My Reset Bloodwork Results are AMAZING

I'm so excited to report the results of my lipid panel after doing the Ultimate Reset!

I've struggled with high blood lipids my entire life. At one point my triglycerides were as high as 575! (normal is <150)
I can't remember ever having a normal cholesterol profile. Well I'm here to tell you that I've now got the best numbers of my entire 53 years!

Here are my before and after the Ultimate Reset numbers:

Total Cholesterol      218      185        Normal <200
HDL                         40          40        Normal >39
LDL                         151      123         Normal <99
Triglycerides            137      111         Normal <150

Let me do the math for you: my total cholesterol dropped 33 points, LDL (the BAD cholesterol) is down 28 points, and triglycerides are down 26 points. My HDL (good cholesterol) held steady.
I'd still love to see my HDL creep up a bit and my LDL go down, but my doctor no longer threatens me with statin drugs (I will NEVER take them), and my heart disease and diabetes risk are low.

My commitment to regular exercise and a clean eating program has lowered my lipid profile significantly over the last two years. In March of 2013 my total cholesterol was 278 and in March of 2012 my triglycerides were at 316! My HDL was only 30 and my LDL was at 194. Not a healthy lipid profile, at all.

When did you last have your labs done? It's great to assess your complete health profile, including fitness tests, cancer screenings and bloodwork, on at least an annual basis. Go call your doctor for an appointment now!

Need help getting started on a good fitness and meal plan? Message me at crideoutfit@gmail.com and I'll share some program options with you. My coaching group has a new 21 day challenge starting June 2nd!

My Ultimate Reset Part 3--I'm Smaller and My Head Is Clearer

Yay! I'm on the last day of the Ultimate Reset. I did it! 21 Days of structured eating and supplements...and NO exercise! Here's how my week went down:

So week three is the "Reclaim" phase, where the Detox supplement is replaced by the Restore supplement, which is probiotics. The Alkalinize, Optimize and Soothe supplements are continued.

The major change this week is dietary. Veggies and fruits and a bit of oil, and THAT'S IT. No grains, no nuts, no beans, no legumes. The portions are huge, though, and the only time I felt hungry was at about 10 a.m. every morning, which is normal for me. My body still wants a midmorning snack, but I just drank 2 big glasses of water with my supplements and held out until lunch.

Each morning's breakfast consisted of about 4 cups of fresh fruit. Thankfully there are some amazing fruits in season now at Farmer's Market. I enjoyed white peaches, apricots, blueberries, blackberries, mulberries, raspberries, strawberries, mango, papaya, tangelo, and grapefruit--all organic and fresh! It was delicious, but I am looking forward to some oatmeal tomorrow.

Lunches were always a ginormous salad, sometimes with something on the side, like a sweet potato or some avocado. Some days I got roasted pumpkin seeds. I joked that I've eaten more pumpkin seeds in the last three weeks than in my entire life, but guess what I made more of last night for the coming week? Yup, roasted pumpkin seeds for my salads! I love them, and they are so full of protein, good fats, and minerals.

Dinners were always too much. For example, one night it was whole head of broccoli with 15 asparagus spears and a roasted fennel bulb. All of the dinners were delicious, and consisted of nothing but veggies, and a little coconut or olive oil.

Snacks were either a half a scoop of Shakeology with fruit and coconut water or some raw veggies or and apple and some blueberries.

The first half of the week I was moody and my energy level was much lower than last week. I perked up midweek and felt pretty normal. My "regularity" suffered a bit in the beginning of the week, but this was a big dietary shift.

All in all, I made the program work, even on days I couldn't be home much, by planning ahead. I packed salads for lunches and took extra mineralized water and my supplements with me in a small cooler. At the movies I took raw veggie sticks to munch on instead of chemical-laden, greasy and oversalted popcorn. It didn't even smell good to me! I swapped dinner meals one night for one that had less cook time and prep when I knew I'd be home late.

I feel great, and I'm definitely smaller! Are you ready for my stats? Here goes:
Day 21:
Down 10 pounds
Body fat down 2 percent
BMI down 2 points
7 total inches lost
 I am having a lipid panel drawn tomorrow. I'm excited to get the results of my triglycerides and cholesterol and I'll post them when I get them.

For more info on the Ultimate Reset click here

And now, for my before and after pics. I had a very hard time posting this because I'm still not where I want to be and I don't like the pics. I'm looking forward to working out again and getting rid of the last of that belly fat! ::deep breath:: Here goes!

My Ultimate Reset Part 2---I'm Melting Away!

Phase 2--Detox
I didn't set out doing the Ultimate Reset to lose weight. I thought it would help me continue losing weight after I completed the program, as my system would be clean and my metabolism would be honed. However, weight and measurement reduction has been a pleasant side effect!
At the end of week 2 here are my losses:

• down 7-1/2 pounds
• 1" off my waist
• 3/4" off my hips
• 1/2" off my bust
• 1-1/2" off my midriff
• 3/4" off my lower ab
• My arm and thigh measurements remain unchanged

Holy smokes!

So what was week two like? Kinda crazy! 

