The 24 Day Challenge for Teens

Still paying for my little adventure hike yesterday, my calves and shoulders are so sore! I actually went to bed last night and thanks to the baby being exhausted as well I got 12 hours of much needed zzz's! Who knows how many calories I burned yesterday but I'm going with A LOT! Since I had a huge lunch of grilled chicken, vegi soup and salad at Red Robin when I got back (and after I showered of course) I wasn't really that hungry for dinner later so I just had 2 hard boiled eggs and a few pickle flavored cashews- which makes for awesome morning breath- just sayin!

While I was out taking on mountains yesterday another shipment arrived- one of my Beasties T. is taking on the challenge as well as my 15 year old daughter, Alyssa! I am so excited for both of them and will keep you posted on their progress. The products are safe for ANY AGE, so after hearing what great success an 11 year old boy had on The 24 Day Challenge I asked Lyss if it was something she wanted to do- and it was a BIG YES! She's been struggling with her weight her whole life and how awesome is it that I have found the key! She's starting tomorrow and here's what her kit looks like.

You will notice I added the AM Bar so she has another quick breakfast option besides the Meal Replacement Shakes, as well as the Meal Replacement Bar for lunch as we all know how "nutritious" school lunch is...don't even get me started on that one! You know the school systems purchase (at a discount) the leftover crap that isn't sell-able in grocery stores, including tainted meat that is mixed into "okay" meat so they can still make money on it...yeah- pretty gross, unhealthy, you name it! No thanks!

 

What is your favorite packed lunch idea for kids?

Struck Down by Flatiron Mountain

Well today I took on a mountain- literally! Lesson- ask more questions before you determine you can "hang" during a hike...5.8 miles of Difficult level...yeah, not THIS girl- at least not yet!

Here's my prep for what I think is a leisurely day hike:)

This is Mr. Water Diet's 6:30 am contribution to my safety- I did tell him I actually KNOW the people I am going with, but I guess you can never be too careful these days :/

Here's the middle of what I actually survived through which is pretty close to 4000 ft and 4 miles round trip!

Here's me pretty stoked with myself for not falling, breaking anything- and oh yeah, dying! I did try to grab a cactus at one point to steady myself...not recommended. :/

Here's what I pied out on....there was really no way I was prepared for the remaining 1 mile of vertical climbing, including-but not limited to (per one of my fellow hikers) a 12 ft wall of rock at the top that you use a near by tree to scale- WHAT?! I don't even scale my fish myself you fool!

So beware Flatiron rock...one day I will climb your 12 foot wall...and I will stand on your 4861'-tree or no tree. HUMPH!

What adventures are you taking on in your journey?

Company's Coming...What's For Dinner?

Found the best vegi meatloaf recipe (courtesy of Sandra C. from CO) for the Lean In phase, great for company over or just to have left overs for lunch or to freeze:

1 3/4 lb ground turkey
6 egg whites
- combine the two and then add:
1 C frozen squeezed chopped spinach
1 C diced white onion
1 C diced red onion
1 C diced red bell pepper
1 C cauliflower pieces
1/2 C chopped cilantro
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tsp seasoning salt
2 tsp granulated garlic (or 1/4 minced fresh)- I used fresh cause I love me some garlic!

Mix together in a non stick pan or rub a sticky one with olive oil. I used a 9x13 and press the mix all in out to the corners. I topped with a can diced tomatoes that I pureed in the ninja, but recipe calls for a 6oz can of tomato paste mixed with a cup of water- I'm all for using what you have on hand:) Bake at 350 for 40 minutes and for the 24 Day Challenge portions for people 141-224lbs you will have 6 equal portions from this recipe- yum, yum!

My sister in law wanted the recipe, the kids chomped it down, everyone loved it except Mr. Water Diet as he doesn't eat vegetables...he choked it down cause that's all I made for dinner:)

Do you have any great Lean In recipes for company coming over?

Day 38, 2nd Round of "Lean In" Results

Failed at posting yesterday:/ Was going to do it during the day, then after dinner, and then of course I never got to it...which is usually the point I say...ef-it, no one's reading this anyway- but I know there is at least one other person right now- or maybe it's one of the bot/crawler/web thingy's- I'm telling myself it's an actual person so that I stay at this...

