Advocare 10 day cleanse

So last year, while scrolling on instagram, I discovered a product called Advocare. It was the summer and I was determined to loose weight, so I quickly jumped the gun and bought the 10 day cleanse........ for it to only sit in my cabinet for 6+ months.

Fast forward to January 2014. I signed up for my second half-marathon, the "Rock 'N Roll half-marathon" and decided like every other person to make a resolution to workout more and lose weight. I've been told that for every pound you lose, you knock 10 seconds off your running time. I decided that now would be a great time to try this cleanse that had been sitting in my cabinet for all these months because I knew I had to change my diet in order to lose weight. I read up on the cleanse and tried to grasp that while on the cleanse, you are supposed to "eat clean" (Disclaimer: When I originally bought it, for some reason, I thought you could just "eat healthier" and watch your calories, I didn't realize that there were strict rules to follow). If you are like me, "clean eating" is a very broad, generic phrase.....What exactly does it mean and what does it entail? So I read a few blogs and gathered that, pretty much, you are supposed to eat foods that are close to their natural state, such as fruits, veggies, meats (lean of course), etc. I soon realized that it eliminated pretty much everything that my current diet consisted of. I put my game face on and decided that I could do it for 10 days....... because anybody can do anything for 10 days right?
Also, while on Advocare, not only are you supposed to "eat clean" but you are to eliminate dairy products (milk and CHEESE),  sodas/coffee/anything with caffeine or aspartame (of course), fried foods,butter/margarine, etc. So I really read and researched, found some recipes that I could live with, made a grocery list and went shopping. I have NEVER bought so much fresh produce in my entire life. I came home and meal prepped for the entire first week.

For breakfast, I eat eggs, either scrambled or these Mexican egg muffins (a weight watcher recipe that I tweaked- just left off cheese).

For lunch, I eat a salad with grilled chicken and fat free Italian dressing or chili (lentils, which are approved, and ground turkey, which is also approved).

For dinner, I ate sweet potatoes, green beans, and chicken for the first several days. Super easy recipe - just cut your sweet potatoes up, get some boneless chicken tenderloins, and a can of green beans (Advocare frowns upon canned veggies, they are to be used as a last resort. Fresh or frozen are recommended, but oh well.). Add some fat free Italian dressing to the dish for flavor, cover with aluminum foil and cook at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. It was pretty delish.

For dinner, I have also made a stir fry with whatever veggies I have on hand and just add whole grain rice.

For snacks, I eat FRUIT, almonds or hard boiled eggs. I also have made smoothies (spinach, banana, frozen strawberries and frozen blueberries). Some days, I drink one in the morning on the way to work in place of my coffee. 

 

When I have wanted to eat out, my go-to has been Moe's. I read on a blog that their tortillas are whole grain, therefore, they are cleansed approved. It was depressing to eat a Joey Jr. without cheese or sour cream but I preserved. I have also gotten grilled nuggets from Chick-fil-a once.

To drink, I drink water, water and more water. Some days, I have been slack and have not consumed as much water as I needed to.

Now don't get my wrong, I have also had a few cheats here and there. But if I cheat, the next meal or snack, I just try to get back on track. I am proud to say the "cheats" have been minimal and for the most part, I have really stuck to this.
And also, a big disclaimer here, I know that Advocare wants you to eat every 3 hours and I have not always followed that rule. I know that my meals are also not as hard core as some others. But, I just did me and tried to incorporate as many fruits, veggies, and lean proteins as I possibly could.

Tomorrow, is my last day of the cleanse, so I plan to blog my results on Thursday!
Stay warm - Jen