Baby Weight

How I am already six weeks into being a mom of two, I have no idea! Needless to say, it's flying! Before Nolan arrived, I thought a lot about the baby weight I had put on and what I was going to do about taking it off. With Kenley, I really struggled. I just did not take care of myself for the first year of her life. I was so focused on her and did not take the time or put in the effort to take care of myself - in the gym or in the kitchen. It took a toll, a big toll. Not only did I end up the heaviest I've ever been but I felt like crap. I had no energy, wasn't sleeping, my clothes didn't fit and my self esteem was damn near close to rock bottom. So needless to say, I want desperately to avoid all of that this time around. 

Because of the changes I made and effort I put in once I'd hit that turning point {right after Kenley's 1st Birthday} I weighed 10 pounds less when I got pregnant with Nolan than I did when I got pregnant with Kenley. With Kenley I gained a total of 34 pounds during my pregnancy and with Nolan I gained a total of 40. So even though I gained more weight this second time, I still weighed less at the end of this one than I did at the end of my first. 

I decided before I had Nolan, that I wanted to document my journey of getting back in shape and losing the baby weight. I think posting about it and setting goals will help me stay motivated but also I love so much the support that this blogging community offers. So many of you have been through this already and if even you aren't a mama so many of you have a passion for health and fitness and your ideas, wisdom, and support have been so great in the past and I hope will continue to be as I embark on losing the baby weight 2.0. And hey, maybe I will even help or inspire some other mamas along the way! 

Now that I have had my 6 week postpartum visit and have been cleared to workout, I am hoping to set up monthly progress reports/recaps {time willing} to share what I've been doing, what has been working or not working and where I am in the process. I also want to set a few goals each month that I can check in on with these posts as well! Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be so excited to have permission to workout! 

So let's jump right in! 

My long term goal, is to get into a healthy routine and habit that is maintainable! I want to be an active and healthy family, I want to have energy to care for my kids and I want time to myself to take care of ME. I want to feel good inside and out for myself, my husband and my kids. I do have a number on the scale I would love to hit which was 6 pounds away before I got pregnant + the 40 pounds I gained with Nolan means I am setting my official weight loss goal at 46 pounds.

I'm setting a couple of goals to get myself started and then will check in again in a couple weeks when I hit that two month mark! 

JUMPSTART GOALS

□ Utilize my FitBit - Since about week 34 of my pregnancy my FitBit was off. Honestly, wearing it just depressed me. I was so very tired and steps just were not happening. Seeing how few steps I took did not motivate me, it just bummed me out. So I opted to just go without it at the end. Now that I have it charged back it up I need to use it to motivate me to get those steps in and drink enough water!

□ Set up fitness analysis at the gym - Our gym offers a complimentary analysis and workout with a trainer and I need to take advantage of this to get a plan of attack in place.

□ Log calories using MyFitnessPal - It's time to get diligent about counting calories. Because I am breastfeeding it will take a little trial and error to find a number that works to maintain my supply and gives me enough energy but still results in a loss each week.

□ Start C25K again - I am signed up to run my first post-baby 5k on July 17th, I'm a little nervous to start running again as I imagine I am wildly out of shape so starting with C25K which helped me to get into running in the first place seems like a smart way to get back into a groove.

Alright, there it is and here I go!

Wish me luck! 

Excited to Feel Good

This pregnancy has definitely been tougher on me than my pregnancy with Kenley. The majority of the past 9 months I've just been exhausted and sore and completely void of energy. I'm grateful that nothing major has gone wrong and that all of my symptoms have been considered "normal" but I am at the point where I am so, so, so ready to just feel GOOD. 

I love having this belly and feeling my baby move is the absolute coolest thing I will ever experience and I know I am going to miss it so much, but the thought of not having a 10-15 pound bowling ball protruding out of me sounds pretty great! I'm also excited for energy...sure it will probably take some time to settle into a routine, recover from childbirth and get a decent stretch of sleep but being able to walk up the stairs without getting winded is going to be such a treat! 

