What to eat on the 24 day challenge

The goal of the 24 day challenge is to start living a healthier lifestyle.  During the challenge, lean meats and other forms of protein, fruits, vegetables, complex carbs, and healthy fats are encouraged while refined sugars, dairy products, junk food, white bread/pasta/rice, whole wheat, and processed foods are avoided all together if possible or eaten in very limited quantities. I came up with a sample meal plan of what to eat during the 24 day challenge (I don't eat seafood so I did not include any seafood meals on this meal plan, but there are plenty of 24 day challenge friendly seafood recipes out there).

Sample 24-Day challenge Meal plan

Day 1:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, Probiotic, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: oatmeal w/ almonds, Fiber drink

Mid-morning snack: Apple

Lunch: Scrambled egg w/ veggie(s) and Ezekial English muffin

Mid-afternoon snack: Hummus, bell pepper sticks

Dinner: Stir-fry chicken, 2 Omegaplex

Bedtime: herbal cleanse

Day 2:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, Probiotic, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Fried egg on Ezekial English muffin, Fiber drink

Mid-morning snack: almonds

Lunch: leftovers

Mid-afternoon snack: Hummus, carrot sticks

Dinner:  Buffalo chicken on Joseph’s whole grain wrap w/ lettuce, 2 Omegaplex

Bedtime: herbal cleanse

Day 3:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, Probiotic, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Oatmeal w/ berries, Fiber drink

Mid-morning snack: Apple

Lunch: buffalo chicken salad w/ tomatoes and any non-creamy dressing

Mid-afternoon snack: almonds

Dinner: Teriyaki beef and broccoli, 2 Omegaplex

Bedtime: herbal cleanse

Day 4:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, Probiotic, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Ezekial English muffin w/ peanut butter and fruit, Fiber drink

Mid-morning snack: almonds

Lunch: leftovers

Mid-afternoon snack: Rice cakes and peanut butter

Dinner:  Caprese flatbread on naan, 2 Omegaplex

Bedtime: herbal cleanse

Day 5:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, Probiotic, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Oatmeal w/ almonds and berries, Fiber drink

Mid-morning snack:  Orange

Lunch: leftovers

Mid-afternoon snack: Rice cakes

Dinner:  steak fajita salad, 2 Omegaplex

Bedtime: herbal cleanse

Day 6:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, Probiotic, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: veggie omelette, Fiber drink

Mid-morning snack: fruit

Lunch: steak fajita salad on josephs whole grain wrap

Mid-afternoon snack: hummus, veggies

Dinner:  Tuscan chicken skillet, 2 Omegaplex

Bedtime: herbal cleanse

Day 7:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, Probiotic, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Ezekial English muffin w/ peanut butter and fruit, Fiber drink

Mid-morning snack: hummus, veggies

Lunch: leftovers

Mid-afternoon snack: fruit salad

Dinner:  taco salad w/ avocado cilantro dressing, 2 Omegaplex

Bedtime: herbal cleanse

Day 8:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, Probiotic, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Oatmeal w/ berries, Fiber drink

Mid-morning snack: almonds

Lunch: leftovers

Mid-afternoon snack: Rice cakes and peanut butter

Dinner:  Bruschetta chicken, 2 Omegaplex

Bedtime: herbal cleanse

Day 9:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, Probiotic, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: breakfast fajita, Fiber drink

Mid-morning snack: Fruit

Lunch: leftovers

Mid-afternoon snack: “Food should taste good” brand organic tortilla chips w/ hummus

Dinner:  Mexican Bowls w/ ground turkey (no cheese or sour cream), 2 Omegaplex

Bedtime: herbal cleanse

Day 10:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, Probiotic, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Ezekial English muffin w/ peanut butter and fruit salad, Fiber drink

Mid-morning snack: almonds

Lunch: leftovers

Mid-afternoon snack: “Food should taste good” brand organic tortilla chips w/ hummus

Dinner:  Lemon Roasted chicken w/ garlic, capers, and artichokes, 2 Omegaplex

Bedtime: herbal cleanse

Day 11:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, 1 MNS white pack, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Meal replacement shake

Mid-morning snack:  Fruit and nuts

30 minutes before lunch: 1 MNS white pack

Lunch: leftovers, MNS color packs (both)

Mid-afternoon snack: low fat Greek yogurt

Dinner:  Grilled Chilli Lime chicken fajita salad, 2 Omegaplex

Day 12:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, 1 MNS white pack, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Meal replacement shake, fruit

Mid-morning snack:  Rice cakes and peanut butter

30 minutes before lunch: 1 MNS white pack

Lunch: leftovers, MNS color packs (both)

Mid-afternoon snack: Hummus and veggies

Dinner:  Grilled Chilli Lime chicken fajita salad, 2 Omegaplex

Day 13:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, 1 MNS white pack, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Meal replacement shake pancakes w/ healthy maple syrup

