Ultimate Reset - Days 3-5

I'm not quite sure how often I'll post to update my progress through the Ultimate Reset but I figured now was a good time. So my last post talked about day 1 being really hard because of the caffeine withdrawal and the detox feeling. But I'm happy to report that it's the ONLY day where I felt like that.

While I do miss the taste of coffee - I already feel like I'm doing fine without it and I feel awake in the morning and not dragging booty. I'm actually really surprised at how amazing I'm feeling already. It's interesting to see which foods make me feel bloated and it teaches me NOT to eat those foods. For example - the lentils from Day 4. That will not happen again because it didn't make my stomach feel great the rest of the night.

I'm actually going to weigh and document each morning just for analytics to see how my body is responding to everything. I fully understand that there are so many factors that can change weight from day to day - but I thought it would be fun to journal it all throughout the process. I'm down 6 pounds since my first weigh in on day 1....which was 5 days ago. Like my previous post said - I had a lot of bloat and extra weight to get off from the prior few weeks, so I'm really not that surprised at all. It's amazing how fast your body can react when you feed it with ONLY the good stuff and don't snack at night. And the effect that it has on me emotionally and mentally when I'm eating this good is crazy. This is exactly what I needed to get my mind right again. I'm so excited to see how the rest of the 16 days go!

Tonight (Friday) is the first time that I kind of wish I could have a glass of wine. As much as I want it - I'm not going to cave because I'm following this through to the end. I feel too good to mess it up.

Day 3 I went to the gym and did a light workout on the elliptical. Day 4 I did a little special challenge that I posted in my challenge groups but it wasn't super intense and was super short..but something nice to get me moving a little bit. Day 5 I did a little elliptical and a little treadmill...super slow. Because I'm supposed to and because my stupid knee hurts when I walk.

Ok let's talk food. First of all - yes I know that all 3 dinners were the same, but it worked for the veggies stocked in my fridge and it made it easier for me :) You gotta do what works for you, right? And it's all approved in phase one so it's good!

Day 3:

Breakfast: 1 piece of whole wheat toast, 2 farm fresh eggs scrambled with 1 tsp EVOO plus steamed spinach.
Lunch: quinoa salad and baked sweet potato
Snack: vegan chocolate shakeology and frozen strawberries
Dinner: quinoa, veggie stir fry, and tomato and cucumber salad

Day 4:


Breakfast: fruit plate with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and kiwi
Lunch: tempeh rolls (they tasted good but trying to roll it was an epic fail) and lentil-lime salad
Snack: vegan chocolate shakeology and frozen strawberries
Dinner: quinoa and veggie stir fry.

Day 5:
Breakfast: oatmeal, green apple, walnuts, and maple syrup
Lunch: quinoa salad and raw veggies w/ hummus
Snack: vegan chocolate shakeo and frozen strawberries
Dinner: veggie stir fry

Ultimate Reset - Days 1 & 2

I promised to be blogging throughout my Ultimate Reset journey, so here is my first one.

If you didn't read my post about what I'm doing - go here first ----->>> first post

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Day 1

Let's just start off by saying that most of the day I felt horrible. Why? Well I usually consume a crap ton of caffiene in the morning.....way too much but I just love my hot, black coffee in the morning. My morning routine is usually to wake up super early, drink my E&E (Beachbody's Energy & Endurance formula - preworkout drink), wait 15-30 minutes and then work out. After that I pour my first cup of coffee and then have like 6 cups. Yikes - that is a lot of caffiene!

So I was dragging serious butt all morning. I was having MAJOR withdrawals from no coffee and I felt like garbage. I was super thankful that my girls were with their Papa and Nana because I hadn't felt that tired or yucky in a LONG time. By about 3:00 pm I was feeling much better and felt a ton better the rest of the night though. I thought I would go to bed early but ended up staying awake until l1pm.

So I definitely knew that the first few days I might feel bad because of the withdrawals and from the detox getting the junk out of my system (animal crackers, cheezits, trail mix) - that I was sneaking in a little too much! Coaches definitely have their times too where they just go through a funk. I was definitely going through one these last few weeks. So this couldn't have come at a better time for me.

