Day TWO!!

It’s day two, y’all! I’ve doubled up on my Strawberry-Mango Spark today ‘cause the little lady didn’t sleep at all last night!

We’re in that weird spot of the weather that it’s hot then its cold, then its rainy… It was warm when I went to bed, it was cold when I got up.  I think that had a lot to do with my lack of sleep… cause I was dog tired! Maybe I was too tired?

Anywho- Day one wrapped up pretty good.  I had apples and grapes for snacks, a salad for lunch and last night we wanted Mexican, so I did fajitas.  I probably could have cut out some of the stuff I did eat, but I still think I did well, AND took my CarbEase with dinner, to hopefully off set my largest meal of the day. Amazing enough, I didn’t want a snack last night either, so I went to bed with my 10 day cleanse pills (3 larger pills) and 3 Catalyst pills, and I was done!

Today has started with the double Spark (see above), Catalyst and the fiber drink again… and I haven’t quite gotten to breakfast yet.  The plan again is to have a salad for lunch and fruits for snacks… And dinner is a wash tonight.  I may bake some chicken, or maybe even a turkey breast, if my honey grabs one today. I’ve been craving turkey for some reason, but don’t want to pay the deli prices! Sheesh! I had also thought about breakfast for dinner one night! Mmmm… I love fried eggs and bacon. Of course, Ill probably do scrambled and turkey bacon, but it’s still eggs and bacon! Now… if I can just remember to thaw my turkey bacon.

What are some of your favorite things to eat when you’re getting healthy and eating right? I love seeing suggestions, websites, etc.  So comment or email me with them! 

Also- I've posted an amazing Transformation Tuesday pic on my Heavy Cupcake IG... It's not me (obvs) but its of my friend  Julie that I met in January in a FB group. The woman set a New Years Resolution and she. is. crushing. it!  She's down 75 puonds (SEVENTY FIVE!) and she's doing an awesome job! Go check her out, let her know how great she's doing,  and watch her progress! 

Back Again... For 24 Days at Least!

Well… I’m BACK!  (whoo-hoo, yay!- Don’t everyone cheer at once!)

I’ve fallen WAY off track lately, gained everything back that I lost at the beginning of the year, and I’m trying it all over again. This time, I’m trying it with a cleanse and actual program.

Enter: The Advocare 24 Day challenge

 

The 24 Day Challenge pack comes with a 10 day cleanse, some supplements, some shakes and a spelled out program.  Do this- Not that.  Eat this- Not that. THAT’S why I picked it. I’m the type that has to have my hand held.  I need someone to say “this is it”.  “Don’t eat that.” “You can do this”.  So… Here I am!

Day one starts with your Spark and I’ve added the Catalyst to the mix as per my coach’s recommendation. Wake up, shake it up, and drink it down.  The Spark flavors that I picked are actually something I don’t mind drinking and the Catalyst caps aren’t so big that I have to choke them down, so the morning routine is A-Okay.  I picked Strawberry-Mango for one box of Spark and fruit punch for the other. I also had some grape… and It’s terrible. Like, so bad, terrible.  I’ve been told that they will let you return them and send you a different box if you find that you don’t like the flavor, so I’m going to email them today and see what we can do about those. 

As soon as I get to work, I shake up the Fiber Drink for the 10 Day Cleanse and drink it IMMEDIATELY.  I picked the Peaches and Cream flavor (recommended by Mama Laughlin herself) over the citrus flavor because I remember the original Advocare citrus products from 20 years ago… BLECH! That’s stuck in my head, and I probably won’t try ANY of their citrus products, just because of that.

After drinking the fiber drink, I’m doing one of the Meal Replacement Shakes for today. I’ve had the chocolate shakes before, and they’re not BAD… But I ordered the vanilla shakes this time, so that I can add berries or flavors to it, if I need to.  I mix the shakes with water the first go around, just so I can make sure I know what it ACTUALLY tastes like… I may add almond milk to it one day if I feel like I need it, but right now, water is working.  Honest opinion? Vanilla is actually yummy… Chocolate is a little chalky.  Like, I want to add chocolate syrup to it to make it taste like chocolate.  *but you can’t do that Niki* 

One of the things that I don't think the Advocare (or its distributors) advertise enough? Theres an app to help you with your 24 day challenge! 

