CHALLENGE UPDATE AND SOME OTHER STUFF

Well, I promised to update you on my progress so here goes.

I am on day 14 so I have 10 days left of my AdvoCare 24 day challenge. I have done it without even looking at the checklist. That tells me two things...I have done it so many times I don't need a checklist and that I know what I am supposed to do to lose and maintain a healthy body and weight. I don't need a special "diet" or "program". All I need is to eat clean and use the high-quality nutritional and wellness products AdvoCare provides. I have not been hungry at all. I have really eaten alot. I eat five times a day. Three meals, two snacks. I have come up with some new creative things to eat during the max phase to change things up a bit. Breakfast this morning consisted of a sliced banana with natural peanut butter and granola on top. It was delicious! I have not had anything but water, spark, and a tiny bit of Trop 50 OJ (It's great 50 calories, less sugar. A must try!) No, I have not popped a top just to hear the sound either. Thought about it, decided I wasn't strong enough to handle it. I plan on going all the way to Christmas without one! Then we will go from there. I also tried some vegetable stir fry the healthy way. You just steam in the micro a few minutes to get tender then toss them around on the stove top in a dab of olive oil until the edges are seared slightly, that's how I like it anyway. So great! I even hosted a jewelry party and survived without breaking the rules. Which reminds me that no matter what is going on I can choose to eat right, and plan.

As of day 10 I was down 8 pounds (well 7.8 to be exact but I rounded up, ha!) I clearly need a pedicure and need to change that hideous polish, so excuse that. I am down some inches too...ok several inches but I am saving that for day 24 for you guys. (Insert a squeal here) I haven't had time to exercise due to my extremely busy schedule. I plan to start running again today. Walking, jogging, then running is what helped me drop weight to begin with and I am determined to do a 5K somewhere in 2014. It is a great stress reliever too believe it or not. I did scrub my house top to bottom this week which I think should more than count for exercise. Vacuuming,  sweeping, mopping, cleaning bathrooms, dusting, etc. must do something because I was sore the next day!


My sister-in-law and I got a wild hair to go Brunette for the fall and winter yesterday. This would be my sister-in-law that I have been able to talk into cutting her hair with me, growing her hair out with me, but NEVER changing the color of her hair. Literally, I only know her with blond, blond hair. I am so proud of her for going out on a limb and trying something different. She looks amazing!

I wanted the new Ombre look myself so my amazing hairdresser Pam put just enough blond accent in there to blend with my Luxy hair extensions (in dirty blond) to give me an amazing Ombre look with them. I also have a great fall look in brown with red and blond accents without the Luxies. PERFECT! 

I purchased this little jewel at a consignment store on Hwy 491 called Lanie Bugs. I have been looking for a piece like this for my kitchen for several years! I love it! It could not have been more perfect for my kitchen.  I plan on painting the bottom of my barn table and bar stool seats to match the turquoise soon. I wanted a new kitchen table but my Papaw helped me pick it out when I first got married and it has years of homework marks, and tiny scratches from the boys that I just can't part with. The buffet/hutch makes a perfect serving piece for parties or just to display my favorite kitchen things. Bought a Rooster at "Frank Tank's" this past week too. I never thought I would like using a "rooster" for decorations but he was the perfect colors for my kitchen so I brought him home with me. 

I will be back in a few days to update you guys on how I am doing at the end of the week closer to day 24. Right now I am just ecstatic that my jeans button again after just 13 days. I also have some fall OOTD's to catch you up on. Side note: Super happy about watching the new Superman movie tonight, I a slight Super Hero obsession, in case you didn't know. Happy Saturday all!

The struggle is real...

Hi Friends! It has been a while. My life has just been so busy I haven't had a chance to blog. We have celebrated 6 birthday, been to see the New Orleans Saints play, went to Tuscaloosa to Alabama's homecoming game, had a fall festival at church, Halloween, and many many other things. I have thought all morning about posting this blog post. I have been struggling with my weight, with exercise, with schedules, everything. I woke up this morning knowing I was starting an AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge but had an immediate feeling of defeat and self-pity. Why? Because I knew I couldn't have a diet coke? Get a grip Kellie! Which leads me to this...