Mid-morning snack: low fat Greek yogurt w/ nuts

30 minutes before lunch: 1 MNS white pack

Lunch: leftovers, MNS color packs (both)

Mid-afternoon snack: hummus w/ “Food should taste good” tortilla chips

Dinner:  balsamic chicken w/ tomatoes and veggies, 2 Omegaplex

Day 14:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, 1 MNS white pack, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Meal replacement shake, almonds

Mid-morning snack:  Ezekial English muffin w/ peanut butter

30 minutes before lunch: 1 MNS white pack

Lunch: leftovers, MNS color packs (both)

Mid-afternoon snack:  fruit

Dinner:  Zucchini noodles w/ tomatoes and olive oil, 2 Omegaplex

Day 15:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, 1 MNS white pack, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Meal replacement shake

Mid-morning snack:  fruit, almonds

30 minutes before lunch: 1 MNS white pack

Lunch: leftovers, MNS color packs (both)

Mid-afternoon snack:  rice cake w/ peanut butter

Dinner:  Skinny avocado pizza on naan, 2 Omegaplex

Day 16:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, 1 MNS white pack, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Meal replacement shake

Mid-morning snack:  orange

30 minutes before lunch: 1 MNS white pack

Lunch: leftovers, MNS color packs (both)

Mid-afternoon snack: almonds and walnuts

Dinner:  Blackened fajita chicken w/ broccoli, 2 Omegaplex

Day 17:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, 1 MNS white pack, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Meal replacement shake pancakes w/ healthy maple syrup

Mid-morning snack:  apple w/ peanut butter

30 minutes before lunch: 1 MNS white pack

Lunch: leftovers, MNS color packs (both)

Mid-afternoon snack: rice cake

Dinner:  marinated steak tips w/ onions and peppers, broccoli, 2 Omegaplex

Day 18:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, 1 MNS white pack, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Meal replacement shake

Mid-morning snack:  Ezeckial English muffin w/ peanut butter and apple

30 minutes before lunch: 1 MNS white pack

Lunch: leftovers, MNS color packs (both)

Mid-afternoon snack:  Veggies and hummus

Dinner:  Chipotle honey chicken skewers w/ corn and spinach, 2 Omegaplex

Day 19:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, 1 MNS white pack, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Meal replacement shake

Mid-morning snack: Ezekial English muffin, scrambled egg, avocado

30 minutes before lunch: 1 MNS white pack

Lunch: leftovers, MNS color packs (both)

Mid-afternoon snack: fruit salad

Dinner:  Crockpot salsa chicken w/ bell peppers, 2 Omegaplex

Day 20:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, 1 MNS white pack, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Meal replacement shake

Mid-morning snack: apple w/ peanut butter

30 minutes before lunch: 1 MNS white pack

Lunch: leftovers, MNS color packs (both)

Mid-afternoon snack: almonds

Dinner:  Thai peanut sauce spaghetti squash, 2 Omegaplex

Day 21:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, 1 MNS white pack, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Meal replacement shake

Mid-morning snack: fruit salad

30 minutes before lunch: 1 MNS white pack

Lunch: leftovers, MNS color packs (both)

Mid-afternoon snack: hummus, veggies

Dinner:  Avocado caprese chicken skillet, 2 Omegaplex

Day 22:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, 1 MNS white pack, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Meal replacement shake

Mid-morning snack: apple

30 minutes before lunch: 1 MNS white pack

Lunch: leftovers, MNS color packs (both)

Mid-afternoon snack: carrot sticks, peanut butter

Dinner: Honey Butter Pork Tenderloin, garlic butter roasted carrots, 2 Omegaplex

Day 23:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, 1 MNS white pack, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Meal replacement shake

Mid-morning snack: low fat greek yogurt with fruit and almonds

30 minutes before lunch: 1 MNS white pack

Lunch: leftovers, MNS color packs (both)

Mid-afternoon snack: scrambled egg w/ tomato and avocado

Dinner:  BBQ chicken cobb salad w/ cilantro lime dressing, 2 Omegaplex

Day 24:

30 minutes before breakfast: 1 Spark, 1 MNS white pack, 3 Catalyst (optional), 1 Thermoplus (optional)

Breakfast: Meal replacement shake pancakes w/ healthy maple syrup and fruit salad

Mid-morning snack: Ezekial English muffin w/ peanut butter and apple slices

30 minutes before lunch: 1 MNS white pack

Lunch: leftovers, MNS color packs (both)

