Advocare 24 Day Challenge Breakdown - Third Time's a Charm!

This year, instead of hitting the challenge at the end of the summer, I've decided to do it in the beginning. I am doing it with a woman at work who would like to drop a few pounds. I'd like to drop a few pounds times 10 - but we'll keep each other on track and encouraged. August 23rd marks a new era for me in my life's journey here on this planet. I am going to compete in my first Triathlon. GULP.

No Pressure.....

But I don't want to get ahead of myself here. The 24 Day Challenge (third annual).

I ALWAYS do well on these challenges! and then gain everything back and start over the next year. It is a stupid, wasteful, glutenous way to exist, so I am committed this year to putting that cycle behind me for good and stepping onto the bath of better health and wellness for my entire family! But first things first, I need to get my body into gear.

If you would like to join us in our 24 Day Challenge, you can purchase the package HERE.

The Advocare 24 Day Challenge is simply a way to prime your body for weight loss, detoxification and wellness. It is not meant to be maintained on a daily basis for long periods of time. It was designed with very very specific guidelines that maximize nutrient absorption, increase the health of your gut and jump start your metabolism. There are some parts of this challenge that are not pleasant (see the aforementioned fiber drink), but there are things that aren't pleasant in EVERYthing we do. Atleast this has a very positive impact on your health and wellness! So let's break it down and keep it real, shall we?

CLEANSE PHASE

I have never found this to be a very harsh cleanse. Although, I've never done anything else that has been classified as a "cleanse", so I guess I don't have a baseline from which to measure...I didn't spend my days on the toilet at all. The worst parts of the cleanse phase for me are drinking the fiber drink (I have to mix it with Sunny Delight or I literally gag so hard that I cannot swallow it!) and feeling hungry a lot. Let's talk about each.

The fiber drink isn't terrible - if you drink it mixed with SUPER COLD water and drink it all RIGHT NOW. The first time I ever did a cleanse, I came downstairs, mixed up the fiber drink and then got distracted with one of the kids. I then came back and tried to take a gulp of the drink..... it had turned into an applesauce-like slurry that made me instinctively gag and unable to swallow. My body LITERALLY would not let me swallow it. I am not a gagger - the ONLY other time I have ever gagged on food like that was back in college when I was offered $10 to drink the neon yellow "chicken gravy" in some school cafeteria (hey - times were tough! $10 is $10!).  So that time, I just skipped the fiber drinks altogether. The second time around, I did some super official research - cough *google* cough - and stumbled upon someone who had suggested that you mix it with Sunny Delight. I tried it and what do you know - delish! I understand that Sunny Delight is NOT a healthy drink - AT ALL. I consider it a vehicle for something much, much healthier to get into my body. Win.
As far as feeling hungry a lot - I just deal with it. I've found the key is preparation. Have a schedule handy at all times so that you know when you should be taking the supplements and when you should be eating. During the MAX phase, you have to eat OFTEN - so having nutritious snacks on hand is KEY! Almonds, pretzels, fruit, string cheese, veggies, crackers and healthy snack bars (I love Atkins bars...yummy!)... snacks are ESSENTIAL if you are going to be successful. Hey - the cleanse phase is only 10 days. You can do almost anything for ten days, right????

MAX PHASE

The max phase is all about eating and taking your supplements at the right times. Don't eat often enough, and you are probably going to feel a little nauseous. That has happened to me several times. It's like being pregnant! ha! You need to eat every 2 1/2 hours or so and that is much harder than it seems!! This time, I am literally going to set my watch alarm to go off when I need to eat or take pills. I will also be writing out my eating plan - and I will post that as soon as it is finished! This may have just turned you off to the challenge, but the whole point of the challenge is to do it EXACTLY RIGHT for 24 days. 24 days of staying focused, committed and disciplined.

What happens after that is completely up to us......