Some people worry about “liking” fan pages, because they worry about the businesses and shows on the fan pages seeing their profiles or perhaps using their personal walls to advertise.  Let me reassure you:  THIS CANNOT HAPPEN.  Fan pages CANNOT:

1. send messages directly to your personal message inbox
2. post on your profile wall
3. see any of your profile information aside from the information you allow all of facebook to see

Facebook fan pages send messages to all of their followers via Updates.  If you look in your Facebook message box, you will see a separate area for updates.  This is how fan pages communicate with their fans outside of the fan page wall.  Facebook has gone to great lengths to protect consumer privacy via these fan page rules of engagement.  So, don’t worry. Your privacy is safe!  You can even hide the pages that you “like” from your friends by changing your privacy settings if you want to.

So, are you ready to learn to optimize your usage of Facebook fan pages?

I’d like for you to start here.  When I send folks to my fan page for the first time, this is where I send them. This is called a “Welcome Page”. This page will tell you exactly what I want you to know first about me and my business presence on Facebook. It will save you clicks from the Wall to the Info section. This is me trying to help you know more about me and my business while saving you time. I also have included links to my other Social Media profiles on my Welcome Page just in case you want to follow me on these other websites.

Now that you are with me on Facebook, let me help you get the most out of your fan page experience.  These tips are pretty universal and I hope they will help you appreciate fan pages even more, both mine and other pages that you “like”.  Follow these steps

1) Click through the menu items underneath the profile picture of the pages you like.

As you can see, there is all kinds of information here!  The typical fan page administrator will populate the six slots under the “Info” tab with pages specifically designed to help you interact with them in the easiest way.  Click through these!  If you want to know more, click “More”.  Chances are, you’ll bump into tabs that are still a work in progress and the Welcome tab.  Big retailers/companies usually have a Contest tab here.

2)  If the fan page administrator allows comments on their posts, COMMENT ON THEIR POSTS!  Administrators customize the content of their pages to the interests of the company and the interests of their followers.  If there is something you want to know, ask.  If there is something you want to see, suggest it!  Most fan pages, even those that do NOT allow comments on their posts or walls, have a specific day or time of day where they do open up their walls and posts for consumer interaction.

3) Make new friends.  You are on these fan pages for a reason.  You LIKE the brand!! Guess what, so do most other users!  If you are on the P90X page looking for some motivation, you will find it!  If you click with someone in particular you can send them a friend request.  As you frequent your favorite pages more and more, you’ll see familiar faces.  Why not make a new friend?

The big take-home message is: Facebook fan pages are more like Web Pages than Facebook profile pages.  They just happen to be on Facebook! 

Since you’re already on Facebook anyway, stop on by, see what I have going on and click “like” if you feel like spending some time with me.  Then, follow the three steps above, and let’s get to know each other better!  Who knows?  Maybe we’ll lose a pound or two together or run 5Ks in the same weekend.  I am always looking for new Workout Buddies!

Cheers,

Tab

Fit:

via: http://www.usmagazine.com/healthylifestyle/photos/spring-break-beach-bodies-201193/13369

I love Cameron Diaz.  I’ve kind of “grown up” watching her (she’s about 10 years older than me), so I’ve watched her evolve from “skinny” to “fit”.  She loves to workout, surfs a lot and spends time outside.  LOVE HER.

via: IMDB.com > Mutant X

As a late teen, I came across a show that I dubbed an X-Men knock-off on SyFy (then SciFi) called Mutant X.  It was the only show on after a long Saturday morning of volleyball practice so I would lay on the couch resting and watching.  Even after volleyball season I continued to watch, absolutely fascinated by Victoria Pratt.  This woman was TOUGH.  Even without the special effects I was pretty sure that she would be able to kick some major butt.  Upon further research I found out she was a body builder and somehow got picked up by Hollywood.  If you’re wondering why you’ve never heard of her it’s because she is a TERRIBLE actress, bless her heart!

