Old Habits Die Hard

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Have you ever doubled down on workouts and sabotaged yourself with late night snacks?  Have you ever tracked calories using an app, but somehow the numbers on the scale creep up?  Have you ever felt angry with your eating habits, yet incapable of breaking the cycle? 

I have.  In August alone, I gained nearly 8 pounds and quite frankly, I was angry with myself.  Not only was I logging two workouts a day [everyday] but I felt imprisoned by sugar and couldn’t cut the craving despite my fiercest self-talk and reprimands.   Bloated, defeated, and feeling like a failure until…

Your Story Can Change Someone Else’s Story

One morning I was scrolling through Instagram when  I saw Andrea, my friend and Beachbody coach storied the arrival of her 3-Day Refresh kit.  It was like a lifeline.  I texted her to commit and ordered my kit.  It arrived in the nick of time to join the small group that was to kick off after Labor Day.  The support group text chain was paramount in our success throughout the three days, and has been encouraging during the maintenance period as well. 

Overall Refresh Game Plan

If you’re considering this cleanse, I highly recommend doing it with someone else or with a group!  Without further ado, here is the [long-winded] recap of my 3 Day Refresh journey.

Day One

Weighing in at: 129.2 – my highest weight since February 2018.

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6:45 a.m. – Wake up feeling bloated after an unsatisfying yet indulgent weekend.  Grateful to begin the refresh today after seeing the number on the scale higher than it’s been in months.
7:00 a.m. – Begin the morning with a 30 oz Yeti of water instead of my regular 2 cups of coffee and Splenda.  Feel incredibly awake despite the lack of caffeine.  
7:45 a.m. – While preparing breakfast for the kids, I am acutely aware of how habitually I have been indulging in a handful of cereal here and a bite of unfinished waffles there.  It was eye-opening to see that I am likely consuming over 100 unaccounted for calories all before 8 a.m.
9:00 a.m. – Anxious to get out the door as the house feels like a danger zone right now.  I prepare a chocolate shakeology [without my usual addition of powdered peanut butter] and slowly drink it as we drive to A’s preschool.  
11:30 a.m. – Post 3 mile run, it’s time for the Fiber sweep.  I filled my shaker cup with 8 oz of water and gave the mixture a good shake before taking 3 gulps while holding my nose.  Done.
1:00 p.m. – Filled up my third 30 oz Yeti and I am H U N G R Y.   Since it was A’s first day of school, I promised her a special lunch which meant swinging through a fast food chain and completely testing myself as I doled out chicken nuggets and fries to the kids.  
2:00 p.m. – Kids down for a nap and usually the time where I load up on snacks, turn on Bravo and start down my slippery snack-y slope.  Luckily it’s time for my Vanilla Refresh.  I mix it with a few strawberries, cinnamon, and a dash of vanilla extract and head to my bedroom, away from temptation.
4:00 p.m. – Decide to brave the 95 degree day and take the kids for a walk.  I successfully navigated nap time without a slip and don’t want to blow it now!
5:30 p.m. – We sit down to eat dinner as a family, everyone is eating Black Bean Tacos [made by me] and I am drinking my second vanilla refresh.  I decide to split the dinner portion to flank my 21 Day Fix workout that is still on task for tonight.
7:00 p.m. – Feeling a little hanger and a low threshold for bedtime antics.  Anxious to get these kids to bed, our workout completed and my next meal made.
7:30 p.m. – Finally got to check the Cardio Core Remix from our 21 Day Fix workout off.  I was more tired than usual and dropped to a lower set of weights for to conserve my energy.
8:00 p.m. – Officially dinner time: I sauteed [using 0 calorie olive oil spray and Mrs. Dash salt-free garlic & herb seasonsing] 1 sliced mushroom, 1 sliced mini bell pepper, 1 sliced baby carrot, ¼ cup chopped onions, 2 broccoli florets on 10 leaves of spinach with paprika and lime juice sprinkled on top.  I nearly lick the plate.
9:00 p.m.  – Originally, I thought I would be in bed every night after the kids to avoid the kitchen, but since my goal is to kick some bad snacking habits, I thought it’s best to address it head-on.  I sat on the couch and watched a show and didn’t have a snack bowl [or 3] for the first time in maybe 10 years.   
11:00 p.m. – At last, time for bed.  I am hungry, I am tired, and I cannot drink one more water.  All in all, 180 ounces of water and I do not feel lighter or less bloated.  My hopes for the morning are mild at best.

