What The 10 Day Shred Is Really About

If you follow me on instagram or FB, you have probably seen me post about the 10 Day Shred and most likely wondered what it is all about. Why is there so much hype about it? Is it really successful? Can you really see a lot of changes in 10 days?

To be honest, I am not a fan of fads and I hate the word “diet.” It is all about making healthy lifestyle changes (little-by little) that ultimately lead to your bigger goal that last a lifetime. A diet is not sustainable over the long run. If you cut out certain foods, you lose weight, and then once you go back to your regular way of eating, the weight comes back! By adopting healthy habits, you learn to lead a healthier lifestyle that you can stick to.

With that being said, I wasn’t very interested in the Shred, as it seemed to be another “fad,” but after seeing amazing results from my peers, I decided to give it a try, as a little “experiment” with my self to see how it effected my body.

The Shred:

1. Take Juice Plus capsules or chewables daily.

2. Drink two JP shakes a day (once replacing a meal). I made my usual smoothie (scoop of Chocolate complete shake mix, PB2 powder, frozen banana, spinach and almond milk) for breakfast and had a regular shake (shake mix and water or almond milk mixed in a blender bottle for an afternoon snack).

3. No gluten (which I don’t typically eat a lot of).

4. No processed food or refined sugar.

5. No alcohol. This wasn’t too bad, but definitely harder on the weekend when my husband was drinking wine and beer in front of me while catching up on our favorite TV shows.

6. No caffeine. This was a hard one for me, since I LOVE my daily morning cup of coffee. Drinking decaf or herbal maple tea helped!

7. Eat dinner by 6:00 p.m. This wasn’t too bad, but as we have gotten busier with after school activities, it isn’t always easy to eat before 6.

The first day was rough. I was dragging all day long. Watching my husband sip his wine at night after the kids were in bed was really hard, too. At the end of the day, I look forward to having a glass of wine and catching up with my husband about our days and the kids. But, by day three, I had more energy and I felt great. My tummy wasn’t bloated.

Though it may not look like a big difference from the pictures, but at the end of the Shred, I was surprised to see that I lost 1.5 lbs, my tummy was flatter and I had so much more energy! But, did I miss my coffee? YES! I was so ready for a cup of coffee the morning after the Shred and my nightly glass of wine (or beer). However, after completing the Shred, I can only drink one cup of coffee in the morning. Prior to the Shred, I would drink two cups, or save one for the afternoon to make an iced coffee. For whatever reason, I just can’t drink more than one cup a day, and the thought of an iced coffee doesn’t appeal to me anymore…strange!

There was definitely something to the Shred, because it helped lessen the amount of caffeine I take in, and it made me realize that gluten and dairy tend to make me bloat and feel a little lethargic. Now, I aim to stay away from gluten and dairy, and my tummy feels so much better.

Would I do the Shred again? I might. Would  I recommend it? Yes! It is a great jump start for anyone’s health journey, whether someone is looking to lose weight, tone up or just improve their overall health. It kicks your body in gear, and helps you to better understand how it interacts with certain foods. In the grand scheme of things, it’s only 10 days and if I can do it, you can do it, too!

If you are interested in doing the Shred, our next group starts October 5th! I’ll be providing free coaching to those who sign up, as well as lots of meal and recipe ideas. Please email me, or leave a comment if you would like more information!

Question:

Have you ever done a nutrition or exercise challenge? If so, for how long and what was it?