3 Day Refresh - Just what the doctor ordered!!

I'd been feeling tired and bloated for the past few weeks - maybe even the past month - and I know I was slipping on some of my eating habits - when I finally decided to give the 3 Day Refresh from Beachbody a shot, and see if it could help me get myself in check. I mean, here I am, a Beachbody Coach, shouting from the rooftops about getting healthy and wanting to help people - and right here in my arsenal I have this great tool to help myself with my own health - I damn well better use it!

So I ordered my Refresh, talked my Success Partner into doing it with me, made my plan, did my prep, and hit "GO" on Monday morning.

Now, I'd done the refresh once before - about a year ago - but screwed the whole thing up with popcorn. Air popped popcorn is a great snack - low calorie, it's got some protein, and some fiber, but NOT when you're supposed to be sticking to a three day regimented plan like the refresh. So yeah, that first attempt? Total bust!! This time, I'm committed. To myself, and to all of you - sharing that I'm doing something like this publicly - like all over my facebook and here in this blog and on Pinterest and every social media outlet I use, keeps me accountable and makes it a lot harder to "stray".

3 Day Refresh Day 1

So Monday morning started off with about 16 oz water before my first cup of coffee. And I cut my coffee way back as well. They don't recommend coffee on the refresh, but it is allowed - as long as it's black, which is how I drink mine anyway so no big deal. But for the refresh, I'm allowing myself two cups instead of unlimited which usually becomes 4-6 by the end of the day.

At around 9am I did my Core De Force workout (MMA Power - lots of jumping, kicking, punching, and sweating for 46 minutes!), took my shower, and then had my 3 Day Refresh breakfast, which looked a whole lot like a normal breakfast for me - Shakeology with half a frozen banana and some lemon extract - except I usually mix it with unsweetened almond milk, which is not allowed on the refresh, so I mixed it with water instead. Know what? Not bad. Honestly, no difference. Might make a permanent switch on that one!

Breakfast Day One

An hour later, I had my "Morning Tea" which was a green chai tea with a little bit of stevia. And an hour after that, my Fiber Sweep. Now, the one thing I hear people complain about on the 3 Day Refresh, is the Fiber Sweep. I'm here to tell you, it's not that bad. First, it's lemony. I like lemon. Second, as long as you shake the hell out of it so that there are no clumps, and you drink it right after blending, it goes down just fine! And I felt full again almost right after drinking it, too, so that was a BONUS!!

Lunch was scheduled for 2PM - and no complaints! Vanilla Fresh (another shake - which I absolutely love the taste of and was looking forward to - it didn't disappoint), strawberries, baby carrots, and 1/4 of an avocado.

Lunch Day One

Shortly thereafter, I headed to the farm where I spent the next three hours playing on the tractor and working with the horses.

When I arrived home, it was Afternoon Snack time which was green beans and hummus!! Perfect to tide me over till dinner!!

Afternoon Snack Day 1

I also made another mug of tea - Green Tea with Mango. First time trying that one, and it was really yummy! Looking forward to more of it on day two for sure!

Dinner happened at 7pm - I started off with another Vanilla Fresh, and then made the Carrot-Seaweed Medley from the 3 day refresh recipe booklet. It definitely filled me up - I mean, to the gills!! and it tasted great. I'll surely make it again, on a non refresh day, and have a side of chicken breast or a turkey burger with it.

Dinner Day 1

I also enjoyed a mug of organic vegetable broth to sip on afterwards which helped keep me from the kitchen demon ;-)

During the course of the day I drank tons of water (per usual). I did start to feel a mild headache coming on late afternoon - which I can only imagine was carb withdrawal. It got worse as I got closer to bedtime, but I woke up on Day 2 headache free, so I'm ok with that. Just means I really needed to do this, as I was definitely overdoing the carbs!

AND upon waking on the morning of day 2? I realized I'd slept better than I had for at least a month, and woke more "refreshed" and less sluggish feeling. Bring on Day 2!!

3 Day Refresh Day 2 - This shit's getting serious!! (in a good way)

Day 2 started off great - refreshed (pun intended), energetic, freakin awesome! I found myself buzzing around the house with energy I hadn't had since summer, wrapping holiday gifts, scooping the litter pan, gathering up the trash, all before my one cup of coffee (did I mention, they don't recommend it on the refresh but they do allow it so I knock it down to one to two cups max).

