Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Isagenix 9-Day Cleanse: Pre-Cleanse Day 2

My second pre-cleanse day was pretty much the same as the first. I started with a shake for breakfast, a Natural Accelerator pill and lots of water. I had a little trouble getting the shakes down the first day because of the chalky taste, so Emily suggested adding cocoa powder to my shakes. (I have the french vanilla flavor.) I added half a teaspoon, and it made a big difference, or at least psychologically it did. I guzzled it down. Apparently the shakes taste much better after two cleanse days, so I'll try the shake in its pure form again on Saturday.

I had 10 almonds mid-morning for a snack, then went to Chili's for lunch. They have a great low-cal menu. I got the grilled chicken salad (grilled chicken, lettuce, corn, black beans, tomatoes and cheese... nom nom), which has 430 calories. It was quite delicious, and if you're planning on eating out on shake days or just too busy to pack a lunch, I suggest dining at Chili's. Since I opted for the lower end of the allowable calorie scale, I allowed myself one diet coke (even though its against the rules). Its my crack, what can I say?

430 calorie lunch

Before long, it was snack time and I had an apple. I seem to do better with my sweeter snack in the afternoon. I'm looking forward to my cleanse day tommorrow, because I get to try the IsaDelight. I am usually a fan of anything chocolate, and I'm sure I'll be thankful for ANYthing I can nibble on during the cleanse.

Dinner was another shake, this one was much better. Maybe I am getting used to them. I spent the rest of the evening shopping at Walt-Mart and cleaning house, so if I was hungry, I didn't notice. I also spent a good amount of time calculating how to build a 600 calorie burrito at Izzo's Illegal Burrito. Looks like that's not happening. Sad face.

Until day 3...

Isagenix 9-Day Cleanse: Pre-Cleanse Day 1

Here's my review of the two pre-cleanse days before the Isagenix 9-Day Cleanse. My goal is to lose 15 pounds, so I'm hoping this cleanse will be a great start to my weight loss goal. I also hope to break the addiction I have to artificial sweeteners, and to maintain a healthier and cleaner way of eating. Last, I just want to look damn good in a two-piece, so if I lose all the poundage, I am treating myself to a new bikini and a cruise vacation. I'd say that's worth it...

Today was my first pre-cleanse day with the Isagenix cleanse. There are two pre-cleanse days before the 9-day cleanse begins. I started off my day by drinking a bottle of water, then made my shake for breakfast. The shake is not horrible. I have the vanilla flavor, and it tastes a little like cool whip; not much taste and very creamy. I took a Natural Accelerator pill, and breakfast was served!

Mid-morning I had my Isagenix Snacks! These little wafers are not as bad as they look. The vanilla flavor is sweet, texture a little chalky and most importantly help hold you over until lunch. I can imagine on a cleanse day that these can be pretty tasty. For lunch, I had half of an egg salad sandwich, rice pilaf and fruit, totaling 600 calories, as well as another Natural Accelerator pill. By 1 p.m., I had already consumed 70 ounces of water.

600 calorie lunch
My afternoon snack was a half of an apple and five almonds, and of course more water. I had my second shake at 5:30 p.m., but still felt a little hungry. Emily came over to take my measurements she brought me some samples of the milk chocolate IsaDelights to eat on my cleanse days.

Other than a rumbly tummy, I had a killer headache. I assumed it was the caffeine withdrawals, so I broke the rules and had a small amount of Diet Dr. Pepper. Surprisingly, this didn't help at all. My 20 minutes of exercise was spent cleaning house and chasing Lea around... tomorrow I'm going to try my best to get some real exercise in. With this busy girl and broken foot, its going to be a challenge, but I'm up for it!

Overall, the first cleanse day was not so bad. I can handle the shake days; its the cleanse days that make me nervous. On to day 2!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Cops & Toddlers

Since January, Lain has been spending his weekday evenings enrolled in the police academy. It has always been a dream of his to be a police officer, and he finally decided at the beginning of this year to make the commitment. With Lain away from home in the evenings, it has left lots of time for Lea and I to hang, but we've definitely missed Daddy. Its been quite the challenge, especially chasing after a toddler while nursing a broken foot. (Long story short... super high heels right after foot surgery is never a good idea.) Lea has gone from crawling, to walking to practically running this month, and keeping up with her is sometimes exhausting.

