Le-Vel THRIVE Experience - Day 6

9 AM- Erinn and I take our pills.

9:30 AM - This morning we got to use our new 28 oz Blender Bottles, which we really liked (we've been using 20 oz bottles). They gave enough room to add everything in and still be able to shake enough for everything to mix. We experimented with our shakes this morning. Unfortunately, the box we get only comes with 16 shakes, even though it has a month worth of pills and patches. This means we have to be a little creative with our shakes. This morning we split a Vanilla THRIVE shake mix and a Chocolate Breakfast Essentials shake. I mixed half of each package with about 10 oz of Chocolate Almond Milk. Erinn mixed half of each shake with about 10oz of a mixture of chocolate and regular almond milk. We both liked this mixture and see this as a great alternative to using a full THRIVE shake packet EVERY day, in order to conserve them.

10:30 AM - We had croissants as a second breakfast. They were so fluffy and wonderful.

We traveled to Phoenix for the day, so our day was a little unusual. We had a wonderful day.

5 PM - We had dinner at Olive Garden. We were able to wait until 5 to eat, but got hungry around 4 PM.

Since we don't have a lot to share today, I've decided to share random info on the products. 

The pills are fairly small, and easy to take. We usually both feel awake within a few moments of taking the pills. This may be because of the water, but we still are enjoying the effects.

The patches sometimes leave a residue when we remove them. It is fine if you leave the residue. However, we usually like to take it off. We have been told a few ways to remove the residue. We typically use nail polish remover, but have been told coconut oil also takes it off easily.

Le-Vel THRIVE Experience - Day 5

6 AM - Erinn woke up. She took her pills but was running late today and decided not to make a shake. She grabbed a banana to eat on her way to school.

7:40 AM - I took my pills with 8 ounces of water.

8 AM - Erinn's first class is underway. She regretted not having a shake because she felt tired, unfocused, and mainly, hungry. At the beginning of her class it had been about 12 hours since her last meal, besides the banana. She really felt that throughout her day, until she was able to come home around 12:30 for lunch. 

8:10 AM - I have 10 ounces of Chocolate Almond Milk with Chocolate shake mix. And then spilt some of it in my bathroom trying to open my shaker bottle.

I felt good through the morning. I was not as sleepy as I was yesterday, and did not feel sick.

2 PM - I had snacks for lunch. I was not super hungry today. 

I was a little unfocused in the afternoon at work. This could also be because I have the next two days off, which I was excited about.

6 PM - I get off of work, and Erinn and I have some errands to run. We didn't get home until 8:45 PM, and were fine waiting until we were home to eat. We were both getting hungry around 8 PM.

I am excited to continue THRIVE next week. This week was a little off for me schedule wise, so I'm excited to get back into the usual swing of things with THRIVE by my side. I am also excited to see how well THRIVE works while mini-traveling this weekend.

Erinn learned today how reliant she is becoming on having breakfast. Most of our lives we haven't been big on eating breakfast, but now that we have gotten in the habit of it, we feel it when we don't. The THRIVE shakes are a great way for us to start our days off since they have such great amounts of vitamins and minerals to kick start our mornings in a positive way.

Le-Vel THRIVE Experience - Day 4

7 AM - No issues taking my capsules this morning. I am getting used to the new routine of taking the pills and drinking 8 ounces of water in the morning. 

7:30 AM - I had 4 ounces of regular Almond Milk and 6 ounces of Chocolate Almond Milk, with chocolate shake mix. I placed my patch on the front of my thigh. Erinn woke up and yelled across the apartment that she didn't want to get up for class. But once she finally got herself up she took her pills and within 10-15 minutes she was awake and perky. She went with a chocolate shake with chocolate milk. She put her patch on her thigh again today (the opposite leg though). She ate a banana once she got to school today.

11 AM - I had a hard time through the morning. I was sleepy this morning at work, nauseous, and had a headache. A coworker brought in donuts, and I fell to temptation and had one. I try to avoid sweet treats lately, so I think the sugar threw my body for a loop.

2 PM - I had a 6 inch sub from Subway for lunch, with no sides (which is an achievement for me!). I usually am not even close to full after a 6 inch sub, but today this filled me up. 

