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!

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 8 - September 17, 2013

Day 8 Results

Ok. So today is the first check-in day. See my results published to the right. Before that review, a brief overview of the day. Same shake day routine as normal. Ionix Supreme in the morning with an accelerator. Vanilla shake with banana and strawberries. A strawberry Chobani at 10am and a kid's Clif bar at 11:15 in prep for the gym. Went to a Spinning class at noon. This was a good workout and I can say that I did feel fairly confident in my performance. Whether it was a result of the diet, I am still waiting before passing that judgement. Choco IsaLean Pro after the workout. Afternoon snack at 3pm was the usual Costco trail mix.

Dinner was a macaroni and beef mixture that was pretty tasty and the wife said it was a "Weight Watchers" meal. I have no idea on the calorie count but I tried not to overdo it.

We celebrated my daughter's birthday so I did indulge and had a "small" piece of Cold Stone ice cream cake. Couldn't help myself. ;) Two IsaFlush and then bed.

Day 8 

• Ok - so looking at the measurements - down 3 lbs and up a .25in in total inches. I count that as negligible. What I did like was the reduction on the waistline as that is what I am targeting. Will look for more results there later.
• Happy to see that gym performance is as good and perhaps slightly better after 8 days in.
• Overall - IBS issues are a little more tolerable than before. This is a happy change so far. Anxious to see if this continues to improve.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 9 - September 18, 2013

Quick post today mainly 'cause it was a fairly easy day. My mother's health is failing, so I need to drive 500 miles down to visit with her. So I had the usual Ionix Supreme and vanilla shake for breakfast. During the trip, I had a chocolate shake for lunch and a granola bar and a thing of trail mix for snacks. For dinner, I had grilled chicken salad. Ate some popcorn before bed. Took the IsaFlush and accelerator pills on schedule.

Day 9 Notes

• No exercise today since I traveled and spent time with family. 
• Overall day was easy to stick to schedule and maintain the diet.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 10 - September 19, 2013

Fairly easy day today. Business as usual. Shake for breakfast and lunch. I had an IsaLean bar for afternoon snack and an IsaLean fiber bar for the morning snack. I did the Insanity Cardio Power and Resistance workout about 2pm. I was not pleasantly exited about my performance and tired out more than I was hoping to but nonetheless it was good to get a workout in. In the evening, went on a mile and a half walk with some family. Dinner was a family recipe of beef tips over rice with mixed vegetables. I did this with some popcorn a little later in the evening.

Day 10 Notes

• I have to admit I did cave and have a couple swigs of diet Coke and Cherry Pepsi. 
• Overall day was "the usual" and energy and stamina were what I would have expected
• Rating my IBS issues - things are still in a positive direction there with bloating and cramping issues. Whether that is just general diet changes or Isagenix, I will wait to judge that one.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 11 - September 20, 2013

Fell off the train a little today. Had the normal routine in the morning. Vanilla shake with a banana. Snack was a granola bar. Lunch was a chocolate shake. About 3pm I took one of the Isagenix E+ energy drinks. It was rather disgusting as far as taste goes, but I must admit having had a 5 hour energy and some other Energy drinks, this one gave me some energy and I had no crash. I will try another one again. About 3:30 I went off on about a 4 mile run.

Here's where I fell off a bit. For dinner I had a rather large slice of Lasagna that was quite delicious. I followed that up with a small bowl of ice cream. Unfortunately it didn't stop there. I had a couple handfuls of popcorn and some salad late at night, along with a slice of bread and butter. No idea at all on calorie count but I am sure it was over by a good margin. Will need to get back on track tomorrow.

