Well, week 3 happened and I officially finished the Ultimate Reset. Queue balloons and confetti and the whole bit. Honestly, I went to bed Sunday night and couldn’t sleep. It felt like Christmas! Not only was I excited to see my progress, but I also was thrilled to eat like a normal person again (not that vegan, grain-free people aren’t normal, but… they kind of aren’t).

Before we talk number results, let me recap week 3!

Week 3: Overview –

I WAS SICK OF ALL THE PREP BY WEEK 3. In weeks 1 and 2 I went by the meal guide 100%. In week 3 I was over it. I didn’t want to make all the recipes. I didn’t want to eat collard greens or kale. My portion sizes seemed to be smaller, so I knew I needed to just eat what I would enjoy. I used the “reset in a crunch” guide that comes with the Ultimate Reset Guide to help me out on days I didn’t feel 100%.

And that’s another thing… in weeks 1 and 2 I felt amazing. On top of the world. In week 3… I was grumpy, hungry, tired, etc. It was so frustrating because I felt SO GREAT for the first two weeks. It almost felt wrong!

The meal plan in week 3 was basically JUST fruits, veggies and healthy fats. Grains were removed, and BOY DID I FEEL IT. There was an option to add in a small grain snack (think brown rice, quinoa, etc.) and I definitely took advantage of it a few times. I also increased portion sizes on some of the meals throughout the week because I felt weak. I do not regret doing that at all.

In the final week we added a new supplement, Revitalize, which contains pre and pro-biotics to help get your digestive system back up and running at 100% now that I’ve cleanser the CRAP out of it (quite literally). It was in pill form and not hard to take at all.

 

The food was ok. It was pretty basic, but I did learn a few new ways to sautée and roast veggies that I really loved. For instance, curry powder has become one of my new favorite seasonings, and ginger is a great way to add some pizzazz to your veggies!

Overall, week 3 was pretty awful. I have to be honest… I was really happy to be done on Sunday. It took a lot of mental strength to make it through this week, but I was beyond ecstatic when I successfully completed the Ultimate Rest!

PROS –

• No caffeine and still going strong… WTF. Seriously.
• Learning new ways to season healthy foods so you actually enjoy them. I also have a few new recipes to add to my arsenal.
• I feel SO LEAN. No bloat. My clothes are lose! I can tell it’s working.
• I am BEYOND regular. Like every day. On the dot. Regular.

CONS – 

• If I’m stuck doing yoga only for one more day I might lose my mind. GIVE ME BURPEES OR GIVE ME DEATH.
• Driving by my favorite sushi restaurant has me near tears. I miss it so much.
• I want my 2-3 hour, once a week meal prep back
• I am hangry so often… this has to be taxing on my relationship. Sorry hun!

OK READY? RESULTS TIME!!!

Weight Lost: -13.6 lbs
L Arm: -0.5″
R Arm: -0.5″
Bust:  -1.5″
Waist (natural):  -1.5″
Waist (belly button):  -2″
Hips: -1.5″
L Thigh: -1.5″
R Thigh: -1.5″
L Calf: -0.5″
R: Calf: -0.25″
Body Fat: -3.2%

Overall, I AM SO HAPPY I DID THIS RESET. It was just what I needed to get over my plateau (I had been in the same spot for about 6 months), and helped me realize I am capable of far more than I think! I am recharged, feel great, and am ready to continue my journey!

If you are interested in the Ultimate Reset I would be happy to tell you more. Shoot me an email, or consider joining my All-Access accountability group so I can coach you on your own health and fitness journey! I open new spots monthly, so please fill out this application to get on the wait list! Xoxo!

OK! Week 2 is behind me. Only one week left to go. I felt amazing during week 2. ZERO cheats so far, and I have still not felt hungry or tired… maybe a little grouchy from time to time, but that could just be me! *insert resting B face*

Week 1: Overview –

I started out week 2 by reviewing the meal plan and making a shopping list of everything I would need. It was nice to see some familiar ingredients on the list, and I wasn’t required to buy any odd items from specialty stores because I already had them (queue miso paste). I shopped and prepped what I could and was ready!

This week I determined I would stick with everything exactly as it was written in the meal guide, even though there were a few things on there I knew I didn’t love (swiss chard and collard greens). Long story short, it was a bad decision… I ended up making the recipes and eating barely any of it because I just couldn’t deal. Good to know for week 3 so I can sub something else for foods I definitely know I won’t like.

Again, meal prep was hard, and I relied on making my lunches ahead of time if I could (lots of salads this week), and went back to the daily dinner making which continued to leave me tired and OVER doing dishes.