Good news- it's results day again! No pics until day 60 but here's my results from Day 24 to 38:

Weight: 152.6 (-2.2lbs)

R Arm: 12  (-1/4) 

Abdomen: 34 1/2

Chest: 36

Waist: 30 (-1)

Hips: 40 1/4 (-1)

R Thigh: 26 1/2 (-1/2)

R Calf: 15

 

38 Days, Total of 10.4 lbs lost and 17 inches!

Chicken Soup For Your Goals

Chopped up half a banana and threw it in my Chocolate Meal Replacement Shake this morning- super yummy! It works out great that every 3 days you get to mix it up a bit and it breaks up what could become monotonous if you let it. The key is to keep being creative, keep looking for recipes and experiment!

My last burn day (what you call a carb day on The 24 Day Challenge) I made what I wanted to call Garbage Chicken Soup, but quickly realized if I did I would be the only one eating it...maybe Everything but the Sink Chicken Soup?? I decided on Chicken Enchilada Soup...winner, cause they all ate it:)

This was a super easy crock pot recipe- threw in 3 large frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot. Mixed one packet of onion soup mix with 1 can of diced tomatoes that I ran through the Ninja to mix/puree. Cooked that all day on low until I chicken shredded easily. Then threw in one zip lock bag of frozen chicken stock (I make mine w/left over rotisserie chicken carcasses cause I'm cheap like that and want to get every penny out of them) but you can use canned, no biggie. I also threw in a 1/4 bag of frozen corn I found in the freezer, a drained and rinsed can of black beans, and a bag of the Seeds of Change Quiona Rice mix that is already cooked. This could freeze easily too so you can portion it out and have meals ready to go- <3 it!

What's your favorite "tastes better than it looks" recipe?

In a Pickle

Yesterday when I went to grab my go-to bag of cashews for snack I quickly realized that someone had conveniently turned the bag of "whole" cashews into cashew "pieces"....this time it was NOT me! Measuring the meager morsels out they weren't even half of the portion needed for a whole snack..what to do? So I grabbed half an avocado, a hard boiled egg yolk, chopped up the remaining pieces and mashed them all together- actually pretty tasty- next time I'm going to add some red onion for some heat.

Later in the day we were at target and I spotted these bad boys:

They were freakin DEE-LISH! If you are one of the 7 people on the planet who LOVED Extreme Dill Pickle Flavored Pringles (I skip that isle in the grocery store so I don't even know if they still make them) - these are the way of the future!




I already went back and bought the bigger jar,

Just to be safe on sodium I am going to mix them half and half with plain roasted unsalted cashews- but YAY for new treats!

 

What replacement snacks have you found in your 24 Day Challenge journey?



Pumpkin Pie, It's Not Just For Dessert Anymore!

Pumpkin Pie Meal Replacement shake was a success!! Here's what I used:

Step one: I forgot to buy ice cube trays so in the spirit of never giving up I scooped out the canned pumpkin with an ice cream scoop and froze for a couple hours- then threw the chunks in a zip lock bag- XD

Step two: Combine 1 frozen pumpkin chunk, Vanilla Meal Replacement Shake, 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice and blend until smooth- whalah! Breakfast is served!

 

Am I the only person who no longer has ice cube trays in the house?

The Last Straw

This morning I had a "straw" situation and had to compromise:/

I hate it when that happens and this time I can't even blame anyone else because I took the last one- dang it! Funny part is I got this Valentine's straw at a closing party of a bar in Oregon (which was NOT held even near Valentines) because THEY ran out of straws and only had these left XD

So not only does it have some miles on it, it seems to be the Last Straw Standing!










Spent the morning/early afternoon in training today on all the awesome AdvoCare products, so my my meals got a bit messed up (I just had two snacks until I could break for lunch) and then had a late lunch from YC's Mongolian Barbecue- chicken and vegi's- so yummy!

That's not a noodle, it's a sprout- I was a good Girl:)

Then my shipment arrived today while I was in training (surprise Saturday delivery- awesome!) so I am picking up the rest of the stuff tonight that I need for my Pumpkin Pie Meal Replacement shake master piece- mainly pumpkin pie spice and canned pumpkin- let the experimenting begin!

 

To straw or not to straw- that is the question today-??

Fall Is In The Air

I placed another order a couple days ago and I'm pretty excited for it to arrive. Normally I wouldn't get all pumped up for Vanilla, but I saw some ideas in my 24 Day Challenge fb group for a Pumpkin Pie shake using the Vanilla Meal Replacement mix, nutmeg, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice- heck I'm even thinking about throwing in some canned pumpkin (after I check the label for added sugar ect). To me Pumpkin means Fall is upon us and I love me some Pumpkin Latte so this will be a fantastic swap! How come the more I type pumpkin the funnier the word looks?



