DAY SEVEN

Well, I gave in and weighed myself this morning and, so far, I've lost 3lbs! YAY.
It's not the most impressive number (I think I lost 5lbs in 5 days doing low carb once), but I'll take it! It's just nice knowing that this torture is paying off somewhat. Tomorrow is my cleanse day, and that's when people usually see the most results, so I'm hoping I'll be up to at least 5lbs by Day 9!

Random note: sometimes when I take the natural accelerator I get a burning-ish sensation in my stomach and chest. It's kinda weird... I wonder if anyone else has experienced that? Anyway, I went running this morning and then went to the birthday brunch. It was quite challenging but I think I managed it the best I could. I ate a huge salad with tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, and shredded carrots, grilled mahi, a few grilled prawns, and a couple of tiny steamed shrimp dim sum. I stayed away from potatoes, rice, etc. In the spirit of full disclosure, I'll admit I ate a small crepe for "dessert" but I only put fresh fruit in it. I plan on working out again this evening to burn as much extra calories as possible.

I'm extremely weary of tomorrow. I have to go into full on prep mode tonight and map out a schedule so I cope well with my first cleanse day at work. I feel sorry for my coworkers. WISH ME LUCK.

DAY SIX

Woke up and went for a 2.5 jog/walk, then did some free weights at home. I felt realllllly guilty about those graham sticks last night =/. Anyway, went back to the strict routine today.

Tomorrow is supposed to be my first cleanse day, but due to a friend's birthday I have to attend a pretty pricey brunch; too pricey to just sit and look pretty sippin' my cleanse for life. Attendance is not an option, by the way. So, just for this week, I'll be switching cleanse day from Sunday to Monday. I actually always thought my cleanse days were Mondays until I took a good look at the schedule again.

I find the cleanse MUCH easier at home. Some say at work you have distractions from the hunger and the cravings. I disagree. First of all, my work is a snackapalooza. On any given day, people are passing around cookies, candy, sandwiches, baked goods, etc. It's really difficult to stay focused with the constant scent of banana bread and cookies within a 2 mile radius. At least at home I can control my environment.

On that note, today was easy breezy. No cravings, no willing myself not to eat skittles. It was a good day. I feel satisfied and have no temptation to snack, at all. Yay, me!

DAY FIVE

Hello, Day Five! No other weight loss to report... but at least week one is almost over! I only took one Isaflush pill last night so I had a better night's sleep (didn't have to get up 10x).

I've decided to change up my snacks today. Apparently, the scooby snacks are a mix of carbs and protein. So, since a small gala apple and a hard boiled egg are both around 70 calories each. I'm gonna eat half the egg and half the apple for the mid morning snack and the other halves for the mid afternoon snack. Bear with me, I'm just trying to see what works better for my body.

Lunch:

• Was quite hungry again by the time lunch came around... I wonder when my stomach/appetite will get used to this shortage of food. They say two weeks... so one more to go?! Great.
• For lunch I had a little bit of brown rice, fish in tomato sauce and eggplant. I also had a small apple as 'dessert'.  

Mind over matter:

• I've been trying to keep busy this afternoon to keep me from thinking about being hungry, having sugar cravings... etc. I guess it's working because by this time (3:00pm), I'm usually craving for something sweet... (SKITTLES!) 
• I'm actually not that hungry at all. My alarm went off for my mid afternoon snack but I haven't eaten it yet. I will in a little though... Just to keep my blood sugar up and not go into binge mode later. Since I've started the program, I've noticed that the times that get rough and I'm hungry are right before lunch 11:30am-ish and right after work (6:00pm-ish). Those are the danger zones when I just wanna break from the program and eat something satisfying...
• Needless to say, I'm terrified of cleanse day! I wish I had picked it to start on a Sunday so that I could at least sleep through most of it. I feel like I should put a beware sign on my desk for my coworkers. 

Hitting a Wall:

• So, I'm kinda hitting a wall right now... It's not that I'm hungry or having any sweet cravings (I'm actually not, surprisingly). It's just that this is just... well, it sucks. I keep thinking there's a more sensible way to lose weight without liquid meals and chalk "snacks". SIGH. Maybe I'm just thinking of the weekend and how I have to plan my activities around my "meals". 
• I just need to remember why I started this... and stick to the program so I can at least say I tried.
• P.S. I've googled A LOT of Isagenix blogs to see what others have experienced. I've gotta say, when it comes to the 30 day cleanse 80% of them stop at day 8 or week 2... with no explanation. It's pretty funny. I think the ones with completed results are from men. I vow not to do that. If I quit, I guarantee you a giant "I QUIT" post... with a picture of me devouring some nachos!