Day 11

• Ate a bit more today than I should have. 
• Had a good experience with the energy drink. 
• Everything else seems status quo

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 12 - September 21, 2013

Quick post today. Normal morning routine and afternoon. No workout today. Dinner was a little crazy. Lots of things going on with the family and being that I am out of town, it is a little tougher to stick to schedule. Had 2 slices of Domino's pizza and small chicken salad sandwich. I feel like I am eating more than I should and I don't like that feeling.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 13 - September 22, 2013

Today was supposed to be a cleanse day because it was Sunday but since I am out of town, I am postponing my cleanse days until I return. I think the important thing is to get a least 4 total cleanse days in the 30 days. I still have 3 to go. That being said today was the normal morning routine. I went on a run for 30 mins. I then tried a chocolate decadence IsaLean bar and it was quite tasty. For lunch, I ate some baked beans, potato chips, and shaved ham. Dinner was a chocolate shake and then in the evening I caved and had some cole slaw and a few more of those baked beans. Again, kind of feel I ate more than I should have for the day. Ended the day with two IsaFlush.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 14 - September 23, 2013

Usual morning routine. I have really gotten used to just chugging the Ionix Supreme down in 4-5 gulps. Had a granola bar for mid morning snack. Around 1:15pm had a chocolate IsaLean Pro. About 1:45 I did the Insanity Cardio Interval Circuit workout. 3pm I did a IsaLean bar snack and then for dinner we had some broccoli salad with spaghetti sauce and noodles. I ate way more salad than spaghetti so I was happy about that however, someone had brought some dessert for us and they were these tasty pumpkin bars and carrot cake. I ate 3 small squares of the pumpkin bars and 1/2 piece of carrot cake before bed. I know....just couldn't resist.

Day 14 Notes

• Cravings are still plaguing me. I can do good all day but in the evenings I still get cravings for sweets or snacks. 
• Exercise kicked my butt - a bit more than I wanted it to but this could be because of the lack of sleep I am getting more than the routine or the diet itself.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 15 - September 24, 2013

Wow. So time seems to be going too fast. Usual routine this morning and afternoon. Nothing out of the usual that I have reported on. Dinner tonight was even really dinner, it was more of a bunch of finger foods so it was hard to tell if I was able to stick to any particular calorie count. I don't feel I did too bad though. Did not exercise today so will get back to that tomorrow. Ended the night with some popcorn and IsaFlush.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 16 - September 25, 2013

Better day today. The temperature is definitely changing. Fall is coming. Morning and afternoon routine was typical. Had two shakes with banana, strawberry, and blueberry. Went for a run for about 35 mins. Afternoon snack was a Costco trail mix. Dinner was a fish taco, rice, and beans from Bajio Mexican Grill. 

Day 16 Notes

• Usual feelings throughout the day for energy and mood.
• Exercise was good and I feel stronger. Still looking for some good results from the Isagenix
• Had some Diet Dr. Pepper and it flared up my stomach. That is definitely a trigger for me.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 17 - September 26, 2013

So, today was a fairly easy today and a tough day together. Had a very normal routine all morning  long. Did not get an afternoon snack or shake because we were out and about but I did have my accelerator pill so I took that. Had about half of an IsaLean chocolate decadence bar. Had dinner around 5pm. Had two small sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, sliced ham, mayo, and mustard. Had a small scoop of potato salad, small scoop of broccoli salad, and maybe 10 potato chips. For dessert, I had a square of red velvet cake and another square of some kind of raspberry cake. The squares were probably about 2 x 2 in squares.

Then in the evening, I was dipping into the potato chips a few times and another square of the raspberry cake. Then two IsaFlush and to bed. My biggest concern so far is the evening cravings I still have. Really wishing those would go away as they seem to "ruin" the day for me.

No exercise today.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 18 - September 27, 2013

A nice normal routine for breakfast and lunch. Had my vanilla shake with half a Chobani pear yogurt as the liquid. For lunch I did a chocolate shake with a scoop of peanut butter. This was actually very good. I know today is supposed to be a measurement day, but we are traveling on the road back home and so I will take measurements when we get home tomorrow and post the results on day 19. I have also decided to do a "deep" cleanse so I will be using days 19 and 20 as cleanse days.

Dinner was at a restaurant called  Johnny Rockets. Had a #12 which was essentially just a hamburger and some fries. I did have about 3 spoonfuls of my wife's strawberry shake and another order of fries.

This evening I didn't have too bad of cravings and so I was able to go to bed without any additional calories.

Day 18 Notes

• My evening meal was not as healthy as it should have been since we went out to eat as we head home from our trip. 
• Cravings weren't too bad today.
• No exercise today
• The next two days will be a 48-hour cleanse
• Will post the day 18 measurements tomorrow when we get home.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 19 - September 28, 2013

Day 1 of  2 day cleanse. Day 18 measurements are posted to the right - analysis below.

