MLM Nightmare: My Experience with Advocare, Isagenix, Truvision, and More

Advocare, Isagenix, and Truvision, oh my! Here's a roundup of how I felt about some of the most popular MLM products on the market today. And, as a disclaimer, these are just MY experiences. I know people who all of these programs have worked amazingly for and that's great. Different things work for different people. These are what did and didn't work for me:

Advocare

Oh, the 24-day challenge. I can do anything for 24 days, right? Wrong. I cannot drink chalky drinks, fluffy shakes and take horse pills. I’m honestly not sure how I came across the Advocare program. It was a couple years after having my daughter and I was looking to be a little healthier.

Let’s just start with the meal replacement shakes. I’m a big fan of shakes – I like Slim Fast shakes for crying out loud. I’d drink Jamba Juice everyday if you let me. These shakes were not good. They fluffed up like crazy and were not appetizing. I wound up asking for my money back on them immediately. I’m not gonna pay good money to drink something that sucks.

And then there were the fiber drinks. The chalky, thick mixture that I had to plug my nose and chug in order to avoid throwing up. When my distributor gave me the package, she straight up told me that she avoids the fiber drinks and never drinks them. That was a great sign – I probably should have just grabbed my money and ran!

Then, there were the horse pills – I mean the vitamins. The multiple packages of pills you had to choke down every day. I kid you not, they were so big that they hardly fit down my throat. I still think I have packs laying around that I never finished.

Lastly, there was spark. The Advocare version of an energy drink that actually wasn’t half bad. It reminded me of Zipfizz but I don’t remember feeling super energized drinking it. The one positive that came from my Advocare experience was that it introduced me to the idea of clean eating and that’s something I’ve worked on ever since.

Isagenix

I’ve given the Isagenix program a shot a few times. Maybe not a fair shot, but a shot. The first time, I was given the product as a trade. I found the schedule, rules and was ready to go. The main focus of the program is the shakes – and they were not good. They fluffed up and were difficult to drink. I was able to add a banana and cinnamon to make them bearable but they advise against that. Plus, I was still hungry after drinking the shakes. What’s the point of a meal REPLACEMENT shake if I need to eat a meal after the shake because I’m still hungry?

Let’s talk about cleanse days. The terrible, awful cleanse days. I still get worked up thinking about these. The idea is that our body will shed fat fast if you go 2 days without eating the first and second week. No sh*t you’re going to lose weight if you don’t eat. On my second time with the program, I made it until about 4 PM on the first cleanse day before I threw in the towel. “Hangry” does not even begin to cover it. I wanted to murder someone, throw my cleanse drink at the wall and eat everything in my pantry. I had apple pie that night…and ice cream. I think a big part of the cleanse for me was mental. I’ve never not eaten in my life and I don’t think it’s healthy to do so. Just my opinion and Isa wasn’t for me!

I will say that I’ve seen people achieve amazing transformations with ISA. Both my mom and sister look amazing. My mom looks the best I’ve ever seen her in my life! But I think that if you bought any protein shake, had it for two meals and a 600 calorie dinner, and then fasted for 2 days at a time, you would achieve similar results and without spending $400.

Truvison

This product is one of the most recent ones I tried. Someone I went to school with dropped crazy weight taking the product and looked amazing. She told me it was a magic pill. That she didn’t change her eating habits or workout and the weight just melted off. Well, of course I’m gonna try it with results like that. Unfortunately, all it did was make me sick. And I’m talking so nauseous that I thought I was pregnant and barely made it to the store to buy a test.

I gave the product a valliant effort and bought three weeks of sample packs. The problem I had was that you were required to take the pills twice a day. The first dose wasn’t a problem but I could never remember the second dose. I was told that consistency was key, but unfortunately, I suck at being consistent.

The product did suppress my appetite so that was good. But at $100 for a month, I would rather eat $1 bills to keep myself full.

Saviina

I freaking love Saviina. Seriously, if you want to drop weight, then go buy Saviina right now. My normal weight is around 125 pounds and I got down to 112 pounds (within two weeks) when I took Saviina for the first time. My back bones were sticking out and my shorts were falling off – but I was stoked. I would buy the company if they would let me. I would seriously invest in a heartbeat. I’ve tried to become a distributor but they only allow so many in one area – boooooo.

