End of Challenge Photos!

We're back from Sin City! We just got done wrapping up a couple days of having a good time with 2 very close friends of ours in Las Vegas and I didn't have time to post these pictures before we left (was post-call and rushing to get ready for the flight!). But Kristen took these photos of me right after we checked into our hotel on the afternoon after the last day of our Advocare 24-Day Challenge. My final weigh-in on the morning after the challenge was 195 lbs, which comes out to a 19 lb weight loss! Kristen's starting weight was 132 lbs and her last weigh-in was 125 lbs for a 7 lb loss (pretty awesome given how slim she was starting out if you ask me!).

Day 1 vs. Day 24

So the challenge is over, but I'm not done trying to lose more weight. My goal is to get below 190 lbs before we head out to Cancun in a few weeks. To help accomplish that, I'm going to keep on going with the Max phase of the challenge and I'm going to continue to eat right and exercise. Kristen's already in great shape, so she's just going to stick with the diet and exercise a little.

I'll keep you in the loop for how the next few weeks go!

P.S. My mom is down 12 lbs after 3 weeks on the challenge. Keep up the great work mom!


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.

Day 24 - Mike & Kristen's Advocare 24-Day Challenge

Day 24 means that the challenge is over and our results have been amazing! My weight before I left for work this morning was 197 lbs, which means that my final weight loss total was 17 lbs! Kristen's final weight was 125 lbs, which ends up being a 7 lbs weight loss! I'm working a call shift at the hospital tonight, so I'm going to wait until I get home tomorrow to take my final challenge photos and to get the final measurement on my waist. Honestly, the best part of this challenge is that I don't feel like the challenge has come to an end. Let me explain...

The last weight loss program that I completed was the Insanity exercise program. I loved the Insanity program and the results were great, but I really didn't change my diet. Also, those workouts are grueling (and long) and continuing them indefinitely after the 60-day program just wasn't realistic for me with my work schedule. So when the program was over, my diet was still crappy and my exercise routine really dropped off...and you guessed it, the pounds found their way back as well.

So that brings me to the Advocare 24-Day Weight Loss Challenge. Today, I feel great and my energy level is as high as it has been since college. My dietary habits have also changed significantly. I have also worked my way into a very manageable exercise regimen (15-20 minutes on the treadmill before dinner 4-5 times per week). Also, just because the challenge is over doesn't mean that I'm going to stop using the Advocare supplements. I won't be repeating the 10-day cleanse phase for a while, but I am going to continue the majority of the products from the second 14 days (Max phase). The Metabolic Nutrition System (MNS) has become a staple of my daily routine. I am going to continue to take OmegaPlex with dinner to fulfill my omega-3 fatty acid needs. The other product that I think has made a big difference for me is Catalyst. Kristen and I both feel that the biggest difference for us has been in the waist line. My waist has decreased by at least 3 inches (I'll know the final number tomorrow morning) and Kristen's has also decreased by 2 inches. Kristen mentioned to me this morning that she definitely can tell that her abs are more defined and she feels better in her swimsuit.

As I promised yesterday, here is my final review of the Advocare 24-Day Challenge:

I'll start with the Cleanse Phase. The 1st 10 days are definitely harder than the last 14 days. The first two days were a little tough because I had a mild headache while going through what I think was caffeine withdrawal. The Spark drinks have caffeine in them, but I don't think it's quite enough to completely fend off the withdrawal if you're a heavy caffeine drinker (like I was). The fiber drinks are also a little tough to put down, but I actually kind of liked the citrus taste and and definitely "enjoyed" them much more than Kristen did. There were a few very pleasant surprises about the Cleanse Phase. First of all, I never had trouble with being hungry. Five healthy meals/snacks per day was plenty to keep the hunger cravings away. Secondly, my energy level really started picking up by about day 2 or 3. Finally, I never had a problem with excessive urination or defecation. Part of the reason might have been that I drank a ton of pop before the challenge and caffeine is a diuretic, so I was definitely not urinating any more than usual. The other notable and expected part of the challenge is that the bulk of my weight loss came during the first 10 days while I was flushing my system of toxins and waste (13 of the 17 lbs during the cleanse).

After getting used to the Advocare system during the cleanse, the Max Phase was truly a breeze. By the second half of the challenge, I had established a healthy eating plan and a stable exercise regimen. Occasionally it was a little hard to coordinate the supplement schedule for the MNS (during this phase you will take one pack 30 minutes before breakfast and 30 minutes before lunch), but really only with the lunchtime supplementation (30 minutes before breakfast was easy...just took the pills when I woke up and then ate breakfast 30 minutes later on my drive to work). The Catalyst capsules seem to be more effective when you take them right before you workout, so that part was easy and convenient. The hardest part of the second phase for Kristen and I was that the "real world" temptations started to creep in. There were dinners with friends, a trip to the casino, and a 3-day bachelor party extravaganza for me (while Kristen had a 3-day girls' weekend at the same time). But these temptations are ALWAYS going to be there whether you are in the middle of a weight loss program or not! The other thing is, I partied for 3 days straight in the middle of the max phase and I still kept the weight off!

