Questions and Answers

I have been trying to come up with a way to make my blog more interactive. I love that I have followers but I'm pretty sure this is only because I share my blog on Facebook and Google+.  I hope that one day I will have real "followers" who are looking forward to my next post and like to correspond regularly. So now is when I ask, what do you want to see in my blog? I plan to write about inspirational items, quotes, my love hate relationship with running, exercise, health and nutrition, education, working with kids, college, typical "mom" struggles, parenting, etc. I also hope to ask a question with each post in anticipation that you can help me to be a better person and blogger.

I found this on Pinterest this week and decided I needed to display it because I have failed miserably in this area lately. I have dubbed it my inspiration for the week. I had somewhat of a crummy week and my family suffered. I had a great time with my friends who came to celebrate my graduation party, mainly because most of them drove two hours just to let me know how proud they were of me. That made me feel pretty special. Unfortunately, I haven't been the most pleasant person to be around for other reasons and my family has taken the brunt of it. I hope that I can remember that they are not the reason I was frustrated or upset so I need to be more patient, loving and kind toward them. What is it about us (humans) that we hurt the ones we love most?

 

So here is my question...How do you make it up to your family when you realize you haven't been the nicest person to be around?

24 Day Challenge

What is it?  Why do I do it? Does it really work? These are many questions I get about the 24 Day Challenge. I love AdvoCare, it's an incredible product, business and community. By using it, I have met my health goals and I continue to set new goals every couple months.

24 Days of fruits, veggies, lean protein, vitamins and supplements

So, what is it? The 24-Day Challenge is a combined process of cleansing your body of all the toxins and junk it's accumulated over the course of time (and yes, the one question everyone asks is, "Is it a gentle cleanse?" Absolutely, there is no running to the bathroom at a moment's notice.) and teaching yourself to eat clean while resetting your metabolism.

Why do I do it? If you follow the guidelines, meaning avoiding the things they tell you to (pop, bread, processed food, coffee, alcohol, to name a few) and eating lean protein, fruits and veggies, it will help you lose a considerable amount of weight. In my first challenge I lost 10 pounds and 10 inches and that was between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Had it not been for all those Christmas treats everyone kept bringing in, I would've done better. ;) This time I'm cleansing because my eating habits have gotten lax so it's time to remind my body what is good for me and what is not.  Matt has decided to jump on board this time and is seeing great results too. In 4 days he lost 8 pounds and I was down 5. It's common for men to lose more weight and women to lose more in the inches category. Will I keep all this weight off? Yes, at least most of it. Last time I did the challenge I actually lost another 5+lbs in the months following the challenge. Why? Because it really does reset your metabolism and train your brain to eat clean. If it weren't for my love of bread, dairy and occasional baked good, I'd go entirely paleo, but...I can't. I love ice cream, tortillas, pasta, cookies and everything else that is filled with unhealthy carbs too much.

I don't intend to use my blog to push the AdvoCare product on any of my readers, I have just been asked many questions about it so I thought this would be the best way to address some of those questions. I also get a lot of questions about how I've lost my weight, well this is definitely a contributing factor throughout the last 8 months, along with exercise and practicing a healthier lifestyle.

As I am completing Day 10 of the Cleanse Phase, I find myself celebrating that soon I'll be able to eat some whole grain/wheat bread, have a little dairy, and enjoy a glass of wine while I push through the Max Phase. This phase is much easier, in my opinion, because a little ground beef or steak, here and there is okay. Since our weather is finally decent enough for grilling on a regular basis, I can't wait to grill something other than chicken breasts and turkey burgers. Not to mention a slim bun is definitely better than wrapping a turkey burger in lettuce and I'm getting awfully tired of salads for lunch. I could have something other than salad of course, but it's quick and easy to make and I can put it together the night before. The worst part about the cleanse is definitely the fiber drink, I'm a wimp when it comes to drinking anything with weird texture but I've found ways to mask it. The best part about the cleanse is the energy I get (after a couple days) and feeling so much healthier.

Just another before and after

*Update* 

So after our 10 Day Cleanse, Matt and I are both down 7.5-8lbs. That is saying a lot as a trip to the cities for the weekend (at the zoo and Valleyfair) made clean eating very  difficult. We also struggled to eat the right portions when we were eating out. I guess that just proves that eating at home with proper meal planning is always the  best choice.