One Woman, 21 Days and the Quest for Weight Loss

• Nutrition
• No Comments

Ok so I thought about giving starting with a sales pitch on the detox, but I thought it’s best to be completely honest and share my first hand experience. So here goes –

This summer I was getting anxious about losing “the baby weight” and I felt like I just needed a jump start to get things moving – I was feeling bloated, sluggish, out of shape, and I seemed to have a lot of muscular aches and pains after my daughter was born in February.  Our registered dietitian Cara kept reassuring me that this cleanse would reset my nutrient balance and I would feel great as a result.  But let’s face it – I really wanted to get the last little bit of pregnancy weight off so I was up for anything.  Plus I just witnessed my close friend go through the cleanse and lose an astonishing 11 pounds in 21 days. As a general rule, I do not believe in rapid weight loss as a means to an end because I feel like ultimately we just put the weight (plus more) right back on when we change our diet so needless to say I was a bit cynical that I could make any noticeable change in 21 days.

 I decided to try the cleanse because I felt like I just needed to break some habits that I developed during pregnancy and the post partum phase. I honestly did not expect the results I received.  To be honest I have a love/hate relationship with the whole experience. The first week is vegan which I thought would be no problem for me because we did a Vegan Challenge Week in early summer, and I did really well with that.  But the first few days were HELL and I mean HELL for me. I was angry and felt really deprived and like food was my main focus. I was really ready to give up but several of our trainers namely Michael and Tom and my husband Kelly encouraged me to stick it out until at least the weekend under the guise that “you can do anything for 7 days.” Also Cara was there every step of the way to support me. Plus she did a deep dive to figure out what was so hard for me and allowed me some “cheats” that made my life a lot easier.  For example, I realized that the ritual of getting up and having breakfast and drinking my coffee was a very grounding time of the day for me. And without that routine I was feeling really out of whack. Cara didn’t allow me to bring back my coffee, (plus I was just starting to get over the caffeine withdrawal headaches), but she did allow me some green tea. Plus she helped me find a way to adhere to the guidelines of the cleanse, but still have the morning ritual.  

 Once I made it through the first week it got A LOT easier because the second week you can add fish/chicken.  In all honesty it is plenty of food, and I was never hungry during the entire process.   I did get a little frustrated because I thought the weight should just melt right off of me. You think I would know by now that I’m not that kind of girl where weight just disappears.  But somewhere around 1 ½ weeks I started to feel really good – I mean REALLY good. The bloating, sluggishness, achiness was virtually gone. I felt like my system was running very efficiently and working well.  I consider myself a realist (some might say a cynic), but please know that I am not just blowing smoke. I was actually very surprised with how great I felt. 

 We have had clients lose 10+ pounds on this thing in 3 weeks and then go on to lose more.  I didn’t lose that much but the cleanse got the ball rolling for me, and I am down a total of about 8 pounds and still trending down at about 6 weeks post-cleanse.  That rate of weight loss is a lot more realistic for me because my body likes to hold onto every single calorie that goes in my mouth. I also feel like I broke some habits and kind of hit the reset button on eating healthy. I had slipped into eating a lot of carb-y, starch-y snacks, but the cleanse helped me get really clear on noshing on fruits and veggies and making desserts/chips, etc really be an occasional treat.

 So this was just my experience. Some people loved it from the get go and they hit the ground running.  

 One more thing – I didn’t like the shakes at first, but now I pretty much have one/day. They are very nutrient dense and they help me make sure I am getting all the micronutrients that are found in “green” foods that I don’t get enough of on a daily basis.

 Now for the sales pitch part – It’s the perfect time of year to try the cleanse – school is back in session, you’re back to your routine and there’s just enough time to fit it in before the holidays have us all crazy-town.  For only $349 you get all your supplements, one 60 minute and three- 30 minute nutrition counseling sessions and unlimited email support from Cara.  For more information on the cleanse visit our website http://www.becomepowerful.com/21DayDetox/.  If you are not sure if the cleanse is for you then start with a FREE 20 minute phone consultation with Cara. Call the studio at (919) 401-8024 or visit http://www.becomepowerful.com/services/nutrition-counseling/nutrition-offer/.  You don’t have to be an Empower client to take advantage of the 21 Day Detox. In fact you don’t even have to live in Durham. Cara is happy to meet with you via phone and ship your supplements directly to you.

Packing Tasty and Healthy Lunches for the Whole Family

• News,
• Nutrition,
• Upcoming events
• No Comments

Packing your meals used to be a must if you wanted to eat while you were away from home. Nowadays, many people leave their homes without giving a second thought as to what theyíll eat during the day. While there are many options out there, Iíll bet not many people can claim their drive-through experiences are anything to rave about.

Same goes for our kids who eat from the school cafeteria. Few of them can say they love the food options they have. Is it worth it to rethink your lunch situation?

I think so, if :

1. You enjoy a good meal ñ definition of a good meal: satisfying, flavorful, and with a fresh look and taste.

2. You look at meals as the perfect pick me up for your day ñ wondering why your energy level heads for a nose dive in the middle of the afternoon?

3. You are health-minded ñ you want to eat better to feel better and promote optimal health.

Letís take a fresh look at packing our meals first by breaking out of the mindset that packed lunches are ëwhat I do when Iím dieting or trying to save moneyí.

While you may lose weight and save money if you go from a drive-through lunch to a packed lunch, Iíd like you to consider packing your lunch primarily because you like to eat well. Eating well should be something we experience most days of the week rather than something reserved for only a couple of days of the week. After all, eating well nourishes our bodies, leaves us feeling energized, mentally alert, and ready to continue our day with a good attitude rather than a heavy stomach.

Iíll give you two other reasons why packing your lunch is the way to go. First, you get to eat what you like or at least what you say you like and how you like it. What am I talking about? So many of my clients report liking to eat good tasting, fresh food yet their days are filled with heavily processed meals in which weíd be hard-pressed to find a fresh veggie or a piece of fruit.

Second, you can enjoy more of your lunchtime to EAT, TAKE A BREAK, AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. In our hurried lives, we find ourselves yearning for ways to carve out a little bit of time to take care of ourselves. Have you considered doing this in the middle of the day? Try it and you may find how renewing it is. Think of what you can do with that extra time during the middle of the day – you can go for a walk, schedule a workout, spend some time in thoughtful meditation or simply just BE. Packing your lunch could give you more time to enjoy eating your meal and take an actual break during lunch free of driving or waiting in line.

Join me on Saturday, August 28th at Noon to get fresh ideas on how to pack a satisfying meal for you and your family, what to pack, and most importantly how to tailor this practice to fit into your life. Reserve your spot by registering online or call the studio at (919) 401-8024.

Monica Gulisano, LDN, RD

Monica is a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist at Empower Personal Training. She has extensive experience formulating evidenced-based nutrition interventions for people of diverse backgrounds, varying health status, and across the lifespan.