shakeology challenge: final thoughts.

Last Monday, I started a Shakeology 10-Day Challenge thanks to my dear friend, Kelly (whose success story I’ll be sharing tomorrow!).  I started out with a lot of skepticism about the whole ordeal, despite knowing how much Kelly loves this program.  I had my doubts.

I had my final shake yesterday morning.  Day one, I was not a huge fan.  I thought there was a chalky texture and the flavor was just so-so.  It took a couple days, but I finally found a combination that I really enjoyed:  Shakeology, a cup of almond milk, a banana, a tablespoon of almond butter, a tablespoon of honey, and a few ice cubes all blended together.  Not too shabby!

I tried extra hard during the ten days to avoid processed food and did pretty well with that overall.  I also avoided sweets, alcohol, and sugary drinks like my beloved Starbucks lattes.  I exercised eight of the ten days.

All that being said, I feel like I didn’t stray that far from my normal eating habits, since I like to think I’m a pretty healthy person overall.  I think it boded well that one of my 2013 goals is to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and to cut back on sweets.  I was already on the right track going into it.  I almost wish I had done a challenge in March or April when my New Year’s fervor has subsided, and I find myself falling back into some unhealthier habits.  I think it would have been a good “get back on track” plan of attack.

I surprised myself by telling my roommate the other night that I was actually going to miss having the shakes in the morning!  What?!

the pros.

I lost weight.  From day one of the challenge to this morning, I was down three pounds.  I also did my waist measurement day one and lost 1 1/4″ inch there.  Yep, that was pretty awesome!  I feel less bloated than I usually do, which was a welcome change.  I feel like I had a bit more energy, especially as the challenge went on.  The biggest difference for me, in that area, was waking up in the morning was remarkably easier.  I’m a big fan of the snooze button, but these past couple of mornings especially, I really haven’t used it.  Can all of this be attributed solely to the Shakeology?  I don’t believe so.  It likely played a part, but I think those pros that come with any overall healthy diet.

There was also a great community on Facebook in a group for all the challenge participants; I also got great messages from Kelly every morning with encouragement, and thoughts on goals and motivation – all helpful for life in general, really.

the cons.

The price.  This was, honestly, more than anything else, what I really had resistance about.  By the time I made my shake creation every morning, it was a bit of a calorie bomb at 500 calories, but that’s also due to what I added in.  Had I just used Shakeology and almond milk, it would have cut the calories almost in half.

Overall, I enjoyed this experience more than I thought I would.  I think it would especially benefit someone who needs to get back on track with healthier eating habits and weight loss.  There is a suggested meal plan participants can follow, although I largely chose not to just based on what I already had in the house and not wanting to go out and buy a bunch of new foods.  I think the challenge, as a whole, provides a really great framework for participants to get headed in the right direction.  There’s a lot of chat on various websites about it all being a scam.  I wouldn’t go that I’d go that far, but I think that the shakes in combination with healthy, wholesome options for the rest of my meals, is a nice option.

So, will I stick with Shakeology as a regular part of my life?  At this point in time, no.  For where I’m at in my journey, I don’t feel like I got quite the benefits that I might have a few years ago.  The price is also a huge prohibiting factor for me.  That being said, I am glad I gave the 10-day challenge a chance.  Like I said in my introduction post to the challenge, I’ll try (almost) anything once!  If you’re curious about Shakeology, I would say it’s definitely worth giving it a shot!

To learn more about Shakeology or other Beachbody products, visit Kelly’s Beachbody Coach page and click “shop”, or connect with Kelly on Facebook.

Tagged as: Shakeology