BOOM! Nailed it! Day 4

May 24 Day Challenge day 4 has started off with a boom.  I woke up feeling great and when you have no kids to get around and ready, it goes even better! I lazied around this morning, drinking my Fruit Punch Spark and taking the next part of the cleanse…

I’m now up to 3 Catalyst caps, 2 OmegaPlex Caps, and 2 Probiotics every morning. And now I remember what is so hard about AdvoCare.  ALL. THE. SUPPLEMENTS. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I know they’re doing for me, but sometimes, I wonder if I’m not as hungry because I’ve eaten so many supplements!

All in all, it’s working.  I’m cleansing my system to prepare it for the better vitamins I’ll be taking in, and it’s going to be worth it! As a matter of fact, I was reached out to this morning via my Instagram post, and was asked some really good questions.  One of which was “How do you like supplements?” Honestly, no one likes swallowing pills.  But, AdvoCare is a great product.  I’ve known that for 15+ years.  I decided to give it a chance again, just because I felt like my system needed a cleanse. THAT’S why I started.  AdvoCare has tons of different supplements available, some for added energy, some as a probiotic, some just as a vitamin.  It’s a pick-and-choose, but it can also be spelled out for you if that’s what you need!

I’m finishing this challenge because it’s important to me. And, while I haven’t seen/noticed a major change in the 4 days I’ve been on the program, I stepped on the scale so that I could give this question an honest answer.  I’m down 2 pounds as of this morning.  Eating clean(er) foods, drinking more and more water, and this cleanse has helped already.  Why not finish it to see what it CAN do?! What *I* can do!

Yesterday I had snap pea crisps for breakfast… don’t judge me. lol. 

I didn’t want anything, but needed something, and they were close by.  They’re baked, a vegetable, and taste amazing, so I went with it.  I also ate some pistachios since I could use some healthy fats. For lunch I had some shaved, gluten free turkey meat rolled up, and a bag of steamable mixed veggies.  I love those things. And yes, when I say a bag, I mean the WHOLE DAMN BAG.  Not the greatest lunch for me, but I had it here at work, and it sounded good.  Nothing fried, nothing rolled in butter or sauces, so I call it a win.

Since the honey and I were kid-less last night, we hit up Fuji for dinner (I did steak) and then hit up Sam’s for some necessities. Back to Fuji’s--- I had the steak, I ate the rice, and all the veggies. No, steak isn’t one of the “recommended” foods on the cleanse, and neither are the sauces, but I def portioned it out and didn’t finish it.  I got leftovers for lunch today! At Sam’s, we picked up lots of fruits and I may or may not have eaten several pieces of mango before we made it home. The main reason I like Sam's... I log more steps on my FitBit Force... Added benefit. 

Knowing that I had a load of carbs for dinner, I came home and immediately took two Carb-Ease Plus capsules, and my Omega’s, then just before bed, took the 3 Catalyst and my 3 cleanse pills too. Again, this morning has gone well, and I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot already! No Fiber drink this morning (YAY!), all the supplements down the hatch, Spark-ed up, and met some amazing women on IG this morning!  (Hi Ladies!) This morning I’m having grapes for breakfast, leftovers from last night for lunch (with another set of Carb-Ease caps) and I’ve got grapes, apples, and pistachios around for snacks while I’m at work.

Is there anything specific you’d like to know? Questions about the supplements? Need a coach or want to purchase? Please! Contact me if you’ve got questions about what I eat, what I’m taking, or just about me in general.  It’s the interactions here, on IG and on FB that keep me going! Seriously! After connecting this morning, I’m even more pumped to do this thing all the way this time!

Hope you all have a great Thursday! We’re on the last of our leg to the weekend! 

March Madness... in my world

Hey there and Happy March! I wanted to put in writing what my goals are fort his month. Maybe, just maybe, if I do that then I'll be more accountable?

I'm currently (as of weight in Wednesday on 2/26) down 9.6 pounds since January 2nd.  February has been terrible for me and I'm basically a month behind weight loss wise.  The scale literally hasn't moved. I still have so much further to go, but know that it's the little things I need to look forward to, rather than long term. So... Here it is.

