The Ultimate Reset

I am so excited to share with you today. Yesterday was my last day of my 21 Day Ultimate Reset Detox. This was my second time doing this cleanse. I was really surprised as to how much easier it was this time around. The first time I completed it was last November and one of the things I didn't like was that you eat a LOT of fruit on this plan and the fruit at that time of year isn't the greatest. This time around I loved the fact that all the summer fruit was in season and literally tasted like candy!  Also, the first time I tried every single recipe because I wanted to be able to know what I liked and didn't like. This time I knew which recipes I wasn't crazy about so I swapped those out for different ones from the program. I felt much more relaxed this time around. Maybe it was because I knew what to expect.

I decided to do the ultimate reset again but knew that I wanted to do it in the summer. I plan to do this detox once a year going forward. This program is great if you are feeling sluggish, fatigued, unmotivated, bloated, craving everything, are in a really unhealthy eating pattern, are curious about what a plant based diet would be like, are trying to determine some food allergies or help with inflammation.

If you are unfamiliar with the ultimate reset…It is a 21 day detox program. It uses food and herbs to restore your body’s natural PH levels. It is a no starvation inner tune up so to speak.  You eat real whole foods like fruits and veggies.  Some people have a hard time eating all the food the first 2 weeks.  It is a really great way to rid your body of the processed foods and refined sugars and any of the other hidden stuff that is just not good for you.  It helps to maximize your energy production and helps your body become more able to process the nutrients and micronutrients and helps to eliminate waste naturally and gently from your system. It won’t leave you running to the bathroom, well except to pee because you will be drinking so much water.

The program lays out a meal plan for you with recipes for each meal for 21 days. You have to STICK to the plan.....thats the hard part.  Some of it looks super unattractive but I am an adventurous eater so I'm willing to try anything at least once. I remember the first time I did this being surprised at some of the things I enjoyed. I have learned to like beets and kale....both of which I didn't like before.  

The supplements are completely herbal and in pill and drink form.

Week 1

The supplements in week 1 help prepare your body for the changes.  It primes your system and gets you on a healthy eating pattern. You learn a lot about how you eat and when and why.  In this phase you remove foods such as red meat and dairy which place stress on the digestive system.  I ate things like apple cinnamon oatmeal, eggs and farina for breakfast.  The food in week one is my favorite. I had sushi, veggie tacos and salmon for dinner.

Week 2

Week 2 is the serious detox phase.  This is called Release because you will release the toxins that are stored in your tissues and inhibiting the body’s ability to absorb proper nutrients.  I was on a fully vegan diet in this week.  This phase also included a gentle colon cleanse. I had to pee a lot because of all the water I was drinking.  I was drinking a full gallon of distilled water per day. I was not running to the bathroom for other reasons like most colon cleanses. It was easier and just made me more regular.  

In week 2 I felt amazing. I had energy. No aches or pains and I was really enjoying the process. 

Week 3

Week 3 was the Restore phase. This is where it got tough. It cut back on grains and I was eating primarily fruits and veggies.  My portions were plenty but my metabolism was kicking so I was hungry more often.  This phase puts back the probiotics, prebiotics, nutrients and enzymes into my system.  I was craving so many things and I was hungry. I had to REALLY work hard to fight the cravings. I did eat the suggested snack when I needed to and was going to use Shakeology if I had to but I was able to get through it.  

I am happy to say that after the 21 days, I am sleeping so much better, I have a ton of energy, my stomach is flat and happy. I don’t feel uncomfortable. My skin is glowing. 

Now that the reset is complete I will gradually start to add back in grains and proteins.  I will certainly be trying to find foods that fall into the same categories as those on the ultimate reset. I just won’t feel as guilty if I choose to go out to eat or have a dessert. Watch for more recipes as I experiment.

I lost a total of 9 pounds on the Reset but I didn't take measurements this time around.

I also enjoyed doing another round of the 3 Week Yoga Retreat. While on the reset you are not able to do intense workouts. This is to allow your body to heal from the inside out. If I am asking it to heal my muscles at the same time I do not give my insides the chance to really benefit from the reset as it will in a relaxed state. Light exercise like walking and restorative yoga or tai chi are perfect. I spent time breathing and just connecting with my soul. It felt great to get re-centered.