Since we were traveling on the road, it was quite easy to do the cleanse plan. Essentially I did the Ionix Supreme in the morning. 15 mins later I did the Cleanse for Life with a Snack wafer. I then alternated between the wafers and the Cleanse for Life so that I had 4 - cleanses throughout the day. I also popped 2 natural accelerators - 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon.  I tried another E+ energy drink and again, despite it's awful taste, I was impressed with how it worked. Upon arriving home, I also took an IsaDelight snack and ate about 8 almonds. I finished with 2 IsaFlush and then to bed. Looking at the measurements - total down 3 inches and 6 lbs.

Day 19 Notes

• Was very happy that I did not have any significant cravings or hunger pains today. Will see what happens tomorrow with day 2 of the cleanse.
• Did not have any nausea or headache this go around like the first cleanse day.

• No exercise today and I would argue that exercise on a cleanse day is crazy. I would pass out if I tried to do any of my normal routines. Maybe just a walk would suffice.
• Day 18 measurements - key takeaways - for some reason my arms - at least one of them - seem to be getting smaller which I am not caring for. I did take another inch off my waist and my butt which is ideal because that is my target area. 

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 20 - September 29, 2013

Day 2 of  my 2 day cleanse.

Ok so going through day 2 of the cleanse was definitely a little more rough than day 1. I can say though, that it was a little easier than I thought it might have been. Went through another four rounds of the Cleanse for life every 3-4 hours along with chocolate snacks and water mixed in between. Had an accelerator pill in the morning and another in the afternoon. I did not have any energy supplements today and I went on a couple mile walk a brisk pace for exercise. Around 6pm I "caved", if you will, or mostly ended my 2 day fast with a bowl of chili which was homemade and consisted of a tomato base, ground turkey, and chili beans. That is all that was in it. I also had a handful of trail mix and almonds. This was the first food I had eaten since Johnny Rockets on Friday night. I had no issues with nausea or headache today and am trying to prep myself to hit the gym hard tomorrow at lunch with BodyPump even though I haven't done any strenuous exercise in 4 days now. We'll see how that goes.

Day 20 Notes

• Had some definite cravings and hunger pains today but managed through them until about 6:30pm
• Did not have any nausea or headache this go around like the first cleanse day.

• Walked a couple miles at a brisk pace for exercise today.
• Cleanse days are definitely a little more rough than shake days and take some will power and determination. I still await to see some significant improvements in the final 1/3 of this 30-day cleanse. Dropping 6 lbs and 1.5in on my waist is nice but I am hard-pressed to believe that Isagenix is the reasoning behind it and I could have had the same results on any number of other diets at a far lower price. I am still awaiting the overall feeling that Isagenix is truly different than other plans and supplements and worth the price. I will hold judgement...for now.
• I am already considering re-ordering the "Athlete Pack" from Isagenix for another 30 days as my autoship date is quickly approaching. This runs in the $180 price range and is quite costly and I don't know if I am sold enough on the product to commit in another couple hundred dollars. Stay tuned.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 21 - September 30, 2013

I was wondering how today was going to go since I knew I would be getting back into a routine. It has been a rough day. Business as usual with the morning routine. Went to BodyPump at noon and this was my first weightlifting with weights in a couple weeks. I actually kept on my normal weights and was definitely tired by the end of class but was happy to see that performance. I am certainly ready to get back into a normal routine, at least until the end of this 30-day program but hopefully longer.

Lunch was a chocolate shake with a Trail mix snack pack around 3. Dinner was a home made version of taco soup which is considered a weight watchers recipe. We modify it a little by using ground turkey instead of beef and also add a pkg. of dry ranch dressing. Along with a bowl of soup, I had two Aidell's chicken and apple sausages, which come in at 180 calories each. No bun, just topped them with mustard and onions. It was good to eat real food again. I had a bunch of grapes in the evening along with some air-popped popcorn with a little butter and salt on it.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 22 - October 1, 2013

The end of the third week and start of the last. Time has definitely gone quick and we're already 75% through with the 30-day cleanse.

