Advocare?

mrs100711 · May 2011

Hi ladies! With about 150 days left to go, I started my "wedding prep" a.k.a. "dump the plump" mission on Monday.

I'm using Advocare and have 23lbs I want to lose. My first time to use their products was last year to trim down for my brother's wedding. Has anyone else used it before? Maybe we can give each other some moral support!

cfdittrich · May 2011

I haven't used it... can you tell me a little about it?

mrs100711 · May 2011

Well, first I will say that I did some more reading on the board last night and noticed that there are quite a few negative comments about it, but I also noticed that they are all from people who have not tried it before. I did a TON of research on it before using it, and also consulted with my doctor and a friend who is a nutritionist. BOTH were on board before I did anything.

A summary of what I found during the research I did over about a month before deciding to use it...
It's a wellness/nutrition company that's been around for about 19 years. They have a science/medical board that consists of doctors and nutritionists who are still in practice; some at prestigous universities such as Cal Davis and Penn State. They even have the man who invented IV nutrition on the board. (I thought that was pretty cool) They also have a sports advisory council with trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, and sports medicine directors/coordinators for universities, professional sports teams, pit crews, and even the US Air Force Academy. Last but not least, I also found out that some of their products were developed specifically for Rice University (a very respected school here in TX) and the US Olympic Wrestling Team.

Anyway, they have 3 main lines of products... wellness, weight loss, and sports performance. I think they also have a skin care line, but I haven't used it. They have a program called the 24 day challenge to get you jump started, but you can really start any way you want. I just choose to use the 24DC to start out with because I found out it was put together by a nutritionist. The first 10 days are a cleanse (but it's not this extreme stuff you hear about people doing), and the last 14 days of the challenge are using their vitamins and drinking protein shakes as a meal replacement once a day. I drink the shake for breakfast and eat sensibly throughout the rest of the day. My fiance uses their sports performance products with his workouts and he likes it much better than anything he has tried from GNC or Vitamin Shoppe. ((There is a CrossFit down here also that not only endorses it, but they use it in their fitness center))

Long story short, if you end up using it, let me know and maybe we can be a little support system for each other. I've gotten pretty good at thinking outside of the "diet" box when I use it. This morning I had black beans with venison sausage and hot sauce for breakfast instead of my shake. I'll just drink the shake for lunch!

J&K10910 · May 2011

And then what happens when you stop using their products? It teaches you nothing about healthy eating.

anna.oskar · May 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_advocare-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:9b460361-8d2b-46cc-b0bd-f0ea69c286e6Post:03a3bda2-6ca6-4547-b46e-c2a57b9983d3">Re: Advocare?</a>:
[QUOTE]And then what happens when you stop using their products? It teaches you nothing about healthy eating.
Posted by J&K10910[/QUOTE]

You gain 10lbs in 2 weeks. Been there, stepped in that diet pothole. Although i can say that the Advocare vitamins are great.

mrs100711 · May 2011

I stopped using the weight loss line last summer for two months becuase I felt I was doing great and didn't need it anymore. During that time, I started using the wellness line (just regular daily vitamins). I didn't gain an ounce.

It wasn't until I was the victim of a crime last year and started going through a ton of stress and eating in a VERY unhealthy way that I began putting weight back on.

It is not meant to be a miracle weight loss product. It is meant to give you a jump start in a very healthy way. I forgot to mention earlier that their products are also tested by Informed Choice and are certified banned substance free.

I'm a single mom of two little girls who works for NASA and received a lay off notice two weeks ago for June 24th. I can't afford to waste money. If it didn't work, or if I felt like I was going to put weight back on, I definitely wouldn't use it.

mrs100711 · May 2011

About the "it teaches you nothing about healthy eating" post. They not only send out suggested grocery lists and a list of foods to avoid, their advisors are available by phone or email to answer questions, many of their teams have nutritionists and/or trainers on them who can help, and they have meetings regularly that you can attend if you want face to face time to get questions answered. I've learned a ton about what is right and wrong and I owe it all to them.

kristinanddan · May 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_advocare-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:9b460361-8d2b-46cc-b0bd-f0ea69c286e6Post:6cdec5b7-2b11-4af4-8285-5b0054f8fc90">Re: Advocare?</a>:
[QUOTE]About the "it teaches you nothing about healthy eating" post. T<strong>hey not only send out suggested grocery lists and a list of foods to avoid,</strong> their advisors are available by phone or email to answer questions, many of their teams have nutritionists and/or trainers on them who can help, and they have meetings regularly that you can attend if you want face to face time to get questions answered. I've learned a ton about what is right and wrong and I owe it all to them.
Posted by mrs100711[/QUOTE]

a) If it truly taught you to eat healthy foods, you wouldn't need to take their products.
b) what is on their list of foods to avoid?
c) Diet and exercise - that's all you need, and all you will ever need. You don't need to buy any crap that anyone is trying to sell you, just eat healthy and sensibly and exercise and you will lose weight.

