24 Day Challenge

The holiday season completely ruined my healthy eating habits and regular exercising routines. I indulged in lots of yummy treats and didn't run as much as I should have. I ended up gaining a little (ok...a lot!) of weight in just a couple of months. I have to say the oreo balls, sugar cookies, and peanut butter balls were totally worth it! =)

I knew I had to get my butt back in shape after Christmas, but wasn't going to completely jump on the weight loss wagon until after the first. I still had 2 Christmas celebrations to enjoy and I didn't want to deprive myself!

On January 3rd, I started the 24 day challenge. I began by shopping for lots of whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies at Sam's Club. I am pretty sure people were laughing at this cart...

I bought tons of lettuce, peppers, carrots, celery, avocados, oranges, apples, bananas, etc. It was definitely a cart full! Next, I searched the internet for recipes that I could use while doing the challenge. That was not an easy task! I had to cut out all milk, white bread/rice, beef, pork, processed foods, pop, coffee...you get the idea. I eat a lot of whole grain rice with sautéed vegetables. It is absolutely delicious!

The first 10 days are referred to as the Cleanse phase. I'm gonna be honest...it was horrible. I had to drink this absolutely nasty drink...

I almost threw up every single time I drank it! It wasn't really the taste that made me sick...it was the texture. Gross!

Along with the vitamins and healthy eating, I have been working out a lot. Approximately 60-90 minutes a day. I think I have taken 2 days off since Jan. 3rd. Plus, I am a PE teacher. We move all the time. I don't want to mislead anyone...supplements do not work if you don't eat healthy and workout regularly!

So...how has the challenge been going? I think pretty good. I don't think the Advocare products are miracle drugs, but I do think they help keep my energy level up. I LOVE the Spark! I drink it every morning and it keeps me from running to Sonic for a large diet vanilla coke! Those of you that know me well realize that is a big deal...I love diet vanilla coke!

Today, 23 days into the challenge, I am down 12 pounds and several inches...yes, I just weighed myself! I didn't measure myself on Day 1 (I should have), but I am back in my skinnier jeans and have had lots of people ask me about my weight loss. I'm really happy with the progress I have made, but still have a ways to go. My long-term goal is to lose 16 more pounds by the end of the school year. My short-term goal is to lose another 5 pounds by Valentine's Day. Why Valentine's Day...absolutely NO reason. It is just the day I picked. Hopefully, I can continue on without any major hurdles in my road. Pray for me! =)