Today is a heavy repeat of yesterday. Normal routine for morning shake. Had a Chobani yogurt around 10am and a kid's Clif bar at 11:15 prior to going to the gym. Today's workout was a BodyCombat class. Lunch was a vanilla shake mixed with a peach Chobani yogurt. Afternoon snack was another kid's Clif bar.

Dinner was leftovers for the most part. I had another bowl of taco soup. I also had some chips and salsa. A couple hours later in the evening I had yet another Chobani yogurt - black cherry, a cup of apple juice, a handful of red grapes, and a handful of trail mix. 2 IsaFlush and into bed.

Day 22 Notes

• Definitely in a routine now with the two shakes a day and a meal in the evening. Do I consider this long term sustainable? Not really. I am thinking maybe 1 shake a day post workout, but we'll see. 
• I am sore for the first time in a while after the weight lifting on Monday. Sore is good, but I was hoping the shake would act as a more of Recovery drink to prevent the soreness. I used Mike's Mix daily when we did Insanity and it did a good job I thought. 
• I am going to go ahead and purchase the Isagenix Athlete's Pack for next month and see how that goes. I am definitely not sold 100% on this as being the life changing product I was hoping it might be, but I am also sold enough that I am not going to just stop after 30-days and go back to old habits or do something different. More on that later.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 23 - October 2, 2013

I can definitely tell I am back in a normal workout routine. Today, again, is a heavy repeat of yesterday. Normal routine for morning shake. Had a Chobani yogurt around 10am and a kid's Clif bar at 11:15 prior to going to the gym. Today's workout was BodyPump class. Lunch was a chocolate shake and afternoon snack was trail mix.
Dinner was grilled chicken salad and broccoli cheese soup. I also had some chips and salsa. In the later evening, I had another bunch of grapes and then 2 IsaFlush and into bed.

Day 23 Notes

• I am certainly sore from the workout routines on Monday-Wednesday. The after workout shake doesn't seem to be doing much from a "recovery" aspect at reducing soreness, at least I am not noticing it.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 24 - October 3, 2013

Short post today - nothing out of the ordinary. Regular shake day with 2 shakes for breakfast and lunch and dinner. No exercise today.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 25 - October 4, 2013

Similar to yesterday. Nothing out of the ordinary. 2 shakes for breakfast and lunch. Did an Insanity workout at lunchtime.

Dinner was mexican turkey burgers and they were quite delicious. I would certainly recommend them.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 26 - October 5, 2013

Saturday and only 4 more days to go after today. Chocolate and peanut butter shake this morning. Strawberry, banana, and blueberry vanilla shake for lunch. Did an Insanity workout in the afternoon and for dinner had an enchilada with some black beans and a small chocolate coconut square. I had a want more energy before my workout and I can say I think it did help. Whether a 5-Hour energy would have had the same effect, not sure, but I am more comfortable taking the want more energy.

Tomorrow is my last cleanse day for this 30 day journey. Woo hoo!

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 27 - October 6, 2013

Final cleanse day for this 30 days and it was nice to be done with it. Same normal cleanse routine as before. I definitely had cravings throughout the day but what bothered me the most was getting a headache in the early afternoon. Instead of taking normal OTC medication, I opted for a "Want More Energy?" and it surprisingly helped. It didn't go away completely but it subsided enough that I didn't have to take any medication.

I ended my cleanse day about 8pm and had 300-400 calories of food as I was quite hungry by this time. For me it is about prepping for tomorrow - Monday - and being able to hit the gym hard again and having the energy to do so.

Day 27 Notes

• So my thoughts on the cleanses? I am not completely sold on these. If you asked me if I feel more "clean" or "alert", "focused", or whatever, I can honestly say not really. I would still say that if I were to go through a cleanse day and instead of taking any Isagenix products but instead just had some light snacks like celery, almonds, and crackers, I would perhaps achieve the same results of the cleanses. 
• As mentioned before, I am still going through another 30 days of using the Athlete's pack from Isagenix but I am not sure yet if that has any cleanse days involved with it. 
• I can certainly say I do not look forward to these days or in no way are they easy, relaxing, or enjoyable. Perhaps they get better over time, but after doing 4 days worth of them, I am certainly not looking forward to doing them again. 
• Obviously, I have 3 days left to take final measurements and then to give my overall assessment so I will wait until then to fully pass any judgment on cleanse days.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 28 - October 7, 2013

Monday and back to the normal routine. Only 3 days left and I am hoping to end strong. Normal shake day.