I've already started thinking about and brainstorming some ideas and plans for getting back into shape after baby is born and I can't believe I am about to say this but I CAN'T WAIT! I am so excited to run and sweat and feel sore {from a workout not just from getting up off the couch}. I'm excited to eat healthy food without having to choke it down and chase it with breakfast cereal. I'm excited to see the number on the scale go down instead of up. I'm excited to wear pants that don't go up to my boobs.

I had the very best intentions of making this a super healthy and fit pregnancy - and truly, I did an OK job - however, as a friend recently said "when you are growing a human some days all you can handle is existing." And really, that is so true. You can't beat yourself about not having energy. You can't feel bad about skipping a workout or eating one too many brownies. Yes, it's of utmost importance to take good care of yourself but a lot of times that just means taking an extra nap. Even if you accomplish NOTHING all day long, you are still growing a person and that is more than enough.

I plan on sharing my goals and progress throughout the whole baby weight loss journey and would love to hear what sorts of things worked best for those of you who have been through it! I didn't get serious about losing the weight until after Kenley was a full year old and I definitely don't want that much time to pass this go around. I know for a fact there will be no calorie counting or work outs happening those first several {4? 6? 8?} weeks but any tips you all have for slowly getting back into it after having a baby would be much appreciated!!!

Lifestyle Change

If I had a dollar for every time I said "This isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle change" I'd have enough money to get lipo and just be done with it already. Over the past 6 months, however, I definitely have made a change. Thanks to counting calories and adding exercise to my life I've been able to drop 20+ pounds all on my own. No programs, no gimmicks, no special pills or shakes or cleanses {though, I do love me a good Zula Juice cleanse}. Not that there's anything wrong with using programs or products to help with weight loss because I think ANYTHING that keeps you motivated and helps you achieve your goals is awesome! I just know myself too well and know that I have a hard time sticking with that stuff {and affording it} - calorie counting is literally the ONLY thing that has ever worked for me, and I have tried a lot of things. 

While using MyFitnessPal has been awesome and has got me so close to my goal, I know that I do not want to have to enter every little thing I eat in to that app for the rest of my life. I am at the point now where I want to drop these last 10 pounds and then maintain a healthy lifestyle which will keep me at that weight forever {or at least until I get pregnant again}. I want to eat healthy, I want to be healthy and I want to find a workout routine that will work for always. 

And so, I have enlisted the help of Danielle Zacheretti! My own personal health coach! This girl is AMAZING. Over the next 6 months Danielle is going to be giving me the education and support I need to not only reach my goals but to help me maintain them. She is literally teaching me how to FINALLY make that lifestyle change. We are one week in to coaching and I have already learned SO much and am really excited to share the process, the results and the information with all of you!

#4WeeksFit - The Results

Can you even believe that tomorrow is the last day of May? Time is a-flying and I can't say I mind because June is my favorite month of the year! The end of May also means the end of our 4 week fit challenge. I was SO excited to see how many of you linked up with me and Erin and joined in to challenge yourself to get healthier in whatever way you wanted. I was so inspired by all of your goals and following along with your progress has been a huge motivation for me this month! 

If you read my goals post, you know that I set three different goals for myself. But, in truth, I had more. When I originally sat down to write that post I came up with 7 goals but decided to narrow them as to not over-promise and under-deliver...the point was to set myself up for success, right?

I decided that I would strive to achieve all these goals but really focus on the first three and not beat myself up if I didn't meet the rest. 

I am so proud of what I've accomplished this month. I didn't necessarily achieve each goal but I achieved a lot. I think the biggest lesson I learned over these past 4 weeks is to listen to my body. I've really been striving to push myself {something I have not been good at in the past} but I do need to know when its too much and I need a break. I had a little meltdown on the Friday before Memorial Day and realized my body was flat out exhausted. I took a couple days to rest and then came back totally energized and ready to finish the month strong. So let's get down to the details, shall we?

