I really, really love food. Don’t get me wrong, I love to exercise, but I really love to eat! So many flavours, so little time. Which is exactly my problem… you see, I’ve been working out but not making the best food choices and not really sticking to any particular workout plan. Leg day today? Sure. Time to work on my epic gun show? Ah, you betcha! So, it seemed like divine timing when I was offered the chance to try the Protein World 30 Day Challenge. I realised I needed something to drive me and what better way to stay motivated than to blog about my challenge and share it publicly?!

This leads me to what comes next. During my 30 Day Challenge, I’ve kept an occasional diary, logging how I feel at different points, whether or not I feel it has been working, and my thoughts on the results and the journey. I’ve also taken some before and after measurements. Check out my results and my official verdict the end of this post!

Day One

It’s day one and I feel pretty gross. It’s not that I feel terribly overweight, I just know I’ve got that extra layer of pudge on me because I’ve not been making good choices of late. That jiggly layer of pudge has a way of making you feel really lethargic, a bit gross and just… bleaugh! It also acts as a precedent for making bad choices. So, I’m super excited to get started on the 30 Day Challenge. I read the guidebook, wrap my head around it all and decide to kick things off with The Slender Porridge which, surprisingly, tastes pretty damn good. I test out the first workout from the guidebook at the gym and just about die, it’s much more challenging than I expected, which is great because it means I’m going to be hot as hell and sexy as a mother-flipper in 30 days time. Yeahhhhhh!

Day Five

Day five and I’m feeling fine! I’ve pushed through the first few days of adjusting to the program and have gotten into a good routine with it all. I’ve gone off the porridge, through no fault of its own, just that I prefer to have a protein smoothie or bowl for breakfast. I’m starting to feel a bit stronger, leaner and fresher! I’m drinking a tonne of water, my cravings for bad food have been totally curbed (which is a huge deal cos I loooooove pizza). My tummy feels less bloated and I’m really enjoying the meals. I’m even making good choices when we’ve been eating out, opting for fresh and healthy salads and yummy acai bowls and smoothies in place of heavy, greasy meals. So far, so good!

Day Fifteen

The halfway point is here and it has gone by really fast. The first few weeks have been great at pushing me out of bad habits and into a new, healthy routine. I’ve been going to the gym regularly and giving my workouts my all! I’m starting to feel and see the change in my body, my tummy is flatter and there are some muscles in my arms and legs which weren’t there before. Most importantly, though, I feel more confident, happier and have much more energy than I did when I started.

Day Twenty

Uh-Oh, I’ve had a blowout. I had a bad day and made the bad decision to fix my emotional problems with ice cream. A LOT of chocolate mint ice cream. It was delicious but I feel pretty gross afterwards. It just feels icky after not having any for so long. It’s refreshing to feel this way though because normally I don’t feel guilty after I eat junk food. I’m not going to continue to feel guilty, though, I ate it, it’s done, time to get back on track. I can’t believe it’s day 20 already, it has gone by so fast.

What really happened on my 30 Day Challenge...
Outdoors and active!
My last day

I’m at the end of my challenge and I’m feeling all kinds of things. I feel so much stronger, fitter and healthier. I feel confident and on track with my health and fitness. The challenge has been an amazing starting point, a great way to get extra help, knowledge and guidance. The meal plans are fantastic and the food is, honestly, delicious. I’m now addicted to smoothies and protein bowls! The workout plans are genuinely challenging and I’ve loved mixing them in with my favourite weight-lifting workouts.

Surprisingly, I’ve loved the supplements too. I thought they’d just be fads and not make any difference, but they really have worked for me. My bad food cravings are gone, my tummy feels flat, my arms and legs feel strong and I feel so energetic and happy! I think the routine of the protein and supplements help you get into a rhythm with it all and keep you on track.

The results!

I took my measurements before and after the challenge, just because I feel they’re a better representation than weighing yourself. All up I lost 7cm off my waist, 5cm off my hips and gained 2cm of luscious muscle on my thigh! Woohoo! Most importantly, though, I was able to fit into a gorgeous denim skirt I haven’t been able to wear since I bought it. That was a great feeling. I feel so much more confident and comfortable.

My 3 simple secrets to staying healthy on holidays!

The products I used…

Protein World has a whole bunch of different products you can use, depending on what you’re looking to achieve. I just wanted to share with you what I used and how I felt about some of them.

  • The Slender Plan: Comes in your choice of chocolate or vanilla and includes chia and flax slender blend protein porridge, slender blend protein, fat metaboliser and hunger buster capsules, a protein shaker and the 30 Day Challenge booklet with recipes and exercise routines. I loved this pack! The porridge was a bit too sweet for me to eat daily, but it was still delicious. I just broke up how often I ate it. The capsules were amazing and the protein was so yummy.
  • I also used additional supplements, Carb Blocker and Water Cleanse, which both did as promised on the packaging!
  • The Acai Berry Powder and Vital Veggies Blend were super delicious and I added it to smoothies and bowls for an extra boost of vitamins, fibre and energy.

I’d be really interested to try Slender Pre-Workout Blend and Toner Capsules. The great thing about the products is they have no added sugar and cater to a range of dietary requirements, with different products being suitable for vegetarians, vegans and gluten-dodgers. Products can be soy and lactose-free, kosher, halal and diabetic suited. Just check the website before you buy to make sure the product matches your needs.

The verdict…

It worked! It actually worked. I started the challenge feeling a bit sad and down about myself. I knew I was unhealthy and didn’t feel confident or comfortable. I was starting to feel a bit worried about my health like I was powerless to stop myself continuing to be unhealthy. The 30 Day Challenge was an incredible starting point for me and it was the change I desperately needed.

Using the supplements and protein, following the meal and workout plans and focusing on drinking plenty of water and getting rest was an easy way for me to break the cycle of bad habits. The 30 days went by so quickly. Relying on the supplements to help me get through the bad food cravings was great, it just totally got rid of the hardest part of a new program… jonesing for junk food!

The program feels sustainable to me and easily integrated into my life. I took a few work trips while I was on it and was still able to keep up with my supplements, protein shakes and workouts. Most of the workouts can be done in a hotel room, with a few modifications for some. I loved that it’s travel-friendly and adaptable, it really works in easily with my ever-changing lifestyle.

What really happened on my 30 Day Challenge...

Now, 30 days later, I feel amazing. I can see and feel muscle in my body, I feel more toned and much, much stronger. I’ve fallen back in love with the gym again and I’m really looking forward to my workouts each day. I’m in control of my food choices now, still getting to eat delicious meals and treat myself, but not over-eating or feeling yucky after meals. My layer of pudge has gone too! Buh-bye, pudge!

So, would I recommend the Protein World 30 Day Challenge? I actually would! Part of me was worried it was just a fad but it really did help me. It gave me the structure and information I needed to get started and push through those first 30 days, now I’m in a great routine and am seeing and feeling the benefits of my hard work. I know I’m going to keep going with it! This has led to a big lifestyle change for me (a much needed one too!) If you’re looking for something to help you turn things around like I did, I recommend looking into the challenge for yourself.

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