I highly recommend the Ultimate Reset to everyone and anyone. It is a great way to jump start your health journey or even just to get a good clean out or “tune up” Even the most healthy fit people need a little tune up every now and then. Please feel free to contact me at cmarkfeld@gmail.com if you would like to do the program. We will discuss what is best for you and how to get the support needed while going through it as well as when to start.

Thanks for reading my Ultimate Reset Journey!

The 3 Week Yoga Retreat

For the last three weeks I decided to challenge myself with the 3 Week Yoga Retreat program. You might be thinking, challenge yourself with yoga? Yes! For me, slowing down is a challenge. I have always known that yoga is good for me, but had a hard time making it part of my exercise routine. I was also intimidated by yoga. I mean, when you think of YOGA, do you think about weird humming, candles, hippie stuff, and weird gurus?

I used to also. 

But that isn’t really what YOGA is about. In fact, I’ve come to learn that YOGA is more about flexibility, STRENGTH (yes, strength), and being limber! If you remember things like P90X Yoga, 21 Day Fix Yoga, or even P90X3 Yoga, you’ll know they have their UPS and DOWNS. BUT…they are missing a vital piece:

Foundation Yoga

If you want to try Yoga and are too intimidated by the complicated poses, or you think you aren’t flexible enough, you are going to LOVE the 3 Week Yoga Retreat.

21 Days, and 30-minutes per day or shorter is all you need to get set-up for success with the 3 Week Yoga Retreat. 

3 Week Yoga Retreat – The GOOD Stuff To Know!

The Classes of the 3 Week Yoga Retreat Consist Of:

• MONDAY: CORE – foundation of YOGA starts in your core. This class focuses on exercises that engage, activate, and build awareness of these muscles.

• TUESDAY: STRETCH – aimed at helping you stretch, extend, and lengthen all muscles with a variety of easy-to-start poses.

• WEDNESDAY: BALANCE – postures that will help engage the core and develop better balance inside and out.

• THURSDAY: FLOW – the class you’ll put everything you’ve learned so far to work in a nonstop “flowing” format. This is the Vinyasa flow that you might remember from other Beachbody programs.

• FRIDAY: FLOW TO GO – shorter, more advanced version of Thursday’s class that features less cueing.

• SATURDAY: RELAX – just like it says…a relaxing class.

• SUNDAY: TAKE 10 – short, 10-minute classes that help you wake up, wind down, or work abs. Pick one or do all three!

So, for three weeks I stuck to the program and saw incredible changes in my body. I lost 5.6 pounds in 21 days and improved my energy, mood, and flexibility. I simply FEEL better 3 weeks later. I had a chance to breathe and just “be” for at least 30 minutes per day. No agenda. No stress. Just letting all of the tension melt away as I exhaled. It was truly glorious. This program comes with a specific meal plan which I followed. The recipes were delicious and the meal plan was super easy to follow. Here are a few of my meals from the meal plan.

If you've followed my journey, I want to wrap up my week 3 journey with a little bit of information on what this program is all about.

The 3 Week Yoga Retreat was designed for beginners who want to try yoga, but don’t have a foundation. It is designed for anyone who is intimated by yoga and thinks they aren’t “flexible enough” to practice it. It’s also designed for people who aren’t confident enough to go into a yoga studio just yet because they lack the base level information. But it doesn’t stop there. It’s also designed for people who wish to complement their current routine by improving their flexibility and core strength. The program doesn’t involve chanting or anything like that. It is simply yoga. A learned foundation and the opportunity to expand upon that. That’s it.

If you’ve been loving my journey and want to try it out for yourself, I’d love to help you! Send me an email at cmarkfeld@gmail.com so I can hear your goals!

Body Beast Results

I wanted to share the results from the program I just completed....Body Beast.

