My take on the 3-Day Shakeology Cleanse

I have avoided this Cleanse for YEARS, ever since it was introduced. Cleanses just aren’t ‘my thing’. I like food. I like to eat. I don’t like being hungry. So you can see why the 3-Day Shakeology Cleanse just wasn’t very appealing to me.

Greenberry Shakeology

But, I starting listening to friends, who’ve done the cleanse, rave about their results. Still skeptical, I started asking questions. I found out that the Cleanse is a Performance Cleanse where you’ll be consuming anywhere from 800-1200 calories a day, debunking my “I’m going to be hungry” fear. You drink 3 shakes a day, which is great because I LOVE me some Chocolate Shakeology. Most people lose 3-8 pounds during the Cleanse, which would help me get over my stalled weight loss.

“Ok, I’m going to do it!” I said to myself. But, when? I decided on the weekend because I tend to be super busy on the weekend with a 6 year old and 6 month old. The goal was to keep my mind off of being on “A Cleanse” (dun, dun, dunnnnnn!) and to keep busy with other things. So, this past Friday night I decided: I’m starting the Cleanse tomorrow morning!

First day – I actually did pretty good! I used the advice I received from my friend, and fellow Beachbody Coach, Juliet Wisdom, and made my first shake with a TON of ice. By doing this, my shake was HUGE! Took some time to finish and made me feel fuller, longer. Score! By lunchtime I was still feeling full from my first shake, so I made a smaller one with not as much ice. I had completely forgotten to eat my piece of fruit with my snack, so I ate that for lunch as well. So far so good. We decided to get out and do some walking, so we took the kids and met my parents at an outdoor mall. Good idea to get some exercise in, bad idea when you’re surrounded with FOOD! Ohmygosh! This was a test of my will. Especially when my 6 year old offered me a bite of her Churro and didn’t understand why I turned her down. “But, Mommy, you loooovvveee Churro’s!” After a while I did start to feel a bit lightheaded, which is common with the Cleanse. I was expecting it, which is why I decided to keep my workouts at a min during the Cleanse. Luckily it was time to head home and make some dinner. While the family feasted on some grilled steaks, I enjoyed my grilled chicken and salad – satisfied! I had my last shake for the day and called it a night.

Second day – this is where it got really challenging for me. The day started out just like the previous day, but Sunday was our day to clean the house and keep a low profile. I was still somewhat lightheaded from the day before, coupled with going up and down the stairs with baskets upon baskets of laundry, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning the kitchen = a grumpy mommy. Again, I expected this. Since I got a ton of feedback from friends who’ve done the Cleanse, I was fully aware of the side effects and prepared for them. Then, it was time to do some meal planning for the week and to go grocery shopping. Now, you need to know, I NEVER go grocery shopping on an empty stomach, and it’s something that I advise against when speaking with my clients and customers. Today it was reiterated to me – NEVER GO GROCERY SHOPPING ON AN EMPTY STOMACH! Things that normally didn’t appeal to me, I all of a sudden had a craving for. And, I caught myself justifying why I NEEDED to buy that bag of chips. Side note: the bag of chips didn’t make the final cut! But, I was very surprised at my willpower…I had come THIS far, I wasn’t about to trip up now! I finished the shopping, went home and had a shake – I felt instantly better and quite proud.

Third day – This was probably the easiest day of them all. By now my body had gotten used to the routine of the Cleanse, I feel less bloated, I have more energy, my headaches are gone and I’m no longer light headed. I feel “cleaner”, like my insides have been cleaned, waxed and shined (if that makes sense?). I feel lighter. All of these things are great because I had to work the third day of the Cleanse. There was NO WAY I would’ve been able to work feeling the way I did on day 2, no way!

A couple of things I’d like to point out…so, it’s a Cleanse, right? So, we’re cleaning out our insides, right? Right. Expect your tummy to make some noise during the Cleanse. Expect a few more trips to the bathroom. One of the creators of Shakeology, Isabel Daikeler, said at Coach Summit 2010 last year, “Shakeology is like Scrubbing Bubbles for your insides.” Well, that’s with 1 shake a day. Multiply that x3 for 3 days and…you get the picture. :) It’s nothing that can’t be handled, nothing that will house bound you for 3 days, it’s just something to keep in mind. Also, be completely prepared before you start. There’s nothing worse than reaching for that piece of fruit for your daily snack and realizing YOU’RE OUT OF FRUIT!!!! And, finally, make sure you have an Accountability Partner to keep you on track. It was so important to my success that my husband, Josh, was there to keep me on track. When I said to him, “Screw this, I’m over it!” he was there to remind me of my goals and that it was only 3 days – 3 DAYS! I don’t know how well I would’ve stayed on track if it weren’t for him.

So, how’d I do? Well, I lost 4 pounds and FINALLY got over my stalled weight loss. Woo Hoo!! I’m not bloated any more, my clothes fit more comfortably and I feel more alive. Would I do this again? YES! Especially after big holiday eating or to prepare for a vacation. BUT, you shouldn’t do it more than once a month.

If you’re interested in doing the 3-Day Shakeology Cleanse, you can purchase the Cleanse directly from me for $50 – that includes 9 packets of Shakeology, a shaker cup, green tea and the Cleanse directions.

Or, better yet, get a 30-day supply of Shakeology, because, I guarantee you, after you’re done with the Cleanse, you’ll want to continue daily Shakeology shakes – they’re THAT good!