I've already had my Halloween decorations out for a couple weeks now...

...no that is not a huge big screen TV, it's flat screen that still needs to loose a few pounds :D














I picked this guy up at Lowe's this year- LOVE me some candle holders, not gonna lie!

Dinner last night was Enchilada chicken, courtesy of some free spices I scored couponing. Added canned tomatoe sauce, some water, and frozen chicken breasts. Next time I'm going to try this in the crock pot, it was delish baked (nice and moist) but I think shredded would be Epic! over some shredded lettuce with some sliced black olives...nom-nom-nom!

What's your thoughts on fall decorating? When is TOO early?

You Are What You Eat

Yesterday was a long day- had a morning 15 month check-up for Parky with shots:( and we never know how that's going to go later in the day. Luckily this round wasn't too bad- just a little fever and ouchies. My thinking was to take my waking supplement packets and then go the apt and have breakfast when I get back, since I am usually in/out in 45 min. I guess 45-1hr is a bit too long for me wait to eat after MNSMax E cause by the time I got home I was a little woozy. I've learnt you pretty much need to stick with the time lines they suggest for taking everything...imagine that =D

I'm also noticing that I'm eating less at lunch and dinner- I weigh my protein (because of the issues I had on day 1) but the veggies for my salad or sides has been about half of what I started with the first part of The 24 Day Challenge. In the beginning it is advised that you eat everything but at this point I am starting to listen to my body and when I'm stuffed I stop eating (even though it's healthy, too much food is going to make you uncomfortable). Plus you are eating every 2-3 hours so your next meal is never so far away you are going to starve! Really once you get going on this plan you metabolism kicks in and when you feel hungry you look at the clock and it's time to eat.

If you haven't caught on yet- 80% of the success of The 24 Day Challenge is what you eat. The first 10 Days you cleaned out your body so your organs can better absorb the nutrition in the foods you eat. Then you are eat the right foods at the right times and the supplements work to fill in the gaps and boost the work you are doing. My breakfasts and snacks are pretty much the same everyday- I have the Meal Replacement Shakes for breakfast and my snacks are usually avocado for one and nuts for the other (I'm loving cashews right now). I am thinking that maybe sharing my lunches/dinners may help give some of you ideas so your son doesn't ask what's for dinner and then say "Oh, good- I'm getting tired of chicken Mom..." :/

 

How have you adjusted your families meals while on The Challenge?

Out Of Hiding

30 Days and counting:) Day 24 seems like forever ago and I'm kinda bummed that I have to wait another 30 Days before I weigh/measure again- but I refuse to be a slave to the scale- I know myself and I get in my own head way too easy! I was searching through my old pics today to see what I had in the way of "before" my last pregnancy pics and I must have not been looking too great as I have pics of everyone else EXCEPT me...


....but I did find this pic of one of our 3 Pugs that pretty much describes how I felt about life in general before The 24 Day Challenge:

"Wake me when it's winter!"
 

Yep, SO thankful I am not in that place anymore!=)

 

What differences are you feeling about yourself since starting The 24 Day Challenge?

It Takes 21 Days To Creat A Habit

...tomorrow will be Day 30 on The 24 Day Challenge- 5 days past when I could have officially said "Cool, that worked pretty good...now what?" Problem? It worked wayyy better than "pretty good"- as in-

I sleep better; like crash out, dreaming, wake up refreshed kind of sleep
I'm not starving; I eat when I'm hungry, I feel full, and I'm still losing inches like crazy
I have more energy; like get thing done, keep my cool, play on the floor with the kids kind of energy
I feel better; this one is hard to put into words unless your on the stuff- but you just FEEL better
I have clarity; my mind isn't foggy, I think clearly, I'm able to focus better, I am more productive


...bottom line- I don't want to go back to feeling how I did 30 Days ago. It takes a different set of habits if you want to be in a different place than where you are now.

 

What habits do you need to change to be where you want to be in 24 Days?

Newsflash...The Scale Lies

For all you out there struggling with being a slave to the scale I read the best thing today!

"Losing or gaining 5 pounds of fat over a weekend is physiologically impossible..." Big word...what it means- even if your a weight loss rockstar, it can't be done!! Basically it has to do with the fact that water fluctuates so much in out bodies that we are fooled by the scale into thinking that what we lost or gain is "FAT" when it could be water, or worse- muscle if we aren't feeding our bodies correctly. Metabolism is what burns the excess fat off us, which is why the "eat less, exercise more" theory doesn't always pan out either as when you don't provide enough fuel (especially protein) for your body it will compensate for the lack of fuel by pulling it from the body (muscles).

