A punching bag that is.

I’ve been looking for a high impact workout to add to my running and yoga routine but have been a little too intimidated to try many of the classes offered at the Y. I’ve also been way too intimidated to walk into a CrossFit gym. I’m sure the CrossFit people are nice but they seem a little cult like to my ignorant eye.

The place where the boys take karate not only has adult karate classes but they are also an I Love Kickboxing franchise. Our membership allows Bill and I the opportunity to go to kickboxing classes whenever we want. Bill had been going pretty steadily for a while but I never really had an interest (translation: I was too intimidated to go) so I would stay home with my feet up while he went.

A couple weeks ago, with much prodding from both Bill and one of the instructors, I went to my first class.

Oh. My. GOD! It was so much fun. Don’t get me wrong, I worked hard, sweat my ass off and thought I was going to puke when it was all over but I had a blast.

I woke up the day after my first class fully expecting to feel it but all I felt was a little stiff. I went out for a five mile run to kind of stretch myself out and I felt amazing. I was almost shocked since usually a new workout leaves me feeling very sore.

Then it hit me!

Saturday morning I woke up feeling like I’d been run over by a train, beaten with a bat, set on fire then beaten some more. Even just rolling over in bed was painful. By Saturday afternoon I was completely immobile and in excruciating pain. Bill tired to help by stretch out the sorest of my sore spots but all he accomplished was making me cry.

Sunday I felt a lot better, I was still sore but I didn’t feel like I might explode at any moment. I was beginning to understand why so many people give up on exercise, but I was not going to give up.

When the Monday class rolled around I was there ready for action.

Now that I’ve gotten over that initial shock to my system I’m really in love with the class. I enjoy beating the hell out of something and it’s a challenge for me to push harder and farther every time. It’s also fun because it’s finally a workout that Bill and I can do together which is really nice.

I’m kind of bummed that I’m going to miss this week. Bill will be away and I’m not really ready to go to the class on my own yet. Yeah, I know I’m a sissy.

I double dog dare you to find a class near you and try it out. They’re always running specials for classes so what do you have to lose?

Disclaimer: I was not compensated in anyway for this post. I have enjoyed the class so much that I wanted to share my experience with you and maybe, just maybe inspire you to try something new. 

After weeks of sitting around on the couch and not eating the way I should, it was time to do something to jumpstart my way back into a healthy lifestyle. I’ve wanted to try a cleanse for a while and I thought that now was the perfect opportunity to do it.

I searched the internet for a cleanse that I could handle with my childlike pallet.

It was actually Bill who found a good one from Skinny Ms that was more than just a juice or smoothie cleanse, I could actually eat real food. To me, having the opportunity to chew some food made it sound more doable. I like smoothies and shakes as much as the next girl but I’m not sure if I could survive on drink alone.

Let the games begin.

Off I went on my three day journey. My first tip for having a successful cleanse is don’t start it the weekend of a major food festival in your town. Walking through the Mushroom Festival in my town was pure torture but I somehow managed to stay strong.

I first day of the cleanse I felt weak and hungry. I honestly thought this might have been a bad idea, but I stuck with it.

I choked down the veggies that I would normally eat with some hummus or ranch and I stuck with the program. By day two I wasn’t feeling much more energetic which had me surprised since I was cutting out the crap and eating only whole foods. I actually developed a pretty nasty headache which I’m thinking had to do with the lack of processed sugar in the cleanse. Finally day three had arrived and somewhere around midday my headache was gone.

The Flush the Fat Away Vegetable Soup was simply amazing and by far my favorite part of this cleanse. Not only was the soup tasty, it was filling as well, which had become a very important attribute. We actually made it the other night and added sausage (shhh, don’t tell) and it was perfect. Of course sausage is NOT part of the cleanse.

I made sure during the cleanse that I was drinking lots of water. Skinny Ms recommends at least 4 12oz glasses of water but I worked hard to get my 125oz a day. As I drank more water I felt less hungry which to me was important to making it the full three days. As far as water consumption goes, I’d say to shoot for half your weight in ounces and more if your exercising. So if you weigh 120 pounds drink 60oz of water each day.

The results?

In the course of the three days I lost five pounds. I saw my energy level bounce back once the cleanse was over and I noticed an increase in my energy level overall from before to after. The cleanse and detox reminded my body how good fresh, whole food is and it made getting back into my healthy habits a lot easier.

Would I recommend this cleanse and detox program?

Yes. If you’re already into the habit of eating clean and healthy I don’t really think you need a cleanse like this BUT if you’re not eating well it’s a great way to jumpstart your way to health. This cleanse and detox also seems like a good way to start the New Year. We tend to go from Thanksgiving to the New Year over indulging in yummy but not always healthy foods and this cleanse can really help you start the New Year off right.

Have you ever tried a cleanse and detox? How did it work out for you?

Disclaimer: Of course this is my personal experience with this particular cleanse and detox, result will certainly vary. I am also not a medical professional.