Here's how my month went down...

1. Drink 100oz of water per day - almost nailed it!

I gotta tell ya, this was a really hard one forme. I reached 100+ ounces 22 / 29 days and am PUMPED about that. My lowest day was 64oz which is my daily goal on fitbit and also significantly more than I was drinking before I set this goal. Overall, I averaged 105oz per day and feel like I've FINALLY made drinking enough water a habit. Success!

2. 30 day plank challenge - not-so-much!

I. HATE. PLANKS. Hate, hate, hate them! As you will see on my calendar I made it to a 3 minute plank and then threw in the towel. I think anything over 3 minutes is completely unnatural and absolute torture. I take that back, anything over a one minute plank is unnatural and torture. I will say, I am MUCH better at planks now than when I started and I do want to try and make a 1-2 minute plank part of my every day routine. 

3. Finish C25K - kind of nailed it!

Yesterday I completed the C25K training app! I will admit that as the distances got longer it got much harder to run every other day, especially with all the other workouts I was doing, so I did skip over a couple of the days to give myself a break. BUT, the point of doing this was to train for the 5k I am running this Sunday and I feel ready and excited to achieve a new personal record! Wish me luck!

4. 10,000 steps every day - we're going to say nailed it!

I missed TWO frickin' days of 10,000 steps but I averaged 13,300.5 steps a day this month so I'm totally considering this one a win! Thanks FitBit!

5. 25 {non-walking} workouts in the month of May - sooooo close!

13 C25K training sessions + 4 kickboxing classes + 2 yoga practices + 1 TC Bump Club Stroller Strides Class + 1 Moms on Mats Pilates + 1 Zumba Class + 1 Jillian Michaels DVD = 23 non-walking workouts this month! And...just for fun I counted up all the walks I took with Kenley & Bailey this month which came out to 12, so I guess you could say I exercised 35 times this month! HOLLER!

6. All calories entered in to MyFitnessPal - nailed it!

I've been a calorie entering machine! Even when I splurge I've been entering my calories which is hard because when I splurge I really don't want to face the harsh reality of the amount of calories I consumed. BUT, I really can't tell you how much counting calories has helped me. I've learned that for me it's all about what I eat, no matter how hard I work out.

7. Lose 5 pounds - nailed it!

During the month of May I dropped 5.2 pounds! Which puts me down 20 pounds since New Years and 44 pounds down from my pregnancy weight!  Holla!

I'm so excited to read how all of you did and share in your success! Just because May is over doesn't mean your goals need to be! I'm busy working away on my goals for June!

Is It Worth It? Let Me Work It.

Who doesn't love a lil Missy on a Thirsty Thursday morning?

Please hit play to set the tone:

OK, so this song really has nothing to do with today's post, but the title is pretty perfect - so go with it.

 Losing weight is nothing but math...calories in - calories burned = 3,500 calorie deficit and BOOM a pound gone! And getting fit is as simple as cardio + strength training. And getting healthy? Duh. Veggies + Fruits + Protein - Sugar & Processed foods = happy body.

But as we all know too well, nothing about any of that is easy. Losing weight, getting in shape and getting healthy is hard. REALLY HARD. It' a process and it's a commitment. Which is why my blood instantly boils when I hear "you lost 19 pounds? Wow! Tell me your secret!" There is no secret. I've been busting my ass for five and a half months. And nothing about it has been easy.

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I've earned every pound I've lost. No one can lose this weight for me, no one can lift the weights for me, no one can go on the run for me. Every day me, myself and I have to CHOOSE to eat cucumbers instead of crackers, a skinny vanilla latte instead of a peppermint white mocha and water instead of wine {although that one doesn't happen often}.