4 PM- Erinn had eaten a small lunch earlier in the day and was craving a snack. She brought a new snack with her to school today that she was excited to try. She had the Graze brand Whole Grain Banana Carmel Dippers. The Graze brand has great snacks that are low in fat and sugar and are made with minimal ingredients. We have both previously tried the chocolate pretzel dippers. I liked the pretzels, but am not a big fan of hazelnut, which is in the chocolate dip, so I didn't have the chocolate. Erinn really liked the chocolate pretzel dippers and said the chocolate tasted like nutella. Today though, she had the banana caramel dippers. She says they're really tasty. The banana shortbread cookies by themselves do not have a ton of flavor, but with the caramel are amazing! Even with caramel, the entire snack has only 10g of sugar, which is less than many other snack options.

Throughout the afternoon, I had a lot of energy and was focused at work. Erinn felt like she was very snacky today, but thinks this is likely because she ate a very tiny lunch (half a PB&J), a cheese stick, and a couple carrots. 

7 PM - I am just getting home from work, and again am not as hungry as usual. We are delaying dinner a little, as neither of us are really hungry yet. 

I've noticed that I don't snack as much, and am eating smaller portions than usual. My sleep patterns are a little off this week, which is probably just my body adjusting. However, my work schedule is weird this week due to the holiday which also be affecting my sleep schedule. Today is the first day that I have felt tired after taking my pills and shake.

Erinn has noted she has been sleeping very soundly this week. She wears a fitbit while she sleeps to track her sleeping habits and has had a lot less restlessness during the night. After 4 days she feels like she is starting to fully get the effects of Thrive. She says she is feeling very alert in her classes and having a much easier time paying attention. Taking everything in the mornings is starting to become a morning habit for both of us.

Le-Vel THRIVE Experience - Day 3

Erinn has class at 8 AM on Wednesdays, so she was up around 6 AM. Her timeframe was a little different than mine, but it followed the same general pattern. To make things easier, I have included her info with mine. She had her pills around 6 AM and her shake around 6:30 AM.

7:40 AM - Today is the first day that we both take 2 pills. Erinn and I both had a hard time getting out of bed this morning, and we don't think the dreary weather helped. We both felt more awake after having our capsules, and drinking water. I again had a 8 ounce glass of water to jump start my body.

8:10 AM - I had 10 ounces of Chocolate Almond Milk with Chocolate shake mix again. Erinn tried her Vanilla Shake Mix with Orange Juice. We both assumed that would taste like a creamsicle. Erinn liked the taste but really struggled with the texture. She said it was really grainy this morning with just the orange juice. She plans on trying different mixtures, like adding a banana, because she liked the taste, but just could not get past the texture. Erinn placed her patch on the front of her thigh today, and I placed mine on my forearm.

9 AM - Erinn had a bagel at school with some orange juice. 

Throughout the morning, I tried to steadily drink water. I have a water bottle that has a Brita filter in it, which makes it easier for me while working. Erinn said she felt very attentive during her classes today and wasn't sleepy during her 8am like she usually is. 

1 PM - I took my lunch break at work, and came home and made some food. I started feeling hungry around 12:30.

2 PM- Erinn ate a california roll and some watermelon for lunch.

Throughout the afternoon at work, I felt more focused than usual. I didn't crash mid-afternoon like I usually do. 

7 PM - We have already started making dinner, but I am just now starting to get hungry.

We were supposed to make it to the gym tonight, but Erinn's homework load is more than expected. We hope to start going back to working out regularly tomorrow. We both tried to drink more water than usual, as this has been something we have struggled with.

I had a hard time going to sleep again last night. I stared at my ceiling for about an hour before finally falling asleep after 11 PM. I think doing nothing all day adversely affected my body. On days off from now on, I will be attempting to do more throughout the day, even if it is just going to the gym or pool for a little while. 

Le-Vel THRIVE Experience - Day 2

One day down, many more to go! When Erinn and I took our patches off, we both had a little residue from the edges of the patch. Erinn used some nail polish remover/acetone, and the residue came off easily. 

8 AM - I took my pill with 8 ounces of water. Erinn was up and going before me this morning, but she said that she had hers with about 4 ounces of water. We both feel more awake after this. However, this may be due to the water that we drank. 

8:30 AM - I had the chocolate shake mix again, with 10 ounces of Chocolate Almond Milk. Erinn used half of a packet of chocolate shake mix, with around 10 ounces of regular Almond Milk. Erinn said that with half of the powder, the shake was thinner, and she thought it was easier to drink. We only have 20 ounce Blender Bottles right now. We are buying bigger ones, so we can put more liquid in the drink. I think this will make it less grainy. Erinn has placed her patch on her forearm today, and I put mine on my bicep. I didn't have any strange feeling in my head like yesterday and Erinn did not have the sensation in her muscle that she did yesterday.

