Advocare 24 Day Challenge- Phase 1: 10 Day Cleanse

August 10-19, 2015

 

10 Day Cleanse

 

I wasn't 100% sure about writing this post because I am no nutrition expert or health food nut. I try my best to eat right during the week, but I definitely splurge on the weekends. I usually try to follow the 80/20 rule, but this summer my eating habits were terrible. I ate out entirely too much, sometimes 2-3 meals a day. I am not one to weigh myself excessively because I don't want to let a number on a scale define me. However, at 5'5 I feel a healthy weight for me is 120-125 pounds. I hadn't weighed myself since I completed my last 24 day challenge in the spring.

 

I spent most of the summer in shorts and t-shirts. When I put on regular clothes for the first time, just weeks before school started, I realized how bad I let things get out of hand. A pair of capris that usually require me to wear a belt wouldn't go over my hips and thighs. I stepped on the scale for the first time in months, and I had gained 10 pounds since earlier that spring. It was time to get back on track.

 

I've trusted Advocare products for two and half years now. Michael introduced me to Advocare in 2013. He's used their products since he played football in high school, and several of his co-workers use and recommend their products. I had just started running regularly. I wanted to start eating better and see how the products would complement my running. After my first challenge I lost 6.5 pounds and 6.5 inches. I try to do two challenges a year now, one in the spring and fall. It is really recommended that you do the cleanse every 90 days.

 

I just completed the Cleanse Phase earlier this week. The purpose of this phase is to help the body better absorb nutrients and rid the body of toxins. There's a common misconception about cleanses. No you won't be in the bathroom for hours on end. This is a very gentle cleanse, primarily focused on helping you establish better eating habits. Here's what it's all about:

 

The Advocare Cleanse comes with the Fiber drink, Priobiotic Restore, and Herbal Cleanse tablets.

 

 

Optional products, but two that I rely on every day are: Spark Energy Drink and Catalyst.

 

 I am not a coffee drinker. Before Advocare, I drank Coke every morning. Spark gives you long lasting energy without spiking blood sugar. With B Vitamins and Amino Acids, it helps sharpen your mental focus and alertness.  There are several flavor options, but I love the fruit punch.

 

Catalyst supports and preserves muscle tone and enhances your energy and strength during workouts.

 

 

30 minutes before breakfast, you take the Probiotic Restore tablets. These tablets strengthen your immune and digestive systems and helps your body maintain normal, healthy bacteria. I took these with the Spark and Catalyst.

 

 

You drink the Fiber drink with breakfast. This drink scrubs your intestinal track and also helps curb your appetite. I would recommend the Peaches and Cream flavor over the Citrus. The texture is still thick and kind of gritty, so I do what I like to call the chug and chase. I just chug it as fast as I can and chase it with water.

 



Before bedtime, you take the Herbal Cleanse tablets. These tablets help cleanse the body of impurities and toxins.

So what do you eat on the cleanse? Trust me you won't starve. Try to eat five times a day: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. Make sure you balance carbs and protein with each meal.

For Breakfast, I ate plain oatmeal with fruit and fried or boiled eggs.

For Snacks, I ate a serving size of plain almonds with fruit. I like to dip a banana in crushed almonds. I also ate a plain rice cake with natural peanut butter and a banana.

For Lunch, I ate leftovers from dinner which included a lean meat, veggies, and whole grain rice. If I didn't have leftovers, I ate a salad with grilled chicken, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes. I would recommend Walden Farms or Maple Grove Farms of Vermont dressings. These dressings contain no oils, no fat, and none or very little sugar (5 grams or less).

For Dinner, I ate a lean meat, veggies, and whole grain rice.

Foods to Avoid on the Cleanse
-Alcohol
-Coffee, soda, energy drinks (Stick to Spark)
-White Foods/ Starches (white pasta, bagels, bread, crackers, chips)
-Sauces
-Cooking with most oils (Cook with water, broth, or olive oil)
-Sugar and Desserts
-Mushrooms ("Molds" keep toxins alive)
-Dairy Products (Yogurt, Cheese, Milk will feed the toxins)
-Fatty foods, Fried Foods, Fast Foods
-Ground beef or fatty meats

Foods to Eat
-Fresh/Raw fruits and Vegetables (Eat plenty of them.They will help scrub out the toxins)
-100% whole grain rice (brown or wild rice); Quinoa
-Plain oatmeal (add fruits or cinnamon for flavor, not sugar)
-Eggs
-Lean Meats (Chicken, Fish, Turkey Breast, Ground Turkey)
-Healthy Fats (Avocados, Raw Nuts/Seeds, Olive Oil)
-Peanut or Almond Butter (no sugar or oils added)
-Beans, Lentils
-Chicken or Vegetable broths
-Garlic, Spices, Herbs, Fresh Salsa , Taco Seasonings (low sodium)
-Almond Milk or Rice Milk
-Drink plenty of water

Two of my favorite things we ate on the cleanse.