MandK9 · May 2011

I'm with kristinanddan. I know you've done your research and found it to be unharmful, which is great and everything, but it's still a supplement that lots of us here just find unnecessary. I really feel like relying on any kind of pill or powder to help you "get started" is a risky thing to do, because you can't be on those things forever. If you just teach yourself natural healthy eating habits and an exercising lifestyle, you're much better off.

Allycat11 · May 2011

I agree with previous posts. All you need to do is eat properly and exercise and you are set. I also find it sketchy that 4 out of your 8 posts so far are on this board, raving about and then defending a product...just my opinion though

J&K10910 · May 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_advocare-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:9b460361-8d2b-46cc-b0bd-f0ea69c286e6Post:6cdec5b7-2b11-4af4-8285-5b0054f8fc90">Re: Advocare?</a>:
[QUOTE]About the "it teaches you nothing about healthy eating" post. They not only send out suggested grocery lists and a list of foods to avoid, their advisors are available by phone or email to answer questions, many of their teams have nutritionists and/or trainers on them who can help, and they have meetings regularly that you can attend if you want face to face time to get questions answered. I've learned a ton about what is right and wrong and I owe it all to them.
Posted by mrs100711[/QUOTE]

Giving you lists is WAY different than actually training you to eat better. Before I went on WW, I KNEW the portions I was eating were too large, even though I was eating mostly healthful foods. Just knowing didn't stop me. I needed to practice it, with a little guidance and accountability.

Granted not everyone works like that, but I think most people have a decent idea that fruits and veggies are good and chips and candy are bad.

mrs100711 · May 2011

I'm not sketchy. My original post, if you will see at the very top was asking if anyone else was doing it and asking for some support. It's offensive to see that posted about me when I've been lurking for a long time and finally thought I found a board I could participate in. I know how to eat healthy, but I plateau and no matter what I try, weight doesn't budge for me. Last year, this worked. So between having approval from my physician, the science proving that it's not a fly by night kind of thing, and me having such a hard time getting off the last of the weight last year, I felt fine taking it. I still do.

I don't agree with gastric bypass, but just as me choosing a nutrition line like Advocare, I feel it's a personal preference and I'm not going to speak condescendingly about someone else's choice for surgery just because it isn't for me. Everyone has their own opinion on what is the best choice for them - be it weight watchers, Atkins, South Beach, etc. At least by doing this, I don't have to worry about whether or not I am getting enough protein, vitamins, or essential amino acids every day.

And it's not just a pill or powder. It replaced the individual bottles of daily vitamins I used to take. It's much more simple and I also spend less than I used to.

I think it's really unfortunate that I'm having to take up for myself on this at all or even debate a personal choice I've made. Thanks for being so welcoming and supportive.

J&K10910 · May 2011

Ok, but that's what happens when you put something out there for strangers to read.

What we're telling you is that this is not a long term, sustainable, healthy lifestyle change, which is what most of the regulars on this board work hard to promote. We don't support quick fixes. If had really been lurking for that long, you would know that.

mrs100711 · May 2011

I'm sorry, maybe I didn't explain it very well. This is not a "quick fix." My healthy lifestyle is there. I eat fish and white meat - grilled. I eat tons of fruit and vegetables. I drink water all day every day. I also remain active. There is not one thing that works for every one person. When I drop the weight I want to drop, I will move over to their wellness line (has nothing to do with weight loss) and I will take it daily as opposed to using something from a drug store, GNC, or Vitamin Shoppe. (I talked about the wellness and sports performance lines in my earlier post) Maybe someone should tell the members of the US Olympic Wrestling team, or Drew Brees, or Colt McCoy they are using a product that isn't supported by Knotties.

I guess to get support or even participate here without getting negative feedback, you have to just do what everyone else does instead of what works best for you as an individual. Completely not what I expected at all. I am so extremely disappointed. =(

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