So, if you’ve been following me over on my facebook page, you’ll know that this past week, I did a 3-day refresh and had great results even when adding in a little extra to modify because I am still nursing my 3.5 month old. I lost 3 lbs (forgot to take my measurements… whoops!) But, I definitely know that my bloat went down and I was happy to break through my plateau going from 121 lbs to 118 (only 3 more to go to get to my postpartum goal!)
So… as promised, I’m going to share what I did to modify so both mama and baby were happy. 🙂
The Meal Plan
The refresh is VERY low calorie. 900 calories a day to be exact. I actually did day 1 starting out exactly how the refresh is set up but quickly realized that by the time dinner rolled around, I was going to have to add in a little extra to maintain my milk supply. So, this is what I did WITH modifications and what I should’ve added in on day 1…
*First and Foremost… whether you are nursing or not, you MUST drink TONS AND TONS of water throughout the refresh for several different reasons… Water regulates EVERYTHING so in order to get the fiber properly working and keep your system “in flow” it NEEDS water. Also, you are detoxing which means your body is working hard so you don’t want to get dehydrated. We want to flush out those toxins and help control our hunger so in order to do that, you need water… A LOT of water.
*Helpful tip! Prep EVERYTHING like I did pictured here. You’ll be less tempted to reach for something that isn’t in the plan and you’ll set yourself up for success!
Day 1:
1) Upon Waking: 8-10 oz glass of water
2) Breakfast: Vegan Chocolate shakeology with FULL Banana (original refresh calls for 1/2 banana but i used a full) blended with 10 oz of water and ice.
3) Morning Tea: Mother’s Milk tea (to promote healthy lactation) and I *should’ve* added a snack here… (1 cup of strawberries.) I also took 2 fenugreek tablets to help with lactation just in case
4) Mid-Morning: Fiber sweep (blech!) Not gunna lie, this isn’t my favorite. On Day 1 I took the entire fiber sweep packet but it made my stomach hurt and at the end of the day Abe was a tiny bit gassy. He is always gassy though lol.
And he didn’t seem bothered by it so I’m not sure if it was actually the Fiber sweep but if that was the case, I was afraid if I did a whole fiber packet the next day and the day after that, we might have some tummy issues so I only took half a packet on day 2 and 3. I blended this with 8oz of water and some ice to make it more manageable. The Fiber sweep is really important in the refresh. The whole program is very fiber-dense because that’s what eliminates waste from your digestive system.
5) Lunch: Vanilla Fresh Protein shake blended with 10 oz of water, ice and a FULL banana (again, I used full instead of half.) 1 Cup of sliced cucumber with 2 tbsp. of hummus.
6) Afternoon Snack: 3 cups of mixed greens and 2 tbsp. mashed avocado.
7) Afternoon Tea: Mother’s milk tea again and I felt like I was in need of something extra here in order to keep my supply up so I added in a cup of fruit (blueberries and raspberries) I also took 2 more fenugreek supplements.
8) Dinner: Vanilla fresh protein shake blended with 1/2 banana this time (original refresh says don’t blend with anything) I also had the coconut steamed veggies meal from the “dinner options” in the book which is basically mixed vegetables sauteed with coconut oil and a pinch of himilayian salt + pepper. I modified this too and added in an extra cup of eggplant.
9) Evening Tea: I forgot to do this because I felt pretty satisfied after dinner and went to bed early lol. But I would’ve had mother’s milk again OR the optional 1 cup of organic veggie broth that’s allowed.
So! Once I completed day 1 and I figured out what my body would need to maintain my milk supply… I did days 2 and 3 the same way just different foods I picked from the list in the book…
Day 2:
1) Upon Waking: 8-10oz glass of water
2) Shakeology with 10 oz of water, ice and a banana
3) Mother’s milk tea and 1 cup of strawberries + fenugreek
4) 1/2 Fiber sweep blended with ice and water
5) Vanilla fresh with a banana, water and ice, 5-7 baby carrots with 2 tbsp of hummus
6) 1 red pepper with 2 tbsp. avocado
7) mother’s milk tea, 1 cup of fruit and 2 fenugreek tablets
8) Vanilla fresh shake with 1/2 banana, ice and water, veggie stir fry from the dinner recipe list PLUS 1
extra cup of veggies (I added more eggplant again… because i love eggplant!)
