Five on Friday # 1

Happy Friday Friends! Today I’m linking up with Darci, over at the good life blog, for a Five on Friday post. I’m really excited about this post because it includes some of my favorite fitness products. Enjoy!

1 – Spark Energy Drink. This stuff is addicting and really good! My favorite flavor is fruit punch, hands down. It’s a caffeinated drink that gives you such a distinct and amazing boost of energy that lasts me throughout the day. I drink one a day in the am and I'm set!

2 – Contigo Water Bottles. These are my new best friends. I bought them last week and got them for a steal! Head over to Costco – They are selling a pack of 3 for $14.99! Such a great price and I use these ALL the time, EVERYWHERE I go. A must have! Here are a couple of the colors that came in the pack I bought.

3 – Quest Bars. If you want something you can eat on the go for a meal, here is the product for you. They are packed with protein, fiber, and NO added sugar. The cookies & cream flavor is actually really yummy. It has chunks of cookies and cream in the bar which makes it seem like you are truly biting into an OREO cookie. No wonder this bar is called a clean cheat!

4 – Yurbuds. I absolutely LOVE mine. I no longer have to re-insert my earphones while I’m running or working out. I bought these at Nordstrom for $29.99. It was the best $30 I spend there! Haha. They come in fun, bright colors and literally DO NOT fall out of your ears.

5 – Hard-boiled eggs. Ever since I started to eat clean, this is my go to snack. They are so easy to make and always a good food item to have on hand. I have at least 5 a week, if not more. I recently tried buying them in bulk and already pre-boiled and peeled at Costco but that was an epic fail, according to me AND my husband. They didn't taste like real eggs and I had to plug my nose to get them down. So back to the good ‘ole home-style way of boiling & peeling myself. The picture below is the latest batch I cooked up using my aunt and uncle’s freshly hatched eggs that they gave me. Isn't it crazy how organic eggs aren't actually white? Makes me wonder what happens to the store bought eggs to get them so perfectly white.

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!  

My AdvoCare 24-Day Challenge Experience

At first I was skeptical. I had been around friends who had done the challenge and taken the products for almost a year before I juggled the thought of ever trying the program. I was watching my friends make huge transformations, like 30+ lbs of transformations.  My husband was supportive but thought I should just eat healthier and exercise…. I kept telling him, “but it hasn’t worked the past year for me. I’m never going to lose my baby fat stomach!!” So then we decided, why not just give it a try? It was a little bit of an investment but I kept telling myself the outcome could be great. So I bought my first 24 day challenge. I got all excited, joined a supportive facebook group, printed some yummy AdvoCare challenge friendly recipes to start making, and headed to the grocery store with my supportive friend Ryann (she LOVES to cook, has done the challenge before, and knows Trader Joe’s inside and out).

Day 1 – I had printed out a checklist that tells you when to take the vitamins/drinks and followed it to a tee. By the end of breakfast, half of my boxes were checked off so of course that made me really happy. During the kids nap, I prepped dinner for the night. Our first dinner was the hummus crusted chicken – it was SOOOO good!!!! By the end of the day I thought to myself, “that wasn’t too hard, how bad can 23 more days of this be?”

Day 11 marked the end of the 10 day “cleanse” ……. I still ate normal the first ten days – in addition to a regular diet, I took a fiber drink in the am, and herbal cleanse vitamins before bed. I was down 4.2lbs and 3.75 inches…. and LOVING it! I was hooked!

Around day 20 I was craving something bad and I will be honest, I wasn’t the strictest towards the end…. Especially with a 3 year old birthday party that fell on day 21 of the challenge - complete with pizza and cupcakes – but I’m only human right? I did over indulge at the party a bit, but it was okay just that once. When I weighed in at the end of the program and lost a total of 5.2lbs (over 4% of my weight) and 9.50 inches, I was so happy!!! All my doubts about the program and the products were gone!

So what now? Well, along with maintaining a healthy diet (like the one I was on the challenge with) & normal exercise, I am still taking two AdvoCare products daily which I love: Catalyst – it is branched chain amino acids which help fuel additional fat burning and lean muscle production (it’s nicknamed “liposuction in a bottle” for a reason :]) and Spark Energy Drink – it’s a multi-nutrient system designed to provide nutritionally advanced, long-lasting energy and enhanced mental focus, with 21 vitamins & minerals (this is your coffee substitute).

I am about 2 weeks post challenge and down another pound and feel great! It’s no longer a weight loss journey but a fitness and lifestyle one that I look forward to sharing with you.

If you are interested in learning more or have any questions, please reach out to me! 
whitt312@gmail.com

Do you want to participate in the 24 day challenge too? Click HERE for everything you will need. Or check out my website at www.SoCalAdvo.com. 

I am also part of a private Facebook group that my friend Lauren over at heylaurenrene created. We all share recipes, meal plans, workout ideas, tips and offer up a ton of support and encouragement. Check out the results from the first group challenge and second group challenge ***The group is over 450 members and new group challenges are beginning monthly. It's never too late to join us!***