It's time for a change

So starting next week, Bryan and I are doing an Advocare Cleanse.  We are both a little excited and nervous  (I think that I am more of both than Bryan... but he is being very supportive).

I had never heard of this company called Advocare until my neighbor started talking about it this past spring.  She is a consultant for Advocare and really believes in the products. I wasn't too sure about it when she first started talking to us.  It seemed like anything else off the shelves that held big promises with only potential let downs inside.  She gave us both a Spark Energy drink... and I have to admit that it tasted good.

When I got to school, one of the ladies at lunch had started a cleanse with Advocare and was really singing it's praises.  I thought she was nuts... eating clean... who wants to do that?  She explained the diet... and again, I thought she was nuts... (Sorry Steph)

Then at church, some really sweet ladies started talking about it too.  I felt like everywhere I went I was being bombarded with Advocare.  Maybe there was something to this?  Maybe I needed to try it?  The cleanse is only 10 days... I can do anything for 10 days... right?  Even though clean eating does sound slightly crazy to the untrained eye, Advocare has a fairly large recipe book with meals that don't sound too far out there.  I do have to give up Diet Cokes (If you know me... you know that is a big deal) however, but the Spark drink has caffeine in it and keeps me more focused than Diet Cokes.

So in late August, Bryan and I signed up to become a distributor for Advocare.  We get a small discount on the (fairly expensive) products.  We ordered our first box of Spark and have really enjoyed it.  We also ordered 2 cleanses and the d-day is finally here.  We start Monday.

I have made a calendar of the recipes and have a fairly strong list of snacks planned out.  We have enough Spark, so hopefully I wont be standing at the vending machine banging my head into it...  I am going shopping tomorrow and then prepping a lot of the food so the week goes smoothly.

From what I can tell... this is what to expect:

• Drink ALOT of water
• Drink some more water
• Chug the Fiber drinks in the morning (apparently they aren't the easiest to get down)
• We aren't supposed to be hungry during the cleanse, we just can't have certain things
• No sugars, processed foods or fried things
• We aren't using the additional products that are optional, so we will drink a fiber drink in the morning, take a OmegaPlex (pill) at dinner and the Herbal Cleanse tablets (pills) before bed. 
• Then drink more water

So why are we doing this?  We both feel it is important to have a healthy lifestyle.  We both admit that we might not be making the best dietary choices right now as we eat.  We both want a change. 

I personally am doing it for a few reasons.  I am tired of my clothes not fitting.  I feel like my body shape has changed since we got married, I can't wear things the same way.  I want to feel attractive to my husband (he thinks I am... and keeps telling me this... I just want to feel this way again too)  I don't like how people without manners ask me when my due date is.... yes, this happens.  I want to make choices that glorify the Lord.  I want to be a well round individual-spiritually, not physically.  I want to try something new.  I don't want to be tired all of the time.

My plan is to make daily posts about how the cleanse is going.  However, if it doesn't happen everyday... so be it!