Day Two

Weighing in at: 126.6- down nearly 3 pounds

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6:10 a.m. – Wake up feeling a little hungry, less bloated and am pleasantly surprised, yet wary of the 3 lb drop in weight.
7:30 a.m. – First Yeti of water down [30 oz] and am completely sold on having water before doing anything else in the morning.  I feel so awake and refreshed, more than coffee has ever made me feel.
9:00 a.m. – Prepare my shake and shuttle both kids out the door to head to the Y.  I drink it down rather quickly, but it’s just the fuel I need to help my knock out a run and Upper Fix.   
11:00 a.m. – Second Fiber sweep.  Goes down like a bag of bricks.  I gagged on the last gulp, but remind myself I can do anything for three days, even endure the worst part of this cleanse.  It’s Done.
1:00 p.m. – Before driving home from a playdate, I hand out pretzels and grapes to the kids.  Pre-cleanse Laura would have surely snagged a few for herself, but mid-cleanse Laura has eyes on the prize: afternoon Vanilla Refresh, 6 carrots and 1/2 a banana.
2:00 p.m. – Use nap time to complete a lot of work and tasks that I usually put off in favor of couch-time.  If anything, this refresh is helping me be more productive. 
4:45 p.m. – Meal plan says to make dinner, but the kids ask for cereal and I concede like quicksand.  After dinner I swoop up L and get the heck out of the house. 
6:30 p.m. –  I am feeling a little hunger rage and the group text all agrees this is the hardest part of the night, possibly of the whole 3 days. 
7:30 p.m. – My actual notes say: THANK YOU SWEET BABY JESUS, it’s time for my Vanilla Refresh.  I make with cinnamon and a dash of vanilla extract and it’s like heaven on earth.  All things relative, of course.
8:30 p.m. – Dinner time and I make the same as the night before: Sauteed [using 0 calorie olive oil spray and Mrs. Dash salt-free garlic & herb seasonsing] 1 sliced mushroom, 1 sliced mini bell pepper, 1 sliced baby carrot, ¼ cup chopped onions, 2 broccoli florets on 10 leaves of spinach with paprika and lime juice sprinkled on top.  Again, I nearly lick the plate.
9:00 p.m.  – Another night facing my couch-snack association.  I feel nearly full and slightly satisfied, but mostly proud of myself for not running off to bed to get through the cleanse.  I’m here for an actual lifestyle change.

Day Three

Weighing in at: 124.2- hooray!  I can live with this as a result!

