I've Tried All The Products On Your Facebook Feed
Everyone has got something to sell these days. And with social media - everyone's got a place to sell it. Personally, I don't mind people doing this - to an extent. When I find that people go overboard for my threshold, I simply unfollow them (thanks, Facebook!). No harm done. But I have to say... I've never welcomed these types of salesy posts more than I have recently given the influx of political commentary. I'd much rather look at before and afters pics than listen to typically nice and friendly people stoop at disgusting levels when professing their political allegiance in a futile attempt to get someone on the opposing side to change their mind or make them feel stupid for what they believe in.
Oops. I totally derailed from the actual topic of this post. Anyways. I have tried several of the products that are commonly sold on Facebook, and thought it would be fun to share my experience with you. Please note: It is kind of scary to post before and after pics, so if you could kindly, um, be nice(ish?) or at least tactful, that'd be great.
Let's start with Beachbody's 21 Day Fix/Shakeology. It's a diet and workout plan that consists of eating clean (portions emphasized), having one shake per day, and a 30 minute workout. I LOVE this system. It has worked great for me and I've been doing it for over a year. It's proven to be sustainable, and the workouts are perfect for when I'm on the road traveling. I also enjoy my daily shake, and let me emphasize the word enjoy. I glug that chocolate delight down every single morning as my breakfast. I've also noticed since making these changes I've gotten sick/colds way less. Below are snapshots of my results. The picture on the left was about 15 pounds ago on this 5'9 body. And before anyone says "You were never fat to begin with!" let me be the first to acknowledge that that is correct. But I (like most people) had some fat to lose, could afford to get (and wanted) more muscle definition, wasn't consistently eating healthy and working out, and just felt gross. I'm actually quite shocked at how much better I feel, especially given the fact that I was never overweight. I feel awesome, I'm more confident than I've ever been, annnnnd I can actually do pushups - something I couldn't do a year ago. The middle pictures are progress pictures, and the last one (USA bikini) is where I'm at, and what I work to maintain. And to keep things real, I want you to know that all four photos were taken pre-breakfast! ;) These days I try to keep it at 80/20 - 80% of the time on the plan, 20% for pizza and Netflix.
pink bikini - before photo; blue bikini - after two rounds of 21 day fix; pink/black bikini - several rounds of a mixture of 21 day fix and 21 day fix extreme; american flag bikini - what i work to maintain (still doing the mix of workouts plus any other random fun active thing i can)!
Rodan + Fields. Once I started seeing RF posts on my feed, I reached out to a friend who I knew sold the stuff. I'm fortunate in the respect that I don't (yet) have major issues with my skin, and have good habits: guzzling water, wear SPF everyday, and 10+ years of using moisturizers/creams. But the before and afters photos I saw inspired me to investigate further for my Crow's feet that I no doubt have accumulated from smiling. I signed up as a preferred customer because that would ultimately save me money, and bought the eye cream and the peptide powder. It was expensive, and I felt guilty for spending $80 on eye cream. And then I damn near fainted when I saw how teeny that eye cream container was - it was a true "wtf moment." But that container is misleading - it's been over 5 months, and I still am on the same container!!! I put a dab of cream on in the morning under my makeup, and then again before bed. My after pic was taken a couple months ago, and my results have only continued to improve. I will definitely continue to use this eye cream! The powder peptides were just "ok" for me... but my skin has never looked great with loose powders (have tried Bare Minerals and similar products), so I won't be reordering that.
Somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks in between, and I did my best to use same lighting/positioning/time of day. I was rocking a small smile in each photo.
Advocare: Spark. I recently decided to try Advocare's energy product, Spark. Look, sometimes a girl just needs a boost, especially after an intense work day (which I tend to have quite frequently). I had tried Beachbody's version, but I disliked the flavor (lemon). So I reached out to one of my bestest of friends who is an Advo rep. What I loved about Spark was that I get a subtle jolt of energy, and get to choose from a TON of flavors... my favorites are lime, grape, and blue raspberry. It's a fantastic alternative to traditional preworkouts which made me feel like every cell in my body was tingling, that my organs were about to implode, and as though I was going to hulk smash everything in my path. Spark is not something I need/want everyday, but I'm glad I have it when I want it! I also like it because although I drink a ton of water, it's nice to change the routine up with something flavorful.
From a full system standpoint, I preferred sticking with Beachbody as I loved the results it's given me. Don't fix it if ain't broke, ya know? Therefor, I have never done the full Advocare program and can't speak to that. But one thing that I see that will likely prevent me from trying the full system that Advo offers is that their programs encourage having to consume such a variety of supplements - pills, powders, bars, shakes - it just seems like a lot to sustain for me personally. I also prefer a regiment that equally emphasizes diet and fitness - and I don't see any social media posts about workouts provided by Advo. In summary: Spark on occasion, full caboodle unlikely.
LuLaRoe Sweet baby Jesus, I never thought wildly patterned leggings would ever take off at this level! And now LLR offers a variety of products - tops, dresses, skirts, and probably tons more than I am aware of. With the aforementioned weight loss, I needed to source some new shops that sold skirts that flattered and fit my lanky frame, but were also long enough to be appropriate for work. When my mom showed me that LLR offered patterns that were less cartoony and more my style, I said "ok" and let my sweet mom buy me a skirt. I got an XS - in other brands I normally wear a small or maybe a medium. So know their skirts run a little big, and have a lot of stretch. I LOVE the skirt my mom got me, and get massive amounts of compliments when I wear it. Put the pattern aside, and just given the texture of the fabric, I feel as though it comes off as a little more business casual/cute-casual versus business attire. I don't know if I'd have a full closet full of these skirts (I like classic pieces for work), but when I'm looking for something more fun that I can wear to work on Fridays, or out and about, LLR all the way. PS - If any LLR sellers read this and have any Christmas mouse leggings/tops, let me know - tackier the better!
No, I didn't wear the converse with the outfit.
So there you have it, folks! Pardon the low quality phone pics, but I intentionally wanted to make this post a little more raw and real.
