Hi - Smoothie Shakedown newbie!

[Losing Laura]

Hi everyone!
I started Smoothie Shakedown on Monday - whoo hoo! I'm so excited to be detoxed and thinner

I am 5'7.5" and started at 174.4 on Monday. On Friday I was down to 170.4!!! That includes cheating a little 2 nights (oops).

I got the supplements and am taking the FF Multi Vitamin, FF Weight Loss Formula, CLA, GLA and Y-C Cleanse.

I've read the FF book and am doing the things like cran water and HLW from the FF plan. I'm also using those recipes for ideas (but sticking to the 4-6 oz of lean meat perscribed for SS).

When I get up I have 8oz Cranwater, then I have the Y-C Cleanse and then the HLW. I also take my perscription meds (2) w/ water. Is it ok to take them so close to the YC cleanse? I know you need to wait after the flax seeds, which I do since those are in my smoothie.
45 min after I take my meds I drink smoothie No. 1 which is w/ 8oz coffee and no fruit.

Sometimes I have a snack mid morning and sometimes I don't. Is that ok? If I'm not hungry I don't make myself eat, but should I to keep metabolism up or something?

Then at lunch I have smoothie #2 which I make in the morning and put in the fridge at work. I make this one with one of the following: 1 cup frozen blueberries; 1 cupish frozen strawberries (sometimes with 1 cup of Rhubarb since its a veggie), or 1 cup of mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries and blackberries). I add 8oz cranwater to this one and sometimes extra water because I find the smoothie a bit thick. Is it ok to add extra water to the smoothies?

Should I be drinking the cranwater 20 min before lunch and dinner just like on the FF plan? I also drink a ton of regular water throughout the day, like 120+ oz, which I think is ok....right? Again, sometimes no snack in afternoon. Othertimes I'm hungry and have veggies or my 2nd fruit.

I find that the smoothies and the supplements have really kept me from being hungry. The first couple of days I struggled a little becuase I have a sweet tooth and regularly indulged it, but after 2 days I wasn't craving cookies, candy or ice cream anymore. Now, that's not to say that I didn't want it if I saw it, smelled it or heard someone mention it, but I wasn't craving it, which is huge!

For my snacks I have my 2nd fruit, veggies and/or 1-2 hard boiled eggs. I feel like I don't eat many spices. Is that ok or do I need to try to eat a bunch of them since they also have thermogenic and diuretic benefits?

Thanks! I will update on my progress as I go along

[lizbeck]

Welcome to the Forum. Thanks for posting your great success!! You are off to a great start. It really is good to do all the snacks, it keeps your metabolism humming, do the cranwater before meals, it helps with digestion and detox and include as many spices as you like. Experiment with some new ones. It's fun!

[LSue]

Hi Losing Laura!

I see our lovely Liz has answered your questioned...I just wanted to pop in and offer a warm welcome to you! You sound very motivated and organized...good for you! Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll start to see results before you know it!

And yes...if you can incoporate a variety of the thermogenic spices, you'll be helping the fat burning process...and we all want that, right?

Hope you'll post often so we can continue answering your questions and cheer you on!

[Suerra]

Hi Laura!
Welcome to our forum You're definitely off to a great start! I find that eating the snacks even when I'm not particularly hungry helps prevent cravings and/or overeating at my next meal. I highly recommend taking advantage of all the yummy spices! I make a shaker full of my 'house' seasoning- cumin, garlic, onion, cayenne, paprika, and a dash of cinnamon. That way, you just shake it on to whatever you're cooking or eating. Another easy way to incorporate seasonings is to add cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, or ginger to your smoothies. Cinnamon is definitely the most versatile, but you may develop a killer combination if you play around with them all! Feel free to ask questions if you like!
Best wishes to you!