Day 7 - Mike & Kristen's Advocare 24-Day Weight Loss Challenge

At this point, it's pretty clear to me that the keys to a successful challenge are will power and perseverance. I guess this is true of any weight loss program out there. As I've mentioned in previous posts, the Advocare challenge is structured in a way that allows you to have 5 meals per day (plus an optional nighttime snack). With this frequency of eating, I can honestly say that I have not had problems with being hungry for the majority of the challenge. However, the temptations to fall off of the wagon are beginning to mount. On Friday, one of my coworkers asked me to go down to the cafeteria to have breakfast with him. Even though I had already eaten my breakfast on the way to work, I obliged. Then I proceeded to sip on some water while he wolfed down biscuits and gravy, bacon, and fried potatoes! A little over a week ago I probably would've eaten the exact same thing. That is just one example of where will power and perseverance to stick to the challenge was crucial. If I had given into temptation in that instance (or a few others that presented themselves in the last week), then I would never have achieved the 12 lb weight loss that has ensued in the last 7 days!

My wife and I are notorious for making bad meal choices and then trying to make up for it later . If we weren't in the middle of this program, I may very well have grubbed up on some biscuits and gravy with the intention of eating a lighter lunch. Then, when lunch comes around I make another poor choice with the plan to exercise after work and eat a better dinner, and so on.

With the monetary commitment to buy the challenge and with a 5 meal per day diet structure to follow, I have some much needed help in the will power department.

A couple other random items that I've noticed in the last day or two:
- The fruit that I've been eating seems to be tasting better. I bought several apples at the beginning of the week and I swear that the apple I snacked on today was better than the first one I ate a week ago.

- I think I'm starting to have more energy throughout the day. I worked a 24-hour shift yesterday into this morning and today, on my post-call day, I still haven't drank my Spark for the day. Now granted, I did get about 5 hours of interrupted sleep last night, but usually I'm pretty gassed during my post-call days even when I do get some sleep at the hospital. To top it off, I have already worked out today and I mowed the lawn and I still don't feel tired. My plan is to drink the Spark during dinner because it's a lot more tasty than plain water.

- Lastly, unsalted peanuts are my new friend. I've never been big on peanuts, but now I really look forward to eating them for my afternoon snack!

Well, time to fire up the grill and start cooking some chicken with veggies. We bought a new lemon pepper sauce that I'm going to marinade the chicken with and I"m excited to see how it'll turn out.

Oh yeah, Kristen's still doing well with the challenge too...down 6 lbs in one week and she's still not exercising at all!

If you want to explore the Advocare site more for additional details, here's our link:
www.reclaimyourbodyandlife.com

As with every post that I'll make, here's my disclaimer:

I am a physician and protecting my medical career is of paramount importance to me. I have researched the Advocare products thoroughly and my wife and I have chosen to use them for our own personal weight loss endeavor. However, I will not provide an official medical opinion with regards to the safety and efficacy of the products for others. I've put in too many years of hard work to put my medical license at risk. Basically, I've chosen to use Advocare products for myself and you'll have to decide for yourself or consult with your personal physician to figure out if these products are safe for you too.