One of my favorite parts so far about The 24 Day Challenge is that you actually EAT and not just carrots and celery- the plan is set to retrain your metabolism so that your body starts burning the food you eat effectively instead of storing FAT like crazed chipmunks stashing away nuts for the winter.

So what is a better way to tell you are actually losing fat? Measuring; women will start shrinking in the waist and bust...oh yeah, cause that's fair:/ Men will notice mostly in the waist. You should also notice a firmness and toning of the body, if you are just shrinking and becoming flabby you are losing muscle. Personally I am still trying to find my abs!!

Home Made Chili on Carb Day- Oh YEAH! It's what's for dinner!

Are you a slave to the scale? How do you plan on breaking free?

Your Past Does Not Equal Your Future

As I've been working on my outside I'm noticing my inside could use some work too and since I've had more energy to get things done during the day I now have a little time at night that I'm using to work on my emotional being. Like many Moms out there I have like 5 books I started to read at one point or another and never finished- so I picked up "Awaken the Giant" by Antony Robbins, and wouldn't you know it the bookmark was at the beginning of Chapter 11- The 10 Emotions of Power....this type of thing ALWAYS happens to me-story of my life! I chose to think it's a good thing, as just like The 24 Day Challenge- when I was ready to do what it takes to make changes to my health, the processes presented itself.

One of the quotes in this chapter that really resonated with being successful in The Challenge and permanently adopting a healthier lifestyle is:

 

"Pushing yourself won't do it- putting yourself in a state of determination will."

When you "push" yourself to do something you are creating the metaphor that something will not move on it's own, therefore you have to apply pressure to get it move. How much energy will that take? How much will it take to keep it moving? How long can you physically sustain that? Now what if you were in a state of determination? What would that look like? If you are like me then it would means it IS happening...period!

When I originally took on the challenge 27 days ago- without knowing it- that IS where I was- DETERMINED. I was desperate to lose the weight, ready to make changes, willing to take a chance, but most importantly I knew that WHEN I found the right fit- I would do what was needed to make it work.

 

How are you approaching your journey? Are you pushing yourself, or are you determined?

Today I Choose To BE Better

After a couple days to processes my results on The 24 Day Challenge I have come to the realization that I am really happy with the progress I have made so far. I have decided my original expectations were wack- especially when I have been looking for a long term lifestyle of being energized and healthy- not a quick fix. I probably could have lost more weight in 24 days using other methods or "diets"- but would it have been HEALTHY? Sustainable? Affected my ability to nurse? I'm not looking for a gimmick, a band aid, or even a miracle pill or set of pills for that matter.

Change. That's really what it's all about- wanting to be better tomorrow than I am today. I need to not over complicate the simplicity of investing in myself today to BE a better "me" tomorrow.

What changes would you like to see for yourself?

Free Day Tastes Best When You've Earned It

I didn't get too crazy, but did realize it's actually harder to eat off plan than it is on plan...who knew? Glad to be back at it today for my second phase of Lean in 13. I chose MNS Max E this time around as it is formulated to boost energy and as a Mom I need all the energy assistance I can get, especially since my 15 month old has an unlimitted supply. Too bad they can't bottle that-cause he could supply a small village!

Here's what I'm working with this phase:



I'm thinking purple is my new favorite color!

In other news...Mr. Water Diet finished the cleanse and lost a total of 10lbs and dropped a pants size- and he keeps stealing my Mango Strawberry Spark packets, so he must like them or something!

Are you making any changes to product based on how your first 24 Days went?

Day 24 of Mom on The 24 Day Challenge

09.13.2012

24 Day Challenge Results

 

Weight: 154.8 (down 8.2 lbs)

R Arm: 12 1/4 (down 1/4 in)

Abdomen: 34 1/2 (down 3 1/2 in)

Chest: 36 (down 2 3/4 in)

Waist: 31 (down 2 3/4 in)

Hips: 41 1/4 (down 2 1/4 in)

R Thigh: 26 3/4 (down 1 1/4 in)

R Calf: 15 (down 1/2 in)

Fat Caliper: 18mm (down 6mm)

 

Total: 8.2 lbs and 13 1/4 inches lost in 24 Days

 



 Really having a hard time this morning being happy about my progress. I think I've watched far too many biggest loser episodes and my expectations are wack. So for now I'm not going to comment too much on it and let it sink in for the day....

