Week 3 of Beachbody's Ultimate Reset

How the hell was week 3?!! 

I will tell you that it was another yummy week of food!  TONS of fruits and vegetables and honestly I looked forward to my morning dose of fruit.  Some mornings I even sprinkled a little cinnamon on top to kick things up a notch but it really wasn't necessary.

Some of the meals required a bit more prep work and some were super easy to throw together. There was always the reset in a crunch page that we could rely upon if we had a lot going on.  Knowing that option was available for sure eased our minds.

Things I did not expect to like...fennel. When it said it had a licorice scent to it while cooking, I was skeptical.  But Amanda and I both really enjoyed it and it allowed us to open our world to a new food.  Another food I was not sure of was an avocado and cucumber cold soup.  I definitely added a bit more spices to it to kick it up a notch and add a bit of pop to it, but overall was not bad. The sweet potato and roasted red pepper bisque in week 2 is still my favorite though!!  A favorite that we would make any day of the week is the garlic veggies.  Super fast to whip together and adding the aminos at the end (a healthy soy sauce) gave it some great flavor!!

So let's talk about some things I realized in week 3...

~I wear a night guard (hahaha I know) and I realized that by giving up my terrible habit of chewing gum, I was not grinding as much....WINNING!!

~Amanda and I spent a lot more time together, talked more, and grew even closer together.  Definitely something that I was happy to see as our lives get beyond busy at times and there are times we don't talk that much because of it.  With both of us having a ton of energy, I felt like we were energizer bunnies that would not shut up!

~The energy.  Wow.  We had tons of it.  I did start to miss sweating, even though week 3 of yoga in the program 3 week yoga retreat is no joke, I love a hard workout.  Thankfully I was able to bust out a sweat after the program was over :)

The results.....DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

I was truly amazed from the inside out and was almost in tears when I realized the transformation I had.

*I lost 11 pounds in 21 days

*I lost 15 inches total around my body.  (yeah, my jeans feel pretty damn good! And my shorts for vacation next week will be just perfect!)  Amanda saying "OMG where did your ass go?" just makes me laugh!

*The biggest inches lost were 3.5 off my hips 

*Also included in that total was 3 inches off the biggest part of each of my thighs.

*Lastly, 2 inches around my belly.

Honestly I could not feel any better about this transformation.  This program truly set me on a path that I am super excited for.  Amanda and I are slowly transitioning into a healthy eating style still but increasing the calories to match our workout program now.  It will be really interesting to start introducing foods back into our meal plan and see how our bodies react!  I am sure there is more to come :)  If you are ever interested in trying this program, you can always email me at LynnG258@gmail.com or find me on Facebook at Lynn Gugliuzza.

Week 1 Ultimate Reset Recap

First and foremost...I LOVE THE FOOD!!  And honestly this surprises me because my fiance wanted to do the vegan version for all 3 weeks.  yeah...3 weeks of going cold turkey (no pun intended) to be a vegan.

Secondly...HOW I FEEL!!

Heading into week 2:

I am down 9 inches

I am down 4 pounds

Almost 2 inches off each leg!

1 1/2 inches off my hips!

I feel happier

I feel more energetic

My road rage has gone down significantly

I am not relying upon caffeine

I am not bloated

Foods I HATED before, I actually liked this time...

For instance:
Tempeh-  thought it was nasty before but I love the texture and love the taste.  It is all about that
marinade!

Vegan strawberry shakeology- I disliked the taste, the texture...I just wanted my regular shakeology back!  But within 2 days I was enjoying this and embracing it!

Miso Soup- Still not my favorite but I can absolutely enjoy a serving of it.

Zucchini- Cashew Soup- It's all about those spices!  I add some spices to this one and BOOM it is just delicious!















