Tag: beachbody

The Final Days: A Review of Cardio 3 + Core 2

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Today was my LAST DAY of 22-Minute Hard Corps! “Woohoo!!!” doesn’t even come close to expressing how happy I am to be done with this one!

I will do a post soon with my thoughts on the program as a whole, but I just realized that I never reviewed Cardio 3 or Core 2! So, here’s what you need to know…

Cardio 3 is the same format as the other cardio workouts with different moves. There are seven moves that comprise a circuit. The circuit is completed three times. There’s a very short cooldown at the end. The seven moves of Cardio 3 include the following:

  1. Spider Crawls – These are similar to bear crawls from Cardio 1, but the goal is touch your knee to your elbow and you’re walking forward and backward on your hands and feet.
  2. Skip Flies – These are similar to jumping jacks, but your feet are moving vertically, rather than horizontally like a jump jack. Your arms start with your hands in at your chest, then punching out to the sides.
  3. Cross Climbers – These are similar to mountain climbers from Cardio 2. However, rather than running in place in plank, you are twisting in your core, striving for your right knee to touch your left elbow, and for the your left knee to touch your right elbow, as you run.
  4. Fast Feet, Up/Down – This is a reaction drill. You start by standing with your feet apart, running with your feet like they’re on hot coals. When Tony yells, “Drop!” you hit the floor and hold a low plank on your elbows until Tony tells you to get back up again. This move can be quite hard on your elbows, so be careful when you hit the floor! Here’s a short video:
  5. Sphinx Kickers – Also in low plank on your elbows, run in place you’re kicking your butt. Another move than can get a little rough on the elbows.
  6. Knee Drop Lunges – Starting from a standing position, drop down to your knees one at a time, then come back to standing. These are also known as “Surrenders” from 21-Day Fix. Try not to slam your knees down and be sure to use a mat or some other cushioning so you don’t hurt your knees. Here’s a short video:
  7. Spin Burpees – My favorite! Do a burpee, but when you jump to do a 180-degree spin, then repeat. Here’s what these look like:

A note on Core 2 – All cardio days also include a short (~10 minute), optional core workout. Core 2 includes exactly all of the same moves as Cardio 1. There are two main differences: (1) Tony is not demonstrating the moves for you, so there is less rest time. (2) The most appreciable difference – rather than doing 11 reps of each move, you’re doing a whopping 22 reps. Honestly, when I did Core 1 the first time, I was a little confused why we were doing 11 reps of each move when 22 seems to be a prominent theme of the program. Well, here’s the answer… it’s Core 2. The 22 reps DEFINITELY increases the intensity for these moves.

Interested in trying 22-Minute Hard Corps? Send me an email at distilledjill@gmail.com or find me on Facebook so I can answer your questions. If you’re ready to order, here’s where you go.

Day 22/Week 4 of 22-Minute/Hard Corps!

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I started week four of 22-Minute Hard Corps today!  For those of you who haven’t been following me, I am doing the new exercise program from celebrity trainer Tony Horton.  It’s an 8-week military bootcamp-style workout.  Workouts are only 22 minutes long (hence the name of the program) and range from cardio to resistance to core.

Week 4 introduces a new workout into the mix – Resistance 3.  Up to this point, the workout calendar alternated between Cardio 1 and 2, Resistance 1 and 2, and Core 1.  Resistance 3 is the third of three strength-training workouts in the program.
Here’s the format.  You do a very short warm up.  Then you jump into the workout.  There are five moves in the circuit:
1.  Pump Jumpers – These are plyometric push ups!  They’re crazy!  I could not do the full number of repetitions.  You start in a plank with your hands in a tricep push up position, legs spread apart.  You do a push up, then jump your hands into a wide push-up position and your legs jump together… at the same time!  Then you do another push up with your hands in the wide position.  You’re alternating tricep push ups and traditional push ups with a plyometrical switch in between.  I can do these, but NOT nearly as many repetitions as what Tony was counting out in the video.  Neverthless, I’m proud I can do them and will try to record them for you so you can see what I’m talking about!  This is the only move that I could not complete in full for Resistance 3.
2.  Split Lunge Thrusts – Another plyometric move.  With dumbbells or a sandbag in hand, start in a lunge position… say, for example, left in front.  Jump to switch your stance, so now your right foot is in front.  As you jump, do a shoulder press.  This move happens fast, and it really gets your heart rate up and sweaty.  This move definitely works your legs and shoulders, but it also works your heart for cardio.  This move makes the workout.  Here’s a clip of me doing these Split Lunge Thrusts.  Be nice… this was my first time doing them!
3.  Arm Balance Rows – Holding your dumbbells in hand, start in a plank position with legs wide.  Twist through your core and lift one arm in the air in the direction you twist.  Bring your arms that’s in the air back to the ground and switch sides.
4.  Mountain Squats – These are rough!  Grab one dumbbell or your sandbag, holding it in one hand.  Start in a standing position, dumbbell close to your chest.  Sit down, then lay onto your back, then stand up, using your legs to push you up into standing through a squat.  It’s hard to describe, so I’ll do a video once I master it.  But you’re basically going from standing to sitting, to laying to standing.
5.  Scissor Clappers – This is your abdominal move.  In a sitting position, scissor your legs, clapping under the raised legs.  Here’s a clip:
You end with a cool down, which is actually the longest of any of the cool downs that I’ve done in 22-Minute Hard Corps yet.  I think it was around 3 minutes long.
I’m actually really enjoying these resistance workouts!  And I loved that there were no pull-ups in this one!  😉
Need some motivation, support, and accountability to reach your health, fitness, and wellness goals?  Email me at distilledjill@gmail.com or send me a message on Facebook!  I’m always running an online challenge group, and participation in the group is free with your purchase of one of our awesome challenge packs!

