I have just completed my first 60 days with Isagenix and I’m still liking the products! I only lost 3 lbs last month but I literally had to safety pin my pants so they would stay on this morning so I think it’s safe to say that I’m dropping fat 😀
I think I’m burning some serious grapefruit!
2010 (not my heaviest)Last week
For comparison
I see baby abs!
And I’m definitely not starving myself! I ran 19 miles on the 26th so I ate a lot more that day but I average around 1900 calories a day unless I have a heavier workout.
I’m starting to add in the Isagenix line of fuel on the run, both an energy gel that tastes like apple pie (it’s like if Huma gels and GU had a love child) and e+ shots mid run on my supper long days for an extra boost. So far, so good! I’ll write more about these products soon!
Overall, still super pleased and I’m seeing an improvement in my endurance and speed. Still no migraines (I had one in Jan but none in Feb), my back and hip are doing great (well, my back hated Sunday’s run but that was a different problem), and my hamstring hardly hurts at all any more. This is dated but #winning totally fits!
Today I finished my first 30 days with Isagenix. I’ve alluded to it on Facebook and Instagram but I’ve kept a bit quiet until I could see what it was all about.
If you haven’t heard of it before, Isagenix is a nutritional support program. The model I follow has a protein shake for breakfast and lunch, morning and afternoon snacks around 100-200 calories (I up my calories on heavy training days), and a healthy dinner that’s around 500 calories. There are also two sets of two “cleanses” where you just consume the company’s products and are in a semi-fasted state for 48 hours. For me, day one of the cleanse days were easy but the second was a bit of a struggle because I was still running around 5 miles.
Like I said, I just finished my first 30 day program and I’m pleased with my results. I have lost 10.6 lbs and 15″. The bulk of the pounds were lost in the first week but most of the inches were lost in the last two weeks. I have not had my body comp calculated but those changes clearly show that I’ve been gaining muscle while dropping fat! While my visual results aren’t crazy impressive, I can see a difference and – bonus – pants that were almost too tight to zip at the start of the month are now quite loose!
30 day progress
I think I was eating fairly healthy before starting this program but, really, I was allowing a lot of junk in and I was not as meticulous about planning my meals as I should have been. It wasn’t unusual for me to find myself starving when I got home, eating handfuls of this and that, and then never eating a real dinner. Not good. With Isagenix, I plan every meal and every snack and log it on MyFitnessPal. Before, this would have kicked off some unhealthy attitudes but I haven’t had any problems with my mental game this past month. I’m also really enjoying finding and sharing new recipes!
Since I am marathon training, I do eat more than the standard plan. I try to eat back about half of my exercise calories but that means an extra piece of Ezekiel bread with raw almond butter and maybe a smidge of honey. Not a big bagel with extra cream cheese!
I am also a migraine sufferer (since I was 7) and I know my diet affects my migraines but I easily “slip off the wagon”. Since I have been on this program, I have only had one bout of a headache and that was after eating two (planned) pieces of pizza at a work function. That kicked off a headache that then hung on for a few days as a weather front moved through. Other than that, I have taken zero medication for headaches or even body aches.
Another big, and surprising, benefit came on my cleanse days. I’ve been dealing with a ton of chronic pain in my lower back and hips and would have to get up in the night to take Advil or use aspercreme with lidocaine so I could try to sleep. When I started doing the cleanses, the pain totally disappeared! Since I haven’t done a cleanse in two weeks, the pain is starting the creep back in just a bit so I am looking forward to my next cleanse on Monday!
One kind of big tweak I did was to add in extra protein to my shakes. They do have a “pro” line that has extra protein but a) it is more expensive and b) my initial package only had the regular shakes. No problem, though! I just added two tablespoons of dry egg whites or collagen (not gelatin so it does not thicken anything) to my morning and lunch shakes! Instant protein 🙂
The shakes themselves are quite good! Not too sweet, no weird after taste, and if you mix in your blender with ice, they become quite thick! There are a bunch of “recipes” to change the flavor but I’m too lazy so I just use them as-is. I wasn’t sure how they would work with my finicky stomach so I chose regular whey protein as well as some dairy-free flavors. I use the dairy-free at work since they are in packets but the regular ones don’t bother me at all so I will be just using straight whey from now on.
