Now onto explaining the plan! The refresh is VERY low calorie, around 900 calories a day. Which is why as a nursing mom I definitely had to add more to keep both me and my little man happy :) The refresh is considered a natural cleanse that uses supplements along with fresh fruits, veggies, healthy fats and LOTS of water to help you make a clean break from bad habits. Numerous benefits like weight loss, increased energy, decreased cravings, improved mood, etc. have been associated with detoxing your body and using programs like the refresh to do it. So what exactly does the plan look like? It’s four supplement drinks a day: 1 Shakeology, 1 Fiber Sweep and 2 Vanilla Fresh protein drinks. Plus, 2 servings of fruit, 2 servings of vegetables, 2 servings of healthy fats and a dinner option {recipes are provided and feature veggies along with more fats.} Drinking unsweetened tea up to three times a day is also allowed which only helps the detox process! So what did I do differently to make it more nursing mom friendly? I added in extra fruits, veggies and fats for more calories along with nursing support tea! Below I’ve listed exactly what my days looked like. Day 1 Breakfast: Vegan chocolate Shakeology with 1 whole banana, 1 tablespoon ground flax seed and 1 tablespoon powdered peanut butter. {Technically I was only supposed to have a half of a banana because a whole one is considered two servings so there was some extra calories along with the ground flax and peanut butter which normally isn’t “allowed.”} Mid Morning: Nursing support tea Late Morning: Fiber sweep supplement, just mix with 8 ounces of water and chug! As a nurse I have mixed up some nasty fiber drinks before so I was pleasantly surprised that this one wasn’t too bad. Thick like Metamucil if you’ve ever tried that with a hint of lemon/citrus but definitely drinkable in the small quantity. Plus, it didn’t send me running to the bathroom like some fiber drinks can, too much info? #sorrynotsorry Lunch: Vanilla Fresh protein drink, ½ cup grapes, 4 celery stalks and 1 ½ teaspoons of peanut butter. Afternoon: I didn’t realize I was supposed to have a snack here until day two, whoops! So on day one I just had my nursing support tea. Dinner: Vanilla Fresh protein drink and the spinach salad dinner recipe. The recipe included 2 cups baby spinach, ½ of a medium cucumber, ¼ cup broccili, ½ of a medium tomato, ½ tsp olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tsp slivered almonds. *I was still hungry that night and knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep so I added in an extra cup of strawberries with my nighttime tea. Day 2 *When I woke up to nurse at 2 am I was starving to the point where I couldn’t fall back asleep so I ate ½ cup of grapes! Breakfast: Same as day one, vegan chocolate ShakeO with a whole banana, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed, 1 tablespoon powdered peanut butter and I added a half of an avocado. Mid Morning: Nursing support tea Late Morning: Fiber Sweep Lunch: Vanilla Fresh blended with a little caramel extract, 1 cup strawberries, 3 big carrots and 2 tablespoons of hummus. {A serving of carrots per the plan is ½ a large so I had a total of 6 servings while running errands which covered both lunch and afternoon snack.} Dinner: Vanilla Fresh and the coconut steamed veggie recipe which is to DIE for! Click here for the recipe and to try it out yourself. *I was still hungry after dinner so I had two celery stalks with just a tiny bit of peanut butter. Day 3 Breakfast: Same as day two except this time instead of a whole banana I only used half because I had a ½ cup of grapes as well. Mid Morning: Nursing support tea Lunch: I was hungrier than the other two mornings so I opted for an earlier lunch and held off on my Fiber Sweep until later. I decided to switch up the Vanilla Fresh and blended it with a whole frozen banana and dash of cinnamon - SO good, wish I would have done that sooner! Not that the flavor is bad on it’s own but the texture of frozen banana and that little extra sweetness was a treat especially on day 3 of no sugar or carbs. I also had 2 stalks of celery with 1 ½ teaspoons of peanut butter. Early Afternoon: Fiber Sweep Later Afternoon: 3 large carrots and nursing support tea Dinner: Vanilla fresh blended with a dash of cinnamon and roasted green beans with an olive oil, sea salt and slivered almonds drizzle. I also drank AT LEAST 75 ounces of water a day + all the water included in my supplements, yes I was peeing up a storm! So that’s it! Sounds easy right? WRONG! I cannot lie to you guys while the plan is simple and a very gentle, refreshing cleanse compared to most on the market it’s still tough to cut calories and get most of them from supplements. I was so ready to eat my fruits and veggies whenever I got the chance because well I love REAL food! Plus, it takes some mental strength to say no to your toddler trying to feed you an ice cream cone and your husband antagonizing you with the thought of a late night cookie and coffee date.  So how did I feel throughout the refresh? I’ll be honest at times my head was pounding which was likely related to detoxing off sugar and is the same thing that happens every time I start a strict round of the 21 Day Fix meal plan. There were other times when I was STARVING and swore my stomach was going to eat itself but clearly I lived because let’s face it it’s only 3 days, YOU can do ANYTHING for 3 days! Lastly, there were times when I was STUFFED full too especially after my big dinner meal of veggies and the Vanill Fresh protein drink. Now the moment you’ve been waiting for...my results :) Let me start off by saying I did not do this to lose weight but to feel better and FOCUS on breaking the bad eating habits I was struggling with. Which I can say that YES after just 3 days I’m not craving junk or sugar but meat, eggs, oatmeal, fruit and all my other clean, whole foods. Physically, I feel less bloated and my clothes are fitting better. Mentally and emotionally I feel proud that I stuck to the plan even when there were times I would have rather quit. I officially lost 2 pounds and finally broke the 127 weight plateau I have been sitting at for the past month, YAY! I also lost 1 1/2 inches off my waist. I wish I would have measured my hips too because I was able to finally wear a pair of shorts that were too tight last week, non-scale victories like this are the BEST and my favorite judge of progress!  