Hard Corps ENERGY!

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I completed Day 15 of 22-Minute Hard Corps today!  I’ve been powering through these workouts with a new preworkout energy drinks called Energize.  I used to drink Beachbody’s Energy and Endurance formula, but I’ve switched to the new Energize drink, which is part of Beachbody’s new streamlined performance supplements.

Here I am with my Energize.
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Energize. Looks pretty nuclear, doesn’t it? That’s the Quercetin!
I drink Energize about 15 minutes before my workout to help give me the energy to make it through.  Because, let’s face it, I am NOT a morning person AT ALL.  If my workouts are going to happen in the mornings (as they must for me, otherwise I’m a zombie all day), then something’s got to give me a boost.
Here’s my review of Energize in terms of pros and cons:
Pros:
  • It tastes a lot better than Energy and Endurance.  The flavor is a lot smoother.
  • It doesn’t make me feel super jittery, nervous, or like my heart is going to explode.  This isn’t such a big deal for me when I take Energy and Endurance formula, but I’ve tried a LOT of preworkout supplements, and I remember MANY of them just made me feel like I was on speed.  Not comfortable at ALL.  Energize gives you energy for sure, but it’s a lot less irritating.  I think that’s due to it having low-dose caffeine, which is equally as effective as higher doses without the jitteriness or inability to focus that accompanies other preworkout drinks.
  • It’s scientifically tested and developed by Harvard-trained scientists using the latest peer-reviewed research and athletic input.
  • It is certified by the NSF, who certifies that there are no banned ingredients/safe for athletes.
  • All natural.  No artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives, or fillers.
  • It contains quercetin, which is the most researched phytonutrient in sports performance today.  It gives the drink that nuclear-looking color, but it also helps improve exercise performance and VO2 max capacity.
  • No gastrointestinal upset.  I don’t know.  When I took Energy and Endurance, it was not uncommon for it to upset my stomach almost immediately after drinking it.
Cons:
  • Contains beta alanine.  This is kind of a pro AND con.  Beta alanine is a natural amino acid, reduces lactic acid, and delays time to fatigue.  So, it’s great, right?!  Yeah, well, for women or people with lower body weights, beta alanine is often accompanied by a weird tingling or itching feeling.  My husband doesn’t feel it, but I totally did the first time that I drank Energize, and it was really uncomfortable, but it’s gone away with repeated usage.  Energize also contains a lot less beta alanine than many other preworkout drinks (starting at only 800 mg), so if you know what I’m talking about with that tingling/itching, then Energize might be a good alternative for you.  Apparently, the feeling is totally normal, it signifies the beta alanine getting into your system, and it goes away once you start working out, so all the more incentive for you to press play! Beta alanine is wonderful performance enhancing supplement, but I list it as a “con” here due to that weird feeling, which can be a little disturbing if you’re not used to it!
  • It’s a little bit more expensive than Energy and Endurance formula, and likely more expensive than the preworkout that you’re drinking right now.  But there’s a reason for that… it’s BETTER.  (If you want my to prepare a side-by-side comparison of your current preworkout drink with Energize, email me at distilledjill@gmail.com.)  Anyway, back to the costs.  It doesn’t cost THAT much more per serving, though.  Energize is a 40-serving tub, and Energy and Endurance is a 30-serving tub. So, when you break it down, it’s 18-25 cents more expensive per serving.  Here’s a breakdown:Energize v E+E

Yes, by the way, as a coach, I get 25% off all Beachbody products, including Energize and Shakeology!  If you want to learn more about coaching, check out the various ways that you can join my team.  You can totally just sign up for the discount and never do any coaching if that’s your preference.  Email me at distilledjill@gmail or message me on Facebook to chat about it!