Ok - let's talk food now. I was super nervous that I would be cravings things, just because it's a mind game and knowing I could only have certain things - I thought I would struggle a lot more than I did. But I actually felt full and satisfied all day. I'm super thankful that I can have my Shakeology as an afternoon snack because that's usually when I get hungry and want snacks.

You also take supplements throughout the day and they are fine so far. There is one that is green and is a little funky to drink but it's only once a day :) I do have to say that by the end of the day I can't even tell you how much better my stomach already felt.

Breakfast:

Coconut Quinoa: quinoa, canned coconut milk, pure maple syrup, fresh pineapple chunks, chopped raw walnuts

Lunch: 

Micogreen Salad w/ Avocado: baby salad greens, carrot, cucumber, red bell pepper, tomato, fresh cilantro, avocado

Afternoon Snack:

Vegan chocolate Shakeology w/ frozen strawberries

Dinner:

Baked salmon, asparagus, and boiled baby potatoes

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Day 2

I woke up today feeling much better. I imagined I would feel very sluggish in the morning because my body would want coffee, but surprisingly I felt fine. I didn't have any headache today and I had pretty normal energy. I woke up feeling like so much of my bloat from guilty pleasures over the past few weeks had gone away. I didn't know it was possible in just one day, so I had to weigh myself. I had dropped 3 pounds of bloat in a day. No joke folks. Now let me go back a little bit here because I believe in complete transparancy. I have mentioned that I've been in a funk lately - well that means that over the past several weeks I have just been gaining weight. My weight can fluctuate SO much and so fast. If I eat things that my body isn't used to, it basically freaks out and holds on to it all. So I'm the heaviest I've been since before I even started my Beachbody journey. I know quite a bit of those gains has to do with muscle because I have been working out almost every day for the past year, but I also know that the things I've allowed myself to eat have been attacking my body and my progress.

Like I said - YES I struggle too. I go through low points and I gain weight and fall off track. I'm human and I struggle. One thing I WILL NOT do, is give up. When I feel myself slip, I recognize it and put a plan in place to get myself feeling better. When I start to let my nutrition go a little bit in the way of naughty snacks and a few too many treats - I FEEL it. I feel the lack of energy coming back. I feel the bloat and the stomach cramping. These were all the reasons I started my journey in the first place and I refuse to go back there. So here I am - recommitting!

Anywho - so today I honestly did feel great. The food was great again too and I'm feeling full and so surprised that I don't have any cravings. I did want to snatch some of the girls fresh fruit at lunch, but it wasn't on my plan so I didn't!

On to the food! So I follow the recipes given as closely as I can. But if I don't like something like olives, I'm just going to leave it out :) They also have vegan options which I usually go for since I try to stay away from dairy.

Feeling SO good about this journey and can't wait to see what the next 19 days do for my body and my energy!

Breakfast: 

Oatmeal Tropical: old fashioned rolled oats, mango, unsweetened shredded coconut, chopped raw walnuts

Lunch:

Baked Sweet Potato & Greek Salad (romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato, homemade dressing & pine nuts

Snack:

Vegan chocolate Shakeology and frozen strawberries - YUM

Dinner: 

Southwestern Veggie Taco: avocado, salsa, black beans & rice, corn, tortilla

My New Journey

Tomorrow marks the start of my brand new journey. One that I'm super excited about but also super nervous about. If you've been following me and my journey for the past few months, you would know that I've kind of been on the struggle bus. It's a mix of factors but it's really gotten out of control and I just need a change.

I'll back up a little bit. Ever since I first injured my knee in December - things have been kind of up and down with me. I've ALWAYS been super consistent with my workouts because I just love doing it, but my nutrition has been kind of like a roller coaster ride over the past few months. I've talked about it before - but I'm a very emotional eater and I will do great all day - but then once I let my guard down it's like everything can go out the window. And I'll be the first to tell my challengers and myself this - your nutrition is at least 70% of your results. You can workout all you want, but if you're not on point in the kitchen, things just aren't going to happen (or they are going to go in the wrong direction!)