I am sure some of your are dying three deaths right now because I put the scales on here. Lady's never tell their weight right? I mean my license still says 120, which is what I gave them when I got my very first license. All these years when the lady would ask has anything changed, "No ma'm". Liar, liar pants on fire! So why am I telling or "showing" you this? Because the struggle is real. Anyone that knows me knows that what you see is what you get. I don't do drama or fake. So this is it. Plain and simple. I have allowed "life" to totally de-rail my train, AGAIN. This is not what I had pictured for myself back mid-September (picture to the left wearing jeans I can not button and a shirt I can't get past my, well you know, at the moment) when I was totally "on" and motivated to get the weight I had put back on off and become healthier and more fit than ever. I thought I would have been at my magical goal weight and size right now. I had every intention to be. To have "Kelly Ripa" arms, fit in a pair of size 6 jeans, and most importantly be in the physical condition I needed to have been in to run my first 5k. The reality is I am not. I am further away than I was this time last year. What is even more real is that I will not ever, EVER, be able to eat cake everyday of my life, stop exercising, or most importantly not give my body proper nutrition and supplements and expect to  maintain a healthy, fit body. So if telling you this helps you to realize that you are not alone then that is my intention here. It is not to say "look at me", it is to say look at me, I struggle too.

If you think for one second AdvoCare products won't help you let me remind you where I was just a short period of time ago. This is when I was on product regimen, eating the "AdvoCare" way, not drinking sodas, and exercising at least 3-5 times a week for 30 minutes. It is not that I stopped using the products. I would hate to know where I would be right now if I hadn't been using the products at least sporadically here and there. This happened because of my choice to abuse my healthy lifestyle and kid myself into thinking I could just do what I wanted for a while. That because of stress and circumstances I "deserved" a break and just couldn't "diet" with everything going on. I read the statement "You are not a dog, do not reward yourself with food" on Pinterest I think under motivational quotes. That statement offended me. I was like if I want to reward myself with a GiGi's cupcake then by george I could. It was my calories and I would do with them what I please. However, it dawned on me this past week...that attitude is the same attitude that got me in this position in the first place. At 235 pounds, with mountain dew "As long as I am not over my calories for the day why does it matter that I drink them", at 195 and stuck at a plateau, "Diet drinks and don't have calories  and 100 calorie packs of cookies are only 100 calories so what does it hurt?". Don't get me wrong. I will eat a cupcake again. I will drink a diet coke again. I am not perfect nor will I ever be. I just have to come up with a way to "treat" or "reward" myself with something other than food when I'm "good". Make sense? 

So back to the struggle. I told you that today is day one of my challenge and I wasn't pumped, motivated, excited, or happy at all about starting today. I entered my team's "Drop a Pumpkin" by Thanksgiving Challenge and today was the very last day to start a challenge and still be eligible to compete. Although it was all I could do not to pop that can top seconds after my feet hit the floor this morning (had 2 left in a 12 pack of diet coke that I almost drank at midnight last night like I was going into surgery or something and couldn't eat or drink after midnight) I didn't do it. I mixed up the fiber drink to start the cleanse process and chugged that baby down. It's 2:25 p.m. and I think I have seen 15 food commercials, mainly Pizza Hut stuffed crust pizza commercials. Am I making it? Yes. Am I struggling? Not really. It is amazing how much better I feel after just one fiber drink,  a clean, healthy breakfast, catalyst, a clean, healthy lunch, and a spark. I have decided to read scripture from the Bible if I get really "hungry". Hungry meaning bored and just wanting graze and cabinet surf not truly hungry. The truth is you don't get "hungry" on a challenge if you follow the checklist and eat when you are supposed to. I feel like this is an opportunity to not only get my body in shape but work on my walk as a Christian as well. That is enough to make anyone feel unstoppable.

My plan is to blog about my progress. They may be short quick posts but hopefully I can squeeze in some posts and motivation for you guys. Here is my product regimen during a challenge. 

My 10 Day Cleanse Phase Product Regimen:

Days 1-3

30 minutes before breakfast: Fiber Drink

10:30: Catalyst, Spark

3:00: Catalyst, Spark

After Dinner: Omegaplex

Before bed: Herbal Cleanse Caplets

Days 4-7

30 minutes before breakfast: Pro-Biotic Restore

10:30: Catalyst, Spark

3:00: Catalyst, Spark

After Dinner: Omegaplex

Before bed: Herbal Cleanse Caplets

Days 8-10

30 minutes before breakfast: Pro-Biotic Restore & Fiber Drink

10:30: Catalyst, Spark

3:00: Catalyst, Spark

After Dinner: Omegaplex

My 14 Day Max Phase Product Regimen:

Days 11-24

30 minutes before breakfast: Before Breakfast MNS packet

After Breakfast: Two after meal MNS packets

10:30: Catalyst, Spark

30 minutes before lunch: Before lunch MNS packet

3:00: Catalyst, Spark

Before Dinner: Carb-Ease

After Dinner: Omegaplex

If you want to know more about the AdvoCare 24 Day challenge click the link below or find me on facebook. I am more than happy to help you get started with AdvoCare. It has made such an amazing difference in my life, it can for you too! 

ADVOCARE 24 Day Challenge INFORMATION