Well, that’s Energize!  Questions?

Day 9 of 22-Minute Hard Corps

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Every time I go to press play on 22-Minute Hard Corps, I experience the same internal dialogue.  This workout’s so simple and easy. Only 22 minutes. What am I really going to get out of this? Am I even going to sweat? Psh. Kid’s stuff.

I don’t know WHY I get so COCKY.  At the end of the 22 minutes, I’m always gasping for air and soaked in sweat.  Today was my second time doing Cardio 2.  While I can physically DO all of the moves, I definitely can’t complete some of them at the pace of the video!  The two moves that I find especially difficult are gorilla crawls and waterbugs.  Since I missed my post about it last week, here’s the format:
The format is similar to Cardio 1.  No separate warm-up.  You just jump right into the moves, but the first move is sprinting in place, so it’s kind of like a warm-up.  Then there’s three rounds of seven moves with a 22-second break in between each round.  Unlike Cardio 1, there’s no bonus or burnout in the final minutes (thanks, Tony!).  There’s a very short cooldown at the end.  Here are the seven moves:
  • Sprint in place – Basically run in place with high knees.
  • Mountain climbers – In plank, keep your hands in place, but alternate your legs so that you’re running in place, tapping your toe on the ground each time you bring it forward.
  • Straight leg sprint – Kind of like low straight-leg kicks.
  • Gorilla crawls – These are THE hardest move for me!  I did a LOT better this time than when I did it last week.  I almost completed all of the gorilla crawls, but these really burn out your legs, especially if you do them right – low to the ground with your feet separated and chest up.  Some of the folks in the video were raising their butts a lot higher, which might be a bit easier.  Here’s a short video of me with my bunny as I do them.

  • Jimmy jumps – starting in a slight squat, jump off the ground and raise one arm, alternating arms each time.
  • Waterbug – I’ll do a video for you of these next time.  They’re also brutal.  You start in a plank, then hop your hands and feet off the ground at the SAME TIME, moving side to side.  Yeah.
  • Frog burpee – Do a burpee, but instead of standing up straight at the top, you stay in a low squat.

Repeat #1-7 for 3 rounds total!

You know what helps make this program easier?  Accountability partners!  My online accountability group really helps keep me motivated to stay on track.  Do you have one?  If not, you should join mine!  Send me an email at distilledjill@gmail.com or message me on Facebook if you’d like to join 🙂

Day 8 of 22-Minute Hard Corps

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I completed my first full week of 22-Minute Hard Corps, and today marked the beginning of week 2 of 8!

Week 2 starts with a new workout:  Resistance 2.  There are basically three types of workouts included in the 22-Minute Hard Corps program:  (1) cardio, (2) resistance (or strength/weight exercises), and (3) core (ab/core routine).

I liked Resistance 2 a LOT more than Resistance 1, which was heavy on two of my least favorite moves – push-ups and pull-ups.  The format for Resistance 2 is similar to Resistance 1.  A VERY short warm-up, three rounds of five exercises, and then a very short cooldown.  The five moves that we do are the following:

1.  A burpee press – with your dumbbells in hand, shoot out into a plank, then come back to a standing position, doing a shoulder press as you come to standing.  It’s essentially a burpee with a shoulder press at the top rather than a jump.  Just be careful with the dumbbells you use.  I use Power Blocks on carpet, so they’re not going to roll on me, but some other rounded dumbbells could make this move dangerous.  Be careful!  This move is challenging, especially at the pace that its done in the video, and with the weights, your shoulders will BURN at the end!

2.  Squat jump – with a weight!  This is a plyometric move that really got my heart rate up.  It’s simple – with one weight in hand (or a sandbag), you do a squat and jump at the top, then drop back into the squat.

3.  Chip-Up L-Crunch – a chin-up with a leg raise at the bottom.  Honestly, I am so lazy and my pull-up bar is STILL not set up, so I could not to this move.  I did not notice a modifier either, which was unusual and not cool.  So, instead, I did a bent-over dumbbell row with alternating kicks.  I really got to get my pull-up bar set up this week!

