Friday, January 23, 2015

The Thrive Lifestyle

Thrive day 1

A friend had mentioned how much she loved Thrive and suggested that I give it a try. She sent me enough for 4 days (LeVel recommends an 8 week course for best results). 

I received my samples yesterday and I began with the three step regime today. 

First thing this morning I woke up and took two of the Thrive for Women premium lifestyle capsules. This capsule is clearly marked as a dietary supplement and contains a plethora of vitamins and minerals. It does contain folic acid which I know has been getting some bad media attention recently and it also contains a few ingredients that I cannot pronounce but most of the ingredients appear to be natural, as their company boasts. The capsule also contains caffeine and suggests only taking one pill on an empty stomach if you are sensitive to caffeine. I am not, but within 10 minutes of taking the pill I was feeling slightly light headed. This could very well be a coincidence but in the name of full disclosure, that was my experience with the pills.

Thirty minutes later I made a shake with the Thrive Premium Lifestyle mix. This is essentially a protein powder. It packs 15g of protein in one serving. The packaging highlights it's antioxidant and extract blend, along with being gluten free. There are also 5g of fiber in this powder mix and more caffeine. The directions say to mix one packet with 8-10oz of milk or water, or you may blend it with fruit and ice for a smoothie. I chose the smoothie route. Since Thrive promotes combing their products with a balanced diet, proper water intake, and regular exercise I chose to make a yogurt smoothie. I combined half a cup of ice with the juice of an orange (yes, I squeezed it myself since I was out of orange juice), half a banana, and a Dannon Light and Fit Greek Yogurt (Strawberry Banana) and then blended until the ice was gone. This smoothie breakfast comes out to 228 calories, packs protein, vitamin C, and probiotics, along with a long list of other vitamins and minerals. It seems like a nice well rounded smoothie. The downside, it feels a bit grainy. The shake mix is 1.2oz and even mixed with all that other stuff it still feels coarse going down. About halfway through my smoothie I started feeling a bit shaky. Probably from all the caffeine so early in the morning since I am used to regular coffee or espresso drinks from Starbucks. 

After my smoothie I was supposed to put on the Thrive DFT patch but I kinda forgot about it because I was on the phone with the IRS all morning. I finally remembered around 1130am and applied it then. The patch is applied to the bicep, shoulder, or forearm and left in place for a max of 24 hours. It contains ingredients that help with weight management, mental clarity, and appetite control. It has an all natural time release to help with those things throughout the entire day. It is now 330pm and I haven't noticed it doing much but sticking to my arm. 

The Thrive system is 3 steps and meant to be used daily. It is not meant to be used alone but in conjunction with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and lots of water. We should all be doing those things already and the Thrive system is meant to compliment what you are already doing. 

I have not done any exercise today (remember me being on the phone with the IRS... That shit will drain the life out of anyone), but I have been watching what I eat like I have been doing all week. Lunch was a skinny caramel macchiato from Starbucks and a spinach salad with a microwaved fried egg cut up on top and drizzled with red wine vinaigrette dressing. For snack I had some banana chips. 

I have no idea what dinner will consist of or what my next snack will be but I am pretty hungry. My water intake has been low too but I hope to drink at least two more big bottles (another 64oz) before the day is over. 

Conclusion for day 1: the appetite does seem lowered and my energy level seems to be about the same. Tomorrow is a new day, so look for my day 2 review tomorrow afternoon/evening.

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