I think maybe some of it for me is that I feel like as a coach I'm always on display. If I don't do things right, then how can I expect my challengers and followers to do things right? That's not the correct thinking, I know that - but I certainly play mind games with myself and then I can drive myself a little crazy causing me to have some failures.

Well I am fully in control of my decisions and if I want things to change, then I need to change something. So that's exactly what I'm going to do. I just need a reset button.

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Enter the Ultimate Reset. Tomorrow I will start my journey with Beachbody's Ultimate Reset Program and I am SO excited to try it out and to blog about that journey with all of you. Click here to read more about what the program is. I've heard such amazing things about the program and I have complete faith in the creator of it. I'm really wanting to move to a more Paleo type eating and this is going to definitely get me started there. I'll write more about that and my reasons for that later but for now I just wanted to share the start of my journey.

Sooo...this morning I weighed myself and took my measurements. I can tell I'm retaining water so I know that could be some of it but I honestly was taken aback at what I saw. I have been gaining weight lately because I haven't been making great choices as far as snacks go. (reminder: you can eat great, healthy, clean meals all day - but if you choose snacks at night that are not good...and you over indulge - you are not doing yourself any favors).

I'm not going to share my before stuff right now...I'm going to wait until after the 21 days is over to reveal all of that. Partly because I want everyone to see it side-by-side...and partly because I don't even know if I could bare to share those details today.

What do I feel my biggest struggles are going to be doing this?

1. No strenuous workouts. I can do light walking but they really encourage you NOT to do any hardcore workouts. This cleanse is doing such a workout on the inside that they really don't think it's a great idea to create more stress on the body. This will be hard for me because I love working out. So I'm definitely going to listen to my body and do light cardio and maybe some yoga (blah!) :)

2. Um. No snacks? I can have one option afternoon snack and that will be when I have my Shakeology - but I think after dinner will be the toughest for me. I have heard that you sleep like a baby while you're doing this so I am going to try really hard to go to bed early and work on getting more sleep.

3. No coffee. Say what? Yes - no E&E either. I think this might be tougher than not being able to work out! I love my black coffee in the morning! I don't even think the caffiene does anything to me anymore - I just love the activity and the hot brew going down!

BUT - I invested in this program and I am investing in myself. I'm committing myself 100% to this program and to making myself FEEL great again. To be honest - I don't care much about what that scale says because it can be a dirty liar. But I do care about how I feel and I dont feel great right now. I know that it's possible when I take great care of myself and that's exactly why I'm doing this. I also think the nice, long rest for my knee will be very smart and beneficial. I am still waiting to hear back from my x-ray results - but I'm hoping to get some answers soon, no matter what it means!

Like I said - I look forward to sharing my journey with you over the next 21 days. I want to share what I'm eating, how I'm feeling and the changes that are happening so I can give my personal opinion on this program for you all.

Grocery shopping for the next few days recipes is going down today!

What I Really Want For Mother's Day

Mother's Day is a few days away and my kids have asked me "Mommy, what would you like?"

Well honestly, I really don't want anything because I have everything that I need. What I would like is just a day that is a little more restful than normal. I'm sure my husband will make sure that happens because he's pretty much the bomb.com in the husband/daddy department.

But it really got me thinking to what Moms really want.

:::To feel appreciated
:::To feel loved
:::Sometimes they just want to be pampered
:::To feel like their best selves.

I want to focus on the last one. As a Mom, our main focus 120% of the time is taking care of everyone else. So much of the time we let our own needs and our own health fall by the wayside because we feel like we just don't have the time or energy to put any focus on ourselves. That would be so selfish right? We have a family to take care of.

Time to take that mindset and throw it right in the trash.

I used to feel this way too. I used to feel guilty for doing anything for myself. For taking any time that was for ME. But I've learned so much along my journey and the most important thing I've learned is that taking care of myself IS taking care of my family. In the biggest way possible.