This week we also added a new supplement, DETOX, to the mix. This is a powdered substance taking 3x per day and mixed with water. It had a gelatin like consistency, and actually tasted SUPER good. I looked forward to it. The chia seeds were what gave it the consistency, and it was combined with other items like milk thistle, turmeric, ginger and flax that help support liver and digestive functions.

I continued with my week 1 tactic of portioning out my supplements in my ipsy bag, and kept my alarms set on my phone to remind me when to supplement and eat throughout the day. No big changes to my time tables, just a switch-up in what I was taking.

I continued to enjoy the foods this week (with exception to some greens I was not into), but I wasn’t as jazzed on them as I was in week 1. There was one soup recipe that I died over a bit, it was AMAZING. I’ll be posting the recipe soon!

Overall, week 2 was still not awful. I continued to not have many cravings, BUT again the weekend proved to be a bit of a bummer. I REALLY miss going out to eat, and being social. It’s not fun to go to events where I literally can’t eat anything there. However, I did treat myself to a spa day on the weekend where I resisted wine (it was at a winery), and brought my food in my lunch bag to eat between services. Where there’s a will there’s a way!

PROS –

• I still feel GREAT without caffeine and I have more energy than I did before.
• The food continues to be pretty amazing! I am loving fruit for breakfast, and haven’t grown tired of it yet.
• I haven’t gotten hungry and don’t have any cravings!
• I LOOK WAY BETTER ALREADY – check out my half-way progress pic at the top!
• Hydrated AF

CONS – 

• I REALLY MISS MY WORKOUTS! I am enjoying yoga, but I want my weights back in my life.
• I REALLY MISS GOING OUT TO EAT!
• I miss champagne and having a cocktail on the weekend.
• I am a bit of a shut-in now, because socializing over cocktails or food is a bit lame when you can’t indulge at all
• The amount of dishes and prep continues to overwhelm. It’s a lot!

Onward we go to week 3, where I cut out a bit more protein and grains.
Veggies and fruit will be my new BFF!

WEEK 1 IS COMPLETE! I DIDN’T DIE! AHHHHHHH!!!

Ok, seriously though… it really wasn’t that bad. Let me give you a quick overview of what went down in week 1, and then I’ll lay out some pros and cons. Spoiler alert: I’ve already seen a pretty big change in my body and on the scale, but I’m keeping results secret until day 22!

Week 1: Overview –

I started out week 1 a little earlier than Monday morning by making a shopping list of everything I needed and reviewing the guidebook. I’ll be honest, there is a lot to take in, but once you start actually doing the reset it becomes a lot easier. There is also a website specific to those who have purchased the reset with shopping lists, guides, etc. It makes it a lot easier.

I had to stray from my usual Safeway grocery store, and venture to Whole Foods to find some of the more obscure items (Tempeh, Miso Paste, Nori Gomasio, etc.)–there were swaps you could make if you didn’t want to purchase the weird stuff, but I figured if I was doing this, I might as well follow it 100%.

Meal prep was a little hard. All of the dinners are different, and I didn’t have the energy to pre-make all of them. I determined I would suck it up and make dinner fresh every night. I did prep things like brown rice, quinoa, overnight oats and lunch salads. Breakfast was pretty easy… think oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, and didn’t require prep.

I portioned out the supplements into individual ziploc baggies, along with my snacks (vegan chocolate Shakeology) and included the dandy little guide. I put it all in a super cute Ipsy bag (finally found a use for one), and figured I’d keep it in my purse of lunch bag at all times so I would be prepared regardless of where I was. I got out a cute reusable travel water cup and always had a shaker bottle on me so I could whip up my snack on the go. I determined I’d just become a bag lady for the next 21 days. *no shame*

I set alarms in my phone for all the different supplements I’d need to take, along with my meal and snack times. You’re pretty much ALWAYS taking something, drinking something, mixing something… so the alarms are KEY.

I have to say I THOROUGHLY enjoyed all the food I ate in week 1! I tried some recipes I would have never tried otherwise (nori tempeh rolls, zucchini cashew soup, roasted root medley… to name a few). I was never tired, even without my daily multiple servings of caffeine, and food honestly tasted more flavorful! I’m not sure why, but I’m enjoying it.

Overall, week 1 was pretty easy. No cravings, no hunger pains, no bad feelings. A little FOMO on the team lunches, midday milk tea run and happy hour drinks… but nothing I can’t live without for a few weeks.

