Tuesday, February 4, 2014.  Well it has been one week.  Weighed in this morning and I am 3 1/2 lbs down since last Tuesday.  I haven't had time to measure but I can tell from my clothes that I've lost from my bust and waist. I'll measure and give you an update on that.  The past week has been hectic after the snow here in the ATL that was a total disaster for so many of us. In terms of going to work out at the gym -- I didn't.  But I have plenty of work at the house to keep me active.  I must say that I was delighted at my weight loss -- but I know it could have been more.  I am a slow adopter -- it took me a few days to read all the literature, take a look at the products and try to get my daily schedule to best suit me.  in terms of the program, I can say that overall I was never starving -- but the first two days were a bit of a struggle.  I had to do away with both my morning coffee and say goodbye to diet coke which I like to have a few times a week.  I bought fresh veggies and loaded up on fish. Mahi Mahi, Salmon, Talapia, Grouper and Cod.  Other than brown rice and a few apples, raw almonds --- I was off to the races.  I have two kinds of shakes to choose from for two (2) meal replacements a day.  Chocolate and Vanilla.  Of course, I went for the chocolate the first and second days. I had a bit of a time taking all the AM and PM vitamin supplements but ultimately -- I got used to them.  I start the day with the Ionix Supreme (loaded with B vitamins); followed by the Natural Accelerator tablet to boost metabolism.  For breakfast and lunch I had the shakes supplemented throughout the day with Isagenix snacks.  The dark chocolates with green tea are satisfying, the vanilla wafers taste like cake icing to me.  On the second day, I could not drink the second shake.  I just did not have the appetite.  I was however, THIRSTY.  I got to the point that I filled up VOSS bottles and put them in the refrigerator so I could grab them COLD at any time.  The next two (2) days were CLEANSE days.  That's when I ran into a problem.  I wasn't hungry but psychologically felt deprived.  Basically, you stop the shakes and you can't indulge in the 400-600 calorie dinners on the CLEANSE days.  More about dinners later....  So I followed the Cleanse Day Planner, UNTIL late afternoon when I broke down and ate a very small spinach salad with three strawberries.  Later that night I downed about 2 oz of baked chicken (plain, no spices) and two (2) celery sticks.  A NO NO but I told you I was a slow adopter.  The second CLEANSE day wasn't so bad -- I kept to the Isagenix snacks (there are some nice options that I have not tried yet).  On the third SHAKE DAY, I tried the Vanilla Shake -- the consistency is good but it isn't as satisfying as the chocolate.  Note that you can utilize the orange Energy sticks by adding them to the vanilla --- making it taste more like a dream cycle. Again, late day I felt deprived --- so I ate a medium sized apple -- which is okay on a shake day but NOT okay on a CLEANSE day.  By this time, I didn't have any cravings.  The program was tolerable and I thought the program added a certain amount of energy to my day.  Just wasn't quite sure. One thing that I did notice is that I DID NOT FEEL BLOATED.  I've had digestive problems for which I have seen a doctor -- also had the allergy test to determine foods for which I am sensitive.  Friday and Saturday went without a hitch.  Super Bowl Sunday was just a fizzle. I was happy to speak for 30 minutes to my Isagenix coaches who set me straight on how to best utilize the program.  No be frank, I was a bit confused on how and when to use the products to my advantage.  Anyway, I was bored with the football game and went to bed early.  Monday night my husband I went out to eat dinner at Red Lobster (I followed the program). They have a 600 calorie menu.  I had the broiled platter with shrimp, lobster, scallops and 1/2 cup of rice pilaf.  NO SALT, NO SEASONINGS.  Tasted fantastic to me.  Generally in the evening both my husband and I are eating fish every night with veggies (like steamed broccoli) and mock mashed potatoes (whipped parsnips and carrots with nothing added).  Hubby thought they were sweet potatoes.  Well, this is a long BLOG -- but I'm happy with the results so far. Stay tuned....