 

Day 1 vs Day 24 Front

Starting to see a bit of definition here and some shrinkage on the bottom half, and NO I have not been tanning, it's actually like 6am in the morning so the lighting is doing me some favors in this pic.





I definitely see more results in the side view pic, and I see my posture is improving as well...good to know! The lighting is NOT doing my cottage cheese any favors in this pic :/





Day 1 vs Day 24 Side





Are you on Day 24 of The 24 Day Challenge? How did you do? How are you feeling about your results? Leave a comment!
 

Day 23 of Mom on The 24 Day Challenge

09.12.2012

Well, here we are....Day 23- the last day of my first 24 Day Challenge. Then again, when you're a busy Mom- time flies! Overall I am amazed how easy it was to adjust my eating habits and fit them into my existing routine- the first day was a bit overwhelming but adding ANYTHING to my schedule gets overwhelming the first couple times- after that I'm the Mommy express- get on or get out of the way!

What now? Tomorrow is the final day- so I will take measurements and update my progress and it's a "Free" day for food. Weird part about it is now that it's almost here, the only thing I'm really wanting to do is go out to a nice Pizza and Wine dinner. A few days back I was dreaming about taking the day off to eat, and now...I guess I'm over it. Paul even asked me last night what my plans were for free day....I really sat there for like 20 minutes weighing my breakfast and lunch options and the only thing that sounded delicious was a really good pizza and glass (okay, maybe two!) of Red Wine. McDonalds- blech, Taco Bell- ick, Quiznos- schmh, now that I'm thinking about it again maybe some deli pasta salad and fried chicken wings?

I'm starting to realize through this process that food is just FUEL. I don't know how or when it became this giant thing that took over my life to the point where it was such a focus. I seriously used to plan my outings around where I wanted to EAT, can't wait to eat, when are we going to eat, let's go eat, hey- we need to eat! The foods I was eating wasn't helping either as they were not filling, nor satisfying- hence, ALWAYS HUNGRY. When you are able to shift the priority off of food- think of how much time you will free up- for things like... spa days, I WISH!

What's next? I'm still working down to my goal weight/size- which I really don't have an exact number because I know with WW when I got down to the "number" in my head, I looked like I had an eating disorder- not hot! That was in my 20's and honestly I don't know what that looks like for me now that I'm in my 30's- but I know I'm not there yet- so I will continue repeating the Lean in 13 phase of the Challenge (Days 11-15) and see where I am at 90 Days.

Are you on Day 23 of The 24 Day Challenge? What are your weight loss goals going forward? Leave a comment!

Day 22 of Mom on The 24 Day Challenge

09.11.2012

Getting so close to the end I can almost taste feel it! Pretty excited to see how much progress I've made in just over three weeks of little more than clean eating and supplements! No counting points, no starving myself to death, no dreaded trips to the gym daily- feeling like I just crashed someones wedding walking through the dang place, no living off vegetable soup, cabbage soup, progresso soup, or lemon/molasses/hot sauce juice, or any kind of juice for that matter! I actually tried to live on V-8 at one point...you can't, in case you were wondering...well- you can't for very LONG anyway- 2 days, tops! No specialty foods that can only be ordered for the southern most point of India, come packaged- YUM, shelf stable lasagna- my favorite!, no foods that taste like anything BUT food- unseasoned Rye crisps anyone?- but wait I have a low fat, processed, nondairy, garlic flavored cheese wedge to smear on it...anyone??

I've actually been EATING; 3 balanced meals and two snacks daily and taking supplements- THAT'S IT! wow....seriously? Yup. Hmph. Salmon, avocado, cashews, mocha chocolate meal replacement shakes....yeah, SERIOUSLY! Lovin it!

Lunch today, warm salmon and baby kale salad!

Are you on Day 22 of The 24 Day Challenge? What have been your favorite clean foods to eat? Leave a comment!

Day 21 on The 24 Day Challenge

09.10.2012

Well if anyone had any grand delusions that I was following the plan perfectly, let me clear them up now as I have solved the mystery of why I was STARVING the last post. If you look carefully at the picture I posted of my Chipolte lunch yesterday and then look at the picture below of what I found in my purse today at Walgreens you should be able to figure it out....