All in all, Kristen and I are extremely happy that we took on the challenge. I still want to lose more weight and try to get under 190 lbs, so I am going to continue with the Max Phase for a while longer. Kristen is in awesome shape and feeling great, so she's going to try to maintain solely using the diet principles that we learned during the challenge.

Thank you Advocare! You absolutely helped me reclaim my body and life!!!



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

Day 23 - Mike & Kristen's Advocare 24-Day Challenge

I really can't believe how quickly the 2nd half of the challenge has flown by. I think my results have been incredible and I am very happy that I chose to take on the Advocare 24-Day Challenge. Before the bachelor party weekend, I was down to 197 lbs from a starting weight of 214 lbs. This morning, before I left for work I weighed in at 198 lbs, so I've already knocked off a couple of the pounds that I put on during my 3-day party with the boys! My plan for tomorrow is to give a nice, long, comprehensive review of the program to sum up the last 24 days.

The most notable change for me over the course of the last 3 weeks is that I feel like my mindset has completely changed. My self image has improved and I am now approaching my meal choices with a new set of eyes. The hospital where I work has a nicely stocked fridge with a plethora of drink choices, including Diet Dr. Pepper, and the cabinet in the lounge has a big selection of chips, including Doritos. If you remember back to my earliest posts, Diet Dr. Pepper and Doritos have been my staple junk food for YEARS. I can honestly say that I have very little interest in consuming them now. I'm sure I will try to work them back into my life in a modest fashion (cookouts and parties with friends for instance), but the days of hitting up the hospital supply on a daily basis for breakfast, lunch, and every snack in between are long gone!

Like I said, the big review comes tomorrow, but if you've been following my experience, you can tell that I'm happy with Advocare. The diet results have really validated my belief in their system. If you've done the research and you think the challenge is right for you, click here and visit our Advocare website to place your order.


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

Day 22 - Mike & Kristen's Advocare 24-Day Challenge

The weekend of the Big Cheat is over! The bachelor party was awesome and some priceless memories were made. I gained back a few of the pounds that I've lost, but I was eager this morning to get back on track with the challenge. Getting back into the swing of it was actually quite easy, which I think is a testament to the way that my mindset towards eating has changed.

I wanted to share a few status updates on how some of the other people that I know are doing with the challenge. Kristen is still holding steady with a 7 lb weight loss. She did tell me today that she was very happy with how she felt in her swimsuit when she was out at the pool over the weekend! My mom is doing very well and she has lost 8 lbs through the first 2 weeks of the challenge! She feels like she has more energy and she's also noticed that her knee hasn't been hurting her as much as it usually does. My friend, A.M., is 8 days into the challenge and she has lost 5 lbs so far for a nice start. Another one of my friends, M.W. (who was in pretty good shape already before starting the challenge), is 6 days in and has trimmed a half inch off of his waist. He also thinks his abs are better defined.

I have 3 days left in the challenge. My major goal is to quickly take back the 3 lbs that I put on during the bachelor party and maybe lose another pound or two before it's all said and done!

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

Day 19 - Mike & Kristen's Advocare 24-Day Challenge

I wasn't sure that I'd have the time to make a post today, but I have a couple things that I really want to share with everyone before I head out for an epic weekend! First, I have reached a new low weight for the challenge...I'm down to 197 lbs! That makes 17 lbs lost in 19 days. The second phase of the challenge is going very well and I have really gotten into a groove with my daily routine. The MNS system is very easy to follow (supplements before and during both breakfast and lunch) and I'm still taking the OmegaPlex with dinner. I added in ThermoPlus to my program a few days ago (take it in the morning when you wake up) and I'm still taking Catalyst to help with my muscle tone and definition. I have modified my Catalyst use a little bit in that I now try to take one of the Catalyst doses 10-15 minutes before I exercise.

Secondly, my friend Matt is a few days into the challenge and he shared with me a good tip that I want to pass along. As I've mentioned previously, the Fiber Drink during the cleanse phase does not taste great. During my cleanse, I basically chugged it as fast as I could. Yesterday morning Matt decided to mix a Spark with the Fiber Drink and he said that it made the Fiber Drink taste WAY better! Passing along this tip is one of the great things about the Advocare system. I talk and trade emails regularly with Dave (Kristen's cousin) and his friends (Matt and Greg) that helped get me started with the challenge. Kristen and I have also tried to keep regular contact with the people that have followed us in starting up the challenge. When you start the Advocare 24-Day Challenge, you are not alone. You are not out on an island left to work off the pounds by yourself. It really helps to pass along ideas and tips with friends and the support system really helps to fortify your will power to stick with the challenge.

