So I know that I've been MIA from the blog the past week, and I bet I can guess what some of you are thinking: "She fell off the wagon which is why she's so quiet!" Well, I'm happy to report that's not true! While I do admit that I've continued to yo-yo over the past week, all in all I'm super proud of my progress and so glad that I have successfully completed the 24 day challenge! Woo hoo!
I really think that I've learned a ton from this experience and do plan to carry a lot of this forward. Plus, I've done a lot more to get closer to my goal weight as well as improved my overall health and fitness. I also think the benefits of making smarter, cleaner choices in food have also helped me take control over food cravings and psychological hunger versus physical hunger.
Final stats, as of this morning, were -6.6 lbs. Now some of you might remember that I hit that number last week to, and have since then hovered between 5 lbs lost and 6.6 lbs lost. I have yet to break through that 139.0 barrier though and get down to 138 or less, but if I keep this up, I think I can do it.
Some other really good stats that probably mean way more than the number on the scale are the inches lost. When I first started the challenge, my arms, chest, waist, stomach, hips and thigh measurements added up to 165.5 inches. Now, those same measurements add up to 150.0! That's a loss of 15.5 inches! Craziness. The biggest lost was 4 inches off of my waist. Definitely no complaints there.
One major thing that I've learned is that if I drink any alcohol whatsoever or eat salty or overprocessed foods I blow up like a balloon! It's just amazing to me that a person can put on 3-4 lbs in a day just due to water weight. I mean seriously??? One thing that I will definitely, definitely be watching. Plus after that happens, it takes 2-3 days to return to normal. It certainly makes you think twice about grabbing that glass of wine at happy hour, doesn't it?
The second major thing that I will takeaway from this is my new found love and appreciation for water. I have drank so much more water these past 24 days and feel so much better because of it. Also, drinking the right amount of water doesn't just "happen" you need to focus on it throughout the day. I've been able to give myself little goals, like "I will finish this glass on my way to the bathroom so I can fill it back up before coming to my desk." Or, "I'm going to finish this glass before I go to this meeting, etc." After learning how much water you truly need, I can't believe how little I was drinking before. And what's better after a hard workout then an ice cold glass of water? Nothing.
A third takeaway will be my love of fresh fruit. I'm still taken aback sometimes by how great an apple is or a handful of grapes. They are so much more satisfying to me now than processed sweets. I do still love my little bits of chocolate though and I don't think that will ever change!
Lastly, I'm going to try and replace one meal a day with an Advocare shake. They really do taste good and have the right balance of protein, carbs and fat which is nice. It's alos super helpful in meal planning if I don't have to worry about one extra meal per day. I think I will either try and drink it for breakfast or lunch on days when I'm busy at work.
As far as the remainder of supplements on the 24 day challenge, I don't think I'm going to continue with them. It honestly is just more money than I want to spend on a monthly basis. I will keep taking the catalyst supplement though as well as a multivitamin and the omega 3 supplement. The rest though, I'm actually going to be quite glad to stop taking a giant pack of pills everyday. Who knows though, maybe those pill were responsible for my -6.6 lbs and now without them I will gain it all back. I doubt it, but stay tuned. : )
So that's it! 24 day challenge, signing off.
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