The picture on the left is a before and after from when I started Body Beast in February to when I finished on May 7th. The picture below is a before and after from when I started a year and a half ago. I never thought I could get results from home workout programs but I've been proven wrong. After years of killing myself in the gym I love that I don't have to leave my home to get results and I don't have to work out for hours everyday. (I normally do 30 minute workouts) 

Body Beast was one of the hardest programs for me mentally because the scale went up. During the bulk phase I was up 10 pounds 😳 During the last phase (which was the last 3 weeks) I lost about 6 of that so I guess I gained 4 pounds of muscle. I gained an inch in my chest and 1/2 inch in both arms. The meal plan for this was tough also because it called for me to eat 9 yellow containers a day during the bulk phase. That's a lot of carbs!! I was eating about 2,000 calories a day.

I thought about quitting on more than one occasion and I know if it had not been for my challenge group encouraging me, I would have thrown in the towel. It was really, really hard for me mentally to see the scale going up after working so hard to lose the weight. I really had to learn what it means when people say the scale is not a true reflection of your progress. That's why measurements and pictures are so important. 📷

I have learned that you truly have to trust the process in these programs....even when it really seems like it's not working. I've also learned that I really do love weight lifting 💕 (more than cardio)

If you are ready to get started on your journey, I can promise you that you will never be alone. If you are interested in this program, let me know. I learned a lot through the process that I would change the next time around and I'm happy to share all of that with you. Message me if you want to make your health a priority 💪🏼

Are You an All or Nothing Person?

Are you an ALL or NOTHING kind of person? I always have been. Sometimes that has worked to my advantage and other times it hasn't. In terms of weight loss, it's not always a good thing. In the past I was able to stay focused for a period of time but as soon as I veered off track, it started a downward spiral that left me 25 pounds heavier. One of the things I've learned since starting my weight loss journey this time is that I have to continue to keep myself accountable and check in even when I'm not doing so well. But how do you do that? Here are 5 tips that have helped me.

1-Find your tribe and stay connected. I have been a part of other weight loss groups but it wasn't until Beachbody that I found a group that I truly connected with and felt supported. I am thankful that I have access to the group 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so if I need something, someone is there. If you haven't found your group yet, find what works for you and stay connected. There will be bad days and we all need the support to keep going. You aren't alone in this journey but you need to reach out for the support you need. Withdrawing doesn't work. I've learned that the hard way.

2-Reach out to your coach. Don't be afraid or embarrassed to reach out to your coach for help. That's what he or she is there for. I had so many questions when I got started and was thankful I was able to send a Facebook message or text to my coach when I needed help. If you hit a roadblock, your coach can help you figure out what to change and tweak to help you.

3-Realize this is meant to be a lifestyle, not a diet and in order for it to work for the rest of your life, it's okay to go off the plan now and then. There will be parties, celebrations and date nights. The key is to wake up the next day (or even the next meal) and get right back on track. Don't throw in the towel because of one unhealthy food choice. The goal of following the portion fix meal plan is long term health, not losing weight fast to fit into a size 2 only to gain it back. This needs to be sustainable and if you try to be perfect 100% of the time, it will not work. Focus on your health and prevention. When you do allow yourself to go off track, enjoy that meal and stop the guilt. It really is okay. 

4-Stop starving yourself. One of the things I hear all the time when people start working with me is that they cannot eat all the food. I know it seems crazy but we are so used to feeling like we need to starve ourselves to lose weight. That is simply not true and it actually backfires by hurting our metabolism in the long run. Trust the meal plan, trust the process and enjoy your meals....every single one. Don't skip some thinking it will speed things up. Remember, this is about long term health and when we deny ourselves we usually end up binging because we are so hungry and then we start the cycle of guilt and abandoning the plan altogether.

5-This one may be more controversial and if you've had an eating disorder I do NOT recommend this but for me, it was helpful. In the beginning, weigh yourself everyday. I don't recommend doing this long term but if you are like me, I avoided the scale when I knew I was not eating well because I played the "if I don't see the number, it isn't true" game. Even though the way my clothes fit told the real story, I lived in denial. When I started with the portion fix meal plan in August of 2015, I weighed in everyday to stay accountable to myself. I no longer do this but I do weigh in once a week whether I want to or not. The scale doesn't tell the whole story but for some of us, it does help with accountability.

I hope these tips help you as you start or continue on your journey. Remember, you aren't alone.