Now to answer a couple questions I’ve been getting! Did you workout? Mild to moderate exercise is recommended during the refresh. You need to keep it light so your body has enough energy to flush your system and function during everyday life. Personally, I chose to skip workouts all together and just made sure I was doing “extra” life workouts as I like to call them. Day one was dancing with my boys, day two was loading and sorting two cows worth of fresh cut meat and day three was mowing the lawn plus a family bike ride! Just enough to get my body moving and muscles working without overexerting myself. Did you have gas or have to run to the bathroom? Most of the time when people hear the word “cleanse” they think enema or constant bathroom trips, for me this was not the case on the refresh. I didn’t experience any gas, bloating or huge changes in bowel movements. My body is already used to eating a lot of high fiber foods because of my daily Shakeology, fruits and veggies so it wasn’t shocked by the new ingredients. Now if someone who never eats fiber does the refresh they may have some of those uncomfortable side effects but I didn't. Did you notice any changes to your milk supply? Thankfully no! Lately we’ve been doing a combination of nursing sessions and then giving bottles/pumping because he’s biting like crazy - OUCH. He didn’t seem unsatisfied when nursing and whenever I pumped I got my normal, average amount. Every woman's body is different but between adding in those extra calories {mainly healthy fats} and making sure I was drinking some form of nursing support tea my supply held up just fine! Plus, now my little man will have even BETTER mommy milk because I’m back on track with my nutrition and clean eating goals! What do you do AFTER the cleanse is over? Keep drinking Shakeology for sure! The refresh challenge pack comes with a 30 day supply so that you can keep fueling your body with good for you superfoods. Not to mention it helps fight off cravings, increases energy and is a sweet treat too! My plan is also to get back into the routine of using my 21 Day Fix portion control containers while still enjoying my treats just in WAY more moderation. I’m really trying to focus in on cutting sugar intake for my whole family and I feel like this was a great jump start to that along with helping me break the bad habits, get back to my good ones and feel refreshed! I think that covers it all :) If you have more questions, want to try out the 3 Day Refresh or take the 21 Day Fix challenge make sure to contact me here because I’d love to help YOU get started towards a happier, healthier lifestyle! 
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I did it! That’s right, I completed my first 60 day Beachbody program like a boss! I've tried other programs in the past like Insanity and PiYO but gave up before the 60 day mark because I wanted to switch things up with my workouts. Luckily, Hammer and Chisel was a completely different story and is now being added to my list of favorites, check out why and my results below! The Master’s Hammer and Chisel is the first home fitness program Beachbody has ever released featuring two trainers, Autumn Calabrese and Sagi Kalev. Personally, I think this was the key to me not needing to switch things up because I was getting a different trainer every day. Autumn who is the creator of 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme is my all time favorite because of her simple yet highly effective workouts and always motivating demeanor. Sagi also known as, “The Beast” from Body Beast was a new trainer for me but I quickly fell in love with him too, especially all his “jokes.” I don’t know if my abs hurt more from working hard or giggling at him but either way he’s awesome! So where did the nicknames Hammer and Chisel come from? Well, Sagi {The Hammer} helps you focus on lifting heavy and Autumn, {The Chisel} gets you shredded by incorporating cardio with strength training. This is the perfect combination no matter if your goal is to lose weight, gain muscle or simple just tone up!  As I mentioned above the workouts are a combo of heavy lifting, cardio and strength training. My favorite part though? They are only 30-40 minutes each which includes the warm up and cool down which means you work hard and are DONE for the day! There are 15 workouts total but the way the schedule is set up I didn’t feel like I was doing the same workouts all the time. In fact a lot of the time my husband and I would look at each and say, “have we even done this one before?” Most of the workouts are circuit style which in my opinion makes them go by quickly because you’re doing a new move every minute or after just 8 reps. The workouts do require a little more equipment compared to other home fitness programs but to me it’s simply an investment in my health. Not to mention fitness equipment can last a lifetime if you take care of it. A variety of weights, resistance bands, a chin up bar or over the door resistance band and a bench or stability ball are what’s recommended. Personally, I used my free weights ranging from 8-20 pounds, resistance bands with the door attachment {click here to see the ones I use} and a stability ball. I do think you could get by without the stability ball but you may need to get creative for some of the moves and use your couch or a chair to get the full effect! In addition to the workouts, Hammer and Chisel also focuses on nutrition using the portion control and containers from the