Advocare 24 Day Challenge - Day 3

Well, I'm surviving and now I'm feeling full and not missing the carbs and delicious processed foods so much. I have to hand it to my old friend avocado (did I just sound like a Subway commercial?) because that seems to be saving me. I look forward to meals with avocado in them!

So, yesterday... Here's the rundown on what went in my bawdy. As a side note, I would like to mention that day 3 was even easier than day 2. I felt full all day long. I think my body is finally getting used to all this healthiness. Go me!

Breakfast was old faithful - aka scrambled eggs with fresh spinach. Only after having my Spark and fiber drink, of course. This was the last day of the fiber drink until day 8, when you drink it for the final 3 days of the cleanse. Not gonna lie... I will miss it (see, I don't hide my freak flag. I just wave it around for the world to see.)

Morning snack was an apple.

Lunch was a repeat from the day before, but I loved it so much that I will put a picture of it up again.  Avocado chicken salad and side salad with homemade dijon vinaigrette.

Afternoon snack was some homemade hummus and sliced cucumbers.  I have to say, hummus takes 5 minutes to make, it's delicious, and it makes enough to last a while. This should be a staple in everyone's 24 Day Challenge. 

Dinner was some yummy chicken and veggie kabobs! I love kabobs anyway, so having them during this challenge just made it that much better. I marinated my chicken in fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, olive oil, kosher salt, pepper and Old Bay seasoning. I halved brussel sprouts and added them (this was a first), along with some squash. I cut up some eggplant and seasoned with olive oil and kosher salt for the grill as well. It was all DELICIOUS. Very easy too.

So my after dinner snack (this was the first time I've had one on the challenge) was half a banana with some organic natural peanut butter. And let me tell you ... it was the nectar of the Gods. There is no picture because I ate it too fast.

Advocare Challenge - Day 2 is in the Bag

As much as I love the possibilities of this challenge, I also feel like there are so many things left up in the air. Can I have brown rice during the cleanse? Why are some people eating cheese? Well, I've decided that for me, I am going to not have ANY dairy, bread, etc during this challenge. I will work some quinoa and brown rice in at some point, but I haven't yet.

So, yesterday went much smoother than Monday. I wasn't so hungry and I loved all of my meals.

Breakfast was 2 scrambled eggs with fresh spinach. I threw it in a container and slightly reheated at work (after I had my Spark and fiber drink).

P.S. I am starting to actually like the fiber drink. Stockholm Syndrome? Or maybe I am just a freak.

My morning snack was a banana. This kept me full until lunch. 

Lunch was my favorite meal yesterday! I had Avocado Chicken Salad (see below for recipe), a green salad with kalamata olives, tomatoes & cucumber. I made a simple dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard and salt & pepper. I had some homemade hummus with cucumber slices for my complex carb. That was something I hadn't been getting in and needed to. Don't be fooled by the way that chicken salad looks ... it's AMAZING. I may never eat regular chicken salad again.



My afternoon snack was a tangerine and some almonds. I also had another Spark before my Crossfit workout. Thanks for kicking my butt "Jackie."

Dinner was a reheat from the night before. Still good! Lemon Herb Pork Chops, mashed cauliflower and steamed green beans.

I think I am getting the hang of this and it's DEFINITELY doable!


Avocado Chicken Salad
2 chicken breasts
1 avocado
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Sprinkle both sides of chicken breast with salt & pepper and bake, covered, until done. Shred chicken. While chicken cools, dice avocado and squeeze in lemon juice. Mash together to keep from turning brown later. Add onion, salt, pepper and chicken. Mash all together until creamy, with chicken being the only chunks.

Deeeeelish!

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.

Life and the Art of Doing Nothing

After about six week of complete madness, it was time for a break from the world. During the last few weeks I have helped put on a music festival, business expo, statewide professionals summit, charity breakfast and captained a women's tennis team. And let me say, don't underestimate the energy required to schedule 12 tennis matches around 14 women's lifestyles. Herding cats (and attitudes) is exhausting. My DVR was feeling beyond neglected and having to choose which shows to delete when it was full was like my very own Sophie's Choice.

After the last major event, I kept thinking that things would just magically get really slow and I could take a breath. I was wrong. Now I know that a lot of that is my own fault for over committing and having a hard time saying no when something extra fun pops up. It's hard to turn down a glass of wine with friends or bunko (aka drunko). I heart wine. Anyway, I digress. The point is, this past week I hit my wall. I was forgetting things, making mistakes and nearly had two major car accidents. Oh, and I did actually roll into a cute little guy at a red light because I was distracted reading a sign. Genius. Could have been a love connection had he not been 12.