 

Spaghetti Squash with ground turkey in all natural tomato sauce (low fat, low sodium)

 

Michael makes the best smoothies.

-Fresh Strawberries, Bananas

-Frozen Mango

-Wheat Germ

-Honey

-Almond Milk

 

So far, I have lost 3.5 pounds. I am less bloated and my clothes don't feel as tight. I am now in Day 3 of the second phase of the challenge: the 14 day Max Phase. I will post all about it and my results when I've finished my challenge.

 

For more information about the Advocare 24 Day Challenge and other Advocare products visit: https://www.advocare.com/120315887/

Smoky Mountain Vacation

It's been two weeks since Michael and I got home from Gatlinburg, but I'm just getting around to writing about it. This is our second year vacationing in Gatlinburg together. My mother in law has a time share, and we've been fortunate to have time off to go. Here are just a few highlights from our trip.

On the first night, we ate at the Smoky Mountain Brewery. Michael and I both had steaks, baked potatoes, and salad, which were delicious. The pizza here looked and smelled great! Next time we go, I'm definitely trying the pizza.

On the second day, we went to the Craftmen's Fair in downtown Gatlinburg. They had several vendors with handmade arts, crafts, jewelry, and much more. We went with intentions to just look and kill time, but we wound up doing some Christmas shopping.

After the Craftmen's Fair, we drove to Pigeon Forge to eat lunch at my favorite place, the Apple Barn restaurant. The Apple Barn restaurant offers country cooking at its finest. I love the apple fritters and apple juleps. I also like to walk around the apple orchards, winery, and cute shops after eating.

 

 

After lunch, we toured the Titanic Exhibit. I wanted to do it last year, but we didn't have time. Unfortunately, they didn't allow pictures inside the exhibit. They were pretty strict before allowing us to tour. We had to cut our cell phones completely off beforehand or it would signal the alarms. I don't know if that's true, but I wasn't taking my chances. We each got a headset to hear additional information and a card with a passenger's name on it. At the end of the tour, we would learn if our passenger survived. The exhibit took us through Titanic's construction, departure, the boiler room, the control room, living quarters, the Grand Staircase, and the night of its sinking. I was impressed with the uncovered artifacts. I wanted to read more, but it was so crowded.  The coolest part was the iceberg room. There was a giant block of ice to mimic an iceberg. It's still a mystery to me how they keep it from melting. There was a pool of water chilled to 28 degrees, the same temperature of the water the night Titanic sunk. It hurt just to stick my hand in there, but when I moved it back and forth it was unbearable. My hand was in the water only seconds. It's hard to imagine what it was like for the passengers that night. I was disappointed that they didn't allow pictures, but they did offer to take our picture in front of the Grand Staircase towards the end of our tour. We got a free digital download.

 

 

 

After the Titanic tour, we played putt putt at Ripley's Old McDonald's Farm. This was one of many games of putt putt that we played on this trip. There's plenty of putt putt courses to choose from in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

 

 

On the third day, we rode through Cades Cove. Last year we did the 11 mile bike ride on a Wednesday when the roads are closed to cars until 11:00  This year we rode through in the truck with intentions of stopping at some of the trails, but it poured when we first got there leaving the trails muddy and slick. We still got to see plenty from the truck including some deer and a bear. I didn't get a good picture of the bear. It was trying to cross the road and it was moving quickly. Cades Cove is beautiful! I would highly recommend it. I personally preferred riding bikes, but we still saw plenty from the truck.

 

 

After riding through Cades Cove, we headed back to downtown Gatlinburg. It was still pouring rain. We rode around in circles looking for parking. It was late in the afternoon, and we were starving. We finally broke down and paid $10 to park. We ate Chinese for lunch. Then, we toured the Ripley's Believe It or Not Odditorium. There was a lot of interesting stuff  there, but I was most impressed with the artwork.