After busting my ass for months, people are starting to notice the change and all I want to hear is "You look awesome!" "Keep up the hard work!" "You are my hero!" "Your hard work is really paying off! Good for you!" I don't want to hear that I really should let myself have that brownie or plate of nachos, that I should just accept my body as it is or that I have no more weight to lose. I've said it a million times - it's not about the number, it's about feeling great and looking great and if that's bad, then sorry I'm bad. I really wish people could learn to applaud each others successes versus criticize them.

OK, I'm starting to rant! This is supposed to be an inspiring post!

My point is that none of this is fun - but seeing results is WAY fun! And motivating. Does it suck sometimes? Sure, it sucks a lot of the time. But I feel better, I'm no longer bloated, I sleep so much better, I have a ton more energy, my last period I didn't even get cramps, my clothes fit better and I feel more confident. When I feel frustrated or sick of working so dang hard I try and remember those things. If I feel this awesome after 5 months, how awesome am I going to feel after 10?! It's a slow race but as they say....

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Annnnd....I'm off my soapbox! We're halfway through the month! I'm dying to know how your goals are going!!! Catch me up! You can do it! Don't give up!

Workout Wishlist

We are officially DONE with week 1 of #4weeksfit!!! How are your goals going so far????

I am doing pretty good and am getting excited to see what the results at the end of the month will be!

I feel like after a few months of really trying to lose weight and get healthy, I've got the food thing down. I still count my calories every day but I've really learned how to balance the good foods and the bad so that I don't feel deprived but am eating healthy the majority of the time. Of course, it's a constant battle, especially with all the wine calling my name {the woes of a liquor reps wife}. Now I am really focusing on getting my fitness in check. I'm signed up for all kinds of fun workouts this month and am still chipping away at the C25K training program. In fact, my sweet Kenley recognized how dedicated I am to my fitness so she gifted me an early Mother's Day gift...

...some new running kicks! I got the Adidas Element Refine and am OBSESSED.

Fun Fact :: My dad runs a competitive youth basketball program here in Minnesota and is sponsored by Adidas - so when looking for workout gear that's ALWAYS my first stop. I definitely like and wear other brands but you will NEVER see me in Nike - pretty sure I'd be disowned.

There is one MAJOR problem with all of this, however. The new running shoes prompted me to do some online browsing and now I want to spend a small fortune on cute workout clothes! I mean getting dressed is half the battle, right? I feel like I'd be way more motivated to workout if I had the following....

I signed up for tennis lessons this summer and am SO excited to get back on the court {I was actually a pretty decent player back in my day} but I really need to look the part if I'm going to channel my inner Maria Sharapova.

 

adidas Spring Adipure Jacket :: adidas Adizero II Visor :: adidas Summer Response Tank

adidas Summer Response Skort :: adidas Barricade Team 3 Shoes

Today I start week 5 of C25K. I'm proud of my progress but it's starting to get HARD! And running every other day is definitely putting my legs through the ringer. But I am determined to not only LIKE running but also be good at it. And to be an official "runner" I need official running clothes - that match my new shoes of course.

 

Hot Pink FitBit Flex Band ::  adidas Sequencials Long Sleeve Heathered Tee :: adidas Core Running Tank

adidas Element Refine Tricot Shoes :: adidas Supernova Racer Bra :: adidas Response Long Tights

Like I mentioned, I'm trying out all kinds of different fitness classes {like Zumba & Kickboxing} and need the duds to rock it out. And, let's be honest, an outfit like this is pretty much my mom uniform. See Jason, multi-use! 

 

Tzu Tzu Sport Sara Top Corona Blue :: Under Armour Still Gotta Have It Printed Sports Bra

Under Armour Victory Tank :: Under Armour Perfect Pant

Puma Cotton Invisible No Show Socks {aka BEST socks ever!} :: adidas Climacool Aerate 3 Shoes

Yoga is by far my favorite workout so of course I pretty much need anything and everything from Lulu.

But these pretties are my current favorites. 

Wunder Under Pant *full-on luxtreme :: Forme Jacket *cuffins :: The Hot (towel) Mat

Now I just need to drum up $932.88 - not kidding, I added it up. 