First thing, I had about 16 oz of water - you wake up dehydrated whether you're doing a cleanse or not, so it's really important to do that to get the body working right and get things moving.

Breakfast Day 2

After my Core De Force Power Sculpt workout, which happened a little later than I'd planned because I spent all that time with wrapping, and trash and all, I had my first meal of the day - breakfast was Cafe Latte Shakeology, mixed with spring water and a dash or two of ginger, and a half an apple on the side.

Definitely filling and satisfying. 

An hour later, I followed up with my Fiber Sweep. I probably should have shaken it a little better - noticed a small lump but it was still palatable and didn't gross me out ;-)

An hour after that? Mid Morning tea - green tea with mango, and a stevia packet. I was starting to feel hungry at this point, so was really glad lunch was only an hour away!! I decided to step away from the computer, and work on some holiday gift projects - a pair of slippers for a friend, and some potholders for some other folks - and crocheted my way through the next hour till lunch.

Lunch Day 2

Lunch - Day 2 - Vanilla fresh, and OMG a new discovery - I added a dash of cinnamon, and it suddenly tasted like a Snickerdoodle cookie. INCREDIBLE!!! Can you say "repeat a MUST"???

I also had steamed green beans with a little lemon juice on them, the other half of my apple, and 1/4 of an avocado. And in case I didn't mention it... I drank water all day too - by lunch, I probably had a bout 50 oz in. 

From this pretty little lunch? Absolutely STUFFED! And I was off to the farm for the rest of the afternoon, to ride, do some barn work, bring the horses in, feed them all and kiss some furry noses. 

Before heading home, I grabbed a couple of giant red Christmas balls to see if I could pull off decorating them for farm holiday gifts and headed to the craft store for some glitter glue.

I am definitely NOT impressed with my results - I think a five year old could probably have done better - but I'll keep practicing - I've got a little bit of time to get it right!

When I got home from the craft store (had to get the glitter glue for my little arts and crafts project), it was definitely "afternoon snack time" - which was asparagus and hummus - so good, and again, filled me up more than enough to tide me over to dinner! At 6pm, I had my "optional afternoon tea" - again green mango tea - and sipped on that for the next hour or so. 

Dinner Day 2

My choice for dinner on Day Two, was "Veggie Stir Fry" - a medley of green beans, carrots, and red bell peppers, seasoned with fresh garlic and ginger. I also added some edamame, because it was SOOO good from the previous night.

I didn't enjoy this as much as the carrot seaweed medley from day one, but it was still really good and had a slightly Asian flavor to it - probably because of the ginger.

Along with it, I had another Vanilla Fresh shake, with cinnamon, and a mug of organic vegetable broth. And of course some more water!!

I finished day three with another herbal tea, and went to bed shortly after my team call.

ALMOST a perfect day. BUT I woke up about 1am (nature calling, and fiber sweep creating some gut discomfort - which means it was doing its job and "sweeping"), and foolishly checked my cell phone. There was a message on Facebook, got my head spinning (in a good way), and sleep was a lost art for me.

Falling back asleep was not an option, and - I was hungry. I tried water, I tried tea, I tried going back to sleep. No luck! 1/2 a frozen banana took off the edge (I keep them frozen in my freezer for my Shakeology, so if you were wondering why it was frozen, now you know).

OK, I wouldn't call day 2 a total bust, but it definitely wasn't "perfect".

3 Day Refresh Day 3

Waking on day three, even though I didn't sleep great the night before, I still had a lot of energy. Normally I would have been dragging butt, but I was up, focused and ready to go - no snooze button!

Breakfast Day 3

My day started with my water, and then a cup of black coffee. This was my "active recovery" day for my Core De Force workout program so it was a lighter workout - only 20 minutes long, and mostly stretching. I had the energy to do a lot more, but knew my body needed the "rest" day, so decided to let it go at that.
I'll be back at it, hitting hard tomorrow!!

After my workout and shower, and of course some more water, I made breakfast - Snickerdoodle Shakeology!! (yes, I am becoming a little obsessed with the whole snickerdoodle thing the past few days) Who remembers those delicious cinnamonny chewy cookies that are just melt in your mouth good? Well, that's what this tasted like, minus the guilt!