 

 

 

World's Longest Gum Wrapper Chain

This rug is made from a continuous gum wrapper chain measuring over 6,600 feet long!

 

Bob Marley

Made of cassette tape film

 

 This painting was done with fingernail polish

 This artist was ambidextrous. He drew both portraits at the same time.

 

This picture was painted while the artist was swimming.



 

Bottle cap art

How's that for a recycled art project?

 

 

On our last full day, we ate breakfast at the Pancake Pantry and walked around the shops downtown.

 

The Village Shops

 

We watched them make taffy at the candy factory while we waited in line for the Pancake Pantry.

 

I loved these flowers! They were all over the place.

 

We had a great time! It just went by too fast like all vacations. I did two 5K's while we were vacationing: the Northview Academy Beat the Band 5K on Friday night and the Color the Smokies Color Fun Run on Saturday morning. You can read more about them in my race recap section or by clicking the links.











Color the Smokies 5K Race Recap

July 25, 2015

I ran the Beat the Band 5K the night before and this was the second race of the Sevier County race weekend special. Proceeds from the Color the Smokies 5K Color Fun Run would benefit the Sevier County Children's Shelter, an organization that supports the local juvenile system to provide a safe haven for children as a short term solution while parents or guardians are in custody.

This run started and finished at the Teaster Parking Lot behind the Island shopping center in Pigeon Forge. They gave us a bag of color with our packet and additional color could be purchased for a small charge. They did two color blasts before the 8:00 start, one at 7:40 and the other at 7:50.

Michael snapped some pictures during and after the color blasts. I had color up my nose and in my mouth.

 

The course was a down and back scenic route that ran alongside the creek. There were three color blasts on course, but we went through each one twice for a total of six. I took it easy on this run since it was just for fun and it wasn't chip timed. My legs felt heavy and tired from the night before. I don't see how people run back to back half marathons or a half marathon and a full the next day. I guess it's all in what your body gets used to, but I prefer a rest day before and after a race.

 

We didn't stick around long after the race, because I needed to get back and get showered before we headed back home.  I had a great time at this race and I'm glad I was able to participate. It was a fun way to end the trip!

Beat the Band 5K Race Recap

July 24, 2015

Michael and I spent the week in Gatlinburg. He told me that I could look for a run to do while we were there. I looked on www.runningintheusa.com and I came across this run and the Color the Smokies run. By the time I saw the runs the registration fees were up to $40-$45 dollars a piece. I checked the Color the Smokies Facebook page and they were offering a back to back weekend special. Both runs for $50. It was such a great deal that I just had to do both.

The first of the two runs was the Northview Academy Beat the Band 5K in Kodak, TN. The proceeds from this run would go towards purchasing new band uniforms. Being a former band member myself, I know the amount of time I spent working car washes and fundraising to raise money for our new coveralls and plumes.

I believe this was a first annual run, but I couldn't tell because it was so well organized. This run was top notch! There were right at 100 participants. Most of the participants were band members and their friends and family. I think I may have been the only person from out of town.

This run started at 8:00 at night, but the sun wouldn't set for another hour and it was still very warm out.  The course was a double loop around the parking lot. There was one major hill that we had to run up twice. Two local churches volunteered at the water stations. With the double loop, it made a total of four stops for water. The local fire department had two trucks set up and they had the hoses sprinkling water for the runners to run through as they passed. They did everything possible to keep us hydrated and cool during this race.

I went out too fast on the first mile and quickly realized that I wouldn't be able to maintain that pace when I reached the big hill the first time around. I ran halfway up before stopping to walk the rest of the way. I'm not used to this elevation back home. Just before Mile 2, I passed a few other females and was positioned second female overall. I was gaining on the first female during the final mile, but I stopped to walk the big hill the second time. I figured I could walk the hill at the same pace I could run it. I took several walk breaks on the final mile and the first female was widening her lead on me. We made one loop around the track before crossing the finish on the 50 yard line of the school's football field. They announced my name when I crossed the finish, which I thought was really cool. I don't remember having my name announced like that at a 5K.

 

Mile 1- 8:15

Mile 2- 9:13

Mile 3- 9:45

 

I finished in 27:54. The first female was really nice and congratulated me on a great run. I returned the compliment. She was a fast runner and she handled the hills like a pro.

