It’s been awhile since I have written about my progress using Advocare products.  Since I first started the 24 Day Challenge back in January, I have had a lot of people give it a try along side me.  It’s been awesome seeing everyone’s progress, sharing recipes and workouts, and just motivating each other along the way.   I often get asked “so, what do you do after the 24 days is over?” and I thought I would write about that for those that are currently doing the challenge or those of you who may be interested in trying it some day.

{If you are reading this and have no idea what the 24 Day Challenge even is, please see THIS post}

It’s been almost 4 months since I started using Advocare products.  Here is my April progress photo.  I have lost about 22lbs and 16″ from my waistline, arms, hips & thighs (7.5″ off my waist alone).  Most importantly I just have so much more energy and have found a love for working out again.

 I lost the majority  of my weight during the initial 24 days of the challenge.  It was the perfect way to jump start Operation Pre-pregnancy Weight!  I saw all the progress I was making those first few weeks that I started to get nervous about what I was going to do once the challenge was over.  This seems to be the main concern of everyone else who has been doing the challenge as well.  Here’s what I have been giving as advice based on what has worked for me.

You can either be happy with the 10-15 lbs you probably lost during the 24 days and go from there.  Continue eating well, working out when you can, and just enjoy the quick results you got.  This will definitely get you to at least maintain your new weight loss.

I still knew I had more weight to lose, so I decided to find a way to fit Advocare into my day to day routine without having to be quite as strict as the 24 Day Challenge.  This included continuing to exercise, to clean eat, and to use some of my favorite products & supplements.   Where I became more flexible is definitely on the diet end.  Although our family is probably eating about 80% “clean”, Greg and I definitely indulge in weekend date night meals and alcoholic drinks  Speaking of Greg….can he get a round of applause for losing over 30lbs these past 4 months too?  I’m so proud of him!

While everyone knows diet and exercise are always the most important elements to losing weight, I wanted to share some of my favorite products with you that I’ve been using.  I am 100% convinced supplements have made such a huge difference in my progress.  They make me feel better, they curb my appetite, the help build lean muscle, they give me energy, and they fill in the gaps nutritionally for any vitamins I may have missed out on throughout the day.  Here are a few things I can’t live without these days:

SPARK ENERGY DRINK

Would you believe I quit coffee and diet soda for good 4 months ago?  Thank goodness for Spark!  It contains 21 vitamins, tastes awesome, and gives you non-jittery, long-lasting energy and mental focus.  It also has amino acids so it helps with fat burning and lean muscle production.  I’m in LOVE with this stuff!!  Grape and Mandarin orange are our favorite flavors.  I start my day with a Spark and you will always find it in my water bottle at the gym.

 CATALYST

I’m kind of convinced this product should be illegal.  Not because it’s bad for you, but because it almost makes you feel like you’re cheating.  I haven’t met a person who didn’t love this stuff.  It’s been nicknamed “Liposuction in a bottle”.  It’s a blend of essential branched-chain amino acids and L-glutamine that supplies your body with muscle-building components and sustains your muscles during exercise and reduced calorie intake.  In other words it sucks away at your fat and preserves and promotes lean muscle production.  See why I have 3 bottles of it?  :)  Actually Greg loves this product too, so although I don’t want to share…I do.  It says you can take 3 of them 3x a day.  I only take 2 in the morning or before a workout.  My sister swears by Catalyst and Spark.  Check out her fitness page on Instagram .  Insane right?

 O2 GOLD ADVANCED

Greg and I just recently started using this product before we go for longer runs.  IT.IS.AWESOME!  I don’t know if it’s just the placebo effect or if it truly works, but we both feel like our endurance goes way up after we use them.  On Advocare’s website it says “O2 Gold Advanced supplement is an excellent solution for greater energy, endurance and vitality whether you’re a marathon runner, a busy parent or both.  Serious athletes will notice the differences that O2 Gold Advanced supplement brings to their regimen, and casual users will notice the refreshing lift to their energy and liveliness. Most importantly, O2 Gold Advanced supplement helps you maximize oxygen usage in your body so that you can feel better and perform better.”  SOLD!!  And that’s exactly how it makes me feel.  My lungs feel like I could run forever now….my hips and ankles? Not so much!  We are working on that, but for now I am in love with this product!

ADVOBAR RAW

The only part of clean eating that I find difficult is quick, on the go, filling and tasty snack/meal options.  Clean eating does require some planning, and when I’m in a rush I find myself grabbing an apple or a handful of almonds, but find myself wanting more.  That’s why I love these snack bars.  Finding a clean nutrition bar isn’t easy to do.  Most of them have sugar or processed ingredients in them, but take a look at the ingredients in these:  Chia seed, hemp seed, flax seed, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, apples, oats, agave syrup, dates, hemp powder and brown rice protein.  Can’t get any more natural than that can you?  They are DELICIOUS and so filling.  I just tried these out a couple weeks ago for the first time and the box was empty in no time.  The kids love them too!

These aren’t “magic pills” or “diet pills”.  These are just great, healthy, and effective products that I have really grown to love and have helped me immensely.  While I realize that taking supplements isn’t for everyone, I have had so many people ask about Advocare so I thought I would share some information about what we have been using.  I’m going to keep trying new product too, so I’ll definitely keep you posted on any new favorites that come along.

Ooooh and something else that is going to really help?  NEW RUNNING SHOES!  I went to an actual running store today and had my feet measured and electronically scanned.  These are the pretties that came home with me today.  I’ve never owned Asics before, but I did a nice easy 3 mile loop on these this evening and it felt like I was running on clouds.  Can’t wait to put some miles on these!

Hope you all had a great Workout Wednesday and got in some good exercise this week….even if it just included chasing around your kids that totally counts!  It’s been a busy week and I’m way behind in blog reading, but I look forward to reading some inspiring Workout Wednesday posts.  I got mine in before midnight so that’s gotta be good for something right?  Time to shower and pass out!  xo

PS- As you know I’m still really new to blogging (again) and recently I have seen bloggers linking up their posts.  I have been following Skinny Meg’s weight loss journey and wanted to jump on board linking up with her Workout Wednesday post.  If you haven’t seen her success story before definitely give her blog a read!  She’s a mama who has lost over 110 lbs!!  ::insert shock face here::