SEVEN!

This morning I finished my 3-Day Refresh, and all my runner buds and foodies have been begging me for my full report. So here ya go!

I decided to try the 3-Day Refresh to jump start my diet after the marathon. I always tend to gain a couple of pounds during training, and it was taking longer than usual to come back off. I had developed several not-so-great habits and needed to kick them. I was snacking way too much, especially after dinner. Desserts had become a daily thing, and I was eating far too many cheat/treat foods. They aren’t treats if you eat them almost every day! I purchased 3-Day Refresh from my fellow fitness-crazed workout-a-holic, Jill from Fit for All.

I lost a total of SEVEN pounds! I’m really surprised. I saw a number on the scale this morning that I have only seen once before, last summer when I was crazy triathlon girl. (Another reason for me to give XTing another BIG try!) Of course, I suck at documenting these things, so I have no before or after pictures. And I didn’t take a waist measurement. But I will say the pooch that had taken residency of my middle is now gone! I feel lighter on my feet. I feel refreshed, just like the name of the program says. And my junk food cravings are GONE. I had my usual peanut butter toast for breakfast this morning, and I thought it would be absolutely blissful. But I found myself missing my Vega shake first thing. I might be changing my breakfast up!

So here’s the rundown of the plan:
Wake-up: 8-10oz of water
Breakfast: Shakeology in 12oz of water and a serving of fruit.
Mid-Morning: Fiber Sweep in 8oz of water.
Lunch: Vanilla Fresh shake in 12oz of water. One serving of each fruit, veggies, and healthy fat.
Afternoon Snack: Serving of veggie and healthy fat.
Dinner: Vanilla Fresh Shake. One of the dinner options (basically a double serving of veggies).
Throughout the day, you should drink at least half your body weigh in ounces. I easily drank 80oz in addition to the water in the shakes.

So what did I eat exactly?

Breakfast. I opted to use Vega One instead of Shakeology. Nothing against Shakeology. It’s good stuff! I’ve been using Vega One since January with fantastic results, so I stuck with what I know and what my body is used to.

Fiber Sweep. Probably my least favorite part of the program. It didn’t taste bad…just like any citrus supplement. The texture was odd though. It’s chia and flax, so it thickens quick. The secret is ice cold water and chug it fast!

Lunch. Oops. I forgot to take a picture before I ate. Just imagine the big thing is full of romaine lettuce and the little container had 1tsp olive oil mixed with the juice from half a lemon and some Mrs. Dash seasoning (both freebies). I also had a lunchbox size Gala apple, hence the knife. And the Vanilla Fresh shake. All three days I had to space my lunch out over the course of an hour. I felt so full after each portion. The Vanilla Fresh shake tastes good. I drink my Vega with water every day, so that didn’t bother me one bit.

Snack. Oops. I forgot to take a picture all three days. I ate 6 baby carrots with 2TBSP of hummus. I’ll just hope all of you know what that looks like. Ha. Hummus rocks my world.

Dinner. I ate roughly the same thing every night. The first night I did just green beans and carrots. The second night (this picture) I added broccoli. And last night I did just broccoli and carrots. I tweaked the stir fry recipe from the book a little. I used Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning and a bit of our Base electrolyte salt.

The program suggests going without coffee or replacing it with plain green tea. However, no coffee is not an option for me, so I had plain black coffee like usual, just a slightly smaller serving.

How did I feel on the program? I can’t say I felt more energy than normal. I decided to not run during the 3 days because when I have tried to run on a moderate calorie deficit diet I had poor results. I’m a high energy person to begin with, so I wasn’t expecting a big increase in energy like I’ve read in other reviews. I will say I never felt sluggish, although my brain speed definitely wasn’t up to par. I think my brain needed a bit more protein. I had a few moments of hunger here and there, but it wasn’t bad. I just sipped water to curb my cravings.

Stomach upset? I didn’t experience any kind of stomach upset other than uncomfortable gas in the evenings. And it was stinky! Just ask Mr. Neon. I think the overabundance of pea protein in the Vanilla Fresh was to blame and not the exclusive diet of fruits and veggies. Again, I already eat a lot of fruits and veggies, so my body didn’t need to adjust as much to this as someone who isn’t already eating a more balanced diet.

So…would I do it again? I could totally see myself using the 3-Day Refresh again if my diet got out of whack. It definitely wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I’m a pretty strong-willed, determined person, and when I put my mind to something, I tend to follow through.

Any tips? It helped me immensely to map out every meal and get everything prepped ahead of time. I even made myself a one page print out of everything I would eat and when. The program comes with a book of all the different options for each meal and has a place for you to record what you plan on eating. I also liked doing it during the work week. Initially I thought I would do it over a weekend, but I would have been home with little distractions. Work kept me busy, and I wasn’t surrounded by food in my own kitchen.

One thing I did take away from the program that I will definitely continue is the 8-10oz of water immediately upon waking. It really helped my digestion wake up without any distress, and it also curbed my usual gotta-have-breakfast-asap feeling. From now on, there will be a glass of water waiting for me at my bedside every morning!

That’s my rundown of the 3-Day Refresh! Let me know if you give the program a try yourself!