What the [insert expletive here]?!?!?#FAIL

Yes, those are my 2 packets of MNS Max 3 that I was SUPPOSED to take with my lunch yesterday! Awesome to know that these supplements are working so well because that is the only time (besides day 1 when I didn't eat enough protein) that I have been super hungry on The Challenge. Not so awesome that I was a such a Ding-bat that I remembered to take a picture of my lunch but not my supplements...which I am sure had nothing to do with the fact that my 14 month old kept throwing his quesadilla pieces at the older couple sitting next to us, AND trying to defy gravity by escaping the highchair, all while attempting to get the attention of the female baby across the restaurant by yelling at her...I have decided I'm leaving them in my purse in case I have another Ding-bat moment in the future and forget to pack them...which is pretty much guaranteed.



Are you on Day 21 of The 24 Day Challenge? What road bumps have you come across so far and how did you handle them? Leave a comment!

Day 20 of Mom on The 24 Day Challenge

09.09.12

Was proud of myself for planning ahead yesterday, I feel good that I'm able to incorporate everything into whatever I'm doing for the day quite easily. We had a lot of errands planned for yesterday after breakfast so "thinking ahead" I threw my snack of cashews in my purse.and Then I realized that everything was so small and portable I could just grab some AdvoCare Spark Energy packets, as well as my before lunch and at lunch MNS Max 3 packets just in case we stayed out longer than planned. Well, we stayed out longer than planned and because I was PREPARED, I was able to stay on plan as if I was home! YAY! Lunch was Chipolte salad and Spark!



Salad bowl with grilled vegi's, chicken, and pico- Oh My!!

Then not sure if I didn't eat enough or the day was so long I was STARVING by 9pm and water wasn't cutting it. I took 3 Catalyst and waited the half hour and was still really hungry so I had a hard boiled egg and another full glass of water and headed to bed. Unfortunately when the baby woke up at 3:38am I was STARVING again! What the heck??? Usually I'm not hungry when I get up with him in the middle of the night so this was super annoying. I followed Mr. Water Diet's trick and just drank water until the hunger pains went away and I got my butt back to bed- good news is I survived!  I am going to better track/weigh my proteins going forward to make sure I'm getting enough throughout the day.


Are you on Day 20 of The 24 Day Challenge? Are you having any hunger issues? How do you handle it? Leave a comment!

Day 19 of Mom on The 24 Day Challenge

09.08.2012

The last couple days have been rough in the sleep department and here is where being a Mom on The 24 Day Challenge throws you a curve ball. In The Challenge support group I have on FB there is a woman who keeps posting about how she's getting 10 hours of sleep a night and loving it.....she's obviously not nursing! 10 hours of sleep for me would be called a VACATION! I tried having a heart to heart conversation with Parky about the health benefits of sleeping through the night but he was more interested in trying to eat the button off my shirt....sigh.

So the best advise I can give any Mom's struggling with getting enough sleep is to take it when you can. Duh, right? I know it sounds like a given, but I can't tell you how many nights I find myself exhausted but I stay up because it's the ONLY time I have without a child needing SOMETHING... food, attention, hug, homework help, toilet paper (is it just my kids on this one?), answers to a string of never ending questions, the list goes on. What I have started to realize is that what my body needs most RIGHT NOW is to be using those precious hours to REST. I started by making 10pm the cutoff to hit the sack and now I am focusing on listening to my body- if' it's 9 and I'm feeling pretty tired, I head to bed. Baby steps...right?

In other news...ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL??OH YEAH!!

Get your Mr. Potato Heads ready Peeps, we're watching FOOTBALL!!

Are you on Day 19 of The 24 Day Challenge? How are you handling getting enough sleep? Leave a comment!!

Day 18 of Mom on The 24 Day Challenge

09.07.2012

Not gonna lie, starting the countdown already....I think I've pulled out the calendar twice..okay multiply that by like 3...- 6 days left starting tomorrow and counting the last day, 5 if you start tomorrow and don't count the last day (as the last day is a FREE day)! I am excited about the free day, which I have decided to stay focused and not go overboard- I don't want to undo my 23 days of work and progress, but I am MOST excited about weighing, measuring, and new pics- who knew?

Any guesses on what I miss the MOST so far on The 24 Day Challenge? Wine?... Sweets?... Potato Chips?.....NOPE...it's SALT! I freakin miss salt! I probably over-salt anyway, but per the plan you are supposed to stay away from added salt so I can't tell you how many meals I have thought, hmmm....this is pretty good but it needs SALT! Oh well, it's a small price to pay in bringing sexy back.