About how I feel..there is a lot of food so after a meal, you feel full.  Unlike what the stereotypical cleanse is like, this one is so damn filling. It legit takes like a half hour to eat each meal because there is a lot of chewing. I have been trying to follow the beachbody tips to chug water before, but not during your meal.  They want you to fully embrace the food, taste it, chew it a lot so that you do not need the water.  I am loving this :)

Breakfast BY FAR has been my favorite!  Farina (aka like cream of wheat) with maple syrup, walnuts and green apple pieces is something I will absolutely make on a more regular basis once this is done.  Hell, I will even have it for lunch or dinner!  Two other breakfast options that were yummy and filling were Coconut Quinoa, and Oatmeal Tropical.  I felt like I was living on a beach!

So let's talk about the hardest part of it all for me personally.  It has not been cravings, not feeling like I am missing out on a social life, not any temptations, not feeling starving, not missing caffeine (well besides my preworkout energize but that is simply the fact I LOVE the taste!) , not missing alcohol...It has simply been traveling for 4 days and having to pack food/eat out and have people surrounding me understand I was serious about this cleanse.  It was not easy to explain to people but surprisingly people were supportive, including the servers at restaurants who were so accommodating to my needs.  I am always scared to customize a meal but they were super nice about it!

Lastly, the yoga.  The yoga that I hate.  Well, it has helped my body heal and honestly I feel great and relaxed.  Some mornings are hard because I feel like it makes me want to go back to sleep.  Day 3 and 4, my hips were sore and were hurting me but that did not last long.  Plenty of water and sticking to the meal plan and yoga got me through. Unlike before the cleanse, my body is not always in pain, it is not cracking, and instead I go to bed and get a sound night of sleep!  Everyone's body is different but it is important to just listen to yours.

1 thing to definitely improve upon is meal prepping in stages...Sunday, Wednesday, Friday...that way food does not go to waste!  BRING IT ON WEEK 2!!!

Why am I doing the Ultimate Reset?

I've felt like I'm at a standstill in my journey so I'm actually going to take a BOLD step and do something about it. 

It's not about going harder with workouts. It's not about being more strict about what I eat. It's not for the weight loss. 

It is to wake up and feel refreshed. To not feel the need for coffee. To not rely upon just my shakeology for energy. To not feel bloated. To allow my face to clear up. To feel happy all the time. 

Phase 1 (aka week 1) I will be reclaiming my health. Breaking bad habits, and preparing my body for change. I will slowly eliminate animal products and dairy products. 

Phase 2 I will be releasing negativity from the inside out. I will be eating a vegetarian diet along with continuing with some supplements introduced in phase 1. 

Phase 3 I will restore my body to maximum efficiency. I will further cut back on grains but my body will fully absorb all nutrients I put in based on the previous 2 weeks of progress. 

I truly am excited to have this experience. Yoga plus the ultimate reset will surely do wonders And DAMN am I happy to be doing this with a few other coaches and challengers!! The more support the better! 

IT JUST GOT REAL!!

Reset is over!!

I am done with the Beachbody Ultimate Reset and it was an incredible experience!!  I definitely encountered some challenges along the way.  I found myself hungry at times and very tempted to cheat.  I absolutely LOVE frozen yogurt and popcorn and it was so so hard to resist for 21 days.  I honestly have to say I still have yet to drink coffee!  I am so shocked by this but I feel I have more energy and do not need to rely upon it.  This was one of my goals of the reset...MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!  Another thing I struggled with was listening to the radio and watching TV without hearing and seeing commercials about food.  Jeeeeezzeeeeee. I did not realize how much we talk about food until on this cleanse and was totally in tune to it.  Even billboards I drove past....everything was about eating!  No wonder why Americans are fighting the trend of obesity!

Mentally I feel strong and clear thoughts are running through my head.  I was holding onto some things in the past and feel that I am at peace.  I was still getting through a death in my family as well and found that I am smiling now in thoughts of my grandfather.  That is how he would want it to be.  Emotionally I feel more in control.  Situations came up where I could have reacted abruptly as I would in the past but instead took a moment to gather my thoughts, analyze, and react in an appropriate manner.

