Somewhere around March 7 of this year, it occurred to me that I should probably clean up my act. This meant taking more vitamins (or just taking any vitamins to be precise), eating less beef-on-buns products, and exercising more (or just exercising in general).
I’d been feeling plenty run down, stressed, and bulky for several years, and I often cycled through periods of conscious health and detoxing, only to jump back on the eat-hamburgers, enjoy-the-wine, sit-on-the-couch-working-for-eight-hours train days later. Then, after a period of extreme exhaustion and ultimate burnout in late February, I knew that vicious back and forth had to stop.
What held me back slightly was that the nature of my work means I stare at a laptop for hours a day. Sometimes 12 hours. Sometimes 16. I try to optimize my working time during the kids’ school hours because I know that all getting-things-done bets are off the moment I pick them up and bring them home. This tendency means I’m loathe to take any time for myself from 8:30-3:20 because that is productive time wasted (I say in my mind). Also, if I don’t capitalize on every kid-free second I have to freelance, it means I’ll be taking my laptop to bed and working into the odd hours. Translation: going to the gym or popping in an exercise DVD took precious time I didn’t think I could spare. I always eat lunch at my computer, too, so chose simple edibles I could pop into my mouth with my non-writing hand, such as nachos and potato chip sticks.
Also, there was a general lack of restorative sleep happening, ill-advised relaxation methods such as Cabernet, and gravity pulling at my face.
So, after three days of thinking, on March 10, I decided to implement a 30-Day Transformation Plan I mishmashed together from Google advice and my own brain. I figured I would be bold and go big; and that I could do anything for 30 days, except sit in a spider den, and so I could probably live through less starch and more calcium.
I wanted to share what I did during this time because I truly felt more energetic and less nacho-y, and I always love to hear what people do to be better, and so maybe you will, too.
Here’s the breakdown:
Exercise
I would do Jillian Michaels’ 30-Day Shred every day. This exercise plan consists of three levels, each lasting 20 minutes, and implementing a two-minutes-of-cardio, two-minutes-of-strength, and one-minute-of-abs interval training sequence. I rather liked the quick, get-it-done nature of the levels and felt sore afterwards, which my husband assured me was a good sign.
After week one, I added in 20 minutes of AMT training at my gym, which was essentially an elliptical/treadmill/stair climbing combo exercise helped tremendously by the fact that a large TV was situated in front of my face. I tried to use the AMT every day, but in practice, I did it every other day.
Food
I eliminated sugar, most dairy, white flour, processed foods, and soy. To survive, I made these protein pancakes almost every morning for breakfast, learned how to make paleo crabcakes, which saved me for many a lunch, and bought enough dips from the farmers’ market to drown the taste of all the other healthy stuff I ate. I also bought those all-natural grilled chicken strips from Costco and dipped them in Thai sauce or chopped them into salads. Finally, hardboiled eggs became my best snack friend.
Vitamin Regimen
- Four Wholemega fish oil capsules
(for my heart and anti-inflammation) - Two vitamin D drops (I’m deficient)
- A whole food multivitamin (because I should)
- A probiotic with every meal (for digestion)
- One biotin tablet (for hair and nails)
- One coenzyme Q10 (as an antioxidant)
- One niacin tablet (I’d heard it was a good detoxifier; but that “niacin flush” is gnarly)
All of the vitamin ingestion was complicated by the fact that I can’t swallow pills, and instead must chew them due to an unfortunate Thanksgiving incident when I was eight, so I went for liquid or chewable versions where I could.
Mind Wellness
I would do five minutes of meditation, and ask my husband “how was your day?” every evening.
Face Wellness
To combat the downward pull on my cheeks, eyes, jowls, and neck, I compiled a daily facial exercise routine, some of which you can see here. I did these every day, faithfully.
I also added a product to my usual beloved Skin Authority skincare routine. The Resurfacing Accelerator is designed to exfoliate and “youthen” skin, which is a word I made up that should totally be a word.
Etc.
There was zero wine in my 30-Day Transformation Plan, but lots of looking at it longingly.