It's pouring down rain here AND Parky was up every two hours last night, not sure if it was the storm or teething again, but I kinda slept in and was late to work today....TGIF!



My new BFF AdvoCare Spark Energy! and Sparky XD- get me through the day Boys!

In other news....If you've been following me you know that Mr. Water Diet is on the 10 Day Cleanse now- it's been pretty easy for him so far with zero distracting Loo Trips AND he's down 2lbs a day so far! WOWSERS!

Are you on Day 18 of The 24 Day Challenge? What is your favorite flavor of AdvoCare Spark Energy? Leave a comment!!

Day 17 of Mom on The 24 Day Challenge

09.06.2012

This morning brought another spurt of waking up at the crack of dawn and being wide awake...still weird to me, but I'm not one to waste extra hours in a day. Since there's only two times a day you can actually be outside in AZ right now and not melt (early morning/late at night) I decided it would be a great time to walk to the neighborhood Redbox and return the movie we rented two days ago. Parky wasn't as excited about this outing as I was...



hmm...where have we seen THIS face before?

Evidently the air in his toes changed his mind
 

After this morning's adventure I have decided to add a goal to my list...smaller thighs! I refuse to rant but can I just say it's probably like the #2 reason overweight/out of shape people don't exercise! I'll have to put some thought into what #1 is but I'm positive "shorts riding up" is #2, top 3 at least!- SUPER ANNOYING!!

In other news...Mr. Water Diet started the 10 Day cleanse yesterday and so far it's been pretty uneventful...stay tuned...


Are you on Day 17 of The 24 Day Challenge? How has your energy level been? Leave a comment!

Day 16 of Mom on The 24 Day Challenge

09.05.2012

Today I decided I'm over tuna fish for lunch- think I will mix it up with some shrimp instead. See how I saved the yummier option for when it started to get blah? It's not on the food portion list but I know it's a lean protein so I'm taking the chance. I am starting to notice I am super grumpy the last couple days, not sure if it's the lack of carbs, lack of my wine-down-time, or timing of the month....maybe everything combined- eek! Hopefully it eases up a bit as I am starting to annoy myself with my own grumpiness.

Highlight of yesterday....another special delivery!!!YAY



Mr. Water Diet's Cleanse has arrived...



My meal replacement shakes arrived just in time and because I didn't order fast enough I actually had to do without catalyst yesterday :/ So I am sharing this bottle and placing an order today for another bottle. Also got in another "execise" activity today as we took advantage of the cooler weather and walked the dogs last night. Which makes 4 "exercise" sessions so far during The Challenge- really making sure I don't over do it here! XD



In other news....after already losing 11 lbs Mr. Water Diet is starting the cleanse today, and I have a feeling he's going to rock it out...dang MEN!

UPDATE 09.12.2012- I found out shrimp is NOT a good choice because of the fact it is very low in protein- infact all bottom feeders are...which reminds me of some Ex's I have XD

Are you on Day 16 of The 24 Day Challenge? Are you experiencing any emotional changes? Leave a comment!

Day 15 of Mom on The 24 Day Challenge

09.04.2012

I really can't believe how fast the 24 days is going, and at the same time I am already starting to plan my "Free Day" (day 23 of The Challenge). Not obsessing yet, just dreaming a bit- I joked to Mr Water Diet yesterday that I may need to take the day off to fit it all in...okay, so maybe I'm obsessing a teeny bit!

Major painting is done in the baby's room- and my legs are STILL killing me- they are so sore:/

My oldest is quite the artist so once everything is cured she's going to do race themed murals on three walls so will keep you posted on our progress- hopefully by the time he's 18 we will have it done~ XD

Still struggled a bit with the plan yesterday, failed to finish my water and remembered to take my Catalyst today, but forgot to take the MNS Max 3 packet that goes with it 20-30 min before lunch. So basically I had to take them and stare at my delicious looking salad for 20 min....
.....insert McKayla Maroney's Olympic Grimace Here........

 

Overall I did pretty good, but I am learning I need to spend a little more planning on non-work days; dinner planning, getting all my water in, and taking my packets on time.

 

 

Are you on Day 15 of The 24 Day Challenge? How are you planning success on challenging days? Leave a comment!

 

 

 

 

 

 



Day 14 of Mom on The 24 Day Challenge

09.03.2012

I've been cruising along and totally forgot that I'm already past the halfway point! WHOOHOO! Yesterday we took on the typical Memorial Day Weekend home improvement project and decided to work on finishing the baby's room. Only 14 months later....pretty good for him being unexpected AND having to turn the den into a 4th bedroom. I'll post completed pics tomorrow as we still have one wall to finish detailing today.