I downloaded it, plugged in my weight and measurements, and I'm checking off everything as I do it! It's SOOOO handy! The only think I wish it had? Reminders.  To let you know "Hey! It's time to take your Catalyst!" Or something along those lines.. Or tell you suggested foods compared to what you've already consumed today.  Just my two cents worth! Either way, I like having the app to help me SEE what I need to do. They have it in iTunes AND the Play Store, so download it if you're starting soon too! 

I'm part of the way through the day, and so far... I'm good.  The Spark gives you a nice jump start in the day, the fiber drink helps fill you up, the shake is filling, so yeah.  SURELY I can do this for 24 days? right? I'm hoping to do some meal prep tonight since yesterday was the birthday party of the century (more on that later) and I collapsed just in time to watch The Walking Dead and Talking Dead. (big fan's in my house, and we're Team Daryl)

If you're interested in what Advocare does for me during this 24 day challenge, then come back and I'll hopefully have some good news for you!  Also- I've still got the Heavy Cupcake Facebook page that I sometimes post things on, as well as a *NEW* Instagram just for Heavy Cupcake and starting over. Please, come look me up, follow along and KEEP ME ACCOUNTABLE! 

*Also- Just because I'm using the products, if you're interested in looking into them, here is the website where you can look, price and think about it... I don't expect you to buy from me if you already know "a guy", but I'm just throwing it out there.*

Resolution Revolution Goodies!

Good Tuesday Morning to you all! I'm back from my 3 day weekend! It wasn't exaclty the three day weekend i would have envisioned, but only because I sat at a courthouse most of the morning on Friday. (whomp, whomp, whomp) I was called for Jury Duty, and am basically at their beck and call for two weeks.  I have to call every day at 4:30 so see if I need to attend the following day.  Talk about NO NOTICE! Kinda crappy, but hey.  What can you do?

Anyway, as I said Friday morning in my Follow through Friday linkup, my package for the Resolution Revolution that Jess has started sponsoring showed up on Thursday evening.  I was so excited!

This special little package had so many fun little goodies!  Jess really outdone herself with our first package.

We have everything from the member shirts, to Spark, to Jelly Beans! Yes, I said Jelly Beans! I've decided that I want to review each item in the package that she sent, and let you know what I think, as someone that is actually trying all of these things for the very first time.

First up, the Kashi Trail Mix Granola Bar. 

This bad boy right here was really yummy.  I needed something sweet Friday night after dinner, and so I turned to this. It has fruit, nuts, and oats and stuff and I really enjoyed it. According to their website, heres their description:

"Chewy and naturally tasty, our granola bars satisfy your sweet and wholesome sides. With whole, roasted almonds, succulent, sun-dried fruit, toasted sunflower seeds and a touch of wildflower honey, our Trail Mix granola bars have 4g of fiber* and 6g of protein.

Naturally, you won't find any partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial anything but what you will find in our chewy granola bars is just what you'd expect from Kashi® — pure ingredients, and natural goodness you can see as well as taste"

While I agree that it was tasty, and it does taste natural, it wasn't exactly what I would call chewy.  Yes, I had to chew, no I didn't have to crunch down on it.  It was still very good.  Just enough "chew" to make me not regret opening it, and solid just enough that it felt "healthy" to bite into. 

As for the nutrition info, here is the breakdown:

As someone that is doing the counting calories thing, I would definatly sacrafice 140 calories for this again.  It was yummy, satisfying and well worth it. I even like how they print the "Exchange" rate on the package for Diabetics. Very handy. 

Next up is the Mango Strawberry Spark by Advocare.

(yes, i know this is not the right image.  I coudln't find one for the Mango Strawberry)

While I do not know a ton of stuff about Spark, I do know that it has been around for YEARS... I remember my mother trying to make me drink the stuff when I was around 10, and at that time, they only had an orangy-citrus flavor.  And it. was. terrible. HAHA! I do have to have to admit that this was much more appetizing than it used to be. The directions say to mix it with 8oz of water or juice, and mix well.  I like a little bit of a strong flavor, so I only added 6oz and while I enjoyed the flavor (and so did my 8 year old) it didn't quite have the kick that I was looking for on Friday.  In taste or energy. There was no "grit" when drinking it, nor was there an aftertaste at all. I REALLY liked that. However, at 5:15 in the evening, I found myself lacking energy, and realized that I dozed off. That's really the only, but main, downfall in my opinion. Here is the description from the Advocare website.

