Disclaimer: Despite my philosophy on living a healthy and fit lifestyle, I must admit I am human and there are the occasional ‘cheat days’….or rather ‘cheat months’ as August kind of turned into. Lazy days at the beach, summer bbq’s and downright disregard for routine wreaked havoc on my diet. It did teach me a lesson, however. I ended up feeling bloated, tired and completely unmotivated (yuck!). So when my friend Melody (@honestchatter) suggested I try the Advocare 10 Day Cleanse, I was so excited to get out of this rut, I jumped in head first the following Monday. I happened to forget this was the exact same week that my daughter was turning 5 (or maybe my subconscious was doing me a favor)…so the usual scoops of frosting here and there from leftover birthday cake were definitely not happening. Read on to see how the week played out…
But first, here’s the full rundown of the products I both tried and loved (+ benefits via Advocare.com):
Herbal Cleanse System: 10 Day Supply // Includes Probiotic Restore (AM) & Herbal Cleanse tablets (PM)
- Supports improved digestion and thorough internal cleansing
- Helps prepare the body for optimal nutrient absorption
- Supports healthy weight management
AdvoCare Fiber: 10 Day Supply (Included in the Herbal Cleanse System & can also be purchased separately)
- 10 grams of fiber per serving (combination of soluble and insoluble fiber)
- Supports intestinal function
- Enhances nutrient absorption
- Helps eliminate waste and promote regularity
- Provides a feeling of fullness, which can help to curb appetite
Spark Energy Drink Mix: 14 Stick Packs or 42 Serving Tubs
- Enhances mental energy and focus
- Provides support for long-lasting energy
- Helps fight occasional drowsiness
- Over 20 vitamins, minerals and nutrients
- Sugar-free
- 120mg of caffeine
Catalyst: 30 Servings
- Helps maintain muscle mass during exercise and weight management
- Helps support post-exercise muscle repair and recovery
- Aids in preserving muscle and energy levels during times of calorie restriction
- Supports mental energy and focus
- Contains branched-chain amino acids and L-glutamine, L-arginine, betaine, and taurine
OmegaPlex: 45 Servings
- Superior source of omega-3 fatty acids
- Plays an important role in the transport of nutrients
- Helps support normal blood flow
- Promotes cardiovascular health in combination with a healthy diet and exercise
- Support healthy blood pressure
- Helps promote healthy metabolism
- Helps maintain a healthy immune system
- Promotes maintenance of healthy skin, hair and nails
Coffecinno: 14 Servings
- Helps enhance mental focus and alertness
- Helps manage appetite in conjunction with diet and exercise
- Supports your body’s natural energy production
AdvoGreens Greens Powder Packets: 14-20 Servings
- A convenient and delicious supplement to complement a healthy diet
- Good source of fiber (3g)
- Prebiotics, probiotics and enzymes to support digestive health
- Promotes weight management
- Fits into an active, on-the-go lifestyle
Oasis: 14 Servings
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- Helps your body adapt to physical and other sources of occasional stress
- Contains a combination of super fruit berry extracts known to contain polyphenols
- Provides immune and cognitive support
Advocare 10 Day Cleanse
In preparation for the Cleanse I took ‘before’ photos (I’m keeping those private – sorry!), took my measurements and did a starting ‘weigh-in.’
Now let’s get into how I did the 10 Day Cleanse:
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- Upon Waking: I took the AM Pack (Probiotic Restore) from the Herbal Cleanse System, 3 Catalyst capsules, and drank the Spark (mixed with 8oz of water).
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30 Minutes Later…
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- Breakfast: I mixed the AdvoCare Fiber with 8oz of water, drank it, then drank another 8oz of water (without fiber) immediately after. I had unflavored and it was very easy to drink. I then made myself a protein shake using Vega Protein and Greens. {AdvoCare makes a yummy Meal Replacement Shake, I just didn’t happen to have it – next time I will include it, though!}
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2-3 Hours Later…
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- Snack: Apple + 1 Tbs Almond Butter
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2-3 Hours Later…
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- Lunch: Protein (4-6oz), veggies & sometimes a complex carb.
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2 Hours Later (30 Minutes before snack)…
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- Spark Energy Drink (I liked two/day) + 3 Catalyst capsules
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30 Minutes Later…
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- Snack: Cucumber + 1 Tbs Hummus
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2-3 Hours Later…
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- Dinner: Protein (4-6oz), veggies AND 2 OmegaPlex softgels.
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1 Hour Later…
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- Snack: I opted for a cup of berries if I was craving a little something sweet :)
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Bedtime: I took the PM Pack (Herbal Cleanse) from the Herbal Cleanse System, 3 Catalyst capsules, and 2 Nighttime Recovery caplets (on days I worked out).
A few tips:
DRINK WATER! Take your body weight and divide by 2 = This is how many ounces of water you should drink daily! (example: 130lb = 65oz of water everyday).
I highly recommend checking out some AdvoCare Pinterest recipes – there are TONS of them! I typically grabbed whatever greens or veggies I had available in the garden and either paired it with shrimp, salmon or a vegetarian meat source (Beyond Meat is one of my faves). If I needed a little flavor I tossed in a dash of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (another fave).
By Day 2 I was already feeling light and my mood had noticeably shifted – I was happy and energetic. And YES I continued working out – in fact I did a 7 mile run on Day 1 and felt amazing! What a difference nutrition makes!
I will admit, however, my willpower was definitely challenged when we had my daughter’s birthday party (did you happen to read Yoga & Donuts?), and when we had our family beach party (which included a TON of non-cleanse foods like chips, bread, pasta, etc.). YES I wanted to eat all of it…but I didn’t…and you know what? I didn’t feel like crap when party week was over…I actually felt amazing. No matter how sexy temptation may be…it’s just not worth it. Plus I made a commitment…and I was all in!
The verdict? I lost 3.5 pounds in 10 days and I am damn happy! I didn’t even bother to measure because I felt smaller and could see the definition change in my abs, thighs and arms (thanks to my friends that noticed, too!). The following weekend after the 10 Day Cleanse we celebrated my sister’s bachelorette party – and it felt good to get dolled up with confidence. ♥
If you are in need of a reset from the ‘summer slide’ I definitely recommend the AdvoCare 10 Day Cleanse or even the 24 Day Challenge. It left me feeling happy and energized, not grumpy and starving. I will absolutely be doing another one in the future – you can do a Cleanse every 90 days.
The best part about the Advocare 10 Day Cleanse is that you can mix and match products and add in supplements (like the Nighttime Recovery) to make the most out of it and create a program that works for you. To make things easier, there are pre-set bundles and you can also become a 20% discount customer (no minimum quota, AutoShip, or monthly purchase required to maintain the discount). If you want to find out more info or order you can do so HERE!
I would love to hear your thoughts if you’ve tried AdvoCare! Do you have any fave products?
I know this is a lot of info, so make sure to pin the image below for later!
Disclosure: Melody graciously provided me with product to try and review. The opinions expressed here represent my own, which I take great pride in providing pure honesty…because I’m OBSESSED with sharing the Good!
XoXo Portia