Ultimate Reset RESULTS!

Baked sweet potato & garlic veggies

Well, here I am, 21 days later and much happier than when I began.  I have noticed some pretty amazing changes that took place over the last three weeks.  I will wholeheartedly recommend this cleanse to anyone wishing to lose weight, lower cholesterol, lose inches, or anyone wishing to improve overall health! 

Some have mentioned I’ve eaten some strange foods and strange food combinations.  Yes, that is true.  But there hasn’t been one meal I didn’t enjoy, truly!    My taste buds have been introduced to many new foods we will be eating from now on.  I'm so blessed to have adventurous eaters for children, and a very supportive husband throughout this entire journey.

I confess, though, that first thing this morning my husband made me a cup of coffee with cream and raw sugar!   And I'm making a delicious baked berry french toast recipe (that I made early last week for the kids).  I can smell it as I type this post.......mmmmmmm......I'll post the recipe one day this week!

THE RESULTS

So you want to know my ending results, right?  Are you ready?  My cumulative results over 21 days:  I lost TEN pounds and TEN inches overall!  The biggest change was that I lost 3” off each thigh.  My BMI is now 25.9, and I believe I’m only about five to seven pounds from a healthy BMI!

Unfortunately, I have been dealing with a kidney stone yesterday (ouch!).  Other than that, I believe my health has improved drastically.  I am really proud of myself for sticking to the cleanse for the whole 21 days.  I really didn’t know if I would be able to or not.  Knowing what I’m doing for my body and overall health made the biggest difference this time.  This wasn’t just a “diet” to lose weight.  This was a chance for me to “reset” my body, and I believe I did just that.  I will begin Les Mills Body Pump hopefully tomorrow (if the kidney stone passes today).  I plan to ease into the workouts and not do the really intense ones until next week.  I have also noticed a big difference in my skin.  Some people have said that I’m “glowing” – and that was without makeup!  I’ve never heard that before, so I will take that as a wonderful result of the cleanse.

GROCERY COST

Some have asked me how much groceries have cost while on the cleanse.  First, I must explain that I fed my family the same dinners I ate.  I added toast or extra food (veggies or meat) for them, but for the most part, they ate what I did at dinnertime, just larger portions in some cases.  

Overall, I spent $475 on groceries for the 21 days of this cleanse (Week 1 $200, shopped at Trader Joe’s & Whole Foods; Week 2 $140, shopped at Wegman’s & Farmer’s market; Week 3 $135, shopped at Trader Joe’s & Whole Foods & went berry picking at a local farm).  This includes all food and pantry staples for my family of five!  Normally, I try to spend between $500-600 per month on food.  Approximately $100-150 of that goes to an Amish farmer who provides all of our dairy, eggs, and some meat/poultry.  I cut back a bit from the farmer this month because after week 1, there was no dairy or eggs (or meat) for me.   I can’t promise this is what it will cost for you and your family.  I am a bit of a frugal and thrifty shopper who gets creative with foods, and doesn’t buy any prepackaged snacks or meals for my children.  If you buy prepackaged foods (crackers, snacks, freezer meals, etc.) and do not  do that during the cleanse, it's possible your grocery bill goes down!  Even buying organic which is more expensive can save you money if you only feed your family fruits and veggies with some meat during this time.  I understand you are going to do the cleanse, but why not try to get your whole family eating well, too?  If you're going to do this and have long-term success, I really recommend you evaluate at all the foods you are feeding your family.

For breakfast, the kids eat some combination of the following:  milk, eggs, toast, yogurt, fruit.  For their lunches, they usually eat almond butter sandwiches with farm fresh apple butter on Nature’s Own whole grain bread with fruit and/or veggies, and sometimes a hardboiled egg.  (Find out if your Dollar Tree sells Nature’s Own bread and when they get it in during the week.  I usually stock up when I find it and store it in our freezer.)  So you can see, our breakfast and lunch meals are pretty cost effective, even though they eat whole grain bread and organic/farm fresh groceries.  My three children (ages 9, 7, 5) all enjoyed the majority of the dishes on this cleanse!  One of their favorite dinners was veggie sushi with homemade miso soup.  

MY FOOD JOURNAL

Day 15:  May 7, 2012 Monday

As usual, loved the fruit for breakfast.  Just stocked up at Trader Joe’s yesterday and went strawberry picking, so I had lots of yummy foods  to choose from.  Lunch was an excellent Asian cabbage & carrot salad.   But this afternoon was probably the toughest as far as wanting to snack.  Not sure why.  I snacked on roasted sunflower seeds (more than I should have and not an “approved” snack).  I also made kale chips for my kiddos to snack on today and had a few.  I think maybe when my children ask me 25+ times per day for a snack it just starts to get to me!  Extremely sore (back is very achy) and tired this afternoon  – just want to go to bed and take a nap, but being mommy to three prevents that from happening.  Sipped some green chai tea while I made dinner:  baked sweet potato with garlic veggies.  Yum!  Went to bed by 9:30pm.