March Goals:

Weight loss of 8 pounds. (that's averaging 2 pounds a week)

4 flights of stairs a day (currently doing a minimum of 3 each day)

Work out at least 30 mins a day, 4 times a week. (I'm setting a realistic number here)

Complete #MarchYogaWithJoJo (Challenge Yoga pose a day)

Meal prep and actually eat what you cook (this is the hardest for me at dinner time)

March includes birthday prep for my son's birthday on April 3rd and it also includes Spring break for my boys.  They'll be off for a week, and my oldest is going to his Dad's in Colorado. I'll be able to take a week off of cooking dinner since they probably won't be here, so that might save my diet.  HOWEVER, St. Patrick's day also falls during that week, and that may or may not mean that a Pub Crawl is in play... 

While discussing meal prep- Do any of you have any ideas about calories and what your bodies need? I know what my Loseit App suggests,  and what my FitBit app says, but I'm not so sure it's what I actually need. I've been trying to stay at or under for two months now. This week, I've gone over, but I did it on purpose. Not just because I had too many cheat meals. I decided to up my calories this week and see what kind of a difference it makes with my metabolism.

I know that there are several factors to take into consideration when figuring out how many calories you should consume.  And I have done the research, but I guess I just don't understand it?  I have an 8-5 job that basically consists of me sitting at a desk that whole time, so I know that I am not near as active as I should be.  However, I have recently made the conscience decision to climb the stairs at work (up to an apartment) any time I leave my desk to go to the bathroom (or kitchen). That ups my active time, and if  I stick with my March goals, I'll be able to add much more active time too.  What bothers me, is that the yoga video I do doesn't keep my FitBit active enough to count as very active minutes. (You can read my review of the FitBit Force here) I can input the activity, but again, I really have no exact way of knowing what I'm burning or how my heart rate is. Looks like I'll have to make a secondary investment into a heart rate monitor/calorie counter for that.

Fit Bit Reviews

As I had mentioned in my Valentines Day post, Darrell got his Valentines Day present weekend before last while we were out and about.  He's been talking about getting a FitBit band since he moved in, and so after doing a bunch of research a couple weeks ago, I caved and got him one.

We decided on a FitBit Flex for him. (this pic is of his {blueish one) on top of mine as a size comparison) This one was more waterproof than the Force and while it doesn't have the digital readout like mine does, he seems to really like it. He's always getting his daily goal of steps each day, but since he works in the restaurant industry, it kinda makes sense.  Here's a snippet from the website about the Flex:
"This slim, stylish device is with you all the time. During the day, it tracks steps, distance, and calories burned. At night, it tracks your sleep quality and wakes you silently in the morning. Just check out the lights to see how you stack up against your personal goal. It’s the motivation you need to get out and be more active."

We decided on the FitBit Force for me.

It's got a digital readout so it doubles as a watch for me.  I can also check my calories burned, steps, active minutes and flights of stairs climbed throughout the day too. I love it. It tracks my sleep and lately tells me I'm a crappy sleeper. lol. Since I work at a desk most of the day, I don't hit as many steps as I could... but I'm hoping that as soon as the weather cleans up, that I can start walking again. I'm really looking forward to setting some goals, and totally busting through them!

Since getting this, and since planning my trip to Las Vegas, I've decided to start climbing flights of stairs. Ya know, so I don't kill over while on the trip, and I figure it's good cardio and good for my legs.  I've decided to start with one flight, then increase it by one each day. Friday's count will flow over to Monday since I only have stairs at work and will be taking two days off.  Who knows if it will actually be beneficial, but i figure it cant hurt. (Other than my knees and my chest from breathing so hard!)

It also isn't a heart rate monitor. Sometimes I wish it was though, so it might calculate my yoga workout calorie burns better.  I'm at a loss as to how much I'm actually burning when I do a workout. Yeah, I get a general number from my LoseIt! log, but I'd still like to know something a little more concrete. Maybe that's just the OCD coming out in me.