Fix system. The containers are color coded for each food group for example red is protein, green is veggies, yellow is carbs, etc. You calculate how many containers are needed on a daily basis using your current weight, gender and health goals. Your nutrition is based on whether your goal is to lose weight, maintain weight or gain muscle. My goal was to continue losing the baby weight while maintaining breastmilk supply as my son is only 4 months old. If this is a concern for you as well no fear because the plan even accounts for breastfeeding too! Now I’ll be honest I didn’t follow the meal plan perfectly, not because I can’t or it’s too hard but because I simply didn’t want to. I strictly followed the Fix meal plan in the past {which you can read all about here} and it taught me A LOT about proper nutritional balance and portion control. In fact it completely changed my lifestyle to what is commonly referred to as the 80/20 rule, meaning I eat 80% clean and 20% treats! I love this lifestyle because it’s realistic for a girl like me who still wants to enjoy a cheeseburger or cupcake every once in a while without feeling like she wrecked her “diet”. I live life having a diet, not being on one! One other thing that helps keep me on track with my nutrition is Shakeology. The blend of over 70 superfoods packs health benefits like increased energy and improved digestion, protein, vitamins and minerals which makes it my healthiest and easiest meal of the day. Plus, it’s a sweet treat that’s actually good for me with recipes like salted caramel or birthday cake!  Now before we get to my results I have to share one last favorite thing about the program and that’s the fact it’s suitable for everyone! For example my goal was to lose weight, while my husband's was to maintain weight and build strength. We were both able to achieve those goals with Hammer and Chisel and it was actually quite fun working out together everyday, not to mention we kept each other motivated too! Okay onto the moment you’ve been waiting for… My results! In 60 days I lost 11 inches and majorly toned my stomach back up after baby, just look at those abs popping through! We don’t own a scale so I’m not sure if I actually lost weight or not but who cares? Being able to fit into another pair of pre-pregnancy jeans, losing 11 inches, lifting heavier weights than ever before and seeing these pictures is proof enough that I’m making progress! The Master’s Hammer and Chisel definitely works if you do!  So what’s next? I’m taking a little break from the program to complete a round of 21 Day Fix Extreme before our Caribbean cruise that I earned from Beachbody. But once we get back I’ll definitely be adding Hammer and Chisel into my regular routine and may even consider another full 60 days! If you want to join me during my next challenge group or learn more about any of the Beachbody home fitness programs and Shakeology please {click here} and fill out the form because I’d love to help you start reaching your health and fitness goals TODAY!
**Beachbody does not claim any level of success with either their fitness programs or the coaching opportunity. Results and success is achieved through effort, hard work and consistency by the individual.** After the birth of my first son I really struggled with losing the baby weight because I made excuses, didn’t workout, ate poorly and slept whenever I could. Looking back now I will admit I was also probably struggling with a little bit of postpartum depression which didn’t make accepting my new mom body any easier. It took 6 whole months before I finally left my excuses in the dust and started living a healthier lifestyle thanks to the 21 Day Fix. When I got pregnant again I was determined that I would continue working out and eating clean not just for a healthy pregnancy and baby but so that bouncing back would be much easier the second go round! Live and learn right? So I gave myself a full month of letting my body just naturally do it’s thing and then at five weeks post baby I started my CIZE journey. My initial goal was to follow both the meal plan and workouts - the first week went great! But then the tiredness of having two children under two set in and my meal plan started to slip which caused me to be super hard on myself because I knew I wasn’t going to reach my goal. Luckily, I have an amazing support system between my husband, mom and fellow coaches who reminded me “you just had a baby a month ago!” Reality check! Instead of using this as an excuse or giving up I revised my goal halfway through the program. My new goal was to simply complete all the dance routines and eat like I normally do which is healthy but also includes plenty of treats here and there! This new goal was a complete game changer! I was excited to do my workouts, I wasn’t as hard on myself for not being “perfect” and most importantly I was making way healthier choices compared to after my first pregnancy. 30 days later and at exactly two months post baby my results are in...5 pounds and 3 inches lost! Could my results have been better? Most likely yes, I could have been stricter with my meal plan but that was not my goal. My goal was to eat clean, workout 6 days a week, drink my Shakeology every day, maintain my milk supply and be HEALTHY which includes my mental and emotional health too! I can proudly say mission accomplished :) So what exactly is CIZE? It's one of Beachbody's newest workout programs by Shaun T and it's completely centered around dance and having fun while exercising. Don't worry though you don't have to be a dancer to do it! CIZE truly is for everyone and anyone - even your grandma! For real though if you're needing a fun way to start a healthier lifestyle or just want a new workout routine to throw in the mix CIZE will not disappoint! If you're ready to dance your way to a happy, healthier you then please the button below and let me know! It's time to bring an end to that dreaded word exercise and CIZE it UP!  |