No wonder America is so obese, no one can afford workout clothes.

be sure to visit my friend:

ANNOUNCING....a "4 Week Fit" Challenge!

Happy Friday my friends! I've been regularly sharing posts on my weight loss {and gain} journey {read them HERE} and have been getting absolutely amazing comments from all of you! Thank you SO much for the kind words, great ideas and helpful advice. You definitely have pushed me closer to my goal and I'm so excited about the things that are happening south of my hair {my hair is a hot mess but that is a story for another day}. 

Hearing how many of you are in the same or similar boat really got me thinking. I've been lucky enough to have a weight loss partner in Erin since the beginning of the year. We both have similar goals and having her to text to complain or share victories has been a huge help and a huge motivation to not give up! So, together we thought, why not make a buddy system out of the blog world?

Here's the deal: Erin and I are encouraging you to come up with some sort of 4 week {that's just one measly month people} fitness, nutrition, or weight loss challenge for yourself. Maybe you want to be better at counting calories so you're going to challenge yourself to use MyFitnessPal every day for 4 weeks. Or maybe you've always wanted to try a yoga class but have been too scared to go, why not challenge yourself to go to one class a week for 4 weeks? It can be anything, big or small, but has to be something that is going to push you a bit and get you closer to whatever your goals may be...and you know we all have them! 

Erin and I will be posting our goals next Thursday, May 1st which will officially kick off the 4 weeks! Feel free to post about your goals on the 1st too and leave us comments letting us know what you hope to achieve. THEN, and this is the fun part, link up with us on Friday, May 30th and share with everyone how you did!

We even have a really fun button and hashtag you can use so that others know you're participating and can encourage you along the way! It's all about being held accountable, right?!

Get excited! And who is ready to get #4weeksFit?!?!?!

be sure to visit my friend:

Buh Bye Baby Weight!

Can I get a WAH-FRICKIN-WHOOOOOOOOOOOO?

IT-IS-GONE! The baby weight is GONE! Sure after almost a year and a half I couldn't really call it baby weight anymore but whatever it's called it's GONE and I am now 3 pounds UNDER my pre-pregnancy weight!!!

my due date vs last night! -36.5 pounds!

Yeaaaahhhhh buddy!
{please don't judge the fact that it still says "40 weeks! Waiting..." on my daughter's door #momfail}

Like I mentioned in my post last week, there is a number in my head that I am striving for BUT my overall health and confidence is my ultimate goal and I can see and feel all of that coming in to place - FINALLY!

Over the weekend I ran in Goldy's 5k and while I've ran several 5k's in the past, this time I crossed the finish line and felt GOOD! My lungs felt good, my legs felt good AND I got my best time EVER. While I was running I just felt lighter and stronger and BETTER. And that feeling is more important and more exciting than any number on the scale!

why yes I am soaking wet from rain...it's was lovely.


I have to thank all of you so much for your kind words, great tips and motivation on last week's post. I read every single word and it was definitely your comments that FINALLY pushed me past that dang number I just couldn't get past! It was so reassuring to hear that so many of you are in the same boat and to get ideas on how to continue to push myself to be the best version I can be. You rock my socks off! Also, blogging about this has really helped hold me accountable - so I hope you like these posts because there will probably be more coming. I don't want this to turn in to a fitness blog but I definitely think fitness and healthy living is a MAJOR part of being a mom.

Another big victory this week....I wore a pair of jeans I haven't worn for almost 3 years to the date, I know this because the last time I fit in them was during our engagement pictures in April 2011.

yup, those jeans!