Here's some info from the website...
"A powerful Force for everyday fitness, this sleek wristband is with you all the time. Stay motivated to keep moving with real-time stats right on your wrist. Track steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, stairs climbed and active minutes throughout the day. At night, track your sleep and wake up silently with a vibrating alarm."

Speaking of the vibrating (silent) alarm... IN LOVE.  This is a much better option for Darrell and I.  I get up every morning by 6:20 (7:00 on weekends) so i have these alarms going of while Darrell is still sleeping.  With him coming in later at night than me, he sleeps a little longer.  I always feel bad about my alarm going off and waking him up. With this alarm, it vibrates some short vibrations and it actually does wake you.  And it's so much better than waking up to this great big loud noise every day!

Seriously... I like it.  I've only had my Force for a couple weeks, but I find it extremely helpful. I'm hoping that it helps me set goals, crush them, an re-set them! I highly suggest looking into the FitBit's if any of you are looking for something like this to help you step up your game.

Do any of you have a FitBit? I'm still learning how to use mine and how to set real goals and such. Any of you have suggestions?

Cause I haven't posted in a while...

Hey... It's me.  Niki.  Ya know, the one that started this blog?

I haven't written much more than Weigh in Wednesday's lately, so I feel as thought I've neglected anyone that may actually be following. So, here I am.  On a Saturday. :)

Yesterday was Valentines Day (as you all are very aware of).  My honey did a great job this year (as with most years) and bought my favorite roses and sent them to the office.

Yes, that balloon DOES say, "You're Pretty Special".  He's constantly telling me how special I am to him, and he loves to do things that are different from everyone else.  Think about it.  How many "I Love You" balloons did you see yesterday?  Tons. How many "You're Pretty Special" balloons did you see? Huh? One.  This one. :)

I also came home to a basket of goodies set out on my bed.

That boy... I tell ya.  He loves to go above and beyond, even though I told him no gifts.  The basket he put together himself, purchased each item himself, and actually paid attention and made each item something I've been wanting.

I have a new yoga video (cause that's my choice workout), yoga blocks and bands, new flip flops (that my 6 year old swears I needed), a new shaker bottle (cause my 8 year old and I use them every morning and I get tired of washing them), lots of Quest Bars (my new favorite snack), a smelly thing from Bath & Body Works for my new Jeep, Sleep body wash/bubble bath (cause I was almost out and have been having a hard time sleeping), a couple wallet/purses I had asked for, for the trip to Vegas, AND a game camera for hunting season.

Darrell had to work last night, so we didn't get to go to dinner or anything for the holiday, but I took my other Valentine out (one of my BFF's, Suzan) and we had a good time.  Darrell and I did our yearly tradition and enjoyed our favorite restaurant today.  Franks Italian. YUMMO

Darrell got his Valentines Day present last weekend while we were out and about.  He's been talking about getting a FitBit band since he moved in, and so after doing a bunch of research a couple weeks ago, I caved and got him one. I'll post a full post on my review of it... I may have gotten myself one too. I didn't intend on giving it to him before Valentines Day, but he found it in the basket and I couldn't say it was mine cause I got a different kind.

I've got the weekend off and free from kids.  Whatever will I do with myself? The kiddos went to stay with their grandparents for the weekend, and Darrell is back at work tonight, so I'm just over here... hanging out... blogging and all...

Wednesday I gave  shout out to my sister for her 16th birthday. We went to dinner that night and she had to do the whole embarrassment thing.

We love to do things like this to her. :)

Such a pretty young lady.  Watch out boys... it's not daddy you need to be afraid of.  It's her big sister! Lort help me, I'm scared to death for this little lady.  She's such a cutie, a cheerleader, and a boy magnet.  Bless her heart. Dear Lord please watch over her... closely.

In even better news... my tickets to the Elton John concert while we're in Vegas came in. Whoot! I can not wait... I'll have to do a whole post on Vegas as well... seriously ya'll.  i love it almost as much as my kids. :-)

Until then, I hope you all had a wonderful Valentines Day! Make the most of this beautiful weekend!