Physically I feel in shape and fantastic.  Minimized crazy irrational cravings too.  I feel that I am not over eating like I used to and I am totally in tune to when I eat.  I focus on chewing slowly, drinking plenty of water, not being distracted by the TV, and noticing the amounts I eat.  My stomach has definitely gotten smaller so I do not have to eat as much. I can already tell my clothes are feeling a bit looser :)

Final measurements are that I LOST 6 inches and LOST 9 pounds!! :)  VERY happy!!

Day 17 on the reset!

Good morning!  It is Day 17 and I have to say yesterday and today I have woke up feeling AMAZING!! I went to the movies last night and besides the fact that I was pumped to see Iron Man 3 in 3D, I was happy that my jeans were loose!  Definitely feeling the effects of the Ultimate Reset and LOVING IT!!

The food this week has been good...mostly just fruits and veggies which is hard for me at times.  I have been doing shakes for my breakfast instead of fruit and then having fruit as my snack.  I just love Shakeology as my first meal of the day! So I have been drinking water like it is my job.  The only bad part is that I am literally up every 2 hours in the middle of the night having to go to the bathroom.  SO ANNOYING!!

So with a few days to go, I am very excited to stay on track and finish strong!  Mind, Body are feeling good and I hope to keep it that way!!

Getting ready for week 3

Heading into week 3, the week called "restore". It is supposed to "Restore your metabolism to maximum efficiency, while fortifying your body with the nutrients, enzymes, and probiotics it needs to maintain healthy performance in the future."

This past week was very difficult.  I am missing grains and know I will not have them the following week when it is vegan food. I usually have oatmeal at least a few days a week and quinoa...but NO MORE!  Surprisingly I do not miss coffee so that is a rewarding feeling that I do not need to be reliant upon it. I will definitely keep this up after the cleanse.  And thankfully heading into week 3 no more detox supplement (the yellow stuff!)

Now that the hours of prep work is over, the fridge is packed, I am ready for the week.  And yes, I am completely exhausted with all of the time it took to get ready for the week.

Stay tuned!...

QUINOA-LENTIL PILAF

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ tsp extra virgin olive oil

½ medium carrot, diced

½ medium stalk celery, dices

¼ medium onion, diced

¼ medium red bell pepper, diced

¼ ground smoked paprika

1 dash ground cuimin

¾ cooked quinoa

¼ cup cooked lentils

1 ½ tsp grated lemon peel

1 ½ tsp fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.

2. Add carrot, celery, onion, pepper, paprika, cumin. Cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until tender

3. Add quinoa, lentils, lemon peel, lemon juice, and parsley to cooked vegetables.

4. Heat over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.

5. Fluff with fork and serve.

1/2 way through week 2 Reset

I am officially on Day 11...halfway through week 2, and halfway through the 21 day reset.  This week has been going well.  For breakfast every morning I have fruit (minus this morning where I substituted a chocolate vegan shakeology) and for lunch I always have a microgreen salad with toasted pumpkin seeds, homemade dressing, and some avocado.  Lunches are supposed to be a little different everyday based on the given meal plan, but it is easier for me to follow the "reset in a crunch" page to substitute the microgreen salad!



Dinners have been different every night thus far.
Monday: I had pinto beans and rice with steamed green beans and zucchini
Tuesday: Sweet potato and roasted red pepper bisque with steamed asparagus and almonds

Quinoa-Lentil Pilaf

Wednesday: Quinoa-Lentil Pilaf with steamed brocolli

Thursday: It will be sweet potato with veggies and quinoa.










The detox supplement isn't as bad tasting as I thought.  It tastes lemony but still has that grainy texture.  Again, I am lucky that I was an expert shot taker so it goes straight down haha.  The green supplement is still the worse of the two because it just tastes horrible!!

Not having coffee is still ok.  Although I was HIGHLY tempted when I was exhausted and just needed an extra push to coach soccer last night. I thankfully said no!

