Three Day Refresh

After a crazy cross country move I stepped on the scale. Talk about shocking. I managed to gain 15 pounds in 2 months. Sigh. Living in a new area with new culture has also been difficult. Deep fried gator anyone?
The husband and I decided to do the 3 Day Refresh together. Because everyone needs a support system. And why not run to the toliet with someone you love. Surprise there was no crazy bathroom issues! YAY!!. Here's my account and review.

Sidenote I'm writing this as I go so I don't forget anything along the way.
Day 1.
One thing I know I should be doing is drinking water right when I wake up. I don't but Refresh requires it. So I did and it was an instant wake up. Hmm, who knew?
I usually have my Shakeology with almond milk but that's a big no on the refresh (No Meat No Dairy). Having it with water wasn't bad but wasn't great either.
Morning tea was awesome. Since I drink decaf everything anyway I didn't have any withdraw issues.
Fiber Sweep.
This was my most feared part. After getting a text from my husband saying it tasted like lemon sand (not sure how he knows what lemon sand tastes like) I was more nervous and got instantly gaggy. To my surprise it wasn't bad. Just mix really good and chug fast!
Lunch
Vanilla Fresh is not the best. For dinner I'll add my fruit to it. The other choices are amazing. Including the almond butter.
Afternoon snack
Starting to feel tired. I wasn't hungry but it was time to eat. Mmm carrots and hummus.
Dinner
Another vanilla fresh. I decided to add cinnamon since I didn't get more fruit (oops read instructions!) and that made it tolerable but I still couldn't finish it.
Night time is tough because that's my snacky time. Pushed through with no cheating!
Results from day 1-down 3 pounds and lost 3 inches on my waist!

Day 2.
Woke up with a sinus headache but had my water and Shakeology right away. Banana helps consistency with the lack of milk. Feeling better.
With a heat index of 94 degrees morning tea was skipped!
Fiber Sweep
I must be hungry because that tasted like Fruit Loops. :)
Lunch
Almond Butter is the best food ever! Mixed vanilla fresh with just water and chugged. Way better that way than mixed with ice.
Afternoon snack
Almond Butter is the best thing ever invented. Period.
Took a 2 hour nap with my kids. A nap is the answer to everything!
Dinner
Amazing spinach salad (tomatoes tasted amazeballs!) and vanilla fresh. This time I added vanilla extract and cinnamon. A little easier to drink
Sidenote I really dislike vanilla so take my opinions on vanilla fresh with a grain of salt.
Disclaimer I never sugar coat anything. I'm not going to lie I'm being honest with my experience.
Last night was rough. Everyone talks about day 2 being the worse. Well my day 2 night was the worse. I had horrible insomnia and night sweats. Woke up at 5 am extremely light headed. Ate half a banana and slept like a baby.
Weigh in down 1.5 pounds and a half inch. Yay!

 

Day3
Breakfast is vegan chocolate Shakeology with banana and I cheated with almond milk. I'm still a little light headed.
It's still too hot for tea times so those didn't happen.  Coffee will be amazing!
Fiber Sweep
I made it too thick because I was in a hurry.  I advise measuring so you don't have to suffer the concrete I had to drink.
Lunch was strawberries and lettuce.  Hey that's a salad!!!  Yum!  Topped with olive oil and lemon juice.
Afternoon snack
At the splash park with the kids.  Brought veggies and a spoonful of almond butter. Yum!
Dinner was the same salad as yesterday.  I had a vanilla Shakeology instead of the vanilla refresh. I couldn't stomach another one.
Tonight was much better no night sweats or insomnia.  No hunger pains either!

Results
I've lost 4.5 pounds and 4 inches on my waist.  I'm really happy with my results especially after I took my after pictures.

Here's a fun fact why men stink.  My husband lost 11 pounds!! 
Additional thoughts
I would only use this as a REFRESH not an everyday thing.  The calorie count is around 900 a day.  For me that's way too low.  BUT for 3 days I could handle it.  I feel so much better and stronger.  My first workout back (they recommend light yoga or rest days during the Refresh) was tough.  Plus my sweat smells horrid! 
If you've found yourself struggling with food I highly recommend the 3 Day Refresh. I'm not craving junk at all!  For me that's huge!  If you have any questions or comments feel free to ask me.  For additional info on the 3 Day Refresh you can contact me or order here Beachbodycoach.com/CoachRachB
Now onto marathon training!