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7:00 a.m. – First Yeti of water down [30 oz] and still cannot get over how much I love starting my day with water.  Shockingly, the Fiber Sweep does not have a laxative effect – [tmi] it’s been the opposite experience.
8:30 a.m. – Group Text check in.  We all share that we are not experiencing extreme hunger in the mornings and are significantly less bloated. 
9:00 a.m. – Chocolate Shakeology on the go.  Slowly drink it while taking A to school and head to the Y post-drop off.  Knock out 3 miles and Lower Fix but I am definitely sore and a little more tired than usual.
11:00 a.m. – Last Fiber Sweep.  No gagging.  Three gulps. It’s Over.
12:00 p.m. – Packed a lunch for L to eat while we run errands and am consciously reminding myself to not snag a pretzel or grape.  I note that I am hungry and going forward, I need to pack healthy snacks for myself while on the go to avoid crashing and burning in a snack pit of despair when we get home.
1:30 p.m. – Since my workout is over and I am legit freezing in our house, I decide to shower, but first, decide to hop on the scale [which I would never do other than first thing in the morning!]  I weigh in at 123 – this is after 120 ounces of water.  Like what?!  I am amazed at the effect that eliminating sodium can have on your body.. 
2:45 p.m. – Vanilla Refresh [with 3 strawberries, cinnamon + vanilla extract].  I drink it pretty quickly and then get wrapped up in a try-on session.  The 3 Day Refresh has been a game changer for my productivity. 
5:30 p.m. –  Prepare dinner for my family which was still difficult because I wasn’t able to test the sweet potatoes to see if they were done or how everything tasted overall. 
7:00 p.m. – Still haven’t had my Vanilla Refresh yet and I am hungry, but I have baths to give and books to read and babies to put to bed.  I trudge on with water.
7:30 p.m. Vanilla Refresh at last and work, work, work on Friday’s blog post. 
9:00 p.m. – Realize how late it has gotten and still need to get my dinner.  It’s the same old song and dance, but I’m a creature of habit it doesn’t bother me in the least.  I saute [using 0 calorie olive oil spray and Mrs. Dash salt-free garlic & herb seasonsing] 1 sliced mushroom, 1 sliced mini bell pepper, 1 sliced baby carrot, ¼ cup chopped onions, 2 broccoli florets on 10 leaves of spinach with paprika and lime juice sprinkled on top.  Okay, this time, I lick the plate.
11:00 p.m.  – After sitting my finished plate on our coffee table, I pop up my lap desk and finish my work.  I finally head to bed around 11:00 p.m., but barely sleep.  The excitement for the next morning’s weigh in is palpable. 

Final Results

Weighing in at: 122.2- however, I have not gone to the bathroom in 2.5 days so I decide on a mid-afternoon weigh-in as well for the final results.  This is embarrassing, yet important to note because the results feel accurate unlike dropping weight quickly from a laxative.

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7:00 a.m. – Decide to carry-on with my new morning routine of water and a Shakeology shake for breakfast.  I do have a cup of coffee this morning. 
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Preschool drop-off, YMCA for a run, quick errands with L [including his packed lunch which I resisted still], then Preschool pickup all before getting home for a lunch.  I have had 60 ounces of water and feel anxious about lunch.  I need to check the Maintenance Guide that comes with the Refresh Kit. 
2:00 p.m. – Official Weigh-In Results: 121.6.  Let’s celebrate with food!  Just kidding! 

3 Days Post 3 Day Refresh

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As I said above, this was a two-prong task for me.  I wanted to drop the weight I gained in August, but more than anything, I wanted to stop the cycle of snacking.  Since completing the program, I have stayed in the veggie and fruit lane when it comes to snacks.  I am giving myself time to digest before reaching for something else, and also drinking 30 ounces of water before each meal.  STC noted how proud he was that I didn’t fumble into the pretzels and podge snack bowl.  It’s one thing to pat your own back for willpower against snacks, but when someone else notices, it’s icing on the cake [yum, maybe I should have said cake!?].

You’re probably wondering how lasting the weight loss is right?  This weekend I was mindful of not snacking or stealing bites off the kids’ plates, but I did indulge in wine each night and ate a heavier [but still healthy] dinner Sunday evening.  As of this morning, I am weighing in at 122.2 so I have gained back 1 lb.  My maintenance plan involves a combination of healthy eating and snacking, and my usual rule of thumb, no alcoholic beverages during the week.  It should also be noted that I haven’t had a Diet Coke in 6 days which is another huge takeaway from participating in the 3-Day Refresh.

Fun Facts

Something you may not know about me is that I am a Beachbody Coach.  I signed up about a year ago to cut the cost of my monthly Shakeology, a product I cannot live without.   Tonight, we will wrap up our last 21 Day Fix exercise and begin another program next week.

Accountability, support, and encouragement are pillars when it comes to making a lifestyle change.  Give yourself 3 Days.  Give your workout 21 Days.  I doubt you’ll look back.   For more fitness inspiration, motivation & conversation, check out the Fitness Highlight Reel on my Instagram profile.  If the 3-Day Refresh, Beachbody On Demand programs or Shakeology are something you are interested in trying, click here.  I’ll be here to cheer you on. 

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