Vacation…

Step #1: Choose the date and location.

Step #2: Make a commitment to “be in GREAT shape for vacation”. (This is strongly emphasized if beach/pool/bikini are involved.)

Step #3: Mess around getting all of the other logistics lined up and try to “cram” for the “GREAT SHAPE” part… sometimes stressing a bit when trying on vacation clothes… with a pale, post-winter, not-so-beach-ready body.

I am no different from most people. I have said (and posted many photos showing) that I do not walk around with a super toned, tanned body 365 days per year. I get pale and fluffy in the winter too and it doesn’t mean that I am not fit. It just means I am like most North Americans and experience winter just like everyone else.

So just like Steps #1-3 show above, I followed along accordingly…

Step #1: The dates (April 7-13) were decided… the location (sunny and warm Florida beaches) was selected…

Step #2: I made the commitment to be “BIKINI READY” for this fabulous trip (EXTRA emphasis on this since part of my job description includes “fitness model”).

Step #3: From my many years of fitness competitions and photo shoots, I know that it takes me a few weeks to whip myself into “BIKINI READY”. Typically 3-4 weeks depending on my starting point. This time was different because I waited so long and didn’t have 3-4 weeks to pull it together. I had less than 2 weeks so I decided to try something different.

Let me take a step back… the “try something different” was actually encouraged by my boyfriend, Stephen (yes… Steph and Steve… cute, huh? I think so!)…

I have been using Isagenix since 2010 but never tried the 9 Day Cleanse. I will be honest… I was scared! There are snacks available but overall, the 9 Day Cleanse is 2 days of cleansing (pretty much no food), 5 days of 1-2 meal replacement shakes and 1-2 clean, balanced meals, and then 2 more days of cleansing.

For anyone who knows me, I LOVE FOOD. The idea of “not eating” for a couple days was terrifying! But when Stephen said he would do it with me, I thought it might be ok with the moral support. Besides, I was really out of time for any big changes in the way of my regular nutrition and training so I took the chance.

Our experience was GREAT! The 2 days of cleansing wasn’t bad at all and we both had a ton of energy! Our skin started to get that healthy glow and the weight was literally falling off. We took daily photos to “see if it was working” and Stephen weighed himself and watched 13 pounds disappear.

I don’t own a scale so I just used my pics and how my clothes were fitting to measure my progress. (I HIGHLY encourage daily photos… they will keep you motivated when those last 2 days of cleansing come around.)

These photos were taken on Day 1 and Day 3… just 2 days gave me a great jumpstart in how I was feeling and how I was looking.

 

Was some of that weight water weight? Sure it was, but WATER WEIGHT COVERS ABS just as much as body fat does.

These are our photos from Day 1 to Day 9 and you can see there is a definite improvement in terms of BEACH-READY bodies.

You can also see that what normally takes me 4 weeks or so only took me 9 days with the Isagenix 9 Day Cleanse. For anyone who has prepped for 4 weeks, you KNOW this is a HUGE improvement!

Some of you may think these results are temporary and that they would be all gone at the end of a week-long road trip that included catching up with old friends and attending a wedding, but we made sure to take “post vacation” photos so you can see the outcome for yourself.

These are our photos the day we returned from vacation and you can see we may have gained a bit of water weight back but the overall fat loss remained and we both feel more energized, alert, and well than we have in a long time!

Next week’s blog post will be a recap of our entire week… where and how we chose to spend money to create EXPERIENCES and MEMORIES that will last us a lifetime and I will even break down our daily nutrition and training so you can see where and how we indulged (Key Lime Pie and Fudge anyone???).

Finally, after YEARS of feeling like I was taking 10 steps forward and then 9.5 back (or more!) while on vacation, I think we cracked the code on making the absolute most out of a vacation and coming home feeling and looking fabulous.

And if you would like to order the Isagenix 9 Day Cleanse, you can order directly by clicking here, or use this “How to Isagenix” guide I created to help answer questions about the ordering process. You can always reach me at isagenix@skfitlife.com too! Having someone to support you AFTER the 9 Day Cleanse is important! Sure, you can just buy the 9 Day Cleanse from amazon.com, but you miss out on having someone to reach out to if you have any questions about using the products.