Will I be making this amazing Shakeo recipe again? You can count on it!!

An hour after breakfast, it was time for "Morning Tea" - green mango tea with a stevia packet. And an hour later, Fiber Sweep. Not gonna lie, I was absolutely FAMISHED even after my fiber sweep had a chance to get in my belly, so this was my first big "cheat" on the refresh - grabbed a bag of frozen veggies, poured some in a bowl, and nuked 'em. Mixed in some hot mustard, and chowed down! Yup, my big "cheat" was veggies (are you laughing at me because I am!!!).

Now, here's where it gets really amusing! (For me at least!!). I was so damn full from those veggies, that at 2:00 when I had to leave my home because my cleaning lady was coming (hey, once a month I spoil myself a little - it's totally worth it and I deserve it!), I still wasn't hungry for lunch. All from one damn extra bowl of veggies!!

So, I packed up my berries, carrots, hummus and vanilla fresh, and headed out the door to run a few errands. Stopped in at my favorite coffee shop, where they created a special blend just for me (No, they don't know that I spell my name with an "i", but hey - it's a coffee shop; not my family/friends - I figure I can cut them some slack and just be happy that they actually know me by name!).

I can't wait to drink this tomorrow morning!! The owner said "vanilla notes" from the Bourbon Santos, which is a lighter roast, and depth and complexity from the Alpha which is on the darker side! If you're reading this, and you're as much of a coffee aficionado as I am, you'll understand the "heaven in a cup" that I was looking forward to!

Lunch Day 3

At 3:00, heading to the farm, and knowing I wasn't going to have time to eat anything again until around 5, I pulled into a parking lot and mixed up my vanilla fresh with some cinnamon, lined up lunch on my dashboard, and chowed down.

I'd added some cinnamon to my shaker cup with water, before leaving the house, so again it tasted a bit like snickerdoodles (might be a little obsessed with that combo right now!), had my strawberries, baby carrots and hummus, and headed off to ride some horses, do some barn chores, and place our weekly order at the feed store.




With a few errands to run after the farm (gas and the grocery store for some dinner ingredients - last minute change of plans on what I was making!), I didn't arrive home until about 6pm - and though I wasn't "starving" I was definitely looking forward to my afternoon snack. Steamed asparagus with lemon and a handful of almonds.

And once again - I felt comfortably full.

Dinner Day 3

Around 8, though, it was time to eat and I was glad! I had originally planned on an asparagus dish from the 3 Day Refresh booklet, but I LOVED the carrot-seaweed medley from day one so much, that I changed my mind and decided to make that again. Except this time, I made a double batch - it was going to be a great side dish the following day, along with a piece of chicken breast (though I don't really find myself missing meat and wouldn't mind going vegetarian for a while).

I decided to eat with chopsticks because well, I like them, and with the seaweed and edamame, this dish just has an Asian feel to it.

It was absolutely delish, and I followed it up with my last Vanilla Fresh (with cinnamon again), as almost a dessert. I've gotta tell you - - I LOVE Vanilla Fresh! I'd drink it every day if it was available stand-alone! Water and cinnamon and it's just incredible, texture, taste, everything!!



After dinner, I did have a mug of vegetable broth - I was cold (hey, I live in New Hampshire and it's December) - and went to bed around 10:30.

RESULTS - The Morning After

Of course, what's the point of all this without some results, right? I mean I certainly didn't do it just for the fun of it (even though that carrot seaweed medley and the vanilla fresh really did make me happy!!).

So - the hard numbers first:

I'm down 3 lbs. That's a pound a day! Can't complain about that!

I'm down overall 2 1/2". That includes 1/2" from my natural waist, and 1" from my bellybutton line, plus an inch from my hips.

And of course I did before and after pics. Where do I see the biggest difference? In my ASS!!! Especially in the side view!!

I also see a difference in my lower back, and less sports bra "bulge" in the back photo, and my pants are definitely not as "huggy". Guess we know where I was carrying my "bloat".

The other results -
and to me these are the ones that really matter most!

• I've got my energy back. 

• I don't feel like a cripple when I get out of bed in the morning anymore - for a while, I was waking up and moving around like Frankenstein for the first ten minutes or so, getting the creaks out - probably inflammation from the carbs I'd been eating.

