And So it Begins – Arbonne’s 30 Days to Healthy Living Program

Vince and I started our Arbonne’s 30 Days to Healthy Living program on Monday.  Woohoo!

We aren’t novices at this gig any longer, so it’s not as big a deal.  But the reasons we’re doing it again make it a big deal. We want to feel better, drop some more weight and Vince would like to improve even more his diabetic condition.  

So wish us luck, would you?

I had intended to write a blog a day – at least five per week – documenting our progress and following our journey.

Obviously, that didn’t happen on Day 1. Nor did it happen on Day 2.

Why not?

Well, I suspect it was because of the way I was awakened Monday morning. Vince got up all cheery-like as he usually does. I, on the other hand, do not ever wake up all cheery-like.  

He then proceeded to rip the covers off of me and poke me in the shoulder multiple times. When I grouchily said, “WHAT?!” and attempted to pull the covers back over myself, he cheerily stated, “Come on. We’re going to the gym!”

Uh. No. No, we are not.

I only get up first thing in the morning and go to the gym once I’ve been back into the gym routine for a while. I have to ease into the whole getting up first thing in the morning and donning workout clothes and actually working out.  And just jumping into it all willy-nilly like Vince wanted to do? Not happening.

And, really, I think the only reason someone should rip the covers off of me and poke me in the shoulder first thing in the morning is if, I don’t know, there's a fire in the house or something. Then – even though I’d still probably grouchily say, “WHAT?!” at the disturbance – I’d eventually be grateful that my life was being saved.

Maybe.

Anyway, I have to admit. I was pretty grouchy the rest of the day.

So no gym happened. And no blogging occurred. But we did eat clean and healthy for our first day on our 30 Day journey.

The avoid list sounds long – and it is – but we’re used to it by now.  It includes: No dairy, soy, sugar, refined carbs, alcohol, coffee and gluten.

Lots of people read the “no coffee” thing and say, “I’m out!” And we were the same way last year – especially Vince. He was the guy who had two shots of espresso first thing in the morning – and then supplemented that caffeine kick with several cups of coffee throughout the morning. But, really? It’s something you get used to real quick.

So even though we weren’t being quite as strict with our diet since we finished the first “30 Days” program last February, we didn’t reintroduce things like coffee. And we limited the amount of the other things on the “no-no” list.

So instead of coffee every morning, we drink our Arbonne fizz sticks, which are oh-so-tasty and good for us. Oh, and by the way, it’s not that coffee is bad for us, but the 30 Days to Healthy Living program is designed to get the body in an alkaline state. And coffee? Well, coffee is definitely acidic.

So we had our cup of detox tea and our morning protein shake with its vegan, plant-based pea protein. We add berries, kale and some Arbonne fiber boost and greens balance and – voila! – we are set for the morning.

Our one meal of the day has been a big healthy salad with lots of greens, some organic grilled chicken and a tasty vinaigrette made with apple cider vinegar.

And then our last meal is another shake.

Vince usually supplements his food intake with a few snacks – like maybe a handful of whole almonds or a green apple with almond butter. And, today, he had a sweet potato with a little coconut oil along with his salad for his meal.

But it’s pretty simple.

Best of all – we’re not hungry. Nor do we really miss all the junk – the sugar, simple carbs, etc.

Could we live this way every day? Well, sure, I suppose so. We feel better. And it’s better for us. And certainly we can do it for 30 days.

But every so often a person wants a glass of wine. Or a slice of bread to go with that pasta. Or a piece of chocolate cake. And that’s what the 80/20 program is all about.

But more on that later.

In the meantime, this blog has to make up for the past two days. So it’s a little longer. I’m going to try to keep the rest of them fairly short and sweet. (This, coming from me – the person who can’t be succinct to save her life.)  But I’m gonna try.

And I’m also gonna try getting to the gym. I need to talk Vince into a more civilized time – like, say, at least after our detox tea and shake.  Noon might be even better, but I imagine we'll have to negotiate that.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Feel free to give us some encouragement. Or tell us about your weight loss and healthy living journey.

I’ll be back with more later!