Via: IMDB.com>Demi Moore>photos

Now, I am NOT a fan of this lady here.  It’s nothing personal.  I’m not that big of a fan of her work.  That being said, there is no denying that she is extremely fit.  As for the plastic surgery story, I believe her side and that it never happened.  No surgery in the world can give you a back like that.

VIA: Fitness magazine

Okay, so this one has been blowing me away lately.  In fact, since this photo shoot, she has done SO MUCH MORE!  I’m glad to see that she’s taking care of herself by working out, and judging by her tweets she does eat.  Go LeAnn, go.

Others I can think of: Halle Barry, Angelina Jolie, Beyonce’, and Alyssa Milano – especially during her time on “Charmed”

So, now you know what I think a fit woman can look like. I like the muscle definition though.  So, what’s “skinny”?  I’m sure you’ve got your own idea, so let’s take a look at who pops into my head.

Thin:

VIA: http://www.bittenandbound.com/2008/05/19/mischa-barton-blows-off-you-and-i-premiere-at-cannes/

Here’s Mischa Barton (in case you’ve forgotten about her).  She was part of the “willowy” pack when that was “in”.

Take a look at Tori Spelling here:

http://hipcelebrity.blogspot.com/2009/06/tori-spelling-husband-dean-and-their.html

She’s always been a very thin girl.  If you were around to watch the original 90210 you know this to be the case.

VIA: IMDB.com>Ashlee Simpson

Again, always a pretty, thin girl.  I know that she did exercise and eat well after the birth of her son. 

Other girls I can think of right off of the top of my head:  the Hilton sisters, Nicole Richie, Jennifer Aniston, Holly Marie Combs, Shannen Doherty, Drew Barrymore, J. Lo, and Lucy Liu

So, you may be looking at these images and thinking, heck, I’d like to look like ANY of them!!  And that is TOTALLY fine, in fact that’s a great start!  Now you have a goal to shoot for!       

Let’s take a moment and look at the similarities between these two groups of ladies:

1) All of these women are healthy and exercising.  Some of them have struggled with eating disorders, unfortunately they had to do so in the public eye.

2) All of these women have eating plans and exercise regimens.  They aren’t following the “throw it all at the wall and hoping something sticks” fitness and health plan that so many people seem to think should work.  When they go to the gym, they know what they’re doing and why.  When they eat, they know what they are eating and why.

3) They know their WHY.  They have reasons for looking this way and working so hard to stay this healthy and fit.  They may be different than your reasons, they may be the same as yours.  What are your WHYs when it comes to your health and fitness?

Now, let’s take a look at the difference between these two groups of ladies:

1) muscle tone and volume of muscle – Not everyone wants biceps that flex when you move your arm or a six pack.  It’s all about personal preference.

2) level of physical activity – The ladies in the “fit” category are known to be more active overall.  Like I said, one of the most well known things about Cameron Diaz is that she loves to be active and outside.  Victoria Pratt was (maybe still is?) a body building competitor.  The ladies in the thin realm aren’t as known for those kinds of things, they have other interests and pursuits.

I hope these pictures will help you to decide where you are headed.  I know for me at my biggest point, all I wanted to do was lose weight.  What happened at the end of that journey would sort itself out later.  Well, now it is “later.  Now, at the end of my weight loss journey, I need to decide which type of body I would like to shoot for….fit or thin.  This is a big decision to make.  This decision will start the journey towards which workout(s) would be best to achieve my goal and what my nutrition plan will look like.  Well, if you know me or you have paid attention to more than the pictures in this post you probably guessed my choice.  I want to be FIT.  I want people to see me on the beach with my kids and think, “DANG.  If that mother of two can have abs like that, SO CAN I!” 

So, here it is, your call to action!  Let’s get you where you want to be.  Maybe you are a long way off from these images or where you want your body to be today as you read this, but that is totally okay.  I was too.

View Full Album

Before (~32% body fat)        1/2 way (~26% body fat)    NOW (~20% body fat)

I’m starting P90X today.   I CAN’T WAIT to see what I can do in the next 90 days.  My goal is 15% body fat at the end. (Have you noticed I haven’t mentioned weight?  Ask me why.)