Enough rambling for this girl...I'm off to the gym or to drink a protein shake or a bunch of raw eggs or whatever it is that in shape {or close to in shape} people do. ;)

be sure to visit my friend:

Weight Gain/Loss Story

I've made it no secret that I'm trying to lose weight. In fact I've pretty much been trying to lose weight for the past 10 years. My 2014 resolution was to Work B*word in regards to all aspects of my life, but my body definitely tops the list {I know, so cliche}. I have been doing great but for what seems like the 700th time I am stuck at the same stupid number! It's so frustrating and so discouraging. Yesterday, Carolyn introduced me to the blog Mama Laughlin {which is now my new obsession} and I spent more time than I care to admit reading it. One thing she said was putting her story out there and getting feedback and encouragement from blog readers really pushed her - so I thought maybe if I shared my story and got your stories {what has worked and what hasn't} in return...I might find a way to break past this dang number! 

 
First, I feel the need to say that I've been self conscious about my body for as long as I can remember and am striving to get to a place where I feel confident and am taking really good care of myself. Everyone has a different body and a different body image. While I know that I am no longer overweight, I do know that I have some areas that can use improvement. There is definitely a number I would really love to see on the scale but my main goal is to feel amazing in my own skin.So no need for the super sweet "you don't need to lose weight! you look great!" comments - this isn't a sympathy seeking post it's a help me get out of this rut post!

So let's take a little trip down weight gain and loss road...shall we?!

High School / Freshman Year of College 
Like most women, I was my smallest in high school {and before, obviously} and thanks to living at home and not drinking a drop of alcohol until Spring Break of my Freshman year of college I stayed my high school weight through my first year of college. 

College

Then I lived on campus...and went to parties {like every day}...and went to Santanas for cheese curds...and lived 2 blocks from McDonalds.  I zoomed right past the college 15 and gained the college 30. I look back at these pictures and am so grossed out, not because of how much I weighed but because of how unhealthy I was! I think of my lifestyle then and cannot believe I didn't gain more than 30 pounds. 

 

After College

After college, {thanks to some major boy drama} I dropped 20 pounds. BUT, I definitely was not healthy about it. I would go the whole day without eating and then have a massive unhealthy dinner, then go workout at like 11:00pm. I also had the most unhealthy sleep habits - I had major insomnia back in the day. So although I was looking pretty good, I was not at all healthy.

 After Jason

Once Jason and I started dating I put on about 10 pounds of happy weight and have been fluctuating ever since. I'd go up 5 and then down 5 and back up again. At this point I was definitely more conscious of my food decisions and knew what I needed to do to lose weight/be healthy but I was happy and having fun and was more concerned about that than trying to lose weight. 

Pregnant

And then came my precious bun in the oven! I tried to remain healthy during pregnancy which was incredibly difficult when I had really strong aversions to both meat and vegetables. Pasta & Fruit were my best friends during those days {and don't even get me started on the sweets}! I am proud to say that I walked over 250 miles during pregnancy, swam a ton and took several yoga classes to try and stay "in shape". However, I definitely wasn't about to beat myself up about gaining weight, ummm, you're SUPPOSED to gain weight to grow that little one! I stayed within the recommended 25-35 pounds {barely} and gained 34 pounds during my pregnancy.

After Baby 

After Kenley was born I was able to lose about 25 pounds of baby weight with little to no effort. Granted 6 pounds 14 ounces of that was a baby, but I pushed her out so it totally counts!

And then there I sat. Down 25 pounds from my pregnancy weight but still 10 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight and 20 pounds from my goal weight. I breastfed for 6 months, dieted on and off and ultimately yo-yo'ed up and down 5-10 pounds. Once Kenley's first birthday rolled around I came to the harsh realization that this was no longer baby weight....it was just weight.

It was after Christmas that I realized I really needed to make a change. I was the heaviest I had ever been {without a baby in my belly} and I felt terrible. I hated how I looked, how I felt, how my clothes fit, etc. But more than anything, I realized I wasn't healthy. I was eating like crap, not working out and my body was definitely taking an overall toll. So, just before New Years we signed up for the gym again, I purged all the junk from our fridge and cabinets, I made a weekly budget friendly plan to buy and eat healthy foods, vowed to cut back on alcohol and overall lead a healthier lifestyle.

