I am jumping completely back on the get fit bandwagon.  Two years ago I was preparing for my upcoming wedding and was highly motivated to feel confident in my white dress so that when I looked back at my wedding pictures in 15 years I could have no regrets. On my wedding day I could have not been more happy with where I was at. But as work, extracurriculars and everything else that comes with life started to pile on, I was practically hanging onto my motivation by a thread. So not being happy with where I was personally, I decided to take action to kick-start my healthy lifestyle and motivation again, just in time for tank-top season!

If you follow any one my various social media outlets you have probably gathered that I am doing the Advocare 24 Day Challenge. I have had lots of people asking me about the program, so I thought I would share an update on my status and thoughts 10 days in.

The Advocare 24 Day Challenge Bundle.

The first 10 days of the challenge are the “Cleanse” phase. This phase is all about ridding your body of toxins and preparing it  for optimal nutrient absorption in phase 2. You take three different supplements during the cleanse phase:

• Herbal Cleanse-Citrus: which helps to cleanse and detoxify your body. This consists of a fiber drink, probiotic restore and other ultra dietary supplements.
• OmegaPlex: a pill containing the essential fatty acids for increased overall wellness.
• AdvoCare Spark: a powdered drink mix to give your body some nutritionally-advanced energy.

All of the supplements are pretty easy to take. The toughest thing to do is the fiber drink, which you have to drink 6 out of the 10 days. The taste is not bad, the texture was just tough for me to down sometimes. One quick tip – just do it fast and have a large glass of water to help you wash it down.

The dreaded fiber drink.

Here is a quick run down of the day-to-day expectations of the cleanse:

The Advocare cleanse approved eating plan.

The nice thing about this cleanse is that you can actually eat! I actually feel more full and eat more on this cleanse then I did before. The only difference is what I am eating. Your diet is really all about clean eating and keeping it au naturel with lots of fruits, veggies and low fat proteins like chicken and fish and a crazy amount of water. My water bottle has become my best friend, I take it everywhere with me.

My go-to snacks have been strawberries and almonds, my lunches have been salads with green and red peppers, carrots, cucumbers, sunflower seeds and low fat balsamic Vinaigrette dressing with an apple. And for dinner I have been eating a lot of chicken and veggies as well as brown rice when I need it. Here are a few of my meal creations:

Adovcare approved breakfast – veggie omelets with green and red peppers.

Adovcare dinner – grilled chicken topped with salsa and egg souffles with broccoli and red peppers.

Advocare dinner – zucchini pizza with garlic, a little olive oil, plum tomatoes and a small sprinkle of Parmesan cheese with a baked chicken breast.

Overall the cleanse phase was great and completely manageable. I even lost 4 pounds already! My energy level is high and how I have been feeling has been even more motivation to stay on track. I completed day 10 yesterday and started phase 2 today, the MAX results phase where you give your body the best tools it needs to achieve your goals during days 11-24. I am looking forward to hitting the gym hard these next two weeks to really get the results I want. as Theodore Roosevelt said, “Nothing worth having was ever achieved without effort.”

I also want to give my two best friends who are doing the cleanse with me a shout out, BZ and B-Money. Having a support system to turn to in times of weakness has been a HUGE help and inspiration to stay on track. It really helps when you are staring down an 8 slice double cheese pizza to have a friend to turn to for motivation to stay strong and keep eating your grapes. Or even someone to share the misery of drinking the fiber drink with, and on the upside your exciting results. We have had many interesting group text message these past two weeks as the challenge unfolds and it has made it easier to bounce ideas off one another. I highly recommend finding a friend to do the challenge with you, it will only help keep you in check.

A girls night in drinking our Advocare Spark!

Advocare approved snacks for girls night!

For more information about the Advocare 24 Day Challengesite, check out their site. Interested in doing the challenge? Contact “The” Tom Zetts.

If you have any questions about my experience or the challenge leave me a comments below. If you have done the challenge before and have any tips or advice for me going into phase 2, I would love any tips you can give!

Stay tuned for my post about my phase 2 experience, where I will share my end results!