 

PROS –

• I feel so much more awake and clear. No caffeine and I honestly have more energy than I usually do (HOW?!?!).
• I have really enjoyed all the new recipes. These are foods I would have not usually tried. I will be posting them periodically here on my blog. Some are already up!
• I am not hungry, and have literally had barely any cravings!
• I’m enjoying eating breakfast at home before work, which is something I’ve never done before. It’s a nice way to start the day.
• Weekends are always my downfall, but on Reset it’s all planned out for you. I like having my food prepped and ready to go for the weekend. It makes staying on track easy.
• I’m so much more hydrated than usual. Hydration is something I struggle with, but on Reset it’s like Rule #1, so I’ve been paying closer attention. I think this is a positive habit that will stick post-Reset.

 

CONS – 

• I miss my normal workouts. I love lifting and I like HIIT. Basically I like hard workouts. Working out is discouraged during the Reset; however, yoga is acceptable. I’ve been following along with the 3-Week Yoga retreat on Beachbody on Demand. While it’s a nice change, it’s not fulfilling my workout craving.
• I miss going out to eat. Eating out is part of our family dynamic. We get Mexican food at a restaurant after church on Sunday’s, and generally go out for sushi on Saturday or Friday night. I feel a little disconnected from family time.
• I miss my meal prep, and not having to cook dinners. Coming home from work and then going into the kitchen to make a full meal is a little draining. I generally keep my preps easy and simple to cut back on all the work that goes into them, and the Ultimate Reset requires A LOT OF WORK.
• Dishes. Dishes EVERYWHERE.
• After a long week I enjoy a drink. I’m not dying over it, but I do miss my glass of champs (or 3… or bottle).

 

I’ll check back in with you all post Week 2 to let you know how it goes,
but lookout for some recipe posts in the meantime! 

Well, I finally bit the bullet and decided to do it. I had been waiting for the “perfect time” to do this reset… those PERFECT three weeks where I could get in the mode, when the stars were perfectly aligned, when I’d have no outside factors to throw me off track, and guess what… THE PERFECT TIME NEVER CAME.

Truth is there is no such thing as the perfect time. There will always be holidays, birthdays, graduations, funerals, baby showers… the list goes on. I finally realized that I just had to pull up my big girl panties and DO THIS THING.

So here I am, ready to get the ball rolling on my Ultimate Reset journey.  I’d love to tell you a little more about what I’m embarking on for the next 21 days! Let me lay it out for you using the classic 5 W’s!

WHAT: So… what the F is the Ultimate Reset. I’m sure you want to know more. Let me break it down super simple for you!

The Ultimate Reset is designed to realign your body, or reset it, if you will. Every day we are bombarded with a bunch of GROSS CRAP in our food, air… pretty much everything we encounter. From chemical additives to pesticides, preservatives to toxins, our body has to fight to keep up with the junk that is ever increasing in our world. The aim of this reset is to give our body a break from the junk in our food (what we can control), and allow it to react to the environmental perils a little easier (what we can’t control).

It is a 3-week program that consists of three phases: Reclaim, Release, Restore. In Phase 1 you gradually remove meat and dairy and digestive system stressors. In Phase 2 you begin the detoxification process (with help from supplements–NO, you are not taking laxatives! All supplementation is natural and easy on your system) and start a fully VEGAN diet. In Phase 3 you use supplementation to add back in nutrients, enzymes and pre- and probiotics along with cutting back further on grains and sticking to mainly fruits and veggies.

WHO: ANYONE! (unless your breastfeeding or pregnant; if you have medical conditions, please consult your doctor before starting)

WHEN: Well, I sort of already covered that in my intro. My words of caution are as follows: the reset requires a lot of cooking and prep. I wouldn’t recommend starting when you’ll be traveling or out of town a lot. I also wouldn’t recommend starting when you are training for a sporting event like a race. Exercise is not advised while on the reset, so training for a half marathon, etc. would be a no-no.

WHERE: The box of everything you need to do the reset is delivered right to your home. You’ll receive all the supplementation, the guidebook, recipes and meal plan for the entire three weeks. You will be required to go grocery shopping and prepare your meals.

WHY: Let me tell you my why… I was DRAGGING. I was drinking so much caffeine, I was so stressed out, I felt like I was always playing catch-up, and my weightloss (I hate that term because weight is not necessarily representative of your progress) had hit a plateau. I needed to just  ZEN THE F OUT.

As silly as it sounds, this reset really takes some pressure off. Working out is not allowed, except for things like light yoga. I decided to pair the Ultimate Reset with the 3-Week Yoga Retreat found on Beachbody on Demand. My rationale being if I’m going to reset my insides, I should be doing something to reset my body and mind.

I decided to remove any outside demands on my schedule that simply weren’t necessary… I can get to it later, and just focus on myself! WHAT A RELIEF! I have to say I’m SO PUMPED and ready to start this THANG.

Look out for my next update coming on Sunday, recapping Week 1!