4.  Punch pull – I LOVED this one!  With a dumbbell in hand, punch downward in a lunge, then pivot on your feet to do an elbow up top.  Here’s a short video of this move, which is very MMX-inspired and makes me feel like a total bad ass!

5.  Corkscrew twist – Put the wine bottle away… it’s not THAT type of corkscrew move!  This is your abdominal move.  Laying on your back, raise both legs together straight, then twist your hips as they raise off the floor in a crunch.

Repeat 1-5 three times!

I actually really loved Resistance 2, but I will be singing a different tune when I’m doing the pull-ups, which I always find challenging.

Can you believe if you had started 22-Minute Hard Corps with me you’d already be into your second week?! Time flies when you’re getting some!  😉  If you’d like to learn more about 22-Minute Hard Corps or join me for my next online accountability group, send me an email at distilledjill@gmail.com or message me on Facebook.  Click here to get your copy of 22-Minute Hard Corps!

Hard Corps Recovery

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I completed Day 4 of 22-Minute Hard Corps (hey, that rhymes!) today.  Since I didn’t post yesterday, I’ll just mention that Days 3 and 4 are repeats of Days 1 and 2.  The one thing that I want to talk about that I did differently today, however, was I drank a postworkout recovery shake after my workout.  Today’s workout was Resistance 1, which is a strength-training workout with lots of push-ups and weighted exercises with dumbbells. So, my muscles were WEAK after this workout, especially since I upped the weights for some of the moves. So, a recovery shake was definitely in order.

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Enjoying my postworkout recovery shake!

The protein shake that I tried is considered to be the most sophisticated postworkout recovery protein shake on the planet.  It’s called Recover, and it’s part of the Beachbody Performance Line of supplements.  It’s what Tony Horton uses.  And if it’s good enough for Tony, it’s good enough for me!

Here’s my review:

Pros:

  • Nothing artificial is in it!  It’s all natural ingredients – no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or anything!
  • There are no fillers in it. There are only a couple of ingredients in it that are scientifically shown to help with muscle recovery. If they’re not backed by science, then they don’t make it into the shake.
  • Includes three kinds of protein (fast, intermediate, and slow) and key phytonutrients to help reduce exercise-induced soreness.
  • No high risk or unproven ingredients.
  • Certified by the NSF.
  • Mixed together pretty well.  I just dumped a scoop of Recover into some water and stirred it up with a spoon.  I’d say 95% of the powder dissolved that way.  I didn’t even have to shake it or use a blender.  It wasn’t chunky and went down smooth.
  • The chocolate flavor tastes great!  It would probably be even better blended with some ice and a little milk.  I did it with lukewarm water, and it was fine that way.
  • It’s soy-free!  Soy is so common in other protein shakes because it’s a cheap filler, but it actually loses a lot of its nutritional value after it is so thoroughly processed.

Cons:

  • It’s not vegan.  I try to be a weekday vegan, and this product contains whey protein.  Not a big deal, but I know that some people are sensitive to whey, and I technically violated my weekday veganism pledge.  😉
  • Slight aftertaste, but I think that’s associated more with the whey.  So, if you’re used to consuming whey, then not a big deal.

I know consistent use is best, and that I’m not going to see or probably even feel results after just using this product once, but I’m glad that I tried it!  I’ll definitely be supplementing  with this for some of the more physically demanding workouts in the program!

Interested in trying Recover?  Check out your purchasing options or email me at distilledjill@gmail.com with your questions!

 

Day 2 of 22-Minute Hard Corps

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Today, I completed Day 2 of the new 22-Minute Hard Corps program. Day 2 includes only one workout – Resistance 1.

The format of Resistance 1: A short warm-up, followed by three rounds of the following five moves: Push-Ups, Squat Thrusts, Pull-ups, Chopper Lunges, Sit-up Punches. The workout ends with a Bonus Round of Sprint-Burpee-Push-ups, where you do a football run in place, then drop to the ground for push-ups, and then pop back up and repeat.

The moves are pretty self-explanatory. Push-ups are push-ups, plain and simple. Squat thrusts are demonstrated in my video below. They’re basically a squat with a shoulder press. Pull-ups… self-explanatory. Chopper lunges are alternating lunges with an oblique twist with a dumbbell or sandbag. Sit-up punches are sit-ups with two alternating punches at the top.

You will need a pair of dumbbells at a minimum. I used a pair of 9-pound weights for my first time doing this workout, though I may do heavier weights for some of the moves in the future. You also need a pull-up bar, but if you don’t have a pull-up bar, you can use a resistance band with a door attachment. I have a pull-up bar, but it wasn’t set up for the workout, and I don’t have a door attachment for my resistance band, so instead, I did bent-over rows with the band. So, you can get creative if you don’t have the necessary equipment.

