Those against Advocare?
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I was reading a lot on this board and couldn't help but notice how misinformed people are about the 24 day challenge... People seem to focus on the "meal replacement" part of it... That is actually not even close to the main part of the challenge in fact it is OPTIONAL!
I have done 1 24 day challenge and I have got to learn about advocare a bit. I am still new to it but when I was taking it my sponsor actually told me I did not even need the meal replacement shakes if I just would eat well (which I did) and I lost 12 pounds in the first 10 day part (the cleanse)
If you research the products and look for the intended purpose you find the 24 day challenge is about 2 steps a 10 day cleanse and a 14 day renewal (then mns strips) The purpose of the 24 day challenge is not calorie replacement or losing a bunch of weight, its about becoming a much healthier person and retraining your eating habits.
I have always been pretty fortunate with my weight despite some of the worst eating habits anyone could have, but my weight has always stayed around the same. Never thought I was overweight, but I always felt like crap. Taking the advocare products not only slimmed me down but I feel amazing. After that 10 day cleanse eating a lot of the foods I used to love just didn't feel good anymore, still tasted good but not the same. Its hard to explain but it is like your body lets you know it doesn't want to go back to eating junk lol
So that is what the 24 day challenge is about and Advocare too, its about getting healthy. It provides a means for you to be healthy and happy which is more than worth the price (even if it is a little expensive)
When I took the challenge I only used a meal replacement every other morning, and ate plenty of lean meats, salads, and nuts. I drank spark constantly and used the catalyst (which is enzymes that prevent you from losing muscle so you remove only fat)...
Being new to advocare I was curious on an unbiased view but I felt it necessary to inform those that the challenge is NOT about the meal replacement shakes
Don't bother trying to defend it. Advocare is the devil. These people know everything here.0 -
Let me provide my feedback. I am NOT a distributor (I know like 95% of people are!)
I started using the products about 3 weeks ago. I can tell you what HAS happened:
1. My skin/hair look amazing. I have gotten SO many comments on my hair looking healthy.
2. I am making SUCH better food choices. I'm eating a lot of veggies, fruits, the stuff I should have been eating. Could I have done this without Advocare? Yes. Absolutely. But for some reason, I have been eating cleaner the last 3 weeks and it seems to be very effortless for some reason.
3. Their vitamin pack thingies - whatever is in them - provide amazing help with appetite control. This has been an issue for me FOREVER because I run.
4. Weight loss. Yeah, I guess you want to know about that. I'm down about 7 pounds in the last 21 days. Is that "miraculous"? No, not really. Clean eating would have done this. But I CAN tell you that these products have been an amazing aid for me --- and have made things "click" for me where nothing else really ever has! And I feel like I'm learning good habits.
On the flip side, this shizzle is expensive. The "24 day challenge" part was like $180 but the vitamin packs were only like $50 for me to re-order -- so that's not terrible but it's not cheap either!
I haven't really been using their shakes as much (I have a personal preference to either the EAS ones or WW makes a great shake).
I am participating in the 24 day challenge free of cost. I started with the mindset that it's too expensive, this is stupid because it's healthy eating with some supplements. I am on Day 10 (last day of the Cleanse phase). I too agree with the above post...
The Cleanse Phase is 10 days. Taking either a pro-biotic, a laxative (senna is in the evening pills), and fiber drinks (I can get fiber for free from my fridge, but whatever). I have lost 1.4 lbs in this Cleanse Phase. I did take body measurements and will on day 24. During the cleanse phase there is no alcohol and limited diet soda. To me the eating plan is a no brainer.
Tomorrow I begin the Max phase (Days 11-24). Same eating patterns. One meal is replaced, you can choose to replace more, but that's not in my future after the challenge. The package of pills from what I understand are a type of thermogenic...which to me in the past, has jacked with me. Granted the almighty Hydroxy Cut with Ephedra is not on the market (that made me super skinny).
