My friend Christie wrote this about her recent experience with the RESET. She is such a great writer too...for anyone still wondering if they want to do it, here is someone other than ME, raving about it. actually there are LOTS of "others" but only a few have had time to write about it so far:)
Review # 1: Christie....
Usana Reset, Round 2
As I write this post, I have a delicious vanilla shake and a half grapefruit on the table next to me. It’s day 1 of my 5 day Usana Reset, and I couldn’t be more excited. If this were my first time, I would be terrified of what starvation felt like (as that’s what I would have assumed was coming), but for me this is Round 2. And I don’t have a single apprehension about the process or the results.
Let me start off by saying that I am the definition of a carb junkie. And I’m not talking about whole wheat bread, whole-grain oatmeal, and brown rice. Yes, I have each of those on a consistent basis, but I also like to add in a generous dose of tortilla chips, candy, processed cereals, coffee-shop scones, and candy (did I already say that?). In other words, complete and total junk. I know all the “right” things to eat and do for my health: I studied nutrition in college and was a personal trainer and group fitness instructor before having kids. But once I start eating this stuff, my cravings just become so strong, like a force of nature with which I can’t possibly compete. I try to walk past the bag of jelly beans that is supposed to be for helping to potty train my daughter, but somehow my hand reaches into that bag. Twice. Every time. And my daughter is still in diapers.
Enter Nicole Wagner’s Facebook post on Usana’s 5-day Reset. Have healthy, balanced, delicious shakes and bars every day for 5 days, and lose the junk cravings? Actually begin to crave the healthy food my body really wants and needs? And maybe lose 5 pounds or so in the process? Sign me up!
Before starting, I was so worried about the unknown: would I be ravenous by noon on the first day? Would I be able to cook for and feed my family without doing so for myself? Would I have energy to get through my long work days? Would I lose a few pounds and gain it all back 2 days later because it was just water weight? I knew I needed to do something, as this current rut I was in wasn’t helping anyone, so I grabbed my blender and put it to work.
Here are the things I remember most from those 5 days:
-The first two days were hard, not because of hunger, but because of the headaches that come with breaking a caffeine addiction. O. M. G. Honestly, I feel SO much more awake when I am not drinking coffee, but it’s SUCH a hard habit to break. I took Aleve to get through the pain, and by day 3, I was over the addiction. (*Note: I loooove my lattes…the taste and experience more than the caffeine, and I still have it occasionally. But I’m not a slave to it anymore, and when I wake up I actually feel awake. What a concept!).
-The shakes and bars got better with each day. They were good right from the start, but by Day 5 they were delicious! I think this is just part of getting over the cravings for the bad things and turning them into cravings for the good.
-I was drinking water. Anyone who knows me knows this is a miracle statement. I hate water. I have never enjoyed drinking water. It tastes like the ground in a cup. I know that’s weird, but it’s the truth. Even in high school sports when we were required to bring water bottles, the coaches finally gave up and let me have Gatorade in mine so I would actually drink the darn thing and not pass out from dehydration. By the end of the Reset, I had pitchers of lemon water in my fridge and was taking it with me everywhere I went. And I LOVED it. Pure miracle, I’m telling you.
-It was easy to work into my lifestyle and gave me the energy I needed to maintain it. I am a wedding planner, and I did my first Reset in early July: the busiest part of my year. Over the course of the 5 days, I had multiple client and vendor meetings, lengthy wedding days, and late nights. I was very impressed to find how portable everything was…I took bars with me in my bags and even shook up my shake in my Starbucks tumbler on one occasion. And I had all the energy I needed to get through it all. Plus, keeping busy actually really helped me to keep my mind off of the fact that I wasn’t eating actual food.
-I never, ever felt hungry. Not even once. This was the most amazing part of all. Don’t get me wrong…I couldn’t wait to eat. I missed the act of eating food so much. I fantasized about the first breakfast on Day 6 many, many times. But as much as I wanted to complain to my husband about how my insides were eating themselves and I was so strong to be able to withstand the pain and suffering, I never got that chance. Knowing that I could eat all the fruits and vegetables I wanted definitely helped, but even when I got around to them, I could only eat a little bit because I was genuinely full. And OH what a treat they were. Strawberries, cantaloupe, bananas, and carrots became pure dessert in my mind. I looked forward to eating them every day, but never felt the physical feeling of hunger throughout the entire process.
-I remember Day 6. Not just the weight loss (6 pounds in 5 days?!?!!!), but also how crazy delicious that whole grain bread with crunchy natural peanut butter tasted. I actually took a picture of it, I loved it that much. I remember opening my fridge and craving those carrot sticks in my vegetable drawer and that water in my travel cup. I remember going out to dinner with my family and ordering a salad and water, not out of reluctance or necessity, but because it actually sounded divine and the thought of messing up my entirely clean and pure body with processed crap actually disgusted me. I was a new woman.
Now, 6 weeks later, the old woman has resurfaced just a bit. It’s totally my own fault. I have all the typical excuses to spout off: I got super busy at work; I didn’t have time to go to the store and buy what I really needed; I had dinners with friends and wanted to indulge a bit, etc etc etc. Bottom line, somehow in the past few weeks I’ve gotten back into the habit of eating my daughter’s positive-reinforcement potty training treats. My stomach is upset, my energy is lagging, and I’ve gained back a couple of those 6 pounds. I am ready to reset my body again.
I woke up excited this morning, not apprehensive. This time I’m not wondering if it will work for me. I know it will. And I have yet to hear of someone for whom it didn’t. It’s an amazing, perfectly crafted formula. My breakfast shake is now only 2/3 of the way gone and I’m already full. That grapefruit dessert may have to wait until lunch (or dinner?).
Let the reset begin!!
Thank you, Nicole!! ☺ ☺ ☺