Shakeology Cleanse Review

So I finished my shakeology cleanse last night and am SO excited about my results and happy that I did it! My diet since the holidays had been spiraling out of control. I was still eating healthy for the most part, but was definitely eating TOO MUCH! My food vices are peanut butter and chocolate so I'll use any excuse to get those in my diet. I knew it was TIME for me to take control and do something to feel better and lose the bloat! I also have a photo shoot on Saturday so I needed to feel and look my best QUICK. Luckily, this coincided with our transition week for P90X3 so the workouts aren't quite so intense. This is my review so that you can see how it is and if it will fit into your life.

Day 1:
Weigh in this morning: 116.4 pounds (just as a reference I was about 111 before Christmas)
Workout on the schedule today was P90X3 Dynamix which was perfect because it is a dynamic stretching routine so nothing too crazy.
After my workout, about 6:30 AM I had my cup of green tea followed by Strawberry Vegan shakeology with a 1/2 cup of frozen raspberries, 1 cup of water and ice.
I worked at the office today so that makes it easier since I'm busy anyway.
Morning snack was an apple about 10 AM.
Lunch was about 12:50- Chocolate shakeology with water and ice.
Snack for the afternoon was chocolate shakeology with water and ice.
Dinner at 6:30 PM: 3 cups of salad- spinach, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes and red peppers, 4 oz shrimp (I guessed on that since I do not have a scale ;). 2 tbsp of my favorite Healthy Greek Dressing. It was DELICIOUS!
Green tea at about 9:00 PM
Summary of Day 1: Not bad. I was a little tired, as expected with dipping my calories but I was good as long as I was up moving around.
 

Day 2:
Weigh in this morning: 114 pounds!!!! WOOHOO!
Today, our office was closed for a snow day so I was expecting to have a more difficult time being home with more temptations but I was determined!
Since I was a little low on energy yesterday, I went ahead and had my one scoop of E&E this morning for some all-natural energy with only 10 calories and 2 g of sugar.
Today's workout was P90X3 Accelerator. We had never done this one before and it was GREAT. Definitely more cardio than yesterday but my E&E helped me through and I was able to do much better than I expected.
Green tea about 7 followed by my vegan strawberry shakeology with 1/2 cup frozen raspberries and water and ice. Benton had to suck down some of it- he always has to share if he sees us with our shakes :).
Mid-morning snack was an apple.
Lunch was chocolate shakeology with 1 cup water and ice. I was definitely READY to EAT! ;)
Afternoon snack was chocolate shakeology with water and ice.
I went out and ran some errands during the afternoon so I was distracted and not thinking of food.
Dinner was salad again with white chicken and my dressing. I really think I could eat salad every night and we often do as a side anyway.
Green tea this evening as we relaxed and watched a show.
All in all today was a good day. Much more energy than yesterday. I was a little more hungry but I worked out hard so that was no surprise. I am actually feeling really good and accomplished!

Day 3:
Weigh in this morning: 112.4 pounds! AMAZING!
I'm feeling so much better and not bloated at all!
Workout: P90X3 Pilates. Tough workout for sure! I'm feeling weak and inflexible!
Green tea after workout.
Vegan strawberry shakeology with 1/2 cup frozen raspberries and water and ice for breakfast.
Apple for snack.
Chocolate shake with water and ice for lunch.
Chocolate shake with water and ice for snack.
Salad with chicken and Healthy Greek dressing for dinner.
Green tea after.
No tiredness or really that much hunger today.

Weigh in morning of Day 4: 111.6 pounds!!!!!

I thought I would be ready to eat the whole kitchen today but I really feel great and much more in control of my eating. I am also much more confident and ready to ROCK my photo shoot tomorrow!
It was really much easier than I expected. I knew what I would be eating and stuck to it. I think the key is really to make sure you get plenty of water. I filled up a gallon jug and drank from that so I could really track my intake.
This cleanse can really work great for anyone looking to jump start your metabolism and weight loss before starting a workout, to get your mind in gear for healthy eating or even if you just need a quick fix to feel better about yourself before an event.
Questions??? Let me know! I'd love to help you!

Oatmeal cupcakes

Oatmeal that is baked in individual servings and you can freeze and have for a week or two? YES PLEASE! These are so good! If you are prone to skipping breakfast, these are perfect to make ahead and grab and go! And at only 88 calories for each one, you're certainly not breaking your diet!

This recipe comes from Chocolate Covered Katie whom I love for healthy dessert and breakfast recipes! It takes a little time to get all the ingredients together but then it's just a matter of baking and refrigerating or freezing! This is a great one for picky kids too!

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 2 1/2 cups over-ripe mashed banana (you can also use applesauce) measured after mashing
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 NuNaturals stevia packets (or omit and use 5 tbsp liquid sweetener of choice–such as pure maple syrup or agave–instead, but make sure to adjust water)
• optional: 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips or 2/3 cups blueberries
• 2 2/3 cups water unless using the liquid-sweetener option, then scale water back by 1/3 cup.
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp oil
• 2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• optional add-ins: cinnamon, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, ground flax or wheat germ, raisins or other dried fruit, etc.