I haven’t done weight training in awhile, but I do consider myself to be a pretty fit person. Having done Body Beast and P90X in the past, I wasn’t expecting this to challenge me too much. I also do not normally bust out into a sweat from weight training. Well, I SWEAT doing Resistance 1. My cardio was up, even though I was just doing strength training. Sticking with Tony’s bootcamp cadence was definitely challenging for some of the moves (like the Sit-Up Punches especially), and I needed to slow it down a little bit and fall behind his pace. My goal is to keep pace with Tony for all moves as I progress through the program.

Day 1 of 22-Minute Hard Corps

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In case you’ve been wondering, yes, I’m still here.  I lost 10 pounds on a second round of the Beachbody Ultimate Reset in February-March 2016!  I’ve been plugging along, doing my at-home fitness workouts everyday, drinking my Shakeology, and serving others as a coach.  I’ve lost 60 pounds since I started my journey with Beachbody after graduating from law school in 2010.  I even wore a bikini for the first time in my life last month!  I never had the confidence to do that before, and it’s all thanks to these programs and products.

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Wearing a bikini for the first time!

What’s next?  Today, I started Tony Horton’s new program called 22-Minute Hard Corps.  It’s an eight-week bootcamp/military-style workout program that’s super short!  Only 22 minutes a day!  I’ve actually been lucky to do 22-Minute Hard Corps LIVE with Tony 3 times in the past month.  We worked out together on a cruise that I went on through Beachbody (the one where I wore that bikini for the first time!) and when he came to DC earlier this month.

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Hanging out with Tony Horton in DC earlier this month!

Today, I pushed play on Cardio 1 and Core 1.  I’ve done Cardio 1 a couple of times now.  It was the sneak peek of the workout available on Beachbody On Demand.  I love the simplicity of the moves.  The format for Cardio 1 is three rounds of seven moves (T- Jacks, Bear Crawls, Lateral Shuffle, Forward Lunge Twist, Basic Burpee, A-Skips, and Run Lunge Squats) with 22-second breaks in between each round, and a Bonus Round of 22 Bear Crawls and 22 Burpees.  No equipment needed for Cardio 1.  Day 1 also involves an optional Core 1 workout, which was a lot of fun!  (Yes, I’m crazy and find some workouts FUN.)  And it’s seriously SHORT.  Like, 9 minutes short!  For Core 1, Tony has you rolling around on the floor for a couple of moves, which makes you feel a little silly and smile, which helps push the workout along.  There were some new abs/core moves introduced that I had never done before, even after having completed most Beachbody programs.

The verdict?  I definitely got sweaty and fatigued during the 22 minutes!  See:

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Sweaty selfie from 22-Minute Hard Corps!

Nutrition-wise, I probably won’t be following the 22-Minute Hard Corps nutrition plan precisely.  I’ve really gotten into a groove with my nutrition and know what works for my body at this point.  I’m a weekday vegan, and give myself some latitude over the weekend to enjoy some top-notch treat (or cheat) meals.  it works for me.  My meals today included Vegan Chocolate Shakeology for breakfast, a spinach salad for lunch (with quinoa, beans, sunflower seeds, tofu, peppers, carrots, and a little olive oil and vinegar).  I had an apple as a mid-afternoon snack (I eat an apple a day like a big DORK).  Dinner is TBD!

Day 1 of 22-Minute Hard Corps is history!

PS – Over the past year, I’ve converted this from a blog to more of a website.  However, I’d like to keep content in the blog fresh and regular, so I’m going to try to post regularly.

PPS – Need some coaching? Motivation to start or continue your health, fitness, or wellness journey?  Send me at email at distilledjill@gmail or find me on Facebook!  My services are FREE when you buy Shakeology, a workout program, or BOTH through me.

Day 1 of 3-Day Refresh

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I’m no stranger to cleanses.  Four months ago, I completed the Beachbody Ultimate Reset, which is a 21-day total body tune-up.  It rocked my world, changed my outlook on what I put in my body, and now I’ve come to conquer the newest cleanse that Beachbody has to offer – the 3-Day Refresh (3DR).