Day 16:  May 8, 2012 Tuesday

Up at 5:30am.  Made a special breakfast for the kids this morning (baked French toast) and had a big fruit salad myself.  It was a bit difficult not to taste this new recipe.  Saved the last piece for hubby.  Huge microgreen salad for lunch was tough to finish!  Love roasted sunflower seeds combined with the creamy garlic dressing I made (recipe from the cleanse).  Still feel pretty achy.  Needed a snack today, so I had an apple and some chai tea.  Had a very unique dinner:  curried cauliflower and lemon pepper kale.  Wow!  That was seriously the best cauliflower I’ve ever tasted.  It was so delicious and even tasted buttery.  Unfortunately, I used too much fresh lemon juice on the kale which made it difficult to eat.  Went to bed by 9:30pm.

Day 17:  May 9, 2012 Wednesday

Up by 6am.  Another great fruit salad for breakfast.  Kids are driving me crazy with wanting to eat every hour, which in turn makes me want to snack, too!  I’ve done so well this whole time and then today I broke down and have had several handfuls of nuts.  I know that’s not a bad snack, but I’m trying to follow this plan exactly.  The Moroccan Carrot Salad for lunch was delicious!  I can see making big batches of that for my lunches during the week.  I think hubby would like it too.  Had blueberries and an apple for my snack.  Just can’t seem to satisfy my hunger today – I’ve been craving protein like crazy.  Easy dinner tonight (roasted squash, green beans & millet).  Have to work in the church nursery tonight.  Was in bed by 10:30pm.

Day 18:  May 10, 2012 Thursday

Up by 6am.  Still struggling with hunger – and craving nuts.  Had one apple for snack.  Followed recipes exactly.  Roasted fennel bulb tasted meaty in a good sort of way! Very delicious.  Ate rice with dinner.  Enjoyed some more chai tea today.  Went to bed late.

Day 19:  May 11, 2012 Friday

Up at 6:30am.  Was very emotional today.  A little sore and achy, but not bad.  Ran out of most of my fruit for breakfast, so had to sub in vegan Shakeology (1/2 scoop, water, ice, 1 kiwi).  Mediterranean carrot salad over greens was delicious for lunch!  Dinner was tempeh, coconut collard greens (love that coconut oil from Trader Joe’s!), and roasted beets.  Can’t believe I only have the weekend left.  Wonder how much I’ve lost overall.  Definitely can see a difference in my thighs.  Went to bed late again.

Stir fry, coconut collards & brown rice

Day 20:  May 12, 2012 Saturday

Up at 7:30am.  Getting my hair done this morning!  Again had to substitute Tropical Shakeology for the three cups of fresh fruit (1/2 scoop + water + ice + frozen blueberries).  Avocado Jicama salad was delicious over arugula and baby spinach.  Tonight we’re having stir fry – using the coconut oil (Trader Joe's coconut oil is delicious) in place of olive oil makes for a very unique and tasty stir fry!  No aches and pains this morning.  No headache or emotional issues either.  Can’t believe tomorrow is the last day!  Went to bed by 10pm.

Day 21:  May 13, 2012 Sunday

Carrot Seaweed Salad

Up by 6am.  Today is Mother’s Day, so my oldest made me my Shakeology (with help from hubby). Can’t believe this is the LAST day of my cleanse.  It really has gone quickly.  And the changes to my body…..pretty unbelievable!  I’ll wait until tomorrow morning to do the final weigh in & measurements.  So excited!  Unfortunately, after I woke up and got ready for the morning, I realized I’m dealing with kidney stones.  I’ve had them before so that saves a trip to the doctor.  Guess I’ll be drinking cranberry juice and water all day to get the stone to pass.  Now I wonder if this is why I was so achy in my lower back over the last few days (except yesterday).  Husband made my dinner.  His roasted veggies were the best I've ever had on the cleanse!  Went to bed by 10pm.