Day 8 Started the Detox phase of the program. I decided to try oil pulling first thing in the mornings and added the new detox supplement to the rotation. Breakfast was a huge bowl of fresh fruit, a giant salad for lunch, watermelon and ginger in my Tropical Strawberry Shakeology for a snack, and pinto beans and rice with steamed zucchini and string beans for dinner. I had SO MUCH energy! I reorganized every drawer in the house! I cleaned out my closet (again), vacuumed, mopped, walked the dogs, coached clients, and did laundry. This went on all the way until 9 pm until I was suddenly, extremely exhausted. 

Day 9 I woke up feeling energetic. I did Yoga Fix.

I did more spring cleaning, a little outdoor cleanup and garden harvesting, visited Farmer's Market and tried a new Shakeology recipe for my snack: coconut water, dried coconut, frozen pineapple and half a scoop of vegan chocolate Shakeology. OMG so good! I had what was essentially hummus for breakfast, and a big salad and pinto beans with rice for lunch.  I loved the dinner, which was roasted asparagus and sweet potato soup, which is surprising, because sweet potatoes aren't my favorite. As the day wore on I got more and more sniffly. By nightfall I had the sneezes and my sinuses burned and I had an alternating stuffy and runny nose. Since it was very windy out, and unseasonable hot, I wan't sure if this wass allergy (although I'm not usually allergic), a germ, or a side effect of the cleanse. 

Day 10 sinuses were worse. Sore nose. Lots of sneezing and nose-blowing. Many people in the Ultimate Reset Facebook Group were reporting sinus symptoms as part of the detox phase. I didn't feel sick, just sneezy and sniffly/stuffy, and I had another productive day. Rearranged furniture, cleaned, reorganized bookcases, and sold 3 challenge packs! It was still terribly windy and dry. We had 4% humidity and 60 mph winds! Our gazebo canopy was shredded. :-(  I bought summer veggies but didn't plant. The Lentil Quinoa Pilaf for dinner was yummy!

Day 11 I woke up with sinus pain. I used my Neti pot, which at first HURT, but gave me relief. OMG WHY DID I NOT THINK OF THIS 2 DAYS SOONER?! 

I was having "spring cleaning" issues all week. I mean I went to find the neti pot in the cabinet, and an hour later...after cleaning out all the expired medicines and reorganizing the cupboard, I finally got what I came for. I couldn't stop myself! I've been acting totally OCD about cleaning and organizing! Wednesday it was the bookcase. I took every book off every shelf, dusted, and categorized them. The day before I reorganized all the drawers in the kitchen and bedroom. I've tossed a lot of stuff and took donations to Goodwill. Oh yeah, and I did 5 minutes of the 10 Minute Abs workout in the 21 Day Fix.

3-1.2 miles was al little much

Day 12 Sinuses are much better, continued using the Neti pot and oil pulling. The wind finally stopped but it was still very hot. I went for a 3-1/2 mile walk. I felt a little more stressed, and had unfinished cleaning projects. I managed to finish a second bookcase and cleaned out my cookbook collection. Because of a school event and not planning my meal prep very well, I didn't get to eat my dinner until after 8pm.  That's pretty late for me. 


Day 13 I awoke to the news that my friend, Clay, had passed away. My head just wasn't in the game all day. I got practically nothing done. I spent a lot of time grieving with online friends and scrolling his Facebook page and reading the beautiful tributes and messages posted there. I took my daughter to Free Comic Book Day at the local comic shop, but there was a long line around the building and I just didn't have it in me to stand in that line in the heat. I had to get my tire replaced on my car and go to the grocer anyway. By the time I returned to the comic shop, all the free comics were gone, but I was able to visit my friend, Gen, who was working there and get hugs and share with her about Clay. She gave me her copy of the FCBD Mouse Guard hardcover. It's extra special to me now. On the way home I visited my best friend, Melissa, and we hugged and talked about the brainstorming some of us had about a memorial for Clay at the Star Trek Convention in August. When I got home I tried to watch and take notes on some online training for work, but I just couldn't focus. My dinner was kobucha squash with tahini sauce and it was my least favorite meal this week. I ate half of it, and had an apple, then watched the Amgen Tour of California preview show and turned in early.

Edamame and Roasted Corn Succotash

Day 14 After 10 hours in bed I feel better mentally. I'm driving to Long Beach today to see a Trekkie friend, Karen, who is visiting from Colorado. We will go to the Aquarium of the Pacific. I've packed my supplements, Shakeology, and water. I'm bringing my own salad dressing and pumpkin seeds so I can order a salad at lunch and I've got my Edamame and Roasted Corn Succotash that I made ahead last night in my little cooler for dinner. I am not blowing this on the home stretch!

Tomorrow starts Phase 3, Restore. No more Detox powder, but I will be adding probiotics. I will be eating nothing but vegetables and fruit for a whole week. No grains or legumes! This should be interesting. It sounds worse than it is, actually. The meal plan recipes have all been tasty for the most part and it's never the same dinner twice. The portions are huge and I have never felt hungry so far.

For more information on the program click here: Ultimate Reset