Are you ready yet?  It’s time.  LET’S DO THIS!!!

So today P90X BEGINS!  This is my fourth round of the X, but my first this year.  I spent the tail end of last year and the beginning of this year with INSANITY and then Turbo Jam.  I did two weeks of P90X just warming up  and waiting for some accountability partners to get back from the Beachbody Cruise.  Now, everyone’s home and it’s time to get rolling!

My goals for this round of P90X:

1) I’ll be doing full-blown pull-ups by the end

Heck, thanks to the #marchfitnesschallenge I may be doing these by the end of March, or pretty dang close to it!

2) I want to be down to 15% body fat

For me, this is pretty significant.  I am not sure that I’ve ever been there, that’s really lean.  However, sitting at 19-20% now, I KNOW I can shred 4% with discipline and work!

And that’s it!  When you sit down to make health and fitness goals they should be simple and attainable.  It does not need to be a laundry list of things all intermingled and twisted together.  Getting started in fitness is hard enough.  Adopt the motto K.I.S.S. and make it as simple as you can.  Your brain and your body will thank you!

You will also notice that I didn’t mention a scale.  I’ll do “official” weigh-ins on day 1, 30, 60, and 90, but with P90X (and INSANITY) the scale can be a trickster.  I will gauge my progress by my level of soreness and the fit of my clothes.

I’ll be back in a bit to edit this post to include my Day 1 stats.  Until then, what are you goals?  Let’s lay them out!  Blog them, make a Facebook note, make a note in your smart phone, heck – use a pen and paper.  Then GO FIND SOMEONE WHO YOU RESPECT AND DON’T WANT TO LET DOWN AND SHARE THOSE GOALS!  Get an accountability partner!!  If you’re looking for one, I’ll be glad to do that for you.  That’s one of my favorite parts of being a Coach!

Back in a bit…

If you’re counting carbs be sure to include this step!! FIBER is important! So, if you are using an app or program to track your daily calories and nutrition, turn the fiber counter ON. If you’re nutrition app doesn’t take fiber into account, it is time to find a new one. Without this calculation you are not getting a clear picture of your daily intake.

Me: It tastes like a corn chip.  Like a FRITOS corn chip.

Him: It IS a corn chip.

Me: But it says whole grain!  I didn’t think that would mean it tasted like a deep fried corn chip!  Is it a deep fried corn chip?

Him: *shrug*

So I grabbed the bag to check the label, the ingredients and nutrition information on the bag and this is what I found:

What I see based on the information on these labels are, YES, these are indeed whole grain chips.  They are also fried!  What the heck?!

So, what the heck does “Whole Grain” mean anyway?  Obviously just because a  product is called “Whole Grain”  ≠ Super Healthy by default.

Here is the breakdown from www.mypyramid.gov.  A food that is in the “grain” group is:

Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is a grain product. Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits are examples of grain products.

So, our foods have one or both of two types of grains in them.  Whole grain foods contain the entire grain kernel (the WHOLE GRAIN), including the bran, germ, and endosperm.  Refined grains have been processed and have had the bran and the germ removed.  Some grain products are combinations of refined and whole grains, and some refined grain products are enriched with vitamins, but those products are still missing the fiber of a whole grain product.

A food that is “whole grain” will have these ingredients:

• brown rice
• bulgar
• graham flour
• oatmeal
• whole-grain corn
• whole oats
• whole rye
• whole wheat
• wild rice
• quinoa
• spelt

Interestingly, THESE words don’t indicate whole grain foods:

• multi-grain
• stone ground
• 100% wheat
• cracked wheat
• seven grain
• bran

In fact, these words tend to indicate products that are NOT whole grain.  I know I am guilt of buying several products labeled this way expecting a whole grain product.  I was wrong!  We have to check the ingredients, folks.