"AdvoCare Spark Energy Drink Mix is a unique multi-nutrient system that was developed as a nutritional source of energy and enhanced mental focus.* It's a sugar-free drink mix that has more than 20 vitamins, minerals and nutrients that work synergistically to provide a healthy, balanced and effective source of energy that won't overburden or overstimulate your body like other energy drinks on the market.* This amazing product serves as an all-in-one solution that gives you a quick boost of energy that lasts for hours.* With eight refreshing flavors (Watermelon, Mango Strawberry, Pink Lemonade, Grape, Mandarin Orange, Fruit Punch, Cherry and Citrus), you're sure to find one that's perfect for you. And the best part? Only 45 calories in each serving!"

I currently take a simmular vitamin supplement by Zeal for Life.

Zeal Wellness is a vitamin supplement taken once daily, usually in the morning, and it gives you your daily value of needed vitamins and minerals.  And for the extra "energy" kick that everyone needs, it's got Guarana in it.  A natural supplement like caffine, but much healthier. 

Here's the vitamin breakdown of the two side by side.

Ingredients/Facts	AdvoCare Spark®
Serving Size	One Pouch 8 fl. oz.
Servings per Container	1
Calories	45
Total Fat	0
Saturated Fat	0
Cholesterol	0
Sodium	0
Potassium	0
Total Carbohydrates	11g
Sugars	0
Protein	0
Vitamin A	20%
Vitamin C	300%
Vitamin E	100%
Thiamine	200%
Riboflavin	200%
Niacin	300%
Vitamin B-6	750%
Vitamin B-12	750%
Pantothenic Acid	500%
Zinc	20%
Total Caffeine	120mg

Amount per Serving % Daily Value

Calories 48

Calories from Fat 12

Total Fat: 2g 3% Saturated Fat: 0.33g

Trans Fat: 0.00g

Sodium 1mg 0%

Potassium 109mg 3% 

Total Carbohydrates 8g 3% 

Dietary Fiber 3.5g 14% 

Sugars 3.5g

Protein < 1g 1%

Vitamin A 5,000 iu 100% 

Vitamin C 60 mg 100%

 Iron 15 mcg 1% 

Vitamin D3 1,000 iu 250% 

Vitamin E 30 iu 100% 

Thiamin (B1) 1.5 mg 100%

Riboflavin (B2) 1.7 mg 100%

Niacin 10 mg 50%

Vitamin B6 8 mg 400%

Folic Acid 200 mcg 50%

Vitamin B12 96 mcg 1,600%

Biotin 300 mcg 100%

Pantothenic Acid 10 mg 100%

Phosphorus 54 mg 6%

Magnesium 12 mg 3%

Zinc 1.5 mcg 1%

Manganese 224 mcg 10%

Tocotrienols 700 mcg +

Omega 3 Fatty Acids 60 mg +

Omega 6 Fatty Acids 1,155 mg +

Inositol (IP6) 10.5 mg +

Gamma Oryzanol 17.5 mg +

Phyto Sterols 29.4 mg +

Beta Sitosterol 14.7 mg +

Okay... maybe not side by side, but close enough. I'm not as good at cutting and pasting just yet.  LOL.

Anyway, draw your own conclusions. I'm not pushing anything on ya. But... I'm probably going to stick with my Zeal.  Even though I love that Spark has so many more flavor options.  Zeal only offers Mixed Berry (what I drink) and Grape. (what my son prefers)

I also received my water jug that I won from Valerie last week! Whoot! Talk about some serious drinkage! Lol! Ive started using it this week, and my goal is to be up to one whole jug by this weekend. Wish me luck! 

More on the goodies I received and about the weekend later, but for now... What motivates you to get your water intake each day? What pointers can you give someone who NEEDS to drink it, just isn't motivated, or hates water?