One thing that has taken some time to get used to is the Ionix Supreme. It is basically a “tonic” that you take every morning that has extra vitamins in it and is to help with stress and fatigue. Some people love it. They dilute it in water and have it either cold or warm, like a tea. For me, it is a necessary evil so I just slam my 1 oz shot every morning and follow it with a tall glass of water!
This is getting pretty long so I’m going to save the cost, their “fuel” line (AMPED), and what I’m doing next for tomorrow.
** I am not going to turn this into an all-Isagenix, all the time blog. It was hard for me to find honest feedback before I started the program so that is why I am posting this. That said, if you want to try it, I can totally hook you up 😉 **
I don’t make resolutions because I always break them. Instead, I like to make goals and plans. It may be totally semantics but, whatever.
My first goal is to move more during the day. I think a lot of my problems with my hamstring is from sitting in my office chair so much. I’ve changed to sitting on an exercise ball but I still need to get up more. (Speaking of sitting on an exercise ball, there’s just no graceful way to pivot on one of those, is there? Any time I have to move from my computer to the front of the desk to greet someone, it’s very… awkward…)
My second goal is to cover 2,017 miles in 2017! I joined the Run the Edge challenge and am super excited! I know that I can’t run all those miles but, related to goal 1, I can walk and do other things! I am now walking two miles almost every day at lunch and a mile or two at night, if I have time. I have already covered a total of 40 miles this week!
My third goal is to lose some tonnage so running isn’t so hard on my body. I think goals 1 and 2 will help but I’ve decided to give Isagenix a try – don’t worry, I’m not selling it – and am on day 3. The basic plan, for those who don’t know, is a shake in the morning and one at lunch plus 2, 100 calorie snacks during the day and a dinner of about 500-600 calories, with the goal that all food be “clean” and whole food. There are two, 2-day “cleanse” days which have limited food during the 30 days but I haven’t gotten to them yet. So far, it’s going okay. I’m upping my calories by having a bit extra snacks due to my training (for example, an extra handful of almonds before my swim yesterday) and I feel fine. I’ll give more of a review later, if I think it’s worth it.
My fourth goal is to find the joy in running again. I think I lost that in the second half of last year when I was chasing my elusive time goals. I’m hoping Blue Ridge works it’s magic again for me this year and I can run happy!
Speaking of Blue Ridge, it was getting tedious printing out the training plan a bit at a time so here’s the spreadsheet of the master plan in an Excel spreadsheet. Let me know if it doesn’t work for you! brm-training-2017
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope your 2017 is amazing!
Be sure to follow me on Instagram to follow along as I work on my 4 goals!
Week One is done! I am still struggling with knowing what/when to eat on my long run days but, overall, it has gone well. It’s a bit odd to not be hungry all of the time and I have not done any mindless nibbling. I confirmed with my nutrition counselor today that the calories consumed and burned are viewed cumulatively for the week so I think I need to cut back a bit on non-run days so I have more for the long runs
My typical menu includes:
Breakfast – granola, banana, protein shake
Snack – 3 hard boiled eggs and almonds
Lunch – meat, rice, 2 cups of veggies.
I often go with a homemade lean hamburger patty and a mix of tomatoes and fermented sauerkraut
Snack – apple, almond butter, jerky
Dinner – meat, veggies, 1/3 c. beans
Fajita chicken and onions/peppers that I made for my husband. I just omitted the tortilla on mine
As I said a few posts ago, one of my goals during this marathon training cycle is to lose a bit of weight before the training gets too heavy and then at least maintain until the finish. Last year I gained 11 lbs by the time I crossed the finish line! Considering that every pound lost can take up to 2 seconds off your pace, it adds up quickly!
One thing I’m doing is tracking in MyFitnessPal (and trying to not lose my mind). Another thing that I have done is sign up for the Holiday Sweat Challenge. It is a 6 week nutrition and fitness challenge that runs from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, just when I need it most!
Content created JUST for you from registered dieticians, world class running coaches, personal trainers and physical therapists {nothing repeated from previous years}
Facebook support group – This group is like no other! Everyone checks in daily and provides a true support system
Meet other like minded folks to help you stay on track
Win Prizes!!
Clean Eating Holiday Menu ideas
I have never done a challenge like this before so I’m very curious as to how it will work for me. I have heard good reports about this particular group. I plan to post weekly updates here, so you can follow along. Of course, if you’d like to register and give it a try yourself, I’d love the company!
Unexpected Runner 