It's was a bit harder to manage the plan while undertaking a big project, I pretty much nailed the food but totally forgot to take my Catalyst before my first snack of the day so I added it with before my second snack. I failed to finish my gallon of water, so I obviously wasn't drinking enough throughout the day. Way too tired to cook and didn't plan ahead so dinner was Chipolte Salad Bowl (lettuce, chicken, onions/peppers, pico)- Deelish!

Waking up this morning I am sooo sore- I always do the bottom half of the walls so I'm definitely counting all those squats as a workout! That would make three times during the Challenge I have "worked out" if anyone is keeping track (one zumba session, a dog walk, and painting squats).

Energy Level: 8- I am really feeling the focus kick in, especially after Spark or even yesterday I took one of the SLAM shots and loved it! Even on an empty stomach I had no issues- which I could never do with other brands of energy drinks or shots. Overall I'm feeling pretty awesome- I'm sleeping good, and getting a lot more done during the day- <3 it!

In other news: You CAN paint without drinking beer..who knew!



Chicken Salad Lunch- YUM

Are you on Day 14 of The 24 Day Challenge? How are you doing on the burn/refuel days? Leave a comment!

Day 13 of Mom on The 24 Day Challenge

09.02.2012

So far-so good on plan! I really was a bit worried the no carbs for three days wouldn't be do-able but since I'm already on an eating schedule, my stomach must have adjusted because I haven't been hungry or uncomfortable at all. In fact a couple times I have had to remind myself it was time to eat! Like THAT ever happened on any other weight loss plan I've tried.

I continue to notice the subtle changes in my body; my shorts are fitting better, my post baby jiggle stomach is starting to deflate, even Mr. Water Diet said I looked skinnier the other night- WHOOHOO! Maybe he was working an angle, but either way- I'll take it!

I barbecued chicken and lobster tails last night and it was the first time in the Challenge that I have felt like I really wanted a beer- I ALWAYS barbecue with beer in hand. I'm pretty sure the barbecue instructions specify "HANDLE WITH BEER", or wine- depending on your mood. The fixation was fleeting, the food turned out perfect, and I survived without giving into it- which seems to get a tiny bit easier with each positive change I see in the mirror.

In other news... Mr. Water Diet has decided he wants to do the cleanse as well to boost his weightloss, so it's on order to arrive Tuesday- THIS should be an adventure so stay tuned!!


Are you on Day 13 of The 24 Day Challenge? What changes are you starting to notice? Leave a comment!

Day 12 of Mom on The 24 Day Challenge

09.01.2012

For the start of my Memorial Day weekend and since my little brother is in town for a four day weekend I ventured out with him and my sister-in-law to the local bar for Karaoke. The only hick-up was having to wait till almost 10 to eat my "Naked" chicken strippers. Was super disappointed when they came out with a thin breading on them:( I've had them a couple times before and to show how much attention I payed to what I ate in the past- I never noticed the breading- only that they were boneless...pretty scary. I figured eating them with the breading was less of a crime than skipping a meal.

Note to self for eating out- Don't assume what a particular dish contains- even if you've had it before. The other night my grilled chicken came with a sauce on it and on rice- neither of which was stated in the menu- you have to ASK!

I was worried the challenge of going to the bar and NOT drinking might be an issue for me, but actually the worst part was staying up that late! I made it to 1pm and called it a night, but still didn't get in bed till 2am. I actually felt pretty wrecked this morning from not getting enough sleep, to the point when I first woke up I thought I HAD drank the night before...no fun. Luckily it wore of pretty quickly, but reminded me that I do not miss those mornings!

Yesterday was also the first Burn Day (no carb) and I really didn't notice- no cravings or anything so that was good. What I DID notice is for the first time in years I had moments I started to feel like "myself" again. A while before I started this challenge I spent a lot of time reflecting on my life and at what point I feel I was most at peace with myself and life, and made personal goals to start working towards that place again. Yesterday there were multiple times when for whatever reason I connected with that time again- if that's all I get out of this challenge it will be worth it many times over!

In other news...Mr. Water Diet was down another two pounds yesterday- BUT he did add Corona Light to his diet last night so we'll see how that plays out :/


Are you on Day 12 of The 24 Day Challenge? What suggestions do you have for eating out? Leave a comment!