Day five

Down 6.6 pounds today. If the old saying is true--that the first six pounds are just water weight--I have officially reached the end of my water weight. Now, I'm expecting to lose pounds much less quickly. As I've learned on other diet programs and from putzing around on the internet, the goal should be to lose between 1 to 1.5 pounds per week. So, that's my goal.

Here's the plan for today:

DAY 5

• Breakfast- Advocare shake

• Snack - 1/2 banana w/ peanut butter

• Lunch- Sliced turkey w/ baby carrotshhh

• Snack- 1/2 banana w/ peanut butter

• Dinner- Grilled chicken w/ steamed broccoli 

I took a break from exercising today. After doing the "Biggest Loser" CardioMax video at home yesterday, I feel like a strained my back, or at least there a muscles in my back that are painfully sore when I do anything. I also woke up last night because my arms were sore. So, I'm going to take a break. Maybe I will go on a walk with my husband this afternoon...take it easy.

Thought of the day

Psalm 106:14 says, "But they had wonton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in ther desert." Other translations say that "They gave in to their cravings" and "tempted God."

Psalm 106 recounts what God has done for his people, and describes the people's response. It describes the Israelites crossing the Red Sea and then entering the wilderness. And, despite the fact that this mass of people witnessed a sea being parted before them so they could cross safely, they still had little faith and they still tempted God.

What does it mean to tempt God? As this page shows, tempting God could mean many things. It could be sinning with the expectation that God will forgive you, doing foolish things with the attitude that he has to save you, testing God because of your doubt or unbelief (e.g., "If you exist, give me a sign"), or trying to make God do things that are in accordance with your own will or desires. In Psalm 106:14, the Israelites made demands for food in ways that tempted God. They doubted that he would provide, they tested his faithfulness, and the asked him to do things that were their own desires rather than God's sovereign plan.

I have been struggling with cravings today and yesterday. I am certainly tempted to feel like I am in a desert wasteland in terms of food--nothing but fruits, veggies, and lean meats! No bread, no cheese, no sugar. I have so far managed to resist being tempted by foods and drinks I shouldn't have. I have been wanting to "cheat," thinking to myself, "One cheating meal won't make a difference," or, "I can make up for it later." But I think I need to remember that God is faithful and I should not tempt him to "save me" from even one meal in which I give in to my desires to have a biscuit or run out and get fast food.

Advocare 24-day Challenge - Grocery list

Tomorrow's the day! I will be beginning the 10 day cleanse of the Advocare 24-day Challenge. The premise of this diet plan is to take supplements that boost your metabolism while drinking lots of water and eating healthy. For the first 10 days, I will be taking and Herbal cleanse product, Omegaplex vitamin supplement product, and a Spark energy drink product that boosts energy and provides extra vitamins. I will also drink 1 meal-replacement shake for breakfast most days. I will also be eating as many raw fruits and veggies as possible, drinking at least 1 gallon of water per day (and only water, no diet sodas, coffee, tea, or alcohol), and eating lean meats prepared in a healthy manner. During this 10 days, I can't eat sugar (except for those in fruits/veggies), dairy, or bread. After the 10 day cleanse, I will continue for 14 days on the healthy diet with no supplements. Click here for the Advocare website.

I have heard mixed reviews about Advocare. Some say that they had long-term success, others say that they had success on the 24-days but gained all the weight back after they stopped taking supplements and following the Advocare dietary rules. To be honest, I think supplements and cleanses are mostly a crock. It could work for some people's bodies, but not others. I have never tried supplements, though, so it will be interesting to see how they make me feel and whether or not I feel they are making the weight loss process easier.

In the end, however, I feel that there is NO easy way to lose weight...the ONLY way to do it is to be conscious of what you're eating and attempt to be active. That is why I am still excited about the restrictions of the Advocare dietary recommendations for the first 10 days. Even if they don't "cleanse" my body, it will still force me to eat fresh fruits and veggies and look up healthy ways to prepare lean meats. I'm hoping this will set me on a good path of thinking about what I'm putting in my body, logging my foods, and religiously drinking water! I will also be either walking or doing a home exercise video (either Jillian Michael's 30-day Shred or Biggest Loser's CardioMax) every day.

So, I have the box of the shakes and supplements from Advocare, and I have just returned from a long, expensive trip to Wal-Mart with some good looking produce, whole grains, and lean meats.

This is my grocery list:

FRUITS/VEGGIES

Oranges

Apples

Bananas

Pineapple

Grape

Pears

Iceberg lettuce

Tomatoes

Avocado

Asparagus

Zucchini

Squash

Broccoli

Onion

Corn

Garlic

PROTEINS

Salmon

Chicken breasts (8)

Rotisserie chicken

Cod

Sliced chicken/turkey (from deli)

Eggs or Eggbeaters

Ground Turkey meat (x3)

SIDES

Whole grain brown rice

Steel cut oatmeal

Black beans

Pinto Beans

OTHER

2 gallon jugs water

Rotel

Tomato Paste

Taco seasoning

NATURAL peanut butter

Nuts

chicken broth