Dinner this evening was butternut squash soup and some leftovers. Workout today was BodyPump class and I felt pretty strong especially considering I was coming off a cleanse day.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 29 - October 8, 2013

Tuesday and we're getting close. Same as yesterday - very similar. Workout today was a BodyCombat class.

Dinner was a turkey sandwich and about 50 pistachios. Those salt and pepper ones from Costco are insanely tasty. I splurged and had a large rice krispie treat along with some strawberry lemonade. That stuff is just sugar water and I should have known better. Nonetheless. Tomorrow is it. Last day. I will provide a nice wrap up tomorrow along with final stats and a pic.

Isangenix 30-day Cleanse - Day 30 - October 9, 2013

Woo hoo! 30 days and that is it. Had a great day today. It was a typical shake routine. Workout was BodyPump. Dinner was at Taco Bell with my son. I had the Fiesta Taco Salad which according to the website is about 780 calories so it was over my 400-600 limit, but since my overall goal was not necessarily to lose a lot of weight, I don't care. :)

No on to the more important stuff. Here are the results from the day 30 measurements and a picture to boot.Ok first with the picture. Yeah , I normally don't enjoy looking at pictures of myself but in all reality I do not see much of a difference at all from Day 1 to Day 30. Keep in mind, I did not really change any of my workout routine and this was strictly more of a dietary change. SO let's look at the raw numbers....I highlighted the changes that I had success with. Waist, abdomen, butt, and thighs all went down. Overall lost 2" in the waist and 1" from the butt. As much as I am glad these were positive, I am very skeptical at the true cause of the loss. Overall, weight was down 3lbs for the month.

Now let's examine the overall results. Down a total of 5" and 3lbs for the month. That I am happy about. Absolutely. BUT, again, I am skeptical that these results are all due to the credit of Isagenix. I have to honestly say, I am not as pleased with the results as I would like to have been. I can say I am a bit let down and was hoping for more.

Here are some final notes about the products.

Ionix Supreme - tastes bad at first but over the month I was able to down it and the taste got better throughout the month. Did I get any overall results from it - I can't tell, so no. Not sure what this was supposed to deliver, but I am not feeling any result of it.

Natural accelerator and IsaFlush - I don't know at all what these pills do or did for me. I would argue that I could have not taken them at all during the month and it would have made no differences to my results. I didn't get the point of these products at all.

Cleanse For Life - This stuff didn't taste bad and did allow to get through the cleanse days. But what did it actually do? I don't feel any different and it again falls into the category of "not sure what the value of this product is." If I wouldn't have taken it at all, and just had some celery and almonds during my cleanse days, would the results have been the same? I would argue yes.

Snacks - During the cleanse, these were not tasty. The IsaDelights were certainly better and tasted better. The snacks were chalky and not overly satisfying.

IsaLean Pro shakes - these were satisfying and filling. I was happy to see that I could take these and actually feel satiated. These were good for breakfast and great for post workout. I could see continuing to take these, if they weren't so costly. Because of price, I may be tempted to examine other similar products and challenge their effectiveness.

Want More Energy and E+ drinks - these were surprising effective and did NOT have any negative side effects. I could also see using these again with the price being the only negative.

I think that is all the products and so let me end with this for now. Even though my review my seem a bit negative, I was satisfied enough that I am willing to continue for another 30-days on the Athlete Pack from Isagenix. That will be the make or break for me. I am willing to give this another month and see if I can get some more results. Then I will make another assessment of whether or not I will continue long term with Isagenix. I do not plan on keeping a daily blog but I will make a couple entries over the next month to show you any results I find.

My overall assessment - so far, I will not being signing up long term to use Isagenix products - YET. I am willing to give this another month to see what happens. If I don't see something more positive, I will be moving on to something else as the results to cost ratio just isn't there for me yet. On that note, I am not saying that others should not try the program to see if it works better for them. I think they should and see if they get good results for themselves.