When I chose to invest in my first challenge pack that included a workout program and Shakeology - I felt guilty about the money that it cost. Now it seems SO silly. Why didn't I ever feel guilty about all the money I was spending for doctor visits and medicine because I was sick and felt like crap all the time? Or the time that it took to be sick and go to the doctor? Because that's what we are taught is acceptable and just a way of life. Well that's wrong. Dead wrong. We don't have to feel that way. We don't have to be sick all the time.

It comes down to how we take care of our bodies. What we decide to put in our bodies (nutrition) and how we treat our bodies with activity (fitness) - these things matter. When we start to change these two things - EVERYTHING changes. I am living proof!

I'm not here to just sell you some DVDs and a shake. I'm here to share my story because even though my story isn't this huge physical transformation where I lost 100 lbs....my story is a huge transformation story of so much more. I went from being someone who was out of shape, lacked all energy, had headaches all of the time, got sick waaaaay too often, had no self confidence, and just felt like garbage. I treated my body like garbage and I wondered why I felt so terrible. And I wasn't on track to show my children, by example, how to truly lead a healthy lifestyle.

I want to share this because I want other Moms to really believe that investing in yourself is important. It's not selfish. It's anything but selfish. When I first got my workout program and my Shakeology - I did think it was just some DVDS and a shake - but it ended up being SO much more. I joined an online health and fitness accountability group and I stuck with it. And those DVDs and shake and the community of people I surrounded myself with CHANGED MY LIFE.

Maybe this Mother's Day you decide to finally make the first step you've been thinking about for so long. I would love to help you get started and be there for you along your journey. My passion in life is helping people get healthy and to find the joy in life again that comes with feeling amazing.

I have a new online accountability group starting May 18th. What is this group about? Click here to read more. I would love to have you join! I have 5 spots left until the group is filled and I'm also offering a special Mother's Day incentive so make sure to ask about that!

Feel free to email me at krystajmeyer@gmail.com or message me on facebook!

What Is this 21 Day Fix??

I get a lot of common questions about the 21 Day Fix - what is it, what does it come with, how does it work....so I wanted to make a quick video to answer some of those questions!

May Specials

This isn't going to be a super long post about each program but I'll include links to other posts written that go into more detail about each program, but I did want to make sure I shared what the May specials were and I'm so excited because there are SIX! So here we go....

Check out the specials below! My next online accountability and support group starts May 18th and I'm going to have people doing a mix of programs in it! Now is the perfect time to make the changes you've been thinking about. :)

Insanity Max: 30 & Shakeology Challenge Pack
Shaun T is amazing and this program definitely does not disappoint. If you're looking to push yourself, you seriously should give this one a try. Click here for more info.

Insanity Max: 30 & Shakeology Kickstart Challenge Pack w/ 3 Day Refresh 

This challenge pack includes everything from the one above PLUS the 3 Day Refresh program. Click here to read more on that awesome plant-based cleanse. I LOVE the 3 Day Refresh!

PiYo & Shakeology Challenge Pack 

So excited when they announced that the PiYo challenge pack and the PiYo Kickstart challenge pack specials were going to be extended through May! Click here to read more on this program!

PiYo & Shakeology Kickstart Challenge Pack w/ 3 Day Refresh 

Again - everything from the PiYo challenge pack plus the 3 Day Refresh program!

 

Ultimate Reset & Shakeology Challenge Pack 

Now I'm really excited about this one because I've been contemplating doing it myself and when they announced that the special was going to be extended through May, I knew I was going to definitely go for it. Click here to read all the great details on what this is and how it works.

Body Beast & Shakeology Challenge Pack 

I actually just bought this program and have done some of it so far. Everyone I know who has done it or is currently doing it absolutely loves it!

What is Body Beast:
• 12 cutting-edge workouts that fuse the best of old-school resistance training with a new breakthrough in sports science called Dynamic Set Training®.
• Designed to help you shed fat, pack on lean muscle, build strength, and get incredible definition in just 90 days.
• Developed and hosted by the champion bodybuilder and clinical nutritionist Sagi Kalev who’s helped professional physique models, actors, and bodybuilders get cut fast.