Emergency FAIL:

Tonight I was out without my baggie of emergency "snacks" and without a shake supply... I didn't get home until 10:00pm so all I ate were several of these all-natural honey graham sticks. FAILURE. I skipped the shake when I got home so I didn't add more calories to the day... I guess I'll be paying for this tomorrow.

DAY FOUR

I don't wanna keep repeating the obvious, so unless stated, just assume I've followed the program just like every other day.

Just some general observations of the program so far:

• I have A LOT more energy during the day. Before I started, I would usually want to take a nap during lunch and I would always get lethargic around 2:00pm - 3:00pm. Since I started Isagenix, I haven't been tired during the day at all. Even despite the obvious cut in calories. It's really refreshing.
• I sleep earlier than usual. I've suffered from insomnia for years... but I've been sleeping quite early lately. Around 10:00pm (early for me!). The only problem I've had in the last couple of days is that I keep having to wake up to pee! 

9:45am:

• Still have that salty taste in my mouth... I wonder if this is normal. I'm kinda hungry but since it's not even 10am I'm gonna hold off on my snack (hard boiled egg) for as long as I can. I can't wait to eat FOOD. Lunch time has turned into the greatest of treats for me...

Torture.

11:45am:

• Super hungry. It doesn't help that this is sitting in front of me....... ~~~> ALL DAY. My brain is saying, you don't need it... My mouth/stomach is saying, TASTE THE RAINBOW! Sigh..... 15 minutes until lunch aka: salvation (Yes, I know I can have all temptation removed from my eyesight, but I don't wanna be one of those crazies that has to punish others for my lack of self control).

12:30pm

• I felt absolutely famished by the time I ate lunch; I'm not sure why. I also started to get a light headache a little while after I ate. 
• For lunch I had a turkey patty, about 2/3 cup brown rice, and a salad of broccoli and tomatoes. I usually hate broccoli, but I'm trying to get as much healthy nutrients into my body as possible.

Some thoughts:

• I've gone on different types of diets before... including the South Beach Diet which I had success with when I was in college. Any time I went "low carb", I noticed results right away. Also, cravings for sweets and grains disappeared by the 4th day. 
• I'm a little disappointed that this isn't the case with Isagenix. It's probably because the only thing restrictive is the amount of calories, not the kinds of food. I can still eat apples and brown rice which probably make the withdrawal from sugars a slower process. However, I admittedly have a sweet tooth and thought eliminating all refined sugar from my diet would have some sort of effect by now. Not so much. Still want a cookie! 
• Alas, $300 is a lot of money to quit on... so instead, I'm eating yet another apple.

8:00pm

• Had a headache when I got off work and was really tired... Kinda ironic because this morning I was raving about feeling more energized. I damn near ate a bowl of chocolate cheerios, but willed myself against it and ate a couple of cucumbers instead-- which made me feel a little better. I think maybe my lunch was too small-- it was probably 400 calories exactly. I read that if you're hungry, you should eat something. I didn't eat much calorie-wise so I really hope this doesn't mess up my program!
• I honestly don't feel lighter at all, which is a little discouraging. Like I said, I usually see results fairly quickly when I change my eating habit so drastically. I know it's only day four, but people I know saw big numbers on day 7 and I've only lost a pound. 
• Sigh... drank my shake and going to bed early. No hard workout today since I felt so crappy. I just did 100 crunches and did some free weight training. Hopefully, tomorrow is better.

This works!

DAY THREE

Had a rough night's sleep last night. I woke up every couple of hours to use the bathroom-- I guess all that water I've been drinking is flushing me out. Or maybe the Isaflush pills are finally working! I didn't wake up hungry though... as I did the two days previous. I was, however, noticeably thirsty!

Morning: 

• Ionix
• Big cup of water

8:00am:

• Chocolate Isalean shake. I've decided I definitely like this more than the vanilla now... Last night's shake was a little blahhh for me.

9:00am:

• Accelerator pill.

In other news, I was given the advice to make sure I work out as much as I can during this program. Today, I plan to push myself. I really want to make sure I maximize the results as much as I can. As of this morning, I lost 1 lb. I think I should stop weighing myself until the 7th day like you're told. I don't want to be discouraged...

10:30am (mid-morning snack):

• One hard boiled egg with some cayenne pepper and garlic powder. I hate hard boiled eggs! 
• Not that hungry... I took my accelerator pill a little later than usual so maybe that's why... 

11:30am:

• The last two days, this is when I'd start to get really hungry. I'm not yet. I'm not sure if it's because my "snack" was more substantial than the previous days or if it's because I took the accelerator pill a little later, or because my body's getting used to the program. Either way, I'm glad my stomach isn't growling...