Anyhow....would I recommend? On day 10 I would say no, save your money and just eat healthy options and workout. If it's free, heck ya! Go for it...the distributor who provided me with this free challenge is pro-Advocare...
In the end, I'm not a believer in fad diets. Best of luck and stay healthy!0 -
Just by reading some of the comments I can tell 1/2 of these people did not try the challenge or Advocare products. I HAVE and absolutely love them. The best way to describe their products and the challenge is like this: I HAVE lost 30lbs before but practically starved myself while doing it and felt like crap. WIth the challenge, I lost weight and felt AMAZING. I was never tired, never hungry, and always in a good mood. Oh, and by the way... you eat A LOT during the challenge. I tracked my food on here while I was on the challenge and actually went over my calories (which was okay because I worked out a little) - a lot? NOPE...a little (25 minutes a day). My hair and nails growing like weeds was a bonus. And no I did not gain the weight back because while on the challenge you are eating healthy NOT starving yourself. I go by the 80/20 rule... I eat healthy and get a little exercise in 6 days a week and allow myself a couple cheat meals 1 day a week with no working out. My suggestion is this: if your FRIENDS are telling you how awesome the challenge is, they are not starving themselves, they are not doing a fad diet, or depending on the supplements...let your husband try it. Because I guaranteed is he were to try it he would LOVE it and you would probably love it too. It is healthy, safe, and effective. End of story. YES you are eating healthy so you would lost weight anyway right? BUT you would not feel as good doing it as you do during the challenge. Listen people: google what you want but don't knock it till you try it ;-)0
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Also- if your friends are successful and happy with their results why LOOK for reasons what they are doing is wrong? Let them live.0
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It amazes me how many people have not done any research about the products.i did a 24 day challenge and didn't lose any weight. Why ? Because i didn't need too! The challenge got me down to 5% body fat but I actually gained muscle because of eating healthy and supplementing my diet. It's not about losing weight but about being healthy! The challenge isn't even a weight loss program it's a jump start to being healthy. When you eat healthy you feed your muscles you are also drinking a lot so you don't lose water weight. So as a result of your body having all the nutrients it needs it gets rid of the unhealthy fat in your body. Please do more research before you post0
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It amazes me how many people have not done any research about the products.i did a 24 day challenge and didn't lose any weight. Why ? Because i didn't need too! The challenge got me down to 5% body fat but I actually gained muscle because of eating healthy and supplementing my diet. It's not about losing weight but about being healthy! The challenge isn't even a weight loss program it's a jump start to being healthy. When you eat healthy you feed your muscles you are also drinking a lot so you don't lose water weight. So as a result of your body having all the nutrients it needs it gets rid of the unhealthy fat in your body. Please do more research before you post
Research eh? I highly doubt you got to 5% bodyfat from Advocare. You do realize how freakishly low 5% is?
You should do some research about people who get to 5%......pretty easy to find them in bodybuilding forums. If your going to try and maintain 5-6 % bodyfat I highly recommend you get routine check ups from the doc, probably every month just to make sure your not low on any vitamins/minerals and to make sure your blood pressure is in check, etc.
Four % bodyfat is the minimum level for pro bodybuilders in competition - even roided up, they can't keep that level of bodyfat year round. Not only would that be seriously unhealthy, it would require an amazing obsession with food intake.
Another perspective
"Okay, I haven't been there for a while, but I have been there. Now, my 5% body fat was not like that of the professional bodybuilders -- I did not have the extra muscle to go with it -- and mine resulted from a lot of serious sports training including endurance running. Unfortunately, this amount of aerobic and anaerobic training also burns some muscle. It's easy to appreciate how difficult it is to bulk up substantially and get this low in body fat. It takes a lot of work and I now settle for a more body fat and more muscle.