 

 

They had the concession stand open with free popcorn and sno cones after the race. The timing crew was the quickest I've seen with tabulation. They had the results ready for the awards ceremony within 15 minutes of the last person finishing.

 

They awarded the top male and female finishers, which put me in first place for my age division. They also had some great door prizes from their local sponsors including hats, t-shirts, water bottles, restaurant gift certificates, and gift baskets with merchandise from the Old Mill. I received one of the gift baskets with biscuit and pancake mix, grits, and syrup. We gave it to my mother-in-law for keeping the animals while we were gone.

 

 

To close the evening, they shot off fireworks. They went all out on this run and ended the night with a bang.



Lulu's Hot Trot for the ARC 5K Race Recap

June 20, 2015

Michael and I were spending the weekend at the beach with friends. I saw this run was taking place at Lulu's, so I signed up. Lulu's Hot Trot for the ARC  was a 5K run/ walk and 1 mile fun run to benefit the Association of Retarded Citizens of Baldwin County.

This race definitely lived up to its name, because it sure was hot! It was a down and back course that ran through the back roads of Lulu's. The sun was beating down and there was very little shade on the course. I started out with a good, consistent pace. I skipped the first two water stops. By the third mile, my mouth was starting to feel dry and it was hard to breathe. I took several walk breaks and my pace slowed significantly.

Mile 1- 8:19

Mile 2- 8:18

Mile 3- 9:53

 

I finished in 28:34. They had wet towels and showers at the finish line. I took advantage of both.

 

The post race party was great! They had homemade cookies and fresh fruit: bananas, oranges, strawberries, and blueberries. They also had red beans and rice and free beer. I was too hot to indulge in the red beans and rice, but Michael enjoyed my helping. It was a fun morning for a great cause.

 



Jubilee Run for Cancer 8K Race Recap

May 16, 2015

This was my second year running the Jubilee Run for Cancer. The proceeds from this run benefit the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life organization. This event is held to celebrate life, encourage survivors to continue fighting, and honor those who lost their brave battle with this disease.

I like this run for the 8K distance because it is not offered around here that often. I also like to participate in any local run that benefits cancer organizations. Cancer has impacted so many families including my own. I've lost my brother and both of my grandmothers to cancer, and my mom and grandfather are both survivors.

 

I was not consistent with my runs during most of April and the first half of May. I had gotten out of the habit of running early before school. Most afternoons I stayed late at school, and on the afternoons that I didn't stay late I was too tired to run. I didn't run all week leading up to this race and it wasn't the first week I skipped running completely. I realized during this race how much that time off was starting to affect me.

 

It was a hot, sunny day. This course was very challenging to me. It ran through downtown Montgomery and there were several hills. I wanted to do as well or better than I did at last year's race. I started out at a fast pace thinking I could maintain it like I had last year. I encountered the first hill at 1.5 miles. I started out running up it, but it wasn't long before I stopped to walk.

 

Mile 1- 8:52

Mile 2- 9:07

 

 



I walked every hill after the first one. Then, I ran a little and walked a little. I felt like I did when I first started running. I couldn't run longer any more than a minute or two before I felt like I needed to walk. I never got in a rhythm with my breathing and I felt winded.



Mile 3- 10:21

Mile 4- 10:00

 

I was struggling and I guess I wasn't hiding it very well. Just before the last mile a lady and her daughter ran past me. The lady asked me if I was ok and she offered me a Cliff Shot. I've never tried those, so I thanked her but declined her offer.  We ran out of a residential area and came back out on the main road.

 

There was one final hill before the down hill stretch the finish. I ran across the street and to the bottom of the hill and then proceeded to walk my way up to the top. The same lady and her daughter were right beside me and the lady said, "Don't let this old lady beat you." I don't know why that motivated me, but it did. I ran to the top of the hill and raced down the other side to the finish line.

 





 

I ran the last mile in 8:11. My finish time was 46:24, almost three minutes slower than my previous year's time. I shouldn't have expected a PR with so much time off of running. With running, like with anything in life you get out of it what you put into it. I had not devoted my time to it like I had in the past and it showed.

 

Mom and I participated in the one mile memorial walk after the 8K race.

 



 

 

When we got back the results were posted. There were several other runners who finished well ahead of me, so I wasn't expecting to place. To my surprise, I got second in my age group.