Now that we know WHAT a whole grain food is, let’s talk about WHY these foods are important.  So according to http://www.wheatfoods.org, whole grain foods contain a lot of nutrients including some antioxidants not available in other foods, and some more than even fruits and vegetables.  Whole grain consumption has also been linked to

reduce[d] the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. New studies published in 2005 and 2006 show that whole grains may lower triglycerides, improve insulin control, help in weight management, and slow the build-up of arterial plaque.

Dang!  I read this and wondered which antioxidants and found this: http://www.vitalchoice.com/shop/pc/articlesView.asp?id=871

It’s the polyphenols that make berries spinach and other colorful fruits and veggies so great!  And according to http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101, not only do whole grains provide antioxidants they are also a great source of vitamin E, B, magnesium, iron, and fiber.  Also, while clicking through these websites, I found a lot of research and evidence of some pretty surprising whole grain facts:

1.   Whole grain foods aid in fat shredding, specifically around your lower abdominal area.  (Moms, COME ON, which one of you wouldn’t LOVE that?) 
2.   Whole grain snacks and cereals are VERY healthy snacks!  In nutrient content they actually rival fruits and veggies
3.   make SURE your cereals and snacks are actually the whole grain variety and not the refined grain variety, CHECK THE LABELS!

I have to admit, I’m kind of shell-shocked.  While I am certainly not anti-carb, I believe that ALL food groups are important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, I do limit my carb (grain) intake and try to consume almost entirely whole grain.  Now, having learned all of this, I am thinking it’s time to add some more whole grains back into my diet.  My kids already enjoy them in their snacks, and they are very healthy little girls.  Maybe, in this, I should follow their lead! 

Which leads to the question…how much whole grains should a person have in a day?  For adults, the answer is FIVE OUNCES according to www.mypyramid.gov.  I probably sit down around 2-3 ounces most days, but on a “pasta” day I probably get closer to five. 

Going back to the conundrum that started all of this – I will continue to look for a whole grain chip for my family to indulge in, HOWEVER, I’m going to insist it be baked.  I think Tostitos missed the mark on deep frying their whole grain tortilla chips.  What do you think??  Is the fact that the chips were whole grain enough of a positive fact to justify 7 grams of fat in seven chips??  In the meantime,  we will keep snacking on popcorn.  The original whole grain snack!!

Lately when I have been faced with trials in my daily life, no matter how big or how small, I find myself coming back to the same motivational thoughts in my head.  In fact, I realized this week that I have back to these ten statements so many times that they are now a part of ME.  These statements have become a part of the mantra and motivational speech that my own interior personal Coach uses to keep me going through the rough waters that I experience on this crazy journey of life.  The cool thing is, I have acquired all of this knowledge through the various stages of my fitness journey.

Let’s see if you recognize any of these statements and whether or not you agree with them:

You can do anything for 30 seconds.

• If you have ever done a suicide, or a dash, or P90X Plyometrics you have heard this statement.  And it’s true!  Some experiences can be incredibly uncomfortable, but you can do anything for 30 seconds.  Once that 30 seconds is over, you can live through the next 30.  You. Can. Do. It.

You can dish it, I can take it.  Come on, let’s do this.  Bring it!!!

• Another P90X lesson learned.  One thing that I have noticed is that people can be so afraid of what’s coming around the bend.  I guess I had actually become one of those people, which felt so out of character for me that I actually noticed it.  I can take it.  Let’s do it!  BRING IT!!!

Teams work together, there is giving there is taking.  There is sacrifice, and there is success.

• I have been fortunate enough in my entire athletic career to never have a Coach who ripped us down.  However, I have had the misfortune of being on teams that just don’t click for whatever reason.  So, you have a group of incredibly talented people who just don’t get how they are losing to less talented individuals.  Now, in hindsight, it looks so simple.  One group was a horrible TEAM while the other group clicked like clock work.  Look at the teams in your life, your friends, your family, your coworkers.  Give. Take.  Sacrifice.  Succeed!