THE CHALLENGE

Now that I’ve gone through the cleanse, I would love to coach you through it too!  Please go here to purchase your starter kit:  www.myultimatereset.com/kellyabattles.  Email me (kellybstampin@yahoo.com) or post a comment below to let me know whether or not you want to be added to a Facebook Challenge Group.  This will be a group exclusively for people going through (or who have gone through) the Ultimate Reset.  It takes a lot of encouragement to get through, and as little outside distraction as possible.  If you know you have a vacation or event coming up, this is not the time to do the cleanse.  Wait until you know you have a full three weeks to commit.  Also, it really is important that you do not workout during the whole three weeks.  Trust me!  Just cutting the grass at the end of week two was too much for me.  I look forward to hearing YOUR next success story!   Consider sending me your story.  I would love to publish it on my blog for inspiration for someone else.  And don’t be like me; I didn’t take good before pictures, so I don’t have these great before/after pictures to put up here.    

I will continue to blog about keeping these ten pounds off, and I sincerely hope I will be able to announce that I am at my goal weight and a healthy BMI very, very soon!

I'm linking up to the Fight Back Friday Blog Carnival hosted by Food Renegade!

Beachbody's Ultimate Reset Cleanse (week 2)

Typical Week 2 Breakfast

I’ve heard time and time again, “Wow, you have so much willpower!”  Well, maybe I have some willpower, but I read a powerful explanation on the Ultimate Reset website (FAQ section) that really changed my mindset at the beginning and has helped me stick with this program:  “The Ultimate Reset Program is not a diet; it’s a detox program.  So try to view it as such.  (A person who’s on a program to quit smoking doesn’t cheat from time to time with the intent of eliminating the addiction to nicotine, right?)”  When I think, “Oh, I’d really like a cup of coffee with real cream again……” I remember, I’m ridding my body of all toxins to “reset” my metabolism and really re-energize my workouts.  To me, the small sacrifices I’m making now will pay off in another week when I’ll slowly add some of my old foods back into my diet and when I begin Body Pump again.  What I have discovered is that I do not crave some of the same things anymore.  My roasted veggies with homemade sauces, or big bowls of fresh fruit, or the homemade soups I’ve made are much more appealing than many of my old “comfort” foods.

It’s difficult to explain, but I really do feel better overall.  I’ve noticed my complexion got bad earlier in the week (I guess from the toxins coming out) and it has cleared up now.  My skin feels so smooth, like I’m using moisturizer, but I’m not.  Although I was very fatigued Saturday after cutting the grass, I recovered pretty quickly.  I’m not experiencing any aches and pains like I expected, but we’ll see what this last week brings with the new supplement. 

I’ve managed to take the supplements exactly as prescribed which is not easy for me.  I’m not one to take medicines or vitamins regularly, but I keep the chart of what I take and when on my fridge at eye level.  I mark off each one I take so I never forget.  Also, the night before, I load my travel pouch (from Beachbody) with all the supplements I’ll need for the next day.

WEEK 2 RESULTS

Overall, and I’m only 2 weeks in, I believe this is the best program for health I’ve ever encountered!  It’s not a diet because the focus is on removing toxins from my body and restoring my insides to optimal health through proper nutrition (the carefully planned meals Beachbody gives you are simple to prepare and fill you up – you will not starve on this cleanse).  And the supplements are gentle compared to other cleanses I’ve tried.  What a wonderful side effect of restoring my body to optimal health:  weight & inches lost!  And here’s my cumulative results over the past two weeks:  I’ve lost EIGHT pounds, 2” off each thigh, 1.5” off my waist, and 1/2” off my hips.  

All I have to say is wow!  This is the breakthrough I have been looking for.  To be perfectly honest, I was up about 5 pounds before I started this cleanse from my lowest weight (probably January I was at my lowest).  So now those are gone AND I’ve lost more already!  (Since my heaviest weight, I’ve lost just over 45 pounds!)  I’m so much closer to a healthy BMI (below 25 is considered healthy) –currently I think mine is 26.1.  I’ve learned some great recipes that I plan to incorporate in my meal planning on a regular basis.  I’ve found the key with trying these new foods is proper seasonings.  I love Himalayan sea salt and a great herbal seasoning I found at Trader Joe’s.  Also, sometimes just a sprinkle of lemon juice enhances the flavor of steamed and roasted veggies. 

Here’s some excerpts from my food journal this past week:

WEEK TWO

Day 8:  April 30, 2012 Monday

Had 3 cups of fruit (apples, strawberries & kiwi) for breakfast.  Also started the detox packets this week.  Lunch is simple today, salad and avocado, so little to no prep there.  Plus, since I already started dinner, it should only take me 15-20 min to make dinner tonight.  Finally an easy cooking day!  I had more energy today than I’ve had since the beginning.  I feel upbeat and happy!  No problems with snacking today……went to the grocery store and got the rest of the food for this week.  Finding no problems sticking to the plan.  Food is just so good!  Went to bed a little later than usual (10:30pm).