Some Background

Beachbody was inspired to do a 3-Day Refresh when they saw a coach had essentially made their own 3-day Shakeology cleanse.  It consisted of 3 days of Shakeology for breakfast and lunch, a dinner salad with a lean protein (like chicken, fish, or tofu), and green tea.  Well, Beachbody got word of this cleanse, saw that there was a market for a 3-day quick fix (rather than the pretty intense Ultimate Reset), but saw that they could improve upon the Shakeology cleanse.  How?  By adding more protein and fiber to keep you feeling full (I remember getting a little exhausted and irritable on the Shakeology cleanse) and giving you better food options to provide you with a more complete vision of nutrition.  Beachbody wanted to make a fast, clean, and healthy way to drop a few pounds quickly, break free of bad habits, jump start a new clean-eating diet or fitness regimen.  In walked the 3-Day Refresh.

3-Day Refresh Kit

3DR Kit

The 3-Day Refresh kit includes a program guide with recipes, lists of acceptable food options, and 3 days worth of the Vanilla Fresh shake (high-protein, hunger-satisfying shake), Fiber Sweep (digestive health drink), and Shakeology (daily dose of dense nutrition shake).

Having completed the Ultimate Reset not too long ago and acing it with flying colors, I thought how hard could the 3-Day Refresh really be?  This is my story.

Day 1 – Morning

The format for the 3 days is essentially the same.  First thing that you do upon waking is drink 8-10 ounces of filtered water to help get your system going.  For folks familiar with the Ultimate Reset, I’d like to point out a difference here.  Unlike the Ultimate Reset, where you are only permitted to drink distilled water, during the 3DR you can have filtered.  So, if you have a Brita, for example, you’re good.

Then I worked out.  I probably worked out more than I should have.  The program guide for the 3DR says that you should only engage in “mild to moderate exercise” so that your body can use your energy more effectively to help clean up your system without needing to repair muscle.  Well, so what if I consider Core Cardio and Balance from Insanity “moderate” exercise? To each their own, right?

For breakfast, I had Chocolate Vegan Shakeology like I do every morning.  But instead of blending it with almond milk, a banana, and peanut butter, I had to just stick with 1/2 banana and 1 1/4 cups of water.

Then it felt like a long morning.  Drinking tea is optional during the 3DR, and I decided to have a cup, which you can have at least 1 hour after breakfast.  You’re not supposed to have caffeine, but green tea is permitted if necessary.  I had some decaf herbal detox lemongrass tea.

An hour after the mid-morning tea, you can have the Fiber Sweep.  Fiber Sweep contains soluble and insoluble fibers from whole-ground flax, chia, and psyllium seed husks to naturally and gently eliminate waste from the digestive system while supporting healthy intestinal flora.  You mix a packet of the Fiber Sweep with 1 cup of filtered water and drink it.  For those who have done the Ultimate Reset, this drink is similar to the Detox supplement from week 2, but it tastes less lemony, is a bit less gritty, a little thicker, and goes down a bit easier than Detox.  After taking my Fiber Sweep, I was counting down the minutes to lunch.  In other words, I was getting hungry.  In the future, so I can eat lunch earlier, I might skip the morning tea.

Day 1 – Afternoon

Lunch includes one Vanilla Fresh shake and then actual food!  Yes, this is only a short cleanse, but you do get to eat real food on it, unlike some other cleanses, where you drown yourself in high-sugar, low-protein juices.  Vanilla Fresh is a high-protein shake (contains 20 grams of protein) to satisfy hunger and deliver essential nutrition needed for healthy weight loss. Since I was in the office at lunch time, stranded without a blender, I shook up the Vanilla Fresh powder in 1 1/4 cups of filtered water.  It wasn’t bad, even with room-temperature water, prepared through a shaker cup.  It tasted similar to vanilla Shakeology, though a bit thicker.

For lunch, you get to exercise some creativity when it comes to the recipe.  You are instructed to have 1 serving of fruit (which you can blend into your Vanilla Fresh if you’re lucky to have a blender around or just eat by itself), 1 serving of vegetables, and 1 serving of healthy fat.  There are lists for each of these categories (fruits, veggies, fats) that show the item (e.g., blueberries) and its corresponding serving (e.g., 2/3 cup).

Last night, I decided to prepare a salad utilizing each the fruit, veggie, and fat.  For the sake of variety, I split the veggie serving in half.  So, I had 1/2 serving of spinach, 1/2 serving of cucumber, 1 serving of strawberries, and 1 serving of olive oil.  I also added some flavors from the list of “Guilt-Free Flavorings” included in the program guide, including Himalayan pink salt, basil, and red wine vinegar.