What Girls on the Run has taught me.

Three years ago I started on a journey. I'm a serious introvert. Like to the point of wanting to be a crazy hermit cat lady. Anyway enough about my mental health. I saw an ad looking for Girls on the Run coaches. I thought hey I run I can do that.
Let me explain that GOTR isn't just a running program it's a life building program. To teach girls to be the amazing people they are. So not only did I have to run (which I was ok at) I had to actually lead and teach these girls to love who they are.
I have to say it's taken me this long to realize my own awesomeness. I took over head coaching responsibilities for not only one team but 4. Yes FOUR! Thirty totally different, joyful girls. From the ages of 8-13. Crazy as it sounds we didn't have any drama over the course of 12 weeks!
I am supposed to teach the girls but they've taught me so much. I appreciate every single one of them with their uniqueness and spirits that it's made me be a better person and find my inner peace. I am amazing and no one can take that away. Because at the end of the day we are all good enough.
The end of the season was a bittersweet day. Because I'm moving away. The town I'm moving to doesn't have a GOTR program. So guess what this now tutu wearing former introvert is taking on? Oh yes western Louisiana let's do this!

I'm learning to love my body, but...

I'm learning to love my body but today that bully that lurks deep in my brain was taunting me. "Your thighs are huge!" "Why'd you buy those underwear your butt isn't ready for that!" I finally punched her in the throat like I wanted to do to all those bullies in high school.
I changed my train of thought and focused on the positive changes. My arms look amazing and are strong. I can carry for 4 year old twins at the same time! My stomach is leaner everyday. I'm making healthy changes for my family.
Why do we hate ourselves so much? My body has made and carried 3 babies, two at the same time!  There are enough people out there prepared to judge why do I judge myself?
Everyday I tell my daughter she's beautiful. I need to do that for myself. I am beautiful, I am strong, I am me and I'm not going to apologize to anyone for it!

Roasted Crock Pot Potatoes

Today I'm posting my first recipe. It's no secret I am a meat and potatoes girl! I've been fighting some sinus yuck/cold and am craving comfort food. Last night I made my favorite potato concoction with steak of course.

What you'll need
4 Large Russet Potatoes
1 cup water
5 Tbsp butter
1 tsp pizza or Italian seasoning
1 tsp Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic (or                regular garlic powder)
2 tsp dried onion
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp paprika
Clean and dice potatoes in bite size pieces. Place in crock pot. Cover with water. Dice up butter and arrange in potatoes. Mix all spices in a bowl and sprinkle over potatoes. Cook on high for about 2 1/2 hours. My crock pot runs cold so you may want to check them at 2 hours. I chose to serve them with steak and broccoli. Enjoy!

Pink Wednesday

I didn't grow up a girly girl. I have two brothers and mostly male cousins. My mom tried to get me into pink and dresses. I was much happier in jeans and t-shirts covered in mud. As long as my hands were clean I was good. Hey my OCD has been here a long time!
Not until recently have I appreciated girly things. There are still some things I don't do like makeup and higher end clothes. What's the point really I spend my days working out and with kids.
My favorite color is now pink! It's become my "signature" color. With that my favorite day is #PinkWednesday! It's nice looking through other TDFers' pictures and know we have an amazing sisterhood.
So my friends Happy Pink Wednesday! Or in my case Pink Everyday.

First Race of 2014

I love to run. That's no secret. What I dislike is waking up at the butt crack of dawn to run a race. So imagine my surprise and glee when I discovered virtual races. Running on my own time, where I want and I still get bling?! Where do I sign up?
So yesterday I hammered out an 8k on the treadmill. Now yes I dislike the treadmill but it got the job done. Now I have more pretty bling to add to my collection.
Thanks Run With Jess for putting on such a fun race!