(This awful pic shows me just before the 30-Day Transformation Plan)
(This similarly horrible pic shows me just after the 30-Day Transformation Plan)
(This ridiculously horrible pic shows me just before my tendons broke)
The Results
It turned out that 18 was my magic number because that’s the day I made it to with the plan. I completed nearly all of Jillian Michaels’ level two Shred, until something terrible happened to my hand and its tendons could no longer accommodate my weight resting on it from the five million planks I had to do. Despite this unfortunate appendage anomaly, I indeed felt firmer in places and my stamina rose dramatically.
I noticed a large energy shift for the better with the vitamins. I also observed that my hair and nails seemed stronger.
The meditation helped sharpen my focus somewhat when I could stay silent in my head long enough. I stopped asking my husband about his day after night three because I’m an awful person who was doing too many planks.
The best part of the transformation for me turned out to be the facial exercises. I really noticed a difference, and so did a lot of other people. I was told I “glowed” and looked years younger, which could have been the Resurfacing Accelerator, but I really felt that the exercises toned and lifted my face.
Giving up wine was a good thing. I slept better and that is wonderful for everyone concerned, said the crabby-no-sleep-getter.
Overall, I would do this again, except with less niacin and more “how was your days?” for my husband. Toward the end of the plan, I hit an exceptionally busy patch with work that derailed a lot of my routine. In the process, I observed how easy it was for me to get off course with a crazy schedule and realized that time MUST BE MADE despite it to be healthy. That was the most valuable lesson I already knew but needed to know deeper.
And that’s true for anything really, isn’t it?
robyn L says
I’ve been toying with thinking about detoxing for a while now because I’ve been feeling awful and allergic and inflamed for months. Thanks for posting this!
P.S. Hi Deb! It’s been a long time since I’ve stopped by your blog. (I changed the name/url of mine.) :)
julie gardner says
I have used the word “youthen” several times before, always with the caveat that it’s notawordbutshouldbeaword.
I knew we were soul sisters.
And you look beautiful. Before and after.
Raina Kropp says
Wow, that’s a lot! Congratulations! I was in a weight competition at work for 90 days and was super good with my nutrition and exercise. Now almost a month later, I’m trying to find some balance. It’s an ongoing process right? Thank you for sharing. Those protein pancakes look delicious. Yum :)
Alli says
I think that RAD! Seriously 18 days is a lot to do something fully. Congrats.
Me says
Love the facial exercises link. Thanks for sharing. I am totally trying that!
BriGeeski says
You are too funny! I love your writing style. You definitely look healthier in your after photos. I totally get how busy schedules get in the way of trying to be healthy. I am on a similar kick right now but I am trying to make these lifestyle changes stay in my life. We will see how it goes. Good luck!
Bloggoneit says
I love the word youthen. I think we should all get youthenized!
Congratulations on making it to Day 18. Coincidentally, after checking the calendar, I’m on Day 18 todayl. Woohoo! I will keep going and hope to make it to 19 or 20.
To be fair, I don’t have the kind of job you have and I am able to dedicate hours and hours to wondering what crazy thing I’m going to make my family do next (vegan? Gluten-free? Who knows?). I’m able to spend days researching how to make sure I make it to 100. Will I make it to 100? Probably not especially after how I lived my 20s but that’s a tale for another time…
We are all doing the best we can with the time we have. Just make small changes until they become so routine that they ARE the routine.
You look great. You are far, far, far too hard on yourself.
Audric's Mom says
I love your determination. It’s already been 3 years since I first planned to change my “unhealthy” daily activities for the better, but procrastination always comes in my way. :(
Lisa says
I am so impressed – congrats! I think you look beautiful every time I see you, but I totally relate personally to your sense of feeling nacho-y. I’ve been saying for three months that I’m going to get in shape before a girls trip to Palm Springs … which is now three weeks away. But if you can do it for 18 days, so I can! You’ve definitely inspired me. (I actually have 16 days but that’s still a good start, right?!)
Charlotte says
Lift your eyebrows as high as you can, open your eyes as wide as possible and frown at the same time.
1. Thanks for these I really needed them but was to lazy (I mean busy) to google them.
2. I cant do this one. Tried. Like licking my elbow.