 I took it before my wedding, my honeymoon, basically for every special occasion. Unfortunately, it seems to lose its effectiveness after the first time. It still might help you drop a few pounds but it’s definitely not the same.

SO many of my mom friends dropped the baby weight using Saviina. It really is like a magic pill, but magic isn’t always the best route. Saviina makes girls crazy bitchy – ask any guy who’s had a girlfriend use the product. I think it comes down to that you’re hardly eating so you become very agitated. It also gave me anxiety and dry mouth, but hey, you only need to get through two weeks of being a little crazy to see results.  Beauty is pain, right?

Thrive

Finally, thrive entered the picture. My friend Michelle offered to send me a 3-day sample and I felt the difference the first day. I had so much energy that I wanted to go running – and I HATE running. If you’ve ever taken a preworkout, the feeling is similar to that. You can literally feel the energy coursing through your veins.

Here’s what I love about the product. It’s SO, SO simple. Wake up and take two capsules on an empty stomach. Remember me saying I have a weak stomach? I’ve been just fine taking these. After 15-20 mins, drink the shake and slap on the patch, and you’re done.

The feedback I’ve heard from others has been amazing. My husband said there was no way this could be good for him because he felt like he was on drugs. But here’s the thing – you feel great because you’re putting good stuff into your body! Vitamins, probiotics, and more. The old saying rings true, “Put good in, get good out.”

What scared me away at first was the cost. $160? There’s no way I can afford that! “Oh, but it’s $5 a day, you spend that on coffee!” I hate when people say that to me. I would rather spend $5 a day than $160 at once. People don’t think in the long term – think about right now and what it will cost right this instant.

A couple months went by of me feeling drained and I finally decided I’d had enough. I ordered Thrive and it was well worth the investment. Can’t afford it? Go sell some things you don’t need. Go through and purge your closet. Sell your old cellphone. Avoid eating out for one week. You can find the money and it’s well worth the investment in your health – I promise!

brimanes.le-vel.com

Thrive Ingredients:

A Letter to the Mothers of Today

Friends. Please slow down and focus on what matters. I spent the last 8 months trying to work from home while being a wife and mother. I wanted my house spotless and well decorated. I wanted to have a gourmet meal on the table every night when my husband got home. I wanted my kids to be well-dressed and mannered. I wanted to accomplish everything, everyday within the 24 hour time frame I was allotted, and you know what? I felt defeated every day and like I hadn't succeeded. There was always more that could be done, and I felt the weight constantly.

You know what I've come to figure out? The most successful people in life aren't those who have a million things going on, they are the ones who choose a few things that they want to focus on and make them happen. Figure out what is truly important to you, and make that your priority.

Like I mentioned, I spent the last 8 months working from home. That meant I got to be with my kids and work, what a dream! I was blessed to have such an opportunity, but I never felt truly satisfied. My children felt like a distraction from my work, rather than the most important work. I feel like I couldn't truly focus on them and their needs, and spend the time loving and nurturing them. So, what's a mom to do?

My advice to everyone is to slow down and determine your priorities. Pick three things that you want to accomplish and make them happen. I want to have a great relationship with my husband and kids, have a well-ordered home and work when I can. Seriously, stop trying to do everything at once. You will only run yourself into the ground, and feel defeated in the end.

I share all of this because I went from working full-time to part-time, and I feel great. I feel light, free and at peace. I feel like I've spent genuine time bonding with my kids and accomplished much more that I can feel good about.

Forget what social media and society are telling you. Look at what you've been blessed with and focus on that.

Xo!

Spaghetti Squash Low Carb-onara

Spaghetti squash is the second best thing that happened to me in 2014 (first was having my son, Beckham). Let me start by saying that I love carbs, give me all the carbs! My life is a constant battle between wanting to eat delicious food and wanting to be skinny. Fortunately, there are substitutions that can be made that are light on calories but still so, so tasty!

There are two things we make religiously in our house, and that's spaghetti and tacos. Needless to say, I buy my ground beef in bulk at Costco. My husband would be perfectly content if we had spaghetti or tacos every single night.