12:00pm

• I ate a small piece of steamed parrot fish, a little bit of white rice and some cucumbers. I was at a restaurant and because I didn't want to overdo it on the white rice.. I'm not full at all! So when I got back to work, I ate a local banana (about half the size of a regular banana). I hope I last through the end of day because I'm supposed to up my work out today!

One pound of fat!

(Gross, I know, but it's perspective!)

This is 5lbs of fat!:

3:15pm (mid-afternoon snack):

• Not hungry at all. I let my coworker try a wafer and she said they weren't too bad. Thus, making me feel like a drama queen. So, I decided to give it another try. Yeah, NO... still disgusting! For some reason, the taste really makes me nauseous. I immediately ate an apple to get that gross taste out of my mouth. I don't know if I'll even be able to stomach those things during cleanse days. 

8:00 pm:

• Jogged/walked in intervals for about 2 miles... and I'm EXTREMELY hungry. I ate some cucumbers before my shake. Tonight was rough.... maybe the workout made me hungrier than usual, but the shake just isn't cutting it. I also noticed a weird salty taste in my mouth after I drank my shake... Not sure where that's from. Anyway, going to bed early so I don't torture myself! 

DAY TWO

Hmm... don't feel any lighter than I did yesterday. I know it's only been a day, but geez... ya'd think little to no solid food would make some sort of difference. You're not supposed to weigh yourself everyday but I'm a girl... this what we do when we diet. Lost maybe about 4 oz. WOOT.

FYI - I have not felt any "effects" of last night's Isaflush pills...

Morning:

• Ionix
• BIG cup of water

Breakfast:

• Chocolate Isalean blended with water and ice. I'm not sure if I was just hungry but it tasted great today.
• Accelerator pill. I'm fidgety again.

10:15am (mid-morning snack):

• I still refuse to eat the wafers. I'll save that for cleanse days when I'm dying and have no other choice. I do carry them around though, just in case of an emergency. You know, so I don't dive for the nearest cookie when my blood sugar is dropping.
• Not too hungry today and no nausea. I ate my apple just to make sure my blood sugar stays up and I'm not starving come lunch time.

11:40am:

• Okay, now I'm hungry. Not ravenous by any means, but noticeably hungry and my stomach is growling. I hope this subsides as the program continues because it's not cute.
• Still sippin' away on my big bottle o'water. 

Lunch (12:15pm):

• Homemade Turkey Chili with a little less than 1/2 cup of brown rice. I've added the recipe, for those who are interested! The chili is pretty low in calories... my meal was probably just under 400 calories. Hopefully this means I can eat a smaller bowl (sans the rice) tonight after my run.
• I'm actually really craving sweets right now. It's only day 2 and I'm dreading cleanse day. 
• Also took another accelerator pill around 1:00pm. 

3:00pm (Mid-afternoon snack):

• Another apple. I'm not that hungry, but I don't want to be ravenous come dinner time so I ate my tiny apple (compared to my post-it pad!). I was supposed to eat a hard boiled egg for this "snack" but I forgot it at home. Boo. Kinda worried that I won't have enough sustenance to get me through my workout, so I may nibble on a wafer in a little bit. MAYBE.

6:30pm:

• Didn't eat any of the wafer... but I probably should have. I gassed out quickly during my workout (light jog) and felt a little lightheaded. I ended up mostly brisk walking. Did a little weight training when I got home to try to burn more calories, but I'm still feeling kinda light headed.
• Since my lunch was roughly under 400 calories (chili + brown rice), I ate a small cup of chili (I'd say it was under 200 calories). Right now, I feel full... I don't even want the shake but I'm sure I'll drink it again tonight.
• Again, I confirmed that you can break up the 600 calorie meals... but still, I hope this doesn't wreck my flow! 

8:00pm:

• Drank my vanilla Isalean shake. Wasn't that hungry but drank it just to follow the program. 

10:00pm:

• 2 Isaflush pills... hope I start feeling the effects of these soon because for some reason, I feel super bloated. 
• All in all, day two was better... though my sweet cravings were more intense and lasted longer. 28 days to go. Kill me now.
• Since I woke up earlier this morning... Hopefully, I can wake up to work out tomorrow morning. I hear it's more effective.

DAY ONE

I celebrated my 30th birthday yesterday...

This "landmark" birthday seemed like as good a time as any to try the much talked about Isagenix 30-day cleanse. I decided to do it to shed the unwanted weight gained in my twenties and also to do a much needed "cleanse" to my system. Looks like my 30s will be spent paying for the debauchery of my 20s!