You are your own worst enemy and the biggest obstacle to your success.  GET OUT OF YOUR OWN HEAD AND YOUR OWN WAY!

• The first time I did a few P90X workouts and all of the INSANITY workouts I would hear this voice screaming at me, “You can’t do this!  What are you thinking?!  STOP!  STOP!!!”  By focusing on what I wanted fitness-wise and knowing what I needed to do to get there I have been able to ignore that voice (one day I will silence them!), step out of my head, and push through.  I now apply this statement to EVERYTHING.  I am getting out of my way!

Look at the big picture.  This is where you are, this is where you want to be, this is how you will get there.

• Training plans are a must.  Without a set goal and a set plan, you may as well not be working out at all.  When you playing a sport, there are sport specific workouts for this reason.  This is true in life too.  Set your goals, make the plan, follow the plan, get where you are going.

Just keep moving, just keep breathing.  Dig Deep.  Get it done.

• Not everything is pleasant.  Focus.  Breathe.  Endure.  Done.

In the most unpleasant tasks, live through them focusing moment to moment.  If you live in THIS MOMENT, you can power through THIS MOMENT.  Do this moment to moment and before you know it, you ARE STRONGER and you ARE ABLE to do even more!

• I got this one from my upline Coach and mentor in both business and fitness, Mike French.  He and his wife, Tami, are machines.  I focus on this thought in both daunting workouts and daunting life experiences.  I get stronger every day!

Keep your eyes OPEN!!

• Duh, right?  But if more people did this, fewer people would be blindsided.  I guess you could also say “Keep your eye on the [proverbial] ball” or “Analyze the situation”.  This involves setting your own emotions and prejudices aside and really looking around you at your life and the world.  Are you seeing clearly?

Just give it [insert task here] five minutes.  If you aren’t into it or if you aren’t making any headway, then go ahead and quit.  It’s not the right time for you to be doing this particular task and making any headway.

• This is Chalene Johnson’s (creator of Turbo family of workouts, PiYo, Hip Hop Hustle, and now a motivational speaker) approach to getting your daily workout done, but I have found that this statement applies to so much more.  If I sit down to a task for my business and after five minutes if I’m not engrossed in that task and getting it done, I put it aside and move on to something else.  Everything is still getting done on time, but now I ENJOY everything I do a lot more.

Decide. Commit.  Succeed!

• This is the motto for Beachbody.  To me, this is so much more than a catchy slogan.  I say this to myself at least ten times a day.  Right now a few things are transitioning for me, so I have a lot of decisions to make.  I cannot make plans until I decide where my priorities are and what is critical to me.  Once I make the decision to move, I need to commit the effort necessary to a game plan (and THE Game Plan!), which will lead me to success.  This applies to both my health/fitness and business journey, and all of the tools I need to succeed with both are available to me.  I will Decide.  I will Commit.  I will SUCCEED!

What does your inner dialogue sound like?  Mine sounds like a Coach, which is GREAT because I am on a journey and I am only at the beginning.  I am actively trying to be better, feel better, do better every day.  So far, so good.

Here it is, as promised our March Fitness Challenge!

So, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of the challenge:

Objective: to improve your pull-up performance either in quantity and quality

Rules:

1) To be involved in this challenge, you must be a fan of Unleash Your Inner Athlete with Tab Benedict on Facebook

2) You must submit at least (2) videos to be entered, your before (submitted on the date you start the challenge) and your after (submitted on 3/31)

***videos can be submitted directly to the wall of the facebook fan page or by email to tabbenedictATbeachbodycoach.com

3)  Winners will be chosen based on their level of improvement.  You may do another workout program in conjunction with the fitness challenge, in fact I ENCOURAGE IT!  P90X incorporates pull-ups into the program, so that would be a great choice if you don’t already have a fitness program in place.

It sounds easy enough, right gang?

Here is an article and video from Tony Horton that will help you to get started doing pull-ups.