Day 9:  May 1, 2012 Tuesday

Day 9 dinner

Woke up before 5am and couldn’t go back to sleep!  Weirdest breakfast ever…..miso soup, avocado, and smashed chickpeas, but delicious -- yes, really!  The new supplement (detox packet) this week has a strange taste, but not terrible.  Glad I made extra dinner last night (rice & beans) so lunch just needs to be warmed up.  Looking forward to the new soup recipe tonight.  Wasn’t hungry, but decided to have one of the snacks.  Weird combo – strawberries & corn!  Strange, but tasty.  Snack portions are large.

Day 10:  May 2, 2012 Wednesday

I love having 3 cups of fresh fruit for breakfast.  This is something kind of new for me….I’ve been so used to either oatmeal, yogurt, or a smoothie, that I’ve never just stopped and had plain fruit.  Love it!  Still feeling extremely full from the portions.  Food is excellent today.  Had a snack (carrots and avocado).  Can’t imagine being able to eat dinner b/c I’m so full still.  Supplements are getting a tad bit easier to take.  Looking forward to tonight’s dinner – another new recipe!  No headache, and I feel good – lots of energy.  Can’t believe I’m already halfway!  

Day 11:  May 3, 2012 Thursday

Had co-op again today – it’s our last day, so I planned ahead and brought my supplements and lunch with me.  I also packed lunches for the kids.  I called it “inside out sushi” – I put all the ingredients that I use in my veggie sushi recipe except the nori sheets into a small Tupperware (brown rice, avocado, cream cheese, cherry tomatoes, carrots, & cucumber).  They were actually excited about it!  (I think giving it a fun name was probably key.)  Not difficult to say no to the treats in the teacher’s lounge today.  I’m feeling really good – almost like I have super powers or something (yes, really!).  Because it was the last day of co-op, my students had a party in class and brought treats.  While they ate rainbow cupcakes, cookies and chips/salsa, I took my supplements!  I chugged down the detox packet with some water and reminded myself how much better I’m making my insides.  Went to bed by 10pm.

Day 12:  May 4, 2012 Friday

Day 12 dinner

Up by 6am.  Had friends for lunch – made grilled cheese for the kiddos, but had salad with my friend, along with hearty vegetable miso soup.  I still have a difficult time eating everything!  Food is very filling and still tastes excellent.   I bought green chai tea at the store and had some today.  It’s really nice.  I put just 1 tablespoon of coconut milk (unsweetened) in it.  Coconut collard greens with roasted Mediterranean beets isn’t something I would have expected to taste so great for dinner, but it did!  I am definitely incorporating these recipes into our regular meal plans.  Went to bed by 9:30pm again.

Day 13:  May 5, 2012 Saturday

Up just before 6am.  The grass needed to be cut, so even though I’ve been avoiding anything too strenuous, I tried to do it myself this morning.  I made it most of the way, but my hubby took over and finished the last small section.  Afterward I was very lightheaded and felt weak.  I can see now why it’s important not to work out during the cleanse!  (I had 2-3 tablespoons of nuts to help give me back some energy.)  We planned to have lunch at a local restaurant downtown with friends today.  I wasn’t that worried, even though it’s our favorite Italian pizza place.  I drank two full glasses of water and had some more nuts to help fill me before we left.  I chose water at the restaurant, and the roasted/grilled veggie sub for lunch.  I subbed out my fries for a side salad that I just put balsamic vinegar on (no oil since my sub had quite a bit already).  I also gave all my bread to my kiddos.  I felt full and it felt wonderful to be able to eat out today!  Tonight’s dinner was fabulous as usual.  The garlic-tahini sauce on roasted acorn squash was another new recipe that I loved.

Day 14:  May 6, 2012 Sunday

Switched yesterday’s breakfast with today’s.  It’s strange how my tastes have changed since I began this two weeks ago.  I truly never thought having “smashed” chickpeas with steamed spinach and avocado would be appealing in the morning, but it was filling and tasted great.  Struggled not to get coffee at church this morning, but when the store bought cinnamon rolls went by me, I wasn’t even tempted.  My taste buds must have changed because it didn’t even look appealing to me!  I had to go grocery shopping and decided to go to Trader Joe’s again because it’s so much cheaper.  I had to snack on the strawberries I picked on the way to Trader Joe’s (which are one of the suggested snacks for weeks 2&3).  This trip made for a very late night and I didn’t get my dinner made until 9pm.  Went to bed by 10pm again.