Disclaimer: I knew I wanted to write this blog, but it took me a really long time to write because I didn’t know where to start. Even after writing this, I feel like it’s missing so much, but i’m trying to not turn this into a novel.
I don’t want this blog to only be about selling products, but a genuine story of the highs and lows I faced during 'Arbonne's 30 Days to Healthy Living'.
Let's be real, I became a consultant to get the best discounts (sue me) because I believe in all of their products. Since I can see what these products have done for myself, I talk about it way too much. Even though I get scared that i'm constantly annoying everyone, if i'm able to help someone else who has been struggling with physical & mental health get on track, i’m going to jump on that opportunity.
I’m gonna give you a quick recap of Arbonne's, 30 Days to Health Living if you’re reading this and have prior knowledge, just skip down to the starting line.
The whole point of the program is to detox your body from inflammatory foods. Listening to your body obviously important, and this detox helps you understand what could be causing negative body effects (like bloating, breaking out, headaches, etc). This isn’t a forever thing, but the 30 days will teach you how to implement healthy habits into your lifestyle.
They give you everything you could possibly need including two shakes, two caffeinated drinks, and a detox tea for each day. So, even though there is a lot of things to cut out, Arbonne has you completely covered with recipes, grocery lists, a support group, coaches, tons of products to back you up- for less than $8 a day.
Ok, that’s the last selling I’m going to do for the remainder of this, I promise.
The “before and after” picture of my back, was never intended to be posted. Last semester, my body started breaking out during a stressful time of the semester. I had my roommate take a picture of my back, only to show my mom how broken out it was. Around week two of the detox, I saw the photo and decided to retake it. Even though my skin was clear which is what I wanted, it made me feel really insecure seeing that even though I was thin, my body was hiding fat from my diet that I had no idea about.
Before saying anything else, I did not do this plan to lose weight! Even if I was carrying some extra body fat, I have always been petite. Over Christmas break, I found out that I have a weak immune system which means a variety of things could cause my body to react, such as poor sleeping habits, stress, diet, fill in the blank. The only thing I feel like I have complete control over is my diet, so that’s what I decided to change. I started on January 14th, weighing 123 lbs.
So I set out on my journey, to find the meaning of life, to find myself, to become the epitome of health, lol kidding. I definitely started this “journey” very discouraged and stressed. I made a huge mistake starting the 30 days the very Monday that I was driving back to college from Christmas break. Why not start a detox the day i’m driving and unpacking all day long? Everyone has a hobby and mine happens to be making my life as difficult as possible.
The first few days were challenging because I was trying to get the feel for my semester and completely change my lifestyle, no big deal.
Barely three days even in, I was hoping the folliculitis on the upper part of my body would disappear like magic. Luckily, around day five, my skin was finally clearing up, without medication.
I wanted the “before and after” results without the work. You always hear the phrase, “I feel so energized!” and “I feels so good!” when people are doing a detox. Hardly do people tell you week one sucks. But let me tell you, my body was constantly fueled by coffee, processed foods, and gluten, so taking that away made my body turn into the equivalence of a toddler being told no at the grocery store.
Once I hit week two, I finally got that, “health high” I wanted. But even though I was feeling emotionally & physically good, I began to struggle with FOMO.
My friends were constantly going out to eat, because what else is there to do in a small town. I see the importance of fellowship and all, but why does it constantly revolve around food? Why can’t we all hang out without saying “let’s grab lunch together” or “let’s get coffee”. Honestly, having friends is expensive for this reason alone.
I could not get myself to spend $10 on lettuce so I usually stayed in and made food I could actually eat that was not straight bunny food.
Before the 30 days, I would barley spend any money at the grocery store because I was always eating out. I remember some of my friends eating out three times one weekend, I stopped and thought to myself that if I went with them, that would be at least $30 on only three meals, and I wasn’t spending that much a week on groceries.
Sometimes I would feel proud that I was saving money and treating my body, other times I would go to the restaurant just to order a nice glass of tap-water.
Going back to my skin, which is the reason why I started this journey. My skin was not completely perfect as soon as I touched Arbonne products. My skin still reflects my immune system so if i’m stressed or not sleeping well, I will struggle with body reaction. However this time, i’m able to get in under control in a few days without antibiotics. Typically, I would be like, “...great, here's the next month of my life”.
Since high school, I have struggled with hypoglycemia. Like i’m talking some Steel Magnolia go-get-the-orange-juice stuff (ok i’m 100% exaggerating). On the plan, I never got low-blood sugar shakes, which is honestly really surprising (even during workouts). This is such a relief for someone who usually has to plan their day around meals and snacks.
I’m also someone who takes Advil like vitamins. I’m not joking when I tell you that on this plan I never got a headache. It wasn’t until week two that I realized that I hadn’t even thought about popping some Advil.
On February 13th, I finished the 30 Days to Healthy Living. Since I cannot remember the last time I felt this physically and mentally energized, I wasn’t that excited when I finished the 30 days. Mostly because I knew there was no way I was going back to my old lifestyle. I was definitely proud of myself for completing it, but I had no desire in me to go and eat all the food that I wasn't “supposed” to.
Before starting, I weighed 123 lbs, after the 30 day program, I weighted 112 lbs. I actually have exact measurements, too. To be honest, the main reason I have them is because I was watching way too much, ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ and she was measuring herself every day, so I definitely copied a fictional 50's housewife.
All of my measurements were pretty much stagnant except I lost a full inch off of my waist. I went from 28.5in to 27.5in. I was lowkey disappointed that none of my other measurements changed, but then I remembered that I definitely don’t need to lose anything off my body. Toning up? Cool. Dropping 10 more pounds? No thanks.
So i’m pretty much the equivalence of Beyoncé now, I guess.
Since I was in high school, I have always known that I wanted to live the healthiest life I could- it’s probably because of all those scary documentaries they make us watch. I've never known where to start, so i’m really thankful for Arbonne and the community that has helped me become a healthier version of myself. I also believe it's empowering that I was able to take a 180 on my health by not listening to what my body wanted but listening to what I knew I needed.