A couple nights ago, I made spaghetti for my husband and daughter using regular noodles, and spaghetti squash for myself. If you are looking for a great pasta sauce, I recommend this one from Trader Joe's.

While it would have been fairly low in calories, I did not eat the entire spaghetti squash myself. That meant I had a lot leftover in the fridge, and it only lasts a few days, cooked. I couldn't let my favorite vegetable go to waste, so I had to find something to make with it!

I found a recipe for spaghetti squash carbonara, and it was "fantastic." I quote my husband directly on that, and this is coming from the man who threw an absolute fit when I made cauliflower fried rice a few nights ago.

Bacon and cheese. Does it get better? I think not, but try out the recipe and let me know what you think!

Spaghetti Squash Low Carb-onara

4 slices of bacon (cut into small pieces)
1/4 cup of chicken stock
Minced garlic
1 spaghetti squash, cooked
1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites and 1 egg including the yolk (or three full eggs)
Salt & Pepper

Start by cooking your spaghetti squash. You can either use the microwave or your conventional oven. I prefer to use the microwave, since it is much quicker. Simply cut the squash in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, fill the cavity with a small amount of water and microwave for 10-13 minutes (10 for crunchier squash, 13 for softer squash).

While the squash is cooking, cut your bacon into small pieces. I prefer to use scissors, but you can do this however you want. Cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy, and then add minced garlic. I usually add around a tablespoon, but it is totally your preference.

Let the bacon and garlic saute for one minute, and then add the chicken broth. Let it cook until the broth has evaporated (weird, I know).

In a separate bowl, mix the Parmesan cheese and eggs together and then add to the bacon and garlic. Make sure that you cook over low/medium heat, and don't let the eggs cook all the way through. The goal is not to make scrambled eggs here! I let the mixture cook for about one minute, and then added the cooked spaghetti squash.

Rewinding for a minute, your squash just finished cooking. Now what? Simply scrape it out with a fork, you will be shocked how easily it shreds into spaghetti-like strands. Voila!

Stir the mixture of ingredients until the squash is well coated in creamy deliciousness. Season with salt, pepper and a bit more Parmesan. Serve immediately to your hungry family, or eat it straight from the pan, like I did.

SO good. Probably better than regular spaghetti carbonara in my opinion, and it made me feel better about raiding my daughter's Christmas candy.

Enjoy, xoxo!

Bri's Skinny No Bake PB2 Cookies

Last night I was craving no bake cookies, bad. Of course I was out of one very important ingredient, the cocoa powder! I spent a solid two hours scouring Pinterest, looking for a recipe that called for something different. Chocolate protein powder perhaps? In the end, my search came up empty-handed.

Fast-forward to tonight. After a trip to Target, I finally had everything I needed. Oh, and of course a bunch of things I didn't need, let's be honest. Time to find a good no bake recipe!

Most no bake recipes call for peanut butter, but I wanted to use PB2. Haven't heard of it? It's the best thing invented since, well, peanut butter!

Just so you know, I am a bit of a peanut butter addict. My daughter and I actually eat it by the spoonful and call it a "peanut butter lollipop." Whatever, it's healthy, it's protein, right?

Anyway, back to the cookies! I found a recipe that made for a good foundation and then made a bunch of substitutions. Voila, skinny no bake cookies with PB2 were created! Give them a try and let me know what you think!

In my opinion, they were a little less sweet than normal no bake cookies, and pretty heavy on the oatmeal, but I still enjoyed them :)

Ingredients:

8 TBS. PB2 or PB2 Chocolate
1 Cup of Splenda (or other sweetener)
1/4 Cup of Cocoa Powder
1/2 Cup of Coconut Oil
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Almond Milk
1/2 Cup Butter
3 Cups of Quick Oats

Mix together all ingredients, except for the oats, and bring to a rolling boil.

Remove from heat and stir in the quick oats.

Drop by rounded teaspoon onto a baking sheet, foil or parchment paper.

Enjoy straight from the spoon or wait until they have cooled. Eat one or five, no judging! I know for sure my entire batch will be gone by tomorrow.

Enjoy, xoxo!