Whew, I Made It!!

Okay, the cleanse is officially over. I made it 4 days (well 3 and 3/4 days, really) which I'm really proud of. So how do I feel? Do I feel fully cleansed? Not really. Do I feel good? Yes! Have I begun to conquer some pretty nasty demons? Yes. Would I do this particular cleanse again? Probably not.

Here's the deal. The reason I don't feel particularly cleansed is because I never felt energized/light. I feel like I missed out on something there. I think it's because I forgot to do the laxative tea every night, which affected how much I really detoxed. I think I didn't detox to my full potential thereby never feeling fully cleansed. However, I do feel good. I feel like I have a clean slate to work with. For the most part I've made really smart choices since I've gone back to eating (the exception being the movie popcorn and child's sized box of Mike and Ikes- oops!!) The thing I am happiest about is my stomach shrinking, allowing me to start over again with healthy portion sizes- which was one of my personal demons.

I have to admit that I did get everything out of this cleanse that I was hoping for- so while I didn't feel particularly cleansed or detoxed I DID reach my original goal. The purpose for this cleanse (which I may have previously stated) was to push the reset button on my mind and my stomach. I wanted to be able to start fresh mentally, view food differently, prove to myself that I have the willpower, jump start my weight loss and regain control of my portion sizes by shrinking my stomach. I achieved ALL of these things!!

I have been trying to lose weight since the beginning of the year with very slow success- it wasn't until I got pneumonia that I lost any significant amount of weight (which obviously isn't the healthy way to lose weight, but it worked!). Since I was sluggish in losing weight yet again, I thought that doing this cleanse would again shock my system into letting some of the weight go. I knew that any weight I lost wouldn't necessarily stay off as some would be water weight but if I could lose at least 3 lbs out of it I'd be happy. So far that's exactly what I've achieved.

The next cleanse/detox that I am considering is on that Gwyneth Paltrow does that she posted on her website/weekly newsletter goop.com (my introduction to this detox is also courtesy of Miss Phoebe- who is my go-to gal!) I'm thinking of doing this 7 day detox in either June or July, as they will be warmer months and it will feel good to eat lighter- it just seems that the foods on this detox are summery!

So on to my next adventure!!! Trying new healthy foods/cuisines! I'm super excited!! So what is that next food adventure you might ask??? Well I'm thinking of trying a recipe I found on Goop called Bibimbop- so stay tuned for how that turns out!!

Lemons, Lemons, and more Lemons!

As of today I have juiced a total of 30 lemons- again I question if I'm sane!! So it's day 2 of the cleanse and while it's getting easier in some ways, it's also getting harder. I am dreaming of food a little less, peeing a little less, but also drinking less of the concoction.

Last night I forgot to drink the laxative tea, which turns out to be a big mistake as it's 3 pm and no bowel movements- which is unusual for me on a normal day, let alone a cleanse. I am still as tired as I was yesterday and a bit more flighty- feeling light headed but not in a vertigo/dizzy kind of way. I woke up with a headache, but my stomach wasn't growling, which was a good sign. Last night I went to bed with my stomach growling loudly and constantly but I was so tired I didn't even care. Once I drank the lemonade this morning my headache went away, which I was so grateful for!

Today so far has consisted of: drinking a liter and a half of the lemonade, 1 cup of green tea, countless pieces of fruity gum, water, another trip to the grocery store, a trip to the health food store, making another gallon of the lemonade and lots of reading (to distract me from dreams of food). The grocery store was a little bit easier today (maybe because I didn't smell baked goods this time!) What I'm finding difficult is my own refrigerator!!!!! Every time I open that darn thing I see my hummus and olive tapenade, which is sooooo good on pita bread- torture!!!! Since my husband is not doing the cleanse he's eating like normal so our fridge and pantry is stocked, but the hardest thing is when he cooks- those smells!!!!- oh it's too much!

I'm going to try to go beyond tomorrow (Tuesday, day 3), but if I only do 3 days it's okay. I only committed to 3 days in the beginning anyway, but I would like to see what my body can do and what I can handle- because I've realized that for me this is way more mental than physical!!!!! I've had a very unhealthy and complicated relationship with food my whole life, so I'm trying to wrestle with some demons by doing this cleanse. I'm trying to teach myself that I rule my body and my mind. I am in control. I'm trying to press the reset button so that the first day after the cleanse is day 1 of my new attitude- a clean slate.

Cleanse Me (or how many days til I can chew?)

So I volunteered to do the Master Cleanse with my friend Phoebe- who for the record did not coerce me into this, I really did walk into it voluntarily- and today is day 1. Phoebe- the wonderfully brave and experienced soul- is doing it for 10 days while I on the other hand am beginning to question my 3 day commitment!! Ha, ha- what, I ask myself have I gotten myself into!!

I diligently started out last night with the natural laxative tea (my personal one is Traditional Medicinals Chocolate Smooth Move- which doesn't taste like chocolate I might add). It seemed to do it's work as the day went on. Mostly I just had to pee constantly.

My husband (who is not doing the cleanse and thinks I'm insane) and I decided to head to the beach for some relaxation, reading and distraction (for me). I brought my lemon concoction hoping to stave off the cravings. We stayed about an hour before it just got to be too much for me, I wanted to be closer to a bathroom and frivolous television. Before we could head home I had to run to the grocery store to stock up on supplies- I didn't realize how quickly I would go through the beverage. Going to that grocery store was torture!!!!!! I think my sense of smell was heightened even more than usual because I could smell every darn thing that the deli counter had to offer, while on my way to the produce section for my lemons. Daniel just laughed as I frantically grabbed what I needed and told him to hurry up- cuz I just couldn't handle the smells any longer.

So basically at the end of day one, this is what I found: I peed immensely, dreamt about food constantly and was so tired I could have gone to bed at 6pm. I forced myself to stay up til 10pm, which is quite early for me normally. I did forget to have the laxative tea, which was a mistake, as I'm on day 2 and no bowel movements. Stay tuned as I cover each day. I keep reminding myself that I only committed for 3 days, so can do it!!