• I feel like I've got a good start for breaking my nighttime snacking habits - which were getting out of hand.

AND

• I am not thinking "can't wait till I can have some carbs" which is also a really big deal for me!

What's next?

With the holidays literally here, I know a lot of us are going to be (or have been) indulging. And that means some weight gain, some bloating, and some "feeling not so great" in our futures. 

I'm working on getting together a group of motivated people who, for the almost last three days of 2016 (Dec 28-30 because hey, we all want to enjoy New Year's Eve the day after), want to crush the Christmas Bloat, and feel fabulous in your New Year's Eve finery, to do another round of the 3 Day Refresh with me. We'll be working together to stay on track, in a private Facebook group, too, and that accountability will DEFINITELY help!

If you want to be a part of this, you can email me, find me on Facebook and send me a message, or if you'd rather go it alone, you can do that too - you can order your 3 Day Refresh complete kit here! But if you want to be in time for my December 28th group, you need to order no later than the 19th of December, so get a move on ;-)

Want more info about Core De Force, my 30 Day Fitness and Nutrition Challenge groups, Shakeology, or the Coaching Opportunity? Email me, or message me on Facebook - I'd be happy to chat.

56, Fit and Fabulous! Incredible 21 Day Fix Transformation Story!

I can't do Kathy's story justice, so I'll just let her tell it to you.

This morning, I woke up, looked in the mirror, and felt good enough to take after pics in the same outfit I put on in August. I will send them after I tell you my story.

My dad was 6'3" and my mom was 5'2 3/4" (the 3/4 was very important to her). She had a petite body frame and wore size 6 1/2 or 7 shoes. As I grew, I always had a small frame and I was thin, but compared to her, I was big and she let me know it. I took ballet and danced in the Boston Ballet's Nutcracker when I was in 5th grade (age 11), but was constantly told how clumsy I was. By 13, my feet were a size 8 1/2 and I had to endure "big foot" comments. I barely made the low end of the weight range for my height, usually falling into the underweight range, but I was still told how big my butt was, constantly. My brothers would make beeping noises when I backed up, as if I were a piece of construction equipment. At the same time, my chest was about as flat as possible (32AA), so I heard the standard comments:  "You're a carpenter's dream - flat as a board," or "I've seen bigger lumps than that in oatmeal." You get the picture? I was smart and confident when it came to scholastics, but I developed a lot of insecurities about my body.

Blessed by good genes, and being physically active (dance, softball, etc), I stayed thin throughout my teens and 20's, while listening to folks tell me how lucky I was, and that it would all change when I had kids or when I hit my 30's. Well, I gave birth 2 moths before my 30th birthday and was at my pre-pregnancy weight 5 weeks later.

My dad was 6'3" and my mom was 5'2 3/4" (the 3/4 was very important to her). She had a petite body frame and wore size 6 1/2 or 7 shoes. As I grew, I always had a small frame and I was thin, but compared to her, I was big and she let me know it. I took ballet and danced in the Boston Ballet's Nutcracker when I was in 5th grade (age 11), but was constantly told how clumsy I was. By 13, my feet were a size 8 1/2 and I had to endure "big foot" comments. I barely made the low end of the weight range for my height, usually falling into the underweight range, but I was still told how big my butt was, constantly. My brothers would make beeping noises when I backed up, as if I were a piece of construction equipment. At the same time, my chest was about as flat as possible (32AA), so I heard the standard comments:  "You're a carpenter's dream - flat as a board," or "I've seen bigger lumps than that in oatmeal." You get the picture? I was smart and confident when it came to scholastics, but I developed a lot of insecurities about my body.

Blessed by good genes, and being physically active (dance, softball, etc), I stayed thin throughout my teens and 20's, while listening to folks tell me how lucky I was, and that it would all change when I had kids or when I hit my 30's. Well, I gave birth 2 moths before my 30th birthday and was at my pre-pregnancy weight 5 weeks later.

In my thirties, I took up Kenpo karate, working out 3 hours a night, 4 times a week, while being married, working full time, and raising my son. My weight stayed between 116 and 120 (I'm 5'6"). I was incredibly fit and wore mostly size 4. People told me it wouldn't last and that I'd start putting weight on in my 40's. That didn't happen.

