Arbonne 30: Week 2 results

Since I've already given a specific breakdown in week one, I won't bore you with a detailed play-by-play going forward. Just know that each day involves two shakes, one meal, optional snacks, and lots of tea and water. If you missed it, you can read up here.

Prep has been key for me to succeed and thankfully that involves minimal time in the kitchen. One batch of chicken I made on Sunday lasted me for four lunches this week! I've seen other participants make more elaborate meals which is awesome if you need variety. For me, prepping and having something ready during the work week is more important even if it is redundant.

Shakes

I started playing around a lot more with varieties this week. Vanilla with lemon/blueberries and chocolate with strawberries are two new favorites!

Snacks

I bought the huge bag of green apples from BJ's when I started the program and I'm the only one eating them, plus they're delicious! Lots of apple slices with crunchy almond butter, or veggies with hummus as well as the occasional hard boiled egg or brown rice cake with guacamole.

Meals

I bought the ingredients to prep some new recipes, but mother nature intervened: we had a birthday dinner for Sean's mom that included compliant crock pot chicken tacos. A weekend snowstorm had all the guests cancelling last minute, so lunch most of the week was leftover chicken with salad, guac, and brown rice. This setup lasted me for four lunches, and on the fifth, I decided to test the waters with eating out at Sweetgreen. I was able to order a compliant version of one of my favorite salads, guacamole greens!

Results

I'll start this by saying my coach recommends doing a weigh-in weekly as it's easy to get discouraged if you do it daily. I see the value in this, but I also have a lot of weight to lose and don't want to waste any time if I'm not doing something properly and right now, the scale helps to tell me that. After two days in a row of minor weight gain (1/2 lb most) after consistent loss, I considered the fact that perhaps I'd fallen into a trap I never thought I would: eating too few calories. I've actually been feeling full enough that I haven't needed to eat as much as I used to. With a few tweaks to the goals in my Fitbit app, I was able to get a better idea of calories in vs. out for me (I don't "work out", but I do walk frequently). By upping the calories just a little bit, the weight loss resumed as quickly as it had stalled and I have a better idea of the "zone" I need to strive for.

It's crazy to think this is the halfway point of the challenge. I was encouraged by the first week's results, both expected and unexpected, and expected that while I'd see results this week, they'd probably slow down since we're past the "water weight loss" people like to talk about. While it was harder for the more surprising reason I just mentioned, I can definitely see there has still been progress: I lost another 2.3 lbs. and 6 inches (overall - chest, waist/hips/belly)!

This week, I continue the plan with a twist: Arbonne's 7-day body cleanse! I've never done one before, so be assured I'll be giving an honest summary of how that went for me next week!