Well, that's about all I have time for today...I'll give you all an update when I get back on Monday!


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

Day 18 - Mike & Kristen's Advocare 24-Day Challenge

Today is the last day before the Big Cheat. Tomorrow I will be going out of town for a bachelor party that is going by a very telling monikor, The Death of Super Zak! This will be the "challenge within the challenge" and it will test my will power the most by far. I'm jokingly going to refer to this trip as the Big Cheat because I know that we will be going out to eat for every meal and enjoying a plethora of adult beverages. I have no intention of ruining all of my hard work over the last 18 days, so I'm going to have to choose wisely from the restaurant menus. I'm also hoping that the hotel has a small gym with a treadmill because I would love to go for a quick run in the morning. It also might be feasible to go for a run outside near the hotel, but I have no clue what kind of neighborhood the hotel is in and whether or not that would actually be a safe option. From a diet standpoint, my major goal is to come back on Monday weighing the same as when I left!

Until today, I hadn't realized just how many professional athletes are Advocare endorsers. I knew that Drew Brees is a big endorser (he has Advocare listed on his personal website right next to the other products he endorses...Nike, Verizon, Vick's, etc.). There are pro athletes in pretty much every sport that are using Advocare to increase their energy levels, recover from workouts, and enhance their performance...legally of course! If you're curious, click here to see all the pro endorsers. The football list is particularly long.

I'm not sure whether or not I'll have the time to fire off a blog post before I leave town tomorrow, but I'll definitely give you an update on Monday of how I navigated through the Big Cheat!

Product of the Day:

Herbal Cleanse

Part 3: Herbal Cleanse Tablet

The Herbal Cleanse Tablet is the final component of the Herbal Cleanse Kit and it is taken at bedtime for the first 7 days of the cleanse phase. This tablet contains a complex combination of ingredients that help to detox your body through both your GI tract and your urinary tract. I'm going to paraphrase the product description from the Advocare website to give you an idea of what's in the tablet.

Senna leaf extract, commonly used as an herbal medication individually to treat constipation, is included in the tablet to move waste through the GI tract. It also has some appetite suppressant properties to it as well. Beet root power and wheat grass juice are included to help reduce metabolic waste byproducts. Cranberry juice powder helps to flush toxins through the kidneys. Milk thistle extract, with its active component silymarin, has antioxidant properties and is reported to have protective effects for the liver. There are also several ingredients that are included to boost your immune system (echinacea, astragalus, garlic, zinc, and vitamin C) and to improve your energy level (B vitamins).

So as you can see, Advocare attempts to pack a mighty punch to drive your weight loss during the cleanse phase of the 24-Day Challenge. I have heard from some people that the Herbal Cleanse Tablets can cause you to go to the bathroom more frequently and based upon the tablet's mechanism of action, I'm really not surprised. I slept through the night pretty soundly during the 1st 10 days of the challenge, so I never had a problem with waking up in the middle of the night to urinate. I did notice that I was going to the bathroom a little more frequently than usual during the cleanse phase, but it really wasn't an inconvenience or significant interruption during my daily activities.


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

Day 17 - Mike & Kristen's Advocare 24-Day Challenge

Kristen and I have decided to formulate a plan for introducing "cheats" back into our lives. What are we calling "cheats?" These are food and beverage choices that don't fit within the guidelines of the 24-Day Challenge. My plan is to continue the Advocare supplements and healthy eating choices after the challenge officially ends, so it's going to be very important to have a gameplan for cheats. Our plan is to limit them to twice per week with an effort to save them mainly for social events with friends. We're also going to save alcohol for social gatherings. Limiting the frequency of the cheats is going to be a key factor in maintaining and improving upon our achievements during the challenge.

I learned something interesting today that may help you to relate Advocare's Spark drink to a product that is more well known. Advocare's Spark and the Crystal Light energy packets share a lot of the same ingredients. The two products both contain many of the same vitamins and both have caffeine. The main difference between the products is that the Spark drinks also contain several amino acids so they help provide "heightened mental focus and performance."

Product of the Day:

Herbal Cleanse

Part 2: ProBiotic Restore Ultra

The probiotic is taken in the morning before breakfast during days 4-10 of the challenge. The reason that the probiotic is included in the cleanse is because it supports your immune system, supports intestinal health and function, aids in digestion and enhances your weight loss. ProBiotic Restore Ultra contains 6 strains of "good" bacteria: 3 species of Lactobacillus and 3 species of Bifidobacterium. This ensures coverage of both the large and small intestinal tracts.


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.