I chose to start my healthy eating and fitness goals off this year with my second round of the 3 Day Refresh. This is Beachbody's version of a detox. So, why Refresh? Why not a juice cleanse? Let me share my experiences with both.
3 Day Juice Cleanse:
I eagerly purchased this cleanse from a local juice bar on Groupon for $97. That's a 50% discount on their regular price. I headed down to a busy part of Chicago, double parked and schlepped the two kiddos into the storefront with me. They packed up a bag of what I was sure was going to be the answer to getting me off the plateau I had hit with my weight loss.
The cleanse contains 6-16 oz juices per day.
Juice 1: kale, romaine lettuce, spinach, parsley, celery, lemon, ginger, cucumber and apple.
Juice 2: lemon, sweetened with agave nectar, maple syrup, cayenne pepper (sound familiar?)
Juice 3: beet, carrot, apple, lemon, ginger
Juice 4: Oh goodie, juice 1 one more time
Juice 5: pineapple, orange, wheatgrass
Juice 6: almond milk flavored with maple syrup, agave, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla
Day 1 started off pretty well. I was enthusiastic...until I opened the first juice. In all fairness, I don't like kale so having to drink a liquid version was bound to be unpleasant for me. Not all the cucumbers and apples in the world can mask the taste or texture of kale. Juice 2 was fine; pretty much what you would expect from the flavors listed. Juice 3--wow, beautiful color. Surely, something such a deep garnet red would have a delightful taste. Not so much! Right around this time was when I started getting pretty hungry. I needed something to munch on. I was missing food. The ache around my temples was dull at this point. The kiddos lunch was right around this time. Every single thing on their plates looked phenomenal to me. Their goldfish, string cheese and PB&J looked about as tasty as a steak dinner.
Day 2 started and ended the same. In a foggy, lethargic and cranky daze. I don't think I was ever so thankful to have great nappers in my two kids. I couldn't even muster energy to interact with them. I was hungry and irritable, it wouldn't have been fair to expose them to the wrath of the starving momma anyway.
Day 3 started out so much better! I tossed that juice in the trash, made me and the kiddos a pancake breakfast and moved on with life.
$97 for a 2 day torture fest that made me realize that I really value my relationship with food.
3 Day Refresh by Beachbody
I decided to take a dive into this product with much reservation. I had managed to convince myself that the 3 days were going to be as miserable as my experience with the juice cleanse had been.
The box arrived and I immediately felt a little bit of excitement. The program guide provided with the Refresh outlined exactly what I needed to do and included a complete list of exactly what fruits/veggies/healthy fats you can have and in exactly what amounts.
Day 1: Wake up and drink 8-12oz of water. An hour later, I enjoyed my usual filling Shakeology and berries for breakfast. Around 10am, I had the Fiber Sweep, a digestive health drink. Flavor? Subtly lemon. Texture? Hmm..not appetizing. The book encourages you to chug it down fast, and that's exactly what I did. For lunch, I had the high protein Vanilla Fresh drink along with a selection from the fruit list, one from the veggie list and one from the healthy fats list. I picked a half an apple, carrots and hummus to supplement my Vanilla Fresh. I quickly learned that the key to making this drink more enjoyable was blending with plenty of ice and adding in some extra vanilla extract and pumpkin spice. It actually reminded me a little of one of my favorite drinks--horchata! The afternoon snack is another veggie and healthy fat choice--for simplicity's sake, I opted for another round of carrots and hummus. Dinner is another glassful of Vanilla Fresh and one of the veggie recipes provided. The selections are all tasty including roasted asparagus with almonds, a spinach salad, and one of my favorites-Moroccan carrot salad. I went to bed feeling satisfied.
Day 2 and 3 progressed just as easily as Day 1. The drinks and snacks are all spaced out to where you're never feeling ravenously hungry, your mood stays level and you're able to enjoy the sensation of crunching down on fresh fruits and vegetables.
Final outcome: Down 3.1 lbs and feeling reenergized and refreshed. I did the 3 day refresh once again at the beginning of this year and lost 3.2 lbs.
For additional info on the 3 day refresh check out this video!
If you're in need of a kickstart back to healthy habits or have hit a plateau with your weight loss, I recommend checking it out!
The 3 day Refresh is available at my store or at the link below for $69.95.
Beachbody is offering a special for the month of January. The complete 3 day Refresh program along with 30 days of Shakeology for $140. That's like paying for a bag of Shakeology and getting the 3 day Refresh for $10!
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