My goals for this 3-Day Refresh program are pretty specific. Sort of. I really want to pay more attention to what I eat and why. I really want to spend time focused on food as fuel. I would love to be a couple of pounds lighter on Day 4, but realize that quick-lost weight is not always permanently-lost weight. I want to jolt my body back into overall nutrition and health. I’d like to shake up my metabolism a little bit. I’d like to FEEL like I’m doing the right things for my body for 3 days straight.
That all sounds like the same thing, doesn’t it? But it’s truth.
I’m not doing this thinking I’ll lose 10 pounds and 10 inches and walk away from it a completely different person. Not at all. But I think when we realize that we are off track, spending a few days proving to yourself what you can do when you make up your mind to do it can change your overall direction.
Day One looked exactly like this:
-Get out of bed. Drink 8 oz. of water. Go about normal morning activities (including 2 dozen cupcakes), do PiYo Sweat (37 minutes of Pilates/Yoga, and trust me, it’s aptly named).
-Drink 8 oz. of water, brew cup of decaf., do rest of normal morning activities, Weigh in and do Day 1 Measurements (oy), awaken my three cherubs, shower, await arrival of small person (the toddler I babysit).
-Feed small person, drink decaf and 8 more oz. of water, eat 1/2 an apple, drink 1 serving vegan chocolate Shakeology, clean up kitchen (again), converse with cherubs, hand cupcakes to client, run upstairs to change for a bike ride, put the small person to bed, zoom to my dad’s house with bike in van, ready to hit the road.
-Bike 32 miles, drink 24 oz. of water en route. *Realize stomach is grumbling*
-Zoom home to find the cherubs feeding the unhappy small person. Drink 1 serving Vanilla Fresh, 8 oz. water, other half of the morning’s apple, a peeled cucumber from the garden, and a teaspoon of coconut oil. Yep, just swallowed it down. And I was full. And tired. And so was the small person.
-Catch up on computer work, clean the kitchen (again), crash on the couch…drink 1 serving fiber sweep.
-Some more computer work, read a chapter of Go Pro, eat afternoon snack of 20 snap peas (fresh from the garden!) and a serving of almonds (instead of the recommended almond butter…because…32 mile bike ride)
-Prep dinner for family (THAT was hard.), eat dinner…1 serving vanilla fresh, 1 c. broccoli, 1/2 cup chopped carrots, 1/2 cup summer squash boiled in a cup of water until tender crisp, tossed with 1 tbsp. olive oil and salt.
-Clean up from dinner, crash on the couch, converse with cherubs, decide bedtime will happen at 9:15…go to bed at 9:15.
General observations:
I was hungry when it was mealtime. And I think my hunger stemmed more from the fact that I was *thinking* about my next meal all day. Every moment. I think had I not been so conscious of this, I wouldn’t have felt nearly as hungry.
I drank more water on Day 1 than I think I’ve ever drunk in one day in my entire life. But I never felt waterlogged. I did, however, run to the restroom all day. I didn’t wake up in the night (this is interesting…as I always do).
I got a headache around 2pm. I blame lack of caffeine (I’m used to about 2 cups of espresso in the mornings…) and mild dehydration (from the ride, I’m guessing). It lasted into the evening, and definitely kept me from falling asleep…frankly, I should have gotten up for some ibuprofen, but was so dead that I lacked the motivation to move from the bed.
The hardest part of my whole day in Day 1 was preparing a meal for my family that smelled delicious…and I couldn’t eat.
Specific observations:
Shakeology made only with water is sweeter than Shakeology made with almond milk or full dairy (and less thick). Instead of 10 oz. of water, I go for 14. It cuts down on some of that sweet…and makes it last a little longer (I have to psych myself out sometimes). I’ll bet it would be thicker if I mixed it in my blender with ice cubes.
Vanilla fresh has 20 grams of protein. In my opinion this makes it completely different from the Ultimate Reset…I feel I get more actual nourishment using the Vanilla Fresh than I did at any point during the reset. Also, it tastes pretty darn good. It’s not a vanilla milkshake, people. It’s crazy nutrition.
The Fiber Sweep…well, it’s lemony. And if you drink it as described (8 oz. of water, drink immediately)…it would probably be…fine. I went with 4 oz. of ice water, mixed with a fork until just combined, and chugged. Gone in 5 seconds or less. It’s really not that big of a deal. But if you let it sit…oh, man. Don’t let it sit. It’s made with flax, chia and psyllium husks. If you put any of those into a glass of water, they swell up and get slimy. Don’t let that happen to you. Drink it fast. Down it. The aftertaste is lemon and stevia. And…a little bit of healthy.
No problem.
Bring on Day 2.
SweetSpot. 