Naturally, if you're a bodybuilder or fitness weight trainer, you can aim for low body fat to expose your ab muscles and to help define those other muscles you've built. Men can get down to around 5% and women to about 12% body fat. Below those numbers you really have to be careful that some basic physiological and hormone systems aren't disrupted to the extent that you get ill. The immune system can suffer, and in women, periods can go missing and bone health can be affected adversely.
As to what it feels like, well . . . it's a little difficult to explain, but you feel "light and powerful," that was my experience -- as if there's nothing in the way of your muscle contractions. It's a positive feeling as long as you stay healthy. My total cholesterol was around 150 mg/dl (3.9 mmol/L) with relatively high HDL and very low triglycerides. Attaining very low body fat levels with exercise can drop total cholesterol, improve good/bad cholesterol ratios and lower triglycerides in the blood -- all good numbers for a healthy heart. But you still need to have a doctor assess your cholesterol risk. Not everyone responds in the same way."
But I'm sure it was Advocare.
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Late to the conversation but had to throw my 2cents in. My friend did the 24-day challenge starting in August. After the challenge, she semi-seriously kept up with the Advocare meal plan (6 meals a day, balanced meals, etc.) and continued to walk and take the Spark/Cataylst/Thermoplus. It's December now, and she has lost 40 pounds. [Side note: I thought for sure this would turn out to be a major flop. She is a pack a day smoker and a wine bottle a day kind of gal who complained about her weight forever but wouldn't do anything about it. I NEVER thought for a second she would follow through with the plan, that the products would 'work', or that she would lose weight]
I was jealous of her weight lost and (tried) to do the challenge myself. I didn't lose anything because I couldn't stick with it. Whatever Advocare was doing for her, it was not doing it for me.The vitamin/supplements were enough to help her 'stick' to the diet and exercise part of it....which is the point to the product(IMO). If it was 'easy' to just eat right and exercise, everyone would do it and be skinny. The supplements are there to help with whatever problem you are having (appetite suppression, low energy, etc.) so that you can eat right and exercise. Unfortunately, no one knows ahead of time whether this is the right product for them, it is an expensive experiment.0 -
I am loving Advocare and yes I dropped 90 pounds without product before. I hate medifast it is too low in calories. But Advocare you don't have to drink shakes. I love it and eat real meals. The most thing I love is that the energy the Spark product gives me. A working mom of 2 little kids, a women who is the head of house hold, and in the process of training for a 1/2 marathon and hopefully a Olympic triathlon distance this spring/summer. The energy aspect is great. Is it something I can stick with for life yep you bet! Spark will now replace my coffee and Starbucks Latte addiction. I am doing the 24 day challenge now and haven't had a shake at all. Seriously I eat a lot. I had gallbladder surgery on 12/27 and gained some of my weight back. I started running a week after surgery but I need a spark to get going. I have been taking Spark products for a little over month and love it. I just say do what works for you. I have used myfitnesspal and my fitbit for 2 years now but my fitness level has reached another level. Training with top athletes I need to get back to my racing weight. The off season for me was November and December and now I start training hard. Energy is key and the vitamins are great too. It is an all natural product which I love. Love yourself and do what works for you. Different things work for different people with a positive attitude if someone wants to try the product let them maybe it maybe what they stick with for their healthy lifestyle journey. Positive Vibes. Losing Weight and maintaining is hard work but give people a pat on the back for trying, doing their best and striving for their health.
One Luv! 0 -
I completed the Advocare challenge on February 7. I lost 6 pounds, about 1.5 pounds per week. I have had some success losing weight prior to Advocare, but for the back half of 2013 was in a rut. I needed something structured to reset my thinking and Advocare fit that bill. I have stayed on product because I like the meal replacement shakes. Also, I have kicked almost all caffeine drinks which is a great accomplishment for me, believe me.
I don't understand the negativity toward Advocare. I can understand thinking, "It's not for me." But nothing is for everyone. Advocare is not a magic cure or a trick nor does it bill itself that way. For me, Advocare has been a tool to reorient me to better food and exercise choices. And that's good enough for me.0 -
Another company that's using people who use their products to reap the company more monetary gains.
