I am officially DONE with Fresh Start Phase 1! Was it easy? No. But I wouldn’t say it was hard either. Yes, it sucked when I wanted a food I couldn’t have, but really the most challenging part was just making sure I planned ahead. However, if you’re someone who struggles with prepping food ahead of time, this would be a good way to get into the habit.
So after a week of raw fruits and vegetables and water, I am feeling AMAZING. It’s hard to describe exactly what has changed, but I just feel better, like cleaner. I haven’t had headaches like I used to, my skin looks and feels better, I’ve lost a little weight, I’m sleeping better, and my body just feels like it’s doing its job better. Like a whole system reboot. And I think it’s been totally worth cutting out some of my favorite foods for a week.
Phase 2 of the Fresh Start program is health-building. You gradually reintroduce foods, such as dairy and gluten, so it’s similar to an elimination diet in that sense. This allows you to identify foods that your body doesn’t process as well so you can choose to avoid them going forward. So, while it is tempting to jump right in after a week and eat all the cheese, that is not what I’m doing.
Today’s food is something like this:
Breakfast – a Shaklee Life protein shake with kale, berries, and almond milk. For the rest of Phase 2, I will be substituting a shake for one meal per day, but if I were looking for more dramatic weight loss, I would substitute two.
Snacks – healthy options like fruit, a handful of nuts, a hard-boiled egg
Lunch – lean protein and veggies (cooked or raw) and/or fruit. Today I had a salad with some grilled chicken.
Dinner – Half of dinner should be non-starchy vegetables, 1/4 a lean protein, 1/4 a starchy vegetable or whole grain
Essentially, you are eating clean for the next 4 weeks. Water intake continues to be crucial and things like coffee and alcohol should be limited.
I’m also taking a new supplement this week, the Shaklee Life Strip. This thing is amazing. Seriously, look at it! The dark-colored liquigels are a polyphenol blend to repair and protect DNA; the yellow liquigels are an omega-3 fish oil; the two dark yellow pills are multivitamins; and the last lighter pill is a B and C complex. That is some major nutrition!
So, how is this different from a diet? Well, the difference is that Fresh Start is not something that you blindly follow until you’ve hit your goal weight and then stop doing and bounce back. The primary goal of this program is not weight loss and you’re not going to lose 100 pounds doing it. Instead, you start out healing your body with food and optimizing your body’s functions. Then you reintroduce foods in a way that teaches you the right way to eat. And you don’t experience the crazy bounce back because you eliminated most if not all cravings during your first week by essentially rebooting your system. Your palette actually starts to change and your body starts craving the food it needs instead of foods that don’t fuel it and make it sick. It’s a great way to jumpstart your new healthy lifestyle and get you on the right track for sustainable weight loss.
This second phase of the Fresh Start lasts 4 weeks. I am excited to see the results at the end of it but so far I am really impressed with this program.