Looking forward to the rest of the week :)

SWEET POTATO & ROASTED RED PEPPER BISQUE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 sweet potato (or yam)
• 1/4 red pepper
• 1 cup vegetable broth or water
• 1 tsp finely grated peeled ginger root
• 1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. miso paste, diluted in 1 tsp. hot water
• Tamari or Bragg liquid Aminos, Himalayan salt and herbal seasoning to taste.

DIRECTIONS

Peel and cube sweet potato.  Cook in boiling water until tender.  Drain and set aside.  Meanwhile, roast a whole red bell pepper on gas stove top or grills, turning frequently until evenly charred on the outside OR in your oven at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 10 minutes or until skin is charred.

Put pepper in bowl and cover with towel for 10 minutes to steam.  Clean off skin and seeds by running under cool water.  Remove seeds, cut into quarters, and chop one quarter into 1/2 inch cubes.

Place sweet potato, pepper, broth or water, ginger, oil, and miso in blender.  If you want chunky soup, set aside some chunks of pepper.  Blend thoroughly, adding more liquid to achieve desired soup consistency.  Transfer to pot and gently heat on low until hot.  Add tamari or aminos, salt, and seasoning if desired.
Serves 1

End of week 1 on the Reset

Week one is complete!  I have to say all of the meals were easy to prepare and tasty!  The green drink I am getting used to.  But now as I prepare for the "release" phase in week 2, I add a detox drink as well.  I remember from October when I did the cleanse that it is nooooottttt tasty.  And it is grainy when mixed with water....GROSS!!

Today I did all of the prep work for the next few days.  As I looked at the meal plan for the week some of the meals didn't look good to me so I am going to be replacing them with some of the appropriate approved meals.  Pretty much it looks like fruit everyday for breakfast, a salad every day for lunch (with nuts, dressings of course) sometimes with avocado or quinoa.  Snack I will either do a green apple and 12 almonds OR half of a vegan chocolate shakeology. Dinner is different every night and the plan looks pretty good.

I did find myself completely exhausted tonight after all of the prep.  When I looked in my fridge I had to laugh a little because I completely took it over fridge from my roommate :)  Hope she doesn't mind!

Day 4 and 5 Reset

Week is going well so far.  I have definitely been noticing though that I am freezing after I eat.  Must be my body breaking everything down.  I find myself drinking a lot of hot water and lemon (with a little agave sometimes) to keep warm after a meal.  Which is fine by me because it is hydrating me!  It just is funny because it is actually warm finally for spring weather and I am sitting hear drinking hot liquids! 




I am shocked to say that I do not miss my coffee.  Although I usually have it with my shake, using water to make my shakes instead has been tasting good too.  I may continue this after the rest...who knows!  It is nice knowing I do not have to rely upon coffee! :)

So the food from the past two days:
Day 4: fresh fruit plate with yogurt, microgreen salad, shake, stir fried veggies with cucumber and tomato salad with quinoa

Day 5: shake, quinoa salad and 1/2 cup hummus with raw veggies, stir fried veggies with quinoa and sweet potato

Still loving the food and find it very filling!

3rd Day on the Reset

Today I started to feel awesome!!  I don't know what it was but I was so positive and felt lighter, felt like my body was handling the supplements well (yes even the gross green shit!) and the food was delicious again.  I didn't expect to enjoy the lentil lime salad that was part of the lunch menu today but surprisingly it was refreshing on the hot day.  The sweet potato that was part of dinner was oh so good.  I missed sweet potatoes as normally I have them at least every other day.  The taste, the texture of them is so good!!  One of my favorites too is making mashed sweet potatoes or baked sweet potato fries! YUMMY!!  
 
Ok sorry, got sidetracked!  So breakfast was steamed spinach, eggs, toast and I had hot water with lemon in it.  Lunch was a microgreen salad with toasted pumpkin seeds, and the lentil lime salad.  Lunch was quinoa, sweet potato, and black beans and rice.  This was almost too filling so I am happy this was the only meal like this! 
 
