Saturday, June 27, 2015

AdvoCare Cleanse Days 1-5 results!

Yesterday marked the halfway point in my AdvoCare cleanse. I am please with my results this far.... However, this has NOT been easy!

Day 1 went by super fast! I ate clean the entire day and even had some time for CU24 (level 2)! My cleanse routine consisted of following the AdvoCare schedule while adding in Catalyst three times a day and Coreplex with iron (prenatal) once a day. Remember, I'm still breastfeeding, therefore I am not taking the Herbal Cleanse tabs. 

Day 2 was also a great day! Instead of working out, I walked while babywearing my 13 pound baby weight for approximately 3 miles. It felt great to get outside and feel the sun! I was super impressed with how everything was turning out..... And then we went out for dinner. Larry A's pizza... Yikes! I reeeaaallly wanted pizza! It smelled soooo good! BUT!, thanks to my SIL for keeping me in check, I ate a salad. Blah. Okay. Okay.. I took a teeny tiny bite of a corner piece BUT THAT'S IT! My dinner was a blah salad! 

Days 3 and 4 were tricky. I worked those days which made it difficult to follow my clean eating plan. I chose oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast & made tasty salads for lunch both days. I avoided all snacks & chocolates and was doing really well.. Until I got to my van on night 3! My husband had gone out to eat and brought me dinner as well! Sounds amazing, right?! NOT! He brought me cheesy Pollo Ranchero with a lovely side of rice & beans! Totally not clease-type foods! I do appreciate him thinking of me and my dinner, so I did what anyone else would have done.. I ate 1/2 of the dinner! 😁 I felt horrible on Day 4, but got myself back on track! 

Day 5 was easy-peasy & I followed my clean eating plan (minus my Italian salad dressing). I drank plenty of water & was ready for weigh-in this morning! 

That brings me to today! First thing this morning I stepped on the scale.. 
That's a 3.2 pound LOSS!! Holy cow! I was ecstatic!! With all my ups & downs, I was still doing something right! 

I should clarify. 
Monday AM = 6/22/2015
Saturday AM = 6/27/2015

5 total cleanse days and 3.2 pounds gone! I can't wait to see my final results (and hope tonight's carnival food didn't mess me up too much! Cheat meal, right?). Here are my comparison pictures this far.... 

Come back to read about & see my final results! My final cleanse day will be July 1st and results will be posted July 2nd! 

Thanks for all of the support!
Love,
MommaT


Monday, June 22, 2015

AdvoCare Herbal Cleanse - Breastfeeding Style

Today kicks off day 1 of my herbal cleanse. I've done this cleanse before and loved my results. 

To date, I've been using AdvoCare products for nearly 2 years. I started using their products when my second child was only 8 weeks old and continued using their products throughout my last pregnancy. AdvoCare gave me the results that I wanted for my body along with a new perspective on health and well-being for moms. 

After my 1st child (who is now 7), my body settled back into it's "normal" weight & tone which didn't consist of much less than a fluffy stomach and over-sized arms & thighs. I had grown to accept this "normal", as this was my "normal" for most of high school & college, and learned how to wear clothes to hide the fluffs. My weight ranged anywhere from 155 pounds to 165 pounds and for someone who is only 5 foot 4 inches, I was recognized as "overweight" and even "obese" on some charts. For some reason, those numbers didn't bother me. I thought I was "average".... Not 100 pounds, but not 200 pounds either :) 

During my pregnancy with my second child, I reached weights in the 190's and was mortified. I believe I did a happy dance at my 39 week appointment when I actually lost a pound! Following his birth (he just turned 2), my body happily settled into it's "normal" yet again. However, this time I was very self-conscious of the weight and extra "fluff." 

I knew I needed to make a lifestyle change but wasn't sure how to get started. At the time, there were SOOO many different products for weight loss and healthy lifestyles that I know I was confused about which product was right for me. Or were any of them right for me??

 I was so happy when my friend took some time to visit with me. She shared her journey with AdvoCare as well assisted me and advised me with some breastfeeding struggles and "new-again" mommy struggles. Her story inspired me to create a story of my own. And this, my friends & readers, is where my journey with AdvoCare began. 

Prior to this last pregnancy, I was able to lose 20+ pounds & tone my body. I wasn't 100% where I wanted to be, but I was so happy with how far I had come! (I'll blog about all of that later!)

I continued using AdvoCare products throughout my last pregnancy (baby is almost 10 weeks), but I still managed to gain 35+ pounds. While vacationing in Miami (August 2014), I weighed 137 pounds and at my last OB appointment (April 2015) I weighed in at 176 pounds, however I reached 179 pounds at one of my prenatal visits. Now, nearly 10 weeks later and Tandem nursing my youngest two, my weightloss has plateaued at my "normal." Some days I feel extra bloated and other days I just feel "ucky" and exhausted. I'm determined to get my body back and there's no better time to start than now! 

Keep in mind, I am a mom to three and am Tandem nursing. My cleanse will not be perfect, but I'm going to give my all. I will be consuming an additional 750-1000 calories per day to meet the demands of breastfeeding times two. Also, the modified herbal cleanse has me eliminating the herbal cleanse tabs & continuing the Coreplex with iron tabs.

My body at 6 weeks post partum: 

My body at 8 weeks PP: 

My body today (nearly 10 weeks PP):

Here's a look at my morning cleanse regimen. Continue to follow my blog as I post about AdvoCare & cleansing as well as all things Mom, Breastfeeding, and Babywearing. 



Wish me luck!
MommaT