Mid-afternoon snack: hummus w/ “Food should taste good” tortilla chips

Dinner:  crockpot Peppersteak, 2 Omegaplex

24 Day Challenge # 2 winter 2016

I did my second 24 Day challenge mid January through the first week of February.  It definitely did not go as I had hoped or planned but it still taught me a lot about myself and how to best reach my weight loss goals. It also reminded me that I am only human and that I am going to mess up and eat crappy every once in a while.  My second 24 day challenge started off great.  By the end of the first day, I already felt a million times better and felt more energized.  I had lost 2.5 pounds between the first day of the challenge and the morning of the 3rd day of the challenge.  Unfortunately, two days into the max phase I went out for drinks and appetizers even though I knew better than to eat like crap on the 24 day challenge and had dessert at the end of the night.  I felt like shit that night and contemplated giving up on the challenge.  I decided to finish what I had started, regardless of messing up.  I did make myself healthy dinners, but at that point in the challenge I had felt defeated and let the fact that I had screwed up get to me.  At that point, I decided to live by the 80/20 rule (which is 80% clean eating and 20% cheat meals) for the rest of the challenge.  I ended up back at the weight I started at on day 1 of the 24 day challenge, but I noticed that my arms were a little more toned then the beginning.  I learned that it's okay to eat unhealthy every once in a while, but not to make a habit of it.  I also learned that even if I do slip up and make poor food choices one meal or one day, I can start over at the next meal and that I shouldn't give up on my weight loss goals just because I slipped up.

Life after the 24 day challenge

Since completing the 24 day challenge, I temporarily gained some of the weight back, but I have also noticed that my arms are more toned and my waist appears smaller.  I have lost most of the weight I gained since the 24 day challenge, but some of the weight I gained may have been muscle weight, as muscle weighs more than fat.I'll admit, once the challenge was over, I did go back to eating foods that really weren't healthy and skipping breakfast a few days a week.  But, the fact that I've been eating breakfast most days of the week now since completing the challenges a feat in itself.  One healthy habit I have stuck to since the 24 day challenge is that I no longer put sugar in my coffee.  I have also continued to take a few of the products (though not daily because sometimes I forget to take them); I still take the spark drink, meal replacement shakes, Omegaplex, and I added the catalyst halfway through the challenge and I still take it.  I just ordered the thermopiles to start taking that as well.  I have enjoyed making several of the recipes I cooked during the 24 day challenge again.

24 Day Challenge 2015

I recently completed Advocare's 24 day challenge with the encouragement of my spin instructor, who introduced me to Advocare and their products.I have spent the last two weeks reflecting on my experience with the 24 day challenge.  I was initially bummed that I didn't lose as much weight as everyone else seemed to or as much as I had hoped I would.  After a few days of being bummed, I realized that everyone's body is different and that I shouldn't be comparing my experience to everyone else's that I did the challenge with.  Despite not losing much weight, I did lose inches on my waist and thighs and my jeans fit better than they did before the challenge.  I also learned that I can eat healthy/clean and still enjoy the foods I eat.  The recipes I tried off of the 24 day challenge/advocare website were very tasty. As much as I'm not a huge fan of cooking, I actually enjoyed trying new dishes during the challenge.  I'll admit the challenge got tough at times because as a nurse I never know when I'll actually get a chance to take a lunch break, making it difficult to time some of the MNS supplements right during the Max phase of the challenge.

Let me give a brief overview of the 24 day challenge.  Days 1-10 are the cleanse phase.  The purpose of this phase is to cleanse your body in order to better absorb nutrients that are good for your body. During this phase, clean eating is emphasized in addition to fiber, the spark drink, a probiotic in the morning, omega 3 fatty acids, and vitamins at bedtime.  During this phase, it is important to stay away from dairy products, refined sugars, white bread/pasta/rice, whole wheat, junk food, and processed foods while eating fruits, vegetables, proteins (fish, turkey, chicken, lean red meat), and complex carbs (oatmeal, lentils, beans). During this phase and the max phase, healthy fats such as nuts and avocados are allowed in moderation.  This phase was hard for me initially because I was having a hard time grasping some of the things I shouldn't be eating until I had a conversation with my coach and her mentor, who followed up with me regularly, to clarify what I should be eating during the cleanse phase and what I shouldn't be.  After the first few days of eating things I shouldn't have been (i.e. the whole wheat wraps I had been using, Lavash wraps are a better cleanse friendly alternative).  Days 11-24 is the max phase.  The purpose of this phase is to maximize nutrient absorption and weight loss.  During this phase, we continue with the spark drink and the omega 3 fatty acids and start taking the Metabolic Nutrition System (MNS) throughout the day and a meal replacement shake once a day (I did mine for breakfast because most mornings I have to get up at the crack of dawn and really don't have the energy to try to think of what to eat for breakfast). The MNS is a combination of vitamins to fill nutritional gaps in our diets while boosting our metabolism.  In this phase, we are allowed to slowly reintroduce dairy and whole wheat products in moderation while still continuing with our clean/healthy eating.

Disclaimer: Advocare products alone will not give you miracle weight loss results.  You have to be willing to exercise and eat well. But, unlike many fad diets you don't have to completely eliminateany food groups, as long as you eat in moderation.