I started 2014 with a vengeance and lost 10 pounds in January and was on a killer streak of eating great, working out and feeling awesome. After my trip to Vegas, the stress of leaving my job and then my trip to Arizona, I majorly lost my way and gained back 6 of those 10 hard lost pounds. Upon my return, I decided it was once again time to get on track and make a change for good. I came up with a little system reboot that would get me back on track in a serious way. And it did! I started with a One-Day Zula Juice Cleanse and followed that with mostly clean eating, calorie counting on MyFitnessPal {let's be friends!} and crazy FitBit {let's be friends!} stalking. I lost 7.5 pounds in a week and was back down to the weight I had worked so hard for in January. 

And now, today, I am back to this dreaded number I have been at a million times before...I am ounces away from my pre-baby weight and ounces away from a number I haven't seen in 2.5 years!

As far as the overall goal goes, here's where I stand:

Weight loss goal: 42 pounds

Total weight loss: 34 pounds

Pounds to go: 13 pounds

to read the rest of my baby weight posts, click HERE!
 
So now it's your turn. Tell me what has worked for you! 
What did you do to break past your plateau number?

be sure to visit my friend:

Two-Day Zula Juice Cleanse

February kicked my ass. Between my trip to Vegas, getting a three week long cold and being super stressed out about the whole job situation, I have felt like absolute crap. So when Renee from Zula emailed me and said "I'm dropping off a two-day cleanse tonight, get ready", I knew it was the perfect opportunity to get my body {and mind} back in gear and finally attempt a juice cleanse which I've been wanting to do for a long time.

Before I rehash the details of the cleanse, I need to tell you about Renee. This amazing lady is a mama to FIVE {yes 5} kiddos ranging in age from 3 -12! After her 4th little one was born she was looking for a way to maintain her weight and also get all the nutrients she needed to feel her best. She discovered juicing, fell in love, had friends asking for her juices and late last year Zula was born! As a busy mom, Renee understands that juicing needs to be convenient which is why all of their juices are individually bottled and delivered (for free if you're in the Twin Cities)! She snuck up like a little elf and left my juice on the doorstep because she gets not wanting to open the door in your PJs or waking a sleeping baby with a doorbell ring. 
Pretty frickin awesome, huh?

I asked Renee to tell me more about Zula and the juicing lifestyle and her words are much better than mine, so here's what she had to say:

"I've always been passionate about people and health and I pour my heart into trying to make our brand communicate what we're all about.  Most people are becoming aware that the definition of "food" is debatable.  Personally, I feel like it's a physical and mental workout to go grocery shopping these days.  Is the food safe? Is it processed (and what does that mean)? Have the nutrients been cooked out of the product? How long has this been sitting on the shelf? Is it organic (and does it matter)? Is it gluten-free (and if it is, what are the other ingredients)? At Zula, we're not judgmental or snooty about what people eat – we're just trying to make real food convenient and to be a place where you can be assured that the food you're eating is going to feed your body (and taste good!).  Real food - without the marketing hype.  So why the juicing lifestyle… and what is it?   The idea of drinking fresh juice for the benefits isn't a new concept, we're just trying to make it more convenient while using the finest ingredients.  When juicing becomes a part of your life, you'll find yourself choosing healthier foods and having an energy level that makes you sound like an infomercial.  Fresh juice is a very concentrated source of nutrients – phytonutrients, vitamins, antioxidants and enzymes and juice cleansing is a way to flood your cells with this nutrition while giving your digestive system a break."

And now on to the juicy (get it) details....my experience with the cleanse. Like I said, I did a two day cleanse and I it was much harder than I anticipated. Going in I thought "it's just two days, how hard can it be?"

 

Halfway done with juice #1 and thinking "yeah I got this!"

