After Christmas, I know from experience that I will feel uncomfortable because I eat a lot of sugar and also enjoy a lot of carb type foods. I decided this year I would be prepared in advance and I ordered a 3 day refresh kit from Beachbody. I figured I could squeeze it in between Christmas and New Year’s eve. And it worked out great!
I started on Monday and continued on Tuesday and Wednesday for the three days. I did a refresh previously, in October, and found that on the fourth day I actually felt the best I felt in a long time. So I am looking forward to a New Year’s Eve of feeling awesome. Also, since I am in week 4 of hammer and chisel over the new year holiday I am going to be careful about overindulging so I won’t ruin my efforts so far!
Day 1
At the start of the refresh I stuck to my usual food items since I was away with family. My lunch was carrots and hummus with fruit. I pick the fruits that I can have the most of!! Of course, the vanilla fresh is the protein packed part of the meal and keeps me full!
We did end up at the Cheesecake Factory for dinner – which was a huge temptation. I took my vanilla fresh along and I ordered the superfood antioxidant salad. That salad had some extra items in it that were not in the spinach salad recipe of dinner recipes in the booklet, but I figured it was better than a lot of the alternatives on the menu!
I couldn’t pass up a couple of forkfuls of the Oreo cheesecake my daughter ordered, especially because she could not finish it. Waste not, want not!
I definitely supplement with herbal tea or green tea to curb cravings and I have done a good job not missing the caffeine for these three days.
Day 2
I was back home and was able to be a little more adventurous. When it came time for my lunch I decided to mix blueberries in with the vanilla fresh and make a shake, which was really really tasty. And purple!
I also roasted some brussels sprouts with olive oil and pepper and had some avocado slices on the side. Usually I stick with carrots and hummus so a warm vegetable lunch was definitely something special.
For dinner on day two I ended up sticking with something I had had before, the cucumber and tomato salad. I made it in advance so that the vegetables could soak in the liquid.
Day 3
On day three, I was home again but had to be out and about running errands so it was a little tricky to have made to order food items. I went with peppers and carrots with hummus with my vanilla fresh at lunchtime because I can easily pack that up in a lunch bag. I took along extra water and ice to shake the Vanilla Fresh. I also prepared a thermos of green tea so I would have it for later in the day between meals. We ended up being out longer than I expected – isn’t that always the way?! I got pretty hungry and since I had to stop at Target for a return, I picked up a hummus container and some carrots (boring!) for the afternoon snack. That really worked out!
Then for dinner I opted to try another new recipe so that I can sample all the recipes in the booklet. I steamed broccoli, carrots and cauliflower in a bit of water for 4-5 minutes and then added 1/2 tsp of coconut oil and some sea salt. Together with the Vanilla Fresh (I added cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice), I was satisfied. When I find a recipe I like I tend to cycle that into my normal meals. It’s a great way to make a small amount to test it out!
I did sneak a taste of the slow cooker chicken taco soup that had been cooking all day:) Here’s the recipe for that one!
I didn’t really mention the fiber sweep drink that is done in the mid morning. It’s not my favorite – but when you have it cold and quick, it’s totally doable!
Here are my results – On the morning of the 4th day, I was down 3.5 pounds and about 1 inch overall. That inch came from my waist and hips!