Finally, you may find yourself without a pull-up bar.  Here is a link to the official P90X Pull-Up Bar which you can hang in a doorway, and while you are there you can check out P90X, P90X One on One (if you are a P90X grad), and Shakeology the healthiest meal of the day!  I can’t wait to see what we can do with this challenge!  You have one week before we get started.  Get your mind right and your head in this game!  Let’s rock it!!!!!

Hey Gang!!

How was your Valentine’s Day? I hope it was awesome! We had a great time here making Valentine’s for our daughter’s preschool class and celebrating as a family. I know that it’s a Hallmark holiday, but we had fun! I hope you did too!

How are you all doing with your workout programs? I hope you are doing well! Remember, if you need some help, I am here. Quite a few of you have been in contact lately with questions and celebrations, and I LOVE IT! Keep all the news coming, gang. I would LOVE to make a page celebrating our fitness and health victories! It would be like our own mini-Million Dollar Body page. If you would be interested in being in that gallery, let me know.

Speaking of the MDB Game, do we have any other entries? Keep in mind, you can enter the contest TWICE since you are all Team Beachbody members. You can enter the regular monthly contest (we have March and April left) and you can enter the WIld Card Contest. That’s two shots at the Grand Prize of $25,000. I have entered the February contest for my INSANITY results and am entering the Wild Card with 30 days of Turbo Jam. Tomorrow is Day 7-woohoo! I have also put a Contest Tab on my Facebook page to make entering and keeping up with the MDB Game even easier for you. I’m really trying to make the Facebook Page a central location for all of our information. Come on overand click “Like” to stay in the loop!

Finally, some Beachbody news. The planning and filming of P90X:MC2 has begun!!! I cannot wait for this program to be released! Here is a blog postfrom one of Beachbody’s executives Steve Edwards (they call him the guinea pig) about the first workout. If you’ve spent any time chatting with me, you’ll know I’m super excited about this workout: Core MC2. I am a HUGE proponent of strengthening your core to achieve your overall fitness results. I hope you enjoy the article! In the meantime, you can still get 50% off of P90X:MC2 when it’s released. Ask me to find out how.

Have a great Saturday, gang! I hope to see more of you on my Facebook Pages. For those of you that have already joined me there, THANK YOU!

Cheers,

Tabitha Benedict
Beachbody Coach
Decide. Commit. Succeed!
www.unleashyourinnerathlete.net

If you don’t know what INSANITY is, click here to see a short video of some of the moves that I’ve been doing.  I liked INSANITY a lot because it requires only your body weight for resistance, so when we traveled I just needed to take the DVDs.  I also liked that it was a lot of familiar drills that I had done while playing basketball and volleyball “back in the day”.

So, now that you know what INSANITY is, you may be wondering why I would put myself through that…lol!  Well, in early 2010, I had a lot of fitness success doing P90X.  I had lost 47 pounds and shredded a lot of inches.  However, in July of 2010, I hurt my back while doing Insanity.  In all honesty, I probably had absolutely no business doing INSANITY that month.  I had a fairly invasive surgery just 30 days before, and I should have eased back into things.  You know what they say, “Pride goeth before the fall” and I sure did fall.  So, I took an 8 week dr. ordered hiatus, then we moved from Louisiana to Massachusetts.  I did 30 days of BBL through November to warm my body back up (See? I learned my lesson!) Then, December first I jumped back into INSANITY, literally!!

So, let’s talk results.  When you do INSANITY, there is a benchmark workout called the Fit Test that you do every two weeks.  This workout allows you to see whether or not you are getting stronger and the areas in which you need to improve.  Here are all of my Fit Test results from all four tests:

The red numbers indicate the improvement of the final Fit Test over the first Fit Test.  I have to say, I am quite proud of my work!

Since they say a picture is worth a thousand words, let’s have look at some before and after pictures for this round of INSANITY:

Before and after INSANITY:

You can see that it is obvious that INSANITY isn’t the first program I had ever done, and that I had begun to re-tone my body thanks to a month of Brazil Butt Lift.  However, I feel that the power and shred I achieved with INSANITY in 63 days is phenomenal!!  No more muffin-top, no more baggy shirts necessary!  I would be absolutely comfortable walking on a beach TODAY if I had the opportunity too.

