3-day refresh dropout
I first heard about the 3-Day Refresh about 2 years ago, when I first joined Beachbody as a challenger. I was intrigued with the idea - 3-days to jump start weight loss or get back on track? Sounds like a great idea, right? Since then, I have always wanted to jump on the bandwagon and try it, but I have always been too scared. I'd basically be depriving myself of my normal calorie intake (approximately 2,100 calories on most days) for 3 days. This is especially difficult when I am training. Throw dinners with my family into the mix, and I knew it just wasn't going to happen. Plus, I am one of those people who gets hAngry if I don't eat and I tend to pass out due to low blood pressure that's exceedingly worse when I don't eat. So, yeah, I really wanted to try it, but was too scared to.Jump ahead 2 years later. I've been following an intermittent fasting + carb cycling program for the past few months. One of those days is a 24-hour fast day. You got from dinner one night to dinner the next night without anything but water or other zero calorie beverages. I've done a good amount of fasting days now without any issues, so I felt that I was ready to try 3-Day Refresh. I mean, if I can still drink my shake in the morning, I'm a pretty happy girl.My plan was to start on Tuesday because Matt was going out of town. I didn't have to worry about making dinners for anyone except for the kiddos and I could easily just make my own thing with no problem. Plus, I'd be home for the most part so I could easily do the shakes for lunch and dinner without a problem.I started Tuesday with my normal Shakeology shake (I ordered the vegan chocolate with my Refresh kit, but ended up making the Cafe Latte that I still had in the house - it's my favorite right now!), mixed with a banana and I ended up putting almond milk in mine instead of water because, well, it just tastes better. I figured 30 extra calories was not going to kill me - and almond butter is part of the plan, so why not. Not really Refresh approved, but neither was the coffee I drank either. But, I wanted to make the day as normal for me as possible.
Oh, I should also mention that I woke up at 4:30 AM Tuesday morning to get a 10K in before Matt left for the airport. So, now I would be eating less than 1,000 calories after running 6.2 miles. Probably not the smartest idea on my part, but training comes before food all the time.I drank the Fiber Sweep around 10:30 AM, before heading out to Monkey Joe's with the kiddos and my bestie and her kids. This was the drink I was really worried about. First of all, my body does not handle a lot of fiber well. I get terrible gas pains and bloating, and, let's be honest, I was worried I would spend the rest of the afternoon in the bathroom. I was also nervous of how it was going to taste. I was actually pleasantly surprised that it wasn't terrible. Note: I did not say it was good. It was a lot easier to get down that I thought it would be. It's lemon flavored and as long as you drink it immediately, it's not too bad. If you let it sit for even 5 minutes, it gets thick and nasty, which I found out one Wednesday.We spent an hour or so letting the kids play at Monkey Joes and then decided to get lunch. MacKenna suggested Chipotle and I am not one to pass up a really good meal, especially when it involves a bowl full of rice, beans, and guac. So, already, by noon, I've already failed at my Refresh. I thought, OK, let's just say this is my dinner, and I'll just have the Vanilla Fresh shake for dinner.I did just that, and the shake actually was pretty good. I obeyed Refresh meal plans and only made it with water. I actually was really not hungry for it or the rest of the day, so that Chipotle bowl really filled me up.Wednesday was a different story. I was DETERMINED to make it through and follow through the last 2 days. I started again with my shake and coffee, followed by the fiber sweep around 10AM again. Wednesday, I met up with some more girlfriends and their kiddos to play a a splash pad for awhile, before going to get ice cream of course. Ice cream for lunch - when dad's away, mom gives the kids ice cream for lunch...
I did AMAZINGLY well and did not eat any ice cream while we were there, even though I knew neither of my kids would finish theirs. However, by the time we got home around 1:30PM (we went to the library and Dollar Tree after ice cream), I was starving! I made a Vanilla Fresh shake mixed with half a banana and a small peach (which is actually more fruit than prescribed on the plan) and some almond milk, and a handful of baby carrots. Not even an hour later, I was starving again. I drank some water, hoping it would help me with my hunger pangs, but I was to the point of breaking. I knew I could have another snack, but honestly, there was really not much in the house for me to eat that would fit the plan. And I was also starting to think about dinner and the lack of options I had.By 4PM, I was done. I couldn't take it anymore. I HAD to eat some carbs. And they were so good...mYup, I failed. Big time. I didn't even make it half a day, but tried again and made it longer, but failed again. Do I feel guilty about it? Maybe a little. But, I knew that I had a hot stroller run in the morning the next day that was going to be miserable on only 1,000 calories of fuel in my body. I really wanted to be successful with it, but there are a few things that I just did not do to make this a success for me.
Here are my takeaways:Plan ahead! I honestly didn't even open the box until Tuesday morning. So, I had no idea what things I could or couldn't eat, despite all my pins on Pinterest. Had I actually planned my lunches, dinners, and snacks ahead of time, I probably would have had much more success once I got hungry. But, pretzels and cheese were calling my name - loudly.This would be better AFTER some indulgence. Like I said, I have been following this intermittent fasting + carb cycling meal plan for awhile now with some really good results. I barely ever feel starved, except on fasting days, obviously, and I think it really has helped with my training. I don't feel bloated pretty much ever, and I'm eating really healthfully, with my daily treat at night (not prescribed but a necessity for me - and never overindulgence).My goal was to do this right before our beach vacation, knowing I would be spending a week in a swimsuit and wanted to be at my very best. But, with my current meal plan, I don't really have any weight to lose. Sure, I'd love to not have my mom pooch, but that's what I get from having 2 kiddos and loving chocolate. I definitely did not NEED a refresh, regardless if it was 1 day or 7 days.
However, I know I usually feel disgusting after our summer vacations. We spend a lot of time eating out, eating ice cream, and lots + lots of carbs and alcohol. By the time we get back, both of us are wanting to eat something that grew and is fresh. This is when I feel I would be much more successful with the 3-Day Refresh.So, I definitely dropped out, no looking back, but I DO think I will try it again eventually. Maybe when I feel like I actually need a detox and have a little more determination to actually finish all 3 days. I think if you are looking for a jump start to weight loss or have a big event coming up that you want to look your best for, I think this would be GREAT for you. But, in the middle of half marathon training in the summer, probably not the right fit.
**Disclosure: I bought the 3-Day Refresh with my own money, I was not compensated in any way for buying it or reviewing it. As always, all opinions are my own.**