Four BIG things I learned from doing the 3 Day Refresh

I have been putting off talking about this. But the time has come where I HAVE to talk about it. I have put it off long enough and need to share what I think are the whys of why it didn't work for me.

I am talking about the 3 Day Refresh.

I am a HUGE fan of the shakeology cleanse. I loved it. I had great results and talked about it openly all the time. (For more info on the shakeology cleanse click here. To read about my experience with it click here.) So I was kind of dismayed when Isabelle Daikeler (co-creator of shakeology) talked about how it wasn't designed for a cleanse. There wasn't the right balance of protein and fiber or calories for optimal results. But since the cleanse was so popular she set out to design one that would incorporate those things, and the 3 Day Refresh was born.

So I eagerly ordered mine as soon as I could. I had a cross-country move coming up, followed by a holiday week at home that would be filled with friends, family, food and booze. I know how I feel after those weeks. And being on vacation at home with my husband means eating at all our favorite restaurants before he heads West again. (Because out there they are desperately lacking in all things pizza and Italian food. So when back home in Pittsburgh, he eats his fill.)

It sat on top of my fridge as I anxiously waited for the right time to start it (like the day after my hubby left.) I tore into it with wild abandon and read all the details. I made a plan. I shopped. I tried to incorporate all the leftover veggie tray veggies from the Fourth of July party into my meals (hello moroccan carrot salad.) I was excited and prepared. I was going to rock this.

Except I didn't.

The first day was okay. I was hungry but nothing I wasn't expecting. I drank a lot of water. Forced down the Fiber Sweep shake. (It's not bad but the chia and flax in it get clumpy if it sits and the texture gets really gross. Seriously, shake and chug. It's better for everyone that way.) I made it through the Vanilla Fresh shakes with no major issues. They were okay. Not terrible but not amazing either. I used my allotment of frozen fruit in my shakes so they had a thicker texture. I drank my water. I went to bed. I didn't feel headachy or anything like that which was a plus.

Imagine my dismay when I woke up on Day Two and gained 3 pounds. Crazy. So I googled. This was what I found:

"Improved regularity is a possible benefit of the program. However many users may not be accustomed to the higher levels of fiber in their diet, and this can lead to temporary gas, bloating or constipation. If users get a little gas or bloating, this is a sign that they need to up their fiber levels in general." (Source) 

But I eat vegetables. ALL the time. I get TONS of fiber. I knew that was not my issue. But maybe it was water weight or something like that. It would just go away. No big deal. So I pressed on. 

Day Two continued on much like Day One, except I learned these little tricks. Choose lettuce for lunch. Seriously, 3 cups is a serving. That's a major win compared to 12 green beans. 
      
And on Day Three I woke up having gained another 2 pounds. (So a total of five pounds.) For someone who was hoping to lose the five happy good times travel pounds she put on the previous week this was not an ideal situation. Also by this point in the cleanse the Vanilla Fresh shakes were starting to really hurt my stomach. I didn't even use the last one. 

So I was done. And crabby about the whole thing. 

The final verdict. I gained 5 pounds. From a cleanse. And I felt terrible. That was a really hard thing to wrap my head around. 

But I am a glass half full kind of girl so I refused to see this as a major setback. I knew there were takeaways from this I could use to move forward in my journey. So what did I learn from this situation.... a few things. 

1. I most definitely have some type of food intolerance happening. 

Doing an elimination diet and figuring that out to get my health to the next level has been moved WAY up on the priority list. 

2. Starting the day drinking 8-12 oz of water is awesome. 

This is something that is recommended on the Refresh and I am going to implement daily. No coffee until that water is down the hatch. 

3. Beachbody has a pretty awesome return policy.

 I was able to return the completely EMPTY box the refresh came in for a full refund. No questions asked. (Just remember to keep your tracking number!) *

4. Not everything works for everyone. 

This is true for workouts, foods, diets and apparently cleanses. Our bodies are all different. Our lifestyles are all different. There is not a one size fits all solution. Luckily when it comes to workouts and nutrition there are TONS of different options to find the one that works. A year and a half later I am still trying to nail down the nutrition side of it but I am getting closer every day. 

Despite all of this...was I disappointed? Yes. Was I frustrated? Extremely. But there was nothing I could do to go back and fix it at that point besides get right back on track with my workouts and my meal plan. 

What was even more frustrating....to see all of my friends and teammates having killer results with the 3 Day Refresh. 

Michelle lost 6 lbs. SIX POUNDS in three days. That is crazy. (You can read more about her experience here.)

AND Amber lost 8 lbs. EIGHT pounds and TWO inches. (Are you starting to feel my frustration now?) (You can read about her story here.)

There are tons of stories I could share with you to illustrate awesome successes in three days. (Or you can just google 3 Day Refresh Results.) But I wanted to mention these two ladies because they are on my team. I know them. I work with them. For me that seems WAY more credible that an image straight from google. 

So what does this mean? 

I will not be jumping on the Refresh bandwagon anytime soon. There is something in there that just does not agree with me. But I am in the minority by far. (Still angry.) 

And if you too happen to fall in that minority, you have the 30 day guarantee to fall back on. Money back. Empty Box. No questions asked. 

Should you try it?

I would take a look at your health, your history, the ingredients and determine if it is something that can work for you. If you have questions take them to your doctor. But I am a firm believer in giving everything a shot....so if you are on the fence I say go for it. What do you have to lose?

For more information on the Refresh click here. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me.