I feel that it is important to note here that I could not have acheived these results without committing to eating better, healthier foods.  Here is my basic menu for each day:

• 16 oz water
• Shakeology breakfast
• fruit, non-fat greek yogurt, or 1/2 P90X protein bar
• healthy lunch (salad or left-overs from healthy dinners)
• fruit, non-fat greek yogurt, or 1/2 P90X protein bar
• dinner – usually 4-6 ozs. lean protein and steamed veggies

**I usually stopped having carbs by the third snack, unless we had quinoa with dinner.

So, let’s talk numbers!  I can’t believe the changes:

Before weight (lbs): 168  After weight (lbs): 157 (-11)

So, in summary, I lost 11 pounds, 8.25 inches, and 6 percent body fat with INSANITY in 63 days!!

If you have any questions about my INSANITY experience, please, feel free to connect with my using the buttons in the sidebar, or leave a comment below!

If you would like to order INSANITY or any other Beachbody product, please use the tab above to go to my online store.

Thanks for cheering me on along the way and thanks for checking out my results!!

— The 3 Day Shakeology Cleanse—-

SHAKEOLOGY CLEANSE ESSENTIALS

3 Shakeology shakes per day
2 cups of green tea per day
1 or 2 pieces of fruit per day (optional)
1 salad for dinner-can include fish or poultry
No dairy or extra sugars
(this includes almond and soy milk)!
Drink 2 to 4 liters of water every day
Only use low-fat dressings, and go easy on the salt and/or pepper to taste
2 snacks before/after any of the major meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Fruit is optional, and it is discouraged (however, some of you will need the calories while others may not)
Power-workout participants (those who are already super conditioned) are recommended the higher numbers of calories.

I have tried this cleanse and it isn’t quite right for me.  I am able to digest one or two shakes per day, but I cannot drink a third.  I have a sensitivity to one of the ingredients.  Because of that, I have had to modify the cleanse a bit.

Here is my version:

16 oz water

1 chocolate peanut butter shake

green tea w/lemon  if needed

1-2 pieces of fruit

Large spinach salad w/ lots of veggies for lunch w/ light balsamic vinegar dressing

1-2 pieces of fruit

1 chocolate peanut butter shake, 3-4 oz white protein (chicken or fish) if you feel you need it-grilled, plain

cup of green tea w/ lemon if needed

****drink LOTS of water all day!!!

Follow this prescription for three days.  I tend to do these over the weekend because I won’t have as much running around to do, and if I feel drained or tired I can rest.  I will say, however, that I don’t notice a significant change in my energy levels.  Last time I did this cleanse, I lost six pounds in three days and felt a lot better overall.  I also do them 3-4 times per year.  In addition, I have a Shakeology shake once/day in place of either breakfast or lunch.

So, you may be reading this and thinking, why do this?  Here are some reasons:

1. last time I did the cleanse I lost 6 pounds
2. I’m finishing INSANITY and I want to optimize the shred I get at the end of the program
3. my husband has hit a plateau with his Crossfit routines, and this will help him blast through that and continue to make positive to his fitness level
4. if you have consumed a lot of processed or junk foods, this cleanse (or Mike Karpenko’s original cleanse) will help your body to remove the built up toxins and residue
5. you will feel so much BETTER!

If you decide to do Mike’s cleanse you will need 9 packets/scoops of Shakeology for the weekend.  If you do my modified clease you will need 6 packets/scoops of Shakeology.  You can order individual packets or an entire month’s supply of Shakeology here.  You will also find the recipe for the shake I use.

******Just remember, the point of the cleanse is to reduce your calories, sugar, salt, and intake of artificial foods.  So, if you decide to use a shake recipe, make it a simple one with very few additives.  Leave me some comments if you decide to do the cleanse, and let me know how your results are!  I’ll be posting ours!!******