Day 1 Lunch

Day 1 Lunch

At least 1 hour after lunch, you have an afternoon snack.  Lunch held me over about 2 hours and 40 minutes before I went for the snack. I probably could’ve held out longer, but I wanted the veggie crunch!  Again, the afternoon snack is another exercise in creativity.  You are instructed to have 1 serving from the vegetable list and 1 serving from the healthy fats list.  Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of this one, but I again split the vegetables for variety and had 1/2 serving of red bell pepper, 1/2 serving of carrots, and 2 tablespoons (i.e., 1 serving) of hummus.  I added Himalayan pink salt and ground cayenne pepper to flavor it.  An hour after this, I can also choose to have tea if I want, but I didn’t have any today.

Day 1 – Evening

For dinner, it’s another Vanilla Fresh shake.  You also are provided a list of dinner recipes (most if not all of them are recipes from the Ultimate Reset, so yippie! low learning curve for me!).  You can also add an optional cup of organic vegetable broth with 1/4 cup of chopped fresh herbs.  I chose to have the veggie broth with cilantro.

For my meal, I chose one of my absolute favorite meals from the Ultimate Reset that was included in the 3DR recipe book – the carrot-seaweed medley!  In the 4 months since my Ultimate Reset ended, I had to have made this recipe for dinner at least a dozen times – carrots, edamame, arame seaweed!  (Don’t worry, not all of the 3DR recipes are as exotic as this one!)  The recipe is not identical to the Ultimate Reset book, but it’s pretty close.  The 3DR recipe does not contain Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, for example, and the cook time is actually less, which is a bonus.  For tonight’s carrot-seaweed medley, I actually ran out of red bell pepper after making tomorrow’s afternoon snack, so I substituted jalapenos for a nice spicy kick!

Day 1 Dinner

Day 1 Dinner

It’s been probably an hour since dinner ended and that meal really hit me.  Between the Vanilla Fresh shake (200 calories, mind you), the carrot-seaweed medley, and that big cup of veggie broth, I’m actually pretty stuffed.  One obvious difference between the 3DR and the Ultimate Reset is that I actually felt like I ate more food on the Reset and the portions were bigger.  With the 3DR, you are consuming so many shakes and getting so many calories that way that you are actually eating less food.  I probably prefer eating the calories rather than drinking so many of them, but at least drinking them is less time-consuming.  Read some of my old posts about how much time I spent in the grocery store, on food prep, and cooking during the Ultimate Reset, and you’ll see what I mean.

You can also choose to end your evening with some optional tea.  I just might.

Post-Reset Check-In

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I completed the Beachbody Ultimate Reset 17 days ago.  Today’s post is to provide an update on how my life is progressing post-Reset.

Body Stats

My weight has been pretty constant since the Reset ended.  I’ve been gaining and losing 1 pound.  I’ve lost a little bit of fat, and gained a little bit of muscle.  So, on average, I’m around where I ended on the last day of the Reset, which is great!

Exercise

One of the things that I missed during the Reset was my morning workout routine.  During the Reset, you are not supposed to workout at all, with the exception of some light exercise like walking, yoga, and tai chi.  Before the Reset, I did a variety of high-intensity exercise programs, like Insanity.  During the Reset, I did yoga and Insanity recovery workouts – nothing too intense.

When the Reset ends, there is a transition plan that you are supposed to follow.  As part of this transition plan, you are supposed to only workout to 50% of your maximum ability for the first week following the Reset, then give it 100% thereafter.  After the Reset, I started doing some Jillian Michaels workouts that were pretty easy to me before the Reset (the 30 Day Shred workouts).  These workouts were shockingly more difficult that I remembered, and I even got sore from them!  I was definitely out of the groove after not working out for 21 days.

I started Focus T25 the 6th day after the Reset ended.  These workouts also had not been all too hard for me before the Reset, but they were really challenging for me after the Reset.  This was a good thing!  Though, it was definitely frustrating to see how unacclimated my body had become to working out.  I took is slow, definitely giving more than 50%, but not quite 100%, and in time, began pushing myself harder and harder.

I’ll be starting week three of Focus T25 on Monday, and I feel like I’m back into the groove now.  I’m “nailing” those workouts, and it feels great!

Food and Drink

I’ve been following the transition plan post-Reset.  I described this in my last blog post.  Basically, it’s doing the Reset in reverse minus the supplements (though I did order the Maintenance Kit, which includes Optimize and Alkalinize, which I have been taking).  When you complete the Reset, you had been eating only fruits and vegetables for a week.  The first week after the Reset, I slowly started reintroducing  grains and legumes into my diet.  I stopped following the Reset Guidebook.  Instead, I started having a Vegan Chocolate Shakeology for breakfast every morning.  For lunch, I built a salad from my office cafeteria’s salad bar (full of good things like raw spinach, carrots, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, green peppers, onions, oil and vinegar).  For dinner, I would make us a recipe from the Ultimate Reset book, or we would go out and order something that conforms to our diets.  Le Pain Quotidien was actually pretty wonderful for this.