So this weekend I committed to nothing, warned everyone not to even approach me on going out, and I made up with my DVR. Our relationship is back on track and we can record new shows again. Phew. Talk about a stress reliever. Don't worry "Nurse Jackie," you will be recorded!

I have to say, I feel rejuvenated and relaxed. I would encourage everyone to try and take a weekend off. Don't guilt yourself into chores or going somewhere. Sometimes it only even takes a day of removing yourself from the world, sometimes more. After a day and a half, I even did a little design work. ONLY because I wanted to. Cleaning, however, was off the table. Maybe this next week will go accident free. No whammies.

Now, please excuse me as I have a date with a magazine and the pool.

Breakfast of Champions

I am the queen of running late in the mornings. It's the only time I feel that being late is acceptable because honestly, mornings are the worst. So, I found this recipe on the Skinny Ms. Pinterest page and tweaked it just a tad for my own tastes. It's healthy, and delicious! The best part is that it's all protein, so it sticks with me until lunch.

I love this so much, that I had to share. It takes two seconds to throw together and I can reheat it at work. Yes, I eat at work because it would require me to get up 10 minutes earlier to eat breakfast at home. Sleep is far too valuable.

Egg, Spinach & Feta Cups
Serves 4

1 whole egg
8 egg whites (I normally use the carton egg whites for convenience)
1/4 cup reduced fat feta
2 cups fresh baby spinach, torn in pieces
Kosher salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Use non-stick spray inside 4 ramekins. Layer the spinach on the bottom of each. Beat together all other ingredients. Pour into ramekins and bake at 350 degrees for about 20-22 minutes.
*They will puff up while baking and then deflate a little after.

89 calories per serving and low carb! Can't beat it!

Enjoy!!!!

Letting Things Go

This will be my one deep thought post for the year.

Over time I've learned, and relearned, that there are people in your life worth keeping around and people who are just dragging you down. I saw this quote the other day and it made me think of what I've gone through the past few months. I had to let some friends and exes go completely in order to make myself happy and move on. I had to stop and remind myself that friends don't make you cry, they care about your feelings, and they treat you as you would treat them. Same for for a significant other or an ex in your life. Unfortunately, all too often this is not the case in life. I still struggle some over this, but when I stop and realize how many more good times I am having, it makes it a little easier to let go.

It can be liberating to keep people in your life that bring you joy and reliability. Always looking for the good times, but there for each other when the bad times inevitably come.

I got off the roller coaster and haven't regretted it one day. Doesn't mean it's always been easy, but definitely worth it.

LOL = Just Say No

I don't think I can properly describe my hatred for the term "LOL." I mean, if you're laughing, is it not out loud? I feel like anyone typing this sounds like a 12 year old girl. Only, I'm pretty sure even the tweens think "LOL" is passe. The worst part is that people actually SPEAK this term now. ARE. YOU. FREAKING. KIDDING? If it's funny, just laugh... and I don't care if it's out loud (but the narcissist in me appreciates the chuckles). Don't even get me started on the wide array of initialisms like LMAO and ROFL. People just sound like drones using these terms over and over. Use a little creativity!  I have no issues with a ha, hehe, hahahaha, bahaha. Go crazy, but use a WORD that actually is a sound!

Now this brings me to an initialism that is even new to me. When I received this in a text the other day (from a 33 year man mind you) I actually had to text my friend Kelly to find out what it meant. When she told me the answer I didn't believe that could possibly be right and looked it up on Urban Dictionary. To my absolute horror she was correct. SMH = Shaking My Head. Please, PLEASE explain to me why this needs to be a term? Not to mention, that it really didn't even make sense in the context I received it in. Why shake your head? Why tell me you're shaking your head? Did your kid receive a bad math test score? Are you reading that taxes are going up? What????

Whatever happened to descriptive words, or even just typing a word out? How hard is it to write out "you," instead of "u" or "are" instead of "r?" This is the end of the English language as we know it. The entire human race will be talking in text shorthand in the next 10 years. Things will get so bad that babies will start saying "LOL," instead of laughing. The elderly will have to walk around with multimedia to English translation books. The world will sound like a bunch of smartasses non-stop. Or morons. I say morons, but that's just me.


So kids (and ESPECIALLY adults) JUST SAY NO TO LOL!