Body Beast is for:
• Men and women looking to build a head-turning physique
• Graduates of other extreme fitness programs who want to focus on weight loss and building lean muscle mass
• Men and women who work out but aren’t getting the results they’ve hoped for
• Weight-lifting enthusiasts looking for a comprehensive at-home program

Ultimate Reset

I've been going back and forth about this program because I'm really wanting to do it, but I'm nervous about it because it's strict and I won't be able to work out like I usually do for 21 Days. But everything I've been hearing about it and how great it is - really just makes me want to go for it. And since we were informed that the program was one of the May specials - I think that I just might go for it. So I just wanted to share some info on what the Ultimate Reset is and why so many people think it's absolutely amazing. Who wants to do it with me??

What is the Beachbody Ultimate Reset? 

The Beachbody Ultimate Reset is a complete, three-phase, 21-day program that provides everything you need to:
• Phase 1: Reclaim your body's natural balance.*
• Phase 2: Release the harmful materials you may be storing within you.*
• Phase 3: Restore your system to its maximum health.*

What are the benefits of the Beachbody Ultimate Reset?

In just 21 days, the Ultimate Reset can help you gently restore your body to its original factory settings," to help you:
• Have more energy and greater focus*
• Experience better digestion and a more positive mood*
• Enable your body to function more efficiently*
• Lose weight*
• Improve your overall health*

What the Beachbody Ultimate Reset™ is NOT:
• A starvation diet. (You'll eat three filling, healthy meals every day.)
• An abrupt cleanse that's hard on the body. (The supplements work together gradually to gently shift your body's internal settings.)*
• A laxative-based, colon-focused cleanse, which fails to truly detoxify the whole body. (You won't be running to the bathroom every hour!)

What's included in the Beachbody Ultimate Reset? Six Essential Supplements:

The Ultimate Reset Nutritionals are uniquely formulated to help restore your body to optimal health. • Alkalinize – Helps maintain alkalinity.*
• Oxygenize – Helps provide supplemental oxygen to the body.*
• Mineralize – Adds natural minerals needed by the body.*
• Detox – Helps remove toxins and waste in the colon.*
• Revitalize – Helps revitalize flora in the digestive tract.*
• Optimize – Promotes healthy metabolism and effective body function

Program and Nutrition Guide 
• Detailed step-by-step instructions on your 21-day Reset journey.
• Plus a 3-week eating plan with recipes, cooking tips, shopping lists, and more.

Two DVDs:
• Reset Your Health! Includes a complete program overview, instructions for getting started, and Success Stories to help motivate you.
• Cooking Class! Provides an overview of the foods recommended in your Reset, including sample meal-preparation videos.

Support Tools
• Unparalleled support from your Team Beachbody® Coach, fellow Reset participants, and Challenge Groups.
• Access to exclusive UltimateReset.com content.
• Day-by-day online support:
          o Food preparation videos for each day's meals
          o Daily cleanse tips, recipes, and shopping lists
          o Personal experiences from fellow participants
• Mobile-enabled Web site content

How is the Beachbody Ultimate Reset different from other cleanse programs?
• The Ultimate Reset isn't a crash diet or a synthetic meal replacement.
• It's an integrated, whole-body reset solution—a step-by-step program that lets you have real food, provides specially formulated supplements, and teaches you conscious living techniques that work to detoxify and restore your body.
• You'll not only help return your metabolism to optimal function, but you'll learn conscious self-care behaviors that can help you maintain better health, even after your Reset.*

Clean Eating Grocery List

I love Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet! Her books and recipes are amazing! She breaks down eating to the basics! Eat food consumed in its most natural state, or close to it- REAL FOOD! (Which means nothing processed). If you haven't read her books before I highly suggest picking up one of her clean eating books!

Fruits and veggies.
Nuts, legumes, natural nut butters, nut oils. (no additives)
Whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice.
Lean proteins. (chicken, ground turkey, fish, lean beef) Meats should be grass fed, free range! Free of chemicals and hormones.