9) Evening tea (didn’t do this again but it would’ve been mother’s milk)
Day 3:
1) Upon Waking: 8-10oz glass of water
2) Shakeology with 10 oz of water, ice and a banana
3) Mother’s milk tea and 1 cup of strawberries + fenugreek
4) 1/2 Fiber sweep packet blended with ice and water
5) Vanilla fresh with a banana, water and ice, 1 cup sliced cucumber with 2 tbsp of hummus
6) 3 cups greens with 2 tbsp. avocado
7) mother’s milk tea, 1 cup of fruit and 2 fenugreek tablets
8) Vanilla fresh shake with 1/2 banana, ice and water, Kale and pinenut dinner recipe from the menu in the book PLUS 1 extra cup of veggies (more eggplant! 🙂 )
9) Evening tea (mother’s milk)
So, that was it for the meal plan! 🙂 Easy peasy, right? WRONG! lol. Not going to lie… the refresh isn’t easy… well, comparing it to most cleanses out on the market it’s actually quite nice. You actually get to EAT food instead of putting your body in to starvation mode. This isn’t one of those “harsh cleanses.” By feeding your body clean foods that it actually uses.. you’re more likely to keep the weight OFF post-cleanse. But it is challenging both mentally and physically… especially if you aren’t used to eating super clean and you’re already eating more than you’re supposed to. BUT… it’s only 3 days! YOU can do ANYTHING for 3 days. A lot of the coaches on my team were doing the refresh with me.. so I had plenty of support and accountability to get me through it. 🙂 Plus… I was reallllly determined to break my plateau and get back on the “clean eating” train. I knew it was the jump-start that I needed! That meant I had to stay FOCUSED!
Working Out
During the refresh, the recommend moderate to mild exercise. By keeping it light you will use your energy more effectively to help clean up your system. I also knew I needed to keep it light because my body was working hard to detox itself AND make milk for my baby… So, instead of my usual crazy Max30 and Insanity HIIT workouts and my strength training with P90x3… I opted for T25 on Monday (Core cardio) Piyo on Tuesday (Drench) and T25 again on Wednesday (gamma RIP’T circuit.)
Questions Answered from My Facebook Page:
• How long did you wait to do the refresh after baby? Abe is 3.5 months old. I attempted the refresh about a month and a half ago but I failed it (I was tempted by a piece of steak! whoops!) But honestly… I don’t think it was time anyway. Abe’s digestive system was still a little sensitive then and I decided to wait a couple more weeks before attempting it again. So, that depends on you and your baby. Personally, I wouldn’t try it (modified) until you have a good supply and nursing routine established and baby isn’t having any issues.
• I am prone to nursing supply issues (foremilk/hindmilk imbalance, mastitus, thrush, etc…) can I do the refresh? No, I wouldn’t risk it. Just wait until you are done nursing or look in to a long-term fitness and nutrition plan like the 21 day fix or 21 day fix extreme to help you get on track.
• How did you know what to add in? I should’ve prefaced by saying I’m not a doctor or a nutritionist but, I DO know my body very well. I also know how to increase my supply after I notice a drop (mother’s milk tea, fenugreek, pumping, etc…) After nursing 3 children, I just know how much I can restrict my calorie intake so that I remain in the “safe zone.” With that being said, what I did may or may not work for you. I am just sharing MY experience. This is not a post to “push” anyone to try the refresh while nursing. If you are concerned or worried… the best thing to do is just wait until you are done breasfeeding and THEN give it a shot. 🙂
• Is there anything in the refresh that’s harmful to you or baby? Nope. 🙂 The refresh (and shakeology) is full of clean, whole, nutritiously-dense super foods. I don’t know about you but that sounds pretty dang good for mom and baby compared to processed foods and GMO’s. You’re eating an array of fruits, veggies, protein, and healthy fat throughout the day to keep your energy and metabolism going so you don’t damage your health and undermine your weight-loss goals.
• What if I don’t like Veggies? Learn to like them. 🙂
• When you bend over do you still have that extra skin? Yes, I do have a little and I wear it proudly because I am a MAMA! 😀
Post-Cleanse
So, what do you do post-cleanse? You should *continue shakeology!* Which is why the refresh challenge comes with a 30 day supply of shakeology so you can continue feeding your body good nutrition and so you don’t steer yourself off track. Since the refresh, I haven’t felt any cravings for any cheeses, quest bars, crackers or any other temptations I was stuffing my face with prior. 🙂 I find myself wanting more whole foods – fruits, healthy fats and veggies. I will admit, I’m super happy to eat meat again after being completely vegan for 3 days lol!
It also made me realize how many servings of veggies I TRULY need to eat a day to keep seeing and maintaining my results from my workouts. Once you do the refresh you will finally see that nutrition really IS 80% of the equation when it comes to getting the body you want. I’m making it a goal to make sure I get all of my veggies servings in EVERY DAY. So, I’m not only continuing with shakeology but I will also be following the 21 day fix meal plan from here on out. That will ensure that I’m getting exactly what my body needs, how much of it to eat and when to eat it each day.
Phew! I think that about covers it all. 🙂 If you have any questions or want to get started with your 3-day refresh and/or the 21 day fix challenge… make sure you head on over to the “Fitness Challenge“ tab on this website and fill out an application. 🙂
Hope this was helpful for you today! Talk soon! 🙂