If you've never heard of Isagenix, it's a basically a system of meal supplement shakes intended to cleanse your system and for weight loss. You can either do a 30 day cleanse or a 9 day cleanse. I opted for the 30 day cleanse, in hopes for more lasting results. The cleanse consists of replacing two meals a day with the shakes, one sensible meal, and a pure "cleanse day" (every 7th day) where you drink nothing but a cleansing liquid-- for the whole day!

Isagenix is a pretty pricey system. That alone is probably good motivation to stay on the program and resist the temptation to cheat. Who wants to waste $300??

So here goes DAY ONE...

I took all my measurements and weighed myself... which was pretty disturbing. I'm not sure if today's weight reflects my "true" weight since it was my birthday and I probably ate/drank more than I should've this weekend (yes, I have an excuse for everything).

Morning: 

• As soon as I woke up: 1 scoop of Isagenix Ionix Supreme mixed with 6 oz of filtered water. I added some ice cubes to help it go down better. It wasn't too bad but has a pretty nasty after taste.
• Breakfast: 2 scoops of Chocolate Isagenix Isalean Shake mixed with 8 oz of filtered water and blended with 5 ice cubes. I've actually tried the chocolate shake before with just water and it was DISGUSTING. Adding ice REALLY helps it go down and takes away that strong chemical taste. I highly recommend it. 
• Along with the shake, one Natural Accelerator Pill. 

*random notes: the accelerator pill is making me feel super fidgety... not in a bad way. There's probably some sort of caffeine in the pill and I'm not used to it (not a coffee drinker).

Mid morning (10:00am):
(I set an alarm on my phone for the mid-morning snack to make sure I don't forget!)

• One chocolate Isagenix Snack. 
• Dude. Gross. This is the most vile thing I've ever tried. I liken it to chocolate flavored chlorine chalk. I've heard the snacks are KEY in this system... but I really don't know if I can stomach that everyday. Yes, it's THAT bad. Vomit.

11:20am:

• I'm hungry. I'm kinda confused because I normally only eat fruit for breakfast or a strawberry/banana/soy milk smoothie. So, a shake for breakfast and that putrid snack should've held me over until lunch. But my stomach is growling... I've already drank almost 50.7 oz of water to help fill me up. I can't wait for lunch!! 
• I'm gonna boil some hard boiled eggs during lunch for my mid afternoon snack. I've read that you can eat those or an organic apple as a substitute for the wafers (isagenix snacks). Just the thought of eating those again makes me wanna hurl. 

Lunch (12:00pm):

• Felt a bit nauseous before going home for lunch... I swear it was that wafer that made it all go downhill. I might've been super hungry because I was supposed to eat 2 of those wafers... that was so not happening though.
• For lunch I had blackened chicken, 3/4 cups of brown rice, and some corn. I know corn isn't the best vegetable but I haven't gone grocery shopping yet. The meal was still under 600 calories... 600 calories is kinda of a lot for one meal. I wonder if I can do two 300 meals instead...
• I also took another accelerator pill.
• The nausea and general "bleh" feeling has subsided. 

2:00pm:

• First cravings for something sweeeet. It doesn't help that I have a gigantic bowl of skittles in front of me, 3 cupcakes given to me as a late birthday gift, and 4 boxes of girl scout cookies. Got willpower?

3:00pm (mid afternoon snack):

• I know I said I'd boil some eggs, but I had a protein heavy lunch and decided an apple would probably be a better snack today. This apple tastes like a snickers bar right now. Who knew they could be so delicious?
• Still can't bear to eat those dreaded wafers. I read that the awful taste may be my body's PH balance switching from acidic to alkaline. I have no idea what that means. It's supposedly common if you're withdrawing from coffee or soda-- NONE of which I drink. So that clears up... nothing.

5:30pm 

• Was pretty hungry so I ate a hard boiled egg to hold me over until "dinner". I'm not sure if this is breaking the rules, but I've read quite a number of other blogs that say a sensible snack to get you through is okay.

7:30pm

• Drank my vanilla Isalean shake. I prepared it with the ice the way I did breakfast. The vanilla is actually pretty okay. It has less of a "chalky" taste to it compared to the chocolate. I've read that you can add some blueberries to it or add a sprinkle of the "want more energy" powder and it tastes like a creamsicle. If i manage to get through week one with results, maybe I'll try that. 
• I'm not too hungry now. Just tired. I think today was exhausting enough, so I'll start the work out aspect of the program tomorrow.

9:00pm

• Two Isaflush pills. Lots of water.

All in all Day One was challenging, but not excruciating. I made turkey chili for my lunch tomorrow and by the time I was done I wanted to dunk my head in the pot. Suffice it to say it's gonna be a looooooooooong 30 days, but I really hope I make it!