For two full days I "ate" nothing but juice. I had 6 pre-bottled and fresh pressed juices each day:

 

Lemon Skinny, Beet Retreat, Carrot Plunge, Green Drench, Pineapple Passion & Cashew Dream

The juices were DELICIOUS! Unlike the juices you buy in the grocery store (which are REQUIRED to be processed), Zula juices are not pasteurized so the naturally-occurring phytonutrients, vitamins and enzymes remain intact. The juice is fresh pressed right here in St. Paul using 100% organic ingredients which are completely raw, kosher certified, vegan, gluten free, diary free -AND- HPP free. Which, in fancy talk, means the juice actually tastes like the ingredients {and is super good for you}. The Carrot Plunge, for example, is made with organic carrot and organic apple and it literally tastes like you are drinking a carrot! To some that may seem gross but to me it's reassuring, it's unnatural for carrot juice NOT to taste like carrots. The only one I wasn't crazy about was the Beet Retreat, but I don't like beets and I don't like ginger so that wasn't a huge surprise. The Cashew Dream was my favorite {with Pineapple Passion as a close second} because it seriously was a DREAM! After a day without protein this filled me up AND tasted sweet so it was like having dessert. I drank this one last to sustain me through the night. 

The first half of day 1 wasn't bad. Sure I was hungry and I missed my morning coffee, but I mixed my Lemon Skinny with hot water and drank it from a coffee mug to give the sensation of  a hot cup of coffee, so really it was no big deal. 

 By late afternoon, I felt sick. This is going to sound crazy, but I seriously felt like I could feel the toxins coming out of my body. I was sweaty and almost felt flu-like. I also had a killer headache. One of the Cleanse Tips from the Zula website suggests resting - and I totally get why. I had very little energy both days and just felt like lounging, which felt so AMAZING, I got SO MUCH SLEEP! Day 2 was much easier, I was definitely hungry and was craving ANYTHING I could chew on but I didn't feel sick and wasn't so focused on what I couldn't have but more on how this was affecting my body {in a good way}. I spent pretty much the whole day doing nothing, laying on the couch and sleeping. Again, amazing and much needed.

When I woke up the morning after the cleanse was over I didn't run for the coffee pot or the refrigerator, but instead felt rested, energized and accomplished. Mentally I felt so clear headed and proud that I had finished. Physically I felt light and clean. We had brunch plans that morning and I ordered a veggie and egg white omelet which is definitely not something I would have ordered before. The cleanse made me really conscious of what I was putting in my body and made me want to make better choices to maintain that amazing feeling. I did lose 3 pounds while cleansing, but this was not a weight loss motivated cleanse; I just wanted to know if I could do it, see what it was like, and get my body back on track after taking pretty poor care of it for a month. I'd love to say that a couple weeks later I'm still making the best possible food choices {not always} but I now know that I can turn to Zula Juice when I need to get back on track or want to supplement some wonderfully healthy and nutrient filled liquid meals in to my diet. 

My advice for anyone looking to try a cleanse would be this...

*Do it on a weekend. I started mine on a Friday and it was tough trying to get through the work day. Next time {yes I plan on doing this again} I think I'll go for a Saturday & Sunday {maybe even try a 3-day cleanse} so that I can really take the time to relax, rest and get the most out of cleansing both body & mind. 

*Schedule it around that time of the month, if possible. I got my period the first night of the cleanse and I think that is what made me feel so sick. The juice definitely kept me from eating an entire bag of Rolos like I normally would and my cramps were actually less painful than normal, but overall I physically felt pretty crappy.

*Find a cleanse buddy. A girlfriend of mine had done the Zula cleanse before so she was an amazing resource. While she didn't do it with me {this time} it was awesome to be able to text her for advice and encouragement.

*Just do it. I am a huge planner and truthfully probably never would have found a "good" time to try this. Renee kind of forced me in to it which was perfect! I had no time to plan or think, I just jumped right in and totally DID IT!

For more information on Zula Fresh Pressed Juices check out www.zulajuice.com

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