1066 All Stars

When I embarked on the Clean 9 Challenge in January, I was sceptical. I had done some pre-reading and saw that lots of people reported weight loss but it wasn't sold as a diet plan, rather a cleanse, a way to kick start a healthier you. I wasn't sure what I would get from it.

Almost 2 months later I find myself at 10st 7lbs having shed 10lbs, dropped 2 trouser sizes and look the best I have in years. But perhaps more importantly, I've really taken control of my diet and general health. I am far more conscious of what goes into my body and this accountability to self helps me to make better decisions. Healthy eating and living have become a way of life.

So, what now?

Building on the good habits introduced in the C9, the FIT1 plan is intended to bed these in to your daily routine. Expanding the routine from 9 to 30 days, the plan aims to assist with weight management in a healthy, sustainable way.

I'll do a full examination of the box in another post but broadly speaking it contains the same elements as the C9. So that means brace yourself for lots of Aloe gel, supplements and shakes.

The big difference though is that there is no cleansing aspect here. From day one you eat 'normal' meals at lunch and dinner with the shakes acting as a breakfast replacement and afternoon snack, if desired.

On top of that, a daily exercise routine is introduced to help you burn fat and get active.

Having continued to lose weight since the end of the C9, I find myself just 1lb above what I always considered a long term weight target of 10st 6lbs. I have no desire to chase a number for the sake of it, indeed that would be unhealthy, and so I find that weight loss in terms of the number on the scales is less important that it was before. 10st 6lbs remains the immediate, obvious goal but beyond that, I have no specific target.

My next weight related target had been to drop a waist size. I was 36 inches in October 2014, 34 inches in January 2016 and now 32 inches in Feb / March 2016. I consider that target very much achieved!

So what is left? With the numbers under control, it now becomes about toning and shaping. I don't expect to turn into a bronzed adonis but some definition and slimming of bulges would be tremendous, specifically around the thighs, stomach and pecs.

But perhaps the most important weight related goal is simply to achieve contentment without the scales. As well as I have done so far, I still have huge anxiety issues whenever I step outside of my standard eating plan, each bite of a chocolate biscuit feeling like 3lbs being added back on. 

And so ultimately my goal is to forget the measurements, forget the scales and simply be happy in my own skin.

Speaking of which...

Ah, this again.

With the C9 I had hoped to address some unslghtly skin blemishes that have plagued me for years. I had hoped that the cleansing aspect of the plan might flush out whatever toxins caused my skin to be greasy and horrible.

Alas it wasn't to be as I ended the plan much the same way I began, perhaps not surprising given this was just 9 days.

With 30 days to play around with, meaning 30 days of Aloe Gel, I once again hold hope that this underlying issue might be addressed.

One of the more interesting aspects of the C9 was how good I felt. As a parent of twins plus a toddler, not to mention my ongoing issues with depression and anxiety, I had become used to dealing with near constant headaches, pains, tiredness, irritability and difficulty concentrating. 

It came as a tremendous surprise therefore to find that these symptoms were greatly alleviated during the C9. I felt energised and clear headed, more so than in months, if not years. That these symptoms have returned since the plan finished reaffirms that some combination of gel, supplements and mindset were the primary driver of this change and I approach the FIT1 eagerly looking forward to once again clearing the mental fog.

Life is never plain sailing, nor should one expect it to be. And so there will be some roadblocks to avoid along the way.

Last time around I undertook the C9 with my wife. The added support helped each of us to keep going and stay on track during the most difficult stages whilst creating a common bond over snack urges and measurements.

This time I am flying solo and so I will need to maintain my own discipline. Given that my diet post-C9 has not been that far off the FIT1 (the shake becoming a regular part of my breakfast or lunch meal plan), this leads me to believe I will have the focus to stay on track.

This issue manifests in another way. Doing this by myself, I am beholden to no one and so free to start whenever I like. But this freedom comes at a cost as I find myself procrastinating over a start date, convincing myself that I need more time to prepare, that there is food I must use up before I begin, when the truth is simply that I'm anxious.

So lets settle it here and now. The plan starts Tuesday, 1st March.

In early February I took the decision to go back onto a prescription for anti-depressants. The C9-effect aside, I had felt my mood slipping and my anxiety rising for some time, culminating an a series of events that left me feeling extremely low.

The first fortnight of tablets knocked me for six as I failed to anticipate the side effets and subsequently found myself extremely tired. Having now worked through this phase I find my energy back to pre-C9 levels.

I do not anticipate my mental health having a direct impact on my ability to follow the plan, although this cannot be discounted. What I am less certain of is what, if any, affect the anti-drepressants may have on the effectiveness of the supplements or weight changes.

Well, I seem to have inadvertantly set myself a start date. That's what I get for blogging!

I'll post a follow up tomorrow with an unboxing of the pack and a look at the ingredients, plus a brief rundown of what the 30 days will look like. I might even post some pre-plan photos. Brace yourselves, ladies!

I'm not sure how often I'll post during the plan itself, it may become a bit monotonous to try and maintain a daily blog so I'll take that day by day.

In the meantime, feel free to drop me a line with any comments or questions, I would love to hear from you.

If you are interested in the C9, FIT1 or any of the other products from the Forever range, please get in touch with Karen by searching for Aloe Vera Dreams on Facebook or on Twitter @Aloeverdreams.