General rule of thumb for clean eating: If your great, great grandparents didn't eat it, you shouldn't either!

Complex Carbs

Steel Cut Oats/Oatmeal
Sweet Potatoes
Black Beans
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Ezekiel Bread --sprouted grain bread (Available in the frozen section of grocery store)
Ezekiel brand pasta and tortillas
Wild rice
Brown rice
Wehani rice
Whole wheat orzo & couscous
Quinoa
Quinoa flour
Wheat germ
Flax seed &flax oil
Cracked wheat
Rye flakes

Vegetables

Lettuce
Broccoli
Asparagus
Green beans
Spinach
Bell peppers
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Celery
Mushrooms (Shiitake)
Pickles
Cabbage
Sprouts
Cucumber
Green and Red pepper
Onions (green, red, yellow)
Garlic
Tomatoes
Zucchini
Squash
Spaghetti Squash
Pumpkin (fresh & canned)
Sundried tomatoes
Cilantro
Chives
Kale
Dried Split Peas
Edammame

Fruits

Blueberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Lime & lemon juice
Apples
Grapes
Pears
Clementines
Watermelon
1/2 a banana a day

Healthy Fats

Natural-style Peanut butter (unsalted) or PB2
Avocados
Olive-oil cooking spray
Pine nuts
Almonds--moderation
Walnuts
Tahini paste

Proteins

Boneless, skinless chicken breast
Water packed albacore
White meat chicken (water packed)
Salmon
Shrimp
Extra lean ground round
Buffalo steak (lean)
Filet
Flank Steak (leanest)
Extra lean ground turkey
Turkey cutlets
Bison meat
Turkey jerky

Dairy & Eggs

Cottage Cheese
Eggs and/or Egg white Substitute
Greek yogurt
String Cheese
Almond Milk
Jarlsberg Lite Swiss Cheese
Fresh Parmesean cheese
Feta

Condiments

Braggs Liquid Amino Acid (sub for soy sauce)
Reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce (no corn syrup)
Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic vinaigrette
Salsa
Chili Paste
Tomato Paste (low sugar)
Stewed tomatoes (low sodium)
Mustard (yellow or Dijon)
Vanilla extract
Almond extract
Low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
Low-sodium, fat-free vegetable broth
Reduced-sodium tomato sauce & tomatoes
Worcestershire
Olive-oil cooking spray
Sugar-free applesauce

Herbs & Spices

Chili powder
Mrs. Dash
McCormicks
Cinnamon
Allspice

Clean Eating Snack Ideas

It's pretty normal for people to get bored with their current snacks. So instead of letting you get to the point where you just grab the unhealthy stuff you see because you're bored - let's brainstorm some great options for healthy snacks instead. You can print off this list and store it in a safe place so when the time comes you have some ideas right in front of you.

What is the importance of eating snacks? You should aim to eat every 2.5-3 hours and 5-6 time a day. Each meal shoud be around 200-300 calories depending on your weight loss goals and body composition. But you are not gorging yourself 6 times a day. It's all about controlling portions and eating quality food! 

• 1/2 cup cottage cheese w 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt w 1/2 cup blueberries or other berries and a drizzle of agave nectar for sweetness
• 1 apple and 14 raw unsalted almonds
• 2 cups celery and 1-2 tbs of all natural peanut butter (the only ingredients should be peanuts) or you could go for another nut butter like almond butter only containing almonds.
• 2 plain unsalted brown rice cakes with 1-2 tbs all natural nut butter
• 1 cup carrots and cucumbers and 1-2 tbs hummus
• Shakeology
• Protein shake 
• 4 egg whites with salsa and a sprinkle of feta cheese
• 1 whole grain tortilla with 1 tbs of all natural nut butter and 1 banana sliced - create a roll up
• 1 bag of edamame
• 2 cups sugar snap peas and 1-2 tbs hummus
• 1 cup strawberries and a handful of raw unsalted cashews
• 20 grapes and 1 string cheese