The second week, we started to add tempeh and sprouted grain breads into our diets.  We also started to increase the amount of grains and beans that we consumed.  Sprouted grain breads are essentially Ezekiel breads.   These breads use only sprouted organic live grains, unlike the bread that we normally have, which are, I guess, dead.  Ezediel bread is pretty good!  I started making a sandwich of Ezekiel bread, guacamole, smokey tempeh, cucumbers, spinach, sprouts, onions, tomatoes, and red pepper.  It’s pretty awesome.

Post-Reset Sandwich

Sandwich

I really loved tempeh during the Reset, so I was very happy to finally have it back!

Now, I’m 3 weeks after the Reset.  According to the transition plan, you can now begin reintroducing non-Vegan Shakeology (Yes! Greenberry, I have missed you!) and some animal proteins, like eggs and yogurt.  When I had my first hard-boiled egg, I had been completed VEGAN (not just vegetarian) for a full month.  Next week, is when all of the fun is supposed to begin – sugar, soda, coffee, alcohol, chicken, and fish.

Well… halfway through week three post-Reset, it’s my husband’s birthday.  So, we’re going to start all of that week four stuff a couple of days earlier, and I have no problem with that.  We’ve been really good for over a month.  I know that not everyone who does the Reset really follows the transition plan afterward, so I think I’m ahead of the game right now.

Yesterday, my husband and I went to (what was) the first certified-organic restaurant in the country and had dinner to celebrate his birthday.  This seemed very much in the spirit of the Reset.  We had fish, wine, and refined sugar a couple of days early.  We had an avocado-crab appetizer, which was amazing.  I had scallops and vegetable risotto for dinner, and my husband had halibut and vegetables for dinner.  We split a small chocolate cake and a bottle of wine.  Let me just say that alcohol really hit me.  Normally, my husband and I could drink a bottle of wine easily, no problem.  I was feeling the alcohol effects after the first glass!  That’s crazy!

Today, on his actually birthday, we had a very nice brunch.  I ate completely vegetarian – an appetizer of various dips (parsley, beets, and tzatziki); a carrot-ginger soup; eggs with mushrooms, a salad, and potatoes; and split a slice of walnut cake with my husband for his birthday.  Everything was amazing.  I also had a couple of wonderful cocktails – one make of vodka, Greek yogurt, honey, lemon, and rosemary.

Alcohol Epiphany:  I’ve changed my general attitude toward alcohol as a result of the Reset.  This is important.  Being sober for 30+ days sucked, but it was helpful in that it made me realize that alcohol is an accessory, it’s not an entree.  I’ve come to the conclusion that if I am going to waste calories on alcohol, that alcohol had better be AMAZING.  I’m talking fancy hand-crafted cocktails, craft beer, and fine wine.  I’m not sure I’m going to drink crappy alcohol (e.g., PBR) with the sole intention of getting drunk anymore.  If I’m going to drink, it better be something decent.

Meat Epiphany:  I’m thinking the same way about meat as well.  While I was never much of a fast-food (e.g., McDonald’s) type of person pre-Reset, it demonstrates my point.  If I’m going to eat meat, I don’t think it’s going to be a McDonald’s hamburger; it’s going to be grass-fed filet mignon or kobe beef.  I’m not interested in putting garbage into my body.

Reactions:  As you start to reintroduce new foods, you are supposed to listen to your body to ensure that you’re not experiencing any bloating, gas, skin, or sinus problems, which could indicate a sensitivity or allergy to the newly introduced food.  Until recently, I haven’t really experienced anything like that.  I’ve been having some minor digestive discomfort over these birthday celebrations, which could really be attributable to anything, so after this weekend, I will be sure to get back into the clean-eating groove.  It’s good to note that, this morning, after drinking wine, I did not feel wrecked.  I was really worried about how alcohol would affect me.  So far, so good.

My FREE Reset T-Shirt Arrived!

Cropped

Reminder

The Reset is ON SALE for a couple of more days – until the end of March.  Buy it here and start your journey!  This is truly an amazing life-changing experience that I would recommend for anyone who thinks has it in them to do it.  It is very rewarding, but it is far from easy.  If you’re looking to start the Reset, I am happy to help coach you through the process.  Please comment below.