My Advocare 24 Day Challenge Journey ... Here Goes Nothin

Day 1 Recap
Anyone who knows me is more than nervous that I am going 10 straight days without wine, cheese or "real" carbs. I love my Cabernet, all cheeses and some cheddar goldfish (see how I snuck cheese into my carbs?). The full challenge is 24 days, but the first 10 are the cleanse portion and I am trying to be the most strict during that phase. No dairy, alcohol, fried foods, processed foods, white starches, or sugar. So basically all that is good in the world. I'm really even limiting anything that comes from a can, though some things (aka black beans and chickpeas) will just have to work.

I have weighed and measured myself (not for public knowledge). I took before pics last night and will post those at the end of the challenge with my after pics. I'm excited about this challenge and eating cleaner!

Each morning you wake up and drink an Advocare Spark. I have been drinking Spark pretty regularly for the last couple of months, so this was no big deal to keep up doing on the challenge and they taste great! Then there is the fiber drink. Well, I read other blogs about this before ordering the challenge and so I got the Peaches & Cream because it's supposed to taste better. It really isn't bad. Just chug it and get it over with. Supposedly, it gets thicker the longer it sits, so don't hesitate. And for those wondering, no ... I didn't run to the bathroom immediately after. I started this on a Monday (yesterday) and carried on with a regular work day.

I read where being prepared is the best thing you can do to stay on track for this challenge and so far, that is definitely right! I pre-cooked some chicken breasts (sprinkled with salt & pepper and put in the skillet over a little olive oil) to have for salads, etc. I made some homemade hummus (recipe at the bottom) and mixed up some fruit to take for snacks. I also bagged serving sizes of raw almonds to keep on hand.

So, here's the skinny on what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast was 2 scrambled eggs. I was in a hurry and late for work so I cooked them and threw them in a container to eat after I drank my fiber drink at work. My mid-morning snack was some berries & mango I put together that morning before work.

Lunch was so good! I cut up my 4 ounce chicken breast and made 2 lettuce wraps with hummus, chicken, and diced tomatoes. I was still kind of hungry so I had some almonds as well. I think it was really in my head about being hungry, more than actually needing more food. 1st day mind games. I had an apple for my afternoon snack.

Dinner was the best yet and super easy. Lemon Herb Pork Chops with mashed cauliflower and steamed green beans. Super filling and all delicious!


Hummus
2 cans chickpeas, drain & reserve liquid
2 lemons, juiced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp Tahini
1 tsp Kosher salt
Pepper, to taste
Red pepper, dash

Combine all ingredients in food processor. Add chickpea liquid (as needed) to thin out and make smooth. Enjoy!!!

Tip: Cut up cucumber and use for dipping. It tastes GREAT with hummus and will work perfect during this challenge.