I divorced at 34, remarried at 41 (big mistake), and dropped karate to focus on my son's athletics. He played baseball on AAU teams and traveled all over the country and I was his driver/travel buddy. I still worked full time, I took night classes at college, and drove Josh wherever he needed to be. Over a 9 year period, I went from wearing a size 4 to wearing a size 8. My weight went to 130, and I felt so fat that I bought large and extra large shirts, sweaters, and sweatshirts to hide my imperfections. I was still active, always on the go, confident with work and with motherhood, and my body image issues were known only to me.

Then something happened. As I approached my 50th birthday, for God only knows what reason, one day I looked in the mirror and said, you know what? I look damn good. There are women much younger than I that, for a variety of reasons (genetics among them), look much older than I do. For the first time, I allowed myself to think of me as pretty. The month I turned 50, I got a new haircut, and new fashionable glasses. I finalized plans to divorce my husband, and with my son turning 20, I focused on setting the course for my life based on what I wanted and not what anyone else demanded. A year later, I met an incredible man and we dated for 4 years before parting ways as friends. My career has gone well, and I'm writing a murder mystery, and planning to sell my home and move to the Maine coast. All good things. But then there was the weight issue.

All those people who had said I'd gain weight in my 20's, and 30's, and 40's, and 50's were wrong - until after menopause. About 4 years ago, I started to notice that my waistline was thickening and my clothes were getting more snug. I developed muffin top and HATED it. When I went for a physical 3 years ago, I weighed in at 154. I was still in my weight range, but nudging closer toward the top. I started working out with a  personal trainer twice a week, and then on my own a couple of other night, but I was exhausted, and couldn't keep up the pace or the expense. I found the Fitbie Flatbelly diet plan and worked to make sure my meals were healthy and didn't exceed 400 calories. That was effective to keep me where I was. When I went for my physical, last year, I was at exactly 154, and my doctor remarked that she'd never had someone stay at exactly the same weight for two consecutive years. That was a good thing, but...

I hated my shape. My waistline was gone. I could dress to look good and camouflage it, but I wasn't happy that I couldn't wear whatever I wanted. I donated some of my favorite dresses because they no longer looked good on me. I tried to tell myself that it was okay - that I still looked damn good for my age, and I should cut myself some slack because I was post-menopausal and these things happen, but I wasn't happy.

Then I saw your clean eating page on Brookline's FB page, and I added some of your recipes and did some of the short workouts that you posted. I still had no interest in Shakeology, until you posted the before and after pics of someone almost my age and I thought, if she can do it, so can I.

I am not technically adept enough with social media to edit the pics to put them side-by-side for comparison, so I will message them to you one at a time. The first 3 will be the before's, which were taken on August 22nd. I took the others this morning, Nov. 20. I've actually looked like this for a couple of weeks, so this was probably a 10 week conversion, using 21 DF for 2 full rounds, and then replacing the 21DF cardio with Country Heat in recent weeks.

My starting weight was 154 (same as it was at the doctor's in January). I now weigh 140, and plan to stay there.

My bust went from 39 to 38.

My natural waist went from 36 1/2 to 32.

My waist across my belly button, as Beachbody wants it measured, went from 40 to 35.

My hips went from 41 to 38 1/2.

My thighs went from 23 to 20.

My biceps went from 11 1/2 to 12.

That's 14 lbs and 13 total inches lost in less than 90 days, and I feel great and have more energy.

I can't thank-you enough for not kicking me to the curb when I wasn't initially interested in trying Shakeology, and for all the encouragement you've given me. And I appreciate all the folks in the challenge groups for being supportive and helping me stay motivated.

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Kathy, you put all the work in. You made this happen; not me. I'm so proud to have you as a friend and a partner in this lifelong journey towards whole body health and wellness.

And to anyone reading this... there is no age limit on fitness. There is no such thing as "too old" to get healthy. Sometimes you just need someone to stand by your side, show you the way, and cheer you on.

That's what I do as a coach.

If you found something here that you can relate to - if you need to start a journey towards better health and fitness, and need a helping hand in getting there - either complete my questionnaire, find me on Facebook and message me, or email me at sandirides@gmail.com.

If you don't put you first, who will?