Meal Prep & Planning

Meal planning and prepping. Just hearing this can make some of you break out in a cold sweat Before doing the 21 Day Fix and following the portion fix meal plan, I never did the whole meal prepping thing. And, to be honest, still to this day I don’t normally do an entire week’s worth of prepping like so many of us see all over social media. I have had a few weeks where I’ve gone all out and done that, but it’s not my typical way of prepping. I have attended two completely different meal prep classes in my area and I wanted to share my thoughts on them both.

I do like having freezer meals ready to go for days when I just don’t have time or don’t want to think about what to cook for dinner and by attending some local classes, I had my freezer stocked and ready.

The first one is held here locally each month by Kelly Nentwich with Thrive4Mom. Her meals are all plant based so if you are following a plant based or vegan diet, it’s a great option. Although I do eat meat, I always like to incorporate more vegetables into my diet. The meals are gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut-free, corn-free and egg-free. Once you sign up and pay for the class, she does all the grocery shopping for you. I showed up to her home and she had 6 different stations set up and ready for all of us to use to assemble our meals. We rotated through each station and as we would complete chopping and assembling everything, we would then place the freezer bag in our cooler that we had brought from home and move to the next station. I attended this class with my mom and we really enjoyed doing it together.

The cost was $159+tax and I came home with 6 freezer meals that each feed 4-6 people. Kelly is a certified health coach and I would definitely recommend her if you are struggling with certain allergies or you are trying to follow the 21 Day Fix vegan meal plan but are having trouble. Since that is not my area of expertise, I know Kelly would be able to support you.

The second class I attended was a Wildtree Workshop. Although there are Wildtree consultants across the country, the one I attended was held locally by my friend Becky Premock. Although Becky’s main passion is her Beautycounter business, she loves the Wildtree products and uses them all the time. The cost was $78 which covered the cost of the Wildtree products I would be using when I assembled the meals. Once I paid for the meal plan workshop I wanted (there were many to choose from), I received a grocery list and Pre-Workshop prep chart. For this class I did need to do all my own grocery shopping and prep most of the food at home before attending the class. I decided to try Kroger Clicklist for the first time. So, I ordered all my groceries online and picked them up at my local Kroger store. I then came home and got to work. It took me about an hour to prepare everything according to the Pre-Workshop chart I had been given. I was instructed to label the bags, then chop my vegetables and then fill each freezer bag with the meal ingredients by following my prep chart.

When it was time for the workshop, I loaded up my cooler with all my freezer bags and headed to Becky’s house. Once I arrived there I stayed at one work station and added all the Wildtree products which were mainly oils and spices and this finished the meal assembly process. That also took about an hour. I then had 10 freezer meals which each feed 4-6 people. The cost of my groceries was $157.23 but I do want to mention that I buy all organic meats, chicken and vegetables so if you choose not to go that route, your cost may be less. I have considered hosting a Wildtree workshop at my house but would want to provide people the option of actually assembling everything here. I find it much more enjoyable when I’m with others and able to socialize through the entire process.

So, overall the Wildtree workshop did cost more than Kelly's workshop but it included 10 meals vs. 6 and included meat. I also came home with Wildtree products to use for other future meals. With Kelly's workshop she does all the grocery shopping and I enjoyed assembling the entire meal at her house because it was much more social but I did get more meals with the Wildtree workshop and they are meals my husband enjoys more because he likes meat and chicken in his dinners. There are definitely pros and cons to both.

I’d love to know if you’ve tried any meal prep workshops and what your thoughts are. These are just two that I have personally experienced but I’m sure there are many more available. 

A Tip On Cutting Cauliflower

Do find cauliflower difficult to cut? I learned a tip that makes it so much easier and I wanted to share it with you! I am all about easy when it comes to cooking and I like to pass along anything I learn to help you. You can watch the short video I've included to learn this simple trick!

I love roasted cauliflower. If you haven't tried cooking it that way, it's delicious. Just toss the cauliflower in a bowl with some olive oil, chopped garlic cloves, and red pepper flakes and then place it on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and chopped fresh thyme and toss again. Roast in the oven at 450 degrees until it's golden and tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy!