Is Isagenix 4 You? Follow Me and Then Decide

Introduction

Here is a true to life - no nonsense - no BS daily blog of my Isagenix experience. Decided to start the Isagenix 30-day challenge on my 38th birthday -September 10, 2013. Happy Birthday, Steve - Here's some Ionix Supreme, yum!

Ok, so let me start with some forward overview of how I came to accept this challenge and also explain my expectations of this 30-days. NOTE: I am sorting this so the oldest posts are on top. Pay no attention to the "post" date according to the blog. I will put the actual date in my posting so you can see where I am at.

Foreward

I started exercising on a regular basis (4-5 days a week of intense exercise) in January 2010. At that time I weighed about 195lbs and I am 5' 10" in height. I had an annual physical that showed my cholesterol levels were downright awful. My "good" cholesterol (HDL) was way too low, around 11 (should be around 40), and my "bad cholesterol" (LDL)was too high, around 200. This gave me a really bad high to low ratio that my doctor told me would eventually lead to severe health problems.

I suppose that was the wake up call I needed. At the age of 34, I decided that before going on cholesterol medication for the rest of my life or worse, using it as an excuse to not really change any of my habits, I wanted to do everything I could to eat right and exercise to see what it would do for me.

So - Les Mills became my new best friend. I decided to use my free gym membership from my employer and started attending BodyPump, Spinning, and eventually BodyCombat classes on a regular basis. I also completely eliminated saturated fat from my diet. I limited myself to no more that 10g of saturated fat per day. Since I heard oatmeal was a cholesterol reducing food, I ate it almost everyday. 8 months later, I went it for my annual physical and my total cholesterol only went down 20 points to about 220. However, my HDLs almost doubled to 22, so that was good. It greatly reduced my HDL to LDL ratio and I was at least better off there. The bad news, my cholesterol was still too high and so I caved. I knew I had done everything possible to bring it down, so I accepted going on a low dose of a statin. Sure enough, three weeks after starting on that, my total cholesterol plummeted over 40 more points down to the 160 range. As nice as this was, I refused to let that be an excuse to stop my new habit of eating right and exercising regularly.

My next goal after a few years of this routine was to final tone up completely and get rid of those last few pounds of belly fat. I knew my biggest weakness was sugar. So in April 2013 I decided to take a break on the LesMills programs and give Beachbody Insanity a try. For those that don't know, Insanity is a 60-day workout routine, taught by Shaun T. Nothing is required other than a commitment and effort. No special devices, weights, or equipment. My wife and I did this routine exactly as prescribed with one caveat. We didn't really pay attention on the nutrition diet side of things. Not that we ate like garbage, but we really didn't count calories or pay particular attention to what we ate. Nonetheless, I took daily pictures and in the end was rather disappointed with my results. That said, I do not blame the Insanity workouts. In fact, I still do them when I miss a lesson at the gym. I would still totally recommend the routine to others. I honestly believe, I didn't see the results I wanted because of my diet.

And that is what led me to here....my Les Mills instructor asked about trying Isagenix and after doing as much research I could, I decided the only way to really know was to just do the 30-day cleanse and see if the proof in in the pudding. So, here we go...follow along with me as we go through this and then I will give my true assessment of whether this is something to continue with or if it is just a fad like so many others.

Day 1 - Getting Started

Isagenix Day 1 - September 10, 2013

Ok - my starting stats are to the right.
Remember - it IS my birthday so right at 38 years old and 5' 10" tall.

My overall goal - to lose at most 10 lbs but hopefully convert some fat to muscle and get more tone.

On day 1, you start with Ionix Supreme in the morning. You mix a scoop with 6oz of water which isn't much so I just through this in a glass and chugged it down. Yeah, it isn't very tasty. At all.About a half hour later I mixed up a chocolate IsaLean Pro shake with just water and ice and downed it. This was definitely better tasting then the Ionix Supreme but not the most delicious thing I have ever had. Included a natural accelerator pill with the shake.

Had a Chobani yogurt about 10am. We met with our Isagenix coach at new and after that had the second chocolate shake of the day. Again, just mixed it with ice and water. About 3pm, I ate a Costco trail mix snack that is about 160 calories according to the label. Arrived home about 5:30pm and from 6-7pm, my wife and I did the Insanity Sports Training routine. I was definitely gassed when this was done and since it is my birthday, we went to Fuddruckers to celebrate. I was good though and although I don't have an exact calorie count, I had a 1/4 lb elk burger with a gluten free bun. I only ate the bottom and threw the top out. No fries and I drank water. I had a huge side of pico de gallo. All right, I also stole a couple fries from my kids. Overall though, not too bad I would say. That was it. I took two IsaFlush pills before bed.

Notes for Day 1

•   Forgot to mention, I have IBS which for me is essentially chronic diarrhea. So far, nothing different for me here. Same "issues" as usual and I won't go into detail at this point with that. 
• I started getting a headache in the back of my head in the early afternoon. It never got better. I ended up taking a couple Aleve when I got home from work. If I wouldn't have done this I would not have been able to workout. 
• I never had any hunger pains all day. I was definitely tired after my workout but not on the verge of collapse or starving for food either.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 2 - September 11, 2013

So day 2 was certainly better than day 1 in a few different ways.
Started with the Ionix Supreme in the morning. That still tasted 'ok'. I just chugged it down in a few gulps and moved on. I decided to mix it up a little with the shake today so I made an IsaLean Pro vanilla and mixed it with half a banana and a few strawberries along with 8oz of ice and water. This was WAY better than plain.

I forgot to take my accelerator pill before I left for work. Around 10am I grabbed a yogurt fruit cup that essentially had about 8-10oz of yogurt and mixed berries with some granola on top.

At noon, I went to a LesMills Body Pump class that is essentially some weight lifting and cardio combined. I really enjoy this class and have really tried to max my weight out. This is a 45 min class and I usually feel like I worked my butt off when I am done with it. Today was no different. After class, I mixed a chocolate IsaLean Pro shake in a BlenderBottle with some ice. My wife brought my accelerator pills to class so I downed one of those too.

Around 3:15pm, it was time for mid-afternoon snack. I was starting to get hungry and feeling it so I was happy to reach for another Costco trail mix snack size pouch. I took my other accelerator pill on schedule at this time too.

Now for dinner, we decided on grilled cheese and turkey sandwiches with soup. The soup we chose was Gazpacho from the South Beach diet. It may sound a little crazy at first, but it is actually really good stuff. Definitely nice in the summer months. Without going into too much detail, I estimate I ate about 700 calories for dinner - which, yes, I know is over the 400-600 calories they tell you that you should have. Nonetheless, remember - my main objective is NOT dramatic weight loss. AND - I did not have anything else the rest of the night except to take 2 IsaFlush pills before bed.

Day 2 Notes

• No issues with headache or nausea today at all.
• IBS issues were "normal" for me - nothing different than usual.
• As with day 1, I didn't really have any major hunger pains. A couple times where I was ready to eat but no time that I felt like I was starving myself.
• Overall - a good day. I still can't say I have more energy or that I really feel any different than if I was on some other diet plan or lifestyle change. 

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 3 - September 12, 2013

Day 3 was good. Since it is Thursday and a work day - everything is pretty routine. 

Started with Ionix Supreme - same as usual. 45 min later had a breakfast shake of IsaLean Pro vanilla with half a banana and two strawberries. Downed a natural accelerator with the shake. 

About 10am I had a half cup oatmeal that I sweetened with three sugar packets. I also had a Chobani 6oz strawberry yogurt. At 11:15am I ate a kid's size Clif bar to prep for my workout. 

Went home at noon and did the max interval circuit Insanity workout which is quite brutal for those that have done Insanity. Post workout had a chocolate IsaLean Pro shake with a spoonful of peanut butter. 

Afternoon around 3pm I tried an orange "Want more energy?" packet that came with my 30-day kit. This was surprisingly tasty and was as good or better than orange Gatorade.  About 3:30pm I also had another Costco sized packet of trail mix. 

For my evening meal, got started a little late due to school open house and soccer practice so I was quite hungry by this time. Ate dinner at 7:45pm. I had a can of turkey chili and two Oscar Meyer turkey dogs. I topped this with some onion and mustard. I figured this in right around 700 calories. Finished the night with a handful of grapes and 2 IsaFlush pills. 

Day 3 Notes

• No issues with nausea or headache again today. That is always nice. 
• Had some stomach cramps and on-off bloating throughout the day. Not sure on the cause of this.
• The "Want More Energy?" packet had a minor affect. I certainly did not get sleepy for the next few hours and on the other side, I didn't get any shakes or jitters the way some energy drinks can make you feel. I would certainly be willing to try these again. 
• I was hungry by the time dinner came around but not really unexpected since I ate so late.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 4 - September 13, 2013

Day 4 was not so good. Maybe 'cause it was Friday the 13th? My schedule was a little mixed up today because I was volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. The day started as normal though.

Started with Ionix Supreme - same as usual. 45 min later had a breakfast shake of IsaLean Pro vanilla with half a banana and two strawberries. Followed that up with a natural accelerator.

I was off to the work site. About 10:30am, I had two navel oranges cause I was feeling a bit hungry. For Habitat, I was basically just painting - so no heavy work. At 11:45am we ate lunch. Instead of a shake, I had the provided lunch which was grilled chicken caesar salad and chicken noodle soup. These were both delicious but probably didn't have a whole lot of calories. I returned back to my normal office around 1pm. By 2:30, I was getting hungry and so I downed another Costco trail mix and my second natural accelerator. I didn't feel completed satiated but I didn't give in and just chugged some water for the next couple hours.

My wife informed me we were going to the Friday night football game so we would need to have our second shake for dinner. When I arrived home from work, I was pretty hungry so around 5:30, I had a handful of Pop Chips and a piece of string cheese.  I was feeling hungry so by 6:30, I ate "dinner", which was an IsaLean Pro Chocolate shake with half a banana. Not that the shake was bad, but this was the first time where I was not really looking forward to a shake. Nonetheless, it did fill me up and we hit the game. Game ended around 9:30pm. Came home and I was quite tempted for an evening snack. We took the kids to Taco Bell after the game and it was hard not to partake. I did take 1bite (really, I promise, just 1 bite) of the kid's burrito and then 2 IsaFlush and went to bed.

Day 4 Notes

• No issues with nausea or headache again today and no real stomach cramps or bloating.
• Today was the first day where the shakes were not really all the appealing but I stuck with it.
• Today felt like a diet. There were several times where I felt hungry and I felt like I wanted to eat something else. This scares me a little because we haven't even hit a "Cleanse Day" yet and I am imagining those to be worse.
• I didn't do any heavy exercise today so this bothered me too that I was still so hungry so often and I didn't even have a huge workout. Oh well. On to Day 5!

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 5 - September 14, 2013

Ok everyone....Day 5 into this routine and today was a bit better than yesterday. I will start that off by saying that it could be I ate more calories than I should have but I think I am still good. Saturday morning and I needed to get off to coach a kid's soccer game by 9am, so quickly guzzled down the Ionix Supreme. My wife has been mixing hers with herbal tea and warming it up everyday and insists it tastes way better. For me, I just chug it down in a few gulps and with a few ice cubes.

Had another vanilla shake with 1/2 banana and 2 strawberries. Went to shop for groceries after the soccer game and it was close to 11am. Didn't pack a snack and shopping for groceries at this time was not a good idea. Instead of eating lunch early, I decided to have a late snack which consisted of a couple thin slices of peppered turkey breast and two pieces of string cheese. Ate a late lunch at about 1pm. I was fairly hungry so this time I mixed my shake in the Vitamix as opposed to the IsaBlender. This way I could add a whole banana, 3 whole strawberries, a small handful of raspberries, and a small handful of blueberries. Mixed this all with a chocolate IsaLean Pro. Around 3pm I tried one of the IsaLean fiber snacks that I believe states it has 90 calories. It was fairly tasty but didn't really satisfy. My daughter, evilly, made monkey bread and I caved and tried a couple small pieces. I am guessing this was 200-300 calories. I also drank some orange Powerade that was probably excess sugar - my weakness - that I do not need. Anyway, for dinner we had thin cut pork chops and a spinach - romaine salad with some celery, carrots, and cucumber. I also munched on a couple handfuls of popcorn my kids brought home from the movies. Off to bed with 2 IsaFlush and a little anxiety about the first cleanse day tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Day 5 Notes

• Much better today in terms of feeling like I was on a diet. It might be because I ate a bit more than I was supposed to.
• Exercise today only consisted of running up and down the soccer field while coaching and doing some yard work.
• Visually - not really seeing any results yet, but it is only day 5 and still a ways to go. Tomorrow being a cleanse day should put some more things into perspective.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 6 - September 15, 2013

Cleanse Day. This was definitely a different day than all the others. Started off like other days with Ionix Supreme in the morning. In essence you follow this schedule throughout the day:

Every 4 hours you have Cleanse for Life for a total of 4 cleanses throughout the day. Every 1.5-2 hours you eat a "snack", which is essentially an IsaDelight or an Isa chocolate wafer. The IsaDelights are dark chocolate squares.

That's it. Between the cleanse for life drinks and snacks, that is all you consume throughout the day. So - honestly I didn't have too much difficulty sticking to this routine today. There were a couple times where I wasn't really looking forward to a chocolate wafer and would have rather had something else, it was tolerable. And I know that you can have a couple alternatives like celery or almonds. So my real issue throughout the day was a dull, sinus-like headache that perpetuated throughout the day. It was annoying and did not help with keeping a good mood and spirit. In the end, I was ready for bed and did not go to bed hungry. That was nice.

Day 6 Notes

• No exercise today except for a two mile walk
• Cravings came and went throughout the day as would probably be expected
• Had a constant headache throughout the day and finally took some Aleve in the evening so I could go to bed.
• Overall day wasn't too bad and I don't think I will have any issues doing a cleanse day again next week. If I hadn't had the headache all day I would have been fine and not as agitated.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 7 - September 16, 2013

Back to the shake days. I can start by saying, in all reality, I could have continued on with another cleanse day - if I had to, as I was not starving for something this morning. But it was nice to get something a little more than liquid into my body. Shake day was the usual Shake with some fruit and an accelerator pill in the morning. Mid morning and pre workout snack was a Chobani and a kid's Clif bar about 11:15am.

Went to a LesMills BodyPump class at noon and pushed myself pretty hard. During the workout, I did not have any issues with energy or strength but I was certainly tired afterwards. Did a chocolate shake for lunch and had a Costco trail mix and accelerator pill at 2:30pm. I was not wanting to wait until 3 when I normally have a snack.

That was it until dinner time where we had grilled chicken breast and grilled red and green peppers and onions. I must say that I was pretty hungry for a solid meal so I had a large helping of the veggies and almost the entire chicken breast. No idea calorie wise what the intake here was. About an hour after dinner was getting some cravings and ended up eating 4 or 5 Dum-dum suckers as my daughter was sitting there sucking on one while doing her homework. Also had about a cup full of vanilla yogurt that I believe added another 170 calories about 8pm. Took two IsaFlush and went to bed by 11pm.

Day 7 Notes

• Was nervous about going back to shake days and heavy exercise but turned out to be a non-issue.
• The shakes seem to be getting a little monotonous but no matter - sticking to the plan.
• Still find myself fighting those evening cravings and need to find a resolution so I am not tempted to screw up the entire day by giving in at night
• Tomorrow is Day 8 - which is a measurement and weight check in day. Will be interesting to see where we stand!