and ruin this for me. I stuffed minimal calories down my throat in an attempt to obtain some semblance of nutrition. Even My Fitness Pal bowed me big red warning messages about not eating enough calories when I completed my journal for the day. I didn't get my appetite back until Day 6. And boy. Did it come back. Along with every craving I'd expected to fight off since Day 1.
I cheated (not with food) and weighed myself at the end of Day 3. I'd lost 2 pounds exactly. But, I also hadn't really consumed anything... so... who knows. I made Sean lock the scale away until Wednesday.
Days 3-6 were the tired days. I woke up late, didn't accomplish anything throughout the day, and napped off and on, on the couch, until bedtime. I obviously couldn't even get myself to blog. Which.. come on. I missed the First Friday Art Walk in Scranton. I missed the "All About Animals" event I wanted to hit up in Clarks Summit on Saturday. It was a major bummer. And not just for me...
Anyone who really knows me knows all nice things about me on regular days turn into treacherous bitchiness with zero remorse when I'm tired and/or hungry. This carried through to Sunday, Day 7, even though I didn't actually feel tired most of the day. We'll call it irritability. But, in all actuality, it was so. much. more.
All I can say is, "My poor, loving husband," and that's all I have to say... about that.
So, here I am. Day 8. It appears my body has regulated. I fought past the weekend cravings, using sliced apples baked with cinnamon, Splenda, and a pinch of vegan margarine to stave off the intensely desired trips to Sheetz for junk food.
I did make the possible mistake of looking at the Advocare website for food restrictions and realized their rules are much more lenient than those my cousin provided for me. Part of me is glad I found it, because it made me eat again. I'm well within the Advocare guidelines, but I did eat a smidgen of potato salad (mayo...) from the Ruby Tuesday salad bar on two nights and ate vegan margarine on my sweet potato the last two nights for dinner. I'm oddly okay with it, though. To me, it's better than eating less than 1000 calories in a day and/or falling off the wagon and running to the grocery store for cheese and chocolate.
Overall, I can't say I feel better. I've had a minor headache almost all day today, which has been occurring off and on since Day 3. I had to start taking the fiber drink again. Did I mention I got four days off from it?? It was glorious. My appetite has been all over the place. I haven't been sleeping well. I've been an effing BEAR emotionally. Some days I think my body feels different, but I can't be sure. Sometimes I feel empty. Sometimes I feel full. Sometimes I feel completely bloated.
Maybe I'm doing it wrong? Not being as strict? I'm definitely not following the suggested meal plan, because I just can't get the timing right. I blame my complete lack of a daily routine.
Honestly. I'm just all over the damn place. Even if this hasn't been the miracle feel-good cure for me, it has definitely been a wake-up call. I've broken back habits that make me sick to think about. I've gained energy. I've rejuvenated my desire to lead a healthier lifestyle. At the very, very least, it's got me thinking about how I should be going about my future.
I want a healthy lifestyle I can stick with. I know myself well enough to know I need rules, but the meal plan I had developed and planned to post is just way too strict. I might be able to stick to it for a week or two, but then I'm going to fall off the wagon and gain all the weight back again.
More to come on that cliffhanger I left ya'll with a million years ago.
I'll post the plans I have so far when I come in from my run.
It's getting dark, and I don't want any excuses not to start Week 2 of C25K.
Never. Ever. Skip a Monday.