10 AM - I am starting to want food, but I am not hungry. I think this is more out of boredom than being hungry.

1 PM - I am just now starting to get hungry. This is surprising because usually I am starving around 12. 

2:30 PM - Erinn ate lunch after her class. She says that she got hungry around 1 PM. She's not sure if she was hungry or bored of her class when she started getting hungry. She reports that she ate less than she typically would for lunch- less snacks on the side of her sandwich. 

5 PM - I am feeling a little tired. I slept 2 hours less than I usually do last night. I am not nap-level tired, but I am not as energetic as I was yesterday. I also have been sitting on the couch for most of the day instead of being active. Erinn is in her last class of the day and is having a much easier time paying attention in it. She says its a very dry class and by this point in the day its nearly impossible to pay attention to the professor, but she was actually able to maintain her attention span for most of the lecture.

6 PM - We are making dinner. We are hungry, but not famished.

Overall a weird day for both of us. We both felt really awake this morning after having our pills and shakes. Throughout the day, Erinn felt more energetic than usual, while I did not. Tomorrow will be my first day at work while using the product, so we will see how it goes! We are both enjoying the products, and think they are offering benefits for us. 

Le-Vel THRIVE Experience - Day 1

So today we start a new journey! Erinn and I are starting the Le-Vel Thrive Experience. Our parent's neighbor got them into it, and they are getting us going on it! 

I was apprehensive when my parents told me about the program. Due to my history with my eating disorder, I am always a little nervous when people tell me about programs that use chemical reactions in the body. I have had previous experience with using meal replacement programs that have sparked my eating disorder. My parents guaranteed that this will not have that effect on me. The shakes do have hunger suppressants in them, but not to the point that it will make me avoid eating.

To be honest, I am skeptical of how these things work. I tend to believe that most of these products are just placebos that companies put fancy labels on. At the same time, I am excited to see how this goes. I am trying to be a healthier person. I don't necessarily want to lose weight using this product, but I am unhappy in my body right now. I want to get to a place where my body is more toned and I am more comfortable in my clothes.

So Day 1, here we go!

9:33 AM - Since it's our first day, we will only take 1 pill. We have the Le-Vel Premium Lifestyle Capsule-THRIVE W (Formulated for Women) pills. We split a pack (since 2 come in a pack). The glasses that we own are 8 ounces, so we filled the glasses up and drank 8 ounces of cold water with our pill. This is not really necessary, but most doctors recommend that you start your day with an 8 ounce glass of water anyway.

10:08 AM - Since everything is a chemical reaction, the most effective time to have the powder is 20-40 minutes after you take the pill. I have the Le-Vel Premium Nutrition: Ultra Micronized-THRIVE MW Chocolate Lifestyle Mix. We used about 4 ounces of regular Almond Milk and 6 ounces of Chocolate Almond Milk with the powder. The powder is very fine, and mixed well (we used Blender Bottles with a circular ringed blender) with the almond milk. While drinking the shake, the powder was slightly grainy, but overall tasted good! It was very easy to drink, and only took us about 5-10 minutes to drink the shake.

10:15 AM - We put our patches on while finishing our shakes. We use the Le-Vel Premium Nutrition: Derma Fusion Technology-THRIVE Premium Lifestyle DFT. They have many designs and colors to choose from. Mine are pink camo colored! Erinn put hers on her bicep, and I put mine on the front of my hip. It is important to keep rotating where the patch is placed from day to day.

10:20 AM - Erinn started to feel some tingling in her arm in the muscle she placed the patch on, and my head started to feel a little "swimmy." My eyes were a little blurry. We called our dad concerned and messaged Tammy who is our go-to person for Le-Vel. It was nothing to worry about. With the new stimulants in our bodies, there are some adjustments that our body has to make. Tammy sent us a message saying, "There is a pepper extract in the DFT (patch) that helps your skin absorb the nutrients and that's where the tingling came from. As for the blurred vision, I would guess that's just the rush of pure vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc getting into your system and your body was going "woah, what's going on, what is this?!?"." Erinn's tingling only lasted a few minutes, as did the feeling in my head. However, we both feel super awake and energetic. We are both excited to see how this goes today!

11 AM - I just went to the bathroom, and had forgotten that I had the patch on my hip. I was startled for a moment, but in a good way. The patch is not hindering my day. Erinn and I were both hungry before taking the pill and drinking the shake. After the shake settled, we are no longer hungry.