Preheat oven to 380 F, and line or grease with coconut oil 24 cupcake tins. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir very well. In a separate bowl, combine and stir all wet ingredients (including banana). Mix wet into dry, then pour into the cupcake liners and bake 21 minutes. I also like to then broil for 1-2 minutes, but it’s optional. These oatmeal cakes can be eaten right away, or they can be frozen and reheated for an instant breakfast on a busy day.

Healthy meatballs

Today is day 2 of my shakeology cleanse. The hardest part so far today? I made these yummy meatballs for Benton and they smelled so good! We love to add them to our spaghetti squash for a healthy Italian meal, but Benton loves to eat them by themselves! He couldn't even wait for them to cool today! As quick as they came out of the oven, he wanted on in his bowl!
You can make them ahead and freeze them too!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
2 eggs
3 garlic cloves minced
1/3 cup almond flour
1/4 cup pure tomato sauce
Handful parsley (I usually use dried because I have it on hand but fresh is great)
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix all ingredients.
Place rounded tablespoons onto Olive oil sprayed baking sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until slightly brown.

Today I added in 1/4 cup carrots. This is a great sneaky way to get your kids their veggies. You can use different ones, even spinach. You can also add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.

Anybody else have a favorite meatball recipe?

Healthy Greek Dressing

Today was my first day of the shakeology cleanse. For dinner, I got to eat real food with a salad and white meat. I actually used shrimp.

I LOVE salads, especially when I get to use a healthy and delicious dressing to top it off! We have salads almost every night as a complement to our protein of choice. They're great because it helps get all our veggies in :)

I started making my own salad dressings about 6 months ago and this is my ABSOLUTE favorite! It is very flavorful with just the right amount of tang. It is so easy to make and you know exactly what is in your dressing and none of those ingredients you cannot pronounce.

Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
1 cup apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's)
2 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 1/2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
Mix together and shake well.

What are your favorite veggies to put in a salad?

Shakeology cleanse

Confession time! I HAVE been following my meal plans BUT I have been adding in some healthy treats. My problem is that I just CAN'T STOP once I start eating some of these yummy treats I've made. Anybody else have this problem? So.... I have NOT weighed myself but I can feel that I have put on a little weight and just don't feel as good about myself right now! AND I have a photo shoot this weekend that I need to look GOOD for! What do I do NOW?

Answer: The Shakeology 3-day Cleanse

Here's a bit of an overview:

-3 shakes a day
- 2 cups of green tea per day
-1 or 2 pieces of fruit per day
-1 salad for dinner- can include fish or poultry
-No dairy or extra sugars (this includes almond and soy milk)
-Drink 2 to 4 liters of water every day
-Easy on the salt and pepper, low-fat dressings only
-2 snacks before/after any of the major meals
-Fruit is optional, and it is discouraged (however, some of you will need the calories while others may not)
-Those who are working out and are conditioned need the higher number of calories
-For maximum results, do NOT use additives


Daily regimen:
1 cup of green tea to start the day

Breakfast:
1 scoop Shakeology
1/2 cup of fruit- optional
Ice to taste
8 to 10 oz water

Snack
1 piece of fruit

Lunch:
1 scoop Shakeology
Ice to taste
8 to 10 oz water

1 cup green tea

Snack
1 scoop shakeology
Ice to taste
8 to 10 oz water

Dinner:
Salad with grilled white fish or poultry
   - Greens- 3 servings of vegetable
   - 2 tablespoons of dressing- NO MORE!

The best part of this is that I get to have my shakeology which is my favorite meal of the day anyway and makes me feel AWESOME! I can't wait to share my results with everyone! Stay tuned!

Meal plan and travel snacks

Figuring out my meal plan this week was a little trickier. 

A- I have a photo shoot this weekend so I'm really watching my carbs this week.

B- I have a photo shoot this weekend so I'll be out of town and out of my routine ;)

So the plan is super clean through Friday morning.

Traveling gets tricky of course and where most of us really slip up with planning. The key is, as always, to be prepared! We load up the cooler and have our healthy snacks ready. We ALWAYS take our shakeology with us on the road so that's easy. Our healthy snacks will most likely include--- apples, almonds, lara bars, boiled eggs, hummus, cut carrots and broccoli, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi. Those are almost always with us on a trip. Easy to pack a cooler and we never have to stop for food. Saves us time and money!

What do you usually pack for a trip to stay on track with your eating?

Banana Coconut Pancakes

Craving pancakes on a lazy Saturday morning? Pancakes have ALWAYS been one of our weekend favorites but since starting clean eating we certainly don't use good ole Bisquick anymore! I've tried LOTS of grain-free pancakes and these are definitely some of our favorites. Only 3 ingredients! Adapted from The Tasty Alternative.

Ingredients:
2 eggs + 1 egg white
2 medium bananas
3 tbsp + 1 tsp coconut flour
2 tsp Coconut oil for oiling the pan.

Directions:
Quickest:
Place bananas in blender and blend until smooth.
Add eggs and coconut flour and blend.
Let sit for 3-5 minutes while skillet is heating.

Another option:
Mash bananas in bowl.
Add eggs and mix well.
Add coconut flour, mix and let sit for 3-5 minutes.

Add batter to skillet in small scoops. Making the pancakes smaller means they are easier to handle and flip. It will probably take about 5 minutes on each side. They should be slightly brown when done.

We like peanut butter on our pancakes and the slightest amount of maple syrup. These pancakes are really naturally sweet so they don't need much!