No different than IsoGenix, HerbaLife, Body by Vi, Shakeology or any of those products.
Create a calorie deficit. Eat nutrient rich foods 90% of the time. Exercise daily (20-30 minutes) and you will see results.
Sure these products help you drop initial water weight and make you feel good because of the caffeine they put in them but honestly it's not sustainable for most people.
You have to learn how to eat and what to eat. Not replace meals for a few months with shakes...and speaking on that subject if you want a shake, buy a reputable protein powder blend from BodyBuilding.com or GNC.
Just my two cents, take it for what it's worth.0 -
I know a fair few people that distribute Advocare products. I haven't, nor will I ever, purchase any of their products. I'm sure there are loads of success stories, because I do not doubt that it works, but as many have said - it's a quick fix and completely unsustainable in the long term. No one is likely to continue on this plan for the rest of their lives. If someone wants to lose weight for a wedding or a holiday or something, and doesn't care about re-gaining any lost weight after the event, then great - each to their own. But this plan is based on extreme calorie deficit and does not take into account long term health or BMR (I assume). In my opinion, you don't need to spend extortionate amounts of money to create calorie deficit - you can do it all on your own.0
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My husband and I have been taking Advocare for over a year and we LOVE IT! I feel so much better when I take it. The Spark is one of my favorite products. It gives me mental alertness and where the mind goes the body will follow. This is a lifestyle change and the Advocare helps support my health. It's NOT just weight loss. I've lost 23 lbs and have kept it off. We moved and forgot to order product, after a few days we both noticed we felt sluggish and slow. Started back on it and we feel great. We plan to take it as long as they make it!!!0
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I know this is an old thread but I must add my two cents. Advocare is NOT about starving yourself. I actually realized I was not eating enough with advocare. It taught me how important it is to eat all of your workout calories, but in eating "clean". The diet plan focuses on carbs, proteins and veggies. I just completed my 24 Day Challenge and I did not eat an apple for dinner and two shakes. I ate food...lots of nutritious, delisious, REAL FOOD. A good 2,000 calories worth a day. So before you start spreading about how an apple day is the diet plan...please do research. Thanks.0
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I have to agree with Megan it is NOT a meal replacement shake program. In fact, you don't need to do the shakes at all. I suggest you actually know what the programis before giving your two cents.
I've tried Advocare and love the probiotics. As far as everything else, you can lose the weight without the Advocare extras. Follow the eating plan of the 24 day challenge and you will lose weight. If you track calories it was definitely a calorie deficit. May e your husband could try eating that way for 2 weeks and see if 1. He can stick with it and 2. To show him he can get the results on his own.
ETA: well crap this thread is months old.0 -
I know this is an old thread but I must add my two cents. Advocare is NOT about starving yourself. I actually realized I was not eating enough with advocare. It taught me how important it is to eat all of your workout calories, but in eating "clean". The diet plan focuses on carbs, proteins and veggies. I just completed my 24 Day Challenge and I did not eat an apple for dinner and two shakes. I ate food...lots of nutritious, delisious, REAL FOOD. A good 2,000 calories worth a day. So before you start spreading about how an apple day is the diet plan...please do research. Thanks.
Why do you need anything else except............ "lots of nutritious, delisious, REAL FOOD" ?0 -
I started the 24 day challenge April, 2013. I lost 17 pounds. I have done the cleanse every 3 months since then. I have realized since I started that it is totally up to me how much weight I loose. Advocare gives me the vitamins I need regardless of the weight loss. I have found, to be successful, you have to follow the meal plan. I was not eating enough before I tried it and when I started doing everything they said I should, the pounds came off. I am not in any way a distributor nor do I make a cent off the product, I just use it. I would, however like to find a cheaper way to accomplish the specific vitamin intake it gives me. I used to take diet pills but I've found the energy I was getting from them was extremely addictive. I like the clean feeling I have from taking vitamins I am getting through Advocare. As I said, I just wish it was a little cheaper!