1 PM - We were a little hungry around 12, but personally I thought I was less hungry than usual. We are just getting actually hungry around 1 PM. Erinn stated that she is hungry, but not "starving." We both could go longer before eating, as neither of us are craving food as we usually do around this time. Both of us have forgotten that we have the patches on, other than we look at them. I'm also usually about ready to take a nap around this time, and start to drag at work. I have the day off, so that may be contributing to why I am not so tired, but I am not as sleepy as I usually am around 1 PM.

1:45 PM - We made 2 chicken patties for each of us for lunch. Usually Erinn is still hungry after eating 2 chicken patties. Today, she felt full around being halfway through her second one! I usually eat both and am full, and today at about one and 3/4 and couldn't finish. Again, this could be because of other factors or activities today, but we both think that it is because of THRIVE. 

5 PM - Usually I start to get hungry around this time. If I'm at work, I'm starting to become unfocused. I just looked at the clock and didn't even realize what time it was, partially due to me not being hungry. This is surprising to me. I have also just realized that I haven't snacked at all today, which I usually constantly do.

7 PM - I am just now getting to be actually hungry (which works well because dinner is just coming out of the oven!). 

Overall, our first day of the THRIVE experience has gone over well. Erinn and I both felt more energetic and less hungry throughout the day. We are excited for the next few weeks to see what happens and how our bodies feel. 

For more information on the specifics of how everything works, go to this website and read all about it! 

Mental Illness

Lately, I have started to speak out about some of my struggles, only (once again) to be met with ridicule.

I have had an eating disorder since fourth grade. I was always active and playing soccer or dancing as a child, and never saw my weight as anything but normal. In the fourth grade, bullies suddenly entered my life and I didn't know how to handle them. My teacher used to have meetings with me every day after lunch to make sure that I ate my lunch that my mom had prepared that morning. I was constantly monitored by the cafeteria staff to make sure I wasn't throwing my food away or giving it to my friends. Well, after a few weeks my parents started noticing that I was suddenly losing weight. Little did I know at the time, I was also doing other harm to my body. Around the same time, I started having migraines and had to go to Syracuse for testing and to get put on medication for the migraines.

After everyone found out what was going on and it was explained to me by school staff what I was doing to myself, I started eating again. I didn't have any issues with my eating disorder until my freshman year of high school when I went through a traumatic time. With the help of my parents and a counselor, I got set on the right track again....until college. Since starting college, I have had a constant on-and-off relationship with my eating disorder. Most of the people that are close with me know my history with this specific disorder, and now help me to stay on the right track with it.

Consequently, I also have suffered with depression. If you have read one of my previous blog posts, then you will realize that I have been through multiple traumatic experiences in my short 20 years. Some of these experiences have caused me to sink to the darkest corners of my mind, and have thoughts that I did not think someone like myself was capable of having. Again, with the help of my amazing family and multiple counselors, I have been able to push through these times.

I also have an anxiety disorder. I find myself unable to control my body and thoughts at times. I may know that I shouldn't or should be doing something, and cannot change my actions in order to fit what I want to do. There will be times when I am paralyzed due to fear, to an extent that most people cannot understand. I struggle at times with simple everyday tasks, like choosing where to eat when going to dinner with friends. To this day, I am still learning about what this truly means and what my options are in order to be able to handle every day tasks. 

On Facebook, I have started sharing articles that truly communicate how I have been feeling while struggling with these disorders lately. Let me say this first-I do not share them for pity or to have people pay attention to me. I share them because I have felt so alone struggling, and to feel like there are other people in the world that understand me is just a breath of fresh air. I share them for myself, and for people who may also be facing the same struggle. 

However, there are people who have said that I shouldn't be sharing posts like that because it makes them "uncomfortable" or "it isn't something that I should be proud about."  If an article makes you uncomfortable, you do not have read it folks. And to say I am proud that I have mental disorders? I am not "proud," but I am no longer ashamed that I face these struggles. If someone chooses to stereotype me because of the way my brain works, I am no longer going to let it affect me. I have been so afraid of what people think about me for the longest time, and it only makes the "symptoms," for lack of a better word, of my disorders worse.

There are people that do not have the support system that I have, or can get the care that I can through my medical insurance and amazing counselors at school. There are people that have the same disorders as me, but have them 10x worse and cannot leave their own rooms because of it. I am lucky that I can attend school and have two jobs while trying to figure out ways to control my disorders to have a normal life.

Mental illness is not a topic that should be swept under the rug and ignored, it is something that people need to discuss. The people that struggle with mental disorders need their friends and family to be accepting and ready to assist them in any way possible. Otherwise, they may never seek help. And please realize, it is not the person's fault that they think the way they do or act the way they do because of their disorder. Do not blame them for their disorder. From my experience, they hate it just as much as you do.