Lea playing with her bestie, Sophie
Mornings with Dad


















Thanks to my wonderful parents, in-laws, Nene, Ben, Adam, Jac-Jac my bestie Tracy and Lea's bestie, Sophie-Lou for hanging with us while Lain was away from home. Your company is very much appreciated :) And thank you to Lain, who has graciously taken over all parental duties in the mornings to give me a little extra time to get ready. Cheerios in bed with Dad has become quite the morning tradition.

Tonight, Lain finally graduated from the academy. Let me just tell you, he looks mighty fine in a uniform :) Other than simply looking good, I know he is going to make one hell of a police officer. He is so smart, brave, intuitive, patient and dedicated--all things an officer should be. I am so proud of him. I don't know how he juggles so many things, but he does it to be the best provider for our family that he can be, and he does a great job.




Just a quick Lea update, other than walking, she is babbling her head off and saying new words every day. The other day she yelled "na-na" and pointed right and at banana and signed "want." She is a smart cookie. She loves to dance, and is constantly making up new moves. She definitely gets that from her dad. She has a real sense of humor, and loves to make us laugh by making her "squishy" face. (See below) She loves accessories, shoes, purses, sunglasses, etc. That, she gets from me.

Developmentally, she is catching up to her gestational age fast thanks to her wonderful therapists. She is finally on the charts, making the 3rd percentile for weight in her age group. I am so proud of her, and I cannot tell you how many times since she was born I have thanked God for blessing me with this beautiful, healthy miracle of a child.

My favorite squishy face.

In other news, I have decided to write a children's book, starring none other than my Thumba-Lea. So there... I've put my idea out there in the universe. Now that gives me no choice but to get it done. Wish me luck. And time. And patience. And creativity.


Thanks so much :)

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Baby Got Back... and Other Jiggly Parts

Nearly 17 months of motherhood has already passed. Time is flying! I can honestly say this is the happiest I have even been, and that Lea has completely enhanced my universe. In fact, I'm so obliviously happy in my little motherhood bubble, that I seem to have forgone all control whatsoever when it comes to food. If I want ice cream, we go get ice cream. Pancakes for breakfast? BRING IT. Lain and I are always out to eat, and more times than not we order dessert (In these cases Lain has two bites, and I eat the rest.) After 17 months, I no longer have an excuse why I can feel my butt jiggle when I am moving at any speed faster than a slow walk, or why for the first time I have a legitimate tummy roll when I am in a sitting position. I can no longer blame it on the repercussions of having a baby, because honestly, my little muffin isn't a baby anymore :(

If there's one thing that could make life even better than it is now, it would be having my toned, tight pre-Lea body back. Man, I took that body for granted. In an effort to jump-start my interest in getting fit, I decided to do the Isagenix 9-Day Cleanse. My friend Emily is a fitness model and personal trainer, and has been using the product for a while with tremendous results.

Typically when I want to lose weight, I just pump up the cardio. However, with a broken foot, that's not an option, and drastically changing my diet is all I can do right now. Luckily, my mom has decided to do the program with me. Like she says, you can do anything for nine days. Hopefully, this will be true for me, because the thought of missing of meal damn near kills me.

Me & my Momma: Soon to be two skinny bitches.

I plan to document this nine day regimen to help other moms that may be in the same boat as me. However, do NOT expect any before and after bikini shots. I've already threatened Emily with her life if she EVER posts any of my photos to facebook haha. I will post a fully-clothed before and after pictures though just so you can see the results once I'm done.

Also, let me just say I have no affiliation with the Isagenix program whatsoever, so this will be a brutally honest review of the 9-Day Cleanse. I'm fully prepared for it to suck, but I know I can do it if I put my mind to it. Also, I know once I see results, my motivation to be healthy will kick in. I would advise, however, to steer clear of me during these nine days because I am known to be an extremely cranky, hateful bitch when I am hungry.


I am starting the diet plan the Tuesday after Memorial Day (May 29) , so if anyone wants to do it with me, contact Emily on her Facebook page sooner than later to get your supplies in.

Also, since I'm not starting till the 29th, if anyone wants to go out to eat this week AND get dessert, Holllllla!!!! :) I have one week left of enjoying the good things in life ;)