As I am ready for bed, I can not wait to have breakfast tomorrow as it is a fresh fruit plate, with I think some yogurt (have to check on that though as now I forget!) 

2nd Day of the Reset

The second day on the reset....oh how I want to stray away from the plan but am staying strong!  I am determined to get good results and am dedicated to this for 21 days!!  It was so so hard watching my coworkers snack and eat whatever they wanted for 5 hours worth of meetings in the office today.  But I just kept thinking mentally and physically how amazing I am going to feel after this cleanse.  For today, breakfast and dinner were AMAZING!!! So so filling and delicious.  They were definitely meals I will make even after the cleanse.  Bfast was oatmeal with blueberries and a side of plain organic yogurt.  Lunch was a salad like yesterday with chicken and pine nuts.  Snack was a chocolate vegan shake.  And dinner was southwestern tacos. YUM YUM YUM!!  

For the supplements, they arent bad till I have to take the green stuff.  UGH GROSS!!  Take it like a champ I keep telling myself!

Looking forward to the rest of the week on the reset :)

1st Day on the Reset

It was a great start to the reset today!  I did a LOT of prepping this morning for the next few days which was good because now I feel more organized.  Not having my morning shake and coffee in the shake was a bit different!  Instead I had scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast, and steamed spinach. It was really filling and delicious.  Lunch was a salad with lots of veggies, toasted pumpkin seeds and avocado.  Again, I thought I was going to want more food but I was surprisingly satisfied.  Snack was a vegan chocolate shake and for dinner I got too excited and forgot to take a picture.  It was chicken which was marinaded in different spices, baby potatoes, and steamed lemon asparagus.  YUM YUM YUM YUM!!  I did have a bit of a sweet tooth afterwards but instead I chugged some water and brushed my teeth.


The supplements were easy to take but yet again (I remember it from my first reset) was the green powdery substance you have to take in the afternoon and mix with water.  Pretty sure my expertise in taking shots (booo I miss those haha) has helped me with taking this green water and keeping it down! haha  But really it isn't that bad.

Anyways, emotionally I felt like normal.  A bit of a blah feeling this evening but that could be with it being a busy busy day for me.  But for now, it is bed time as on the reset it is suggested to get a good amount of rest! 

Beachbody Ultimate Reset

Today starts my journey of experiencing the Beachbody Ultimate Reset for the second time.  I last did it in the month of October and absolutely loved the process, the food, and the changes in my mind and body.  It is 21 days of cleansing your body of all the toxins.  You follow the meal plan provided, making small substitutes if necessary, you focus on getting proper amount of sleep, plenty of water, take all the supplements provided (which I am going to be honest, some look pretty nasty! haha) , and are completely in tune to what your mind and body are feeling.  Sounds EXHAUSTING!!!....I KNOW!  But it is totally worth it!!  And for anyone who has cravings often, drinks coffee everyday, or chews gum frequently...YOU CAN NOT HAVE IT!! Haha  And for anyone that knows me, knows that this is something hard to get me to do.  I always make my Shakeology in the morning with a cup of cold coffee and often I am chewing gum, especially when I am out coaching soccer. I am excited to experience this all again, and see what the results are like!  You can follow me over the next 21 days to see what it is like!

PINTO BEANS & RICE WITH MICROGREEN SALAD

INGREDIENTS 

1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup canned pinto beans (with liquid)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Bragg liquid aminos
Himalayan salt to taste

DIRECTIONS 
Heat beans gently in saucepan over medium high heat until simmering.  Drain and return to pan.   Add oil, spices, aminos, and salt.  Stir well.  Gently fold cooked rice into beans.  Serves 1.

Microgreen salad
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup sprouts like radish, alfalfa or broccoli
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped jicama
fresh herbs like basil, cilantro, parsely, dill
1/3 cup toasted seeds and nuts like cashews, pecans, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds (all unsalted).

Then top with your favorite home made dressing.