Today marks two weeks!  Whooohooo!  I decided to check my weight and retake my measurements this morning and…I’ve lost TEN pounds and 7.5 inches!  This program really does amaze me!  I absolutely love the way I’m feeling and am even almost ready to commit to adding some workouts and possibly some deep cleanses.   I know the deep cleanse is really one of the most beneficial parts of the program.  I remember feeling wonderful after completing the deep cleanse last time.  I really just need to prepare my mind for not having my shakes for two days.   Have I mentioned lately that the shakes are ADDICTING?! 

I spent today in New York City with my family.  We went to see a play and then out to dinner.   In the past, I would be a little nervous about going out to dinner.  I was always afraid there wouldn’t be anything healthy to eat, and I would get stuck having something that would throw me off the program.  However, I’ve always been able to find something though and when I don’t, the restaurants have always been willing to accommodate me.   Tonight I had Cajun Cod with a side of asparagus.  Both were absolutely delicious!

cajun cod & asparagus

Double Digits!  Oh yeah, it’s been TEN days! I’m still following the program every day by having my shake for breakfast and lunch and making a healthy meal for dinner.  I’ve been switching between homemade turkey burgers and sauteed chicken each night, along with a whole slew of vegetables.  Zucchini and asparagus are currently top on my list, but I’m also having the occasional salad too.

chicken & asparagus

I was really being tested tonight!  I am currently working on a cookie order which has my kitchen filled with tempting smells of deliciousness!  OHHH!  I didn’t give in, but I definitely contemplated it!  Instead, I had one of the vanilla isAgenix snacks and pretended I was eating a cookie. 

Dinner tonight was a piece of boneless, skinless chicken breast cooked on the stove with a little olive oil and seasoning.  I also had a nice big serving of steamed zucchini and asparagus.  My addiction to asparagus has returned!  Making dinner has not been the easiest for the last few months.  We are currently going through a kitchen remodel and are without counters, walls, and our floor consists of screwed down plywood.   I am EAGERLY awaiting it to finally be complete!

kitchen remodel

I’ve had the luxury of making my shakes at home for the first three days, but today it was too cold to run home for lunch.  Luckily, I still had my little blender in the cabinet!  I really enjoy having my shake blended with ice rather than just mixed with water.  Everyone has their own preference though…some like to use less than 8 ounces of water to make the shake extra thick, almost like pudding…others add extra water to make it easy to drink…and me?  I like to use exactly 8 ounces of water and about 8 ice cubes.   It makes the shake REALLY cold, and not so thick that you have to eat it with a spoon.  How do you like your shake?

shakes at the office

I snuck on the scale this morning!!  Shh, don’t tell!  I know I should be waiting until after my first week, but I just had to know!  I already lost 4.5 POUNDS!  I know, it’s water weight…but it’s still weight…and that makes me happy!     AND, it motivates me to want to continue!  Sometimes we need a little extra motivation reminder…

I had a vanilla shake with green tea this morning.  What I like to call my “Green Tea Frappuccino“…it’s my own little version of a treat from Starbucks, and it’s really tasty!!  This is usually my shake of choice, but I have many more ideas over on the Recipe page.  You’ll have to let me know which flavor is your favorite or if you have another great recipe for me to try…

DoMatcha – Green Tea Frappuccino

Yeah, I made it through the first day!  That was my first thought when I woke up this morning, followed quickly by cravings for my breakfast shake! 

I headed out to the grocery store today to fill the refrigerator and pantry with lots of healthy options!  It really does help me to have nutritious food easily accessible.  I bought lots of veggies, chicken, ground turkey, eggs, quinoa, hummus…yum, doesn’t that all sound delicious!?  My hope is to start again with prepping my meals at the beginning of the week.  I remember this made dinner time a lot smoother, since I only need to grab a prepared dish and heat it up.  I think that will be my goal for next week!   Right now, I’m just trying to focus on getting through the initial days and ignore the temptations.   I’m really wishing today was day 22 instead of only day 2…but one day at a time!

I had another turkey burger for dinner, but I made steamed asparagus with fresh lemon juice along with a salad.  I use steamer bags that go in the microwave to make the asparagus.   Just put about 10 asparagus spears in the bag, along with a little lemon juice, and heat it up for about 2 minutes.  That’s it, so easy and so delicious!

It’s official, I’ve started another 30 day cleanse with isAgenix!  I actually never fully stopped, but I also haven’t been fully committed either.  I’d go a few weeks on and then a few weeks off and then back on…and then back off…it was a never ending cycle.  My original 110 days on the program ended back in January of 2014.  It seems I would get stressed or sick or simply tempted by the delicious smell of cookies and soon my morning shake would take a backseat.  It happens to all of us, but today I’ve decided to make my start official by taking initial pictures, recording my measurements, and tracking progress on this blog.  I definitely feel more accountable once my words are on the screen.  I even went back and read the entries from my 1st 30 days on isAgenix.   It’s truly motivating to read about my accomplishments and also my struggles…and I know that I did this once before and can do it again! 

I prepared for today by fulfilling every possible craving I could think of…cookies, pizza, pasta, and of course ice cream to top it all off!  To help me in the days ahead, I threw out all possible future temptations.  Out of sight, out of my mind!   I started the day off with my vanilla isaLean shake for breakfast, another for lunch, and then a homemade turkey burger over a big salad for dinner.  Between meals I had 2 isAgenix Snacks! and then an isaDelight chocolate for dessert.  Overall, it was a great first day!

shake and accelerator capsule