With that said........ I think it is a wonderful product!! You can not lose the weight though unless you follow the guidelines. It Will work if you do it right, if you don't do it right.....you may not achieve the weight loss but at least you'll be healthier!0 -
Advocare is not a 'quick fix'. It taught me to change the way I eat and to eat more but of only the right things. If your friends are talking about it, maybe you should look into it. If done right, it can work. It made me look at what I was eating, and made me change my habits. Obviously the way way to lose weight is to make a change in your life. You have to be healthy and exercise, that is SO important, but the vitamins also play a huge part as well! I do not look at it as a quick fix at all but as a life changer. I am not a distributor or anyone that makes a profit from it, I'm only a user, and since I've been using it, my Dr took me off my blood pressure meds and my cholesterol was down enough in 6 months that I didn't even have to take anything at all! Maybe it is that it just gave me focus, I'm not sue, but I am healthier now than I've been in years and I a also feel a lot better,0
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Putting my 2 cents in as well. I honestly believe Advocare is a "scam"--high priced supplements that may work. The people that push them are super annoying. I had someone try to get me to sell it before I even tried it? With me selling it under him, he would profit from what I sold and got bonuses for everyone he signed under him.
My advice:
Do a 5 day juice cleanse. Nothing but fruits and veggies through a juicer 80% veggies and 20% fruits. I did this for 5 days and had 4-6 juices a day(NO SOLIDS) and lost 6.5 lbs in 5 days. It really kickstarted my healthy eating habits and I have managed to keep the weight off after the cleanse. I have not had pop in 3 weeks and I was a huge pop drinker. I drink a gallon of water a day now. If I do splurge and eat anything that has zero nutritional value I feel sick. Juicing was the best thing I ever did for myself. Healthy skin, nails, ENERGY! So with the help of juicing I am now a healthy eater! When I came off of the juice cleanse, I still continue to drink a green juice because I love the way it makes me feel. As an added bonus, I have shooed away the Advocare people, who were VERY ANNOYING and always tried to push products on me.
Advocare is overpriced and you can get alternatives elswhere:
-For the cleanse--do a juice cleanse (about $40 bucks for 5 days) just fresh fruits and veggies at your local supermarket or farmers market
-Fish oil supplements at your local drug store
-Probiotics at your local drug store
-Metamucil (substituted for the fiber drink)
-Senna for the stool softener
-Energy (fresh juice)
No sense on paying so much money when all of the tools you need are at your fingertips.0 -
I tried the 24 Day Challenge and loved it! My Husband and friends saw the weight coming off and decided to try it too. I'm down 30 lbs, Grandma down 50 lbs, My Husband down 25 lbs, co-workers down 10-25 lbs. It helps train you how to eat healthy and the vitamins/supplements help fill the gaps in the nutrition that may not be included in your diet. It's working great for us!0
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I'm not against advocare, but it is against me. i did a cleanse and saw great results. then i started the 24 day challenge and continued to do well. After about 3 months of taking the MNSC pills/spark (that i dearly loved...made me feel great) i started breaking out into an allergic reaction type symptom. it got increasingly worse so i finally went to the dermatologist. she had me quit everything i was taking, including the spark. After 21 days of steroids and 1 month of a topical steroid lotion, my rash is finally gone. She took a biopsy and the results were vague. Then i google'd advocare side effects. Now i have concluded that i was having a reaction to the high doses of Niacin that are in the MNS-C pills and also in the spark. Now i cant take any of it and have found that if i eat right, take a probiotic and fish oil supplement (from my local health food store) it is a lot cheaper and i don't have the HORRIBLE rash that i experienced, plus i have not spent NEAR as much money as i was.
Good luck to all of you on your lifestyle changes:)
Peace, Tiffany0
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